Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Waive Josh Childress

December 13th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have released swingman Josh Childress, the team announced today in a press release. The move opens up a spot on the roster, bringing the team’s total count to 14 players.

Childress, 30, spent almost exactly a month on the Pelicans’ roster, having been signed on November 12th. He barely saw any action during his stint with the club, playing a total of 24 minutes in four games, and failing to record a single point. It’s the latest in a string of failed auditions for Childress, who has seen his overall production decline in each of the last four seasons, in increasingly reduced roles.

Childress had been on a non-guaranteed contract, so while the Pelicans paid him about a month’s worth of salary, the team won’t be on the hook for his full cap hit. The former sixth overall pick had been earning the minimum.

Bulls Sign D.J. Augustin

December 13th, 2013 at 9:58am CST by Charlie Adams

FRIDAY: The Bulls have officially signed Augustin, according to a press release from the team. I’d guess it will be a non-guaranteed pact, but terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

WEDNESDAY: The Bulls and D.J. Augustin have a reached a deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. We had heard earlier that Chicago was the clear favorite to sign the recently waived Augustin, and Wojnarowski reports that the two sides have reached an agreement, pending a Thursday morning physical.

The Raptors waived Augustin in order to make room on an overcrowded roster that came about as a result of the seven-player blockbuster that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings. The Bulls were seeking some much-needed depth in their backcourt after losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending injury. Augustin has played limited minutes this year; he’s averaging 8.2 MPG in 10 contests. Still, the four-year veteran will help supplement an ailing cast of guards in Chicago.

Elias Harris Signs With German Team

December 12th, 2013 at 7:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that former Lakers rookie Elias Harris has reached an agreement to play with Germany-based Bamberg of the Euroleague. Though the deal is reportedly set to run through the 2014/15 season, the 24-year-old forward will have the option to return to the NBA this upcoming summer (Twitter links).

Harris – who has dual U.S. and German citizenship – went undrafted out of Gonzaga this past June, but caught on with the Lakers after making an impression during summer league and eventually survived training camp cuts. While the team decided to waive Harris late last month, head coach Mike D’Antoni – who found the move difficult – gave the rookie a public vote of confidence upon his departure:

“I think he has a chance…I think he has a chance to be a good player — not this year, it’s going to take a little bit — but if he continues to develop, he’s somebody we should watch and hope the best for him. He was great and I think he’s got a future in this league.”

Warriors Sign Hilton Armstrong

December 11th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:01pm: Golden State has officially announced the signing.

10:49am: The Warriors will sign big man Hilton Armstrong, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Armstrong has been playing with the team’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Golden State has an open roster spot, so the team won’t have to cut anybody to make room for the veteran of five NBA seasons.

Armstrong was with the Pacers in training camp, but he hasn’t appeared in an NBA regular season game since the 2010/11 season. The 29-year-old has played in France, Greece and the D-League since then, and was averaging 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks for Santa Cruz this year. New Orleans made the 6’11” Armstrong the 12th overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Golden State is thin in the middle, where Festus Ezeli and Ognjen Kuzmic are sidelined with long-term injuries and Jermaine O’Neal is questionable for tonight’s game. Armstrong appears to be the team’s latest attempt to bolster its depth with a player from its D-League affiliate after signing Dewayne Dedmon in November, only to waive him last week. Like Dedmon, Armstrong will probably be on a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary.

Bobcats Sign Chris Douglas-Roberts

December 11th, 2013 at 11:13am CST by Alex Lee

WEDNESDAY, 11:13am: Charlotte has made the signing official, announcing the addition of Douglas-Roberts in a press release. The four-year NBA veteran is a Creative Artists Agency client, as the Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows.

TUESDAY, 8:43pm: The Bobcats plan to sign Chris Douglas-Roberts from the D-League’s Texas Legends, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. In six games with the Legends this year, CDR is averaging 18.7 points, 4.3 boards and 2.8 assists per contest. He’s playing 34 minutes per night and is shooting over 47 percent from the field.

The Memphis product played for the Legends last year as well, and also appeared in six games for the Mavericks. He was in camp with the Knicks this preseason but was waived in late October. As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets, the Bobcats are likely looking for depth given the injuries to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeff Taylor and the inexperience of rookie James Southerland (Twitter links).

Bobcats Waive James Southerland

December 11th, 2013 at 11:12am CST by Chuck Myron

11:12am: The Bobcats have officially announced the move, via press release.

