James Webb III

And-Ones: Gupta, Bubble, Webb, Agents, Draft

The Timberwolves have long believed that their executive VP Sachin Gupta is a strong candidate for the Kings‘ top front office position and have supported him as he explores the opportunity, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who says president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has “spoken glowingly” to Sacramento about Gupta.

As the Kings narrow their search, Gupta appears to be gaining some momentum and is said to be one of three finalists for Sacramento’s top job. With that in mind, Krawczynski weighs some pros and cons for Gupta to consider if he’s offered the job. While the opportunity to run a front office doesn’t come along often, Krawczynski notes that the Kings haven’t been the league’s most stable franchise over the last 15 years, adding that Gupta is thriving so far in his role with the Timberwolves as Rosas’ right-hand man.

As we wait to see whether Gupta is offered Sacramento’s top front office job – and whether he accepts it – let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world…

  • The two teams that advance to the NBA Finals will be permitted to bring three additional staff members, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that those two clubs will also be allowed to bring 12 more guests of staffers into the Walt Disney World bubble.
  • Former NBA forward James Webb III has joined KAE Larisa in Greece for the coming season, the team announced on Instagram (hat tip to Sportando). A former Boise State standout, Webb appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn in 2017/18 and has also spent time under contract with Philadelphia.
  • James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at how agents and rookie recruiting have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which has largely limited the ability of player reps to meet face-to-face with the prospects they’re looking to sign.
  • Jeremy Woo of SI.com has updated his big board for the 2020 NBA draft, with Anthony Edwards leading the way. Edwards’ case for the No. 1 spot centers on the likelihood that he’ll be able to eventually “anchor a team’s offense,” Woo writes.

James Webb III To Sign In Greece

Free agent forward James Webb III has agreed to a deal in Greece with Larisa B.C., agent Daryl Graham told Hoops Rumors.

Webb will head overseas for the first time since playing in Germany during the 2018/19 season. He’s expected to sign his deal – which includes an NBA buyout – later on Monday, Graham said.

Webb spent time at North Idaho (2012-13) and Boise State (2014-16) during his collegiate career, later going undrafted and joining the Sixers for summer league in 2016. The 6’9″ forward then spent a year and a half with Delaware, signing a two-way contract with the Nets during the 2017/18 season.

Webb, 27, most recently played with the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League, averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 26.6 minutes in 29 games.

Richaun Holmes Arrested On Marijuana Charge

Suns center Richaun Holmes was arrested in South Florida on Wednesday night, according to David Ovalle of The Miami Herald, who reports that Holmes was booked on a misdemeanor marijuana charge.

As Ovalle details, Holmes and former Nets forward James Webb III were pulled over in Aventura and were charged with possession of cannabis. Both players posted bond after spending a couple hours in a Miami jail.

Holmes, who was traded from Philadelphia to Phoenix last summer, averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 70 games (16.9 MPG) for the Suns in 2018/19. Having spent his first four seasons on a single contract, Holmes will reach the open market for the first time this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

As for Webb, he appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn during the 2017/18 campaign, but didn’t play in the NBA in 2018/19, spending the season with Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany.

Holmes is the second Suns player to be arrested in Florida this month, joining teammate Josh Jackson. However, given the minor nature of Holmes’ infraction, it’s unlikely to have much impact on his upcoming free agency.

International Notes: Webb, Wilson, Patterson, Austin

Former Nets forward James Webb III has officially signed a one-year contract with Germany’s Telekom Baskets Bonn, according to a Sportando report. Webb reportedly had an agreement to play in Italy earlier in August but it fell through. Webb played 10 games with Brooklyn last season after signing a two-way deal in January. He also played 19 games for the Long Island Nets in the G League, averaging 14.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG, after starting his NBA career in 2016 with the Sixers’ G league affiliate.

