FRIDAY, 10:53am: The team has officially announced its 10-day deal with White.
WEDNESDAY, 1:24pm: The Bobcats are planning to sign DJ White to a 10-day contract once they receive clearance from FIBA, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Shams Charania of RealGM reported earlier today that the team was strongly considering the big man. FIBA, basketball’s international governing body, requires that players switching countries seek clearance from the organization before signing a contract. White has spent most of the season playing in China with the Sichuan Blue Whales. FIBA approval is usually a formality, meaning it’s probably only a matter of time before the 27-year-old joins the Bobcats.
White spent part of 2010/11 and all of 2011/12 with Charlotte, averaging 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 82 appearances as a Bobcat. That’s so far the most productive stretch the former 29th overall pick has enjoyed in the NBA. He made it into a dozen games with Boston last year, but like this season, White spent most of 2012/13 playing in China. The former Indiana Hoosier averaged 20.2 PPG and 8.5 RPG with Sichuan this year, but he did so primarily as a reserve.
The Bobcats appear to envision White as a third-string center, even though he’s only 6’9″. Charlotte worked out a handful of players last week in hopes of finding a center to replace Brendan Haywood, who appears likely to miss the season, but coach Steve Clifford has acknowledged the difficulty of finding free agent pivotmen this time of year, Bonnell notes.
Charlotte has an open roster spot, so the team won’t have to cut anyone to bring White aboard. I speculated that the Bobcats might offer the Jeff Wechsler client a deal for the rest of the season instead of a 10-day contract, but it looks like White will have to prove himself on a short-term deal before the team commits to him for the balance of the year.