Kings Sign Vince Hunter
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 10:53pm: Hunter has signed with the Kings, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The pact is a one-year, minimum salary arrangement that includes a partial guarantee of $35K, Pincus notes. No official announcement has been made by the team.
AUGUST 13TH, 3:53pm: The Kings have reached a contract agreement with undrafted forward Vince Hunter, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the pact are not yet known, but Charania notes that the deal includes a partial guarantee. Hunter was ranked as the No. 56 overall prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, while ESPN’s Chad Ford slotted him at 42nd overall.
The addition of Hunter will bring Sacramento’s roster count to 16 players, 14 of whom possess fully guaranteed contracts, making Hunter a longshot to make the opening night roster. The Kings may have designs on the 6’8″ forward spending the 2015/16 season with their D-League affiliate in Reno, though that is merely my speculation. Hunter is an excellent athlete who is a solid rebounder, and he is an exciting finisher around the rim, but his lack of a reliable perimeter game will hurt his chances to earn a regular spot in the NBA.
The 21-year old made 33 appearances for UTEP during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 14.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per contest, and he owned a slash line of .526/.400/.602. Hunter played for the Sixers’ squad in the Las Vegas Summer League, logging averages of 7.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG in four appearances.
Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag
In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Saturday.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.
If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Kaun
One of the main reasons that the Pacers decided to forge ahead with the purchase of the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants was the rising salaries of NBA players, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star relays (Twitter links). Team owner Herb Simon said that the Pacers will need young players to go along with the higher paid players on the roster, and that those young players would need development, which purchasing the Mad Ants would help facilitate, Buckner adds.
Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks are unquestionably a better team than a season ago, but just about every other team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference also improved this offseason, opines Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Facebook link). Bontemps also noted that he expects New York to struggle to compete for the final playoff spot in the East, which would result in the possibility that the team would look to deal small forward Carmelo Anthony to a contender at the trade deadline.
- The majority of the Pistons‘ roster is now comprised of players acquired by executive/coach Stan Van Gundy, and this season’s focus will be in determining which of those players will have long-term futures with the team, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com in his 30 Teams, 30 Days series.
- Sasha Kaun‘s two-year deal with the Cavaliers will see him earn $1,276,000 in 2015/16 and $1,333,240 during the final season, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Both seasons are fully guaranteed, Pincus adds. Reports initially conflicted on whether the contract would include a player option, and Pincus confirms that it does not.
- Kendall Marshall will earn approximately $2.1MM this season courtesy of his deal with the Sixers, and his salary is fully guaranteed, Pincus tweets.
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 15)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We are in the process of taking you on a journey back to June of 2003, and revisiting a draft that saw the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh available to potentially change the fortunes of a few struggling franchises. Wade was the first of that group to win an NBA championship, though James and Bosh would later join him in Miami and go on to win multiple titles together years later, while Melo is still seeking his first trip to the NBA Finals. Detroit, which owned the No. 2 overall pick that season, chose to go with Darko Milicic, who didn’t work out so well for the Pistons. Not all picks pan out, but that one is especially painful given the talent that the Pistons passed over to select the big man, who owns career averages of 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, and has been out of the NBA since making a single appearance for the Celtics back in 2012/13.
We continue our revisionist history with the Magic, who held the No. 15 overall pick that year. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Orlando’s pick and check back Thursday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Grizzlies will select with the No. 16 overall pick they had acquired from Boston. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 15 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Picks
- Cavaliers: LeBron James
- Pistons: Dwyane Wade
- Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
- Raptors: Chris Bosh
- Heat: David West
- Clippers: Kyle Korver
- Bulls: Mo Williams
- Bucks: Chris Kaman
- Knicks: Boris Diaw
- Wizards: Kirk Hinrich
- Warriors: Jose Calderon
- Thunder: Josh Howard
- Celtics: Leandro Barbosa
- Thunder: Kendrick Perkins
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.
