Quinn Cook

Mavs Sign Quinn Cook To 10-Day Contract

FEBRUARY 26: The Mavericks have formally signed Cook to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. With Ben Bentil‘s signing also official, the club now has a full 15-man roster.

FEBRUARY 24: The Mavericks are expected to sign Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports. The development was foreshadowed by Eddie Sefko of Dallas News, who reported that Cook was on a list of possible 10-day contract candidates.

Cook, 23, has yet to make his NBA debut but excelled with the Canton Charge this season- averaging 26.1 points on 47.7% shooting through 35 games. The former Blue Devil signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Pelicans entering training camp, and was waived in October despite an impressive preseason.

It remains to be seen when Dallas will formally announce the signing.

Pelicans To Audition Chalmers, Thompson, Others

3:50pm: Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds Wayne Selden to the list of players auditioning for the Pelicans. Selden, 22, was in camp with the Grizzlies and has spent the regular season with the D-League’s Iowa Energy, averaging 18.3 PPG.

8:57am: The workouts noted below are happening today at the Pelicans’ facility, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link).

8:40am: The Pelicans were widely praised for their trade for DeMarcus Cousins this week, but even though the acquisition cost for the All-NBA center wasn’t exorbitant, New Orleans’ roster looks a little unbalanced in the wake of the deal. Having sent Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway to Sacramento in the swap, the Pelicans will now be looking to fortify their backcourt, and will audition several free agent guards this week, per ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).

According to Stein (via Twitter), the group of guards working out for New Orleans this week includes Mario Chalmers, Hollis Thompson, Quinn Cook, and Reggie Williams. All of those players except Chalmers are currently on D-League teams, but aren’t under contract with the affiliated NBA club, making them free agents.

Cook and Williams each have previous experience with the Pelicans — Cook was with the club in training camp, while Williams had a brief stint in New Orleans earlier this season before he was waived to make room for Donatas Motiejunas. Both players have had solid seasons in the D-League, though Cook in particular has stood out. The former Duke guard has averaged 26.0 PPG for the Canton Charge and earned MVP honors this past weekend in the NBADL All-Star Game.

Like Williams, Thompson was on an NBA roster earlier this season, but the Sixers cut the four-year veteran before his salary for the year became fully guaranteed. He has since played for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in Austin. As for Chalmers, he’s the most well-known player in the group, having won a pair of championships with the Heat and appeared in 580 total NBA games for Miami and Memphis.

After trading three players for two in the Cousins deal, the Pelicans currently have an open spot on their 15-man roster. The club may wait until after the trade deadline to seriously consider signing a free agent guard, just in case that roster spot can be used to accommodate another trade.

Pelicans Looking To Trade Terrence Jones

With a deal in place to acquire DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans are looking to move one of their current frontcourt players, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, who tweets that the club is seeking a trade partner for a deal involving Terrence Jones. Mason Ginsberg of Bourbon Street Shots (Twitter link) hears from multiple sources that Jones has likely played his last game for New Orleans.

Jones inked a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Pelicans last summer, and has had a decent bounce-back season in New Orleans. After averaging just 8.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a career-low .452 FG% during his final year in Houston, Jones has recorded 11.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and a .473 FG% for the Pelicans in 2016/17.

Although Jones has played nearly 25 minutes per game for the Pelicans this season, there won’t be nearly as many minutes to go around with Cousins joining Anthony Davis in the club’s frontcourt, rendering Jones expendable. Even though the 25-year-old isn’t under team control beyond this season, his solid production and his affordability may make him attractive to other teams.

The Pelicans aren’t under any pressure to make any additional roster moves in the wake of their trade agreement for Cousins, since they’re sending out three players in that deal and only taking two back. However, all three players being traded by New Orleans – Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway – are guards, so the team may seek a backcourt piece in exchange for Jones.

According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, the Pelicans are also considering signing Canton Charge guard Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract. Cook was the D-League’s Rookie of the Year in 2015/16, and was named the MVP in the NBADL All-Star Game this past weekend. Amico notes that Cook previously received some interest from the Mavericks before Dallas decided to sign Yogi Ferrell.

