Nets Sign Beau Beech
AUGUST 5: The Nets have issued a press release formally announcing that Beech’s deal is now complete.
JULY 24: The Nets will sign Beau Beech to a partially guaranteed one-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). Brooklyn has 15 guaranteed contracts so Beech is likely headed to the team’s D-League affiliate in Long Island.
Beech went undrafted last month out of the University of North Florida. At 6’9,” Beech is versatile enough to play shooting guard, small forward or power forward. He played mostly as a shooting guard in college.
Beech averaged 15.9 points and 6.5 rebounds over 32 minutes per game last season last season. He also shot 42.4% from 3-point range. Beech played on the Nets’ summer league team and impressed enough to earn the partially guaranteed deal.
Raptors Sign Jarrod Uthoff
AUGUST 2: The Raptors have officially signed Uthoff, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 21: The Raptors and undrafted free agent Jarrod Uthoff have agreed on a partially guaranteed two-year deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It figures to be a minimum-salary pact, since Toronto is over the cap and has used its mid-level exception.
Uthoff will compete for the Raptors’ final roster spot. Uthoff was an All-American at Iowa last season. Among Big Ten players, Uthoff ranked second in scoring (18.9), first in blocked shots (2.7), and tied for 11th in rebounding (6.4).
Uthoff was expected by many draft pundits to get picked as a late first round selection. In a draft that featured a heavy influx of foreign talent, that, of course, was not the case. Uthoff did work out for several teams, including the Clippers, Grizzlies and Suns.
Hoops Links: Gay, Lakers, Knicks
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The All Out Sports Network runs down trade possibilities surrounding Rudy Gay.
- Big Three Sports analyzes the trends in previous championship teams.
- The Jump Ball takes a look at the future for the Lakers and Wolves.
- Lakers Pulse profiles the rise of Julius Randle.
- Posting and Toasting shares highlights of Willy Hernangomez.
- Liberty Ballers has some potential final pieces to fill out the Sixers‘ roster.
- Orlando Pinstriped Post believes Aaron Gordon can flourish under Frank Vogel.
- At The Hive wonders which Marco Belinelli will show up for the Hornets.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Cavs, Stephenson
Despite signing Rajon Rondo, who is 30, and Dwyane Wade, who will turn 35 in January, the Bulls did actually get younger this summer, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details. Chicago will enter training camp with 10 players 25 or younger, compared with five last season, as Johnson points out. Wade’s presence should particularly help the maturation of Jimmy Butler, Johnson writes. Both Wade and Rondo have said the Bulls are Butler’s to lead.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Pacers do not appear close to re-signing unrestricted free agent Lance Stephenson, per Mark Montieth of NBA.com, who echoes earlier reports. The Pacers were looking for a point guard to fill their final roster spot and Aaron Brooks fit their needs better than another wing player like Stephenson, Montieth writes in a mailbag response.
- Kay Felder impressed during the summer league and his emergence makes him one of the more intriguing rookies to watch this season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. With Matthew Dellavedova no longer on the Cavs, Felder, who is a 5’9″ point guard, has a decent shot at a backup role, Washburn adds. Felder’s size, however, does put him at a disadvantage, but, as Washburn points out, the Cavs thought highly enough of him to pay $2.4MM for his rights.
Heat Notes: Richardson, Wade, Waiters
Josh Richardson‘s minimum salary deal doesn’t become guaranteed until August 1st, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports. It’s the maturity of the 2015 second round draft pick of the Heat which allowed him to play without thinking about the situation, the scribe relays. Richardson’s minimum-scale 2017/18 salary doesn’t become guaranteed until June 30th, Winderman adds.
Here’s more out of Miami:
- Rodney McGruder‘s guarantee will jump from $100,000 for the upcoming season to $150,000 on Aug. 1st, Winderman relays in the same post.
- If the Heat had offered more money up front or money for a third season then Dwyane Wade would have never bolted for the Bulls, Winderman contends in a mailbag response. It’s not like Wade had a falling out with one of the Heat’s veterans, so the star leaving for his hometown was very much a money issue, Winderman adds.
- The Heat recently added Heat Dion Waiters and the team is looking at him as a potential starter at shooting guard, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. Last season, however, Waiters’ stats indicate that he was far better as a backup, as Jackson points out.
Celtics Sign Tyler Zeller To Two-Year Deal
JULY 27th, 6:09pm: The signing is official, Boston announced via press release.
JULY 23rd, 10:15am: The Celtics will re-sign restricted free agent Tyler Zeller to a two-year deal, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter). The deal is worth $8MM per year and there is a team option for the second year, Bulpett adds. The Celtics also signed second round pick Demetrius Jackson and have agreed on a partially guaranteed deal with second round pick Ben Bentil, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
R.J. Hunter, James Young, John Holland and Bentil are in position to fight for the final roster spot, Himmelsbach tweets. It remains to be seen just how much more creative Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is going to be after he said he was looking to add another significant piece to a group that features newcomer Al Horford. If there were to be another move for Boston, it would likely come in the form of a large trade, according to recent reports. The Celtics also plan to sign unrestricted free agent Gerald Green.
Zeller spoke fondly of the Celtics after the season and was open to a return. It would not have been surprising, however, if he had signed elsewhere with the hopes of having a larger role than the one he had last season with Boston. Zeller averaged 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. He did not play in three of the six playoff games.
Celtics Sign Gerald Green
JULY 27th, 6:05pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
JULY 23rd, 8:50am: The Celtics will sign unrestricted free agent Gerald Green, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports (on Twitter). It is a guaranteed one-year deal, Deveney writes in a full story. Green’s deal is for the minimum, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald tweets.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Green, whom the Celtics drafted at No. 18 in the 2005 draft. Green has played for eight franchises and spent last season with the Heat. Miami never reportedly seemed interested in re-signing Green, but the swingman did play decently. Green averaged 8.9 points per game last season.
By adding Green, the Celtics continue to seem headed toward making a trade. It’s been an interesting summer for Boston, which landed Al Horford early in free agency and it may not be over. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has already said he would still like to add one more big piece. The Celtics will have 14 guaranteed contracts on their roster, once they sign No. 3 pick Jaylen Brown, as Deveney points out.
Hoops Links: Wade, Smart, Raptors
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- Big Three Sports runs down some of the more underrated stars in the league.
- Raptors Rapture analyzes how well Raptors GM Masai Ujiri’s moves have worked in the past calendar year.
- The Jump Ball disagrees about Marcus Smart‘s projection.
- The Hardwood Nation thanks Dwyane Wade from the perspective of a Heat fan.
- Grizzly Bear Blues examines the good and the bad parts of the Grizzlies’ summer.
- Denver Stiffs looks at what it would take for the Nuggets to land Russell Westbrook.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Raptors
DeMarcus Cousins said he has enjoyed being around Carmelo Anthony with Team USA because the Knicks star has experience playing on both winning and losing teams in an interview posted on the Sacramento Bee’s website. The comment is interesting and while Knicks fans may read it and envision Cousins in blue and orange, there may not be much to put stock into. The Kings are refusing to listen to trade offers for the talented big man, who has two seasons remaining on his contract.
It’s well-known that I have been a Melo fan my whole life so just to work with him on a daily, I think it is going to help me be a better player.” Cousins said. “I‘m excited for it.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- DeMar DeRozan has epitomized the idea of staying loyal by never forgetting his Compton roots in California and choosing to remain with the Raptors this summer, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes in a worthwhile profile of the Toronto star. DeRozan told Medina that the reason he chose to re-sign with the Raptors and not sign with the Lakers had nothing to do with the latter’s recent shortcomings. “When you have an opportunity to go home, that’s something that certainly would cross your mind. But it wasn’t anything,” DeRozan said. “After I finish playing, I’m pretty sure I’ll live in L.A. But I just wanted to do something special and leave a legacy of my own in Toronto.”
- With a need for shooting, the Celtics could conceivably make a bid for free agent J.R. Smith after failing to add more offense via free agency, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
Pelicans Re-Sign Alonzo Gee
JULY 22: The Pelicans have officially re-signed Gee, the team confirmed today in a press release.
JULY 21: The Pelicans and Alonzo Gee have agreed on a one-year deal worth $1.4MM, Michael Scotto of The Associated Press reports (on Twitter). Shams Charania of The Vertical recently reported that the two sides were close to striking an agreement.
Gee opted out of his previous contract with the Pelicans earlier this month. He would have earned about $1.379MM in 2016/17 if he had exercised his option, so this is only a slight increase. Still, judging by the amount of money tossed around this summer, it seemed like a logical decision for Gee.
Gee, 29, made 38 starts and appeared in 73 games for New Orleans last season. He averaged only 4.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG. Gee is a solid defender and a decent role player, however. His season ended after he suffered a ruptured right quadriceps muscle.