Justin Hamilton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Heat Notes: Deadline, Buyouts, LeBron

February 15th, 2014 at 10:24am CST by Cray Allred

LeBron James was asked about the prospect of signing in Dallas if and when he becomes a free agent, presumably for the Mavs, and gave the tongue-in-cheek answer, “Think the Dallas Cowboys will take me?” per Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Here’s some of the more realistic news out of Miami:

Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel thinks that March 1 could be a more significant deadline for the Heat than the trade deadline on February 20, because that is the last date that players can be waived and remain eligible to play in the postseason. He notes that Chris Andersen was a significant buyout addition for Miami last year, and sees potential fits with NBA buyout candidates like Caron Butler, Chris Kaman, and Ben Gordon, as well as remaining free agents and players overseas.
Winderman cites the Heat’s lack of expendable assets, their history of deadline inactivity during the big-three era, and tax concerns as barriers to any big moves in Miami.
In the same piece, Winderman relays quotes from coach Erik Spoelstra on D-Leaguer Justin Hamilton. Hamilton was named a D-League All-Star while playing on the Heat’s affiliate in Sioux Falls, but Miami no longer holds his NBA rights. Said Spoelstra, “That’s what he needs to do, keep on playing well in the D-League and if it’s with us, great. If it’s somebody else, he just has to keep plugging away.”

Eastern Links: Knicks, Sanders, Cavs, Heat

October 31st, 2013 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to Derrick Rose and the Bulls hosting the Knicks in Chicago tonight, let’s round up a few Eastern Conference notes….

For the Knicks to become a legit title contender, the team has to acquire a second star to complement Carmelo Anthony or hope that Iman Shumpert develops into that second star, writes Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
In his Q&A with Larry Sanders, Grantland’s Zach Lowe spoke to the Bucks big man about his contract extension, the lawsuit filed against his new agency by old reps, and his goals for the coming season.
Dan Gilbert called his team’s signing of Andrew Bynum “a pretty easy decision” shortly before Bynum appeared in a game last night for the first time in more than 17 months. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has a full transcript of Gilbert’s comments.
Heat camp invitees Justin Hamilton, Larry Drew II, and Jarvis Varnado have joined the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
Early returns could indicate whether the Nets‘ star-studded approach will fulfill its promise, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Heat Release Justin Hamilton, Eric Griffin

October 27th, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 11:49am: The Heat have officially announced the moves on their website.

SATURDAY, 5:13pm: Miami has also waived Justin Hamilton, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). The subtraction leaves the Heat with 15 players, and it appears Michael Beasley and Roger Mason, the team’s only other players on non-guaranteed deals, have made the opening-night roster.

9:08am: The Heat have released forward Eric Griffin, a league source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter). Griffin was in summer league and preseason with Miami this year and was said to have impressed.

Miami probably would have liked to keep Griffin, but the club is facing a serious roster crunch with Greg Oden and Michael Beasley filling the final spots on the roster. Releasing Griffin brings the club down to 16 players and Justin Hamilton will probably be the next to go.

The 23-year-old went undrafted out of Campbell in 2012, after averaging 15.7 PPG and 8.6 RPG in his senior year in college. The 6’8″ forward spent last season in Italy, averaging 17.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 28 contests for Fileni BPA Jesi, before earning a spot on the Heat’s Summer League team last month.

Eastern Notes: Iverson, Monroe, Bucks, Heat

October 17th, 2013 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Heat prepare to face the Nets for the first time since Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce headed to Brooklyn, LeBron James discussed the ex-Celtics who were critical of Ray Allen signing with Miami a year ago.

“I think the first thing I thought was ‘Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston and now these guys are leaving Boston,'” James said, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “I think it’s OK, I didn’t mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically (expletive) on Ray for leaving and now they’re leaving. That’s the nature of our business, man. I don’t know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc [Rivers], KG and Paul did that as well. You can’t criticize someone who does something that’s best for their family.”

As we look forward to a preseason matchup that could be an early preview of an Eastern Conference playoff series, let’s round up a few other items from around the East….

Confirming that Allen Iverson will indeed announce his retirement later this month, NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that the former MVP may wind up taking a post-playing job with the Sixers.
Nothing has changed on the Greg Monroe front, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who writes that the Pistons and Monroe are still highly unlikely to reach an agreement on a long-term extension within the next couple weeks.
When it became clear that Brandon Jennings wasn’t interested in re-signing in Milwaukee, the Bucks got what they could for him, and according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a couple of those young players who came over in the deal with the Pistons are looking good so far this fall.
Even with Greg Oden suffering a setback and Chris Andersen dealing with a foot issue, the Heat aren’t likely to keep a player like Justin Hamilton on their roster, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, pointing to Joel Anthony as the club’s insurance policy.

Heat Sign Justin Hamilton

September 10th, 2013 at 5:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 5:06pm: The Heat have offically announced Hamilton's signing in a press release. The release also includes confirmation that Miami has signed Eric Griffin, whose agreement with the team was reported nearly a month ago.

SUNDAY, 11:28am: The Heat will bring Justin Hamilton to training camp, agent J.R. Hensley tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hensley says his client, who's been working out at the Heat's home arena the past few weeks, will ink a deal with the team in the days ahead. The 45th pick in the 2012 draft still isn't participating in any contact drills as he recovers from a hamstring injury that kept him out of summer league.

