Drew Gooden Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Rumors: Monroe, Gooden, Celtics

April 6th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greg Monroe becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is eager to see how Monroe blends with point guard Reggie Jackson and center Andre Drummond before the season ends, David Mayo of MLive.com reports. Monroe is expected to return Wednesday for the team’s five remaining games after missing 11 games with a right knee strain. Jackson has appeared more comfortable playing with Drummond and Anthony Tolliver, a power forward who shoots 3-pointers, rather than a low-post player in Monroe, Mayo continues. “Reggie will have to adjust, and I’ll have to adjust, and we’ll have to figure it out,” Van Gundy said to Detroit beat reporters. “We’ve seen Reggie play real, real, well; we’ve seen Greg play real, real well. So we’ve just got to make it all fit together.” Evaluating how that alignment works in conjunction with Monroe’s impending free agency is the biggest goal the Pistons have in their remaining games, Mayo concludes.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Veteran power forward Drew Gooden, whose contract expires after the season, has become an important rotation player for the Wizards, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Gooden has received more playing time with the team trying to rest Nene Hilario for the postseason. His ability to make 3-pointers has given more space for guards John Wall and Bradley Beal to operate, Castillo continues. “It opens avenues for John to penetrate, for Bradley to put the ball on the floor, for our wings to put it on the floor,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said to Castillo. “That’s really big.” Not only has Gooden played himself into an important postseason role, as Castillo adds, it could also enhance his chances of remaining with Washington.
Celtics rookie forward James Young has been productive during his stint with the franchise’s D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, and remains in the Celtics’ future plans, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. The No. 17 overall pick in last year’s draft is averaging 21.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 games with the Red Claws. Young’s development was hampered by a car accident prior to the draft that prevented him from playing on the Celtics’ summer league team, Blakely continues. Young lost his rotation spot to Luigi Datome after a deadline trade with the Pistons but the organization has kept a close watch on Young after sending him to the D League, Blakely adds. “Our front office is watching him with every opportunity,” Boston coach Brad Stevens told local reporters. “The progress is good.”

Wizards Re-Sign Drew Gooden

July 18th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 2:04pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

“The addition of Drew was a big part of our success late last season and we are excited to have him back with us,” Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said. “His skills will help to solidify our front court rotation and his experience will help us continue to grow as a team.”

TUESDAY, 4:56pm: It’s a one-year deal for the minimum salary, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.

2:34pm: Drew Gooden has agreed to remain with the Wizards, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, who believes the deal is for one year (Twitter link). It’s not clear just how much the veteran big man will receive, but Washington, which is capped out and has already committed its mid-level exception to Paul Pierce, has Gooden’s Non-Bird rights, so it can give him a 20% raise on his minimum salary from last season.

Gooden was a late-season revelation after signing a pair of 10-day contracts before inking a deal that covered the rest of the season. The Dan Fegan client averaged 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game for the Wizards in 22 regular season appearances after spending most of the season at home following Milwaukee’s decision to cut him via the amnesty provision last summer.

Southeast Rumors: Ariza, Gortat, Ferry, Lewis

July 1st, 2014 at 12:24am CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the Southeast Division..

Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that Trevor Ariza is after a deal in the $8-11MM per year range and likes the idea of playing in a warm-weather city. Still, staying with the Wizards is an intriguing option for him.
The Wizards spent the evening reaching out to their own free agents, Marcin Gortat, Ariza, and Drew Gooden, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
Ariza has significant interest from clubs, including the Cavs, and Wizards coach Randy Wittman will be in Los Angeles tomorrow morning to meet with him, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. A league source close to Ariza tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) that his potential destinations include the Suns, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Mavs, Jazz, Cavs, and Wizards.
Hawks‘ GM Danny Ferry plans to be “very aggressive” in free agency, a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
Heat free agent forward Rashard Lewis is expecting interest from the Heat, Pacers, Thunder, Raptors, and Spurs, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
So far the Hornets have not expressed interest in Luol Deng, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter).
The Hawks were the first team to call unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore after midnight, a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). The Hawks are really high on the Lakers free agent.
Unrestricted free agent Trevor Booker has attracted interest from several teams, including the Heat, Wolves, Jazz, Nets, Knicks, Magic, and Wizards, sources tell Michael Lee of the Washington Post (on Twitter).

Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Gasol, Davis, Ariza

June 30th, 2014 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) says the Suns and Hawks will be interested in Pau Gasol. The Lakers, Knicks, Bulls, Mavs, and Rockets are also expected to pursue the Spaniard. There should be plenty of options out there for Gasol but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that the Thunder are unlikely to be in the running. Here’s more from around the league..

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter) hears that MarShon Brooks is the only definitive Lakers free agent not returning. Everyone else has a chance to return depending on who else is available.
The feeling from NBA sources is that this free agency period could be “uneventful” for the Jazz outside of Gordon Hayward and Marvin Williams, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
The Clippers remain interested in re-signing Glen Davis and his reps have talked with the club, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter).
Wizards coach Randy Wittman and VP Ed Tapscott are slated to visit their free agent forward Trevor Ariza in his hometown of Los Angeles tomorrow, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
Meanwhile, Drew Gooden expects to re-sign with the Wizards on a minimum salary deal, a source tells Spears (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Al Harrington is one of the Wizards’ summer league coaches and still wants to play.
After extending a qualifying offer to Avery Bradley, Danny Ainge made it clear that the the guard “is a big part” of the Celtics‘ future, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle looks at the pitch that the Rockets plan on making to Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul.
Euroleague point guard Bo McCalebb is officially free agent, his agent Eric Fleisher told Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). There is no buyout of any kind that needs to be addressed, David Pick of Eurobasket.com tweets.

And-Ones: Bucks, Dedmon, Gooden, Pelicans

March 19th, 2014 at 3:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

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.

Wizards Re-Sign Drew Gooden For Season

March 18th, 2014 at 1:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

MARCH 18TH: Washington has indeed signed Gooden for the season, the team announced.

MARCH 12TH: The Wizards will keep Drew Gooden on a deal that covers the rest of the season when his latest 10-day contract expires, a source tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Washington signed the 32-year-old to his second 10-day contract on Saturday, and that deal is up after this coming Monday night.

Gooden has become a significant contributor off the bench, averaging 13.3 points on 67.4% shooting over the last three games for the Wizards, including a 15-point effort Monday against the Heat. Coach Randy Wittman and John Wall have praised the 12th-year veteran, who spent most of the season out of the league following Milwaukee’s decision to cut him via amnesty waivers this summer. He’s appeared in a total of five games for Washington, notching 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and shooting 59.4% in 13.4 minutes per contest.

Injuries in the front court precipitated the Dan Fegan client‘s first 10-day contract with the team, and Nene will be out at least another couple of weeks with a sprained MCL. Kevin Seraphin hasn’t played since Gooden’s addition because of a sore right knee, though he’s due to return soon. Regardless, the Wizards are set to make Gooden the 15th player on their roster with a guaranteed contract. That means he and the team have come full circle from 2010, when Gooden was displeased with a trade that brought him to Washington and spurred the team to ship him away a few days later in another swap.

Wizards Re-Sign Drew Gooden To 10-Day Deal

March 8th, 2014 at 11:57am CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 11:57am: The Wizards have officially signed Gooden to another 10-day contract per a team release.

FRIDAY, 11:39am: Gooden confirms he’d accept the offer of another 10-day contract, which the Wizards are planning to make, Michael notes (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 3:51pm: Gooden will indeed stick around on another 10-day deal, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.

3:35pm: The Wizards are likely to re-sign Drew Gooden to another 10-day contract, a source tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post. His first deal is set to expire at the end of Friday night. The team brought the Dan Fegan client aboard late last month to offset an injury to Nene that will keep him out for at least the next three weeks.

