R.J. Hunter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Cut Thomas Robinson, R.J. Hunter, C.J. Anderson

October 13th, 2018 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have trimmed their preseason roster by three, waiving Thomas Robinson, R.J. Hunter, and C.J. Anderson, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Atlanta’s roster is now at the regular season limit of 17 players, including two on two-way contracts.

Robinson, the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, has appeared in 313 career regular season games, but didn’t play in the NBA last season and was always a long shot to make the Hawks’ regular season roster, since the team is already carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts. Hunter is also a former first-round pick who has struggled to find an NBA home.

Anderson, meanwhile, went undrafted out of the University of Massachusetts after averaging 10.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .414/.400/.813 shooting line as a senior in 2017/18. If he clears waivers, the Hawks would hold his G League rights as an affiliate player, so he may end up with the Erie BayHawks.

Hawks Sign R.J. Hunter

September 7th, 2018 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

12:02pm: The Hawks have formally announced their deal with Hunter, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.

11:27am: The Hawks will announce the signing of free agent shooting guard R.J. Hunter today, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Once Atlanta officially signs both Hunter and Cole Aldrich, whose deal with the Hawks was reported on Thursday, the team’s 20-man offseason roster will be full.

Hunter, a 2015 first-round pick, spent just one season with the Celtics before being waived. Since then, Hunter has appeared in a handful of NBA games for the Bulls and Rockets. He was on a two-way contract with Houston before being waived by the club last month.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Erie BayHawks – the G League affiliates for the Rockets and Hawks – completed a trade last week that saw the BayHawks acquire Hunter’s NBAGL rights. As Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com noted at the time (via Twitter), there was a feeling that Atlanta would offer Hunter an Exhibit 10 contract after securing his G League rights.

With 15 players on guaranteed salaries and Thomas Robinson and Aldrich among the non-guaranteed players also vying for roster spots, there likely won’t be room on the Hawks’ regular season roster for Hunter, but he’ll apparently attend camp with Atlanta. If he’s waived and opts to play in the G League for the 2018/19 season, he’ll suit up for Erie.

Rockets Waive Guard R.J. Hunter

August 18th, 2018 at 10:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUG. 18: The Rockets officially announced that Hunter has been waived.

AUG. 17: The Rockets have waived guard R.J. Hunter, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

That opens up a two-way contract slot for Houston, since Hunter was signed in January under one of those agreements. The 6’5” Hunter appeared in five games with the Rockets, including a start, averaging 3.8 PPG in 9.0 MPG.

Hunter played for Houston’s summer league team in July, the fourth consecutive offseason that he appeared in summer league games. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five Las Vegas appearances.

Hunter was chosen 28th overall by the Celtics in the 2015 draft. He played 36 games during his rookie season for Boston, then was waived during training camp the following season. He was claimed by the Bulls and saw action in three games before they waived him in December 2016.

Southwest Notes: Conley, Hunter, Parker, Broekhoff

August 6th, 2018 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Last month’s signing of Kyle Anderson will enable Mike Conley to adopt a different role for the Grizzlies this season, according to Peter Edmiston of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. A point guard throughout his 11-year career, Conley will be used off the ball more frequently and will be counted on to provide more scoring.

Conley said he talked to former Memphis coach David Fizdale about such a move two years ago. However, any progress was short circuited last year when an injury ended Conley’s season after 12 games and Fizdale was fired in November.

“When Kyle and anybody else on the ball make plays, I don’t have to make plays for myself,” Conley said. “I’m excited about that and I think it bodes well for my season and our team.”

Conley also addressed questions about his injured heel that required season-ended surgery, saying he’s feeling “on track” and expects to be at full strength when the new season starts in October.

There’s more today from the Southwest Division:

R.J. Hunter has become a Summer League regular after the Celtics made him a first-round pick in 2015, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Hunter, who has a two-way contract with the Rockets, played for Houston’s entry this year in his fourth consecutive Summer League. He has appeared in just eight NBA games since the Celtics waived him in 2016, but said his time with the Rockets has been a valuable learning experience. “Whenever I’m on the bench, just see what they need on the court,” Hunter said. “I think it’s more of a thinking game. Houston’s old. A lot of their players are vets, so they’ve been teaching me how to think the game and be patient.”
Tony Parker, who signed with the Hornets after 17 years with the Spurs, reflects on his time in San Antonio in a letter on The Players’ Tribune. Parker talks about his embarrassing audition with the team, the transition to Dejounte Murray as the starting point guard and the meaning of “Spurs culture.”
After losing Doug McDermott in free agency, the Mavericks hope they have found a replacement in sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff. The Dallas Morning News takes a closer look at the Australian star, noting that Matthew Dellavedova lobbied the Bucks to sign him.