10:19am: Bobcats coach Steve Clifford has confirmed that the team will sign Douglas-Roberts and waive Southerland, Bonnell tweets.

8:33am: The Bobcats are set to add Chris Douglas-Roberts, and with a full 15-man roster, that means someone must go to accommodate the signing. Rookie small forward James Southerland will be the victim of the numbers crunch, as the Bobcats will waive him, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Southerland signed with Charlotte after he went undrafted out of Syracuse this past June. He made the team out of camp on his non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary, but he’s barely seen any playing time in the regular season, appearing for just three minutes in a single game on November 29th. He hasn’t gone on a D-League assignment either, meaning he’s simply been stuck on the bench.

The Bobcats were likely looking for depth at small forward, where Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeff Taylor are both hurt, and apparently prefer a more experienced hand in Douglas-Roberts. Southerland is the most obvious choice to be cut, since power forward Jeff Adrien, the only other Charlotte player on a non-guaranteed contract, is part of the rotation. Jannero Pargo had been on a partially guaranteed deal that was essentially non-guaranteed, but it became fully guaranteed when the Bobcats failed to waive him yesterday.

Clippers Sign Stephen Jackson

December 10th, 2013 at 10:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY 10:28pm: The Clippers have officially announced the Jackson signing via press release. Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that Jackson will be with the team in Boston tomorrow.

MONDAY 5:00pm: Jackson still hasn’t signed his contract, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, but the Clippers hope to make the move official tomorrow (Twitter links).

3:43pm: Jackson’s deal is expected to be non-guaranteed, and it wouldn’t affect the team’s pursuit of Odom, Amick says via Twitter.

3:13pm: Jackson has signed a deal with the Clippers, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Presumably, it’s a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary. The team has yet to confirm the signing.

2:19pm: A deal between Jackson and the Clippers is “very close” but not done yet, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets. Last night, Jackson tweeted, “I never lost faith. The wait is over.”

8:30am: Veteran swingman Stephen Jackson is a “prime candidate” to fill the Clippers’ open roster spot, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Coach and senior vice president of basketball operations Doc Rivers said this weekend that he believes mounting injuries will force the team to add a player. A Jackson signing could happen as early as this week, Stein and Shelburne write.

Jackson has been working out independently in Texas will the goal of latching on with a contender, and the Clippers would fit that bill. The 35-year-old didn’t attend training camp with an NBA team, having last played with the Spurs before San Antonio surprisingly released him just before last season’s playoffs. Jackson had asked for a trade and was reluctant to accept a reduced role. He changed agents last month, hooking on with the Interperformances firm.

Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com mentioned Shannon Brown as a potential Clippers target this weekend, though much of the team’s focus in recent weeks has been on Lamar Odom. The team’s preference had been to wait until after Christmas to sign Odom, Stein and Shelburne say, since he might not be ready to play until mid-January, but it’s unclear how the Clippers’ plans regarding Odom have changed in the wake of all of their injuries. J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes and Reggie Bullock are among those on the team missing significant time.

The Clippers have a 14-man roster, meaning there’s only room for one more player. They could sign someone to a non-guaranteed contract and release him prior to the leaguewide guarantee date on January 10th to make room for Odom. All of the 14 players currently on the team have fully guaranteed contracts, and while the Clippers could still cut one of those guys, the team probably wants to avoid paying someone who would no longer be around. That’s especially so since the Clippers are a projected taxpayer.

Minor Moves: Diogu, Nogueira, Kennedy

December 10th, 2013 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been an active past couple of days in the Association, and there are plenty of rumblings on other circuits, too. Here’s the latest on players with NBA ties:

Knicks training camp invitee Ike Diogu will join the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, last appeared in an NBA regular season game with the Spurs in 2011/12, though the Knicks reportedly considered bringing him back last month after Tyson Chandler‘s injury.
Lucas Nogueira has exercised a provision in his contract with Spanish club Estudiantes to suspend the deal while he seeks outside medical opinion on his ailing knees, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Hawks retain the NBA rights to Nogueira, the 16th pick in the draft this June.
D.J. Kennedy has left Gravelines of France and is on the radar of Italy’s Reggio Emilia, reports Prima Pagina (translation via Carchia). The Italian team may view him as a replacement for Coby Karl, who appears to be on the outs with the club. Kennedy was in camp with the Mavs this fall.
Kevin Murphy and French team SIG Strasbourg are in negotiations about a split, according to a L’Équipe report passed along by Catch-and-Shoot (translation via Carchia). Murphy signed with the club in August, shortly after the Warriors let him go.