Pelicans Waive Quinn Cook, Quincy Ford

The Pelicans have waived Quinn Cook and Quincy Ford, according to a team press release. New Orleans’ roster count sits at 16, meaning it has one more cut to make before opening night. Lance Stephenson is the team’s only remaining player with a non-guaranteed deal.

Cook, who signed with the team last month. played in three preseason games for the Pelicans. He averaged 8.3 points and 2.7 assists per game.

Ford joined the team earlier this week. During the offseason, he played for Utah’s summer league team, averaging 5.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

Contract Details: Brand, Rockets, Thunder, Pacers

With training camps underway, teams have now officially finalized the contract agreements with various camp invitees that had been reported over the past several weeks, meaning we have plenty of contract details to round up. As usual, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has been busy reporting those details, updating his salary pages for teams around the NBA.

Because we have so many updates to pass along from Pincus, we’ll divide them up by players who received some guaranteed money from their teams, and those who didn’t. All of the links below point to the Basketball Insiders team salary pages, so be sure to click through for additional information.

Here are the latest salary updates from across the league, via Pincus:

Players receiving guaranteed money:

These players aren’t necessarily assured of regular-season roster spots. In fact, many of them likely received guarantees as an incentive to accept a D-League assignment. Still, for some players, larger guarantees should increase their odds of making 15-man rosters.

  • Thomas Walkup (Bulls): One year, minimum salary. $69.5K guaranteed.
  • Keith Benson (Heat): Two years, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Henry Sims (Jazz): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Alex Poythress (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $35,381 guaranteed.
  • Kevin Seraphin (Pacers): Two years, $3.681MM. First year ($1.8MM) guaranteed.
  • Julyan Stone (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Gary Payton II (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. First year ($543,471) guaranteed.
  • Isaiah Taylor (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kyle Wiltjer (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $275K guaranteed.
  • Cat Barber (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Elton Brand (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $1MM guaranteed.
  • Derrick Jones (Suns): Three years, minimum salary. $42.5K guaranteed.
  • Alex Caruso (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kaleb Tarczewski (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Chris Wright (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $100K guaranteed.

Players receiving no guaranteed money:

The following players all signed one-year, minimum salary contracts with no guaranteed money. Many of these deals are “summer contracts,” which won’t count against a team’s cap unless the player earns a spot on the 15-man roster.

Pelicans Notes: Davis, Holiday, Cook, Demps

Pelicans star Anthony Davis said he felt “amazing” this morning after taking part in his first practice since being shut down for the season in March, relays Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Davis, who underwent an ultrasonic debridement on his left knee, participated in all of the practice except for some late conditioning work. He said the problems in his knee and shoulder seem to have been resolved. “Of course, in the beginning when you come back, you’re scared to go up with power or anything like that, to be explosive,” Davis said. “But when I’m out there, I just go. Whatever happens, happens. Today, everything felt great. I’m more explosive than what I was. I’m more powerful. I’m just happy to be back on the court.”

There’s more news tonight out of New Orleans:

  • Jrue Holiday‘s wife delivered a healthy baby girl this week, according to Matthew Glenesk of USA Today. Holiday has taken a leave of absence from the team to care for Lauren Holiday, who has a benign tumor near her orbital socket and needs brain surgery to remove it. However, doctors didn’t want to perform that operation before the baby was born. The procedure is expected to take place in about six weeks, and there is no timetable for Jrue Holiday’s return to the team.
  • The Pelicans aren’t concentrating on position as they seek to replace Holiday during his absence, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Former Duke point guard Quinn Cook is the latest addition as New Orleans tries to bolster its backcourt. ”We’ve got versatile players, combo guards more than anything,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”We’re just putting guys in position, playing point and off guard and we brought in another guy who can do both of those. We want guys running the team and playing off the ball.”
  • An offseason shakeup left the Pelicans with 10 new players for this year’s training camp, writes William Guillory of The Times-Picayune. GM Dell Demps believed changes were necessary after an injury-filled season that saw New Orleans finish 26th in points allowed. “We really wanted to become a better defensive team,” he said. “That was one of our goals heading into the offseason. … We’ve had good defensive players here in the past, but we’re probably gonna put a little more emphasis on it.”

