Duje Dukan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Dejean-Jones, D-League, Walton

February 25th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bryce Dejean-Jones, whom the Pelicans recently inked to a three-year pact, has been diagnosed with a fractured right wrist after having an MRI today and he will undergo surgery on Friday morning to repair the damage, the team announced. No official timetable has been announced for Dejean-Jones’ recovery, but Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate relays that the guard will likely miss six to eight weeks of action as a result of the injury (Twitter link). Dejean-Jones has appeared in 14 games for the Pelicans this season and is averaging 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from out West:

While Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton will certainly be a hot name this offseason for any potential coaching vacancies, a number of GMs around the league have expressed trepidation at the prospect of giving Walton a head coaching position, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “I think Luke has a chance to be a good coach; he knows the game, but I would be worried that he’s not ready for that job yet,” a league executive told Deveney. “You’d have to worried about that. The thing is, if your owner has been hearing Warriors, Warriors, Warriors for the last two years, and he sees Luke Walton setting records, you’re probably going to hear something like, ‘Why can’t we get a coach like that?’ And so you wind up taking a chance even if he does not have the experience level you’re looking for.”
The Grizzlies assigned power forward Jarell Martin to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Martin’s sixth trek to Iowa this season. He is averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.6 minutes over seven D-League contests.
Power forward Duje Dukan has been assigned by the Kings to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This marks Dukan’s sixth sojourn of the season to Reno.

And-Ones: Anthony, D-League, Mack

February 24th, 2016 at 10:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the mild awkwardness of being back in a Pistons uniform after the three-team trade he was a part of was nixed, Joel Anthony says he’s glad to return to Motown after nearly becoming a member of the Sixers at the trade deadline, David Mayo of MLive writes. “It is obviously a little awkward, a little weird,” Anthony said. “It’s been one of the weirdest weeks I’ve had as a professional. It’s great to be back here. I love the guys on the team. Everyone was happy with me coming back. So just looking forward to being a part of this team and helping us move forward.”

“Things like this happen in the league where guys get hurt, guys get injured,” Anthony also said. “It’s really about that next man up, the next guy’s supposed to step up. You have guys on the roster for a reason, so those guys are going to have to play their role the way they’re supposed to, and continue to help us win.”

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Shelvin Mack has impressed the Jazz with his solid play since arriving in a trade deadline deal from Atlanta, but his emergence may further cloud Utah’s unsettled point guard rotation, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. “We’ve had — I wouldn’t say a revolving door — but we’ve found that depth from internally, essentially using guys out of position,” coach Quin Snyder said. “If we would have had three point guards at the beginning of the year, you’d see some sort of separation in the early part of the year. We haven’t had that. As a result, that process has to occur now. There’s going to be decisions I have to make relative to who’s going to play.”
The Jazz have assigned center Tibor Pleiss to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Pleiss’ fifth trek to Idaho on the season. He has appeared in 15 games, averaging 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest.
The Kings have recalled power forward Duje Dukan from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This concludes Dukan’s fifth trip to the D-League.

D-League Notes: Dukan, Stokes, Motiejunas

February 4th, 2016 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams possess one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. Those 11 NBA teams without their own D-League squads this season have to assign players to D-League clubs affiliated with other NBA franchises. We at Hoops Rumors track all the NBA D-League assignments made during the course of the season and you can view the complete tracker, which is updated regularly, here.

Here are the D-League happenings for today:

The Kings have assigned power forward Duje Dukan to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dukan’s fifth trip to Reno on the season. The rookie is recovering from a bone contusion in his leg and will continue his rehab with the Bighorns.
Power forward Jarnell Stokes has been assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Heat announced. Stokes has averaged 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.0 assist in 30.0 minutes of action per night over his previous four D-League stints.
The Jazz assigned center Tibor Pleiss to their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. This will be Pleiss’ third trek to Idaho on the campaign.
The Rockets have recalled Donatas Motiejunas from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.

D-League Notes: Hardaway Jr., Ennis, McCallum

December 27th, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Will Joseph

The Hawks have assigned Tim Hardaway Jr. to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Atlanta does not have its own affiliate so Hardaway will likely join the Austin Spurs, based on the league’s flexible assignment system and the fact that the Hawks have an on-going relationship with the D-League franchise this season, Vivlamore writes. Hardaway played for the Canton Charge in his previous D-League stint.

