Shawne Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

FA Updates: Brewer, Teague, Hawks, Knicks, Lucas

July 9th, 2013 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

With the July moratorium scheduled to be lifted tomorrow, free agent contracts can finally become official, and tomorrow should be a busy day, as teams and players formally finalize their agreements from the last nine days. However, there are still plenty of players on the market in search of a new team, or a deal with their old team. Here's the latest on a few of them:

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that the Timberwolves have spoken to Corey Brewer's reps, and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune hears from a source close to Brewer that the Wolves "would love him" (Twitter link).
The Bucks' interest in Jeff Teague is "undeniable," but it's not clear if the Hawks are ready to take back Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis in a sign-and-trade, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
After passing along a handful of Knicks updates this morning, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com provides a couple more. According to Zwerling, there's still mutual interest between the Knicks and Aaron Brooks, and the team also has some interest in Shawne Williams, though there's "nothing firm" there (Twitter links).
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports that John Lucas III met with the Jazz in Orlando yesterday, and hears from agent Bernie Lee that Lucas will meet with another team today in his hometown of Houston. According to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter), four teams, including the Jazz, are interested in the free agent point guard.
Before he agreed to sign with the Pistons, Italian forward Gigi Datome drew interest from the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets, Suns, Spurs, and Grizzlies, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Shaw, Celtics, Knicks

June 24th, 2013 at 6:38pm CST by Zachary Links

After a strong interview with the Nuggets, Spurs assistant Brett Brown has drawn the interest of the Sixers and led them to ask for – and receive permission – to interview him, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Brown met with Nuggets officials on Sunday and emerged as a significant candidate in the search process, according to league sources, making him a hot commodity this summer. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..

Brian Shaw's agent told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) that his client has yet to hear from the Celtics. However, he added that "there would be interest" if the C's called.
The Knicks are seeking cheaper alternatives with Jason Kidd gone and Rasheed Wallace retired, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Quincy Douby will be brought in for a workout tomorrow following Shawne Williams' audition today. Douby, who has spent a good amount of time overseas, is no stranger to the New York area thanks to his starring role at Rutgers.
Brazilian prospect Alexandre Paranhos is working out for the Nets today, the Sixers tomorrow, and the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Shawne Williams To Work Out For Several Teams

June 22nd, 2013 at 2:29pm CST by Zachary Links

2:29pm: The Nets are in the mix for Williams as well, HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus tweets.

11:57am: Former Knick Shawne Williams will return to New York on Monday to audition for the orange-and-blue, agent Happy Walters told Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are trying to add more scoring pop to the roster at the small forward position now that Carmelo Anthony is viewed as their power forward.

“Shawne loved his time there,’’ Walters said. “He’ll be the first to tell you. But it is also about where he’d get playing time.’’

The Williams camp is concerned because the Knicks found a promising forward in Chris Copeland. However, Copeland is a free agent and the Knicks may be unable to re-sign him because they would have to dip into their $3.1MM mini mid-level exception to keep him.

There's plenty of competition for Williams, however. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni coached Williams in New York and wants him back and has also has scheduled a workout for him. The Knicks also are competing against the Clippers and the Bulls for his services.

Williams has had personal troubles in recent years but thrived in New York in 2010/11, averaging 7.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 20.7 minutes per contest. His last NBA season was in 2011/12 with the Nets, where he didn't find the same success.

Eastern Notes: Rose, Bosh, Kidd

June 13th, 2013 at 9:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau appeared to be excited as he described the progress that Derrick Rose has made, saying that the superstar point guard's speed and explosiveness have come back to the point to where he's comfortable and confident (Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago):

"I worked him out about a week ago…Watching the way he's moving now, there's a confidence.(Reporters) may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he's there now. He feels great, and that's the most important thing."

