Kings Sign DeQuan Jones
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
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: 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
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
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
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.
Knicks Sign Toure Murry
SEPTEMBER 11TH: The Knicks have officially announced (Twitter link) the signing of Murry, as well as the signing of Chris Smith, whose deal was reported last month. Both deals are fully non-guaranteed, per Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
SEPTEMBER 5TH: According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Knicks summer league standout Toure Murry has accepted a training camp invite with New York after a strong late push from the Heat. Despite Miami's efforts to bring the former D-Leaguer on board for camp, Murry is said to have wanted the opportunity to build upon his summer success with the Knicks. With 12 guaranteed contracts, two partially-guaranteed contracts (Jeremy Tyler and C.J. Leslie), and what is most likely a non-guaranteed pact for Murry, New York's roster now stands at 15.
In five games and two starts for the Knicks in the Las Vegas Summer League, the 6'5 guard averaged 7.6 PPG and 1.2 SPG in 20.8 MPG, stringing along a shooting line of .424/.333/.727. Murry also played in the NBDL during 2012/13, appearing in four games as a member of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Back in mid-July, ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling (via Twitter) noted head coach Mike Woodson's interest in the 23-year-old point guard: "He's a guy that we've really got to keep our eyes on possibly bringing to camp."
Interestingly enough, Stein writes that the Houston native had garnered acclaim from former Knicks star and current broadcaster Walt Frazier for his hard-nosed play and defensive presence over the summer, adding that Frazier's high praise had factored into convincing Murry to try and make New York's roster.
Cameron Jones Accepts Warriors’ Camp Invite
Free agent guard Cameron Jones will attend training camp with the Warriors next month, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. The nature of Jones' agreement with Golden State isn't known, but presumably he'll sign a non-guaranteed camp deal.
Jones, 24, 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.
In addition to the 12 players they have on guaranteed contracts, the Warriors will also bring Kent Bazemore, DeWayne Dedmon, and Seth Curry to camp along with Jones. Bazemore has a partially guaranteed deal and is a strong bet to earn one of the three open regular-season roster spots, while Dedmon is also believed to have a partial guarantee on his deal. 2012 draft pick Ognjen Kuzmic is expected to join the club in camp as well, though that has yet to be officially confirmed.
Mavericks Sign Melo, McConnell, Kennedy
According to the team, the Mavericks have officially signed Fab Melo, D.J. Kennedy, and Mickey McConnell, upping their roster total to 18 players.
Earlier today, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Melo and Dallas had reached a deal. Kennedy made the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star game as a representative of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the league's 2013 champions. He has experience with the Cavaliers.
McConnell spent last season playing for Tezenis VE in Italy, averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 2.7 APG in 32 games.
Mike James To Sign With Bulls
Mike James has reached an agreement with the Bulls, and will sign a training camp deal with the team later this week, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). It's not clear what sort of contract James will sign, but I'd imagine it'll be fully non-guaranteed, or close to it.
James, 38, had a solid season for the Mavericks in 2012/13, averaging 6.1 PPG and 3.1 APG in 45 contests. He started 23 games at the point for Dallas, when the team's other options were underperforming. The veteran appeared in 11 games for the Bulls in 2011/12, so if he can earn a regular-season roster spot with the club this season, it'll be his second stint in Chicago.
At the moment, it appears as if James has at least a decent chance to break camp with the Bulls. The team only has 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus second-rounder Erik Murphy on a partially guaranteed deal. Dexter Pittman, like James, is expected to be in camp with Chicago, and I'd imagine the team will extend invites to at least a couple more players.
James had previously been in talks with the Mavericks about a potential return to Dallas. However, the Mavs bolstered their backcourt in July free agency, leaving little room for James.