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Blazers Will Not Sign Brandon Rush To Second 10-Day Deal

March 2nd, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Trail Blazers have elected not to bring Brandon Rush back for a second 10-day contract, Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest tweets.

The 32-year-old veteran did not see action during his brief stay with the franchise, which isn’t a major surprise considering that the franchise was literally obligated to sign a 14th body after last month’s trade deadline.

As Luke Adams outlined previously, NBA teams are only permitted to roster less than 14 players for a period of two weeks.

That means while Rush pounds the pavement looking for another suitor interested in a seasoned vet with a career .402 three-point shooting percentage the Blazers will be on the lookout for another late-season addition in order to get back up to 14 players.

Lakers Sign Travis Wear To 10-Day Contract

March 2nd, 2018 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

11:49am: The Lakers have issued a press release officially announcing their 10-day deal with Wear.

10:33am: The Lakers are filling one of their open roster spots by signing Travis Wear to a 10-day contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). After buying out Corey Brewer earlier this week, L.A. had only been carrying 13 players on its 15-man NBA roster.

Wear, a 6’9″ forward, has limited NBA experience, having appeared in 51 games for the Knicks in 2014/15. However, he spent time in camp with the Lakers in 2016 and has played for the club’s G League affiliate for the last two seasons. The former UCLA standout has also been a member of Team USA for several qualifying games for the 2019 World Cup.

In 33 G League games for the South Bay Lakers this season, Wear has averaged 16.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a shooting line of .445/.419/.855.

Wear’s 10-day deal will count for $74,159 against Los Angeles’ cap. Once they officially sign Wear, the Lakers will still have one open roster spot if they want to sign another player to a 10-day contract or a rest-of-season deal.

Magic Sign Rashad Vaughn To Second 10-Day Deal

March 2nd, 2018 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

After his initial 10-day contract with the team expired Thursday night, the Magic have re-signed Rashad Vaughn, inking him to a second 10-day deal, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Vaughn, the 17th overall pick in the 2015 draft, has yet to develop into a reliable rotation player, having seen his playing time decline since he averaged 14.3 MPG in his rookie year in Milwaukee. This season, he has bounced around from team to team, having been traded from the Bucks to the Nets to the Pelicans. Vaughn eventually signed a 10-day deal with Orlando last month after being waived by New Orleans.

Although Vaughn’s stint with the Magic reunited him with John Hammond, the general manager that drafted him in Milwaukee three years ago, it hasn’t given him an opportunity for an increased role so far. In four games with the Magic, the 21-year-old has played just 25 total minutes, picking up five points and two boards during his limited action.

Re-signing Vaughn will leave the Magic with a second cap charge of $83,129 and will once again fill their final roster spot. When Vaughn’s new 10-day contract comes to an end, Orlando will have to decide whether to let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season deal.

Timberwolves Buy Out Shabazz Muhammad

March 1st, 2018 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

8:31pm: The Wolves announced in a press release that they have officially waived Muhammad.

7:28pm: The Timberwolves and forward Shabazz Muhammad have agreed to a contract buyout that will allow Muhammad to reach free agency, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Michael Scotto and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides were engaged in buyout negotiations.

By completing the buyout before the end of the day on March 1, Muhammad will retain his postseason eligibility for a new club, and Wojnarowski notes that the former lottery pick is hoping to catch on with a contender. According to Krawczynski (Twitter link), Muhammad’s camp had been discussing a buyout for the last two months, and Minnesota “finally relented.”

“I’m very happy and can’t wait to get my next opportunity,” Muhammad told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).

Muhammad is just 25 years old and was a highly touted prospect out of UCLA, but after a couple promising seasons, he has seen his numbers drop off a cliff this year. With 3.8 PPG on .388/.211/.710 shooting, Muhammad has appeared in just 32 games for Minnesota in 2017/18, having fallen out of the rotation.

While Muhammad has historically been a more productive scorer than he has shown this season, he has never been a particularly strong rebounder (2.8 career RPG), facilitator (0.5 APG), or outside shooter (.317 3PT%). So it remains to be seen whether any contending team will have serious interest in bringing him aboard for the stretch run.

As for the Timberwolves, releasing Muhammad will reduce their roster count to 13 players on standard NBA contracts, so they’ll need to add someone soon to get back up to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14. Minnesota also figures to remain on the hook for Muhammad’s full $1,577,230 salary for this season, but we’ll see if he gave up most or all of his $1,795,015 player option for 2018/19 as part of the buyout agreement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bulls Sign Jarell Eddie To 10-Day Deal

March 1st, 2018 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 1: The Bulls have officially signed Eddie to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 28: The Bulls are expected to call up small forward Jarell Eddie from their G League affiliate, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN, who tweets that Eddie is on track to receive a 10-day contract from the club. Chicago won’t have to make a roster move to accommodate the signing, since the team currently has an opening.

Eddie, who has seen NBA action with the Wizards, Suns, and Celtics, has spent most of the 2017/18 season in the G League with the Windy City Bulls. He has provided excellent outside shooting for Chicago’s affiliate, posting 16.9 PPG with a .475 3PT% in 18 games.

Eddie’s solid play for Windy City earned him a 10-day contract with the Celtics in January, but he didn’t receive a second deal after that first one expired, since Boston needed his roster spot for Greg Monroe. If the Bulls want to keep Eddie around for more than 10 days, they’ll have the opportunity to sign him to a second 10-day pact before deciding on whether to commit to a rest-of-season contract.

The Bulls would take on a cap hit of $83,129 by signing Eddie to a 10-day deal.

