Jarell Martin

Montrezl Harrell To Sign With Australian Team

Free agent big man Montrezl Harrell is headed to Australia, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reports.

Harrell has agreed to a short-term deal with the Adelaide 36ers. The 2020 NBA Sixth Man of the Year will be an injury replacement for another former NBA forward, Jarell Martin.

Martin is still recovering from a patellar tendon injury and isn’t expected to be available until later in the year, according to Uluc. While Harrell could stick with the 36ers after Martin returns, the team would need to deactivate a local player to make that happen, Uluc adds.

Harrell played eight seasons in the NBA, most recently with the 76ers during the 2022/23 regular season. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game that year.

Harrell was waived by Philadelphia in October 2023. He underwent knee surgery last August after he suffered a torn ACL and medial meniscus tear earlier that summer.

The 30-year-old’s best season in the NBA was with the Clippers during the 2019/20 campaign, where he averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. In 515 career regular season outings, Harrell has averaged 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes.

Before reaching a deal with Harrell, Adelaide also considered former NBA players Justin Jackson and Thon Maker, sources tell Uluc.

International Notes: Diallo, Galloway, Martin, Mannion, Jones

Bayern Munich is interested in signing free agent wing Hamidou Diallo, according to German basketball reporter Robert Heusel (Twitter link).

A former second-round pick (45th overall in 2018), Diallo played for Oklahoma City and Detroit from 2018-23. He spent most of last season in the NBA G League with the Capital City Go-Go, making two appearances with the Wizards back in January while on a 10-day contract.

Diallo, who turned 26 years old on Wednesday, is a superb athlete who is an above-average cutter, finisher, rebounder and defender for a guard/forward. However, he has struggled with his outside shot throughout his career and he isn’t a great passer, which may have limited his NBA opportunities over the past year.

It’s unclear if Diallo would be open to playing in Europe for the first time in his career. He reportedly impressed during a private scrimmage last month and also worked out for the Bucks a couple weeks ago.

Bayern won Germany’s top domestic league (BBL) last season and also competes in the EuroLeague.

Here are a few more international notes:

  • Former NBA guard Langston Galloway has signed a contract with Italy’s Trapani Shark, agent Misko Raznatovic announced (via Twitter). Galloway, who played for seven different teams over the course of his eight NBA seasons from 2014-22, spent the 2022/23 season in the NBA G League with the College Park Skyhawks. Last season, he played professionally in Europe for the first time in his career, averaging 16.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.4 APG on .393/.363/.895 shooting in 30 games for Reggio Emilia in Italy’s top basketball league (LBA).
  • Former Warriors guard Nico Mannion will remain with Italy’s Pallacanestro Varese for the 2024/25 season, the team announced (via Twitter). The 23-year-old, who was born in Italy, also spent time in Spain last season with Baskonia.
  • Jarell Martin, who spent last season in Turkey with Galatasaray, has officially signed a one-year contract with Australia’s Adelaide 36ers, per a team press release. The 25th pick of the 2015 draft, Martin played four NBA seasons with Memphis and Orlando from 2015-19. The news of Martin’s signing was first reported by ESPN.
  • Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce is eyeing free agent center Damian Jones, reports Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Jones, 29, has spent the past eight years in the NBA, having played 39 games for the Cavaliers in 2023/24.

International Notes: Martin, Washington, Fitts, Brooks

Former NBA first-round pick Jarell Martin has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN.com.

The No. 25 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Martin appeared in 184 total NBA regular season games for the Grizzlies and Magic from 2015-19, but hasn’t been on an NBA roster since being cut by the Cavaliers ahead of the 2019/20 season.

The former LSU forward has played in several non-NBA leagues during the past few seasons, spending time with the Sydney Kings from 2020-22, followed by a season apiece with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel and Galatasaray in Turkey. Martin, 30, won championships in Australia in 2022 and Israel in 2023.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

  • Free agent guard Duane Washington is on track to sign with Partizan Belgrade in Sebia, according to a report from Mozzart Sport (hat tip to Sportando). Washington confirmed that report in a post on his Instagram account. The 24-year-old, who played his college ball at Ohio State, appeared in 79 NBA regular season games for Indiana and Phoenix from 2021-23 and finished the 2023/24 season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, though he didn’t play at all for New York.
  • Former NBA forward Malik Fitts, who played for the Clipers, Jazz, and Celtics from 2020-22, has signed with SIG Strasbourg, according to an announcement from the French team. Fitts signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards prior to the 2023/24 season and subsequently spent time with the Capital City Go-Go before being traded to the Cleveland Charge last December.
  • Long viewed as an adversarial NBA player, Canadian forward Dillon Brooks is embracing his role as an international villain in this year’s Olympics, as he tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Everywhere I go. Germany, France, Spain, no matter where. It’s always the same thing,” Brooks said. “… On the street, they want to take pictures, be close to the villain, take pictures with the villain. But in the game, it’s what they say in the media, what they say on social media is (to) boo him and it gets people (fired up). It is what it is. But I love playing like that. I love playing against the crowd, but at the end of the day when I’m playing good, the only thing they can do is cheer.”

