Southwest Notes: Diaw, Ajinca, Williams
There is news coming out of the Southwest Division that doesn’t involve Omer Asik, believe it or not. Houston’s effort to trade its backup center has dominated headlines for the past few days, and will likely continue to do so until the Rockets strike a deal. In the meantime, here’s the latest from elsewhere in the Southwest:
- Boris Diaw tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that it was an easy decision to exercise his more than $4.7MM player option to return to the Spurs this summer. “In the Finals, we were so close,” Diaw said. “I wanted to go again and come back with this team. It’s been a great season this year, and we play a good style of basketball and we’ll get another shot together.”
- The Bobcats, Mavs and Raptors didn’t make the proper investment of time and effort into Alexis Ajinca‘s development during his first stint in the NBA, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for the Score. That’s left the Pelicans in a position to benefit now that Ajinca is headed to New Orleans, Deeks writes, comparing it to the Spurs‘ acquisition of Aron Baynes last season.
- Reggie Williams is set to join the D-League, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The four-year NBA veteran is on the Rockets‘ books for about $474K after Houston cut him in a numbers crunch before the start of the regular season. He was among those scheduled to work out for the Grizzlies recently before the team switched gears.
Eastern Links: Knicks, Woodson, Waiters, Sixers
Tonight’s NBA schedule is heavy on Western Conference action, but two Eastern teams in the playoff hunt will host Western opponents tonight, as the Cavs play the Blazers and the Bobcats face the Kings. Cleveland and Charlotte are just 9-14 and 10-14 respectively, but would each rank among the conference’s top eight teams with wins tonight. Here’s more from around the East:
- In the wake of injuries to Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks have recalled Chris Smith from the D-League, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Mike Woodson‘s mismanagement at the end of last night’s loss to the Wizards gave the Knicks a credible reason to fire him, opines Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- While Woodson may be on the hot seat, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says there aren’t really any other head coaches whose jobs are in jeopardy. Eastern coaches like Jason Kidd (Nets), Randy Wittman (Wizards), Mike Brown (Cavaliers), and Dwane Casey (Raptors) rank among the most likely to be fired next, according to Bovada.lv, but none are in any danger for now, Stein writes.
- Within his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler writes that the Cavaliers aren’t eager to trade Dion Waiters, but would listen if the right offer came along. Kyler also explores the possibility of an Omer Asik trade involving the Sixers, eventually concluding that a deal with Philadelphia may be one of the Rockets’ less desirable options.
- Eric Griffin, who played for the Heat in summer league action and in camp, has reached an agreement to sign with a team in Puerto Rico, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Bulls Waive Mike James
The Bulls announced that they have officially released Mike James. Chicago’s roster now stands at 13.
The veteran guard signed with the Bulls on September 27th and appeared in seven games with Chicago, averaging 0.3 ppg, 0.9 apg in 5.4 mpg. It would appear that the Bulls let James go so that they could give more burn to younger guards Marquis Teague and the recently-signed D.J. Augustin.
Even though the Bulls are struggling without star guard Derrick Rose, their 9-13 record would still be good for the No. 8 seed in the East if the playoffs started today. However, today’s move could be a sign that Chicago is more concerned with next season than the current campaign.
Grizzlies Sign James Johnson
11:49am: The Grizzlies confirmed the signing via press release.
10:03am: The Grizzlies are on the verge of signing small forward James Johnson from the D-League, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Johnson has spent the 2013/14 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, affiliate to the Rockets, where they are experimenting with an exceptionally high three point shot rate.
The Vipers tapped Johnson with the second-overall pick in this year’s D-League draft. The four-year NBA veteran averaged 6.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG across four seasons with the Bulls, Raptors, and Kings. Johnson, 26, was in camp with the Hawks over the offseason before being waived in October.
In ten games for the Vipers this season, Johnson is averaging 18.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 29.9 minutes per contest.
Hakim Warrick Signs In China
Hakim Warrick has signed with Chinese team Liaoning Jiebao for the rest of the season and hopes to return to NBA afterward, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Warrick last appeared in the NBA with the Bobcats last season.
The Syracuse product spent the first four seasons of his career with the Grizzlies before a series of moves took him on a tour of the Association. Warrick signed with the Bucks in July 2009 and was traded to the Bulls in February 2010 before being sent to the Suns later that year for a second rounder. The traveling didn’t stop there: Warrick was shipped to the Hornets in a three-team deal in July 2012, traded to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll in November 2012, and shipped to the Magic, who promptly cut him, in February 2012.
Last month it was reported that Warrick was in China, working out for the Sichuan Blue Whales, who were looking to replace former Rutgers big man Herve Lamizana. For his career, Warrick owns averages of 9.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG, though those totals are buoyed mostly by his best years in Memphis.
Odds & Ends: Thibodeau, Lowry, Jazz, Bobcats
Despite some speculation to the contrary, Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times insists that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t going anywhere. It was recently reported that the Knicks could make a run at the defensively-minded coach. More from around the Association..
- With the Nets unwilling to give up a first-round pick for Kyle Lowry and the Knicks saying they won’t part with a first rounder or Tim Hardaway Jr., Al Iannazone of Newsday (on Twitter) wonders if the Knicks will wind up caving.
- The Jazz announced that they have assigned rookie guard Ian Clark and rookie center Rudy Gobert to its D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Gobert, a 7’1″ rookie center has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes. Clark, 22, has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.
- The accountability of first-year coach Steve Clifford sets a good tone for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Blazers forward Dorell Wright doesn’t sound terribly upset about the Sixers‘ decision to not re-sign him. “You see what direction they were going in. That was not in my plan at all,” said Wright, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Magic officials have challenged Andrew Nicholson to become more physical since taking him with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft and he’s finally responding, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Pelicans Waive Josh Childress
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
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
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
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.