Sixers Sign Darius Johnson-Odom
The Sixers announced that they have signed Darius Johnson-Odom to a 10-day deal. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement. He has been playing with the Springfield Armor of the D-League.
Johnson-Odom, 24, auditioned for the Sixers on Tuesday. The shooting guard saw four games of NBA action with the Lakers last season, making him a more familiar name to fans than Scott Suggs, who also worked out for coach Brett Brown & Co. James Nunnally and Kevin Murphy tried out for the team, too.
Johnson joined the Lakers again for camp in the fall and split the season between China and the Nets D-League affiliate. Jorge Gutierrez recently edged out Johnson-Odom for a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, but it sounds like he’s found a (temporary) home elsewhere in the Atlantic Division.
The Sixers have 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster, so they cut Lorenzo Brown loose in order to make room. It initially appeared as though Philadelphia was looking to replace Jarvis Varnado, who had been on a 10-day contract, but he re-signed Wednesday for the rest of the season.
Sixers Release Lorenzo Brown
11:19am: The Sixers officially announced the move, via press release.
8:54am: The Sixers will release Lorenzo Brown in order to make room for Darius Johnson-Odom, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Sixers agreed to sign Johnson-Odom to a 10-day deal yesterday.
Philadelphia already had 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster before signing Johnson-Odom, meaning that someone had to go. It looked like Jarvis Varnado would be the man on the block, but he re-signed with the team for the rest of the season on Wednesday.
Brown has been shuttled between the Sixers and the club’s D-League affiliate in Delaware multiple times this season. In 26 games for Philly this season, Brown has averaged 2.5 PPG and 1.6 APG in 8.6 minutes per contest. In 12 D-League games, the guard put up 17.8 PPG and 6.4 APG in just under 33 minutes per night.
Kings Notes: White, Thomas, Gay
Last night, the Kings announced that they recalled forward Royce White from their D-League affiliate Reno Bighorns. White, signed by the Kings to a 10-day contract on March 6, immediately reported to the Bighorns and averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.50 steals, and 24.8 minutes per game in four games. More out of Sacramento..
- Kings guard Isaiah Thomas tells Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops that the biggest reason for his development has been coach Michael Malone’s trust in him, especially after starter Greivis Vasquez was dealt to Toronto in the Rudy Gay trade. “He’s given me an opportunity to lead this team and kind of just play my game,” Thomas explained. “I always tell people the NBA, I think, is a game of opportunity. Once your opportunity comes, you’ve got to take it and run with it. My opportunity is here and I’m trying to do the best I can to not look back.” One Eastern Conference GM sees Thomas getting between $4-5MM per year on the open market while a scout sees the full mid-level exception as his maximum.
- Thomas is learning to lead as he approaches restricted free agency, writes Andrew Perna of RealGM.
- In a Q&A on the Kings’ website, GM Pete D’Alessandro spoke about Gay’s future and says that he looks forward to talking with Thomas’ camp about a new deal.
Bucks Sign Chris Wright
The Bucks have signed forward Chris Wright to a 10-day contract, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter). Milwaukee made room for Wright by not renewing Tony Mitchell after his 10-day contract expired.
Wright, a Dayton product, played for the Maine Red Claws this season. The 25-year-old was in training camp with the Raptors over the summer and was in a heated three-way battle for the final spot on the roster, but he and Carlos Morais ultimately lost out to Julyan Stone. Wright spent 24 games with the Warriors during the 2011/12 season and averaged 2.9 PPG and 1.9 RPG across 7.8 minutes per game.
Rockets To Pursue Carmelo Anthony?
They might not have ample cap space to sign him, but that won’t prevent the Rockets from pursuing Carmelo Anthony this summer, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Citing a league source, Berman says the Rockets inquired about Anthony at the trade deadline last month. They would have to work out a sign-and-trade for the Knicks superstar to make it happen.
While Anthony has never fared well under the microscope of advanced statistics — a guiding principle for Houston GM Daryl Morey — Berman writes that pairing Anthony with James Harden and Dwight Howard is too appealing a possibility for the Rockets to pass up.
Moving one or both of Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, on the books for $15MM apiece next season, would be the biggest obstacles facing Morey prior to a move as significant as a trade for Anthony. The Knicks were one of many teams linked to Asik at times this season.
Berman mentions the Lakers, Clippers and Bulls as other possible destinations for Anthony, should he choose to leave New York. He also references a USA Today report from last month, where Howard had the following to say about the caveats of playing in a gigantic market such as New York:
“If you don’t win, you’re not going to get all the [off-court] stuff you want anyway,” Howard said. “I saw that last year [in Los Angeles]. I was in the biggest market for the NBA, and we lost, so those [companies] aren’t going to be coming to you for losing.
“When I was in Orlando, a small market, and we were winning, I was very popular with a lot of different deals on the table. So it’s more so about winning, and you’ve got to put yourself in a position to where you’re winning basketball games and you’re having fun doing it. Losing is not fun, and ‘Melo wants to win.”
Mike Woodson Wants Sit-Down With Phil Jackson
With Phil Jackson now embedded at the top of the basketball decision-making hierarchy in New York, current Knicks head coach Mike Woodson would like a sit-down with his new boss, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. While Woodson has said the right things about Jackson, it’s no secret that his future with the Knicks is uncertain despite being under contract for next season.
