Notable Former NBA Players In The D-League
After signing with the D-League earlier this week, Rafer Alston has joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Alston's name will be familiar to fans of the Bucks, Heat, Raptors, Rockets, Magic, and Nets — the 35-year-old spent time on the floor for each of those teams during his 11-year NBA career. However, "Skip to My Lou" hasn't logged NBA minutes since the 2009/10 season, and signed with the D-League hoping to make it back to the Association.
For a league whose ostensible goal is to develop young talent, the D-League is becoming increasingly populated with former NBA players hoping to play their way to another shot at NBA minutes. Let's check out a few of the notable veterans currently on D-League rosters:
- Marcus Banks (Idaho Stampede): The 6'2" guard was selected 13th overall in 2003 and played 348 games for the Celtics, Timberwolves, Suns, Heat, and Raptors. He just signed with the D-League last week.
- Devin Brown (Erie BayHawks): Never more than a part-time NBA player, Brown's best season came in 2006/07 when he averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game for the Hornets. He was waived by his European team earlier this year for reportedly arriving out of shape.
- Antonio Daniels (Texas Legends): The former fourth overall pick appeared in four games last season for the Sixers on a 10-day contract, but otherwise hasn't played in the NBA since 2008/09. He performed well for the Legends last year (14.5 PPG, 8.6 APG) and is playing for them once again this season.
- Gerald Green (Los Angeles D-Fenders): Green, the former Celtic, was drafted out of high school in 2005. He's long been considered a first-round bust, but he's still only 26 years old, and he's been on fire for the D-Fenders lately, averaging 24.4 points on 52.2% shooting in his last five contests. I'd be surprised if Green didn't spend some time on an NBA roster before the end of the season.
- Damon Jones (Reno Bighorns): Jones only stuck with an NBA team for longer than year once, when he played three consecutive seasons in Cleveland. The journeyman was a part of ten teams in 11 seasons, but his NBA career is likely over. He hasn't been productive in limited minutes in the D-League.
- Mikki Moore (Idaho Stampede): A 12-year veteran, the 36-year-old center joined the Stampede earlier this month. He's putting up solid rebounding numbers in the playing time he's received so far.
- Bobby Simmons (Reno Bighorns): Coming off a 2004/05 season in which he averaged 16.4 PPG and 5.9 RPG for the Clippers, Simmons inked a five-year, $47MM pact with the Bucks. His subsequent production steadily dropped off until he found himself out of the league last year. Still, he's only 31 and has shot well in Reno — he could get another crack at the NBA later this season.
- Antoine Walker (Idaho Stampede): A teammate of Banks and Moore, Walker is playing his second season in Idaho. While he had the best NBA career of anyone else on this list, scoring over 15,000 points and earning over $100MM, the 35-year-old hasn't played in an NBA game since 2008. The numbers he's putting up for the Stampede this year, including a .367 FG%, aren't about to earn him another shot either.
- A few more ex-NBAers who signed with the D-League this season, but are no longer in the league: Ricky Davis, Luther Head, Mike James, and Greg Ostertag (really!)
Bucks Eyeing Fesenko, Przybilla
After waiving Darington Hobson earlier today, the Bucks are searching for a big man to fill their open roster spot, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. According to Kennedy, Milwaukee is considering free agents Kyrylo Fesenko and Joel Przybilla.
With Andrew Bogut's broken ankle expected to sideline him for most of the season, the Bucks are seeking frontcourt depth. Przybilla is said to be deciding between offers from the Heat and Bulls, so he may not consider an offer from Milwaukee at this point. Fesenko, meanwhile, nearly signed with the Warriors in December, but has remained on the market since then. For what it's worth, head coach Scott Skiles indicated earlier today that no moves were imminent for the Bucks.
For an idea of other free agent options the Bucks could pursue, check out our list of current unrestricted free agents.
Kupchak Talks Lakers Roster, Trades, China
Before the Lakers' six-game road trip gets underway tonight in Denver, GM Mitch Kupchak spoke to NBA.com's Mike Trudell about upcoming deadlines, possible trades, and the team in general. Highlights are below:
- Kupchak is keeping an open mind about ways to improve the team via any deal, big or small: "We continue to look at everything, and if there's something that we can do today to improve the team for this season and into the future, we'll consider it."
