APRIL 24: Not that there was any doubt, but NBA.com’s official transactions log confirms it was Aldridge waived to make room for James.
APRIL 23: The Nets have officially signed Mike James to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release. The move had been expected once James cleared the league’s coronavirus testing protocols.
James, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 assists in 36 total games for Phoenix and New Orleans during the NBA’s 2017/18 season, has been playing in Europe since then. He was having a big year for CSKA Moscow this season, racking up 19.3 PPG and 5.7 APG in 27 EuroLeague contests (31.2 MPG), but was suspended indefinitely by the club following an altercation with head coach Dimitris Itoudis in late March.
Although CSKA Moscow’s contract with James runs through 2023, the team announced this week that it had reached an agreement to allow him to become a free agent until the end of the 2020/21 season, clearing the way for him to sign with an NBA team.
While the Nets’ official release confirms that James’ 10-day deal has been finalized, it doesn’t mention who was released to make room for him on the 15-man roster. It seems safe to assume that LaMarcus Aldridge was the player waived — he announced his retirement as a player last week.
It’s also still not entirely clear how James’ agreement with CSKA Moscow will work. The team’s statement didn’t give any indication that his multiyear contract has been terminated, but a EuroLeague club loaning a player to an NBA team isn’t exactly a common occurrence. We should get more clarity soon on James’ situation.
I kept thinking this was the Mike James who played for a bunch of teams in the 2000’s. I was like why are the Nets signing a 45 year old PG. lol
You could also either say the Nets signed King James or MJ. LOL!
He’s eligible for a two-way slot, but they’re not making that decision yet, so it has to be LMA getting waived as reserve/retired. They probably want to see if he meshes with the team well and/or give Chiozza a chance to recover before putting James in his slot.
Sounds like, and it’s usually in reverse, that CSKA will retain his European ball rights when/if he doesn’t play in the NBA anymore, and most certainly thru the length of that CSKA contract. Smart and shrewd business on their part. Another Euro team would likely have to pay good money to CSKA for the rights to the “new” Mike James.