Hornets Re-Sign Terrel Harris
The Hornets have signed Terrel Harris to a second 10-day contract, the team announced via press release. The guard's first 10-day deal with New Orleans expired last night. Harris has appeared in only two games for a total of 12 minutes with the Hornets so far, but today's move allows the team some more time to evaluate him before deciding whether to sign him for the rest of the season.
Harris was a part of the Heat's championship team as a rookie last season, and opened this year with Miami before the team waived him just before his minimum-salary contract would have become guaranteed for the season. The 6'5" 25-year-old has averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game over 31 NBA contests the past two seasons.
The Hornets are at the 15-man roster limit with Harris back on board, so if they keep him, they'd have to waive someone on a guaranteed contract to sign anybody else this season. While Harris is on a 10-day deal, the Hornets have to option to terminate his contract before the 10 days are up if they'd prefer to bring in someone else, as they did when they waived Henry Sims to clear room for Louis Amundson.
Hornets Sign Terrel Harris To 10-Day Contract
10:23am: The Hornets have officially signed Harris to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.
12:24am: With Austin Rivers potentially out for the rest of the season with a broken hand, the Hornets will add another backcourt player to the roster. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), that player will be Terrel Harris, who is expected to receive a 10-day contract from New Orleans on Friday.
Harris, 25, was waived earlier this season by the Heat, just before his contract became guaranteed. The Oklahoma State product, who appeared in 29 games in parts of two seasons with Miami, had been playing in the D-League since being let go by the Heat, averaging 12.5 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 12 contests with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
The Hornets currently have 14 players under contract, so no corresponding roster move will be required to clear a spot for Harris. When the agreement is finalized, Harris will become the second player to receive a 10-day contract from New Orleans this week as the team adds injury replacements. The Hornets signed Henry Sims to a 10-day deal on Sunday, just two days after announcing that Jason Smith would miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum.
Western Notes: White, Nowitzki, Wolves, Blazers
So far, votes are virtually evenly split on whether or not the Lakers will earn a playoff spot this season in the competitive Western Conference. You can weigh in with your vote and/or comments on our afternoon poll right here. As the Lakers prepare to face the Rockets tonight in Houston, let's check in on a few Western Conference notes relating to the Rockets and a handful of other clubs….
- Royce White appeared on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, and went into detail in discussing his relationship with the Rockets and the mental health protocol he's hoping to establish. You can listen to the conversation at about the 24:15 mark of the podcast or view the complete transcript over at Slate.com.
- Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says he expects Dirk Nowitzki to remain with the Mavericks for the rest of his career, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Nowitzki recently questioned some of the Mavs' roster-building strategies, but insisted he wants to remain in Dallas and not be traded.
- Even though Kevin Love will be out for an extended period, the Timberwolves, like every other team in the NBA, aren't currently interested in Kenyon Martin, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey isn't looking to make superficial changes to his team's roster, but is ready to make a move if the right kind of deal arises, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes.
- Terrel Harris, who was cut this weekend by the Heat, will join the Rockets' D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle clarifies (via Twitter) that Harris won't be part of Houston's 15-man roster, but the Vipers are operated by the Rockets, who want to take a look at the guard.
Heat Waive Terrel Harris
The Heat announced that they have waived guard Terrel Harris. Harris' deal would have become guaranteed on Monday's deadline and the move could signal that the Heat are gearing up to sign a big man.
Harris appeared in seven games with the Heat this year, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.1 minutes per contest. He was a bigger part of Miami's rotation in 2011/12 as he appeared in 22 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
The move leaves the Heat with 14 men on their roster. Josh Harrellson is the team's only remaining non-guaranteed player.
Heat Waive Rodney Carney, Jarvis Varnado
The Heat have cut a pair of camp invitees, waiving Rodney Carney and Jarvis Varnado, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Twitter). The move reduces Miami's roster to 16 players, meaning at least one more player will have to be released before Monday.
As Tomasson adds in a second tweet, the news bodes well for Josh Harrellson, who appears to have made the roster. Guards Terrel Harris and Garrett Temple will likely be battling for the final roster spot, with the odd man out being the last player cut. Nothing is set in stone yet, however, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, noting not to rule out Juwan Howard.
Carney looked strong at times during the preseason with the Heat, finishing with 6.8 PPG in five games. Varnado didn't appear in any of the team's preseason contests due to a hamstring issue. Both players will become unrestricted free agents when they clear waivers.
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.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Irving, Rasheed, Pistons
We looked at news from the Western Conference already, so here's a trip around Eastern Conference camps, with the start of the regular season just a dozen nights away.
- Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald thought a few days ago that Terrel Harris was a shoo-in for a spot on the Heat roster, but now believes Garrett Temple has a legitimate chance to beat him out (Twitter link). Both guards are on non-guaranteed deals.
- Kyrie Irving did plenty to justify his position as the top pick in the 2011 draft last season, when he won Rookie of the Year honors, but Cavs coach Byron Scott still believes he has a long way to go to realize his potential, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post has details on Rasheed Wallace's contract with the Knicks, and confirms that it's without even a partial guarantee.
- Joe Dumars is the league's third-longest tenured executive in charge of player personnel decisions, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors pointed out yesterday, and the Pistons president of basketball operations told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com he's never been as impressed with his players' offseason work as he is this year (Twitter link).
- Nets coach Avery Johnson said he expects free agent signee Jerry Stackhouse, a few weeks shy of his 38th birthday, to make his primary contribution as a locker room presence, a la Juwan Howard with the Heat the past two seasons, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.
Eastern Rumors: Harris, Novak, Valanciunas
Either the Celtics or a team with LeBron James or Dwyane Wade on the roster has won the Eastern Conference title every year since 2006, with the exception of 2009, when Dwight Howard and the Magic broke through. With D12 in L.A., it seems the path is clear for the Celtics and Heat to once again battle for Eastern supremacy, though there's a lot that could happen between now and June. Until then, here's the latest from around the East.
- Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald figures guard Terrel Harris' endorsement deal with Peak, a shoe company with promotional ties to the Heat, means he's a safe bet to make the opening-night roster. Harris has no guarantee on his minimum-salary deal.
- Steve Novak, a Wisconsin native who went to Marquette, explained his choice of the Knicks over the Bucks in free agency to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "We talked several times when I’ve been a free agent. I never know for sure at what level," Novak said of the Bucks. "But no, I wanted to be back. If I could choose Milwaukee or New York, hands down, New York. It’s the truth."
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star disagrees with a scout who thought Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas looked "soft" and "scared" in a preseason game this week.
- Nets guard Joe Johnson says he's eager to share the ball with Deron Williams and get away from the "iso-Joe" style of play that placed the offensive load on his shoulders when he was with the Hawks, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times.
- John Denton of Magic.com delves into Nikola Vucevic's rich basketball bloodlines, a pedigree that Magic coach Jacque Vaughn believes will serve him well as he attempts the Herculean task of replacing Howard at center.
Heat Rumors: Harrellson, Gladness, Howard
Coming off a championship season and a summer in which they didn't lose any significant pieces, the Heat appear to have less uncertainty heading into the 2012/13 season than any other team in the NBA. Still, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel is able to identify 10 questions facing the Heat as they get set to open training camp. Here are the rest of the morning's notes from out of Miami:
- In his latest mailbag, Winderman says he wouldn't mind seeing the Heat add a little more depth at point guard, perhaps a defensive-minded player.
- The Heat are expected to keep two of Dexter Pittman, Josh Harrellson, Mickell Gladness, and Jarvis Varnado, says Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Of those four, Pittman has a leg up since his contract is guaranteed.
- One Eastern Conference scout on a couple of Miami's options: "Harrellson can be exposed defensively, but he’s a better player than Gladness and more skilled. Gladness is athletic and long but has no offensive game. Harrellson can shoot it and plays his butt off."
- Juwan Howard is still working out with the Heat and hopes to earn a one-year deal from the team, according to Jackson.
- Terrel Harris and Garrett Temple will likely compete for the final perimeter spot, says Jackson.
- Shane Battier tells Jackson that he thinks he could get away with playing primarily at power forward this season, if the team needs him there: "The regular season is not as physical as the playoffs. Guys aren’t hitting as hard."
Odds & Ends: Harris, Aguilar, 2014 Draft, Bynum
Let's round up a few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….
- Before he re-signed with the Heat, Terrel Harris turned down contract offers from the Cavaliers and teams in Spain and Russia, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Former Philippine Basketball Association first overall pick Japeth Aguilar is trying to earn an invite to an NBA training camp, writes Joseph Pimentel of ABS-CBN News. According to his agent, Aguilar has a workout scheduled with the Spurs and is trying to line one up with the Magic as well.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists his choices for the top ten most toxic contracts in the NBA.
- For the draft buffs who are already looking ahead to 2013 and beyond, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his mock draft for 2014.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic wonders if any of the Suns' new acquisitions will fill the leadership void left by Steve Nash's and Grant Hill's departures.
- Will Bynum should have a clearer path to playing time this season with Ben Gordon out of the picture for the Pistons, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside makes the case for why Marvin Phillips deserves an opportunity to earn an NBA roster spot.