Bulls Sign Jimmer Fredette
The Bulls announced today the team has signed guard Jimmer Fredette for the remainder of 
the season. The Octagon Sports client‘s $2.4MM contract had cleared waivers making him a free agent. Exact financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“We are very excited to add a player like Jimmer to our roster,” said Bulls GM Gar Forman. “We’ve followed him closely throughout his collegiate and professional career, and believe he’ll be the type of player that will fit in with our group and be an asset to the team.”
Chicago was the favorite to add Fredette following his buyout agreement with the Kings on Thursday. The third-year guard is averaging a career low in minutes and points this year, but is shooting .493 from three and having his most efficient offensive season in limited playing time.
The Bulls — an elite defensive team — are hoping the 10th pick from the 2011 draft can add some firepower to their offense, which is ranked 27th in both three-point makes and percentage this season. Fredette has averaged 7 PPG and 1.5 APG in two-plus years with the Kings, where some believe he was miscast as a point guard and buried behind other developing talent that Sacramento accumulated in the backcourt.
While other notable buyout players Danny Granger, Glen Davis, and Caron Butler have signed up with contenders in the Western Conference over the last week, Fredette chose an Eastern Conference playoff team that could give him an opportunity to shine before he becomes a free agent in the summer.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Sam Amick of USA Today first reported the agreement. Shams Charania of RealGM reported that the deal covers the rest of the season and doesn’t include any options (Twitter link).
Western Notes: Thunder, Granger, Iguodala
One of the bigger stories of the week was the Clippers signing Danny Granger for the rest of the season. Despite being in uniform he was unable to play in last night’s game thanks to a “clerical error” that accidentally listed him as inactive. But going forward, Granger should help bolster the team’s weak front line, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLos Angeles.com. Coach Doc Rivers thinks that his best fit on the team might be as a starter, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. This would allow Matt Barnes to return to a bench role and have Granger be more of a defensive asset for the first-team.
Here’s more from out west:
- The Spurs didn’t land Granger, but Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News doesn’t think the team needs him. Instead, he points to how Boris Diaw‘s numbers and production are comparable to Granger’s.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman explores the possibility of the Thunder signing Ben Gordon if he is waived by the Bobcats. Since March 1st has passed, Gordon would be able to play for another team in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
- In a separate article, Mayberry looks at 15 possible players the Thunder could sign to fill their 15th roster spot.
- The recently signed Caron Butler is expected to be in uniform for Tuesday’s game when the Thunder take on the Sixers, tweets Mayberry.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough says the team’s long-term approach hasn’t changed, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “We’re trying to get great players, through the draft or trade or free agency, but in the short term I think we’re ahead of what most people thought we would be. If we can use things like our cap space to help solidify our team we’ll do that, but at the same time we’re happy with the group we have”, McDonough said. Washburn also analyzes how the Suns are set heading into the offseason and some moves the team might make.
- Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders analyzes the dividends that the signing of Andre Iguodala has paid to the Warriors.
Granger On Free Agency, Rivers, Clippers
The Clippers recently signed Danny Granger for the remainder of the season after he had been reached a buyout agreement with the Sixers. Granger had been acquired by the team in the trade that sent Evan Turner to the Pacers. Granger had his introductory press conference prior to this evening’s game against the Pelicans, and Brandon Ehrlich of NBA.com transcribed the entire conference. Here are some of the highlights:
What made you choose here with the Clippers?
“Number one, I’ve always liked the style that Doc [Rivers] coaches. I’m not saying I don’t like Pop [Gregg Popovich]’s style or Spo [Erik Spoelstra]’s style. I just think [with] this team, I can have the biggest impact, and feel like they’ve got a role.”
How do you think that you help the Clippers?
“If you look at the way they play…they get the ball up fast, they space the court, they shoot a lot of threes, that’s the optimal type of system. That’s the type of system that I would probably thrive in. That’s the system I have thrived in, in the past. And believe it or not, playing that way… I think all of the players want to play that way. Everybody gets their shots, no one’s upset about this or that. It’s just, you play, you have fun, and you win.”
Since you live in LA, and I know that [you have] an expiring contract, would you be open to signing a contract to play in LA?
“Definitely. I’ve always loved LA. Like I said, this city… I’m so familiar with it. It would be a dream to play here, honestly.”
What do you tell the doubters out there who say, “Hey, Danny Granger hasn’t been the same in two years”?
“I haven’t played in two years. I don’t let it bother me. This year, early in Indiana, I was coming back. I had hurt my calf. I had to lay it off for a year. It doesn’t bother me. I know I’m getting healthy, and I’m really healthy right now. And I know what I’m capable of. I’ve never been the one to even read the media. Even when I would have a great game, I didn’t read. When I had a bad game I didn’t read. You know, it just keeps you more even-keeled.”
