JaKarr Sampson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Stock Watch 2020: Central Division

January 31st, 2020 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Central Division:

Christian Wood, Pistons, 24, PF (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $3.16MM deal in 2018
There aren’t many waiver claims in the NBA but Detroit got itself a bargain when it snared Wood after the Pelicans made him available. Wood won a training camp battle with veteran forward Joe Johnson for Detroit’s final roster spot and has turned into a valuable rotation member. He’s averaging 10.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 17.4 MPG, including a 20-point, eight-rebound outing against the Nets on Wednesday. A lack of maturity and focus were the reasons Wood bounced around the league for a few years but he’ll get a much bigger contract as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Shaquille Harrison, Bulls, 26, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.62MM deal in 2019
Harrison won a battle for Chicago’s final roster spot and eventually had his salary guaranteed. Harrison, who worked his way through the G League ranks before making his NBA debut two seasons ago with Phoenix, has only seen spot duty this season. In his last 16 appearances, Harrison has not played more than 11 minutes. He was a much bigger factor last season when the Bulls were banged up, appearing in 73 games, including 11 starts. The Bulls can make Harrison a restricted free agent by extending a qualifying offer of $2MM but he doesn’t appear to be in their long-range plans.

Brandon Knight, Cavaliers, 28, PG (Down) – Signed to a five-year, $70MM deal in 2015
Knight’s career has been sidetracked by injuries and once again he’s out of action due to left knee soreness. Knight’s $15.6MM expiring contract could still be used in a major deal but even when he’s able to suit up, he rarely receives playing time. The addition of Dante Exum pushed him further down the bench. In his last two appearances in mid-January, Knight totaled one point in 38 minutes. The former lottery pick, who averaged 19.6 PPG for Phoenix during the 2015/16 season, will likely have to settle for a veteran’s minimum deal this summer.

JaKarr Sampson, Pacers, 26, PF (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.7MM deal in 2019
Sampson got a chance to start on Wednesday with Myles Turner sidelined by the flu. Otherwise, playing time has been scarce for the journeyman forward, who has also played for Philadelphia, Denver, Sacramento and Chicago during his NBA journey. He spent a good chunk of time last season in China and the G League. Sampson has appeared in 17 games this season, including 10 starts. Signed to a veteran’s minimum contract in August, Sampson will be an unrestricted free agent once again this summer. He’ll probably be looking at similar offers this July.

Dragan Bender, Bucks, 22, PF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $3.5MM deal in 2019
The former top five pick made a minimal impact in his three seasons with the Suns. He’s been even less of a factor with the Eastern Conference’s top team, appearing in seven games. He’s played four games this month as an injury fill-in but contributed just 11 points with four turnovers in 62 minutes. Bender has spent quite a bit of time in the G League and perhaps his biggest accomplishment this season was staying on the roster and getting his salary guaranteed. His $1.82MM salary for next season is not guaranteed and it’s likely Bender will return to the free agent market for the second straight offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Sampson, Turner, Giannis, Beilein

January 12th, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers have been able to weather a series of injuries because of surprising contributions from players such as JaKarr Sampson, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. Now with his fifth NBA team, Sampson didn’t create much fanfare when he signed with Indiana in August. He’s averaging just 4.9 points per game, but his other contributions have helped make up for the loss of Thaddeus Young in free agency.

“You can’t look at a stat sheet for guys like him,” teammate Myles Turner said of Sampson. “He brings so much more to the game. Intensity. We feed off his energy.”

Sampson is suddenly getting an opportunity after missing 22 games with a back injury. He played 20 minutes Friday night after finding out 10 minutes before the game that he was starting because Domantas Sabonis had to sit out with a sore knee.

