Chris Wright (Georgetown) Rumors

Sebastian Telfair’s Deal In Italy Falls Through

September 1st, 2016 at 8:21am CST by Eddie Scarito

SEPTEMBER 1: Telfair’s deal with Auxilium Cus Torino has fallen through, with the team opting to sign former Georgetown point guard Chris Wright instead, per Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. As David Pick tweets, the team was willing to give Telfair an NBA opt-out until late January, but he also asked for a China opt-out, at which point the club balked.

AUGUST 29: Former NBA lottery pick Sebastian Telfair is headed overseas again, having agreed to sign a deal with the Italian team Auxilium Cus Torino, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports (on Twitter). The pact will pay Telfair in excess of $300K and includes an NBA out clause that he can exercise in late January, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link).

Telfair had also garnered interest from Pallacanestro Cantù and Cedevita Zagreb over the past few weeks, but Torino made the strongest push for him, Cauchi notes. He had worked out for both the Nets and the Spurs this offseason, though no NBA offer was made for his services, Pick also notes (Twitter link).

The point guard last appeared in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign, playing in 16 games for the Thunder and averaging 8.4 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.9 RPG in 20.4 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old then caught on with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China, appearing in 22 contests and notching averages of 19.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 28.2 minutes per game. He sat out last season.

International Moves: McNeal, Telfair, Wright

September 27th, 2013 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA training camp spots are filling up fast, and that's prompting a few hopefuls to cast their eyes overseas. Sometimes a relatively fat contract with an international team is too tempting to pass up for a mere training camp invitation, and that appears to be the case for a former member of the Jazz, as we detail:

Jerel McNeal arranged for his release from the Jazz this week so he could sign a lucrative deal overseas, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reveals that the shooting guard is heading to play in China (Twitter link). Wojnarowski simply says McNeal has a deal with Zhejiang, so it's unclear whether he means the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls or the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.
Several NBA teams have had interest in Sebastian Telfair during the offseason, but he's thinking about signing a deal to play in Europe, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy reports in the same piece.
Chris Wright will join France's ASVEL Villeurbanne, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). The Chris Wright from Dayton is in camp with the Raptors for the next month, so this is presumably the guard from Georgetown.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks

September 26th, 2013 at 10:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.

Mavs Notes: Free Agency, Cap, Chris Wright

April 18th, 2013 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks' 12-year playoff streak may have come to an end this season, but the team did win its last game of the year to reach .500. That's likely of little consolation for Mark Cuban and the Mavs, who have a big offseason ahead of them as they look to build a team capable of returning to the postseason in 2013/14. Here's the latest out of Dallas:

Last offseason, most of the Mavericks' signings came aboard on one-year contracts, but Cuban isn't sure that will be the case this year, as Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. "We’re going to be opportunistic and try to improve the team," Cuban said. "I don’t see us just signing just one-year deals anymore. I think we want to grab onto some people to be part of a longer-term solution and see what happens."
Cuban also intends to operate with more transparency for the sake of the team's fans, says Townsend.
While a .500 season may be acceptable in some NBA cities, it's a disaster in Dallas, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, who says major changes are on the way for the Mavericks.
MacMahon also takes a look at the Mavericks' financial forecast, with an assist from cap expert Larry Coon.
After a brief stint with the Mavs in March, Chris Wright is headed to Puerto Rico, having signed with Capitanes de Arecibo, according to a Sportando report.

Mavs Notes: Wright, Terry, Beaubois, Mayo

March 23rd, 2013 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

Last night, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks spoiled Jason Terry‘s return to Dallas. Brandan Wright led the way with 23 points and eight boards while Nowitzki wasn’t far behind with 22. For Terry and the C’s, it was their fifth loss in seven games and they now find themselves closer to the No. 8 seed in the East and a first round date with Miami. Here’s more on the Mavs..

Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including the Associated Press, that the club won’t sign Chris Wright to a second 10-day contract. Wright averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game for the D-League’s Iowa Energy.
Terry has fond memories of his time in Dallas but isn’t hiding his disappointment in how it ended, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The veteran was happy to get a call from C’s coach Doc Rivers as soon as he hit the open market, but he was surprised that Dallas didn’t make an effort to sign him.
Rodrigue Beaubois is likely done for the season after undergoing surgery on his left hand, writes Brad Townsend of the The Dallas Morning News. The guard’s rookie contract expires after this season and the injury could mean that he has played his final game as a Maverick.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban believes that O.J. Mayo can blossom into the type of player that Terry was for Dallas, writes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.

