Terrence Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, C’s, Barbosa, Nets, Sixers

February 19th, 2013 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We've already rounded up a number of Celtics rumors this morning, but there's plenty happening around the rest of the Atlantic Division as well. Let's dive in….

Celtics president Danny Ainge and Knicks coach Mike Woodson both downplayed the possibility of their respectives teams making a trade this week, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter links).
If the Celtics get into a position where they need a roster spot, they may waive Leandro Barbosa, tweets Blakely. Barbosa would still receive his full salary in that case. For now, the C's have some flexibility — even with Terrence Williams on the roster, the club still has an open roster spot.

Earlier updates:

Nets GM Billy King told reporters, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), that there's a 10% chance the Nets will make a trade this week. I'd probably put the odds higher than that, but I suppose he'd know better than I would.
The Sixers are exploring a few trade avenues, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see them stand pat at the deadline, says John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I don't see anything for us right now," coach Doug Collins said. "If something happens for us right now, I think it would be something that would be very small. [GM] Tony [DiLeo] is on the phone, but I don't think there is anything major that is going to turn our season around. What would be major for us would be to get our guys healthy."
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun doesn't expect the Raptors to find a taker for Linas Kleiza, who figures to be an amnesty candidate this July (Twitter link).
Terrence Williams' 10-day contract with the Celtics could be beneficial for both the player and the team, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Celtics Close To Signing Terrence Williams

February 18th, 2013 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

11:01am: Williams is close to signing with the Celtics, according to Washburn (via Twitter). He is expected to join the team and finalize a deal once he receives a clearance letter from his former Chinese team.

10:19am: In search of depth, the Celtics are "strongly considering" signing free agent swingman Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract, reports Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

Discussing potential roster moves for the Celtics in the wake of a handful of season-ending injuries, president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers have both indicated that adding a player on a 10-day deal is likely as the team looks for a short-term fix. Rivers specifically noted that the Chinese Basketball Association's season was coming to an end soon, which was where Williams spent the majority of the year. Mark Deeks of ShamSports reported last week that Williams had returned stateside due to a death in the family.

Williams, 25, averaged 17.9 PPG in 29 games for the Guangdong Southern Tigers this season, according to Asia-Basket.com. The Louisville product has yet to deliver on the promise that got him picked 11th overall in the 2009 draft, but has shown flashes of potential in stints with the Nets, Rockets, and Kings. In 129 career NBA games, he has recorded 7.6 PPG and an 11.4 PER.

Donald Sloan Signs In China

February 13th, 2013 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 12:47pm: Sloan has finalized a contract with Guangdong, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Berger adds in a second tweet that the deal is only for the rest of this season.

TUESDAY, 12:41pm: For teams like the Celtics, who may be looking at D-League prospects in search of backcourt help, one prime candidate appears to be off the market. According to Mark Deeks of ShamSports, Donald Sloan has left the D-League and will replace Terrence Williams on China's Guangdong Southern Tigers. Williams came home due to a death in the family, says Deeks (Twitter links).

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Sloan is closing in on a "lucrative" contract with Guangdong, though it's not clear if it will just be for the remainder of this season. Deeks suggests that the Texas A&M product will be returning stateside after the CBA season ends, and could catch on with an NBA team later this season.

Sloan, 24, appeared in 20 games for the Cavaliers earlier this season, earning some extra playing time when Kyrie Irving was sidelined. He also signed a 10-day contract with the Hornets and appeared briefly in three games for New Orleans.

Although Sloan has yet to make a real impact at the NBA level, he has excelled for the D-League's Sioux Falls SkyForce this year, averaging 22.1 PPG, 7.4 APG, and 6.5 RPG, while leading the team to an 8-2 record in his 10 contests.

Terrence Williams Signs In China

November 2nd, 2012 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 8:53am: Williams has signed with Guangdong, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that a few NBA teams expressed interest in the 25-year-old, but wanted him to play in the D-League. As Kennedy notes, Williams could return to the NBA after the CBA's season ends in March (Twitter link).

It's not clear how Williams' agreement with Guangdong will affect Gilbert Arenas, who reportedly headed to China to try out with the team earlier this week. There were rumblings that Guangdong was looking to sign another NBA player instead of Arenas, so Williams could be that guy. It's also possible that both players will join the team.

THURSDAY, 10:31pm: Free agent guard Terrence Williams has agreed to sign a one-year deal with Guangdong in China, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Williams was waived last week by the Pistons along with Jonny Flynn.

The 25-year-old didn't have a great chance of hooking on with Detroit as they already had 15 guaranteed contracts, but he did have a big fan in coach Lawrence Frank, who he played for in New Jersey. The former lottery pick was praised for his athleticism and versatility heading into the 2009 draft but never got his footing in the NBA. Williams has averaged 7.6 PPG across three seasons in the NBA.

Pistons Waive Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn

October 22nd, 2012 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have officially released camp invitees Terrence Williams and Jonny Flynn, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (via Twitter). The cuts leave the Pistons with 15 players under contract.

Both Williams and Flynn were lottery picks in the 2009 draft, but hit free agency a year early after the fourth-year options of their respective rookie contracts weren't picked up by the Rockets last season. While neither player has lived up to expectations since coming into the league, Williams and Flynn had productive stretches as bench players in their three-year careers. Still, it was an uphill battle to earn a roster spot in Detroit, where the Pistons already had 15 guaranteed contract on their books.

If both players clear waivers, they'll become unrestricted free agents, free to sign with any team.

Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Cavs, Pistons

October 4th, 2012 at 6:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Shams Charania of RealGM had a few interesting tidbits to relay from Bulls camp, writing about how coach Tom Thibodeau personally recruited Nate Robinson, Andre Emmett's fight to earn a contract during training camp and his willingness to sign with the team at any point during the season, and coach Thibodeau's aim to maintain Joakim Noah's minutes during the season. We have quite a few more links to share with news from the Central Division…

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that despite losing many rotation players from last year's team, Thibodeau likes the versatility of the team's new additions and the flexibility of the roster overall.
Pacers insider Mike Wells of IndyStar.com breaks down what he will pay attention to during the team's scrimmage on Friday, particularly Roy Hibbert's positioning, the play of the reserves, Paul George's ball-handling, and how the rookies fare.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio listed some of his early observations from Cavaliers training camp early on, saying that Dion Waiters' conditioning is not an issue, C.J. Miles is standing out as a perimeter shooting threat, Samardo Samuels and Jon Leuer appear to have earned significant roles, and that the team will have tough roster decisions to make by the end of camp.
Cavaliers coach Byron Scott appears especially impressed with Leuer, who the team had claimed off waivers in July. "I just don't think he knows how good he can be," said Scott (according to a tweet by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer). Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal elaborates about Samuels' hard work this past summer, shedding 20 pounds since the end of last season and has cut down his body fat from 15 percent to between six and seven percent.
Jonny Flynn and Terrence Williams, the sixth and ninth picks of the 2009 NBA draft respectively, find themselves vying for guaranteed contracts on the Pistons roster. David Mayo of MLive.com writes about their thoughts on the opportunity as well as head coach Lawrence Frank's firm belief that both are NBA players. Frank says that he's liked what he's seen from Flynn and Williams in camp so far, even pointing out that he sees Williams as a point guard (and not a wing player).

Pistons Sign Terrence Williams

October 1st, 2012 at 9:45am CST by Alex Lee

OCTOBER 1ST: The Pistons have officially signed Williams, according to a team release.

SEPTEMBER 20TH: Free agent guard Terrence Williams, who spent time with the Rockets and Kings last season, has agreed on a contract to attend training camp with the Pistons, tweets Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. The head coach of the Pistons is, of course, Lawrence Frank, who coached Williams when they crossed paths in New Jersey. Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that the deal will be a "conditional guarantee for one year minimum," meaning that the deal becomes for guaranteed dollars at a certain date.

Detroit worked out Williams last week, and he must have made an impression. After being traded to Sacramento last March, Williams received increased playing time and averaged 8.8 points over 18 games. It was the highest scoring average with one team in one season in his career. At age 25, and only three years removed from being the 11th overall pick, Williams will have to earn a roster spot if he wants to have a chance to fulfill his once-perceived potential.

Amick On Martin, Fisher, Fesenko, Williams

September 12th, 2012 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to reporting that Matt Barnes is closing in on a deal with the Clippers, SI.com's Sam Amick shared updates on a handful of other free agents in his latest piece. Let's dive in and round up a few highlights from the SI.com scribe:

Most, if not all, of the teams interested in Kenyon Martin only have interest at the veteran's minimum. The Lakers and Celtics were among the teams in play earlier in the offseason, but now Amick wonders if Martin will wait until midseason or even retire if he doesn't find a situation he likes.
Derek Fisher may be in the same boat as Martin, with retirement or signing halfway through the season both potentially in play. Fisher turned down an offer from the Bulls before Chicago signed Nate Robinson, and the chances of the veteran point guard returning to the Thunder are "remote."
Kyrylo Fesenko is scheduled to work out with the Spurs next week, and may work out for the Cavaliers after that. The Hawks and Heat have also been in touch with the big man.
The Pistons will work out Terrence Williams this week. The Mavericks and Celtics are also believed to have interest in Williams.

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.

Odds & Ends: Bulls, Josh Howard, Deng, Heat

August 7th, 2012 at 9:06pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter) points out that the Bulls are specifically $758,642 below the luxury tax apron and that the league minimum salary for sophomore players is $762,195. This definitely factors into the situation of Malcolm Thomas, who put on a standout performance as a member of their summer league roster and more importantly is entering his second year in the league. Deeks still doesn't think that Chicago is willing pay the tax, adding that the team isn't in any rush to make moves that would incidentally put them over the apron. Here are more of tonight's links from around the NBA…

Matt Moore of CBS Sports gives the Bobcats a grade of "C" for their work this offseason.
Earl K. Sneed of NBA.com talks about the plenty of backcourt options that the Mavericks have for the upcoming season.
Australia's David Andersen hopes that Wednesday's game against Team USA is enough to make an impression as he hopes for an opportunity to return to the NBA, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. The 6'11 forward/center played in Italy last year and was a member of the Hornets during the 2010-11 season. Andersen says he will continue to play in Europe if he doesn't receive an offer from an NBA team.
Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops examines the top 20 remaining free agents and groups them by position.
Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Jazz are expected to re-engage in talks with free agent Josh Howard soon.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN LA clarifies that although the Lakers are interested in Jodie Meeks, the shooting guard isn't quite open to signing for the veteran's minimum. Also, Kamenetzky notes that while the team has placed a priority on adding a backcourt or wing player, they won't use their mini-mid level exception to overpay for a player they feel isn't worth that much. Earlier today, Brian joined his brother Andy to discuss some names in free agency that are worth considering, including Carlos Delfino, Tracy McGrady, and Terrence Williams in addition to Meeks.