- With four players on non-guaranteed contracts, the Lakers may find themselves with much less flexibility a week from now, Kupchak acknowledged. On February 10th, all players on non-guaranteed contracts have their deals guaranteed for the remainder of the season.
- There was some "immediate urgency" to look around for a point guard when Steve Blake suffered a fractured rib.
- "If there were a way for us to get a 25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard we'd love to do it," said Kupchak, though he acknowledged that finding a bargain this month is unlikely.
- There are no exact dates when players in China will arrive back in America, Kupchak said, adding that the Lakers would have to wait for clearance from FIBA before attempting to sign any of those guys.
Hornets To End Trade Talks, Retain Kaman
2:56pm: The Hornets intend to shut down trade discussions for Kaman and bring the center back to the team, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard. It's unclear whether the stance is firm or whether New Orleans will field more offers before March 15th.
2:40pm: After reporting earlier this week that the Hornets and Rockets have had "extensive discussions" about Chris Kaman, Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that talks between the two sides have backtracked as of yesterday.
There were indications following Amick's initial report that the Hornets and Rockets weren't moving any closer to a deal, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston said the chances of a trade were "low." Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune also suggested that the Pacers, not the Rockets, may be the frontrunner to land Kaman.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported yesterday that the Hornets are seeking players on their rookie deals or a first-round pick in this year's draft. It's awfully hard to imagine any team offering even a late first-rounder to take on Kaman's $14MM+ salary, but as the Chris Paul negotiations showed, the league-owned Hornets likely won't make a deal unless they receive compensation they perceive to be fair.
Blazers Notes: Oden, Crawford
Coming off a disappointing 95-92 loss to the Kings last night, the news on the Trail Blazers hasn't gotten any better today. Here's the latest out of Portland:
- Greg Oden will undergo another knee procedure to remove debris from his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reported that Oden would undergo a procedure on his left knee as well, which interim GM Chad Buchanan confirmed was a possibility (Twitter link). To make matters worse, a source also told Haynes that Oden has blood clots in his ankles.
- Buchanan said it was too early to declare Oden's season over, but as Jason Quick of the Oregonian points out, it would be a miracle if the former first round pick can return by season's end (Twitter links). The real question, Quick tweets, is whether Oden's career may be over.
- SI.com's Sam Amick discusses the adjustments Jamal Crawford has made since joining the Blazers as a free agent this offseason. Crawford holds a player option worth $5.2MM+ for next year, but "fully intends" to test the market, says Amick.
J.R. Smith Considering Five Teams
It doesn't appear he'll receive the same early clearance Kenyon Martin did, but J.R. Smith is already mulling where he'll sign when he returns from China. According to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, Smith is considering the Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, and Bulls.
Those five teams have varying amounts of money left to spend on free agents. Since the Clippers agreed to sign Martin using their room exception, they could only make Smith a minimum offer. The Lakers are in the same boat. The Bulls have their $1.9MM bi-annual exception available, and the Knicks still have their $2.5MM room exception. The Thunder have the most money available, with about $4.5MM of their mid-level exception remaining. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Spurs also have some interest in Smith, though it's not clear if he'd consider signing in San Antonio.
The 26-year-old Smith signed a one-year deal to play for China's Zhejiang Golden Bulls during the NBA lockout. He isn't expected to be allowed to sign an NBA contract until his team's season ends, which could happen as early as mid-February. Smith's stock certainly hasn't dropped at all in China — he dropped 60 points in a game earlier this week to increase his season scoring average to 33.9 points per game, according to Sportando.
Odds & Ends: Morris, Hibbert, Knicks, Bulls
A few odds and ends for Friday afternoon:
- The Rockets have assigned Marcus Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
- Roy Hibbert's play over the rest of the season could drive up his price tag for the cost-conscious Pacers, as this RealGM.com report suggests.
