Gary Clark Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Harris, Crowder, Pistons, Avdija, Bulls

October 13th, 2020 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forwards Joe Harris and Jae Crowder are free agents the Bucks might pursue with their mid-level exception, Eric Nehm of The Athletic speculates. Harris would provide another offensive threat, while Crowder is a defensive stalwart. If the Bucks pursue cheaper options, Josh Jackson, Wesley Iwundu, Gary Clark and Glenn Robinson are considerations with their biannual exception or minimum deals.

We have more from around the Central Division:

The Pistons are putting a premium on conditioning and weight training but they’ll look to balance that with offensive improvements, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Coach Dwane Casey looks at the Heat as a model of a team with toughness and shooting. “You’ve got to have a good mixture of hard-hat guys and shooters – guys who can put the ball in the hole,” he said. “The game is leaning that way. We all have to evolve from that standpoint.”
Israeli forward Deni Avdija could be an ideal complement to last year’s first-round pick, Sekou Doumbouya, Langlois writes in a separate story. Avdija has similar size and positional flexibility as Doumbouya, which could allow the Pistons to exploit mismatches. His offensive skills would add another playmaker at Casey’s disposal. However, Avdija would have to slide to the Pistons’ pick at No. 7 or they’d have to trade up to land him.
The Bulls won’t be making major roster changes this offseason but they could pursue a wing in free agency, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago opines. They would be wise not to hand out a long-term contract, as future cap space should be preserved until they show real improvement, Schaefer adds.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Clark, Bryant, Hawks

July 20th, 2020 at 7:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As Magic prepare for the league restart, the franchise is taking difficult steps due to the COVID-19 related drop in revenue. It has laid off 31 full-time employees, approximately 10% of its staff, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins and Shams Charania. The Magic had 10 regular-season home games remaining, as well as potential playoff games, prior to the stoppage of play in March.

“This is not the fault of any specific individual that we must part with today, this decision is purely about becoming more efficient in a post COVID-19 environment, and the requirement to be more efficient in this unknown future that we find ourselves faced with,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said in part in a prepared statement.

Here’s more from out of the Southeast:

Having been in and out of the rotation prior to the NBA’s hiatus, Gary Clark is hoping to prove this summer that he can be a dependable contributor for the Magic, as Chris Hays of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I think my role there and now is just being a reliable player,” Clark said. “At the end of the day, put Gary on the court, he’s going to hold defensive presence and he’s going to be able to let our offensive flow (be) smooth out there.”
Wizards big man Thomas Bryant returned to practice over the weekend after recovering from the coronavirus, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Bryant traveled to Orlando on Wednesday, about a week after the bulk of the team arrived. Bryant said on Sunday night he’s doing fine, Hughes reports in a separate story. “Me being sick, that’s in the past,” he said. “My focus right now is just with the team and going forward trying to win some games.”
FSU wing Devin Vassell is the 16th-rated prospect on ESPN’s 2020 big board, but Chris Kirschner of The Athletic contends that Vassell is a player the Hawks should seriously consider if they end up drafting in the No. 5-7 range this fall.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Magic Sign Gary Clark For Remainder Of Season

February 8th, 2020 at 10:50am CST by marksuleymanov

10:50am: The Magic have officially signed Clark to his new deal, according to a press release issued by the team.

8:41am: The Magic will sign forward Gary Clark for the remainder of the season, sources tell Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Clark inked a pair of 10-day deals with the Magic in recent weeks after being waived by the Rockets.

Clark, 25, has appeared in nine games for Orlando over the course of his two 10-day pacts. He has averaged 2.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 13.4 minutes per contest for the Magic.

After emerging as a solid rotation piece for the Rockets last season, Clark saw his minutes decrease in Houston before he was waived. Clark was one of three players on Houston’s roster without a guaranteed contract and was the most expendable at the salary guarantee deadline last month.

Magic Sign Gary Clark To Second 10-Day Contract

January 29th, 2020 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

11:17am: The Magic have officially signed Clark to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The timing is a little surprising, since Orlando doesn’t play again until Saturday and the new deal will only cover four games instead of five or six. It’ll run through February 7.

10:51am: The Magic have reached a new deal with forward Gary Clark and will sign him to a second 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). No corresponding move will be required, since Orlando has an open spot on its 15-man roster.