Justin Patton, Others Commit To Summer League

Former Rockets center Justin Patton will play with the Jazz during the Salt Lake City Summer League and Knicks during the Las Vegas Summer League next month, a source told Hoops Rumors.

Throughout his career, Patton, 24, has made stops with the Wolves, Sixers, Thunder, and Rockets. He was selected No. 16 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by Chicago, but his rights were immediately traded to Minnesota as part of the Jimmy ButlerZach LaVine deal.

Patton joined the Bucks for training camp last year and was waived before the season started. He was drafted by the Westchester Knicks in the January G League draft, later earning a two-way deal with Houston due to his impressive play.

The Salt Lake City Summer League (four teams) will be held on August 3, 4 and 6, while the Las Vegas Summer League (all 30 teams) will take place from August 8-17.

Here are some other noteworthy commitments to report:

  • Former Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson has committed to play summer league with the Lakers in Las Vegas, a source told Hoops Rumors. Simpson signed with the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He averaged 9.8 points, 6.1 assists and 28.5 minutes with Oklahoma City’s G League affiliate this past season.
  • Tahjere McCall has accepted a summer league invitation with the Magic, Hoops Rumors has learned. McCall was part of the team’s G League championship roster last season, averaging 11.9 points per game. The 26-year-old guard was also named to the G League All-Defensive Team and finished second in G League Defensive Player of the Year voting.
  • Free agent big man Dewan Hernandez has agreed to play summer league with the Wizards, according to a source. Hernandez, a Miami product, was drafted No. 59 overall by the Raptors back in 2019. He played six games with Toronto in 2019-20.
  • Another commitment for the Salt Lake City Summer League, Hoops Rumors has learned: Jarell Martin with the Jazz. Martin holds 184 games of NBA experience and most recently spent time in Australia. He was selected 25th in the 2015 draft.

And-Ones: Midseason Tournament, Martin, Grant, Musa

The NBA could benefit from adding more incentives if it chooses to create a midseason tournament, Jabari Young of CNBC writes. The league would likely use money as a primary incentive, whether it be for a charity, a social justice organization, or for the players.

While no plans have been finalized, the NBA is actively seeking ways to improve the viewing experience for fans during the regular season. The league recently added a play-in tournament, which has received mixed reactions from fans and teams.

As we relayed last month, the NBA hopes to eventually add a midseason tournament, though it would have to agree with the players’ association first. In addition, two-thirds of the league’s 30 team owners would have to approve of the idea, with 2022/23 being the earliest that it could be tested.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The Sydney Kings and former NBA first-round pick Jarell Martin have exercised their mutual option for next season, the team announced. Martin, who averaged 17.9 points in 28 games this year, will return to the club for a second campaign. “Even though Jarell put up strong numbers, we still only got to see a small sample of what he can do in this league – coming in late, dealing with injuries, adjusting to the physicality – we expect him to have a big year” team CEO Chris Pongrass said, as relayed by Sportando.
  • Jerian Grant is receiving interest from Olimpia Milano (Italy) and Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia), according to SDNA (hat tip to Sportando). Grant holds five seasons of NBA experience (2015-20), most recently playing in Greece.
  • Former Nets forward Dzanan Musa and Anadolu Efes have parted ways, according to Basket Faul (as relayed by EuroHoops). Musa played 49 games with Brooklyn from 2018-20, originally signing with Efes in January.

And-Ones: 2020/21 Season, Trade Exceptions, J. Martin, More

The NBA pulled off an impressive feat over the summer, making it through the end of its 2019/20 season and the entire playoffs at Walt Disney World without any COVID-19 cases among players. However, now that the NBA has left its bubble for the ’20/21 campaign, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers is among those worried about whether or not the league will be able to replicate that success, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“Man, I tell you I’m very concerned if we can pull this off,” Rivers said, pointing to COVID-19 outbreaks in college football and in the NFL as ominous signs. “The difference in football is they play once a week. They have 1,000 players, so when you miss three or four players, you can still get away with it.

