Jameel Warney

NBA D-League Affiliate Players For 2016/17

Throughout the offseason, and in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams before the season can be designated as affiliate players and assigned to their D-League squads.

The players have some say in the decision — if they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re free to turn down their team’s request to have them play in the D-League. Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system is appealing to many of those preseason cuts. Especially since they’ll maintain NBA free agency while they play in the D-League.

There are a few other rules related to D-League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a D-League team can’t be an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted free agents from the current year are commonly signed and assigned. Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a D-League affiliate, so clubs like the Hawks, Nuggets, or Clippers have no place to send affiliate players.

With all that in mind, here are the NBA D-League affiliate players to start the 2016/17 season:

Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)

Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers)

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Mavs Waive Jameel Warney

The Mavs waived power forward Jameel Warney Sunday, the team announced in an emailed press release.

Warney went undrafted earlier this year out of Stony Brook. The Mavs signed him in late July. He played in three preseason games for the Mavericks, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest. It would not be surprising to see Warney find a spot on a D-League roster.

This is the Mavs’ first cut and their roster is still at 19 players, so more are on the way. Warney played well in the summer league, leading Dallas in field goal percentage and averaging 6.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 16.5 minutes per contest. He finished his career at Stony Brook as the school’s all-time leader in points (2,132), rebounds (1,275), blocks (275) and games (135).

Mavericks Sign Jameel Warney, Keith Hornsby

JULY 27th, 5:56pm: The team has officially signed Warney, the Mavs announced via press release. Dallas also signed free agent guard Keith Hornsby, as was relayed in the same announcement. Hornsby went undrafted out of LSU this year. No contract details for either player were released by the team.

JULY 26th, 2:55pm: The Mavericks have reached an agreement with undrafted free agent Jameel Warney, reports Michael Scotto of The Associated Press (via Twitter). Exact details of the deal aren’t known, but if figures to be a minimum-salary pact, and according to Scotto, it will include a partial guarantee.

Warney, 22, played his college ball at Stony Brook, averaging 20.1 PPG and 10.7 RPG in his senior season, the second straight year he averaged a double-double. The young power forward also chipped in 3.1 blocks per contest, and shot 62.9% from the field. His performance earned him a spot on Jonathan Givony’s 2016 big board at DraftExpress.com, as he squeezed in at No. 100.

The Mavs have 14 players on guaranteed contracts on their books, and have another three players with partial guarantees, so Warney will face an uphill battle as he attempts to earn a regular-season roster spot. Warney will enter camp behind Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Powell, and Quincy Acy on Dallas’ depth chart at power forward.

Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Cuban, Jones, Stephens

There was never a chance that Dirk Nowitzki would emulate Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade and leave his long-time team, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Nowitzki agreed to a two-year, $40MM deal to stay in Dallas, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he never thought the situation would end differently. “Dirk wasn’t going anywhere,” Cuban said. “Dirk and Dallas, Dallas and Dirk, they’re synonymous. I understand and respect why D-Wade did what he did but there was never any doubt [about Nowitzki staying in Dallas], Dirk gets what Dirk wants.” 

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Durant’s decision to join Golden State benefited the Mavericks, who were able to trade for Andrew Bogut and sign Harrison Barnes as the Warriors worked to clear cap space. Cuban likes the look of his new squad, Washburn writes in the same piece. “Yeah, Golden State south,” the owner said. “Harrison will get a chance to expand his game and [Wesley Matthews] will be fully healthy. Deron Williams, Harrison, Dirk, Andrew, that’s not a bad starting five, and we’ve got some of our guys coming back. So we’ll be all right.”
  • Jameel Warney is trying to decide whether to attend training camp with the Mavericks or accept an offer in South Korea, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Warney, a three-time America East Player of the Year at Stony Brook, was part of the Mavs’ Summer League team.
  • The PelicansAnthony Davis is happy to have Terrence Jones as a teammate again, he said in an interview with Nancy Armour of USA Today on NBA A to Z. New Orleans reached a deal with Jones on Thursday, signing the ex-Rocket for one year at the minimum salary. Houston elected not to submit a qualifying offer to the four-year veteran, making him an unrestricted free agent. ”He’s very physical and he can put the ball on the floor, great slasher and can drive to the basket,” Davis said. ”I think not a lot of bigs can guard him. I think me and him played very well with each other at Kentucky and hopefully we can do it here in New Orleans.” 
  • The Grizzlies will bring former University of Memphis guard D.J. Stephens to camp, new coach David Fizdale said in an interview on NBA.com. The 25-year-old Stephens has three games of NBA experience with Milwaukee in 2014.

Sixers Notes: Barnes, Simmons, Colangelo, Workout

Free agent Harrison Barnes might be the Sixers’ solution at small forward, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia is hoping to upgrade its perimeter defense, and the only wings currently on the roster are Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson, who are all more valuable as shooters than defenders. The 6’8″ Barnes would bring a mix of offense and defense that coach Brett Brown is looking for, and at 24 he is just entering the prime of his career. Barnes will be a restricted free agent, so Pompey says a max offer may be necessary to discourage the Warriors from matching. The Sixers will have plenty of money available, with a little more than $33.3MM in guaranteed salary against a cap projected at about $94MM.

