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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16

December 10th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

10:59pm:

The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.

3:05pm:

The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Bullock, Smith, Johnson

December 4th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Point guard Reggie Jackson will make his season debut tonight, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed that Jackson will play on a limited basis against Orlando, with the plan being to start him and use him for a few minutes each quarter (Twitter link). Jackson has been sidelined since receiving plasma injection therapy to treat tendinitis on his left knee October 10th. He told Van Gundy on Friday that he didn’t expect to be ready to play, but changed his mind Saturday night (Twitter link). “This is about far along as I’m going to be and the rest is going to be playing through kinks,” Jackson said (Twitter link).

There’s more news out of Detroit:

Small forward Reggie Bullock had meniscus surgery Saturday and will be out four to six weeks, Beard tweeted. Van Gundy relayed the recovery timetable, which is shorter than originally expected.
Ish Smith has been helping the team stay competitive in Jackson’s absence, Beard writes in a separate piece. Smith, who came to Detroit on a three-year, $18MM contract this summer, has averaged 15.5 points and 5.3 assists over his last four games. “It’s a comfort level,” Smith said. “You come to a new team and you don’t want to step on any toes. You don’t want to extend out but you want to play your game.”
It’s way too early for the Pistons to think about trading Stanley Johnson, argues Vince Ellis of USA Today. Johnson, who was expected to be Detroit’s sixth man when the season started, has seen his playing time drop dramatically. Van Gundy has questioned his work ethic, and Darrun Hilliard has taken his minutes as the backup shooting guard. However, Ellis points out that the Pistons can afford to be patient because Johnson is only 20, has the athleticism to guard several positions and is making about $3MM per season on his rookie contract. “He’s definitely a part of our long-term plan,” Van Gundy said. “I think the guy has a chance to be really, really good. We need him to become a really good player. We have to do everything we can to get him there because he’s a huge part of any type of long-term success that we’re gonna have.”

Central Notes: Jones, Cavs, Johnson, Bulls

December 3rd, 2016 at 9:19am CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers swingman James Jones plans to retire after the 2017/18 season, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Jones, 36, becomes a free agent after this season but would likely remain with Cleveland, given LeBron James‘ affinity for Jones as a teammate, Lloyd adds. “I know playing 15 years is a number where I can look back and I can be like, ‘I accomplished something,’ ” Jones told Lloyd. “Fourteen vs. 15 may not be much, but to be able to say I played 15 years, that’s enough for me to hang ’em up.”

In other news around the Central Division:

The Cavaliers are in the market for a backup point guard and could fulfill that need later this month, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. That potential acquisition will likely come after December 15th, when free agents who signed contracts over the summer can be traded, Vardon adds. Cleveland doesn’t have a true point guard to back up Kyrie Irving other than rookie Kay Felder, who has played sparingly.
Stanley Johnson needs to improve his work habits in order to reclaim his rotation spot, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Aaron McMann of MLive and other beat reporters. Johnson, a 2015 lottery pick, was benched in two games the last two weeks and also served a one-game team suspension after showing up late for the morning shootaround, McMann continues. Johnson only played four garbage-time minutes against the Hawks on Friday. “He’s got to be a better practice guy,” Van Gundy told McMann. “He’s got to be a better workout guy. He’s got to be better with all that stuff. Really working to get better. Once he’s out there competing, you don’t have a problem with that. He’ll play as hard as anybody, but he’s got to understand that’s not the whole thing. It’s preparing to play.”
Bulls forward Doug McDermott could return sometime next week from a concussion that has sidelined him the last eight games, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. McDermott has suffered two concussions this season and the might practice with the team’s D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, as well as the NBA team before he returns, Goodwill adds. “It’s gonna take him at least a couple days to have full practices,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told Goodwill and other reporters.

