James Ennis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Selby, Barbosa, Heat

January 7th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

While most of today’s attention has been focused stateside due to the guarantee date deadline, here are some recent moves that have occurred outside the United States:

Former Grizzlies point guard Josh Selby has signed with Croatia’s Cedevita Zagreb, according to the team (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Selby, who was sent to the Cavs in last January’s Marreese Speights trade, also played in China earlier this season.
Although the Suns agreed to sign Leandro Barbosa to a 10-day contract on Sunday, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweets that the signing is being held up by FIBA clearances. Barbosa was in the stands for tonight’s game against the Bulls.
With Roger Mason‘s contract becoming fully guaranteed today, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweeted that the Heat‘s second-round pick, James Ennis will likely stay in Australia for the remainder of this NBA season.
Jamaal Tinsley is considering signing overseas, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). Tinsley last played for the Jazz, but was waived in November.

Zach Links and Luke Adams contributed to this post.

International Notes: Nogueira, English, Ennis

August 12th, 2013 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Today's international news and rumors deal with a pair of former NBA players and a pair of 2013 draft picks. Here's the latest on the notable names from around the globe:

Hawks first-rounder Lucas Nogueira will play for Spain's Asefa Estudiantes Madrid for the 2013/14 season, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 16th overall pick will almost certainly be the highest pick from this year's draft to spend next season overseas — 28th overall pick Livio Jean-Charles looks like he'll be the only other first-rounder heading to Europe.
According to a La Gazzetta dello Sport report, passed along by Sportando, Italian club Virtus Roma has interest in Kim English. English was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Pistons, but was released earlier this offseason.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida writes that the Heat were hoping that James Ennis would join the club's D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. However, Miami didn't want to sign Ennis and have him taking up one of the Heat's 15 roster spots for 2013/14, so Ennis would have only made about $25K if he'd joined the Skyforce — he opted for a more lucrative contract in Australia instead.
Ukrainian club BC Budivelnyk has officially signed Blake Ahearn, who has played for the Heat, Spurs, and Jazz, and spent last fall in camp with the Pacers (hat tip to Sportando, via Twitter).

Odds & Ends: Pekovic, Paul, Ennis, Knicks

August 9th, 2013 at 11:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA teams hit the hardwood again in October, but some of the news tonight concerns courts of a different nature. Cuttino Mobley dropped his lawsuit against the parent company of the Knicks in the hopes that doing so will make it easier for him to play again in the NBA, while lawyers for the former owners of the Kings have allegedly funded an effort to stymie Sacramento's arena plans. While we await more on those legal matters, here's the latest from around the NBA:

The Wolves and Nikola Pekovic's camp are making progress toward a deal, president of basketball ops Flip Saunders tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
Four NBA teams invited undrafted Illinois shooting guard Brandon Paul to camp, but he's signing to play in Russia instead, Paul reveals via Twitter (hat tip to Zgoda). Paul doesn't say which Russian team he's joining.
Scott Nichols, the agent for James Ennis, tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that there's a good chance the Heat will sign his client at some point this season, allowing him to invoke the opt-out clause in his contract with an Australian club. Ennis turned down "a lot more money" from Russia's BC Nizhny Novgorod and "a little more" from France's Nantere to sign with the Perth Wildcats, Nichols says to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida. A team from Germany also made a lucrative offer, according to Charania.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com chatted with readers today, dishing on possibilities for the final spot on the Knicks 15-man roster, and passing along word from a source that Jeremy Tyler's two-year deal makes it less likely that the team will sign Ivan Johnson.

James Ennis Signs To Play In Australia

August 9th, 2013 at 8:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's seemed likely for the past few days that 50th overall pick James Ennis would wind up overseas rather than with the Heat this season, and now that indeed appears to be the case. The Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League have announced on their website that they've signed the former Long Beach State small forward. The deal includes an NBA out for this season if an opportunity with the Heat arises, though Ennis almost certainly won't be playing stateside this season, barring a trade or a rash of injuries for Miami.

The Hawks originally drafted Ennis, but traded his rights to the Heat on draft night in exchange for a future second-round pick. Miami's 2017 second-rounder will go to Atlanta, unless it falls between 31st and 40th overall, according to RealGM.com. If it does, the Hawks get the Heat's 2018 second-rounder.

