Tyrus Thomas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: T. Thomas, Calderon, Tanking

September 1st, 2016 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Former fourth overall pick Tyrus Thomas, who played in Germany last season and last appeared in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign, is focused on helping to provide relief and help in his hometown of Baton Rouge, as he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.

“If something changes, it changes. But right now I don’t have any expectations,” Thomas said of his basketball career. “Realistically, I can’t say I am ready to hoop and I am going to have teams knocking at my door. I ain’t no fool. I am living life. I got a lot of purpose helping people. Apparently, I am doing what a lot of people work their lives to do, and that’s find their purpose.”

Here’s more from around the NBA:

Jose Calderon officially announced his retirement from the Spanish national basketball team earlier this week, as Orazio Cauchi of Sportando details. The veteran point guard won three Olympic medals, including two silvers, during his time with the national club.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer checks in on the state of the NBA blockbuster trade and runs through a few candidates in an attempt to determine if we’ll see a huge deal at some point during the 2016/17 league year.
With Sam Hinkie no longer running in the show in Philadelphia, Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders examines the concept of tanking and explores whether another team will embark upon a 76ers-esque, multi-year rebuilding project anytime soon.

And-Ones: Dunleavy, Thomas, Cameras, D-League

January 30th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mike Dunleavy Jr., who hasn’t played since undergoing offseason back surgery, could return before the All-Star break, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Proclaiming himself “pain free,” Dunleavy said he hopes to practice with Golden State’s D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, during the Bulls‘ road trip this week. “I feel good,” Dunleavy said. “I’m getting real close. I’m going to spend some time down there next week with the D-League team, some practices. Try to get a little more rhythm and repetition because obviously our team is playing too many games. Gotta get that done and then see where we’re at.” The veteran small forward added that he won’t rush to return and will only play when he’s sure his back is ready.

There’s more tonight from around the world of basketball:

Tyrus Thomas, the No. 4 pick in the 2006 draft, has found peace while playing in Germany’s Bundesliga league, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Thomas has barely played in the NBA since Charlotte used the amnesty clause to unload his contract in 2013. He signed a 10-day deal with the Grizzlies last year, appearing in two games, and spent much of the season in the D-League. “My career didn’t end the way I wanted,” Thomas said. “But I’m not trying to make up for anything. I’m grateful with the way my career played out because I don’t think I would be the man that I am now if I wouldn’t have had the hardships that I had.”
The NBA has isued an immediate ban on midcourt sideline television cameras, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The move was prompted by a minor injury to referee Scott Wall, who tripped over a cameraman during a January 21st game in Denver. LeBron James was involved in a similar incident during last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
The Rockets have assigned K.J. McDaniels and Donatas Motiejunas to their D-League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, the team tweeted today. Both Motiejunas and the NBPA had to sign off on the move because he is a fourth-year veteran.
The Raptors recalled Anthony Bennett and Bruno Caboclo from their D-League affiliate this evening, the team tweeted.

Tyrus Thomas To Play In Germany

September 4th, 2015 at 8:33am CST by Chuck Myron

Former No. 4 overall pick Tyrus Thomas has signed with Eisbären Bremerhaven, the German team announced (hat tip and translation via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, on Twitter). The Mavericks were reportedly among those in attendance for workouts that Thomas staged earlier this summer in Las Vegas. The big man made a brief NBA comeback on a 10-day contract this past season with the Grizzlies after failing to play in 2013/14.

The Lakers reportedly worked him out around the same time he got a look from Memphis. Thomas spent part of 2014/15 in the D-League with the Grizzlies’ affiliate, posting averages of 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in a modest 18.7 minutes per game. The now 29-year-old last had a steady NBA gig with Charlotte, which released him via amnesty waivers in July 2013.

Thomas had two years and more than $18MM left on his contract with the then-Bobcats when they let him go, so the financial motivation for him to return to the court hasn’t been profound. However, that amnestied contract has run to term, so that might explain why Thomas is headed overseas rather than to the D-League, where salaries are lower but NBA scouts are in closer proximity.

Do you think Thomas will play again in the NBA someday? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

And-Ones: Williams, Thomas, Nunnally

August 22nd, 2015 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alan Williams, who starred at UC Santa Barbara and made an impact during summer league, was surprised that no NBA team was willing to give him a guaranteed contract, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Instead, Williams signed with the Double Star Eagles in Qingdao, China, grabbing an overseas spot that usually isn’t available once NBA training camps end in October. “It gave me financial stability, which is something a lot of people don’t get in their first year,” Williams said. “It gives me an opportunity to go out there and develop my game more and play for a pretty good team. Culturally, I get to go to a whole different continent and see how they play.” Williams thought he might get more interest from NBA teams after an impressive performance with the Rockets‘ summer league squad. He averaged 20.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in four games and was named to the all-NBA Summer League second team. Williams is hoping for another shot at the NBA once his CBA season ends in February or March.