Clark, 25, signed his first 10-day deal with Orlando earlier this month after being waived by Houston. He appeared in five games for the Magic during those 10 days, averaging 4.0 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 13.8 minutes per contest before the contract expired last Thursday night.

Previously, Clark had appeared in 69 games for the Rockets since the start of the 2018/19 season, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG with a .348/.312/.929 shooting line in 12.4 minutes per contest. He was released by Houston before his 2019/20 salary became fully guaranteed.

Clark’s new 10-day contract would run through February 7 if it’s officially signed today, but Orlando may wait at least one more day to ensure that it will cover five games instead of four. Once Clark’s deal expires, the Magic will either have to sign him to a rest-of-season contract or let him return to free agency.

If the Magic make a trade on or before the February 6 deadline that requires them to open up a roster spot, Clark’s 10-day contract could be terminated before it expires. He would still earn his full 10-day salary ($81,678) in that scenario.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Clark, Nunn, Fultz

January 20th, 2020 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Allowing the contracts of Marvin Williams, Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to expire, rather than trading those impending free agents, might be the best course of action for the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines.

The Hornets would have to take back comparable salary unless the team they’re dealing with has a large trade exception. The player or players they take back might have contracts that extend beyond this season and unless they figure into Charlotte’s long term plans, it would not be worth it, Bonnell continues. The Hornets’ players on expiring contracts wouldn’t bring back much more in future assets than a second-round pick anyway, Bonnell adds.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Magic forward Gary Clark hopes his defensive skills and rebounding will allow him to stick with the club, as he told David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders. Clark signed a 10-day contract after getting waived by the Rockets. “Just bringing some energy and knocking down shots. Being versatile defensively, being able to switch on multiple guys if need be, and use my athleticism,” Clark said. “Knocking down shots is one thing, but my activity on the glass on both ends has been solid.”
Kendrick Nunn‘s value to the Heat goes beyond his on-court production, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. Nunn is only making $1.4MM this season and $1.6MM next season and the Heat can an extend a low-cost $2.1MM qualifying offer in the summer of 2021 to make him a restricted free agent. He can then be re-signed above the salary cap after luring a quality free agent. That makes his current contract a major bargain by providing the team plenty of cap flexibility.
Sixers coach Brett Brown is pleased that 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has revived his career with the Magic after his struggles in Philadelphia, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic tweets. “From a human standpoint, with complete sincerity, you’re happy for him,” Brown said. “It’s a journey that none of us could have imagined and good for him. Like he didn’t blink, he kept moving forward and I wish him well.”

Magic Sign Gary Clark To 10-Day Deal, Cut Josh Magette

January 14th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have made a change at the back of their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Gary Clark to a 10-day contract, waiving guard Josh Magette to create room on their 15-man squad.

The timing of the move is interesting, as Magette signed a 10-day deal of his own on Saturday and had seven days left on it. He’ll still get his full 10-day salary ($81,678) despite his stint in Orlando being cut short.

While it’s unclear why the Magic moved on early from Magette, who had spent most of the season on a two-way deal, the team may have felt it had to move quickly to lock up Clark. Perhaps he had a two-way contract offer on the table from another team and had to make a decision on it by Wednesday’s two-way signing deadline.

Clark became a free agent last week when he was waived by the Rockets before his 2019/20 salary became guaranteed. After emerging as a rotation player as a rookie in Houston last season, the 25-year-old saw his minutes reduced down the stretch in 2018/19 and didn’t have a major role in ’19/20 either. In total, he appeared in 69 games for the Rockets over two seasons, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG with a .348/.312/.929 shooting line in 12.4 minutes per contest.

Clark’s new 10-day contract will run through January 23, giving him a chance to be active for up to five games with the Magic. He’ll help provide frontcourt depth with Jonathan Isaac and Al-Farouq Aminu on the shelf.

Rockets Waive Gary Clark

January 7th, 2020 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

4:20pm: The Rockets have officially waived Clark, the team announced today in a press release.

3:21pm: The Rockets are releasing swingman Gary Clark in advance of today’s salary guarantee deadline, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After emerging as a rotation player during his rookie year with the Rockets in 2018/19, Clark saw his minutes reduced down the stretch last season and hasn’t been a major part of Houston’s game plan in 2019/20. In total, he appeared in 69 games for the Rockets over two seasons, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.3 RPG with a .348/.312/.929 shooting line in 12.4 minutes per contest.

