Will Bynum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Wade, Bynum, Borrego

June 9th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Heat teammates are in the dark about Dwyane Wade‘s contract situation, and even Mario Chalmers, who’s spoken to Wade, doesn’t know what will happen, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. Wade would reportedly like to opt out and is open to leaving the Heat, who would apparently prefer that he opt in, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported. I looked at the dynamics between Wade and the Heat in depth earlier today as I examined the offseason ahead for Miami. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

The Guangdong Southern Tigers have given Will Bynum a standing offer to return to China on a three-year deal, as Bynum tells Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The point guard, whose contract with the Wizards expires at month’s end, said to Castillo that he’s “definitely considering” the Chinese offer but will seek a comparable NBA pact before committing to it.
Speaking of standing offers, former interim coach James Borrego has one from the Magic to return to the team as an assistant coach, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com amid a full piece that advances his earlier report on interest in the coach from the Thunder and Pelicans. Borrego is expected to make his decision this week about whether to stay with the Magic, Stein adds.
The Hornets are holding a predraft workout today for Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, UNC Charlotte’s Pierria Henry, UTEP’s Vince Hunter, Davidson’s Tyler Kalinoski, Nebraska’s Terran Petteway and William & Mary’s Marcus Thornton, the team announced (on Twitter).

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Contracts, Bucks

April 23rd, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks team president Phil Jackson has sounded like a defeated man during his end of season press conferences, which isn’t what the organization or its fans need to see at this critical juncture in New York’s rebuilding process, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes. The Zen Master has taken on a somewhat pessimistic attitude when discussing the team’s ability to attract free agents, Vaccaro notes. “The market value is going to be really interesting,” Jackson said. “There’s going to be a zillion guys being chased, and it’s not just us trying to do this. It only takes one individual team that says, ‘We want this guy.’ The prevailing attitude is: Guys get overpaid in this situation. You have do that in free agency to get a player. We know we have a limited amount and have to do some judicious shopping. We’re not going to the dollar store, but we may not be at one of the bigger [stores].”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

If Knicks guard Ricky Ledo is still under contract through August 1st, $100K of his minimum salary arrangement for 2015/16 will become guaranteed, with another $100K becoming guaranteed if he begins the season under contract, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Jorge Gutierrez‘s minimum salary deal for 2015/16 with the Bucks is non-guaranteed, Pincus tweets.
Will Bynum‘s contract with the Wizards was strictly for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign, and the guard will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Pincus notes (Twitter link).
Commissioner Adam Silver indicated that he still has faith that a deal can be reached on a new arena in Milwaukee for the Bucks, Kami Mattioli of The Sporting News tweets. The franchise is struggling to secure $250MM worth of public financing toward the construction of a $500MM arena.

Wizards Sign Will Bynum For Rest Of Season

April 6th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Will Joseph

MONDAY, 2:13pm: The deal is official, the Wizards announced via press release.

SUNDAY, 8:34pm: The Wizards will retain Will Bynum, who signed a 10-day deal with the team on March 27th, for the rest of the season and playoffs, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reports. Michael cited sources with knowledge of the situation.

Bynum is still battling a left hamstring strain, as Michael notes, but he provides the Wizards a serviceable option in a backcourt that relies heavily on John Wall and Ramon Sessions. Bynum has appeared for a total of eight minutes in three games since landing the prior deal. The seven-year veteran hasn’t scored and has taken only two shots. Bynum developed the hamstring injury while playing overseas, but Michael writes that he is “rounding into form physically and should be ready for the postseason.”

In December, Bynum, 32, signed with China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers. It was a guaranteed arrangement reportedly worth more than a $1MM. That deal came following his release from the Celtics before the season. Bynum carved a name for himself in the league while spending six seasons with the Pistons.

Wizards Sign Will Bynum To 10-Day Contract

March 27th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards have officially signed Will Bynum to a 10-day contract, the team announced via press release, a statement that also formalized the termination of Toure’ Murry‘s second 10-day contract with the club. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post originally reported both moves late Thursday. Bynum and the Wizards have been linked for quite some time as the point guard had seemingly been the team’s top target since at least the beginning of February. Shams Charania of RealGM first reported in January about Washington’s interest in Bynum, who’d been playing for China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers.

Bynum, 32, signed his Chinese deal, a guaranteed arrangement reportedly worth more than a $1MM, in December after spending about a month as a free agent following his release from the Celtics just before opening night. Boston had acquired the seven-year NBA veteran from the Pistons, his longtime team, via trade earlier that month. He put up 22.3 points, 7.0 assists and 3.2 turnovers in 32.1 minutes per game for Guangdong, which strung together the majority of its 26-game winning streak with Bynum on the roster. There was reportedly mutual interest that developed between the Cavs and Bynum while he was overseas, but Cleveland’s addition of Kendrick Perkins, who filled the team’s last open roster spot, seemingly put the Cavs out of the mix. A hamstring injury had Washington looking at Bobby Brown and eventually led the Wizards to Murry, but the team never lost interest in Bynum.

