Dewayne Dedmon

And-Ones: Bucks, Dedmon, Gooden, Pelicans

A source tells Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Bucks owner Herb Kohl is receiving considerable nationwide interest from investors who’d like to buy at least a minority share of the team, and many of them are in close proximity to Milwaukee. Kohl is reportedly close to selling a majority stake in the franchise, but Walker hears that no deal is imminent. Sports business experts say the team would be more valuable in another market, Walker writes, but Kohl has been insistent that the team stay in Milwaukee. Here’s more from around the league:

  • Dewayne Dedmon‘s latest contract with the Magic gives him the chance to make the team’s roster next season, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, so presumably that means the deal covers 2014/15 with a non-guaranteed salary.
  • The Wizards didn’t bring Drew Gooden aboard until last month, but they’d been monitoring him since December, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Gooden followed a pair of 10-day contracts with a deal Tuesday for the rest of the season.
  • The Pelicans have more than $54MM in commitments for next season, and GM Dell Demps acknowledged that it’s unlikely the team will be a major player on the free agent market, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune observes. Demps also said he doesn’t regret last summer’s Jrue Holiday trade, even though there’s a strong chance it could cost them another lottery pick this year.
  • The Bulls may have to make a few creative cap maneuvers to entice Nikola Mirotic to sign this summer, depending on the dollars-to-euros exchange rate and Real Madrid’s willingness to negotiate the amount of Mirotic’s buyout. Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders has the details.
  • Twelve-year NBA veteran Ricky Davis had been attempting a comeback with the D-League affiliate of the Knicks, but the Erie BayHawks announced that they have cut him loose.

Magic Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon For Season

2:05pm: The Magic have officially re-signed Dedmon, the team announced.

10:20am: Dedmon’s deal also includes team options for the next two seasons, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

8:41am: The Magic will sign rookie center Dewayne Dedmon for the remainder of this season, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.  The big man’s second 10-day contract expired at 11:59 ET (10:59 CT) Sunday night.

Dedmon gives the Magic frontcourt depth, something they’ve needed since waiving Solomon Jones in January and buying out Glen Davis’ contract in February.  Dedmon’s signing is expected to be made official today and Robbins writes that he will travel with the team for its four-game road trip to the West Coast.

While 24-year-old former USC Trojan’s skills are raw, he runs the floor well and he has shown the ability to improve during his time in Orlando.  While they’re keeping Dedmon for the remainder of the season, they won’t be keeping rookie swingman Adonis Thomas, we learned over the weekend.  With Dedmon staying put and Thomas headed elsewhere, the Magic have 13 men on their roster.

Magic Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon To 10-Day Deal

FRIDAY, 8:34am: The signing is official, according to a press release from the team.

TUESDAY, 12:24pm: The team will indeed sign Dedmon to a second 10-day deal, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). His first contract will expire at the end of Thursday.

MONDAY, 7:55am: The Magic are expected to re-sign center Dewayne Dedmon to a second 10-day deal, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports amid his weekly power rankings. The undrafted rookie has played in just one game for a total of three minutes so far for Orlando after inking with the team nearly a week ago, but it appears the Magic are confident they can find more time for him. It’s unclear if the Magic have similar plans with Adonis Thomas, who signed a 10-day contract with the team at the same time Dedmon did.

The 24-year-old former USC Trojan is already on his third NBA team after stints with the Warriors and Sixers earlier this season. A second 10-day contract would be Dedmon’s fourth overall this year, as our 10-Day Tracker shows. He’s averaged 2.6 points in 9.9 minutes over 16 NBA appearances in 2013/14. The 7-footer has been impressive so far on the boards, notching 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes.

Dedmon, a client of Michael Silverman, has also spent 15 games in the D-League this year, posting averages of 15.2 PPG and 13.6 RPG in 33.7 MPG. The Magic have just 12 guaranteed contracts, affording them plenty of flexibility to keep him for the season if they choose to do so once Dedmon’s second 10-day pact runs out.

Magic Sign Dewayne Dedmon To 10-Day Deal

FEBRUARY 25TH: Orlando has made the signing official, the team announced.

FEBRUARY 21ST: The Magic are expected to sign Dewayne Dedmon to a 10-day contract on Monday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Orlando reportedly has an agreement to sign Adonis Thomas the same day, and there’s room for both, since the Magic are at 12 players after today’s buyout agreement with Glen Davis. Dedmon had wanted to sign long-term with the Sixers, according to Spears, but Philadelphia opted not to give him another deal after signing him to a pair of 10-day contracts.

