Warriors Waive Alexander, Dedmon, Seth Curry
The Warriors have prepared their roster for opening night by making three cuts, according to a release from the team. The club announced that it has released Joe Alexander, Dewayne Dedmon, and Seth Curry, reducing its roster to 14 players.
While Alexander and Curry were expected to be waived, the release of Dedmon comes as a bit of a surprise, on the heels of coach Mark Jackson‘s positive comments about the big man. Following the three cuts, Golden State is now carrying 14 players, including 13 on fully guaranteed contracts — Kent Bazemore‘s deal isn’t guaranteed, but it looks like his roster spot is safe.
Dedmon averaged 3.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in five preseason games, while Curry, Stephen Curry‘s younger brother, averaged 2.2 PPG in six preseason contests. Alexander, a 2008 lottery pick, was unable to participate in any game action this month due to a tibial stress reaction in his left leg.
Curry reportedly had a $75K guarantee on his contract, while Dedmon’s deal was guaranteed for $25K, so the Warriors will be on the hook for those amounts. Both players, along with Alexander, are expected to land with Golden State’s D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.
Warriors Favoring Dedmon?
Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said that it was safe to say that center DeWayne Dedmon is the favorite to land Golden State’s final roster spot, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The undrafted center out of USC is currently on a partially guaranteed contract, and has been in the mix with Seth Curry and Joe Alexander to earn a spot on the team.
Golden State currently has 13 guaranteed contracts and a total of 17 on their training camp roster. Three of the remaining players are on partially guaranteed deals (Kent Bazemore, Dedmon, Curry), while Alexander had been playing on a non-guaranteed contract. I think it’s reasonable to assume that Bazemore – who had an impressive summer league run for the team this year – takes up the penultimate roster spot, so it appears that Curry and Alexander may be the odd men out.
Through four pre-season contests, Dedmon is averaging 4.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 10.8 MPG.
Roster Battles: Spurs, Warriors, Heat, Sixers
The Spurs have been searching for a backup small forward since releasing Stephen Jackson in the spring, and the team may have found its man in Sam Young. However, as Young competes for a roster spot in San Antonio, the veteran tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that Spurs fans haven’t forgotten the role he played in the Grizzlies’ 2011 upset of the West’s No. 1 seed.
“That was one of the biggest moments in Grizzlies history, so when we beat them, a lot of Spurs fans were upset,” Young said. “When I got here, a couple people let me know on Twitter; a lot of people let me know on Facebook. Even a couple coaches talked about it, but it’s cool. They’ve embraced me.”
Here’s the latest on a few more players hoping to earn roster spots around the NBA:
- The Warriors will have to cut at least three players before the regular season begins to reduce their roster to 15 players, but camp invitee Dewayne Dedmon may be playing his way onto the team. As Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News details, coach Mark Jackson said after last night’s game that Dedmon is “an NBA player today” and “really does have a chance” to earn one of the open roster spots. Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group notes (via Twitter), that Dedmon’s strong play may not bode well for the chances of fellow camp invitees Seth Curry and Cameron Jones.
- It’s still early in the preseason, but Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald thinks the Heat‘s roster already looks set. In Goodman’s opinion, Roger Mason Jr. and Michael Beasley will earn the final two roster spots.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown sees NBA potential in undrafted rookie Khalif Wyatt, who is currently vying for a roster spot in Philadelphia, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Scott Cacciola of the New York Times examines Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ quest to earn a spot on the Knicks‘ roster.
Pacific Rumors: Kuzmic, Seth Curry, Kings, Clips
The Clippers, Warriors and Lakers all made roster moves today, but by far the most significant story involving a Pacific Division team to break in the past 24 hours is the Kings' decision to give DeMarcus Cousins a four-year max extension. When I examined Cousins' extension candidacy, I predicted that he'd hit restricted free agency next summer. If he had, the Kings could have matched another team's four-year max offer sheet, one that came with raises of no better than 4.5% of the starting salary. Instead, Cousins will get 7.5% raises for signing with the Kings directly, a more expensive outcome for Sacramento. Here's more from the Pacific:
- Center Ognjen Kuzmic's deal with the Warriors is a two-year, minimum-salary arrangement, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group.
