Nets Waive Gordon, McCall, Scott
The Nets got down to the roster limit by waiving forward Drew Gordon and guards Tahjere McCall and Shannon Scott, the team announced today in a press release.
Gordon will join Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island and is expected to be called up during the season after turning down offers to play overseas. The older brother of Aaron Gordon, most of his professional experience has come in Europe. He has played nine NBA games, all for the Sixers in 2014/15.
McCall and Scott both signed Exhibit 10 contracts yesterday and appear headed back to the G League. Both played for Brooklyn’s affiliate in Long Island last season.
Sixers Waive Okafor, Jefferson, Johnson
Veteran center Emeka Okafor wasn’t able to earn a roster spot with the Sixers, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Okafor was waived today, along with Cory Jefferson and Darin Johnson.
Okafor, 36, signed a non-guaranteed deal for the veteran’s minimum shortly before training camp opened last month. He had been hoping to win a spot as a backup to Joel Embiid and a veteran leader on one of the NBA’s top teams.
Okafor completed a remarkable comeback story when he earned a roster spot with the Pelicans in February after signing a pair of 10-day contracts. It marked his return to the league after missing four seasons because of injury. He appeared in 26 games, starting 19, and averaged 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per night. However, he barely played in the postseason.
New Orleans waived Okafor last month and he signed with the Sixers two days later.
Jefferson and Johnson signed with Philadelphia yesterday and both appear headed for the G League.
Celtics Waive Marcus Georges-Hunt
The Celtics have waived Marcus Georges-Hunt, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. The 24-year-old guard signed with the team at the start of October.
Georges-Hunt played 42 games with the Timberwolves last season, but saw just 5.3 minutes per night. His only other NBA experience was five games with the Magic after coming to Orlando late in the 2016/17 season. He originally signed with the Celtics in 2016, but was waived before the start of the season.
Georges-Hunt is likely headed to Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine and may rejoin the Celtics once they resolve the situation with Jabari Bird, according to Keith P. Smith of CelticsBlog. Bird is on a leave of absence while his assault case goes through the legal system.
Smith points out that if Bird is suspended, he would remain on the roster for at least five games. After that, Boston could put him on the suspended list and recall Georges-Hunt to fill the roster opening.
Bird signed a two-year contract for the league minimum this summer with a guarantee for the first season. If the NBA rules that he has violated its domestic violence policy, his contract could be voided and the Celtics would have no further financial obligation. If Boston waives Bird before the league makes a decision, his contract will remain on the cap and will continue to affect the luxury tax. The Celtics plan to keep Bird on the inactive list until his case is resolved.
Timberwolves Waive Four Players
The Timberwolves have parted ways with four players, the team announced on Twitter. Gone are Darius Johnson-Odom and Jonathan Stark, along with Canyon Barry and William Lee, who were both signed earlier today.
The moves trim Minnesota’s roster to 16, including a pair of two-way players. The Wolves may keep one spot open on the regular roster for luxury tax purposes.
Johnson-Odom is 29 but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013/14, when he spent three games with the Sixers. He has extensive international experience, playing in Italy, Turkey and Greece.
Stark is a rookie from Murray State who was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year last season. After going undrafted, he played for Minnesota in the Las Vegas Summer League. Barry played in Finland and the Czech Republic after going undrafted out of Florida in 2017. Lee is a rookie out of Alabama-Birmingham.
All four players may be given opportunities to join the Wolves’ G League team if they clear waivers.
Jazz Release Branch, Cousins, Lyles
The Jazz got down to the NBA’s roster limit by waiving three players, the team announced on its website. The final cuts were guards Stephaun Branch, Isaiah Cousins and Jairus Lyles, who may all be ticketed for Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City if they clear waivers.
Branch was in the G League last season with the South Bay Lakers. He appeared in 50 games, starting seven, and averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per night. The West Georgia product was just signed by the Jazz earlier this afternoon.
Cousins also spent last season in the G League, playing 36 games for Salt Lake City. He posted a 13.1/ 3.6/4.4 line while averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Lyles is a rookie out of UMBC who played for the Jazz during summer league. He averaged 20.2 PPG in college last season.
Latest On Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler gave a first-hand account of his return to Timberwolves practice and offered his perspective on the standoff with team management in an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN’s “The Jump.” (Twitter link)
Butler describes an exchange with Karl-Anthony Towns during today’s drills. Towns allegedly quipped, “Anybody can get this work,” when they were matched up, and Butler responded with the challenge, “Do it to me” and “Every time I get switched out onto you, you pass it.”
