Manny Harris

Lakers Re-Sign Manny Harris To 10-Day Deal

The Lakers have re-signed guard Manny Harris to his second 10-day contract tweets Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. This was a move Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times hinted to expect today in a tweet this morning.

The third-year veteran point guard appeared in five games for the Lakers during his first 10 game stint logging 21.0 minutes with 6.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.2 TO. When this contract expires the Lakers will have to decide whether to keep the Henry Thomas client for the remainder of the season or to let him become a free agent.

Prior to signing with the Lakers, Harris had spent this entire season with the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, with which he led the D-League in scoring with 30.6 PPG.

D-League Notes: Kadji, Bennett, Marshall, Harris

A couple of former D-League players inked 10-day contracts earlier today: Dewayne Dedmon officially signed his second such pact this season with the Sixers, and Othyus Jeffers jumped on board with the Spurs to help provide some depth off the bench while the squad deals with an injury to Kawhi Leonard. Here are a few more D-League-related tidbits:

  • Undrafted free agent Kenny Kadji has been acquired by the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, hears Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Kadji spent his training camp playing with the Cavaliers, but he failed to make the opening day roster. The big man out of Miami is still free to sign with any NBA team.
  • Cavaliers coach Mike Brown told reporters, including Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer, that Anthony Bennett won’t be heading to the D-League any time soon. Bennett hasn’t played in the Cavs’ last five contests and has struggled throughout his rookie season after being selected first overall in last summer’s draft.
  • Kendall Marshall is unsure if he will be a member of the Lakers after this season, but he credits the D-League for keeping him in shape and helping him land a spot in Los Angeles (Twitter links via Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders). Marshall signed a deal to play for LA through the remainder of year after a rash of injuries in the club’s backcourt left them without much depth.
  • Another tweet from Kyler reveals that Manny Harris praised the D-League for helping him display his skills and eventually get a 10-day deal with the Lakers. Harris, like Marshall, is also unsure of his future in Lakerland, but it was revealed last night that he might be soon receiving another 10-day contract offer from the team.

Lakers Links: Kobe, Harris

Although he had been voted into his 16th All-Star Game by the fans, Kobe Bryant told Bill Oram of the OC Register among others that he has no plans of participating even if he returns to play for the Lakers before then. If the NBA chooses to make him play, Kobe said: “Back ups will be playing a lot, because I’ll go in there, do my two minutes and sit down” (Twitter links). As many relayed on Twitter, including ESPN LA’s Dave McMenamin, Kobe would like to see younger and more deserving guards get the nod to play:

“With all due respect to the fans that voted me in…you (have) to reward these young guys for the work that they’ve been putting in.”

Here’s more out of the purple-and-gold side of Los Angeles tonight:

  • Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times points out that there isn’t an official rule which requires a healthy player to participate in the All-Star Game and suggests there’ll be a compromise, pointing to the event in 2008 in which Kobe played just under three minutes because of a torn ligament in his pinkie. The Lakers superstar is yet to make a return to the active list, and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports says that Kobe doesn’t plan to follow up with a doctor until the first week of February (All Twitter links).
  • Head coach Mike D’Antoni says the team will wait until Saturday to make a decision on guard Manny Harris, notes Oram (via Twitter). Harris, who is currently signed to a 10-day contract, has reportedly drawn high praise from D’Antoni.
  • Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles writes about why the Lakers and their fans alike shouldn’t accept tanking at all.

Lakers Sign Manny Harris To 10-Day Deal

4:42pm: The team has officially announced the deal, via Twitter.

11:29am: The Lakers will sign combo guard Manny Harris to a 10-day contract, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. He’ll join them in Boston, where the team is set to play Friday night, McMenamin adds.

Harris had drawn interest from the Hawks as well as the Lakers, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier this week, and USA Today’s Sam Amick revealed that Harris interviewed with the Thunder earlier this month. The 24-year-old was playing for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, which acquired his D-League rights in December. He’s coming off back-to-back D-League Performer of the Week awards, and has averaged 43 points over his last three games, McMenamin notes via Twitter. He’s notched 30.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 38.0 minutes per game overall for the L.A. D-Fenders this season.