Orlando will be Dedmon’s third NBA stop this season. He was with the Warriors for camp, and Golden State re-signed him in November before cutting him once more a couple of weeks later. Dedmon has also seen action with the Warriors’ D-League affiliate, both on assignment and after Golden State let go of his NBA rights. The center has put up 15.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in the D-League this season.

The Michael Silverman client has seen action in 15 NBA games as an undrafted rookie out of USC, notching 2.5 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 10.4 minutes per contest.

Odds & Ends: Stuckey, Harris, Barbosa

Rodney Stuckey is concerned that the Pistons “aren’t on the same page” as their woes continue this season, but he’s not ruling out returning to Detroit when his contract expires at season’s end.  “Detroit is always an option,” he told Sam Amick of USA Today. “It’s going to be a tough situation, the first time I’m going to be able to go out and test the market and see what else is there and what not. It’s going to be all new to me. I’m excited for the opportunity, but right now I’m not trying to focus on that. I’m just trying to live in the moment right now and worry about making the playoffs first and foremost.”  More from around the Association..

  • The Lakers aren’t expected to retain Manny Harris after his 10-day contract expires tomorrow, tweets Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.  Unfortunately for Harris, his contract’s end coincides with multiple Lakers point guards returning to action.  Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles wrote yesterday that Shawne Williams is a player worth keeping an eye on once that roster spot is freed up.
  • Suns guard Leandro Barbosa battled his way back from an ACL injury after many had written him off, writes Shams Charania of RealGM.
  • Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) runs down guys that have been identified as trade candidates by basketball people around the league.  The rather lengthy list includes Chris Singleton of the Wizards and Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez who is already well-traveled.
  • Evan Turner has been all over Hoops Rumors lately, but he’s not letting the trade talk get to him, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Media.  “I don’t read the papers. If I did, I’d have my bags packed for different weather,” said the Sixers forward.
  • Sixers coach Brett Brown says the club will “keep an eye” on Dewayne Dedmon, Moore tweets.  Philadelphia elected not to re-sign Dedmon after his second 10-day pact expired.

Sixers Notes: Dedmon, Brett Brown, D-League

Evan Turner appears to be at the forefront of the Sixers’ trade deadline plans, though fellow veterans Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes remain in the mix for a swap, too. Philadelphia figures to be a hub for activity in the next two and a half weeks, so here’s the latest on a team seemingly in transition.

  • The Sixers have elected not to re-sign Dewayne Dedmon after his second 10-day contract expired overnight, and coach Brett Brown doesn’t expect the team to replace the center immediately, according to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines what Brown has revealed about his philosophy in his half-season as an NBA coach, noting his affinity for three-pointers and a fast pace.
  • The Sixers have recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League, the team announced. It was the rookie point guard’s fifth assignment, and his fourth since New Year’s Day.

Eastern Notes: Cavs, Pistons, Sixers

The Cavaliers are going through a bit of a rough patch lately. They’ve just completed a homestand during which they went 1-4. Their overall record is now 16-29, which is good for 11th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, leaving them 2 1/2 games behind the Bobcats for the eighth seed. Cavs GM Chris Grant tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and Morning Journal that the team’s lack of effort isn’t acceptable. This view might inspire him to make some moves prior to the trade deadline. Grant also spoke with Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, and stated the team would be open to the possibility of dealing, but it would be difficult to predict the market. In regards to the recently acquired Luol Deng, Grant said, “We’re happy with Deng, so if we don’t do anything, we feel like we’ve added a quality player. If there’s an opportunity to improve the team, we’ll take advantage of it.

Some more notes from around the East:

  • Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times had a Q&A session with Emily Gruver of The Sixer Sense.com. Moore opined that the SixersEvan Turner was more likely to be traded than Thaddeus Young. He also was intrigued by the raw potential of Dewayne Dedmon, who is on his second 10-day contract, and the Sixers have until this Sunday to make a choice on keeping him for the rest of the season or letting him go.
  • Knicks coach Mike Woodson was happy to hear La La Anthony’s opinion on her husband, Carmelo Anthony remaining a Knick past this season, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post.
  • There are a number of different people to blame for the Pistons rough season, writes Drew Sharp of The Detroit Free Press, including team owner, Tom Gores. Sharp opines that it was Gores’ “playoffs-or-else ultimatum” that led to the signings of Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings, and created the “ill-matched” roster they currently have.

