2015 September | Hoops Rumors

Week In Review 9/20/15-9/26/15

September 26th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Milwaukee Common Council voted to approve the city’s $47MM portion of the public funding for a new Bucks arena, meaning the funding plan for the project has crossed the final barrier. The $500MM building still needs the council’s approval for its design, with that matter likely to come to the table this fall. Still, it appears the arena is well on its way to becoming a reality, even though minority owner and team executive Mike Fascitelli recently admitted the arena might not open until the fall of 2018, one year after the NBA’s deadline. The state, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee are ponying up half the cost of the arena, with current and former Bucks owners reportedly paying the other $250MM of the estimated cost.

Here’s more from the week that was…

Free Agent Signings

The Knicks signed DaJuan Summers.
The Warriors signed Tony Mitchell.
The Thunder signed Julyan Stone.
The Cavaliers agreed to a contract with Austin Daye.
The Grizzlies and Ryan Hollins agreed to a deal.
The Nets signed Chris Daniels.
The Lakers signed Metta World Peace.
The Clippers agreed to a deal with Luc Mbah a Moute.
The Magic signed Greg Stiemsma and Nnanna Egwu.
The Grizzlies signed Dan Nwaelele.
The Wizards agreed to a contract with Jaron Johnson.
The Grizzlies agreed to a deal with Yakhouba Diawara.
The Trail Blazers signed forward Omari Johnson.
The Rockets agreed to a deal with Jeremy Tyler.
The Raptors agreed to sign Anthony Bennett.
The Cavaliers agreed to sign center Chris Johnson.
Jordan McRae reportedly signed his required tender from the Sixers.
The Hawks signed Earl Barron.

You can stay up to date on all of the signings with Hoops Rumors’ free agent tracker.

Waivers

The Timberwolves and Anthony Bennett reached an agreement on a buyout arrangement.
The Grizzlies waived Patrick Christopher.
The Nuggets waived Kostas Papanikolaou.

D-League News

Former Kentucky center Dakari Johnson will sign with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate. Oklahoma City drafted the 7-footer 48th overall this past June.
Magic second-round pick Tyler Harvey will spend the season with the D-League affiliate of the Magic, who drafted him 51st overall in June.
Heat assistant Dan Craig was hired as head coach of the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Miscellaneous News

The Warriors reportedly offered Harrison Barnes a four-year, $64MM contract extension proposal, which was rejected by the forward’s camp.
The Wizards reportedly offered an extension to Bradley Beal, but it was worth less than the maximum salary he’s seeking because the team wants to preserve cap flexibility for next summer.
Veteran NBA shooting guard Jason Richardson announced his retirement.
Luke Ridnour will reportedly sit out this season and it’s likely he won’t play in the league again.
Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy underwent a successful low back microdiscectomy procedure and he is expected to be out of action for 8-10 weeks.
Thunder director of strategic planning Jason Ranne is headed back to the Wasserman Media Group, which used to employ him, for an executive position within the agency.
The Blazers promoted associate video coordinator Jim Moran to assistant coach.
Three-year NBA veteran Chris Singleton signed with Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia.
The Spurs announced that they’ve hired former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as a pro scout.

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Week in Review

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/25/15

September 25th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One potential point of contention that may come up during negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement is in regards to the current minimum age requirement for players to enter the NBA Draft. The current rule — which has been in place since 2005 — prevents a player from playing in the NBA until he’s been eligible for at least one draft. In order to be eligible, you must be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which that draft takes place, and if you’re an American-born prospect, you have to be at least one year removed from high school.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has gone on record stating that he’d like to increase the minimum age for draft eligibility to 20 years old, using the argument that an additional year to allow players to mature would improve the overall quality of the game. Of course, the NBPA wasn’t thrilled with that proposal, and its stance is that there should be no age restrictions imposed on players and their earning potential.

This brings me to the question/topic of the day: What changes, if any, need to be made to the current eligibility system for the NBA Draft?

