Gary Forbes

Non-NBA Transactions: Marble, Orton, Forbes

Former Magic guard Devyn Marble is headed to Italy, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who passes along word that the 24-year-old has signed with Aquila Basket Trento. The Italian club made it official, announcing the move in a press release.

A second-round pick in 2014, Marble was part of the deal that sent Arron Afflalo to Denver — Marble headed to the Magic along with Evan Fournier. In 44 NBA games over the course of two seasons in Orlando, Marbles averaged a modest 2.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 10.4 minutes per contest. He was more productive in 20 career D-League games for the Erie BayHawks, averaging 14.3 PPG and 5.2 RPG.

An offseason deal last summer sent Marble from the Magic to the Clippers, who subsequently waived him. The former Iowa Hawkeye signed a deal with a team in Greece, but a contract dispute made him a free agent again last month.

Here are a few more recent non-NBA moves involving former NBA players:

  • Greek team G.S. Kymis has announced the signing of former NBA center Daniel Orton, per Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. A first-round pick (29th overall) in the 2010 draft, Orton played in 51 total contests for Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Philadelphia, but his last NBA game was over three years ago.
  • Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate, has waived Gary Forbes, according to a press release issued today by the team. Forbes, who appeared in 111 total NBA games for Denver and Toronto, was the Long Island Nets‘ first pick in last year’s NBADL expansion draft.
  • Ramon Galloway, who was in camp with the Magic this past fall, has been waived from Orlando’s D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, the club announced (Twitter link via Chris Reichert of The Step Back).

Eastern Notes: Terry, Sanders, Wall, Forbes

A shot at playing time may have been what most attracted Jason Terry to the Bucks, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Terry appeared in 72 games and averaged 17.5 minutes per night for the Rockets last season, and apparently he’s not ready for a reduced role, even with his 39th birthday looming next month. After missing out on free agent guards Kent Bazemore and Dwyane Wade, the Bucks turned to Terry, who ranks third on the list of most 3-pointers made in a career. “Whether he gets 40 minutes, four minutes or no minutes, he’ll accept it and be professional about it,’’ said Terry’s agent, Ryan N. Davis. “He’s excited to be with Milwaukee and help them.’’

There’s more news tonight from the Eastern Conference:

  • Former Bucks center Larry Sanders has no interest in signing a deal that is only guaranteed for training camp, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Sanders, who hasn’t played since leaving the NBA in December of 2014 because of anxiety and depression, is looking for a situation that offers a real opportunity to make a 15-man roster.
  • Wizards point guard John Wall is going through intense rehab as he tries to bounce back from two knee surgeries in May, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall, who is expected to be ready for the start of next season, promises “the beginning of the new John Wall era” and says he’s trying to get in the best shape of his career.
  • Former Nuggets and Raptors wing Gary Forbes is among the most likely players taken by the Long Island Nets in this week’s expansion draft to actually play for the D-League team, according to NetsDaily.com. Most of the draftees have overseas contracts for next season, but the 31-year-old Forbes doesn’t. Other possibilities are swingmen Carrick Felix and Akil Mitchell.

2016 NBA D-League Expansion Draft Results

The NBA D-League conducted its expansion draft today, allowing the league’s three new teams to add the rights to 12 players apiece. The league’s previously-existing 19 teams had been permitted to retain the rights to 10 players each, leaving the rest of their players unprotected and free to be drafted, as Chris Reichert of UpsideMotor.com explained earlier today.

As we noted on Tuesday, the D-League’s three new franchises this year are affiliates for the Nets (Long Island Nets), Hornets (Greensboro Swarm), and Bulls (Windy City Bulls).

The players those three teams added today won’t necessarily play for them this season — in fact, it’s somewhat rare for expansion draftees to suit up for their new clubs, as D-League Digest tweets. Many of those players will try to catch on with an NBA team or will end up playing overseas. Still, the expansion draft gives the D-League’s new teams some assets as they start to build their rosters for the coming season.

