76ers Exercise Option On Evan Turner
The 76ers have picked up their fourth-year option on Evan Turner, the team announced today in a press release. Turner had been the only Sixer with an outstanding team option for 2013/14.
As John Hollinger of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), even though the move was a formality, Turner's fourth-year salary as a former second overall pick isn't insignificant. Turner will earn $5.29MM this season, then be in line for $6.68MM in 2013/14. He'll be eligible for a contract extension next summer, or restricted free agency in the 2014 offseason.
As next Wednesday's deadline approaches, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors' rookie contract option tracker to keep tabs on which teams have exercised '13/14 options so far.
Nuggets Waive Anthony Carter, Ben Uzoh
The Nuggets have officially waived point guards Anthony Carter and Ben Uzoh, the team announced today in a press release. The cuts reduce Denver's roster to 15 players.
Both Carter and Uzoh were signed to the Nuggets' camp roster back on October 1st, the only two players the team brought in on summer contracts. Carter appeared in three preseason games for Denver, while Uzoh played in just one. Neither player was in a great position to earn a spot on the club's regular season roster, since there are 14 Nuggets on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Julyan Stone, whose deal has a partial guarantee.
Carter told HoopsWorld last week that Nuggets coach George Karl had offered him a job as an assistant, so it'll be interesting to see if the veteran guard transitions into coaching or attempts to continue his playing career with another team.
Suns Waive Ike Diogu, Solomon Jones
The Suns have waived Ike Diogu and Solomon Jones, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Both were on non-guaranteed deals. Coro says the moves mean fellow camp invitees Diante Garrett and Luke Zeller will likely make the team, as Coro predicted earlier today. Phoenix has 15 players remaining on the roster, so they're down to the regular season limit.
The Warriors selected Diogu with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, but traded him midway through his second season with the team, and he's been a journeyman ever since. He's averaged 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in parts of six NBA seasons, including a brief two-game stint with the Spurs last year, and also spent time playing in China and Puerto Rico during 2011/12.
Jones was the first camp invitee for the Suns this season after 21 total games with the Clippers and Hornets last year. The former second-round pick hasn't made much impact in his six seasons in the league, but he did notch career highs in points (5.5), rebounds (3.7) and minutes per game (17.8) last year.
Coro believes that the fact Zeller and Garrett would make only the rookie minimum salary of $473,604, almost half of the veteran's amount of $854,389 the Suns would owe Diogu and Jones, is playing a role in the club's decision on which of its camp invitees to keep for the regular season. Though the team is well below the salary cap, owner Robert Sarver is notorious for pinching pennies.
Bulls Waive Marko Jaric, Ryan Allen
The Bulls have officially waived camp invitees Marko Jaric and Ryan Allen, the team announced today in a press release. The pair of cuts reduces Chicago's roster to 13 players, meaning the team is likely set for the regular season.
Jaric and Allen were among the five free agents the Bulls invited to camp this month, but like the other three, who have also been released, they were long shots to earn roster spots. Although teams can carry up to 15 players in the regular season, the Bulls are up against a hard cap, with only about $758K of breathing room. Chicago would have needed to make a corresponding roster move to clear space for either player's minimum-salary deal.
As is, the Bulls will be eligible to sign a veteran player without trading or releasing another player as of November 19th, when the amount of the veteran-minimum salary prorates to fit within their cap parameters.
Cavs Pick Up 2013/14 Option On Byron Scott
The Cavaliers have exercised their 2013/14 option on Byron Scott's contract, reports Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Since replacing Mike Brown in 2010, Scott has led the Cavs to a 40-108 record, though the team appears to be on the upswing, having added top-five picks Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters in the last two drafts. We heard earlier this offseason that the Cavs and Scott had begun talking about a contract extension for the head coach, who expressed a desire to remain in Cleveland long-term.
"We'll take care of that somewhere down the line," Scott said at the time. "People ask, ‘Do you really like Cleveland?' I love it. The perception of Cleveland is it's the ‘Mistake by the Lake.' I hope I'm here in the next five years. I enjoy what's going on."
Scott may not be locked up for the next five years, but the Cavs' decision on his option means he's now under contract for the next two seasons, at least.
Warriors Waive Four Players
The Warriors have made four cuts, reducing their roster to 15 players with less than a week until the regular season gets underway. Golden State has waived camp invitees Carlon Brown, Lance Goulbourne, Rick Jackson, and Tarence Kinsey, according to a press release from the team.
