Vander Blue Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Teletovic, Blue

December 31st, 2013 at 5:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thaddeus Young is playing at an All-Star level this season, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. ”I think Thaddeus’ last [four] games are off the charts,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “It’s at an all-star type of level. He’s playing with versatility and a toughness and a leadership. It’s just a real strong package that he’s showing us. I really feel, the last [four games] if that’s what he is, he’s something special.” Meanwhile, the 25-year-old continues to hear his name in trade talk. Try not to get teary-eyed on us, because this is the final Atlantic Rumors post of 2013..

J.R. Smith, who took to Instagram to express his frustrations with the Knicks’ decision to waive his brother, didn’t speak to reporters today, but coach Mike Woodson doesn’t expect Smith to have hard feelings against Jeremy Tyler, who replaced the younger Smith on the roster. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details. Chris Smith isn’t sure whether he’ll sign to play in the D-League and he may wait awhile before making his next move, Berman notes.
Tyler could play a significant role for the Knicks, as Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal examines.
Mirza Teletovic doesn’t answer a question about whether he’s asked for a trade, but he tells Emir Jesenković of the Bosnian newspaper Avaz that he’s not thinking about the possibility of a trade and that his focus remains on the Nets. Teletovic also lends his support to coach Jason Kidd (translation via NetsDaily).
Sixers camp invitee Vander Blue is once more a free agent, as Maccabi Rishon LeZion of Israel has waived the former Marquette shooting guard, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Contract Details: Sixers, Price, Stone, Christmas

November 5th, 2013 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com has updated his salary database to account for every NBA team’s opening night roster, and in the process has provided several contract details that had previously been unreported. Let’s round up Deeks’ new info, which has now been incorporated into our list of non-guaranteed salaries and our schedule of guarantee dates….

Daniel Orton and Brandon Davies were late additions to the Sixers‘ roster, but they received the same kind of deals that many of the team’s other offseason signees did: Non-guaranteed four-year pacts. Hollis Thompson, meanwhile, landed a $35K guarantee for this season on his four-year contract.
When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors listed the camp cuts who had been owed guaranteed money, he noted that the guarantees for Vander Blue, Khalif Wyatt, and Richard Howell were still unknown. Deeks fills in those amounts, reporting that the Sixers paid Blue $55K and Wyatt $35K. Howell received $50K from the Trail Blazers.
Unlike most players on non-guaranteed contracts, A.J. Price won’t have to wait until the new year for his salary to become fully guaranteed. He’ll get his full minimum salary as long as he’s not waived by the Timberwolves on or before December 8th.
Julyan Stone‘s two-year contract with the Raptors was initially guaranteed for $50K, but that amount was bumped up to $100K when he earned a spot on the regular season roster.
Dionte Christmas (Suns) and Henry Sims (Cavaliers) both received partial guarantees worth $50K.
The Hawks‘ agreement with Cartier Martin is just for one year, for a fully non-guaranteed minimum salary.

International Notes: Powell, Blue, Green

October 30th, 2013 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

A few more NBA camp invitees have landed jobs overseas, so let’s round up the latest news in today’s collection of international notes….

Josh Powell was one of the Knicks‘ camp casualties last week, but he’s found a new gig in China, where he’ll join the Guangdong Southern Tigers, tweets Evan Wang of Hupu.com (hat tip to Sportando). Powell is no stranger to international ball, having played for Olympiacos in Greece in 2012/13, following stints in Puerto Rico and China.
After leaving Marquette a year early and spending camp with the Sixers, Vander Blue has signed in Israel with Maccabi Rishon Lezion, according to the Israeli Basketball League (via Twitter). The 6’5″ shooting guard helped lead Marquette to the Elite Eight in last season’s NCAA tournament, averaging 18.3 PPG in the team’s four March Madness games.
JaMychal Green, who joined the Clippers for a brief camp stint this month, will head to France to play for Chorale Roanne, says Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot (hat tip to Sportando). Green, a former Alabama forward, played for the D-League’s Austin Toros last season.

Amico On Bynum, Roster Cuts, Hamilton, 76ers

October 27th, 2013 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Bynum represented one of the more interesting free agent cases of the offseason, and his new contract reflects that: Bynum could earn as little as $6MM with the Cavaliers if he’s released on or before January 7th, or as much as $24MM+ if he plays out the two years of his deal. It doesn’t look like the former All-Star will be in Cleveland’s lineup when the regular season gets underway, but he’s making progress, according to head coach Mike Brown, who confirmed today that Bynum has gone through “most of practice.”

Sam Amico of the FOX Sports Ohio has the latest details on the ex-Laker, along with plenty of other tidbits from around the league, so let’s check out the highlights from his piece….

