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Raptors Signing Henry Ellenson, Yuta Watanabe, Alize Johnson

November 27th, 2020 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors will be adding big man Henry Ellenson, forward Yuta Watanabe, and forward Alize Johnson to their training camp roster, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (via Twitter).

As Murphy outlines, Ellenson will sign a two-year, minimum-salary contract with a $50K partial guarantee on year one. Details aren’t provided for Watanabe’s deal or Johnson’s, but the safe bet would be a pair of Exhibit 10 contracts, which are essentially non-guaranteed one-year deals.

All three players will have an uphill battle to earn a spot on the regular season roster, though the 15th spot could be up for grabs if the Raptors don’t sign second-round pick Jalen Harris to a standard contract, promote two-way player Paul Watson, or retain two-way RFA Oshae Brissett.

The 18th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Ellenson has bounced around from Detroit to New York to Brooklyn since entering the league, appearing in just 81 total games over four seasons. The former Marquette standout, who is still just 23 years old, started last season on a two-way contract with the Nets but was waived in January.

Watanabe, one of just two Japanese-born players currently in the league, spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. The 26-year-old didn’t see much playing time at the NBA level, but was solid in the G League, averaging 17.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .546/.364/.816 shooting in 22 games for the Memphis Hustle in 2019/20.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has spent his first two professional seasons under contract with the Pacers. The 24-year-old logged just 182 total minutes in 31 games at the NBA level over those two years, but posted big numbers for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, with 19.5 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .514/.363/.699 shooting in 50 career NBAGL contests. The Pacers didn’t tender him a qualifying offer last week, so he entered the market as an unrestricted free agent.

The moves will take the Raptors’ unofficial roster count to 19, not including Brissett.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors, Pelle, Anderson

January 23rd, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks management didn’t make any public statements during the preseason suggesting they expected to make the postseason, but Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears that the front office privately conveyed to players that anything less than a playoff spot would be a disappointment. According to Begley, Knicks players who can become free agents in 2020 were told they’d be judged more heavily on the team’s win-loss record than on their individual play.

As Begley explains, management may have been trying to motivate a roster that consisted of mostly young players or newcomers. If that was the plan, it has backfired, as the Knicks have fallen well short of those expectations.

Begley’s article is worth checking out in full for more details on the pressure the coaches and players have felt this season and how those preseason expectations influenced the decision to fire David Fizdale. In my view, if Steve Mills and Scott Perry legitimately believed the Knicks should be a playoff team, that should be more of an indictment of their ability to build and evaluate a roster than of the coaches’ or players’ performances.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

While there has been speculation since Kawhi Leonard‘s departure last summer that the Raptors could become sellers due to their expiring veteran contracts, their success this season has made that increasingly unlikely. President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri essentially confirmed as much this week when he said the Raps will “die trying” to defend their title, as Julia Kreuz of Sportsnet.ca relays. “If we do something (on the trade market), it’s out of the fact that we think this is giving us a chance, or a bigger chance, and right now I think we have that chance, if we continue to play ball and continue to figure it out,” Ujiri said.
Sixers two-way player Norvel Pelle reached his 45-day NBA limit when he was active on Wednesday night vs. Toronto, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pelle is unsure what’s next for him, suggesting he’ll leave that up to his agent and the team. If he’s not converted to a standard contract – perhaps after the trade deadline – he won’t be eligible to suit up for the 76ers until after the G League regular season ends in late March.
The Nets‘ and Raptors‘ G League teams swapped a pair of players with NBA experience, as the Raptors 905 traded swingman Justin Anderson to the Long Island Nets for big man Henry Ellenson. Ellenson was a two-way player for Brooklyn earlier in the season, while Anderson was on a 10-day contract with the Nets this month. Kelsea O’Brien of Raptors Republic first reported the deal (via Twitter).

Nets Waive Forward Henry Ellenson

January 3rd, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

5:32pm: The Nets have officially waived Ellenson, according to a team press release.

