Grizzlies Waive Duo, Sign Costello, Dunham
The Grizzlies waived guard Chris Crawford and forward Vince Hunter on Thursday, according to the team’s website. The team then signed center Matt Costello and shooting guard Kellen Dunham, according to a separate press release. The moves leave the Grizzlies’ training-camp roster at 20 players.
Costello was waived by the Hawks on Monday. The undrafted rookie out of Michigan State averaged 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 9.0 minutes during his two preseason appearances with Atlanta.
Dunham played for the Grizzlies’ summer-league team in Las Vegas, making four reserve appearances while averaging 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 8.9 minutes. He also went undrafted in June after a four-year collegiate career at Butler.
Crawford signed a non-guaranteed contract just before training camp. He has appeared in 64 games for the D-League’s Canton Charge since going undrafted in 2014, and has also spent some time in France with Rouen Métropole Basket. In four preseason appearances, he averaged 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 16.3 minutes.
Hunter was signed 11 days ago after being waived by the Bulls. GM Chris Wallace said when Hunter was signed that the club needed frontcourt depth during the preseason to limit the minutes of his rotation players. In four preseason games, Hunter averaged 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.4 minutes. He spent last season with the Kings’ D-League affiliate in Reno, as well as Panathinaikos in the Greek League.
Hawks Waive Point Guard Jarrett Jack
The Hawks waived veteran point guard Jarrett Jack on Thursday, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The move was injury related, as Jack has not practiced during training camp because of his continuing recovery from torn right knee ligaments, which he suffered in January while playing for the Nets. The move reduces the Hawks’ current roster to 17 players.
Atlanta was hoping Jack would provide insurance behind new starting point man Dennis Schroder. Jack signed a one-year, veteran minimum contract in July after being waived the Nets. The Hawks will have to eat Jack’s $980,431 deal, which was guaranteed.
Malcolm Delaney, who played the last five seasons in Europe, is Schroder’s current backup and the Hawks still have Will Bynum and Josh Magette on their roster. The Hawks might still cut the latter duo loose and enter the season with just two point guards, Vivlamore continues.
Jack had been looking forward to a “new start” in Atlanta after playing in just 32 games for the Nets last season. It’s been a steep fall for Jack, who came into last season as a starter. He was averaged 12.8 points and 7.4 assists prior to the injury.
Celtics Waive Three Camp Invitees
The Celtics have reduced their roster from the maximum 20 players to 17, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve waived Marcus Georges-Hunt, Damion Lee, and Jalen Jones. The team will have to remove at least two more players from its roster by opening night to get down to the regular season limit of 15.
While Boston has some tough roster decisions ahead, Georges-Hunt, Lee, and Jones were always expected to be cut before the regular season. Their contracts weren’t fully guaranteed, with Lee getting a $50K guarantee, while Georges-Hunt and Jones got $25K apiece. All three players are candidates to join the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ D-League affiliate.
With their roster down to 17, the Celtics still appear likely to cut second-round pick Ben Bentil before the season, and either James Young or R.J. Hunter – each of whom has a guaranteed 2016/17 salary – could join him on the waiver wire. GM Danny Ainge is also likely exploring the trade market in an effort to get something of value for one of his back-of-the-roster players, so it will be interesting to see what moves Boston ends up making in the next several days.
Mavericks To Retain Nicolas Brussino
Nicolas Brussino‘s full 2016/17 salary ($543,471) becomes guaranteed at 5:00pm eastern time today, and the Mavericks are committed to keeping the rookie wing on their roster, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). With Brussino’s salary locked in, Dallas will have 15 guaranteed contracts on its books for 2016/17.
Brussino, 23, spent last season with Penarol in Argentina, making 59 appearances and averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 28.1 minutes per night. So far this preseason, he has seen his playing time dwindle from 23 minutes in Dallas’ first game to just six minutes in the team’s most recent contest. However, the young Argentinian had a couple impressive outings this month, posting 13 points against the Pelicans and 11 vs. the Thunder.