The Knicks are hoping to hold Jackson’s introductory press conference on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, reports Berman, providing an opportunity for such a meeting to take place. Rumors have begun to swirl about Jackson installing his signature triangle offense in New York, which would likely necessitate a new coach. Woodson is hoping for fair consideration.
“I would want him to view me as a coach,’’ Woodson said. “If and when that time comes, I would just love the chance to sit with him and talk basketball. He’s a basketball guy, I’m a basketball guy. This is 30 years I’ve spent in this league so that’s what we’ll do, but until that happens my focus is strictly on trying to get this team in the playoffs. That’s it.’’
Berman lists Steve Kerr, Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw and Bucks assistant Jim Cleamons as former Jackson disciples who might draw consideration. He also mentions Nate McMillan as a “strong possibility” before implying that past tension with Jackson might dispel the possibility for Jeff Van Gundy‘s return to New York.
Western Notes: Lakers, Faried, Butler, Ledo
After Kobe Bryant‘s news conference on Wednesday, the Lakers may have to abandon any strategy not aimed at an immediate turnaround, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Pincus has an intricate plan in mind for the purple-and-gold that entails trading their 2014 first rounder for Kevin Love, waiving Steve Nash, re-signing Pau Gasol and much more, all designed at arming the aging Bryant with running mates capable of staging one last run at a title.
Let’s take a look at what is going on elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is happy that the trade speculation is behind him, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Faried is having an impressive March, scoring 21.1 points per game and grabbing 10.1 rebounds on 64.5% shooting from the field. Teammate Ty Lawson also believes that the trade talk was hurting his play somewhat, noting that he has been more aggressive since the trade deadline came and went.
- Thunder trainer Joe Sharpe had a lot to do with Caron Butler‘s decision to sign with Oklahoma City this season, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes. Sharpe held a similar position at UConn when Butler was there.
- While we pointed out a pair of D-League success stories earlier tonight, Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opines (via Twitter) that Ricky Ledo may have become a high lottery pick with the proper collegiate seasoning. Ledo, who has bounced between the Mavericks and the Texas Legends in his rookie season, attended Providence College though he never played for the Friars. He was selected 43rd overall by the Bucks last June.
Eastern Notes: Jackson, McRoberts, Hamilton
As Ric Bucher and Howard Beck of Bleacher Report discuss, it is impossible for the Knicks or anyone else to predict the success that Phil Jackson will have as team president because he simply has no track record in an NBA front office. While Beck speculates that Jackson’s guidance could have the same positive effect on Carmelo Anthony that it did on Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, Bucher points out that the NBA’s resident Zen Master has never had the best relationship with agents.
Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the Eastern Conference tonight:
- The underpaid Josh McRoberts has the ability to opt out of his two-year deal and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who adds that the Bobcats value the Duke product and should do everything they can to retain him.
- Bonnell also confirms that the Bobcats worked out a group of players on Thursday, as we heard yesterday. While it doesn’t sound like he thinks the team have anything notable planned, Bonnell points out the forthcoming expiration of Justin Hamilton‘s 10-day contract and mentions the Heat as possible suitors for the 7-foot LSU product should Charlotte let him walk (via Twitter).
- Bucks head coach Larry Drew indicated today that a decision has yet to be made on whether or not the team will sign Tony Mitchell to a second 10-day contract, tweets Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks initially added Mitchell from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on March 4.
And-Ones: Embiid, Union, White, Hairston
With only three games on the docket on Thursday evening, let’s begin to sort through all that is going on around the Association tonight:
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News asked executives about Joel Embiid’s back injury and what it will do to his stock come draft time. “Obviously he has a ton of talent and he is as promising a big man as you can imagine,” one GM said. “But the back is going to be a question mark, and every team is going to want their doctors to look at whatever information there is now, and whatever comes out of the medical testing at the combine.“
- In a piece for ESPN.com, agent Jeff Schwartz opined that the process for the union’s executive director search must change. In his view, there has been a lack of transparency in the search since day one and he notes that even though there are said to be two finalists for the position, the union has yet to publicly acknowledge them.
- Royce White‘s stint with the Reno Bighorns was “a positive experience” for both White and the club, despite him not posting impressive numbers there, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (on Twitter).
- While P.J. Hairston concedes it has been an adjustment, you can count him among the D-League advocates as well, writes SI.com’s Chris Mannix. The former Tar Heel, banished from North Carolina in December, hit the ground running with the Texas Legends and has all the makings of a first round pick this June.
Eastern Notes: Boozer, Woodson, Drew
No decision has been made on Carlos Boozer‘s future with the Bulls, but the veteran says that he feels unappreciated in Chicago, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Boozer has been moody with the media for some time now, and sources say that’s linked to his frustrations with the club. For his part, GM Gar Forman says no decision has been made on the forward. “People can say or think what they want, but that decision absolutely hasn’t been made,’’ Forman told Cowley. More out of the East..
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson was positive about the hire of Phil Jackson to run basketball operations and told ESPN Radio in New York that it can only “enhance” the organization, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.
- Bucks coach Larry Drew says that he holds no ill-will towards the Hawks for how things turned out, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel. “No bitterness whatsoever. This is just the NBA. Things happen. I certainly understood their position. Bruce Levenson (managing partner) was really good to me. The Gearons (managing partner Michael Gearon) were always in my corner from Day 1,” Drew said.
- Former Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap has landed as the new head coach of Loyola Marymount, according to an official announcement on the school’s website. Dunlap, an assistant with St. John’s before being tabbed by Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, was considered to be a shocking hire for Charlotte and lasted just one season.