R.J. Hunter Signs Two-Way Contract With Rockets

January 15th, 2018 at 8:16am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 15, 8:16am: Hunter’s two-way contract with the Rockets became official on Sunday, per RealGM’s transactions log.

JANUARY 13, 4:08pm: The Rockets will sign G League guard R.J. Hunter to a two-way contract on Sunday, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Hunter has been playing for the organization’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, where he is averaging 19.0 points in 23 games. He has struggled to find a spot in the NBA after being taken by the Celtics with the 28th pick in 2015. He played 36 games with Boston and another three with Chicago, but most of his experience has been in the G League.

The Rockets have a two-way slot open after terminating their deal with Demetrius Jackson last week. When Hunter signs tomorrow, he’ll have 22 days of NBA eligibility.

G League Notes: Bolomboy, E. Millsap, Tavares

October 20th, 2017 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2017 NBA G League draft will take place on Saturday, and former Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy is expected to be the first overall pick, a source tells Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside (Twitter link).

Phoenix’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, made a trade earlier today with the Iowa Wolves that saw the Suns acquire the No. 1 overall pick in exchange for the returning rights to Elijah Millsap, among other pieces. However, Schmidt suggests (via Twitter) that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that first overall pick change hands again in the next 24 hours.

Here are a few more G League notes and updates, with a focus on more former NBA players like Bolomboy and Millsap:

Edy Tavares, whose returning rights are held by the Raptors 905, is headed back to the G League after being waived by Cleveland, according to a report from Gigantes (English link via Sportando).
The Rockets‘ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, sent a first-round pick to the Long Island Nets in exchange for R.J. Hunter‘s returning rights. Hunter, a former first-round pick, intends to suit up for the Vipers, his agent confirms to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link).
The Long Island Nets acquired the returning rights to Okaro White and Jamaal Franklin in a trade with the Memphis Hustle, according to a press release. White is still on the Heat‘s NBA roster and recently had his 2017/18 salary guaranteed, so Brooklyn’s affiliate seems unlikely to get its hands on him this season.
The Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Mavericks, has acquired Will Bynum‘s returning rights, suggesting the veteran guard could join the organization for the G League season, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
Cliff Alexander, who was in camp with New Orleans earlier this month, had his returning rights traded to the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, per a team release. “Cliff is a highly-skilled big man who is among the best in the league at his position,” Herd GM Dave Dean said in a statement. “He has a tremendous upside and we are excited to add him to the Wisconsin Herd family.”

Trey Burke, 15 Other FAs Attend Bucks’ Mini-Camp

August 29th, 2017 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are hosting a free agent mini-camp on Tuesday and Wednesday this week as they look to fill out their training camp roster and identify candidates to play for their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The mini-camp, which will give the club a chance to evaluate possible camp invitees, includes a handful of notable names among its 16 participants.

Former lottery picks Trey Burke and Hasheem Thabeet are among the first-rounders who will be in attendance at the mini-camp, as Velazquez details. MarShon Brooks, Toney Douglas, Archie Goodwin, R.J. Hunter, John Jenkins, Perry Jones, and James Young are also set to get a look from the Bucks.

The Bucks don’t have a ton of flexibility to add more players to their offseason roster, having already locked up 16 players to NBA deals and two more to two-way contracts. That leaves just a pair of openings on the team’s 20-man training camp roster. Still, two of those roster players – Gary Payton II and JeQuan Lewis – are on non-guaranteed contracts, so Milwaukee has some flexibility if it wants to make changes at the back of its roster.

In addition to the players listed above, the following free agents are attending the Bucks’ mini-camp, per Velazquez: Cliff Alexander, Gracin Bakumanya, Trahson Burrell, Jeremy Evans, Aaron Harrison, Luke Petrasek, and Jacob Pullen.

Any player that signs with the Bucks figures to get a minimum salary deal that is non-guaranteed or features a very modest guarantee, since the Bucks are currently slightly above the luxury tax line.

