Decisions On Non-Guaranteed Contracts
February 10th marks the day that all players on non-guaranteed contracts will have their deals guaranteed for the remainder of the season. However, if a team wants to meet that Friday deadline, it will need to make its decisions today, allowing its player(s) to pass through waivers in time.
Some non-guaranteed players, such as DeJuan Blair and Jeremy Lin, are in no danger of being waived. However, with a few dozen players on non-guaranteed deals across the league, there will be plenty of cuts before the day is out. Some of those players will sign 10-day contracts shortly after being cut, while others could join the D-League or find a place on our list of current unrestricted free agents.
We'll track all the day's decisions on non-guaranteed contracts right here, with the latest news up top:
- Other players who will have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the year: Ivan Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Jerry Stackhouse (Hawks), Cory Higgins (Bobcats), Brian Scalabrine, John Lucas (Bulls), Samardo Samuels, Alonzo Gee (Cavaliers), Sean Williams (Mavericks), Julyan Stone (Nuggets), Vernon Macklin, Damien Wilkins (Pistons), Dominic McGuire, Chris Wright (Warriors), Sundiata Gaines, Keith Bogans (Nets), Steve Novak, Jerome Jordan (Knicks), Ryan Reid (Thunder), DeAndre Liggins (Magic), Lavoy Allen, Francisco Elson (Sixers), Danny Green, Gary Neal (Spurs), Jeremy Evans (Jazz).
- The Jazz will guarantee Jamaal Tinsley's contract, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Pistons are keeping guard Walker Russell, agent Giovanni Funicello told HoopsHype (via Twitter).
- The Hornets have waived DaJuan Summers and Carldell Johnson, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Rockets waived Jeff Adrien, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The move clears a roster spot for Greg Smith.
- The Wizards have waived Hamady N'Diaye, according to a team release.
- Chris Johnson received a call from Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan this morning saying his contract would be guaranteed, tweets Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- The Celtics will hang on to Greg Stiemsma and guarantee his deal, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- The Lakers have waived Derrick Caracter. Caracter broke the news himself, tweeting "It's over before it begun!!! …. On to the next chapter of my life" (Twitter links). The Lakers will hang on to Devin Ebanks, Andrew Goudelock, and Darius Morris, tweets Mike Breshnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Clippers have cut Solomon Jones, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
- The Heat have waived Mickell Gladness, the team announced (Twitter link). Miami's other two players on non-guaranteed deals, Eddy Curry and Terrel Harris, look safe, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- The Grizzlies have waived Josh Davis, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- The Spurs announced they've waived Malcolm Thomas, who was assigned to the team's D-League affiliate last week.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Celtics Interested In Pau Gasol
The Celtics have interest in Lakers big man Pau Gasol in a deal involving Rajon Rondo, sources tell Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. There's no indication that the two sides have discussed such a deal, however.
In an interview with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, General Manager Mitch Kupchak indicated that he would like make a move to rejuvenate the team's aging backcourt. "Well, if there were a way for us to get a 25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard we'd love to do it … but that's not likely in February. So you look at other alternatives, and see if it's better than what you have. That's all," the GM explained.
Rondo would fit the profile of a "25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard" and Pincus writes that those comments could be a tell. Then again, one would be hard pressed to find a GM who wouldn't have some interest in the Kentucky product.
Gasol, would give the C's another option on the inside along Kevin Garnett, who is in the final year of his deal. Boston could have considerable cap room this summer but there hasn't been any buzz about the club luring stars such as Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.
Celtics A Free Agency Possibility For Mayo
Rich Keefe of CelticsHub.com interviewed O.J. Mayo before Sunday's Grizzlies-Celtics game, and the Memphis guard implied that he would be open to playing in Boston.
"It’s always been one of the top organizations in basketball," Mayo said. "Ever since you were a little boy start playing basketball you always heard about the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird, all the great players, it’s always been a great organization."
Mayo, 24, was the third overall pick in the 2008 draft and will be a restricted free agent after the 2011/12 season. He's averaging 12.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG this season.
Atlantic Links: Garnett, Williams, Jeffries
Here's a few links to what's been going on in the Atlantic Division over the weekend.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post points to the Nets' pick and roll defense as a main reason in why they lost to the Knicks last night. "It's something they have struggled with time and again all season long. When you break down their defense using advanced stats, the best part of their defense actually is defending the ball handler in the pick-and-roll (16th overall in the league at 0.8 points per possession). But it's the roll man that constantly kills them."
- After New York's win, Mike D'Antoni said that Jared Jeffries played his best game of the season, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPN NewYork. Jeffries finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action.
- After defeating the Grizzlies 98-80 on Sunday afternoon, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes that Kevin Garnett's 24 point, nine rebound performance was especially crucial for the Celtics because of backup power forward Brandon Bass' injury.
- New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams has had an uncharacteristically inconsistent year so far. Jake Appleman of the New York Times gives an in-depth account of Williams' battle with Jeremy Lin.
Odds & Ends: J.R. Smith, Powe, Celtics, Redd
Here are a few Thursday links of note from around the NBA:
- The Knicks have more interest in J.R. Smith than they have in Kenyon Martin, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times. If Smith's CBA team doesn't make the playoffs, he could make his way back to America in a couple weeks.
