Odds & Ends: Curry, Knicks, Jones, Trail Blazers
It appears Warriors guard Stephen Curry's ankles are either 100% or very close to it. Earlier today Curry tweeted that he was finally able to participate in scrimmages with his teammates, and CSNBayArea.com's Matt Steinmetz later confirmed the tweet by writing that Curry indeed played five-on-five at the team's downtown Oakland practice facility.
Here's some other news from around the league.
- Current Nuggets forward and former member of the Knicks Danilo Gallinari said that the fact New York is rumored to bring Isiah Thomas back into their front office is why they'll never win, writes KnicksJournal.com's Keith Schlosser.
- Rockets rookie forward Terrence Jones sat down with Rockets.com's Jason Friedman for an informative Q&A.
- Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Feigen analyzes what San Antonio's new uniforms could mean for the rest of the league.
- SpursNation.com's Dan McCarney talks about what the recent sale of AEG might mean for some other teams across the league, including the Spurs.
- In an in-depth season preview for the loaded Northwest Division, NBA.com's John Schuhmman says that the Trail Blazers might be the worst defensive team in the entire league next year.
- Lakers head coach Mike Brown recently stated on ESPN Radio that he's excited about the upcoming season, for obvious reasons, writes ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- NBA.com's Earl K. Sneed quotes Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle as saying that this is the year Rodrigue Beaubois puts it all together.
Free Agent Notes: Fisher, Gilder, Joyner
With preseason action right around the corner, several teams are holding informal workouts in an attempt to figure out their training camp rosters. Of them are the Lakers, who've begun bringing in newcomers in El Segundo, writes CBSLA.com. One semi-surprising player in attendance was former Laker point guard Derek Fisher, who was traded by the team to the Rockets last season.
Here are a few other free agency related notes floating around the league this Wednesday evening.
- Forward Trey Gilder has been invited to the Jazz's training camp, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Brian T. Smith. The 27-year-old Gilder spent last season in the D-League where he averaged 19.2PPG and 7.7RPG in 34 apperances. He's expected to compete for a roster spot with the team.
- Terrence Joyner is weighing training camp options from several teams, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy. If he doesn't take any offers, Joyner will play in the D-League.
- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman gives his top 20 remaining free agents. (Sulia link)
- Maccabi Tel-Aviv has waived Pops Mensah-Bonsu due to a lingering knee injury, reports Sportando.net.
Timberwolves Still Seeking Big Man, Wing
5:15pm: According to a tweet from ESPN contributor Darren Wolfson, the Wolves are still interested in free agent swingman Mickael Pietrus.
3:14pm: After a busy offseason that saw the team bring in new additions like Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger, and Alexey Shved, the Timberwolves are still looking for a couple more pieces to round out their roster. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, the Wolves would like to bring in another big man and wing player, but the issue of guaranteed salary has been a roadblock so far (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves have been linked to a number of players in recent weeks, including Sean Williams, Hassan Whiteside, Mehmet Okur, Mickael Pietrus, and Anthony Tolliver. However, Minnesota can only offer a minimum-salary contract, and based on Wolfson's report, it sounds as if the team may not even necessarily want to guarantee a minimum-salary deal.
In a second tweet, Wolfson says it doesn't appear that Raja Bell will be a target for the T-Wolves if and when he receives a buyout from the Jazz. Wolfson adds that Chris Andersen has interest in joining the Wolves, but that the interest isn't mutual. That seems to be a common theme for the Birdman, who also reportedly has unreciprocated interest in the Knicks and Heat.
Bobcats To Sign Jeff Adrien, Eyeing Three Others
4:44pm: The Bobcats have agreed to terms with Adrien on a non-guaranteed contract, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, the Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics also showed interest in the forward.
3:53pm: Looking to bring at least 17 players to their training camp, the Bobcats are finalizing agreements with a handful of players expected to compete for a spot on the team's roster. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Paris Horne, Josh Owens, Jeff Adrien, and DaJuan Summers are expected to be added to the Bobcats' roster in the near future.
Horne, 25, played in Germany last season after graduating from St. John's in 2011. He's a 6'3" guard. Owens, a 6'9" forward out of Stanford, was eligible for this year's draft and was ranked as a top-100 prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford, but went undrafted. Both players were part of the Bobcats' summer league squad.
Adrien and Summers both have previous NBA experience. The 6'7" Adrien, a UConn product, received limited playing time for the Warriors in 2010/11 and the Rockets in 2011/12. Summers, meanwhile, was drafted 35th overall in 2009 and has since played for the Pistons and Hornets. The 24-year-old forward has averaged 3.4 PPG in 81 career contests.
If the Bobcats finalize deals with these four players, they're likely to be non-guaranteed contracts. With 13 Charlotte players on guaranteed deals, there could be a roster spot or two available on the team for players who impress in training camp.
Latest On Shawne Williams
While veteran players like Kenyon Martin and Mickael Pietrus are reportedly uninterested in signing for the minimum salary, Shawne Williams appears very open to such a deal. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Williams would like to join the Knicks on a minimum-salary contract, but New York isn't currently interested.