Washington slides Bynum into its only roster spot not occupied by a player who has a contract that runs through at least the end of the season. It’s somewhat surprising to see the Wizards give the point guard only a 10-day deal, given the team’s longstanding interest, but it allows for maximum flexibility, and it seems likely that the team will retain Bynum once his short-term deal is up, though that’s just my speculation.

Wizards Release Toure’ Murry

March 27th, 2015 at 10:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 10:59am: Murry’s subtraction is official, the team announced via press release.

THURSDAY, 8:20pm: The Wizards intend to ink Bynum to a deal, Castillo tweets.

8:13pm: The Wizards intend to release Toure’ Murry, who is on his second 10-day deal with the club, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post tweets. Murry has a sprained ankle and Bradley Beal is expected to miss time with ankle woes of his own, so Washington will need to add some backcourt depth as a result, Castillo adds. The Wizards’ roster count currently sits at the league maximum of 15 players.

There’s a possibility that Washington will try to add free agent Will Bynum to its roster, Castillo adds. The Wizards will look to the D-League for help if Bynum isn’t signed, the Washington Post scribe notes. Bynum came free from his Chinese team at the beginning of March following the club’s playoff elimination. In 353 career NBA games the 32-year-old has averaged 8.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His last appearance in the league came with the Pistons during the 2013/14 campaign.

Murry, 25, saw one single minute of action for the Jazz earlier this season before he was waived, much to the chagrin of his agent Bernie Lee, who didn’t think Murry was given a fair chance in Utah. He appeared in four contests for the Wizards, averaging 1.5 points in 4.3 minutes per game. The Wizards could still look to ink Murry for the remainder of the season if his ankle heals and Bynum isn’t signed, Castillo notes.

Wizards Likely To Re-Sign Toure’ Murry

March 19th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards are likely to sign Toure’ Murry to a second 10-day contract even as they continue to keep an eye on No. 1 target Will Bynum, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The team signed Murry last week as Bynum nursed a hamstring injury, though it appeared then that Bynum, if healthy, would be Washington’s preference, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reported at that point. The team’s first 10-day deal with Murry expires at the end of Saturday.

Murry, the former Knicks and Jazz combo guard, also seemingly found a place on the roster in part because of the absence of Garrett Temple, who’s out with a hamstring injury of his own. Still, Murry has seen only four minutes of action for the Wizards so far. That’s nonetheless more than the single regular season minute of play he saw with the Jazz, who signed him to a two-year, $2MM deal in the offseason that was partially guaranteed for $250K.

Washington has 14 contracts that carry through the end of the season, so Murry’s spot represents the team’s measure of flexibility. That spot had been open since the Wizards waived Glen Rice Jr. on January 7th until they signed Murry, with Ray Allen apparently the team’s ultimate goal until Allen decided earlier this month he wouldn’t play in the NBA this year.

Wizards Interested In Bobby Brown

March 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards are considering Bobby Brown as they mull options for their lone open roster spot, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). They also maintain an interest in Will Bynum, to whom they’ve frequently been linked since last month. Stein first reported shortly before the trade deadline that Washington’s interest in Brown depended on what the team did at the trade deadline. The Wizards brought in Ramon Sessions for Andre Miller the day after Stein’s initial report surfaced, but it appears the team continues to look to upgrade its depth at guard.

Brown is a 6’2″ point guard who’s used the last two seasons in China to raise his profile since his last NBA action in 2009/10. He put up 31.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 turnovers in 40.3 minutes a game for China’s Dongguan Leopards this season after scoring 30.7 PPG for the team last year. The season is over for the Leopards, and while the Aaron Mintz client signed a three-year deal with the club this past summer, the contract does include escape clauses that would allow him to return to the NBA.

The Cavaliers reportedly had interest in Brown as of January, though their roster appears largely set, with the trade deadline in the past and 15 players under contract through at least the end of the season. He was apparently speaking to multiple NBA teams in mid-February, but a deal has yet to emerge.

Bynum came free from his Chinese team a week ago following the club’s playoff elimination. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal in January identified the Cavs as an interested party for him, too, and Shams Charania of RealGM reported that the Wizards were eyeing him shortly thereafter. J. Michael of CSNWashington pegged Bynum as the team’s primary target aside from Ray Allen, and while Allen has said he won’t play this season and Bynum has picked up an endorsement from John Wall, Michael cast doubt this weekend on Washington’s appeal to Bynum. The Wizards are looking internally for solutions to their recent woes, Michael wrote, noting that Bynum also has a minor hamstring injury. The Wizards, who’ve lost 13 out of 17 and cling to the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, are limited to giving out no more than the prorated minimum salary.

And-Ones: Divac, Okafor, Knicks

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:39pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Kings have hired former NBA player Vlade Divac as their vice president of basketball and franchise operations, the team has announced. “With an unparalleled philanthropic track record that spans the globe, Vlade Divac is the epitome of our NBA 3.0 philosophy,” Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive said. “He has a unique perspective and global stature that will only further elevate our organization around the world.” In a career that spanned 16 NBA seasons, Divac averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Ranadive was the driving force behind hiring Divac, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee tweets.

