Perry Jones III

And-Ones: P. Jones, Mac, Clark, Opportunities, Hardship Deals

Perry Jones and Sheldon Mac are the latest players attempting NBA comebacks, agent Harrison Gaines tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The two players will be entering the G League player pool.

Jones was the 28th overall pick of the 2012 draft for the Thunder and played three seasons with the team, last appearing in 2014/15. In 143 career games, Jones holds averages of 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes.

The 29-year-old Mac appeared in 30 games for the Wizards in 2016/17, holding modest averages of 3.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran forward Earl Clark has joined Miami’s G League squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It was reported last week that Clark had signed a G League deal.
  • The opportunities for players caused by COVID-19 absences are no laughing matter, write Jon Krawczynski and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Krawczynski and Weiss note that Timberwolves players who’d been out of the team’s rotation (Jake Layman, Nathan Knight, Jaylen Nowell) or out of the NBA (Greg Monroe) are trying to make the most of their newfound minutes. “I’m not quitting,” Monroe said. “I believe I belong in the NBA. So I’ll just come out and play wherever it is, as hard as I can.”
  • Michael Scotto of HoopsHype takes a behind the scenes look at what it’s like for players on hardship deals. Scotto spoke to Brandon Knight, Lance Stephenson and Joe Johnson about their new NBA opportunities.
  • There was a slight change to the NBA’s COVID-19 isolation rules for players outside of a team environment, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The change has no bearing on a return to team activities, so players who enter the health and safety protocols will still be required to remain away from the team for six days, unless they return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

International Notes: Dekker, Kokoskov, Crawford, P. Jones

Panathinaikos is targeting former NBA forward Sam Dekker for next season, according to Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops. The Greek club is under new management and is considering Dekker as a possible replacement for Deshaun Thomas.

Dekker, 26, played for Lokomotiv Kuban this year, averaging 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in the EuroCup and 11.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in the VTB League. It was the first season outside the NBA for the former first-round pick after spending time with the Rockets, Clippers, Cavaliers and Wizards.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Kings assistant Igor Kokoskov was introduced today as the new head coach of Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague, according to EuroHoops. He reportedly received a three-year deal to take over the Turkish team. “I feel obligated to the Fenerbahce fans and the people who brought me here to give them the best of my abilities, experience and knowledge to help this club keep being successful as it is,” he said. “Fenerbahce fans love their basketball team, so we will give our best to keep them happy by winning lots of basketball games and trophies.” Kokoskov, who spent a season as head coach of the Suns, also coaches the Serbian National Team.
  • Jordan Crawford has signed a one-year deal with Lokomotiv Kuban, Barbarousis writes in a separate story. Crawford, 31, played for five teams in eight NBA seasons before moving overseas early last year. He played in Israel and China before spending part of this season with Brose Bamberg in Germany.
  • Former NBA first-round pick Perry Jones III will continue his career with Bursaspor in Turkey, tweets Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The 28-year-old spent three seasons with the Thunder.

And-Ones: P. Jones, Marinkovic, E. Bryant, Pacquiao

A rules change in the BIG3 League has allowed Perry Jones to use that venue to pursue another shot at the NBA, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The 28th player picked in the 2012 draft, Jones spent three years with the Thunder before being traded to Boston in the summer of 2015. He never played for the Celtics before being waived that fall, then failed to make the Pelicans‘ roster after joining them for training camp in 2017.

Now 27, Jones took advantage of the new lower age limit in the BIG3, which dropped from 30 to 27 this year. He’s playing for the expansion Enemies, averaging 7.7 points per game, and hasn’t lost the confidence that he can succeed in the NBA.

“No disrespect to the Thunder, but I went to a team that didn’t have a need (for a player like me),” Jones said. “They had three superstars. They had everything set in stone that they needed. It’s just how the business goes. I think if I went somewhere else and had the opportunity to play in actual games, I think my career would have turned out differently for sure.”

There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:

  • Vanja Marinkovic, selected by the Kings with the final pick in this year’s draft, has until July 30 to decide where he will play this season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). That’s when the buy-out clause expires on the final year of his contract with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. It’s unlikely that he’ll come to the NBA, but Spain’s Unicaja Malaga and Valencia Basket have both expressed interest, Carchia states.
  • Coming off a strong performance with the Bucks‘ summer league team, Elijah Bryant is deciding among several NBA offers, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. The former BYU guard had a break-out performance July 8 with 31 points and seven rebounds against Minnesota.
  • Boxer Manny Pacquiao tells TMZ Sports he wants to fight for five more years and then purchase part of an NBA team. He already owns the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, a semi-pro outfit in the Philippines, and regularly uses basketball as part of his training. Pacquiao has an estimated net worth around $200MM.

