Louis Amundson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: McGee, Pistons, Wittman

March 2nd, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

A third of the league is showing interest in JaVale McGee, whom the Sixers waived late Sunday, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Most of those 10 teams are playoff contenders, Spears adds, though their identities remain shrouded in mystery. The Clippers don’t appear to be one of them, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times hears they’re “not very” interested in the 27-year-old center (Twitter link). The teams that are in the mix for him envision him as a third-string center and wouldn’t shell out more than the minimum, a league source told John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com. There’s more from Gonzalez on McGee’s Sixers tenure amid the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers were reluctant to waive McGee immediately after trading for him last month because they wanted to have a first-hand look to see if they would come away with a more positive impression of him than other teams have, a league source told Gonzalez for the same piece.
The Pistons recalled Quincy Miller from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). He averaged 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per contest during two games on his D-League stint, which began Friday. That was the day Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he and his staff were leaning toward re-signing him to a second 10-day contract, notes Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press (on Twitter). Today is the final day of his first 10-day pact.
There’s increasing pressure on Randy Wittman and others involved with the Wizards amid the team’s slump, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes in his weekly power rankings. Still, Wittman is in no immediate jeopardy, Stein cautions, and the team isn’t thinking about a coaching change, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wrote this weekend.
Lou Amundson hopes his stay with the Knicks will be “somewhat permanent,” in the words of Fred Kerber of the New York Post, who examines the positive effect the midseason addition has had. The pact he signed with New York after inking a pair of 10-day contracts runs only through the end of the season.

Knicks Sign Lou Amundson For Rest Of Season

January 30th, 2015 at 12:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 12:10pm: The signing is official, the team announced (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 10:18am: The Knicks will re-sign Lou Amundson to a deal that covers the rest of the season, a league source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). His second 10-day contract with New York expires at night’s end. It’s not clear whether his new pact will have an additional season tacked on, but it’ll be for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Knicks can hand out. He’ll join Lance Thomas, whom the Knicks are also reportedly set to re-sign for the season, and Langston Galloway, who signed a two-year deal Tuesday with the Knicks, to give the Knicks a full 15-man roster.

Amundson came off the bench in his Knicks debut, but he has since made five straight starts, and the Knicks have gone 4-1 in those games. New York was just 5-36 before Amundson entered the starting lineup, and on Wednesday coach Derek Fisher publicly implored the front office to re-sign the big man. The ninth-year veteran has scored only 4.7 points in 23.2 minutes per game in New York, but he’s averaging 6.5 boards per night. He, like Thomas, came to the Knicks in a three-team trade earlier this month, and the Knicks signed both to consecutive 10-day contracts after waiving them shortly after the swap to buy some time before guaranteeing their minimum salaries for the rest of the season.

The 32-year-old Amundson, a Mark Bartelstein client, has signed 10-day contracts with four different teams throughout his career, as our 10-Day Contract Tracker shows. Only once before did he parlay a 10-day contract into a deal for the rest of the season, having done so with the Sixers in his rookie season.

Eastern Notes: Olynyk, Knicks, Wade, Nets

January 29th, 2015 at 8:51pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The date when the Celtics can expect Kelly Olynyk to return to action is still in question after the center’s most recent round of medical tests, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes. “It’s tough with something like an ankle, everyone is different,” said Olynyk. “It could be a week, it could be three weeks, it could be a month — you never know. I’m just trying to get better and evaluate it each day, and take the next step whenever it’s deemed necessary.” Olynyk was initially expected to miss a month of action.

Here’s more from the East:

With Lance Thomas and Louis Amundson set to join New York for the remainder of the season, this will limit the team’s ability to make roster roster moves for the rest of the campaign, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. The Knicks will probably need to try and find a taker for Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon or to reach a buyout arrangement with Amar’e Stoudemire, in order for the team to be able to add any new faces to its roster, Begley adds.
Amundson is thankful that the Knicks have signed him for the rest of the season, Marc Berman of The New York Post notes (Twitter link). The big man wasn’t sure if he would be on an NBA roster after being waived by New York earlier this month, Berman adds.
Dwyane Wade told reporters today that he would likely miss a minimum of two or three weeks due to his injured hamstring, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald reports. “I won’t be seeing y’all for a little while, so take a good look at this face,” the Heat star guard said. “You can’t put a time on it. You can’t look at the hamstring and say you’re going to be out this amount of games. Like many muscle strains, you’ve got to go day-by-day.”
The Nets are hoping to have their own D-League team within the next two seasons, Robert Windrem of NetsDaily writes. Brooklyn would likely buy the rights to an expansion team and place it in the New York area, similar to what the Knicks did with their Westchester affiliate this season, Windrem notes.

