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Gilbert Arenas To Sign With Shanghai Sharks?

November 9th, 2012 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 10:20am: Arenas has reached an agreement to sign with the Shanghai Sharks, according to a 361 Sport report out of China (translation via HoopsHype). The deal will reportedly be for one year with an additional one-year option. It's worth noting again that Arenas was previously said to have reached an agreement with the Guangdong Southern Tigers, which fell through, so nothing is official until Arenas and the Sharks sign on the dotted line and formally announce the deal.

TUESDAY, 8:30am: Arenas was seen at the Sharks' facilities, practicing with the team, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Shanghai is already carrying two import players, the maximum allowed, so Carchia speculates that Elijah Millsap could be released to clear a spot for Arenas, if the team decides to sign him.

MONDAY, 8:58am: Nearly two weeks ago, it was reported that Gilbert Arenas had agreed to a deal with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. However, since then, the agreement between the two sides appears to have fallen apart. Guangdong added Terrence Williams, and while the team still seemed open to signing Arenas, the former NBA All-Star was reportedly required to travel to China for a tryout.

With nothing finalized between Guangdong and Arenas, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that Arenas may be exploring other options in China. According to Stein (Twitter links), the 30-year-old is now auditioning for the Shanghai Sharks, a CBA team owned by Yao Ming. When Arenas first agreed to play for Guangdong, Stein reported that the veteran guard had also been in talks with Shanghai, so there appears to be some level of mutual interest.

While Arenas didn't make much of an impact last season with the Grizzlies, reports this summer suggested that he's in good shape and is fully healthy. Signing in China would allow Arenas the opportunity to return to the NBA late in the season if he impresses overseas, since the CBA regular season ends in March.

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Terrence Williams Signs In China

November 2nd, 2012 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 8:53am: Williams has signed with Guangdong, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that a few NBA teams expressed interest in the 25-year-old, but wanted him to play in the D-League. As Kennedy notes, Williams could return to the NBA after the CBA's season ends in March (Twitter link).

It's not clear how Williams' agreement with Guangdong will affect Gilbert Arenas, who reportedly headed to China to try out with the team earlier this week. There were rumblings that Guangdong was looking to sign another NBA player instead of Arenas, so Williams could be that guy. It's also possible that both players will join the team.

THURSDAY, 10:31pm: Free agent guard Terrence Williams has agreed to sign a one-year deal with Guangdong in China, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Williams was waived last week by the Pistons along with Jonny Flynn.

The 25-year-old didn't have a great chance of hooking on with Detroit as they already had 15 guaranteed contracts, but he did have a big fan in coach Lawrence Frank, who he played for in New Jersey.  The former lottery pick was praised for his athleticism and versatility heading into the 2009 draft but never got his footing in the NBA.  Williams has averaged 7.6 PPG across three seasons in the NBA.

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Deal Between Arenas, Chinese Team In Jeopardy

October 31st, 2012 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 31ST, 8:27am: According to Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com, another hang-up in talks between Arenas and Guangdong is the team's desire to have him undergo a tryout before officially committing to anything. It appears Arenas may be open to trying out for the team, as he wrote on his Weibo blog: "Packed and ready to go to China! Can’t wait to meet my coaches and teammates and reunite with my buddy Yi for a Championship run." Based on the reports to date, I'd guess nothing is quite finalized quite yet, with Arenas hoping to nail down the agreement in person.

OCTOBER 30TH, 6:52pm: The deal between Guangdong and Arenas is falling apart amid disagreements over a payment schedule and the team's concerns about the guard's fitness level, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Guangdong has begun to search for another former NBA guard to replace Arenas, Wojnarowski adds.

OCTOBER 24TH, 8:33am: Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com passes along a Chinese report, noting that Guangdong GM Liu Hongjiang has said a deal hasn't been officially reached with Arenas yet. There are still some details to be worked out, and a contract likely won't be finalized until the CBA preseason.

OCTOBER 22ND, 1:59pm: Arenas had been in talks with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks but appears to have opted to sign with Guangdong instead, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

12:34pm: A week after Tracy McGrady officially signed with the Qingdao Double Star Eagles, it appears another former NBA All-Star may be heading to China too. Gilbert Arenas is closing in on a one-year contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

We heard less than a month ago that Arenas was considering playing in China or another country overseas, though he was prioritizing an NBA job. As Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote in late September, Arenas still had some time to seek out NBA offers and then perhaps weigh his options in the CBA or other professional leagues — three and a half weeks later and still without an NBA contract, the veteran guard seems to be getting more serious about China.

