Bobby Brown

Lakers To Work Out Bobby Brown

The Lakers will work out Bobby Brown on Monday, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report reports (Instagram link). Brown has played in the Drew League as well as the Pan Am Games in Toronto for the U.S. National Team this summer.

The combo guard played for the Dongguan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association last season. He last played in the NBA during the 2009-10 season for the Clippers.

The Lakers currently only have 12 fully guaranteed contracts on the books. The team’s guard rotation isn’t a finished product, but the players on the roster are projected to soak up a majority of the minutes. Jordan Clarkson and first-round pick D’Angelo Russell should split time at the one spot with new addition Lou Williams projected to play some minutes there in addition to the shooting guard position. The team also has Nick Young, Jabari Brown and of course Kobe Bryant to play the two, so if the 30-year-old signs with Los Angeles, he would most likely only see court-time should there be an injury.

Wizards Interested In Bobby Brown

The Wizards are considering Bobby Brown as they mull options for their lone open roster spot, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). They also maintain an interest in Will Bynum, to whom they’ve frequently been linked since last month. Stein first reported shortly before the trade deadline that Washington’s interest in Brown depended on what the team did at the trade deadline. The Wizards brought in Ramon Sessions for Andre Miller the day after Stein’s initial report surfaced, but it appears the team continues to look to upgrade its depth at guard.

Brown is a 6’2″ point guard who’s used the last two seasons in China to raise his profile since his last NBA action in 2009/10. He put up 31.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 turnovers in 40.3 minutes a game for China’s Dongguan Leopards this season after scoring 30.7 PPG for the team last year. The season is over for the Leopards, and while the Aaron Mintz client signed a three-year deal with the club this past summer, the contract does include escape clauses that would allow him to return to the NBA.

The Cavaliers reportedly had interest in Brown as of January, though their roster appears largely set, with the trade deadline in the past and 15 players under contract through at least the end of the season. He was apparently speaking to multiple NBA teams in mid-February, but a deal has yet to emerge.

Bynum came free from his Chinese team a week ago following the club’s playoff elimination. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal in January identified the Cavs as an interested party for him, too, and Shams Charania of RealGM reported that the Wizards were eyeing him shortly thereafter. J. Michael of CSNWashington pegged Bynum as the team’s primary target aside from Ray Allen, and while Allen has said he won’t play this season and Bynum has picked up an endorsement from John Wall, Michael cast doubt this weekend on Washington’s appeal to Bynum. The Wizards are looking internally for solutions to their recent woes, Michael wrote, noting that Bynum also has a minor hamstring injury. The Wizards, who’ve lost 13 out of 17 and cling to the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, are limited to giving out no more than the prorated minimum salary.

Southeast Notes: Korver, Wizards, Heat

Kyle Korver passed up opportunities to sign with a contender before he re-signed with the Hawks in 2013, Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press reports. Korver was unhappy when the Bulls traded him to Atlanta in 2012, but by the following summer, he had changed his opinion of the organization, according to Mahoney. “I just really believed in what Atlanta was building and what they were doing, I could see my role in it,” Korver told Mahoney. “I just wanted to be a part of that.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Wizards have turned their attention from trying to acquire Jameer Nelson from the Nuggets to focusing on a deal involving the Kings’ Ramon Sessions, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).
  • Washington may look to sign Bobby Brown, who has recently returned from playing in China, if the team is unable to bolster its backcourt via a trade, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
  • The Wizards have spoken to the Nuggets about Wilson Chandler, but Washington considers Denver’s demands too steep, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Grantland’s Zach Lowe indicated that the Nuggets were looking for multiple first-rounders for Chandler when Lowe hinted earlier this week that conversations between Denver and the Wizards had taken place.
  • The Heat “badly” want to end up in the postseason and aren’t looking to swap veterans for prospects, a GM told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but that GM and one other said to Jackson that Miami’s lack of assets is holding the team back in trade talks.

Bobby Brown In Talks With Multiple Teams

Bobby Brown, a top free agent guard, is in talks with several NBA teams in need of a point guard, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter).  Brown’s Chinese team – the Dongguan Leopards – was recently bounced from the playoffs and he has returned to the United States in search of a deal.

