Zach Randolph Arrested On Felony Marijuana Charge
New Kings big man Zach Randolph was arrested on Wednesday night in Los Angeles on a felony charge of marijuana possession with intent to sell, according to an ESPN.com report. TMZ was the first outlet to report Randolph’s arrest.
Los Angeles Police Department officials told ABC-7 that officers patrolling the Nickerson Gardens area in L.A. encountered a group of individuals “blocking the street, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and playing loud music.” When those officers tried to break up the crowd, the disturbance “escalated,” resulting in damage to five LAPD vehicles and a sheriff’s vehicle.
The police report from the LAPD indicates that Randolph was arrested at 11:00pm pacific time and booked several hours later, early on Thursday morning. Bail for Randolph was set at $20K, while his “intent to sell” charge stemmed from the large amount of marijuana found, per TMZ.
It remains to be seen whether Randolph will be prosecuted on the marijuana charge or whether he’ll face a suspension from the NBA, but it’s an ominous beginning to his time in Sacramento. The longtime Grizzlies power forward inked a two-year, $24MM contract with the Kings last month as an unrestricted free agent.
Randolph, 36, moved from the starting lineup to the bench in Memphis last season, but was still very productive, averaging 14.1 PPG and 8.2 RPG in just 24.5 minutes per game.
Pelicans Express Interest In Anthony; Carmelo Won’t Waive NTC
A report last month indicated that New Orleans would be willing to help facilitate a multi-team Carmelo Anthony trade, but the Pelicans are also eyeing Anthony themselves, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who suggests that the team has expressed interest in the Knicks forward.
The Pelicans would want to keep their core of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jrue Holiday intact if they were to pursue Anthony, so putting together a viable package for Carmelo would be challenging. Even if the club is able to entice the Knicks with a competitive offer, a deal probably isn’t in the cards. According to Berman, Anthony has told the Knicks that he’s not interested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to New Orleans.
Anthony has plenty of leverage in any negotiations because of that no-trade clause, which has limited the Knicks’ options. As Berman notes, New York is holding out hope that the All-Star forward will expand his list of preferred destinations, with teams like the Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Thunder believed to have conveyed some interest. At this point, Anthony is focused on the Rockets, and appears unwilling to accept a deal anywhere else.
Although the Rockets and Anthony have mutual interest, Houston has yet to make an offer appealing enough to intrigue the Knicks, who don’t want to take on Ryan Anderson‘s contract. According to Berman, the Knicks has told Anthony they’re unwilling to make a “bad trade,” encouraging him to expand his wish list to give the club more options. Carmelo seems to understand the team’s stance, a source tells Berman.
While a deal that sends Anthony to the Pelicans appears unlikely, Berman’s report confirms that the team is making an effort to act on Cousins’ recruiting efforts. The star big man said last week that he had reached out to “some of the biggest names that are on the block right now,” which was likely a reference to a pair of his former USA Basketball teammates, Anthony and Kyrie Irving.
And-Ones: Mexico City, Schedule, Llull, Thompson
The Nets will be involved in both games in Mexico City next season, the NBA announced today on its website. Brooklyn will face the Thunder on December 7th, followed by the Heat on December 9th at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico. The games will be the 25th and 26th in the country, more than other other nation besides the United States and Canada. “They will also mark the 25th anniversary of our first game in Mexico City, a milestone in our relationship with our Mexican fans and a further indication of our desire to strengthen our ties to Mexico and Latin America,” said commissioner Adam Silver.
There’s more news from around the league:
- The NBA has sent a memo to all its teams explaining the changes in next season’s schedule, relays Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The season will start a week earlier, giving teams more days off with the goal of eliminating the practice of healthy players being rested. The new schedule also cuts out stretches of four games in five days and reduces the number of single-game road trips, among other improvements.
- Spanish guard Sergio Llull, whose rights are owned by the Rockets, suffered an ACL injury today that will force him to miss EuroBasket and Euroleague for his Real Madrid team, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Llull sent out a tweet thanking his fans and promising that he will return to action. Houston purchased Llull’s rights from Denver in 2009, but has been unable to convince the 29-year-old to leave Spain.
- Hollis Thompson, who spent time with the Sixers and Pelicans last season, is in “advanced negotiations” with Olympiacos in Greece, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Thompson began the season with Philadelphia and played 31 games before being waived in early January. He signed a pair of 10-day contracts with New Orleans in February and March, appearing in nine games, but wasn’t retained when the second deal expired.
