Odds & Ends: Cavs, Blazers, Grizzlies, McCants
Even after pulling off one deal that used up a chunk of their leftover cap space, the Cavaliers are still aggressively exploring the trade market, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Of course, as Amico adds, about 20 other teams are doing the same thing, and there's no guarantee the Cavs will make another move before February 21st. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:
- When weighing trade possibilities, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is looking for players who are good influences in the locker room as well as good fits on the court, as he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com.
- Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien isn't expecting the Grizzlies to make another deal before the trade deadline, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- The Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, officially announced today that they've added former UNC standout Rashad McCants. We heard yesterday that McCants may be on his way back to the Legends.
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld examines the teams that will have the most cap flexibility going forward.
- Robert Dozier, who was in camp with the Heat during the preseason, has signed with the Alaska Aces in the Philippines, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
International Notes: Summers, Dozier, Taylor
With NBA rosters set, plenty of players who were waived prior to the regular season by NBA teams have turned to the D-League, as we outlined yesterday. However, others are looking overseas as they attempt to continue their basketball careers. Here's the latest on a number of players who are signing with or drawing interest from non-NBA clubs:
- DaJuan Summers, who was a Bobcats camp invitee last month, is drawing interest from Panathinaikos, reports Rigas Dardalis of Eurohoops.net. According to Dardalis, Panathinaikos is seeking a replacement for Hilton Armstrong.
- Spanish club Cajasol Sevilla has signed Robert Dozier to a one-month contract, according to a report passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Dozier had been a participant in Heat camp in October.
- Carchia passes along another report that suggests Jermaine Taylor is closing in on a deal with Spain's Lagun Aro. Taylor was waived by the Timberwolves last month.
- Italy's Angelico Biella has officially signed Trey Johnson, who has played 23 career NBA games, including 11 last year with the Hornets (link via Sportando).
Heat Waive Gladness, Dozier
The Heat have waived Mickell Gladness and Robert Dozier, according to a tweet from the Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman. For the 6'11" Gladness, this is his second time being waived by the Heat, with the first coming last February. Dozier was the last player selected in the 2009 NBA draft, but he's yet to play a single minute of basketball in the NBA.
Miami's roster now stands at 18, tweets Yahoo! NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
Odds & Ends: Possible Cavs/Heat Cuts, Olshey
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer takes a closer look at the decision the Cavaliers have to make on Sloan and Pargo and lists the pros and cons of keeping both. She also notes that Byron Scott believes one of them currently has an edge over the other, but the coach would not elaborate beyond that.
- Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald took to Twitter to speculate on what he calls the Heat's "no-doubt-about-it cut list," listing Rodney Carney, Jarvis Varnado, Mickell Gladness, and Robert Dozier. He mentions that the last two spots could come down to a competition among Josh Harrellson, Garrett Temple, and Terrel Harris, adding that he would keep the latter two (Twitter link).
- Interestingly enough, although Juwan Howard is not part of Miami's training camp roster, Goodman points out that the former Heat player still has a locker.
- Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge shared a transcript of Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey's in-game interview with CSNNW on Friday. Some notable comments include Olshey's thoughts on Will Barton's potential, Nicolas Batum and the team moving forward after his contract extension, and landing J.J. Hickson.
- In response to a report that Stephen Curry will sit out the rest of pre-season, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets that Curry's long-term extension talks with the Warriors are on hold.
Heat Sign Carney, Dozier
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports that the Heat have signed guard Rodney Carney and forward Robert Dozier to their training camp roster, which now stands at the maximum of 20 players (Twitter link).
Dozier had reportedly agreed to terms with Miami earlier this month and was working out with the team, although nothing had been officially announced until today. Carney, a former first round pick of the 76ers, had also drawn interest from the Bucks in recent weeks.
Heat To Sign Robert Dozier
SEPTEMBER 19TH: Dozier remains unsigned, but continues to work out with the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Sulia link). Dozier is still expected to ink a training-camp deal with the club.
SEPTEMBER 10TH: The Heat have agreed to terms with former second-round pick Robert Dozier, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The forward, tabbed with the 60th overall pick in the 2009 draft by Miami, has spent the past two seasons playing in Greece and France.
Dozier is expected to formally ink his contract once he returns from a family emergency. Exact terms of the forward's deal are not yet known, but it is likely a non-guaranteed minimum contract. Miami now has 16 players on the roster as they head into camp, with three on non-guaranteed deals.
Heat Sign Mickell Gladness, Jarvis Varnado
The Heat have signed a pair of bigs to make-good contracts, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Mickell Gladness and Jarvis Varnado have received invitations to the team's training camp, with a chance to earn a spot on the regular-season roster.
Gladness, 26, made his NBA debut in 2011/12, spending time with both the Heat and Warriors in his rookie season. The Alabama A&M product saw very limited minutes in his eight games for the Heat, but is viewed as a low-cost project, and didn't require a guaranteed contract.
Varnado, meanwhile, was the Heat's 41st overall pick in 2010, and has played overseas for the last two seasons. We heard a month ago from Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that Varnado would be leaving his team in Italy to join Miami's training camp, but the Heat didn't make it official until now.
The Heat now have 15 players under contract, but can continue to add players on non-guaranteed deals, up to a total of 20. Miami may not bring that many players to camp, but according to Winderman, the club is expected to offer non-guaranteed contracts to Terrel Harris and Robert Dozier, a 2009 second-rounder. The Heat have also worked out Josh Harrellson and Jerome Dyson this week.