Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Xavier Munford

And-Ones: Early, Wanamaker, Munford, Bond

September 10th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

An apparent dispute over his diet has led to Cleanthony Early being stripped of his $150K deal with AEK Athens. International writer David Pick cited “disciplinary reasons” for the Greek club terminating the contract that Early agreed to last week (Twitter link). The Knicks fan site, Posting and Toasting, part of SB Nation, fleshed out the story with a few now-deleted screen shots of messages between Early and a team official. Early is a vegan and claims he couldn’t find the food he needs close to Athens. He added that he lost seven pounds since coming to Greece and told the team to release him if there wasn’t a way to solve the problem.

There’s more basketball news from around the world:

  • Brad Wanamaker, who was hoping to get an offer this summer from the Pelicans or Celtics, has accepted a deal with Fenerbahce in Turkey, according to Sportando (Twitter link).
  • After two successful G League seasons, Xavier Munford is hoping a team will give him an invitation to training camp, writes Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. The 25-year-old point guard, who was part of the gold-medal-winning Team USA squad at AmeriCup, played briefly for the Grizzlies at the end of the 2015/16 season and was in training camp with the Clippers last year.
  • Jaylen Bond, who spent last season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, has signed with Flexx Pistoia in Italy, Reichert relays (Twitter link).
  • Kevin Jones, who has spent the past three seasons overseas but was involved in a G League trade in March, is in advanced talks with Crvena Zvezda in Serbia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Jones’ only NBA experience came in 2012/13 with the Cavaliers.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

USA Basketball Announces AmeriCup Roster

August 22nd, 2017 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

After taking 17 players to training camp, USA Basketball has narrowed that group down to 12 players for its official AmeriCup roster, the program announced in a press release. The players representing Team USA in next week’s AmeriCup tournament will be as follows:

The five players who missed the cut for the final roster were Rod Benson, Will Davis II, Ra’Shad James, Darius Morris, and Derek Willis.

“All 17 guys that came to camp in Houston had a strong case that they could have made that they should have been selected, but unfortunately, we could only take 12,” said U.S. coach Jeff Van Gundy. “It was very, very difficult getting down to that number, but we feel very happy with the guys that we have selected. We feel we have positional versatility, we have a good balance between size and quickness, so it will be interesting for us to go to Uruguay and see what we can do.”

As we detailed in an earlier story, FIBA has changed its format for qualifying for marquee events like the World Cup and the Olympics, and many of the qualifier tournaments will now take place during the NBA season. For those events, Team USA intends to primarily use players who have been spending time overseas and in the G League, with the bigger-name players taking over for the main events in 2019 and 2020.

Team USA doesn’t need to win the AmeriCup to qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, but it’s a tournament the U.S. must participate in to eventually play in more crucial events. Van Gundy’s squad will participate in preliminary round games in Uruguay starting next Monday. If Team USA wins its group – which also includes Panama, the Dominican Republic, and host Uruguay – it would advance to the semifinals in Argentina in early September.

The program won’t face real pressure to win until November, when Team USA need a top-three finish in a pool that includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba in order to start advancing to later qualifiers. For more in-depth details on how those qualifiers work, be sure to check out FIBA’s breakdowns for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

17 Players Vying For Spots On USA’s AmeriCup Roster

August 17th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has begun the process of selecting its roster for the AmeriCup 2017, the first of a series of qualifying tournaments under FIBA’s new format. As Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details, Team USA doesn’t need to win the AmeriCup to qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, but it’s a tournament the U.S. must participate in to eventually play in more crucial events.

Because upcoming qualifiers will take place during the NBA season, Team USA is putting together a roster primarily made up of G League players and veterans who have been playing overseas, as we previously learned. With training camp set to begin on Thursday, 17 hopefuls are suiting up for Team USA, with the program poised to eventually pare that group down to a 12-man roster.

Here are Team USA’s training camp participants, via USA Basketball:

Although there are no high-profile names in this group, several players have some NBA experience. Hilliard is currently a free agent, but appeared in 77 games over the last two seasons for the Pistons. Drew, Munford, and Plumlee have all played in at least a dozen NBA games.

Marshall, Morris, and Reggie Williams are perhaps the most notable names on the list, having played regular rotation roles for various NBA teams in recent years. Marshall was a lottery pick in the 2012 draft, while Williams has appeared in more than 200 NBA games since 2010.

None of the players on Team USA’s training camp roster are currently under contract with an NBA club, but Willis – the only player of the group who has yet to play professional ball – has reportedly agreed to a training camp deal with the Pistons.

The club will be coached by Jeff Van Gundy, an international rookie himself, and will eventually participate in preliminary round games in Uruguay later this month. If Team USA wins its group – which also includes Panama, the Dominican Republic, and host Uruguay – it would advance to the semifinals in Argentina in early September.