We have more news from overseas:

  • Ex-Clippers forward Jamil Wilson has received interest from Italy’s Fiat Torino but the two parties are not close to an agreement, according to another Sportando post. Wilson appeared in 15 games on a two-way contract with the Clippers last season, including 10 starts, and averaged 7.0 PPG in 18.3 MPG. He was waived in January and eventually wound up with the Pacers’ G League team in Fort Wayne, Ind. before signing with Italy’s Serie A team, Virtus Bologna.
  • Center Isaiah Austin, who has been medically barred from playing in NBA, is posting big numbers in China, as Leo Sepkowitz of Bleacher Report details. The 7’1” Austin, who has Marfan syndrome, is averaging 35.1 PPG,  10.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG for Guangxi in the Chinese National Basketball League. “I’m in really good shape, which is why it’s really hurtful that people won’t give me an opportunity,” he told Sefkowitz. However, it’s unlikely the NBA will ever give him the green light to play, as Kurt Helin of NBC Sports notes.
  • Former Hawks guard Lamar Patterson is close to an agreement with Australia’s Melbourne United, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Patterson, the 48th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, spent his first professional season in Turkey before joining Atlanta for the 2015/16 campaign. In parts of two NBA seasons, the former Pitt standout appeared in 40 games, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG in limited minutes. He played in Italy and China last season.

James Webb III Expected To Play In Germany

Former Nets forward James Webb III is expected to play in Germany for the 2018/19 season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who hears from a source that Webb has agreed to terms with Telekom Baskets Bonn.

As Carchia details, Webb was previously expected to join Pallacanestro Cantu, having apparently reached an agreement with the Italian club earlier in August. However, that deal fell through, prompting the 25-year-old to shift his focus to Germany.

Webb, a former Boise State standout who went undrafted in 2016, spent the first year and a half of his professional career playing for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. He caught on with the Nets in January, signing a two-way contract with Brooklyn and appearing in 10 games for the NBA team in 2017/18. Webb also played 19 games for the Long Island Nets in the G League, averaging 14.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG with a .406/.374/.872 shooting line.

Webb is one of several two-way players who will head overseas for the 2018/19 campaign, as our Free Agent Tracker shows.

International Moves: Bass, Webb III, Clavell

Veteran NBA power forward Brandon Bass has re-signed with Liaoning in the Chinese Basketball Association, according to a Sportando report. Bass averaged 21 PPG and 9.5 RPG last season after going overseas. Bass, 33, played 12 seasons in the NBA with stops in New Orleans, Dallas, Orlando, Boston and both Los Angeles teams. In his most recent NBA season, Bass appeared in 52 games with the Clippers in 2016/17, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 11.1 MPG. In 758 career games, Bass averaged 8.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG.

We have more news from overseas:

  • Forward James Webb III is expected to sign with Italy’s Pallacanestro Cantù, according to another Sportando post. Webb played 10 games with the Nets last season after signing a two-way contract in January.  The 6’9” Webb, 24, averaged 1.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 12.0 MPG with the Nets.
  • Former Mavericks shooting guard Gian Clavell has joined Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata, according to an ACB.com post. Clavell, 24, appeared in seven games with Dallas on a two-way contract last season, averaging 2.9 PPG in 9.1 MPG. Clavell played in Turkey after the Mavericks released him in mid-November.
  • Former Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead will play in Russia next season. Get the details here.

Nets Sign James Webb III To Two-Way Contract

4:48pm: The signing of Webb is official, per team release. The club also confirmed the release of Wiley.

3:21pm: The Nets are expected to cut Wiley to make room for Webb, according to a NetsDaily report.

11:48am: The Nets intend to sign G League forward James Webb III to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). As we noted this morning, Monday is the last day that teams can sign players to two-way deals this season, so Brooklyn will have to finalize the signing today.

In order to clear room on their roster for Webb, the Nets will also have to make a roster move involving one of their current two-way players, Jacob Wiley and Milton Doyle. Brooklyn currently has a full 15-man NBA roster, so converting one of those two-way players to a standard contract isn’t an option unless someone else is waived.