The 6’5″ Harris wasn’t nearly as productive in two seasons with the Cavaliers, the only NBA team he’s played for. He put up 6.2 PPG in 17.4 MPG in his time with Cleveland. The Lakers have an open roster spot, so they don’t need to waive anybody to make room.

D-League Notes: Harris, Jazz, Muhammad

Manny Harris, fresh off his second D-League Performer of the Week award, is drawing interest from the Hawks and Lakers, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.  NBA interest is nothing new for Harris, who also spoke with Thunder management about a week ago.  Here’s more from the D-League..

  • The Jazz today officially announced their recall of Ian Clark and Rudy Gobert from the D-League.  Jody Genessy of the Deseret News first reported the move yesterday.
  • The T’Wolves announced that they have recalled Shabazz Muhammad from the Iowa Energy.  The rookie forward is expected to practice with Minnesota today.  The UCLA product averaged 24.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in four games.  Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (on Twitter) notes that Flip Saunders said this would be the plan all along.
  • The Pistons announced that they have recalled rookie guard Peyton Siva and rookie forward Tony Mitchell from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.  Siva averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.6 steals in five games (four starts) with Fort Wayne.  In six games (five starts) with the Mad Ants, Mitchell averaged 6.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.1 minutes per game.
  • The Kings announced that they have assigned rookie guard Ray McCallum to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns.  McCallum was assigned yesterday and recalled just a few hours later.
  • The Raptors announced that they have recalled Dwight Buycks from the Bakersfield Jam.  Buycks has appeared in 12 games for the Raptors this season recording a total of 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 121 minutes.
  • The Delaware 87ers of the D-League have claimed guard Vander Blue, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).  Maccabi Rishon LeZion of Israel waived the former Marquette shooting guard just before the New Year.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Pelicans, Harris, Franklin

Ryan Anderson will be out indefinitely with a herniated disk, the Pelicans announced today (link via Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com). Anderson has been mentioned in a few trade rumors, but didn’t seem likely to be moved this season. Still, if he’s expected to miss a significant amount of time, it could have an impact on New Orleans’ roster decisions before the trade deadline. The team is currently carrying 14 players, leaving one opening available.

Here’s more from the NBA’s better half:

  • After indicating last night that the Thunder were researching D-League standout Manny Harris, Sam Amick of USA Today follows up by tweeting that Harris had an interview with members of OKC’s front office this week, as the team does its due diligence.
  • The Grizzlies have recalled Jamaal Franklin from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Franklin was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Sunday, and played with the team yesterday in Reno as part of the 2014 D-League Showcase.
  • Dewayne Dedmon was released by the Warriors earlier this season, but Golden State still has interest in bringing him back, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that Dedmon is meeting with three NBA clubs in Reno today.

Odds & Ends: Gay, Jazz, Nets, Miller

Rudy Gay has taken quite a bit of criticism lately for his lack of offensive efficiency.  Some even say that the Raptors are better since Gay was shipped to Sacramento, but don’t try telling that to point guard Kyle Lowry.  “He’s a hell of a scorer,” Lowry said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I think he can put up 30 points, 25 points. That’s his game. He’s a scorer. I don’t blame him for anything. He shouldn’t be blamed for anything. I would never say that he should be blamed. His job is to score the ball. That’s what he was out there for. That’s what he’s paid to do.”  More from around the league..

