Fort Wayne Mad Ants guard Ron Howard and current Minnesota Timberwolves and former Iowa Energy guard/forward Othyus Jeffers have been named the 2014 NBA Development League’s Co-Most Valuable Players, as voted by the NBA D-League’s 17 head coaches.

Howard (6-5, 200, Valparaiso) played in 49 regular season games for the Mad Ants, averaging a team-high and career-best 20.5 points to go with 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.  Howard spearheaded Fort Wayne’s offense, leading the team in scoring 24 times and serving as the high-assist man in 22 games.  A seven-year Mad Ants veteran, Howard became the league’s all-time leading scorer on March 29 when he scored 20 points to pass Renaldo Major’s previous record of 4,252 points.

Jeffers (6-5, 210, Robert Morris) played in 44 of the Energy’s 50 regular season games before earning a GATORADE Call-Up to the Timberwolves on April 8.  He averaged a team-high 20.9 points, good for eighth-best in the NBA D-League, to go with 9.9 rebounds (fourth) and 2.2 steals (fifth).  He led Iowa in scoring 20 times and was the team’s high-rebounder in an additional 20 contests.  Jeffers scored in double figures in 43 of his 44 games with the Energy, scoring 30 or more points twice.

Sioux Falls Skyforce guard DeAndre Liggins has been selected as the 2014 NBA Development League’s Defensive Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s 17 head coaches.

Liggins (6-6, 209, Kentucky) appeared in 42 regular season games for the Skyforce, anchoring the defensive efforts of a Sioux Falls team that held their opponents to league-lows of only 45 percent shooting from the field and 100.1 points per 100 possessions.  Sioux Falls’ opponents averaged 102.9 points, good for second-lowest in the NBA D-League.  As an individual, he averaged an NBA D-League best 2.6 steals, to go with 14.2 points and 4.8 assists.

All-Time NBA D-League Defensive Players of the Year

Stefhon Hannah (Santa Cruz Warriors, 2012-13)

Stefhon Hannah (Dakota Wizards, 2011-12)

Chris Johnson (Dakota Wizards, 2010-11)

Greg Stiemsma (Sioux Falls Skyforce, 2009-10)

Brent Petway (Idaho Stampede, 2008-09)

Stefane Lasme (Los Angeles D-Fenders, 2007-08)

Mouhamed Sene (Idaho Stampede, 2007-08)

Renaldo Major (Dakota Wizards, 2006-07)

Derrick Zimmerman (Austin Toros, 2005-06)

Derrick Zimmerman (Columbus Riverdragons, 2004-05)

Karim Shabazz (Charleston Lowgators, 2003-04)

Mikki Moore (Roanoke Dazzle, 2002-03)

Jeff Myers (Greenville Groove, 2001-02)

Houston Rockets rookie Robert Covington has been the named the 2014 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 17 head coaches. The award recognizes the first-year professional who most significantly contributed to his team’s success during the course of the season.

Covington (6-9, 215, Tennessee State) played in 42 of the Vipers 50 regular season games on assignment from the Rockets, 41 as a starter. He averaged 23.2 points, good for second-best in the NBA D-League, while shooting 44 percent from the field. He rounded out his stat line averaging a Vipers-best 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals, second-highest in the league. During the regular season, Covington led the team in scoring 21 times and was the Vipers leading rebounder in 13 contests. He scored in double figures in 41 of his 42 games in Rio Grande Valley, recording two 40-plus point games and four additional 30-plus point outings.

All-Time NBA D-League Rookie of the Year winners
2012-13: Tony Mitchell, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2011-12: Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards
2010-11: DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws
2009-10: Alonzo Gee,* Austin Toros
2008-09: Othyus Jeffers,* Iowa Energy
2007-08: Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards
2006-07: Louis Amundson,* Colorado 14ers
2005-06: Will Bynum,* Roanoke Dazzle
2004-05: James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle
2003-04: Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude
2002-03: Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
2001-02: Fred House, Charleston Lowgators

The Golden State Warriors recalled center Ognjen Kuzmic and guard Nemanja Nedovic from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League.

Both players have spent a significant part of the season with Santa Cruz.

The Orlando Magic will enter a single-affiliation hybrid relationship with the Erie BayHawks of the D-League.

An official announcement is not expected until late May as the parties finalize details. The Magic will run basketball ops and the ownership will handle business operations and community relations.

Orlando has wanted to run a D-League team, and when the Knicks ended their relationship with Erie, the Magic began talks with BayHawks ownership.

The Houston Rockets re-assigned Isaiah Canaan and Robert Covington to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League.

Both have spent a large part of the season with Rio Grande Valley.

The Sacramento Kings assigned forward Willie Reed to their D-League affiliate Reno Bighorns.

Reed has averaged 13.6 points (.649 FG%, .800 FT%), 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists 2.4 blocks, and 25.0 minutes per game in five games off the bench for the Bighorns this season.

The Detroit Pistons will launch a D-League team in Grand Rapids with the Springfield Armor relocating.

Dennis Mannion, president of the Detroit Pistons, and Dan Reed, president of the NBA D-League, will be on hand to explain a “hybrid partnership with Detroit Pistons,” according to a press release sent out Thursday, April 10.

The team was purchased by an undisclosed local ownership group, and has received league approval, sources said.

“Hybrid” partnership, one of two ownership options followed by the NBA D-League, allows local ownership to control day-to-day and business operations while the parent club controls basketball operations. The other is exclusive ownership by the parent NBA club.

The Houston Rockets recalled Robert Covington and Troy Daniels from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League.

Both players have spent the majority of the season with the Rockets' D-League affiliate.

Iowa Energy guard Patrick Christopher has been named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, March 31- Saturday, April 5.  The award is the first of Christopher’s career. 

Christopher (6-5, 209, California) led the Energy to a 2-1 week en route to the Central Division Championship, the team’s fourth in its seven-year history.  

For the week, Christopher averaged 28.3 points on 65 percent shooting from the floor to go with 5.3 rebound and 2.0 assists.  He scored a career-high 47 points in the team’s 142-122 win over the Red Claws on April 4, before dropping 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds in a 148-128 win over Los Angeles the following night.