Per Reichert, here are the results of today’s expansion draft. The player’s former D-League team is noted in parentheses, and picks are ordered by round. The teams will hold their players’ rights for the next two seasons:

Long Island Nets (Twitter link)

  1. Gary Forbes (Grand Rapids Drive)
  2. Carrick Felix (Santa Cruz Warriors)
  3. Jamaal Franklin (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
  4. Akil Mitchell (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
  5. Peyton Siva (Delaware 87ers)
  6. Alex Kirk (Canton Charge)
  7. Austin Freeman (Westchester Knicks)
  8. Kendall Gray (Iowa Energy)
  9. Lazar Hayward (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
  10. Dwayne Polee Jr. (Reno Bighorns)
  11. Matt Bouldin (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
  12. Lewis Jackson (Salt Lake City Stars)

Greensboro Swarm (Twitter link)

  1. Josh Davis (Austin Spurs)
  2. Abdul Gaddy (Maine Red Claws)
  3. Tony Bishop (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
  4. Scotty Hopson (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
  5. Toure’ Murry (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
  6. Rodney Williams (Oklahoma City Blue)
  7. Josh Huestis (Oklahoma City Blue)
  8. Ralston Turner (Grand Rapids Drive)
  9. Keanau Post (Raptors 905)
  10. Damien Wilkins (Iowa Energy)
  11. Kris Joseph (Westchester Knicks)
  12. Dee Bost (Raptors 905)

Windy City Bulls (Twitter link)

  1. Wesley Saunders (Austin Spurs)
  2. Kiwi Gardner (Santa Cruz Warriors)
  3. Ralph Sampson III (Maine Red Claws)
  4. Booker Woodfox (Texas Legends)
  5. Jerel McNeal (Northern Arizona Suns)
  6. Akeem Richmond (Reno Bighorns)
  7. Casey Prather (Northern Arizona Suns)
  8. Jon Octeus (Canton Charge)
  9. Justin Dentmon (Texas Legends)
  10. Jamal Jones (Delaware 87ers)
  11. Xavier Thames (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
  12. Ian Chiles (Salt Lake City Stars)

Grizzlies, Pacers Interested In Gary Forbes

Free agent Gary Forbes has interest from the Grizzlies and Pacers as he mulls an offer in China, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).   A contract in China would allow him to join an NBA team midseason when the Chinese season is complete.

Forbes, 29, signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Nets last offseason before being cut in mid-October.  Soon after, the 6’7″ swingman hooked on with the Nets’ D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, before being cut in January due to injury.

Forbes played in China during the 2012-13 season and has been away from the NBA since 2012.  In his two years with the Nuggets and Raptors, Forbes averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Earlier today, we learned that the Pacers are interested in MarShon Brooks and it stands to reason that they’ll be looking into several options to help to try and fill the void.

Nets Waive Gary Forbes

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the Nets have waived swingman Gary Forbes (Twitter link). The 6’7 small forward had signed a non-guaranteed contract with Brooklyn in late September and had drawn interest from the Knicks and Lakers over the summer. Forbes played sparingly in four pre-season games for the Nets, totaling roughly 6.3 PPG in 9.5 MPG.

The move reduces the Nets’ roster to 17 players, which includes 15 fully-guaranteed and two non-guaranteed deals.

Nets To Bring Gutierrez, Johnson, Forbes To Camp

As I noted a week ago when I looked at teams already carrying 15 or more guaranteed contracts, the Nets already have a full roster and likely won't be shaking it up before the season gets underway. Still, the team will bring a handful of camp invitees on board for the next few weeks. Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Brooklyn has signed Jorge Gutierrez and Chris Johnson, while Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets that Gary Forbes will also be in camp with the club.

Gutierrez, a 6'3" guard out of California, played 50 games for the D-League's Canton Charge last season, averaging 10.5 PPG and 4.7 APG. Johnson, not to be confused by the Chris Johnson who currently plays for the Timberwolves, is a 6'6" swingman out of Dayton who made his NBA debut for the Grizzlies last season, appearing in eight games with Memphis before the team decided to let his second 10-day contract expire.

As for Forbes, the 28-year-old spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Nuggets and Raptors from 2010 to 2012. In 111 career games, the 6'7" forward posted 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG to go along with a decent 12.4 PER in 13.5 minutes per contest. Forbes spent last season playing for China's Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, recording impressive averages of 28.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 27 games. He reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Knicks last month.

With no easy way onto the Nets roster for these three camp invitees, it's possible that one or more of them will ultimately end up playing for Brooklyn's D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor.

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Gary Forbes To Work Out For Lakers, Knicks

Unrestricted free agent Gary Forbes is expected to work out for the Knicks next week, after working out for the Lakers today, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Both teams only have minimum-salary slots to offer free agents, so if either team were to bring Forbes aboard, it would have to be for the veteran's minimum or on a training-camp invite.

Forbes, 28, spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Nuggets in 2010/11 and the Raptors in 2011/12. In 111 career games, the 6'7" forward averaged 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG to go along with a decent 12.4 PER in 13.5 minutes per contest.

