Maalik Wayns

Contract Details: Wayns, Curry, Price

Here’s an update on a handful of contracts from around the league, courtesy of The Score’s Mark Deeks..

  • The guarantee date on the contract of Clippers guard Maalik Wayns‘ was pushed back from December 1st after his injury, meaning that he’s still on a non-guaranteed deal. He’s unlikely to make the cut on Tuesday, January 7th when contracts become guaranteed.
  • There’s a good chance Seth Curry will be waived by the Grizzlies before Tuesday as his deal is non-guaranteed. Terms of the guard’s contract were previously unknown.
  • A.J. Price‘s deal with the Timberwolves still appears to be non-guaranteed, despite previous reports indicating that he would be locked in after December 8th. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities tweets that Price’s Player’s Association record seems to be at odds with the T-Wolves’ PR, which says Price remains non-guaranteed. In any case, the 27-year-old may survive decision day, as point guards are in hot demand around the league.
  • The terms of Jeremy Tyler‘s deal with the Knicks (whether he is guaranteed or not) are still unknown.

L.A. Notes: Kobe, Clippers, Wayns, Pau

Following last night’s loss to Portland, the Lakers aren’t in action again until Friday night, and by the time the team returns to the court, Kobe Bryant could be in the lineup. However, even if he makes his comeback on Friday, Kobe may see limited minutes, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.

“That would come from inside [the medical department] and him and whatever they tell me,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “If that’s a restriction, then they’ll tell me.”

Here’s more out of Los Angeles, where both teams are dealing with injury woes:

  • The Clippers’ wing depth was considered perhaps the team’s greatest strength heading into the season, but the team will likely be without Matt Barnes for another two weeks and J.J. Redick for up to eight weeks, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). With Jamal Crawford, Jared Dudley, Reggie Bullock, and Willie Green still in the mix, the Clips shouldn’t need to add any reinforcements. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on, since the club has an open roster spot.
  • Speaking of injured Clippers, Maalik Wayns remains on the team’s roster, which means his 2013/14 salary has become fully guaranteed. As I noted on Friday, the injured Wayns would be assured of his full $788,872 salary if the Clips didn’t waive him on or before December 1st.
  • Meanwhile, Bryant and Steve Nash are on the comeback trail for the Lakers, but Pau Gasol is slated to undergo an MRI on his sprained right ankle, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA. As McMenamin writes in a separate story, while help is on the way for the Lakers, Gasol’s health, Jordan Farmar‘s hamstring strain, and the possibility of Chris Kaman rocking the boat loom as potential concerns.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders if either Jodie Meeks or Nick Young could find himself out of the rotation and/or on the trade block when Kobe returns.

Upcoming Contract Guarantee Dates

As we’ve outlined before, players on non-guaranteed contracts will see their full-season salaries become guaranteed if they remain on an NBA roster beyond January 7th, 2014. Up until that date, teams can safely release most players on non-guaranteed deals and avoid paying their entire salaries — the club would be on the hook for just a pro-rated portion of that salary, or a partial guarantee that was previously agreed upon.

However, not every player on a non-guaranteed contract has to wait until January to find out whether they’ll be receiving a full season’s worth of pay checks. There are at least three players whose deals are known to include earlier guarantee dates. Here’s a breakdown of who those players are, the dates they’ve got circled on their calendars, and the likelihood that they’ll receive full guarantees:

Maalik Wayns (Clippers)
Guaranteed for $788,872 if not waived on or before December 1st.
We haven’t heard any updates on Wayns’ status since he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in mid-October. While the 22-year-old surely would have preferred to stay healthy, the injury could end up benefiting him financially. As Larry Coon writes in his CBA FAQ, non-guaranteed players who are injured and subsequently waived will receive full guarantees until they’re healthy again or until the end of the season, whichever comes first. So even if Wayns is waived by the Clippers in the next couple days, he’ll continue to earn his salary.

A.J. Price (Timberwolves)
Guaranteed for $947,907 if not waived on or before December 8th.
Ricky Rubio and J.J. Barea are getting nearly all the point guard minutes in Minnesota, so there haven’t been many left over for Price, who has been unproductive in his 30 total minutes this season. The Wolves, who were ravaged by injuries last season, know better than most teams that having more than enough depth can come in handy later in the year, but perhaps the club will choose to release Price and re-add a third point guard if and when one is needed.

Jannero Pargo (Bobcats)
Currently partially guaranteed for $300,000. Guaranteed for $1,399,507 if not waived on or before December 10th.
Like Price, Pargo has been stuck behind a pair of effective point guards in the early going — Kemba Walker and Ramon Sessions are ahead of him on Charlotte’s depth chart. Pargo has played just 15 total minutes in three games, so virtually everything I wrote about Price applies to the veteran Bobcat as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team cut Pargo to save a little money, then re-sign him later in the season if depth becomes an issue.

Pacific Rumors: Wayns, Bogut, Suns, Kings

The left knee injury sustained by Maalik Wayns may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the young guard, who had been vying for a roster spot with the Clippers. As Steve Perrin of Clips Nation explains, players on non-guaranteed, non-summer contracts who suffer an on-court injury can’t be released while they’re recovering, or else their deals will become guaranteed.

As such, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld tweets that Wayns now looks like a lock to make L.A.’s opening night roster. Wayns’ deal was already set to become fully guaranteed if he wasn’t waived on or before December 1st, so assuming his recovery extends into December, it appears he’ll earn a full salary for 2013/14.