Jazz Host 32 Free Agents At Veteran Mini-Camp

The Jazz are hosting a veteran mini-camp on Friday and Saturday, with 32 players set to participate in the event, the team announced in a press release.

While the list of participants isn’t exactly star-studded, there are a handful of intriguing names, including several players who have spent time in NBA training camps and some who have played in regular season games. Lavoy Allen, K.J. McDaniels, Diamond Stone, Jarrod Uthoff, and Mike Tobey are among the free agents at Utah’s mini-camp who have logged NBA minutes.

While many of the participants in this weekend’s mini-camp won’t ever play in an NBA game, the event has paid dividends for the Jazz in the past. As Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News writes, Royce O’Neale made a strong impression on the franchise during a free agent mini-camp in 2016, which eventually led to O’Neale signing a contract with Utah last summer and becoming a key part of the rotation in 2017/18.

“We tried to get him that summer (2016), tried to sign him but he decided to go to Spain and made the right choice for him because he got better over there and it ended up working out in the long run for him,” Jazz director of scouting Bart Taylor said. “Royce is a great story and we like to say it puts pressure on us to find another one.”

Taylor is optimistic about identifying another future contributor among this year’s group.

“There’s some good talent out here,” Taylor said. “I like to joke with all our guys and say there’s three or four guys out here that’ll play in the NBA, but you’ve got to find them. So there’s definitely a few guys out here that we like, a lot of guys actually that we really like but we’re just trying to see how they do over the course of the three practices and hopefully one of them does turn into Royce.”

Here’s the full list of participants for Utah’s free agent mini-camp:

And-Ones: Bennett, Evans, P. Jones, Varejao

After being waived by the Suns last month, Anthony Bennett is back in the G League to earn another shot at the NBA, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune. The top pick in the 2013 draft, Bennett had a brief and checkered career, spending a year each with the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, then partial seasons with the Raptors and Nets.

At age 24, Bennett is with the Suns’ affiliate in Northern Arizona and believes he can work his way back to the big leagues. “I guess my focus is different,” he said. “I wouldn’t say this is my last chance, but, you know, I just have to prove to everybody that I can play.”

There’s more news from the G League and overseas:

  • Jeremy Evans, best known as the winner of the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk contest, signed a G League contract and was claimed off waivers by the Reno Bighorns, tweets Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. Evans, who played five seasons for the Jazz and one with the Mavericks, was waived by the Hawks before the start of the season. He played in Russia last season.
  • Perry Jones III, a first-round pick in 2012, has signed a G League contract and will join the Iowa Wolves, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Jones, who spent three years in Oklahoma City after the Thunder selected him with the No. 28 pick, has previous experience with the Iowa franchise, along with a one-game stay in Russia.
  • Brazilian center Anderson Varejao may finish his career in his home country, relays Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. Varejao, 35, had been hoping to return to the NBA, but is now considering an offer from the Flamengo team in Brazil. He was waived by the Warriors in February.

Pelicans Waive Perry Jones, Cliff Alexander

The Pelicans have made a pair of cuts, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has waived Perry Jones and Cliff Alexander.

Jones, a former Thunder first-round pick, got off to a decent start in the preseason for the Pelicans, picking up 10 points and seven rebounds against his old team in Oklahoma City. However, in his next two games, Perry went scoreless in 17 total minutes.

A Kansas product, Alexander averaged 2.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG in limited minutes in four preseason games.

The Pelicans are now at 17 players, with 15 on NBA contracts and two on two-way deals, so they’re all set for the regular season. Since New Orleans doesn’t have a G League affiliate, Jones and Alexander will have to look elsewhere for opportunities.

Perry Jones Signs Camp Deal With Pelicans

SEPTEMBER 14: Jones’ deal with the Pelicans has been finalized, per RealGM’s official log of NBA transactions.

SEPTEMBER 11: Forward Perry Jones has agreed to a training camp deal with the Pelicans, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones, 25, has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2014/15 season. The Thunder used a late 2012 first-round selection on him and he remained on their roster for three seasons. He played 143 games for Oklahoma City, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 14.7 MPG.

He played in Russia and the G-League last season. He appeared in 24 games with the Iowa Energy, posting averages of 6.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.8 APG in 21.8 MPG while shooting just 31.3% from the field.