“If we miss three or four players, we’re in trouble, especially with the amount of games (we play). We’re playing three to four games a week. So if one of our guys, or two of our key guys, get the virus and they miss 10 days to 14 days, that can be eight games. In a 72-game season, that can knock you out of the playoffs.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • After the Thunder and Celtics created record-setting traded player exceptions this offseason, some executives around the league are wondering if the TPE rules aren’t functioning as intended and should be tweaked, says Sean Deveney of Forbes.com.
  • Former NBA first-round pick Jarell Martin has signed with the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Martin, who appeared in 184 NBA games for Memphis and Orlando, will replace newly-retired big man Andrew Bogut in Sydney’s frontcourt, Uluc notes.
  • We’re less than two weeks removed from the 2020 draft, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to look ahead to the 2021 offseason. Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) previews what to expect next summer, Danny Leroux of The Athletic projects which teams will have the most cap room, and John Hollinger of The Athletic identifies some star players worth watching leading up to the ’21 offseason.
  • Just days after having his draft rights traded to the Knicks in their Austin Rivers deal, Belgian power forward Axel Hervelle has announced his retirement, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Hervelle, 37, never signed an NBA contract after being drafted 52nd overall in 2005.

Jarell Martin Signs With Chinese Team

Former Magic and Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin has signed with the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.

Martin has been looking for a team since the Cavaliers waived him during training camp.

Martin was signed by Cleveland in September on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

Martin, 25, was selected out of LSU with the No. 25 overall pick in 2015. He spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being dealt to the Magic in July 2018. Martin played sparingly in Orlando, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 42 games (7.8 MPG).

In 184 career games that includes 40 starts, Martin has averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 15.9 MPG.

Cavaliers Waive Jarell Martin

The Cavaliers have waived forward Jarell Martin, Chris Fedor of The Athletic tweets.

The move reduces their roster to 13, suggesting another transaction may be forthcoming. The team has discussed the possibility of claiming forward Alfonzo McKinnie, who was waived by the Warriors, Fedor reports in another tweet. They could also be in the market for another big man, due to injury concerns regarding John Henson and Ante Zizic, Fedor adds.

The roster count does not include two-way players Dean Wade and Tyler Cook.

Teams are technically required to have at least 14 players on standards contracts, though they are allowed to skate by with 13 for two weeks at a time.

Martin was signed in September on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.

Martin, 25, was selected out of LSU with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being dealt to the Magic in July 2018. Martin played sparingly in Orlando, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 42 games (7.8 MPG).

Cavaliers Waive Four Players

The Cavaliers have made a series of roster cuts, announcing tonight in a press release that they’ve waived guards Daniel Hamilton, Sindarius Thornwell, and J.P. Macura, as well as forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. The club now has 16 players under contract.

Hamilton, Thornwell, Macura, and Luwawu-Cabarrot were all on non-guaranteed contracts in Cleveland, so releasing them won’t have an impact on the team’s cap. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers are hopeful that Hamilton and Macura, in particular, will end up joining the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s G League affiliate.

All four players have some NBA experience, with Thornwell and Luwawu-Cabarrot seeing the most action in 2018/19. Thornwell, 24, appeared in 64 games for the Clippers, while Luwawu-Cabarrot, a former first-round pick, played in 50 contests for the Thunder and Bulls.

The Cavs are currently carrying 13 players with guaranteed salaries and one player on a two-way contract, so there are at least two openings available on the roster to start the regular season — one two-way deal and at least one spot on the 15-man roster (teams are permitted to carry just 14 players on standard contracts).

While Jarell Martin and Marques Bolden are the two camp invitees who remain under contract, that doesn’t mean they’re assured spots on the Cavs’ final roster, sources tell Fedor. With a ton of cuts expected across the NBA over the next several days, Cleveland will continue to monitor the rest of the league for potential roster additions, Fedor adds.

Cavaliers Sign Jarell Martin

The Cavaliers have signed free agent forward Jarell Martin to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Martin will get the opportunity to compete in training camp for one of the team’s open roster spots.

Martin, 25, was selected out of LSU with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with the Grizzlies before being dealt to the Magic in July 2018.

Martin didn’t play much of a role in Orlando in 2018/19, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 42 games (7.8 MPG). His best season came in Memphis a year earlier when he recorded 7.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 73 contests (22.8 MPG) for the Grizzlies.

Currently, the Cavaliers have 16 players under contracts, including 13 on guaranteed deals and one on a two-way contract. However, the club has also reportedly agreed to sign Sindarius Thornwell, J.P. Macura, and Marques Bolden. Assuming those deals – and Martin’s – are finalized, Cleveland would be at its 20-man offseason roster limit.

Malik Newman and Levi Randolph are already on non-guaranteed contracts with the Cavs, so they’d presumably compete with Thornwell, Macura, Bolden, and Martin for the open roster spot(s) and possibly a two-way contract slot.