Spurs Sign Andre Miller
MONDAY, 5:34pm: The signing is official, the Spurs announced. San Antonio earlier announced that it waived McCallum to create a roster opening.
10:49pm: The Spurs will waive third-string point guard Ray McCallum to make room for Miller, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Miller must pass a physical before McCallum is waived (Twitter link).
6:05pm: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich refused to comment on the move until it becomes official, which cannot happen until Miller clears waivers, McDonald tweets.
5:07pm: Miller’s agent, Andy Miller, confirms his client’s intention to sign with the Spurs, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.
SATURDAY, 4:15pm: Veteran point guard Andre Miller, who was waived by the Wolves earlier this week, will sign with the Spurs, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. The signing will cost San Antonio an extra $375K under the luxury tax, tweets former NBA executive Bobby Marks. The Spurs have 15 players on their roster, so a corresponding move will be necessary.
Miller, 39, was let go by Minnesota on Thursday in an apparent buyout agreement. He had been on a one-year, veterans’ minimum contract with the Wolves. Miller averaged 3.4 points, 0.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26 games this season. The Spurs will be his ninth franchise in a 17-year NBA career.
Earlier today, the Spurs were reported as the new favorite to land shooting guard Kevin Martin, who is also in buyout talks with the Wolves. It’s not certain how the Miller signing would affect their interest in Martin.
Spurs Waive Ray McCallum
The Spurs have waived point guard Ray McCallum, the team announced via press release. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reported this weekend that the move would come so that San Antonio could sign Andre Miller, fresh off his buyout from the Timberwolves. The Spurs had been carrying a full roster of 15 players, so someone had to go for Miller to join.
McCallum’s minimum salary of $947,276 will stick on San Antonio’s books if he clears waivers, which isn’t necessarily a given. Any team that claims him would be able to match offers for him when he hits free agency this summer, though not every team is eligible to claim him. Teams must have cap space, a trade exception or a disabled player exception to claim McCallum, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets.
McCallum appeared in 31 games with the Spurs, including three starts, but he only averaged 2.2 points and 1.1 assists in 8.3 minutes. He also played seven games with the team’s D-League affiliate in Austin.
San Antonio acquired McCallum from the Kings via trade for a second-round pick in July. McCallum was the Kings’ second-round selection in 2013 and started 40 games for them in his first two seasons.
The 24-year-old has ties to the Pistons. In one of his recent tweets, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press noted that Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy is friends with University of Detroit Mercy basketball coach Ray McCallum Sr., so perhaps that could lead to the younger McCallum returning to his roots in Michigan. Detroit would have to open up a roster spot for that to happen, but the Pistons currently have power forward Justin Harper on a 10-day contract.
Central Notes: Monroe, Butler, Bullock, McCallum
Bucks coach Jason Kidd is defending his decision to use center/forward Greg Monroe off the bench, writes SB Nation’s Paul Flannery. Monroe was Milwaukee’s prize offseason addition, but the team’s disappointing season has led Kidd to shake up the rotation. Monroe was placed in a reserve role, along with former Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. “Our bench has gotten better with Michael and Moose,” Kidd said. “You start those two and our bench gets really thin. With those two guys being unselfish and knowing that they want to start, and we all know they do, for the betterment of the team right now we need those guys to come off the bench.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls got some good news Saturday about injured shooting guard Jimmy Butler, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. The latest MRI on Butler’s sprained left knee “looked good,” said coach Fred Hoiberg. “The swelling is significantly down and now it’s just a matter of Jimmy getting back out there, getting his timing back, getting his conditioning and getting comfortable,” Hoiberg said. “He still hasn’t exploded off the one leg, he’s done some two-foot jumping. He’s done some lateral slides, now it’s about getting him out there in scrimmage-type situations and getting him ready to play.” Butler hasn’t played since hurting the knee on February 5th. He was orginally projected to be out for three to four weeks.
- Reggie Bullock may have revived his career in Detroit with a 16-point outburst Wednesday, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Bullock, who came to the Pistons from Phoenix in the Marcus Morris trade, was used in 10 of the season’s first 15 games, but offensive problems forced him out of the rotation and eventually to D-League assignments. “Reggie always plays to his strengths and he knows who he is,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “He’s got to defend and he’s got to make open shots. He certainly made open shots [Wednesday]. Those are the two things that really make him a good player.”
- Van Gundy has a long friendship with University of Detroit Mercy basketball coach Ray McCallum Sr., which may give the Pistons some interest in McCallum’s son if the Spurs release him, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The younger McCallum will likely be waived to make room for the signing of Andre Miller.
