Magic Sign Chris Johnson
The Magic have signed Chris Johnson, who was waived this weekend by the Clippers, the team announced. Johnson is a 6'6" small forward from Dayton, and is not to be confused with the 6'11" center of the same name who's in camp with the Timberwolves. Johnson is likely joining the Magic on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
Johnson went undrafted this year, though he was ranked 74th among prospects by ESPN.com's Chad Ford. He played for the Sixers in the summer league this past July, averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game over four contests. He put up 12.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG and shot 39.7% from three-point range in his senior year at Dayton.
The move brings the Magic roster to 20 players, the preseason limit.
Grizzlies Waive D.J. Kennedy, Jarrid Famous
The Grizzlies have waived D.J. Kennedy and Jarrid Famous from their roster, the team announced. Neither player competed in Memphis' lone preseason game. Both played in the D-League last season, and both were signed by the team on September 29. Memphis' roster no stands at 18.
Clippers Waive Chris Johnson, Courtney Fortson
The Clippers have waived Courtney Fortson and Chris Johnson, leaving their roster at 18 players as the team heads to China, according to a tweet from Clippers reporter Madelyn Burke.
Fortson was signed by Los Angeles after being released by the Rockets earlier this summer, while Johnson was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Dayton.
Bobcats Waive Jeff Adrien, Paris Horne
The Bobcats have waived Jeff Adrien and Paris Horne, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Both players were signed to non-guaranteed, make-good contracts in September. Charlotte's roster now stands at 16.
Adrien, 26, saw limited playing time with the Warriors in 2010/11 and the Rockets in 2011/12. The UConn product reportedly drew interest from the the Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics before agreeing to terms with the Bobcats. The forward also spent time with Orlando's Summer League team in 2010, though there was obviously different personnel in place.
Horne, 25, spent last season in Germany with BG Gottingen. The 6'3" guard out of St. John's made a strong impression on the Bobcats as a member of their Summer League team this year but was unable to crack the final 15. Bonnell notes that Horne was an intriguing player due to his quickness but was still a longshot to hang on.
Bulls Waive Vance Cooksey
According to an official press release from Bulls.com, Chicago has waived Vance Cooksey. The guard out of Pikeville was signed to the team's training camp roster this past Monday and had played in the D-League last season. The Bulls roster is now at 17.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Walton, D12, Jazz, Wright
As NBA training camps continue, the big stories around the league today involved the Association's new anti-flopping policy and the Knicks finally making Rasheed Wallace's signing official. In spite of the buzz surrounding Wallace's return to the NBA, Knicks coach Mike Woodson tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that he views 'Sheed as an insurance policy, rather than someone who will play big minutes. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:
- There's still a chance Josh Howard ends up on the Knicks, but the team would have to cut someone to make room for him, tweets Zwerling. For now, New York is in "wait-and-see mode" while the team evaluates its current players, a source tells Zwerling (Twitter link).
- If the Cavaliers have made Luke Walton a buyout offer, he isn't aware of it, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). According to Amico, Walton leaves such matters to his agent, and is expecting to play out the final year of his contract with the Cavs.
- The timetable for Dwight Howard's potential return keeps moving up, if you ask Howard, who tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he could play in the preseason.
- While Jazz players like Chris Quinn, Brian Butch, Darnell Jackson, and Trey Gilder are long shots to make the club's roster, coach Tyrone Corbin says everyone has a chance, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.
- Israeli team Maccabi Rishon LeZion has announced the signing of 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's David Thorpe explores the impact it would have if the D-League evolved into a full minor league system for the NBA.
Knicks Sign Rasheed Wallace
2:38pm: Wallace's contract is non-guaranteed, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com confirms (via Twitter). You can view the full list of Knicks on non-guaranteed deals right here.
12:24pm: The Knicks have officially signed Rasheed Wallace, the team announced today in a press release. The deal is expected to be for one year at the minimum salary, though it's not clear whether or not it's fully guaranteed. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported earlier today that the deal likely won't be guaranteed unless Wallace makes the team.
Although Wallace has flirted with the idea of a comeback over the last two years, he hasn't played in an NBA game since the 2010 playoffs, when he and the Celtics were defeated by the Lakers in the Finals. The veteran big man has played in nearly 1100 games since entering the league in 1995, but it'll be interesting to see if he's still able to contribute much at age 38, after two years out of the NBA.
With Wallace's signing, the Knicks now have 20 players in training camp. Of the other 19 Knicks contracts, 13 are believed to be fully guaranteed, so there should be a couple roster spots available for the remaining camp participants. If Wallace shows he's healthy and in shape, I imagine he'll earn one of those last two spots.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com first reported that Wallace had taken a physical with the Knicks last week, while Berman reported that Wallace had informed the Knicks he'd sign with them.
Malcolm Thomas Signs With Maccabi Tel Aviv
WEDNESDAY, 8:12am: Thomas has officially signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv on a one-year deal, according to Euroleague.net (hat tip to Sportando). The Israeli club also has an option on Thomas for 2013/14.
FRIDAY, 8:35am: After failing to secure a satisfactory NBA offer, Malcolm Thomas has agreed to join Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv on a multiyear contract, according to David Pick of Sportando. Pick had reported yesterday that the two sides were in "advanced talks."
Thomas played just three games for the Spurs last season, and also signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets, though he didn't appear in any games for Houston. The 6'9" forward saw his stock increase, however, after a standout performance with the Bulls' summer league squad in July.
Although Chicago badly wanted to bring him to camp on a non-guaranteed deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter), it seemed Thomas was seeking a larger financial commitment. The 23-year-old worked out for the Knicks as well, and was reportedly looking for a guaranteed contract from the team.
Maccabi Tel Aviv was also said to be interested in Kenyon Martin to bolster its frontcourt. However, Martin turned down the club's offer of $900K, according to Pick (Twitter link).
Heat Exercise Norris Cole’s Option
8:01pm: The Heat have confirmed the extension via press release.
7:42pm: The Heat have exercised Norris Cole's $1.2MM option for the 2013/14 season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Cleveland State product averaged 6.8 PPG with 2.0 APG and 0.7 SPG in his rookie campaign last season.
The 28th overall pick in the draft impressed early on in the season, making him look to be one of the early steals of the 2011 class. However, the explosive athlete would quickly hit the rookie wall and had a rather up-and-down year in total. Regardless, the Heat believe that the explosive athlete has shown enough upside to warrant another year under contract in Miami.
Mavericks Waive D.J. Mbenga, Tu Holloway
Just a few days after officially signing them, the Mavericks have waived D.J. Mbenga and Tu Holloway, the team announced today in a press release. With Mbenga and Holloway no longer on the training camp roster, the team now has 16 players under contract.
With the preseason still a few days from getting underway, the timing of the moves seems a little unusual. Dallas was under no pressure to reduce its roster size yet, and I would've assumed the club would at least take a look at Mbenga and Holloway in camp this week. Perhaps the pair of players is being given the chance to explore other opportunities, though that's just my speculation.
Mbenga, 31, has appeared in 234 career games for the Mavericks, Warriors, Lakers, and Hornets, and was reportedly prepared to join Dallas' D-League affiliate if he didn't earn a spot on the team. Holloway, 23, was ranked as this year's 68th-best prospect by ESPN.com's Chad Ford but went undrafted. The 6'0" point guard averaged 17.5 PPG and 4.9 APG in his senior year at Xavier before playing for the Mavs' summer league squad in July.