Bulls Sign Dahntay Jones
10:23am: The Bulls have officially announced the signing of Jones and their five other camp invitees: Patrick Christopher, Mike James, , Kalin Lucas, Dexter Pittman, and D.J. White. The team's camp roster is now finalized, according to a press release.
9:04am: 10-year veteran Dahntay Jones has found an NBA home for at least the next few weeks, according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com, who hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that Jones will sign with the Bulls (Twitter link).
Jones, 32, has spent time with the Grizzlies, Kings, Nuggets, Pacers, Mavericks, and Hawks since being drafted 20th overall in 2003. He enjoyed his best run with the Pacers from 2009 to 2012, averaging 7.6 PPG and an 11.1 PER in three seasons with the team. In 2012/13, he played limited minutes in 78 total contests for Dallas and Atlanta, scoring 3.4 PPG and shooting just 36.9% from the floor, by far his worst mark since his rookie year.
The Bulls, who have traditionally been averse to paying tax penalties, are over the threshold this year, but may look to reduce their bill by carrying the minimum 13 players. In that case, there would likely only be one spot up for grabs for the team's camp invitees, since 11 players have guaranteed contracts, and rookie Erik Murphy has a $250K guarantee on his deal. That will make it an uphill battle for Jones to earn a regular-season roster spot, though his chances would increase if Chicago decided to carry 14 or 15 players.
Nets To Bring Gutierrez, Johnson, Forbes To Camp
As I noted a week ago when I looked at teams already carrying 15 or more guaranteed contracts, the Nets already have a full roster and likely won't be shaking it up before the season gets underway. Still, the team will bring a handful of camp invitees on board for the next few weeks. Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Brooklyn has signed Jorge Gutierrez and Chris Johnson, while Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets that Gary Forbes will also be in camp with the club.
Gutierrez, a 6'3" guard out of California, played 50 games for the D-League's Canton Charge last season, averaging 10.5 PPG and 4.7 APG. Johnson, not to be confused by the Chris Johnson who currently plays for the Timberwolves, is a 6'6" swingman out of Dayton who made his NBA debut for the Grizzlies last season, appearing in eight games with Memphis before the team decided to let his second 10-day contract expire.
As for Forbes, the 28-year-old spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Nuggets and Raptors from 2010 to 2012. In 111 career games, the 6'7" forward posted 5.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG to go along with a decent 12.4 PER in 13.5 minutes per contest. Forbes spent last season playing for China's Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, recording impressive averages of 28.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 27 games. He reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Knicks last month.
With no easy way onto the Nets roster for these three camp invitees, it's possible that one or more of them will ultimately end up playing for Brooklyn's D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor.
Clippers Sign JaMychal Green
Free agent power forward JaMychal Green will join the Clippers in training camp, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, who tweets that Green has signed with the team. Green figures to compete for a regular-season roster spot with other bigs in camp, including Brandon Davies and Louis Amundson.
Green, an Alabama product, went undrafted last June, and joined the Spurs for training camp. When he didn't make San Antonio's regular-season roster, he joined the club's D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros. The 23-year-old appeared in 40 games for Austin, including 25 starts, and averaged 12.3 PPG and 8.1 in 24.2 minutes per contest for the season.
The Clippers are currently carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, leaving a couple roster spots potentially available for the likes of Green, Davies, Amundson, and Maalik Wayns.
Sixers Sign Hollis Thompson
The Sixers have added another player to their training camp roster, signing Hollis Thompson, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter). The addition of Thompson will bring the team's roster count to 18 players.
Thompson, 22, went undrafted out of Georgetown a year ago. He participated in camp with the Thunder, but was cut before the start of the season, and spent the year with OKC's D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers. In 48 games with the 66ers, Thompson wasn't overly productive, averaging 8.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG to go along with .447/.288/.722 shooting.
Sixers camp is expected to be fairly wide open next month. With only 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, there should be room for Thompson and other invitees to compete for roster spots.
Bucks Officially Sign Cadougan, Jones, Graham, Czyz
According to Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel, the Bucks have officially signed Junior Cadougan, Trey McKinney Jones, Stephen Graham, and Olek Czyz to non-guaranteed deals. We heard about the invitations of Cadougan, Jones, and Czyz earlier this month, although it should be noted that Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times had implied the training camp addition of Graham earlier this afternoon.
These signings will bring Milwaukee's training camp roster to 19, which is currently made up of 15 guaranteed and four non-guaranteed contracts.
