Bucks Officially Sign Marvin Williams
The Bucks have made it official with Marvin Williams, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran forward. Terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but it figures to be a one-year contract worth the prorated veteran’s minimum.
After remaining in Charlotte through the trade deadline, Williams quickly negotiated a buyout with the Hornets, clearing the way for him to join a contending team. Before that buyout with Charlotte was even official, Williams’ camp had lined up a deal with the NBA-leading Bucks, who released little-used big man Dragan Bender in order to create an opening on their 15-man roster.
Williams is unlikely to play major minutes in Milwaukee, but he’ll provide veteran leadership in the locker room and is still capable of playing a three-and-D role off the bench.
The 33-year-old has averaged a career-low 19.7 minutes per game in 41 contests for the Hornets in 2019/20, but has made 37.6% of his three-point attempts, slightly better than his career rate of 36.2%. He also contributed 6.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG in Charlotte this season.
Williams, who is in his 15th NBA season, suggested last month that he may consider retirement at season’s end. Before he seriously weighs that decision, he should get a legit chance to compete for a championship for the first time in his career — he has never made it beyond the second round in any previous postseason.
Williams’ new minimum-salary deal with the Bucks will pay him $956,348 for the final 66 days of the regular season — that’s the exact amount he gave up in his buyout with the Hornets, per Jeff Siegel of the Early Bird Rights (Twitter link). Milwaukee will carry a $604,278 cap hit for Williams.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer noted that Williams will be listed as active for tonight’s game against the Kings but will probably not play, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Waive Dragan Bender
FEBRUARY 10: The Bucks issued a press release confirming they’ve officially waived Bender. They now have the roster spot necessary to finalize the signing of Williams.
FEBRUARY 8: The Bucks will waive big man Dragan Bender, clearing the way to sign forward Marvin Williams once he completes a buyout with the Hornets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bender, 22, has appeared in just seven games for Milwaukee this season while bouncing between the G League and the NBA squad. He has seemingly been a candidate to be waived all season since the two-year deal he signed over the summer was initially only partially guaranteed for 2019/20 and non-guaranteed for next season. Because this year’s salary became fully guaranteed last month, Milwaukee will be on the hook for the full $1,678,854 unless he’s claimed on waivers.
The Croatian big man has struggled in the NBA since being drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. After appearing in all 82 games for the Suns during his sophomore campaign, he has struggled to maintain any sort of stable role.
Williams, 33, averaged career-lows in PPG (6.7) and RPG (2.7) while playing a reduced role in Charlotte. He has scored a mere 10 points in his last four games but the veteran remains a capable three-point shooter and perimeter defender. Williams figures to help the Bucks down the stretch as the team pursues the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Suns Waive Tyler Johnson
FEBRUARY 10: The Suns have officially released Johnson, the team confirmed today in a press release.
FEBRUARY 9: The Suns are waiving guard Tyler Johnson, freeing up a roster spot to use in free agency, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Johnson, who has averaged 5.7 points, 1.6 assists and 16.6 minutes in 31 games this season, will become an unrestricted free agent upon clearing waivers. He has missed the last four games with knee soreness and saw his minutes decline in recent weeks. The Suns planned to move on from him after the season and didn’t have a concrete role for him going forward, according to Wojnarowski,
The 27-year-old went undrafted back in 2014 and holds previous experience with the Heat. His best season with Miami came during the 2016/17 campaign where he averaged 13.7 points and four assists per contest, earning a four-year, $50MM deal during the summer.
The Suns have the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 21-32, going 3-7 in their last 10 games. They have upcoming games against the Lakers on Monday and Warriors on Wednesday.
Top Prospect Tyrese Haliburton Done For Season
Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton has been diagnosed with a left wrist fracture and will miss the rest of the 2019/20 college season, according to a press release from the team.
Haliburton suffered the injury during the first half of Saturday’s game vs. Kansas State. An MRI on Sunday confirmed the fracture, which will bring Haliburton’s sophomore season to an early end.
“We are disappointed for Tyrese and his family and we are focused on helping him in his recovery,” Cyclones head coach Steve Prohm said in a statement. “Tyrese is a great teammate, leader and valuable member of this program and university in so many ways. There is no doubt in my mind that Tyrese will face this setback with the same energy and passion that we have all come to appreciate and that he will return from this better than ever.”
