Solomon Jones To Sign With Suns
The Suns will add Solomon Jones to their training camp roster on a non-guaranteed deal, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The 6'10" Jones spent time with the Clippers and Hornets last season. He will likely receive the minimum salary if he makes the regular season roster.
New Orleans had Jones on a pair of 10-day contracts last season after the Clippers waived him in February, but the Hornets opted against signing him for the rest of 2011-12 and went with Jeff Foote on a 10-day contract instead. He saw 17.8 minutes per game in New Orleans, more than he got at any other stop, and averaged 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, both of which would have been career highs for a season. His time in L.A. was less fruitful, as he put up just 0.6 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 9.6 MPG.
The Suns have 13 players on 13 fully guaranteed contracts, so Jones is the first make-good deal for the team this year, as Coro points out. NBA teams can have 15 players in the regular season, but they don't have to carry more than 13, so Jones isn't a lock to stick with the Suns beyond camp, even though it appears he stands a decent chance.
Wizards Re-Sign Brian Cook
Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that client Brian Cook has signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Wizards. The big man was rumored to be close to a deal with the team on Friday, though the Suns were also reportedly in the mix. It will likely be for the minimum salary, which he earned last year while splitting the season between the Wizards and the Clippers.
Cook has averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game three of the last four seasons, including last year, when he saw 8.6 MPG. That includes the 9.7 MPG he got in the second half of the season with the Wizards after coming over in same deal that brought Nene to Washington. The 6'9", 31-year-old Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds with a 10.4 in his time with the Wizards. Cook's rate of 9.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over his 16 games with the team was higher than in any of his nine NBA seasons.
He represents the 18th player on the team's preseason roster, which includes at least 14 with a partial guarantee. It appears as though Cook will compete with Earl Barron, Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray for the last regular season roster spot, though another position could open if the team decides to waive point guard Shelvin Mack and absorb his partial guarantee of $300K.
Kings Targeting Tony Mitchell
The Kings, looking to fill out their preseason roster, would like to bring small forward Tony Mitchell to training camp, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Sulia link). Mitchell reportedly drew interest from the Warriors and Knicks before going undrafted this past June. He'd likely be in line for a minimum-salary deal with little or no guaranteed money.
The 6'6", 23-year-old Mitchell, from the University of Alabama, is not to be confused with the 20-year-old, 6'7" player by the same name who'll be a sophomore at North Texas this year after flirting with early entry into the draft. The Mitchell from Alabama played for the Kings in summer league, averaging 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22.8 minutes over five games, and the overall impression was a positive one, according to Jones.
The Kings currently have 14 players on the roster, all of whom have fully guaranteed deals, but GM Geoff Petrie wants to carry 18 players into camp. Presumably, that means the four signees will be fighting for one last roster spot, since teams can only have 15 players in the regular season.
Grizzlies Waive D.J. Kennedy
The Grizzlies have waived forward D.J. Kennedy, reports Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Kennedy was the only asset going the Grizzlies' way in the July 25th trade that sent Jeremy Pargo, a 2014 second-round draft pick, and cash to the Cavaliers. He had a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract, so the swap will wind up amounting to a salary dump for Memphis. Pargo has a guaranteed deal for $1MM this season.
The 22-year-old, 6'6" Kennedy signed with the Cavs for the final week of the regular season, and appeared in just two games, posting a total of 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 59 minutes. He went undrafted out of St. John's in 2011 and spent most of last season playing for the Erie Bayhawks of the D-League, averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 44 games.
Once he clears waivers, he'll be an unrestricted free agent, and the timing of the move allows him to catch on with another team before training camp. The Grizzles reached agreements with four camp invitees on Sunday, so getting rid of Kennedy brings the roster back down to 18 players, 13 of whom are believed to have at least a partial guarantee. Taking Kennedy's salary off the books lets the Grizzlies retain one of the camp invitees on a minimum-salary contract for the regular season, if they so choose, and stay below the luxury tax apron of $74.307MM, which allows for greater flexibility.
Ivan Johnson Signs Qualifying Offer From Hawks
TUESDAY, 2:40pm: The Hawks have officially re-signed Johnson, the team announced today in a press release.
FRIDAY, 1:01pm: The final restricted free agent on the market will sign, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports, as Ivan Johnson has agreed to accept his qualifying offer of one year and $962,195 from the Hawks. Other teams were reluctant to make a play for Johnson this summer, knowing the Hawks would likely match any reasonable offer, but the 6'8" power forward seemed to hold out for more until it became clear the Hawks wouldn't dip into their $1.957MM bi-annual exception.
Johnson made his NBA debut last season, making the Hawks out of training camp on a non-guaranteed one-year deal. He impressed the team with his physical presence inside, which proved helpful in a season largely without the injured Al Horford. Johnson, who turned 28 in April, averaged 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes last season, with a 14.3 PER. Prior to last season, he racked up 94 games of D-League experience and played overseas after going undrafted following two seasons of college ball split between the University of Oregon and Cal State Bernardino.
