Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Sign Cartier Martin

October 15th, 2013 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after releasing three camp invitees, the Hawks have added another player, signing Cartier Martin to a contract, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The move brings the Hawks’ roster count back up to 18 players.

Martin, 28, has spent parts of the last four seasons with the Wizards, appearing in 118 total games for Washington. Last season, the 6’7″ forward averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 41 contests (16.9 MPG).

Despite having 18 players under contract, the Hawks should still have a roster spot or two up for grabs this month. The team has 12 players on guaranteed deals, plus Mike Scott on a partially-guaranteed contract ($100K guaranteed). Assuming Martin gets the chance to compete for a regular-season spot, he’ll be in the mix along with Eric Dawson, Royal Ivey, James Johnson, and Shelvin Mack.

Kings Waive DeQuan Jones, Brandon Heath

October 15th, 2013 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

12:20pm: The Kings have confirmed in a press release that the team has cut Jones and Heath.

8:32am: We heard yesterday that the Kings’ first round of roster counts would arrive soon, and according to Jonathan Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom, that decision has already been made. While the team hasn’t confirmed the moves yet, Santiago reports (via Twitter) that Sacramento has released camp invitees DeQuan Jones and Brandon Heath.

Jones, 23, recorded averages of 3.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and an 8.4 PER as an undrafted rookie last season for the Magic. Heath, who went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2007, played for Lukoil Academic in Bulgaria in 2012/13, averaging 12.0 PPG and 4.7 APG in 39 contests. Both players appeared very briefly in a single preseason game for the Kings.

Once the Kings make the two cuts official, their roster count will be down to 16 players. 14 of those guys have guaranteed contracts, and Trent Lockett has a partial guarantee on his deal, making him the odds-on favorite to be the club’s 15th man. Hamady N’Diaye also remains under contract, on a non-guaranteed deal.

Spurs Waive Maggette, Kabongo, Cousin

October 15th, 2013 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have reduced their preseason roster by three players, the team announced today in a press release. According to the club, Corey Maggette, Myck Kabongo, and Marcus Cousin have been waived.

Maggette’s release is particularly notable, since the veteran scorer suggested over the weekend that he’d be headed for retirement if he didn’t earn an NBA roster spot this season. There has been no official announcement from Maggette yet, but assuming he does retire, he’ll finish his 14-year NBA playing career with 13,198 points in 827 total contests, having played for the Magic, Clippers, Warriors, Bucks, Bobcats, and Pistons. The longtime Clipper is expected to transition into a front office role at some point.

Having waived three camp invitees, the Spurs are now carrying 16 players — 14 guaranteed contracts, plus Courtney Fells and Daniel Nwaelele. Fells and Nwaelele may both be cut before opening night, as at least one report has indicated San Antonio is likely to start the season with a 14-man roster.

As for Kabongo and Cousin, one or both of them could end up with the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in Austin. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported when San Antonio first added Kabongo to its camp roster that the undrafted rookie would likely land in the D-League with the Toros, and reiterated that point today (Twitter link).

Sebastian Telfair To Sign With Chinese Team

October 14th, 2013 at 9:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

9:25pm: Telfair’s deal covers only one season, Wojnarowski confirms.

8:32pm: Sebastian Telfair will sign with the Tianjin Ronggang Gold Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, agent Andy Miller tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Several NBA teams were monitoring the 28-year-old point guard prior to camp, and just this morning he appeared to be among the veterans likely to draw interest around the league. Telfair will instead play overseas until at least February, when the Chinese regular season ends, which leaves open the possibility that he winds up back in the NBA before 2013/14 is over.

Telfair also considered playing in Europe, though that option probably wouldn’t have allowed him to become available to NBA teams again so soon. The former lottery pick began last season as the backup point guard with the Suns, but he finished the year third on the depth chart in Toronto after a midseason trade. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.6 assists in 16.6 minutes per game for the season, some of the lowest numbers of his nine-year career.

China has become a popular Plan B for NBA free agents in recent years, and Telfair is one of several players who spent last season in the NBA to reach an agreement with a team in China’s top-flight league this offseason, as our International Player Movement Tracker shows. He’ll join fellow former lottery pick Shelden Williams, who also reached a deal with the Gold Lions this month.

Jazz Release Dwayne Jones

October 14th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have officially waived camp invitee Dwayne Jones, the team announced today in a press release. Utah had been carrying the maximum 20 players, so the release of Jones reduces the club’s roster to 19.

Jones, 30, signed a contract with the Warriors at the end of the regular season and very briefly appeared in a pair of playoff games for the team. However, he hasn’t appeared in a regular season contest since the 2009/10 season with the Suns.

