Moses Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Promote RJ Nembhard To Standard Deal, Sign Moses Brown To Two-Way Contract

March 31st, 2022 at 11:18am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 31: The Cavs have officially promoted Nembhard to a standard deal and signed Brown to a two-way contract, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

MARCH 30: The Cavaliers will convert guard RJ Nembhard to a standard contract and give his two-way spot to Moses Brown, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Nembhard, 23, signed with Cleveland last summer after going undrafted out of TCU and was given a two-way deal before the start of the season. He has played in just 12 NBA games, averaging 4.8 minutes per night, and spent much of his time in the G League, where he put up 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 13 games.

Brown, 22, was on the last night of his second 10-day contract with the Cavs, so the team had to make a roster move to keep him. He made his first start for Cleveland tonight, posting 12 points and nine rebounds in a loss to Dallas.

Brown, who was traded twice last summer, started the season with the Mavericks and averaged 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 26 games before being waived at the trade deadline in February. He has also spent time with the Trail Blazers and Thunder.

The Cavaliers will have a roster opening with Brown’s 10-day contract expiring, so no other moves will be necessary to complete the signings.

Cavaliers Notes: Windler, Mobley, Brown, Rondo

March 30th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dylan Windler is getting the opportunity to prove himself at the most crucial time of the Cavaliers‘ season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Windler was viewed as a floor-spacing shooter when Cleveland took him with the 26th pick in the 2019 draft, but injuries have slowed his development as his first two seasons were cut short by surgeries. He sat out five of the team’s first six games this month before coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave him another shot to contribute.

Windler’s chance has come at the expense of Cedi Osman, who was pulled from the rotation recently because of inconsistent play. The Cavs have been forced to use smaller lineups because of injuries to their front line, so Windler is a natural fit.

“Dylan’s always standing ready,” Darius Garland said. “We know he’s going to always be ready whenever his number is called. I mean, he’s a hard worker. Shots are going to start falling. Then on the defensive end, he’s going to do his job and that’s been Dylan since I’ve met him since I was in high school. He’s always going to be ready to compete and play hard. I just always tell him just stay ready. That’s for everybody down the line.”

There’s more from Cleveland:

Evan Mobley has been ruled out for at least the next three games with a sprained left ankle, but the Cavaliers are relieved that his injury wasn’t as bad as it looked, Fedor adds in a separate story. A source tells Fedor that an MRI on Mobley was “pretty clean” and “didn’t show much.” The rookie big man will work with the team’s medical staff over the next few days, but Bickerstaff said he’s not in a walking boot and there’s optimism that the injury is just short term. “The sooner we get him back on the floor the better. And for his sake too,” Bickerstaff said in a session with reporters before tonight’s game. “You don’t ever want to see a kid take injuries that are long lasting and impact him. He wants to play. He wants to be part of what we’ve got going on.”
Moses Brown, who’s nearly at the end of his second 10-day contract with Cleveland, is starting tonight in place of Mobley, Fedor tweets. Brown has played seven games since joining the Cavaliers, but is averaging just 5.4 minutes per night.
Rajon Rondo tested his injured right ankle after today’s shootaround, but has been ruled out for tonight’s game, according to Fedor (Twitter link). Rondo hasn’t played since March 12.

Cavs Re-Sign Moses Brown; Dean Wade To Miss Several Weeks

March 21st, 2022 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have brought back big man Moses Brown on a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Brown’s first 10-day deal expired on Saturday night.

Brown, initially signed earlier this month to provide some frontcourt depth with Jarrett Allen sidelined due to a finger injury, appeared in four games during his first 10 days with Cleveland. He averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Allen – who is taking a non-surgical approach as he recovers from his broken finger – is hopeful of getting back into the lineup within the next three weeks. However, it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.

Additionally, Charania reports that forward Dean Wade has sustained a partial meniscus tear in his right knee and will be out for several weeks, creating another hole in the Cavaliers’ frontcourt. Wade had been a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation this season, averaging 19.2 MPG in 51 appearances. The hope is that he’ll be able to make it back by the end of the regular season or the start of the postseason, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The Cavs will play five games in the next 10 days, starting with a matchup vs. the Lakers on Monday night. Their games on Thursday in Toronto and on Saturday vs. Chicago will be crucial in the race for a top-six seed in the East.

Central Notes: Diallo, McGruder, Bagley, LeVert, Brown

March 10th, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons won in Boston just before the All-Star break but they’ll be shorthanded when they visit for the second time on Friday. The team has ruled out starting center Isaiah Stewart and key reserves Killian Hayes, Hamidou Diallo, Rodney McGruder and Frank Jackson due to an assortment of injuries, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Diallo (finger sprain) and McGruder (hamstring strain) were injured during the loss to the Bulls on Wednesday.

We have more from the Central Division:

Marvin Bagley III‘s athleticism has given the Pistons a new dimension, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Bagley, who will enter either restricted or unrestricted free agency this summer, provides a major lob threat that the team was sorely lacking. “We’re really happy with the way he’s playing, the way he’s fitting in, and he’s creating a lot of options offensively, and defensively, he’s giving us another rebounder,” coach Dwane Casey said.
Caris LeVert won’t play against Miami on Friday but he’s making some progress from the right foot sprain he suffered last month. He went through a portion of the Cavaliers’ practice in Miami on Thursday and took some shots on the court afterward, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes Moses Brown can help the team with his interior presence, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets. Brown was signed to a 10-day contract on Thursday. “He’s long. He’s rangy. He has good athleticism,” Bickerstaff said. “He knows how to patrol the paint at both ends of the floor. Really good rim roller and lob threat, so he’s a similar build to what we have and what we value.”

Cavaliers Sign Moses Brown To 10-Day Deal

March 10th, 2022 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 10: Cleveland has officially signed Brown, the team announced in a press release.

MARCH 9: The Cavaliers are signing Moses Brown to a 10-day deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The young center played for the Mavericks this season but was waived as part of the two-for-one trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Brown, 22, had his $1,701,593 salary guaranteed for 2021/22 ahead of the January 10 deadline despite playing a very limited role for Dallas. He appeared in 26 games for the Mavs, averaging a modest 6.5 MPG. He was productive last season for the Thunder, averaging 8.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 43 games (21.4 MPG).

Brown has shown he’s a strong rebounder, but possesses very limited ball skills and is often slow to rotate defensively. He’s definitely a raw, unfinished product at this stage of his career, but he’s flashed some upside and could develop with time.

It’s basically a no-risk flier on an intriguing 7’2″ prospect for the Cavs, who will be without All-Star center Jarrett Allen for an indefinite period after he suffered a fractured finger on Sunday. I’m skeptical that Brown will actually crack Cleveland’s rotation once the signing becomes official, given that the team is trying to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has relied on Dean Wade, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens when the team has dealt with frontcourt injuries this season, with occasional spot minutes to veteran Ed Davis. However, the Cavs have an open roster spot and if Brown impresses during his 10 days, they could sign him for the remainder of the season as injury insurance if Allen is out for an extended period.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the Brown will meet the team in Miami and the plan is for him to be available for Friday’s contest against the Heat.

Mavericks Trade Kristaps Porzingis To Wizards

February 10th, 2022 at 9:29pm CST by Luke Adams

9:29pm: The trade is official, according to a Wizards press release. Dallas also confirmed the deal in a press release, announcing that they’ve waived Brown.

The second-rounder going to Washington is a protected 2022 pick, the teams announced. It’ll have to be the Mavs’ own second-rounder, since they hadn’t previously acquired any others.

“Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways,” Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability.”

1:38pm: The Mavericks and Wizards have agreed to a major trade, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Marc Stein (Twitter links).

Big man Kristaps Porzingis is headed to Washington in the deal, per Stein, while Dallas will receive point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, according to Charania. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Mavs are also acquiring sharpshooter Davis Bertans, while Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN says (via Twitter) that the Wizards are getting a second-round pick.

The Mavs will release big man Moses Brown to complete the trade, tweets MacMahon.

According to Stein (via Twitter), the Mavs spent much of the day on Thursday trying to find a home for Porzingis, who was previously linked to the Raptors. Dallas gave up a significant package in 2019 to acquire Porzingis from the Knicks, but he has continued to battle health problems in the years since then and hasn’t developed into the star running mate for Luka Doncic that the Mavs envisioned. He is also owed nearly $70MM for the two years beyond this season.

