Anthony Tolliver Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Sign Keith Benson, Carldell Johnson

September 28th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have officially announced their training camp roster, and as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes, there are some new names on the list. In additions to signings we'd heard about before, such as James Anderson, Anthony Tolliver, and Damion James, the team has also added Keith Benson and Carldell Johnson to its camp roster.

Benson, 24, was the 48th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but didn't earn a spot on the Hawks' roster. The 6'11" big man ended up playing 20 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG, and also signed a 10-day contract with the Warriors late in the season. He appeared in just three games for Golden State, playing limited minutes.

Johnson, 29, has played over 200 D-League games for the Austin Toros since going undrafted in 2006. The 5'10" point guard known as Squeaky finally made his NBA debut last season for the Hornets, appearing in 15 contests for New Orleans.

Benson and Johnson both figure to be on non-guaranteed deals, and it's unlikely either player will end up on Atlanta's regular season roster. While the team does have at least one open roster spot, with 14 players on fully or partially guaranteed contracts, I'd expect Anderson and James to have a leg up on Benson and Johnson for that final spot.

Anthony Tolliver To Sign With Hawks

September 25th, 2012 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

After narrowing his free agent options down to three yesterday, Anthony Tolliver has eliminated two more teams from the running and made his choice. According to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Twitter link), Tolliver will be signing with the Hawks.

Tolliver tells Tomasson that he'll ink a one-year deal worth the minimum salary (Twitter link). It's a pay cut for the 6'8" forward, who made over $2MM last season, but the contract will be guaranteed (Sulia link). Despite not landing the sort of salary he was seeking, the 27-year-old believes Atlanta is a good fit for him.

"I just thought it was the best situation for me," Tolliver said to Tomasson (Sulia link). "I just think they don’t have a lot of players like me. I think it’s a great opportunity."

Tolliver, 27, had a down year in Minnesota in 2011/12, but has shown promise in the past. His best season came in 2009/10, when he averaged 12.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG in 32.3 MPG in 44 contests for the Warriors.

By my count, Tolliver will be the 16th player under contract for the Hawks, though Damion James' and James Anderson's deals are non-guaranteed, leaving an opening for Tolliver to earn a roster spot.

Hawks, Suns In Mix For Tolliver; Wolves Out?

September 24th, 2012 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

2:28pm: Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 hears that Tolliver has reached an agreement with a team besides the T-Wolves (Twitter link). He expects official word soon.

2:03pm: Unrestricted free agent forward Anthony Tolliver has narrowed his list of potential destinations to three teams, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. According to Tomasson, the Hawks, Timberwolves, and Suns are still in the running for Tolliver, who expects to make a decision Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tolliver also confirmed Tomasson's report that Louis Amundson will sign with Minnesota, and acknowledged that Amundson's deal could affect the T-Wolves' offer. He added that all three offers he's considering are for one year and the minimum salary, which would be a step down from both his 2011/12 salary and his asking price.

"A lot of veterans are taking the minimum," Tolliver said. "That might be the new normal."

We heard last week that Greek team Panathinaikos had interest in Tolliver and that the 27-year-old was still considering playing overseas, but it appears he'll remain in the NBA for at least one more year. Tolliver has been linked to the Timberwolves for much of the offseason, and a late-August report cited mutual interest between Tolliver and the Hawks. The Suns are new to the mix, but make some sense as a suitor — Phoenix still has about $8MM in cap space, and only 12 of its players are on fully guaranteed contracts. One of those 12, Channing Frye, may miss the entire 2012/13 season with a heart condition.

In 51 games last season for the Timberwolves, Tolliver averaged just 4.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 17.3 MPG, with an 8.3 PER. All those rates, among others, were his worst marks since his rookie season in San Antonio, when he appeared in just 19 games.