The move brings the Hawks roster to 16 players, with 14 on at least partially guaranteed deals. It figures to put extra pressure on James Anderson, whose minimum salary contract is non-guaranteed. Kyle Korver's $5MM deal is only guaranteed for $500K, so his place on the team could be threatened as well.
Southwest Rumors: Mavs, Gasol, McHale
The Southwest Division should again be one of the league's toughest this season, with the Spurs, who've won the division twice in a row, bringing back their key parts and the playoff-tested Grizzlies doing the same. The Mavericks made plenty of changes but still figure to be in the playoff mix as long as Dirk Nowitzki is around, and the Hornets brought in No. 1 pick Anthony Davis, 2011/12 Most Improved Player Award winner Ryan Anderson, and others. The Rockets appear to be the division's soft spot, but they could be in the mix for a marquee player closer to the trade deadline with their stockpile of youth and draft picks. Here's the latest, with preseason on the horizon:
- After a summer of change, the Mavericks' roster for the start of the regular season appears set, but beyond that there's plenty of uncertainty, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News examines.
- Marc Gasol spoke about his desire to remain long-term with the Grizzlies to the Spanish website Marca.com (translation via HoopsHype). Gasol still has three years left on the four-year, $57.5MM deal he signed after the lockout last December, so it doesn't seem like he's going anywhere soon.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle heard from Rockets coach Kevin McHale about the team's overhauled and largely inexperienced roster as he prepares for the first full training camp of his coaching career.
2012 Offseason Trades
You can keep up with the offseason's free agent signings with the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Tracker, but that only tells one part of the player movement story. Here's a roundup of the offseason's trades, with the latest moves on top. Click the date above for details on the transaction. You can find out more about the trade exceptions changing hands by checking out our Outstanding Trade Exceptions post.
- The Magic get Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Josh McRoberts, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Christian Eyenga, a protected 2014 first-round pick (from the Nuggets), a protected 2015 first-round pick (from the Sixers), a protected 2017 first-round pick (from the Lakers), the Warriors' 2013 second-round pick (from the Nuggets), and a conditional 2015 second-round pick (from the Lakers).
- The Nuggets get Andre Iguodala.
- The Sixers get Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson.
- The Lakers get Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark.
- The Clippers get Willie Green.
- The Hawks get the rights to Sofoklis Schortsanitis.
- The Hornets get Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick and $1.15MM.
- The Suns get Wesley Johnson, Brad Miller, Jerome Dyson, and a 2013 first-round pick (from Timberwolves).
- The Timberwolves get a 2013 second-round pick (from Hornets), a 2014 second-round pick (from Suns) and a 2016 second-round pick (from Hornets).
- The Cavaliers get Jeremy Pargo, a 2014 second-round pick and cash.
- The Grizzlies get D.J. Kennedy.
- The Timberwolves get Dante Cunningham.
- The Grizzlies get Wayne Ellington.
- The Celtics get Courtney Lee.
- The Rockets get JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams, Bobcats' 2013 second-round pick (from Celtics), and the rights to Jon Diebler.
- The Trail Blazers get Sasha Pavlovic, the Celtics' 2013 second-round pick, the Timberwolves' 2013 second-round pick (from Celtics), and cash.
- The Knicks get Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas.
- The Trail Blazers get Jared Jeffries, Dan Gadzuric, the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou, the rights to Giorgos Printezis, cash, and a 2016 second-round pick.
- The Hawks get Kyle Korver.
- The Bulls get cash.
- The Kings get James Johnson.
- The Raptors get a 2014 second-round pick.
- The Hornets get Brad Miller, a 2013 second-round pick (from the Nets) and a 2016-second round pick (from the Timberwolves).
- The Timberwolves get a conditional 2017 second-round pick.
- Pacers get Ian Mahinmi.
- Mavericks get Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones.
- The Warriors get Jarrett Jack.
- The Sixers get Dorell Wright and Darryl Watkins.
- The Hornets get the rights to Edin Bavcic.
- The Nets get Reggie Evans.
- The Clippers get the right to swap 2016 second-round draft picks.
- The Hawks get Devin Harris.
- The Jazz get Marvin Williams.
- The Nets get Joe Johnson.
- The Hawks get Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson, a protected 2013 first-round pick (from the Rockets), the right to swap first-round picks with the Nets in both 2014 and 2015, and a 2017 second-round pick.
- The Hornets get Ryan Anderson.
- The Magic get Gustavo Ayon.
- The Raptors get Kyle Lowry.
- The Rockets get Gary Forbes and a protected 2013 first-round pick.
- The Lakers get Steve Nash.
- The Suns get first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 and second-round picks in 2013 and 2014.
- The Knicks get Marcus Camby.
- The Rockets get Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015.
- The Clippers get Lamar Odom.
- The Jazz get Mo Williams and the rights to Shan Foster.
- The Mavericks get the rights to Tadija Dragicevic and cash.
- The Rockets get the rights to Furkan Aldemir.
- The Lakers get the 55th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Darius Johnson-Odom).