Here are more miscellaneous notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Heat forward Chris Bosh downplayed the idea that he's bothered by talk about him being the most expendable of Miami's "Big Three," also mentioning that he wouldn't want to be the lead player on a team with a lesser situation (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports).
Though Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy once doubled as a player-coach, don't expect Nets coach Jason Kidd to follow suit, as he told reporters that he has no intention of ever playing another minute (Marc Berman of the New York Post via Twitter).
Patrick Ewing, recently hired as an associate head coach for the Bobcats, thinks that it'll be a tough challenge for Kidd to make the transition from being an NBA player directly into becoming a head coach (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York).
Former Knicks and Nets forward Shawne Williams looked good during a workout today and will audition for several NBA teams soon, tweets Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that while the presence of Dion Waiters on the Cavaliers may compound the team's interest in drafting Ben McLemore, the former Syracuse standout could thrive in a reserve role as a primary ball handler in the second unit.
Wheat Hotchkiss of NBA.com reviews today's draft workout hosted by the Pacers, which included Deshaun Thomas, Will Clyburn, Alex Oriakhi, James Southerland, and Troy Daniels. C.J. Leslie was present, but did not participate in the workout.

Free Agents Ineligible To Sign With Specific Teams

October 12th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Among the myriad rules in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement is a stipulation that says teams that trade players can't claim those players off waivers or re-sign them until the earlier of the following two dates:

One year after the trade was completed.
July 1st after the player's contract ends.

In some cases, this rule is simple to apply to practical cases. For instance, the Nets traded Mehmet Okur's expiring contract to Portland last March at the trade deadline, and the Blazers waived Okur shortly thereafter. Because Okur's deal was set to expire at season's end, he was ineligible to re-sign with the Nets during last season, but regained that ability as of July 1st, when his contract expired.

Other cases are trickier, however. For example, Derek Fisher was traded to the Rockets by the Lakers last March 15th, and was bought out by the Rockets shortly thereafter. Fisher had a player option on his contract for 2012/13, which raises the question: When exactly is his contract considered to be "over"? In his CBA FAQ, salary cap expert Larry Coon provides an answer:

For contracts with options or ETOs, the end date of the contract is interpreted as the June 30th before an option year, and the June 30th after an ETO year.

Fisher's option wasn't an ETO, so the June 30th before his option year should be considered the "end" of his contract, making him eligible to sign with the Lakers beginning in July, right? Well, not quite.

As confirmed by Coon, Fisher's player option for 2012/13 actually was exercised when he worked out his buyout with the Rockets, allowing the team to split his buyout amount in half between the 2011/12 and '12/13 seasons. That means Fisher is still on the Rockets' books for this season, and his contract isn't considered to be over until next June 30th. As such, the earliest date he can re-sign with the Lakers is March 15th, 2013, a year after the trade.

Since players acquired in trades generally aren't waived immediately, this situation doesn't arise all that often. And many of the players who found themselves in such a position have since signed with other teams — for instance, Josh Harrellson was ineligible to rejoin the Knicks after being waived by the Rockets, but ended up signing with the Heat.

By my count, the eight players listed below, plus Fisher, comprise the group of NBA free agents who are currently ineligible to sign with a specific team, but feel free to contact us if there are any I've missed.

Jerome Dyson: Traded to the Suns and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013. Currently signed to play in Israel.
Jordan Farmar: Traded to the Hawks and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until July 1st, 2013. Currently signed to play in Turkey.
D.J. Kennedy: Traded to the Grizzlies and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Cavaliers until July 1st, 2013.
Brad Miller: Traded to the Suns and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013.
Darryl Watkins: Traded to the Sixers and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Hornets until July 1st, 2013.
Jordan Williams: Traded to the Hawks and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until July 11th, 2013.
Sean Williams: Traded to the Rockets and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Celtics until July 1st, 2013.
Shawne Williams. Traded to the Trail Blazers and waived. Ineligible to re-sign with the Nets until March 15th, 2013.

Note: Players who were waived via the amnesty clause are also ineligible to re-sign with their old teams until the amnestied contract expires.

Latest On Shawne Williams

September 19th, 2012 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

While veteran players like Kenyon Martin and Mickael Pietrus are reportedly uninterested in signing for the minimum salary, Shawne Williams appears very open to such a deal. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Williams would like to join the Knicks on a minimum-salary contract, but New York isn't currently interested.

The Knicks are still seeking a power forward to fill out their roster, but are targeting players like Martin and Louis Amundson rather than Williams. If those players sign elsewhere or remain out of the Knicks' price range (the team can only offer minimum-salary deals), Williams, a former Knick, may re-emerge as a potential option. In the meantime, the Hawks and Bobcats are eyeing the 26-year-old, says Zwerling.