Northwest Notes: Miller, Jokic, Jazz, Brooks

June 11th, 2017 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

After 17 years in the NBA, Nuggets forward Mike Miller isn’t ready to think about retirement, writes Mick Garry of the Argus [S.D.] Leader. Mitchell returned to his home state Saturday for an annual appearance at a basketball clinic and reflected on what it’s like to play professionally at age 37. “For me, it’s just a lot of fun – I enjoy playing,” Miller said. “I always will. My family still enjoys me playing, which is most important. So we’re going to keep going as long as we can. Every year is a new challenge and I enjoy those challenges. Until I quit, finding something to replace this will be hard.” Miller signed with Denver last summer, but appeared in just 20 games and averaged 7.6 minutes per night. His $3.5MM salary for next season won’t become guaranteed until July 12th.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Miller believes Nikola Jokic‘s breakout season will give free agents a reason to come to Denver. In an interview posted on the Nuggets‘ website, Miller talked about the bright future the 22-year-old has in the league. “I think the good thing that we have right now is Joker is one of those guys that everyone in the league is starting to take heed to and understand who he is,” Miller said. “He’s one of those superstars, I think he’s going to be a superstar. I think you’ll see even more growth at the beginning of this next year, that everyone just wants to play with. He plays that style of basketball. I’ve compared him a lot to Marc and Pau Gasol, I think he’s a lot like that.”
The Jazz have 11 players scheduled for workouts today, including UCLA big man T.J. Leaf, who is projected as a late first-rounder, relays Brandon Judd of The Deseret News. Joining Leaf at the second session will be Kentucky’s Dominique Hawkins, Central Michigan’s Marcus Keene, Louisiana Tech’s Erik McCree and Virginia Tech’s Zach LeDay. The first workout will feature Kentucky’s Isaiah Briscoe, Oregon’s Dylan Ennis, South Carolina’s P.J. Dozier, Kansas State’s Wesley Iwundu, Indiana’s Thomas Bryant and North Carolina’s Tony Bradley.
Several players with NBA ties were among the 25 participants in Utah’s free agent mini-camp Friday and Saturday. Tyler Hansbrough, Lamar Patterson, Cleanthony Early and R.J. Hunter are the most recognizable names, and the complete list can be found on the Jazz website.
Oregon’s Dillon Brooks, who worked out Saturday for the Trail Blazers, told Casey Holdahl of NBA.com that he can see a role for himself with the organization. “I got to watch Portland a lot, you get to see where you’d fit in,” Brooks said. “Especially with Portland, they’ve got two dominant guards and they need help with role players scoring. They get up and down, get into guys, it’s kind of like Oregon. The coach is kind of like [Oregon] Coach [Dana] Altman, they just let their guys play and go out there and try to compete and try to win games.”

Atlantic Notes: Butler, Wright, Thomas

January 6th, 2017 at 5:56pm CST by Austin Kent

Lost in the headlines coming out of Atlanta are rumors that the Bulls may look to shop Jimmy Butler. Such an idea isn’t particularly new – the All-Star was said to be on the block during the 2016 NBA Draft – but the impact of such a deal would be significant. Two Atlantic Division teams, the Celtics and Sixers, have been linked to the Bulls swingman and may or may not be in the mix of clubs looking to attain him.

While Keith Pompey of The Inquirer thinks that Butler would be a good fit with the Sixers alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet speculates that the Celtics may not have enough to get a deal done. The C’s have been said to be seeking a star, but Blakely suggests that Chicago will be looking for a “major haul” that Boston wouldn’t be able to meet.

Over the course of the next few weeks, teams will continue to inquire about the Bulls All-Star as he averages 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Butler is owed $17.6MM this season and is signed through 2020.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Out of action since Summer League, Delon Wright is creeping ever closer to making his return to action for the Raptors. Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News writes that the sophomore guard will begin playing 3-on-3 next week for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery. Sorensen writes that Wright may not see action until “possibly next month.”
The Raptors and Celtics already had a tough road ahead of them in the Eastern Conference, but Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver writes that the recent acquisition of Kyle Korver could spur them to be bolder as the trade deadline approaches.
We wrote about Isaiah Thomas‘ emergence as a star earlier this week, but Comcast SportsNet has recently put together five reasons why the point guard should be considered a max contract player. The Celtics could soon renegotiate the contract that he first signed with the Suns in 2014.
The D-League affiliate of the Nets has acquired the rights to recently waived R.J. Hunter, the team writes in a press release. Hunter had previously played for the Bulls, though only saw action in three games this season.

Bulls Waive R.J. Hunter

December 29th, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Second-year guard R.J. Hunter has been waived for the second time in the last three months, with the Bulls issuing a press release today announcing that the team has parted ways with Hunter. The move reduces Chicago’s roster count to 14.

Hunter, 23, was the 28th overall pick in the 2015 draft, but only lasted one year with the Celtics, becoming the victim of a roster crunch in Boston this October. The Bulls snapped up Hunter shortly after he cleared waivers, but he saw very limited action in his two months with the team, appearing in just three games.

In 36 games last season with the C’s, Hunter averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 8.8 minutes per contest. The Georgia State product has been more productive in the D-League, averaging 15.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.9 SPG in 13 total NBADL contests for the Maine Red Claws and Windy City Bulls.

Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Hunter will become an unrestricted free agent again this weekend. The Bulls, meanwhile, will carry only a partial cap hit for him, since he had been on a non-guaranteed salary. Hunter’s deal would have become fully guaranteed if the club hadn’t waived him by January 9.