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Fab Melo Clears Waivers

September 1st, 2013 at 4:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Big man Fab Melo has cleared waivers after being cut loose by the Grizzlies late last week, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The Syracuse product was set to earn $1.31MM in 2013/14.

Melo's stint in Memphis didn't last very long as he came over via trade from the Celtics in mid-August. It's still unclear if the Grizzlies intended all along to waive the center after giving up Donte Greene to get him. Ultimately, the move cost the Grizzlies a little bit of cap flexibility but netted them at least $300K in cash as the C's gave them $1.66MM in the swap.

Melo was the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 draft and only appeared in six NBA games for the Celtics in 2012/13. He spent the bulk of the season with Boston's D-League affiliate, averaging 9.8 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 33 games for the Maine Red Claws. Despite his lack of a real professional resume, it wasn't a given that Melo would clear waivers given his size and athleticism.

International Notes: Zaid Abbas, John Shurna

August 31st, 2013 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, former Blazers forward Luke Babbitt reached a deal with Russia's BC Nizhny Novgorod on a one-year contract that doesn't include an NBA out clause. Agent Bill Duffy explained that his client will benefit from playing 30 minutes per contest and developing his game further before returning stateside. Here's today's look around the globe..

Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas has signed with Tianjin of China, agent Giovanni Funiciello told HoopsHype (on Twitter). Abbas had a bit of NBA interest, but his new deal means that he'll play a fourth consecutive season in China. The 29-year-old was said to be holding off on a new deal in China over optimism for an NBA deal this month, but it would appear that nothing materialized to his liking.
Forward John Shurna signed with Spanish club Joventut de Badalona, according to Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival (via Twitter). The Northwestern product was in summer league with the Hawks after going undrafted in 2012 and joined the Bucks' squad this offseason.

Odds & Ends: Odom, Dentmon, T-Mac, Minnerath

August 30th, 2013 at 7:47pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of reports that Lamar Odom has been arrested on suspicion of DUI, at least one NBA general manager believes the veteran forward's NBA career is over.

"Just going by what he is giving you on the court, he would have been a risk anyway, maybe someone you give a partial guarantee to just to see if he can turn things around," the GM told Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. "But with the circus that’s around him off the court now, no way."

As Odom continues to work through his off-court issues, let's check in on a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

Justin Dentmon, who briefly played for the Mavericks last season, has signed with Lithuania's BC Kauno Zalgiris, according to the team (via Twitter).
In his latest lengthy piece for Grantland.com, Bill Simmons examines Tracy McGrady's legacy, which Simmons argues will be marred by T-Mac's underwhelming collection of teammates.
Undrafted rookie Nick Minnerath, who had previously tweeted that he'd be attending training camp with the Lakers, has officially signed Spain's Obradoiro, the team announced (translation via Sportando). The statement from Obradoiro president Jose Luis Mateo suggests that Minnerath will forgo Lakers' camp.
Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com likes the signing of Monta Ellis for the Mavericks, giving the team a grade of A- for the move.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Jeff Goodman takes a look at some candidates to become the next mid-major star, following in the footsteps of guys like Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Grizzlies Waive Fab Melo

August 30th, 2013 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Just two weeks after acquiring him from the Celtics, the Grizzlies have released big man Fab Melo, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). It's not clear if that was Memphis' plan all along, or whether the team changed its opinion on Melo after trading for him, but either way, his stint with the Grizzlies didn't last long.

In the deal that sent Melo to Memphis and Donte Greene to Boston, the Grizzlies gave up a non-guaranteed salary of about $1.03MM to add a guaranteed $1.31MM salary. However, as Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld tweeted last week, the Celtics also included $1.66MM in cash in the swap. So even though the Grizzlies still take a cap hit for Melo, ownership technically saved a little money in the deal, at the expense of some flexibility.

Assuming Melo isn't claimed on waivers, he'll become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team except the C's. Meanwhile, by cutting him prior to the August 31st deadline, the Grizzlies can use the stretch provision on Melo, allowing the club to stretch his salary payments and cap hit into three equal parts over the next three years.

Of course, it's no given that Melo will clear waivers. As Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter) it's possible that a team with cap space or a trade exception big enough to absorb his salary will take a flier on the young seven-footer, which would take the Grizzlies entirely off the hook for his contract.

Chris Babb Accepts Celtics’ Camp Invite

August 30th, 2013 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Iowa State guard Chris Babb has agreed to a training camp deal with the Celtics, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Babb, 23, went undrafted this past June, but joined the Suns for Summer League play in July. In his senior year at Iowa State, the 6'5" guard averaged 9.1 PPG to go along with 38.2% shooting from three-point range.

Like fellow camp invitees Kammron Taylor and DeShawn Sims, Babb probably isn't a strong bet to make the Celtics' regular-season roster, since the team already has 14 guaranteed contracts on its books, plus Donte Greene's non-guaranteed deal.

Cavs, Kenny Kadji Agree To Terms

August 30th, 2013 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted free agent Kenny Kadji has agreed to sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Cavaliers and will be in camp with the club, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com. According to Charania, Kadji turned down several "substantial" offers from overseas in favor of trying to earn a regular-season roster spot with the Cavs.

Kadji, 25, played his senior year at Miami in 2012/13, averaging 12.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 36 games with the team. The power forward worked out for the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks in the weeks leading up to the 2013 draft, and was ranked as the 68th-best prospect in his class by ESPN.com's Chad Ford, but didn't hear his named called on draft night.