- The Mavericks get cash.
- The Nets get the 54th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Tornike Shengelia).
- The Sixers get cash.
- The Cavaliers get Kelenna Azubuike and the 17th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Tyler Zeller).
- The Mavericks get the 24th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Jared Cunningham), 33rd pick in the 2012 draft (used on Bernard James) and the 34th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Jae Crowder).
- The Sixers get the 27th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Arnett Moultrie).
- The Heat get the 45th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Justin Hamilton) and a protected 2013 first-round draft pick.
- The Nets get the 41st pick in the 2012 draft (used on Tyshawn Taylor).
- The Trail Blazers get cash.
- The Pacers get the 36th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Orlando Johnson).
- The Kings get cash.
- The Bucks get Samuel Dalembert, the 14th pick of the 2012 draft (used on John Henson), and a protected 2014 second-round draft pick.
- The Rockets get Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston and the 12th pick of the 2012 draft (used on Jeremy Lamb).
- The Bobcats get Ben Gordon and a protected 2013 first-round pick.
- The Pistons get Corey Maggette.
- The Timberwolves get Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu.
- The Rockets get the 18th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Terrence Jones).
- The Wizards get Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza.
- The Hornets get Rashard Lewis and the 46th pick in the 2012 draft (used on Darius Miller).
J.R. Smith On Contract, Lin, Carmelo
Around this time last year, J.R. Smith was headed to play for Zhejiang Chouzhou in China, where he was off-limits to NBA teams for much of the season. He came back for the stretch run with the Knicks, and his performance was sufficient for him to turn down a $2.339MM option and re-sign with the team this summer on a two-year deal that gives him a raise, to $2.806MM this season. When Smith re-upped with the Knicks in July, Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors speculated that he might opt out again next summer, which his deal allows him to do, and take advantage of the Early Bird rights he will have earned with the Knicks to get yet another raise. The 26-year-old shooting guard spoke about his value as a player and touched on other topics with Josh Newman of SNY.tv. The entire piece is worth a read, but we'll run down Smith's comments here.
On his contract:
“I think anything is a bargain with me, whether I’m playing for a dollar or $20MM, it’s a bargain because I’m going to play hard no matter what. No matter how much I get paid, it will never affect how hard I play and I think that should be thought about when people see me next year.”
About Jeremy Lin:
“I was on the outside looking in waiting for my deal to get done during that whole thing and just see what pieces we would pick up instead of Jeremy Lin. We got some good pieces. Jeremy is a good player, he was good to me and I have nothing bad to say about him. I wish him the best of luck, but we’re gonna kick their ass next year.”
On playing with Carmelo Anthony:
“Me and Melo have been on the same team for the last six years and ever since we’ve been together, I feel like we’ve had a championship-caliber team. It’s just a matter going out there, passing the ball, playing defense and playing team basketball.”
Heat Notes: Wade, Miller, Temple
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman has an update on where Heat guard Mike Miller's stands coming off offseason surgery. (Sulia link)
- The Heat are one of a handful of teams starting training camp on September 29th, getting a two-day jump on most teams, who get going on October 1st. The defending champs are afforded the extra preseason time because they're traveling overseas for a pair of exhibitions against the Clippers in China. Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Miami braintrust will have a few decisions to make, since they have 18 players under contract, but only 13 on guaranteed deals, as I outlined earlier. With two weeks to go in the Heat's offseason, let's check in on South Beach:
- Dwyane Wade has been in the media spotlight quite a bit as he promotes his new book. He shares the latest on his recovery from left knee surgery this summer, the Heat's chances of repeating, and the Lakers' big moves with Joe Brescia of The New York Times.
- The Heat could have avoided a $5.8MM luxury tax payment on Mike Miller's salary or pursued a $2.9MM injury exception, but instead Miller is healthy and ready to start the season, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes.
- Earlier we passed along a Q&A from Winderman that touched on the battle between Jarvis Varnado and Mickell Gladness, and in the same piece, Winderman calls Garrett Temple a "longshot" to make the roster, despite his ability to guard point guards one-on-one.
Latest On Lou Amundson
Free agent power forward Lou Amundson, who spent last year with the Pacers, has been linked to a handful of teams this summer, and according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, he's still in conversation with a number of those clubs, but is "not a favorite" right now (Twitter link). The Knicks and Bobcats appear to be in the hunt, according to reports, and the 6'9" UNLV product has been drawing interest from overseas as well.
Zwerling indicated last month that Amundson was likely to get either the $2.575MM room exception or the $3.09 taxpayer's mid-level exception, but with minimum-salary deals the norm at this point in the offseason, the market might not be so fruitful. He's competing with Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen, D.J. White and other power forwards for a spot on a team, and Andersen and White put up better PERs than Amundson's 11.5 mark in 2012/13.
Amundson saw just 12.6 minutes per game last season, the least amount of run he's gotten since his breakout season with the Suns in 2008/09. That number shrunk to 8.5 MPG in the playoffs. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in the regular season and 2.5 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 11 postseason games.