It’s possible that Haliburton has now played the last game of his NCAA career. The second-year point guard had been in the midst of a breakout season, averaging 15.2 PPG, 6.5 APG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.5 SPG with a .592/.419/.822 shooting line in 22 games (36.7 MPG). The performance had helped boost his draft stock — he currently ranks sixth on ESPN’s big board, ahead of prospects like Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton.
Haliburton’s season-ending injury is the latest factor teams and scouts will have to take into account as they evaluate this year’s top prospects. A handful of players expected to be drafted in the top 10 haven’t played much this season — James Wiseman left Memphis after three games, Hampton and LaMelo Ball returned from Australia early due to injuries, and Anthony missed nearly two months with a knee injury of his own.
Lakers Expected To Talk To Dion Waiters
After a tumultuous season that included three suspensions in Miami and a trade to Memphis, veteran guard Dion Waiters is currently on waivers. When he goes unclaimed on Tuesday, he’ll be free to sign with any team except the Heat, and it sounds like the Lakers may have some interest.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are expected to have an “exploratory” discussion with Waiters sometime soon. As Wojnarowski notes, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka previously represented Waiters during his days as a player agent.
The Lakers are in the market for a play-maker to add to their backcourt. Darren Collison was previously thought to be at the top of the team’s wish list, but as we relayed on Sunday, he has decided not to pursue an NBA comeback this season. Woj suggests L.A. is considering multiple other possibilities, including waiting to see who else might hit the buyout market.
The fact that Waiters is represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, who also represent Anthony Davis and LeBron James, could work in favor of a union with the Lakers. However, Wojnarowski suggests that – as they did with Dwight Howard before signing him last summer – the Lakers would want to talk to Waiters to get a sense of his “state of mind” after his career hit a rough patch within the last year.
Waiters, 28, has been hampered by injuries in recent years, having not played more than 46 games in a season since 2015/16. Conditioning issues and off-court behavior – including a confrontation with head coach Erik Spoelstra and an incident on the team plane with a weed gummy – played a part in his lack of role with the Heat this season. He appeared in just three games for the team all season, averaging 9.3 PPG in 14.0 MPG.
If they want to sign Waiters or another player, the Lakers will have to remove a player from their 15-man roster. DeMarcus Cousins, who is expected to miss the entire season with a torn ACL, looks like the most probable odd man out.
Rockets To Fully Guarantee Fourth Season Of P.J. Tucker’s Contract
The Rockets are planning to fully guarantee the fourth season of P.J. Tucker‘s contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Tucker’s salary of $7.97MM will now be completely guaranteed for the 2020/21 season, with the veteran forward accepting a larger role in Houston’s rotation following the trade deadline last week. Only $2.57MM was originally guaranteed.
Tucker, who turns 35 in May, will likely serve as the Rockets’ starting center going forward as they test a new variation of small-ball. He’s taken the challenging task head-on thus far, holding his ground in the middle despite being only 6-foot-5.
Tucker was drafted 35th overall back in 2006 and has established himself as one of the league’s most physical defenders. He appeared in all 82 games during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons for Houston, averaging 7.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and a career-high 34.9 minutes in 52 contests this year.
Houston has several of its key rotation players under contract with Tucker for next season, including James Harden ($40.8MM), Russell Westbrook ($41MM), Eric Gordon ($16.8MM) and Robert Covington ($12.1MM). The team is 6.5 games out of first place in the West at 33-19.
Darren Collison To Remain Retired
Veteran free agent Darren Collison has decided to remain retired and is no longer considering an NBA comeback this season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Collison had been pondering a return to the court, with both the Clippers and Lakers heavily interested in adding the 32-year-old to their roster. Collison informed teams that the timing for his return simply isn’t right for him, Wojnarowski adds.
Collison last saw action with the Pacers during the 2018/19 season, averaging 11.2 points and six assists in 28.2 minutes per contest. He was seen at Staples Center for the Lakers’ game against Houston on Thursday with owner Jeanie Buss.
Collison holds career averages of 12.5 points, five rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest, spending time with New Orleans, Indiana, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Indiana across his 10-year NBA career.
Although he won’t return to the league now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Collison won’t make a comeback down the road, perhaps even as early as this summer, as Sean Deveney of Heavy.com wrote last week.
