Sam Young Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Pacers, Thompson, Cook

January 6th, 2013 at 11:09pm CST by Ryan Raroque

While the Pacers didn't necessarily want to cut Sam Young, a recent ankle injury that required several weeks of recovery coupled with the need for more help at the wing position had forced Indiana's hand, says Mike Wells of IndyStar.com. Wells also writes that the team will likely sign someone to a 10-day contract and thinks about Dominic McGuire as a possible fit. Lastly, he believes that guard Ben Hansbrough will remain on the team for the rest of the season. Here are a few more tidbits we've heard from the Central Division tonight:

Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer looks at how Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson has thrived during Anderson Varejao's absence.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only) primes his readers on the impact that sharpshooter Daequan Cook is ready to make with the Bulls.

Pacers Release Young, Eyeing McGuire?

January 6th, 2013 at 4:26pm CST by Sean Highkin

4:26pm: The Pacers have officially waived Young, according to Wells (via Twitter).

1:48pm: The Indiana Pacers are expected to release Sam Young today, reports Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Wells points out that Young suffered a severe ankle sprain that is expected to keep him out several weeks, just as teams are forced to make a decision on whether to guarantee nonguaranteed contracts.

Wells also reports that the Pacers are likely to sign another player to a 10-day contract for short-term wing help, which the team has needed since the injury to Danny Granger. Wells speculates that the team may look to sign forward Dominic McGuire, who was waived by the Hornets over the weekend.

Pacers Rumors: Young, Lee, Johnson

January 4th, 2013 at 9:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers fell out of sole possession of first place in the Central Division tonight following their loss to the Celtics and the Bulls' win over the Heat. We rounded up the latest out of Chicago earlier this evening, and now we'll do so with the other team atop the Central, courtesy Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.

Sam Young suffered a sprained ankle in practice yesterday that could cost him his job. The 6'6" swingman's minimum-salary contract is guaranteed for $25K, and it will become fully guaranteed if he doesn't clear waivers before Thursday. As Wells notes, the Pacers would have to waive him by Monday to avoid the full season tab, and they'll consider doing just that over the weekend when they receive further information on Young's injury. The prognosis at this point has Young missing two weeks.
Courtney Lee, who signed a four-year, $21.35MM deal with the Celtics last summer, gave thought to signing with the Pacers instead, since he's an Indianapolis native and friends with George Hill. When the Pacers signed D.J. Augustin and Gerald Green, though, Lee knew it probably squeezed him out, and as Wells writes, Indiana was turned off by his agent's asking price. "It just didn't pan out right," the shooting guard said. "I was kind of laid-back with that situation. I wasn't really too much into it. I was trying to relax and take my mind off free agency as much as possible and have my agent handle things."
Orlando Johnson, recalled today from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, was supposed to have a longer stint in the D-League, but Young's injury forced the team to bring him back early to provide depth for the big club.

Central Notes: Waiters, Bucks, Young

October 8th, 2012 at 9:20pm CST by Michael Pina

Here are a few notes from around the NBA's Central Division.

Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott has told Dion Waiters—who Cleveland selected with the fourth overall pick in this year's draft—he will have to earn a spot in the team's starting rotation, reports FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico.
NBA.com's Truman Reed believes that if the Bucks can replicate their defensive performance from two seasons ago, then combine it with their offensive output last year, they'll make the playoffs in 2012/13.
Mark Montieth from Pacers.com writes that the newly acquired Sam Young could embrace a role on the team as a strong wing defender, especially with a player like LeBron James looming in the playoffs.