Later in the interview, in an exchange tweeted by Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune, Nichols asked Butler if his presence at practice is a sign that the situation is improving. “I think people think that,” he responded. “I would think that, too. It’s not. It’s not fixed.” He suggested it “could be” fixable, but added, “Do I think so? No. You’ve got to be honest.”
Butler also defended his actions at today’s session, saying, “A lot of it is true. But you got to think I haven’t played basketball in so long and I’m so passionate. I love the game… All my emotion came out at once. Was it the right way to do it? No, but I can’t control it when I’m out there competing.” (Twitter link).
There’s more news to pass along on the Butler situation:
- Butler sent a message to teammates and the front office by joining forces with third-string players and defeating the starters in today’s scrimmage, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Woj adds that some of the Wolves were “energized” by Butler’s performance and that he followed it by marching out of the gym as though he was doing a “mic drop.”
- Butler spent much of the practice on a profanity-laced tirade, mostly aimed at Towns, Andrew Wiggins, coach/executive Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Butler taunted Towns and Wiggins by yelling, “They soft” as he faced them in the scrimmage. Neither player confronted him for his actions. Haynes adds that Butler has warned team officials in the past that he might find ways to express his displeasure if his trade request isn’t met.
- The organization has reacted poorly ever since Butler made his trade demand three weeks ago, argues Britt Robson of The Athletic in a roundtable discussion. Robson contends the best response would have been to trade Butler quickly and start rebuilding the team around Towns and Wiggins. Instead, Thibodeau and Layden publicly expressed a desire to work things out with Butler and dragged their feet on numerous trade offers. Robson also blasts Towns and Wiggins for not playing with more desire in an effort to prove that Butler is wrong about them.
Thunder Sign Scotty Hopson, Dez Wells
The Thunder moved back to the preseason limit of 20 players today, announcing a series of signings in a press release. Veteran guard Scotty Hopson and forward Dez Wells joined the team, along with forward Donte Grantham, whose signing has been expected since late August.
Hopson played in Turkey last season, averaging 11.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 games with Galatasaray. He got into one game with the Mavericks last year after signing a 10-day contract in February and played two games for the Cavaliers in 2013/14.
Wells was in Italy last season, averaging 11.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per night in 52 games with Sidigas Avellino.
The Thunder created the openings this morning by waiving Bryce Alford, K.J. McDaniels and Richard Solomon , who may all wind up in the G League with Oklahoma City Blue.
Sixers Sign Matt Farrell, Waive Brown, Pelle
The Sixers have signed rookie point guard Matt Farrell, the team announced in an email.
Farrell spent the past four seasons at Notre Dame and was a Third Team All-ACC selection as a senior. He averaged 16.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists while making 98 3-point shots last season.
The addition of Farrell plus today’s signing of D.J. Hogg, keeps Philadelphia at the training camp limit of 20 players. Swingman Anthony Brown and center Norvel Pelle were both waived to make room for the new signees and may wind up with the Sixers’ G League affiliate.
Brown, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract in late August, has spent time with the Lakers, Pelicans, Magic and Timberwolves. Pelle, who signed in early August, has been playing internationally since going undrafted in 2014.
Mavericks Waive Ding Yanyuhang
The Mavericks have waived Chinese forward Ding Yanyuhang, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Ding missed training camp and most of the preseason because of tendinitis in his knee, so it’s not surprising that he wasn’t able to earn a roster spot. He will join Dallas’ G League affiliate once he clears waviers, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Ding has played in China for the past seven seasons with the Shandong Golden Stars. He averaged 26.0 points and 5.2 rebounds last year and earned the Chinese Basketball Association Domestic MVP award for the second straight season.
Kings Waive Jamel Artis
OCTOBER 8: The Kings officially cut Artis on Sunday, confirming the move in a press release.
OCTOBER 7: The Kings will waive shooting guard Jamel Artis, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Artis signed a two-year, non-guaranteed deal with Sacramento in July. He would have earned $1,349,383 this season and $1,588,231 in 2019/20 if he had stayed on the roster.
Artis has gotten opportunities with several organizations since graduating from Pitt in 2017, but his only time in the NBA came in 15 games as a two-way player with the Magic last season. He posted a 5.1/2.3/2.5 line in 18.6 minutes per night.
The move leaves the Kings with 18 players in camp, with 15 of them having guaranteed contracts.