By our count, the Cavs have 14 players currently on their roster, and not all of those contracts are guaranteed, so there could be an opening for Kadji to earn a roster spot with a strong camp. The Miami product also played for Cleveland's Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month.

Kammron Taylor Accepts Celtics’ Camp Invite

August 30th, 2013 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Former Wisconsin guard Kammron Taylor has accepted an invitation to join the Celtics' training camp this fall, agent Keith Kreiter tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Details of the deal aren't known, but if it's just a camp invite, it will be fully non-guaranteed.

Taylor, 29, graduated from Wisconsin in 2007, having averaged 13.3 PPG in his senior year. He has played for a variety of teams overseas since then, including spending last season with Germany's Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg, with whom he averaged 13.2 PPG. Taylor also was a part of the Timberwolves' Summer League squad last month.

Boston already has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Donte Greene on a non-guaranteed deal, so earning a regular-season roster spot is a long shot for Taylor. It's possible that he and fellow camp signee DeShawn Sims will end up joining the Celtics' D-League affiliate in Maine, though that's just my speculation.

Luke Babbitt Signs With Russian Team

August 30th, 2013 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 8:07am: Babbitt has officially signed with BC Nizhny Novgorod, according to a Sportando tweet.

WEDNESDAY, 11:20am: Ex-Blazers forward Luke Babbitt will head overseas for the coming season, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes reports that Babbitt has reached an agreement to play for Russia's BC Nizhny Novgorod on a one-year contract that doesn't include an NBA out. Agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports confirmed the deal.

"My take is Luke needs to play 30 minutes a game and play a more expanded role," Duffy told Haynes. "We've had recent success with both Danny Green and Patrick Beverley getting an opportunity to develop their games in Europe and return to the NBA. The NBA is a league of opportunity. We feel strongly this is the best move for Luke at this time."

Babbitt hit free agency for the first time this summer after the Blazers declined their team option for the 2013/14 season. After a promising sophomore year in Portland, the 24-year-old took a step backward this past season, with his rates slipping to 3.9 PPG, a .348 3PT%, and a 9.4 PER. The Sixers were mentioned as a possible suitor a month ago, but other than that, Babbitt didn't seem to garner a whole lot of NBA interest.

Sixers Acquire Tony Wroten From Grizzlies

August 29th, 2013 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

August 29th: The league has officially approved the trade, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

August 22nd: The second-round pick going to Memphis will be heavily protected and may never change hands, a source tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

1:29pm: A week after acquiring a 2012 first-round pick from the Celtics, the Grizzlies have sent their own 2012 first-rounder to Philadelphia. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies have traded Tony Wroten to the Sixers in exchange for a future second-round pick.

Wroten, 20, was selected 25th in last year's draft by the Grizzlies, but appeared in just 35 games for the team in his rookie season, playing limited minutes. In 11 contests for the D-League's Reno Bighorns, the University of Washington product averaged 17.0 PPG, but didn't shoot particularly well (.415/.326/.548).

Like Fab Melo, who the Grizzlies acquired from Boston, Wroten is viewed as a young player with upside. However, while Memphis was willing to roll the dice on Melo, it seems the team was ready to cut ties with Wroten. The move indicates that the Grizz have confidence in Nick Calathes as their backup point guard behind Mike Conley. Jerryd Bayless is also available to play at the point, though he's more of a combo guard, and Josh Akognon is under contract as well, but has a non-guaranteed deal. Wroten's departure could bode well for Akognon's chances of earning a regular-season roster spot.

The Sixers, meanwhile, had only been carrying 12 contracts (10 guaranteed), and need to add more players if they intend to surpass the league's required salary floor. Wroten's modest salary won't raise team payroll to the minimum threshold, but it's a start. Philadelphia had also been carrying just one point guard (Michael Carter-Williams), so taking a chance on Wroten makes sense for a team not expecting to compete for the playoffs.

Because they still have plenty of cap room, the 76ers able to absorb Wroten's contract without sending out any salary in return. The over-the-cap Grizzlies will create a traded player exception worth Wroten's salary ($1,160,040), the latest in a long list of TPEs for the club. Clearing that salary from their books should also give Memphis a little more breathing room below the luxury tax.

Suns Sign Alex Len

August 29th, 2013 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have signed first-round pick Alex Len to a rookie-scale contract, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). The team has confirmed the signing in a press release.

Len, the fifth overall pick in June's draft, was one of a handful of first-rounders that had yet to officially sign his deal, along with Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams of the Sixers, and the Spurs' Livio Jean-Charles, who appears likely to play overseas. As our chart of salaries for 2013 picks shows, the Ukrainian big man will likely earn a salary of about $3.49MM.

The signing of Len seemingly coincides with the finalization of the trade that sent Caron Butler from the Suns to the Bucks. I noted earlier today when I examined that deal that it wouldn't be surprising to see Phoenix make Len's deal official simultaneously, since that would allow the club to go over the cap, creating a sizable trade exception in the Butler swap

Assuming the Suns chose that route, they'll obtain a $5,548,537 TPE, but would have to renounce it to free up cap space. Renouncing the exception would result in $5,241,838 of cap room, according to figures at HoopsWorld and ShamSports. In other words, the TPE could accommodate a slightly more expensive acquisition, but would only allow the team to add a player via trade, rather than via free agency.

The addition of Len means the Suns now have 17 guaranteed contracts on their books, so the club will have to trade or cut at least two players by opening night.