And-Ones: Heat, D-League, Brown, Knicks

January 28th, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks coach Derek Fisher said that it was very important for New York to sign Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas for the remainder of the season, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). Both players are inked to 10-day deals that expire this week. In five appearances for the Knicks this season, Thomas has averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game. Amundson has also made five appearances for New York, and his averages are 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per night.

Here’s more from around the league:

All of the injuries that the Heat have endured this season haven’t allowed the team to see how effective its intended roster could be, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “The most disappointing thing is we’re not even having a chance to be at full strength, to even see what we could do,” said Miami center Chris Bosh. “Not 100%, but just at least have most of our guys. It just seems like every time we’re about to turn the corner, there’s a drawback. And it is what it is. I can’t really say anything else.”
The Cavaliers have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was Harris’ third jaunt of the season to the D-League. Harris has played in two games for the Charge this season, averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 39.5 minutes per game.
The Warriors have assigned center Festus Ezeli to the Santa Cruz Warriors, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced in a press release. Ezeli has missed the last 16 games with an ankle sprain. Golden State also announced that it has recalled Ognjen Kuzmic, who concludes his fifth sojourn of the season in Santa Cruz.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, Basketball Insiders’ Cody Taylor looked at some players whom the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Magic, and Wizards could be willing to deal.
Lorenzo Brown will earn $48K from his 10-day contract with the Wolves, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). One-year veterans, like Brown, and rookies cost their teams slightly less than other players when they sign 10-day contracts, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explained earlier this month.

Atlantic Notes: Cunningham, Galloway, Knicks

January 28th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jared Cunningham is now in the third D-League stint of his career after being waived by the Sixers. Philadelphia had released the guard earlier this month, shortly after he was acquired from the Clippers for the draft rights to Serhiy Lishchuk. Cunningham is an intriguing NBA prospect who hasn’t been able to catch on with the right team yet, Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “It’s been a difficult process,” Cunningham said of his journey. “But I’ve been able to keep playing basketball and that’s a blessing. It’s all about just finding the right coach and the right team that believes in me. Once that happens, my game will follow.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

An NBA scout intimated that the Sixers made a mistake when they waived Cunningham, especially now that Tony Wroten may be lost for the season due to injury, Ford notes. “There are a lot of NBA teams that might want to try and let him grow into his game,” one league scout told Ford. “It would have made sense for the Sixers to keep him, but they didn’t. He might not be a pure point guard, but is Tony Wroten a pure point guard?“
Langston Galloway‘s deal with the Knicks is non-guaranteed for the 2015/16 campaign, but if he’s still on the roster past July 1st, then $220K of his $845K salary will become guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter links). If Galloway remains on New York’s roster past September 15th, then another $220K of his salary will become guaranteed, totaling $440K, Pincus adds.
The Knicks should look to sign JaMychal Green to a 10-day deal instead of retaining Lance Thomas or Louis Amundson, Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv opines. Schlosser believes that New York needs to begin taking a look at younger players who have upside, instead of continuing to give minutes to players such as Amundson, whose ceilings have already been established.
There are two reasons why Kevin Durant isn’t likely to join the Knicks when he hits free agency in 2016, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. Kerber cites Durant’s lack of desire for the spotlight that comes along with playing in a major market like New York and the Thunder’s exclusive ability to offer a fifth contract year as impediments to Durant donning a Knicks jersey via free agency.

Knicks Re-Sign Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas

January 21st, 2015 at 8:43am CST by Arthur Hill

WEDNESDAY, 8:43am: The Knicks have indeed signed Thomas to another 10-day contract, too, the team announced (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 1:07pm: The deal with Amundson is official, the Knicks announced (Twitter link), though the team has yet to make announcement regarding Thomas.

