We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
The Clippers have re-signed DaJuan Summers to a rest-of-season contract, the team announced today in a press release. Summers had signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the club, the second of which came to an end after last night's win over the Suns.
During his first 20 days with the Clippers, Summers has only appeared in two games, scoring a single basket in seven minutes of action. I don't expect the 25-year-old to be a part of the team's postseason rotation, so I'd imagine his contract includes a non-guaranteed option for 2013/14, giving L.A. a chance to take an extended look at him over the summer.
Now that they've signed Summers and Maalik Wayns to guaranteed contracts, the Clippers have a full roster of 15 players.
3:49pm: The Mavs have officially signed Akognon to a 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. To create space on the roster, Dentmon was released from his contract before it expired.
8:13am: Justin Dentmon's 10-day contract with the Mavericks is set to expire tonight, and the team will not re-sign him to a second 10-day deal. Instead, the Mavs will continue to audition guards, adding Josh Akognon on a 10-day contract later this week, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Akognon, 27, was in camp with the Mavericks in the fall, but was cut by the team a couple weeks before the regular season got underway. He spent the season in China, pouring in 29.0 PPG on 54.8% shooting in 36 games for the Liaoning Jiebao Hunters. It was Akognon's second straight impressive season in the CBA, after he averaged 28.2 PPG for the DongGuan New Century Leopards in 2011/12.
The Mavs have had a revolving door of guards occupying their 15th roster spot in recent weeks, including Dentmon, Chris Wright, and now Akognon. Depending on when Akognon's 10-day deal is finalized, it appears it will expire before the postseason, though after last night's loss in Los Angeles, Dallas is extremely unlikely to advance to the playoffs anyway.
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day….
WEDNESDAY, 11:49am: The Grizzlies have officially signed Dooling, the team announced today in a press release. The release didn't specify that the deal was a 10-day contract, so I'd assume it's for at least the rest of this season.
MONDAY, 11:12am: The Grizzlies will sign Keyon Dooling today, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, formalizing a move that had been rumored since Wednesday, when former New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey originally reported the story. The Grizzlies had been looking at other options in their search for a point guard, including Jonny Flynn, Scott Machado, Courtney Fortson, and Sundiata Gaines.
According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the move has been held up as the team waited on the results of physical and psychological tests on Dooling, who retired after a nervous breakdown this past summer (Twitter link). Dooling had originally wanted to return to the Celtics, with whom he spent last season, but since Boston waived him following his retirement, the team wasn't allowed to bring him back.
The 32-year-old Dooling, who's averaged 7.0 points and 2.2 assists per game over his 12-year career, will give the Grizzlies some more depth at point guard. Memphis has been using rookie Tony Wroten as a backup to Mike Conley. The signing will bring the team's roster to 14 players, leaving room for one more.
The only official NBA roster move so far today saw Jannero Pargo ink a rest-of-season deal with the Bobcats. However, a handful of teams overseas have been active, so let's check in on a few transactions of note….
WEDNESDAY, 10:38am: The Bobcats have officially signed Pargo for the remainder of the season, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 3:22pm: Jannero Pargo's second 10-day contract with the Bobcats will expire tonight, and he's set to sign with the team for the rest of the season tomorrow, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charlotte had to make a decision regarding Pargo, who occupies the team's final roster spot, since clubs can only sign a player to a pair of 10-day deals per season. I'd guess his new contract will include a non-guaranteed year or a team option for 2013/14 so that the Bobcats can retain his rights and evaluate him during the summer, but that's just my speculation.
Pargo has seen plenty of action in his brief time in Charlotte so far, appearing in 10 games and averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in 17.4 minutes per night. His three-point shooting is down to 38% from the 55.6% clip he showed during his first 10-day stint, but the 33-year-old point guard is still attempting an average of five treys per game over his time as a Bobcat.
Pargo also signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Hawks earlier this season after the Wizards waived him in November. Jeremy Pargo, Jannero's younger brother, was waived this weekend by the Sixers.
2:58pm: The Suns confirmed the news of Babby's new contract, which runs through the 2014/15 season, on the team's website.
"I greatly appreciate the faith that (owner) Robert Sarver and the entire Suns organization have demonstrated with this new contract," Babby said. "We have begun the heavy lifting needed to rebuild our team. While the transition is often painful, I am entirely confident that we are taking the necessary steps to regain elite NBA status. I fully embrace the opportunity to continue on that path."
2:34pm: The Suns and president of basketball operations Lon Babby have agreed to a two-year extension, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The news appears to put to rest speculation about Babby's future, as fellow Arizona Republic scribe Scott Bordow wrote today about questions regarding the team's front office and interim head coach Lindsey Hunter. This had been the final year of Babby's contract.
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News wrote in January that Babby was "probably done" in Phoenix, and Lawrence figured that might also mean the end for general manager Lance Blanks, who reports to Babby. It appears that Babby will instead be sticking around, but it's unclear what the move means for Blanks, whose contract runs through 2013/14. Hunter took over at midseason for former coach Alvin Gentry, and at least one report seems to indicate Hunter will be sticking around beyond this year. The Suns are in the midst of rebuilding following the offseason sign-and-trade that sent Steve Nash away, and this year's 23-51 record is the worst since the team went 16-66 as a first-year expansion club in 1968/69.
Phoenix could have as little as $44.4MM in commitments for next season, so the team figures to have the flexibility to try to lure more talent to the desert. The Suns have the fourth-best shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as our tentative draft order shows, and thanks to the Nash trade, they could have an extra first-round pick this June if the Lakers fail to make the playoffs.
The Nets have officially signed Kris Joseph to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Tim Bontemps of the New York Post initially reported over the weekend that the two sides had reached an agreement.
Joseph, 24, had been drafted by the Celtics in the second round of last June's draft, but was on a non-guaranteed contract, and was released in January before that deal became guaranteed. The Canadian forward subsequently joined the D-League, where he was acquired by the Nets' affiliate, the Springfield Armor. In 27 D-League games this season, Joseph has averaged 18.6 PPG, including 19.0 PPG in his 15 contests with the Armor.
The Nets had been carrying 14 players on their roster, so the team won't have to make a corresponding move to open up a spot for Joseph.
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top throughout the day.