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Warriors Expect To Sign Hickson

March 19th, 2012 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

6:36pm: The Warriors are expected to sign J.J. Hickson, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com.  Golden State has two open roster spots and could finalize a deal with Hickson as early as Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that the Warriors and Suns are frontrunners Hickson if he clears waivers.

6:09pm: Forward J.J. Hickson is likely committed to an NBA team and it's not the Celtics, a source told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).  Hickson received a buyout from the Kings earlier today. 

The C's seemed to be a likely destination for the 23-year-old as they had talks with Sacramento about Hickson before the trade deadline.  The 6'9" forward put up 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in Cleveland last year but has averaged just 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest with the Kings.

Hickson still has to clear waivers before he can sign with a club and it's conceivable that he'll be claimed given his potential.

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Heat Looking For Free Agent Pickup

March 19th, 2012 at 6:33pm CST by Zachary Links

As Luke noted earlier today, Miami is currently carrying 14 players on their roster leaving them with one vacancy.  Recently released point guard Derek Fisher has interest in joining the Heat and LeBron James wouldn't mind playing with the seasoned veteran, but J.J. Hickson's emergence on the open market could be an even better fit for the club, writes Chris Tomasson of FOXSportsFlorida.com.

It's also possible that the Heat won't have to choose.  Tomasson points out that rookie guard Terrel Harris and center Eddy Curry are signed to minimum contracts and could easily be cut loose, giving Miami another open spot.

The Heat have also talked to agent Mark Bartelstein about client Mikki Moore, Tomasson tweets.  The 36-year-old big man currently plays for the Idaho Stampede of the D-League and last appeared in the NBA in December of 2009 with Golden State.  The 6'11" center had an up-and-down career in the league but enjoyed a handful of standout seasons including his 2006/07 campaign with the Nets in which he he averaged 9.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG off of 61% shooting .

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Grizzlies Intend To Sign Gilbert Arenas

March 19th, 2012 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25pm: The Grizzlies are on the verge of signing Arenas and the guard will sign a one-year deal for the prorated portion of the veteran's minimum, sources told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com. 

4:56pm: Gilbert Arenas worked out for the Grizzlies today and was impressive enough that the team is planning to sign him for the remainder of the season, reports Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

According to Tillery, Arenas is scheduled to take a physical later today. If he passes it and agrees to accept a pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum salary, Memphis will bring him aboard.

Arenas, 30, was amnestied by the Magic prior to the season and hasn't played in the NBA since then. He worked out for the Lakers earlier this year, but Los Angeles decided not to sign him. If Arenas joins the Grizzlies, Memphis won't need to make a corresponding move, since the team currently has two open roster spots.

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O’Neal To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

March 19th, 2012 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Jermaine O'Neal will undergo surgery on his left wrist and miss the remainder of the season, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. O'Neal had been debating between trying to play through the injury or opting for surgery, and Bulpett says O'Neal and his doctor realized the wrist wouldn't heal without surgery (Twitter link).

Celtics coach Doc Rivers had already said he didn't expect O'Neal to play for Boston again this season, so the decision doesn't affect the Celtics' plan much. The team is still expected to add at least one big man to bolster a depleted frontcourt. For other contenders, O'Neal's surgery removes a potential buyout candidate from the mix.

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Kings Buy Out J.J. Hickson

March 19th, 2012 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

J.J. Hickson has received a buyout from the Kings, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Hickson was in the final year of his rookie contract, earning just $2.35MM, so the savings for Sacramento will be minimal.

For contenders in need of size, Hickson could be an intriguing pickup. After averaging 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in Cleveland last year, the 6'9" forward was dealt to the Kings for Omri Casspi and a first-round pick. His time in Sacramento was a disappointment — his averages slipped to 4.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG, and he eventually fell out of the rotation, appearing in just two games in March. But perhaps a change of scenery could put him back on the right track.