Danny, having been a starter, do you feel like that would be your best role on the team, or can you adapt if Doc says you’re more effective off of the bench? Or do you think you’re a starter?
“Well, I’ve always been a starter in my career. But, to [make a] point on that now, coming to a new team, we have 25-26 games [remaining in the regular season]. Whatever role Doc sees fit for me is the one that I will do. I’m not one of those players that says, ‘I have to do this, or I have to do that.’ I just want to play, have fun, shoot some threes, throw some lobs, and go celebrate.“
Eastern Notes: Iverson, Anthony, Thibodeau
The big news of the night was the Sixers officially retiring Allen Iverson‘s #3 during a halftime ceremony at tonight’s contest with the Wizards. Iverson had officially announced his retirement back in October. He averaged 26.7 PPG and 6.2 APG in 914 career regular-season games, and scored 29.7 PPG in 71 career playoff games. Iverson, who also saw action with the Nuggets, Pistons, and Grizzlies, was an 11-time All-Star, a four-time scoring champion, a three-time member of the All-NBA First Team, and won the MVP award in 2001. Congrats go out to A.I..
More from around the Eastern Conference:
- Gary Neal is overjoyed at the trade that sent him to the Bobcats, writes Dan McCarney of MySanAntonio.com. Neal told McCarney that he got on the first available plane out of the city, as he wasn’t fond of how he was utilized in Milwaukee, nor about the direction of the franchise. Neal stated, “I’m excited to be playing meaningful basketball again. After three years of being with the Spurs, with every possession of every game counting I’m just glad to being back to that. I’m a little too old for the tanking situation.”
- Jay Yeomans of the Deseret News analyzes how Jimmer Fredette fits in with the Bulls, who he is rumored to have reached an agreement with earlier today.
- With free-agency right around the corner, Carmelo Anthony must be taking notice of how much has gone wrong with the Knicks, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
- If ‘Melo is really committed to winning, then he should follow the example of Miami’s “Big-Three”, writes Moke Hamilton of SNY.tv. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all took less to fit in under the salary cap, and Anthony should consider that before signing his next contract, opines Hamilton. It will be the only way for him to bring other star players to New York.
- The Knicks might attempt to acquire Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau after the season if they let go of Mike Woodson. Marc Berman of the New York Post looks at why the Knicks should try, the probability of the Bulls letting him go, and what it might cost.
- Tom Moore of Calkins Media looks at what Sixers GM Sam Hinkie can do with the five second-round picks the team has in this year’s draft.
- Metta World Peace has interest in joining the Pistons, according to his brother, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Poll: Post-Deadline Move With Biggest Impact?
The trade deadline passed over a week ago, but this doesn’t mean that GM’s are done making changes to their rosters. It has been a busy week for buyouts, waivers, and players signing contracts to finish out the year with new teams. These post-deadline deals can put the finishing touches on a contender, or help a borderline playoff team snag a spot. Listed below are the signings that have occurred so far. I’ve omitted most 10-day deals because short-term signings won’t have quite the same impact as the ones for the rest of the year. I’ve included the Jason Collins 10-day signing because all signs are pointing to him remaining with the Nets for the rest of the season.
Here are the notable signings thus far:
- Jimmer Fredette signing with the Bulls. This one isn’t official, but it has been reported that he’s reached a tentative agreement for the remainder of the season. The Bulls are hoping Fredette can add some firepower to their offense, which is currently ranked 27th in both three-point makes and percentage this season. Fredette has averaged 7 PPG and 1.5 APG in his two-plus years with the Kings, while receiving minimal playing time due to their backcourt depth.
- The Suns signing Shavlik Randolph for the remainder of this season with a team option for 2014/15. Randolph had been playing overseas in China, where he logged averages of 22.3 PPG and 12.3 rebounds per night, although it was in just six appearances. This move should help bolster the Suns frontcourt depth as the team looks to advance in the playoffs after missing out on three straight postseasons. Randolph is a 30-year-old power forward who’s played for four NBA teams, most recently for the Celtics in 2012/13, where he averaged 4.2 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 16 contests.
- Danny Granger signing with the Clippers for the rest of the season. Granger played in 29 games for the Pacers before being traded to the Sixers, and averaged 8.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 22.5 minutes per contest. He didn’t see any action for the Sixers, and last saw the court on February 19th, when he scored two points in 18 minutes versus the Timberwolves. He figures to get regular minutes in the Clippers rotation.
- The Thunder inking Caron Butler for the remainder of the year. Butler, who turns 34 in March, is in the midst of one of his worst shooting seasons, connecting on just 38.7% of his shots. He’s still making 36.1% of his three-point attempts, and he averaged 11.0 points in 24.1 MPG for the Bucks.