Pistons Notes: Bullock, Caldwell-Pope, Drummond

December 1st, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Reggie Bullock is still mulling his surgical options after tearing meniscus in his left knee, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Bullock will have the knee re-examined this weekend in Detroit before he makes his final decision, Ellis continues. He will either undergo arthroscopic surgery, which would allow him to come back within a month, or undergo more extensive surgery, which could potentially sideline him the rest of the season, Ellis adds. This refutes a report by The Vertical that Bullock had opted for surgery that would keep him out 2-4 months. Bullock, who suffered the injury November 23rd against the Heat, has already received a second opinion. Bullock, who failed to reach a rookie extension with the club prior to the deadline a month ago, said his decision will not be influenced by becoming a restricted free agent (if he receives a qualifying offer) after the season. “My mind-set is pretty much trying to save my career longevity-wise, not really thinking about free agency and all that come this summer,” he told Ellis.

In other Pistons developments:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has enhanced his value with his recent play, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Coach Stan Van Gundy is running more of his offense through Caldwell-Pope and the shooting guard has responded well. He’s averaging 19.5 points over the last six games and has racked up 21 assists over the last four outings. “It’s all about what he sees and the progress I’m making on offense,” Caldwell-Pope told Beard. Caldwell-Pope and the club also couldn’t agree on a rookie extension this fall, which will make him a restricted free agent in the summer. Some projections have Caldwell-Pope’s value at upwards of $18 million per season, Beard adds, and it’s unclear if the Pistons are willing to go that high.
Andre Drummond was fined $15K but averted a suspension for elbowing Hornets center Roy Hibbert in the back of the head on Tuesday, the league announced via press release. Drummond was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected for the incident.
Bullock’s injury status has not helped Stanley Johnson regain his rotation spot. Johnson did not play in the team’s 121-114 win over the Celtics on Wednesday, the second time this season he has been benched by Van Gundy. The 2015 lottery pick also missed a game last week when he served a one-game suspension for violating team rules. Darrun Hilliard, the team’s 2015 second-round pick, is currently serving as Caldwell-Pope’s backup.

Central Notes: Reggie Jackson, Pistons, Dellavedova

November 29th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will need Reggie Jackson to be at his best when he returns from knee and thumb tendinitis, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is hoping to have his starting point guard back in the lineup in another week or two, just in time to face a challenging schedule. Ten of Detroit’s 16 games through the end of December are against teams with winning records. “Reggie will help our offense be a little better,” Van Gundy said. “We’re the only team in the league that’s played without their leading scorer every single game — that tends to affect your offense a little bit.”

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Van Gundy continues to search for a reliable backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooting guard, relays Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The original plan was to use second-year player Stanley Johnson, but the coach didn’t like his inconsistent performance. Reggie Bullock got the next shot, but he suffered a torn meniscus and is sidelined indefinitely. Darrun Hilliard took the spot in the Pistons’ last game, and rookie Michael Gbinije is another candidate. “Nobody’s been bad,” Van Gundy said. “Everybody’s sort of been OK, but not great. You’d like to have somebody step up and really grab that spot and say, ‘Hey, give me the minutes.’”
Matthew Dellavedova, an important reserve on the Cavaliers‘ championship team, is settling into his new role as a starter with the Bucks, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland entered the summer planning to match any offer to the restricted free agent, but decided the four-year, $38MM agreement he reached with Milwaukee would have placed too great a strain on the salary cap. “It was tough to decide to leave because you’re coming off the highest of highs and I loved my time in Cleveland,” Dellavedova said. “Fun team, great group of guys, great organization and fans, obviously. But I had an opportunity here that I couldn’t pass up to see how good I could be as a starting point guard and really challenge myself. You never know if or when that opportunity will come along again.”
Bulls forward Doug McDermott met with doctors Monday, but still hasn’t been cleared for contact, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. McDermott participated in the non-contact portion of today’s practice, but will miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday. He hasn’t played since suffering his second concussion of the season November 12th.