Brown inked a three-year deal with Dongguan in May of 2014, though the pact was said to include NBA escape clauses.  It’s not immediately clear if Brown has already triggered his out-clause.  If he hasn’t, then an NBA team signing Brown might have to cut a check to the Chinese squad.  At the time of the signing, our own Chuck Myron speculated that the buyout was likely under $600K, which would allow an NBA team to pay the buyout without the money counting against the cap.  As a sought-after free agent, it would be surprising if Brown agreed to a deal with a prohibitive buyout clause.

Last month, the Cavs were said to have interest in Brown and the 30-year-old made no secret of his affinity for Cleveland.

“I will say this about Cleveland: How could anyone not want to play with LeBron [James]? First off, he is the best player in the league and second, you have a chance to be a part of a championship team,” Brown said. “Plus, playing in Europe, I was a big fan of [David] Blatt] and always wanted to play for him. Also, I have known [David Griffin] since I was in the draft and have always been a huge believer in him.”

Brown went undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in 2007 but eventually found his way to the NBA, playing for four teams across two seasons.  In 113 career games with the Kings, Wolves, New Orleans, and the Clippers, Brown averaged 5.1 PPG and 1.8 APG in 12.8 minutes per contest.  He has not appeared in the NBA since 2009/10.

Cavs Interested In Will Bynum, Bobby Brown

SUNDAY, 9:18am:  The interest between Brown and the Cavs is mutual, reports Jorge Sierra of Hoopshype. “I will say this about Cleveland: How could anyone not want to play with LeBron [James]? First off, he is the best player in the league and second, you have a chance to be a part of a championship team. Plus, playing in Europe, I was a big fan of [David] Blatt] and always wanted to play for him. Also, I have known [David Griffin] since I was in the draft and have always been a huge believer in him,” Brown said.

SATURDAY, 8:43am: With the Cavaliers still seeking to add depth at the point guard spot, Will Bynum and Bobby Brown are two players whom Cleveland is keeping an eye on, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal reports. Both are currently playing in China, and neither will be available until after the Chinese Basketball Association’s playoffs conclude in March, Lloyd notes. If the Cavs are unable to land a player via a trade before then, either Bynum or Brown could be brought aboard, Lloyd adds.

Bynum, 32, is a seven year veteran who will likely have a number of NBA offers to choose from, Lloyd writes. The Cavs will only be able to offer the guard the prorated veteran’s minimum, but a shot at an NBA title could be a strong draw for Bynum, Lloyd notes. Bynum has been playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers since early December after being signed to replace the injured Emmanuel Mudiay, who is a likely 2015 lottery selection.

The Celtics had waived Bynum and his guaranteed contract, worth nearly $2.916MM, in order to free up roster space shortly after acquiring him from the Pistons in a preseason trade. Bynum’s career numbers in 353 NBA appearances are 8.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His career slash line is .443/.280/.800.

Adding Brown would be a more complicated matter for the Cavs, Lloyd notes. The 30-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract with DongGuan, but there have been reports that Brown’s deal contains an NBA out clause. Brown went undrafted back in the 2007 NBA draft, and he has played for four NBA teams during his career. Brown had worked out for the Lakers prior to the season, but he had already inked his deal to head overseas prior to that display. Brown’s NBA averages over 113 career games are 5.1 points and 1.8 assists. His career slash line is .384/.311/.810.

Western Notes: Walker, Brown, Trade Demands

The West will surely be ultra-competitive again next year, and there could be some shuffling in the top tier. The Rockets have had an underwhelming offseason, while the Thunder and Spurs have had relatively uneventful summers. Meanwhile the Mavericks and Clippers have retooled in the hopes of forming championship contenders. Here’s a look around the conference:

  • Henry Walker, formerly known as Bill Walker, is considering a camp offer from the Grizzlies, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (all Twitter links). Walker, who has played internationally since spending the 2011/12 season with the Knicks, is also receiving interest from the Kings, Pacers, and Heat.
  • Bobby Brown‘s contract with his Chinese team is valued at over $1MM, tweets Pick. There is still no report on how much the NBA buyout clause is for Brown, who most recently worked out for the Lakers, but one at or below the $600K teams can pay outside of the cap would fall in line with that salary.
  • In a subscriber-only piece, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders which star player could be next to force a trade from their current team, now that Kevin Love‘s situation has been resolved. He pegs Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins as some of the more notable hypothetical candidates.

Western Notes: Lakers, Bonner, Taylor

Projecting the playoff teams in the Western Conference would be difficult enough if it weren’t for the unresolved saga involving Eric Bledsoe and the Suns, but Phoenix is the true X-factor in the equation as it stands. The Suns were 28-15 when Bledsoe played last season, a winning percentage of .651 that would have made them the West’s sixth seed. They were just 20-19 without him, which dragged the team down far enough to miss the playoffs. Of course, there are plenty of other unknowns still at play in the West, and we’ll round up the latest here:

  • The inclusion of Toney Douglas and Bobby Brown among those in Tuesday’s Lakers workout was somewhat curious, since they both have deals to play in China, but both contracts contain NBA escape clauses, as USA Today’s Sam Amick explains. Douglas intends to head to China regardless and views the audition as an early tryout for when he returns stateside after the Chinese season ends, agent David Falk tells Amick. Brown is interested in joining the Lakers right away if given the opportunity, Amick adds, and presumably so are the rest of the hopefuls who took part in the workout.
  • Matt Bonner only re-signed with the Spurs for one year, but the 34-year-old would like to play until he’s 40, as he tells Jonathan Demay of the French-language website Basket USA (translation via Jeff Garcia of Project Spurs).
  • Two Western Conference teams invited former University of Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor to camp, but he turned them down to take a deal with Israel’s Hapoel Holon instead, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. A trip to camp with an NBA team would have been a first for the 24-year-old, who spent summer league with the Bucks.

And-Ones: Lakers, Hornets, CDR, Young, Mavs

Michael Beasley‘s second audition with the Lakers was part of a larger free agent workout today, writes Sam Amick of USA Today, who lists Dexter Pittman, Greg Stiemsma, Daniel Orton, Bobby Brown, Toney Douglas, Ben Hansbrough and Malcolm Lee as the other participants. As Amick points out, GM Mitch Kupchak has two roster spots to play with going into the 2014/15 season.

Here is what else is happening around the league on Wednesday evening:

Bobby Brown Signs Three-Year Chinese Deal

NBA prospect Bobby Brown has signed a three-year deal to remain with the Dongguan Leopards of China, but the contract includes NBA escape clauses, and he’ll play for the Blazers summer league team this year, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links). The Chinese website Sohu.com originally reported the sides were close to an agreement. The Clippers appeared to show interest in Brown at multiple points this year, but though he seemed destined to return to the league this past season after a 74-point outburst for the Leopards in December, he didn’t wind up with an NBA deal.

Brown was the Chinese Basketball Association’s second leading scorer this past season with 30.7 points per game, and he also dished out 5.7 assists and grabbed 4.0 rebounds in 39.1 minutes per contest. He’s played in Italy and Germany, too, since last appearing in an NBA game in 2009/10. Still, he remained on the radar of NBA teams, playing in summer league for the Raptors in 2010 and 2012 and drawing interest from the Knicks this past summer. The 29-year-old played regular season games for four NBA teams in two seasons after going undrafted out of Cal State Fullerton in 2007.

It’s not clear how much the buyout attached to his new Chinese deal would run if he were to find NBA work. His summer league arrangement with Portland seems to indicate it’s less than $600K, which would allow an NBA team to pay the buyout without the money counting against the cap, but that’s just my speculation.

Western Notes: Bledsoe, Daniels, Mekel

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is expected to make his return from injury Wednesday night against the Cavs. His minutes will be limited at first, but the player is ready to go “full-throttle”, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. How Bledsoe performs the rest of the season will have a huge impact on his next deal, writes Coro. Before he went down with an injury, the future restricted free agent averaged 18.0 PPG and 5.8 APG. After starting the season 19-11, the team has cooled slightly and gone 17-14 without Bledsoe.

More from around the west:

  • The Rockets have sent Troy Daniels to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League, tweets Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. In two games with Houston, Daniels has averaged 2.5 PPG in 3.5 minutes.
  • Gal Mekel has been recalled from the Texas Legends of the D-League by the Mavericks, the team announced via press release. In 30 appearances for Dallas, he has averaged 2.4 PPG, and 2.1 APG in 9.6 MPG. Mekel has appeared in three games for the Legends this season and averaged 9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 27.7 minutes.
  • One name that is expected to be mentioned in future free-agent rumors is Bobby Brown, whose season just ended in China, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Brown has already been mentioned as a possible target of the Clippers. Brown averaged 30.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG for Dongguan this season.
  • Mavs owner Mark Cuban would like to see the NBA expand the draft from its current two round format, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’d like to see four rounds so you can draft guys overseas, get more guys drafted that are your property so you can try to develop them,” Cuban said.