Odds & Ends: Magic, Wallace, McCants, Johnson
Let's round up a few Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA….
- The Magic will hire former Hornets assistant James Borrego as an assistant coach for the coming year, according to an Associated Press report (link via The Sporting News).
- In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered wonders if it makes sense for the Pistons to clear a roster spot to bring back Ben Wallace. That, of course, assumes that Wallace wants to continue his playing career.
- Former UNC star and NBA lottery pick Rashad McCants failed his physical with French team SIG Strasbourg, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes. Strasbourg was set to sign McCants, but will now take another look at the market for other options.
- Joe Johnson talked to SI.com's Zach Lowe about finding out about being traded to the Nets, the team's expectations for 2012/13, and his contract.
- The Warriors have hired Ellen Warner as the team's VP of Development, according to a team release. Warner will oversee planning, design, and construction of the club's proposed San Francisco arena.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Nets, Meeks, Blazers
After previously looking at the biggest winners and losers of the NBA offseason, SI.com's Zach Lowe ran down the most intriguing teams of the summer. Among them are the Nets, who have unquestionably upgraded their roster in the short-term, but may have hampered themselves in the long run. The Nets now have roughly $65MM committed annually to four players across the next four years and may not be able to build on their roster if they can't swing a deal for Dwight Howard in January. Here's more from around the Association..
- A source told HoopsHype (via Twitter) that the Lakers are working out Rashad McCants and 2009 second-round pick Patrick Beverley today. Beverley, 24, was named MVP of the Eurocup last season.
- Jodie Meeks' agent, David Bauman, says that his client won't sign for a minimum contract, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times. Bauman added that there are four or five teams looking at Meeks, including the Lakers.
- Even though the Blazers have ushered in a rebuilding period, guard Nolan Smith isn't sold on the perception that Portland will be lottery-bound for the second-straight year, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. Smith also supported Kaleb Canales returning as head coach but expects him to stay on with the organization in an important capacity regardless.
- Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com likes the Jazz's hire of Dennis Lindsey as their next General Manager and tip his cap to the organization for conducting a swift and productive search for Kevin O'Connor's replacement.
Minor Moves: McCants, Walker, Caracter
We'll track today's notable international and D-League-related transactions here:
- After playing just one game for Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico, Rashad McCants was waived, according to Sportando. McCants is hoping his play in Puerto Rico will help propel an NBA comeback, but he's now been waived twice this week.
- The D-League's Idaho Stampede have waived another comeback-hopeful, Antoine Walker, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The team needed to add a player to the roster using Walker's spot while he tends to personal matters, says Spears. The Stampede could add Walker back to the roster this weekend (Twitter link).
- Derrick Caracter has been waived by the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, adds Spears. Caracter, who played 41 games for the Lakers last year, was waived this year before his contract became guaranteed for the season.
Odds & Ends: McCants, Free Agency, Parker
- Sportando reports that former Timberwolves lottery pick Rashad McCants has reached an agreement with Piratas de Quebradillas after being released by Caciques de Humacao of the BSN, Puerto Rico's main basketball league. McCants drew some attention from the media last fall after saying he wanted to be considered the "best basketball player not in the NBA." Julius Hodge, a former Nuggets first-round pick, was also released by Caciques de Humacao.
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN (Insider link) examines possible fits for Eastern Conference teams with regards to upcoming free agency.
- Anthony Parker of the Cavaliers will consider retirement after this season, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban defended the Lakers management for how they've handled their roster this season, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth.
- Although Von Wafer has fallen out of Stan Van Gundy's rotation in Orlando, he remains professional and hopes to work hard enough to move up the depth chart. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld briefly explores other options Wafer may have.
Odds & Ends: Brooks, Kahn, Raptors, McCants
Aaron Brooks' Guangdong Southern Tigers are making a run at the Chinese Basketball Association title, delaying his return to Phoenix. When his season in China ends, Brooks will find himself in a situation similar to Wilson Chandler's in Denver and Patrick Mills' in Portland, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic outlines. I expect the longer Brooks remains in China, the less likely he is to play in the NBA this year, since he'll be a restricted free agent again this summer if he sits out the season.
Here are a few more Thursday links from around the Association:
- David Kahn is in the final year of his contract, but the Timberwolves hold team options on Kahn for the next two years, and owner Glen Taylor tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press he wants to keep his GM around.
- In addition to rounding up a few rumors in his morning column for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler also talked trades in a chat today.
- The Raptors are contemplating their trade options as the deadline approaches, says Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld.
- Rashad McCants told Primera Hora that his agent advised him to play in Puerto Rico as a potential route back to the NBA (hat tip to Sportando for the translation).
- Pistons GM Joe Dumars, who told MLive earlier this week that he's "talking to everybody," answers a few more trade-related questions from Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News.
Diogu, McCants Sign In Puerto Rico
Caciques de Humacao of the Puerto Rican basketball league has signed former NBA players Ike Diogu and Rashad McCants, the team officially announced this week (hat tip to Sportando). The league will get underway in March, with Diogu and McCants expected to arrive later this month.
Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, played briefly for the Spurs earlier this season before being released. Over the course of his NBA career, the 28-year-old has posted 6.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and a 15.6 PER in 225 games.
McCants, 27, was selected just five picks after Diogu in 2005, going 14th overall to the Timberwolves. The former UNC star hasn't played in the NBA since he was waived by the Kings in January 2010. McCants averaged 10.0 PPG on 43.1% shooting in 249 career NBA games.
The signings of Diogu and McCants were mentioned by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports earlier this week when he discussed the Puerto Rican league's interest in Allen Iverson.