It will be the second D-League stint for Hardaway, who has been a non-factor for the Hawks this season after he was acquired in a trade from the Knicks in June. Hardaway has appeared in only four games this season with Atlanta. Still, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer seems to remain optimistic about Hardaway’s development, as Vivlamore writes.

“I can promise you he is doing well and he is in a good place,” Budenholzer told reporters, including Vivlamore on Saturday. “A lot of it has been his approach to it. He’s been very professional. There is a real emphasis on player development with us and we’ve seen guys who have come in and maybe not started out gangbusters but through work, time and effort they find a way. I was say he is following that path in a very good way.”

Here are more moves and notes regarding the D-League:

The Grizzlies assigned James Ennis to the D-League three days after recalling him, the team announced in an emailed press release. This will be Ennis’ sixth stint with the Iowa Energy, Memphis’ D-League affiliate.
The Spurs assigned Ray McCallum to the Austin Spurs, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This marks McCallum’s third stint with the Austin Spurs this season.
The Kings have recalled power forward Duje Dukan from the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter). It was Dukan’s fourth stint with Reno on the season.
The Mavericks recalled Justin Anderson and Salah Mejri from the D-League, the team announced in an emailed press release. Anderson has played sparingly in 18 games, including one start, while Mejri has seen action in only five games for Dallas this season.

Western Notes: Howard, Harkless, Jones

December 17th, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the reports that he is unhappy playing second-fiddle to James Harden, Rockets center Dwight Howard insists that he’s committed to the team and disputes any notion that he’s projecting negativity that is affecting his teammates, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays. “The one thing that I don’t want to happen is people to assume that because things are not going quite well for us that I’ve quit on the team and take away from all the positive things we have done, despite the loss, making the city feel like they’re unwanted,” Howard told Feigen. “There’s a lot of negativity going around. I haven’t caused it. I haven’t said anything negative to anybody about this team or this situation. I’ve just been trying to find ways to make this situation better, trying to grow as a man, as a basketball player. You just try to laugh at it. I don’t want to go out and persecute the people that persecute me. That’s the hardest part. The first reaction is to go back at them. You just have to respond with love.”

Here’s more from out West:

Wolves rookie point guard Tyus Jones has been assigned to the D-League since December 5th, and he is expected to return to the team after the Idaho Stampede’s game on Saturday, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays (Twitter links). The reason that Jones will be recalled this weekend is due to Idaho not having another scheduled contest until after Christmas, Zgoda adds.
Maurice Harkless has been struggling thus far this season, his first with the Blazers, but coach Terry Stotts thinks it would be unfair to make any judgments on the young swingman with so much of the 2015/16 campaign left to play, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes. “It takes time,” Stotts said. “That’s why this season is a season of growth for everybody. I think it’s difficult to assess [his play] a third of the way in as far as road blocks and things like that. I think it’ll come and I think too many times players are evaluated by their box score. I think he’s doing his best to fit in the best he can.“
The Kings have assigned power forward Duje Dukan to the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dukan’s fourth jaunt to Reno on the season.

Western Notes: Booker, Anderson, D-League

December 10th, 2015 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Suns GM Ryan McDonough is thrilled with the play of rookie shooting guard Devin Booker, who was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Matt Petersen of NBA.com notes. “We thought he’d be a good player down the line, but he showed on this road trip that despite having just turned 19 years old, he’s a pretty darn good player right now,” McDonough said. Booker is averaging 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 14.3 minutes per night, and the rookie has connected on a ridiculous 71.4% of his attempts from beyond the 3-point line.

Here’s more from out West:

Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson has been the subject of recent trade rumors, but the team hasn’t indicated to him that a deal is close to fruition, John Reid of the Times Picayune tweets. “It definitely has not got to the point where they’re asking me, ‘Ryan lets get a trade going or we want you gone,’ Anderson told Reid.
The Kings have recalled Duje Dukan from their D-League affiliate in Reno, the team announced. This was Dukan’s third stint with the Bighorns this season.
Center Mitch McGary has been recalled from the Thunder‘s D-League affiliate, the team announced. McGary has appeared in four games for the Blue this season and is averaging 13.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block in 27.7 minutes per game.
Fans will likely see less of Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarters of Lakers games as the season progresses so that the team can give its younger players more crunch time experience, Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times notes (Twitter links). “Eventually, it’s going to be like this anyway. Just so these guys can grow,” coach Byron Scott said about keeping Kobe on the bench late in games.

