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Odds & Ends: Jazz, Odom, Howard, Nelson, Brooks

October 15th, 2013 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Lee

With seven preseason games on the schedule for Tuesday night, let’s take a look at some odds and ends from around the NBA:

Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune spoke to Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin and some of the team’s camp invitees — including Justin Holiday, Scott Machado and Brian Cook — about the roster cuts the team will have to make within the next couple of weeks to get down to 15 players.
We haven’t heard too much about Lamar Odom since the strange reports about his off-the-court issues surfaced in August. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA tweets that the Lakers reached out to Odom recently, but that the contact was strictly for personal reasons.
With the Magic in town to face the Rockets on Wednesday, Dwight Howard spoke to Orlando-area reporters, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, about what has been a whirlwind of a two years for the Houston center. While Howard expressed regret about how things ended in Orlando, he implied that the situation in Los Angeles was different, and that Houston simply represented the best place for him to be.
Meanwhile in post-Dwight Orlando, 31-year-old Jameer Nelson is happy to play the role of elder statesman on a young and improving Magic team, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Caplan writes that Nelson, a veteran in the second year of a three-year deal, is aware that he will probably be shopped this winter unless the Magic surprise everyone and contend.
We heard earlier tonight from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that MarShon Brooks had expressed a desire to be traded from the Nets before he was part of the blockbuster with the Celtics. Bondy provides several quotes from Brooks, now in Boston, in his complete story: “I wasn’t really sure with [Jason Kidd becoming coach]. I didn’t know what to expect. Last year obviously we knew what was going on, it was so rocky, I didn’t know if I was playing. There just wasn’t any structure to any of my minutes.. So it was kind of hard for me to perform under those circumstances and obviously I didn’t want to be in that situation next year.”

Jazz Announce Three Camp Signings

September 30th, 2013 at 7:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz have officially announced the signings of Brian Cook, Justin Holiday and Dwayne Jones. Agreements involving all three had been reported this month. The team has 19 players under contract, though that doesn't include Nick Covington's deal, which we heard about this weekend.

Cook, Holiday and Jones all have NBA experience, though Cook has by far the most among the three, and he ranks in the top 10 among all of this year's NBA camp invitees in games played. Holiday is the only one of the trio to have appeared in a game last season, as he saw action in nine contests for the Sixers, alongside younger brother Jrue Holiday.

The Jazz have only 12 fully guaranteed contracts and Ian Clark's partially guaranteed deal, but with a full contingent of players for camp, none of the players on non-guaranteed deals seem like safe bets for the opening-night roster.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, T-Wolves, Clibanoff

September 28th, 2013 at 9:53pm CST by Spencer Lund

Tyrone Corbin is entering his fourth year as the coach of the Jazz. We mentioned earlier ESPN Insider Amin Elhassan's belief Corbin is on the coaching hot seat this season, with front court nucleus Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson gone in free agency to the Hawks and Bobcats, respectively.

Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune profiles Corbin as he enters the final year of his contract with the Jazz "where an extension is unlikely." Corbin will shepherd an inexperienced group unlikely to cause much of a ruckus in the tough Western Conference. His place as part of the rebuilding Jazz is murky, at best.

Here's what else is happening around the Northwest division on a jam-packed Saturday night as NBA training camps finally open…

The Deseret News' Jody Genessy details the 20 training camp Jazz invites, including Justin Holiday, the older brother (Twitter) of Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday.
Justin Holiday, Genessy adds via Twitter, is one of 7 players who will be in Jazz camp with non-guaranteed deals, as well as the 13 players (Twitter) already with guaranteed deals.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune details the five major issues facing the Timberwolves as they enter training camp. The primary issue is health with their nucleus of Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, all missing time last season as the 'Wolves again failed to reach the playoffs.
Zgoda also goes through the uncertain contract status of power forward Derrick Williams. If the 'Wolves don't exercise their option paying him $6.33MM next season, the former No. 2 overall pick will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
With the 'Wolves facing a lot of contract unknowns in the near future Williams place with them is uncertain.
The Timberwolves' Chase Budinger may miss 6-8 weeks as swelling and discomfort continue in the same left knee that sidelined him for all but five games last season, Zgoda reported earlier today. An MRI revealed, according to coach Flip Saunders, "a little something in there." The news comes fresh after Budinger re-signed with the 'Wolves for three years and $15MM this summer.
Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman asked Thunder players Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka what nicknames they'd put on their jerseys if the NBA allowed the practice.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Nuggets have hired Jim Clibanoff as Director of Scouting. Previously, Clibanoff ran a respected private scouting service.

Jazz To Sign Justin Holiday

September 26th, 2013 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jazz are expected to sign Justin Holiday to a make-good contract, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Holiday was cut loose by the Sixers last month and waited roughly six weeks to hook on with another club.

The 24-year-old saw time in just nine games for Philly after being signed late last season. The University of Washington product, who is the brother of Jrue Holiday, averaged 17.3 PPG in 47 D-League contests.

