Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Jefferson, Carroll, Kobe

December 20th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s a lighter-than-usual Friday night slate in the NBA, with only nine games this evening, but it’s been plenty eventful off the court the past couple of weeks. Hoops Rumors readers have pegged Kyle Lowry as the most likely centerpiece of the next major deal, and as we wait to see whether that will be the case, here’s more from the Association:

Richard Jefferson wouldn’t retract Thursday’s comment that he’ll have “no loyalty” as he seeks to play for a contender, but he told reporters Friday that he’d be “more than ecstatic” to remain with the Jazz, notes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jefferson will be a free agent at season’s end.
Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll was surprised that he and the Jazz couldn’t work out a way for him to return to Utah this summer, but he’s still fond of the organization, Falk observes in a separate piece.
Kobe Bryant‘s latest injury has turned his extension into a disaster of a deal for the Lakers, who seem unlikely to have what it takes to lure LeBron James this summer, as Mark Heisler opines for Forbes.com.
Stephen Graham has signed with the Venezuelan team Guaros de Lara, the club announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Francisco Vega of El Impulso first reported the story (on Twitter). The six-year NBA veteran was in camp this fall with the Bucks.
The Warriors have sent Nemanja Nedovic to the D-League, the team announced. It’s the third assignment to Santa Cruz this season for the 30th overall pick this past June.

Pelicans Sign Alexis Ajinca

December 20th, 2013 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 5:21pm: The Pelicans officially announced the signing, via press release.

TUESDAY, 4:48pm: Former first-round pick Alexis Ajinca is on his way back to the NBA, according to Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of Catch-and-Shoot (French link). Pantel-Jouve writes that Ajinca’s club in France announced that the 25-year-old will be leaving Strasbourg to sign with the Pelicans.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com confirms with league sources that Ajinca is in the process of finalizing a buyout with Strasbourg and will ink a two-year deal with the Pelicans. According to Berger, the deal is expected to be fully guaranteed, and will be worth the minimum. New Orleans will also pay $575K to Ajinca’s team in France, the standard buyout amount under NBA rules.

Ajinca, who was selected 20th overall by the Bobcats in 2008, appeared in just 71 NBA games for the Bobcats, Mavericks, and Raptors, and hasn’t played in the NBA since 2010/11. However, the big man has been playing well in France this season, averaging 13.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG in just 24.2 MPG (12 contests) for Strasbourg.

The Pelicans opened up a roster spot on Friday by releasing Josh Childress, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to officially add Ajinca.

Lakers Sign Kendall Marshall

December 20th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Charlie Adams

2:00pm: Marshall’s deal with the Lakers is a two-year pact, tweets Pincus. That doesn’t necessarily mean Marshall will have a multiyear stint in Los Angeles, since the contract is non-guaranteed, but it gives the team the flexibility to keep him around if he impresses.

FRIDAY, 12:58pm: The Lakers have officially signed Marshall, who inked his contract after shootaround today, says Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter).

THURSDAY, 9:00pm: As expected, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times reports the deal is non-guaranteed.

7:54pm: Marshall’s agent Jeff Austin has confirmed the signing via text message, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

7:37pm: The Lakers have agreed to sign former Suns point guard Kendall Marshall, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. This signing comes following news that Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash both expect to miss extended time for a team that was already without guards Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar.

Marshall, 22, has yet to see NBA action this season. He was acquired by the Wizards in October as part of the deal that sent Marcin Gortat to Washington, but he was promptly waived and signed on with Delaware 87ers of the D-League. Mike D’Antoni acknowledged earlier today that the club would need to sign a point guard, and the Lakers opted to take a flier on the former lottery pick out of the University of North Carolina.

In seven games for the 87ers this season, Marshall posted 19.4 PPG and 9.6 APG in 37.6 MPG. The deal figures to be non-guaranteed, as Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak suggested might be the case earlier today. The Lakers will have the option to waive Marshall’s contract before it becomes fully guaranteed, but in the meantime, his presence will help aid the ailing backcourt in Los Angeles.

Minor Moves: McNeal, Oriakhi, Landry

December 20th, 2013 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams aren’t making a whole lot of changes to their rosters these days, but plenty of recognizable names are on the move overseas and in the D-League. Here are the latest international and D-League transactions worth tracking:

Jerel McNeal was released by the Jazz just before the regular season began because he received a lucrative offer from China’s Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls. However, McNeal may be returning stateside, as Zhejiang is prepared to cut him, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Suns 2013 draftee Alex Oriakhi has landed with the Erie BayHawks in the NBA D-League, tweets Sportando contributor David Pick. The Knicks‘ affiliate now holds Oriakhi’s D-League rights, but the Suns are the only NBA team eligible to sign him.
Marcus Landry, who was waived by the Lakers in October, has signed in Spain with Cajasol Sevilla, the team announced today (hat tip to Sportando). Carl Landry‘s younger brother last played an NBA regular season game back in 2009/10.

