Dominique Jones

And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic

Andrea BargnaniBrandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:

  • The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
  • There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
  • James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
  • Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
  • Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.

Dominique Jones, Jonny Flynn To Play In China

With NBA opportunites drying up, two former first-round picks are set to play in China for the coming season. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter) that Dominique Jones has decided to sign with a Chinese team, while Jonny Flynn's high school coach tells Mike Waters of The Post-Standard that the point guard will play for the Sichuan Blue Whales.

Jones spent three seasons with the Mavericks after being drafted 25th overall in 2010. The 24-year-old never saw significant minutes in Dallas, appearing in just 80 total games and averaging 3.1 PPG and 1.8 APG. Jones recorded a decent 11.9 PER for his career, but seemingly didn't show enough in his first three seasons to draw strong interest among NBA teams this summer.

Flynn, meanwhile, played for the Melbourne Tigers in Australia last season, and was reportedly hoping to break camp with an NBA team this fall. It's not clear if interest didn't materialize, or whether he simply received a more lucrative offer from Sichuan, but it seems he'll be spending the year in China, just four years removed from being selected sixth overall by the T-Wolves.

As our international player movement tracker shows, Jones will join a handful of other players who spent 2012/13 with an NBA team and have signed to play in China for '13/14. Donte Greene, Ivan Johnson, and Johan Petro are the others.

Odds & Ends: Joseph, West, Delany, Wiggins

Here are a few odds and ends from around the NBA on Wednesday night:

  • Kris Joseph, who was waived last month by the Celtics, is weighing international offers in Italy, Russia and France as well as a few NBA invites, tweets Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. 
  • Haynes also tweets that free agent guard Delonte West has impressed at a coach's camp in Las Vegas.  West, who spent some time in the D-League last year, hasn't played in the NBA since his 2011/12 campaign with the Mavericks.  West has also played with the Celtics and Cavs. 
  • The Heat have named advance scout Pat Delany the head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 
  • Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM evaluates the prospects of the eight 2010 first-round picks that are currently not on NBA rosters – Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry, Luke Babbitt, Craig Brackins, Elliot Williams, Damion James, Dominique Jones and Lazar Hayward.
  • Andrew Wiggins has the potential to single-handedly turn around an NBA franchise, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, adding that his ceiling has teams lining up to better their chances for his services. Kennedy names the Sixers, Magic, Suns, Bobcats, Kings and Jazz as the six teams who have positioned themselves for Wiggins, and Celtics and Raptors as outside possibilities. 

Odds & Ends: Wizards, Splitter, Bosh, Nets, Bucks

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza from New Orleans to the Wizards in exchange for Rashard Lewis and last year's No. 46 pick (Darius Miller). Lewis celebrated by picking up a championship with the Heat, who acquired him after the Pelicans bought him out. The date was notable for the Wizards, too, since it meant the expiration of a trade exception worth $1,853,491 that the team generated as part of the deal. Washington has until February to use its other trade exception, from the Jordan Crawford swap, as noted in our continuously updated database. Here's more from around the league:

  • Many NBA executives believe restricted Spurs free agent Tiago Splitter will draw offers in the $8-10MM range this summer, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe, who debates the merits of a Chris Bosh trade for the Heat as part of his piece on the aftermath of the Finals.
  • The agent for former Mavericks guard Dominique Jones has had discussions with the Nets, and Jones is set to take part in a three-day free agent mini-camp the Bucks are holding, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. If he doesn't return to the NBA next season, Jones would prefer to play overseas rather than hit the D-League again.
  • Demetris Nichols hasn't played in the NBA since 2008/09, but he was a First Team All-D-League selection this year, and that's prompted the Spurs and Bucks to schedule workouts with the 28-year-old small forward, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets.
  • The Timberwolves reportedly believe Derrick Williams and the No. 9 pick could allow them to land a top-three selection next week. However, Wolves exec Flip Saunders told Dan Barreiro of KFAN radio that he doesn't think such a package, plus the No. 26 pick, could pry the No. 2 pick from the Magic, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes via Twitter.
  • Chandler Parsons says he talks to Dwight Howard every day as he attempts to recruit the Lakers center to the RocketsJonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the details.
  • Former MSG Sports president Scott O'Neil is close to joining the Sixers in an executive role, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). 
  • Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com has the Sixers taking Steven Adams at No. 11 in his latest mock draft.

Odds & Ends: Ellis, Clippers, Celtics, Bucks

Earlier today, Bucks guard Monta Ellis informed the Bucks that he'll be exercising his early termination option this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.  The guard, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, has the Lakers on his wish list, but that seems pretty far fetched given their cap situation.  Well, we can add another fiscal longshot to the bunch as Ellis likes the Grizzlies too, according to Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times (on Twitter).  Ellis probably isn't a fit for the stats-driven Memphis front office either, as his 16.3 PER was good for 27th last season amongst point guards.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • Mohammadou Jaiteh received first round guarantees before withdrawing from the draft earlier today, agent Herman Manakyan told Shams Charania of RealGM.
  • Time is on the Clippers' side in their trade talks with the Celtics, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (on Twitter).  "[The] Clippers can be patient and [the] C's will be in position to get something rather than nothing," the source says.
  • The Bucks announced that they will host a mini-camp for free agents this week.  Damion James, Dominique Jones, and Salim Stoudamire will be among those with NBA experience in attendance.
  • J. Michael of CSNWashington.com (on Twitter) isn't convinced that the Wizards have to target size after seeing the Heat and Spurs do well with small lineups.
  • The Suns withdrew from contract talks to make Roy Rogers an assistant coach on Jeff Hornacek’s new staff, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

Dominique Jones Joins Springfield Armor

Several days after clearing waivers, Dominique Jones has signed a D-League contract and will join the Springfield Armor, agent Michael Hodges tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Jones was released last weekend by the Mavericks.

