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Jazz Sign Travis Leslie To 10-Day Contract

March 11th, 2013 at 7:44am CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 7:44am: The Jazz officially finalized Leslie's 10-day deal yesterday after releasing Bell, announcing the signing in a press release.

FRIDAY, 10:56pm: It appears Raja Bell will indeed be waived in order to make room for Leslie, Kennedy tweets, adding that Leslie will join the Jazz tomorrow. Earlier tonight, Bell's agent, Herb Rudoy, told Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune that he has yet to hear anything from the Jazz about his client.

1:49pm: It's already been a busy day for D-League call-ups, with Terrel Harris receiving a 10-day deal from the Hornets, Maalik Wayns signing a 10-day contract with the Clippers, and Malcolm Thomas expected to finalize a 10-day contract of his own with the Warriors. The Jazz will get in on the action as well, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who tweets that Utah is expected to sign Travis Leslie to a 10-day deal. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld first tweeted word of Leslie's agreement.

Leslie, 22, appeared in 10 games for the Clippers last season, but hasn't played in the NBA this year. The 6'4" guard has spent the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 16.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG while shooting 51.5% from the floor in 28 games for Golden State's D-League affiliate.

The Jazz currently have a full roster of 15 players, so the club will have to release a player to clear a spot for Leslie. The most likely candidate to go is Raja Bell, who is on an expiring contract and hasn't played for the Jazz this season. If Bell is released, another team could pick him up, but he wouldn't be eligible to play in the postseason with a new club.

D-League Moves: Thunder, Heat, Lamb, Varnado

March 10th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page.

The Heat announced that they have recalled Jarvis Varnado from the Sioux Falls Skyforce after a stay that lasted less than two weeks. In 15 D-League games this year, Varnado has averaged 12.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.67 blocks, 1.1 assists and 29.9 minutes while shooting 52.2 percent from the field.
The Thunder continue to make liberal use of their nearby D-League affiliate, announcing they've assigned forward Perry Jones III and shooting guard Jeremy Lamb to the Tulsa 66ers. It's the sixth time Jones has been sent down this season, and the seventh assignment for Lamb, who's put up slightly better numbers over his time in Tulsa. Lamb is averaging 21.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the D-League, while Jones has posted 14.8 PPG and 6.9 RPG.

Jazz Waive Raja Bell

March 10th, 2013 at 10:54am CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz have waived Raja Bell, agent Herb Rudoy tells Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). The move, which had been expected as the team neared an agreement Friday with Travis Leslie, ends a season-long standoff between the Jazz and Bell, who hasn't played a single game this season after the team told him not to come to training camp. Bell will receive his full $3.48MM salary this season, Oram tweets, and that money will remain on Utah's books as long as he clears waivers.

Bell asked for a trade last May after clashing with coach Tyrone Corbin, and he and the team have gone back and forth about the possibility of a buyout for months, reportedly even agreeing on one in July, but Utah never finalized his exit from the team until now. Bell started 33 games at shooting guard for the Jazz last season, but suffered a left knee injury in mid-March and appeared in only one game after his return, playing 18 minutes off the bench in the team's regular-season finale.

The 36-year-old Bell was reportedly telling those close to him last month he'd sign with the Lakers, but that was before the March 1st deadline for players to be waived and still be eligible for the postseason with another team. L.A. could sign Bell and use him in the regular season, but the Lakers are apparently wary of adding more salary that would increase their luxury tax bill. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni failed in his effort to talk the team into making Bell an offer before March 1st, and without a guarantee he'd find a job with another team, Bell turned down Utah's final buyout offer before the deadline passed.

Rudoy tells Oram that Bell definitely plans to play again (Twitter link), and the Wolves and Bulls have shown interest at various points this season, though it's unclear whether they would want to give him a look now. Bell named the Heat his top choice in the fall, and as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News points out, he has spent the season hanging around Miami, where he attended high school and college. The Heat could open a roster space by electing not to re-up 10-day signee Juwan Howard, but they would have to reciprocate Bell's interest, and there's been no indication that they want to bring him aboard.

One of the reasons Bell remained in limbo for so long is that the Jazz didn't want to give in and reward what the team believed was poor behavior on Bell's part, Oram tweets, so that could scare other teams off. The 12-year veteran averaged his fewest minutes and points per game in nine seasons last year, but he still shot 39.1% from three-point range, just slightly below his 40.6% career mark.

Celtics Re-Sign White; Randolph Expected Back

March 10th, 2013 at 10:11am CST by Chuck Myron

10:11am: White tells Blakely he signed a second 10-day contract with the Celtics this morning. Randolph said he hasn't re-upped yet, but is optimistic about his chances (Twitter links).

10:04am: D.J. White's 10-day contract with the Celtics expired last night, and Shavlik Randolph's is over after tonight, but the team is expected to announce soon that they're re-signing both of them, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston brought the big men aboard along with guard Terrence Williams shortly after the trade deadline to bolster an injury-depleted roster.

White and Randolph have occupied the final two spots on Boston's 15-man roster. It's not clear whether White and Shavlik will be signed through the rest of the season or receive a second set of 10-day deals. After his first 10-day contract with the Celtics expired, Williams received a deal that runs through the season and includes a non-guaranteed second year in 2013/14.

Neither White nor Randolph has seen much time on the floor for Boston. White has appeared in just one game so far, totaling four minutes, while Randolph has yet to see game action. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wrote yesterday that "all indications" were that White would be back with the team, since he accompanied them on their flight to Oklahoma City for today's game. Randolph is with the team as well, as Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe noted, though he'd be eligible to play against the Thunder either way, since his contract runs a day longer than White's.

