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Wizards Waive Ron Baker

January 7th, 2019 at 11:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Ron Baker‘s stay in Washington turned out to be a short one as the Wizards waived him today, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. His contract would have become fully guaranteed if he had remained on the roster past 5pm Eastern today.

It’s the second trip to the waiver wire in less than a month for Baker, who was waived by the Knicks on December 13. He joined the Wizards eight days later. Baker played four games for Washington, but didn’t score a point despite averaging 11.3 minutes per night.

The move leaves Washington with just 13 players on its roster. At least one more will have to be added by January 21 to get the team back to the NBA’s 14-player limit.

The Wizards will have a $170,915 cap hit on Baker’s salary and now face an $8.66MM luxury tax bill, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). However, the tax number will increase when an extra player is added.

Timberwolves Waive James Nunnally

January 6th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

In the latest move in a busy day for the Timberwolves, the club is waiving guard James Nunnally, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The transaction will happen in advance of Nunnally’s contract guarantee deadline this week.

After playing in Europe for the past two seasons, Nunnally signed with the Timberwolves during free agency, as Minnesota was looking to add players that could space the floor and provide solid defense. However, Nunnally was not a regular part of the rotation and rarely saw the court during his time with the Wolves.

The 28-year-old wing only played 64 minutes this season, averaging 2.1 points per game while knocking down 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers. The emergence of Josh Okogie and the additions of Robert Covington and Dario Saric pushed Nunnally further out of the rotation.

If Nunnally doesn’t catch on with another NBA team right away, a return to the EuroLeague is a viable possibility, given his past success overseas.

Cavaliers Sign Cameron Payne To 10-Day Contract

January 6th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

5:25pm: The signing is now official, the Cavs announced in a press release.

4:33pm: After releasing Patrick McCaw earlier in the day, the Cavaliers will sign point guard Cameron Payne to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Payne was most recently with the Bulls, as he was traded to Chicago during the 2016/17 season. Unfortunately, Payne struggled with injuries, as he only appeared in 67 games for the Bulls since that 2017 trade. For his career, Payne has averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 32.9% from beyond the arc.

This appears to be another tryout for Payne to latch on to an NBA roster, but he will likely be behind both Collin Sexton and Matthew Dellavedova in the rotation.

Cavaliers Waive Patrick McCaw

January 6th, 2019 at 5:24pm CST by JD Shaw

5:24pm: The Cavs have officially waived McCaw, according to a press release from the club.

3:35pm: The Cavaliers are planning to waive guard Patrick McCaw, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. McCaw signed a non-guaranteed two-year, $6MM offer sheet with the team in restricted free agency, appearing in just three games.

Several playoff contenders are expected to express interest in McCaw, according to Charania, who adds that Cleveland will also be interested once he reaches free agency. The move allows McCaw to enter unrestricted free agency once he clears waivers in 48 hours, although there’s an outside chance he gets claimed on waivers by the end of Sunday, Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated reports (Twitter link).

“I bet on myself and stayed positive,” McCaw said shortly after signing in Cleveland following months of failed negotiations with the Warriors, as relayed by Tom Withers of AP. “A lot of guys in my position being 22 or 23 years old probably would never take that chance because they don’t know what the outcome could possibly be. I know I had injuries and things like that last season and I’ve just been continuing to work and get better and constantly make strides within myself. That’s how I’ve always been. Just focusing on myself, getting better within myself and telling myself I can be great at this game.”

McCaw, 23, appeared in 57 contests with the Warriors last season as a reserve guard. He held per-game averages of four points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 41% from the floor. Golden State traded for McCaw during the 2016 NBA Draft, beginning his two-season run with the team.

76ers Release Demetrius Jackson

January 6th, 2019 at 4:16pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

The Sixers are waiving point guard Demetrius Jackson, who was on a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Charania, Jackson will go on to sign a contract to play in China. The 76ers have also confirmed the move, per a press release from the team.

Jackson appeared in six games for the 76ers this season, averaging 3.7 points per game while shooting 33.3 percent on 3-pointers. Jackson has bounced around the league since he was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft. His most notable stop was with the Rockets last season, in which he played in 12 games but struggled to hit shots.

The 76ers will likely look to fill that two-way spot as they continue to figure out the depth and rotation behind their big three of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid.

Bulls Trade Holiday To Grizzlies For Selden, Brooks, Picks

January 3rd, 2019 at 10:43pm CST by JD Shaw

10:43pm: The trade between the Bulls and Grizzlies is now official, with both teams announcing the agreement in press releases. As expected, Chicago waived Payne to reduce its roster count to 15 players.

6:43pm: The Bulls are trading Justin Holiday to the Grizzlies in exchange for Wayne Selden, MarShon Brooks and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Memphis will send its own 2019 and 2020 second-round selections.

Chicago is likely to waive guard Cameron Payne following the trade, Wojnarowski reports.

The trade comes less than 24 hours after the Grizzlies held a postgame meeting that lasted roughly 30 minutes, a conversation which also reportedly included a physical altercation between veterans Omri Casspi and Garrett Temple. Memphis holds just a 18-19 record and is 6-14 since November 22, struggling to gain a strong rhythm on both ends of the floor.

Holiday, 29, has averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 38 starts with the Bulls this season. He’ll provide the Grizzlies with backcourt depth as they seek to turnaround an underwhelming last month of action, capable of playing both shooting guard and small forward.