1:01pm: The Nets‘ series of roster moves will include waiving two-way player Henry Ellenson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wonjarowski, who tweets that Brooklyn may use its newly-opened two-way slot to add a backcourt piece.

As we relayed on Thursday, the Nets are also making changes to their 15-man roster, waiving injured swingman David Nwaba and signing G League wing Justin Anderson to a 10-day contract to replace him.

Ellenson, a former 18th overall pick, has been one of Brooklyn’s two-way players this season, alongside Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. While TLC has gotten the opportunity to play a rotation role, Ellenson appeared in just five games at the NBA level, logging 15 total minutes. The big man has spent most of the season with the Long Island Nets, averaging 18.3 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 11 NBAGL games (28.6 MPG).

January 15 is the deadline for teams to sign players to two-way contracts, so the Nets figure to fill their open spot by then. If Brooklyn wants to promote Luwawu-Cabarrot to the 15-man roster, the team could end up adding a pair of new two-way players.

Nets Notes: Prince, Atkinson, Chandler, Temple

December 5th, 2019 at 1:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Taurean Prince was happy to deliver one of his best games of the year against the Hawks, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Prince had 23 points, seven rebounds and hit 5 of 7 shots from beyond the arc Wednesday as the short-handed Nets defeated his former team.

“I was 100 percent motivated, especially being the team that traded me away. That was part of it,” Prince said. “… There’s just a lot more trust given to me, a lot more situations I’m put in to be great. Just credit to the Brooklyn Nets for allowing me to be myself.”

The Nets acquired Prince in a summer trade, sending Allen Crabbe to Atlanta in a salary dump. Coach Kenny Atkinson served as an assistant with the Hawks until just before they drafted Prince and thought he would fit in well. Brooklyn quickly rewarded Prince with a two-year extension worth $29MM.

“I loved his toughness, I loved his shooting,” Atkinson said. “[General manager] Sean [Marks] and I were on the same page, and the staff was on the same page in terms of, ‘Man, we got a good player.’ And obviously re-signing him to the deal we did we’re ecstatic we got that done.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Atkinson is in his fourth season with the Nets, but he’s already the longest-tenured active coach in New York professional sports, Lewis notes in a separate story. Atkinson inherited that title Tuesday when the NHL’s New Jersey Devils fired John Hynes. “I think it shows coaching is a tough business,” Atkinson said. “I really don’t know what to say. I don’t know if it makes me proud or sad for the other guys. I know this is a tough business, tough to survive in, especially in New York.”
With just 10 days before Wilson Chandler returns from suspension, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News examines who might be waived to make room. Brooklyn became eligible to carry a 16th player once Chandler served the first five games, and signed Iman Shumpert, who has been a valuable contributor. Winfield speculates Rodions Kurucs, who has only played in three of the past 13 games, could be released. The Nets may also cut one of their two-way players, Henry Ellenson or Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and then waive either Theo Pinson or Dzanan Musa and hope to re-sign them to a two-way deal.
Kyrie Irving gave the Nets a valuable piece of advice when he urged them to sign veteran free agent Garrett Temple, relays Billy Reinhardt of NetsDaily. Temple’s signing was barely noticed because it came on the same day that Brooklyn landed Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan, but he has been an important addition.

Nets Notes: Atkinson, Dinwiddie, Musa, Ellenson

September 29th, 2019 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets‘ success in free agency has changed the atmosphere around the organization, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Roughly 200 press members showed up to Friday’s Media Day, accompanied by a throng of fans who waited outside the team’s training center for a glimpse of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

“It’s like Real Madrid. I thought it was funny,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s a different excitement with the fans. I didn’t say they camped out, but there was some kind of tent there. So I drove around the other way and I came the back way the guy had my picture up. It’s just funny.”

Neither of the newly-added stars participated in the first workout Saturday. Durant will likely miss the entire season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, while Irving was sidelined by a facial fracture he suffered in an informal scrimmage this week.

“Precautionary, totally. More us just saying, we don’t want you to get another whack,” Atkinson explained.