Southwest Notes: Lee, Pachulia, Stephenson, Miller
The addition of David Lee could cut into the playing time of Mavericks center Zaza Pachulia, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Lee signed with Dallas as a free agent Monday after agreeing to a buyout with the Celtics, and he’s been productive, posting a 14-point, 14-rebound performance on Friday. Meanwhile, Pachulia’s numbers are declining. He’s shooting just 35.8% from the floor in February, while averaging 6.2 points and 9.7 rebounds. “One of the reasons we wanted to bring Lee on board was we wanted to alleviate a few of his [Pachulia’s] minutes,” said coach Rick Carlisle. “We’ll look at trying to keep everybody as fresh as possible. The thing about Zaza is he’s been a real important chemistry guy for us all year long. I think he’s ready.” Pachulia is making $5.2MM this season in the final year of his contract.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- Although the Rockets have an open roster spot, it’s unlikely that shooting guard Kevin Martin will come to Houston, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Martin is a candidate for a buyout with the Wolves before Tuesday, but the Spurs are considered to be the front-runner to sign him. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the Rockets are looking at options to fill the open spot and could sign someone currently playing overseas (Twitter link).
- The Grizzlies‘ Lance Stephenson blames an inability to “fit in” for his failures with the Hornets and Clippers, writes Peter Edmiston in The Commercial Appeal. Memphis has a team option on Stephenson’s contract and can bring him back for another season at $9.405MM. “I’ve definitely got something to prove,” Stephenson said. “I just want to get back to my old self, get back to playing in a rotation and helping my teammates win. God is good, so wherever He guides me, I’m going to try my best to figure it out.”
- The expected addition of point guard Andre Miller gives the Spurs the two oldest players in the league, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. At 39, Miller is the oldest, 37 days older than center Tim Duncan.
Northwest Notes: Martin, Sampson, Thunder
The Wolves will probably reach a buyout agreement with shooting guard Kevin Martin before Tuesday, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. The Spurs were reported earlier today as the front-runner to land Martin if a buyout occurs. However, San Antonio already has a full roster and is expected to sign point guard Andre Miller, who was waived by Minnesota on Thursday, so it’s uncertain how that will affect their pursuit of Martin.
The Wolves already have one open roster spot with the loss of Miller. It’s not cleaer whether he or Martin will be replaced, but coach Sam Mitchell said injuries to Nemanja Bjelica, Kevin Garnett and Nikola Pekovic have created a need for an extra big man.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Getting used to the altitude is the biggest adjustment for JaKarr Sampson as he settles in with the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The Nuggets signed Sampson on Monday after Philadelphia waived him to make room for Joel Anthony in a three-way trade with the Pistons and Rockets that was later voided. “I’m blessed to be here,” Sampson said. “I think it’s a great situation for me. There’s a lot of young talent here. They are a great, young team. I feel like it’s a real good situation for me.”
- Sampson could find himself in the starting lineup in the wake of Danilo Gallinari‘s ankle injury, Dempsey writes in a separate story. That’s a possibility if coach Michael Malone wants to keep his bench rotation intact. Otherwise, Will Barton could get the starting nod.
- The Thunder recalled forwards Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary from Oklahoma City Blue of the D-League, the team announced today. Huestis has played 16 games for the Blue, averaging 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. McGary has appeared in 15 games for the D-League team, averaging 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds.
- Former Blazer Tim Frazier has joined the D-League’s Maine Red Claws as a returning player, tweets Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor. Portland waived Frazier on February 18th when it traded for Anderson Varejao, though Varejao was subsequently waived as well.
Southwest Notes: Howard, Motiejunas, Joseph
Rockets center Dwight Howard offered little explanation about his motive for firing agent Dan Fegan in comments to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Howard, who seems virtually certain to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer, announced Friday that he was severing ties with Fegan and Relativity Sports. “It was nothing against my agent,” Howard said. “It wasn’t anything bad that he did to me. Sometimes, change is good. I just made a decision based on what I feel I needed to change. I always respect him and love him. We still talk now. But as far as him being my representation, I decided to go other ways.” Howard said he hasn’t thought about choosing a new agent or his possible free agency, but said he has been considering how to improve his “situation” since the All-Star break.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets‘ Donatas Motiejunas, whose trade to the Pistons was voided Monday due to health reasons, has received medical clearance to start playing again, Feigen writes in a separate story. The Lithuanian big man was able to participate in the Rockets’ shootaround this morning. Back troubles have limited Motiejunas to 14 games this season, and he hasn’t played for Houston since December. “All the doctors that I consult are one of the best in the United States for back injuries and none of them saw any change or anything,” he said. “I’m ready to go. I played four games in the D-League. I practiced already with the team. I practiced by myself. I feel great lately.”
- Cory Joseph, who signed with the Raptors in free agency last summer, credits the four years he spent with the Spurs with making his a better player, according to Chris O’Leary of The Toronto Star. “I went to two finals, I went to the Western Conference finals, and was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last year,” Joseph said. “You play a lot of big games and you get the full experience.” Joseph, who received about $30MM over four years, is averaging 9.1 points per game as a reserve in his first season in Toronto.
- The loss of Bryce Dejean-Jones less than a week after signing a three-year contract continues a three-year string of injuries for the Pelicans, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Dejean-Jones is expected to miss six to eight weeks after breaking his right wrist.
And-Ones: Diversity, Udrih, De Colo
There is growing concern that the NBA is overlooking qualified African-Americans when hiring top basketball executives, which has led to talk that the league may need to institute a policy similar to the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. For those not familiar, the Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for vacant head coaching positions. The league has thus far scoffed at implementing such a change, noting that there are loopholes in the policy and minority hires have actually decreased in the NFL in recent years, Goodwill adds.