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Wolves, McGee, Cook, Mavs

September 18th, 2012 at 11:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with several Bucks who are working out prior to the opening of training camp. Joining the workout are a few hopefuls who are auditioning for a formal invitation to camp, and that group includes Alando Tucker, the 29th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Orien Greene, a four-year NBA vet who last played with the Nets in 2010/11. It's been a busy night as teams make their final moves before training camp, and we've got several more tidbits here:

Chase Budinger might be new to Minnesota, but he's no stranger to the Wolves coaching staff, having played under coach Rick Adelman and some of his assistants while they were together with the Rockets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
In the same piece, Zgoda adds Anthony Tolliver to the list of players whose agents remain in contact with Wolves GM David Kahn. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 reported earlier that Kahn was talking to the representatives of Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams.
Hakeem Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, but none have spent more time under his tutelage than JaVale McGee, who re-signed with the Nuggets this summer on a four-year, $44MM deal, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com writes (Insider only).
Brian Cook, who re-signed with the Wizards today, was initially apprehensive about getting sent to Washington from the playoff-bound Clippers in a deadline deal last season, but was quickly sold on the move when he realized his new teammates wanted to win, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post notes.
Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks at Josh Akognon's circuitous journey to Mavericks training camp. The 5'11" point guard is set to join the Mavs, likely on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
Mark Montieth of Pacers.com examines the basketball roots of Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, an Indiana native who played under former Pacers coach Larry Brown in college.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives his take on the alliance of Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, who are supporting the same local political issue in Orlando months after their acrimonious departures from the Magic.
The company that owns the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Clippers, is up for sale, as Walter Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times writes.

Greece An Option For Anthony Tolliver

September 17th, 2012 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

As Anthony Tolliver continues to look for a job for the coming season, it appears his potential landing spots extend beyond the NBA. According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter), Tolliver doesn't necessarily have plans to play overseas, but says it's an option while he continues to talk to NBA teams. A report out of Greece today suggested that Greek team Panathinaikos is targeting Tolliver (Twitter link).

After a down year with the Timberwolves, Tolliver hasn't drawn a ton of interest on the free agent market. The Hawks, Bulls, Wizards, Pacers, and T-Wolves were said earlier this month to be in play for Tolliver, but many of those teams could only offer minimum-salary deals. At this point, the 27-year-old appears unlikely to get any more than that.

As for Panathinaikos, the team reportedly had interest in Louis Amundson earlier in the offseason. Amundson also remains unsigned, though Panathinaikos agreed to terms with Hilton Armstrong in late August, so it's not clear how strong an interest the club has in additional frontcourt help.

Anthony Tolliver

Odds & Ends: Tolliver, Rubio, Knicks

September 13th, 2012 at 10:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon.
Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player.
ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).
According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.

Timberwolves Maintain Interest In Mehmet Okur

September 5th, 2012 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on recent reports, is seems as if the Timberwolves will add at least one more body to their frontcourt before training camp begins, and Mehmet Okur remains on the team's radar, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (Twitter link). However, the T-Wolves can still only offer a minimum-salary contract, so unless Okur will accept such a deal or GM David Kahn can clear cap space by making a trade, it's unlikely Okur ends up in Minnesota, says Wolfson.

While the Timberwolves could comfortably bring aboard a player on a minimum salary, many of the free agents they've been linked to are seeking larger deals. Whether this suggests Kahn is considering moving salary or that the club is hoping one of its targets eventually settles for the veteran's minimum is unclear. However, Joan Niesen of FOX Sports North tweets that Anthony Tolliver continues to check in with the T-Wolves as well, to see if the team can bring him back.

The Timberwolves used their cap space this summer to sign Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, and Alexey Shved, then used their $2.575MM room exception on Greg Stiemsma. Okur, meanwhile, is coming off a year in which he earned over $10MM, but only appeared in 17 games due to back issues — if he were to sign for the veteran's minimum of $1,351,181, it would be his lowest salary since he earned $1.1MM in 2003/04.