Here’s more from around the league and abroad:

With the Guangdong Southern Tigers having been eliminated from the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs, Will Bynum, Jeff Adrien and Chris Daniels have become free agents and are eligible to sign with NBA teams, Enea Trapani of Sportando tweets.
The NBA has fined the Knicks for team president Phil Jackson‘s public comments regarding Ohio State freshman D’Angelo Russell, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Upon leaving Ohio State’s game last Thursday night, Jackson told reporters that Russell was a “great looking kid, [a] great prospect.” This is the second time in his brief career as an executive that Jackson has been fined for tampering. The first instance was for his comments regarding Derek Fisher last spring while Fisher was still a member of the Thunder.
Mike D’Antoni would be an excellent fit as the next coach of the Nuggets, Adi Joseph of USA Today opines. Joseph cites Denver’s personnel, who would be well-suited to D’Antoni’s style of play, as the main reason the former Knicks and Lakers coach could match up well with the Nuggets.
With the Knicks currently owning the worst record in the NBA according to Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings, New York has the best odds of snagging the top pick in June’s NBA draft. Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal examines the pros and cons of projected No. 1 overall pick Jahlil Okafor, and how the big man would fit in with the Knicks.
The Lakers intend to apply for a hardship exception once Ronnie Price misses his fourth consecutive game, Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times reports. Los Angeles has lost Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Julius Randle and Price for the season. The Lakers have discussed the matter internally, but haven’t decided if they will use the exception if granted, Pincus adds.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Nets, Wizards

February 12th, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mo Williams was traded to the Hornets on Tuesday but their interest in the veteran point guard dated back to last summer when he was on the free-agent market, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets were shopping for a backup to Kemba Walker but ultimately settled on Brian Roberts, Bonnell adds. Their interest in Williams was rekindled when Walker suffered a knee injury that will sideline him until at least early March, Bonnell notes.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Nets coach Lionel Hollins expects to have the same roster after the trade deadline, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Any move by the Nets would likely involve Deron Williams, Joe Johnson or Brook Lopez but the market for them is underwhelming because of their salaries and, particularly in Williams’ case, a lack of production, Bontemps adds. The fact that the Nets must swap first-round picks with the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks, courtesy of their acquisition of Johnson in 2012, leaves them no incentive to strip the roster to increase their chances of moving into the lottery, Bontemps notes.
John Wall feels the Wizards need to add another play-making guard or wing player to the second unit, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports. Rather than making a deal, the Wizards could wait to fill that spot with a free agent bought out of his contract after the trade deadline or an overseas pickup, Castillo notes. Former Pistons point guard Will Bynum, who is currently playing in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, could fill the void when the CBA playoffs end, Castillo adds. Wall told Castillo that he endorses Bynum’s skill set and competitive nature.
Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton could be moved before the trade deadline as the Celtics continue their quest to shed salary and stockpile draft picks, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Bass, who is averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, is making $6.9MM this season. Thornton, who is averaging 8.9 PPG, has a $8.575MM salary.
The Hawks will have to give All-Star Paul Millsap a substantial raise to retain him, according to Paul Newberry of the Associated Press. That’s just what Millsap planned when he left the Jazz to sign with Atlanta for what turned out to be a bargain rate of two years and $19MM, Newberry adds. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Mavs, Wizards Eye Kevin Martin?

February 9th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:53pm: The Wizards regard Will Bynum as their chief target aside from Ray Allen, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com, so it doesn’t appear as though Martin is a high priority for them.

MONDAY, 10:35am: There’s “nothing there yet” regarding the Mavericks and Martin, a source tells Wolfson (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 2:33pm: Washington hasn’t discussed Martin to this point, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears (Twitter link).

9:10am: The Mavericks and Wizards are “among the possibilities” for Kevin Martin, as Chris Mannix of SI.com writes within his Open Floor column, calling the Timberwolves shooting guard a “player to keep an eye on” as the February 19th trade deadline approaches. Still, a source told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News about a week ago that there’s “almost zero chance” the Wolves swing any deals because of the long-term salary commitments involved with many of their veterans. Martin, who makes nearly $6.793MM this season, is under contract through 2016/17, a season for which he has a player option worth almost $7.378MM.

Despite those salaries, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press wrote last week that he didn’t get the sense that the Wolves wanted to trade the 11th-year veteran. Martin has played in only 14 games this season, including a 37-point performance against the Knicks in which he broke his right (shooting) wrist. He returned to action just last week after an absence of more than two months because of the wrist, and he scored 30 points in Minnesota’s last game, a victory over the Heat. The 32-year-old is averaging 20.5 points per game so far this year, which would represent his first season with a scoring average of better than 20.0 PPG since 2010/11.

Neither the Mavs nor the Wizards have a trade exception large enough to absorb Martin, and both teams are fairly close to the tax threshold, so they’d have to send out matching salary. Washington has the additional burden of a hard cap. The only expiring contract the Wizards have that’s greater than the minimum salary and doesn’t require the player’s consent for a trade is the team’s deal with Andre Miller, who makes $4.625MM this season and has recently fallen out of the rotation. The expiring contracts for the Mavs are all minimum-salary deals, except the ones for Tyson Chandler and Rajon Rondo, players the team will almost certainly keep.