Shannon Brown and Kendall Marshall are drawing interest around the league, with clubs expecting them to be waived by the Wizards tomorrow. Marshall could hear from the 76ers, a league source tells Amico.
Other recently released players who are receiving some level of interest include Royce White, Josh Childress, Damion James, Vander Blue, Royal Ivey, Jermaine Taylor, and Seth Curry.
At least seven teams have inquired on free agent guard Richard Hamilton, a GM tells Amico. The former Bull appears likely to wait until midway through the season to sign with a team, perhaps anticipating that a guaranteed deal or a non-minimum contract will be more attainable at that point.
“Scuttlebutt around the league” suggests that there’s a good chance the Sixers move the expiring contracts of Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes by the trade deadline.

Sixers Release Wyatt, Koshwal, Blue, White

October 24th, 2013 at 6:14pm CST by Luke Adams

6:14pm: Bob Cooney of the Daily News and Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times report that Vander Blue and Royce White have also been released (Twitter links). Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer says there’s a chance that Blue, White, Wyatt, and Koshwal could be signed to Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, if they clear waivers.

4:04pm: With at least five cuts to make by opening night, the Sixers began trimming down their roster today. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the team has waived Khalif Wyatt and Mac Koshwal, leaving 18 players still under contract.

Wyatt, a 6’4″ guard out of Temple, joined the Sixers’ Summer League team after going undrafted in June, then inked a camp deal with the team that reportedly included a partial guarantee. Koshwal, a 6’10” forward/center, received a camp invite from Philadelphia after finishing last season with the PBL’s Rochester Razorsharks, as our international tracker shows.

Wyatt’s release could be good news for Vander Blue, since coach Brett Brown recently suggested the two players may have been vying for a single roster spot. It will also give Wyatt a chance to latch on with another team — Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News hears from a scout that there’s some interest in the 22-year-old (Twitter link).

The Sixers will need to release at least three more players by opening night to get down to the regular season maximum of 15 players.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Sixers, Bucks

October 15th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents to come off the board this July, inking a two-year deal with the Bulls worth the taxpayer’s mid-level exception. And as he tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he isn’t regretting his decision.

“Everything I was hoping for, whether it be playing for [Tom Thibodeau] or playing with Derrick [Rose], has been better than I expected,” Dunleavy said. “And I had heard great things.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Within that same Tribune piece, Johnson suggests that Mike James is the probable frontrunner to be the Bulls‘ 13th man, while Dexter Pittman is also a candidate.
The Bulls are prepared to move on from Marquis Teague, who probably could be had for cheap, according to Mark Deeks at The Score. Deeks says that Teague’s increased playing time in the team’s most recent preseason game was meant to be a showcase for potential suitors.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines the Celtics and Rajon Rondo in his latest column, wondering if keeping Rondo through the 2013/14 season could slow down Boston’s rebuilding plan.
Hollis Thompson is a long shot to make the Sixers on his non-guaranteed deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who examines the former Georgetown Hoya’s quest to beat the odds.
Meanwhile, after tweeting yesterday that Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt may be battling for a single Sixers roster spot, Tom Moore of Calkins Media goes into more depth on the competition, with quotes on both players from head coach Brett Brown.
Not only is Larry Drew in his first year on the Bucks‘ bench, but he’ll have to “bring a whole new team together,” as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team has yet to finalize its 15-man roster, but when it does, 11 of Milwaukee’s 15 players figure to be new additions.
Julyan Stone is making a strong case to be the Raptors‘ 15th man, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Evans, Celtics

October 14th, 2013 at 6:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks GM Steve Mills tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe that one of the reasons the team hired him was because he believed the team should preserve its cap room for the summer of 2015 and focus on developing young players rather than pursue Glen Grunwald‘s strategy of inking aging veterans. Lowe cautions that waiting around for free agents to come calling in two years is a risky strategy, and advocates for the Knicks to gauge the trade market for Carmelo Anthony. Mills has nonetheless made it clear that keeping Anthony is a priority, so it’s unlikely he’ll heed the Grantland scribe’s advice. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

One of the deciding factors that led Kevin Garnett to waive his no-trade clause and OK his move to the Nets was Reggie Evans‘ continued presence in Brooklyn, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Evans initially appeared headed for Boston, but the final version of the deal included MarShon Brooks instead.
The Celtics expressed interest in bringing swingman Omar Reed to camp, as he recently told Bob Redd of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, but the team got in touch with Reed two days after he’d signed to play in Japan. The Celtics will nonetheless keep tabs on the 26-year-old who spent last season with Boston’s D-League affiliate, as Ridiculous Upside’s Keith Schlosser details.
Sixers coach Brett Brown says shooting guards Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt could be in a head-to-head battle for a roster spot, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
Julyan Stone might be the favorite to win the final spot on the Raptors roster, but the competition between him, Chris Wright and Carlos Morais will be a tight one, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (All Twitter links).

