9:15am: The Cavaliers have reached a deal with unrestricted free agent power forward Jack Cooley, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link). The details of the agreement are not yet known, but Cleveland is over the luxury tax line and limited to offering just the league minimum. The Cavs currently have 20 players on their roster, and Cleveland will waive Chris Johnson to clear room to ink Cooley, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets.

Cooley, 24, was in training camp with the Jazz on a non-guaranteed deal, but Utah waived him on Tuesday. The forward made 16 regular season appearances last season for the Jazz, averaging 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.4 minutes of action per night. While Cooley provides additional frontcourt depth, Cleveland could be bringing him in as insurance in the event Tristan Thompson‘s holdout is a prolonged one, though that is merely my speculation.

Johnson, 30, went undrafted out of LSU back in 2009, and is not to be confused with swingman Chris Johnson out of Dayton. The Johnson whom the Cavs are cutting last appeared on an NBA regular season roster back in 2012/13, when he made 30 appearances for Minnesota. His career NBA averages are 2.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks to accompany a slash line of .562/.000/.699. He spent the 2014/15 campaign playing in China.

Johnson, 30, went undrafted out of LSU back in 2009, and is not to be confused with swingman Chris Johnson out of Dayton. The Johnson who’s headed to Cleveland last appeared in the NBA back in 2012/13, when he made 30 appearances for Minnesota. His career NBA averages are 2.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks to accompany a slash line of .562/.000/.699. He spent the 2014/15 campaign playing in China.

The addition of Johnson gives Cleveland a roster count of 18 players, though that number does not include restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, who is still unsigned, nor Quinn Cook, who’s reportedly expected to reach a deal amid conflicting reports on whether he already has.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

• It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jazz re-sign swingman Chris Johnson, whom the team had on a 10-day contract a few weeks ago, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
• The Clippers met with D-Leaguer Eric Griffin in New York over the weekend and discussed a 10-day deal, but no move is expected, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). Griffin hooked on with the Texas Legends after being waived by the Mavs in October.
• The Clippers have two roster openings and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that they plan to fill both.  They’ll likely go with two bought out players but they could sign one buyout guy and one player to a 10-day deal.
• The Jazz like Alex Abrines, one of the Thunder’s draft-and-stash prospects, Genessy notes (Twitter link). Abrines, a 21-year-old shooting guard, is under contract with Barcelona of Spain until 2016, as our draft rights held players database shows.
• The Jazz showed interest in Shane Larkin before the deadline, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
• Just as the Timberwolves would reportedly like to sign Kevin Garnett for two more years, Garnett fully intends to play at least one more season, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Chuck Myron and Zach Links contributed to this post.

• The Celtics are reportedly meeting with Andre Dawkins this week as they mull signing him to a 10-day contract, but if they do, he’ll spend most if not all of his time with the C’s on D-League assignment, a league source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link).
• Retirement is far from the mind of 35-year-old Rasual Butler, who credits his time with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate in 2012/13 for his keeping his career aflame and helping spark his sudden resurgence with the Wizards this season, as he tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Celtics coach Brad Stevens admires the Hawks, as Julian Edlow of WEEI.com observes while wondering whether the best path the Celtics can take back to contention involves following Atlanta’s egalitarian approach instead of chasing stars.
• The Pistons are recalling Gigi Datome and Spencer Dinwiddie from the D-League, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Datome averaged 13.3 points in 25.3 minutes per game and made 6 of 13 three-point shots in his first-ever D-League action, while Dinwiddie has put up 13.0 PPG and 5.4 assists per game in 29.8 MPG across seven D-League games this season.
• Heat camp invitee Chris Johnson has signed with Turk Telekom Ankara of Turkey, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The former LSU center, who’s not to be confused with the swingman by the same name from the University of Dayton, played in China earlier this season following his release from the Heat prior to opening night.

• The Thunder recalled Grant Jerrett from the D-League today, the team announced via press release, just hours after sending him down to their affiliate for a practice. Coach Scott Brooks explained that the Thunder have been engaging merely in film study and walkthroughs of late, so the team wanted to allow him to engage in a full practice as he continues to recover from left ankle surgery, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman details (All four Twitter links).
• The Celtics have assigned James Young and Dwight Powell the the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Young has appeared in two contests for Boston this season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in nine minutes per game. Powell has seen less than a minute’s worth of regular season action after logging 1.7 PPG and 1.2 RPG in six preseason appearances.
• Heat camp invitee Chris Johnson is signing with China’s Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Johnson is a three-year NBA veteran center who last saw regular season action with the Timberwolves in 2012/13. He’s not to be confused with swingman Chris Johnson, whom the Sixers waived this afternoon.

Johnson, not to be confused with the Sixers swingman of the same name, was bidding to return to the NBA after spending the 2013/14 with Zhejiang Guangsha of China. The 29-year-old center from LSU went scoreless in his only preseason appearance this month for the Heat. Williams spent much of last season in the D-League as well as with the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippines, though he did ink a pair of 10-day contracts with the Thunder. The Heat didn’t put Williams on the floor in any of the three preseason games they played while the 28-year-old swingman was on the roster.