Jones faces an uphill battle in making the roster, even though forward Solomon Hill could miss most of the season with a hamstring tear. The Pelicans are reportedly finalizing a contract with veteran swingman Tony Allen.

Morrow, Burke, Other FAs Work Out For Wolves

2:26pm: Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders has added several names to the list of players working out for Minnesota, tweeting that the Wolves also auditioned Thomas Robinson, Alan Anderson, Trey Burke, Isaiah Canaan, and Perry Jones III. John Jenkins is expected to come in to work out for the club next week, tweets Wolfson.

10:12am: Veteran sharpshooter Anthony Morrow is one of a handful of free agents working out this week for the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Minnesota remains on the lookout for veteran wings, in addition to a backup point guard.

Morrow, who will turn 32 later this month, is a career 41.7% shooter from beyond the arc, which should make him a tantalizing target for teams in need of shooting like the Timberwolves. However, Morrow’s accuracy on three-pointers dipped last season — his 30.8% success rate in 2016/17 was easily the worst mark of his career.

Although Morrow struggled in 49 games for the Thunder and Bulls last season, he’s only a year removed from a .387 3PT%, and has been a reliable option on the wing for most of his career. Minnesota, of course, has a pair of talented scorers on the wing in Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, but neither player is a particularly strong outside shooter, so the Wolves continue to seek three-point threats, with Morrow having been linked to the club for much of the offseason.

When we examined five noteworthy wings still on the market in late July, Morrow was one of the players we singled out, along with Shabazz Muhammad, Brandon Rush, Gerald Green, and Tony Allen. All of those players remain unsigned, and a few could be fits in Minnesota.

With 11 players on guaranteed contracts, the Wolves have been looking to add a couple wings and a point guard to their roster — Wolfson tweets that those positions are the focus of this week’s workouts. Minnesota is reportedly getting antsy waiting on decisions from notable free agents like Muhammad and Dante Cunningham, which may prompt the team to look closer at free agents a tier or two below the top available players.

Trey Burke, 15 Other FAs Attend Bucks’ Mini-Camp

The Bucks are hosting a free agent mini-camp on Tuesday and Wednesday this week as they look to fill out their training camp roster and identify candidates to play for their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The mini-camp, which will give the club a chance to evaluate possible camp invitees, includes a handful of notable names among its 16 participants.

Former lottery picks Trey Burke and Hasheem Thabeet are among the first-rounders who will be in attendance at the mini-camp, as Velazquez details. MarShon Brooks, Toney Douglas, Archie Goodwin, R.J. Hunter, John Jenkins, Perry Jones, and James Young are also set to get a look from the Bucks.

The Bucks don’t have a ton of flexibility to add more players to their offseason roster, having already locked up 16 players to NBA deals and two more to two-way contracts. That leaves just a pair of openings on the team’s 20-man training camp roster. Still, two of those roster players – Gary Payton II and JeQuan Lewis – are on non-guaranteed contracts, so Milwaukee has some flexibility if it wants to make changes at the back of its roster.

In addition to the players listed above, the following free agents are attending the Bucks’ mini-camp, per Velazquez: Cliff Alexander, Gracin Bakumanya, Trahson Burrell, Jeremy Evans, Aaron Harrison, Luke Petrasek, and Jacob Pullen.

Any player that signs with the Bucks figures to get a minimum salary deal that is non-guaranteed or features a very modest guarantee, since the Bucks are currently slightly above the luxury tax line.

And-Ones: Trump Backlash, Jones, Lue

The Bucks, Grizzlies and Mavericks have stopped staying at Donald Trump-branded hotels in order to avoid being associated with the businessman, Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com collectively report. Sources tell the duo that another Eastern Conference team set to stay at the Trumo SoHo in New York this season has already decided to switch to a different hotel once its contract expires at the end of the season. Seven other teams are currently scheduled to stay at Trump-branded hotels this season. ESPN has declined to reveal which teams will be staying at the locations.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Perry Jones III has signed with the Iowa Energy of the D-League, sources tell Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link).
  • Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he will not try to mend the fence between LeBron James and his former coach Phil Jackson, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Before signing with the Hawks, Dwight Howard told his mother he was going to sign with the Jazz and she didn’t take the fake news too well, as Koster Kennard of the Deseret News relays. “I played a prank on my mom,” Howard said to Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports Radio. “I wanted to see her reaction, so I told her, I said, ‘Mom, I just got this big contract, $150 million.’ And she was like, ‘Oh my God, from who?’ I said, ‘Utah Jazz,’ and she started crying.”