James Southerland Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Salmons, Bobcats

December 12th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks were bent on injecting youth into their team, and they brought Josh Powell and Ike Diogu to camp with no intention of retaining them for opening night, no matter how well the two veterans played in preseason, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. For now, New York seems engaged in a pursuit of Kyle Lowry as it tries to unload Raymond Felton, who made Ben Golliver of SI.com‘s “All-Atrocious Team.” Here’s more from around the league:

New Raptors small forward John Salmons is a “prime candidate” to be dealt again before the trade deadline, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, pointing to his de-facto expiring contract. No Raptors appear off-limits for a trade.
The Bobcats released James Southerland on Wednesday, but not because the organization was disappointed with him, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “He was brought in as a developmental player. We like him a lot,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Nothing he did he could have done better. We just needed someone more ready to play.” Charlotte signed veteran Chris Douglas-Roberts to replace Southerland.
Pau Gasol hinted that there’s a chance he could sign an extension with the Lakers, during his recent interview with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The possibility of an in-season agreement has seemed like a long shot.
A Prim Capital investor was found guilty of obstructing a grand jury investigation into the firm’s ties to the players union, reports Nate Raymond of Reuters. The son of former union executive director Billy Hunter has served as a Prim executive.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports profiles freelance trainer Rob McClanaghan, who works with some of the NBA’s top players and has exerted influence on front office decision-making.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports examines several free agents and D-Leaguers who could be on the radar of NBA teams in a piece for the Score, calling Drew Gooden perhaps the most talented among available big men. Deeks looked at guards on Wednesday.

Bobcats Waive James Southerland

December 11th, 2013 at 11:12am CST by Chuck Myron

11:12am: The Bobcats have officially announced the move, via press release.

10:19am: Bobcats coach Steve Clifford has confirmed that the team will sign Douglas-Roberts and waive Southerland, Bonnell tweets.

8:33am: The Bobcats are set to add Chris Douglas-Roberts, and with a full 15-man roster, that means someone must go to accommodate the signing. Rookie small forward James Southerland will be the victim of the numbers crunch, as the Bobcats will waive him, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Southerland signed with Charlotte after he went undrafted out of Syracuse this past June. He made the team out of camp on his non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary, but he’s barely seen any playing time in the regular season, appearing for just three minutes in a single game on November 29th. He hasn’t gone on a D-League assignment either, meaning he’s simply been stuck on the bench.

The Bobcats were likely looking for depth at small forward, where Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeff Taylor are both hurt, and apparently prefer a more experienced hand in Douglas-Roberts. Southerland is the most obvious choice to be cut, since power forward Jeff Adrien, the only other Charlotte player on a non-guaranteed contract, is part of the rotation. Jannero Pargo had been on a partially guaranteed deal that was essentially non-guaranteed, but it became fully guaranteed when the Bobcats failed to waive him yesterday.

Bobcats Sign James Southerland

September 5th, 2013 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links

SEPTEMBER 5TH: The Bobcats have officially announced the signing of Southerland in a press release.

AUGUST 24TH: James Southerland has accepted a training camp invitation from the Bobcats, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Southerland went undrafted in June despite interest from a number of clubs.

The Spurs were amongst the teams interested in the 6'8" sharpshooter and they considered taking him with the 58th overall selection. San Antonio asked Southerland if he'd play overseas if they grabbed him, but he declined. He'll now try to find an NBA home with his late invite to camp with the Bobcats, though Bonnell notes that nothing is signed yet.

The Syracuse forward had an impressive 39.8% success rate from beyond the arc in his final college season. He also averaged career highs in points (13.3 PPG) and rebounds (5.2 RPG).

Odds & Ends: Morrow, Ellis, Rivers, Collison

July 7th, 2013 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's tonight's look around the Association..

The Grizzlies, Warriors, and Bobcats are the latest teams to show interest in Anthony Morrow, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Rockets, and Knicks have all reached out as well.
Nothing is imminent at this point between the Hawks and Monta Ellis, but the two sides are engaged in talks, Kennedy tweets.
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck took a shot at former coach Doc Rivers, telling Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that "Doc left us, period." Still, Grousbeck is confident his team can rebuild, as Bulpett observes in a separate piece.
Many around the league are surprised that the Clippers were able to snag Darren Collison for a starting salary of just $1.9MM, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets.
The Spurs called 6'8" sharpshooter James Southerland to see if he would consider playing overseas next season if they took him with the 58th pick in last month's draft. Southerland turned down the offer and went undrafted, and is trying to prove himself with the Sixers and Warriors in summer league, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Josh Smith's agreement with the Pistons shatters the notion that marquee free agents won't come to Detroit, observes MLive's David Mayo, who examines how Smith fits on the team and what moves might be next for Joe Dumars and company.