Forbes was sent to Houston by Toronto in the deal that netted the Raptors Kyle Lowry, and was released by the Rockets before spending the 2012/13 season playing international ball. He averaged 28.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 27 games for China's Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.

The Knicks and Lakers figure to work out plenty of players in search of a body or two to fill out their respective 15-man rosters. We heard last week that Sean May, D.J. White, and Lester Hudson were among the other former NBA players working out for New York.

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Murray, Bucks

With Kevin Love's uncertain health status for the rest of the season, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN says that the Timberwolves have made it a "pressing priority" to add another big man to their roster, and that there is a strong likelihood that Minnesota makes a move by the trade deadline. Also, Wolfson writes that the team has not been engaged by the Grizzlies in exploratory trade talks involving Rudy Gay. Here's more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the NBA: 
  • Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com wonders if it may be time for the 76ers to make a drastic move the way Brooklyn did in order to right their ship. Although firing Doug Collins may not be the answer, dealing Thaddeus Young might be a painful-but-necessary move worth considering. 
  • Several months removed from telling the Hornets that he wanted to be in Phoenix, Eric Gordon is ready and willing to take on the leadership role expected from him in New Orleans (Steve Kyler of USA Today reports). 
  • Ronald Murray has signed with Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukraine, according to Basket-Planet.com (credit goes to HoopsHype for the translation). The 6'3 guard's resume includes an eight-year stint in the NBA from 2002 to 2010, last playing for the Bulls and subsequently the Bobcats during the 2009-10 season. 
  • Zach Lowe of Grantland explains why Scott Skiles was not the Bucks' main problem and looks into the bigger decisions ahead with regards to the futures of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings.  Lowe mentions that if Ellis decides to opt-out this summer, Milwaukee could have max-level cap room to work with at that point. 
  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines Demetris Nichols and Sean Evans, two former standouts from New York colleges who have started to make some waves in the D-League. Schlosser thinks that both have shown some characteristics of being possible contributors in the NBA. 
  • Emilio Carchiano from Sportando.net notes that Gary Forbes has officially signed a deal with Atleticos de San German. 

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Magic, Vucevic, Carlesimo

Lakers coach and former Knicks boss Mike D'Antoni was a little thrown by Amare Stoudemire's recent assertion that he was never taught defense before this year, as Newsday's Al Iannazzone documents. D'Antoni, who coached Stoudemire in New York and Phoenix, said he didn't think Stoudemire meant to be malicious, but still found the comment "mind-boggling" and implied that Stoudemire threw him and his assistant coaches with the Knicks under the bus. Here's more from around the Eastern Conference.

  • We heard earlier today that the Magic, unsurprisingly, will not try to sign Dwight Howard in the offseason, and Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports that the team isn't interested in acquiring fellow Dan Fegan client DeMarcus Cousins, either.
  • Schmitz also writes that Nikola Vucevic is off the market unless a team "blows away" the Magic with a proposal (and a Cousins offer wouldn't qualify). Still, Schmitz wonders if Orlando could swap him for a marquee talent when he gets closer to the end of his rookie deal in 2015.
  • HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis checks in with Nets interim coach and former Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo, who has admiration for the San Antonio model but doesn't think it's one that can be applied in Brooklyn.
  • In a video attached to the same piece, Nets swingman MarShon Brooks, who's been seeing more playing time under Carlesimo, predictably gives the coach his stamp of approval, and brushes off trade rumors. 
  • Former Raptors small forward Gary Forbes had his sights set on an eventual return to the NBA when he signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China in November, but his next move will be to Puerto Rico, where he'll play for Atleticos de San German, reports Manolo Rodriguez of Tiro Al Blanco (translation via Sportando).

Gary Forbes Signs In China

Gary Forbes signed to play in China this year for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, but he still has his eyes set on an NBA contract when the CBA season is over, agent Greg Nunn informs HoopsHype. The 6’7” forward was one of the last cuts by the Rockets at the end of training camp. The Chinese season ends in February, so there will be plenty of time for Forbes to return to the NBA if any team shows interest.

Forbes, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets and Raptors, respectively, after going undrafted out of UMass in 2008. He spent time in Italy, Israel and the D-League before making the Nuggets out of camp in 2010. He signed a two-year, $3MM contract with the Raptors after the lockout, but was sent to Houston in the Kyle Lowry deal. The contract was fully guaranteed for 2012/13, but the Rockets waived him when the James Harden trade left them with more guaranteed contracts than available roster spots.

Forbes has averaged 5.8 points in 13.5 minutes per game in the NBA, with a 12.4 PER. He’ll join former 14th overall pick Al Thornton, who signed with the Lions in September.