Malcolm Thomas

Southwest Notes: Asik, Casspi, Mavs, Thomas

On the heels of last night’s loss in Portland, the Rockets will face another tough test tonight, as they travel to Golden State to face the Warriors. Houston is one of four Southwest teams in action tonight, as the Spurs host the Timberwolves while the Grizzlies play the Pelicans in New Orleans. Here’s the latest out of the division:

  • The Rockets will almost certainly move Omer Asik within the next week, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle expects it to be a three-team deal (Twitter link).
  • Omri Casspi spoke to Feigen about how a summer voice mail from coach Kevin McHale boosted Casspi’s confidence and acted as a catalyst for his signing with the Rockets.
  • According to GM Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks have no plans to add a veteran guard to the roster while they wait for Devin Harris to continue his recovery from toe surgery, writes Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.
  • The Spurs have recalled Malcolm Thomas from the D-League, the club announced today in a press release. In his two-game stint with the Austin Toros, Thomas averaged a double-double (19.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG).

Minor Moves: Baynes, De Colo, Spurs, Conroy

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Spurs assigned center Aron Baynes, guard Nando De Colo, and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.  Baynes has appeared in 11 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 1.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.9 minutes.  De Colo has seen action in six contests this season for the Silver and Black, averaging 2.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 9.0 minutes.  Thomas was recently signed by the Spurs on Dec. 3 and will make his first appearance for the Toros this season.  To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
  • Point guard Will Conroy has signed to play in Germany with BBC Bayreuth, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia notes.  Conroy appeared in four games with the Timberwolves last season, but the close friend of Brandon Roy wasn’t in an NBA camp this fall.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Spurs Sign Malcolm Thomas

8:07pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Spurs. The team didn’t announce the terms of the deal, but it’s likely a minimum-salary contract without a guarantee. The addition of the Aaron Mintz client brings San Antonio’s roster to the 15-player limit, as our updated roster counts show.

TUESDAY, 7:43pm: The Spurs have finalized their deal with Thomas, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, though there remains no official announcement from the team. Thomas is set to join the team after it returns from Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves in Mexico City.

SUNDAY, 7:29pm: The Spurs are set to sign power forward Malcolm Thomas, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).  Thomas, who has been with the D-League’s L.A. D-Fenders, was pulled from tonight’s game against the Bakersfield Jam.

The Spurs and Thomas are quite familiar at this point as Thomas has suited up for both the Spurs and their D-League affiliate in Austin.  The 25-year-old has 15 career NBA games to his credit, including three with San Antonio in 2011/12.  In 27 D-League contests, Thomas has averaged 13.2 PPG and 9.6 RPG in 32.7 minutes per contest.  Thomas was in summer league and training camp with the Bulls this summer, but Chicago didn’t have the room to keep him despite some impressive play.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim NoahLuol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall.  Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

  • Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list. 
  • Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp. 
  • Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press). 
  • As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
  • With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer. 
  • Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season. 
  • Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward. 
  • With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog. 

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Bulls Release Malcolm Thomas

TUESDAY, 11:32am: The Bulls have officially waived Thomas, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 5:21pm: The Bulls won't be able to retain Malcolm Thomas for the 2013/14 season due to the franchise's salary situation, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM.  If the paperwork for Thomas' release has not already been filed, it will be shortly as his guarantee date is Wednesday, July 24th.

Thomas is an unfortunate cap casualty for Chicago as he is averaging 11 points, 15 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in summer league.   The Bulls are interested in bringing back  the 6-foot-8 forward at some point, a source said, but he is expected to draw interest from several NBA teams.  The 24-year-old played five games for the Warriors last season before finishing the season with the Bulls, where he averaged 1.7 PPG and 1.3 RPG in seven games.

Bulls Sign Malcolm Thomas To Two-Year Deal

12:58pm: Thomas' deal has guarantee dates that can push the deal through next season, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM.  

12:09pm: The Bulls announced today that they have signed forward Malcolm Thomas for the remainder of the season.  Thomas originally signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on March 19th and inked a second one after that expired.  