Mavericks Sign Chris Wright To 10-Day Contract

March 13th, 2013 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

12:50pm: The Mavs have officially signed Wright to a 10-day contract, according to a team release.

WEDNESDAY, 7:52am: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he signed his portion of Wright's contract on Tuesday. Wright is expected to officially sign and finalize the deal today, says Price (Twitter links).

SUNDAY, 6:53pm: The Mavericks are set to sign guard Chris Wright to a 10-day contract this week, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Wright will take the place of the recently waived Dominique Jones on the Mavs' roster.

Wright, 23, was a standout at Georgetown but injuries slowed him down along the way with the most notable being a broken bone in his left hand during his senior year. The 6'1" point guard would then travel overseas to Turkey before landing with the D-League's Iowa Energy this season.

Wright has been amongst the most talked about players in the D-League this year and has been connected to several teams looking for a fill-in at guard. In 2012/13, Wright averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Energy.

The Mavs' decision to waive Jones came as a surprise last week but it is believed that they cut him loose over his unwillingness to go to the D-League. Jones has only seen time in five games for the Mavericks in this calendar year.

Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction

January 27th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Alex Lee

In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline. Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:

A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury. Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility.
The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.

Earlier updates:

Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury. Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports. Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets." Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce. He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett. Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat. Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon. Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.

Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Smith, D-League, Pippen

November 1st, 2012 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, we heard that there were a number of teams that at least touched base with the Thunder about James Harden before he was traded to the Rockets. We can add the Bobcats to that list as well, as owner Michael Jordan tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that his team "made a couple calls" about Harden's availability. Jordan, who says he's "in it for the long haul" as Bobcats owner, adds that he believes Charlotte can still be an attractive destination for free agents down the road, though he acknowledges the team needs to get its house in order first.

Here are a few more notes from around the NBA, as the Thunder and Spurs prepare for the only game on tonight's schedule:

On the heels of some surprising contract extensions, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com shares his five rules for teams thinking about extending players.
Nolan Smith tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he understands the Blazers' cap situation and has no problem with the team's decision to turn down his 2013/14 option, adding that he views it as a "blessing in disguise" (Twitter links).
A few intriguing names will be in camp with the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics' D-League affiliate, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Xavier Silas, Micah Downs, Chris Wright, and Chamberlain Oguchi are among the invitees.
Nets GM Billy King tells Newsday's Roderick Boone that one of the lessons he learned at his previous job in Philadelphia: "At the end, I was just trying to keep my job. Once you start trying to keep your job and not do it, it's not going to work."
The Bulls have appointed Scottie Pippen a Senior Advisor to the President and COO of the team, according to an official release.

Hornets Waive Alabi, Wright

October 27th, 2012 at 7:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

John Reid of the Times-Picayune reports that the New Orleans Hornets have released center Solomon Alabi and guard Chris Wright. These moves bring the Hornets' roster down to 14, which means it appears their regular-season roster is set barring a late signing.

Alabi played briefly for the Toronto Raptors last season but spent most of the year in the D-League. Wright played in Turkey last season. Both were signed by New Orleans prior to training camp.

Hornets Sign Alabi, Morrison, Wright

October 1st, 2012 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have added three players to their training camp roster, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com (via Twitter). Eichenhofer tweets that Solomon Alabi, Dominique Morrison and Chris Wright will be in camp with the team, clarifying that Wright is a guard from Georgetown, not the Raptors forward of the same name (Twitter link).

Alabi, a 24-year-old center from Nigeria, spent two season with the Raptors before Toronto turned down its option on him for 2012/13. Morrison and Wright, meanwhile, both went undrafted — Morrison in 2012 and Wright in 2011. A 6'6" forward, Morrison averaged 19.8 PPG in his senior year at Oral Roberts, while Wright 12.9 PPG and 5.3 APG in his senior year as Georgetown's point guard.

The Hornets have at least two other players on contracts without full guarantees — Brian Roberts' deal is only partially guaranteed for $100K, and Lance Thomas' contract is non-guaranteed. Darius Miller's deal may also not be fully guaranteed. That leaves just 11 Hornets assured of full guarantees, which should give Alabi, Morrison, and Wright the opening to impress in camp and earn a roster spot.