Eastern Notes: House, Whiteside, Pistons

November 26th, 2016 at 1:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards rookie Danuel House suffered a right wrist injury which could sideline him for an extended stretch, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets. The 6’7” forward out of Texas A&M has only appeared in one game with Washington but has also seen action with Delaware in the D League. This could present a roster decision for the Wizards, who currently are at the 15-man limit. House’s $543,471 salary for the season becomes guaranteed on January 10th. The injury may increase the possibility that Washington will shed House, who was signed after a solid showing in summer-league play, to free up a spot.

In other developments around the Eastern Conference:

Heat center Hassan Whiteside‘s winding road to NBA stardom provides hope for other players scrapping to make the league, Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy told the media earlier this week. Whiteside played 19 games for the Kings his first two seasons and wound up in the D League, China and Lebanon before resurfacing with the Heat, where he emerged as one of the league’s top centers. Whiteside, who re-signed with the Heat for four years and $98MM over the summer, is averaging 16.9 points and a league-best 15.1 rebounds. “Hassan Whiteside is a great lesson for other players and a great lesson for those of us making personnel decisions in the league, especially with big guys,” Van Gundy said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. Hassan Whiteside right now is playing as well as any big man in the league. His numbers are mindboggling.”
Pistons forward Stanley Johnson served a one-game suspension for violating team rules on Friday, just the latest setback for the 2015 lottery pick. Johnson was benched for a game during Detroit’s four-game homestand this week, though he’ll likely rejoin the rotation with Reggie Bullock sidelined indefinitely by a knee injury. Johnson is averaging 4.4 points on 40.7% shooting. “He’s off to a rough start,” Van Gundy said. “He’s hasn’t shot the ball well at all. He’s still competing hard defensively but he’s really struggling to get the ball in the basket. It’s hard when perimeter players aren’t getting the ball in the basket, no matter what else you’re doing.”
Bullock will get a second opinion on his knee injury early next week, Van Gundy said on Friday. Bullock, who will be a restricted free agent next summer if Detroit extends a qualifying offer, suffered a left knee meniscus tear in the first half against Miami on Wednesday. There are several options being mulled, according to Van Gundy. “Not all surgeries are created equal,” he said. “There is a couple of different ways we can go with that.”

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Johnson, Leuer

November 6th, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who has yet to play this season and has missed the last month after having treatment for tendinitis in his left knee, will begin basketball activities Monday, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. It seems like Jackson is on track because the original timeline for his recovery was 6-8 weeks, as Beard points out. Jackson was the team’s leading scorer last season. It appears he will be able to return later this month, Beard surmises.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

As Jackson continues his recovery, offseason addition Jon Leuer and second-year player Stanley Johnson have bolstered the Pistons’ bench, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. The Pistons picked up Johnson’s option for the 2017/18 season last month, and he seems to be playing with a better mix of confidence and focus, Langlois adds.
The Pistons inked Leuer to a four-year, $41MM deal over the summer, and now coach Stan Van Gundy wants to see the 6’10” forward shoot more, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. Interestingly, however, through six games, Leuer is averaging 9.3 points on 51 percent shooting and he is attempting nearly eight shots per game, as McMann notes. Van Gundy wants Leuer to be more aggressive in looking for his shot, McMann adds.

Eastern Notes: Fournier, Noah, Johnson

November 4th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

When the Knicks and the Bulls square off tonight, it will mark the first time Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose will play in Chicago since departing the franchise over the summer. Both players have expressed their happiness to be in New York this season and Noah agreed with his former team’s decision to break up its longtime core, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “I think it was time for change,” Noah said. “There’s no question about that. It seems like this is a happy group, enjoy being around one another. That’s good. That’s what it’s all about, that’s how it should be.”

The center touched upon the 2015/16 season, which was a frustrating one for the player all around, Begley adds. “I look back on it, I was definitely frustrated,” Noah said. “There was definitely a lot of adversity going on there. I can look back at it and see where things went wrong. It’s not about blaming one person. Everybody in that locker room is good people. It’s just [expletive] happens. It’s a locker room. At the end of the day the things I remember the most are good memories from everybody. I have no hard feelings towards anybody.”