“I know I’m able to play this game at the highest level,” Sampson said. “I knew what I was walking into when I came to this team. They have two great players at the 4 and 5 (Sabonis and Turner).”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pacers are turning down trade requests for Turner, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN. Indiana has a lot of money invested in Turner and Sabonis, but wants to see how the team responds once Victor Oladipo returns from injury before considering a move.
The Bucks don’t seemed bothered by continued speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, tweets Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “I think the team’s been incredibly focused, he’s been incredibly focused just on each day, getting better, competing with his group and being respectful of what we’re doing now,” coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Cavaliers players are eager to move past the latest John Beilein controversy, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. In comments that he later apologized for, the coach caused a stir this week when he said his team was “no longer playing like a bunch of thugs” when he meant to say “slugs.” “He says it all the time, so it’s all good,” Collin Sexton said. “He calls us slugs, because we slow. But it’s good. We knew what he meant, just blown out of proportion.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/17/19

December 17th, 2019 at 8:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pacers have assigned Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants as the former All-Star continues his rehabs, the team announced on Twitter. Indiana also recalled Edmond Sumner, Alize Johnson, and JaKarr Sampson.
The Knicks have assigned Ignas Brazdeikis to the Westchester Knicks, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Brazdeikis was available for the G League contest tonight.
The Wizards assigned Justin Robinson to the Capital City Go-Go, per the team’s Twitter feed. The guard has appeared in six games for Washington this season.
The Rockets have assigned Isaiah Hartenstein to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets. The center has appeared in nine games for Houston this year.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele and guard Terance Mann to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, per the team.
Jalen McDaniels is making another trip to the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets announced on their website. The second-round pick has appeared in 13 games in the G League this season.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/16/19

December 16th, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Pacers have assigned JaKarr Sampson, Alize Johnson and Edmond Sumner to their G League affiliate, the team announced on Twitter. All three players are available for the Mad Ants’ contest tonight.
The Celtics have recalled Romeo Langford from the Maine Red Claws, as the team relays on Twitter. Langford was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
The Wolves have recalled Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Krawczynski notes that Reid looked quick and explosive during Minnesota’s practice earlier today.
The Kings have assigned Caleb Swanigan to the Stockton Kings, per Sacramento’s Twitter feed. The power forward has appeared in five NBA contests this season, seeing a total of 13 minutes.

Atlantic Notes: Ntilikina, Adel, Raptors, Nets Staff

September 23rd, 2019 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Frank Ntilikina‘s last coach in the French Pro A League told the enigmatic Knicks guard that he must build off his strong showing the FIBA World Cup, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports. Vincent Collet knows this could be a make-or-break year for the lottery pick. Ntilikina helped Team France win a bronze medal in the tournament. “I told him he must keep going,” Collet told Vorkunov. “He must take advantage of the World Cup. When you start the camp, you must show them you are not the same Frank anymore.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, acquired the returning player rights to Deng Adel from Raptors 905, according to a team press release. Brooklyn had already signed the small forward to an Exhibit 10 contract. Adel played on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers during the second half of last season, then became a free agent. Long Island also acquired the returning player rights of JaKarr Sampson from the Windy City Bulls in the three-team G league swap. Sampson signed with the Pacers in August.
The five players who have partially guaranteed contracts with the Raptors will likely compete for three roster spots, as Blake Murphy of The Athletic details in an examination of the team’s salary cap situation. A dozen players have fully guaranteed deals and will almost assuredly make the squad. That leaves Cameron Payne, Isaiah Taylor, Dewan Hernandez, Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller vying for the remaining spots on the 15-man opening night roster. Hernandez might have the biggest edge because he has the most guaranteed money and the most team-friendly contract long-term, Murphy adds.
Former NBA center Tiago Splitter has been promoted by the Nets to player development coach, according to a team press release. Splitter joined the organization after retiring in February 2018. The other staff additions or promotions included J.R. Holden (director of player personnel), Daniel Jones (physical performance coach) and Ryan Forehan-Kelly (player development coordinator).

Pacers Sign JaKarr Sampson To One-Year Deal

August 2nd, 2019 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 2: The Pacers have officially signed Sampson, the team confirmed today in a press release.

The guarantee details on Sampson’s deal have yet to be reported, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s not fully guaranteed unless we hear otherwise.

JULY 24: Forward JaKarr Sampson has agreed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Pacers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Sampson had signed to play overseas with Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association, so either that deal fell through or he had an out clause. He played six games with Shandong last season and 24 G league games with the Windy City Bulls.

Sampson, 26, has bounced around since making his debut during the 2014/15 season with Philadelphia. He’s also played for Denver, Sacramento and Chicago. In four games with the Bulls last season, he averaged 20.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 31.8 MPG. In his career, Sampson has played 173 NBA games, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 16.0 MPG. He’s a career 25.7% shooter from beyond the arc.