Clark is one of three players on Houston’s roster without a fully guaranteed salary. The team also had to make decisions today on Ben McLemore and Isaiah Hartenstein — it looks for now as if both of those players will hang onto their roster spots.

According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), the Rockets wanted to open up a spot on their 15-man roster to maintain flexibility and consider a handful of options. Bringing back Clark would be one possibility.

As a result of Clark’s release, the Rockets will reduce his cap hit from $1,416,852 to $708,246, the amount of his partial guarantee. The club is right around the tax line and should have an opportunity to sneak below that threshold with a trade, notes Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (via Twitter).

Rockets Notes: Protest, McLemore, Westbrook, Clark

December 7th, 2019 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets have a challenging case to prove now that their protest of Tuesday’s game is official, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Houston must provide “clear evidence” that the outcome in San Antonio was affected by a James Harden dunk that was disallowed. Stein calls it a “high bar” to convince the league that a single basket with 7:50 left to play would have made the difference between winning and losing (Twitter link).

Harden scored on a breakaway that would have given Houston a 104-89 lead, but he dunked the ball so hard that it popped in front of the rim after going through the hoop, leading to confusion over whether it was a made shot. Officials disallowed the basket and refused to let Mike D’Antoni use a coach’s challenge because a 30-second time limit had expired. The Rockets lost in double overtime.

The team has five days to submit evidence after filing the protest, then commissioner Adam Silver has five days to issue a ruling, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). The Rockets also had to pay a $10K protest fee that will be refunded if they are successful, notes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

There’s more from Houston:

Ben McLemore has been effective as a starter, but he appears headed back to the bench now that Danuel House is healthier, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. McLemore has performed far better in the starting lineup, including a season-high 28 points Thursday night in Toronto, but D’Antoni prefers the defense and versatility that House brings. “He plays hard and he’s coachable,” D’Antoni said of McLemore, who is in his first season with the team. “He does have a nice shot. He needs confidence. He needs to play. He needs to feel wanted. Hopefully, he will continue to get better.”
Management isn’t concerned over Russell Westbrook‘s inconsistent play so far, states Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Westbrook’s shot has been misfiring and his win shares are at a career-low 0.7, but he has multiple dislocated fingers and is still being managed for knee pain. The team isn’t expecting Westbrook to fully be himself until after the All-Star break.
Gary Clark‘s surprising contributions at the start of last season were part of the reason the club moved on from Carmelo Anthony, but the second-year forward hasn’t been able to carve out a regular role, Iko adds in the same piece. Between Clark’s poor shooting and the Rockets’ deep rotation, it appears he’ll have to wait his turn for regular minutes, even though D’Antoni likes what he brings to the team.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/21/19

November 21st, 2019 at 8:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Wizards assigned Isaac Bonga, Admiral Schofield, and Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, the team announces on its Twitter feed. Bonga was recalled later today, as the team only sent him down for practice.
The Raptors are sending Dewan Hernandez back to the Raptors 905, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. Hernandez saw action with the NBA club on Wednesday.
The Thunder have recalled Justin Patton from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s website relays. Patton has played six minutes for the Thunder this season.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Derrick Walton Jr. to the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team announces. Kabengele was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2019 draft (selected by Brooklyn and traded to Los Angeles).
The Jazz have recalled Miye Oni and Nigel Williams-Goss from the Salt Lake City Stars, per the team’s Twitter feed. Oni has seen action in four G League games this season while Williams-Goss has played in two games.
The Rockets recalled Gary Clark from the Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Clark should see playing time this weekend with the Rockets facing a back-to-back and Danuel House likely to be sidelined.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/20/2019

November 20th, 2019 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Wizards recalled Admiral Schofield and Justin Robinson from their Capital City affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
The Nuggets assigned Jarred Vanderbilt to Rio Grande Valley, the team tweeted. Denver doesn’t have a direct G League affiliate.
The Raptors sent Malcolm Miller to Raptors 905, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. The assignment was optional, but Miller accepted it for the chance to get more playing time.
In leftover moves from Tuesday, the Sixers assigned Shake Milton to Delaware and the Rockets sent Gary Clark to Rio Grande Valley, according to the G League website.