Dan Gadzuric

Odds & Ends: Suns, Bobcats, Pietrus

Executives from around the league say the Bobcats and Suns are the teams to watch with the trade deadline a week from today, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both teams are buyers looking to improve their postseason chances, and Charlotte in particular has been involved in numerous trade rumors of late. Here’s more from around the Association:

  • A recent conversation with Nicolas Batum sold Mickael Pietrus on the idea of joining the Blazers, but Portland, with a full 15-man roster, declined the free agent swingman’s pitch to join the team, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post figures Mike Woodson has coached the Knicks for the last time at Madison Square Garden, since New York follows up Wednesday’s home loss to the Kings with a tough road trip after the All-Star break.
  • Dan Gadzuric has signed with Petrochimi of Iran, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The 36-year-old is continuing his career overseas after retiring from the NBA this past fall.
  • Hawks first-round draftee Lucas Nogueira is headed back to Spain to rejoin Estudiantes next week, observes fellow Sportando scribe Emiliano Carchia. The 16th overall pick this past June has been in the care of Hawks doctors, who’ve treated the severe tendinitis that’s sidelined him since December.
  • The Rockets have sent Robert Covington to the D-League, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The assignment will allow the rookie to take part in the D-League All-Star Game this weekend.

Michael Redd, Dan Gadzuric To Retire From NBA

TUESDAY, 11:43am: Redd will officially announce his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday in Milwaukee, when the Bucks host the Cavaliers, according to a release from the team.

MONDAY, 4:40pm: Former Bucks Michael Redd and Dan Gadzuric are done playing in the NBA, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).

While Redd hasn’t announced his retirement, Woelfel hears his NBA career is over.  The 34-year-old shooting guard, who was out of the league last season, turned down a camp invite last month, which would indicate that he is ready to transition into a post-basketball life.  Redd spent the bulk of his career in Milwaukee, where he averaged 20.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG while shooting 38.3% from downtown over the course of eleven seasons.  His final NBA season was spent in Phoenix where he put up a less impressive 8.2 PPG in 15.1 minutes per contest.

Gadzuric, 35, spent his first eight years in Milwaukee where he put up 4.9 PPG and 4.5 RPG.  The big man, who has been out of the NBA since his two game stint with the Knicks in 2011/12, is thinking about playing in Puerto Rico, according to Woelfel.

Redd was taken with the 43rd overall pick in the 2000 draft and wound up being one of the top talents to come out of a class that was ripe with disappointments.  The Ohio State product was the only player out of that draft to make an All-Star team and an All-NBA team over the course of his career.

Lakers Waive Dan Gadzuric, Eric Boateng

The Lakers have released a pair of camp invitees, reducing their roster to 17 players, according to a press release. Dan Gadzuric and Eric Boateng have been cut by the team, and will become free agents later this week, assuming they clear waivers.

Gadzuric, 35 last appeared in the NBA in 2011/12, playing in a pair of late-season contests for the Knicks. In 10 career NBA seasons, the 6’11” center has appeared in 527 games, averaging 4.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and recording a 14.4 PER. Boateng, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2010, and has played for multiple clubs in the D-League and overseas since then.

Gadzuric and Boateng had both been considered long shots to make the Lakers’ regular-season roster, despite the fact that the team is only carrying 11 fully guaranteed contracts. Other invitees, like Xavier Henry, have been impressive in camp, while players like Shawne Williams and Elias Harris have partial guarantees on their deals.

Lakers Sign Dan Gadzuric

The Lakers have used one of their two remaining roster spots to add free agent big man Dan Gadzuric, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter). With Gadzuric on the camp roster, L.A. will be carrying 19 players.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported on Wednesday that the Lakers had invited Gadzuric to camp, though it wasn't clear at that point if the 35-year-old had accepted. Gadzuric, a longtime Buck, last appeared in the NBA in 2011/12, playing in a pair of late-season contests for the Knicks. In 10 career NBA seasons, the 6'11" center has appeared in 527 games, averaging 4.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 14.4 PER.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak indicated to the media this week that team ownership may be open to entering the season with a full 15-man roster, in which case there'd be plenty of roster spots up for grabs in October for the club. The Lakers have 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, Elias Harris and Shawne Williams on partially guaranteed contracts, and Eric Boateng, Xavier Henry, Darius Johnson-Odom, Ryan Kelly, Marcus Landry, and now Gadzuric believed to be on non-guaranteed deals.

