Josh Childress

And-Ones: Childress, Coaches, Rautins, Rudez

After playing in the BIG3 earlier this year and then joining the Nuggets for the preseason, veteran forward Josh Childress has signed a one-year contract with the Adelaide 36ers, the team announced in a press release. It will be the second stint in Australia for the former sixth overall pick, who played for the Sydney Kings from 2014 to 2016.

While Childress hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since December 2013, his new team is excited to add him to its roster and believes he’ll make a major impact.

“It’s great to have such a veteran player on board. Josh is known in the basketball circles as a pros pro,” said Adelaide 36ers head coach Joey Wright. “Who he is and how he operates typifies what we want our program to be about; class and talent.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The NBA went 532 days between head coach firings, from May 7, 2016 (Dave Joerger fired by the Grizzlies) to October 22, 2017 (Earl Watson‘s dismissal by the Suns). That stretch of head coaching stability is virtually unprecedented for the NBA, prompting Marc Stein of The New York Times to take a closer look at why the coaching climate has been so favorable as of late.
  • After spend time with the Raptors during training camp and the preseason, former Syracuse sharpshooter Andy Rautins is heading back overseas, signing with Turkish team Banvit (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
  • Former Magic forward Damjan Rudez, who was waived earlier this month after spending last season in Orlando, is training in his home country with Cibona Zagreb, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. According to Pick, Rudez is discussing a deal with the Croatian team that would allow him to opt out if an NBA opportunity arises.
  • Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days lays out a blueprint for how the G League could play a major role if the NBA decides to lower its minimum draft age.

Nuggets Waive Josh Childress

The Nuggets have waived veteran forward Josh Childress from their roster, league sources tell JD Shaw of Def Pen Hoops. Although the team has yet to announce the move, Childress confirmed it in a text message on Wednesday night, Shaw writes.

The Nuggets are one of four NBA teams without a G League affiliate for the 2017/18 season, so the team didn’t bother inviting many non-guaranteed players to camp, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to retain them as affiliate players after waiving them. Still, Denver did extend an invite to Childress, who hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season but saw action in the BIG3 earlier this year.

According to Shaw, the Nuggets and Childress both recognized that he would likely be waived at some point, since the club was already carrying 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries. However, attending camp with Denver helped Childress attract some interest overseas. Once he clears waivers, the 34-year-old will be free to sign with an international team.

As for the Nuggets, their roster is now regular-season-ready, with 15 players on NBA contracts and two on two-way deals.

Nuggets Sign Josh Childress

SEPTEMBER 20: Childress has officially signed his new contract with the Nuggets, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

SEPTEMBER 12: Josh Childress has reached an agreement with the Nuggets, making him the first BIG3 player to get an NBA deal, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto, it’ll be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact for the veteran forward.

Childress, 34, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he had a four-game stint with the Pelicans. He was the sixth pick in the 2004 draft and had four strong seasons with the Hawks before signing in Greece in 2008. He returned to the United States in 2010, spending two seasons with Phoenix and one with Brooklyn before being waived. He has also played in Australia and the G League and spent last season in Japan.

Childress will be a long shot to make the team in Denver, but there is a potential roster spot open. His signing brings the Nuggets to 17 players in camp, with 14 having guaranteed money. Those totals don’t include restricted free agent center Mason Plumlee, who remains unsigned.

And-Ones: Officiating Changes, BIG3, D-League

David Aldridge of TNT explored changes NBA referees will face in the future, as well as modifications that have already been implemented. One change that has been met with praise, Aldridge writes, is postgame feedback coaches can write regarding a referee’s performance. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called the addition “very valuable,” adding “Constant feedback in essentially real time throughout the season keeps everyone current.” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry concurred: “I have used it, and it’s good to be able to send in comments about the game so quickly.”

The league has also used four (or five) man referee crews at the D-League level, citing the benefits of “having an extra set of eyes on the floor.” Long Island Nets coach Ronald Nored was neutral toward having extra officials.