  • Expect the Jazz to be active in trade talks over the next few weeks, given all the veterans on expiring contracts on the roster, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
  • The Nets announced that they have recalled Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League’s Springfield Armor after being assigned earlier in the day.  In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
  • The Kings may be among the clubs in on Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but the Knicks are not in the running for him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
  • The Thunder are doing research on D-League standout Manny Harris, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
  • Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says that GM Gar Forman isn’t actively looking to trade anyone but that he is “always” looking for ways to improve the club, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

California Rumors: Lakers, Lee, Fredette

Injuries to Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar have left the Lakers short on point guards, and they planned to assess the progress of Nash’s recovery in practice this week before exploring the idea of a roster move. Nash isn’t rushing his return, but another player who’s back to health might fit the bill. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni tells reporters that Kobe Bryant will see time at the point when he makes his season debut Sunday against the Raptors (Twitter link). Here’s more from the state with the most NBA teams:

  • The Warriors place a high value on David Lee, and his bloated contract, worth nearly $44.4MM through 2016/17, virtually ensures the team won’t find offers worthwhile enough to trade him, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
  • James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom hears from a source that there was nothing substantial to a recent report that the Raptors were talking to the Kings about acquiring Jimmer Fredette, and spoke to Fredette about being the subject of trade rumors.
  • The Kings recalled Hamady N’Diaye from the D-League in time for tonight’s game against the Jazz, according to a press release. N’Diaye appeared in just one game for the Reno Bighorns during his assignment, contributing to a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors by recording seven points, seven boards, and four blocked shots.
  • The Los Angeles D-Fenders, the D-League affiliate of the Lakers, announced their acquisition of former Cavs swingman Manny Harris in a trade (on Twitter). Harris was in an NBA training camp this fall with the Magic.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Magic Cut Gladness, Harris, Joseph, Osby

The Magic have waived Mickell Gladness, Manny Harris, Kris Joseph and Romero Osby, the team announced via press release. That means camp invitee Solomon Jones appears to have made the team, since the moves pare Orlando’s roster down to 15 players. The move is also fortuitous news for Kyle O’Quinn, who has a non-guaranteed deal just like Jones and the four who got cut.

Osby may be the most notable subtraction, since he was the team’s second-round pick this past June. His deal called for him to make $682,180 this season, more than every other second-rounder from this year except one, despite the fact he was drafted 51st overall, closer to the end of the second-round than the beginning. It was fully non-guaranteed, but it would have become guaranteed for $100K had he made it to opening night. He appeared to have been battling Jones for a roster spot, and the seven-year veteran’s dependability and experience gave him the edge, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

Gladness, Harris and Joseph all have NBA experience, too, though the three of them put together have less than half as many NBA games under their belts as Jones does. All four of the players cut will become free agents once they clear waivers.

Southeast Notes: Jefferson, Bosh, Oden, Magic

The Bobcats made their first big splash in free agency this summer by signing Al Jefferson to a 3-year, $40.5MM contract to helm the post for one of the league’s most disappointing teams over the last half decade. The Bobcats  announced today that Jefferson sprained his ankle against Miami in last night’s preseason action, and will be in a walking boot for several days:

[Jefferson] suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half of last night’s preseason game vs. Miami.  X-rays taken at the arena proved to be normal. As a precaution, Jefferson is expected to be in a walking boot for several days in an effort to contain the swelling and not put any pressure on the joint.  Once out of the walking boot, he will be re-evaluated and will begin the rehab process.”

Here are a few more notes tonight from around the Southeast division, including more on Jefferson:

  • Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets that Jefferson was in extensive pain and because it’s preseason the Bobcats are likely to treat the sprain conservatively so as not to endanger the health of their new big man.
  • With so much speculation about what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will do this coming summer when they can opt-out of their contracts with the Heat and become unrestricted free agents, Chris Bosh will have the same opportunity. But he’s grown comfortable with his role on the team as the third wheel of a champion, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
  • Winderman also reports that Magic CEO Alex Martins said before their preseason matchup against the Heat, that he’d like the Magic to have their own D-League affiliate in Jacksonville.
  • Sources say Heat center Greg Oden will be cleared to practice next week, and could see action for the first time in four years in one of the Heat’s final preseason games, reports Michael Wallace of ESPN (by way of the Toronto Sun).
  • Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel profiles Magic camp invitees, Mickell Gladness, Manny Harris, Solomon Jones and Kris Joseph. None of the four will see a dime unless they make the Magic’s final roster, which means overcoming the long odds against them, Robbins adds.