On a practical level, I fully concur with Silver’s assertion that more mature and developed players entering the league would be good for the game, but on a philosophical level I support the NBPA’s stance. My solution to the issue is directly tied to the NBA D-League and its eventual expansion. I believe the best possible compromise for both the players and the teams would be to make 18 the minimum age but confine players under the age of 20 to the D-League. This would allow players freedom to forgo college and immediately begin earning a salary, as well as give teams time to develop the players for when they are eligible to join the big boys. My plan would certainly require an adjustment to how rookie scale deals are handled, but it would almost assuredly be a workable solution that could appease both parties.

But now its time for you to weigh in. Let me know what you think of my suggested course of action, be it positive or negative. We also want to hear your solutions to this issue. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Central Notes: Dunleavy, Morris, Bulls

September 25th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy underwent a successful low back microdiscectomy procedure earlier today at Rush University Medical Center and he is expected to be out of action for 8-10 weeks, the team announced. Dunleavy had experienced some occasional back discomfort over the summer which had recently worsened, according to the release. If his recovery goes as planned, Dunleavy will likely miss between 12-15 contests.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Marcus Morris views his new start with the Pistons as a means to finally carve out a niche for himself in the league, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “In Phoenix, I thought I should have started at the three,” Morris told Langlois. “The guy that’s there now [P.J. Tucker] might have been a better defender, but as an all-around three, I thought I was the best we had. And I thought a lot of players thought that, too. But there’s a lot of opportunity here. I have a chance to come in and start right away. I’ve been in the league for five years. It’s nothing new to me. I have started my share of games. It’s not like I’m new to it. The only thing that’s new is that it’s the East Coast now.”
The Bulls return virtually the same core as last season, and if the change in coaches from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg doesn’t nudge the team to the next level, it may be time for Chicago to attempt to pry Carmelo Anthony away from the Knicks, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Friedell does note that the size of Anthony’s contract would be a gamble for Bulls, and the team would likely have to part with a number of talented players to make the deal work financially, which would make such a trade a risky proposition for Chicago.
If the Cavaliers can remain healthy as a unit and are able to secure home court advantage in the playoffs, the team is likely to secure the NBA title in 2015/16, the crew at Basketball Insiders opine in their season preview.

Poll: 2015/16 Team Power Rankings (No. 24)

September 25th, 2015 at 8:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The start of NBA training camps is less than a week away, and teams are in the process of finalizing their preseason rosters. Every new season brings with it the hope for each franchise that it will conclude with the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. But for the more jaded fans — or practical, depending on your outlook — not every team has a realistic shot at making the playoffs, much less at being the last team standing when all is said and done and the playoffs have concluded.

We at Hoops Rumors want to know what you, the reader, think about each team’s chances this coming campaign. To help facilitate that, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking you to vote on where in the standings each franchise is likely to end the season. So please cast your vote below for the franchise you expect to end the season with the sixth worst overall record, or at No. 24 overall. But don’t end your involvement with the simple click of a button. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on why you voted the way that you did. We look forward to what you have to say.

Previous Selections:

No. 30: 76ers
No. 29: Knicks
No. 28: Nuggets
No. 27: Lakers
No. 26: Nets
No. 25: Timberwolves

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.

Clippers Sign Nikoloz Tskitishvili For Camp

September 25th, 2015 at 7:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 25TH, 7:50pm: The Clippers have officially announced the signing.

SEPTEMBER 14TH, 10:50am: The RealGM transactions log confirms the signing took place, but the Clippers still haven’t made an official announcement.

SEPTEMBER 10TH, 1:06pm: The Clippers have signed 2002 No. 5 overall pick Nikoloz Tskitishvili to a non-guaranteed deal that covers one season, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The team has yet to make a formal announcement. It’ll be for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Clippers have to offer. The deal nonetheless represents a comeback for a player considered one of the all-time draft busts. Tskitishvili, 32, has been eyeing another go at the NBA of late, having been out of the league since 2006, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post recently chronicled.

