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Western Notes: Parsons, Crabbe, Jones, Motiejunas

November 20th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons is expected to miss up to two weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee, posts Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. It’s not the same knee that Parsons had surgically repaired twice. He missed the start of this season while recovering from the latest operation in March and has played just six games for Memphis, which signed him to a four-year, $94MM deal this summer.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

  • Trail Blazers shooting guard Allen Crabbe didn’t believe the Nets’ $75MM offer sheet was real when he first heard about it, relays Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. Portland matched the four-year deal, keeping Crabbe in a Blazers uniform, but he would have been happy to come to Brooklyn if things had worked out differently. “When I met with them, they were straightforward and told me, ‘Look we’ve got a lot of young guys here that are looking to compete. We’re going to try and build from here,’” Crabbe said. “So you know, I felt like that was a positive first step going into something good being built here. I liked everything about how they were going to use me. But you know, everything happens for a reason and I’m back here and I’m happy with that.”
  • Circumstances allowed Suns rookie Derrick Jones to make his NBA debut close to home, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. A native of Chester, Pa., Jones was recalled from the D-League after T.J. Warren was struck by illness and couldn’t travel to Saturday’s game at Philadelphia. Family members watched as Jones played the final 2:41. “I love the game and I love being part of the team,” he said. “I’m thankful. Out of all places, I’m coming back home for my call-up game. I got to pray and hope that I stay here now.”
  • The Rockets continue to hold contract talks with representatives for Donatas Motiejunas, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. “Good discussions” have been reported with the free agent power forward over the last few weeks, but they haven’t resulted in progress toward a contract.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/19/16

November 19th, 2016 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA. This post will be updated throughout the day if and when other teams announce moves.

6:47pm:

  • The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from the Northern Arizona Suns, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to their Twitter feed.
  • The Clippers have assigned Diamond Stone to the D-League and he will play for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Bucks have assigned Rashad Vaughn to the D-League and he will play for the Westchester Knicks, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Twitter link).

1:11pm

  • The Spurs have assigned Dejounte Murray and Bryn Forbes to the D-League, according to the team. While the headline of San Antonio’s press release indicates Murray has been recalled from the Austin Spurs, the rookie had already been with the NBA club, and the release itself says he and Forbes are being sent to Austin, where they’ll be available for tonight’s game against the Erie Bayhawks. It’s already the fifth assignment of the season for Murray, and the third for Forbes.
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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/3/16

November 3rd, 2016 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

  • The first D-League assignment of Dejounte Murray‘s young career was a brief one. The Spurs announced today that they’ve recalled Murray, just one day after assigning him to Austin, so the 2016 first-rounder will join the team on its road trip to Utah.
  • The Suns have sent rookie forward Derrick Jones to their newly-relocated D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, the team announced today in a press release. Jones has yet to see the floor for Phoenix during the regular season, so it makes sense to send him to Northern Arizona to get him some action.
  • The Jazz have assigned 2016 second-rounder Joel Bolomboy to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a team release. Bolomboy has played briefly in two games for Utah so far this season.
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Pacific Notes: Goodwin, Jones, Clippers, D’Antoni

October 26th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Suns guard Archie Goodwin cleared waivers today at 5 pm Eastern time and is now officially a free agent. Phoenix released Goodwin on Monday after being unable to deal him to another team. The 22-year-old out of Kentucky spent three seasons with the Suns. He appeared in 57 games last season, averaging 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per night.

There’s more news out of the Pacific Division:

  • Derrick Jones overcame long odds to earn a spot on the Suns‘ roster, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The 19-year-old wasn’t taken in the draft after being ruled ineligible at UNLV, then missed all of summer league with an injury. Jones signed a four-year contract that could be worth up to $3.6MM, but all he is guaranteed for now is $42.5K of his $543,471 salary. Still, he is elated about the opportunity. “When I was the last one here from training camp, I knew there was a reason I am here,” Jones said. “I feel as though I’m a NBA player. I have NBA athleticism. My game is going to come a long way. I just got to be able to knock down my jump shots consistently. That’s one thing I’m going to put in work to do.”
  • The Clippers understand they may be facing their final season with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, relays Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Both are expected to opt out next summer and become free agents. With J.J. Redick also headed toward free agency and L.A. well over the salary cap, it will create a serious financial strain to keep the current core together. “We’re not really worried about what happens after this season. We’re worried about what happens in the season,” Griffin said. “Every year, if you don’t have a sense of urgency, if it takes somebody being like ‘This could be the last year to have a sense of urgency,’ then you’re already kind of playing from behind. I don’t think it really affects us.”
  • New Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni thought his career might be over when he left the Lakers in 2014, writes Bill Oram of The Orange Country Register. Not only did that team underachieve, but D’Antoni spent much of the season fighting with Kobe Bryant. D’Antoni revived his career as an assistant with the Sixers last season before being hired by Houston over the summer. “It’s a privilege to be able to coach in this league,” D’Antoni said. “It’s very rare you can dictate where you want to go, and usually where you’re going they have problems or you wouldn’t be going there. You just try to find the right situation, and if it’s not the right situation, try to make it work. If it doesn’t work out, try to live to fight a battle someplace else. It was a privilege to coach the Lakers. It was a privilege to coach Kobe and those guys. I’m better for it.”
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Suns Waive Archie Goodwin

October 24th, 2016 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

4:25pm: The Suns officially announced that Goodwin was waived.

