Henry Walker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Ink Henry Walker To Multiyear Deal

March 13th, 2015 at 10:14am CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 10:14am: The deal is official, the team announced.

THURSDAY, 7:02pm: The Heat intend to sign Henry Walker to a multiyear deal that includes the remainder of this season and the 2015/16 campaign, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link). David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link) also confirmed that a deal is imminent. Walker’s second 10-day deal with Miami ends today. It’s unclear if next season’s agreement will be a team option, or if any guaranteed money will be included.

This signing will give the Heat 14 players on the roster who have guaranteed salaries for this season. Miami also has Michael Beasley, who is on his second 10-day deal, which is set to expire on March 17th. At that point the team will need to re-sign the forward for the remainder of the season or else he’ll become a free agent immediately.

In 10 appearances for the Heat this season, including five as a starter, Walker is averaging 8.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 27.4 minutes per game. The swingman is only hitting 34.1% of his shots from the field, which is well below his career number of 45.7%.

Heat Re-Sign Henry Walker To Second 10-Day

March 3rd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 11:35am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

MONDAY, 5:29pm: Walker confirmed that he’s signing another 10-day deal, as he informed reporters, including Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link).

12:01pm: The Heat and Henry Walker have reached agreement on a second 10-day contract, as Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link), and as a source confirms to Hoops Rumors. His first 10-day deal with the team is up at the end of today. Miami has been carrying Walker as well as Michael Beasley on 10-day contracts that occupy what would otherwise be the team’s only two open roster spots.

It’s no shock to see the Heat keep the 27-year-old Walker around after he started and played 26 minutes in Saturday’s game. He’s averaged 11.8 points in 27.8 minutes per game in his four appearances with Miami, his first NBA action since the 2011/12 season. That’s slightly more playing time than he’d seen with the Heat’s D-League affiliate, for whom he’d averaged 27.7 MPG in 17 games earlier this season.

A decision of greater consequence looms regarding another deal between Walker and the Heat, since players can only sign two 10-day deals with any one team during a single season. Miami would have to re-sign the Mike Naiditch client through at least the end of the season next time around.

Heat Sign Henry Walker To 10-Day Deal

February 21st, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 3:37pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced.

FRIDAY, 7:54am: The Heat will sign swingman Henry Walker to a 10-day contract, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Walker is a four-year NBA veteran who went by the name Bill Walker when he played for the Celtics and Knicks between 2008/09 and 2011/12. He’s been with the Heat’s affiliate in the D-League this season.

Walker was part of the rotation for the Knicks in 2011/12, when he saw his last NBA action, averaging 5.8 points in 19.4 minutes per game across 32 appearances that year. He was an 11.9 PPG scorer in 27.4 MPG in 27 contests for the Knicks in the second half of the 2009/10 season. The now 27-year-old has spent part of each of the last three seasons in the D-League, with a short stint in Venezuela thrown in. He’s been on a shooting tear of late, nailing 44.8% of his three-point attempts in 17 D-League contests this season, as Pick points out.

Miami has a pair of open roster spots after Thursday’s three-way trade with the Suns and Pelicans that brought the Dragic brothers to town. The Heat signed Tyler Johnson to a two-year deal after inking him to a pair of 10-day contracts earlier this season, so surely Walker, a Mike Naiditch client, will hope for the same.

Western Notes: Walker, Brown, Trade Demands

August 29th, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Cray Allred

The West will surely be ultra-competitive again next year, and there could be some shuffling in the top tier. The Rockets have had an underwhelming offseason, while the Thunder and Spurs have had relatively uneventful summers. Meanwhile the Mavericks and Clippers have retooled in the hopes of forming championship contenders. Here’s a look around the conference:

Henry Walker, formerly known as Bill Walker, is considering a camp offer from the Grizzlies, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (all Twitter links). Walker, who has played internationally since spending the 2011/12 season with the Knicks, is also receiving interest from the Kings, Pacers, and Heat.
Bobby Brown‘s contract with his Chinese team is valued at over $1MM, tweets Pick. There is still no report on how much the NBA buyout clause is for Brown, who most recently worked out for the Lakers, but one at or below the $600K teams can pay outside of the cap would fall in line with that salary.
In a subscriber-only piece, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders which star player could be next to force a trade from their current team, now that Kevin Love‘s situation has been resolved. He pegs Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins as some of the more notable hypothetical candidates.

