Brian Cook Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Kapono, Cook, Mensah-Bonsu

March 4th, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

While it's been a fairly quiet day in the NBA so far, a few familiar names are making headlines internationally. Here are the latest notes from around the globe:

Jason Kapono is not expected to finish the season with Greek team Panathinaikos, according to a report from Lefteris Moutis of EuroHoops.net. Kapono joined the club in December, but has been disappointed by his lack of playing time and will likely ask to be let go, according to Moutis.
Brian Cook has reached an agreement to sign with Piratas de Quebradillas of Puerto Rico, agent Greg Nunn tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Cook, who played for the Clippers and Wizards a year ago, will have an NBA out, giving him the option of returning stateside before season's end if an opportunity arises.
Cajasol Sevilla has signed former NBA veteran Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the Spanish club announced today on its website (English link via Sportando). The 29-year-old played with five NBA teams in parts of four seasons, last appearing in seven games for the Hornets in 2010/11.

Eastern Notes: Raptors, Wizards, Harkless

October 30th, 2012 at 9:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast hard, but it won't postpone Thursday's clash between the Knicks and Nets in Brooklyn, as had been feared. That's just one of many intriguing openers this week, including the Celtics' visit to Miami, where the Heat were presented with their championship rings. As the NBA tips off, we'll share some Eastern Conference news to go along with our update from the West earlier this evening.

Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo admitted it's been difficult not to try to speed up his team's rebuilding process, as he tells Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. "We passed on multiple opportunities to bring in players via transactions that would have thwarted our efforts," Colangelo said. "At times, it was tempting. But we had to stick to the plan. There has had to be a patience and strategy to every decision we’ve made. The deals we could have made were more of a tonic than a long-term solution."
Colangelo also shared his feelings about rookie Jonas Valanciunas, saying, "It’s become apparent that in order for us (to get better) Jonas needs to be thrown into the fire. The sooner he develops into a nightly contributor, the sooner we get closer to our goal.”
Wizards coach Randy Wittman said injuries to John Wall and Nene Hilario influenced the team's decision to keep Jannero Pargo and Earl Barron over Shelvin Mack and Brian Cook, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic should give rookie Maurice Harkless significant playing time this season so they can figure out whether the 19-year-old small forward is a building block for the future.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com notes via Twitter that every player in the three-team trade that brought Courtney Lee to the Celtics has been waived except Lee and Sasha Pavlovic, whose presence on the Blazers roster is helped along by the fact the Celtics are paying his salary.
Carlos Boozer's five-year, $75MM contract obscures the valuable production he brings to the Bulls, argues Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com.
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer saw lots of positives about the Cavs' youth movement in the team's opening-night win against the Wizards.

Wizards Waive Brian Cook, Shelvin Mack

October 28th, 2012 at 6:57pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Washington Wizards have waived forward Brian Cook and guard Shelvin Mack, the team announced in a press release Sunday. The cuts bring their roster to 15 ahead of the regular season.

On Saturday, the Wizards waived Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray to bring the roster to 17 players. The release of Mack and Cook would indicate that the final two spots on Washington's regular-season roster will be given to center Earl Barron and guard Jannero Pargo.

Mack was the 34th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Cook was traded to Washington as part of the trade that sent JaVale McGee to Denver at the 2011/12 trade deadline.

Wizards Re-Sign Brian Cook

September 18th, 2012 at 7:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that client Brian Cook has signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Wizards. The big man was rumored to be close to a deal with the team on Friday, though the Suns were also reportedly in the mix. It will likely be for the minimum salary, which he earned last year while splitting the season between the Wizards and the Clippers.

Cook has averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game three of the last four seasons, including last year, when he saw 8.6 MPG. That includes the 9.7 MPG he got in the second half of the season with the Wizards after coming over in same deal that brought Nene to Washington. The 6'9", 31-year-old Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds with a 10.4 in his time with the Wizards. Cook's rate of 9.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over his 16 games with the team was higher than in any of his nine NBA seasons.

He represents the 18th player on the team's preseason roster, which includes at least 14 with a partial guarantee. It appears as though Cook will compete with Earl Barron, Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray for the last regular season roster spot, though another position could open if the team decides to waive point guard Shelvin Mack and absorb his partial guarantee of $300K.

Wizards Close To Deal With Brian Cook

September 14th, 2012 at 1:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards have offered Brian Cook an invitation to training camp, and the 31-year-old big man could sign a non-guaranteed deal by sometime this afternoon, Michael Lee of the Washington Post hears. Cook has also been in contact with the Suns, Lee also reports.

Washington acquired Cook last year in the same deadline deal that brought in Nene. The nine-year veteran, who would make $1.229MM on a minimum-salary deal, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 8.6 minutes a game for the entire season, though his numbers went up to 3.1 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 9.7 MPG after he went to the Wizards. He became an unrestricted free agent after a two-year, minimum salary deal he signed in 2010 expired this summer.

Lee also confirms a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today that we passed along last night saying that the Wizards had interest in Maurice Evans for their front office, though Evans, the vice president of the players union, wants to continue playing.

The Suns, who have more than $8MM in cap room, could go over the minimum to sign Cook, as could the Wizards, who have $3.25MM of their midlevel exception available after signing Martell Webster, though it seems unlikely either team would do so. Lee says the Wizards, who have 14 players with at least a partially guaranteed deal, would probably go with someone who can play up front for their final roster spot, which signals their interest in Cook.

Buyout Updates: Hickson, Hollins, Cook

March 21st, 2012 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Boris Diaw is the latest player to be bought out by his team, as he and the Bobcats parted ways today. Rumors continue to swirl about where he and other free-agents-to-be could land, with the latest report suggesting Diaw could be headed for San Antonio. Here are the most recent updates on where bought-out players could sign, and who might receive a buyout next:

J.J. Hickson is still expected to sign with the Warriors if and when he clears waivers, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.
In addition to sharing a few notes on what the Cavaliers' offseason could bring, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio provides an update on Ryan Hollins in his weekly chat — the big man is drawing interest from the Celtics and Mavericks, according to Amico.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star adds the Pacers to the list of potential suitors for Hollins (Twitter link).
Brian Cook is unlikely to pursue a buyout from the Wizards, his agent tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Fisher, Magic, Diaw

March 19th, 2012 at 7:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Let's get you caught up on some items out of the Southeast division on a busy night in the Association..

Count Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel among those who thinks the Heat should make a play for both Derek Fisher and Ronny Turiaf. Earlier today, LeBron James told reporters that he wouldn't mind playing alongside Fisher.
However, Winderman (via Twitter) doesn't see J.J. Hickson as a good fit for the Heat. He believes that the forward would be redundant for the team and while he has upside, Miami is likely looking to make a move for the present rather than the future.
DeSagana Diop was activated in favor of Boris Diaw tonight, but there's nothing new regarding Diaw's potential buyout, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Bobcats would like to rid themselves of the forward's contract.
Even without a major acquisition at the trade deadline, are the Magic still good enough to contend this season? The players seem to think so, writes Chris Tomasson of FOXSportsFlorida.com.
Forward Brian Cook says that he'll play hard for however long he's with the Wizards, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Washington is willing to accomodate Cook if he wants to play elsewhere and his agent Mark Bartelstein is set to have buyout discussions with the club this week.

Odds & Ends: Blazers, Fisher, Kaman, Rockets

March 17th, 2012 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

If you've gotten a little too caught up in March Madness, don't worry. We'll get you caught up with a look at what's happening around the Association ..