MONDAY, 8:32pm: Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas have both reached agreements on second 10-day contracts with the Knicks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Amundson has played in just one game for New York, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds. Thomas has also played one game, registering seven points and four boards.

Amundson and Thomas both joined the Knicks in a three-team deal on January 5th involving the Cavaliers and Thunder. Both players were waived by New York on January 7th, but signed 10-day contracts three days later.

This is Amundson’s ninth season in the NBA and his 10th NBA team. He has averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds during his time in the league. Thomas spent three seasons in New Orleans with the Hornets and Pelicans, and signed with the Thunder in September. His career averages are 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Knicks Sign Amundson To 10-Day Deal

January 10th, 2015 at 8:40am CST by Eddie Scarito

SATURDAY, 8:40am: The signing is official, New York has announced.

FRIDAY. 8:42pm: The Knicks continue to look to add to their roster, and now have set their sights on another player that who was acquired in the recent three-way trade with the Cavs and the Thunder. New York is eyeing Louis Amundson for a 10-day deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Amundson, who was waived after being acquired, could be signed as early as Saturday, Stein notes.

Amundson appeared in 12 contests for Cleveland this season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest. His career numbers over 358 games are 3.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 0.7 BPG. His career slash line is .489/.000/.487.

New York’s roster count is currently at 14 players, which includes Lance Thomas, who is also reportedly being inked to a 10-day contract.

Knicks Waive Thomas, Kirk, Amundson

January 7th, 2015 at 1:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:22pm: The moves are official, the team announced (on Twitter).

8:59am: The Knicks plan to waive Lance Thomas, Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson, according to Peter Botte of the New York Daily News and Newsday’s Barbara Barker (Twitter links). Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck reported late Monday that the team would waive Kirk and Amundson and keep Thomas. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com said shortly thereafter that the Knicks would choose two of the three to let go and that Thomas was merely the most likely to be retained, but now it appears New York will release all three of the players it acquired in Monday’s trade. None of the three has any guaranteed salary, save for Kirk, who has a $65K partial guarantee but has already earned more than that amount, putting him on a de facto non-guaranteed contract. The team must waive them no later than 4:00pm Central today to avoid guaranteeing their minimum-salary deals for the rest of the season.

Thomas is the only one of the trio to have seen significant action this season. He started 13 games for the banged-up Thunder earlier this season, and in 22 appearances overall, he’s averaging 5.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. Still, Oklahoma City saw him as expendable now that most of its injured players, including Kevin Durant, are back in the lineup. The 26-year-old forward was supposed to have served a less prominent role like the ones Kirk and Amundson played in Cleveland. Kirk, an undrafted rookie center out of New Mexico, has hit the floor for just 14 minutes total in five games during the regular season. The ninth-year veteran Amundson saw 6.6 MPG in 12 appearances for the Cavs, but Cleveland shipped him out along with Kirk even though the team is starved for capable big men.

The Knicks, who have been carrying a full 15-man roster, are set to sign Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract, though that move couldn’t take place until the team makes its cuts. The subtraction of Thomas, Kirk and Amundson plus the signing of Galloway would put the Knicks at the 13-man roster minimum, with plenty of flexibility.

Fallout From Cavs-Thunder-Knicks Trade

January 6th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Monday night’s three-team trade brought about significant changes to a title contender in each conference and was seemingly a signal that the Knicks are focused more on the future than the present. We’ll look at the ripple effects of the move as they’re felt in Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and New York.

The Knicks plan to waive two of the three players they acquired in the trade, and Lance Thomas is the most likely among that trio to be kept, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The Knicks would look to fill the open roster spots that would create, coach Derek Fisher said, according to Newsday’s Al Iannazzone. “I don’t think this in any way signals the end of our transition process,” Fisher said. “I think our front office will continue to look at what we can do to replace a couple of these guys, but also how we’re going to build our roster going forward in the short term and the long term. I think Phil [Jackson] is continuing to look at how we transition as we change the culture of the New York Knicks.”
The Cavs kept LeBron James informed about the move, and he understands it as a transaction necessary for the team, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group hears. The relationship between James and J.R. Smith, who’s spent summers training with James in the past, is solid, Haynes also reports.
Kevin Durant is excited about the addition of Dion Waiters to the Thunder and said that he doesn’t think the shooting guard has felt “wanted” the past couple of years, notes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Durant is intent on changing that. “I’m not saying he’s James [Harden]‘s replacement, we’re far past that,” Durant said. “But yeah, he can play, can come off the bench for us and score and make plays. He’s a really good player, man. A lot of people take him for granted, I think. Because he’s been around and you hear different things about him that’s not true. But he can play basketball. So he just needs to come out here and be himself, be aggressive and make plays.”