D-League Notes: Kelly, Harris, Heat, Expansion

November 21st, 2013 at 9:57pm CST by Charlie Adams

The D-League’s regular season is underway, and the D-League website features a list of young prospects to follow during the 2013/14 season. Some of the young players on the list currently have their rights held by NBA squads, but many are training camp invitees that didn’t make an opening night roster. There’s no telling when the next Jeremy Lin might unexpectedly emerge so it’s definitely worth monitoring the young talent found in the NBA’s official minor league organization.

Here’s some D-League news and notes from Thursday night:

Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that the Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Elias Harris from their D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. Neither have seen much NBA action yet this year, and Eric Pincus of the LA Times tweets that their recall is probably just a formality.
Ira Winderman points out (via Twitter) that the D-League affiliate for the Heat is sporting a particularly impressive roster. Although the Heat do not own their rights, it’s worth noting that Miami’s developmental squad houses three former NBA players: Bill Walker, DeAndre Liggins, and Quincy Douby.
Dan Reed, president of the D-League, envisions his circuit expanding into a 30 team organization where each NBA club has it’s own minor league affiliate. Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports sat down with Reed, who appears confident that his vision will one day become a reality: “If you had asked me this three or four years ago, I would have said it will be a very long time horizon. If you ask me now, that time frame has shortened substantially.” Reed has been the president of the D-League since 2007.
To keep up with all the D-League assignments and recalls throughout the year, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors 2013/14 D-League Assignments page.

Atlantic Notes: Chris Smith, J.R. Smith, 76ers, Oden

May 20th, 2013 at 2:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

A left knee injury to Chris Smith in training camp derailed the possibility that he'd join his brother on the Knicks this past season, but it appears a strong possibility the two will be together in New York for 2013/14. Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Chris Smith has fired agent Mark Cornstein and will replace him with Leon Rose, the same agent who reps his brother. A report in February indicated the Knicks still plan to sign Chris Smith. Berman expects J.R. Smith to re-sign with the Knicks for a four-year deal with a starting salary around $5MM unless another team swoops in with a larger offer. We rounded up more on the Knicks earlier today, and here's the latest on their division rivals:

One NBA executive tells Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that he isn't sure new Sixers GM Sam Hinkie can handle the team's basketball decisions. "I don't think they are leaning on Rod Thorn as much as they should or he wants and I heard there still might be changes to the front office," the exec said. Another rival executive tells Cooney the Sixers have put their coaching search on the backburner.
Hinkie was part of a Rockets front office that was aggressive in making moves that allowed the team to acquire a star player, and he says he'll bring that approach to the Sixers, notes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Greg Oden is drawing rave reviews for his workouts of late, but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn't give the impression that signing the erstwhile No. 1 overall pick is high on his to-do list, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. "We’ll look into Greg still," Ainge said. "He wasn’t ready to play when we saw him last. He wasn’t ready to work out — I mean, not like a real workout. We’ll probably check into that some time this summer."
Bulpett hears that Doc Rivers isn't high on 2012 first-rounder Fab Melo, but Ainge disputes the idea, pointing out that Rivers didn't get much of chance to see the former Syracuse center who spent much of his rookie season in the D-League.
Bill Walker, who split five NBA seasons between the Knicks and Celtics, has signed to play in Venezuela with Trotamundos de Carabobo, while Mardy Collins, a first-round draft pick of the Knicks in 2006, has joined Guaros de Lara, another Venezuelan team, as Sportando's Emiliano Carchia passes along in a pair of reports.

Bill Walker Signs To Play In D-League

February 15th, 2013 at 6:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Celtics and Knicks swingman Bill Walker has signed to play in the D-League and will be assigned to a team Tuesday, agent Mike Naiditch told Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Walker was recently linked to the Grizzlies as they sought to fill out their roster following last month's three-for-one trade with the Cavs.

Walker, a second-round draft pick in 2008, spent four seasons in the NBA, but hasn't returned to the league since the Knicks waived him shortly before the end of the regular season last year. He's averaged 5.8 points and 37.9% three-point shooting in 15.2 minutes per game for his career. His best season by far took place in 2009/10, when he notched 11.9 PPG and shot 43.1% from behind the arc in 27.4 MPG with the Knicks after coming over from Boston in a deadline trade.

He joins a host of former NBA players in the D-League, including Shelvin Mack, Jerome Jordan and DaJuan Summers. Those three and others are on the rosters for the D-League All-Star Game this weekend.

Grizzlies Considering West, Walker, Others

January 23rd, 2013 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Chris Vernon adds yet another name to the list of possibilities for the Grizzlies, tweeting that the club is thinking about signing Josh Childress. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal also adds (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies' interest in Vujacic is real, and that he'd be given a guarantee if it made financial sense to buy out his contract overseas.