“It gave us a very open and low-pressure environment to experiment with it,” Nored said. “From a coaching standpoint, to be honest, there was nothing that stuck out in my mind where I would say it was a bad system or there was something negative.”

More from around the game…

  • Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau appreciates the NBA’s efforts to improve officiating. “Ours is a hard game to officiate, it really is,” Thibodeau told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “Our players are so good, it’s hard to see in real time. A lot of it is judgment. … It’s a tough job. We feel the game is in a great place, but you’re always looking for ways to improve the game.”
  • Chris Reichert of The Step Back listed the top prospects still available in the D-League. Reichert excluded prospects still under team control, such as Dakari Johnson and Abdel Nader. Reichert names Pierre Jackson the most “electric” player of the season, and compared Jalen Jones to JaMychal Green of the Grizzlies. Reichert’s #9 pick, Jordan Crawford, was signed to a 10-day contract by the Pelicans today.
  • The BIG3 announced their next round of players set to enter the draft: Josh Childress, Reggie Evans, Larry Hughes, Ivan Johnson, and Brian Scalabrine (press release). Of the recent additions, Evans holds the most recent NBA experience; appearing in 47 games for the 2014/15 Kings. Childress played recent NBA basketball as well, playing four games with the Pelicans in 2013/14.
  • The NBA won’t discipline J.R. Smith for getting into a verbal altercation with Rodney McGruder and Dion Waiters after a recent loss. What’s more, the Cavaliers won’t fine Smith for the post-game incident. Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Smith “took umbrage with a late dunk by McGruder over Channing Frye that McGruder punctuated by pushing Frye in the back.”

And-Ones: Rose, Wilson, Childress, Telfair

An appeal has been filed in the civil lawsuit that accused Knicks guard Derrick Rose and two of his friends of sexual assault, according to the Associated Press. A jury ruled against Rose’s ex-girlfriend, who was seeking $21.5MM over the alleged gang rape, the AP story continues. The appeal filed Thursday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals claims that pertinent evidence was excluded and jury instructions were tainted, the AP report adds.

In other developments around the league:

  • Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is joining a group of investors seeking to build an NBA and NHL arena in the city, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com reports. Wilson wants to have an ownership stake if the NBA awards a franchise to the city or if a current team moves there, Kapadia adds. “I’ve told you guys I’ve been really authentic about wanting to own a team one day and being a part of something really special and doing that,” Wilson told Kapadia and other media members. “And even though I’m young, I definitely have a business mindset. And I want to be able to help people and give back and help change this community, continue to change this community for the better.”
  • Approximately 30 NBA scouts will be in attendance for this weekend’s National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Conn., Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com writes. Shooting guard Hamidou Diallo, who is eligible for the 2017 draft, is the main attraction, Zagoria adds.
  • Former NBA player Josh Childress has agreed to a contract with San-en NeoPhoenix in the Japanese League, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Childress played in Australia the past two seasons, Carchia adds. The 33-year-old forward made his last NBA appearance in the 2013/14 season, when he played four games for the Pelicans franchise.
  • Ex-NBA guard Sebastian Telfair has signed a one-month deal in China as an injury replacement for another former NBA player, Dwight Buycks, international journalist David Pick tweets. Telfair, 31, made his last NBA appearance in 2014/15, when he saw action in 16 games with the Thunder.

