Chris Singleton

International Notes: D. Williams, Harrison, Singleton, L. Brown

While the NBA’s 2020 free agency period is still a few months away, teams in Europe are already making offseason roster moves in preparation for the 2020/21 season, and a number of former NBA players are in the news. One of those players is Pau Gasol, who is reportedly in serious talks with Barcelona about a potential one-year deal, as we relayed earlier today.

Here are a few more updates on former NBA players lining up new deals overseas:

  • Spanish team Valencia has reached an agreement to sign former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams for the coming season, the club announced in a press release. Still just 29 years old, Williams has appeared in over 400 NBA regular season games, but has spent the last couple seasons in international leagues, playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey in 2019/20.
  • Olympiacos BC in Greece has officially announced the signing of Aaron Harrison, the former Kentucky guard who played for the Hornets and Mavericks in the NBA from 2015-18. Harrison, who spent the last two seasons with Turkish team Galatasaray, signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos.
  • Former first-round pick Chris Singleton, who last appeared in the NBA in 2014 with the Wizards, has signed a multiyear contract extension with Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the team announced in a press release. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option for the veteran forward, who joins Rodrigue Beaubois in agreeing to an extension with Anadolu Efes this week.
  • Turkish club Fenerbahce is eyeing veteran guard Lorenzo Brown, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Brown last played in the NBA during the 2018/19 season before being waived by Toronto.

And-Ones: Klutch Sports, Singleton, Adrien

Klutch Sports, the player agency led by Rich Paul, is expanding its reach to the NFL, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The agency, which represents LeBron James and Ben Simmons among other notable NBA players, is in talks with Damarius Bilbo to lead its football division.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Former NBA big man Chris Singleton has signed with Turkish team Anadolu Efes Istanbul, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The power forward was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2011 draft (Wizards), but hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season.
  • Hamed Haddadi, who previously played for the Grizzlies and Suns, has agreed to return to the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association, Carchia relays in a separate piece. The 7’2″ center averaged a double-double for Iran during the FIBA World Cup.
  • Jeff Adrien will play in Israel again this season after inking a deal with Ironi Nahariya, David Pick tweets. The forward last played in the NBA for the Timberwolves during the 2014/15 season.

And-Ones: JVG, Award Votes, Singleton, Wanamaker

After a decade of rumors about his possible return to the sidelines, ABC and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy has finally landed a new coaching gig — but it’s not an NBA job. As Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical details, Van Gundy has agreed to coach USA Basketball as Team USA attempts to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

Last month, we heard that the Team USA roster for the World Cup qualifiers wouldn’t feature NBA players. Instead, USA Basketball will put together a squad primarily made up of G League players. Wojnarowski notes that the roster may also include Americans playing in international leagues. Assuming Team USA qualifies for the 2019 World Cup, which shouldn’t be an issue, NBA players figure to take it from there, while Gregg Popovich will take over for Van Gundy as the club’s coach.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The NBA has published the full voting results for all of its 2016/17 awards, so if you’re dying to know who gave Isaiah Thomas his only All-Defensive vote, you can find out right here.
  • EuroLeague star Chris Singleton has interviews lined up with two NBA teams, and is poised to opt out of his contract with Panathinaikos if he receives an NBA opportunity, tweets international reporter David Pick. However, Singleton’s teammate Kenny Gabriel will remain with Panathinaikos, having opted to pass on a non-guaranteed NBA offer, per Pick (Twitter link).
  • Pick also provides an update on Brad Wanamaker, reporting (via Twitter) that Brad Wanamaker is putting Euroleague offers on hold in the hopes of securing an NBA deal with the Pelicans or Celtics. Wanamaker, who played for Turkey’s Darussafaka last season, was voted to 2016/17’s All-EuroLeague team.
  • Bobby Marks of The Vertical identifies his top 20 free agents for 2017, with a pair of Warriors topping the list.