Jazz Sign Mike Harris, Dominic McGuire
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News tweets that the Jazz have signed Mike Harris and Dominic McGuire to training camp deals. Harris, a 6'6 small forward, had participated in training camp for the Timberwolves last year before being waived in October. The 6'9 McGuire had three brief stints in New Orleans, Indiana, and Toronto last season. Having officially announced the signing of Scott Machado today as well, the Jazz now have 16 players on board for their camp roster. This number doesn't include the expected signings of Dwayne Jones and Justin Holiday, both whom Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune believes will be officially added before media day next Monday.
It's worth pointing out that while Oram mentions Brandon Fortenberry as another player likely to be brought along for training camp within the next coming days, Genessy (via Twitter) says that the 6'3 guard will not be signed.
Though Harris has totaled just 34 games in a span of three NBA seasons, the 30-year-old forward was named MVP of the NBDL back in 2010 and brings some experience from overseas, with stops in China and most recently Puerto Rico. McGuire, on the other hand, has been able to stick around in the league since being selected 47th overall in 2007, appearing in a total of 342 games with the Wizards, Kings, Bobcats, Warriors, Hornets, Pacers, and Raptors.
Jazz Sign Scott Machado
THURSDAY, 5:40pm: Both Jody Genessy of the Deseret News and Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune pass along that Machado's signing has become official (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 8:28am: The Jazz have added another player to their training camp roster, having signed Scott Machado, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (Twitter link). Machado had been waived by the Warriors earlier in the offseason.
Machado, 23, started last season with the Rockets, playing in six games for the team before being released in time for January's guarantee deadline. The Iona product signed with the Warriors late in the season but didn't appear in an NBA contest with Golden State. Machado spent most of the year playing for the two squads that eventually met in the D-League Finals, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Santa Cruz Warriors. In 28 games for the two clubs, he averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.1 APG in 24.0 minutes per contest.
The Jazz currently have 12 guaranteed contracts on their roster, along with a partially guaranteed deal for Ian Clark. Jerel McNeal also has a fully non-guaranteed contract, but it looks like Machado will become the first real camp invitee for the club. I expect more will follow, but with a couple regular-season roster spots potentially open, Machado should have a chance to compete for one in camp.
Jazz Waive Jerel McNeal
THURSDAY, 5:05pm: Oram hears that the Jazz waived McNeal because he received a big contract to play overseas (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 5:40pm: The Jazz have announced they have waived point guard Jerel McNeal, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. As Oram indicated, McNeal signed two 10-day contracts with the Jazz last year and played with the team in the Orlando Summer League. McNeal, a Marquette product, has never actually appeared in an NBA game despite spending time on league rosters over the past couple of seasons.
As our Luke Adams wrote earlier this month, McNeal's contract with Utah would have guaranteed him at least $884,293 this season if he was not waived on or before October 31st. His release comes one day after the Jazz inked fellow point guard Scott Machado yesterday.
Because the move comes so close to the start of training camp, Steve Luhm of the Tribune can't help but wonder if the Machado signing led to McNeal and his agent requesting his release (Twitter links). However, David Locke of Locked on Jazz tweets that it may have been the late-July addition of Ian Clark that spelled the end for McNeal, since the guards are so similar. Along with Machado and Clark, the Jazz will now have Trey Burke, John Lucas and Alec Burks all capable of running the point in camp.
The Jazz currently have 12 guaranteed contracts on their roster, along with a partially guaranteed deal for Clark.
Jazz To Sign Justin Holiday
The Jazz are expected to sign Justin Holiday to a make-good contract, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Holiday was cut loose by the Sixers last month and waited roughly six weeks to hook on with another club.
The 24-year-old saw time in just nine games for Philly after being signed late last season. The University of Washington product, who is the brother of Jrue Holiday, averaged 17.3 PPG in 47 D-League contests.
Holiday picked up significant interest from Italy after being released by the Sixers, but it's not clear if he was ever giving that serious consideration. The guard also auditioned for the Heat, but he likely feels that his best chance at a roster spot will come from Utah.
Corey Maggette To Join For Spurs To Camp
Of all the free agents still on the market, none made a higher salary last season than Corey Maggette's $10.92MM. Maggette won't earn anywhere near that amount this year, but it appears he'll at least be given a chance to earn an NBA roster spot. According to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the veteran swingman will join the Spurs for training camp.
Maggette, 33, was sent to the Pistons by the Bobcats last summer, and didn't see much playing time in Detroit during the last year of his contract. Still, at least one report indicated there was mutual interest in a new deal, and we heard as recently as last month that Maggette was still open to re-signing with the Pistons. Instead, he'll join a Spurs team that has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, leaving one open roster spot.
Shams Charania of RealGM.com reported yesterday that the Spurs had reached an agreement to bring Sam Young to camp as well, so it appears Maggette and Young will compete for that last opening on the club's roster. It's not clear yet whether more players will be invited to Spurs camp before October.