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Mavericks Sign Devin Ebanks

September 13th, 2013 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have signed Devin Ebanks, the team announced today in a press release. The signing brings the team's roster count to 19 players, including 15 with guaranteed contracts.

Ebanks had reportedly been drawing interest from the Magic and Hawks as well as the Mavs, with all three teams seemingly prepared to invite him to training camp. The 23-year-old indicated on Twitter earlier this week that he was headed to Orlando, but it seems that visit was just for a workout, rather than to sign with the Magic.

In three NBA seasons with the Lakers, Ebanks has appeared in 63 overall contests, averaging 3.6 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 11.3 minutes per game. When he first hit free agency in 2012, L.A. made a qualifying offer, which Ebanks accepted, but the team didn't tender him a QO this time around, making the 6'9" forward an unrestricted free agent.

In addition the 15 players the Mavs have on guaranteed contracts, Fab Melo, D.J. Kennedy, and Mickey McConnell are also ticketed for training camp, seemingly on non-guaranteed deals. For Ebanks or one of the other camp invitees to earn a roster spot, the club would have to trade or release one of its guaranteed players.

International Updates: Hayes, Diawara, Tracker

September 13th, 2013 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

If you haven't done so yet, be sure to check out our international player movement tracker, which Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro continues to update on a daily basis. The thousands of player entries in our tracker can be quickly sorted and searched, to conveniently find the specific details you're seeking.

Here are a few of the day's more notable international items:

Former 10th overall pick Jarvis Hayes, who spent time in the NBA with the Wizards, Pistons, and Nets, is set to sign with Italy's Sidigas Avellino, according to Enea Trapani of Sportando. The 32-year-old forward played for Israeli team Elizur Ashkelon last season.
Yakhouba Diawara has signed a one-year deal with BCM Gravelines in France, and the contract doesn't include an NBA out, says Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania had reported earlier this week that the former Nugget would work out for the Heat and Magic, but was still expected to sign overseas. Diawara played in Italy last season.
At Hoops Rumors, we generally only focus on international transactions when they involve a player who recently played in the NBA or is looking to return stateside. But our international tracker includes many, many more items. Among the players recently updated in the tracker: Former NBA first-rounders Marcus Fizer and Ryan Humphrey, who agreed to deals with Al Muharraq (Bahrain) and Obras (Argentina), respectively.

Trail Blazers Sign Richard Howell

September 13th, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13TH: The Blazers have formally announced the signing of Howell, via a press release.

SEPTEMBER 6TH: The Trail Blazers and rookie free agent Richard Howell have agreed to terms on a deal that will bring the N.C. State product to camp, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Agent Joel Bell tells Charania that his client will sign a partially guaranteed contract with Portland.

Howell went undrafted out of N.C. State this past June, despite ranking as the 53rd-best prospect in the class, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford. In his senior year with the Wolfpack, the power forward averaged 12.7 PPG and 10.9 RPG, while shooting 57% from the floor. Howell had reached an agreement to join France's BCM Gravelines, but the team announced this week that the two sides had mutually agreed to part ways, freeing up the 22-year-old for an NBA audition.

The Trail Blazers have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, making it a little unusual that the team would offer Howell a partial guarantee, since there may not be a regular-season roster spot available. Perhaps Portland wants to secure Howell's rights for the Idaho Stampede, and couldn't do so without offering a bit of guaranteed money.

In any case, Howell appears set to join Dee Bost and E.J. Singler as training camp invitees for the Blazers.

Nuggets Sign Damion James

September 13th, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent swingman Damion James will be in camp with the Nuggets this fall, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Denver has signed James to a fully non-guaranteed contract.

James was traded from the Hawks to the Nets on draft night in 2010 after being selected with the 24th overall pick. Since then, he has bounced back and forth between the two teams — after spending the first two seasons of his NBA career in New Jersey, he was in camp with the Hawks last year. Atlanta cut him before opening night, but James signed with the Nets later in the season and appeared in a pair of games for the club.

For Denver, the 25-year-old will compete for a roster spot in camp, though it figures to be an uphill battle. The Nuggets are already carrying 14 guaranteed contracts, and also have Quincy Miller on a partially guaranteed deal. Miller didn't make much of an impression in his rookie year, but I'd be a little surprised if the Nuggets cut ties with him already, particularly since the team is already on the hook for $150K of his salary.

Kings Sign DeQuan Jones

September 13th, 2013 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have added another player to their training camp roster, signing DeQuan Jones, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter). Jones' contract will be fully non-guaranteed, Deeks adds in a second tweet.

Jones, 23, went undrafted in June 2012, but signed with the Magic as a free agent, and ended up earning a rotation spot with the team, starting 17 of his 63 contests in his rookie season. After the 6'8" forward recorded averages of 3.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and an 8.4 PER, Orlando decided against tendering him a qualifying offer that would have made him a restricted free agent.

Sacramento's roster count now stands at 16 players, including 14 guaranteed contracts. In addition to Jones' non-guaranteed deal, the team is carrying Trent Lockett on a partially guaranteed contract. That partial guarantee may give Lockett the upper hand on the team's final roster spot, but it's only worth $35K, so it shouldn't be a difference-maker if Jones or another invitee outperforms him in the preseason. C.J. Aiken is also expected to participate in Kings camp.

Khalif Wyatt Agrees To Terms With 76ers

September 12th, 2013 at 9:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Khalif Wyatt has agreed to terms to a multi-year, partially guaranteed contract with the 76ers. Tom Moore of Bucks County Courier Times (via Twitter) also received direct confirmation of the agreement from Wyatt's agent, Stephen Pina. After going undrafted in June, the 6'4 guard participated in five games for the Sixers' summer league team in Orlando, averaging 13.8 PPG and 1.6 SPG to go with 45.8% shooting from the field and 42.9% from long range in 19.8 MPG. Pompey adds that team brass had been impressed with Wyatt's ball-handling, passing, and leadership as well.

