Johnson, Goudelock, Mack Taken In D-League Draft
The NBA D-League held its annual draft on Friday. Former Celtics forward JaJuan Johnson, traded to the Rockets this summer and waived during training camp, was drafted first overall by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Other players with NBA experience taken in the first round include former Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock, former Wizards guard Shelvin Mack, and former Clippers guard Travis Leslie.
Be sure to check out the official D-League site for the complete draft recap.
D-League Links: Draft, Cavs, Dentmon, Head
The annual NBA D-League draft takes place tonight, as the league's 16 teams look to stock up their rosters for the coming season. Former first-round pick JaJuan Johnson is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick, but there are plenty of familiar names among the list of players eligible to be drafted. Let's round up a few D-League updates as the draft approaches….
- The D-League's official site has the complete list of draft-eligible players, with its picks for the top 25 prospects in bold.
- As we've discussed in previous posts, NBA teams are permitted to retain the rights to three camp invitees and assign them to their D-League affiliates. For instance, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets, the Cavaliers protected the rights to Micheal Eric, Kevin Jones, and Kevin Anderson. These players are ineligible to be drafted by a rival team tonight, though they could still be signed by another NBA team, if the club was willing to use one of its 15-man roster spots.
- D-League teams have announced their camp invitees in advance of the draft, as Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside writes. Among the notable names: Justin Dentmon and Luther Head of the Austin Toros, Seth Tarver of the Idaho Stampede, Troy Hudson and Keith Benson of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and D.J. Kennedy of the Erie BayHawks.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Rondo, Holiday, Knicks
Several of the league's young stars were able to hammer out extensions prior to the Halloween deadline, including James Harden, Taj Gibson, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry, Ty Lawson, and Jrue Holiday. Where does Rajon Rondo's lucrative extension – inked in 2009 – stack up against the recent deals? More on that, plus other news out of the Atlantic…
- Rich Levine of CSNNE.com writes that the Celtics now look exceptionally smart for locking down Rondo for $55MM over five years. Curry, Lawson, and Holiday all received hefty four-year deals ($44MM, $48MM, $41MM, respectively) that make Rondo's deal look like a bargain. The one-guard is now entering year three of his five-year pact, a contract that has been key to the C's continued success.
- Speaking of Holiday, the Sixers guard was surprised that his agent and the team were able to hammer out an extension seven minutes before the midnight deadline, writes Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. The deal marked a major milestone for Holiday but also for General Manager Tony DiLeo as he completed his first significant deal in his new position.
- The Knicks waived training camp invitees Mychel Thompson, Henry Sims, John Shurna, and Oscar Bellfield, but they'll be able to keep a close eye on three of them in the D-League, writes Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal. Thompson, Sims, and Bellfield will join the BayHawks affiliate, leaving the sharpshooting Shurna on the outside for the time being. Shurna, who drew attention for having a similar offensive skillset to Steve Novak, will likely be on the Knicks' radar as well.
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Smith, D-League, Pippen
Earlier this week, we heard that there were a number of teams that at least touched base with the Thunder about James Harden before he was traded to the Rockets. We can add the Bobcats to that list as well, as owner Michael Jordan tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that his team "made a couple calls" about Harden's availability. Jordan, who says he's "in it for the long haul" as Bobcats owner, adds that he believes Charlotte can still be an attractive destination for free agents down the road, though he acknowledges the team needs to get its house in order first.
Here are a few more notes from around the NBA, as the Thunder and Spurs prepare for the only game on tonight's schedule:
- On the heels of some surprising contract extensions, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com shares his five rules for teams thinking about extending players.
- Nolan Smith tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he understands the Blazers' cap situation and has no problem with the team's decision to turn down his 2013/14 option, adding that he views it as a "blessing in disguise" (Twitter links).
- A few intriguing names will be in camp with the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics' D-League affiliate, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Xavier Silas, Micah Downs, Chris Wright, and Chamberlain Oguchi are among the invitees.
- Nets GM Billy King tells Newsday's Roderick Boone that one of the lessons he learned at his previous job in Philadelphia: "At the end, I was just trying to keep my job. Once you start trying to keep your job and not do it, it's not going to work."
- The Bulls have appointed Scottie Pippen a Senior Advisor to the President and COO of the team, according to an official release.
Rautins, Thompson Sign With Tulsa 66ers
A pair of Thunder camp invitees, Andy Rautins and Hollis Thompson, have signed D-League contracts to join the Tulsa 66ers, reports Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (via Twitter). Both players were released by the Thunder over the weekend, along with Daniel Orton, who is expected to re-sign with Oklahoma City.
Rautins, a second-round pick in 2010, has appeared in just five NBA games in his brief career, while Thompson, a Georgetown product, went undrafted in this year's draft despite having been ranked as a top-50 prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Having carried Rautins and Thompson late into the preseason, the Thunder held their D-League rights, meaning the team will get a chance to develop the duo at its affiliate in Tulsa, which isn't shared with another NBA club. Another NBA team could sign either player away from the 66ers during the season, but the team would have to be willing to use a spot on its 15-man roster.
Jamario Moon Signs D-League Contract
Jamario Moon has signed with the D-League and will join the Los Angeles D-Fenders, according to agent Jared Karnes of A3 Athletics (Twitter link).
Moon spent part of last season playing for the Lakers' D-League affiliate, appearing in 12 games and posting averages of 17.7 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 37.8 minutes per contest. The 32-year-old hired Karnes as his agent earlier this month, in search of an NBA contract. While teams aren't currently rushing to add players to their rosters, having just made camp cuts, an impressive showing in the D-League could earn Moon another shot at the NBA.