- Leon Powe has talked to the Bulls, and may be a backup plan if Chicago doesn't land Joel Przybilla, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Celtics have discussed sending JaJuan Johnson to the D-League, but head coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that it won't happen anytime soon.
- Early-season signee Michael Redd is still trying to get comfortable on the floor with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- In an NBA.com mailbag, Keith Langlois answers readers' questions about the Pistons, including a couple related to possible Rodney Stuckey trades.
Atlantic Notes: Bogans, Pietrus, Raptors, D’Antoni
Let's round up a few Thursday morning items out of the Atlantic division….
- Keith Bogans is at a loss trying to explain why he was out of work so long, says Fred Kerber of the New York Post. The newest Net told Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger that he's been "sitting at home for a month and a half, going crazy." Bogans, who signed with New Jersey yesterday, will received a guaranteed pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum.
- Mickael Pietrus talked last night about his decision to sign with the Celtics, and Ben Rohrbach has the quotes at WEEI.com: "To be honest with you, the reason I came to the Celtics is because of coach Rivers and KG…. [Kevin Garnett] makes everybody play hard. I was like, that’s going to be a good fit for me to play with the man."
- Raptors GM Brian Colangelo put in some face time with top draft pick Jonas Valanciunas for the first time since last summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. Following the visit, Colangelo said everyone "is certainly on the same page."
- There are strong indications that Mike D'Antoni will keep his job past Super Bowl Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. There's some hope that a healthier and rejuvenated Knicks squad can still turn things around.
Joel Przybilla To Decide Between Bulls, Heat
Kenyon Martin isn't the only player expected to decide on a team by this weekend. Joel Przybilla's agent, Bill Duffy, tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link) that Przybilla will choose between the Bulls and the Heat by the end of the week. Duffy adds that the proximity of Chicago to Przybilla's family in Wisconsin won't be a factor in his decision (Twitter link).
Limited by knee injuries a year ago, Przybilla played in 36 games for the Trail Blazers and Bobcats. The 32-year-old's 2010/11 rates of 4.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes were down slightly from his career averages of 7.2 and 11.3. Przybilla reportedly considered retiring in the offseason, but ultimately decided against it. Last Thursday, Duffy said his client probably wouldn't sign for "a few more weeks," so it appears that timetable has been moved up a little.
The Heat have no exceptions or cap space available, so they'd only be able to offer Przybilla the veteran's minimum. The Bulls, on the other hand, could use their bi-annual exception on the former ninth overall pick, if they so choose. I'm guessing they're also offering the minimum and will save their BAE for next season.
The Celtics, Bucks, and Blazers also had interest in Przybilla, but are now out of the running, tweets Deveney.
2011/12 Taxpayer Mid-Level Exceptions Update
The NBA's latest Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced a new kind of mid-level exception for teams who are paying the luxury tax. Rather than the four-year contract starting at $5MM (with 4.5% raises) available to non-taxpayers, teams over the tax line can offer a "mini" MLE of up to three years, starting at $3MM (4.5% raises).
Let's check in the status of those exceptions, and see which teams can still offer a pro-rated portion of that $3MM maximum to free agents:
Available
- Spurs: Though waiving the retired Antonio McDyess reduced the Spurs' cap figure somewhat, the team still only has access to the mini mid-level exception rather than the full MLE. They could use it to attempt to sign a front-court player like Kenyon Martin, though it doesn't sound like they're overly interested in him. As close to the tax line as they are, it's possible San Antonio tries to get under it by season's end, rather than adding more salary. Here's the uninspiring list of current free agents the Spurs could be eyeing.
Used
- Celtics: They used their mini MLE on December 9th, signing Chris Wilcox to a one-year deal worth $3MM.
- Heat: They used their full mini MLE on December 9th, signing Shane Battier to a three-year deal.
- Lakers: They used their mini MLE on December 14th, signing Josh McRoberts to a two-year deal. He'll receive $3MM this season and a 4.5% raise for 2012/13.
- Mavericks: They used their mini MLE on December 12th, signing Vince Carter to a three-year deal. While Carter will receive the max ($3MM) this season, his subsequent raises are just 3%, and years two and three are only partially guaranteed.
Odds & Ends: Wizards, Adelman, Irving
Notes from around the league on Monday night:
- Washington's rebuilding efforts must begin with buying out Rashard Lewis and using the amnesty clause on Andray Blatche, writes Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com. Blatche will be out three to five weeks with a strained calf muscle, coach Randy Wittman reported. The Wizards announced they're recalling center Hamady Ndiaye from the Iowa Energy, the team's D-League affiliate.
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, formerly with the Rockets, says there was a lack of communication between himself and Houston owner Leslie Alexander, reports Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio analyzes the progress of top-pick Kyrie Irving.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI's Celtics Blog says Boston's struggles this season can't be pinned on the team's bench play.
- The injury-depleted Nets may be primed to make a move. They figure to have only 10 players available for Tuesday's game with Indiana, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Teams in need of depth on the wing won't be able to turn to Sonny Weems. His Lithuanian team told Sportando they won't be letting him out of his contract before the team's season is over.