Holiday picked up significant interest from Italy after being released by the Sixers, but it's not clear if he was ever giving that serious consideration. The guard also auditioned for the Heat, but he likely feels that his best chance at a roster spot will come from Utah.

Heat Express Interest In Von Wafer, Others

September 17th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Michael Pina

According to Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy, the Heat have recently expressed interest in several free agents, including Von Wafer, Julyan Stone, Justin Holiday, Yakhouba Diawara, and Larry Drew II.

The 28-year-old Wafer last played in the NBA during the 2011/12 season as a member of the Magic. He averaged 5.9 PPG in 33 appearances. Only 24 years old and with two seasons under his belt with the Nuggets, Stone appeared in four games last year, but has reportedly agreed to a training camp deal with the Raptors.

The Heat have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, not including the recently signed Michael Beasley, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.

International Notes: Vujacic, Hayward, Holiday

September 16th, 2013 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Guard Sasha Vujacic is working out hard in Los Angeles in hopes of relaunching his NBA career, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). In fact, the 29-year-old is determined to hold out for an NBA deal rather than return to Europe, where he'd surely find a lucrative offer. According to one witness, Vujacic was a hit in the Lakers' gym last week and has been looking sharp in pickup games in the L.A. area after his time in Turkey with Anadolu Efes.

Over parts of seven seasons in the states, mostly with the Lakers, Vujacic averaged 5.6 PPG and 1.3 APG in 15.9 minutes per game. He also showed that he can fill a stat sheet during a run with the Nets in 2010/11 where he put up 11.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 28.5 minutes per contest. Here's the rest of today's news from around the globe..

Italian club Reggio Emilia is looking to make a final roster addition with Lazar Hayward and Justin Holiday as the two main targets, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. If they can't land either player, Cory Higgins is their third option. Hayward, a standout at Marquette, spent last season with the L.A. D-Fenders of the D-League averaging 15.9 PPG and 8.1 RPG. Justin Holiday was with the 76ers for nine games and with the D-League's Idaho Stampede for 47 games, where he put up 17.3 PPG.
Italian club Sidigas Avellino officially announced that they have signed Jarvis Hayes, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). It was reported last week that the longtime NBA forward struck a deal with the club after spending last season with Israel's Elizur Ashkelon.
Former Knicks big man Jerome Jordan has officially signed with Italian club Virtus Bologna, according to Carchia (on Twitter).
As always, you can keep up with all global basketball activity with Hoops Rumors' International Tracker.

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.

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Kennedy, Knicks, Hunt

September 6th, 2013 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

As we continue counting down the days until NBA training camps open, let's round up a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association….

In an interesting piece at ESPN.com, Kevin Arnovitz speaks to Bucks executives John Hammond and David Morway about Milwaukee's aversion to tanking, and the team's "build-on-the-go" approach.
Sportando passes along a Gazzetta di Reggio report suggesting that Italian team Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia no longer seems to be pursuing D.J. Kennedy, who is focused on landing an NBA camp invite. Justin Holiday, who was released by the Sixers earlier this summer, may be a target for the Italian club, according to the report.
Despite the fact that Jeremy Tyler underwent foot surgery and will likely miss the next two months, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com argues (via Twitter) that the Knicks should wait to see how he heals rather than cutting him anytime soon. Begley notes that New York has made a "financial commitment" to Tyler already, though only $100K of the big man's $884K salary is guaranteed.
Whether or not the Knicks hang on to Tyler, the team appears likely to add another big man to compete for a roster spot, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
It's not out of the question that Gal Mekel turns out to be a better point guard for the Mavericks than Shane Larkin, according to Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com, who gives the Mavs a grade of B for the team's signing of the Israeli guard.
In addition to working out for the Nets, 6'10" forward Kyle Hunt will also audition for the Pacers, says Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
Recent Clippers signee Brandon Davies is prepared to make an impression in camp and earn a roster spot, as he tells Eric Patten of Clippers.com.

Sixers Release Justin Holiday

August 14th, 2013 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers parted ways with one Holiday in a draft-night deal, sending Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans in exchange for Nerlens Noel and a 2014 draft pick. Now, the 76ers have cut ties with Jrue's brother, Justin Holiday. According to RealGM's transactions log and Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld (via Twitter), Philadelphia has released the elder Holiday.

Holiday, 24, appeared in just nine games for the Sixers after being signed by the team late last season. Prior to signing with Philadelphia, Holiday spent time in training camp with the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers, then joined Portland's D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, for most of the year. The University of Washington product averaged 17.3 PPG in 47 D-League contests.

Per Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, Holiday's 2013/14 salary wasn't set to become fully guaranteed until January 2014, but he would have been owed a guaranteed $50K had he remained on the roster past August 15th. By waiving him before then, the Sixers avoided taking a cap hit for any part of his salary.

Removing Holiday's minimum salary from their books also takes the Sixers even further below the salary cap line, and the minimum payroll threshold. As I noted last week, Philadelphia will have to add plenty of additional salary to the books for 2013/14 if they intend to reach the league's salary floor.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday

April 12th, 2013 at 10:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up:

Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.