Sixers Sign Corey Brewer To 10-Day Contract
The Sixers have filled their open roster spot, having signed veteran NBA swingman Corey Brewer to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Philadelphia has issued a press release confirming the deal.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 10-Day Contract Tracker]
Brewer, who will turn 33 in March, spent time last season with the Lakers and Thunder, but had yet to catch on with an NBA team this season. He was one of several free agents who worked out for the 76ers this week, and it seems the team liked what it saw from the 11-year veteran during that session.
Brewer’s scoring numbers have slipped in recent years, and he has never been a particularly great shooter. In 72 games last season, he recorded 5.3 PPG on .449/.282/.722 shooting. Still, he’s a hard-nosed defender who can provide some energy off the bench — and, considering the Sixers will be his seventh NBA team, he’ll likely be able to adapt quickly to a new system.
While Brewer will occupy Philadelphia’s 15th roster spot for now, his contract will only run through next Thursday, covering the club’s next five games. If the 76ers like what they see from the former Florida Gator during that stretch, he could get a second 10-day contract once this one expires. However, the Sixers may also look to maintain some flexibility with their final roster spot as the trade deadline and buyout period nears.
And-Ones: Withey, Nunnally, K. Porter, NBA 2K
Former NBA center Jeff Withey, who has logged over 200 career games for New Orleans, Utah, and Dallas, is exploring opportunities in China after parting ways with his Turkish club last month. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link), a report suggesting that Withey has reached a deal with the Shanghai Sharks is inaccurate, but the big man has tried out for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
Meanwhile, another former NBA player, James Nunnally, is a candidate to head back overseas after being waived by the Timberwolves last week. As Carchia relays, Nunnally continues to weigh his options after being linked to Spanish team Baskonia.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Top 2019 draft prospect Kevin Porter Jr. has been suspended for “personal conduct issues” by USC, the team announced over the weekend. Trojans head coach Andy Enfield said after Sunday’s game that the suspension is indefinite, per J. Brady McCollough of The Los Angeles Times. “We’ll re-evaluate his future with the program this week,” Enfield said. In his most recent 2019 mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony had Porter, a freshman guard, coming off the board at No. 11 overall.
- One executive who spoke to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports today cautioned against reading too much into reports on trade discussions or inquiries (Twitter link). “Be careful of these reports of teams talking,” the executive told Smith. “I mean, everyone is talking to everyone else. It’s trade season. Of course we’re all talking. I have 20 conversations a day at least that go nowhere as far as deals go, but it just takes one.”
- The NBA, NBPA, and 2K announced today in a press release that they’re extending their partnership. The agreement, which ensures that NBA teams and players will continue to appear in the NBA 2K franchise for the foreseeable future, is believed to be worth $1.1 billion over seven years, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal, who notes (via Twitter) that’s more than double the value of previous deals.
Timberwolves Notes: Sichting, Covington, Wiggins
The Timberwolves are finalizing a deal with veteran assistant coach Jerry Sichting, who is poised to join Ryan Saunders‘ coaching staff, according to Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). This will be Sichting’s third stint with the Wolves — his first came from 1995-2005, when he was part of Flip Saunders‘ coaching staff in Minnesota for a decade.
As Krawczynski notes (via Twitter), there’s a lot of familiarity between Sichting and Ryan Saunders, making it a logical hire for the Timberwolves. Sichting will fill the hole on the staff created by Andy Greer’s departure, Krawczynski adds. Greer was dismissed earlier this month along with Tom Thibodeau, given his close association with Thibs.
Here are a few more notes from out of Minnesota:
- Timberwolves forward Robert Covington, who is on the shelf with a bone bruise, said today that there’s no timetable for his return to the court, tweets Krawczynski. “I haven’t pressed the issue just yet,” said Covington, who hasn’t done any substantial on-court activities.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether the Timberwolves might be able to find a realistic – and favorable – trade involving Andrew Wiggins, whose maximum-salary contract runs through 2022/23.
