Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Heat, Smith, Akognon, Selby

November 16th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links

In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Rockets big man Omer Asik might be a fit for the Heat. A suggested swap of Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony for Asik wouldn’t work because Haslem can’t stretch the floor like Houston wants out of their power forward and even though Anthony could be a competent backup for Dwight Howard, the Rockets can do a lot better overall. More Saturday afternoon links from around the Association..

Knicks coach Mike Woodson made his dissatisfaction with J.R. Smith over his latest Twitter trouble known to everyone, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “Eventually, no team is going to want to deal with you,” said the coach.
Chinese team Qingdao waived Josh Selby to make room for yesterday’s signing of Josh Akognon, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The former NBA and D-League player lasted just two games in China. Selby came to the Cavs as a part of the three-for-one deal last year that sent Marreese Speights to Cleveland.
Akognon will make significantly more money with Qingdao than if he had signed with one of the several NBA teams that showed recent interest, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. With Qingdao, Akognon’s season will be complete and have him available to NBA teams by early February. Three NBA teams had been interested in him and would be more inclined to sign him near the trade deadline, a source said.
The value of Pacers forward Danny Granger next summer hinges largely on what he does this season, but he has yet to get back on the court. Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesn’t sound sure of when the 30-year-old might return. “We know he’s going to be out for a while with his calf,” Vogel said, according to Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star. “We want to get him back as soon as possible, but we’re not going to rush it. There’s no need to rush it.”
David West never seriously considered leaving the Pacers even though many felt that he could have gotten a larger payday than the three-year, $36MM deal he signed with Indiana, writes Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld.
In this week’s maibag, a reader proposes to Sam Smith of NBA.com that the Bulls use Luol Deng to pry Eric Gordon from the Pelicans. While New Orleans would like to move one of their ball-handling guards for a small forward, Chicago can’t afford to take on the risk of taking on the Indiana product given his sizable contract and attitude problems.
Wolves forward Corey Brewer had nothing but positive things to say about Denver after facing his former Nuggets teammates, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Brewer signed a three-year, $14.1MM deal with Minnesota this summer.

Josh Akognon To Sign In China

November 15th, 2013 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

After being waived by the Grizzlies in mid-October, Josh Akognon has agreed to sign with China’s Qingdao team, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). You may recall that Qingdao is the same team that Tracy McGrady played for last season before hooking on with the Spurs.

The guard had a brief stint with the Mavericks last season before joining the Grizzlies in camp this past offseason. Akognon spent last season in China with the Liaoning Jiebao Hunters in China, where he averaged 29 points per game. The 27-year-old Cal State Fullerton product was claimed off waivers by Memphis on July 23rd after his minimum-salary contract was waived by Dallas on July 21st.

To keep up with deals from around the globe, check out the Hoops Rumors International Player Tracker.

Western Notes: Budinger, Blair, Lakers, Liggins, Eliyahu

November 14th, 2013 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports got T’Wolves fans excited today when he passed along news that Chase Budinger will return to Minnesota and has been cleared to resume basketball activity. However, the T’Wolves seem to be saying (via Twitter) that he may not start practicing right away. Here’s this afternoon’s look at the Western Conference..

Offseason acquisition DeJuan Blair could earn a regular the Mavericks‘ rotation, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. When Brandan Wright returns from his right shoulder injury, Dallas will be saddled with a wonderful problem: two talented big men off of the bench who are hungry for playing time.
Ten games is enough to start evaluating the Lakers, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Kobe Bryant-less Lakers are 4-6, though offseason pickup Wesley Johnson has been among the team’s bright spots.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if DeAndre Liggins will be a candidate for D-League MVP this season. Schlosser believes that the former Thunder guard could rise up as this season’s Andrew Goudelock.
Israeli guard Lior Eliyahu, whose NBA draft rights are owned by the T’Wolves, has signed a three-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. It’s not clear if the deal includes an NBA out-clause. Minnesota acquired Eliyahu’s draft rights in the 2012 Chase Budinger trade with Houston. To keep track of everyone’s whereabouts from around the world, check out the Hoops Rumors International Tracker.

Sam Young Signs To Play In Australia

November 14th, 2013 at 8:33am CST by Chuck Myron

Swingman Sam Young has signed a deal that includes an NBA out clause with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League, agent Joel Bell tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The 28-year-old can return to the NBA at any point, unless Sydney is in participating in the Australian playoffs, which begin March 28th.

Young has played parts of each of the past four seasons in the NBA, and was a key component of the Pacers’ bench last year, holding his own on defense against LeBron James in the playoffs. He was with the Spurs for training camp but didn’t come close to making the regular season roster, as San Antonio waived him in early October.

Young follows the path of Jonny Flynn, who signed in Australia last season, and Heat second-round draft pick James Ennis, who’s also playing in Australia this year. Keep up with transactions around the globe with the Hoops Rumors International Player Movement Tracker.

Jazz Sign Diante Garrett

November 13th, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have officially signed Diante Garrett, the team announced today in a press release. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein was the first to identify Garrett as Utah’s primary target, while Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reported that an agreement had been reached.

Garrett, 25, made his NBA debut for the Suns last season, appearing in 19 games for the club, and averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 APG in eight contests with Phoenix’s D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. His rights had been obtained by the Iowa Energy for the upcoming D-League season, before he landed an NBA deal with the Jazz.

For the Jazz, the addition of Garrett comes on the heels of the team’s release of Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley, who was ineffective in his eight games with Utah this season, was on a non-guaranteed deal and I’d imagine Garrett will get a similar minimum-salary, non-guaranteed contract. He should get a chance to earn some minutes at the point, with Trey Burke still sidelined due to a broken finger.

Jazz Release Jamaal Tinsley

November 12th, 2013 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have reduced their roster to 14 players, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived point guard Jamaal Tinsley. The team now has a roster spot available to add a replacement, though no corresponding move has been reported or announced.

Tinsley was signed by the Jazz shortly before the regular season got underway, following the announcement that Trey Burke would be sidelined for several weeks with a broken finger. However, the 35-year-old was ineffective in his eight games with the team, averaging just 1.1 PPG and a 2.3 PER, as well as making only one of 15 three-point attempts.

The Jazz won’t be on the hook for Tinsley’s full salary, since his contract was non-guaranteed, but a pro-rated portion of his minimum salary will count against the cap. According to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (via Twitter), Utah will likely sign a player out of the D-League to replace Tinsley.

Pelicans Sign Lou Amundson

November 12th, 2013 at 1:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 1:19pm: The Pelicans have signed Amundson, the team officially announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 11:39pm: The Pelicans will sign big man Lou Amundson, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has 15 players on its roster, so the team will have to waive one of them before the Amundson signing becomes official. The likeliest candidate would appear to be Arinze Onuaku, the only Pelican on a non-guaranteed deal, though Lance Thomas, who has the smallest partial guarantee in the league at $15K, could also be in danger.

The 30-year-old Amundson drew interest from the Knicks last week after the Clippers waived him at the end of the preseason. He finished last season with New Orleans after stops in Minnesota and Chicago, averaging 2.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per contest in 18 games wearing the uniform of the then-Hornets. The seven-year vet has done better than I thought when I examined his free agent stock in late September, predicting that his best path back to the NBA would involve playing overseas.

It’s unclear whether Amundson’s deal will include any sort of guarantee, but I’d be surprised if it were for more than the minimum salary, even though the Pelicans have their $2.652MM room exception available. The move could indicate that Ryan Anderson, who hasn’t played in the regular season because of a chip fracture in his right middle toe, might not return for a while.

Pelicans Sign Josh Childress

November 12th, 2013 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

1:18pm: The Pelicans have officially signed Childress, the team announced today in a press release.

11:36am: The Pelicans have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Josh Childress, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Childress has been on the open market since being released by the Wizards last month.

ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported last night that New Orleans was set to sign another veteran free agent, Louis Amundson, so it’s not clear if that deal fell through, or if the team is bringing both players aboard. The Pelicans currently have 15 players on their roster, so if they plan to officially sign both Childress and Amundson, they’ll have to cut two players to make room.

Childress, 30, auditioned for the Pelicans over the summer, so the team has some level of familiarity with him. The Stanford product appeared in 14 games for the Nets last season, and is still being paid by the Suns, who amnestied him back in 2012. That salary from Phoenix likely afforded Childress the flexibility to continue hunting for an NBA job this fall, rather than heading overseas.

Pelicans Waive Lance Thomas, Arinze Onuaku

November 12th, 2013 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have officially waived two players on non-guaranteed contracts, Lance Thomas and Arinze Onuaku, according to a press release from the team. The cuts clear two roster spots for the team to sign Josh Childress and Louis Amundson, who have now formally been added to the roster.

While Thomas’ contract had included a $15K guarantee, that partial guarantee was so small that the 25-year-old had already earned more than that. The Pelicans will be on the hook for about two weeks’ worth of salary for both Thomas and Onuaku. Terms of the team’s agreements haven’t been reported yet — we can assume they’re both minimum salary contracts, but it’s unclear whether or not they’re partially or fully guaranteed.

Neither Thomas nor Onuaku had played a significant role so far for the Pelicans. Thomas had appeared in five games, while Onuaku had played in three, and both players averaged just over eight minutes per contest. I imagine New Orleans will be expecting more consistent production off the bench from veterans Childress and Amundson, as the club looks to contend for a playoff spot.

Nets Notes: Garnett, Kirilenko, Pierce

November 10th, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s still early, but so far Kevin Garnett is off to a puzzling start, writes Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News. Too often in games, the 37-year-old can be seen settling for outside shots and drifting along the perimeter when he should be doing more inside. “I’ve just got to quit thinking so much and be more aggressive,” Garnett told reporters yesterday, following a 96-91 loss to the Pacers. “I’m trying to make things easier for (Brook) Lopez and cause opportunities for other people out there. I’ve got to be a little more aggressive and look for my offense a little bit.” Here’s more out of Brooklyn..

One bright spot for the Nets has been the play of offseason acquisitions Andrei Kirilenko, backup point guard Shaun Livingston, and scrappy rookie Mason Plumlee, writes Beckley Mason of the New York Times. Mason also notes that the older Boston teams led by Garnett and Paul Pierce were notoriously slow starters.
Even though Garnett and Pierce have moved on, they’re still not talking to former teammate and friend Ray Allen, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. “For them to be so upset with me is disappointing because of how everything happened,” said the Heat guard. “That banner in 2008 is still going to be there, and we’re still going to be tied to it.“
The Nets announced earlier today that they have re-assigned Toko Shengelia to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League. The forward’s NBA stay lasted just one day as he was recalled on Saturday.
Former Nets forward Kris Joseph signed with France’s Elan Chalon, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. To keep up with the global basketball scene, check out the Hoops Rumors international Player Movement Tracker, made with the help of Secret Rival’s Mark Porcaro.
Earlier today, I recapped the Nets’ offseason.