With 12 guaranteed contracts on their books and Ian Clark ($200K guaranteed) a strong bet to make the team, the Jazz still have six players competing for roster spots. While Jones is no longer in the mix, Brian Cook, Mike Harris, Justin Holiday, Lester Hudson, Scott Machado, and Dominic McGuire continue to make their case for a longer look.

Hawks Waive Thomas, Lighty, Wilkins

October 14th, 2013 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have reduced their roster count by three players, cutting Adonis Thomas, David Lighty, and Damien Wilkins, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The team had been carrying a full 20-man roster, so at least two more players will need to be released before opening night.

Wilkins, a nine-year veteran, is the only one of the three waived Hawks with NBA experience. Lighty, 25, went undrafted in 2011 and has played overseas since then, most recently averaging 12.5 PPG and shooting 42.5% on three-pointers in 35 games for JSF Nanterre in France. Thomas, 20, left Memphis this spring after his sophomore year. All three players will become free agents later this week, assuming they clear waivers.

With 17 players still under contract, the Hawks will have to pare down their roster to 15 (or fewer) within the next couple weeks. Eric Dawson, Royal Ivey, James Johnson, and Shelvin Mack are all on fully non-guaranteed deals, making them the likeliest candidates to be released.

Pelicans Waive Lazar Hayward

October 13th, 2013 at 7:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans have waived small forward Lazar Hayward, the team announced. He appeared for a total of just 15 minutes in two preseason contests for New Orleans, the team with which he signed a non-guaranteed deal shortly before camp. The move drops the Pelicans roster count to 15 players.

Hayward was the last pick of the first round in 2010, and he’s been traded and waived three times apiece since then. He spent a pair of brief stints with the Timberwolves last season, but he only managed to appear in four games. The 6’6″ former Marquette Golden Eagle also played 14 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the D-League in 2012/13. Reggio Emilia of Italy appeared to have interest in Hayward this summer before he signed with the Pelicans, so perhaps the 26-year-old will head overseas.

Pelicans GM Dell Demps could carry his roster as is into the season, allowing Arinze Onuaku, on a non-guaranteed contract, and Lance Thomas, whose deal is guaranteed for $15K, to remain with the team. Still, NBA clubs are only obligated to have 13 players on their roster, and the Pelicans could always sign someone else, so Onuaku and Thomas are no locks for opening night.

Stephon Marbury Extends Contract In China?

October 11th, 2013 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Stephon Marbury hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since 2009, having joined multiple Chinese teams since then, and it seems as if he won’t be returning to play stateside anytime soon. According to a Sina.com report translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Marbury has reached a deal on a contract extension with the Beijing Ducks that will keep him under contract through 2017.

Marbury, once a perennial 20+ PPG scorer in the NBA, continues to play at an elite level in the CBA, having averaged 28.3 PPG to go along with 5.8 APG last season. The 36-year-old guard led the Ducks to their first ever championship in 2012, toppling the powerhouse Guangdong Southern Tigers, who have won eight of the last 10 CBA titles, including in 2013.

Be sure to check out our international player movement tracker to keep tabs on the contract status of thousands of players in non-NBA leagues all over the world.

Grizzlies Sign Andre Barrett

October 10th, 2013 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have made another addition to their preseason roster, announcing today that they’ve signed free agent point guard Andre Barrett. The move increases the team’s roster count to 17 players.

Barrett, 31, has spent time with the Rockets, Magic, Suns, Raptors, Bulls, and Clippers, but hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since the 2007/08 season. In 2012/13, he split time between the D-League’s Maine Red Claws and the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 9.3 PPG and 7.7 APG in 33 overall contests.

The Grizzlies are now carrying 17 players, including 13 on guaranteed contracts. Barrett, Melvin Ely, Willie Reed, and Tony Gaffney will compete for the last two potential roster openings.

Spurs Cut Sam Young

October 10th, 2013 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As one of a handful of teams still carrying the maximum 20 players allowed in the preseason, the Spurs will have to cut at least five players before opening night, and started today by waiving Sam Young, according to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

Young, 28, spent most of last season with the Pacers after playing for the Grizzlies and Sixers in his first three years in the NBA. The former second-round pick has seen a dip in his production and his playing time over the last couple seasons, but was familiar to Spurs fans for his role in the Grizzlies’ 2011 playoff upset of San Antonio, as he recently told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

With Young reportedly no longer on the roster, Marcus Cousin, Courtney Fells, Myck Kabongo, Corey Maggette, and Daniel Nwaelele remain in the hunt for the final opening on the Spurs’ roster, assuming the team decides to start move forward with a full 15-man squad.