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Training Camp Invites: Byars, Gadzuric, Alexander

While we've has plenty of training camp signings today – from Louis Amundson to Dwayne Jones to Sam Young to Renaldo Balkman to Eric Boateng and Darius Johnson-Odom – there is also news of training camp invites that have yet to be accepted.  Let's take a look at buzz from around the league that might help us determine who lands where in October:

  • The Grizzlies have extended a training camp invite to Memphis-native Derrick Byars, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).  Byars, 29, has spent most of the time since his Vanderbilt days playing overseas, minus two games with the Spurs in 2011/12 and a handful of D-League stints.  With only 13 guaranteed contracts, the Grizz have two potential open roster spots.
  • The Lakers have invited Dan Gadzuric to training camp, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.  With the additions of Boateng and Johnson-Odom, Gadzuric would make 19 players in camp for the Lakers should he accept.  The UCLA product, 35, played in Venezuela last season after a decade in the NBA.  The Lakers only have 11 guaranteed deals on their roster, but there will be plenty of competition for the remaining spots.
  • Former Bucks first rounder Joe Alexander has received an invitation to training camp from the Warriors, tweets Zach Lowe of Grantland.  Alexander, the No. 8 pick of the 2008 draft, lasted only two years in the NBA out of West Virginia.  With Ognjen Kuzmic's arrival in Oakland reportedly imminent, the Warriors will have two potential regular season roster spots remaining.

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Knicks Eyeing Another Point Guard

Citing a source close to the team, ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling reports that the Knicks are considering adding a veteran point guard to supplement Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni.  While injuries have decimated their frontcourt, Zwerling says a lack of free agent options has led the Knicks to consider opting for guard help.

Zwerling indicates that the Knicks are ideally looking for a point guard that has some speed and quickness, in contrast to the wisdom and decision making of the older Kidd and Prigioni.  The source points to Delonte West, Sundiata Gaines and Jannero Pargo as options, with West being the most likely.  While West has some issues – as evidenced by his absence from the NBA this year – the Saint Joseph's product would join a veteran roster in New York.  Meanwhile, all signs point towards Pargo signing a 10-day contract with Charlotte tomorrow.  So unless that deal falls through, the Knicks would have to hope the Bobcats let him walk once his contract expires if they want to pursue him.

Two of those veterans are injured big men Amare Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace, both out for the remainder of the regular season.  Zwerling says Mike Woodson remains committed to Wallace, probably making James White the odd man out should the team decide it needs a roster spot. 

Should the Knicks decide their need for frontcourt help is too pressing to consider anything else, Zwerling lists Henry Sims, Tony Battie, Josh Boone, Brian Cook, Dan Gadzuric, Troy Murphy, Ben Wallace, Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams as potential targets.  While Sims provides the most intrigue of the bunch, Zwerling says the Knicks would prefer a veteran.

Sixers Waive Dan Gadzuric

The Sixers have waived Dan Gadzuric, the team has announced. The 10-year veteran was in camp on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal, but he hasn't played in any of the team's preseason games so far.

Gadzuric appeared in just two games last year after the Knicks signed him for the final week of the season, and went scoreless in 13 total minutes. New York made use of his contract, which included a non-guaranteed season in 2012/13, over the summer, shipping his rights to the Blazers in a sign-and-trade for Raymond Felton. The Blazers promptly waived Gadzuric, and the Sixers made him one of four signees who came aboard right before training camp began. One of those four, Xavier Silas, was waived last week, leaving Damien Wilkins and Devin Searcy as the last two remaining.

Gadzuric's exit brings the team's roster down to 15 players, with 13 on guaranteed deals, including Maalik Wayns, whose contract includes a $75K buyout. Last night, Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com reported that the Sixers are likely to get down to 14 players by the start of the regular season, with Searcy next on the chopping block. He confirms via Twitter today that Wilkins has the best among the team's camp invitees of making the opening-night roster.