The Knicks are still seeking a power forward to fill out their roster, but are targeting players like Martin and Louis Amundson rather than Williams. If those players sign elsewhere or remain out of the Knicks' price range (the team can only offer minimum-salary deals), Williams, a former Knick, may re-emerge as a potential option. In the meantime, the Hawks and Bobcats are eyeing the 26-year-old, says Zwerling.
Williams, the 17th overall pick in 2006, has seen NBA action for the Pacers, Mavericks, Knicks, and Nets since his rookie season. Most recently, after injuries cut his 2011/12 campaign short, he was dealt by the Nets to Portland, where he never played a game for the Trail Blazers. The Blazers bought Williams out earlier this summer, which could be one reason he's willing to play for a minimum salary.
Wizards Sign Shavlik Randolph, Steven Gray
SEPTEMBER 19TH: The deals for Randolph and Gray are now official, per a Wizards press release.
SEPTEMBER 11TH: The Wizards have agreed to sign big man Shavlik Randolph and point guard Steven Gray, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post. The pair will receive non-guaranteed deals, likely for the minimum, and join Earl Barron, who also reached an agreement with the team today.
The 6'10" Randolph has played in parts of five NBA seasons with the Sixers, Trail Blazers and Heat, averaging 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game for his career, but he hasn't appeared since 2009/10. He played last season in China and Puerto Rico, and hooked on with the Wizards summer league team this year. The 6'5" Gray was also a part of that summer league team, but he's still looking for his first official taste of NBA action after going undrafted out of Gonzaga and spending last year with BK Ventspils of Latvia.
Randolph, Gray and Barron stand a decent shot at making the regular season roster if the Wizards decide to carry 15 players, Lee says, since the team only has 13 fully guaranteed contracts, with point guard Shelvin Mack's minimum-salary deal partially guaranteed for $300K.
Wizards Sign Earl Barron
SEPTEMBER 19TH: The Wizards have officially signed Barron, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 11TH: The Wizards have agreed to terms on a non-guaranteed contract with Earl Barron, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The unrestricted free agent big man will receive an invitation to the team's training camp with a chance to earn a roster spot.
Barron, 31, has appeared in games for the Heat, Knicks, Suns, Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Warriors in his NBA career, meaning he'll have a chance to make the Wizards his seventh team in seven seasons. Outside of a moderately productive 2007/08 season with Miami and an impressive seven-game stint with the Knicks in 2009/10 (11.7 PPG and 11.0 RPG), Barron has never been more than a very limited contributor. He appeared in two games for Golden State last season before being waived.
Barron will be the 15th player under contract for the Wizards.
Heat To Sign Robert Dozier
SEPTEMBER 19TH: Dozier remains unsigned, but continues to work out with the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Sulia link). Dozier is still expected to ink a training-camp deal with the club.
SEPTEMBER 10TH: The Heat have agreed to terms with former second-round pick Robert Dozier, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The forward, tabbed with the 60th overall pick in the 2009 draft by Miami, has spent the past two seasons playing in Greece and France.
Dozier is expected to formally ink his contract once he returns from a family emergency. Exact terms of the forward's deal are not yet known, but it is likely a non-guaranteed minimum contract. Miami now has 16 players on the roster as they head into camp, with three on non-guaranteed deals.
Warriors Sign Tarence Kinsey
The Warriors have signed Tarence Kinsey to a contract that includes a training camp invite, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Terms of the deal aren't known, but it figures to be a non-guaranteed, one-year contract.
Kinsey, a South Carolina product, played three NBA seasons for the Grizzlies and Cavaliers from 2006 to 2009. In 109 career games, he averaged 4.7 PPG on .453/.324/.817 shooting. Since he last played in the NBA, the 28-year-old has spent most of his team on rosters overseas, including Fenerbache Ulker and Anadolu Efes in Turkey.
The Warriors have 14 players on guaranteed contracts on the roster, plus Kent Bazemore on a partial guarantee. The team is also reportedly close to bringing aboard Alex Renfroe on a non-guaranteed deal, so Kinsey isn't a strong candidate to earn a roster spot.
Eastern Notes: Gomes, Bobcats, White, Sixers
This morning, we learned that the Magic are expected to sign Armon Johnson and DeQuan Jones to non-guaranteed contracts. That's one of a handful of items related to Eastern Conference teams today, so let's round up the rest right here:
- Although he worked out with the team recently, it doesn't sound as if Ryan Gomes will be in training camp with the Bobcats, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Unrestricted free agent D.J. White spent the last season and a half with the Bobcats, but it doesn't appear he'll be back in Charlotte either. David Pick of Sportando reports that White is drawing interest from Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- After receiving head coach consideration this offseason, Michael Curry will return to the 76ers' staff, and coach Doug Collins is elated to have him back, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- The Celtics have added former Erie BayHawks head coach Jay Larranaga to their staff as an assistant coach, the team announced today in a press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the hire last month.
- Asked whether Ray Allen or Rashard Lewis will provide the Heat more "bang for the buck," Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says Lewis "could be a revelation" if he provides some rebounding and defense for Miami.