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

  • Grantland’s Zach Lowe takes an in-depth look at Andrew Bogut‘s extension talks with the Warriors, noting that it’s very hard to pin down Bogut’s value, not just in terms of annual salary, but also on the trade market. Lowe attempts to brainstorm a few trade possibilities involving Bogut, but writes that the Warriors aren’t open to deals that would include Klay Thompson as a sweetener.
  • Asked by Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News for a comment on the Bogut extension talks, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was fairly noncommittal, but said the team likes him “a lot,” and that he hopes Bogut remains in Golden State “for a long time.”
  • Suns coach Jeff Hornacek spoke to Matt Peterson of Suns.com about the tough decisions ahead for a team that needs to cut its roster down from 18 players. Phoenix is also the only NBA team currently carrying more than 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, meaning at least one of the players released before opening night will still get paid.
  • The Kings have one potential opening on their roster, and while the team is still weighing its options, Hamady N’Diaye has a chance to grab that spot, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. “I’m not sure what [GM] Pete D’Alessandro‘s plan for that last spot is right now,” said coach Michael Malone. “But I think ‘H,’ as we call him, has done a lot to showcase his abilities as to why he should be on this team.”

Odds & Ends: Wayns, Flynn, Akognon

A few random notes from around the league.

  • According to Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. SpearsClippers guard Maalik Wayns will undergo minor knee surgery, and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks. The second-year player appeared in just 37 minutes for Los Angeles last season after being waived by the Sixers in January. His deal is non-guaranteed.
  • After being waived by the Grizzlies a few days ago, Josh Akognon is drawing interest from Sichuan, a club in China, according to Evan Wang and Sportando. Akognon spent a brief period of time last season with the Mavericks. 
  • From the same source, Sichuan’s decision to target Akognon comes on the heels of former NBA lottery pick Jonny Flynn injuring himself and having to leave the club.

Clippers Sign Maalik Wayns For Season

3:04pm: The Clippers have officially signed Wayns for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

8:25am: With one day remaining on his second 10-day contract with the Clippers, Maalik Wayns is expected to receive a rest-of-season deal from the team. Clippers play-by-play man Ralph Lawler tweets that Wayns was informed last night that the club will keep him for the remainder of the season.

After appearing in 21 games for the 76ers earlier this season, Wayns has been used more sparingly by the Clippers, playing just 28 minutes in three games for the team so far. The 21-year-old's most recent action came last Wednesday against his old team, when he recorded nine points and two assists against the Sixers.

Re-signing Wayns for the season will give the Clippers 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with DaJuan Summers' 10-day deal set to expire next Wednesday night. At that point, the team will have to decide whether to use its final guaranteed roster spot on Summers or let him go.

As for Wayns, I wouldn't be surprised if his new contract also included a non-guaranteed team option for 2013/14, allowing the Clips to get an extended look at him this summer.

Clippers Re-Sign Maalik Wayns

The Clippers have re-signed Maalik Wayns to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Wayns' original deal with the Clips expired last night.

Wayns, 21, appeared in just one game for the Clippers during his first 10 days with the club, recording five assists in 11 minutes in a blowout win over the Pistons. The rookie, who went undrafted last June, was signed as a free agent by the 76ers and played 21 games for the team before finding his way to Los Angeles.

The Clippers currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Wayns and DaJuan Summers on 10-day deals. The team will have the chance to re-sign Summers to a second 10-day contract when his deal expires next week, but will have to sign Wayns for the season or let him go when his new 10-day is up.

Clippers Sign Maalik Wayns To 10-Day Contract

SATURDAY, 1:34pm: The Clippers officially announced their deal with Wayns, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy notes via Twitter

FRIDAY, 7:45am: The Clippers have signed former Villanova guard Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The Clippers had been carrying 14 players, so a corresponding move isn't necessary to open up a roster spot for Wayns.

Wayns went undrafted in 2012, but was signed as a rookie free agent by the 76ers. The team was unwilling to guarantee his contract for the season though, releasing the 21-year-old just before the guarantee deadline, then re-signing him to a 10-day contract before eventually parting ways with him. In 21 games for Philadelphia, Wayns averaged 2.7 PPG while shooting an ugly 26.4% from the field in 7.9 minutes per contest.

As our 10-day contract tracker shows, teams have been actively filling roster spots with players on 10-day deals since the trade deadline. Including Wayns, eight players are currently on 10-day contracts, with Terrel Harris expected to become the ninth if and when he finalizes his agreement with the Hornets.

Warriors Rumors: Harden, Free Agents, Ellis, Lin

The commissioner is in attendance at Golden State's game against the Rockets tonight, but David Stern's comments about the fate of the Kings overshadowed talk of the other team in Northern California. Nonetheless, there's plenty of Warriors-related news this evening, as we share here:

Sixers Sign Shelvin Mack To 10-Day Contract

The 76ers have signed Shelvin Mack to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. No corresponding roster move is required to make room for Mack, since Philadelphia has a roster spot open, and will open up another one when Maalik Wayns' 10-day deal expires tonight.

Mack, 23, has averaged 3.8 PPG and 2.2 APG in 13.0 minutes per contests in 71 career NBA games with the Wizards, but was cut by Washington earlier this month. The Butler product has been very productive for the D-League's Maine Red Claws this season, averaging 20.5 PPG and 8.0 APG while shooting .462/.418/.896 in 14 games.

As for Wayns, he's set to become a free agent and will be able to sign another 10-day contract with the Sixers or any other NBA team. Grantland's Zach Lowe (Twitter link) hears the rookie is already drawing interest from D-League clubs.