Clippers Sign Johnson, Plaisted, Thorns
The Clippers have signed Chris Johnson, Trent Plaisted, and Hank Thorns to non-guaranteed deals, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. The trio, along with previously reported camp invites Marqus Blakely and Courtney Fortson, all appear to be longshots to make what is already a full roster.
Johnson, a guard who starred at the University of Dayton, had interest from a handful of clubs as a second-round pick but went undrafted this June. Plaisted was tabbed by the Sonics in the second-round of the 2008 draft after his junior year at BYU and has since played for a handful of teams overseas. Thorns, a diminutive 5'9" guard, made the All-Mountain West First Team in his senior season at TCU.
Magic Sign Armon Johnson, DeQuan Jones
SEPTEMBER 29: The Magic confirmed the signings via press release.
SEPTEMBER 19: The Magic expect to sign Armon Johnson and DeQuan Jones to contracts, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). The additions, if and when they become official, would brings Orlando's roster to a total of 19 players.
Johnson, 23, was said to be seeking an NBA roster spot earlier this summer. He'll likely be on a non-guaranteed deal with the Magic and will face an uphill battle earning a spot on the roster, but given the team's lack of point guard depth, he should get a long look in training camp. The 6'3" guard has appeared in 47 games with the Trail Blazers and Nets over the last two seasons after being drafted 34th overall in 2010.
Jones, a 6'8" forward, was part of the Magic's summer league roster in Orlando this summer, averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in four games. The 22-year-old went undrafted in June out of the University of Miami, where he played just 17.3 minutes per contest in his senior year.
Al Thornton To Sign With Chinese Team
Forward Al Thornton has signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to a report from Sina.com.cn passed along by Sportando. The former 14th overall pick of the 2007 draft was in mini-camp with the Nets earlier this year and was reportedly in the mix for a roster spot.
Thornton, 28, spent last season with Puerto Rico's Guayama where he averaged 18.7 PPG. The forward's last stint in the NBA came in 2010/11 when he played in 71 games with the Wizards and Warriors, including 23 starts in Washington. For his career, Thornton has averaged 11.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 28 minutes per contest.
Lakers Sign Ronnie Aguilar
FRIDAY, 10:41pm: According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter), Aguilar has a half-decent shot at making the roster considering Howard's back complications.
THURSDAY, 7:35pm: According to RealGM, the Lakers have signed 7'1 center Ronnie Aguilar. The 25-year-old big man played collegiately for Colorado State from 2006-2008 and was a member of the Bakersfield Jam during the 2011-2012 season, averaging 2.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 11.2 MPG in six total games.
The team now has 19 players on their roster for training camp, and as Chuck Myron pointed out in assessing the roster sizes of the Western Conference, the Lakers already have 15 players under contracts that are either guaranteed or partially guaranteed. Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles thinks that along with Reeves Nelson and Greg Somogyi, Aguilar is a long shot to make the team.
T-Wolves Sign Six To Finalize Camp Roster
The Timberwolves formally announced today that they have signed six players to fill out their roster for training camp. Besides Will Conroy and Seth Tarver, whose signings had been previously reported, Minnesota has also added Jermaine Taylor, Mike Harris, Chris Johnson, and Phil Jones, according to the team (Twitter link).
Of the four additions that we're hearing about for the first time, Taylor, Harris, and Johnson all have previous NBA experience, though only Johnson logged NBA minutes in 2011/12. Taylor, the 32nd overall pick in 2009 appeared in 65 games for the Rockets and Kings, while the undrafted Harris played for the Rockets and Wizards in parts of three seasons. Jones, meanwhile, played his college ball for the Charlotte 49ers, where his senior year was cut short in 2011 after he was ruled academically ineligible for the second half.
Conroy has a small guarantee on his contract, which should give him a slight advantage over the other five players for the T-Wolves' 15th and final roster spot. However, I expect the team would be happy to eat the $100K owed to Conroy if one of the other non-guaranteed players excels in training camp and preseason action.
With Minnesota's roster now at 20 players, it appears the T-Wolves are officially out of the running for Sean Williams, Hassan Whiteside, and various other big men that have been linked to the team in recent weeks.
Odds & Ends: Dentmon, Curry, Williams, Wright
Here are a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association, with opening night just over a month away:
- After we rounded up a few highlights from the Celtics' media day earlier this afternoon, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com adds a few more, courtesy of Kevin Garnett's podium appearance. KG discussed Ray Allen, the Heat, and his decision to re-sign with the Celtics, among other topics.
- Justin Dentmon has signed with Fujian Quanzhou in China, agent Bill Neff tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Last year's D-League MVP had brief stints with the Spurs and Raptors in 2011/12.
- Asked once again about his contract situation in a Q&A with Jason McIntyre of Big Lead Sports, Stephen Curry reiterated that he hopes to remain with the Warriors long-term, adding: "I’m an NBA junkie and I know all of the latest news and contract situations. But I won’t base my decision on 'Oh, this guy makes a certain amount, I need to make more' or that kind of thing. It’s about timing in the NBA and the right situation, and winning more than money. But yeah, I know everybody’s contract, that’s common knowledge, but it doesn’t impact my situation."