And-Ones: Parsons, Humphries, Bass, Howard

Unrestricted free agent Kris Humphries, who split time last season between the Wizards, Suns and Hawks, is one of the players the Celtics are considering making a run at this offseason, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays (on Twitter). The Hawks, Nets, Wolves, Spurs and Hornets are also interested in the big man, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

With free agency now underway, here’s the latest happening from around the league:

  • The Trail Blazers intend to make a strong push to ink both Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard this offseason, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com tweets. Parsons and Howard were former teammates with the Rockets and have remained friends, the scribe notes.
  • The Hawks made a strong impression on Howard during their meeting with him today, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. The scribe adds that the possibility of D12 joining Atlanta is gaining traction.
  • The Warriors are looking to bolster their bench and have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent Andrew Nicholson, who spent the past four seasons with the Magic, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter link).
  • Former Wyoming head coach Larry Shyatt is joining Rick Carlisle‘s staff with the Mavericks, Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • Former Nets forward Sergey Karasev signed a three-year deal with the Russian club BC Zenit Saint Petersburg, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 22-year-old made 40 appearances for Brooklyn this season and averaged 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.0 per contest while shooting .405/.297/.929 from the field.
  • Former Wizards forward Chris Singleton has signed with the Greek club Panathinaikos, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). Singleton last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 season.
  • The Wolves have reached out to free agent power forward Brandon Bass to gauge interest, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN tweets.
  • With the Pacers reportedly reaching an agreement with Al Jefferson, unrestricted free agent big man Ian Mahinmi won’t be returning to the team next season, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter).
  • The Mavericks have no immediate plans to target Bismack Biyombo or Howard after missing out on Hassan Whiteside, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link).

Chris Singleton To Play In Russia

THURSDAY, 8:00am: The deal is official, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). It covers one year.

WEDNESDAY, 12:04pm: Three-year NBA veteran Chris Singleton has signed with Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia, a source tells international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The Clippers had reportedly spoken to him around the same time they talked with fellow Todd Ramasar client Ryan Hollins, but it appears that Singleton, the 18th pick in the 2011 draft, will head overseas for the coming season.

This past season was to have been the last on Singleton’s rookie scale contract with the Wizards, but Washington declined its fourth-year team option on the deal, and he split 2014/15 between Pacers training camp, China, and the Thunder’s D-League affiliate. The small forward who turns 26 in November appeared in summer league with the Magic this past July, scoring 8.0 points in 23.9 minutes per game.

The Clippers still only have deals with 16 players, 14 of whom have fully guaranteed pacts, as our roster counts show. It’s unclear if they still had interest in Singleton, but either way, it seems they’ll have to look elsewhere if they want to come closer to the 20-man preseason roster limit.

Do you think Singleton will play in the NBA again? Leave a comment to let us know.

Clippers Show Interest In Chris Singleton

The Clippers have spoken with former Wizards first-rounder Chris Singleton‘s representatives, though no deal is in place, a source tells Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Singleton and Ryan Hollins share agent Todd Ramasar, and the sides also reportedly discussed the free agent center. The Pacers had Singleton in training camp last fall, but he hasn’t signed a contract since they let him go prior to opening night.

Singleton played in China early last season, putting up 22.5 points and 12.8 rebounds in 38.1 minutes per game over 17 appearances with Jiangsu Nangang. He later signed with the D-League and the Thunder’s affiliate picked up his rights. The 18th overall pick from 2011 saw a more limited role on offense for the D-League Oklahoma City Blue than he had in China, averaging 9.2 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 24.9 MPG across another 17 contests. Singleton, who turns 26 in November, spent three years in the NBA and topped out at the 4.6 PPG he posted as a rookie.

The Clippers have 14 fully guaranteed deals, and they’re reportedly bringing in Yanick Moreira on a camp deal. Reports within the last 24 hours have linked the team to Singleton, Hollins and Glen Davis.

Do you think Singleton has what it takes to carve out a niche in the NBA? Leave a comment to tell us.

Chris Singleton Joins Thunder’s D-League Team

The D-League affiliate of the Thunder has acquired former Wizards forward Chris Singleton, the team announced. Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reported earlier this week that the former 18th overall pick was expected to sign with the D-League, so it appears that he did so and that the Oklahoma City Blue claimed him from the D-League player pool that new signees enter when they join the league. The 25-year-old remains free to sign with any NBA team.