- The Grizzlies claiming Beno Udrih off of waivers. Udrih never quite fit into the Knicks rotation, and the Grizzlies signed him to upgrade their backup point guard slot behind Mike Conley. Beno’s numbers on the year are 5.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 3.5 APG while logging 19 MPG.
- Glen Davis signing with the Clippers for the rest of the season. The 28-year-old is coming off a year in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG with a 15.0 PER in an injury-shortened 2012/13. So far in 2013/14, Davis has averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 30.1 minutes per contest while struggling again with some nagging injuries. Davis is the only player on the Clippers roster to have won a championship, which will make him a valuable presence in the locker room as well as on the court.
- The Nets signing Jason Collins to a 10-day contract. The Nets have been in search of a big man since before the trade deadline arrived, and that need was heightened after sending Reggie Evans to the Kings as part of the trade that brought Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn. In 713 career games, the 35-year old has averaged 3.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 0.9 APG, in 20.8 MPG. In his first three games with the Nets, Collins has averaged 1.0 PPG and 0.7 RPG in 8.7 MPG.
Now it’s time for your participation. Which of the above deals do you think will have the biggest impact on this year’s playoffs? Vote below and feel free to explain the choice you made in the comments section.
Gerald Wallace To Miss Rest Of Season
SATURDAY, 8:30pm: The Celtics have officially confirmed that Wallace is done for the rest of the season, writes Royce Young of CBSSports.com. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com tweets that Wallace could have surgery as early as Tuesday.
1:34pm: Wallace has given thought to playing through his injuries, though Ainge thinks he’ll opt for surgery, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
12:50pm: Celtics president of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge confirms that Wallace is out for the season, as Washburn writes in a full story.
FRIDAY, 11:33am: Gerald Wallace has suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and is also dealing with bone spurs, injuries that are likely to keep him out for the rest of 2013/14, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (All Twitter links). Coach Brad Stevens says that the 13th year veteran will be out for an indefinite amount of time, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com seconds Washburn’s report, calling the return of Wallace “doubtful” (on Twitter). Wallace’s ailments add to a litany of maladies for the lottery-bound Celtics, who are also missing Vitor Faverani, Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley.
Wallace, 31, is by no means the player he once was, as witnessed by his career-low 10.1 PER this year. He’s nonetheless played a significant role in Boston’s rotation, averaging 24.4 minutes per game. The Celtics were unsuccessful in finding a taker before the trade deadline for his inflated contract, which pays him slightly more than $10.1MM each season through 2015/16. His injuries surely won’t help Boston have any more luck trying to trade him in the summer.
Boston added Chris Babb on a 10-day contract today, adding depth to its depleted roster to help make up for the loss of Wallace and others. Still, there’s little incentive for the Celtics to win, as they sit at 20-39, in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and seven games out of the final playoff spot.
Caron Butler Signs With Thunder
The Thunder have signed Caron Butler, the team announced. The Raymond Brothers client spurns the Heat, who had been co-favorites with Oklahoma City. The Bulls, Spurs and Rockets were also in contention for the 12th-year veteran. The deal covers the rest of the season, and perhaps there’s a player option for 2014/15, as Glen Davis recently re
ceived from the Clippers.
“We are pleased to welcome Caron Butler to the Thunder organization and to Oklahoma City,” GM Sam Presti said. “Caron represents what we look for in a Thunder player and will positively impact our team. His toughness. hard-nosed defense, resiliency and highly regarded professionalism will only enhance our depth and bring additional versatility to the roster.”
Oklahoma City had reportedly been seeking a two-way wing player before the trade deadline, and were willing to give up their own 2014 first-round pick to acquire Iman Shumpert from the Knicks. New York turned the Thunder down, and while Butler isn’t quite the defensive presence that Shumpert is, the Thunder appear to be better off, particularly since they’ll get to keep their draft pick and they’re likely making only a minimum-salary investment. Oklahoma City had been carrying just 13 players, so the team didn’t have to make a corresponding move.
Butler, who turns 34 in March, has been enduring one of his worst shooting seasons, connecting on just 38.7% of his shots. He’s still making 36.1% of his three-point attempts, and he averaged 11.0 points in 24.1 minutes per game for Milwaukee, which is close to his native Racine, Wisconsin. Butler’s homecoming this season to the league-worst Bucks was no fairy tale, and the team made him a part of trade talks before agreeing to a buyout this week. It’s unclear how much of this season’s $8MM salary he gave up to pry his way out his contract, which was set to end this summer.