Moon, a five-year veteran, appeared in eight games for the Bobcats in 2011/12, but didn't make the most of his limited minutes. Moon averaged just 2.3 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 15.4 MPG, shooting 29.2% from the floor.
International Notes: Ayon, D-League, China, Turkey
With three more NBA training camp invitees out of a job within the last 24 hours, we may soon be hearing about some familiar names winding up overseas. With the 2012/13 season under way in many leagues around the world, here's what's going on internationally.
- Emilio Duran, the agent for Magic center Gustavo Ayon, says FC Barcelona has acquired his client's Spanish league rights from Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, as had been rumored earlier this month, reports Rene Tovar of ESPNDeportes.com (translation via HoopsHype). The move only applies if and when Ayon decides to play outside of the NBA, and Duran said Ayon, whose NBA deal is guaranteed through the end of 2012/13, is content to remain stateside.
- The lure of more money from a team overseas was unusually attractive for D-League players last year because of the lockout, writes Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside.
- China and Turkey are becoming more attractive destinations as leagues in Italy, Spain and Greece struggle amid financial crisis in those countries, as Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports. The caliber of player who could once get $250K annually in the Spanish league is now drawing only $80K to $100K, agent Mark Bartelstein said. "There are no safe places in Europe anymore," according to agent Bill Neff. "FIBA may help but in many, if not most places in Europe, you now spend your time chasing your player's money instead of managing his career."
Odds & Ends: Nets, PEDs, Radmanovic, Invitees
Newsday's Roderick Boone says the Nets are a work in progress, but passes along praise from Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "It's like this is a whole new franchise," Rivers said. "It feels like they just plucked this team out of the space, and all of the sudden they've got a hell of a team in our division that wears black uniforms. It's unbelievable. I don't know if they could've done anything better. This is terrific." The Nets also drew admiration from Kevin Garnett, but Brooklyn coach Avery Johnson believes all the talk is just a psychological ploy from the team that's won the Atlantic Division five years in a row, calling it "a straight setup," as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News documents (Sulia link). As the gamesmanship intensifies and the regular season draws closer, here's more from around the league.
- The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency called upon the NBA to institute testing for human growth hormone, and says there are "gaps" in the league's measures to prevent the use of performance-enhancing drugs, Henry Abbott of ESPN.com reports.
- Bulls offseason signee Vladimir Radmanovic is having trouble adjusting to the physical demands of playing for coach Tom Thibodeau, and might not be a part of the team's rotation come opening night, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld sizes up the chances each team's training camp hopefuls have of making the opening-night roster.
- Micheal Eric and Kevin Jones haven't seen much playing time in preseason games, which makes practice all the more important for the pair, both of whom are trying to make the Cavaliers on non-guaranteed deals, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer chronicles.
- Vince Carter appears to be the favorite to assume the sixth-man role that Jason Terry played for the Mavericks before departing via free agency this past summer, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside identifies six intriguing prospects who are likely to be available in the D-League draft, including Phil Jones, who was in camp with the Timberwolves earlier this month.
Odds & Ends: McGrady, Curry, Spurs, Vujacic
The Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics are considered the most dangerous threats to the Heat this season, but ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh thinks he's put together the team most capable of knocking off the defending champs. In an Insider-only piece, Haberstroh puts together a squad of "Heat Beaters" that adheres to the NBA's salary cap rules by surrounding a pair of superstars (Chris Paul and Dwight Howard) with a number of players on rookie-scale deals, including Serge Ibaka, Taj Gibson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard.
Here are a few other Thursday links from around the league:
- NBA commissioner David Stern and former teammate Shane Battier are among those applauding Tracy McGrady's decision to sign in China, according to Alastair Himmer of 560 WGAN.
- Though there's no real update on extension talks between Stephen Curry and the Warriors, both sides remain optimistic that a deal will be worked out by Halloween, says Sam Amick of SI.com (Sulia link). Amick adds that Curry's next contract is now being negotiated by Octagon's Jeff Austin after the point guard's previous agent, Lance Young, left Octagon.
- The battle for the Spurs' 15th roster spot is going down to the wire, according to Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, who breaks down the four candidates for the opening. McCarney believes the Spurs' decision will come down to Eddy Curry and Josh Powell.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford names his top five 2013 draft prospects out of the Big 12.
- Sasha Vujacic says he'll consider returning to the NBA next summer, according to a Sport24.gr report (translation via HoopsHype).
- Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside previews the NBA D-League draft, which is set to take place on November 2nd.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Bucks, 2013 Draft, D-League
After rounding up a few stories out of the west this morning, let's turn our attention this afternoon to the Eastern Conference and to a pair of drafts….
- Competition for playing time and roster spots is still wide open, according to Magic coach Jacque Vaughn. "I am completely honest when I say I have not filled out my top 10, top nine, top 12 guys on the team yet," Vaughn told the media, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, after last night's game. "And guys should take advantage of that, and tonight was a night that guys should’ve taken advantage of that opportunity."
- Coach Scott Skiles says the Bucks talked "many times" about how trading Andrew Bogut would impact their interior defense, and made it a priority this offseason to add size and length. Truman Reed of NBA.com has the details.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranks the top prospects out of the Big East for next year's NBA draft. Meanwhile, Ford's No. 1 2013 prospect, Nerlens Noel, has been cleared by the NCAA to practice and play for the Kentucky Wildcats, according to a USA Today report.
- Speaking of drafts, the NBA D-League's 2012 draft will take place on the evening of November 2nd, according to the league's official Twitter account.
- The Cavs won't necessarily keep both Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan on their regular-season roster, but neither player has really pulled away as the favorite to earn a roster spot, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.