This season, Porzingis has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG while playing improved defense, but his three-point rate dipped to a career-worst 28.3% and he has only been healthy for 34 of 55 games. Dallas has a 13-8 record in the games he has missed.

The Wizards, who are retooling their roster around Bradley Beal, will roll the dice on Porzingis, hoping he has more success in D.C. than he did in Dallas. They’ll give up Dinwiddie and Bertans, two players who struggled badly this season in the midst of pricey multiyear deals.

Dinwiddie, 28, signed a three-year contract with the Wizards in the offseason, but has shot just 37.6% from the floor in his first season back from ACL surgery. As Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets, Dinwiddie never seemed comfortable in Washington’s offense without the ball in his hands, which happened a lot when he played alongside Beal.

Bertans, meanwhile, is in the second season of a five-year, $80MM contract, but has seen his three-point shooting fall off a cliff in 2021/22. A career 40.7% three-point shooter entering the season, the 29-year-old forward has made just 31.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc this year.

The Mavericks will be hoping that both players, who have had plenty of success in the past can bounce back in Dallas. Dinwiddie will give the team another ball-handler when Doncic and/or Jalen Brunson aren’t on the court, while Bertans will provide another floor-spacer to give Doncic more room to operate.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Dinwiddie will give the Mavs’ some insurance in case they’re unable to re-sign Brunson in unrestricted free agency this summer. However, sources tell MacMahon (Twitter link) that Dallas remains confident about its ability to retain Brunson beyond this season.

Cavs’ Stevens, Mavs’ Brown To Have Salaries Guaranteed

January 7th, 2022 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Second-year forward Lamar Stevens will have his full-season salary guaranteed by the Cavaliers, sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Players without fully guaranteed salaries will have their contracts for 2021/22 become guaranteed on January 10. However, today is decision day for their teams, since they must clear waivers before January 10 in order to avoid having their salaries become guaranteed. So Cleveland has decided not to waive Stevens today, ensuring he’ll receive his full $1,517,981 salary.

A former Penn State forward, Stevens signed with Cleveland as an undrafted free agent during the 2020 offseason. He had his two-way contract turned into a standard multiyear deal in April and is still on that same deal, which runs through 2023/24. It includes a non-guaranteed minimum salary in ’22/23 and a minimum-salary team option in ’23/24.

Stevens’ per-game averages this season – including 3.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG – are relatively modest, but he hasn’t played big minutes (12.8 MPG in 24 games). The 24-year-old a solid defender who is knocking down three-pointers at a higher rate this season (32.3%) than he did as a rookie (4-for-25) and is seeing more action lately with forwards Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman sidelined.

Meanwhile, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), the Mavericks have decided to hang onto big man Moses Brown, another player whose salary isn’t fully guaranteed. The decision will lock in Brown’s $1,701,593 cap hit for the season.

Brown has played a very limited role in Dallas so far this season, averaging just 6.7 minutes per contest in 22 games. However, he has put up solid numbers on a per-minute basis, and apparently has showed the Mavs enough to warrant keeping his spot on the 15-man roster.

Southwest Notes: M. Brown, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Wall

November 29th, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks fans have been clamoring for Moses Brown to get a longer look at center, but head coach Jason Kidd appears in no rush to insert the 22-year-old into the rotation, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Dwight Powell and Willie Cauley-Stein remain ahead of Brown on the depth chart, Boban Marjanovic is still in the mix, and Kidd also sounds interested in experimenting more with Maxi Kleber in the starting lineup, shifting Kristaps Porzingis to the five. As a result, the Mavericks’ head coach isn’t making any promises to the fans who want to see more of Brown.