- Seth Curry is confident that he'll make the Warriors opening night roster, and his faith that GM Bob Myers and company will give him a fair shot prompted him to turn down other offers to head to Golden State, as Antonio Gonzalez of The Associated Press examines. Of course, the presence of brother Stephen Curry also surely helped influence him to accept his partially guaranteed contract with the Warriors.
- California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed into law a bill designed to remove legal hurdles to a new Kings arena in Sacramento, explains Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com takes a stab at predicting the Clippers opening night roster and writes that Byron Mullens is the most likely candidate to emerge as the team's most unheralded signing from the summer.
Ognjen Kuzmic Close To Joining Warriors
According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, 2012 second round pick Ognjen Kuzmic is closing in on a buyout with Unicaja Malaga, his team in Spain, that will allow him to sign a guaranteed deal with Golden State for the upcoming 2013/14 season, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Myers said Kuzmic, who is in town rehabbing an ankle sprain, is expected to be in camp, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
There were reports a month ago that the Bosnian big man might be headed west for the NBA this season, but this is the first we're hearing of it from the Warriors' brass. Thompson also adds, via Twitter, that Myers indicated Kuzmic would be guaranteed a roster spot should the buyout go through. Kuzmic would make 13 rostered players on guaranteed contracts in Golden State, leaving only two spots for Kent Bazemore, DeWayne Dedmon and Seth Curry, all of whom are believed to have partial guarantees on their deals.
Kuzmic, 23, averaged 6.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 27 Spanish League contests for FIATC Joventut Badalona in 2012/13.
Contract Details: Warriors, Lakers, Davies, Lockett
Most of the contracts being signed these days are non-guaranteed and worth the minimum salary, essentially amounting to make-good deals for camp. However, a few players who recently joined NBA clubs received modest guarantees, ensuring they'll make some money whether or not they earn a roster spot. Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com has the details, so let's round them up….
- The Warriors will pay partial guarantees to two recent signees, Seth Curry and DeWayne Dedmon. Both players inked one-year rookie minimum contracts, but Curry received the larger guarantee — $75K to Dedmon's $25K.
- The Lakers guaranteed $100K of Shawne Williams' one-year, minimum-salary deal.
- Brandon Davies' two-year deal with the Clippers is partially guaranteed for $50K in 2013/14.
- Trent Lockett's two-year contract with the Kings is currently guaranteed for $35K, but he can increase that amount by earning a spot on the team's regular-season roster. Lockett's guarantee will become $100K if he's not waived by opening night, and if he keeps a roster spot all year, his 2014/15 salary will become guaranteed for $100K on the last day of the '13/14 season.
- The Pelicans cut Lance Thomas in July to clear cap space for their new additions, then re-signed him to a new deal. Thomas received a guarantee of $15K for his trouble — his previous contract had been fully non-guaranteed.
Warriors Sign Seth Curry
7:10pm: The Warriors have officially confirmed the move, via the team website.
6:34pm: Curry has inked his contract with the Warriors, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
9:17am: So far this summer, multiple pairs of brothers have headed in different directions after playing for the same team a year ago. The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday and cut Justin Holiday, while the Pacers saw both Tyler Hansbrough and Ben Hansbrough sign elsewhere in free agency.
However, it looks like one set of brothers will at least get a chance to play with one another during training camp, as the Warriors are expected to sign Seth Curry to a non-guaranteed contract today, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
Although he battled injuries for most of the year, the younger Curry had a productive senior season for Duke in 2012/13, averaging 17.5 PPG and shooting 43.8% on three-pointers. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter), the 23-year-old guard turned down an offer from an Italian club in favor of the Warriors' training camp invite. Curry suggested earlier this month that he'd received offers from the Timberwolves, Spurs, and Bobcats as well, but it makes sense that he'd choose the Warriors, given the presence of older brother Stephen Curry.
