Raptors Sign Ben Uzoh To 10-Day Contract
The Raptors have officially signed Ben Uzoh to a 10-day contract, according to a team press release. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reported today that the team was expected to add Uzoh.
Uzoh, 24, played 42 games for the Nets last season, averaging 3.8 points and 1.6 assists in 10.4 minutes per contest. He had seen limited NBA time this season, having been waived by the Bobcats before the season began, then playing a pair of games with the Cavs on a 10-day contract in February. He's spent much of the season in the D-League, averaging 14.8 point in 20 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
For the Raptors, Uzoh is their second 10-day addition in as many days, after signing Alan Anderson last night. Uzoh will provide backcourt depth as DeMar DeRozan and Jerryd Bayless continue to battle injuries. Toronto had two open roster spots, so the team won't need to make a corresponding move to make room for the 6'3" guard.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Uzoh, Raptors, Stoudemire
Earlier today, we heard that the Nets may target Kevin Garnett and Ersan Ilyasova in free agency this summer. Here are a few more of the morning's updates out of the Atlantic Division….
- Having signed Ryan Hollins, the Celtics may be done adding players, though that's not a certainty, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. "We may add another guy just to get through the year," said coach Doc Rivers. "But we'll see; there's no one out there…. Honestly, I'd be surprised if we brought a big in."
- The Raptors are expected to sign Ben Uzoh, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Uzoh, who signed a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers last month, has spent most of the season with the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
- Amare Stoudemire is out indefinitely due to a bulging disk in his back, and according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, word on whether the forward requires season-ending surgery could come as soon as today. Berger says Stoudemire's absence could benefit Carmelo Anthony, though not necessarily the Knicks, while George Willis of the New York Post says the injury shouldn't doom the team's season.
Raptors Sign Anderson To 10-Day Contract
The Raptors have signed guard Alan Anderson to a 10-day contract according to an announcement made by the team today. Anderson, 29, was averaging 21.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG in eight games with the D-League's Canton Charge.
The former Michigan State standout has limited experience in the NBA spread over two seasons with the Bobcats after signing with the team as a free agent prior to the 2005/2006 season. With the Raptors' roster now at 13 players, the team did not need to make a corresponding move upon Anderson's signing.
Raptors Looking To Add Depth
After trading Leandro Barbosa and waiving Anthony Carter and Rasual Butler, the Raptors are carrying the minimum 12 players on their roster. As Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes, the team's current roster is getting even thinner — DeMar DeRozan has been ruled out of tonight's game with a left ankle injury, while James Johnson missed today's shootaround with flu-like symptoms. The Raptors' dwindling depth has GM Bryan Colangelo and assistant Ed Stefanski "beating the bushes" in search of reinforcements.
"They’re working on that, different names and different people so they’re prepared for it, we just have to wait and see who’s available," coach Dwane Casey said. "They’ve already got the list and Bryan’s made calls and Ed’s made calls to different people."
Considering the Raptors allowed Carter and Butler to pursue opportunities for contending teams, Toronto is unlikely to be considering veterans. A D-League player, perhaps on a 10-day contract, would be a more likely target for Colangelo.
Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Jackson, Casey
The Atlantic Division race could be the most exciting in the NBA, with the Sixers clinging to a half-game lead over the Celtics and the Knicks sitting just three games back. The winner gets, at worst, the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference — though for practical purposes, it could be the fifth seed, as winning percentage, not seeding, determines home-court advantage in the postseason. If the playoffs started today, the Sixers would go on the road for Game 1 against the fifth-seeded Hawks, who have a better record. Here's the latest from the NBA's northeastern corner:
- New Celtics center Ryan Hollins has always looked up to Kevin Garnett, and they bonded during the lockout, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com. Their relationship might explain why the Celtics chose Hollins to shore up their front line this week.
- Phil Jackson looms as a coaching candidate for the Knicks and other teams, but girlfriend Jeanie Buss says no teams have been in contact with Jackson, David Singer of Los Angeles' 710 ESPN Radio tweets. (Hat tip to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com)
- In The New York Times, William C. Rhoden takes a look at how involvement in a scandal at the University of Kentucky set Raptors coach Dwane Casey on a path away from college and toward the NBA. In an appreciation, Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun wonders whether Casey might be the greatest coach in the team's 17-season history. That's a stretch for a guy who's 16-33 in less than one full season.
Odds & Ends: Butler, Heisley, Kroenke, Bayless
Much of the NBA spent the evening with concerns about Celtics swingman Mickael Pietrus, who suffered a head injury during tonight's game with the 76ers and left the arena in an ambulance. It originally appeared Pietrus would spend the night in a hospital, as ESPN's Chris Forsberg and others reported, but apparently his injury, a concussion, will allow him to return home for the night, Forsberg tweets. Here's more from around the Association:
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports that Rasual Butler, who is drawing attention from the Bulls, would have gotten a look from the Heat at the beginning of the season had they not signed Shane Battier (Twitter link).
- Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is out of the running to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, but separate groups that include Magic Johnson and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke remain in the hunt with a decision looming as soon as next week, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
- Raptors backup point guard Jerryd Bayless shined while starter Jose Calderon missed games with injury earlier this month, and Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld argues the team should bring back the restricted free agent this summer and give him a larger role.
- Despite a loss to the Raptors tonight, the Knicks have been playing markedly better since Mike Woodson took over as coach, but that doesn't mean the team had quit on former coach Mike D'Antoni, Tyson Chandler says, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida tweets that the Pistons have offered retiring Ben Wallace a job for when he hangs up his sneakers, but Wallace is undecided on whether he'll take it.
Raptors Waive Rasual Butler
The Raptors have waived Rasual Butler, the team announced in a press release. By releasing him today, the Raptors allow Butler to sign elsewhere and be eligible for the playoffs.
Butler, who signed with Toronto in December for the veteran's minimum, has played in 34 games for the club, averaging just 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. The 31-year-old has a career-low .308 FG% (.273 3PT%) and has played just two minutes in March for the Raptors, his sixth NBA team.
The Raptors, who have also traded Leandro Barbosa and waived Anthony Carter this month, will reduce their roster to just 12 players after parting ways with Butler, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they added a player or two for the season's final few weeks.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) first reported that the Raptors had agreed to waive Butler.
Atlantic Notes: Williams, D’Antoni, Celtics, Diaw
Dwight Howard's decision to waive his early termination option and remain in Orlando may have surprised his agent, writes Ken Berger of CBS Sports. According to Berger, Dan Fegan was "telling anyone and everyone that Dwight was Brooklyn-bound." D12's unexpected decision is a reminder that no one knows exactly what a player is thinking, Berger says, pointing out that the same goes for Deron Williams, who will explore free agency this summer.
Here are a few more notes out of the Atlantic Division:
- Speaking of Williams, he told reporters, including Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post, that he's looking forward to the Nets' new arena in Brooklyn: "[The Barclays Center] is going to be state of the art, it's going to be the best arena in the NBA hands down. I’m excited to see it when it’s complete and hopefully play there."
- Nothing that happens for the rest of this season will affect Williams' decision on whether or not to sign with the Nets this summer, tweets Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
- Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo thinks Mike D'Antoni will return to the sidelines soon, but says it won't happen for his team, according to Mark Hale and Marc Berman of the New York Post. Colangelo says the Raptors are "in the first year of what I hope will be a long-term relationship" with coach Dwane Casey.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com fields reader questions in a mailbag focused on potential free agent pickups for the Celtics.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com wonders if Boris Diaw, who agreed to a buyout with the Bobcats, could be a candidate to sign with the Celtics.
Latest On J.J. Hickson
After failing to find a trade at last week's deadline, the Kings parted ways with J.J. Hickson yesterday, buying him out of the remainder of his contract. Hickson is expected to land in Golden State, but still needs to clear waivers, and may have other teams interested in him. Here's the latest on Hickson, with the newest updates up top:
- Hickson will likely pick the Warriors over the Suns because Golden State can offer him a larger role, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- As we covered earlier, the Pacers, Cavaliers, and Raptors, who all have enough cap space to easily absorb Hickson's $2.35MM salary, won't be placing waiver claims, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- In an interview with Cowbell Kingdom, Hickson acknowledged he's considering the Suns in addition to the Warriors: "We’re still talking and hopefully I can find the right situation for myself and then we’ll go from there."
- A Warriors exec told Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group that he's not sure why Hickson has fallen off so much, "but we want to find out."
- The Nets aren't interested in Hickson, says Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
Kyler On Arenas, Hickson, Turiaf, Fisher, Powell
In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler checks in on a few free agents and free-agents-to-be, providing updates on their potential destinations. Let's round up the highlights….
- Gilbert Arenas is expected to take a physical and finalize his deal with the Grizzlies today.
- The Pacers, Cavaliers, and Raptors, who all have enough cap space to easily absorb J.J. Hickson's $2.35MM salary, won't be placing waiver claims.
- A number of teams are interested in Ronny Turiaf but "word is" the forward will likely decide between the Celtics and Heat. Like Hickson, he doesn't figure to be claimed on waivers by clubs with cap space.
- The Lakers have extended an offer to Derek Fisher to join the team's basketball operations staff. However, it doesn't appear Fisher is ready to retire just yet. We heard earlier today that the Thunder and Heat are the favorites to land the longtime Laker.
- Josh Powell is drawing interest from the Suns and Celtics, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reported last night. I believe Powell signed in Switzerland late in February, and I haven't seen any reports that indicate he's parted ways with Neuchatel. The Swiss regular season has ended though, so perhaps Powell is lining up an NBA job for when he returns. Since he hasn't played for an NBA team this season, he can sign after March 23rd and still be eligible for the postseason.