Cavs, Knicks, Thunder Complete Three-Way Deal

January 5th, 2015 at 9:56pm CST by Zachary Links

9:56pm: The Thunder, Cavs, and Knicks all announced the deal via press release.

“Dion Waiters is a player that we’ve tracked and liked since his time at Syracuse, in the NBA, and with USA Basketball. Dion provides another proven scorer that positively impacts our roster and adds depth and flexibility,” said Presti in OKC’s release. “We have a lot of respect for his toughness and competitiveness, and believe that he is a physical playmaker who will enhance the versatility of our team. We are excited to welcome Dion to Oklahoma City and the Thunder organization.”

The Thunder’s draft pick being conveyed is protected 1-18 in 2015 and 1-15 in 2016 and 2017, respectively, according to the release from the Thunder. Should the pick not convey during this period, Oklahoma City would send the Cavs its second round draft picks in 2018 and 2019.

The Knicks’ release also makes it official that Dalembert has been waived.

8:26pm: The Knicks will receive Thomas, Amundson, and Kirk in the deal but will only keep Thomas, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). The Knicks will also waive Dalembert.

The Cavs are sending their 2019 second-round pick to the Knicks, sources tell Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The duo hears that team officials spoke with LeBron James about his willingness to play alongside Smith before executing the deal.

Even though the deal weakens the Knicks in the short-term, Beck (link) hears that the Knicks are not giving up on the season. The Knicks plan on making more moves between now and the February trade deadline.

At present, it appears that the deal will have Waiters going to the Thunder, Shumpert and Smith going to the Cavs, and Thomas, Amundson, and Kirk going to the Knicks. In addition, the Cavs will receive a future first-round pick from the Thunder and the Knicks will get the Cavs’ 2019 second-round choice.

Waiters has been the subject of trade talks for some time and the Cavs were reportedly telling teams around the league that they’d be willing to part with him. Cleveland wanted Grizzlies big man Kosta Koufos, who would fit the bill as the “difference-making center” they were after, but they have found another deal in this proposed three-way swap. Waiters, 23, has averaged 10.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.7 RPG – all career lows – through 33 games this season. The former No. 4 overall pick was reportedly being shopped in August as well, but the Cavs couldn’t find a suitable deal. Waiters might not be the most complete player in the NBA, but he is a scoring threat and should add lots of punch for OKC off of the bench.

The Knicks wanted to trade Smith more than anyone else, according to a December report from ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard. In fact, the Knicks have been huddling up internally for some time to figure out how they could move the polarizing guard. There hasn’t been much trade buzz surrounding Smith in recent weeks, but the Knicks were able to find a taker in tonight’s three-team blockbuster. The 29-year-old New Jersey native is averaging 10.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.4 RPG this season. The scoring output is his lowest since his sophomore season in 2005/06. His PER rating of 11.7 – a career low – tells a more complete story of his struggles this season. Thanks to his 15% trade kicker, Smith will collect on something of a belated Christmas bonus.

Shumpert, 24, has been a mainstay on Hoops Rumors and on the back pages of the New York tabloids for the last two seasons. The Knicks might not have been intent on moving Shumpert, but by including him they were able to move both his salary and Smith’s without taking much back. The combo guard is averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.3 APG in 26 minutes per contest this season. Shump is also headed towards restricted free agency this offseason and the Knicks, ostensibly, weren’t going to make a big play to retain him.

The Knicks didn’t add much in terms of assets, but they have greatly improved their financial situation by moving Smith’s substantial contract. The guard is making nearly $6MM this season and he holds a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for 2015/16. It’s possible that the shooting guard could turn down the option in order to seek a more lucrative multi-year deal, but that’s not a risk that Phil Jackson & Co. were willing to take. Beyond the financial benefit of moving Smith’s deal, the Knicks are also moving a player who might not be a wonderful locker room presence.