Community Shootaround: NBA Schedule
The schedule for next season is due out this week, and some specifics are already being leaked. Offseason player movement always gives us a handful of can’t-miss games, and there are several to circle on the calendar this year:
- Paul George‘s return to Indiana — A four-time All-Star, George was the top player on several very good Pacers teams in recent years. He formed a strong bond with Indiana fans, especially after returning from a devastating tibia-fibia fracture he suffered while playing for Team USA. However, George reportedly is leaning toward opting out next summer and signing with the Lakers, and his agent informed the Pacers that they weren’t in his long-term plans. A surprise trade just before the start of free agency sent him to the Thunder. It will be interesting to watch the fan reaction during his lone appearance in Indiana this season with Oklahoma City.
- Jimmy Butler‘s return to Chicago — Butler was a fan favorite in Chicago, but he didn’t fit the team once the front office decided to rebuild. His draft-night trade to Minnesota reunites him with coach/executive Tom Thibodeau and makes the Wolves a playoff contender in the West. Bulls fans may have a long, difficult season ahead of them, but they will get to welcome back Butler for one night.
- Gordon Hayward‘s return to Utah — Hayward was another beloved player during his seven seasons with the Jazz, finally earning All-Star status last season and becoming a cornerstone of a team on the rise in the West. He was the last major free agent to make a decision in July, and he put Utah fans through an excruciating wait before formally announcing his decision to join the Celtics. Hayward’s loss pushes Utah back to the middle of the pack in the ultra-competitive Western Conference as Jazz fans will get just one opportunity to watch him in person this year.
- Chris Paul‘s return to Los Angeles — Paul teamed with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form the nucleus of some very good Clippers teams that were never able to make a prolonged playoff run. Paul decided he wanted to join James Harden in Houston, leaving the Clippers with little option but to trade him there before free agency began. Paul was a popular player in L.A., but we’ll see how Clippers fans receive him after he broke up their Big Three.
- Kyrie Irving‘s return to Cleveland? — This will be must-see TV if Irving gets the trade he told owner Dan Gilbert that he wants. A simmering feud with LeBron James and Irving’s desire to run his own team will serve as subplots if the man who hit the title-winning shot in 2016 returns to Quicken Loans Arena in another uniform.
- Carmelo Anthony‘s return to New York? — After surviving an ugly feud with former team president Phil Jackson, Anthony has agreed to waive his no-trade clause, but reportedly only for the Rockets. The teams couldn’t find the right mix of other franchises to make a deal work, and talks were paused when Scott Perry took over as Knicks GM. If Anthony does get dealt, the reaction of Knicks fans when he comes back to the Garden could depend on what their team gets in return.
Those are six potential landmark games for the upcoming season, but there are many more. We want to know the game you’re most looking forward to and why. Please leave your comments below.
Blatt Remains Focused On Returning To The NBA
Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt eventually wants to become a diplomat, but first he’d like another shot at the NBA, writes Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post.
Blatt got just a season and a half in Cleveland, guiding the Cavs to a 53-29 record in 2014/15, then a 30-11 mark before being fired in January of the following season. Tyronn Lue took his place and led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title.
Blatt spent last season as the coach of Darussafaka in the Turkish Super League, leading the team to the Euroleague quarterfinals and Turkish league semifinals. The Israel native recently committed to the team for another season, turning down a three-year offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv because he envisions an NBA return before that contract would expire.
“I have an end game and that end game is that I would really like to go back to the NBA,” Blatt said. “There were no changes in the NBA this year from a coaching standpoint and my real goal is to try next year to get back into the league as a head coach. It may happen and it may not happen. But I wanted to leave that door open for myself if the opportunity arises.”
Blatt got close a year ago, finishing among the final candidates for openings with the Knicks, Rockets and Kings. However, all three teams went in other directions, leaving Blatt’s NBA return on hold.
“Sometimes you can be right there and at the last moment you don’t get it and that’s life,” he said. “That is the realistic and competitive environment of trying to get a job of that nature. There is no guarantee.”
China Is Next Step For Christian Wood
Christian Wood, who has seen scant playing time in two seasons with the Sixers and Hornets, has signed to play in China, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. The 21-year-old power forward has inked a contract with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Undrafted out of UNLV in 2015, Wood signed with Philadelphia shortly before training camp. He was waived twice during his rookie year and spent much of the season in the G-League, but managed to average 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 17 games with the Sixers.
Wood signed with the Hornets in July of 2016, but again was in the G-League for most of the season. He appeared in 13 games for Charlotte, averaging 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in about 8 minutes per night.
The Chinese season typically ends before the NBA’s, so Wood will be eligible to return to the NBA when his commitment in China is complete.
NBA Teams Carrying At Least 15 Guaranteed Contracts
As we detailed earlier today in our breakdown of each NBA team’s current roster count, clubs can carry up to 20 players in the offseason, but are limited to 15 players on their regular season rosters. As such, teams will often only carry 13 or 14 players on guaranteed contracts into training camp, giving a non-guaranteed player or two the opportunity to impress coaches and earn a spot on the 15-man squad.