While Arenas didn't make much of an impact in Memphis, reports this offseason have suggested that the 30-year-old is in good shape and is fully healthy. Signing in China would also allow Arenas the opportunity to return to the NBA late in the season, if he impresses overseas, since the CBA regular season ends in March.

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Kennedy On Veterans, Cousins

October 9th, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier Tuesday, Tracy McGrady signed a deal to play in China. With that in mind, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy takes a look at several veteran players remaining on the market in his latest column:

  • Josh Howard, Michael Redd, and Leandro Barbosa are two wing players Kennedy points to as among the best available on the market.
  • Several veteran players, including Mickael Pietrus and Kenyon Martin, are unwilling to sign contracts at the veteran's minimum and are holding out for more money, Kennedy says.
  • Derek Fisher has been working out with the Lakers recently, but Kennedy points out that he cannot re-sign there until March, after one year has passed since he was traded to the Rockets and waived.
  • Kennedy suggests that Gilbert Arenas, who appeared in 17 games for the Grizzlies last season, may consider playing in China like McGrady if he cannot find a deal in the NBA.
  • Also in his column, Kennedy looks at the leadership role third-year center DeMarcus Cousins has been taking on with the Kings in training camp.
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Gilbert Arenas Considering Playing In China

September 28th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Gilbert Arenas would love to secure a camp invite from the Lakers or Clippers, but without an offer from either of the Los Angeles club, or any other NBA teams, Arenas is contemplating signing in China, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. While he's holding out hope that the Lakers or Clippers, his preferred destinations, come to him with an offer, the 30-year-old has begun to assess his non-NBA options, with China atop the list, according to Stein.

Because the Chinese Basketball Association season doesn't get underway until October, Arenas still has some time to seek out NBA offers and then perhaps weigh his options in the CBA or other professional leagues. Signing in China would also allow Arenas the opportunity to return to the NBA late in the season, if he impresses overseas, since the CBA regular season ends in March.

After being amnestied by the Magic last December, Arenas sat out most of the 2011/12 season before signing with the Grizzlies late in the year. He didn't make much of an impact in Memphis, but reports this offseason have suggested that the three-time All-Star is in good shape and is fully healthy.

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Unsigned Amnesty Victims

August 17th, 2012 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

As Hoops Rumors' amnesty tracker shows, exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used their amnesty provisions to release a player and eliminate his contract from their books. These teams are still paying the players' salaries, but don't take a cap or tax hit for the contracts.

Many of 2011's and 2012's amnesty victims quickly found other NBA homes, with many of this summer's amnestied players not even clearing waivers before they were snatched up. But for every Luis Scola or Elton Brand, there's a player who has yet to catch on with another NBA club. Most of the following players are still receiving pay checks from their old teams, but are available to be signed as free agents. Here's the latest on them:

  • Baron Davis: Entering the final year of his old contract with the Cavaliers, Davis is unlikely to sign anytime soon, since he's still recovering from the torn MCL/ACL he suffered in May. However, Davis would like to return before the end of the 2012/13 season if possible, and it sounds like the Knicks would be his first choice.
  • Ryan Gomes: Our rumors page for Gomes is empty since he was amnestied by the Clippers, which doesn't necessarily bode well for his chances of signing somewhere for the coming season. Still, I expect him to at least get a training camp invite from a team, and even if he doesn't, he'll earn $4MM this season from the Clips.
  • Gilbert Arenas: A 2011 cut, Arenas managed to catch on with the Grizzlies for part of last season, but didn't blow anyone away with his performance in Memphis. Based on recent reports, the former 20+ PPG scorer is "slimmed down and fully healthy," which could make him a worthwhile risk at the veteran's minimum.
  • Chris Andersen: It seems that the former Nugget is at least drawing interest, with one report suggesting that he's received offers up to $5MM per year. I think if he truly had even a one-year offer worth $5MM, he would've accepted it yesterday, but the Birdman still looks like a good bet to find a bench spot somewhere.
  • Josh Childress: The Wizards were said to be one of a handful of teams with a little interest in Childress, but based on his horrid 2011/12 season in Phoenix, anything more than a minimum salary for the former sixth overall pick seems unlikely. With three years and $21MM still remaining on his Suns deal, Childress is under no pressure to accept the first offer he gets.
  • Darko Milicic: While spending a year overseas could make some sense for Darko, it appears it's not an option he's considering, based on comments made by his agent. The Heat, Nets, Bulls, and Clippers were said to be interested shortly after he was amnestied, but at least two of those teams have signed other big men since then, so Darko's options may be dwindling.
  • Andray Blatche: Blatche reportedly received at least exploratory interest from the Spurs and Heat, but I wonder if the young forward would prefer to try to rebuild his value on a non-contender that would give him more playing time. Given Blatche's upside, I imagine there are teams willing to take a flier on him.
  • James Posey / Charlie Bell: Both Posey and Bell had just one year left on their deals when they were released in December by the Pacers and Warriors respectively, and neither player has signed an NBA deal since. Bell played overseas this year, and neither Posey or Bell has announced his retirement, as far as I know, but it doesn't seem like an NBA return is in the cards for either player.
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Kennedy On McGrady, Martin, O’Neal, Arenas

