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Bobcats Release Abdul Gaddy, Troy Daniels

October 10th, 2013 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Bobcats released a pair of camp invitees today, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who tweets that Abdul Gaddy and Troy Daniels have been waived. The pair of cuts reduces Charlotte’s roster count to 16 players.

Both Gaddy and Daniels went undrafted in June before playing for the Bobcats’ Summer League squad in July. Gaddy, out of Washington, and Daniels, a VCU product, were both believed to be on fully non-guaranteed contracts, so Charlotte won’t be on the hook for their salaries.

Assuming the Bobcats’ 12 fully guaranteed players and Jannero Pargo ($300K guaranteed) make the roster, that leaves up to two potential openings for Patrick O’Bryant, James Southerland, and Jeff Adrien. O’Bryant, a 7’0″ center, may have seen his chances at a roster spot increase today when the team announced Brendan Haywood would be sidelined for the next 12 weeks after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot that will require surgery.

Thunder Waive Daniel Orton

October 10th, 2013 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have trimmed their preseason roster by one, releasing Daniel Orton from the team, according to a press release. Orton wasn’t technically a camp invitee, since he was playing on a contract that began last season. However, his minimum salary was fully non-guaranteed, so the Thunder won’t be on the hook for his cap hit.

Orton, 23, 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 Thunder now have 16 players under contract, including two (Diante Garrett and Rodney McGruder) on non-guaranteed deals, and two more (Hasheem Thabeet and Ryan Gomes) with partial guarantees. The club will have to release at least one more player before opening night to reduce its roster count to the regular season maximum.

Warriors Waive Cameron Jones

October 9th, 2013 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Warriors announced that they have waived guard Cameron Jones. Golden State’s roster is now down to 17.

Jones, 24, appeared in all three of Golden State’s 2013 preseason games, averaging 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per contest. The guard had a chance of making the cut, but strong play from center Dewayne Dedmon and further competition from Seth Curry spelled the end of his time with the Warriors.

Jones has played in the D-League the last two seasons, and was a member of Golden State’s affiliate in Santa Cruz in 2012/13. Referred to as the “best-kept secret in the D-League” by Warriors assistant GM Kirk Lacob, Jones averaged 12.6 PPG in 50 D-League contests last season. The Northern Arizona product helped lead Santa Cruz to the D-League Finals, and played for the Warriors’ squad that won the Summer League championship in Las Vegas in July.

Lakers Waive Dan Gadzuric, Eric Boateng

October 9th, 2013 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have released a pair of camp invitees, reducing their roster to 17 players, according to a press release. Dan Gadzuric and Eric Boateng have been cut by the team, and will become free agents later this week, assuming they clear waivers.

Gadzuric, 35 last appeared in the NBA in 2011/12, playing in a pair of late-season contests for the Knicks. In 10 career NBA seasons, the 6’11” center has appeared in 527 games, averaging 4.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and recording a 14.4 PER. Boateng, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2010, and has played for multiple clubs in the D-League and overseas since then.

Gadzuric and Boateng had both been considered long shots to make the Lakers’ regular-season roster, despite the fact that the team is only carrying 11 fully guaranteed contracts. Other invitees, like Xavier Henry, have been impressive in camp, while players like Shawne Williams and Elias Harris have partial guarantees on their deals.

Darius Songaila Signs In Lithuania

October 8th, 2013 at 6:38pm CST by Michael Pina

According to a tweet from Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, Darius Songaila has signed a one-year contract with Lithuania’s Lietuvos Rytas.

Songaila spent eight seasons in the NBA playing for five teams. He most recently appeared two seasons ago, in a 10-game stint with the Suns. He holds career averages of 6.9 PPG and 3.4 RPG on 49.9% shooting from the floor.

Clippers Waive Green, Farrakhan

October 8th, 2013 at 5:27pm CST by Michael Pina

The Clippers announced today that they have waived JaMychal Green and Mustapha Farrakhan, trimming their roster down to 16 players. The two combined for 11 minutes of play during Monday night’s preseason victory against the Trail Blazers.

Farrakhan has spent the past two seasons on several teams in the D-League, posting averages of 8.0 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.9 RPG. In 40 games with the D-League’s Austin Toros last season, Green averaged 12.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG.

Farrakhan spent the 2012 preseason with the Bucks, while Green participated in the Spurs training camp.

Heat Exercise 2014/15 Option On Norris Cole

October 8th, 2013 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially exercised their fourth-year option on Norris Cole, the team announced today (Twitter link). Cole had already been under contract for the coming season, but now his deal will be guaranteed for 2014/15 as well. He’ll be in line for a salary of $2.04MM in ’14/15.

Cole, 24, has been the Heat’s backup point guard for the last two years, winning a pair of titles with the team. The former 28th overall pick posted identical PERs of 7.9 in his first two NBA seasons, along with 6.1 PPG and 2.0 APG in 145 career contests (19.7 MPG).

Despite a recent report suggesting that Miami was gauging Cole’s trade value, a Heat source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that it was little more than “due diligence.” For his part, Cole isn’t letting the rumors bother him, as Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes.

For a complete breakdown on 2014/15 rookie contract options, be sure to check out our tracker. Decisions on those third- and fourth-year options are due by Halloween.

Bulls Waive Dahntay Jones

October 8th, 2013 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have officially released Dahntay Jones, the team announced today in a press release. The move reduces Chicago’s roster count to 15 players, including 11 on fully guaranteed contracts.

Camp invitees Patrick Christopher and Kalin Lucas had already been cut by the Bulls, so Jones becomes the third player waived by the team this month. With 15 players now under contract, the team could theoretically keep the current roster intact for the start of the regular season. However, the Bulls have traditionally been tax-conscious, so they may release one or two more players before opening night. As our list of non-guaranteed deals shows, Dexter Pittman, Mike James, and D.J. White remain on the bubble, while Erik Murphy is likely safe.

Jones, a former first-round pick, figures to clear waivers and continue to search for an NBA job. The Duke product has spent the last 10 seasons playing for the Grizzlies, Kings, Nuggets, Pacers, Mavericks, and Hawks, but is coming off a down year, having averaged just 3.4 PPG and a 6.4 PER in 2012/13.

We rounded up a few more Bulls-related items earlier this afternoon.

Von Wafer Signs With Shanghai Sharks

October 7th, 2013 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran free agent guard Von Wafer will return to China for the coming season, according to Andrew Crawford of SharkFinHoops.com, who tweets that Wafer has signed with the Shanghai Sharks (hat tip to Sportando).

Wafer, 28, also played in China last season, for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, as our international player movement tracker shows. In 34 games with the team, the former second-round pick averaged 26.4 PPG and poured in 3.8 threes per game. Prior to heading overseas last season, Wafer played for the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets, Celtics, and Magic in parts of six NBA seasons.

We didn’t hear many rumors about a possible return to the NBA for Wafer this season, though the Heat reportedly had some interest. I’d guess that Miami wasn’t willing to guarantee Wafer the sort of money he’ll earn in China.

Grizzlies Waive Josh Akognon, Derrick Byars

October 6th, 2013 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Grizzlies announced that they have waived guard Josh Akognon and forward Derrick Byars. Memphis' roster now stands at 16.

Akognon spent three games with the Mavericks last season and also played for 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.

Byars, a Vanderbilt product, played competed for ALBA Berlin in Germany and Caciques de Humacao in Puerto Rico last season. Memphis signed the 29-year-old as a free agent on Sept. 29th but his stay didn't last too long.