Western Notes: Garnett, Fournier, Morris

December 9th, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Timberwolves don’t expect Kevin Garnett to end his playing days with much fanfare, and the veteran intends to make the twilight of his career more about helping the younger players around him, Andy Greder of The Pioneer Press writes. “He’s never gonna go out on a Harley,” said Clippers head man Doc Rivers, who coached Garnett in Boston.”He’s really into it with his guys, loves the young guys. Kevin loving young guys is really good, because if you don’t have the right kind love of the game, for Kevin, he’s not gonna love you back, and that’s a fact. Clearly, he feels like they got it right with the young guys, not only guys with talent, but guys that want to be winners.”

“My choice in coming back here had a lot more of a plan and a future involved in to it,” Garnett said. “I understand that it’s not about me, it’s about Andrew Wiggins, it’s about Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s about Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine and these young guys in here,” Garnett said. “I’m just trying to teach the things I know and teach the things that I’ve experienced since I’ve been here.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Denver “will always be in my heart,” said Evan Fournier, who spent his first two NBA seasons with the Nuggets, but as far as basketball is concerned, he’s moved on, as he told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer, with his camp having reportedly asked the Magic, who apparently offered $8MM annually, for salaries well in excess of $10MM a year.
Markieff Morris says that he is still happy to be a member of the Suns despite his reduced role on the team, though he wouldn’t directly answer questions about whether he still wanted to be traded and whether his relationship with the organization had gotten better, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. “I’ll contribute any way I can, whether it’s cheering my teammates on or being in the game,” Morris said after Monday’s game. “Coach [Jeff Hornacek] is a great guy. Our team fought real hard. He put me in for a little bit of time and I just wanted to go out there and play hard and contribute any way I can. I didn’t score but I got a couple stops. We got the win. That’s what is important. I keep in high spirits and keep my confidence. Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready always.”
The Kings have assigned Duje Dukan to the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dukan’s third trek to Reno on the season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Walton, Dukan

December 7th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Power forward Julius Randle and point guard D’Angelo Russell were not happy with Lakers coach Byron Scott’s decision on Monday to remove them from the starting lineup, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Scott made the surprising announcement that Randle, the team’s lottery pick last year, and Russell, the No. 2 overall pick this season, would be replaced in the lineup by another rookie, power forward Larry Nance Jr., and veteran point guard Lou Williams. “You’re never going to be thrilled about it as a competitor,” Randle told the team’s traveling media. “But it’s out of your control. What I can control is go out there and play hard like we’ve been doing.” Russell felt he was developing better chemistry with his teammates, Medina continues. “I started to figure it out and this happened,” Russell said. “I don’t feel like this will get in the way of my growth.” Scott did not tell either player his thought process for the lineup changes but he could alter it again during the next five to 10 games, Medina adds.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

Nick Young admits that exasperation over his team’s 3-17 start led to his ejection against the Pistons on Sunday night, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. The Lakers’ backup shooting guard was tossed in the fourth quarter of a 111-91 loss when he shoved Detroit forward Anthony Tolliver in the neck after a hard foul. Young was not suspended by the league. “It’s tough,” he said to Holmes and other members of the media. “There’s a lot of frustration. It’s a struggle and it’s building up.”
Luke Walton credits his former Lakers coach, Phil Jackson, with showing him how to comport himself in his current job, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports. The interim Warriors coach discovered the value of staying grounded through Jackson. “Phil was the first coach I had — well, I shouldn’t say the first coach that I had, but the first one who made me recognize it as a bigger picture,” Walton told Berger. “He never got too upset; he never got too excited. He was just even-keel all the time. His beliefs as a teacher, that you’re at your most dangerous when you’re level-headed and can make decisions … I believe wholeheartedly in that.”
The Kings recalled rookie forward Duje Dukan from their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, the team announced on its website. Dukan, an undrafted 24-year-old power forward, averaged 13 points and 3.8 rebounds in four games with the Bighorns. He has not made his NBA debut.

