Bogdanovic Unsure About Joining Kings Next Season
European star swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic will not yet commit to joining the Kings next season and has signed with his Turkish team, Fenerbache, through next season. The 6’6” Bogdanovic posted on his Twitter feed that he hasn’t made a decision about his future plans, a post that was relayed by CSNBayArea.com’s James Ham. This may come as a surprise to Kings GM Vlade Divac, who said in recent interview that Bogdanovic would be “coming over next season as another asset.”
Bogdanovic has signed with his current Euroleague team through next season and has a contract buyout in excess of $1MM, international journalist David Pick tweets. Per the collective bargaining agreement, Sacramento can pay up to $675,000 of the buyout, according to Ham.
Bogdanovic and the Kings have operated as if he’ll played in the NBA next season since Sacramento acquired him from the Suns in a draft-night trade, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets, though Bogdanovic’s Twitter post at least throws some doubt into that expectation.
“I will not discuss the NBA or make a decision on my future until after my season with Fenerbahce is finished,” Bogdanovic wrote on Twitter. “I always live in the present day and love playing for Fenerbahce.”
Bogdanovic was the 27th overall pick of the 2014 draft and has lived up to the billing of a draft-and-stash prospect. The Kings acquired his rights, along with the 13th and 28th overall picks in last year’s draft and a future second-rounder, from the Suns in exchange for the No. 8 overall selection. Phoenix used it to draft power forward Marquese Chriss.
Even though he’s under contract overseas through the 2017/18 season, Bogdanovic has financial incentives to pursue a buyout and join the Kings. Bogdanovic will no longer be bound by the restrictions of the NBA’s rookie scale. By waiting this long to make the jump to the NBA, he will be free to negotiate any amount.
It’s natural to speculate whether the DeMarcus Cousins trade has given Bogdanovic second thoughts about joining Sacramento. Not only did the Kings trade away their franchise player, but the centerpiece of the deal for Sacramento was rookie shooting guard Buddy Hield. That would seemingly take away any hope of Bogdanovic securing a starting spot, unless the Kings use him as an undersized small forward.
Bogdanovic is a member of the Serbian national team, which captured a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. The Serbian-born wing is averaging 13.3 PPG, 4.3 APG and 2.9 RPG in 28 MPG this season, though he missed 23 games with an ankle injury. He’s generally considered one of Europe’s top perimeter shooters.
Terrence Jones Agrees To Sign With Bucks
Free agent forward Terrence Jones has agreed to sign with the Bucks for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Justin Verrier also tweet that Jones is poised to sign with Milwaukee.
The Pelicans waived him last Thursday after they were unable to deal him prior to the trade deadline. Jones appeared in 51 games, including 12 starts, for New Orleans and was averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 24.8 MPG. He became expendable when the club acquired DeMarcus Cousins in a blockbuster trade with the Kings.
Jones spent the first four years of his career with the Rockets. He could quickly become a rotation piece for the Bucks, who have been seeking frontcourt help since Jabari Parker suffered a season-ending knee injury. Michael Beasley has received the bulk of the minutes at power forward since Parker was injured but is also out at least three games with a hyperextended knee.
Milwaukee is still in the playoff hunt, currently two games behind the Pistons, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jones’ representatives reportedly contacted the Celtics after he cleared waivers but ultimately passed on him, as they already had 15 players with guaranteed deals.
Recap Of Players Waived Since All-Star Break
The NBA waiver wire starts to get busy right around the trade deadline. Teams making trades often need to cut a player or two to clear a roster spot to accommodate their new additions, while teams unable to move a veteran on an expiring contract at the deadline may opt to buy them out of their deal a couple days later. Then, teams that want to take a flier on those veterans will create openings on their roster by waiving someone else.
The cycle ensures that plenty of new free agents hit the open market at this time of year, and while some of those players have quickly found new homes, there are some interesting new names on the list of current free agents.