The two-time All-Star goes from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to the top of the West with Oklahoma City, which figures to make Butler the backup to Kevin Durant and use them together in small-ball lineups. The early end of OKC’s pursuit of Danny Granger, who wound up picking the Clippers late Thursday night, reportedly led executives around the league to believe the Thunder were confident about their ability to land Butler. Miami had seemed like a natural fit, since the Heat made Butler the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft, and he played his first two seasons with the team, developing a close relationship with Dwyane Wade, the godfather of one of Butler’s daughters.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the agreement, noting that it covered the rest of the season.
Western Notes: Mavs, D-League, Iguodala
Mark Cuban was in the news today for his thoughts on the possibility of the NBA raising the age requirement for players entering the league. Cuban took it further, and believes that if the minimum age isn’t raised then the NBA D-League should work to convince players to play there instead of a single college season, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Cuban stated, “I think what will end up happening — and this is my opinion, not that of the league — is if the colleges don’t change from the one-and-done, we’ll go after the one. The NCAA rules are so hypocritical, there’s absolutely no reason for a kid to go [to college], because he’s not going to class [and] he’s actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball. So if the goal is just to graduate to the NBA or be an NBA player, go to the D-League.”
More from out west:
- Some of the more interesting trade scenarios are the ones that didn’t happen. This past offseason the Rockets tried to pry Dirk Nowitzki away the Mavs, writes Royce Young of CBS Sports.com. According to the article, Rockets GM Daryl Morey was nervous that the Warriors addition of Andre Iguodala would sway Dwight Howard to sign with Golden State. In response, Morey contacted Cuban to inquire on Dirk’s availability, which Cuban had taken as a taunt about the Mavs missing out on Howard, writes Young.
- Speaking of the Iguodala signing, Andy Larsen of SaltCityHoops.com details the role that the Jazz played in the Warriors inking the player this past summer.
- The Mavericks have sent Jae Crowder and Shane Larkin back to the D-League, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Both are expected to be in the Texas Legends lineup this evening.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times writes about the role reversal for the city’s two teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, in regards to free agent appeal.
Suns Sign Shavlik Randolph, Waive Kravtsov
3:46pm: The contract will cover the remainder of this season with a team option for 2014/15, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. It’s rare for team options to be a part of free agent contracts, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a non-guaranteed year rather than an option year.
1:21pm: The Suns have signed Shavlik Randolph, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The team also officially announced the moves. Randolph is a 30-year-old power forward who’s played for four teams NBA teams over the course of his career, most recently for the Celtics in 2012/13, where he averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games. The specifics of the contract haven’t been revealed yet.
Randolph had been playing overseas in China, where he put up impressive marks of 22.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per night, albeit in just six appearances. This move should help bolster the Suns frontcourt depth as the team looks to make some noise in the playoffs after missing three straight postseasons.
In order to make room for Randolph, the Suns have waived rarely used center Slava Kravtsov. Throughout 20 contests, Kravtsov played just 59 minutes, and averaged one point per night. Phoenix will be on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5MM salary.
Draft Notes: Age Limit, Smart, Smith, Baron
We’ve heard that new commissioner Adam Silver would be interested in raising the age limit for players to 20, thereby putting a stop to “one-and-done” guys who enter the draft after just one year of college. Kevin McHale would support such a change, but he actually suggests increasing the minimum age to 21 would be even better, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. McHale thinks it would benefit both the schools and the kids:
“I’d like to see us do the three years out of high school or 21 (years old), like football. I just think it would help the colleges. I think it would help the kids. And I know they don’t think so, because they want to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get in the market. I’ve got to make all my money and all that stuff.’ But you don’t make money if you have a three-year career, if you come in at 18, 19, and you’re not ready.”
Here’s more on the proposed idea and the NBA draft in general:
- It isn’t just McHale interested in implementing a 21-year-old age limit. Outspoken Dallas owner Mark Cuban echoes McHale’s sentiments, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- Adi Joseph of USA Today examines the draft stocks of Marcus Smart and Russ Smith. Joseph thinks that Smart is a lock to be a top 10 selection, but sees Smith as a high second-rounder who still needs to improve his passing.
- Billy Baron has been putting up huge numbers at Canisius, but some have wondered if he will be able to be productive at the next level. An NBA scout told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that Baron could be a second-round selection if he impresses at the NBA camps (Twitter link). His athleticism and defense are his two biggest weaknesses, the scout says.
- Over at ZagsBlog, another NBA scout tells Zagoria that this year’s college freshman have been overhyped. The scout thinks that Julius Randle would do well to stay another year at Kentucky but acknowledges he will almost certainly opt to enter the draft.
- In the same piece, Zagoria reveals that the scout’s top three players unsurprisingly consist of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Joel Embiid, in no particular order.