- With Jimmy Butler poised to face the Timberwolves for the first time since the club traded him to Philadelphia, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer previews the showdown and relays some comments Butler made to Kevin Garnett during a recent appearance on TNT’s KG Area 21. Butler’s response when asked if his issues in Minnesota were more with management or his fellow players: “Maybe a little bit of both.”
Grizzlies Sign Julian Washburn, Cut Jarnell Stokes
1:27pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Washburn to a two-way contract and released Stokes, the club announced today in a press release.
12:57pm: The Grizzlies are among the teams making a change to their two-way players in advance of today’s deadline. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the club is signing small forward Julian Washburn from out of the G League to a two-way contract. Jarnell Stokes will be released to open up a roster spot, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.
Washburn, 27, has signed a pair of camp contracts with the Spurs – one in 2015 and one in 2018 – but has never appeared in a regular season NBA game. The 6’8″ forward has been a regular start this season for the Austin Spurs, however, recording 10.6 PPG and 4.7 RPG on .444/.371/.789 shooting in 23 G League contests (31.7 MPG).
Washburn is unlikely to see a whole lot of playing time in Memphis, but he’ll provide the team with some depth, serving as a potential three-and-D option on the wing. The Grizzlies recently lost Dillon Brooks for the season and Kyle Anderson for two to four weeks due to injuries, so they could use a player like Washburn more than a big man like Stokes.
Cavs Sign Deng Adel To Two-Way Contract
JANUARY 15: The Cavaliers have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Adel. Cleveland has waived Jones to open up the necessary roster spot.
JANUARY 14: The Cavaliers are the latest team to make a change to their two-way contract slots, having reached an agreement to sign G League forward Deng Adel to a two-way deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Adel had been playing for the Raptors 905 in the G League.
After going undrafted out of Louisville in 2018, Adel initially appeared set to join the Timberwolves on a camp contract, but ended up in training camp with the Raptors instead. Waived at the end of the preseason, the 22-year-old joined Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate, where he has recorded 13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .423/.313/.768 shooting line in 25 games (31.6 MPG).
The Cavaliers don’t currently have a two-way slot open, so they’ll need to cut either Jaron Blossomgame or Jalen Jones to create room for Adel.
Once Adel officially signs, he’ll be the sixth player to receive a two-way contract from Cleveland this season, as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days observes (via Twitter). Before adding Blossomgame and Jones, the Cavs also had Andrew Harrison, John Holland, and Billy Preston on two-way deals.
Kings Among Teams Interested In Jeremy Lin
The Kings are among the teams that have expressed “exploratory” trade interest in Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
As Stein notes (via Twitter), Lin is one of a handful of Atlanta veterans expected to be available leading up to the February 7 trade deadline. The club figures to be seeking draft picks in return for Lin and Dewayne Dedmon, who are on expiring contracts, as well as Kent Bazemore, who still has one more year left on his deal after this season.
De’Aaron Fox has enjoyed a breakout season for the surprising Kings in 2018/19, but the club could use a veteran ball-handler and play-maker like Lin to stabilize its backcourt behind Fox. Yogi Ferrell and Frank Mason have handled backup point guard duties so far this season in Sacramento, while Lin has enjoyed a bounce-back year after two-injury plagued seasons in Brooklyn, averaging 10.8 PPG and 3.6 APG in a part-time role (19.5 MPG) for the Hawks.
The Kings figure to be linked to a number of trade candidates in the coming weeks, since they reportedly want to be buyers and they have the most in-season financial flexibility of any NBA team. With $11MM in cap room and a handful of expiring veteran contracts – such as Zach Randolph‘s and Kosta Koufos‘ – Sacramento could easily accommodate just about any salary. That includes Lin’s $13.77MM expiring deal.
The Sixers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers are said to be among the other teams that have inquired on Lin.