Grizzlies Waive Dion Waiters
3:57pm: The Grizzlies officially confirmed that they have waived Waiters, via a team press release (Twitter link).
3:39pm: The Grizzlies have waived Dion Waiters, acquired from the Heat in a three-team deal that also sent Justise Winslow and Gorgui Dieng to Memphis, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). A prior report had suggested that Waiters would not be long for Memphis.
The 6’3″ shooting guard, 28, was taken with the No. 4 pick by the Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA draft. He had productive, albeit erratic, seasons with the Cavaliers, Thunder and Heat before injuries and off-court issues marred his output. Waiters has not played more than 46 games since the 2015/16 NBA season. He has suited up for just three games this season.
The 26-26 Grizzlies are prioritizing youth and upside as they build around promising young stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. While Waiters had to be included in the deal with Miami for salary-matching purposes, he wasn’t in Memphis’ long-term plans.
Charania notes that Waiters will be paid in full by the Grizzlies for the remainder of this season and his complete $12.6MM salary for the 2020/21 season, the final year remaining on the four-year, $52MM deal he signed with the Heat in 2017.
Bobby Portis Uninterested In Knicks Buyout
Backup Knicks big man Bobby Portis told a scrum of reporters today that he does not want to lose one cent of the two-year, $30.75MM contract he signed with New York last summer, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks have a team option on the $15.75MM second season of the deal, and with Leon Rose and Scott Perry now calling the shots in Manhattan, the team may not exercise the option, effectively making Portis a free agent in 2020.
“I’m 24 years old,” Portis told reporters, despite his disappointing Knicks season. “I’m not doing a buyout. I’ll make as much money as I can for my family. (I’m) 24. Not even thinking about a buyout at 24. I’ll probably set a record as [the] first guy to do a buyout at 24. It’s just not even in the equation.”
For the record, Portis turns 25 tomorrow. Make of that what you will.
Portis’ fellow Knicks veteran, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, is considering a buyout request from the two-year, $16MM contract he signed with New York last summer. Only $1MM of Elllington’s $8MM salary next season is guaranteed.
Portis is averaging 9.4 points, 5.2 boards, and a -2.2 box plus-minus across his 53 games played for New York this season. Chicago drafted the jump-shooting Knicks power forward/center with the No. 22 pick out of Arkansas in 2015, before eventually trading him to the Wizards at the 2019 trade deadline. He was one of several big men to sign with New York last summer.
Wayne Ellington Considers Buyout With Knicks
Wayne Ellington is talking to his agent, Mark Bartlestein, about working out a buyout deal with the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.
The 32-year-old shooting guard has appeared in just 25 games after signing as a free agent over the summer. His $8MM salary for next season is partially guaranteed for just $1MM, so his days in New York appear numbered.
“There will be a decision to make,’’ Ellington said at today’s shootaround. “I’m just listening to my agent at this point. I come in here, come into work every single day like it’s a normal day. Listen and get advice and take it from there.’’
The Knicks are expected to accommodate Ellington if he decides he wants out, Berman adds. Ellington’s playing time has been cut significantly since Mike Miller took over as interim head coach and Reggie Bullock returned from injury. The team showcased him a little bit on Thursday against the Magic, and Ellington responded with 12 points in 18 minutes.
Berman suggests the Lakers, who Ellington spent the 2014/15 season with, could have some interest.
“There’s a lot of stuff out there,’’ Ellington said. “There’s a lot of different things floating around for options. It’s part of the business. It’s part of the game. There’s nothing imminent right now. There’s nothing for sure. I’m going to keep pushing forward. We won three games in a row, try to keep that going.’’
Berman shares a few more buyout tidbits in his story:
- The Knicks could have obtained rookies Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele along with Maurice Harkless in Thursday’s trade that sent Marcus Morris to the Clippers, but they opted for Harkless and a package of draft picks because they wanted to avoid waiving players right away. New York has a full 15-man roster and would have needed to open two spots before the deal could have been finalized. Berman suggests that management is either counting on saving money with buyouts or just wants the veterans to stay for leadership.
- Bobby Portis, another Bartlestein client, is also a buyout candidate. The Knicks have a $15.75MM team option next season on Portis, who was reportedly included in a trade offer to the Warriors for D’Angelo Russell.
- Buying out Ellington would give the Knicks a better chance to evaluate Damyean Dotson before he enters free agency this summer.