And-Ones: Stephens, Seattle, Childress, NBPA

Former University of Memphis standout D.J. Stephens has been arrested and charged with domestic aggravated assault, writes Yolanda Jones of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Stephens, who was in camp with the Grizzlies this month before being waived last weekend, is accused of attacking his child’s mother. The alleged incident reduces Stephens’ chances of getting another shot with an NBA team, but if he does sign with a club at some point, he could be facing a suspension, depending on the outcome of the case.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NBA…

  • One NBA team owner tells Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that getting a franchise back in Seattle is “a big priority” for the league. A new arena proposal from Chris Hansen‘s investment group has created renewed optimism about getting the NBA back to the city, though it doesn’t sound as if the league has gone too far down the road on planning potential expansion or relocation. “I don’t think it’s been thought out that far along yet,” a source tells Amico.
  • A Wednesday report from Chris Reichert of The Step Back suggested that former Hawks forward Josh Childress, who last played in the NBA during the 2013/14 season, had signed a D-League contract. However, Reichert has since removed his tweet, and Childress’ agent – Daniel Moldovan of Entersport – denied the report (Twitter link).
  • Jon Wertheim of SI.com spoke to NBPA executive director Michele Roberts about the optimism surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, and what she and the players’ union hope to get out of a new deal.

Players Catch On With D-League Franchises

Several players who were recently waived out of the NBA have reached agreements with D-League teams, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back:

  • Spencer Dinwiddie, released on Friday by Chicago, has signed with the Windy City Bulls (Twitter link). Chicago, which acquired Dinwiddie in a deal with the Pistons, then waived and later re-signed him, parted ways with the guard again despite being at the roster limit of 15.
  • Johnny O’Bryant, who was waived by the Wizards on Friday, has signed a D-League contract and will be eligible for the draft (Twitter link). The 23-year-old power forward spent the past two seasons with the Bucks.
  • Vince Hunter, who was waived by the Bulls and Grizzlies this month, will return to the Reno Bighorns (Twitter link). Hunter, 22, is a 6’8″ forward out of Texas-El Paso who has yet to play in the NBA.
  • Cliff Alexander, who was released by the Magic, has signed with the Erie BayHawks (Twitter link). The 20-year-old power forward played eight games for the Trail Blazers last season.
  • Chris Douglas-Roberts will return to the Texas Legends, where he finished the 2015/16 season (Twitter link). The 29-year-old swingman last played in the NBA in 2014/15, when he spent 12 games with the Clippers.
  • Josh Childress, who has been out of the NBA for almost three full seasons, signed with the Texas Legends (Twitter link). The 33-year-old swingman’s last NBA experience was four games with New Orleans during the 2013/14 season. He finished last season with the Legends after playing in Australia. (Update: Report denied by Childress’ agent; Reichert has removed his tweet)

Also, from the D-League Digest:

  • Axel Toupane, who was waived by the Nuggets, will return to Raptors 905 (Twitter link). The 6’7″ small forward played 21 games for Denver last season.
  • Jarell Eddie, who was released by the Wizards on Friday, will return to the Austin Spurs (Twitter link). Eddie, 24, appeared in 26 games for Washington a year ago.
  • J.J. O’Brien, who was cut by the Bucks, has signed with the Salt Lake City Stars (Twitter link). A 24-year-old small forward, he got into two games with the Jazz last season.
  • Egidijus Mockevicius, who was waived last week by Brooklyn, will play for the Long Island Nets (Twitter link). The 24-year-old Lithuanian forward has no NBA experience.
  • Veteran point guard Jannero Pargo has signed with Oklahoma City Blue (Twitter link). The 37-year-old last played for the Hornets in 2014/15.

And-Ones: NBPA, Russell, Childress

An attorney for the NBPA has strongly indicated that the union will want the minimum age requirement to enter the NBA lowered in the next round of collective bargaining, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press writes. NBPA general counsel Gary Kohlman said that it is “quite likely the union will be taking a radically different position” than the NBA on the age issue, Reynolds notes. Under the current CBA rules, players must turn 19 years of age in the draft’s calendar year to be eligible, with American players also required to be one year removed from high school, Reynolds adds.

