Latest On Ramon Sessions
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy is reporting (via Twitter) that teams are continuing to inquire about Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions, who has been long thought to be on the trading block. Kennedy notes that many of these teams view the 25-year-old Sessions as a starting-caliber point guard, and though he does not mention any specific teams interested, he says the Cavs are considering their options.
Sessions is averaging 10.3PPG and 5.3APG this season. His contract pays him approximately $4.2MM this year, and he holds a player option worth $4.5MM for 2012/13.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Green, Elson, Humphries
No Atlantic teams are in action tonight, but we have a few links from out of the division to round up….
- The Celtics are very active in trade discussions, and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy's sources expect the club to make a deal in the next couple weeks (Twitter link).
- Currently playing on a 10-day contract, Gerald Green has a decent chance to stick with the Nets for the remainder of the season, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. I provided an update on this season's 10-day deals earlier today.
- While it wasn't reported at the time, Francisco Elson appears to have signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the 76ers, according to the team's game notes (PDF link). HoopsHype reported today that the team has waived Elson, but I believe it's just a matter of his second 10-day deal, signed on February 21st, expiring.
- Tom Ziller of SB Nation explores whether or not the Celtics should trade Rajon Rondo in the next two weeks.
- Reports of Kris Humphries having returned to agent Dan Fegan are premature, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Nets forward is leaning toward Fegan, but is currently without representation.
Minor Moves: Jerome James, Jamario Moon
Here are today's notable international and D-League-related transactions:
- Jerome James has signed a contract to play with Puerto Rican team Caciques de Humacao, according to Sportando. The last we heard from James, a former NBA veteran, he was signing with the D-League.
- Jamario Moon, who signed with the D-League this week, has joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
Amico On Rondo, Sessions, Watson, Warriors
In his latest piece for FOX Sports Ohio, Sam Amico talks Rajon Rondo, Ramon Sessions, and other trade candidates. Here's what Amico has for us:
- Amico hears from an NBA executive that the Celtics "hardly feel desperate" to trade Rondo, despite reports suggesting Boston is aggressively shopping its point guard. The same exec wonders if the Celtics could package Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal in the same deal.
- A source says it would be "a miracle" if Sessions is a Cavalier past the trade deadline, even though the team "wouldn’t be against keeping him." At one point, it seemed as if the Lakers may ramp up their pursuit of Sessions, but Amico's source isn't sure if that's happened yet.
- C.J. Watson is drawing interest, and while the Bulls are happy with his play, they'll listen to offers.
- Amico is the latest reporter to hear that a Monta Ellis-to-Orlando deal is highly unlikely, due to the Magic's lack of non-Dwight Howard assets.
10-Day Contract Update
Since February 6th, NBA teams have been permitted to sign free agents to 10-day contracts, providing roster depth and an opportunity to get a brief look at a new player. Teams are allowed to sign a player to two 10-day contracts (not necessarily consecutively). After those two deals expire, the player must be signed for the remainder of the season or become a free agent.
A number of teams have taken advantage of 10-day contracts over the last few weeks, so let's catch up on the status of the players who have signed these temporary deals this season:
Active
- Erick Dampier, Hawks: Signed two 10-day contracts, then signed for the remainder of the season.
- Lance Thomas, Hornets: Signed two 10-day contracts, then signed for the remainder of the season.
- Mickell Gladness, Heat: Signed the second of two 10-day contracts on February 28th.
- Solomon Jones, Hornets: Signed the second of two 10-day contracts on February 27th.
- Francisco Elson, 76ers: Signed the second of two 10-day contracts on February 21st.
- Gerald Green, Nets: Signed a 10-day contract on February 27th.
- Bobby Simmons, Clippers: Signed a 10-day contract on February 27th.
- Manny Harris, Cavaliers: Signed a 10-day contract on February 21st.
Expired
- Donald Sloan: Signed the second of two 10-day contracts with the Hornets on February 20th.
- Eric Dawson: Signed a 10-day contract with the Spurs on February 20th.
- Andre Emmett: Signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on February 14th.
- Mike James: Signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls on February 14th.
- Ben Uzoh: Signed a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers on February 10th.