Here’s more from the East:

Cavs shooting guard J.R. Smith noted that during his prolonged free agency this offseason he played a round of golf with Celtics executive Danny Ainge, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. Despite Boston having interest in potentially signing the veteran scorer, Smith said their chatter was mostly golf-related, Forberg adds. “We talked about [Smith’s free-agent status], but mainly we kept it to golf and stuff like that,” Smith said. “I told him I would let my agent handle all of that stuff. So it was great to play golf with him.” Boston ultimately signed Gerald Green to a one-year, minimum salary deal to fill out the team’s wing rotation.
Evan Fournier, who signed a five-year, $85MM deal this summer to remain with the Magic, says the contract isn’t making him feel added pressure to perform this season, notes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. “When I start the game, I’m not like, ‘If I don’t score 25, we’re not going to win the game.’ I want to be aggressive, of course, because when I’m aggressive and can create a little more. It’s good for the team,” Fournier told the scribe. “The contract didn’t change anything. The biggest difference is playing the 2 [shooting guard] and not the 3 [small forward]. That’s the biggest difference.”
Second-year player Stanley Johnson is struggling thus far this campaign and the Pistons‘ coaching staff is trying to position the swingman to adapt to being an all-around player with one strength first — then progressing to other areas, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “He has been a primary scorer his whole life and it’s tough for him to not play that way,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “Right now, that’s not the best way to play. I’m not trying to hold the guy back or limit him. What I’ve tried to point out to him is his development. The guy I’ve tried to use as an example with him who came in the league the same way is Jimmy Butler.”

Pistons Pick Up Stanley Johnson’s 2017/18 Option

October 20th, 2016 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have become the latest team to exercise a team option for 2017/18, having picked up the third-year option on Stanley Johnson‘s rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. The move, which was due before October 31, guarantees Johnson’s $3.098MM salary for ’17/18.

Johnson, the eighth overall pick in last year’s draft, averaged 23.1 minutes per contest in 73 games for the Pistons during his rookie season, contributing 8.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG. While those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping, they came in Johnson’s age-19 season, making it a no-brainer decision for Detroit to pick up his option for 2017/18.

The Pistons will have one more option decision due on Johnson next October, and assuming they exercise his 2018/19 option as well, the young forward will be extension-eligible in 2018. He’d be on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2019.

Check out our rookie-scale team option tracker for a full breakdown of the decisions announced or reported so far.

Central Notes: Smith, Johnson, Shumpert

October 14th, 2016 at 7:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The start of the regular season is less than two weeks away and J.R. Smith is still a free agent. The shooting guard and the Cavs remain at an impasse over salary and according to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein earlier today, “it’s only a matter of time” before the free agent guard starts to engage more seriously with other teams. Despite all that, coach Tyronn Lue remains confident that Smith will be a member of the team this season, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays. “We pretty much know what direction we have to go in if J.R. isn’t here, but I feel confident that J.R. will be here. We’ll just see how it works out,” Lue told the scribe.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

In the wake of Thursday night’s preseason loss to the Raptors, Lue said the Cavaliers are still attempting to determine who will receive point guard minutes behind Kyrie Irving to start the season. “We may have to do it by committee,” Lue said, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. “Different nights may call for different players.”
In the event that the Pistons don’t shed one of their guaranteed contracts when paring down their roster to 15 players, there’s a chance that Stanley Johnson could be called upon to act as playmaker from the shooting guard spot in a pinch, Aaron McMann of MLive.com opines in response to a reader question.
The Cavs could conceivably look to trade Iman Shumpert in an effort to lower its luxury tax hit for signing Smith, but that scenario is highly unlikely, opines Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group in response to a reader question. Despite having one of his worst statistical seasons a pro last year, Shumpert remains in the team’s plans, Vardon adds. The scribe also notes that Shumpert’s trade value isn’t particularly high right now and the franchise is hoping he’ll demonstrate the production that led to them acquiring him from the Knicks.
Don’t forget to check out our Offseason in Review posts for the Bucks, Bulls, Pistons and Pacers.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.