Once the signings of Darius Morris, Rodney Williams, and Wyatt are made official, the current roster will stand at 16 (11 fully guaranteed, three partially guaranteed, and two non-guaranteed deals). Although the former Temple Owl is set to be in uniform on opening night, Pompey won't rule out the possibility of the Sixers sending him to their D-League affiliate – the Delaware 87ers – for a portion of the season.

Cavaliers Sign Matthew Dellavedova

September 12th, 2013 at 7:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 12TH: According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, a league source confirmed that Dellavedova has signed a two-year deal worth $1.3MM with a small partial guarantee for 2013/14, which we heard was worth $100k earlier this week.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also reported confirmation of the signing from league sources today.

AUGUST 3RD: Matthew Dellavedova will join the Cavaliers this fall on an invitation to training camp, reports Roy Ward of The Age (hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The St. Mary's star went undrafted in June, but impressed Cleveland GM Chris Grant and company during summer league play.

Ward writes that Dellavedova appears to be the front-runner for the third point guard spot behind Kyrie Irving and Jarrett Jack, but much can change between now and opening night. The Australian native will take part in a national team training camp and two games against New Zealand before heading stateside in September.

The 6'4", 22-year-old Dellavedova didn't cause much of a stir in the Las Vegas Summer League, shooting just 27.3% as he averaged 2.8 points and 3.0 assists in 20.1 minutes per game across five contests. Still, the Cavs saw enough to bring him aboard, likely on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary. Coach Mike Brown is particularly fond of him, and if he doesn't make the regular season roster, the Cavs would reportedly like to see him play for their D-League affiliate.

Bulls Sign Patrick Christopher, Kalin Lucas

September 12th, 2013 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

1:40pm: Former Michigan State guard Kalin Lucas has also signed with the Bulls, according to Deeks (via Twitter). It sounds like his contract will be fully non-guaranteed as well.

As our international tracker shows, Lucas also played for a Turkish team in 2012/13.

1:32pm: The Bulls have signed free agent guard Patrick Christopher to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter).

Christopher, 25, went undrafted out of California in 2010, and has been playing overseas since then. As our international player movement tracker shows, he spent last season in Turkey with Besiktas. Christopher averaged 8.4 PPG in 24 contests with the club.

The Bulls will only have 15 players under contract once they make their deals with Christopher, Mike James, and Dexter Pittman official, so there's a chance a regular-season roster spot will be available if Christopher has a strong camp. Still, he's likely a long shot.

Sixers Agree To Sign Darius Morris

September 12th, 2013 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Nearly two and a half months after 2013's free agent period got underway, the Sixers are set to sign their first NBA free agent. The team is finalizing an agreement with former Laker Darius Morris, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

It's not clear yet whether Morris will sign a one-year contract or a multiyear deal, or whether he'll earn more than the minimum. But Wojnarowski suggests that Morris' salary for 2013/14 will be at least partially guaranteed. The 22-year-old is also expected to make the team and play meaningful minutes, making him more than just a training camp invitee.

In 48 games last year, including 17 starts, Morris averaged 4.0 PPG and 1.6 APG, while playing 14.2 minutes per contest. With Kobe Bryant on the shelf in the postseason, the Lakers leaned more heavily on Morris, who responded by upping his averages to 10.5 PPG and 3.0 APG. The Brian Dyke client also ranked among the best three-point shooters still available when I explored the subject last month.

The Sixers have made a handful of trades this offseason, bringing in young players like Nerlens Noel, Royce White, and Tony Wroten. However, the club has been very quiet on the free agent front. Prior to Morris' agreement, the only player believed to have a deal with Philadelphia was undrafted rookie Rodney Williams, who reportedly agreed to a partially guaranteed multiyear contract.

Once the Sixers' deals with Williams and Morris become official, the team will have 15 players under contract, though only 11 of those deals are fully guaranteed. As for Morris, he'll likely see plenty of time at the point in Philadelphia, since Michael Carter-Williams and Wroten are the only point guards currently on the roster.

Heat Sign Michael Beasley

September 11th, 2013 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Three years after the Heat parted ways with their 2008 lottery pick, Michael Beasley is headed back to Miami. The Heat announced today (Twitter link) that Beasley has signed with the team, following his release from the Suns.

It won't cost the Heat anything to roll the dice on Beasley, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, who hears that the 24-year-old has agreed to a non-guaranteed, make-good contract. The source adds that the club considers the fall audition to be no-risk, and worth the gamble, according to Winderman.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported over the weekend that Miami was weighing the possibility of signing Beasley. Team sources shot down the rumor to multiple local beat reporters, but it appears that was a smoke-screen, or the club either reconsidered its stance.

The second overall pick in the 2008 draft, Beasley had the least productive year of his career in 2012/13, setting career-lows in PPG (10.1), RPG (3.8), and FG% (.405), among other categories. It also marked the fifth straight season that his PER has declined, from 17.2 in his rookie year to 10.8 in '12/13.

The general consensus among NBA fans and observers suggests Beasley still has plenty of talent, which could shine through if he can get his off-court issues under control. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com wrote earlier today at SBNation.com though, there hasn't been a whole lot of evidence recently to suggest that the Kansas State product can be an above-average NBA contributor. Perhaps reuniting with Erik Spoelstra and Dwyane Wade in Miami will help Beasley to deliver on the promise he showed as a Wildcat.

The Heat currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, and have suggested there's a decent chance their regular-season roster won't include additional players. Still, Beasley becomes the fourth player the club will bring to camp on a non-guaranteed contract, so the team certainly figures to consider its options next month for those last two roster spots.