Here’s a recap of the players who have been waived by NBA teams since the All-Star Game, along with details on whether or not they’re still available…
Waived and joined a new team:
- Matt Barnes: Waived by Kings, signed by Warriors
- Andrew Bogut: Waived by Sixers, signed by Cavaliers
- Brandon Jennings: Waived by Knicks, signed by Wizards
- Chasson Randle: Waived by Sixers, signed by Knicks
- Deron Williams: Waived by Mavericks, signed by Cavaliers
Waived and now a free agent:
- Omri Casspi: Waived by Pelicans
- Marcelo Huertas: Waived by Rockets
- Terrence Jones: Waived by Pelicans
- Lamar Patterson: Waived by Hawks
- Luis Scola: Waived by Nets
- Mike Scott: Waived by Suns
- Jared Sullinger: Waived by Suns
- Marcus Thornton: Waived by Nets
Waived and haven’t yet cleared waivers:
- Jose Calderon: Waived by Lakers, then signed and waived by Warriors on Wednesday.
- Danuel House: Waived by Wizards on Wednesday.
- Jordan McRae: Waived by Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Because all of these players were waived by the end of the day on March 1, they’ll all be eligible to participate in the playoffs with a new team. However, if any of them are cut again between now and the end of the regular season, they won’t retain their postseason eligibility.
And-Ones: Hansbrough, D. Williams, Draft
Veteran forward Tyler Hansbrough recently signed a D-League contract and has now been claimed by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the league announced in a press release. It’s a reunion of sorts of Hansbrough and the Pacers — the former UNC standout played in Indiana for his first four NBA seasons, and will now play for the team’s D-League affiliate.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Deron Williams is a member of the Cavaliers now, and we heard this week that there may be mutual interest in a reunion between him and the Jazz down the road. However, those weren’t the only teams that had interest in him around the time of the trade deadline. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes that the Bucks and Clippers also considered the veteran point guard as a trade target.
- In his latest look at the 2017 NBA draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) examines the lottery teams and identifies the best fit for each of those clubs in the event that they land a top-three pick. As Ford notes, Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are widely considered the top two prospects in the draft, but there are differing opinions on which order they should be picked, and who should be drafted after they’re off the board.
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders identified some of the front office executives around the NBA who figure to receive general manager consideration in the not-too-distant future if they’re willing to consider leaving their current clubs. Tony Ronzone (Mavericks), Matt Lloyd (Magic), and Tommy Sheppard (Wizards) are among Kyler’s picks.
- NBA Africa VP Amadou Gallo Fall spoke to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated about the league’s efforts to grow the game in Africa.
Cavaliers Sign Andrew Bogut
MARCH 2: The Cavaliers have officially signed Bogut, the team announced today in a press release. Cleveland waived Jordan McRae on Wednesday in order to open up a spot on the roster for Bogut.
FEBRUARY 28: Andrew Bogut has committed to signing with the Cavaliers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN and he’s expected to do so this weekend. The center won’t officially clear waivers until 5 PM EST on Wednesday but was released in time to be eligible to play for the Cavs during the postseason.
The Australian big man had strongly considered the Rockets and Celtics, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets, but decided to head to Ohio after toiling away on a lottery-bound Mavs team for the past few month. Of the multitude of suitors hoping to lure the center, Houston was the one that could offer the most money, but Bogut was legitimately impressed with Boston’s pitch. Per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Bogut and his agent will likely consider the Celtics when the offseason free agency period opens on July 1.
In Cleveland, Bogut has the clearest path to the NBA Finals, where he could possibly clash against his former team. Just last summer, the center was hastily dealt by Golden State to the Mavs in order for the Warriors to free up space to sign Kevin Durant.
In 26 games this season, Bogut has averaged 3.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game but the biggest benefit the Cavaliers will get from the 32-year-old veteran is his interior defense.
Bogut was recently bought out by the Sixers after being dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in the Nerlens Noel/Justin Anderson swap. The two parties immediately pursued buyout options.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Lowry, Embiid, Celtics
Newly-added Raptors Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker will add much-needed veteran leadership to the team in Kyle Lowry‘s absence, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Of course, Lowry, who underwent successful wrist surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link), doesn’t plan to sit by idly while he gets healthy. As Smith details in another piece for The Star, the veteran point guard is giving plenty of input to his coaches and teammates while he’s sidelined.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:
- In the wake of the Sixers‘ announcement that Joel Embiid is out for the season, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (video link) examines a tricky contract situation for the Sixers and Embiid, who will be eligible for an extension this offseason. Meanwhile, head coach Brett Brown weighs in with his thoughts on Embiid’s rookie season and an interesting Rookie of the Year race (link via Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com).