The Heat still have much to decide before the regular season, with only 11 players under guaranteed contracts. Shannon Brown, Andre Dawkins and Shawn Jones, all of whom have non-guaranteed deals, are trying to beat out Khem Birch, James Ennis, Justin Hamilton and Tyler Johnson, who have partial guarantees.

THURSDAY, 12:57pm: The Heat are expected to add former LSU center Chris Johnson to their camp roster, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Johnson is not to be confused with the Celtics swingman by the same name. The Heat are limited to giving out only the minimum salary to the three-year veteran, though since the team has only been carrying 11 fully guaranteed deals, there’s a decent chance that Johnson’s contract will include a small partial guarantee.

Guaranteed money didn’t help Johnson stick with the Timberwolves for opening night last year, as Minnesota waived him and his minimum salary at the end of training camp. He went to China to play with Zhejiang Guangsha instead, and but he nearly made it back to the NBA with the Kings in March before a failed physical scuttled his deal with Sacramento. The 6’11” Johnson also reportedly worked out for Charlotte earlier that month.

The addition of the 29-year-old Johnson will bring the Heat to a full 20-man preseason roster. Four players have partial guarantees in addition to the 11 fully guaranteed members of the Heat, while veterans Shannon Brown and Reggie Williams are among those who’ll be in Miami’s camp without any guaranteed salary, making for tough competition.

• Within a story noting that Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg must pay the school $500K if he accepts an NBA head coaching or GM job, Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register reveals that Jeff Hornacek is making $2MM as coach of the Suns this year. Hornacek reportedly has a four-year deal with a club option in the final season.
• The Kings are debating whether to re-sign Royce White for the season, and they’re enamored with his play, professionalism and the way he’s meshed with teammates, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. White’s second 10-day contract with Sacramento expires tonight.
• Sean Cunningham of News 10 Sacramento hears it was a failed physical that derailed Chris Johnson‘s deal with the Kings (Twitter link). The team is reportedly adding Willie Reed instead.

TUESDAY, 7:20pm: The Kings are set to sign Chris Johnson tomorrow, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports,com. The big man out of LSU is not to be confused with the Celtics player of the same name. We heard that the Bobcats worked out Johnson a couple of weeks ago, but Charlotte ended up signing DJ White to a 10-day contract instead, leaving the opportunity for the Kings to swoop in and ink the athletic center.

Johnson, 28, has been playing in China since November. He’s averaged impressive numbers of 20 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2 blocks per night in 29 games for Zhejiang Guangsha Lions. During his most recent stint in the NBA, Johnson played 30 contests for for the Timberwolves and averaged 3.9 points per game while posting an impressive 18.9 PER.

It’s not clear whether Sacramento is giving Johnson a 10-day deal or signing him for the rest of the season and possibly beyond, writes Deeks. The Kings have an open roster spot after waiving Jimmer Fredette and opting not to retain Orlando Johnson, who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the club. The acquisition of Johnson will now put the Kings’ roster at an NBA maximum of 15 players.

WEDNESDAY, 7:19pm: The Bobcats plan to work out Ike Diogu, Mickell Gladness, and Denzel Bowles on Thursday for a possible 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link). The Bobcats currently have 15 players on the roster, so someone would need to be released. It’s possible they could let go of Justin Hamilton to make space when his 10-day contract expires tomorrow.

Diogu has been playing with Bakersfield in the NBA D-League. In 30 games he is averaging 16.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.4 APG in 30.2 MPG. The 6’8″ forward was taken in the first-round of the 2005 draft by the Warriors. He last saw NBA action during the 2011/12 season with the Spurs. His career numbers are 6.0 PPG, and 3.1 RPG over 12.4 MPG.

Gladness went undrafted in 2008 and has been playing for Reno in the D-League this season. His numbers in 30 games are 8.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 0.5 APG in 24.2 MPG. The 6’11” center saw limited NBA action during the 2011/2012 season with the Heat and the Warriors.

Bowles, a 6’10” center who averaged 26.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in the Chinese Basketball Association this season, is seen as a talented project, according to Charania. Bowles also has received interest from the Heat per Charania’s sources.

• Six-year NBA veteran Daequan Cook has agreed to play for Budivelnyk Kyiv, a Ukrainian club, as Basket.com.ua reports (translation via Sportando). BDA Sports Management handles Cook’s representation, as our Agency Database shows.
• Lakers training camp casualty Marcus Landry is a primary target for the Shanghai Sharks of China, who are seeking a replacement for the injured Von Wafer, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The 28-year-old Landry is the younger brother of Kings power forward Carl Landry.
• Former Timberwolves center Chris Johnson has signed a one-year contract with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China, as Shams Charania of RealGM.com confirms. Sportando contributor David Pick first reported the deal was in the works (via Twitter). Johnson had a guaranteed minimum-salary contract with the Timberwolves, who nonetheless cut him at the end of camp. Depending on how much money the Eric Fleisher client’s new contract is worth, it could trigger set-off rights that would allow Minnesota to pay slightly less than the $916K they owe him. Multiple teams from overseas appear to have been interested in the 6’11” center from LSU, as Charania writes that he was “scouring offers” on the international market.
• D.J. White has officially signed with China’s Sichuan Blue Whales, Sportando reports (on Twitter). Stein reported earlier this week that the Blue Whales and the Jeff Wechsler client had agreed to the deal. The Bulls cut White at the end of the preseason.

