D.J. Mbenga Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Sign Akognon, Mbenga, Holloway

September 27th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have officially added three players to their training camp roster, according to a press release from the team. Dallas finalized its deals with Josh Akognon and D.J. Mbenga, which had been previously reported, and also added former Xavier guard Tu Holloway.

Akognon, who graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2009, averaged 23.9 PPG in his senior year, earning Big West Conference Player of the Year honors. Since going undrafted, he has played primarily overseas, including an impressive 2011/12 season with the CBA's DongGuan New Century Leopards. In 37 games for DongGuan, the 26-year-old was a top-five scorer in the league, averaging 28.2 PPG on 51% shooting.

Mbenga, 31, began his NBA career with the Mavericks in 2004, having been signed as a rookie free agent by Dallas. The seven-footer played three seasons in Dallas before spending time with the Warriors, Lakers, and Hornets. Mbenga, who has appeared in 234 career games, last played in the NBA in 2010/11, with New Orleans.

Holloway, 23, was ranked as this year's 68th-best prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but went undrafted. In his senior year at Xavier, the 6'0" point guard averaged 17.5 PPG and 4.9 APG. Holloway was originally slated to join the Raptors' summer league roster in Las Vegas, but ended up playing for Dallas' squad instead.

All three players figure to be on non-guaranteed deals, bringing the Mavericks' roster to 18 players. We've previously heard that Mbenga has agreed to join Dallas' D-League affiliate if he doesn't earn a spot on the team, while Akognon appears ready to head back to China if he fails to make the regular-season cut.

Odds & Ends: Anderson, Mbenga, Heat, Harden

September 11th, 2012 at 10:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a busier day than we've had for a while around the NBA, and with training camps opening as soon as September 29th, expect the faster pace of news to continue. Let's dive right into some of the latest from around the league:

James Anderson's deal with the Hawks is a one-year, non-guaranteed pact, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
D.J. Mbenga, who agreed to terms with the Mavericks earlier today, has already agreed to join the team's D-League affiliate if he doesn't make the NBA club out of training camp, reports Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
An agent tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the Heat are only offering contracts without a guarantee, which makes sense, since they already have agreements with 18 players. Winderman also speculates that Raja Bell could be a fit for the Heat whenever he finalizes the buyout he continues to negotiate with the Jazz (Sulia link).
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves deep into Thunder GM Sam Presti's comments about a possible extension for James Harden, and says that while Isiah Thomas is unlikely to return in a formal capacity to the Knicks soon, he looms as a potential candidate to join an NBA team as a coach or executive down the road.
Zach Lowe of SI.com runs down several players for whom 2012/13 will be an especially important season.
After looking at 10 overpaid players earlier today, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News also shares his list of the 10 most underpaid players in the league.

Mavericks To Sign D.J. Mbenga

September 11th, 2012 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Back in 2004/05, D.J. Mbenga began his NBA career with the Mavericks, spending the first of three seasons with the club. Now, it appears he'll be heading back to Dallas. According to an RTBF report (French link), Mbenga said he has been working out with the Mavs and has signed a one-year deal with the team (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). ESPN.com's Marc Stein confirms that the Mavs will bring Mbenga to training camp.

Mbenga, 31, will likely receive no more than a non- or partially-guaranteed minimum-salary deal with a camp invite. The seven-footer has never been a serious contributor on an NBA team, but he has managed to stick around the league for seven seasons, most recently playing 41 games for the Hornets in 2010/11.

RTBF's report indicates that Mbenga turned down offers from teams in China and Greece in favor of joining the Mavericks. He may face an uphill battle making the Dallas roster, however, since the team already has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books. Still, according to Stein, the Mavs would like to find a way to add one more center to their roster for depth purposes.

Odds & Ends: Lorbek, Magic, Mavs, Nash

July 13th, 2012 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Spurs will bring one international prospect stateside this season, having signed Nando De Colo to a contract, another of the team's top international players doesn't appear headed for San Antonio. Spanish club Regal Barcelona announced today that they have re-signed Erazem Lorbek to a three-year deal to remain with the team (English translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The Spurs, who hold Lorbek's NBA rights, were said earlier this offseason to be "very close" to a deal with the Slovenian forward, so it's a little surprising to see him re-up with Regal Barcelona.

Let's round up a few more Friday morning odds and ends….

Bucks Looking At Fesenko, Mbenga

February 18th, 2012 at 3:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks, without Andrew Bogut for much of the season and now missing Drew Gooden with a sprained right wrist and knee soreness, are thin at center. So, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the Bucks are considering Kyrylo Fesenko and D.J. Mbenga to fill the void.

The Bucks have had their eye on Fesenko for a while. After being taken in the second round of the 2007 draft, the 7'1", 288-pounder saw limited minutes in four seasons with the Jazz, but filled in as the starter for an injured Mehmet Okur when Utah made their run to the conference semifinals in 2010.

The 7'0", 245-pound Mbenga has eight years of NBA experience, most notably as a little-used backup on championship Lakers teams in 2009 and 2010. He spent last year as a reserve for the Hornets.

The Bucks have been linked to Joel Przybilla, but concerns over his health are reportedly causing teams to back off.