The 7-footer averaged just 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game during his four-year NBA career, spent mostly with the Nuggets, who made that fateful draft pick, passing over Amar’e Stoudemire, among others. He also played for the Warriors, Timberwolves and Suns, passing briefly through the hands of the Trail Blazers before a camp deal with the Knicks in the fall of 2006 that was his last NBA contract.

Tskitishvili spent the past season with Champville of Lebanon, racking up 21.0 points and 11.6 rebounds in 37.6 minutes per game, as Pick notes (on Twitter). He told Dempsey that he hoped that the Nuggets would give him the chance to come back to the NBA and erase the memories of his earlier flameout in Denver, but instead it’s the Clippers who will give him an opportunity.

“You can blame me or you can find some reasons to blame,” Tskitishvili said to Dempsey. “When they draft you as a No. 5 pick, really I shouldn’t have taken it, and stayed in Europe a couple more years. But you can’t say no to the No. 5 pick. You might never come to the NBA. I was afraid for the future. This was my opportunity to be in the NBA. This was guaranteed. I had to take it. If I played overseas for a couple years or three years [though], I would be much better.”

The Clippers have 14 fully guaranteed contracts plus a non-guaranteed deal with Chuck Hayes, and they’re also reportedly bringing undrafted center Yanick Moreira to camp. So, Tskitishvili has at least a somewhat reasonable chance to make the opening night roster nearly a decade after his last regular season game.

Do you think Tskitishvili will finally make an impact in the NBA, or will his comeback be short-lived? Comment to tell us.

Clippers Sign Luc Mbah a Moute

September 25th, 2015 at 7:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 7:48pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

THURSDAY, 6:16pm: The Clippers have reached an agreement with unrestricted free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register reports (Twitter link). The terms of the arrangement are not yet known, though Woike refers to it as a training camp deal, which likely means that it includes little or no guaranteed money. The addition of Mbah a Moute will give Los Angeles a roster count of 17 players.

Mbah a Moute had previously signed a deal with the Kings, but that agreement was voided after the forward failed his physical. The National Basketball Players Association was reportedly going to file a grievance against the Kings questioning how valid it was for the franchise to void the deal. Mbah a Moute’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group and NBPA officials, using independent medical examinations that say Mbah a Moute was cleared to play, and disputed the legitimacy of the Kings’ procedure and conclusion, according to the report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The forward made 67 appearances for the Sixers last season, including 61 as a starter. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assist to go along with a slash line of .395/.307/.589. His career numbers through seven NBA seasons, which include stints with the Kings and Bucks, are 6.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.0 APG.

Blazers Sign Omari Johnson

September 25th, 2015 at 7:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Trail Blazers released their official training camp roster, and it indicates that Portland has signed forward Omari Johnson, whose name appears on the team’s official rundown of players. No details regarding his contract have been reported, though it is likely a minimum salary arrangement that includes little or no guaranteed salary, but that is merely my speculation.

Johnson, 25, went undrafted out of Oregon State back in 2011 after averaging 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds as a senior. His career NCAA numbers were 6.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 0.7 assists to accompany a slash line of .418/.293/.600. The 6’9″ forward spent the 2014/15 campaign playing for the Celtics’ D-League affiliate in Maine where he made 49 appearances, and notched averages of 15.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 26.2 minutes per night.

The addition of Johnson increases Portland’s preseason roster count to 18 players, including 13 possessing fully guaranteed salaries.

Rockets To Sign Jeremy Tyler

September 25th, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rockets have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent power forward Jeremy Tyler, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the pact are unknown, though Wojnarowski does refer to it as a training camp deal, meaning it likely is for the minimum salary and includes little or no guaranteed money. The addition of Tyler gives Houston a roster count of 19 players, including 14 with fully guaranteed deals.