Webb, who played his college ball at Boise State, went undrafted in 2016 and joined the Sixers for training camp. After being cut by Philadelphia prior to the 2016/17 season, he caught on with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. Webb has since appeared in 60 games for the 87ers, averaging 12.6 PPG and 8.4 RPG with a .439/.361/.747 shooting line.

Once his two-way contract with the Nets becomes official, Webb will make the move over to the Long Island Nets. He’ll also be eligible to spend up to 22 days with Brooklyn the rest of the way.

Sixers Waive Andrews, Loving, Webb

The Sixers have waived Andrew Andrews, Marc Loving and James Webb III, the team announced in a tweet. All three players were signed earlier today and are expected to join the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware once they clear waivers.

Andrews, a 24-year-old guard, played in Turkey last year after being waived by the Hornets before the start of the season. He went undrafted out of Washington in 2016.

Loving, a 6’7″ power forward, played for Ohio State last year, averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Webb, a 24-year-old forward, spent last season with the Sixers’ G League team in Delaware after Philadelphia waived him out of training camp.

Philadelphia is now down to the limit with 17 players on its roster, including two-way contracts for James Michael McAdoo and Jacob Pullen.

Sixers Sign Three Players, Retain Jacob Pullen On Two-Way Deal

11:10am: The Sixers have officially confirmed that they’ve converted Pullen’s NBA deal into a two-way contract. The team also announced in a press release that it has signed Andrew Andrews, James Webb III, and Loving. All three players will likely be waived soon and land with the Delaware 87ers in the G League.

9:47am: The Sixers will sign former Ohio State forward Marc Loving, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). With the regular season around the corner, Loving seems unlikely to spend much time on Philadelphia’s roster — he’ll likely be waived and then join the Sixers’ G League team as an affiliate player.

Loving, a 6’7″ forward, averaged 12.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG for the Buckeyes last season, adding 1.8 three-pointers per game at a 38.2% success rate.

In a separate roster move, the Sixers intend to convert Jacob Pullen‘s NBA contract into a two-way deal, a source tells Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Bodner, the guard’s original contract with Philadelphia included an Exhibit 10 clause, allowing the team to turn it into a two-way contract before the regular season begins.

Pullen will join former Warriors forward James McAdoo as the two-way players under contract with the Sixers.

Assuming the Sixers waive Loving shortly after signing him and formally convert Pullen’s contract to a two-way deal, the team should be set for the regular season, having reportedly waived three other players as well.

And-Ones: Draft, D. Smith, Ball, Sixers, Webb

It’s still a little early for NBA prospects to start formally declaring for the 2017 NBA draft, but there’s “no question” that North Carolina State freshman Dennis Smith Jr. will be among the players who enter, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), the Timberwolves had multiple people, including assistant GM Noah Croom, in attendance to watch N.C. State play Clemson at this week’s ACC tournament — Smith certainly would have been a player of interest in that game.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:

  • Lavar Ball, the father of UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball, has made headlines by boasting about his son’s potential, and NBA executives have to take Lavar’s presence into consideration when evaluating Lonzo, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. “That is going to be another thing to look at when it comes to due diligence before the draft,” one GM told Deveney. “How does he handle his dad — is it just something he laughs about, or is it real pressure on him?”
  • Sixers cornerstones Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid won’t play again for the team this season, but will they be ready to contribute in Summer League action in July? Head coach Brett Brown believes it’s “too early to make that judgment,” though he acknowledges that it’s something the team is considering. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has the quotes and the details.
  • James Webb III, who has been with the Delaware 87ers as an affiliate player this season after being waived by the Sixers in the fall, has fractured his right ankle and will be sidelined for the rest of the D-League season, the team announced today in a press release. A camp invitee who received a $65K guarantee from Philadelphia, Webb has averaged 13.1 PPG and 9.3 RPG in 39 NBADL games.