2:57pm: Another player with a guaranteed 2016/17 salary has been released, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the Suns have waived former first-round pick Archie Goodwin. The move brings the team’s roster to 15 players, so no additional cuts are necessary before opening night.

[RELATED: Suns’ roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com]

The 29th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Goodwin has appeared in 150 games for the Suns since making his NBA debut. In 2015/16, he averaged 19.5 minutes per contest in 57 games (13 starts), recording 8.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG.

While Goodwin has yet to develop into a productive NBA regular, he has shown flashes of promise and explosiveness. The Kentucky product is still just 22 years old, and was set to earn a modest salary of $2,094,089 from the Suns this season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency in 2017. If Goodwin clears waivers, Phoenix will remain on the hook for that salary, but he looks like a candidate to draw interest on waivers from teams with cap room. A club like the Sixers, who are fairly thin in the backcourt and are well below the salary cap floor, could be interested in placing a claim on Goodwin.

The Suns had still been carrying two players without fully guaranteed salaries, in John Jenkins and Derrick Jones. Jenkins’ salary is believed to be fully guaranteed now that he has remained on the roster beyond October 23, whereas Phoenix maintains some flexibility with Jones, whose deal is partially guaranteed for about $43K — it won’t fully guarantee until January 10.

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Contract Details: Brand, Rockets, Thunder, Pacers

September 30th, 2016 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

With training camps underway, teams have now officially finalized the contract agreements with various camp invitees that had been reported over the past several weeks, meaning we have plenty of contract details to round up. As usual, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has been busy reporting those details, updating his salary pages for teams around the NBA.

Because we have so many updates to pass along from Pincus, we’ll divide them up by players who received some guaranteed money from their teams, and those who didn’t. All of the links below point to the Basketball Insiders team salary pages, so be sure to click through for additional information.

Here are the latest salary updates from across the league, via Pincus:

Players receiving guaranteed money:

These players aren’t necessarily assured of regular-season roster spots. In fact, many of them likely received guarantees as an incentive to accept a D-League assignment. Still, for some players, larger guarantees should increase their odds of making 15-man rosters.

  • Thomas Walkup (Bulls): One year, minimum salary. $69.5K guaranteed.
  • Keith Benson (Heat): Two years, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Henry Sims (Jazz): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Alex Poythress (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $35,381 guaranteed.
  • Kevin Seraphin (Pacers): Two years, $3.681MM. First year ($1.8MM) guaranteed.
  • Julyan Stone (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Gary Payton II (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. First year ($543,471) guaranteed.
  • Isaiah Taylor (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kyle Wiltjer (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $275K guaranteed.
  • Cat Barber (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Elton Brand (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $1MM guaranteed.
  • Derrick Jones (Suns): Three years, minimum salary. $42.5K guaranteed.
  • Alex Caruso (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kaleb Tarczewski (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Chris Wright (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $100K guaranteed.

Players receiving no guaranteed money:

The following players all signed one-year, minimum salary contracts with no guaranteed money. Many of these deals are “summer contracts,” which won’t count against a team’s cap unless the player earns a spot on the 15-man roster.

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Western Notes: Payne, Suns, Barnes, Wolves Coaches

September 25th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Second-year Thunder guard Cameron Payne has shown encouraging signs in his recovery from the Jones fracture surgery he had in July, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Payne has gone through full contact during Oklahoma City’s first two days of practice and is expected to participate in a scrimmage on Tuesday. Coach Billy Donovan said Payne has been working to recapture his timing, but the medical staff hasn’t recommended any limitations on his playing time. “He probably feels like the more he can play, the more comfortable he’ll get back into a routine,” Donovan said. “He’s obviously been in practice. He’s been active. Cam’s got a really, really instinctive game. He’s got a good feel for the game. I think getting his timing back playing, because he hasn’t done a lot of 5-on-5 will take him a little bit of time. But he looks good; he’s moving well.”