The 6’9” forward will add depth at both forward spots behind starters T.J. Warren and Domantas Sabonis.

And-Ones: Casspi, Sampson, Expansion, Armstrong

July 5th, 2019 at 7:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran forward Omri Casspi has overseas options if he doesn’t get an NBA offer in free agency. Two prominent teams, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Olimpia Milano, are interested in signing Casspi, according to Davide Chinellato of La Gazzetta dello Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Casspi came off the bench in 36 games last season with the Grizzlies, averaging 6.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Casspi, 31, has played for a handful of NBA teams since the 2016/17 season and is a career 36.8% 3-point shooter.

We have more from around the basketball world:

JaKarr Sampson has signed with Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. Sampson played six games with Shandong last season and 24 G league games with the Windy City Bulls. The 26-year-old forward also appeared in four games with the NBA Bulls last season and has 173 NBA games under his belt.
The Las Vegas Summer League has been highly successful but there are no plans for the league to expand in that city or anywhere else, according to Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Commissioner Adam Silver said that expansion is “not on our agenda right now.” Silver also reiterated there are no plans to relocate a current franchise. “There have been no indications from any of our current franchises that they’re considering relocating,” Silver said.
Terry Armstrong, a 2020 draft prospect, will play South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reports. The 6’7” Armstrong is currently rated No. 40 by Givony. No. 6 prospect RJ Hampton and No. 24 prospect LaMelo Ball have also signed with the NBL. Armstrong played for four high schools in three different states.

JaKarr Sampson Signs 10-Day Contract With Bulls

March 31st, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have added JaKarr Sampson on a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release. Sampson was signed with a hardship exception, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary.

It’s the latest effort to provide reinforcements for a squad that is missing seven rotation players because of injuries. On Friday, Chicago signed Walter Lemon Jr. for the rest of the season.

Sampson had been playing for the Bulls’ Windy City affiliate, averaging 21.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in 24 games. The 26-year-old forward joined the G League team after being cut by Chicago in the preseason.

Sampson was a two-way player with the Kings last year, appearing in 22 NBA games. He signed with the Bulls after Sacramento withdrew a qualifying offer last summer. Sampson has also spent time with the Sixers and Nuggets.

Bulls Sign Brandon Sampson To Two-Way Deal

December 27th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 27: The Bulls have made it official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Sampson and waived Ulis.

DECEMBER 21: The Bulls are signing shooting guard Brandon Sampson to a two-way deal and waiving Tyler Ulis, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Charania erroneously reported earlier that Chicago was signing forward JaKarr Sampson from their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. JaKarr Sampson reached a deal earlier this week to play with the Shandong Golden Stars in China.

Brandon Sampson, 21, attended LSU and went undrafted. The 6’5” Sampson has appeared in 18 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ affiliate, averaging 17.6 PPG and 3.9 APG in 35.2 MPG.

Chicago’s other two-way slot is occupied by guard Rawle Alkins. As Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days tweets, Ulis has been out of action most of the season with a hip injury.

Sampson was on the Rockets’ training camp roster.

During his final college season as a junior, he battled an ankle injury and averaged just 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 27 games (18.9 MPG). Sampson joined the Hawks for Las Vegas Summer League play in July, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in three games (16.0 MPG).

JaKarr Sampson To Play In China

December 18th, 2018 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward JaKarr Sampson has signed a contract with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, agent Boris Gorenc confirmed the news.

Sampson, 25, has spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, appearing in a total of 169 regular season games for the Sixers, Nuggets, and Kings and compiling career averages of 5.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 15.6 minutes per contest.

Last season, Sampson played on a two-way contract with Sacramento. The Kings initially made the former St. John’s standout a qualifying offer in June, but withdrew that QO early in the free agent period in July, making him an unrestricted free agent. While Sampson eventually joined the Bulls for training camp, he was cut by Chicago before the regular season got underway.

Shandong has now signed multiple NBA veterans within the last week, having also added Ty Lawson to replace injured guard Andrew Goudelock last week. Sampson will replace Donatas Motiejunas, who is expected to miss a month with an injury of his own, according to Carchia.