Will Bynum

And-Ones: Kenyon Martin, Will Bynum, 2017 NBA Draft

There have been plenty of headlines about George Karl‘s pending book release, but lost in the Carmelo Anthony barbs that have been heavily discussed in the media of late is the seemingly reignited feud between the ex-Nuggets head coach and his former power forward Kenyon Martin.

Marc Spears of The Undefeated explored the intricacies of the hostile relationship between Karl and Martin.

Central Notes: Bynum, Pistons, Henson, Cavs

Veteran guard Will Bynum recently signed a contract with the D-League, and now he has a new NBADL team. According to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (via Twitter), the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s D-League affiliate, acquired Bynum off waivers.

Bynum, who will turn 34 in May, spent last season in China, and was waived by the Hawks prior to the start of the 2016/17 campaign, so he hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since April 2015. The fact that the Bulls’ D-League affiliate picked him up also doesn’t necessarily mean that Chicago’s NBA club will have interest in adding the veteran point guard this season. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on Bynum, who could be a candidate for a call-up by an NBA team in 2017 if he plays well in the D-League.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Although Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy believes his team should be better than it is, he doesn’t think that making a trade is the way to fix things, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
  • The Pistons‘ slide has coincided with Reggie Jackson‘s return from an early-season injury, so Brett Koremenos of RealGM.com takes a deep dive to try to determine how Jackson’s presence may be contributing to the club taking a step back.
  • The Bucks have a crowded frontcourt, with Greg Monroe, Miles Plumlee, and John Henson all making big bucks to play no more than about 20 MPG apiece this season. However, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times details, it’s Henson who has emerged as the starting center, a decision that is paying off in Milwaukee.
  • Within his latest mailbag, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com discusses the timing of Mo Williams‘ retirement decision and addresses whether or not Tyson Chandler might be a trade target for the Cavaliers — Vardon is skeptical.

And-Ones: CBA, Roster Spots, Bynum, Senegal

Negotiators for the league were determined to make it more difficult to assemble “super teams” under the new collective bargaining agreement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical. In a brief video, Wojnarowski recounts a meeting this summer in which Commissioner Adam Silver told team owners that he was troubled by Kevin Durant‘s move to Golden State, fearing it would impact competitive balance. Warriors owner Joe Lacob defended his organization, saying it managed its salary cap in a way to enable the signing of a max player. In negotiations, the league tried to give small-market stars more incentive to re-sign with their current teams. Wojnarowski says the new system creates a “far more punitive financial choice” for players who want to leave for larger cities or more competitive teams. However, he adds that some small-market owners are concerned that the league didn’t go far enough with its rules changes.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

  • The new CBA will add two roster spots for each team, which will be two-way contracts for players who shuffle back and forth from the D-League, notes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. In a transcript from an interview with onthenbabeat.com, Reichert notes that the salary range for those players will be $50K to $75K, which is more than typical D-League players receive. The rise in NBA minimum salaries will also benefit D-League players because the 10-day contracts that teams can offer starting in January are based off minimum salaries adjusted for a player’s years of experience.
  • Veteran guard Will Bynum has signed a contract with the D-League, according to a tweet from D-League Digest. The 33-year-old was among the last players cut by the Hawks in training camp. He spent the majority of his 360-game NBA career with the Pistons, but also played for the Warriors and Wizards. He played most of the past two seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China.
  • The NBA plans to open an academy in Senegal next year, writes Gerald Imray of The Associated Press. This will be the sixth international academy for the league, which already has three in China and one in Australia, with another in India set to begin in April.

Latest On Grizzlies’ Point Guard Situation

With Mike Conley expected to miss at least six weeks of action due to fractures in his lower back , the Grizzlies have a major hole to fill at point guard. It was relayed earlier that Memphis could look to sign Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole or Xavier Munford to boost its depth at the one spot, and now Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical has added a few potential targets to that list — Kendall Marshall, Toney Douglas and Will Bynum. Also, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com has thrown some cold water on the possibility of the Grizzlies signing Chalmers, since the guard is not physically ready to play at this time.

Marshall, who turned 25 this past summer, has played for the Suns, Lakers, Bucks, and Sixers since entering the NBA as a lottery pick in 2012. He was sent from Philadelphia to Utah in an offseason trade, and was promptly cut by the Jazz in August before his salary for 2016/17 became guaranteed. Marshall, who has averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.9 APG in 160 career NBA contests, has been a free agent since then, and is currently playing in the D-League after being claimed by the Reno Bighorns.

Douglas began his NBA career in 2009 with the Knicks. After spending three seasons in New York, the point guard has bounced around, playing for the Rockets, Kings, Warriors, Heat, and Pelicans. The 30-year-old averaged 8.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG, to go along with a shooting line of .411/.399/.848. He was waived by the Cavs during the preseason to clear a roster spot for the re-signing of J.R. Smith.

Bynum, 33, has appeared in 360 total regular season NBA games for three different teams since 2005, though, he hasn’t played in a regular season contest since the 2014/15 season. For most of the last two seasons, Bynum has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China. He averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG for the CBA club in 2015/16. The guard was among the Hawks’ final preseason cuts this year.

Hawks Waive Will Bynum

The Hawks have moved one step closer to finalizing their roster for the regular season, having parted ways with veteran guard Will Bynum, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move brings Atlanta’s roster count down to 16 players, one above the regular-season maximum.

Although he has appeared in 360 total regular season NBA games for three different teams since 2005, Bynum hasn’t played in a regular season contest since the 2014/15 season. For most of the last two seasons, Bynum has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China. He averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG for the CBA club in 2015/16.

During the preseason, Bynum saw a decent amount of playing time in the Hawks’ first five preseason games, averaging 17 minutes per contest, but played just 10 total minutes in the club’s final two exhibitions. The 33-year-old’s contract was non-guaranteed, so Atlanta won’t carry a cap hit after releasing him.

With Bynum no longer in the mix, the Hawks have one more player – Josh Magette – who has a fully non-guaranteed salary. He looks like the odd man out for the team’s 15-man roster, with Mike Muscala and his partially guaranteed deal making the cut.

Contract Details: Brand, Rockets, Thunder, Pacers

With training camps underway, teams have now officially finalized the contract agreements with various camp invitees that had been reported over the past several weeks, meaning we have plenty of contract details to round up. As usual, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has been busy reporting those details, updating his salary pages for teams around the NBA.

Because we have so many updates to pass along from Pincus, we’ll divide them up by players who received some guaranteed money from their teams, and those who didn’t. All of the links below point to the Basketball Insiders team salary pages, so be sure to click through for additional information.

Here are the latest salary updates from across the league, via Pincus:

Players receiving guaranteed money:

These players aren’t necessarily assured of regular-season roster spots. In fact, many of them likely received guarantees as an incentive to accept a D-League assignment. Still, for some players, larger guarantees should increase their odds of making 15-man rosters.

  • Thomas Walkup (Bulls): One year, minimum salary. $69.5K guaranteed.
  • Keith Benson (Heat): Two years, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Henry Sims (Jazz): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Alex Poythress (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $35,381 guaranteed.
  • Kevin Seraphin (Pacers): Two years, $3.681MM. First year ($1.8MM) guaranteed.
  • Julyan Stone (Pacers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Gary Payton II (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. First year ($543,471) guaranteed.
  • Isaiah Taylor (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kyle Wiltjer (Rockets): Two years, minimum salary. $275K guaranteed.
  • Cat Barber (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Elton Brand (Sixers): One year, minimum salary. $1MM guaranteed.
  • Derrick Jones (Suns): Three years, minimum salary. $42.5K guaranteed.
  • Alex Caruso (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $50K guaranteed.
  • Kaleb Tarczewski (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $75K guaranteed.
  • Chris Wright (Thunder): One year, minimum salary. $100K guaranteed.

Players receiving no guaranteed money:

The following players all signed one-year, minimum salary contracts with no guaranteed money. Many of these deals are “summer contracts,” which won’t count against a team’s cap unless the player earns a spot on the 15-man roster.

Hawks Sign Will Bynum, Ryan Kelly

SEPTEMBER 20: The Hawks have formally signed Bynum and Kelly, according to a press release issued by the team. Atlanta also confirmed its deal with Richard Solomon, which brings the club’s training camp roster to the maximum 20 players.

SEPTEMBER 16: The Hawks have signed unrestricted free agents Ryan Kelly and Will Bynum to training camp deals, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter). Both arrangements are non-guaranteed and for the minimum salary, Vivlamore adds. The addition of the pair brings Atlanta’s roster count to 19, which is one below the preseason maximum.

