2014 February | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown

February 22nd, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Charlie Adams

Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:

According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.

Hawks Sign Dexter Pittman To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Cray Allred

5:38pm: The deal has been officially announced in a team release.

5:12pm: The Hawks have signed Dexter Pittman to a 10-day contract, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). The deal hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Vivlamore tweets that Pittman will be available for Atlanta in tonight’s game.

The decision to add Pittman comes along with the Hawks’ decision to waive Jared Cunningham and sign Cartier Martin, although Martin’s contract is a guaranteed deal through the rest of the year. Pittman, a client of Impact Sports Basketball per our Agency Database, stands at 6’11” and will hope to get an opportunity in the frontcourt to earn another deal. The Hawks’ only other active centers are currently Gustavo Ayon and Pero Antic, as Al Horford is out for the season from a torn pectoral muscle.

The 25-year-old center was waived by the Bulls before the regular season this year, and hasn’t played in the NBA since last year, when he was used in 11 total games as a member of the Heat and Grizzlies during the season. His career high in minutes is 8.6, coming in Pittman’s sophomore season with the Heat in 2011/12. He has scored 114 total points over his three-year career.

Hawks Waive Jared Cunningham

February 22nd, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Hawks have requested waivers on Jared Cunningham, the team announced today. Cunningham was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, but has only seen 48 total minutes in the NBA over the course of two seasons. He’s spent much of his professional career in the D-League, and the team has decided to cut ties with him.

This action might be indicative of another forthcoming move by Atlanta, notes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). We haven’t heard that Atlanta is interested in Glen Davis or any other players who are rumored to be waived in buyout deals, but a signing might make sense, given the injuries to Al Horford, Pero Antic, and John Jenkins.

It’s been a pretty active week for the Hawks, who waived Antawn Jamison after acquiring him from the Clippers at the deadline and shortly after inked a deal with Cartier Martin for the rest of the season. Waiving Cunningham means the team will have to pay the remainder of his $1.2MM salary, but it will give the club an open roster spot and flexibility going forward.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Davis, Collins, ‘Melo

February 22nd, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Charlie Adams

Gerald Wallace has never been shy about voicing his opinions. He recently suggested to reporters, including Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, that the trade deadline does not serve the same purpose that it used to:

“Now I don’t think it’s about teams trying to get better, or teams making trades to try and improve. Now it’s about teams trying to get rid of guys to get under the salary cap, or get under the luxury tax. It’s a different situation as trades go nowadays. Teams are all looking to save as much money as possible now.”

Let’s look at the latest from the Atlantic:

The Raptors wouldn’t be afraid to add a player who was waived in a buyout deal, but it would have to be the “right guy,” tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The team currently rosters the league maximum 15 players, so they would need to release someone in order for anything to happen.
Glen Davis thought he was heading to the Clippers, but Kevin Garnett‘s effort to recruit the former LSU star to the Nets has him reconsidering his options, according to Kyler (Twitter links).
The Nets locker room would welcome the openly gay Jason Collins, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, Bondy notes that the team would prefer to land Davis.
Carmelo Anthony wasn’t thrilled the Knicks stood pat at the deadline, but he realizes front office decisions are out of his hands, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what a buyout deal would mean for Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih, and the Knicks. Earlier today, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News said each of the two players was close to reaching an agreement to part ways with New York.

Western Notes: Brooks, Brewer, Rockets

February 22nd, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Charlie Adams

MarShon Brooks isn’t accustomed to a significant role, but he’s ready to play as a member of the Lakers. His impressive performance against the C’s last night left some wondering if he considered the matchup a “revenge game,” but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along that Brooks doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his old team. “You know what, a lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics,” Brooks said. “But I guarantee you that there’s no one happier for me than Brad Stevens and [Celtics assistant] Jay Larranaga.” Here’s more from the West..

After being waived by the Rockets, Ronnie Brewer tells Mark Berman of My FOX Houston he will look to land with another team. “The NBA is a business,” the 28-year old said. “You got to accept the decision. You have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and hopefully a team can pick you up for the remainder of the season.”
It appears that the Rockets are unlikely to pursue anyone in the buyout market, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen says the indications are that Houston is done making moves for the year.
The Thunder assigned rookie Andre Roberson to the D-League again on Friday, as Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate announced (Twitter link).
J.J. Barea admits to anxiety in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move on and continue his recent strong play for the Timberwolves, reports Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Shannon Brown would like to re-sign with the Spurs, but there’s interest from other teams if that doesn’t happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to sign him for the rest of the season, since he’s already been on a pair of 10-day deals with the team.
Chad Forcier is a player development coach for the Spurs, and his presence in San Antonio might influence whether the team pursues the likely-to-be waived Metta World Peace. Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation has the details.
Sam Amick of USA Today weighs in on the trade that sent Steve Blake to the Warriors and thinks it could end up paying dividends for Golden State.
Jan Vesely and Aaron Brooks are excited for new roles on the Nuggets, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Cavs Sign Onuaku To 10-Day Contract

February 22nd, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Cray Allred

The Cavs have signed Arinze Onuaku to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. Onuaku inked a deal with the Pelicans last summer, but the club waived his non-guaranteed contract in November. Onuaku went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2010, but executives around the league have been praising his abilities for at least a year, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

After parting with New Orleans, Onuaku hooked up with the D-League affiliate of the Cavs, the Canton Charge. While in the D-League, he put up impressive averages of 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and caught the attention of acting Cavaliers GM David Griffin.