Atlantic Notes: Barbosa, Holiday, Wilkins, 76ers

As was long rumored, we learned earlier today that the Celtics added Leandro Barbosa to back up both guard positions.  After losing Ray Allen to the rival Heat, it appears the Celts have more than replaced him by adding Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and now Barbosa.  Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston breaks down the move in his rapid reaction, even pointing out that Barbosa could facilitate the development of rookie and fellow Brazilian Fab Melo.  Forsberg also offers a "roster reset" complete with the team's current obligations and some thoughts on how it will shake out.  Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets that a big reason behind the move was a desire for more scoring punch from reserve guards.

Here are some other updates from around the Atlantic division:

  • Tim Keown of ESPN the Magazine writes a lengthy piece that centers on the enigma that is Carmelo Anthony.  While Anthony is as gifted as they come scoring-wise, Keown implies that he may not be the "alpha dog" that most NBA teams, Knicks included, need.  Anthony seems to thrive in international play when he is amongst stars, but when he is the best player on the court things seem to stall.
  • We've been hearing all week about a possible long-term contract extension for Sixers guard Jrue Holiday.  John Finger of CSN Philly heard today from a source that the talks have begun to pick up.  The Sixers have until October 31 to either extend Holiday or make him a qualifying offer for one year and $3.77MM.  If Holiday does not take the offer, he will become a restricted free agent next summer. 
  • Tom Moore from Philly Burbs tweets that he believes that the Sixers will soon cut their roster down to 14, with Damien Wilkins nabbing the last spot.  If true, that would make Devin Searcy and Dan Gadzuric free agents in the very near future. 
  • Michael Levin of Sixers blog Liberty Ballers writes a guest column on Sheridan Hoops, listing five reasons to feel positive about the 76ers.  If everything goes according the plan, Philly could be a rare example of a team that emerges from the typically inescapable depths of NBA mediocrity to become a legitimate contender. 

Sixers Sign Four For Training Camp

The 76ers have added four players to their roster for training camp, the team announced today in a press release. Dan Gadzuric, Devin Searcy, Xavier Silas and Damien Wilkins will be in camp with the Sixers, bringing the team's roster count to 17 players.

Of the four, Gadzuric, Silas, and Wilkins all played for NBA teams in 2011/12. Gadzuric's and Silas' appearances were brief, with Gadzuric playing just two games for the Knicks and Silas appearing in a pair of games for the Sixers. Wilkins, however, spent the season with the Pistons, averaging 15.4 MPG in 60 contests, though he posted a career-low 6.9 PER.

As for Searcy, the 6'10" big man went undrafted out of Dayton a year ago and spent the 2011/12 season in Japan, averaging a double-double (13.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG) for the Toyama Grouses. He was also part of the Sixers' summer league squad in Orlando this July.

If all four players are on non-guaranteed deals, which is likely, they'll be competing for the team's final couple roster spots. The Sixers currently have 12 players on fully guaranteed contract, plus Maalik Wayns on a partial guarantee.

Sixers To Invite Dan Gadzuric To Camp

Dan Gadzuric was in Philadelphia to work out with the 76ers this morning, and a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the big man will receive a camp invite from the Sixers (Twitter link). It's not clear whether Gadzuric has officially accepted the invitation, but I'd guess he'll head to Sixers camp on a non-guaranteed contract.

Gadzuric was involved in the sign-and-trade deal between the Knicks and Trail Blazers back in July, heading to Portland in the move that sent Raymond Felton to New York. However, since his contract for 2012/13 was non-guaranteed, he was quickly waived by the Blazers. The 34-year-old saw just 13 minutes of action last season for the Knicks, but has appeared in 527 NBA games over the course of his 10-year career, averaging 4.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and a 14.4 PER.

New Sixers general manager Tony DiLeo said yesterday that he hopes to add one or two wings to the team's training camp roster. With just 13 players under contract though, it makes sense that Philadelphia would hand out a few camp invites to other players as well. If Gadzuric joins the roster, the club will still have room to bring six more players to training camp.