Draft Rumors: Saturday

June 22nd, 2013 at 3:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors don't have a pick in either round, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears they're trying to acquire a second-rounder, if not a first-round choice, by draft time (Twitter link). That echoes comments that GM Masai Ujiri made in interviews last week indicating his desire to trade for a pick, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun points out via Twitter. There are sure to be more rumors about teams exchanging picks in the coming days as one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory approaches. Here's more:

The Blazers posted profiles of today's workout participants on the team website, though Peyton Siva, the first player on the list, sprained an ankle before the audition and didn't take part, as fellow prospect Mike Muscala tells The Oregonian's Joe Freeman (Twitter link). Muscala, Elijah Johnson, Michael Snaer, Chris Evans and Jackie Carmichael were the others in for the workout.
Siva will consult his agent about whether to pull out of his final two scheduled workouts, for the Pacers and Clippers, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link).
Muscala will fly to Cleveland, ostensibly to work out for the Cavs, according to his Twitter feed (hat tip to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune).
C.J. Aiken was scheduled to work out Monday for the Sixers, but he'll instead be doing so for the Pistons that day, agent Stephen Pina tells Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com. It will be Aiken's second audition for Detroit.
The Celtics will work out big men Kelly Olynyk and Lucas Nogueira next week, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Carrick Felix set a conditioning run record at a Suns workout today that also included Reggie Bullock, Solomon Hill, James Southerland, Brandon Triche and Elias Harris, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (All Twitter links).
Brandon Paul has worked out for 14 teams, as he details to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Odds & Ends: Hawks, Iguodala, Pistons, Gallinari

June 14th, 2013 at 11:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com doesn't think the Hawks will have much trouble if they want to trade Lou Williams to free up more cap space in the pursuit of two max free agents this summer. He also believes the team wouldn't hesitate to pull off other moves necessary to clear room (Twitter links). If the Hawks renounce all their cap holds and keep their pair of first-round picks, they'd be about $1.9MM shy of the cap space necessary to sign Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, providing next season's salary cap checks in at the projected $58.5MM. The Hawks might not be at the top of likely destinations for the rumored D12-CP3 pairing, but it appears that won't stop them from trying. With half a month to go until teams and free agents can start lining up agreements, here's more from around the Association:

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who broke the news that Andre Iguodala will opt out and become a free agent, listed Detroit as a likely suitor, and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press echoes that sentiment, writing that the Pistons like the veteran small forward.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke cited Danilo Gallinari's lengthy recovery from a torn ACL when he explained the team's decision to let go of George Karl, but now it appears Gallinari could be back in December, not February, as Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports.
Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman makes a compelling case that the Thunder should trade the 12th pick in the draft to the Hawks for the 17th and 18th selections. Part of the financial side of the argument is based on Mayberry's expectation that OKC won't re-sign Kevin Martin and won't look to replace him via free agency.
Mark Singelais of the Albany Times Union profiles Siena forward O.D. Anosike, a second-round hopeful who joined Tim Hardaway Jr., Glen Rice Jr., Jackie Carmichael and others in a group workout Thursday for the Celtics.
MLive's David Mayo passes along a list of players who worked out for the Pistons this week: Andre Roberson, Robert Covington, James Southerland, Adonis Thomas, Mareks Mejeris, A'uston Calhoun, Nick Minnerath and Kwame Vaughn.
Small-market owners may have been the prime movers behind the latest CBA, but they're still hamstrung by unbalanced local TV revenues. That could lead to another work stoppage and watered-down rosters across the league, ESPN's J.A. Adande argues.

Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd

June 13th, 2013 at 9:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):

"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."

Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.

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 Workout Updates: Thursday

June 6th, 2013 at 9:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We're now just three weeks away from the 2013 draft, so teams are busy bringing in prospects to meet with them and work them out, while we do our best to keep tabs on as many of those workouts as we can. Here's the latest:

Tom Housenick of The Morning Call reported that C.J. McCollum will visit Portland at some point for a workout before June 20th.
Chris Haynes of CSNNW tweets that Trevor Mbakwe will visit the Trail Blazers tomorrow.
The Kings released a list of players who have worked out for them via their team website, noting that guards Will Cherry, Travis Releford, Brandon Triche, forward Chris Evans, and centers Rudy Gobert and Aziz N'Diaye took part in workouts this past Monday. Former Michigan star Trey Burke is scheduled to come in tomorrow.
The Wizards plan to bring in C.J. Aiken, Junior Cadougan, Ella Ellis, Lamont Jones, A.J. Matthews, and Mike Muscala in for Friday workouts, as per the team's official website.
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweets that Steven Adams, Jack Cooley, Richard Howell, Kenny Kadji, Dennis Schroeder, and Peyton Siva are all scheduled for a pre-draft workout with the Jazz on Friday.

Earlier updates:

Mason Plumlee, Shabazz Muhammad, Kelly Olynyk, Norvel Pelle, and Scott Wood worked out for the Sixers today, tweets Tyler R. Tynes of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Plumlee will also work out for the Trail Blazers on June 19th and for the Pistons on June 21st, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that Otto Porter will work out for the Wizards on June 14th.
The Timberwolves expect to bring in C.J. McCollum for a workout, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Working out for the Suns today, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter): McCollum, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Shane Larkin, Zeke Marshall, and Korie Lucious.
Gorgui Dieng's agent confirms that his client will work out for both the Nets and Knicks, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com details.
The Grizzlies announced in a press release that James Southerland, Will Clyburn, B.J. Young, Dewayne Dedmon, Colton Iverson, and Sherwood Brown will work out for the club tomorrow.
The Knicks will work out the following prospects tomorrow, per the team's Twitter feed: Ricky Ledo, Tahj Tate, Adonis Thomas, Christian Watford, Tony Mitchell, and Grant Jerrett.
Jeff Withey worked out for the Bulls yesterday, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter).

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.