Jordan Farmar

FA Rumors: Muhammad, Farmar, Mbah a Moute, Allen

The Hawks, Nets, Bucks, Knicks and Magic have all expressed interest in swingman Shabazz Muhammad, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Bulls are on that list as well, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Muhammad became an unrestricted free agent last week when Minnesota pulled his qualifying offer to create enough cap room to sign Taj Gibson. He has been with the Wolves for all four of his NBA seasons and averaged 9.9 points in 78 games last year.

There’s more tonight on the free agent front:

  • Jordan Farmar is hoping to return to the NBA and spoke to Lakers coach Luke Walton today about a possible opportunity, Kennedy relays (Twitter link). The 30-year-old point guard played two games for the Kings in November of last season.
  • The Raptors have talked about making a play for former Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, reports Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet (Twitter link).
  • The Clippers and Timberwolves are both considering Tony Allen, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Coaches Doc Rivers in L.A. and Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota have connections with Allen from their time with the Celtics.
  • Veteran point guard Beno Udrih is talking to several teams in Las Vegas, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Now 35, Udrih believes he can play for several more years. He got into 39 games with the Pistons last season.
  • Former Baylor standout Royce O’Neale is considering several NBA offers, according to Kyler (Twitter link). The 24-year-old forward went undrafted in 2015 and has been playing in Lithuania, but he has an NBA opt-out in his contract through July 20th.

Eastern Notes: Plumlee, Baynes, Farmar, House

The Hornets took a major risk by acquiring center Miles Plumlee from the Bucks, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines. Charlotte needed to do something to improve its playoff chances but taking on Plumlee’s contract was a questionable move, Bonnell continues. Plumlee signed  four-year, $50MM contract with Milwaukee last summer and that’s a steep price for a backup center to Cody Zeller, Bonnell adds. The Hornets traded two other big men, Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes, in the deal. Hornets coach Steve Clifford and his staff have done well with reclamation projects such as Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin, Bonnell points out, providing some reason for optimism that the trade will pan out.

In other doings around the Eastern Conference:

  • Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said it’s “hardly a surprise” that backup center Aron Baynes intends to opt out of his contract this summer, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports. Baynes holds a $6.5MM option and reportedly has been shopped, in part because he’s expected to enter the free agent market this summer. “We don’t want to lose him,” Van Gundy told McMann and other beat writers. “I would love to be able to bring him back here, I really would. But at the same time, we knew going into the summer that was going to be a possibility — and that’s why we went out and signed Boban (Marjanovic) a year in advance and we had money, because we anticipated it.”
  • Point guard Jordan Farmar stood out during the Cavaliers’ tryout of free agent playmakers on Wednesday and he’s willing to sign a 10-day contract to join the team, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon also reported that Farmar made the biggest impression. Farmar received assurances that if anyone from the workout would get an offer, he would be the choice, a source told McMenamin. Lance Stephenson, Mario Chalmers and Kirk Hinrich also participated in the workout and the latter two were looking for a contract for the remainder of the season, McMenamin continues. The Cavs would prefer to keep their options open prior to the trade deadline, rather than offering a guaranteed deal at this point, McMenamin adds.
  • Wizards swingman Danuel House will be assigned to the D-League if he’s cleared for full contact, J. Michael of CSNmidatlantic.com tweets. House, who has appeared in just one game with Washington this season, is progressing from a right wrist fracture that he suffered in November.

Free Agent Rumors: Sanders, Farmar, Tavares

Former Bucks big man Larry Sanders is getting serious about returning to the NBA, as we heard earlier this week. Sanders has hired an agent and lined up meetings with three teams, according to a report from The Vertical. However, more than just three clubs have Sanders on their radar — according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), eight to 12 NBA teams have expressed some level of interest in the free agent center. Wolfson adds that Sanders will meet with teams next week in Miami.

Here are a few more updates on various free agent situations around the league:

  • Jordan Farmar, one of several free agents that worked out for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, impressed the team and appears to be under consideration for a contract, a source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The other participants in the workout – Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, and Lance Stephenson – remain in play as the Cavs mull a potential signing, but Farmar, in particular, acquitted himself well, reports Vardon.
  • Former Hawks center Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares signed a D-League contract after being waived by Atlanta in the fall, but he remains an NBA free agent, and hopes to get back into the league at some point, as he tells David Alarcon of HoopsHype. “To return to Spain, to Gran Canaria, would always be good because they showed so much love that I would like to leave everything now and return,” Tavares said. “But I have to think first in the NBA. … For me, returning to Europe would be like giving up. I’m going to let this year pass and then I’ll figure out what to do. I spoke with my agent and this is the best option. Stay here, play well and wait for a team to call me. I’m going to give it all this year and I’ll decide if I stay here for another year or take a step back and go back to Europe.”
  • The Heat have kept Briante Weber on their radar, but their ability to re-sign him may hinge on Josh Richardson‘s health, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains in a mailbag. Weber has been thriving this season for Miami’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG, but he remains an NBA free agent.

Central Notes: Cavaliers, Chalmers, Stuckey, McHale

The Cavaliers were happy with what they saw at today’s playmaker auditions, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.comMario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Jordan Farmar and Lance Stephenson all participated in a workout as the Cavs search for a reliable backup to Kyrie Irving. Several sources told Vardon that the session went very well and that one or more could be signed by March 1.

There’s more tonight from the Central Divsion:

  • Veteran swingman James Jones thinks Chalmers, his former teammate in Miami, would be a good addition to the roster, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Chalmers teamed with Jones and LeBron James on Heat teams that reached four straight NBA Finals. A torn Achilles last March has kept Chalmers out of the league, but he was medically cleared for basketball activities in August and Jones has kept in touch with him throughout rehab. “Coming back from an injury is a lonely process,” Jones said. “What I mean is that you spend a lot of time alone and learn a lot about yourself, but he’s doing well. He pushed hard, he worked hard to come back from that and he’s feeling well and moving well. I’m just glad that he’s back and doing what he loves, which is playing basketball.”
  • Rodney Stuckey returned to the Pacers tonight after a 15-game absence with a hamstring injury, write Jordan J. Wilson and Nate Taylor of the Lafayette Journal and Courier. Stuckey had been participating in practice and said he felt “back to normal” since last Monday, but team trainers remained cautious. Stuckey suffered a right hamstring strain during the second game of the season and sat out the next 10. He came back November 18th, but it started hurting again less than a month later. “Coming into the season, my body felt great,” Stuckey said. “It felt like I was in great shape. Mentally I was ready and then all of the sudden, boom, a hamstring. Then boom, another hamstring. I’ve never had hamstring problems in my career.”
  • Celtics legend Kevin McHale is backing up Rajon Rondo, who criticized Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler for going to the media with complaints about teammates last week. In an interview on Sam Amick’s A to Z podcast, McHale said success and failure in the NBA is determined by star players. “You don’t lose because your eighth man’s in a slump,” McHale said. “It’s the top players who’ve got to drive your team to win.”

Kings Waive Jordan Farmar

As expected, Jordan Farmar‘s latest stint with the Kings came to an end today after less than a week. As James Ham of CSNBayArea.com tweets, Sacramento has waived Farmar, clearing the way for Darren Collison to come off the suspended list and rejoin the team. The Kings confirmed Farmar’s release in an announcement on their website.

The Kings were allowed to temporarily carry a 16th player on their 15-man roster after moving Collison to the suspended list for the last three games of his eight-game ban, as we detailed last Wednesday. However, since the team played its eighth game of the season on Sunday, a roster move was required today in order to get back down to 15 players.

Farmar, who turns 30 later this month, appeared in two games for the Kings over the last few days, averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.5 APG in 17.5 minutes per contest. The veteran point guard signed a non-guaranteed contract with Sacramento, so the team will only be charged a prorated portion of the minimum salary for the few days he was on the roster.

Farmar will return to the free agent list, assuming he clears waivers on Wednesday.

Contract Details: Farmar, Jenkins, Hunter, Zeller

While the exact terms of Jordan Farmar‘s new deal with the Kings aren’t known, it’s expected to be a short-term pact, with Darren Collison due back from his suspension three games from now. Assuming it’s a non-guaranteed contract, Farmar will make a per-day salary worth about $8,300, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets. And if Farmar ends up being waived when Collison is eligible to return, the deal will result in a modest cap hit of $66K for Sacramento.

Here are a few more contract and cap details from around the NBA:

  • The Suns had already pushed back John Jenkins‘ guarantee date once this year, and the 25-year-old consented to having that date postponed again, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Per Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, Jenkins’ salary now won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10, the league-wide deadline.
  • Although Marks’ salary page for the Bulls had previously indicated that R.J. Hunter‘s deal with the team was a guaranteed one-year pact – as we noted on Wednesday – The Vertical’s cap expert has updated the terms of that contract. According to Marks, it’s a two-year, minimum salary deal with a partial guarantee of $425K in year one.
  • According to Pincus, Cody Zeller‘s new four-year extension with the Hornets will start at $12.5MM next year and has a four-year value of $55.625MM.
  • Pincus also has the details on the new extensions for Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo of the Thunder. Adams’ contract increases in salary each year and is worth exactly $100MM overall, while Oladipo’s deal has a cap hit of $21MM in each of its four seasons.

Kings Re-Sign Jordan Farmar

The Kings are re-signing Jordan Farmar to their roster after waiving him last month, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Terms of the agreement aren’t known, but another non-guaranteed contract appears likely for the veteran point guard.