There’s more news tonight from around the basketball world:

Tyrus Thomas, the fourth pick in the 2006 draft, still dreams of returning to the NBA, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Thomas missed the entire 2013/14 season after undergoing an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for an arachnoid cyst. He signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies in January, but only appeared in two games. At 29, he is training for another shot at the league and hopes to be in someone’s camp next month.
James Nunnally has signed with Sidigas Avellino of the Italian Serie A, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Nunnally, another UC Santa Barbara product, appeared in a combined 13 games with the Hawks and Sixers during the 2013/14 season. He spent last season with teams in Spain and Israel, and played for the Pacers‘ entry in this year’s summer league.
Several teams took risks this summer, and Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders evaluates the best and worst of them, including the Lakers‘ and Knicks‘ draft picks, the Rockets‘ deal for Ty Lawson, the Raptors giving big money to DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph and the Kings‘ gamble on Rajon Rondo.

Mavs Eye Tyrus Thomas

July 15th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks are among the parties who’ve observed workouts that former No. 4 overall pick Tyrus Thomas is staging in Las Vegas, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com hears (Twitter link). Thomas has looked strong, Pick notes, passing along that Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce Ulker has been watching, too. It’s the latest development in the Mavs’ wide-ranging search for another big man to complement trade acquisition Zaza Pachulia in the wake of DeAndre Jordan‘s reversal of his decision to sign with the team.

Various reports from the past few days have indicated the Mavs are interested in Ryan Hollins, Tyler Hansbrough, Elton Brand, JaVale McGee, Samuel Dalembert and Kevin Seraphin. Some of them, Seraphin in particular, would probably command more than the minimum salary, but that doesn’t figure to be the case for Thomas, who has been out of the NBA since 2012/13, save for a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies this past season.

Thomas didn’t have much of a chance to play with Memphis, scoring four points in his seven total minutes of action across two games, and he didn’t light it up in more extensive time with the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, averaging 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game over 16 contests. He turns 29 in August, still young enough to sustain hope that he’ll tap into at least a measure of the potential that made him such a high draft pick coming out of LSU in 2006.

And-Ones: Duncan, Popovich, Collison, Grizzlies

February 4th, 2015 at 9:05am CST by Chuck Myron

The “prevailing thought” around the league has been that Tim Duncan will retire when his contract expires after the season, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, but Gregg Popovich isn’t so sure. The coach/executive acknowledges that Duncan is liable to walk away from the game at any time, regardless of contract status, but Popovich tells Amick that he doesn’t believe Duncan will do so just yet, given his still-proficient level of play. Nonetheless, Popovich isn’t making promises about his own longevity, and while he confirmed to Amick that the extension he signed this past summer was for five years, the 66-year-old thinks he’ll retire before that time is through. Here’s more from around the league:

The push for Nick Collison‘s extension with the Thunder came from the team’s side, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com, writing for Daily Thunder. The length of the deal for the Mike Higgins client, which runs one season past the expiration of Kevin Durant‘s contract, makes it clear that the extension is in part an enticement for Durant, who likes Collison, to stay, Young believes. It’s also a signal that the club is on board with paying the luxury tax next season, as Young explains.
Tyrus Thomas has returned to the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies after the expiration of his 10-day contract with the franchise’s NBA club, the D-League team announced (on Twitter).
Free agent Greg Oden reached a plea deal with prosecutors stemming from an August incident, as court documents show, according to Michael Anthony Adams of USA Today. The former No. 1 overall pick pleaded guilty to a felony battery charge and three other charges were dismissed as part of the deal, Adams writes. Oden avoided jail time in sentencing, as Adams’ report also indicates.

Grizzlies Sign JaMychal Green To 10-Day Pact

February 2nd, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY, 3:31pm: The signing of Green is official, Memphis announced via press release.

SUNDAY, 2:03pm: Thomas won’t be offered another 10-day deal, according to Wojnarowski.

1:35pm: The Grizzlies will sign forward JaMychal Green to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Green, 24, recently completed a 10-day contract with the Spurs.

Green averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in five appearances with the Spurs. While he didn’t get tons of playing time to show what he could do, he garnered interest as a possible 10-day signee from multiple teams, including the Grizzlies.

The power forward spent the preseason with the Spurs and was with San Antonio’s D-League affiliate in between stints with the big club. The Knicks, Bulls, Bucks, and Blazers also reportedly had him on their radar for a 10-day deal.

As our roster counts show, Memphis has a spot open on its 15-man roster thanks to the expiration of Tyrus Thomas‘ 10-day deal.

