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Month: November 2024

Timberwolves Sign Aaron Brooks

September 21st, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Austin Kent

8:44pm: The Wolves have signed Brooks, Zgoda confirms, citing a press release from the club.

4:43pm: Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press has tweeted that he believes the deal is done.

3:15pm: The Timberwolves are expected to sign Aaron Brooks before training camp opens on Saturday, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets. The 32-year-old point guard played 65 games for the Pacers last season.

A Brooks deal would reunite the nine-year veteran with former head coach Tom Thibodeau. Brooks played 151 games for the Bulls from 2014-2016, averaging 9.6 points and 2.9 assists per game in the process.

The Wolves currently have 16 players on their roster, only 12 of whom have guaranteed deals, so there’s certainly room for Brooks to carve out a role for himself into the regular season although no details of what a potential contract might look like have been revealed.

Don’t expect the vet to siphon any time or opportunity away from incumbents Jeff Teague or Tyus Jones but he could fill a niche as an aggressive guard familiar with Thibodeau’s style.

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Bucks Waive Bronson Koenig

September 21st, 2017 at 4:29pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bucks have requested waivers on guard Bronson Koenig, the team announced on its official website. The 22-year-old former Wisconsin Badger initially signed a two-way deal with the franchise back in July.

Koenig wrapped up his final season with the Badgers this spring as the school’s all-time three-point leader and quickly signed on with Milwaukee when that chapter ended.

Given Milwaukee’s crowded backcourt, it’s not surprising that the team let the 6’3″ guard go. Behind Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova, journeymen Gary Payton II and Kendall Marshall are the current frontrunners to emerge as the club’s third point guard.

Koenig’s release comes less than two weeks after the Bucks waived Jalen Moore – another player they had signed to a two-way deal.

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Poll: Philadelphia 76ers’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 21st, 2017 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

With the exception of the lockout-shortened season in 2011/12, the Sixers haven’t finished over .500 since the 2004/05 campaign. They’ve posted a 41-41 record twice during that stretch, but have been unable to reach the 42-win threshold in over a decade.

There’s some reason to believe that streak could come to an end in 2017/18. After all, the Sixers’ roster is more stacked with young talent than it has been at any time during that stretch, with No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz joining a group that includes Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and last year’s No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, who looks ready to go after missing his rookie season.

However, while Philadelphia’s young core is exciting, it’s also unproven. Fultz and Simmons have yet to play in an NBA game. Embiid has only played in 31 of them. And Simmons and Embiid are both coming off major injuries.

While a playoff berth is the goal for the Sixers, president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo has made an effort to temper expectations. As we noted yesterday, Colangelo recently suggested that Philadelphia is “hoping” to make the postseason, but not forecasting an appearance in the playoffs. That would be “getting a little ahead of ourselves,” in Colangelo’s words, and he’s not wrong — the Sixers improved their win total from 10 in 2015/16 to 28 last season, but they’d need another big jump to make the postseason.

Oddsmakers are optimistic about the Sixers’ chances to make that leap, with offshore betting site Bovada putting the team’s over/under for 2017/18 at 41.5 wins. Bettors are a little more hesistant to go all-in on the Sixers, with Bovada’s current lines indicating that action has been heavy on the under.

What do you think? Is this the year the Sixers finally get back up to 42 wins, or does the team’s young core need a little more time to develop? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

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Warriors Sign Alex Hamilton

September 21st, 2017 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have filled out their roster for training camp by signing free agent guard Alex Hamilton to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move increases Golden State’s roster count to 20 players.

Hamilton, who turns 24 next month, played his college ball at Louisiana Tech, averaging 19.9 PPG and 6.2 APG in his senior year in 2015/16. Although his performance earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors, Hamilton went undrafted last year.

After a short stint with a Polish team, Hamilton was selected in the G League draft and spent the 2016/17 season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s affiliate. He averaged 11.4 PPG and 4.5 APG in his first year at Santa Cruz, and is a good bet to head back to the G League following the preseason this year.

