76ers Sign JaKarr Sampson
SEPTEMBER 29TH: The team acknowledged the signing, including Sampson on the preseason roster it sent via press release.
SEPTEMBER 15TH: While no announcement has been made by the Sixers, a league source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Sampson has signed the contract.
SEPTEMBER 14TH, 9:47pm: The deal also includes a fourth-year option, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter).
9:30pm: It’s a three-year deal, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter).
8:35pm: The 76ers are set to sign JaKarr Sampson, his agent tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (on Twitter). It’s a partially guaranteed deal for the former St. John’s notable.
Sampson opted to enter the 2014 draft after his sophomore year and it took some by surprise since he didn’t have a great deal of draft buzz at that point. Former Red Storm star Maurice Harkless went into the draft as an underclassman and was taken with the No. 15 overall pick, but he had much more attention than Sampson did. In any case, Sampson now has his chance with the Sixers.
Sampson worked out for the Celtics, Mavs, Clippers, Kings, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Suns in the weeks leading up to the draft.
And-Ones: Rubio, Ayon, Garnett, Karasev
Wolves guard Ricky Rubio told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that he never tried to talk Kevin Love out of asking for a trade. “If he wanted to leave, there’s no reason to talk to him about it,” Rubio said. “I really liked playing with him, but I’ll play with the players who want to be there. Kevin wants to win. That’s normal. He’s been there six years without the playoffs. I understand. If I was in the same situation – being one of the best players in the league – and not being able to be in the playoffs, I’d have a lot of frustration, too.” When asked about his own future, Rubio said that he is “loyal” and wants to give back to the organization. The guard can be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- The Spurs continue to eye center Gustavo Ayon, tweets Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. Ayon is reportedly on his way to play for Spain’s Real Madrid, but no deal with the team can become official until he comes up with the equivalent of about $376K to pay off Spanish rival FC Barcelona, which holds his European rights, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via HoopsHype).
- There has been some retirement speculation surrounding Kevin Garnett but the veteran has been one of “about ten” players who have already been working out at the Nets‘ East Rutherford, New Jersey practice facility, team insiders tell Robert Windrem of Nets Daily.
- Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily ran down the best pickups made by the Nets this offseason. Trade acquisitions Sergey Karasev and Jarrett Jack make the list as well as 2011 first-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic, 25, may be an NBA rookie but he comes with seven seasons of international experience and should be ready to hit the ground running.
- According to his Pistons preview, Adi Joseph of USA TODAY has the franchise improving their win total slightly, but still missing the playoffs.
Q&A With Bucks Guard Elijah Millsap
After signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Bucks last week, well-traveled guard/forward Elijah Millsap is hopeful that he’s finally found an NBA home. Millsap has put up star numbers in the D-League and has shown serious scoring ability from Israel to the Philippines. Now, he wants to fulfill his lifelong dream by playing on the world’s biggest stage. Hoops Rumors caught up with the Hazan Sports Management client late last week to discuss his journey and what he hopes to bring to Milwaukee this season.
Zach Links: What do you feel like you can bring to an NBA team and, specifically, the Bucks?
Elijah Millsap: I think what I bring is maturity, I’ve been a professional for over four years so I’m not really a rookie, I’m a professional and I think that’ll be an asset for any NBA team. I’ve been around the system for a while and that’s one thing I can bring to a team. My versatility is also a major asset. I can play the 1, the 2, or the 3 and I can guard multiple positions. 
ZL: What’s your best position?
EM: I don’t really have one, I can do it all. I’ve been working at the 2 and 3 this summer though.
ZL: How many other teams were you getting interest from before you signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Bucks?
EM: I don’t deal with that stuff directly so I think I’ll let my agent answer that.
Daniel Hazan (agent): We were talking with numerous teams, even before the summer league got started and I think what was most appealing to us, was the idea of being a part of a young team and being able to add a maturity to that group of guys. I think the Bucks are a team that could benefit from Elijah, not just because of his ability to play D and get to the rim, but they can benefit from his leadership skills.
ZL: Is there another player currently in the NBA that you would compare your skillset to?
EM: Not really. There are a lot of guys that I look up to on the defensive end that have been in my situation though. Guys like P.J. Tucker, guys like Wesley Matthews. Tucker was a second round guy, Matthews went undrafted, and they were able to find a niche with their team. I continue to try and keep hope alive for myself and I want to do what they were able to do in the NBA.
ZL: You played some tremendous basketball for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate during your time there, how close were you to getting called up and do you know why you weren’t?
EM: I was very close but I dont’ know if you can really say how close I was. It’s always a numbers game and all I can do is do all I can and have fun playing basketball.
ZL: You’ve had stints in China, Israel, and the Philippines. How does the international game differ from basketball here?