- Despite season-ending injuries to Embiid and Ben Simmons, the future is still bright for the Sixers, thanks to former GM Sam Hinkie, says Chris Mannix of The Vertical.
- As Isaiah Thomas explains to Michael Lee of The Vertical, Thomas and his Celtics teammates weren’t counting on the team adding major reinforcements at the trade deadline and are very comfortable moving forward with the current group. “We were ready to go to war with the guys in this locker room,” Thomas said. “There is no other way. We understand that and we’ve got the utmost confidence in each other to keep going.”
- Having been sent from Toronto to Orlando in a trade last month, Terrence Ross pens a farewell to the Raptors at The Players’ Tribune.
Warriors Sign Matt Barnes
MARCH 2: The Warriors have officially signed Barnes to fill their 15th and final roster spot, the club announced today in a press release.
MARCH 1: The Warriors intend to sign free agent forward Matt Barnes to a contract, sources tell ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Barnes will fill the 15th slot on Golden State’s roster and will receive a rest-of-season contract rather than a 10-day deal, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Jose Calderon, who will clear waivers on Wednesday, had been set to sign with the Warriors, having reached an agreement with the team over the weekend. As Stein explains (via Twitter), Golden State still plans to sign Calderon as promised. However, the team will then waive him in order to sign Barnes.
The Dubs’ change of direction – from Calderon to Barnes – comes on the heels of Kevin Durant leaving Tuesday night’s game against the Wizards with a hyperextended left knee. The severity of that injury won’t be confirmed until Durant undergoes an MRI, but the fact that the Warriors are adding Barnes suggests that the club may view the injury as more than just a day-to-day issue.
Barnes, who will turn 37 next Thursday, signed a two-year deal with the Kings last summer and appeared in 54 games for the team this season. In 25.3 minutes per contest, Barnes recorded 7.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.8 APG. However, he lost his roster spot last week when Sacramento needed to cut a player in order to complete the DeMarcus Cousins trade. The Kings waived Barnes despite the fact that he had a $6.4MM player option for 2017/18.
Barnes, a Warrior from 2006 to 2008, will come with some baggage as he begins his second stint in Golden State. The UCLA product was allegedly involved in an altercation at a Chelsea nightclub in early December, and was recently booked for misdemeanor assault. He’ll have to appear in a Manhattan courtroom at a later date as a result of the charge.
Because he was waived prior to March 1, Barnes will be playoff-eligible for Golden State. Calderon will also retain his postseason eligibility as long as he’s signed and waived by the Warriors before the end of the day on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Checking In On 2017’s 10-Day Contracts
So far this season, 26 players have signed at least one 10-day contract with an NBA team. Some players who have received 10-day deals, such as David Nwaba, had never appeared in a regular season game before getting their shot on a short-term contract. Others, like Toney Douglas, are proven veterans who have used 10-day contracts to show that they still have something to offer an NBA club.
Our 10-day tracker provides several interesting details about the short-term contracts signed by NBA players so far this year, so let’s dive in and take a closer look…
Players who have turned 10-day contracts into full-season deals:
- Quincy Acy (Nets)
- Joel Anthony (Spurs)
- Toney Douglas (Grizzlies)
- Yogi Ferrell (Mavericks)
- Ronnie Price (Suns)
- Okaro White (Heat)
Of the players on the list above, who turned 10-day auditions into full-season commitments, Ferrell was the only player who signed just one 10-day contract before inking a rest-of-season deal. The others signed two 10-day contracts before being locked up for the season.
Of course, in Ferrell’s case, the Mavs certainly must have been sold on his potential before his first 10-day pact expired — he scored in the double digits in all but one game during that stretch, including a 32-point outburst in Portland.