- Playing against the Knicks, Derrick Rose showed New York exactly the kind of player they need, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- Sam Smith answers readers' questions in a Bulls.com mailbag, and many of them surround around a possible Dwight Howard trade.
- Speaking of Howard, Michael Lee of the Washington Post says D12 will have to live with "the inevitable backlash" of his trade demand in Orlando. Check out the rest of today's Howard updates here.
- In an Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com runs through teams with a chance at the second overall pick and predicts whether they'd select Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The team with the first pick is expected to select Kentucky's Anthony Davis, of course.
Clippers Agree To Sign Kenyon Martin
The Clippers and Kenyon Martin have reached an agreement on a contract, reports Mike James of the Los Angeles Times. The Clippers will use their $2.5MM room exception to sign Martin, finalizing the deal after he passes a physical.
Earlier today, we heard that CBA officials were fighting to reverse the letter of clearance FIBA awarded Martin. The 34-year-old's contract had stipulated that he couldn't sign and play with an NBA team until the end of the Chinese season, but the international basketball federation decided to clear Martin yesterday. For now it appears the power forward will be able to join the Clippers once his new contract becomes official, though Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that the CBA will still try to delay his debut.
The Heat, Hawks, Spurs, Knicks, and Lakers also had interest in signing Martin, who should see consistent minutes behind Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the Clippers' frontcourt. Chauncey Billups, Martin's former teammate in Denver, played a large role in getting his friend to Los Angeles.
"If the Clippers end up getting him, Chauncey should get all the credit," a source told Ramona Sherbourne of ESPNLos Angeles.com yesterday. "Chauncey has been the guy talking to him."
Bucks Waive Darington Hobson
The Bucks have waived Darington Hobson, the team announced today (via Twitter). Hobson will become a free agent when he clears waivers.
Hobson, 24, has shuttled back and forth between Milwaukee and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League this season. The five games he played for the Bucks represented the first NBA action of his career. In 39 total minutes, the 6'7" guard recorded four points and six assists.
Milwaukee's roster now stands at 14 players, but coach Scott Skiles tells Bucks broadcaster Jim Paschke that there are no moves imminent to fill the open spot (Twitter link).
Blake Griffin And The Derrick Rose Rule
Last night, Blake Griffin was one of four Los Angeles players named a starter for this month's All-Star Game. Griffin joins teammate Chris Paul, Lakers Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, and Thunder forward Kevin Durant on the Western Conference squad that will play in Orlando. The presence of Griffin, whose dunk over Kendrick Perkins has been the talk of the league this week, is great for the NBA. It also could lead to a bigger payday down the road for the Clippers star.
The NBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced a new twist for players signing contract extensions following their rookie scale contract. A player entering his fifth season can sign an extension for up to 30% (rather than 25%) of the salary cap figure if he meets any of the following criteria in this first four years in the league:
- Named NBA MVP
- Named to the All-NBA first, second, or third team twice
- Voted an All-Star starter twice
Although the new rule is named after Derrick Rose, it was Kevin Durant who first benefited. When the league ruled that Durant was eligible for the maximum 30% extension, it added nearly $15MM to the total of the five-year extension he signed with the Thunder.
Since a knee injury wiped out his rookie campaign, Griffin will essentially have only three seasons to try to meet these criteria. He's not a likely candidate for the NBA MVP this year or next, and he hasn't made an All-NBA team yet, but this year's All-Star nod means another start next season would make him eligible for the 30% maximum.
Because the in-season extension deadline occurs before the All-Star starters are named, Griffin would have to wait until after the 2012/13 season to extend his contract if he intended to take advantage of the Derrick Rose Rule. Russell Westbrook, for instance, re-signed with the Thunder last week for 25% of the cap, though he potentially could have qualified for 30% if he'd waited until season's end.
In Westbrook's case, the Thunder made him their designated player, meaning Oklahoma City could offer him five years instead of just four. It's hard to imagine the Clippers saving that tag for anyone besides Griffin, so perhaps if the team makes a five-year, 25% offer next season, the former first overall pick would be happy to accept it. If his elite play continues and he waits though, Griffin could qualify for an extra $15MM+ in negotiating leverage via the Rose Rule.