Mavericks Waive Dominique Jones

March 9th, 2013 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:30pm: Jones' unwillingness to accept a D-League assignment prompted the Mavs to cut ties, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports.

1:53pm: Dallas has waived former first-round pick Dominique Jones, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Since the move comes after March 1st, the guard will be ineligible to play for another team in the postseason this year should someone sign him or claim him off waivers. The Mavs tried to trade him at multiple points earlier this season, but never found an offer they liked.

Jones is making a guaranteed $1.277MM in the third season of his rookie-scale contract, signed after the Mavs drafted him with the 25th overall pick in 2010. In October, the team declined its $2.3MM option for next season, and though GM Donnie Nelson didn't rule out re-signing him in the summer, it appeared to signal an end to the South Florida product's tenure in Dallas. Jones has posted 4.0 points and 2.9 assists this season, career-high marks for a player who has seen little playing time. He's averaging 11.7 minutes per contest this year, but has only appeared in five games since New Year's Day.

The Mavs had been carrying a full 15-man roster, so the move gives them the flexibility to sign someone else, perhaps on a 10-day deal. Dallas is in 11th place in the Western Conference but still has a reasonable shot to make the postseason, since the team is just three and a half games back of the Jazz for the eighth playoff spot.

Clippers Sign Maalik Wayns To 10-Day Contract

March 9th, 2013 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 1:34pm: The Clippers officially announced their deal with Wayns, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy notes via Twitter.

FRIDAY, 7:45am: The Clippers have signed former Villanova guard Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The Clippers had been carrying 14 players, so a corresponding move isn't necessary to open up a roster spot for Wayns.

Wayns went undrafted in 2012, but was signed as a rookie free agent by the 76ers. The team was unwilling to guarantee his contract for the season though, releasing the 21-year-old just before the guarantee deadline, then re-signing him to a 10-day contract before eventually parting ways with him. In 21 games for Philadelphia, Wayns averaged 2.7 PPG while shooting an ugly 26.4% from the field in 7.9 minutes per contest.

As our 10-day contract tracker shows, teams have been actively filling roster spots with players on 10-day deals since the trade deadline. Including Wayns, eight players are currently on 10-day contracts, with Terrel Harris expected to become the ninth if and when he finalizes his agreement with the Hornets.

Lakers Assign Morris, Sacre To D-League

March 9th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Sean Highkin

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned center Robert Sacre and guard Darius Morris to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, the team announced.

You can view every D-League assignment and recall of the 2012/13 season Hoops Rumors' D-League assignment tracker.

Warriors Sign Malcolm Thomas

March 8th, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

2:52pm: The Warriors have officially signed Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

9:46am: Despite a Monday report indicating that the Warriors weren't planning to fill their open roster spots in the near future, the club is expected to sign Malcolm Thomas to a 10-day contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).

Thomas, 24, made his NBA debut last season with the Spurs, appearing in three games with the team before being released. After a standout summer league performance with the Bulls last July, Thomas signed a contract with Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv, but received limited playing time overseas, averaging just 15.6 minutes per game in 15 contests. The 6'9" forward made his 2012/13 D-League debut on Wednesday, posting 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Because the Warriors had a pair of open roster spots, after having traded Charles Jenkins and Jeremy Tyler at the deadline, they won't need to waive anyone to clear a spot for Thomas. A 10-day deal also won't add significantly to Golden State's team salary, as the team looks to remain below the tax line.

D-League Moves: Selby, Lakers, Thunder, Jerrells

March 7th, 2013 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track today's D-League moves, including assignments and recalls, right here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

Josh Selby, who was released by the Cavaliers over the weekend, has been acquired by the D-League's Maine Red Claws, according to RealGM.com. The Celtics' affiliate sent a 2013 D-League draft pick to the Canton Charge in exchange for Selby.
Darius Morris and Robert Sacre have been assigned to the D-League by the Lakers, the team announced today in a press release. It's Sacre's third assignment and Morris' first assignment with the D-Fenders this season.
The Thunder have re-assigned DeAndre Liggins and Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers, according to a team release. Liggins was recently assigned to the D-League along with Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, but for Orton, it's his first assignment since being recalled in late January. Both players are expected to be active tonight for Tulsa's game against the Iowa Energy.
Curtis Jerrells, who had been playing in Turkey, is set to join the Maine Red Claws, tweets David Pick. The former Baylor point guard has never appeared in an NBA regular-season game, though he has spent time with the Spurs and Hornets.

Southeast Notes: Oden, Heat, Magic, Scott

March 6th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's longest current winning and losing streaks both belong to Southeast Division teams, and will be on the line tonight. The Heat are hosting the Magic, in search of their 16th straight win, while the Bobcats will look to snap a seven-game losing streak at home against the Nets. As we wait for the Eastern Conference's best and worst clubs to get underway tonight, let's round up a few notes out of the Southeast….

Agent Mike Conley Sr. doesn't expect Greg Oden to sign anywhere until July, suggesting to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that teams will have more financial flexibility to pursue his client after the season. According to Conley, there is mutual interest between Oden and the Heat, and the two sides expect to talk again in the summer. The Cavs, Bobcats, and Spurs are other potential suitors for the former first overall pick, according to Tomasson.
Responding to Dwight Howard's suggestion that his Magic teams were "full of people nobody wanted," Jameer Nelson shot back at his former teammate, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel documents. "At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?" Nelson said.
Mike Scott has returned to Atlanta to rejoin the Hawks after a brief stint with the team's D-League affiliate, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks officially announced in a press release that Scott has been recalled from the Bakersfield Jam and will be available for tonight's game against the Sixers.