Although the Warriors have 20 players under contract, only one of the club’s two-way contract spots has been filled, so Hamilton may be a candidate for the other slot.

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Grizzlies Sign Ivan Rabb To Three-Year Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 21, 12:08pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Rabb, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 18, 7:58pm: The Grizzlies and Rabb have agreed to a three-year deal, with the first two seasons fully guaranteed, reports Geoff Calkins of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

5:56pm: The Grizzlies are close to reaching an agreement with rookie forward Ivan Rabb on a three-year contract, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Rabb, the 35th overall pick in this year’s draft, had been one of the last 2017 draftees who remained unsigned.

Many draft experts and NBA observers expected Rabb to declare for the draft a year ago, but he made the surprise decision to stay at Cal for his sophomore season. In his second year with the Golden Bears, Rabb averaged a double-double with 14.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG, though his FG% dipped from .615 in his freshman year to .484 in 2016/17.

Viewed as a probable first-rounder if he had entered the 2016 draft, Rabb slipped to the second round this spring. The Grizzlies sent a 2019 second-round pick to Orlando in order to acquire the No. 35 overall pick, which they used to select Rabb.

While exact terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, the Grizzlies figure to use their mid-level exception to sign Rabb — that exception allows the club to offer slightly more than the minimum and to go beyond a two-year contract. Memphis already used most of its MLE to lock up Ben McLemore, Rade Zagorac, and Dillon Brooks, but still has about $1.44MM left, which is more than enough for Rabb’s starting salary.

Assuming Rabb’s 2017/18 salary is fully guaranteed on his new deal with Memphis, the team will have 16 players on guaranteed contracts. That number would increase to 17 if the Grizzlies work out a new deal with JaMychal Green, who remains a restricted free agent. Teams are only allowed to carry 15 players on their regular season rosters, so the Grizzlies will potentially have to make a trade or two before opening night in order to avoid eating some guaranteed money.

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Paxson Reiterates Bulls’ Willingness To Negotiate Buyout With Wade

September 21st, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

While Dwyane Wade is expected to open the regular season with the Bulls, a buyout remains a strong possibility at some point during the league year. Asked today during an appearance on WSCR 670 AM in Chicago about that possibility, Bulls executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson reiterated that the club is willing to discuss a buyout with Wade.

“We’ve talked to his representatives,” Paxson said, per Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com (Twitter link). “[Bulls GM] Gar [Forman]‘s been on the phone with his guy several times in the last few weeks. So some dialogue is going on. We haven’t heard directly from Dwyane. But we understand where he is at this time of his career. We’re more than willing to work with him.”

Although Paxson stressed that the rebuilding Bulls are happy to work something out with the veteran guard, he also repeated a sentiment he expressed in June — in order a buyout to get done, it would have to be advantageous for the Bulls.

“It can’t be something the player wins because that’s what he wants. We have to do what’s in our best interest,” Paxson said. “We want to work with Dwyane because we respect [him] very much. If he doesn’t want to be here, then we want to do [a buyout]. But again, the bottom line is always – and it has to be – that we have to do what’s in our best interest.”

The Bulls remain well below the salary floor at this point, so it’s not as if the club needs to save money in negotiations with Wade in order to put that money toward another signing. However, as K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune notes (via Twitter), if Wade gives a certain amount of his salary back, it could allow the Bulls to re-sign Nikola Mirotic and still have enough cap space to go out and acquire an unwanted contract in a trade, getting a young player or a pick as a sweetener for their willingness to take on salary.

Wade is currently on track to earn $23.8MM in 2017/18. We’ll see whether he’s open to giving up a significant portion of that money to hit the free agent market sooner rather than later, or if he’s happy to play out the majority of the season in Chicago, eventually forcing the team’s hand.