After dealing Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace at the deadline, Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld.com wonders what's next for the Blazers.
The Wizards would be willing to accommodate Brian Cook if he wishes to play elsewhere, a league source told Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Cook’s agent Mark Bartelstein said on Saturday the two sides will likely engage in buyout discussions this week.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is sad to see longtime teammate Derek Fisher leave, writes Dave Menamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Rockets will likely buy out Fisher's contract, but the new Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits the veteran from rejoining the Lakers.
Hornets General Manager Dell Demps now says that the club is open to offering center Chris Kaman an extension at the end of the season, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Kaman's name was involved in trade talks but ultimately wound up staying put. It's still possible that the Hornets could buy out the big man, allowing him to latch on with a contender.
General Manager Joe Dumars said that the Pistons stood pat at the trade deadline because there were no quality offers on the table, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Plenty of deals were put in front of Dumars but none of them were enticing enough for him to pull the trigger.
The Rockets' moves at the trade deadline were solid but the club didn't make the kind of blockbuster that some were expecting, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Commissioner David Stern & the NBA did a tremendous job facilitating the new lease agreement between the Hornets and the state of Louisiana, writes John DeShazier of the Times Picayune. The new deal will keep the Hornets in New Orleans through 2024.

Odds & Ends: Buyouts, Thunder, Williams, Camby

March 16th, 2012 at 11:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

A few teams got a first look at their new acquisitions tonight, while others still await players to arrive and take physicals in their new cities. It's a league that's still in flux less than 36 hours after the trade deadline. Let's take a look at what's going on as everyone gets settled:

Marquis Daniels of the Celtics and Brian Cook of the Wizards are buyout candidates, says agent Mark Bartelstein via Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. (Twitter link)
The Thunder have assigned forward Ryan Reid to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, via Twitter. Oklahoma City signed the undrafted 25-year-old forward to a partially guaranteed two-year contract before the season, but he's only appeared in five games so far, scoring a total of eight points in 17 minutes. The 6'8", 232-pound Reid played 48 games with Tulsa last year, averaging 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while posting a 14.7 PER.
According to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld, Nets GM Billy King is confident his team can re-sign Deron Williams this summer, even though the point guard said today he will not opt in to the final season of his deal, a la Dwight Howard.
Marcus Camby, who sees himself playing four more years, wants to finish his career with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Tommy Dee of Sheridan Hoops takes a look at the NBA prospects of Cincinnati's Yancy Gates.
ESPN's Chad Ford believes NCAA tournament hero C.J. McCollum of Lehigh is a "serious draft sleeper" (Twitter link). Ford reported a few weeks ago that scouts had McCollum pegged as a late first-round or early second-round selection (Insider only).
J.A. Adande of ESPN looks at what we've learned from the trade deadline. The most significant takeaway is that it pays to have a Plan B, Adande says.

Nuggets, Wizards, Clips Agree To Three-Way Deal

March 15th, 2012 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

4:55pm: Lee clarifies (via Twitter) that the Hornets' pick heading to the Wizards is a 2015 selection. Lee also reports that Young was initially supposed to go to the Nuggets in the deal, but declined to surrender his Bird rights to go to Denver (Twitter link).

4:42pm: The draft pick the Clippers are sending to Washington is the second-round pick they acquired from the Hornets, so it should be an early second-rounder, tweets Michael Lee.

2:38pm: The Clippers have acquired Nick Young from the Wizards as part of a three-team trade, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, JaVale McGee is heading to Denver and Nene will go to Washington (Twitter link). Ronny Turiaf will also head to the Nuggets, with Brian Cook going to the Wizards, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The Wizards will receive a future second-round pick from the Clippers, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

For the Nuggets, the deal seems intended to create future cap flexibility. Ken Berger of CBS Sports hears Denver had been experiencing some "buyer's remorse" about Nene's long-term deal (Twitter link). The future cap space created could make the Nuggets more inclined to increase their offer to restricted free agent Wilson Chandler before his self-imposed Friday deadline.

The Wizards acquire what appears to be their center of the future in Nene. Presumably, amidst reports that McGee would seek $14MM annually in free agency this summer, Washington decided to acquire a big man they felt was worth that sort of commitment. Nene has four years and $52MM remaining on his contract after this season.

The Clippers, meanwhile, use the $3.8MM trade exception they received by trading Eric Gordon to absorb Young's salary. For the low cost of Cook and a second-rounder, they've added a two guard to help in a potential postseason run. Young has the ability to veto any trade he's involved in, but multiple reports have suggested he appears willing to approve this deal.

TNT's David Aldridge first tweeted that the Wizards and Nuggets were "in serious talks" about a deal involving Young, McGee, and Hilario.