EM: Overseas, I would have to compare it to more like a college environment. The crowd is a little more rowdy but it’s fun. I think the game is a lot more physical over there, they let their guys get away with a lot more than Americans. It’s a great experience and it’s fun to experience different cultures though.
ZL: Did it make you more of a physical player?
EM: I’ve always been a physical player but it made me a better all-around player because I wasn’t able to get in the lane as much as I do over here in the states. Because of that it forced me to work even harder on my jump shot and that made me a complete player offensively. I appreciate the experience I got [overseas].
ZL: Did you eat the local food when you were playing overseas? Is there one dish you crave from time to time that you wish you could get in the states?
EM: In Israel they made really, really good home fries, actually. In the Philippines the way they cook their food is a lot different that what I was used to but it was all really good food out there.
ZL: There are a ton of agents out there to choose from. What made Hazan Sports Management the right agency for you?
EM: Daniel and Andrew [Hoenig] and all of them, they’re hard workers. They’re young and they’re ready to work. Going with these guys, I knew I was going to get specific attention from them. They’ve been to all of my summer league games and that’s what I was really looking for, somebody that would give me the attention that I needed. I work hard every day and so do they.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Heat, Ferry
The Heat may take a step back this season, but on an individual level, Mario Chalmers‘ father says that his son is excited about his role for the coming season, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “As sad we all are to see LeBron [James] go, Mario’s excited to go back to his natural position. He loves being a playmaker. And there will be more opportunities to score,” said Ronnie Chalmers. Here’s more out of the Southeast Division..
- Despite the controversy surrounding the Hawks and the racist comments made by owner Bruce Levenson and GM Danny Ferry, Atlanta will continue to be a free agent destination, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com opines. Blakely believes that the organization will distance themselves from the incident and people involved as quickly as possible, and players will use the departures of those involved as justification for signing with the team.
- The Heat are still looking at backup veteran centers, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Miami recently signed undrafted power forward Khem Birch but their search for size is not yet through.
- The Hawks‘ issues are a matter of league-wide importance, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Beyond the very obvious problems with what went on in Atlanta, former union executive director Charles Grantham wonders aloud if teams are sharing negative information on their players to reduce their worth. Ferry reportedly received negative information on Luol Deng from another club and then mentioned it on the now infamous conference call.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Hoops Links: Spurs, Patterson, Nets
Roughly three years ago today, Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. This summer, MWP signed to play with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association and he told his fans on Twitter that he’ll be changing his name to The Pandas Friend.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Red Rock Basketball looks at the Spurs from a fantasy perspective in their latest podcast.
- Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues has ten games to watch this year.
- Raptors HQ has some kind words for Patrick Patterson.
- Nylon Calculus runs down the greatest int’l players we never saw.
- Nets Daily says Jerome Jordan could be a good fit in Brooklyn.
- Hot Hot Hoops wonders which version of Danny Granger will show up in Miami.
- At The Hive looks back on the best live Bobcats game they’ve ever seen.
- Upside & Motor talks Jordan Adams.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look back at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Big man Ryan Hollins seems likely to land with a playoff team, writes Chuck Myron.
- Cray Allred checked in on the free agent stock of big man Emeka Okafor.
- Eddie Scarito looked back on the trade that sent James Harden to Houston.
- Nearly 60% of you say the Raptors will win the Atlantic Division.
- Chuck rounded up the best of your comments in this week’s edition of Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback.
- We all know who had the best offseason, but Alex Lee asked you to choose the team that had the second-best offseason.
- Chuck evaluated the player option decisions of Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and more.
- Chuck looked at Nikola Vucevic as an extension candidate.
- Is Chauncey Billups a Hall of Famer? Charlie Adams asked Hoops Rumors readers and nearly 60% of you said he probably won’t be in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Here are the players who took the largest pay cuts this offseason. Dirk Nowitzki leads the way.
- Did you miss out on this week’s chat? Get caught up here with the transcript. Chuck will now host his chat on 3pm CT on Wednesday afternoons, so mark it on your calendar.
Week In Review: 9/8/14 – 9/14/14
This hasn’t been a pretty week in the three major sports. The NBA was rocked this week by the Hawks controversy which will see new ownership in Atlanta and possibly a new GM to replace Danny Ferry. Let’s look beyond the ugliness and check back on the week that was..
- The Hawks re-signed Elton Brand to a one-year, $2MM deal.
- The Warriors and Jerry West agreed to an extension that will keep him in the fold through the 2016/17 season.
- Goran Dragic plans to opt out next summer.
- Several teams, including the Heat, Magic, Spurs, and Pacers, Kings, Cavs, Suns, and Mavs are interested in Zoran Dragic.
- Chauncey Billups retired.
- The Clippers finally signed Hedo Turkoglu.
- There’s a hangup in Francisco Garcia‘s deal with the Rockets but it sounds like he’ll get things worked out.