Bulls Remain In Mix For Anthony Tolliver

September 4th, 2012 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

When we got our last update on Anthony Tolliver last Monday, the free agent forward was said to be in "constant contact" with four teams: the Hawks, Wizards, Pacers, and Timberwolves. Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida reports (via Twitter) that those four clubs are still in play for Tolliver, and adds the Bulls to the mix as well.

The Bulls were previously linked to Tolliver this offseason, but it appeared the team had essentially removed itself from consideration as it approached the hard cap of $74.3MM. If they're still in on Tolliver, as Tomasson suggests, the Bulls would not only have to clear a little salary from their books to make room for him; they'd also have to sign the the 27-year-old to a minimum-salary deal, since they used most of their mid-level exception on Kirk Hinrich and their bi-annual exception on Marco Belinelli.

Since agent Larry Fox has indicated that his client isn't "in the minimum game," and the Bulls have no obvious way of clearing salary, it seems like a long shot that Chicago lands Tolliver. The T-Wolves would also have to move salary to sign Tolliver for more than the minimum, so the Hawks, Pacers, and Wizards would appear to be better bets. The Hawks have their $1.957MM BAE to work with, the Pacers have their $2.575MM room exception, and the Wizards still have over $3MM of their mid-level left.

Wolves Rumors: Tolliver, Blatche, Okur, Andersen

August 29th, 2012 at 9:40am CST by Chuck Myron

We've heard a few dispatches about Wolves GM David Kahn's pursuit of an additional big man in recent days, and Darren Wolfson provides further detail on 1500ESPN.com. We've got the highlights here:

Though earlier reports seemed to indicate the Wolves weren't seeking to trade for a big man, Wolfson hears the team has asked Anthony Tolliver to be patient as the team seeks a trade to free up more cap room. Tolliver's agent has said his client is not interested in the minimum salary, which is all the Minnesota has to offer free agents. Even though Tolliver has been with the Wolves the past two seasons, the team renounced his Early Bird rights earlier in the summer to clear room for Nicolas Batum's offer sheet. Tolliver is reportedly in "constant contact" with a handful of teams, including the Wolves.
We heard yesterday that Andray Blatche and Hassan Whiteside worked out in front of a Wolves scout, and according to Wolfson, Blatche is "said to be open" to signing for the veteran's minimum.
Mehmet Okur is a "long shot" to sign with Minnesota, a source close to Okur tells Wolfson. The 6'11" outside marksman is seeking more than the minimum.
Wolfson reported last week that Josh Harrellson isn't in the Wolves' plans because the 6'10" former Knick doesn't possess the requisite length. Chris Andersen, who's the same height, apparently possesses a wingspan that fits what Kahn and company are looking for, but the Wolves aren't considering him, either.

Mutual Interest Between Anthony Tolliver, Hawks

August 27th, 2012 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Tolliver is still looking for a team to play for in 2012/13, and it appears four options have emerged as potential destinations. Tolliver tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that the Hawks, Wizards, Pacers, and Timberwolves are the teams still in "constant contact" with him.

We've heard plenty of rumors over the last month connecting Tolliver to the Wizards and T-Wolves, and the Pacers have been mentioned as a possible suitor as well. The Hawks have only been mentioned in passing a potential fit to date, but Tolliver singled out Atlanta in his conversation with Tomasson (Sulia link), noting that he's intrigued by the possible match: "I don’t think they have a guy on their roster with that skill set with shooting and versatility."

According to Tomasson, the Hawks have "great interest" in Tolliver, who has some history with members of the team's front office — when the forward cracked Cleveland's roster as an undrafted rookie in 2007, current Hawks GM Danny Ferry and assistant GM Wes Wilcox were both with the Cavs.

Still, despite apparent mutual interest between the two sides, Tolliver's agent Larry Fox suggested earlier this month that he doesn't expect his client to sign for a minimum salary. The Hawks are over the cap and have used their full mid-level exception, so if they want to offer more than the minimum, they'd have to use their $1.957MM bi-annual exception.