Pistons, Isaiah Whitehead Agree To Two-Way Deal
12:17pm: The Pistons will be removing Evans’ two-way deal from their roster to make room for Whitehead, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
11:18am: The Pistons have reached an agreement with free agent guard Isaiah Whitehead on a two-way contract, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Detroit will have to waive one of its current two-way players – Keenan Evans or Zach Lofton – in order to make the deal official.
Whitehead, 23, was selected by the Nets with the 42nd overall pick in the 2016 draft and spent two seasons with the team, appearing in 89 overall games. The former Seton Hall standout was a regular part of Brooklyn’s rotation in his rookie season, but saw his playing time cut back in 2017/18 as he spent more time with the Long Island Nets in the G League. Whitehead averaged 22.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 30 games for the Nets’ NBAGL affiliate last season.
The Brooklyn native was was sent to Denver in an offerson trade and was waived a few days later, making him an unrestricted free agent. Whitehead quickly caught on overseas with Lokomotiv Kuban, but parted ways with the Russian club last week. Now, he’ll return to the NBA on a two-way deal.
Today is the deadline for NBA teams to sign players to two-way contracts for the 2018/19 season, so Whitehead’s deal should be finalized within the next several hours.
Latest Dennis Smith Jr. Trade Rumors
Trade discussions involving Dennis Smith Jr. have “accelerated” to the point that it would be surprising if the Mavericks don’t make a deal, a team source tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday that the Mavs’ trade talks for Smith had ramped up.
According to Townsend’s source, neither Smith nor his agent has requested a trade out of Dallas. “[But] if something is out there, they wouldn’t be opposed to it,” the source said of Smith’s camp. “I think this is kind of figuring out what the win-win is.”
Townsend writes that three primary factors are contributing to the Mavericks’ efforts to find a possible new home for Smith. Luka Doncic‘s rapid ascension is an important factor, as is the fact that trade offers for Smith have “escalated” recently, per Townsend. The third factor is Smith’s relationship with head coach Rick Carlisle. In his Monday report, Wojnarowski wrote that Carlisle and Smith “have struggled to find a common ground,” adding that the head coach has “often been frustrated” with the second-year guard’s decision-making.
“On a scale of one-to-10, it’s certainly not a zero,” one Mavericks source told Townsend, referring to the Carlisle-Smith relationship. “It not a zero with any player. But I wouldn’t say it’s a 10, either. It’s a factor, but it’s not something that can’t be figured out if we end up moving forward with what we have, which is honestly what we want to do.”
Wojnarowski’s initial report cited the Magic and Suns as two teams in the mix for Smith. Townsend agrees that Orlando is “heavily” involved, but suggests Phoenix is not. That echoes a report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who said on Monday night that the Suns don’t have any real interest in Smith.
A subsequent report identified the Pistons as another potential suitor for Smith, and Rod Beard of The Detroit News confirms (via Twitter) that there’s at least some “mild” interest from Detroit. However, Beard notes that the cost may be a first-round pick, plus other assets, and it’s not clear if the Pistons would be willing to surrender their 2019 first-rounder and more in a deal for the 2017 lottery pick.
Grizzlies Notes: Gasol, Trade Deadline, Draft Pick
The Grizzlies‘ slide down the standings continued on Monday night, as a loss in Houston dropped Memphis’ record to 19-24. The Grizzlies now rank 14th in the Western Conference, four games back of the eighth-seeded Jazz.
The standings in the West are still bunched up enough that even a brief hot stretch could put the club back in the playoff picture. But with so many teams now between them and the top eight, the odds of a Grizzlies postseason push appear to be dwindling by the day. Especially since their next three games come against Milwaukee, Boston, and Toronto.
Given the Grizzlies’ spot in the standings, they’ll face some tough decisions in the coming weeks as the February 7 trade deadline approaches. Here are a few of the latest notes and rumors out of Memphis:
- According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), there’s a growing belief around the NBA that Marc Gasol will opt for free agency this summer, rather than exercising his $25.6MM player option. A $25.6MM salary will be hard to replicate for a 34-year-old free agent, so Gasol shouldn’t be considered a lock to opt out. Still, Stein wonders if the Grizzlies could explore trading Gasol at the deadline rather than risk losing him for nothing in the offseason.