There’s more news out of Philadelphia:

  • Ben Simmons has all the tools to be a great NBA player except outside shooting, Pompey writes in a separate piece. Pompey, who advocates Simmons as the No. 1 pick, says the Sixers are excited about the prospect of having an elite passer at power forward because it creates more options in the pick-and-roll. Cavaliers star LeBron James has become a mentor to Simmons, and he sees great things ahead for the LSU freshman. “I think we all don’t know just yet how great of a kid he is and how down to earth he is with the game of basketball and life in general,” James said.
  • This week presents the first opportunity for new team president Bryan Colangelo to put his stamp on the franchise, Pompey writes in another story. With the draft on Thursday and free agency a week and a half away, Colangelo will have opportunities to make the type of bold moves he became famous for with the Raptors and Suns.
  • Six players are scheduled to attend a workout Monday in Philadelphia, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. The Sixers will welcome Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, Kansas power forward Perry Ellis, Old Dominion point guard Trey Freeman, former Buffalo power forward Justin Moss, New Mexico State power forward Pascal Siakam and Stony Brook power forward Jameel Warney.

Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Durant, Heat, Wizards

In our Tuesday round-up of the latest Kevin Durant-related free agency rumors, we passed along a list of 10 teams – including the Thunder – who will likely attempt to land Durant if given the chance this summer. Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds another club to that list, writing that the Hawks – and owner Tony Ressler – are expected to make “a strong push” for the perennial All-Star.

Of course, Schultz himself acknowledges that Atlanta’s odds of landing Durant are extremely slim, suggesting that a return to Oklahoma City is the likeliest scenario for the 27-year-old. But until Durant officially puts pen to paper and signs a new contract, teams around the NBA will prepare their strongest pitches for him, and the Hawks haven’t yet given up hope.

Here’s more from around the NBA’s Southeast division:

  • Within his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat will be able to recruit a top free agent to a roster that may lack Chris Bosh. If Bosh is unable to play next season, it would limit Miami’s cap flexibility and would likely make the team less appealing to free agents.
  • J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com doesn’t view any of the Raptors’ pending free agents as ideal fits for the Wizards, but suggests that a less expensive big man with a skill set similar to Bismack Biyombo‘s would be perfect for Washington.
  • Former Stony Brook forward Jameel Warney will be among the prospects working out for the Wizards today, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

Central Notes: Butler, Lue, Draft

Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler reaffirmed his desire to remain with in Chicago and said that he will definitely be with the team next season, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. “I love the city of Chicago. I’ve played here my entire career,” Butler said. “Let’s not get that misunderstood. I love the guys that we have on the roster. We continue to bring in high-character guys. I’m learning with [Fred] Hoiberg. I’m not perfect, I’ll tell you that. But I’m ready. I think I have to be able to help this team win games, though, that’s for sure.

When asked if he believes he will be with the team in 2016/17, Butler told Friedell, “Yeah, I think so. I definitely do. I do think that with the year that we did have last season — it’s unacceptable. So you have to then, truth be told, you got to look at everything. I didn’t do my job, so truth be told, can I help this team win? That’s the question that’s brought up. And I can’t be mad at that. You can use whatever excuse you want to use, but we didn’t make the playoffs. That’s all anybody sees and that’s rightfully so. So do I think I’m going to be here? Yeah, I think so. But that’s just me thinking.”

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The Bucks held a workout on Wednesday that included A.J. English (Iona), Trahson Burrell (Memphis), Joel Bolomboy (Weber State), Matt Tiby (UW-Milwaukee), Jameel Warney (Stony Brook) and Shawn Long (Louisiana-Lafayette), the team announced.
  • Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead cancelled his workout with the Pacers that was scheduled for Wednesday and the player is giving serious consideration to returning to school for his junior campaign, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays.
  • The hiring of Tyronn Lue as coach and his willingness to confront LeBron James and regain control of the team turned around the Cavaliers‘ season and made Cleveland a true threat to win the NBA crown, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes.

Celtics Notes: Ainge, Olynyk, Draft

Team executive Danny Ainge says the Celtics plan on working out 80-100 players in advance of June’s NBA Draft, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. “We’ll put them through a lot of different situations,” Ainge said. “We’ll see how bigs are at guarding guards, and guards defending bigger players, some of the roles they would have to play if they were Celtics. … We’ll get a good look at what they can do in a lot of different scenarios. With our picks, it is in a player’s best interest to work out for us. But for us, we want to see as many players as possible so that we can draft the best fit, the best player that’s available.

Ainge also noted that he expects to be on the phone with other teams talking trades more often than in previous seasons because of the team’s wealth of draft picks, Blakely writes. If Boston is unable to package some of its picks to acquire more talent, the Celtics will look at drafting players from overseas with the intent that they won’t join the NBA for a few seasons, the scribe adds.

Here’s more from Boston:

  • Boston is gearing up for a busy offseason, as Ainge detailed and as Jay King of MassLive relays (Twitter links). “There are scenarios where our team could be better, and be significantly better, and there are scenarios where we have younger players that are maybe not as good from a win/record standpoint, but with the development that standpoint being a much, much higher ceiling,” Ainge said.
  • Center Kelly Olynyk intends to consult with additional doctors prior to making a decision regarding surgery for his injured right shoulder, Blakely writes in a separate piece. The big man is hoping to avoid going under the knife this offseason, telling Blakely, “It’s always an option when you have an injury of certain degrees. If you can make sure it’s healthy without it, then it’s healthy without it.
  • The Celtics are holding predraft workouts today for Dorian Finney-Smith (Florida), Quincy Ford (Northeastern), Marcus Georges-Hunt (Georgia Tech), Sheldon McClellan (Miami), Mike Tobey (Virginia) and Jameel Warney (Stony Brook), as Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).
  • Dayton shooting guard Charles Cooke will work out for the Celtics on Saturday, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.