Sacramento is currently carrying the maximum allowable 15 players, but one of those 15 is point guard Darren Collison, who is serving an eight-game suspension. NBA rules allow for the Kings to move Collison to the suspended list after five games, meaning the team can add Farmar to its roster without waiving anyone. However, the club will need to cut someone when Collison becomes eligible to return, so Farmar’s second stint with the Kings figures to be even shorter than his first, unless they opt to waive another player when Collison returns.

Farmar, who will turn 30 later this month, has played more than 500 regular-season games over the course of his nine-year NBA career, though he appeared in just 12 games last season. Farmar joined the Grizzlies in March when Memphis’ roster was hit hardest by injuries, and was the club’s starting point guard down the stretch and in the postseason. Farmar played well in the regular season with the Grizzlies, averaging 9.2 PPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 1.3 3PT. His production dipped in the playoffs, as he shot just 32.3% from the floor during the club’s first-round loss to San Antonio.

Although he appeared to have a decent shot to earn a roster spot in Sacramento this fall, Farmar ultimately lost out to Ty Lawson, another veteran point guard on a non-guaranteed deal.

Kings Waive Jordan Farmar, Isaiah Cousins

The Kings have officially waived guards Jordan Farmar and Isaiah Cousins, the team announced via press release. Sacramento will be on the hook for $100K for Cousins, who had a partially guaranteed deal, unless he is claimed off waivers by another team.

The team also released its opening night roster, which includes 15 players. No mention was made of Lamar Patterson, who was reportedly re-signed by Sacramento on Friday. It’s unclear if the signing never occurred, the player was already waived or the deal is still pending.

Farmar, who will turn 30 in November, has played more than 500 regular-season games over the course of his nine-year NBA career, though he appeared in just 12 games last season. In those contests, Farmar averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.1 APG and 1.3 SPG. However, his production dipped in the playoffs, as he shot just 32.3% from the floor during the club’s first-round loss to San Antonio.

Cousins (no relation to DeMarcus) is a 6’6″ shooting guard out of Oklahoma who became the second-last player selected in this year’s draft. In his final year with the Sooners, Cousins averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 37 contests. The senior also shot 41.1% on three-point attempts and made nearly two of them per game — his shooting percentage was better on three-pointers than on two-pointers for a second consecutive season.

Kings Rumors: Point Guards, Gay, McLemore

As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes in his latest piece, most NBA teams avoid making trades in training camp, preferring to wait until at least December to give their rosters a chance to mesh. However, the Kings still have multiple trade candidates on its roster, and they don’t have much depth at point guard, so it’s not out of the question that the team could make a move within the next month or so.

Here are a few of the highlights from Jones:

  • Currently, the Kings have 14 players on guaranteed salaries, and the team’s 15th man is expected to be a point guard — likely either Ty Lawson, Jordan Farmar, or Isaiah Cousins. According to Jones, the decision on which point guards make the regular-season roster could end up being tied to a possible Rudy Gay trade.
  • Sacramento has made Ben McLemore available in trade discussions for months, but Jones suggests (via Twitter) that the coaching staff has really connected with the fourth-year guard and is excited to see how he performs this season. At one point it seemed like a lock that McLemore would be dealt, but he has impressed the Kings lately, says Jones.
  • One another Kings veteran expected to be traded this summer was center Kosta Koufos, Jones notes. Koufos, whose name was connected to trade rumors in July and August, is fairly affordable at $8MM, given the free agent prices this offseason, but Sacramento has yet to find an acceptable deal.

Contract Details: Bulls, Knicks, Kings, Mavericks

The three camp invitees recently signed by the Bulls got one-year, non-guaranteed summer contracts, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Vince Hunter, and J.J. Avila are therefore probably unlikely to make Chicago’s roster, though they could eventually be ticketed for the team’s new D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.

In addition to providing the contract details for those three Chicago signings, Pincus passes along a few more contract notes from around the NBA, so let’s round them up…

  • As expected, Lou Amundson‘s new one-year deal with the Knicks will pay him $1.55MM+ while counting for just $980K against the team’s cap. Amundson’s contract is fully guaranteed, and will give him the opportunity to veto trades, Pincus notes (via Twitter).
  • Despite his extensive NBA experience, Jordan Farmar didn’t get any guaranteed money from the Kings, signing a minimum-salary summer contract with the team, according to Pincus. Farmar and Ty Lawson essentially have the same non-guaranteed one-year deal with Sacramento, so the team will likely end up carrying just one of those two players into the regular season.
  • C.J. Williams, the Mavericks‘ 20th man, got a non-guaranteed, one-year summer contract from the club, per Pincus. Williams, a 6’5″ guard, could end up playing for Dallas’ D-League squad, the Texas Legends.