Eastern Rumors: Blue, Brown, Chris Smith

October 6th, 2013 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat could again be the class of the NBA, while the Sixers have a strong shot at the league's worst record. Still, it appears they were competing over at least one player this offseason. Here's more on that and the rest of the day's news from the Eastern Conference.

Undrafted rookie Vander Blue had an offer to join the Heat for camp before he signed instead with the Sixers, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Kwame Brown is a buyout candidate, but if he and the Sixers part ways this season, it won't be because he negatively affected the young team's chemistry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Chris Smith acknowledges the public perception that there's nepotism at play behind his presence at Knicks camp for the second straight year, but J.R. Smith's brother tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that he simply uses it as motivation.
Pistons players are welcoming the coaching change from Lawrence Frank to Maurice Cheeks, with some of them citing Cheeks' playing experience as a plus, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

76ers To Sign Vander Blue

September 19th, 2013 at 7:44pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers have agreed to sign undrafted guard Vander Blue to a partially guaranteed contract (Twitter link). The 6'4" guard participated in both the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer League this year, averaging 23.5 MPG, 11.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in two games for Houston and 21.2 MPG, 11.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 37.5% shooting from long distance in 6 games for the Grizzlies respectively.

Philadelphia's roster now stands at 17, though several of those players will be on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Only 10 Sixers currently have fully guaranteed deals, though that number will increase by one when Michael Carter-Williams officially signs.

In addition to Blue, the 76ers have added a handful of guards this offseason (including Tony Wroten, James Anderson, Khalif Wyatt, and Darius Morris to name a few), which should make for an interesting and competitive camp as far as the back court is concerned. Also, Blue's partial guarantee might not be much of a surprise, as we discussed earlier today why it'd be in the team's best interests to find a way to remain above the salary cap this season.

Draft Workout Updates: Friday

June 21st, 2013 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

With just six days left until the 2013 draft, NBA teams continue to bring in prospects to work them out and gather as much information as they can. Here are the latest updates on workouts taking place today, over the weekend, and early next week:

Allen Crabbe will work out Tuesday with the Bucks and Wednesday for the Nets, reports Scott Howard Cooper of NBA.com. Crabbe, widely projected as a late first-rounder at best, made it a priority to visit the Bucks, who have the No. 15 pick (Twitter links).
Mason Plumlee wasn't on the list the Pistons released of players with whom the team has met, but he was scheduled to work out for Detroit on Friday, according to MLive's David Mayo.
We heard about Vander Blue's workout with the Bucks today (below), and Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel notes that Blue has also auditioned for the Mavs, Spurs, Hawks, Sixers, Pistons and Magic, with another workout on tap for Monday with the Grizzlies.

Earlier updates:

Anthony Bennett will visit the Bobcats on Saturday, though his injured rotator cuff will prevent him from working out, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps traveled Friday to get a close look at Victor Oladipo, sources confirmed to John Reid of The Times Picayune.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com passed along a list of players who met with the Pistons this past week: Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, C.J. McCollum, Cody Zeller, Derrick Nix, Dexter Strickland, Augusto Cesar Lima, Jared Berggren, Kenny Boynton and Karron Johnson (All Twitter links).
The Kings updated the workout schedule on their website, which shows Shabazz Muhammad, Doug Anderson, A.J. Davis, John Dickson, Mfon Udofia and Kwame Vaughn coming in Saturday. McCollum will be in for a workout on Monday, Cowbell Kingdom's James Ham tweets.
Today's workout for the Timberwolves is expected to be the last one for the team, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, adding that Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk, Colton Iverson, and Christian Watford were in attendance.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution passes along a couple tweets from Gorgui Dieng, surmising that the big man appears to be in Atlanta for a workout with the Hawks.
The Suns' workout today is headlined by Glen Rice Jr., according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, who has the full list of participants in a pair of tweets.
Vander Blue, Grant Jerrett, Brock Motum, Dejan Musli, Nemanja Nedovic, and Andrew Smith are working out for the Bucks today, according to the team's PR Twitter feed.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Erick Green will be among the prospects working out for the Nets on Monday, the team announced in a press release.
Hardaway Jr. was also among the prospects who worked out for the Clippers today, along with Tony Snell, Ricky Ledo, and Reggie Bullock (link via Eric Patten of Clippers.com).
The Pacers announced today that they'll work out a a handful of prospects tomorrow: Matt Dellavedova, Angel Sharpless, Jamaal Franklin, Zeke Marshall, and Jeff Withey.