“We have a long history of minorities being well-represented as top basketball executives. I think it’s a matter of time before the numbers move up,” deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told Goodwill, while also relaying that he believes hiring patterns are cyclical and noting nearly one-third of the basketball operations positions were held by African-American men in 1994/95. “But we’re always focused on committing to a culture of inclusion through our league. We’re not standing idly,” Tatum added.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Beno Udrih underwent surgery as planned today on his right foot, the Heat announced, reiterating their expectation that he’ll miss three months (Twitter link). He’s said he’ll try to beat the three-month timetable, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter).
- Former NBA player Nando De Colo has received interest from multiple NBA teams, but the point guard prefers to sign an extension with CSKA Moscow, his current team, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). De Colo, who last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 season when he split time between the Spurs and the Raptors, was reportedly considering a return to the NBA back in September.
- The Hawks have assigned Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Both players will go to the Austin Spurs as part of the flexible assignment rule since Atlanta doesn’t have its own affiliate. This will mark Tavares’ eighth trek to the D-League on the season, and Patterson’s fourth.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Varejao, Teletovic, Booker, Karl
Leandro Barbosa helped recruit fellow Brazilian Anderson Varejao to the Warriors, Varejao said, adding that his familiarity with former teammates Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights and Luke Walton and respect for Golden State’s stars also helped persuade him to sign with the team, observes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. Varejao’s agency confirmed the Hawks, Spurs, Thunder and Mavericks were his other suitors, while Marc Stein of ESPN.com also heard the Clippers made an offer.
“I’m glad I came here [to Oakland], because I can tell they love each other,” Varejao said, according to Poole. “That’s what it’s about. When you want to win, you have to be like they are. Friends that have fun out there, have fun in the locker room. I’ve been here for a couple hours, but I can tell. I can tell this group, they love each other.”
See more from the Pacific Division:
- Mirza Teletovic is on a one-year contract and was reportedly the subject of trade talk between the Suns and Bucks, but he said he’d like to stay in Phoenix as long as possible, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Rookie Devin Booker is the top scorer remaining on the Suns in the wake of injuries to others and the Markieff Morris trade, but while Booker manages the difficulty of having become the focal point for opposing defenses, the Suns want him to work on his defensive development, Coro writes in a separate piece. “His major, major growth opportunities are on defense,” Suns interim coach Earl Watson said. “We don’t care about offense and averaging 20 points a game. We care about defensively being accountable, getting stops, being in the right position, helping your team.”
- The Kings have been unfair to George Karl, argues Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who believes that the coach has much too long a track record of success to put up with the turmoil in Sacramento. Still, Dempsey can’t envision Karl quitting and walking away from the money the team owes him.
Pacific Notes: Green, Varejao, Dawson
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers reportedly plans to try to re-sign Jeff Green this summer, and he’s glad to be reunited with his former Celtics player for several reasons. Rivers was effusive in his praise of Green to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, calling him one of the best NBA people ever (Twitter link), and he’s also a fan of what the combo forward can do on the court, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee details.
“I really wanted more length,” Rivers said of his goals going into the trade deadline, according to Jones. “When you look at the teams we have to beat, we need to get longer, more athletic, and we need to increase our shooting. And I think with Jeff we did all three of those things. … I thought of all the things that were offered, he was the best available for us.”
- The Hawks were among a group of interested teams otherwise composed of the Spurs, Thunder and Mavericks that fell short to the Warriors in the competition for Anderson Varejao, his agency says, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter). The Relativity Sports client is reportedly poised to sign with Golden State, which already released Jason Thompson to clear a roster spot.
- The Clippers decided to sign power forward Alex Stepheson to a 10-day contract when the market didn’t bear a defensive guard, Rivers said, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
- Branden Dawson, last year’s 56th overall pick, is headed to the D-League affiliate of the Magic on assignment from the Clippers, as the Clippers announced via press release. It’s the fourth time Dawson has gone to the D-League, and the Grand Rapids Drive are the third D-League team to have taken him in. The Clips are without their own affiliate.
- Kings affiliate player Vince Hunter left Sacramento’s D-League team to sign with Panathinaikos of Greece, the European club announced (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Kings affiliate received a $45K buyout as part of the move, according to international journalist David Pick (on Twitter).
Warriors Likely To Sign Anderson Varejao
The Warriors are the favorite to sign Anderson Varejao once he clears waivers later today, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Spurs are still being considered as well, Stein adds in a full length piece.
Golden State is currently carrying 15 players on its roster with each contract being fully guaranteed, so a subsequent move will be needed. The minimum salary for a player with Varejao’s experience is slightly under $1.5MM, and with the team in luxury tax, the cost of acquiring the big man at the minimum would roughly be $4.1MM overall, as Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area New Group tweets.
Golden State and San Antonio are not the only teams with interest in Varejao. The Thunder had interest in the center, as did the Hawks, Clippers and Mavs. The 33-year-old was waived by the Blazers after being acquired in a deadline deal. Varejao didn’t see much action for Cleveland this season, seeing only 10.0 minutes per game. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.