The 24-year-old’s last NBA regular season action came during the 2013/14 campaign when he played in 41 contests for the Knicks, averaging 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 9.7 minutes per outing. The Lakers signed him for the preseason last fall, waiving him shortly before opening night. His career numbers through 104 regular season games are 3.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 0.4 BPG to accompany a slash line of .450/.000/.557. Tyler was the No. 39 overall pick back in 2011.

Tyler played for the Mavericks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League this year, notching averages of 11.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG in six contests. He reportedly worked out for the Lakers back in August, but no deal was struck.

Grizzlies Sign Dan Nwaelele, Waive Christopher

September 25th, 2015 at 5:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 5:58pm: The Nwaelele signing has taken place, and the Grizzlies have indeed waived Christopher, according to the RealGM transactions log. The team has yet to make any official announcement regarding either move.

THURSDAY, 8:47am: The Grizzlies will bring shooting guard Dan Nwaelele to training camp, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Agent Dave Gasman confirms the deal via Twitter. The 31-year-old Nwaelele, who went undrafted out of the Air Force Academy in 2007, will replace Patrick Christopher, who won’t be with the team, according to Stein, despite having signed earlier this month. Memphis also reportedly struck a non-guaranteed deal Wednesday with Ryan Hollins, so the Grizzlies have signed contracts or verbal agreements with 19 players, not including Christopher. Fourteen of them have fully guaranteed deals.

Nwaelele has yet to appear on an NBA regular season roster, but he was with the Spurs for camp in 2013. He spent his first five post-college years serving an Air Force commitment, and he made the D-League affiliate of the Warriors at an open tryout in 2012. He returned to the Warriors D-League team after his preseason stint with the Spurs, and in 2013/14, he averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game, with strong 41.6% three-point shooting.

Christopher was on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract, so Memphis isn’t eating any money as it lets him go. The swingman made his official NBA debut with the Jazz last season, but he has a history with the Grizzlies, who had him for the preseason last year but waived him prior to opening night.

Warriors Officially Add Four For Camp

September 25th, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Warriors have officially signed free agent guards Ian Clark and Juwan Staten along with free agent forwards Tony Mitchell and Jarell Eddie, the team announced via a press release. Clark and Eddie will receive approximately half of their salaries if they make the Warriors’ opening night roster, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders noted. Clark would receive $474K on the contract he signed, while Eddie would make $423K. The length and terms of the pacts for Staten and Mitchell have not yet been relayed. Golden State has a roster count of 19 players, including 13 possessing full guarantees.

Clark, 24, had hoped the Nuggets would re-sign him after his summer league performance, in which he averaged 13.4 points per game and made 12 of 24 total three-point attempts, but Denver renounced its rights to him to clear cap room. The guard’s career NBA averages through 53 contests are 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists to accompany a slash line of .369/.344/.875.

Staten, 23, was the 81st-best draft prospect this year in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him at No. 98 about a week before the draft. His playing time shrunk this past season as a senior compared to his junior year, when he averaged six more minutes per game. The 5’11” Ohio native put up 14.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.0 turnovers in 31.3 minutes per contest for the Mountaineers this year.

Mitchell has yet to make his mark at the NBA level. In 2013/14, the forward saw just 3.8 minutes per game for the Pistons with averages of 1.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG. This past season, Mitchell did not see a single second of NBA action as Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy kept him in the D-League for seasoning to start the year. A late December trade sent Mitchell to the Suns, but he dropped from the roster early on in the New Year. In February, Mitchell signed on with a Puerto Rican club when there was apparently little or no NBA interest.

Eddie, who turns 24 in October, made his mark as a three-point shooter while in the D-League for most of last season, nailing 127 of his 281 in-game attempts, a sizzling 45.2%, for the affiliate of the Spurs. He averaged 12.9 points in 26.2 minutes per game, but nonetheless made only 18 starts in 44 appearances for that team and didn’t receive a call-up to San Antonio. The Spurs and the Pacers both had him on their summer league squads last month, and he continued his sharpshooting, connecting on 46.3% of his 67 shots from behind the arc.

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