D-League Updates: Cavaliers, Roberson, James

December 9th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

Here is a look at some of the D-League moves around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have recalled both guard/forward Carrick Felix and center Henry Sims from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. The rookie Felix has appeared in 3 games for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 5.0MPG and 1.3PPG. Sims has appeared in 6 games so far for Cleveland, averaging 1.7PPG in 5.8 minutes played per contest.
The Thunder have recalled rookie forward Andre Roberson from the Tulsa 66ers. While Roberson has only appeared in six games for the Thunder this season, he averaged 17.3PPG in his three starts with the 66ers.
Small forward Damion James has signed with the D-League Bakersfield Jam. James signed with the Nuggets in September but was waived prior to the start of the season. James has played two games so far with the Jam and has filled the stat sheet with 11PPG, 3.5RPG, and 1.5BPG in his short return tenure.

Kings Acquire Rudy Gay

December 9th, 2013 at 3:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Kings have officially acquired Rudy Gay from the Raptors along with Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy, Toronto announced via press release. Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes are headed north of the border. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports originally reported last night that the swap would take place (Twitter links).

“We thank Rudy, Aaron and Quincy for their time here. They were great professionals and strong community ambassadors of the Raptors,” Toronto GM Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “The trade gives us good flexibility and more certainty as we plan for our future.”

The Kings plan on using Gay as a stretch-four and see Gay and the recently-acquired Derrick Williams as being capable of guarding either forward position, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. With Williams and Gay, the Kings are buying low on two notable names that have depreciated in the eyes of many evaluators.

“We’re excited to welcome these additions to our team,” Sacramento GM Pete D’Alessandro said, according to a release from the Kings. “In Rudy we’ve acquired one of the league’s proven scorers while Aaron and Quincy provide size and depth in our frontcourt. We also appreciate the contributions and efforts that John, Chuck, Greivis and Patrick made to the Kings organization. We all wish them the very best moving forward.”

Gay, 27, boasts career averages of 18.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG, but newer metrics such as PER have shown that his efficiency leaves much to be desired. It’s not just fans and front office execs that have taken notice, either. After a November game in which the small forward took 37 shots and scored 29 points, LeBron James remarked that he would put up 60 points “easy” if he attempted such a gaudy number of shots.

While the Kings gain at athletic wing in Gay, the Raptors free up a good amount of money for 2015 and gain a couple of interesting pieces along the way as well. As for the financial part of things, the only guaranteed 2015 money that came back in the deal is Hayes’ $5.9MM contract. Beyond that, they can clear $14.5MM by declining options/qualifying offers for Vasquez, Salmons, and Patterson.

Last month, it was reported that Ujiri was exploring trade options for Gay and others with Jonas Valanciunas, 2011′s fifth overall pick, the only real untouchable of the bunch. Gay was the team’s most obvious chip since he’s still capable of being a top scorer for a team and could be a rental since he has a player option for 2014/15 that he could turn down in favor of a longer deal. With a $17.89MM salary, however, finding a home for Gay hasn’t been easy. Gay’s player option for 2014/15 is worth $19.2MM.

Vasquez, 27 in January, took a major step forward with the Pelicans last season when he put up career best averages of 13.9 PPG and 9 APG. Today’s news means that Vasquez has now worn three different jerseys in this calendar year – the guard came to Sacramento in July as a part of the three-way Tyreke Evans deal. While Vasquez has fans in the Kings front office, they clearly felt that this was a trade they had to make to get a dominant wing. It also has the added benefit of clearing up the Kings’ backcourt logjam.

Patterson, 24, is also in his third career trade with today’s deal. The power forward has had an up-and-down career through Houston and Sacramento and hasn’t been off to a blazing start this season. Patterson is putting up just 6.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG while shooting 41% from the floor.

Salmons, 33, has been seeing almost 25 minutes per contest with the Kings this season but is putting up some of his weakest per 36 minutes averages of his career. Only $1MM of Salmons’ $7MM salary in 2014/15 is guaranteed and it’s a safe bet that he’ll be let go. Acy, 23, hasn’t seen much burn this season, playing 8.7 minutes per contest across seven games.

More than three-quarters of Hoops Rumors readers said that they expected Gay to be traded before the deadline. It certainly helped that Ujiri and D’Alessandro have a history after working together in Denver. By trading Andrea Bargnani and Gay, Ujiri has cleared ~$20MM off of the books next season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.