There’s more Nets news to pass along:

Spencer Dinwiddie will proceed with a digital investment plan in his new contract even though the league considers it a violation of the collective bargaining agreement, Lewis adds in the same story. “You’ve got to think about it: If I spent just short of a year building it, you really think I didn’t read the CBA? You really think I didn’t have lawyers read the CBA? That would be outrageously stupid,” Dinwiddie said. “… So we constructed it in a way that doesn’t violate the CBA. … It’s very simple. Once the Nets pay me, that’s the end of it. If I wanted to shoot the money into deep space, technically, I could.”
Dzanan Musa was one of the top players for the Long Island Nets last season, but he tells Chris Milholen of NetsDaily that he hopes his G League days are finished. Even though he remains the youngest player on Brooklyn’s roster, Musa believes he’s ready for the NBA. “The Long Island experience was just great for me to learn American basketball,” Musa said. “I think that was great for me but I hope I am no more there. I think I am ready for the opportunity in Brooklyn and I am hoping I will take advantage of it.”
After spending time with the Pistons and Knicks, Henry Ellenson, who signed a two-way contract with Brooklyn in July, believes he’s finally with a team that will develop his skills, Milholen writes in a separate story.

Nets Notes: Ellenson, G League, Plumlee, Dinwiddie

September 22nd, 2019 at 1:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Developing Henry Ellenson, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets in July, will be among the top priorities for the organization’s G League affiliate this season, writes Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. Selected by the Pistons with the 18th pick in 2016, Ellenson wasn’t able to earn consistent minutes in Detroit before being waived in February. Brooklyn was interested in signing him then, but he finished out the season with the Knicks.

“I think there is definitely value,” Long Island GM Matt Riccardi said of Ellenson. “He has NBA experience. Now, Henry is a little bit younger (at 22), which is good, and he has a ton of developmental potential which we are excited about and I think it is good for everyone to see this is where we want to go and this is how we get there.”

Riccardi and head coach Shaun Fein discuss several other prospects in the article, including Deng Adel, who holds an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets, and Anthony Brown, whose rights were acquired in a trade this week.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

The Nets are waiting to see what happens with Marshall Plumlee, who may have left basketball behind for a career in the military, Milholen adds in a separate story. Long Island still holds his G League rights, and Riccardi said the team would be receptive to Plumlee, who earned his Army Ranger pin last month, if he decides to return.
Spencer Dinwiddie tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that he’s not concerned about predictions of regression after last season’s sixth-place finish. Dinwiddie is confident that the Nets’ offseason moves will make the team a title contender, whether Kevin Durant can return or not. “We’re definitely going to improve. We added talent across the board. But it all depends on chemistry and cohesiveness. That’s always the trouble, that’s always the elephant in the room, right?” Dinwiddie said. “Last year we were able to come together, even with injuries and in some cases kind of galvanizing the group in a sense. We’ve obviously added a ton more talent across the board. We’re a more talented team. But if we don’t come together then it doesn’t matter.”
TNT analyst Kenny Smith is also a believer in Brooklyn, according to another story from NetsDaily. Smith expects the team to contend for the East title if Kyrie Irving can remain healthy.

Nets Sign Henry Ellenson To Two-Way Contract

July 17th, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 17: The Nets have officially signed Ellenson to his two-way contract, the club announced today in a press release.

JULY 15: The Nets have reached an agreement to sign free agent big man Henry Ellenson to a two-way contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Ellenson, the 18th overall pick in the 2016 draft, spent the first two and a half seasons of his professional career with the Pistons, but was never able to crack the team’s regular rotation and become a dependable contributor. He appeared in just 59 total games for Detroit before being waived at this year’s trade deadline to accommodate Wayne Ellington.

Ellenson later caught on with the Knicks, appearing in 17 games for New York down the stretch and posting averages of 6.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 0.9 APG in 13.8 minutes per contest. However, the Knicks turned down the 22-year-old’s team option for the 2019/20 season and didn’t tender him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Nets’ two-way players for most of last season were Theo Pinson and Alan Williams. Pinson has since been promoted to a standard contract, while Williams is a free agent, so Brooklyn will have a second two-way slot available even after officially signing Ellenson.