Williams, the 17th overall pick in 2006, has seen NBA action for the Pacers, Mavericks, Knicks, and Nets since his rookie season. Most recently, after injuries cut his 2011/12 campaign short, he was dealt by the Nets to Portland, where he never played a game for the Trail Blazers. The Blazers bought Williams out earlier this summer, which could be one reason he's willing to play for a minimum salary.

Atlantic Notes: K-Mart, Knicks, Celtics, DiLeo

September 18th, 2012 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Among the NBA free agents still looking for work, Kenyon Martin arguably has one of the strongest career resumés. Given his past production, the former first overall pick has "remained steadfast" in not wanting to sign for the veteran's minimum, according to Alan Hahn of MSG Network (Sulia link). A few teams, including the Knicks and Celtics, have K-Mart on their radar, but New York can't offer more than the minimum, and the odds of Boston signing Martin are "slim to none," according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Here are a few more Atlantic Division notes from Hahn, Blakely, and a handful of other NBA scribes:

The Knicks are still considering their power forward options, says Hahn, who cites Louis Amundson, Shawne Williams, and Jordan Williams as a few possibilities. Chris Andersen has "pushed the idea" of signing with the Knicks, but that interest isn't mutual, according to Hahn.
Within Blakely's above-linked piece, he answers plenty of Celtics-related questions that he received from Twitter followers.
The Celtics haven't ruled out adding another veteran before training camp, but it would almost definitely have to be for the minimum salary, says Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com spoke to Chris Copeland, who is on a non-guaranteed contract with the Knicks, about what he's learned from the team's veteran players during pre-camp workouts.
The 76ers should give Tony DiLeo the opportunity to take over for Rod Thorn as the club's general manager, opines Neil Hartman of CSNPhilly.com.

Wizards Eye Terrence Williams, Shawne Williams

August 22nd, 2012 at 8:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards reportedly have interest in Martell Webster, as we heard earlier today, and they're also among a handful of teams in the mix for Michael Redd. Michael Lee of The Washington Post confirms the team's interest in those two and says the team is also considering Terrence Williams and Shawne Williams.

Lee reports the Wizards are watching a number of free agents as they consider whether to add a player to their roster, which stands at 13. They have about $3MM in cap room, but plan to sign someone for the minimum, Lee says. That would make it hard to corral Anthony Tolliver, another player on Washington's radar, since agent Larry Fox has said his client isn't “in the minimum game.”

Terrence Williams hasn't drawn much interest this summer, though a report early last month linked him to the Kings, Pistons and Suns. The Kings signed Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, this past season after he was waived by the Rockets. He put up solid numbers in 20.5 minutes per game for Sacramento, averaging 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 18 contests, but the team elected not to give him a qualifying offer before June 30th, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Shawne Williams opted in to the final year of his contract with the Blazers, worth $3.135MM, but became a free agent last month when the Blazers bought him out last month. Williams missed most of 2011/12 with a left foot injury, and was sent from the Nets to Portland in the Gerald Wallace deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 25 games before the injury and shot poorly, with a percentage line of just .286/.241/.727 compared to the .426/.401/.837 he put up in 2010/11 with the Knicks.

Trail Blazers Buy Out Shawne Williams

July 11th, 2012 at 9:16pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 11, 9:16pm: The Blazers have placed Williams on waivers, the team announced via Twitter. Teams will now have a week to place a claim on him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

JULY 6, 1:33pm: The Trail Blazers have reached an agreement to buy out the final year of Shawne Williams' contract, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick. Williams, who exercised his player option for 2012/13, was slated to earn $3.135MM in the coming season.

Blazers Nearing Buyout With Shawne Williams

July 3rd, 2012 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are nearing an agreement to buy out Shawne Williams' contract, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick. Williams, who was traded to Portland earlier this year, exercised his player option worth $3.135MM, which keeps him under contract for one more years with the Blazers.

If the Blazers and Williams agree on a buyout, the team will have the opportunity to spread the cap hit for the deal over the next three seasons under the NBA's stretch provision. An agreement would likely give Portland a couple million more dollars to work with in free agency.