Golden State began training camp with the maximum 20 players under contract, but released Stefhon Hannah earlier in the month. With 15 players still under contract, the Warriors could be poised to enter the regular season with their current roster. Kent Bazemore is the only player remaining on the team without a fully guaranteed contract, though he has a partial guarantee and seems to be a good bet to make the team.
Bucks Exercise Options On Sanders, Udoh, Harris
The Bucks have picked up a handful of contract options for 2013/14, the team announced today (Twitter link). Milwaukee exercised its fourth-year options on Larry Sanders and Ekpe Udoh, and picked up its third-year option on Tobias Harris.
Udoh, who was acquired from the Warriors in March's Andrew Bogut/Monta Ellis blockbuster, will now earn a guaranteed $4.47MM in 2013/14, while Sanders will be owed $3.05MM. Both players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the 2014 offseason, unless they sign contract extensions next summer. As for Harris, the Bucks will pay him a $1.55MM salary in 2013/14, and hold an additional team option for 2014/15, worth $2.38MM.
Be sure to check out our rookie contract option tracker to keep tabs on which 2013/14 team options have been exercised to date.
Blazers To Send Harper, Lauderdale To D-League
Camp invitees Demonte Harper and Dallas Lauderdale aren't traveling with the Blazers to Utah for Thursday's preseason game, and Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that the team plans to send them to the Idaho Stampede, Portland's D-League affiliate. While that doesn't necessarily mean those two are getting cut, Haynes points out via Twitter that NBA clubs are allowed to protect up to three training camp invitees for their D-League affliates, once those players clear NBA waivers. So, it seems likely that's the plan for Harper and Lauderdale.
Haynes also tweets that GM Neil Olshey said he'll make roster cuts Saturday, which would allow the players to clear waivers by 5pm Eastern time Monday, the deadline for teams to be at the 15-man regular season roster limit. Harper and Lauderdale won't be waived before Saturday, Haynes says, since Olshey has maintained that he wants to wait as long as possible to make his cuts (Twitter link). The Blazers currently have 20 players on the roster, which is the preseason limit. Six are candidates to be cut, since they are all without even a partial guarantee, and that list includes Harper and Lauderdale. The other 14 have fully guaranteed deals. Mike Tokito of The Oregonian identifies Coby Karl and Justin Holiday as two likely candidates to be the third player waived and protected for Idaho (Twitter link).
Harper, a 6'4" guard, spent last year with the Croatian club KK Cibona after going undrafted out of Morehead State in 2011. He played with the Nuggets in summer league, but has registered just four minutes of playing time in preseason with the Blazers. Lauderdale, a 6'8" Ohio State product, was also passed over in the 2011 draft, and played with Turow Zgorzelec in Poland last season. He was with the Warriors' summer league team, but like Harper, hasn't seen much preseason action, garnering only six minutes.
Spurs Waive Eddy Curry, Derrick Brown
With a week until the regular season gets underway, the Spurs have cut two players from their roster, the team announced today. According to a press release, the team has waived camp invitees Eddy Curry and Derrick Brown, reducing the roster count to 16 players.
The decision to waive both players is a little surprising, considering coach Gregg Popovich seemed to indicate over the weekend that Curry and Brown were the top candidates to earn the team's 15th and final roster spot. Curry looked decent in camp, while Brown had a solid 2011/12 campaign for the Bobcats, so it wouldn't be unexpected to see either player draw interest, and perhaps a waiver claim.
With Curry and Brown no longer on the roster, Josh Powell and Wesley Witherspoon seem to be in contention to be the 15th man, assuming San Antonio decides to carry the maximum. In addition to Powell and Witherspoon, the Spurs also have DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal on non-guaranteed contracts, though neither player appears in any danger of being released.
Grizzlies Waive Michael Dunigan, Kyle Weaver
The Grizzlies have requested waivers on camp invitees Michael Dunigan and Kyle Weaver, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The roster moves reduce the number of Grizzlies under contract to 16.
Memphis opened the month with 20 players in camp, but released D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous earlier in October. With 16 players still on the roster, 13 of those have fully guaranteed contracts, while three camp invitees remain: Ronald Dupree, Jerome Jordan, and Flip Murray. Depending on how many players the Grizzlies decide to carry into the regular season, at least one of those players will have to be cut.