Sixers Re-Sign Dewayne Dedmon

FRIDAY, 10:29am: The deal is official, according to the team.

THURSDAY, 7:38pm: According to Moore, the 76ers will re-sign Dedmon to another 10-day contract (Twitter link).  

8:25am: Sixers coach Brett Brown has little doubt the team will re-sign center Dewayne Dedmon to a second 10-day contract once his existing deal expires tonight, observes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The Sixers announced yesterday that fellow big man Brandon Davies would miss four to six weeks with a broken finger, making it even more likely that Dedmon will get another deal, notes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.The team will make its decision today, according to Brown.

“I like what we’ve seen in him,” Brown said of Dedmon. “There’s a size and an enthusiasm and an energy.”

Dedmon says he isn’t sure of his status, but it appears the Michael Silverman client will be sticking around Philadelphia. The Warriors have also been interested in bringing him back after waiving him earlier this season, though Golden State has a full 15 man roster after acquiring Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks via trade last week.

The rookie has put up 3.6 points in 14.8 minutes per game for the Sixers after appearing for just six minutes total in more than two weeks with Golden State. Philadelphia has 14 guaranteed contracts, so the team will soon have decide whether to commit its final open roster spot to Dedmon. The Sixers would have to sign him for the season or let him go once his second 10-day contract expires.

Eastern Notes: Bogans, Bucks, Nets, Rice

A source tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Globe that Keith Bogans intends to “stick it out” with the Celtics this season, seemingly indicating the guard isn’t thinking buyout (Twitter link). The C’s and Bogans agreed to have the 33-year-old stay away from the team as Boston pursues takers for him via trade. It wouldn’t really be a surprise if Bogans doesn’t want to do a buyout, since that would mean giving up some of his more than $5MM in guaranteed salary for the season, the largest take of his career. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Bucks owner Herb Kohl is signaling to the team’s management that he’s ready to give up the pursuit of a playoff berth this season, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest Insider-only “Tank Rank” column. That contradicts what we heard earlier from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who says the team would be “more than willing” to trade for veteran help.
  • Mark Deeks of ShamSports breaks down the trade agreement between the Bulls, Nets and Pelicans in a piece for SB Nation, noting that the cash Brooklyn is sending to New Orleans will be enough to cover the rest of Tyshawn Taylor‘s contract, which expires at season’s end. He also says the Nets briefly looked into a deal for Jazz point guard John Lucas III, echoing a report from July.
  • The Wizards assigned Glen Rice Jr. to the D-League today, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s a rehab stint for the rookie as he makes his way back from a fractured right wrist, coach Randy Wittman says, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Wittman also says it’s possible the team will send No. 3 overall pick Otto Porter to the D-League at some point, too.
  • The Sixers will decide within the next two or three days whether to bring back Dewayne Dedmon on a second 10-day deal, coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link). The center’s deal expires after Thursday night.

Warriors Rumors: Dedmon, Barnes, Thompson

The Warriors were interested in re-signing center Dewayne Dedmon before he agreed to his 10-day contract with the Sixers, but they’re keeping their final roster spot open for a backup point guard, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets. It’s a safe bet the Warriors will acquire a new backup point man in the next month or so, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who has plenty more from Golden State, as we detail:

  • Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson are drawing trade interest from teams across the league, and Barnes hasn’t lived up to the high standard the Warriors set for him this season, Lowe writes. Still, GM Bob Myers seems reluctant to deal either cornerstone player. “We like our core,” Myers said. “We believe in our core, and we believe they will get better.”
  • David Lee, in the midst of a $79.5MM contract that runs through 2015/16, is a frequent target of critics, but Myers isn’t one of them. “Our starting lineup is off the charts in terms of points and points allowed per possession,” Myers told Lowe. “And to assume you can replace someone who is a part of that — well, you don’t just replace someone like that. A lot of his detractors have been proven patently wrong, and they should admit they jumped the gun.” 
  • Lowe suggests that if the Warriors want to find a significant upgrade at the point behind starter Stephen Curry, it might mean parting with Barnes, Thompson or their 2019 first-round draft pick, the earliest first-rounder they can relinquish per the Stepien Rule. Tellingly, Lowe doesn’t mention Toney Douglas, whom the W’s signed this summer to a one-year, $1.6MM deal to fill the role of backup point guard. He appears to have dropped out of the team’s rotation.