August 8th, 2012 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

It wasn't long ago that we heard the Bulls had some interest in signing Tracy McGrady, but that possibility no longer appears realistic. After signing first-round pick Marquis Teague, the Bulls are only about $758K under their hard cap line, meaning a veteran's minimum contract for McGrady wouldn't fit unless the team traded another player. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld confirms that the two sides are no longer talking, and says McGrady will continue weighing his options in hopes of joining a contender. Here are a few more updates from Kennedy on some unsigned veterans:

  • Kenyon Martin is talking with several teams, and while he doesn't want to sign for the veteran's minimum, he may end up having no choice, says Kennedy.
  • Jermaine O'Neal says "winning a championship is the only goal," and would like to join a contending team on a minimum-salary deal. The Lakers, Bucks, and Suns have watched him work out.
  • Sources close to Gilbert Arenas say that he's slimmed down and is fully healthy as he searches for an NBA contract.
  • Ben Wallace still hasn't made up his mind about whether to retire or return to the Pistons for one more year. A decision is expected within the next few weeks.
  • There's no timetable on Josh Howard's free agent decision, but it sounds like he's close to picking a destination. We heard last week that Howard had narrowed his options to five teams.
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Odds & Ends: Smith, Olympics, Anthony

April 11th, 2012 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Two of the nation's top high school prospects, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad, have been creating some buzz in the college basketball world regarding which schools they will commit to respectively for the 2012-13 season. While Muhammad announced that he will choose UCLA, Jeff Goodman of CBS tweets that Noel has chosen Kentucky over Syracuse and Georgetown. ESPN's Chad Ford provides a look at who could possibly headline the 2013 NBA Draft (Insider link), and Noel and Shabazz top the list. With that aside, we'll keep tabs of this evening's other noteworthy stories here:
  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel took some time to shed some light on Magic guard Ishmael Smith after his standout performance against the Pistons on Monday. In a separate piece, Schmitz outlines the uphill battle Orlando faces as they look to clinch a playoff spot. Six of their last eight games are against above-.500 teams, and four of those games are on the road. 
  • If Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade could have things their way, players on the USA basketball team would be compensated for their participation in the Olympics. While Allen sees it as a matter of opportunity cost, Wade focused more on the jersey sales and summer commitment aspect of it (Scott Gleeson of USA Today reports). According to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, Team USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo responded to their comments, saying: "It’s never been discussed and it’s not even feasible in the reality of economics."  
  • Jim Cavan of the New York Times examines the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after being moved to the power forward slot as well as the role it has played in the Knicks' recent success. If New York can hang onto a playoff spot and Amare Stoudemire is cleared to play, it will be interesting to see how Anthony will translate that success at the small forward position with Amare in the lineup. 
  • The Kings team owners will make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in New York that the plan to finance a new arena in Sacramento needs more negotiating, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. 
  • Gilbert Arenas tells J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today that he is happy to be out of the spotlight in Memphis as he looks to move forward from his troubled past. 
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Odds & Ends: Calipari, Bucks, McGee, Stern

April 3rd, 2012 at 10:05pm CST by Michael Pina
The stars are aligning for current University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari to take the same position with the Knicks, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski believes the newly crowned national champion would have an easier transition now than when he took over the Nets over 10 years ago. 
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Odds & Ends: Turiaf, Arenas, Lakers, Greene

March 26th, 2012 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Let's check in on a few Monday morning odds and ends from around the league….

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