Sixers Sign Kendall Marshall
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 5:48pm: The signing is official, the team announced in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 4TH, 5:34pm: The Sixers are set to sign unrestricted free agent point guard Kendall Marshall, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports. The deal is said to be a multiyear arrangement, and Marshall’s salary for the 2015/16 campaign will be fully guaranteed, Wojnarowski adds. Philadelphia currently has a roster count of 19 players, though only 12 possess fully guaranteed deals.
The addition of Marshall comes as little surprise, with Michael Kaskey-Blomain of ESPN’s TrueHoop Network first reporting Philly’s interest in the point guard, and Jake Fischer of SI Now first reported that Marshall had been working out with the Sixers at their practice facility over the past few days. Marshall is still recovering from a torn ACL, and he is expected to be ready to return to action sometime during the first half of the upcoming season, league sources have informed the Yahoo scribe.
Marshall’s 2014/15 campaign was cut short when he tore his right ACL in January while playing for the Bucks, who had made the unusual move of guaranteeing his non-guaranteed salary before the season, more than two months before they needed to make a decision on the matter. The 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Milwaukee prior to his injury, and he averaged 4.2 points, 1.0 rebound, and 3.1 assists in 14.9 minutes per contest. His career numbers through parts of three NBA seasons are 5.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 5.4 APG to go along with a slash line of .405/.377/.593.
Magic Close To Deal With Greg Stiemsma
The Magic are close to reaching an agreement with veteran center Greg Stiemsma, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (on Twitter). The length and terms of the proposed pact are unknown, though it is likely a minimum salary training camp deal, and Wolfson does note that it would be a non-guaranteed contract.
Stiemsma, 29, appeared in 17 contests for the Raptors in 2014/15, averaging 0.8 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 3.9 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 203 games are 3.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.1 BPG to accompany a slash line of .509/.000/.705.
Orlando currently has a roster count of 17 players, including 13 with fully guaranteed pacts. The Magic could certainly benefit from adding some depth at the pivot, with Dewayne Dedmon and Jason Smith being the primary backups to starter Nikola Vucevic.
Cavs Talk Deal With No. 31 Pick Cedi Osman?
The Cavaliers recently met with small forward Cedi Osman, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). Cleveland selected Osman with the No. 31 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft after acquiring the pick from the Timberwolves along with the No. 36 overall selection in exchange for the rights to Tyus Jones, who was taken with the No. 24 pick.
It’s unclear where Osman fits in the Cavs’ plans for 2015/16, with the team already having 13 players possessing fully guaranteed deals, and a total roster count of 16. This doesn’t include Tristan Thompson, who may end up signing a one-year qualifying offer with the team. Cleveland’s depth chart at small forward begins, of course, with LeBron James, who will also spend time at power forward throughout the course of the season. The team also has Richard Jefferson and James Jones on hand for depth at the three spot.
Osman, 20, spent the 2014/15 campaign playing for the Turkish club Anadolu Efes. The forward made 27 appearances and averaged 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists to accompany a slash line of .397/.303/.667.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/8/15
The Mavericks are reportedly encouraged by what they have seen from Deron Williams during informal workouts this Summer, with the veteran said to be looking leaner and quicker than he has in recent seasons. Williams certainly has quite a bit to prove this season after securing his release from the Nets via a buyout arrangement and signing on with Dallas this offseason.
This will be the second season in a row that the Mavs have added a former All-Star point guard to the roster, with the ill-fated trade with the Celtics for Rajon Rondo last December not working out for the franchise in the least. Williams’ departure from Brooklyn will likely have few fans shedding tears over the loss, with him not nearly coming close to fulfilling the expectations that came with his arrival via trade back in February of 2011. The veteran is expected to be the starter at the point for the Mavs in 2015/16, though exactly how much he has left in the tank at this point is certainly up for debate. In fact, that’s the perfect segue into today’s topic: How will Deron Williams fare in Dallas this season?
While I seriously doubt that many fans will expect a return to the star-level production of his Utah days, the change of scenery could certainly help revitalize Williams’ career in the NBA. What do you predict Williams’ stats to be this season in Dallas? Does anyone believe he can be an All-Star in 2015/16, or do you see his downward slide continuing this season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts, opinions, and predictions regarding Williams’ upcoming season. While there’s no prize for being right, there is a certain measure of satisfaction that can be had by being proven correct…and having had your predictions documented in the comments section below for all posterity. We look forward to what you have to say.
Eastern Notes: Smith, Johnson, Nets
J.R. Smith‘s two-year contract with the Cavaliers has become fully guaranteed for the 2015/16 season since he remained on Cleveland’s roster through Monday, as is shown by our schedule of salary guarantee dates, a date first reported by Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The 29-year-old’s pact had an initial partial guarantee of $2MM included at the time of signing. Smith’s unusual deal also includes a $2.15MM partial guarantee on the full $5.4MM value of next year’s salary, which will become fully guaranteed if he is still a member of the Cavs past September 7th, 2016.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Heat shooting guard Tyler Johnson has been cleared to return to full basketball activities, the team announced (via Twitter). The 23-year-old suffered a broken jaw back in July during Orlando Summer League play. Johnson, 23, will likely need a full training camp in to help him secure a regular season roster spot with the team since Miami has a roster count of 19, including 12 fully guaranteed pacts. The guard’s $845,059 salary for 2015/16 is partially guaranteed for $422,530.
- David West ‘s decision to jump ship and sign with the Spurs this offseason was the final push that the Pacers required to hit the reset button and begin a retool of the team, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes in his mailbag. Indiana has added eight new players to its roster this offseason as a result, including Chase Budinger, Toney Douglas, Monta Ellis, Jordan Hill, Glenn Robinson III, and rookies Myles Turner, Joseph Young, and Rakeem Christmas.
- Former Nets majority owner Bruce Ratner’s Forest City Enterprises made a capital call today worth $26.8MM in order to preserve its 20% ownership stake in the team, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). Ratner’s group was facing a deadline of today to come up with the funds or have its ownership stake reduced to approximately 8%, Mazzeo notes. Mikhail Prokhorov is in the process of working toward a deal that would give him full ownership of both the team and the Barclays Center.
Poll: 2003 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 14)
Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. While life, and the NBA, doesn’t allow for such opportunities, we at Hoops Rumors decided it would be fun to give our readers a second take at picking players, complete with the benefit of hindsight.
We are in the process of taking you on a journey back to June of 2003, and revisiting a draft that saw the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh available to potentially change the fortunes of a few struggling franchises. Wade was the first of that group to win an NBA championship, though James and Bosh would later join him in Miami and go on to win multiple titles together years later, while Melo is still seeking his first trip to the NBA Finals. Detroit, which owned the No. 2 overall pick that season, chose to go with Darko Milicic, who didn’t work out so well for the Pistons. Not all picks pan out, but that one is especially painful given the talent that the Pistons passed over to select the big man, who owns career averages of 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, and has been out of the NBA since making a single appearance for the Celtics back in 2012/13.
We continue our revisionist history with the Thunder, or Sonics as the team was known back then, who had acquired the No. 14 pick from the Bucks in the Ray Allen–Gary Payton swap. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for OKC’s pick and check back Wednesday night for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Magic will select with the No. 15 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 14 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Picks
- Cavaliers: LeBron James
- Pistons: Dwyane Wade
- Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony
- Raptors: Chris Bosh
- Heat: David West
- Clippers: Kyle Korver
- Bulls: Mo Williams
- Bucks: Chris Kaman
- Knicks: Boris Diaw
- Wizards: Kirk Hinrich
- Warriors: Jose Calderon
- Thunder: Josh Howard
- Celtics: Leandro Barbosa
If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here.