“He could get a chance,” Kidd said, per Townsend. “I think for fans, or for anybody, if they look at our roster we have quite a few centers. So there’s a committee of centers. And at some point, maybe he [Brown] has an opportunity to play.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal takes a look at what’s next for the Grizzlies with Ja Morant sidelined due to a sprained knee. Morant has the league’s third-highest usage rate among point guards, so Memphis will try to replace him using a committee, with Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson all taking on added ball-handling responsibilities.
Jaxson Hayes opened the season as the Pelicans‘ primary backup center, but Willy Hernangomez has taken over that role in New Orleans’ last four games. Scott Kushner of NOLA.com writes that Hayes was handed his minutes, while Hernangomez – who re-signed with the team over the summer – has fought to earn his.
John Hollinger of The Athletic is confused about why John Wall and the Rockets are at an impasse over whether or not he starts. Hollinger thinks Houston should be open to putting Wall in the starting lineup, where he could make life easier for Jalen Green, but also believes Wall shouldn’t be too hung up on starting, since potential suitors aren’t going to view him any differently if he’s coming off the bench.

Western Notes: Jones, Lakers, House, M. Brown, Mavs

September 4th, 2021 at 11:26am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers were interested earlier in the summer in big man Damian Jones before the Kings chose to guarantee his salary, according to Marc Stein of Substack. Jones had his $1.98MM salary guaranteed last month despite a glut of centers on Sacramento’s roster. Jones played eight games for the Lakers last season. Los Angeles is expected to sign DeAndre Jordan once he’s bought out by the Pistons and clears waivers.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Danuel House is likely to be dealt during the upcoming season, Rahat Huq of the Houston Chronicle opines. House has an expiring $3.98MM contract and doesn’t have a future on the rebuilding Rockets. He appeared in just 36 games last season but might bring back a late first-rounder from a contender seeking depth at the wing, Huq adds.
Moses Brown is working closely with longtime NBA center Tyson Chandler to improve his game, Dwain Price of Mavs.com writes. Brown was traded twice this offseason and was forwarded by Boston to the Mavericks in the Josh Richardson deal. “He’s been helping Moses a little bit in the gym just to kind of help him get a feel for things,” Al Whitley, GM of the G League Texas Legends, said of Chandler. “So to have a guy like Tyson Chandler as a mentor – someone who is a championship player, who brings what Tyson brought to the court, his intensity, toughness, all those types of things – that’s now being shared with Moses.”
Free agents Lance Stephenson and Isaiah Thomas left positive impressions during the workouts with the Mavericks, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets. Dallas is seeking more backcourt depth and both veterans guards are looking to revive their NBA careers.

Celtics Rumors: Richardson Trade, Fournier, Thompson, Parker

July 31st, 2021 at 1:39pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics may have been quiet on draft night, but they’re making noise now. After agreeing to trade Tristan Thompson for the Hawks’ Kris Dunn and Bruno Fernando and sending Moses Brown to the Mavericks for Josh Richardson, the Celtics have given themselves some extra flexibility from both a financial and roster perspective, writes The Athletic’s Jared Weiss.

Evan Fournier‘s market seems to be in the range of $12-$20MM per year, according to Weiss, who points out that dealing for Richardson affords the Celtics the option of walking away if the bidding war gets too rich for them. It sounds like that’s a very realistic possibility, as Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald hears from a source that Boston is unwilling to meet Fournier’s asking price of $80MM over four years.

“It’s not looking good,” Murphy’s source said of the Celtics’ negotiations with Fournier.

Meanwhile, there’s no guarantee that the Celtics will hang onto Dunn, according to Weiss, who says the former lottery pick could be flipped again. Weiss suggests that two viable options for dealing Dunn could be to the Cavaliers – along with one of the Celtics’ young players – in a deal for Larry Nance Jr., or to the Pelicans – with Marcus Smart – in a Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade.

We have more rumors on the Celtics:

According to Weiss, while Thompson was beloved by teammates, he butted heads with the coaching staff and the organization throughout the year and was widely expected to be moved this offseason.
In the same piece, Weiss cites The Athletic’s Danny Leroux, who explains that the Celtics now project to be about $4.36MM below the tax line if Jabari Parker (who has a non-guaranteed contract) is waived.
The Celtics wanted to send more guaranteed money to the Mavericks in the Josh Richardson deal, but Dallas initially didn’t want to take any money back, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Moses Brown was the compromise found, given the low guarantee on his deal ($500K).
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets that the Celtics’ front office, especially Brad Stevens, has long been a fan of Richardson, who will be looking to get back on track in Boston after a down year in Dallas.