There’s more news from the Western Conference:

  • The four players the Suns added to their training camp roster today will probably end up in the D-League, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix reached agreements with undrafted rookies Gracin Bakumanya, Shaquille Harrison and Derrick Jones, along with returning D-League player Derek Cooke. Teams can assign up to four waived players to the D-League as long as they aren’t claimed by other organizations.
  • As he gets ready for his first training camp with the Kings, one of Matt Barnes‘ objectives will be to improve team chemistry, relays Andy Furillo of The Sacramento Bee. The 36-year-old Barnes agreed to a two-year, $12MM contract this summer to come to Sacramento. He joins an organization that was beset by internal problems last season, especially between star big man DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “I’ve never been a star player, so to speak,” Barnes said, “but I’ve been one of the leaders, one of the voices of reason, and I have, I think, an uncanny ability to be able to get through to everybody, and not so much by talking. I lead by example, so that when I do talk, people listen, and I’m respected.”
  • The Timberwolves finalized their coaching staff today, the team announced on its website. Minnesota named Andy Greer and Rick Brunson as assistant coaches, Peter Patton as shooting coach and Daisuke Yoshimoto as special assistant to the president of basketball operations. In addition, Vince Legarza was promoted to player development coach.
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Suns Sign Bakumanya, Cooke, Harrison, Jones

September 25th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns signed four players just before the start of training camp, the team announced today on its website. The addition of Gracin Bakumanya, Derek Cooke, Shaquille Harrison and Derrick Jones gives Phoenix 19 players under contract heading into the first day of camp on Monday.

Bakumanya, a 6’11” center, was an international early-entry candidate who wasn’t selected in June’s draft. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bakumanya played in France last season and was part of the Rockets’ summer league team.

A 6’9″ power forward, Cooke played for the Suns’ D-League affiliate in Bakersfield last season, averaging 4.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in 47 games. Cooke, a Wyoming alumnus, played for the Suns’ team in the summer league.

Harrison, formerly of Tulsa, also went undrafted this year. A 6-4 guard, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a senior and earned All-American Athletic Conference second team honors the past two seasons.

Jones, a 6’7″ power forward, spent one season at UNLV before entering the draft. The 19-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 30 games with the Runnin’ Rebels.

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Suns To Add Three Players To Camp Roster

September 15th, 2016 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are adding three players to their training camp roster, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic, who reports that Mike Moser, Shaquille Harrison, and Derrick Jones Jr. will join the team. It’s not clear whether or not any of the three players will receive any guaranteed money, but their deals won’t be fully guaranteed.

Moser, who played his college ball at UCLA, UNLV, and Oregon, went undrafted in 2014 and has been playing overseas since then, spending time with teams in Lithuania and Israel. In 2015/16, the 25-year-old power forward appeared in 19 games for Hapoel Holon, averaging 11.5 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the club.

Harrison, who turns 23 next month, went undrafted out of Tulsa earlier this year. A point guard, Harrison averaged 15.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.1 APG during his senior year, but failed to improve his outside shooting, making less than 20% of his three-point attempts.

Jones, a small forward out of UNLV, played just one college season before entering the NBA draft. He wasn’t selected in June, after a freshman year in which he averaged 10.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 28 games. Jones was ruled academically ineligible for the final four games of his first and only college season because his ACT results were called into question by the NCAA, which is believed to have contributed to his decision to go pro.

All three players will have a chance to earn a spot on the Suns’ roster, but Phoenix currently has 14 players on guaranteed contract, and incumbent guard John Jenkins likely has a leg up for the 15th spot. It’s possible that Moser, Harrison, and Jones will all ultimately land with the Northern Arizona Suns, Phoenix’s D-League affiliate.

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Western Notes: Welch, Davis, Ellis, Selden

June 15th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Here’s the latest news and notes from the Western Conference:

  • Former Sacramento assistant coach John Welch and the Clippers are in the process of finalizing a deal that will see him join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter link).
  • The Kings held a pre-draft workout today for Zachary Auguste (Notre Dame), Egidijus Mockevicius (Evansville), Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt), Antwan Scott (Colorado State), Eric McClellan (Gonzaga) and Fred VanVleet (Wichita State), the team announced.
  • Working out for the Kings on Thursday will be Elgin Cook (Oregon), Isaiah Taylor (Texas), Jarrod Uthoff (Iowa), Shaquille Harrison (Tulsa) and Derrick Jones (UNLV), Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 tweets.
  • The Jazz have a private workout scheduled on Thursday for former Michigan State power forward Deyonta Davis, the team announced. Davis is the No. 10 overall prospect according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
  • The Clippers have workouts set for Thursday with Wayne Selden (Kansas), Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall), Brandon Austin (NW Florida State), Perry Ellis (Kansas), Kaleb Tarczewski and Tonye Jekiri (Miami), Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets.
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