Atlanta already has 15 players with fully guaranteed contracts on the books for this season, plus one more player with a partial guarantee (Mike Muscala). But the team was reportedly seeking to add another point guard and a frontcourt player to bulk up its roster for the preseason. Mission accomplished, with Bynum a point guard and Kelly a power forward, fitting those needs. If either player is to unseat one of those guaranteed deals and make the regular season roster, they’ll certainly need to play lights-out in training camp and during preseason contests.

A longtime Piston, Bynum has appeared in 360 career NBA games over the course of eight seasons since 2005/06. In that time, the veteran guard has averaged 8.1 PPG and 3.3 APG while playing primarily as a backup. Over the last two seasons, Bynum has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China — he averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 58.0% from the field this past season. The 33-year-old had worked out for the Hawks earlier this week.

Kelly, 25, spent his first three seasons in the NBA as a member of the Lakers after being selected 48th overall in the 2013 draft. He appeared in 36 games in 2015/16, averaging 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 13.1 minutes per outing. His shooting line on the year was .369/.139/.685.

Will Bynum Works Out For Hawks

Veteran NBA guard Will Bynum, who has spent the majority of the last two seasons playing in China, was brought in to work out for the Hawks on Wednesday, and will have another workout with the club today, tweets Michael Scotto of The Associated Press.

Bynum, 33, is the latest in a string of players to work out for the Hawks in the hopes of receiving an invitation to training camp. Atlanta has three open spots on its 20-man offseason roster, and has recently taken a closer look at Ryan Kelly, Xavier Munford, and guard Dionte Christmas. The team also reportedly had workouts lined up with Richard Solomon for Wednesday and Thursday.

As we heard earlier this week from Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Hawks are looking to add a point guard and a frontcourt player to their roster before training camp gets underway. The club will likely add a third player to maximize its roster space, though it’s not clear what position that 20th man would play.

A longtime Piston, Bynum has appeared in 360 career NBA games over the course of eight seasons since 2005/06. In that time, the veteran guard has averaged 8.1 PPG and 3.3 APG while playing primarily as a backup. Over the last two seasons, Bynum has played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China — he averaged 17.8 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 58.0% from the field this past season, playing alongside former NBA vets like Yi Jianlian and Ike Diogu.

Will Bynum To Play In China

Will Bynum is finalizing a deal to re-sign with the Guangdong Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). While the length and terms of the agreement are unknown, it was relayed back in June by Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post that Bynum had a standing offer to return to China on a three-year deal.

The 32-year-old guard spent most of the 2014/15 season in China with Guangdong, but signed with Washington late in the year and appeared in seven games for the Wizards. Bynum put up 22.3 points, 7.0 assists and 3.2 turnovers in 32.1 minutes per game for the Tigers last season. He had also garnered interest from Barcelona this Summer, according to a report by Enea Trapani of Sportando.

Bynum’s career numbers through parts of eight NBA seasons are 8.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists to go along with a slash line of .442/.272/.799. He averaged 3.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 9.6 minutes per night for the Wizards during his brief 2014/15 stint with the team.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Richardson, Taylor, Bynum

Faced with a luxury tax problem, the Heat have been aggressively trying to deal Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. An unidentified GM from another team said Miami’s preference is to deal Chalmers because he is due to make $4.3MM next season. Miami would reportedly settle for a second-round pick — or even less — to get Chalmers’ salary off its books. The GM adds that Chris Andersen is another candidate to be dealt, although the center has not been offered to the GM’s team. He also says the Heat are not trying to trade Josh McRoberts.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Miami will make an offer to Josh Richardson to keep his rights, but may encourage the rookie guard to play overseas, Jackson writes in the same story. Richardson will have to choose whether to seek a spot with a foreign club or try to make the Heat’s roster in training camp. Richardson hasn’t decided if he is willing to spend a year overseas, saying the NBA “has always been my dream; nobody wants to play anywhere else.” The Heat currently have 17 players under contract, stacking the odds against Richardson earning a roster spot.
  • Former Hornet Jeffery Taylor has been offered a two-year contract by Maccabi of the Israeli Premier League, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Pick termed the situation a “done deal” if Taylor agrees. Last month, the Hornets decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Taylor, making him an unrestricted free agent. He spent three years in Charlotte, although his second season was cut short by an Achilles tear and the third was interrupted by a 24-game suspension imposed by the league.
  • Barcelona may offer a contract to former Wizards guard Will Bynum, according to Enea Trapani of Sportando. Bynum spent most of the 2014/15 season in China, but signed with Washington late in the year and appeared in seven games.