However, even with training camps still a month and a half away, several NBA teams are already carrying 15 or more players with fully guaranteed salaries, limiting their roster flexibility and their ability to take fliers on camp invitees.
Here’s a breakdown of those teams, with their fully guaranteed salaries noted in parentheses:
- Boston Celtics (16)
- Golden State Warriors (15)
- Memphis Grizzlies (15)
- Sacramento Kings (15)
- Utah Jazz (15)
Of those five teams, the Celtics are the only club that will absolutely have to trade or waive a player on a guaranteed contract before the regular season gets underway. Shane Larkin and Daniel Theis may be the most at-risk players, since they don’t have any guaranteed money on their deals beyond the 2017/18 season. Abdel Nader and Semi Ojeleye also don’t have fully guaranteed salaries beyond this season, though they have partial guarantees for 2018/19.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will be in the same boat as Boston if they ultimately bring back restricted free agent JaMychal Green. A new deal for Green would give Memphis 16 guaranteed salaries. The Grizzlies also haven’t signed second-round pick Ivan Rabb, so if they intend to do so, they could create an even more significant roster crunch.
The other teams on the list above should, for the most part, have their 15-man regular season rosters locked in at this point, but if changes need to be made, the Kings should be willing to eat a guaranteed contract — they’re still well below the cap. The Jazz could afford to eat some money too, if necessary. The Warriors may be the team that needs to best make use of all 15 roster spots as they look to defend their title, but replacing a player on a guaranteed contract would be pricey, since Golden State is already deep into tax territory.
Finally, one other team worth watching is the Thunder. Currently, Oklahoma City only has 14 players on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, but that figure doesn’t include Jerami Grant or Semaj Christon, both of whom could have a place on the club’s roster this season. I don’t think Grant will be going anywhere, so the Thunder may have to decide whether to part ways with Christon or whether another move can be made to keep him on the 15-man roster.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Hawks Sign Luke Babbitt To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 9: The Hawks have officially signed Babbitt, the team confirmed today in a press release.
AUGUST 4: The Hawks have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Luke Babbitt, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Babbitt will receive a one-year contract from Atlanta.
Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter) that Babbitt’s one-year deal will be worth $1.9MM. The minimum salary in 2017/18 for a player with Babbitt’s experience is $1,974,159, so it sounds like it’ll be a minimum pact.
Babbitt, 28, spent last season with another Southeast team, averaging 4.8 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 68 games for Miami. Although Babbitt’s numbers were modest, he started 55 games for Miami and knocked down 41.4% of his three-point attempts, playing a role for the club during its 30-11 second-half run.
Few players have been as reliable from outside in recent years as Babbitt, who has made an impressive 43.8% of his long-distance attempts since the start of the 2014/15 season. He’ll bring that shooting touch to an Atlanta team that waived Mike Dunleavy Jr. earlier this summer.
Babbitt was one of five notable free agent forwards we identified as potentially intriguing investments earlier this week. The other four, including Dunleavy, remain on the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Blazers Sign C.J. Wilcox To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 9: The Blazers have officially signed Wilcox to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 8: The Trail Blazers have agreed to a two-way deal with former Washington standout C.J. Wilcox, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). Just yesterday, basketball journalist David Pick tweeted Wilcox was reportedly drawing interest overseas interest for Baskonia Vitoria, but the former first-rounder will instead remain in the United States.
Wilcox, 26, appeared in 22 games with the Magic last season, averaging a mere 1.0 PPG. Selected 28th overall by the Clippers in 2014, Wilcox has failed to transition his collegiate success to the professional level. In 66 career NBA contests, Wilcox has posted averages of 2.0 PPG, 0.5 RPG, and 0.5 APG while suiting up for the Clippers and Magic.
Portland will hope that Wilcox, entering his fourth professional season, can rediscover his once productive form as he resumes his career domestically.
Mavericks Sign Maalik Wayns
The Mavericks have added former Villanova standout Maalik Wayns to their roster, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but a minimum salary camp contract with a modest partial guarantee appears likely.
Wayns, 26, went undrafted back in 2012, and has bounced around since then, playing for a handful of NBA, G League, and international teams. Wayns’ NBA résumé consists of 29 total regular season games with the Sixers and Clippers, and he also played in 39 total G League games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Delaware 87ers.
Since 2015, Wayns has played for teams in Puerto Rico, Italy, Russia, and Israel. Signing with the Mavs will represent a return stateside for the veteran point guard, who may end up playing for the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate, if he doesn’t earn a spot on the club’s regular season roster.
Having signed Wayns, the Mavs are now carrying 17 players on their NBA roster. That total doesn’t include Nerlens Noel, who remains a restricted free agent, or Johnathan Motley, the team’s lone two-way player so far. While Dallas’ offseason roster is getting full, only 11 players have fully guaranteed salaries for the 2017/18 season, so multiple regular season roster spots could be up for grabs in camp.