Knicks Decline Option On Henry Ellenson

June 29th, 2019 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have declined Henry Ellenson‘s $1,645,357 option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.

Ellenson played 17 games for New York this year after signing with the team in February. He joined the Knicks on a 10-day contract in February, then inked a multi-year deal in early March. He averaged 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in nearly 14 minutes per night.

Ellenson, 22, was taken by the Pistons with the 18th pick in 2016. He played 59 total games for Detroit, including two this season, before being waived in February.

In recent days, the Knicks have also declined options on John Jenkins and Billy Garrett as they try to maximize cap space heading into free agency. New York also opted not to extend qualifying offers to Emmanuel Mudiay and Luke Kornet.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, T. Harris, Nets

May 24th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks find themselves in an interesting cap situation this summer as they mull a possible run at Anthony Davis, as well as the pursuit of multiple elite free agents. As Ian Begley of SNY.tv explains, it’s possible for New York to sign a pair of star free agents and then acquire Davis by sending out just enough salary to match his cap figure. However, matching salaries in that scenario could be complicated by Davis’ trade bonus and by which players the Knicks have at their disposal to move.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, the Knicks’ flexibility could actually increase if they exercise some combination of options on players like Allonzo Trier, John Jenkins, Henry Ellenson, and Billy Garrett. Picking up some of those options could still leave New York with two max slots, and would give the team additional salaries to send out for matching purposes in a Davis offer.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

If the Sixers re-sign both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris to lucrative long-term deals and also make a maximum-salary commitment to Ben Simmons, they won’t necessarily be a taxpayer in 2019/20, but it’d be virtually impossible to avoid the tax in future seasons, Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes in an in-depth cap breakdown.
With Tobias Harris’ list of suitors continuing to grow, Net Income of NetsDaily explores whether it would be worth it for the Nets to offer the free agent forward a maximum-salary contract.
Performances like the one Kawhi Leonard turned in on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals were what Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri envisioned when he pulled the trigger on the Leonard blockbuster with San Antonio last July, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
Kansas guard Devon Dotson was among the draft-eligible prospects to work out for the Celtics on Thursday, tweets Sean Deveney of Sporting News. According to Deveney, Dotson is still mulling the possibility of returning to the Jayhawks and will make his decision next week before the NCAA’s May 29 withdrawal deadline.

Knicks Re-Sign Henry Ellenson To Two-Year Deal

March 2nd, 2019 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 2: The Knicks have officially signed Ellenson for the rest of the season, the team announced today in a press release. As indicated below, the deal will feature a team option for 2019/20.

FEBRUARY 28: Henry Ellenson‘s 10-day contract with the Knicks will expire tomorrow night, but the former first-round pick won’t be going anywhere. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), New York intends to lock up Ellenson to a rest-of-season deal that includes a team option for 2019/20.

Ellenson, the 18th overall pick in the 2016 draft, spent the first two and a half seasons of his professional career with the Pistons, but was never able to crack the team’s regular rotation and become a dependable contributor. He appeared in just 59 games for Detroit before being waived after this month’s deadline to accommodate Wayne Ellington.

Ellenson inked a 10-day contract with the Knicks last Wednesday, and while he didn’t see the court much in his first two games with the club, he played 36 minutes in Tuesday’s win over Orlando, racking up 13 points, nine boards, five assists, and a pair of steals. That performance presumably contributed in large part to New York’s decision to keep him around for at least the rest of the season.

Coming off a 10-day deal of his own, John Jenkins signed a two-year contract with the Knicks last week, so Ellenson will be the second New York player to parlay a 10-day pact into a longer-term agreement.

Ellenson’s new deal figures to closely resemble Jenkins’ deal, which is worth the minimum salary and doesn’t feature any guaranteed money for next season. The 2018/19 cap charge for Ellenson’s contract will be approximately $342K, assuming it’s finalized on Saturday.

With Ellenson sticking around, the Knicks’ roster count will remain at 14 players. That gives the team an open spot to add someone else, but there’s no obligation to fill it right away — or at all.