Brooks, 30, earned a spot on the Grizzlies’ roster this season after averaging 20.1 PPG in seven games down the stretch in 2017/18. However, he didn’t play a major role in Memphis in 2018/19, posting 6.6 PPG in 13.3 MPG (29 games). The Bulls are expected to work with his agent and find a new destination for him after the trade, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Selden, an intriguing third-year player who has also seen his production slip a little in a part-time role for the Grizzlies this season, will report to Chicago as a young asset off the bench.

Interestingly, the package of Brooks, Selden, and a pair of second-round picks is exactly what the Grizzlies believed they were giving up for Kelly Oubre in a failed three-team trade with the Suns and Wizards last month. That deal fell apart because the Suns were under the impression they was getting Dillon Brooks rather than MarShon.

The Bulls received interest from multiple teams on Holiday, according to Charania (Twitter link), but ultimately settled on this trade with the Grizzlies. Chicago has the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference at 10-28 and has lost six of its past 10 games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bulls Waive Cameron Payne

January 3rd, 2019 at 10:39pm CST by JD Shaw

10:39pm: The Bulls have officially waived Payne, according to a press release from the team.

8:05pm: The Bulls are likely to waive Cameron Payne once their multi-player trade with the Grizzlies is official, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Payne is a former first-round pick and holds four years of NBA experience.

Chicago agreed to send Justin Holiday to Memphis in exchange for Wayne Selden, MarShon Brooks, a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick on Thursday, Wojnarowski reported. The Bulls already have a full 15-man roster, so they don’t have the room necessary to acquire two players for one without releasing someone else.

The Bulls are expected to remain active in trade discussions as the February 7 deadline nears, with the team already shopping players such as Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez, Wojnarowski adds. Chicago holds a 10-28 record through their first 38 games this season.

Payne, 24, was traded from the Thunder to the Bulls at the trade deadline in February of 2017. He’s struggled to establish himself as a consistent contributor since entering the league, dealing with a series of foot injuries in recent years.

Payne spent one full season and two half-seasons with Chicago, though he appeared in just 67 total games for the Bulls during that time. He has averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 assists and 17.3 minutes in 31 games this season, shooting 41% from the floor and 27% from 3-point range.

Suns Release Eric Moreland

January 3rd, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have waived veteran forward/center Eric Moreland, the team announced today in a press release. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Moreland will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

Moreland, 27, signed with Phoenix last month and appeared in just one game for the team, playing five minutes in a blowout loss to Golden State on New Year’s Eve.

Moreland was leaned on as a rotation piece in Detroit last season, averaging 2.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 67 contests (12.0 MPG) for the Pistons. However, he was cut by in July before his salary for 2018/19 could become fully guaranteed, and spent training camp with the Raptors. He also participated in the latest round of World Cup qualifiers, helping Team USA clinch a berth in this year’s event.

Before releasing Moreland, Phoenix had been carrying 14 players on standard NBA contracts, which is the league-mandated minimum. Teams are allowed to dip down to 13 players for two weeks at a time, so the Suns will have until January 17 to replace Moreland on their roster.

Because Moreland’s contract was non-guaranteed, the Suns will only be on the hook for a prorated portion of his minimum salary. The big man earned approximately $239K during his time in Phoenix.

Alan Williams Waived By Nets, Will Play In China

January 2nd, 2019 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have requested waivers on veteran big man Alan Williams, the team announced today in a press release. Williams, a two-way player with Brooklyn, has a deal lined up with a team in China, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Williams, who will turn 26 later this month, spent parts of three seasons with the Suns after making his NBA debut in March of 2016. The former UC Santa Barbara standout had a promising 2016/17 season in Phoenix, averaging 7.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG in just 15.1 minutes per contest (47 games).

That showing earned Williams a three-year, $17MM+ contract, but a knee injury sidelined him for most of last season, limiting him to five games. Because the final two years of his deal weren’t guaranteed, the Suns released him in the offseason and he caught on with the Nets.

Williams had bounced back nicely in the G League in 2018/19, averaging 21.0 PPG and a league-high 14.7 RPG in 17 games (26.9 MPG) for the Long Island Nets. However, he didn’t appear in a game for Brooklyn, which has a crowded frontcourt, and the team has opted to move on from him, allowing him to pursue an opportunity overseas.

The Nets now have one two-way contract slot open, with Theo Pinson occupying the other slot. Teams have until January 15 to sign two-way deals, so Brooklyn figures to fill its newly-created opening within the next couple weeks.

Grizzlies Sign Jarnell Stokes, Waive D.J. Stephens

January 1st, 2019 at 4:19pm CST by JD Shaw

JANUARY 1: Stokes has officially signed, according to a tweet from the Grizzlies.

DECEMBER 30: The Grizzlies plan to sign forward Jarnell Stokes to a two-way deal, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Memphis created an open two-way roster spot by waiving D.J. Stephens on Sunday, reaching the agreement to sign Stokes beforehand.

Stokes had worked out for the Grizzlies in early November before the team signed Joakim Noah, a league source told Hoops Rumors.

Stokes has spent the first part of the season playing in Sioux Falls, G League affiliate of the Heat, and appeared in 19 games with Memphis during the 2014/15 season. He’s improved vastly on defense in his time away from the team, transitioning into a solid two-way player that fits the Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind mentality.

Stephens, 28, signed a two-way deal with Memphis on Oct. 8 and played just one game with the team this season. He appeared in 10 contests with the club’s G League team, averaging 7.9 points and five rebounds per outing.

The Grizzlies have upcoming games scheduled against the Rockets (Dec. 31), Pistons (Jan. 2) and Nets (Jan. 4), holding a 18-17 record through the season’s first 35 games.