- The Trail Blazers must decide by October 31st whether to pick up Elliot Williams' $2.37MM option for 2013/14, and with Williams' season over due to a ruptured achilles tendon, he's not sure what the team will do. Either way, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Williams intends to be ready and healthy for the '13/14 season.
- Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside wonders which former D-Leaguers on camp invites have the best odds to earn regular-season NBA roster spots.
- We heard earlier this week that Julian Wright was closing in on a deal with Israel's Maccabi Rishon, but David Pick of Sportando says (via Twitter) Wright may be having second thoughts after agreeing to terms with the club.
- In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered says Joe Dumars' willingness to look overseas to acquire a player like Slava Kravtsov is a good sign for the Pistons.
Cavaliers Sign Kevin Anderson
FRIDAY, 2:32pm: The Cavaliers have formally announced their training camp roster, which includes Anderson, making his signing official.
THURSDAY, 3:25pm: Kevin Anderson will take part in the Cavaliers' training camp, competing to earn a roster spot, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. We had heard earlier this month that Anderson worked out for the Cavs, so the team must have liked what it saw enough to take a flier on the Richmond product.
Anderson, 23, was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as a junior before graduating from Richmond in 2011. After going undrafted, the 6'0" point guard played with SIG Strasbourg in France in 2011/12, averaging 12.5 PPG and 3.5 APG.
When Anderson's deal becomes finalized, he'll become the 19th player under contract for the Cavs, though only 13 of the team's deals are fully guaranteed. Daniel Gibson, Micheal Eric, Kevin Jones, and Samardo Samuels all have partial guarantees, while Anderson figures to join Donald Sloan as the two Cavs with no guaranteed money on their deals.
Hawks Sign Keith Benson, Carldell Johnson
The Hawks have officially announced their training camp roster, and as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes, there are some new names on the list. In additions to signings we'd heard about before, such as James Anderson, Anthony Tolliver, and Damion James, the team has also added Keith Benson and Carldell Johnson to its camp roster.
Benson, 24, was the 48th overall pick in the 2011 draft, but didn't earn a spot on the Hawks' roster. The 6'11" big man ended up playing 20 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG, and also signed a 10-day contract with the Warriors late in the season. He appeared in just three games for Golden State, playing limited minutes.
Johnson, 29, has played over 200 D-League games for the Austin Toros since going undrafted in 2006. The 5'10" point guard known as Squeaky finally made his NBA debut last season for the Hornets, appearing in 15 contests for New Orleans.
Benson and Johnson both figure to be on non-guaranteed deals, and it's unlikely either player will end up on Atlanta's regular season roster. While the team does have at least one open roster spot, with 14 players on fully or partially guaranteed contracts, I'd expect Anderson and James to have a leg up on Benson and Johnson for that final spot.
Clippers To Sign Marqus Blakely
As the Clippers prepare for training camp, they will sign Marqus Blakely to a contract, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Carchia reported back in August that the Clips had brought Blakely in for a workout and were considering signing him.
Blakely was in camp with the Clippers in 2010 and the Rockets in 2011, but hasn't appeared in any regular-season NBA contests. The undrafted University of Vermont product averaged 15.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and put up a PER of 19.3 over a combined 35 games with the D-League's Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls Skyforce last season. He also spent time in the Philippines, with B-Meg Llamados, posting an impressive 22.4 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.7 SPG, and 2.6 BPG in 22 games.
The Clippers have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, so Blakely likely won't receive any guarantee, and will be a long shot to earn a roster spot. When he and Courtney Fortson officially sign with the team, they'll bring the Clippers' total roster count to 17.
Celtics Sign Darko Milicic
SEPTEMBER 28TH, 10:16am: The Celtics have officially signed Milicic, according to a team release.
SEPTEMBER 20TH, 10:27am: According to Blakely, Milicic's deal with the Celtics is expected to be a one-year, minimum-salary pact. It will also be guaranteed, giving the C's 14 guaranteed contracts, says Blakely.
9:20am: Two months after being amnestied by the Timberwolves, Darko Milicic will be joining the Celtics, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). Blakely confirms the news that a Novosti.rs report (English link via Sportando) suggested earlier today.
It appears Milicic will sign with the Celtics on a minimum-salary contract, rather than getting a portion of the team's bi-annual exception. As I mentioned in this morning's post, Milicic is still receiving a salary from the Timberwolves, so while Boston would only be paying him the veteran's minimum, he would be earning much more than that overall.
Milicic, 27, has played in 467 total NBA games with the Pistons, Magic, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Timberwolves since entering the league in 2003. He had one of his worst seasons in Minnesota in 2011/12, averaging just 4.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG while posting a 9.0 PER, his worst mark since 2004/05. Still, while the former second overall pick has never lived up to expectations, his 12.3 PER is respectable for a backup big man not expected to receive huge minutes.
If and when the Celtics finalize their agreement with Milicic, he'll be the 18th player under contract for the team, though only 13 of those deals are fully guaranteed. It appears Milicic will be competing with Dionte Christmas, Jamar Smith, Kris Joseph, and Rob Kurz for one of those final two roster spots, though Darko's size (7'0") and experience should give him an edge.