As Mahoney outlines in his report, Team USA won’t face real pressure to win until November, when the club need a top-three finish in a pool that includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba in order to start advancing to later qualifiers. For more in-depth details on how those qualifiers work, be sure to check out FIBA’s breakdowns for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Salary Cap, Munford, Christmas, Barber

February 3rd, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Milo Taibi

James Johnson and Taurean Prince have been fined $25K each after getting into a shoving match in Thursday’s match-up between the Hawks and Heat. According to the league’s official website, Prince was assessed the fine for “forcefully pulling down” Hassan Whiteside, and Johnson was penalized for escalating the situation by throwing an elbow at Prince. In a show of appreciation for his teammate’s loyalty, Whiteside told Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald he would pay Johnson’s $25K fine.

Other notes from around the league…

  • The NBA has reduced its salary cap estimate from $103MM to $102MM for the 2017/18 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports. Additionally, the luxury line is projected for $122MM; an increase from this season’s $113.287MM.
  • Xavier Munford agreed to terms with FC Barcelona, according to Fersu Yahyabeyoglou of Euro Basket. After starting 2016/17 with the D-League’s Greensboro Swarm, Munford will spend the rest of the season in Barcelona. Munford averaged 5.7 points through 14 games with the Grizzlies last year.
  • Italian professional basketball team Vuelle Pesaro is targeting Dionte Christmas, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A former Temple Owls standout, Christmas made NBA appearances with the Pelicans and Suns in 2013/14.
  • Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, The Reno Bighorns, claimed Jaleel Cousins out of the available player pool, according to the team’s official website. Jaleel is the brother of Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. This will be Cousins’ second D-League team in 2016/17, having played in 15 games for the Texas Legends earlier this season.
  • The Delaware 87ers acquired Aaron Harrison from the Greensboro Swarm for Anthony “Cat” Barber and the rights to Sam Thompson, according to Keith Porter of Philly.com. While Barber has yet to make his NBA debut, Harrison has appeared in five games with the Hornets this season.

 

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies Express Interest In Norris Cole

November 29th, 2016 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

3:17pm: In his full report on the Grizzlies’ point guard options, Scotto confirms Cole has an NBA out in his contract with the Golden Stars, and identifies Chalmers and Xavier Munford as other potential options for Memphis.

2:50pm: With Mike Conley expected to be sidelined until sometime in January, the Grizzlies appear to be exploring ways to fortify their point guard spot. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter), Memphis has expressed interest in veteran point guard Norris Cole.

[RELATED: Mike Conley expected to miss at least six weeks]

Cole, 28, averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG and 3.7 APG last season in 45 games for the Pelicans, but was unable to land a deal with an NBA team as a free agent this offseason. The point guard, who started his career with the Heat when Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale was an assistant in Miami, ultimately signed with China’s Shandong Golden Stars.

There have been conflicting reports about whether or not Cole’s contract in China includes an NBA out. The fact that the Grizzlies have expressed interest in him suggests the deal may feature an out after all, since Memphis is looking for immediate help. The Chinese Basketball Association season runs through February, so Cole won’t be available until late in the NBA season if there’s no opt-out available in his deal.

With Conley sidelined, Andrew Harrison and Wade Baldwin are the Grizzlies’ go-to options at the point, and neither player has a whole lot of NBA experience. If Memphis is eyeing veteran point guards with connections to Fizdale, Mario Chalmers could also be an option, but he’s still recovering from an Achilles injury and may not be ready to play quite yet.

[RELATED: Grizzlies’ roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com]

The Grizzlies currently have a full 15-man roster, but may not need to waive anyone to add a new player — with Chandler Parsons, Brandan Wright, and James Ennis also on the shelf, the team will soon be eligible to apply for a hardship exception to add a 16th man.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Prigioni, Teague, Evans, Hummel

October 29th, 2016 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pablo Prigioni, who was waived by Houston on Monday, is drawing interest from a team in Spain, according to Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. The 39-year-old point guard has an offer from Barcelona that he is reportedly considering. Prigioni played for the Knicks, Clippers and Rockets in four NBA seasons.

There’s more NBA-related news tonight:

  • Former NBA guard Marquis Teague has been released by his Israeli team, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The younger brother of Pacers guard Jeff Teague, Marquis Teague played 88 games for the Bulls and Nets but has been out of the league for the past two seasons.
  • Ex-NBA players Jeremy Evans and Robbie Hummel have signed with Khimki Moscow, Pick reports (Twitter link). Evans, who was waived by the Pacers last week, had a guaranteed $1,227,286 contract. Hummel had a $150K guarantee from the Nuggets, who released  him last week.
  • Three recently waived players were part of a D-League trade today, reports Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link). The Northern Arizona Suns dealt Xavier Munford, Cory Jefferson and Alec Brown to the Greensboro Swarm in exchange for three draft picks. Munford, a 24-year-old shooting guard, was released by the Clippers, Jefferson was cut by the Cavaliers and Brown was waived by the Suns.
Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

Clippers To Waive Dorell Wright, Xavier Munford

October 12th, 2016 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are poised to cut a pair of camp invitees, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will waive Dorell Wright and Xavier Munford today. Both players have non-guaranteed salaries, so releasing them won’t affect the Clippers’ cap.