Southwest Notes: Diaw, Ajinca, Williams

December 18th, 2013 at 7:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

There is news coming out of the Southwest Division that doesn’t involve Omer Asik, believe it or not. Houston’s effort to trade its backup center has dominated headlines for the past few days, and will likely continue to do so until the Rockets strike a deal. In the meantime, here’s the latest from elsewhere in the Southwest:

Boris Diaw tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that it was an easy decision to exercise his more than $4.7MM player option to return to the Spurs this summer. “In the Finals, we were so close,” Diaw said. “I wanted to go again and come back with this team. It’s been a great season this year, and we play a good style of basketball and we’ll get another shot together.”
The Bobcats, Mavs and Raptors didn’t make the proper investment of time and effort into Alexis Ajinca‘s development during his first stint in the NBA, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for the Score. That’s left the Pelicans in a position to benefit now that Ajinca is headed to New Orleans, Deeks writes, comparing it to the Spurs‘ acquisition of Aron Baynes last season.
Reggie Williams is set to join the D-League, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The four-year NBA veteran is on the Rockets‘ books for about $474K after Houston cut him in a numbers crunch before the start of the regular season. He was among those scheduled to work out for the Grizzlies recently before the team switched gears.

Eastern Links: Knicks, Woodson, Waiters, Sixers

December 17th, 2013 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Tonight’s NBA schedule is heavy on Western Conference action, but two Eastern teams in the playoff hunt will host Western opponents tonight, as the Cavs play the Blazers and the Bobcats face the Kings. Cleveland and Charlotte are just 9-14 and 10-14 respectively, but would each rank among the conference’s top eight teams with wins tonight. Here’s more from around the East:

In the wake of injuries to Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks have recalled Chris Smith from the D-League, the club announced today (Twitter link).
Mike Woodson‘s mismanagement at the end of last night’s loss to the Wizards gave the Knicks a credible reason to fire him, opines Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
While Woodson may be on the hot seat, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says there aren’t really any other head coaches whose jobs are in jeopardy. Eastern coaches like Jason Kidd (Nets), Randy Wittman (Wizards), Mike Brown (Cavaliers), and Dwane Casey (Raptors) rank among the most likely to be fired next, according to Bovada.lv, but none are in any danger for now, Stein writes.
Within his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler writes that the Cavaliers aren’t eager to trade Dion Waiters, but would listen if the right offer came along. Kyler also explores the possibility of an Omer Asik trade involving the Sixers, eventually concluding that a deal with Philadelphia may be one of the Rockets’ less desirable options.
Eric Griffin, who played for the Heat in summer league action and in camp, has reached an agreement to sign with a team in Puerto Rico, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com.

Bulls Waive Mike James

December 16th, 2013 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bulls announced that they have officially released Mike James. Chicago’s roster now stands at 13.

The veteran guard signed with the Bulls on September 27th and appeared in seven games with Chicago, averaging 0.3 ppg, 0.9 apg in 5.4 mpg. It would appear that the Bulls let James go so that they could give more burn to younger guards Marquis Teague and the recently-signed D.J. Augustin.

Even though the Bulls are struggling without star guard Derrick Rose, their 9-13 record would still be good for the No. 8 seed in the East if the playoffs started today. However, today’s move could be a sign that Chicago is more concerned with next season than the current campaign.

Grizzlies Sign James Johnson

December 16th, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

11:49am: The Grizzlies confirmed the signing via press release.

10:03am: The Grizzlies are on the verge of signing small forward James Johnson from the D-League, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Johnson has spent the 2013/14 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, affiliate to the Rockets, where they are experimenting with an exceptionally high three point shot rate.

The Vipers tapped Johnson with the second-overall pick in this year’s D-League draft. The four-year NBA veteran averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG across four seasons with the Bulls, Raptors, and Kings. Johnson, 26, was in camp with the Hawks over the offseason before being waived in October.

In ten games for the Vipers this season, Johnson is averaging 18.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 29.9 minutes per contest.

Hakim Warrick Signs In China

December 15th, 2013 at 7:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Hakim Warrick has signed with Chinese team Liaoning Jiebao for the rest of the season and hopes to return to NBA afterward, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Warrick last appeared in the NBA with the Bobcats last season.

The Syracuse product spent the first four seasons of his career with the Grizzlies before a series of moves took him on a tour of the Association. Warrick signed with the Bucks in July 2009 and was traded to the Bulls in February 2010 before being sent to the Suns later that year for a second rounder. The traveling didn’t stop there: Warrick was shipped to the Hornets in a three-team deal in July 2012, traded to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll in November 2012, and shipped to the Magic, who promptly cut him, in February 2012.

Last month it was reported that Warrick was in China, working out for the Sichuan Blue Whales, who were looking to replace former Rutgers big man Herve Lamizana. For his career, Warrick owns averages of 9.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG, though those totals are buoyed mostly by his best years in Memphis.

Odds & Ends: Thibodeau, Lowry, Jazz, Bobcats

December 14th, 2013 at 7:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite some speculation to the contrary, Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times insists that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t going anywhere. It was recently reported that the Knicks could make a run at the defensively-minded coach. More from around the Association..

With the Nets unwilling to give up a first-round pick for Kyle Lowry and the Knicks saying they won’t part with a first rounder or Tim Hardaway Jr., Al Iannazone of Newsday (on Twitter) wonders if the Knicks will wind up caving.
The Jazz announced that they have assigned rookie guard Ian Clark and rookie center Rudy Gobert to its D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Gobert, a 7’1″ rookie center has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes. Clark, 22, has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.
The accountability of first-year coach Steve Clifford sets a good tone for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Blazers forward Dorell Wright doesn’t sound terribly upset about the Sixers‘ decision to not re-sign him. “You see what direction they were going in. That was not in my plan at all,” said Wright, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Magic officials have challenged Andrew Nicholson to become more physical since taking him with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft and he’s finally responding, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.