The 6-9, 225 pound forward has seen time in just two games for the Bulls and scored four points in total.  The 24-year-old hasn't seen significant burn just yet, but he serves as insurance for big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.  Thomas is the 15th man on Chicago's roster, meaning that there is no more room for additional signings.

Bulls Re-Sign Malcolm Thomas

2:00pm: The Bulls have officially signed Thomas to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

10:08am: Malcolm Thomas' first 10-day contract with the Bulls expired last night, but the team won't let him get away. According to Shams Charania of RealGM.com, Thomas will ink a second 10-day pact with the Bulls later today.

Thomas, 24, has appeared only very briefly in one game so far with Chicago, but the team views him as insurance in the frontcourt, since both Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson have missed time recently with injuries. According to Charania, the Bulls like Thomas enough that they're considering signing him for the remainder of the season, possibly with a non-guaranteed option for next season.

The Bulls are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, making Thomas the 15th man on the roster. If the team guarantees his deal for the season when his new 10-day contract expires, there would be no room for any more roster additions, unless someone was released.

Bulls Sign Malcolm Thomas To 10-Day Contract

TUESDAY, 12:05pm: The Bulls have officially signed Thomas to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. The club now has 15 players under contract.

MONDAY, 1:25pm: The Bulls and Malcolm Thomas have reached agreement on a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Thomas' 10-day deal with the Warriors expired last night. The 6'9" power forward saw plenty of action while with Golden State, appearing in five games with the Warriors and one game with their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

Thomas has made plenty of stops since going undrafted out of San Diego State in 2011. He was in camp with the Lakers that year, and spent a month with the Spurs last season, appearing in three games. The Rockets signed him to a 10-day contract later in 2011/12, but he didn't make an appearance for Houston. In addition to his cameo with the Santa Cruz Warriors last week, he's also played for three other D-League teams in the past two seasons, and spent time with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.

The Bulls have maintained interest in Thomas since he caught their eye in summer league this past offseason, Charania writes. The 24-year-old will occupy the final spot on Chicago's roster and give the team depth up front, where Taj Gibson is dealing with a knee injury. The Bulls had big man Louis Amundson on a 10-day deal earlier this month, but he signed with the Hornets for the rest of the season when his contract with Chicago was up.

D-League Notes: Jones, Brackins, Warriors, Acy

In addition to the usual assignments and recalls, we've got a couple more D-League links of note to share. Let's round them up….

  • Perry Jones III has been recalled from the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder announced today in a press release. The 2012 first-round pick will be available for tonight's game in Oklahoma City vs. the Jazz.
  • The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired former first-round pick Craig Brackins, the D-League squad formally announced today (Twitter link). Brackins, who played in Italy earlier this season, was the 21st overall pick in 2010, but only appeared in 17 games over two season for the Sixers before failing to find an NBA job last summer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Thomas from the D-League, a day after their respective assignments, the team announced today in a press release. Bazemore and Thomas combined for 24 points and 26 rebounds in Santa Cruz's 110-103 win over Reno last night.
  • Kevin Jones has been re-assigned once again to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. Jones' D-League assignments this season have typically just lasted one game, so I imagine he'll return to the Cavs after playing for the Charge in tonight's game against the Bakersfield Jam.
  • With Andrea Bargnani officially ruled out for the season by the Raptors, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun anticipates that the team will recall Quincy Acy from the D-League (Twitter link).
  • Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, who is also the GM of the team's D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, spoke to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside about developing players and the relationship between the organization's D-League and NBA teams.
  • Ken Rodriguez of Spurs.com takes a look at Cory Joseph's journey to the D-League and back to the Spurs.

Warriors Assign Bazemore, Thomas To D-League

Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with any further moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Warriors have assigned Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Thomas to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Thomas is on a 10-day contract with Golden State, so either his D-League stint will be brief or the team has a longer-term plan for him — perhaps both. For Bazemore, it's his fifth assignment to the Santa Cruz Warriors this season.