Ennis, 23, has a 6'11.5" wingspan despite his 6'7" height, as DraftExpress.com shows. He averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in a breakout senior year this past season in college. Ennis backed it up last month with a 12.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG effort in seven summer league contests with the Heat.

The Heat will retain the NBA rights to Ennis in perpetuity until they bring him to camp, trade him, or renounce those rights. The Scott Nichols client had offers from France and Russia, but the NBA out for this season prompted him to sign with Perth, his agent tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). If Ennis does sign with the Heat this season, he'll still receive the full value of his Australian contract, Nichols says to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Twitter link).

James Ennis Likely Heading Overseas

August 5th, 2013 at 6:35pm CST by Spencer Lund

On draft night the Hawks sent the 50th pick, James Ennis, to the Heat in exchange for a future second rounder. Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson reports that Ennis' agent, Scott Nichols, has informed the Heat he is making phone calls overseas on Ennis' behalf.

No final decision on Ennis' future with the team will come until the end of the week when Nichols speaks to Heat president Pat Riley about the situation, but it looks highly unlikely Ennis will suit up for the Heat this coming season. If Ennis plays overseas, the Heat maintain his rights; if Ennis goes to training camp in the fall, they either have to sign him, or waive him.

Nichols tells Tomasson he's spoken with teams in France, Russia, Australia, Italy and Germany about the 6'7" swingman out of Long Beach State. But Ennis' agent was adamant that because the Heat have so many wings who are free agents next summer (Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and James Jones), Ennis will "definitely" be playing for the Heat in the 2014/15 season.

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel agreed that the glut of wings on the Heat probably led to the decision (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to avoid paying more in luxury taxes, and they're hopeful they can convince any remaining free agents–like their recent interest in point guard Sebastian Telfair–to take the minimum.

Heat To Acquire James Ennis

June 27th, 2013 at 11:19pm CST by Luke Adams

11:19pm: A future second-round pick will be sent to Atlanta in the deal, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.

11:12pm: The Heat have agreed to acquire 50th overall pick James Ennis from the Hawks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski doesn't include the details of what Atlanta gets in the deal, but I'd assume it will be cash.

You can check out the full results of tonight's draft right here.

Draft Notes: Cavs, Pistons, Thunder, Blazers

June 19th, 2013 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2013 NBA draft just eight days away, various outlets continue to update their mock drafts, with Chris Mannix of SI.com and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com the latest experts to provide new versions of their respective mocks. Mannix and Givony actually agree on the top four – Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Otto Porter, and Alex Len, respectively – but starting at No. 5, their first rounds diverge significantly. Here are more of today's draft-related updates:

Mannix's latest mock draft includes a number of interesting tidbits, including word that the Cavaliers continue to shop the first overall pick, but "have completely overvalued it," according to one executive.
We already passed along one notable update from Chad Ford's latest chat at ESPN.com, but the entire chat was full of interesting answers, as Ford addressed nearly every first-round pick.
C.J. McCollum and Michael Carter-Williams worked out with the Pistons today, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
If Carter-Williams falls to No. 12, he'd be an ideal fit for the Thunder, says David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider-only link).
The Trail Blazers worked out Mason Plumlee, Archie Goodwin, Myck Kabongo, Phil Pressey, E.J. Singler, and Dewayne Dedmon today, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies, who hold three second-round picks, will work out Erick Green, Elias Harris, Brandon Davies, Jason Jones, D.J. Stephens, and Mareks Mejeris tomorrow, the team announced in a release.
James Ennis was among the players who worked out for the Clippers today, according to the team's official site.