Previously, Brussino’s deal had been guaranteed for $100K, so the Mavs will be committing about another $443K in guaranteed money by not cutting him loose. Assuming Brussino makes the Mavs’ 15-man roster this week and the club doesn’t waive anyone on a guaranteed salary, it would leave C.J. Williams, Keith Hornsby, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kyle Collinsworth, and Jaleel Cousins as the odd men out.
Pistons Pick Up Stanley Johnson’s 2017/18 Option
The Pistons have become the latest team to exercise a team option for 2017/18, having picked up the third-year option on Stanley Johnson‘s rookie contract, the club announced today in a press release. The move, which was due before October 31, guarantees Johnson’s $3.098MM salary for ’17/18.
Johnson, the eighth overall pick in last year’s draft, averaged 23.1 minutes per contest in 73 games for the Pistons during his rookie season, contributing 8.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.6 APG. While those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping, they came in Johnson’s age-19 season, making it a no-brainer decision for Detroit to pick up his option for 2017/18.
The Pistons will have one more option decision due on Johnson next October, and assuming they exercise his 2018/19 option as well, the young forward will be extension-eligible in 2018. He’d be on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2019.
Check out our rookie-scale team option tracker for a full breakdown of the decisions announced or reported so far.
LaMarcus Aldridge Says He’s Happy With Spurs
Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge has been the subject of some trade rumors and speculation this week, with those reports suggesting that the team would only consider a deal if it’s not a championship contender this season, and only because Aldridge may not be thrilled with his role in San Antonio. Addressing the rumors today during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Aldridge dismissed the idea that he’s unhappy with the Spurs (link via Jeff Garcia of Spurs Zone).
“We made history last year. They’ve incorporated me into the family. Try to make me one of the big pieces,” Aldridge said. “I’m winning. Of course I’m happy. That’s why I don’t buy into the rumors. I feel like I do my job here and I feel like I’ve done everything that they’ve asked. That’s why I haven’t bought into the rumors.”
Multiple reports earlier this week indicated that Aldridge’s camp may be unhappy that he has become Kawhi Leonard‘s wingman in San Antonio, rather than vice versa, but the former Blazer downplayed that idea. Aldridge said that he’s had positive conversations with head coach Gregg Popovich and positive feedback from his teammates, adding that Popovich is putting him in positions where he can become more of a leader for the club.
It comes as no surprise that Aldridge would attempt to quell this week’s trade rumors before they gain any real momentum. Based on those earlier reports, some long-term uncertainty has crept into the relationship between the Spurs and Aldridge, but it’s hardly a combustible situation. By all indications, even if the Spurs are perhaps willing to consider a trade down the road, they don’t intend to do so anytime soon. A strong first half by Aldridge and the Spurs could quiet the trade whispers entirely as the 2017 deadline approaches.
Warriors Make Three Cuts, Retain JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee appears to have earned a spot on the Warriors’ regular season roster, having survived the cut down to 15 players. Golden State announced three cuts today, tweeting that the team has parted ways with Elliot Williams, Phil Pressey, and Cameron Jones. The moves reduce the club’s roster count from 18 players to the regular season limit of 15.
Unlike McGee, whose deal with the Warriors is fully non-guaranteed, Williams, Pressey, and Jones all had partial guarantees on their contracts. Pressey’s $35K guarantee and Jones’ $50K guarantee were modest, and suggest they could end up landing with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the D-League. However, Williams, a veteran guard, got $250K guaranteed and was no lock to be cut.
With 14 players on guaranteed salaries, the Warriors have a little flexibility with that 15th roster spot. McGee’s salary for the season won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10, so the club could cut him before then and only be on the hook for a prorated portion of his contract. For now though, it seems the Dubs will hang onto the eight-year veteran and give him a chance to compete for minutes.
You can check out the Warriors’ full cap breakdown for 2016/17 right here.