Pelicans Sign Quinn Cook

1:12pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

12:23pm: The Pelicans are signing unrestricted free agent Quinn Cook for training camp, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The length and terms of the arrangement are unknown, though it is likely a minimum salary pact that may include a small partial guarantee.

The point guard went undrafted out of Duke in 2015 and spent the 2015/16 season in the D-League playing for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s affiliate. In 43 appearances Cook averaged 19.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 33.8 minutes per outing. His slash line was .466/.382/.863.

Cook participated in the Las Vegas Summer League this offseason, making five appearances and averaging 6.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 27.8% from the field. With Jrue Holiday out indefinitely while he attends to family matters, New Orleans is in need of backcourt depth. The 23-year-old is already practicing with the team, Verrier tweets.

And-Ones: Zanik, Kidd, Brown, Cousins

The Bucks will hire Justin Zanik as GM-in-waiting and are working on a contract extension for coach Jason Kidd, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Currently an assistant GM in Utah, Zanik will have a similar title with the Bucks. A provision of the move is that Zanik will eventually take over for Milwaukee GM John Hammond, although it’s uncertain when that will happen. Hammond has been GM of the Bucks since 2008 and has one year left on his contract.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

  • California forward Jaylen Brown worked out for the Bucks, Raptors and Sixers today, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A source told Spears that Brown was in “great shape” and “super explosive.” He is expected to be a top 10 pick and could be in the running for the No. 3 choice. New Timberwolves GM Scott Layden also traveled to California to see Brown and came away impressed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
  • Oklahoma point guard Isaiah Cousins worked out for the Suns on Friday, and has upcoming sessions with the Raptors on Tuesday and the Hawks on Thursday, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
  • Anthony Bennett and Quinn Cook were the most recognizable players invited to a Nets mini-camp this week, according to NetsDaily. Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, played 19 games with the Raptors last season. Cook, the point guard on Duke’s 2015 NCAA title team, was cut by the Cavaliers in training camp. Also receiving invitations were Alex Stepheson, Scotty Hopson, Alex KirkJerrelle BenimonFuquan Edwin, D.J. Newbill, Will CummingsJarrid Famous, Victor Rudd, Josh Magette and Joel Wright. International journalist David Pick says the Nets are planning another session.

And-Ones: Noah, Nets Mini-Camp, Jovanovic

Despite the reports that Joakim Noah is ready to leave the Bulls when he becomes a free agent this summer, talks between the big man and the team have resulted in a “positive dialogue” about a new contract, a league source tells Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. Noah had reportedly told teammates in recent weeks that he’s done with the organization once free agency begins, adding that he “has no trust in the front office getting this in the right direction.” The big man’s agent disputed the reports, adding that his client has “great respect” for the city of Chicago, Bulls fans, and the organization. “Joakim and I speak on a daily basis about his future,” Duffy said. “There has been zero indication he doesn’t wish to return to Bulls.”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • The Nets are planning on holding another free agent mini-camp next month and the invitees will include Quinn Cook, Alex Stepheson, Scotty Hopson, Jerrelle Benimon, Alex Kirk, Kwame Vaughn and McKenzie Moore, international journalist David Pick reports in a series of tweets. Moore is also scheduled to work out for the Mavericks, Pick notes.
  • USC junior big man Nikola Jovanovic has hired Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management to represent him, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays (via Twitter). The 22-year-old is no lock to be selected this June and isn’t among the top 100 players, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
  • Former Oklahoma shooting guard Isaiah Cousins has a workout scheduled with the Raptors on May 31st, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets. Cousins is a potential second-rounder, with Givony slotting him No. 67 overall.
  • D’Andre Downey (Stillman College) and Alec Wintering (Portland) have withdrawn from the 2016 NBA draft and are returning to school, Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com relays.

NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players

NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.

NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)

Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)

Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)

Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)

Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)

Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)

Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)

Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)

Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)

San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)

Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)

Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)

Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.

Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.