Chasson Randle (Sixers) and Lamar Patterson (Hawks) also earned full-season contracts from their teams after a pair of 10-day deals, but have since been waived. Meanwhile, Derrick Williams (Cavaliers) is on track to remain with Cleveland for the rest of the season once his second 10-day contract expires.
Players who have signed 10-day contracts with more than one team:
- Johnny O’Bryant (two with Nuggets, one with Hornets)
- Briante Weber (two with Warriors, one with Hornets)
Interestingly, both players that have signed 10-day contracts with two separate teams are currently with the Hornets. That may just be a coincidence, but it’s also very possible that the Hornets scouted O’Bryant and Weber during their 20-day stints in Denver and Golden State respectively, and liked what they saw enough to roll the dice on the duo themselves.
Although players can only sign up to two 10-day deals with the same team, there’s no limit to the number of teams they can join. O’Bryant and Weber could theoretically sign 10-day contracts with a couple more clubs before season’s end.
Teams that have used 10-day contracts the most this season:
- Charlotte Hornets (4 players, 6 contracts)
- Dallas Mavericks (4 players, 5 contracts)
- New Orleans Pelicans (3 players, 3 contracts)
The Hornets have auditioned four players on short-term deals and have yet to find a keeper — none of their 10-day signings have turned into full-season contracts. The Mavericks found a guy they liked in Ferrell and continue to look at other young players. As for the Pelicans, they didn’t sign any 10-day deals until after the DeMarcus Cousins trade — now they’re carrying three at once as they attempt to identify guards that can help the club make a push for a playoff spot.
Players currently on 10-day contracts:
- Derrick Williams (Cavaliers): Expires at end of day on March 3.
- Hollis Thompson (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 4.
- Johnny O’Bryant (Hornets): Expires at end of day on March 5.
- Jarrett Jack (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 5.
- Reggie Williams (Pelicans): Expires at end of day on March 6.
- Axel Toupane (Bucks): Expires at end of day on March 6.
- Quinn Cook (Mavericks): Expires at end of day on March 7.
- Ben Bentil (Mavericks): Expires at end of day on March 7.
- Briante Weber (Hornets): Expires at end of day on March 8.
- David Nwaba (Lakers): Expires at end of day on March 9.
Williams, who is on his second 10-day contract, will be re-signed for the rest of the season, but the other players on this list are on their first 10-day deals of the season. So if they’re re-signed by their current teams, they’ll likely get a second 10-day deal before receiving a full-season commitment.
Wizards Notes: House, Jennings, Morris, Porter
When Wednesday reports suggested that Trey Burke hadn’t traveled with the Wizards to Toronto due to a personal matter, it looked to some as a signal that Burke would be the player waived to make room on the roster for Brandon Jennings. However, the club ultimately cut Danuel House instead, and J. Michael explains why in a piece for CSNMidAtlantic.
As Michael outlines, the Wizards are looking for pieces that will help them win now, which is why it makes sense to part with an unproven rookie in favor of a veteran contributor. Washington only has so much room on its roster for developmental projects, and Daniel Ochefu, Chris McCullough, and Sheldon Mac also fit that bill. Plus, as Michael observes, the Wizards should have a shot to re-sign House in the summer when they have roster spots open if they want to give him another shot.
Here’s more on the Wizards, who are coming off an impressive road win in Toronto:
- Having added Bojan Bogdanovic last week, head coach Scott Brooks and the Wizards will have to incorporate another new player into their lineup in Jennings, writes Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “There is definitely going to be an adjustment,” Brooks said. “Everybody is going to have to stay ready and everybody is going to have to just focus on playing their minutes hard and for the team.” Brooks also weighed in on the release of House, suggesting that the young guard “has a bright future” and that it was “tough to see him go.”
- Markieff Morris was fined $25K earlier this week for throwing the ball at a game official and into the stands, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link via J. Michael).
- Is Otto Porter a leading candidate to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this spring? Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today examines.
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter links) takes a closer look at the particulars of Jennings’ new $1.2MM deal with the Wizards, including how it will affect the Knicks.