Grizzlies Sign Tyrus Thomas To 10-Day Deal

January 22nd, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 3:37pm: The Grizzlies have officially inked Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team has announced in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: Memphis is expected to sign Thomas to his 10-day deal on Thursday, GM Chris Wallace confirms to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal, who writes in a subscription-only piece.

TUESDAY, 3:59pm: The Grizzlies are signing Tyrus Thomas to a 10-day contract, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Broussard indicates that the former No. 4 overall pick has already put pen to paper, though the team has yet to make any announcement. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier that the sides were talking about such a deal, which will be the first for Thomas since Charlotte waived him using the amnesty clause in the summer of 2013.

Thomas had joined Memphis’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, last week, in an effort to showcase his talents for NBA teams. This move obviously worked, with Thomas averaging 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in two appearances for the Energy. Memphis had an open roster spot, so no additional move will be required to bring Thomas aboard.

In 400 career NBA games, Thomas has averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. His career slash line is .438/.235/.732.

And-Ones: Durant, Heat, Raptors, Bynum, Heslip

January 22nd, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards seem like prime contenders for Washington native Kevin Durant when he hits free agency in 2016, but the thought of a homecoming isn’t on the reigning MVP’s mind, at least yet, as he told reporters, including Royce Young of ESPN.com.

“I’ve never thought about it, to be honest,” Durant said. “I mean, I hear it in the summertime. I heard it for the first time this summer. That’s when it started heating up. I love playing for Oklahoma City, man. There’s just a certain level of pride that I have when I play with that Oklahoma City on my chest.”

The Thunder picked up a key victory Wednesday against the Wizards as they fight to grab a playoff spot and salvage this year’s chance to win a title while Durant remains under contract. Here’s more from around the league:

Miami won’t re-sign Tyler Johnson to another 10-day contract, at least for the time being, a source tells Hoops Rumors. The Heat want to maximize their flexibility in case of a trade, but it’s possible that they’ll re-sign him later, perhaps as soon as a week from now, the source added. Johnson’s original 10-day pact with the Heat expired after Wednesday.
The Raptors had interest in Tyrus Thomas before he reached a deal to sign a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
NBA interest is growing in former Pistons point guard Will Bynum, whose Chinese team has won 22 games in a row since he joined the club last month, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Still, the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs threaten to keep him off-limits to NBA teams until March, Wojnarowski notes.
Wolves camp invitee Brady Heslip will sign with BC Igokea in Bosnia, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reports (on Twitter). Gino Pilato of D-League Digest first reported that Heslip had left the D-League affiliate of the Kings, with whom he had been playing since Minnesota cut him loose (Twitter link).
Providence junior small forward Tyler Harris plans to enter this year’s NBA draft, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. Harris is the 65th-best NBA prospect among juniors, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Chad Ford of ESPN.com doesn’t have him within his rankings.

Grizzlies, Tyrus Thomas Discuss 10-Day Deal

January 20th, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:14pm: Thomas is among several players Memphis is considering for a 10-day contract, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece. The chances are 50-50 that the Grizzlies will sign Thomas, sources tell Tillery, who suggests that the greater level of hesitance exists on the power forward’s side, given the team’s deep frontcourt.

8:34am: The Grizzlies and Tyrus Thomas are having serious conversations about a would-be 10-day deal, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The former No. 4 overall pick last week joined the Iowa Energy, the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, when the Energy claimed him off D-League waivers, and Memphis worked him out prior to that move, Spears writes. The Grizzlies have an open spot on their NBA roster, so they wouldn’t need to make a corresponding transaction to add the 28-year-old power forward.

Memphis has been interested in Thomas for a while, having reportedly worked him out in November around the same time the Lakers also gave him an audition. Still, the former Bull and Bobcat hasn’t signed an NBA contract since Charlotte waived him using the amnesty clause in the summer of 2013. Thomas had nearly $18.083MM in salary remaining on his deal with the then-Bobcats, and that’s been coming his way even though it doesn’t count against Charlotte’s cap. So, there’s been no pressing financial need for Thomas to get back into the Association, though it appears he’s been making a concerted effort to do since having a cyst removed from his spinal cord last March and hiring agent Roger Montgomery this past fall. Thomas has averaged 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game in two appearances for the D-League Energy.

James McAdoo rejected a 10-day offer from the Grizzlies to sign one from the Warriors instead, and the same was true when JaMychal Green inked with the Spurs, according to Spears, who notes that Memphis has been looking to add a power forward (Twitter link). GM Chris Wallace and company have shown a willingness this season to see what it can get from former top-five picks who’ve fallen out of favor, having signed 2008 No. 2 selection Michael Beasley to a non-guaranteed contract prior to the preseason. Beasley failed to make the regular season roster, but it appears Thomas is close to doing so.