Singleton signed with the Pacers this past offseason after hiring agent Todd Ramasar, but he failed to make the opening-night roster. The Heat were also interested, but it became clear that the Wizards no longer had him in their plans after three seasons in which he saw declining minutes per game each year.

He averaged 3.0 points per game in just 10.0 MPG across 25 appearances last season after notching 21.7 MPG in all 66 games during his lockout-shortened rookie season. The Wizards decided in the fall of 2013 to decline the fourth-year team option on his rookie scale contract, setting him up for unrestricted free agency this past summer.

And-Ones: Gordon, Stephenson, Singleton

Magic rookie Aaron Gordon was back in action Sunday for the first time since foot surgery two months ago, reports Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Gordon contributed eight points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action in a loss to the Thunder. “I just enjoy the game so much,” Gordon said. “You realize that when you’re not playing, how much you miss it. And then when I got back out there, it’s fun. I learned a lot [when I was injured]. I just move better without the ball now.”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Lance Stephenson was back in the Hornets‘ lineup this week, but he may not be there long, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Stephenson was part of a rumored three-team deal that would have sent him to the Nets, and he can expect to hear his name in more trade talks before the February 19th deadline. Lee notes that Charlotte began shopping Stephenson around the league in December before he suffered a pelvic strain that kept him out of action for 14 games.
  • Former Wizard Chris Singleton is expected to sign with a team in the D-League, according to D-League Digest (Twitter link). Singleton spent three seasons in Washington, averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 148 games. He has been playing with the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association.
  • D-Leaguer Bryce Cotton has rejected several overseas offers in hopes of getting an NBA callup, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The high-scoring Austin Spur has reportedly turned down teams in Turkey, Italy and Belgrade. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of Providence last June. He joined the Spurs‘ summer league team and was invited to training camp, but failed to make the regular season roster. After clearing waivers, he joined San Antonio’s D-League affiliate.

Arnett Moultrie To Play For Chinese Team

Former Sixers power forward Arnett Moultrie is joining the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Spears indicates that Moultrie has already signed a contract with the club, though the terms of the deal are unclear. The Dragons already have Toney Douglas and Chris Singleton on their team, and the Chinese Basketball Association doesn’t permit its clubs to have more than two healthy American players, though Singleton has missed the last two games.

The Sixers sent Moultrie, the 27th overall pick in the 2012 draft, to the Knicks in October’s Travis Outlaw trade, and New York waived Moultrie the same day. The now 24-year-old Moultrie had played both of his NBA seasons with Philadelphia, averaging 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game, but he grew upset when the team was slow to activate him following an injury last season, and the NBA later suspended him for a drug-related violation. The events left doubt during the offseason about his future with the Sixers, so it wasn’t surprising when the trade happened.

Moultrie’s salary of more than $1.136MM for this season was guaranteed under the terms of his rookie scale contract, and the Knicks remain on the hook for it. Still, it’s possible that New York will be able to recoup a small portion of it through set-off rights, depending on how much Moultrie makes on his deal with the Dragons.

Pacers Waive Four Players

3:24pm: All four players have indeed been waived, the team announced.

3:05pm: The Pacers have waived C.J. Fair, Arinze Onuaku, Chris Singleton and Adonis Thomas, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). These moves will trim Indiana’s preseason roster count down to the regular season maximum of 15 players. All four of the waived players were in camp on non-guaranteed deals, so the team won’t be responsible for any debt to them.

Thomas appeared in only six NBA games as a rookie, averaging 2.3 points in 6.2 minutes per game. The 21-year-old spent two years at Memphis, where he played 27.5 minutes per game for the Tigers and was the second leading scorer on a team that earned a six seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

The 6’9″, 27 year-old Onuaku appeared in a total of five games last season, split between the Pelicans and the Cavaliers. Onuaku averaged 0.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His slash line was .200/.000/.500.

A former first round selection of the Wizards, Singleton has appeared in 148 career games, including 62 starts, averaging 4.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.6 APG, while playing 17.6 MPG. His career shooting numbers are .376/.319/.633.

Fair played four season for Syracuse, averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 0.8 APG. His career slash line was .462/.343/.723.