If they were white and hockey players they would be out there playing. If they were white and baseball players they would be out there playing,” Kohlman said regarding the age requirement. “Because most of them are actually African-American and are in a sport and precluded from doing it, they have to go into this absurd world of playing [in college] for one year. That’s just total complete hypocrisy.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • D’Angelo Russell, a projected top five pick in the 2015 NBA draft, has surprised himself and Ohio State coach Thad Matta with how quickly he has shot up draft boards this season, Nicole Auerbach of USA Today writes. “Did I think he was going to be this good, this consistent this year? Probably not,” Matta said. “I told people when D’Angelo was coming, I think he’s the second-best guard I’ve brought here, since Mike Conley. I had that thought in my mind, that he had a chance to be really good. To do what he’s done all the way through the season? Probably didn’t see that one coming.” The freshman is currently ranked No. 3 by DraftExpress, No. 4 by ESPN, and Russell checks in at No. 3 in Hoops Rumors’ Draft Prospect Power Rankings.
  • Brad Graham of Basketball Insiders interviewed former NBA player Josh Childress about playing overseas, his NBA career, and what the swingman’s future holds. The 31-year-old’s last NBA action came during the 2013/14 campaign when he appeared in four games for the Pelicans.
  • Andre Emmett, who currently plays for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, intends to leave the NBA D-League to sign a lucrative offer with a team in the Philippines, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets. In 39 games for Fort Wayne this season Emmett is averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.5 minutes per contest.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Central Notes: George, Blatt, Cavs

Despite suffering a gruesome leg injury playing for Team USA this summer, Paul George still hopes to play for the team in the 2016 Olympics, writes Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star. USA Basketball national team director Jerry Colangelo weighed in, saying, “The reality is that people that have played the game, coached the game and been in the game know that it’s part of the game. Injuries can happen at any place at any time. We appreciate the attitude Paul has about it and the comments that (Pacers president) Larry Bird made after the incident were great in terms of support.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • If any rookie coach is equipped to mold a roster of players together to compete for a championship in his first season, it’s Cavaliers coach David Blatt, writes Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. Blatt’s former player Jordan Farmar, who played several months under Blatt for Maccabi Tel Aviv during the 2011 lockout, said, “He’s [Blatt’s] unbelievable. He plays you to your strengths. He’s really open to communication. He’ll be awesome there.
  • Also from Bucher’s article, Josh Childress, who played for Blatt in a Greek League All-Star game, said, “Very nice guy and great to play for. He’s extra good at making in-game changes. I only really know him from that All-Star Game, but I’ve heard he’ll do whatever it takes to succeed but is not a my-way-or-the-highway coach.”
  • Both players did acknowledge that Blatt had some adjustments to make, him having never coached a player of LeBron James‘ caliber. Childress added, “If anyone is a star overseas, it’s the coach. I’d liken it to college. The coaches are more respected, their voices carry a little further. No one is really bigger than the team. Euro coaches, in general, though, have much more authority and control than NBA coaches do. It’s, ‘This is my show. If this American doesn’t work out, I’ll get another one.’ [Blatt] has coached in enough different countries that he’s experienced his fair share of different situations, but he’s never not been totally in control of his team.

Josh Childress Signs With Australian Team

Eight-year NBA veteran Josh Childress has inked a deal to play this year with the Sydney Kings of Australia, the team announced. Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net reported Monday that Childress was leaning toward taking the deal. It’s not clear what, if any, sort of NBA escape clauses the contract provides for, but it didn’t appear as though the swingman received strong interest from any NBA club following his release from the Pelicans in December.

Childress, 31, appeared in just four games with New Orleans last year, and he played sparingly for the Nets during the previous season. His last significant NBA action came during the 2011/12 campaign, when he logged 14.5 minutes per game in 34 appearances for the Suns, who amnestied him the following the summer. He was once one of the NBA’s premiere sixth men, averaging 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 36.8 minutes per game for the Hawks in 2006/07, his best statistical season.

The Chris Emens client will probably be competing against DeAndre Daniels, this year’s 37th overall pick, who’s close to a deal with Australia’s Perth Wildcats. Childress joins 11 others who played in the NBA last year and have come to agreement with overseas teams since the start of July, as our Free Agent Tracker shows.