Jones, 24, averaged just 9.3 minutes per game in 80 contests during nearly three season with the Mavericks. Dallas explored trades for Jones on multiple occasions, but was unable to find an acceptable deal. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported (via Twitter) last Saturday that the Mavericks' decision to waive Jones was motivated in part by his reluctance to accept a D-League assignment, so assuming that report was accurate, it's a little ironic to see Jones end up on a D-League squad.

Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said earlier this week that the playing time Jones was seeking wasn't available in Dallas, so the stint with the Armor will at least give the 6'4" guard an opportunity to log increased minutes. According to Charania, Jones remains open to signing a rest-of-season deal with an NBA team, particularly if it includes a partially-guaranteed team option for 2013/14.

Western Notes: McGuire, Iguodala, Kings, Mavs

As we look forward to an eight-game evening slate that includes Dwight Howard's return to Orlando, let's round up a few of today's stories relating to Western Conference clubs….

  • The Warriors elected not to sign Dominic McGuire after the trade deadline using one of their open roster spots at least in part because coach Mark Jackson didn't want McGuire taking minutes away from rookie Draymond Green, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Sulia).
  • Andre Iguodala admits to Paola Boivin of the Denver Post that his 2013/14 player option is in the back of his mind, but says he won't make a concrete decision on whether or not to exercise it until after the season.
  • Despite David Stern's insistence that the Kings sale won't result in a bidding war, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that the Sacramento group may be in trouble if the Seattle group "keeps pushing up the price."
  • Part of the reason the Mavericks released Dominique Jones was to give him an opportunity to find playing time with another club, as GM Donnie Nelson explains to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "The playing time that Dominique probably deserves wasn’t here and available," Nelson said. "Hopefully that presents itself with another team some place."
  • Darren Collison isn't complaining about coming off the bench for the Mavericks, but when he becomes a free agent this summer, he'll hit the market believing that he's capable of being a starter somewhere, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

Odds & Ends: Wolves, Rockets, Balkman, Draft

The Timberwolves had been looking into obtaining an injury exception to sign a 16th player, but the team is unlikely to add anyone to the roster at this point, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. That includes Dominique Jones, whose camp has been reaching out to teams. David Kahn isn't interested in the ex-Maverick, says Wolfson (Twitter links). Here are a few more updates from around the Association:

  • The Rockets have "quietly been sending out signals" that they'd be willing to trade Omer Asik and/or Jeremy Lin this summer in a deal that would upgrade their roster, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
  • Former Knick and Nugget Renaldo Balkman has been banned from the Philippines' professional basketball league following an altercation with a teammate, according to a Reuters report (via the New York Times). The 2006 first-round pick had been playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters.
  • Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com isn't buying the narrative that borderline draft prospects should enter this year's draft because the class is weak. According to Givony, while the 2013 draft looks weaker than normal at the top, it seems to have "great depth" outside of the top five (Twitter links).
  • Amare Stoudemire's contract, which continues to look worse, represents the "Original Sin" of the present Knicks' era, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
  • With Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard scheduled to face their old teams this week, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits the blockbuster deals that sent the two stars to their current clubs.

Mavericks Waive Dominique Jones

2:30pm: Jones' unwillingness to accept a D-League assignment prompted the Mavs to cut ties, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports.

1:53pm: Dallas has waived former first-round pick Dominique Jones, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Since the move comes after March 1st, the guard will be ineligible to play for another team in the postseason this year should someone sign him or claim him off waivers. The Mavs tried to trade him at multiple points earlier this season, but never found an offer they liked.

Jones is making a guaranteed $1.277MM in the third season of his rookie-scale contract, signed after the Mavs drafted him with the 25th overall pick in 2010. In October, the team declined its $2.3MM option for next season, and though GM Donnie Nelson didn't rule out re-signing him in the summer, it appeared to signal an end to the South Florida product's tenure in Dallas. Jones has posted 4.0 points and 2.9 assists this season, career-high marks for a player who has seen little playing time. He's averaging 11.7 minutes per contest this year, but has only appeared in five games since New Year's Day.

The Mavs had been carrying a full 15-man roster, so the move gives them the flexibility to sign someone else, perhaps on a 10-day deal. Dallas is in 11th place in the Western Conference but still has a reasonable shot to make the postseason, since the team is just three and a half games back of the Jazz for the eighth playoff spot.

Western Notes: Kings, Garnett, Mavs, Wolves

Most around the league are surprised by the Kings' involvement in a cost-cutting deal that sent away Thomas Robinson, the fifth pick of this past June's draft this evening, Grantland's Zach Lowe hears (Twitter link). It's just the fifth time a team has traded a top five pick in his rookie season, ESPN Stats and Info tweets. The Kings weren't expected to be involved in any deals as their ownership situation is resolved, but ultimately they didn't hesitate to jump in at the last moment. Here's more on that trade and from around the West as the hours tick down until tomorrow's 2:00pm Central time deadline: