Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Sign Troy Daniels

October 18th, 2013 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

While most NBA teams are paring down their preseason rosters, the Rockets have increased theirs by one today, officially signing free agent guard Troy Daniels, according to the team (Twitter link). Daniels had been in camp with the Bobcats before being released last week.

Daniels, 22, averaged 12.3 PPG and shot 40.3% on three-pointers in his final season at VCU, then auditioned for the Jazz and Pacers in June before going undrafted. He joined Charlotte’s Summer League squad in July, then eventually agreed to participate in camp with the club.

With the addition of Daniels, the Rockets’ roster count is back up to 18, including 13 players on fully guaranteed deals. Daniels is unlikely to make the team’s regular-season roster, so perhaps he’ll end up with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s D-League affiliate.

Nets Waive Gary Forbes

October 17th, 2013 at 10:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the Nets have waived swingman Gary Forbes (Twitter link). The 6’7 small forward had signed a non-guaranteed contract with Brooklyn in late September and had drawn interest from the Knicks and Lakers over the summer. Forbes played sparingly in four pre-season games for the Nets, totaling roughly 6.3 PPG in 9.5 MPG.

The move reduces the Nets’ roster to 17 players, which includes 15 fully-guaranteed and two non-guaranteed deals.

Darius Johnson-Odom To Sign In China

October 17th, 2013 at 6:55pm CST by Luke Adams

6:55pm: Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News says that Johnson-Odom has signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $500K to play for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association.

9:49am: The timing of the Lakers’ decision to release Darius Johnson-Odom may have initially seemed odd, considering the club is still in China, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. However, according to Bresnahan, the Lakers made the move when they did to allow Johnson-Odom to sign with a Chinese team. While it’s not clear yet which club Johnson-Odom will join, he has agreed to terms on a contract worth about $400K, reports Bresnahan.

Johnson-Odom, 24, appeared for just four games for the Lakers last season after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. Following his release in January, the former Marquette guard signed with Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia, so he has some experience playing internationally.

According to Bresnahan, Johnson-Odom had been weighing the offer from the unknown Chinese team for about a week, and decided to sign it when the Lakers “strongly suggested” he wouldn’t earn a spot on their regular-season roster.

Pacers Waive Ron Howard, Darnell Jackson

October 17th, 2013 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have released Ron Howard and Darnell Jackson, reducing their camp roster to 15 players, the team announced today in a press release. With 15 players now under contract, the team won’t necessarily have to make more cuts before opening night. However, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), coach Frank Vogel has indicated Indiana figures to start the year with a 13-man roster, so more moves are likely on the way.

The 6’5″ Howard was a D-League All-Star last season, averaging 19.1 PPG and recording an 18.2 PER for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The 6’8″ Jackson, meanwhile, participated in Utah’s training camp last fall before joining the D-League’s Reno Bighorns. A second-round pick in the 2008 draft, Jackson has played for the Cavaliers, Bucks, and Kings in 138 total NBA contests. As Buckner notes (via Twitter), Howard and Jackson were the only two active Pacers players not to get into last night’s game against the Mavericks.

Assuming the Pacers make two more cuts before opening night, as planned, Hilton Armstrong and Rasual Butler are likely to be the odd men out. Both players are on fully non-guaranteed deals.

Lakers Waive Darius Johnson-Odom

October 16th, 2013 at 9:27pm CST by Michael Pina

According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, the Lakers have waived Darius Johnson-Odom. The 24-year-old appeared in four games for the team last season, and was waived in January, before being re-signed last month.

Los Angeles Times writer Eric Pincus tweets the belief that Johnson-Odom will find professional work soon enough, either in the NBA or China, where the Lakers are currently visiting on a preseason trip.

Pelicans Exercise ’14/15 Options On Davis, Rivers

October 16th, 2013 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have officially picked up their 2014/15 options on Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers, the team announced today in a press release. The move ensures that both Davis and Rivers will be on guaranteed contracts through 2015, with the Pelicans holding additional team options on both players for 2015/16.

There was no doubt that the Pelicans would exercise their option on Davis, last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Rivers didn’t have nearly as successful a rookie campaign as the Kentucky big man, but very few lottery picks have their options turned down, and New Orleans still has high hopes for the former Duke guard.

Davis will be in line for a salary of about $5.61MM in 2014/15, while Rivers will earn a guaranteed $2.44MM. Their salaries will bring the Pelicans’ total commitments up to about $52.1MM for six players, including Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Ryan Anderson.

You can follow all of this month’s rookie contract option decisions right here.

Wizards Release D’or Fischer

October 16th, 2013 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have trimmed their roster by one, having waived camp invitee D’or Fischer, according to a press release from the team. Fischer’s release reduces Washington’s roster count to 18.

As Hoops’ Rumors international player movement tracker shows, Fischer finished last season with Ukraine’s BC Donetsk. appearing in 38 games for the club and averaging 11.0 PPG and 7.4 RPG. The West Virginia product has made a number of overseas stops since his days with the Mountaineers, playing in Spain, Israel, Belgium, Poland, and Germany, as well as in the D-League.

Since they already have 15 players on guaranteed deals, the Wizards aren’t likely to shake up the roster heading into the regular season. Still, the team continues to carry three camp invitees on non-guaranteed contracts: Josh Childress, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and Xavier Silas.

Nuggets Waive Reginald Becton, Kyle Fogg

October 16th, 2013 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have parted ways with a pair of camp invitees, announcing today in a press release that the team has waived Reginald Becton and Kyle Fogg. The cuts reduce Denver’s roster to 16 players.

Neither Becton nor Fogg was expected to make the Nuggets’ regular-season roster, so it comes as no surprise that they were released by the team. Fogg, who spent last season with the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, appeared briefly in one game this month for Denver, while Becton, an Ole Miss product, didn’t play in the preseason.

The Nuggets now have one camp invitee remaining on the roster, in Damion James. He looks like the best bet to be released by opening night, to get Denver down to the regular-season roster maximum of 15. Quincy Miller, who has a partially guaranteed contract, is also a candidate to be cut, but I’d be surprised if the club gave up on the 2012 second-rounder so soon.

Sixers Sign Daniel Orton, Cut Tim Ohlbrecht

October 16th, 2013 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have made their first cut of the fall, but aren’t any closer to finalizing their opening night lineup, having immediately signed another player to bring their roster count back up to 20. Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Philadelphia has signed Daniel Orton and waived Tim Ohlbrecht.

Orton, 23, was released by the Thunder last Thursday, giving all 30 teams a chance to claim him on waivers. Although the Sixers have plenty of cap space and could have put in a claim at that point, it seems the team wanted to sign the big man on its own terms. I expect Orton’s new contract is mostly or completely non-guaranteed, like his old deal was, but perhaps Philadelphia made it a four-year pact, as the club has done for several other minimum-salary players.

Orton was selected by the Magic in the first round in 2010, but only lasted two seasons with the team before he became a free agent and signed a minimum deal with the Thunder. In 2012/13, the big man bounced back and forth between OKC and the club’s D-League affiliate at Tulsa. In 29 games for the 66ers, Orton averaged 12.5 PPG and 7.8 RPG.

The Sixers had claimed Ohlbrecht off waivers from the Rockets in July, along with James Anderson. However, while Anderson appears headed for a roster spot in Philadelphia, Ohlbrecht figures to become an unrestricted free agent later this week, assuming he clears waivers.

Nets Waive Marko Jaric

October 15th, 2013 at 10:28pm CST by Alex Lee

The Nets have waived point guard Marko Jaric, the team announced tonight. Brooklyn added the seven-year NBA veteran on September 30, though he was always considered a long shot to make a roster that already included 15 players on guaranteed deals. Jaric appeared in two preseason games for Brooklyn, totaling three points and seven assists.

The former first-round pick last appeared in the NBA in 2008/09 as a member of the Grizzlies. Before that, he spent three years with the Clippers and three years with the Timberwolves, accumulating career averages of 7.1 PPG and 3.6 APG. The move puts the Nets roster at 18 players.