The 32-year-old went scoreless in his first two appearances but dropped 12 points on six-for-seven shooting in 19 minutes against the Jazz on Wednesday night. Gooden saw significant playing time in both halves, signaling that the Wizards see him as a potential rotation piece, at least for the time being. Washington has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, meaning Gooden occupies the team’s last open spot as it jockeys for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

The former Kansas Jayhawk spent much of 2013/14 out of the NBA after the Bucks put him on amnesty waivers over the summer. Gooden balked at joining the Wizards when they traded for him in 2010, prompting the team to flip him in another trade four days later, but even with GM Ernie Grunfeld, who swung those deals, still in place, the two sides agreed to a reunion this year.

Wizards Sign Drew Gooden To 10-Day Contract

February 26th, 2014 at 10:38am CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 10:38am: The Wizards have officially announced the signing, via press release.

TUESDAY, 6:59pm: Drew Gooden has agreed to sign a 10-day contract with the Wizards, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Yesterday, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported the likelihood that the Wizards would look to bring the 6’10 forward on board, and Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears said that Gooden would be in Washington D.C. today to ink a deal.

With big man Nene sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks in addition to nagging injury issues affecting Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Booker, it’s not surprising that Washington – currently at fifth place in the Eastern Conference and a game and a half out of fourth – would look to add some frontcourt help.

Gooden last played during the 2012/13 season for the Bucks, but only appeared in 16 games and was eventually amnestied in July of 2013. In 2011/12, he appeared in 56 games with 46 starts for Milwaukee, averaging 13.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and shot 43.7% from the field in 26.2 MPG.

Wizards Likely To Sign Drew Gooden

February 25th, 2014 at 8:23am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 8:23am: J. Michael of CSNWashington adds Antawn Jamison and Justin Hamilton to the list of others the Wizards are considering, but Michael confirms that Gooden is the favorite to land a 10-day deal. The team may also hold off on signing anyone to give Chris Singleton a shot at playing time, Michael writes.

MONDAY, 5:11pm: Gooden will be in D.C. tomorrow to ink his deal with the Wizards, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, Michael Lee of the Washington Post (on Twitter) hears that it’s “unlikely” that Washington will sign anyone before tomorrow night’s game against the Magic. He cites Lou Amundson and DeSagana Diop as other 10-day possibilities for the Wizards.

4:11pm: It’s likely that the Wizards will sign Drew Gooden to a 10-day deal, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 32-year-old hasn’t stepped foot on an NBA court since April of last year but he could help fortify Washington’s frontcourt depth in the wake of Nene‘s injury.

We learned last month that Gooden was working out in hopes of landing an NBA deal. Over his 16 games in Milwaukee last season, the 11-year veteran averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game, which added up to a PER of 18.88. The Bucks wound up using the amnesty clause on the 6’11” big man over the summer, taking his $13.37MM salary between this season and next off of their books.

While other amnesty victims from this past summer like Metta World Peace and Mike Miller were able to hook on elsewhere, there were few, if any, nibbles on Gooden.

Pelicans Looking To Trade For Big Man

January 20th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Power forward Ryan Anderson is likely done for the season and center Jason Smith is out indefinitely, and that’s prompted New Orleans to look for a trade that would net the team a big man, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports amid his weekly power rankings. The Pelicans have been starting Anthony Davis and Greg Stiemsma on the front line, and their only other healthy big men are rookie Jeff Withey and the recently signed Alexis Ajinca.

New Orleans is set to acquire point guard Tyshawn Taylor for draft considerations from the Nets, so assuming the Pelicans don’t throw a player into that deal before it becomes official, they would have to include a player in a trade for a big man to stay at the 15-man roster limit. Everyone but Davis and Jrue Holiday is reportedly a candidate to be traded, according to a weekend report from Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, so perhaps GM Dell Demps is willing to engineer a shakeup. The Pelicans are 15-24 in a season that began with playoff aspirations.

Spears also mentions in his report that 6’11” Drew Gooden is working out in hopes of finding a spot on an NBA roster, so the 11-year veteran could be an option for New Orleans if the team goes the free agent route. Still, it doesn’t sound like the Pelicans have any interest in the 32-year-old.