Cavs Waive Markel Brown, Cory Jefferson, Jonathan Holmes
The Cavaliers have cut down the numbers of players on their roster from 20 to 17, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has waived shooting guard Markel Brown, power forward Cory Jefferson, and power forward Jonathan Holmes. The Cavs confirmed the moves in a press release.
Brown, Jefferson, and Holmes each signed a one-year summer contract with the Cavaliers heading into training camp this year, with none of the three players receiving any guaranteed money from the team. Cleveland only has 13 guaranteed salaries on its books for 2016/17, so there’s a roster spot or two available for a player without a fully guaranteed deal, but it was always going to be an uphill battle for Brown, Jefferson, or Holmes to make the cut.
While Holmes has never appeared in a regular season NBA game, Brown and Jefferson have seen some action over the last two seasons, and were teammates in Brooklyn in 2014/15. Brown is the slightly more accomplished player of the pair, having appeared in 109 games to Jefferson’s 58. Brown averaged 5.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG in those games.
With at least two more cuts to make, the Cavs will be making decisions on players like John Holland, Jordan McRae, Dahntay Jones, and DeAndre Liggins within the next few days.
Here’s more out of Cleveland:
- Within an interesting piece on Kevin Love, Lee Jenkins of SI.com writes that Cavs GM David Griffin told Love in February that he didn’t want to trade him, but would understand if the big man wanted to go somewhere where he could be the primary option again. According to Jenkins, Love replied, “I want to be a champion.”
- James Jones, who re-signed with the Cavaliers this summer, tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders he’s focused on playing 15 years in the NBA, then retiring. Jones is currently entering his 14th season, so that plan would put him on track to call it a career in 2018.
Kings Buy Controlling Interest In D-League Affiliate
The Kings have been affiliated with the Reno Bighorns since the D-League squad’s inaugural season in 2008/09, and the two teams have had a single-affiliate relationship since the 2013/14 campaign. However, 2016/17 will be the first season in which the Kings own a controlling interest in the Bighorns. Sacramento announced today in a press release that it has purchased a controlling interest in the D-League team, becoming the 15th NBA team to own and operate its D-League affiliate.
“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with the Bighorns and the Reno/Tahoe community,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé said in a statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to develop players, front-office staff and future business executives for the Sacramento Kings, while simultaneously contributing meaningfully to the Reno entertainment, commercial and non-profit ecosystem.”
The Kings’ already controlled the basketball operations for the Bighorns, but will control the business side of the franchise now as well, allowing the D-League squad to become an extension of the NBA team’s brand. Sam Amick of USA Today, who first reported the story, indicated that the Kings may eventually move the Bighorns closer to Sacramento, though he added that the Kings are “strongly indicating” publicly that they have no plans to relocate their affiliate (Twitter links).
For 2016/17, the Bighorns are set to play their home games in Reno, with a few games set to take place in Sacramento as well, Amick tweets. The Kings are carrying several young players on their roster, having selected Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson, Skal Labissiere, and Isaiah Cousins in this year’s draft — some of those draftees may end up being assigned to Reno for parts of this season to ensure that they receive regular playing time.
Hornets Waive Andrew Andrews
The Hornets have waived Andrew Andrews from their preseason roster, league sources tell Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The transaction reduces Charlotte’s roster count to 18 players, meaning the team still needs to make at least three more cuts before the regular season gets underway.
Andrews, 23, is a 6’2″ point guard who played four years at the University of Washington. As a senior, he averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 34 games with the Huskies, but went undrafted in June before later securing a training camp invitation from the Hornets.
Andrews didn’t get any guaranteed money on his one-year, minimum-salary pact, so Charlotte won’t carry a cap hit after waiving him. The Washington alum looks like a good bet to join the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ D-League affiliate.
The Hornets, meanwhile, still have five players on their roster without fully guaranteed salaries, but will only need to waive three of those players to get down to the 15-man regular-season roster limit. Aaron Harrison, Perry Ellis, Rasheed Sulaimon, Mike Tobey, and Treveon Graham are the players on the bubble — Tobey and Graham have $75K guarantees, while the others are on non-guaranteed deals.