TUESDAY, 7:28pm: Michael Redd has also been mentioned as a possibility, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

12:38pm: Samardo Samuels is also under consideration for the Grizzlies, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).

10:33am: In addition to West and Walker, the Grizzlies are also considering Eddie House, Micah Downs, and Joe Ingles, tweets Vernon.

9:39am: Vernon clarifies in a second tweet that there was a misunderstanding between him and his source, and that the Grizzlies are only considering West and Walker, rather than definitely intending to sign them.

9:11am: Because the Grizzlies had already been carrying the minimum 13 players on their roster, their three-for-one trade with the Cavaliers will leave them two players short of the minimum. To fill out the roster, Memphis is expected to sign Delonte West and Bill Walker, reports Chris Vernon of 92.9FM ESPN in Memphis (Twitter link).

According to Vernon, the Grizzlies will also sign Sasha Vujacic, though we heard back in August that Vujacic's contract in Turkey wouldn't let him return to the NBA this season, so it's unclear if that has changed. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter) and Istanbul-based reporter Ismail Senol (via Twitter), Vujacic won't be leaving Turkey's Anadolu Efes. If they add West and Walker, the Grizzlies would have reached the 13-man minimum, so there'd be no need to immediately add a 14th player anyway.

West, 29, was in camp with the Mavericks this year on a guaranteed minimum-salary contract, but fell out of favor with the team and was released just before the regular season got underway. He had a productive year in Dallas in 2011/12 though, posting a career-high 15.3 PER in 44 games, including 33 starts. Walker, meanwhile, spent most of last season with the Knicks before being released just before the playoffs. The 25-year-old averaged 5.9 PPG in 32 contests for New York in '11/12.

Even if the Grizzlies sign a pair of players to rest-of-season deals, the team shouldn't have to worry about going back over the tax threshold. In each instance, Memphis would only be on the hook for a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary, an amount small enough that the Grizz would remain under the tax line.

Cavs Notes: Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, Bill Walker

July 22nd, 2012 at 11:15am CST by Daniel Seco

The Cavs have a young nucleus heading into the 2012/13 season thanks to key additions through the draft in June. Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller are set to join Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson giving head coach Byron Scott something to build with as he enters his third season with Cleveland. Let's check in with Bob Finnan of The News-Herald to catch up on the latest news and headlines surrounding the Cavs…

Waiters made some strong impressions during the Las Vegas Summer League while also showing that he has areas of his game requiring improvement. With Irving set to man the point, Waiters will need to strengthen his play off the ball and develop a jump shot in order to be most effective for the Cavs. Finnan reports that the former Syracuse star is approximately 10 pounds overweight and needs to get in shape prior to Scott's training camp unless he wants to spend his time looking into a garbage can.
Restricted free agent Alonzo Gee hasn't received any offers this summer as teams are convinced the Cavs will match any reasonable offer made to the small forward. Look for the Cavs attempt to the sign Gee on the cheap given that most teams are running out of cap space. Finnan expects Gee to sign with the Cavs for the team's $2.7MM qualifying offer, which would make the former Alabama star an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Unrestricted free agent Bill Walker may make some sense for the Cavs as they look to fill out their bench. The 24-year-old small forward played for the Knicks for a portion of the 2011/12 season before being waived by the team.

Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Carmelo, Billups

May 2nd, 2012 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

We'll have to wait one more day to continue the Heat/Knicks series, which resumes at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. In the meantime, Amare Stoudemire's ill-advised punch to a fire extinguisher continues to be the talk of New York, with his status for the rest of the series up in the air. Here's the latest on Stoudemire and the Knicks:

A source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that "half of [Stoudemire's] hand was just hanging off" in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Paramedics were called in because there was a belief that Stoudemire may have punctured an artery.
Stoudemire underwent surgery that will likely keep him out of action for the series, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Stoudemire be reassessed after Game Four, assuming the Heat don't sweep, but returning to face Miami is a long shot for the veteran forward.
ESPN.com's Israel Gutierrez argues that the Stoudemire-Carmelo Anthony pairing isn't working, and says the Knicks should have used their amnesty clause to release Amare rather than Chauncey Billups. Stoudemire's contract is "the most undesirable in the NBA," in Gutierrez's opinion.
The Knicks' decision to waive Bill Walker in favor of Dan Gadzuric seems to have backfired, writes Berman.