- The Mavericks will sign Charlie Villanueva to a non-guaranteed deal. Before agreeing to sign with Dallas, he was mulling an offer from the Clippers.
- Alonzo Gee and Scotty Hopson are in the Jason Terry deal, but not Josh Powell.
- D.J. Stephens is set to meet with the Jazz.
- Free agent forward Elijah Millsap signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Bucks.
- The Sixers signed Ronald Roberts Jr.
- The Cavs signed Chris Crawford to a partially guaranteed two-year deal.
- Power forward Vernon Macklin will join the Pelicans for camp. Ditto for Kevin Jones.
- Dionte Christmas is also New Orleans-bound.
- Julyan Stone has signed with an Italian club.
- Mustafa Shakur is headed to Lithuania.
- The Warriors added Las Vegas standout Justin Holiday to their training camp roster.
- Gustavo Ayon will play in Spain.
- The Nets are bringing former Knicks center Jerome Jordan in for camp.
- Ryan Gomes has signed with Spain’s Saski Baskonia.
- The Lakers auditioned Pooh Jeter, Jeremy Tyler, and others.
- The Suns signed Joe Jackson. He is really going out with them.
- The Knicks signed combo guard Langston Galloway and power forward Travis Wear.
- Big man Dallas Lauderdale will attend training camp with the Hornets.
- The Kings had their eye on Dmitry Kulagin but he decided to re-up in Russia.
- The Grizzlies and Earl Clark agreed to a training camp deal.
- The Hornets are after frontcourt help.
- Melvin Ely is headed to Japan.
Grizzlies Sign Luke Hancock For Camp
SEPTEMBER 25TH: The deal is official, as the Grizzlies have followed up with a formal announcement.
SEPTEMBER 11TH: Memphis has yet to make an official announcement, but the Grizzlies and Hancock put pen to paper last week, as the RealGM transactions log shows. Hancock’s deal is without a guarantee, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
AUGUST 31ST: Luke Hancock has agreed to a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Grizzlies, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).
Hancock began his collegiate career at George Mason University before the departure of coach Jim Larrañaga led him to transfer to Louisville. In 2013, Hancock was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament as he helped lead the Cardinals to a National Championship.
Hancock auditioned for the 76ers, Pistons, Bucks, Jazz, Rockets, and Celtics prior to the draft but wasn’t selected in June. The Pedro Power client averaged 10.1 PPG and shot ~37% from downtown in his two seasons with Louisville.
And-Ones: Hawks, Lakers, Ayon, Collison
The NBA and its network partners expect to reach an agreement on new long-term media deals by the start of the regular season, sources tell John Lombardo and John Ourand of Sports Business Daily. The new deal would see the league’s annual rights fee more than double, with ESPN and Turner combining to pay more than $2 billion per year on average. As it stands, the NBA takes in $485MM per year from ESPN and $445MM from Turner, good for a little under $1 billion per year. Several sources say the new deal will be an eight-year pact but one source says it’ll be a nine-year deal. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. wrote a letter to majority owner Bruce Levenson in June asking to get rid of GM Danny Ferry, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore also reprinted Gearon’s account of Ferry’s controversial comment.
- The Lakers asked Byron Scott‘s opinion on their summer moves as they made them even before they hired the coach, who praised the team’s acquisitions of Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin in an interview with A. Martinez of 89.3 KPCC Public Radio.
- Barcelona was also in on Gustavo Ayon before he landed with Real Madrid, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We learned earlier today that the center signed with the Spanish club on a multi-year deal.
- Offseason addition Darren Collison knows it won’t be easy, but he’s excited about the opportunity to help lead the Kings, writes Steven Wilson of Kings.com. “We have a relatively young team and there’s still going to be a lot to learn – there are going to be some road blocks and it’s not going to be easy where we want to go, but I’m excited to take on that role,” Collison said.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Lewis, Rockets, Terry
Here’s tonight’s look at the Southwest Division..
- Charlie Villanueva signing with the Mavericks can’t be a good sign for Rashard Lewis and his chances of getting something done with Dallas, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The team recently 86’d their one-year, $1.4MM offer after learning that Lewis needed an operation on his right knee.
- The Rockets certainly wanted his expiring contract, but they also had their eye on adding a veteran guard when they traded for Jason Terry, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. With that in mind, Feigen wonders if the Rockets might want to add an experienced player at the center position. Trouble is, Houston has 19 players under contract and 16 with guaranteed deals. For now, it looks like Houston will hope to see some development out of Joey Dorsey, Donatas Motejunas, and Josh Powell.
- Free agent forward Vernon Macklin, who signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Pelicans, rejected overseas deals to hook on with New Orleans, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Kevin Jones, who also has a non-guaranteed deal with the Pelicans, had significant interest from the Pacers before Paul George‘s season-ending injury.