Golden State currently only has 13 players under contract, including 12 guaranteed deals, so if the former Blue Devil impresses in camp, there should be room for him on the regular-season roster. As we saw with the Sixers, Pacers, and even the Knicks before Chris Smith (J.R. Smith's brother) was injured, NBA clubs have shown a willingness to carry the siblings of established players at the back of the bench, so that should bode well for Curry's chances of making the team.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, T’Wolves, Brown, Curry
Flip Saunders is the leading man in the Timberwolves' front office, but he's searching for two executives to help assist him in day-to-day operations. This morning, we learned that Wizards vice president of player personnel Milt Newton sat down with the T'Wolves to formally interview for the GM position while they could also promote former Raptors GM Rob Babcock from within. Here's the latest out of the Northwest Division..
- The Northwest Division is the best example this offseason of the cyclical nature of the league, writes Royce Young of CBSSports.com. The Nuggets have slipped after losing their GM and failing to re-sign their top offseason target in Andre Iguodala. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves could take the divisional crown after making a few shrewd moves and getting Kevin Love back.
- Bobby Brown has until August 15th to exercise his opt out clause with China's DongGuan Leopards and AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops sees the Jazz as a good fit for the lighting quick point guard. Brown averaged 18.3 PPG in Euroleague last year and improved greatly as a true one-guard.
- Seth Curry says that Timberwolves are among the teams that have extended a training camp invitation to him, writes Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times. The Warriors, Spurs, and Bobcats have also invited the undrafted Duke guard to camp.
- Earlier today, we looked at the latest on the Thunder.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Pistons, Bucks, Heat
Let's round up some Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference….
- Both seasons of Jeremy Tyler's two-year deal with the Knicks are partially guaranteed, confirms Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Begley adds (via Twitter) that it's "highly unlikely" the Knicks sign Chris Duhon, despite their reported interest.
- Speaking to Grantland's Zach Lowe, Pistons GM Joe Dumars says that he only started talking to the Bucks about Brandon Jennings four days before the deal was consummated, and adds that the team had some "good talks" with Andre Iguodala before Iggy decided to sign elsewhere.
- In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com field a handful of questions on the Pistons' trade and free agent options.
- Bucks coach Larry Drew has offered his top assistant coaching position to a former NBA coach and is awaiting a response, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. It's not clear who the unnamed candidate is, but according to Woelfel, Jim Cleamons and Dean Demopoulos are among those interviewed for the job.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel still expects the Heat to sign one more "proven veteran" at some point this offseason.
- The Bobcats intend to work out Seth Curry, Stephen Curry's younger brother, in the coming weeks, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
Wolfson’s Latest: Pekovic, Aldridge, Redick
Agent Jeff Schwartz's initial asking price for Nikola Pekovic was around $15MM per year, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, and Schwartz and the Timberwolves continue to haggle over the amount of money the restricted free agent center will get in his next contract. Schwartz knows he won't get $15MM a year from the team, Wolfson tweets. The Wolves are offering four years and $48MM, and though they're willing to add some incentives, it's "nearly ludicrous" to expect that they'll budge from the $12MM annual base salary, as Wolfson writes in his Scoops column. Wolfson has plenty more on Pekovic and other Timberwolves issues, so let's dive in:
- It's possible that Pekovic could wind up with a fifth year in his deal, but it appears four years is more likely.
- A trade that would send Pekovic and Derrick Williams to the Blazers for LaMarcus Aldridge is far-fetched. Minnesota would prefer Kevin Love instead, Wolfson tweets, but Love doesn't appear to be on the market. Schwartz represents Love as well as Pekovic.
- J.J. Redick was five minutes away from heading to another team before talks revved up on the three-team trade that sent him to the Clippers, but that mystery team wasn't the Wolves. Redick met with Wolves brass and was prepared to sign with them, but talks never got that far.
- Andrei Kirilenko's claim that Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders didn't want to give him a long-term contract is incorrect, writes Wolfson, who hears from two people who say Minnesota offered a three-year, $21MM deal.
- The Wolves have not invited Seth Curry to training camp, contrary to a report.
- Lorenzo Brown, Robbie Hummel, Othyus Jeffers and another big man figure to be the contenders for the 15th spot on the Timberwolves opening-night roster.