Draft Workout Updates: Friday

June 14th, 2013 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2013 draft less than two weeks away, the majority of the NBA's teams are continuing to bring in prospects to get a closer look at them. Here are the latest updates on draft workouts:

In addition to Michael Carter-Williams, who we heard about yesterday, Trey Burke and Alex Len also participated in the Pelicans' first draft workout today, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com.
The Pistons won't start working out players for the No. 8 pick until next week, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that Mason Plumlee will work out for the club next Friday.
The six players scheduled to work out for the Nets on Monday include C.J. Leslie and Tony Mitchell, according to a team release.
Ray McCallum, Brandon Paul, Tony Snell, Nate Wolters, Jack Cooley, and Zeke Marshall worked out for the Trail Blazers today, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves will work out six players on Sunday, according to the team's PR Twitter account: Shabazz Muhammad, Archie Goodwin, Rodney Williams, James Ennis, Kyle Barone, and Jamelle Hagins (Twitter links).
Brandon Davies, Mike Muscala, Elijah Johnson, B.J. Young, Grant Jerrett, and Colton Iverson worked out for the Clippers today, tweets Clips reporter Madelyn Burke.
Jerrett and Davies are also among the players who will work out for the Jazz tomorrow, along with Snell, Gorgui Dieng, Jamaal Franklin, Isaiah Canaan, and Kelly Olynyk, among others (link via Utah's official site).

Draft Notes: Blazers, Nets, Hawks, Pacers

June 12th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes regarding draft prospects and the various teams they're meeting with throughout the league.

Maryland center Alex Len reportedly worked out with the Trail Blazers last week, reports OregonLive.com's Sean Meagher. Standing seven feet tall, Len would provide Portland with stabilizing rim protection, something they sorely lacked last season.
The Nets worked out several wing players who've shined at making plays off the dribble, including Reggie Bullock, Tony Snell, and Archie Goodwin, according to the New York Post's Fred Kerber.
The Hawks are set to work out St. Joseph's C.J. Aiken, a 6'9" forward who's already worked out for several NBA teams and is projected to go undrafted, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tyler Tynes.
According to an official release from the team, the Pacers will hold a work out for Iowa State's Will Clyburn, Virginia Commonwealth's Troy Daniels, North Carolina State's C.J. Leslie, Missouri's Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse's James Southerland, and Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas.
The Bucks will work out Tony Mitchell, James Ennis, Solomon Hill, Adonis Thomas, Trey McKinney Jones, and Steven Pledger, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.
The Timberwolves are scheduled to work out six players on Thursday, according to a tweet from the team's PR account.

Draft Notes: McLemore, Magic, Saric, Bennett

June 5th, 2013 at 7:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Mannix of SI.com hands out his draft superlatives, with an assist from scouts and executives. Anthony Bennett has the greatest superstar potential, Mannix writes, while Victor Oladipo could be the most resounding bust. It'll be a while before we can definitively say whether Mannix was correct on either account, but much more becomes clear with each passing day until June 27th. After passing along the latest this morning, we'll follow with with an evening draft roundup:

Ben McLemore has reportedly slipped behind Victor Oladipo in the eyes of the Magic, but Orlando will have McLemore in for a workout June 11th, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. (Twitter links). Keith Clanton, Erik Murphy, Michael Snaer and Kenny Boynton, all products of Florida colleges, are auditioning for the Magic either today or tomorrow, Robbins adds.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com chatted with readers, revealing that top-level scouts believe Dario Saric to be on par with Otto Porter and that the Wizards and Bobcats are especially high on Anthony Bennett.
Korie Lucious worked out for the Bucks today and did so for the Pistons earlier this week, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. D.J. Stephens, another participant in today's Bucks workout, has also drawn interest from the Pistons and Grizzlies.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News had the news on six players working out for the Jazz today, and he tweets word of six more set to hit Utah on Thursday: Glen Rice Jr.,Vander Blue, Jack Cooley, Solomon Hill, Pierre Jackson and Trevor Mbakwe.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic adds second-round hopefuls E.J. Singler and Jared Berggren to the list of players who worked out for the Suns today (Twitter link).
B.J. Young, Brandon Paul, Reggie Bullock, Romero Osby, Kenny Kadji and James Ennis are among the prospects working out Thursday for the Knicks, the team announced via Twitter.
Ennis, Steven Adams, Rudy Gobert, Mike Muscala, Cody Zeller, Jeff Withey, Shabazz Muhammad, Rodney Williams, Reggie Bullock, Kelly Olynyk and Tony Snell will all audition for Minnesota in the coming weeks, Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders tweets. He also lists "Thomas," likely in reference to Deshaun Thomas or Adonis Thomas.
The Wizards announced they'll put Deshaun Thomas, Keion Bell, Laurence Bowers, D.J. Seeley, James Southerland and Khalif Wyatt through a workout tomorrow.