1:19pm: The Timberwolves have waived big man Chris Johnson, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). The former LSU Tiger is not to be confused with the Chris Johnson from Dayton whom the Nets waived earlier today. The Wolves will be on the hook for Johnson’s guaranteed $916,099 salary this season. The move likely means Robbie Hummel and A.J. Price, both of whom are on non-guaranteed deals, have made the opening-night roster, since the subtraction of Johnson leaves Minnesota with 15 players.

Multiple reports this month indicated Johnson’s spot on the team was vulnerable in spite of the guaranteed money on the contract he signed with the team last season after a pair of 10-day deals. He appeared in just two games for a total of nine minutes during preseason action. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game across 30 contests for the Wolves last year.

“We’re looking at all the players we have and where are they going to fit in,” said head coach Rick Adelman. “It’s not just the guys who are here. Flip is constantly talking to people around the league who are evaluating everything. I think it’s something that is a process that you go through, and you make that decision sometime next week.”

One player the Wolves are considering is Richard Hamilton, who remains on the free agent market after being released by the Bulls over the summer. Wolfson reports that the idea of signing Hamilton has been “floated among the Wolves front office personnel.” The veteran guard has ties to Saunders, having played for him in Detroit, and would provide depth on the wing for a club that will be without Chase Budinger to start the season.

If the T-Wolves decide not to add any outside players, camp invitees Othyus Jeffers and A.J. Price look like strong bets to make the team, according to the ESPN 1500 report. While the Wolves have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Chris Johnson‘s roster spot could be in danger, which would leave two openings for non-guaranteed players. Minnesota’s other two camp invitees, Robbie Hummel and Lorenzo Brown, may end up playing for the club’s D-League affiliate in Iowa.

The 6’7″ Blair is under-sized for a center, but as he told Sefko, “I’ve been playing five all my life against 7-footers.” Blair was largely relegated to the Spurs bench the last season. He only started 16 games and played only 76 minutes during their run to the Finals last year. So look for him to be extra motivated if given a significant opportunity in Dallas.

Here’s more from around the West tonight:

• As mentioned previously, the Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry spoke with Thunder coach Scott Brooks about Kevin Durant‘s minutes with Russell Westbrook expected to miss the first quarter of the season.
• Assuming Durant appears in at least 79 games this season, at 38 minutes a night, that would have him playing over 3,000 regular season minutes for the fourth time in five seasons. Ben Wallace in 2004/05 was the last player to win a title after playing over 3,000 minutes during the regular season.
• But it’s a workload Brooks plans to manage with off days and practice time and Durant appears up to the challenge, as long as it helps them win.
• Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman is looking for more continuity from his starters in preseason despite the second straight game without Kevin Martin, he tells  Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune.
• But, Zgoda tweets that Adelman has no idea if a week of rest will get Martin back on the court, though he certainly hopes so.
• Zgoda goes on to say that Othyus Jeffers, A.J. Price, Robbie Hummel and Lorenzo Brown are battling for what will likely be two spots when the team waives Chris Johnson.
• But Adelman says the Wolves could add players cut from other training camps once teams pare down their rosters in the final week of preseason.
• Adelman is also happy former ‘Wolves assistant Bill Bayno was hired as lead assistant for the Raptors (Twitter).

"We'll evaluate his summer program, and how he looks coming into camp (which starts Oct. 1)…I heard he is looking good."

Wolfson also mentions a point made by Grantland's Zach Lowe, who intimated that picking up Williams' option could potentially carry Minnesota over the luxury tax and prevent them from using their mid-level exception next summer. Here's more of Wolfson's latest in Minnesota via his conversation with Taylor:

• It's unlikely that Flip Saunders will bring on a 15th guaranteed contract, meaning that Robbie Hummel, Othyus Jeffers, Lorenzo Brown, and an expected-to-be named big man will compete for the final spot in camp. 
• Rookies Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng, and veteran Chris Johnson are expected to arrive in town on Monday for developmental work.
• Taylor shared that he and Saunders received an apology letter from Muhammad after being dismissed from the league's rookie orientation program, adding that he sent a letter in reply:"I want to get to know him…I wrote to him about first impressions."
• As far as renovations for the Target Center, Taylor had this to say: "We have a term sheet with the city. We've agreed to everything. They need to work out a term sheet with AEG (managers of Target Center)."