And-Ones: Simmons, Warriors, Pacers, Kings

November 24th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

LSU combo forward Ben Simmons made a “major statement” Monday, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress said to Josh Newman of SNY.tv after Simmons had 21 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in LSU’s loss to Marquette. Simmons is reminiscent of Lamar Odom, as Odom’s name came up in Newman’s story as well as the ones that Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote after the game.

“I think he showed a lot of the same things that we know,” Givony said to Newman. “He’s an elite passer, he’s a tremendous ball-handler, he’s phenomenal in transition, he’s incredibly versatile for his size. He’s a great rebounder.”

Givony has Simmons ranked No. 2 behind Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere, pointing to Simmons’ defense and his failure to attempt a single 3-pointer yet this season, as Newman relays. While we wait to see how Simmons develops over the season, here’s news from around the NBA:

The Warriors are leading the small-ball revolution these days, thanks in large measure to the unique capabilities of $82MM signee Draymond Green, who has the skills of a perimeter player and the wingspan of a center, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com examines. The team’s brass admits it didn’t know what it had in Green until Steve Kerr put him in the starting lineup last season in David Lee‘s stead, Lowe notes. GM Bob Myers admits trepidation as late as Game 4 of the NBA Finals last season when Kerr replaced Andrew Bogut with Andre Iguodala and the Cavs sprinted to an early lead before the Warriors caught up and Iguodala won the Finals MVP award.
Golden State is prompting front offices to re-evaluate the relative value of big men and wing players, but while Pacers coach Frank Vogel told Lowe he isn’t about to line up Paul George at center, he said the change in philosophy that’s prompted him to give George time at the four predates Golden State’s rise. “It wasn’t even about the Warriors,” Vogel said to Lowe. “It was about not being able to overcome LeBron [James] and Miami three straight years. We couldn’t even throw the ball inside. We had a lot of turnovers just trying to do that.”
The Kings recalled Duje Dukan from the D-League on Monday, according to the RealGM transactions log, though neither Sacramento nor its affiliate made a public announcement. The undrafted combo forward from Wisconsin scored 14 points in 34 minutes in his one appearance with the Reno Bighorns.

Kings Notes: Cousins, Divac, Karl, Casspi, Dukan

November 13th, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings fined DeMarcus Cousins for his tirade after Monday’s game, though he didn’t aim the outburst directly at the coaching staff, team and league sources tell Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. That’s in contrast to a report indicating that Cousins specifically lashed out at George Karl. Vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac denies that he asked the players in a Tuesday meeting if the team should fire Karl, Voisin adds, and Divac has said Karl will be sticking around until the end of the season. That ties much of the executive’s fate to the coach, as Divac himself is on “little more than a one-year deal” with the Kings and hopes to sign a long-term deal this summer, according to Voisin. The Kings hired Divac in March, shortly after they hired Karl, but Divac recommended Karl to the Kings before they hired the coach, Voisin writes. See more from Sacramento:

If Cousins wanted the Kings to fire Karl, the coach would already be gone, sources tell Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. The star center has made it clear to team management that he doesn’t want Karl fired, as Chris Mannix of SI.com reported.
Karl speaks more with the media than he does with his team, and players find his frank talk with reporters unnerving, sources tell James Ham of CSNCalifornia.com. Players are “confused and frustrated” over Karl’s constant lineup changes, Ham writes.
Amid the turmoil, Omri Casspi is off to a strong start after re-signing this past summer, in part because of Karl’s system, as Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee examines. “I think he understands flow; he understands the pace of the game,” Karl said. “He’s one of our faster runners and gets in the open court in a good way many times. And he knows how to play off of good players. He knows how to find open shots when Cuz is being double-teamed, or when there’s an isolation with Rudy [Gay]. He knows how to get open by figuring out the player the defense is tilting toward.”
The Kings have assigned rookie Duje Dukan to the D-League, the team announced. The undrafted combo forward has yet to appear in a regular season game for Sacramento.