Ersan Ilyasova Signs With Sixers

February 28th, 2018 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 28: The Sixers have officially signed Ilyasova, the team announced in a press release. Assuming the contract is a rest-of-season, minimum salary deal, Ilyasova will count as approximately $357K towards the cap.

FEBRUARY 25: Ersan Ilyasova plans to sign with the Sixers once his buyout with the Hawks is complete, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

The 30-year-old stretch four played 53 games for Philadelphia last season before being traded to Atlanta at the deadline. He is having a typically productive season for the Hawks, averaging 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting .359 from 3-point range.

Ilyasova is making $6MM is the final year of his contract, but with about three quarters of the season gone, the buyout cost should be minimal. He will have to work out the arrangement with Atlanta by Thursday to be eligible to join the Sixers for the postseason.

Philadelphia, which already added former Hawk Marco Belinelli after a buyout, has a full roster and will have to waive someone before signing Ilyasova.

Sixers Waive Trevor Booker

February 28th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

8:30pm: The Sixers have officially waived Booker, according to a press release from the club.

1:15pm: The Sixers intend to waive veteran forward Trevor Booker in order to open up a spot on their roster, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). That roster opening is required in order for Philadelphia to finalize its deal with Ersan Ilyasova, who will clear waivers later today. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Booker agreed to a buyout.

Booker had been viewed as the most likely candidate to be waived by the 76ers since word of the team’s agreement with Ilyasova broke. Although there are other players on the roster who play fewer minutes and/or earn smaller salaries, Booker’s situation made him expendable — he is one of the few Sixers on an expiring contract, and he plays the same position as Ilyasova, meaning his already-modest role would have been further reduced if he’d stuck around.

Booker, acquired earlier this season in a trade that sent a second-round pick, Jahlil Okafor, and Nik Stauskas to the Nets, has been solid since arriving in Philadelphia. In 33 games (15.0 MPG), Booker has averaged 4.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG with a career-high .560 FG%.

The 30-year-old’s ability to contribute as a role player should make him an appealing target for playoff-bound teams, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweeted earlier this week. Sam Amick of USA Today noted today (via Twitter) that several teams were monitoring the Booker situation in Philadelphia, and the big man himself sounds confident that he’ll find a new home quickly.

“If I do get waived or bought out, whatever it is, I have a lot of teams interested in me,” Booker said on Tuesday, acknowledging that he knew he may be the odd man out for the Sixers.

If the 76ers officially waive Booker today, he’ll clear waivers on Friday, at which point he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Lakers Buy Out Corey Brewer

February 28th, 2018 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

2:04pm: The Lakers have officially waived Brewer, the team announced in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Friday. For now, the Thunder seem to be the frontrunners to sign him, though several teams are in the mix, according to various reports.

9:58am: The Lakers and Brewer have reached an agreement on a buyout, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

8:44am: The Lakers and veteran swingman Corey Brewer are engaged in “advanced negotiations” on a buyout agreement, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Assuming the two sides finalize a deal and Brewer is waived today or tomorrow, he’ll retain his playoff eligibility for a new team.

Brewer, who was traded from Houston to Los Angeles in last year’s Lou Williams trade, finished the 2016/17 season with the Lakers and has spent the entire 2017/18 campaign to date with the club.

The former seventh overall pick, who will turn 32 next Monday, has played a very limited role for the Lakers, averaging a career-low 12.9 MPG in 54 contests. His numbers in several other categories, including PPG (3.7), RPG (1.7), and 3PT% (.186) are also career worsts.

While Brewer hasn’t played particularly well this season, he has a reputation as a solid defender. If he and the Lakers make a buyout official, he could draw interest from playoff-bound teams seeking one more perimeter player. However, his limited offensive ability – including an inconsistent three-point shot – will reduce his appeal.

Brewer is in the final year of his contract, with a cap hit of $7,579,366. Assuming he agrees to give some money back to the Lakers as part of his release, the team will be able to slightly reduce that cap charge. L.A. won’t be on the hook for any salary for Brewer beyond the 2017/18 season.

Hawks Sign Jaylen Morris To 10-Day Contract

February 28th, 2018 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 28: The Hawks have officially signed Morris to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. The contract will run through next Friday, covering five games.

FEBRUARY 27: The Hawks will call up G League guard Jaylen Morris and sign him to a 10-day contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the deal will be made official on Wednesday.

Morris, a 6’5″ guard who went undrafted out of Division II school Molloy College, had spent this season with the Erie BayHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate. In 39 games, he has averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG, with a .518/.290/.673 shooting line.

Although the Hawks are well out of the playoff picture and are focusing on developing young players, I’d be surprised if Morris enters the rotation in Atlanta after signing his 10-day deal. The Hawks may simply assign Morris back to the G League and let him keep playing for Erie while he collects an NBA salary, though that’s just my speculation.

The Hawks won’t need to make a roster move to clear room on their 15-man roster for Morris. With just 13 players under contract after waiving Ersan Ilyasova on Monday, Atlanta needed to add a player to get back to the 14-man minimum.

Joel Anthony To Play In Argentina

February 27th, 2018 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA center Joel Anthony is set to continue his playing career internationally. Anthony has signed with San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina, the team announced today via Twitter (hat tip to Sportando).

Anthony, 35, has appeared in 490 regular season games over the course of his NBA career for the Heat, Celtics, Pistons, and Spurs. The big man also played in another 66 postseason games, primarily for the Heat — he won a pair of titles with Miami.

While Anthony was a respected presence in the locker room throughout his NBA career, he never posted big numbers. For his career, he had averages of 2.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 14.4 minutes per contest.

Anthony was last seen in camp with the Bucks this past fall, but didn’t earn a regular-season roster spot with Milwaukee.