This move will help further supplement Cleveland’s frontcourt depth after acquiring Spencer Hawes at Thursday’s trade deadline. The Cavs will be looking to make a late run to sneak into the playoffs, as the club currently sits four games back from the eighth and final playoff seed. With this signing, Cleveland’s roster now sits at a league maximum 15 players.

Rockets Waive Brewer, Sign Troy Daniels

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 12:54pm: The Rockets have officially announced the signing of Daniels, per a team release. GM Daryl Morey also verified that Daniels will continue assignment in the D-League.

FRIDAY, 9:39pm: Brewer has officially been waived according to a team release. A person with knowledge of the deal says that Daniels’ contract is indeed a two year deal, according to Feigen.

8:51pm: According to Jason Friedman of Rockets.com (Twitter Link), the team has officially signed Daniels. He’ll remain with the RGV Vipers in the D-League.

3:23pm: The Rockets are waiving Ronnie Brewer to sign Troy Daniels, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’ll be a two-year deal for Daniels, though 2014/15 will be non-guaranteed, Feigen adds (on Twitter).

Daniels, who’s been playing with Houston’s three-pointer-happy affiliate in the D-League, is considered the best shooter outside the NBA, Feigen tweets, adding that it’s likely the team will send him back to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on D-League assignment after the signing. He’s averaged 23.3 points and 40.8% three-point shooting in the D-League this year after having spent camp with the Bobcats and Rockets this past autumn. Daniels went undrafted out of VCU in June.

Brewer signed a two-year minimum-salary deal with the Rockets in the offseason, but he’s seen limited playing time, scoring just seven points all year in 158 total minutes. The eighth-year veteran’s salary will remain on Houston’s books for this season, providing no one claims him off waivers, but 2014/15 was a non-guaranteed year for him.

Warriors Sign Hilton Armstrong To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:35pm CST by Cray Allred

The Warriors have signed Hilton Armstrong to a 10-day contract, per a team press release. The 29-year-old center entered the NBA in the 2006/07 season and has averaged 3 PPG and 2.6 RPG over his career. This will be his second stint with Golden State this year, after not playing a minute of NBA action in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 season.

In his first stretch with the Warriors, Armstrong played well in small minutes over seven games, before Goldsen State waived his non-guaranteed contract. The big man has been playing as an unrestricted free agent in the D-League since that release, averaging 12.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG for the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Jason Terry Out For Season

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:21pm CST by Cray Allred

SATURDAY, 12:21pm: The Kings have officially announced Terry’s choice to rehab rather than join the Kings for the remainder of the year, via their official site.

FRIDAY, 11:03pm: Kings coach Michael Malone said on his weekly radio interview that the recently acquired Jason Terry will not join the team for the remainder of the year, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Terry has opted to rehab in preparation for next season, saying he has yet to recover from a knee surgery he underwent in the offseason. Jones also reports that the team has no plans to buy out Terry’s contract, which was a rumored possibility. Terry’s contract has one year remaining beyond this season at approximately $5.5MM.

The 36-year-old’s 2013/14 season will go down as the worst of his career to this point, with career-low averages in nearly every major statistical category. Terry came to the Nets from the Celtics, in the summer blockbuster deal that also sent future Hall-of-Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn. Once one of the premier sixth-man scorers in the league, he has failed to make much of an impact with the Celtics or Nets in recent years.

Terry was acquired by the Kings at the trade deadline along with Reggie Evans, in exchange for shooting guard Marcus Thornton. The Wasserman Media Group client will need to show significant improvement next year if he wishes to extend his career at all, a career that has included 11 seasons above 15 PPG and a crucial role in the Mavs’ 2011 championship season.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Suns

February 22nd, 2014 at 11:47am CST by Cray Allred

Clippers coach Doc Rivers will actively recruit bought out players that L.A. wants to sign in the coming days, he tells reporters including Arash Markazi of ESPN LA. “You always do. I’m not going to say any names, but there’s more than one team that wants all these guys, at least a lot of the guys. You have to talk to them, for sure.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Rivers also discussed Glen Davis per Markazi, who was recently bought out and is expected to pick between the Clippers and Nets for the rest of the year. In Davis’s case, Nets veteran Kevin Garnett is reportedly in a recruitment competition with Rivers. This doesn’t surprise Rivers, who coached both players to a championship with the Celtics: “I think they always liked him. It doesn’t surprise me at all. That group won a title together and came one game away from winning another one. You’d think there’s a kinship.”
In the same piece, Markazi suspects the Clippers need to add multiple players to bolster their title hopes, even if Davis is the most noteworthy name on the market. Injuries to J.J. Redick and the team’s parting with Byron Mullens leaves the team thin in both the backcourt and frontcourt.
The Suns went through Thursday’s trade deadline without making any changes, and players, coaches, and management all echo their comfort level with the team as constructed to Matt Peterson of Suns.com. Head Coach Jeff Hornacek is happy the team that has surprised with success will remain intact, saying, “It’s great that the team stays the way it is and we just keep going.” GM Ryan McDonough adds, “Unless there was a superstar or a blockbuster deal, we didn’t want to affect our group because they’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do and they’ve played well. We’re 11 games over .500 as we get into late February. We didn’t want to make a move in-season just for the sake of doing something. We’re fine doing nothing because we’re happy with the guys we have.”
In the same piece, McDonough tells Peterson that the Suns timed their trades for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and two first round picks over last summer because they didn’t think picks would be as easy to come by closer to the draft. He appears to be right, considering no first round selections swapped hands in the month of February.

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