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Northwest Notes: Wolves, Durant, Abrines, Leonard

September 21st, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

Having missed out on free agent forward Dante Cunningham, the Timberwolves remain on the lookout for a couple more veterans to fill out their roster, and Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News suggests (via Twitter) that it’s worth keeping an eye on Aaron Brooks. While Minnesota wants to sign a wing player, the team also continue to seek a backup point guard, and Tom Thibodeau has a history with Brooks, a former Bull.

Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune also identifies Brooks as a potential target for the Timberwolves, suggesting that C.J. Watson and Kirk Hinrich – another player with a Thibodeau connection – may be options as well. As for possible fits at the forward spot, Zgoda indicates that Gerald Green and Thomas Robinson are among the veteran free agents who could be in play for Minnesota.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Appearing at a tech conference in San Francisco this week, Kevin Durant expressed remorse for the tweets sent from his Twitter account earlier this week, calling them “idiotic” and “childish,” as Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group details. The messages, in which Durant was critical of his former Thunder teammates and head coach Billy Donovan, drew a response from Enes Kanter. According to Andrew Joseph of USA Today, Kanter said he wasn’t mad about the tweets, but said it was “really sad” to see Durant express those views about an organization that “gave everything to him.”
  • After injuring his knee this summer, Alex Abrines is pain-free and feels like he can do “everything” on the court, but he’s still waiting to receive full clearance from the Thunder, as Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman details.
  • After signing a lucrative new four-year deal with the Trail Blazers last summer, Meyers Leonard had a disappointing 2016/17 season, but there’s reason to believe better things are in store for Leonard going forward, writes Jason Quick of CSNNW.com.
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Bucks Sign Kendall Marshall To Camp Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have signed Kendall Marshall to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The club classifies the agreement as a training camp deal, meaning it likely includes little to no guaranteed money.

Marshall, 26, was a lottery pick back in 2012, coming off the board 13th overall to the Suns. However, he has bounced around the NBA and the G League since then, spending time with the Lakers, Bucks, Sixers, and – last season – the Reno Bighorns. Although Marshall’s career NBA numbers are modest – 5.0 PPG and 4.9 APG in 160 games – he played well in the G League in 2016/17, averaging 15.1 PPG and 9.0 APG in 21 contests for Reno.

Most recently, Marshall was selected to be a member of the U.S. team that competed in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament a few weeks ago. Marshall was the club’s starting point guard and helped Team USA win a gold medal.

With Marshall under contract, the Bucks are now carrying the maximum 20 players on their offseason roster, including 14 with fully guaranteed salaries.

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Hawks Sign Jordan Mathews

September 21st, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have officially signed Jordan Mathews to their training camp roster, the team announced today in a press release. With Jeremy Evans‘ agreement having been finalized as well, Atlanta’s roster count is now at 19.

Mathews, a 6’4″ shooting guard, spent his first three college seasons at the University of California before transferring to Gonzaga for his senior year. In 2016/17, Mathews averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG for the Zags, with a shooting line of .405/.392/.733. A designated marksman throughout his college career, the 23-year-old attempted more total shots from three-point range than from inside the arc.

While details of Mathews’ contract with the Hawks haven’t been reported, it figures to feature a very modest guarantee, if it includes any guaranteed money at all. The Hawks have their own G League affiliate this season, and Mathews looks like a good bet to become an affiliate player for the Erie BayHawks.

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Hawks Sign Jeremy Evans To Camp Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 9:53am CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 21: The Hawks have officially signed Evans, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 13: The Hawks have signed Jeremy Evans to a training camp deal, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). After bringing in Evans, the team has 18 players on the roster.

Evans last played in the NBA for the Mavericks during the 2015/16 season, though a shoulder injury cut his campaign short. He appeared in 30 games for Dallas that season, scoring just 2.4 points per game in 8.4 minutes per contest.

Prior to his Mavericks stint, he spent five seasons in Utah where he saw a career high in minutes (18.4) during the 2013/14 season. The combo forward played in Russia last season with BC Khimki.

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