- In a recent article for The Daily Memphian, Chris Herrington expressed skepticism that the Grizzlies would seriously consider dealing Gasol this season. However, Herrington also believes that the acquisition of Justin Holiday will probably be the last move Memphis makes as a buyer this season. While Herrington doesn’t expect a full-fledged fire sale, he writes that some “smaller, strategic selling” seems realistic.
- If the Grizzlies’ playoff chances keep slipping, it could make sense for the team to embrace the tank and try to keep its first-round pick, which is top-eight protected. However, that may not be the best approach for the franchise, as David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal explains. The 2019 draft class is viewed as fairly average after the top four or five players, and if the Grizzlies keep this year’s pick, they’ll just owe Boston a future first-rounder with fewer protections.
The Importance Of January 15 For NBA Teams
Unlike February 7, the date of this season’s trade deadline, January 15 probably isn’t a day that many NBA fans have circled on their calendars. Still, it represents an important date for NBA teams for a variety of transaction-related reasons.
[RELATED: Key In-Season NBA Dates For 2018/19]
Here’s a breakdown of what to watch for today:
Players becoming trade-eligible:
Most players who signed as free agents during the 2018 offseason had their trade restrictions lifted on December 15, but a select group of players remained ineligible to be traded until today, January 15. These players all meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous team this offseason, but they got a raise of at least 20%, their salary is worth more than the minimum, and their team was over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.
Here’s the full list of players who fit that bill and became trade-eligible today:
- Marcus Smart (Celtics)
- Joe Harris (Nets)
- Zach LaVine (Bulls)
- Rodney Hood (Cavaliers)
- Will Barton (Nuggets)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Clint Capela (Rockets)
- Chris Paul (Rockets)
- Avery Bradley (Clippers)
- Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)
- Paul George (Thunder)
- Jerami Grant (Thunder)
- Aaron Gordon (Magic)
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Davis Bertans (Spurs)
- Bryn Forbes (Spurs)
- Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
- Dante Exum (Jazz)
- Derrick Favors (Jazz)
- Raul Neto (Jazz)
Of those 20 players, two – Hood and LaVine – have the ability to veto trades for the 2018/19 season, so they can only be moved with their approval. LaVine, meanwhile, can’t be traded to the Kings at all this season.
Deadline to sign players to two-way contracts:
Tuesday represents the last day that a team can sign a player to a two-way contract for the 2018/19 season. Two-way players can, of course, be waived after today. But, starting tomorrow, they can’t be replaced. So we may see a small handful of moves completed today as clubs get those two-way slots in order for the second half.
The Bucks and Cavaliers have reportedly reached two-way agreements with Bonzie Colson and Deng Adel, respectively. Once those deals are finalized, only the Pelicans and the Trail Blazers will have empty two-way slots — New Orleans has one, while Portland has two.
The full list of current two-way contracts can be found right here.
Deadline to apply for a disabled player exception:
January 15 is also the last day for teams to apply for a disabled player exception for the 2018/19 season. This exception provides a little extra cap flexibility for clubs that have lost a player to a season-ending injury.
The Wizards recently applied for a disabled player exception after John Wall went down, and the Mavericks did the same following J.J. Barea‘s season-ending Achilles surgery. It’s not clear if any other teams will follow suit before today’s deadline.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observed on Monday (via Twitter), there’s little downside to applying for a disabled player exception, since the only real cost is filling out some paperwork. However, even if an exception is granted, it’s more likely than not to go unused. According to Marks, only 29% (13/45) of DPEs have been used.
The deadline to use a DPE is typically March 10. This year, that’s a Sunday, so the deadline will be pushed to March 11.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.