The Celtics reportedly discussed Hickson with the Kings before the trade deadline, so they figure to have interest again. The Heat have also been seeking frontcourt help, though they'd probably prefer a true center. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), we'll have to see if Hickson clears waivers first. Given his low salary and potential upside, it's possible he'll be claimed.

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Minor Moves: Graham, Harrison, Henry

March 19th, 2012 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track the latest notable international and D-League-related signings right here:

  • Joey Graham, a former 16th overall pick, has joined the D-League's Erie BayHawks, tweets Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News. Graham is a six-year NBA veteran, having played for the Raptors, Nuggets, and, last season, the Cavaliers.
  • Former Pacers first-round pick David Harrison has been claimed by the D-League's Reno Big Horns, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The ex-University of Colorado big man played four seasons in Indiana after being drafted in 2004. The 29-year-old last appeared in an NBA game in April 2008.
  • After playing just one game for the D-League's Iowa Energy, Xavier Henry has been recalled by the Hornets, the team announced today.
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Buchanan On Nets Trade, Williams, Canales, Mills

March 19th, 2012 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan spoke today about a number of topics, and Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge shared the key quotes via Twitter. Here's a round-up:

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Draft Notes: Harkless, Davis, Leonard, Paul

March 19th, 2012 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NCAA tournament through its first two rounds, all but sixteen teams have seen their seasons come to an end. For some players, that means looking ahead to the NBA draft, so let's check out some of the latest draft-related links from around the web….

  • Moe Harkless of St. John's officially declared his intent to hire an agent and enter the draft, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Harkless said he was "fully committed" to his decision and plans to hire an agent within a week or so.
  • In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Chad Ford looks at a few players who have seen their stocks rise or fall during March Madness.
  • If any rumors between now and June 28th suggest a player besides Anthony Davis could go first overall in the draft, don't believe them, says Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Scouts and GMs say Davis is in a category of his own, according to Bucher.
  • Illinois underclassmen Meyers Leonard and Brandon Paul have submitted their names to NBA’s undergraduate advisory committee to receive feedback on their draft stock, writes Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com.
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Rivers: Celtics Close To Adding Player

March 19th, 2012 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

1:09pm: Following up his earlier tweet, Blakely writes that the Celtics hope to add a player today, and expect to make a move by Friday at the latest. Blakely adds that Boston is keeping an eye on potential buyout candidates like Chris Kaman and Lamar Odom, just in case they become available.

"You want to wait for that," Rivers said. "You don't want to sign a guy and then another guy (you're interested in) buys out. It's a game of chicken, but it's hurting us. We literally need a body. We just need anybody."

12:51pm: If a move is imminent for the Celtics, don't expect it to involve Ronny Turiaf, says Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Although Turiaf "drew immediate interest" from Boston, he still needs to clear waivers, and agent Mark Bartelstein says his client may take some time after that to make a decision on where to sign.

10:44am: The Celtics are "close" to adding another player, coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link). Blakely adds that the player is likely a big man. The Celtics have been lacking frontcourt depth with Chris Wilcox and Jermaine O'Neal out.

Boston's roster currently sits at 15 players, so the team would have to make a corresponding move to make room for a new addition. O'Neal is perhaps the likeliest Celtic to be cut or bought out. Rivers said last week that he doesn't expect the veteran big man to play for Boston again this season, and O'Neal is rumored to be seeking a buyout. Resolution on his situation, whether that means a buyout or wrist surgery, was expected to come early this week.

As for the player the Celtics may be adding, Rivers said on Friday that recently waived Blazer Chris Johnson is "an absolute option" for Boston.

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Teams With Open Roster Spots

March 19th, 2012 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

After the flurry of trades, signings, and releases around the league in the last week, it's gotten challenging to keep track which clubs still have the flexibility to make roster moves. To make things a little easier, here's our list of teams who currently have fewer than the maximum 15 players on their rosters, and could add a player without releasing anyone:

Note: The Nets currently have 15 players on their roster, but will open up a spot when Jerry Smith's 10-day contract expires.

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