Wright, 30, spent most of last season in China before signing with the Heat in mid-April. He didn’t play any regular season games with Miami, but did appear in five playoff contests, averaging 3.2 points and 3.8 minutes per game. Prior to last season, Wright had appeared in 549 total NBA regular-season contests, spending time with the Heat, Warriors, Sixers, and Trail Blazers over the course of 11 years. In those seasons, he averaged 8.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG, and shot 36.5% on three-point attempts.

According to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), Wright bypassed an opportunity to return to China for the 2016/17 season in the hopes of earning a roster spot with the Clippers, his hometown team. Now that he’s returning to the free agent market, perhaps the veteran forward will head back overseas.

As for Munford, the 22-year-old made his NBA debut in March with the Grizzlies, joining the injury-ravaged Memphis roster for the stretch run. In his 14 contests with the team, Munford averaged 5.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG, while connecting on 39.1% of his three-point attempts. Prior to getting called up by the Grizzlies, Munford scored an impressive 20.4 PPG to go along with 6.4 APG and a .412 3PT% for the 2015/16 Bakersfield Jam in the D-League.

The Clippers’ roster had featured 15 players on guaranteed salaries, with Wright and Munford representing the only non-guaranteed camp invitees, so the moves don’t come as a surprise. While Los Angeles could tweak its roster during the final couple weeks before the regular season begins, it appears the team will head into opening night with its current 15-man squad.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Clippers Sign Xavier Munford

September 22nd, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 22: The Clippers have signed Munford to a non-guaranteed $874,636 summer contract, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.

SEPTEMBER 21: The Clippers have begun adding extra bodies to their training camp roster, reaching an agreement on a deal with free agent guard Xavier Munford, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter).

Munford, 22, made his NBA debut in March with the Grizzlies, joining the injury-ravaged Memphis roster for the stretch run. In his 14 contests with the team, Munford averaged 5.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG, while connecting on 39.1% of his three-point attempts. Prior to getting called up by the Grizzlies, Munford scored an impressive 20.4 PPG to go along with 6.4 APG and a .412 3PT% for the 2015/16 Bakersfield Jam in the D-League.

The Clippers still had five openings on their 20-man offseason roster entering the day, but it’s not clear whether there will be any regular-season spots open, since the club’s 15 players all have guaranteed salaries. Munford will likely face an uphill battle to make the team, and could end up back in the D-League to start the 2016/17 campaign.

Retweet 7 Share 0 Send via email0

Hawks Still Looking To Add Players

September 13th, 2016 at 5:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks already have 15 fully guaranteed contracts on the books for this season, plus one more player with a partial guarantee, but the team is still looking to add players prior to training camp beginning on September 26th, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Atlanta would still like to sign another point guard and a frontcourt player to bulk up its roster for the preseason, Vivlamore adds.

The team was reportedly speaking with Bryce Cotton prior to the guard signing a one-year deal with the Turkish club, Anadolu Efes. Among the numerous players whom Atlanta has already worked out are: forward Ryan Kelly, guard Xavier Munford and guard Dionte Christmas, Vivlamore notes. Obviously, none of those players came away with deals, but the team could conceivable circle back if no other options present themselves.

Atlanta also has workouts scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday with forward Richard Solomon, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (via Twitter). The 24-year-old spent the 2015/16 campaign overseas in Japan with Toyota Alvark, appearing in 59 games and averaging 11.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Solomon’s shooting line was .536/.179/.660. Over the summer he played in Orlando for the Thunder’s summer league squad and then in Las Vegas for the Magic’s entry. Solomon reportedly worked out for the Jazz on Monday and again today.

Retweet 12 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies To Release Xavier Munford

June 25th, 2016 at 7:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies plan to waive point guard Xavier Munford, tweets international journalist David Pick. Memphis had a team option on Munford worth $874K for next season, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who was unable to confirm Pick’s report with the Grizzlies.

The 6’3″ rookie out of Rhode Island appeared in 14 games with Memphis this season, averaging 5.7 points and 1.6 assists per night. Munford inked two 10-day contracts in March before signing for the rest of the season on April 7th. He was one of a record-setting 28 players to appear on the Grizzlies’ roster.

Memphis isn’t assured of keeping free agent point guard Mike Conley, but the franchise fortified itself at the position Thursday when it drafted Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin.

Retweet 2 Share 1 Send via email0