The signing will force Miami's brass to either keep the former LSU center into the regular season or cut him in training camp and lose his rights. The Heat could keep Hamilton's NBA rights in perpetuity if they elect not to sign him, as they did last year when he played in Europe. With some agents hearing that the Heat plan to carry only the minimum 13 players amid a luxury tax crunch this season, it's somewhat surprising that the team appears to be bringing Hamilton aboard now. Miami already has 13 fully guaranteed contracts.

Hamilton split 2012/13 between BC VEF Riga in Latvia and KK Cibona of Croatia. In all, he averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game. His numbers as a senior at LSU weren't staggering, either, as he put up 12.9 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 30.0 MPG.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Hawks, Heat, Sixers

September 10th, 2013 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

With his free agency potentially less than a year away, LeBron James continues to brush off questions about his future. Most recently, it was ESPN.com's Chris Broussard who asked the Heat superstar about his plans for the summer of 2014.

"I have absolutely no idea," James said. "I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships. That's ideal. But we don't know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That's the nature of the business. It's the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings."

As the reigning MVP continues to focus on the coming season, let's check out a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:

Former Texas-San Antonio guard Chris Allen will work out for the Hawks today, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter).
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel believes 2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton is more likely to start the 2013/14 season with the Heat's D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, rather than with the NBA club.
Sixers second-round pick Arsalan Kazemi may be headed to Iran for the coming season, tweets Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival. That news isn't confirmed yet, and wasn't included in the daily update of our international player movement tracker, but we did hear earlier this summer that the Oregon product was expected to play overseas in 2013/14.

Heat Rumors: Workouts, Beasley, Battier

September 9th, 2013 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

2:01pm: Former Ohio State guard Je'Kel Foster will work out for the Heat as well, reports Charania. As our international tracker shows, Foster played in Germany last season.

1:33pm: In addition to the players mentioned below, the Heat also plan to work out free agents Julyan Stone and Vander Blue this week, according to Winderman.

1:15pm: Word broke over the weekend that the Heat may be considering the possibility of bringing back former second overall pick Michael Beasley, following his release by the Suns. While Miami's apparent level of interest varied from report to report, you can certainly make the case that Beasley would be a low-risk addition on a minimum-salary contract. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel acknowledges as much in his latest mailbag, but notes that the Heat have been reluctant to add other potential off-court distractions such as Stephen Jackson and DeShawn Stevenson, making a reunion with Beasley a long shot.

Here's more on the Heat:

Former Heat swingman Yakhouba Diawara expects to sign a deal with a Eurocup team this week, but will work out for Miami before then, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Pepperdine product has been weighing NBA and overseas options, and will work out for the Magic as well, but is likely to continue his career in Europe. As our international player movement tracker shows, Diaware played for Venezia in Italy in 2012/13.
Justin Holiday, released earlier this offseason by the Sixers, will also work out for the Heat, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Holiday, who is set to work out for the Jazz as well, aims to earn an NBA roster spot, and views an overseas contract as his Plan B, as he tells Haynes. Although he played in the D-League last season, Holiday isn't currently considering that possibility.
Shane Battier will contemplate the possibility of retiring when his current contract expires in 2014, but isn't ruling out free agent opportunities yet, as Winderman details at the Sun Sentinel. "This door is always open," Battier said of continuing his career for multiple years. "This is not a farewell tour, no. But if it is, it is. And I'll enjoy this year and try to make the most of it."
2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton confirmed that he has signed with the Heat, via a tweet. We heard yesterday that Hamilton would be in camp with the team.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Pistons, Pierce, Williams

September 8th, 2013 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

We learned earlier today that the Heat are bringing Justin Hamilton to camp, which wasn't a huge surprise since the former LSU big man has been working out at AmericanAirlines Arena for the last few weeks. Hamilton had his moments with the Heat during the 2012 offseason, after he was acquired in a draft-night trade with the 76ers, leading some on the Heat staff at the time to see him as a more promising prospect than Jarvis Varnado. However, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes that Hamilton still faces long camp odds with Greg Oden already something of a long-term developmental project and the Heat possibly keeping the minimum of 13 players to start the year. Hamilton's chances of making the team could also rest on the Heat's ability to move Joel Anthony's pesky contract. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference..

The Central Division is one of the most fascinating divisions in the NBA because of the expectations of competitiveness from each team, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. For the Pistons, their best-case scenario will be seeing Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith become bona fide NBA stars. For the Bulls and Pacers, their ceilings see them as real championship contenders.
John Havlicek told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Sulia link) that he believes the departed Paul Pierce is the greatest one-on-one Celtics player of all-time.
Former Nets big man Jordan Williams signed with Spanish club Bilbao Basket last week but was waived over the weekend, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Justin Hamilton Signs In Croatia

August 15th, 2012 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

A few weeks after being selected 45th overall and acquired by the Heat on draft night, Justin Hamilton has decided to head overseas for the upcoming season. The former LSU big man has signed with Croatian club Cibona Zagreb, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Hamilton, who averaged 12.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his junior year at LSU, entered the draft a year early, despite being ranked just the 65th-best prospect of the class by DraftExpress and 76th by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. The 22-year-old was part of the draft-night trade that allowed the Sixers to acquire the Heat's first-round pick and select Arnett Moultrie. In exchange, Miami received the 45th overall pick, used to draft Hamilton, and the Sixers' lottery-protected 2013 first-rounder.

The Heat will hold Hamilton's rights if and when he returns to the NBA, but it appears the team didn't have a ton of interest in signing the 6'11" center, despite a lack of quality bigs. Heat president Pat Riley said earlier this month that he didn't feel like the club needed to add another center, so unless the Heat have another target in mind, it appears they're sticking to that stance.