Eastern Notes: Blatche, Pacers, Allen, Nelson

October 3rd, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were ripped by fans and pundits alike when they dealt Dwight Howard and failed to receive a true impact player like Andrew Bynum in the trade. However, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes today, the team's decision not to take on Bynum and his balky knees is looking better now than it did at the time. The former Laker, who has been ruled out for three weeks, may end up being fine, but it's something of an ominous start for the Bynum era in Philadelphia, says Bianchi. Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Former NBA head coach John Lucas believes the Nets' signing of Andray Blatche could be the "steal of the summer," as Howard Beck of the New York Times writes. Of course, Lucas may be a little biased — Blatche spent three months this offseason working out in Houston under Lucas' tutelage.
The Pacers are keeping an "open mind" about whether to carry 15 players into the regular season or whether to keep an open roster spot, according to GM Kevin Pritchard. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says he would be "shocked" if Sam Young didn't earn a place on Indiana's roster.
Ray Allen spoke on the Dan LeBatard Show in Miami about how Pat Riley influenced his decision to sign with the Heat, and Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the transcript.
Raymond Felton will get the first shot to start at point guard for the Knicks, and fellow free agent signee Jason Kidd doesn't mind assuming the backup role, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Sulia link) explains why the Magic re-signed Jameer Nelson this summer and looks at whether they'd consider trading him later in the season.
The Bulls' bench may include plenty of new faces, but Taj Gibson doesn't want to retire the "bench mob" moniker. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team's new additions are looking to be just as productive as last year's second unit.

Central Notes: Pacers, Villanueva, Jaric, Pargo

September 27th, 2012 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Cavs reportedly put the finishing touches on a training-camp contract for Kevin Anderson, their division rivals are staying active as well. Here's the latest on a few Central Division teams:

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines the Pacers' final couple roster spots, predicting that Sam Young will earn one, while Blake Ahearn and Sundiata Gaines will compete for the other.
After a forgettable 2011/12 season, Charlie Villanueva is fighting to bounce back for the Pistons this year, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Asked about the amnesty rumors that surrounded him in July, Villanueva admitted that it was hard not to notice: "It burns me up. It just drove me. Instead of being upset, I said, this will pass and I will let my game do the talking."
Marko Jaric was in recently to work out with the Bulls, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Jaric has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn't played in the league since 2008/09, with the Grizzlies.
Jannero Pargo expects to finalize a deal within the next couple days, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Charania adds that Pargo is "sticking around Chicago," but I would assume that's just where he's working out, rather than an indication he'll sign with the Bulls.

Pacers Sign Sam Young, Sundiata Gaines

September 6th, 2012 at 5:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Pacers announced that they have signed small forward Sam Young and point guard Sundiata Gaines. The press release also confirmed the signing of guard Blake Ahearn, whose deal reportedly comes with a partial guarantee.

Young became an unrestricted free agent in late June when the 76ers opted not to extend him a qualifying offer. The 27-year-old was traded from Memphis to Philadelphia at the deadline for the rights to Ricky Sanchez in a deal that allowed the Grizzlies to get below the luxury tax threshold. Young averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 35 games for the two clubs last season.

Gaines, 26, established himself as a regular in the Nets rotation last season, serving as a backup to Deron Williams and playing alongside him as a two-guard at times. The veteran saw 13.9 minutes per contest, averaging 5.1 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG.

Ahearn was the D-League's top scorer last season, averaging 23.8 PPG and 5.1 APG in 37 games for the Reno Bighorns. The 27-year-old has built a reputation as a sharpshooter and shot 40% from three-point range last year for Reno.

Meeks, Young, Silas To Become Unrestricted FAs

June 30th, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers did not extend formal qualifying offers to Jodie Meeks, Sam Young, or Xavier Silas, meaning all three players will become unrestricted free agents, says John Finger of CSNPhilly.com. Having played in the NBA for three years or less, each Sixer was eligible for restricted free agency, had Philadelphia made the necessary qualifying offers.

Meeks, who met the starter criteria, would have required a one-year offer of close to $2.7MM, while the other offers for the other two players would have been more modest — about $1.48MM for Young and $962K for Silas.

Sixers Rumors: Williams, Hawes, Thorn, Iguodala

June 12th, 2012 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports have indicated Lou Williams will be opting out of the final year of his contract with the 76ers, though not necessarily to leave Philadelphia. Williams himself seemed to be laying the groundwork for such a decision yesterday, tweeting "Quick note. Opting out doesn't necessarily mean you're leaving. It's getting out of one contract to begin a new one." The Sixers will be faced with a number of free agent decisions besides Williams this summer, and Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News has updates on a few of those players and on the executives that will be making the roster moves….

Hollinger On Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 8:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:

The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.