Pistons Notes: Wallace, Gordon, Villanueva, Bynum
Ben Wallace is expected to call it a career at season's end, and while Detroit's current roster isn't quite in the same league as Wallace's Pistons squad that won a title in 2004, the veteran big man feels like the team has plenty of promise.
"I like the direction this team is headed," Wallace told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. "I think the future is very bright for the young guys – Greg [Monroe], Brandon [Knight]. I wouldn’t have a problem with how I left them. I would be leaving them in a better position than what I found them."
Here's the latest on a Pistons club coming off a convincing home win over the Bobcats:
- The Pistons aren't expected to shake things up much at the trade deadline, though they'd love to move Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva if they could, says Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Austin Daye and Will Bynum are among the Pistons unfazed by the approaching deadline, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. "I don't really care, it doesn't matter where (I play)," Bynum said. "Could be Africa, L.A., Orlando, I don't care for the business…. All I do is control how I work, and I'm waiting for my opportunity."
- Langlois fields Pistons-related questions in a mailbag, including a handful that focus on trade possibilities or potential offseason moves. Langlois says a deadline deal for Detroit is possible, but a blockbuster is a long shot.
Hawks Re-Sign Erick Dampier
The Hawks have signed Erick Dampier for the rest of the season, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The deal, which the team made official in a press release, will likely be for a pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum.
Dampier, who inked a pair of 10-day contracts with the team, has played in six games for the Hawks this year, failing to score while averaging 1.8 rebounds in five minutes a night. Though Hawks coach Larry Drew said the 6'11" Dampier is not in the best of shape, the team is looking to the 16th-year veteran to provide depth in the post while Al Horford tries to come back from a torn left pectoral muscle before the end of the season and Jason Collins nurses a torn left elbow ligament.
Dampier, 36, spent most of his career with the Warriors and Mavs, with his best season coming in 2003/04, when he averaged 12.3 PPG and 12.0 for Golden State. That earned him a seven-year, $73MM contract with the Mavs.
The Hawks announced Wednesday (via Twitter) that they expected to sign Dampier for the remainder of the season.
Blazers Notes: GM Search, Felton, Fernandez
Trail Blazers president Larry Miller addressed a few Portland-related topics last night, and Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge has the quotes. Here are the highlights:
- Miller says the Blazers will revisit their general manager search at season's end, and that no permanent GM will be hired before then: "At the end of the season we'll evaluate it and see if at that point, do we still need to go out and find somebody? Or is [Acting GM] Chad [Buchanan] the guy who can be comfortable moving into that role?" (Twitter link)
- Miller still thinks acquiring Raymond Felton was the right decision, based on Felton's career performance to that point. However, he concedes that it hasn't worked out as the team hoped: "Raymond, to us, was a player who could be a part of this team going forward. He could be a future piece of this team… He clearly hasn't lived up to that this year. Hopefully the second half of the season we'll get to see the Raymond that we traded for" (Twitter link).
- "Rudy had a good run here but it seemed like it had kind of soured a bit," said Miller, addressing the team's trade of Rudy Fernandez, in the same deal that landed them Felton. Added Miller: "Even the fans had soured a bit on Rudy" (Twitter link).
- Current Blazer and former Nugget Marcus Camby talked to Chris Smith of Nuggets.com about his season and his continued ties to Denver.
Patrick Mills Receives FIBA Clearance
Patrick Mills has returned from China and has received a letter of clearance from FIBA, according to Mills' own Twitter account. The clearance means he's eligible to sign in the NBA again.
As a restricted free agent, Mills is in a situation similar to Wilson Chandler's, which has been well documented. Because it's March 1st, Mills can no longer sign an offer sheet with another team, so if he hopes to play in the NBA this season, he'd only be able to sign with the Trail Blazers.
Portland has a full roster after signing Joel Przybilla, so it's unclear if they're interested in bringing Mills aboard. Unlike Chandler, Mills wouldn't necessarily be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer if he just signed a rest-of-season deal, so that seems like a possibility. If the Blazers aren't interested in adding the 23-year-old to this year's roster, they could renounce him, allowing him to sign elsewhere. The 6'0" point guard could also sit out the rest of the season and become a restricted free agent again in the offseason.