Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ike Diogu, Tim Quarterman To Play In China

January 2nd, 2018 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of former NBA players have signed to new teams in China to kick off the 2018 calendar year, according to international basketball reporter David Pick. Former first-rounder Ike Diogu has signed with the Sichuan Whales, while former Trail Blazers guard Tim Quarterman has agreed to join the Jiangsu Dragons, per Pick (Twitter links).

Diogu, 34, was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Warriors. The veteran big man ultimately appeared in 225 NBA regular season games, spending time with the Dubs, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Kings, Clippers, and Spurs.

Diogu has played for a variety of international teams since 2012, and according to Pick, he’ll replace former NBA guard Jamaal Franklin on the Whales, who have a CBA-worst 3-20 record this season.

As for Quarterman, the former LSU standout began his NBA career with the Blazers last season, appearing sparingly in 16 games in his rookie season. The 23-year-old shooting guard was traded to the Rockets in June and was later cut by Houston.

Quarterman, who averaged 11.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 6.3 RPG in 22 G League games last season, is signing a one-month contract with the Dragons. He’ll step in for former NBA guard MarShon Brooks, who is returning to America for the birth of his son, Pick reports.

Lou Amundson Signs In Japan

December 31st, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by clarkcrum

Lou Amundson, who last played in the NBA during the 2015/16 season for the Knicks, has signed with the Kawasaki Brave Thunders of the Japanese B.League, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Amundson, who was part of the 2015 trade that sent Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith to Cleveland, began his career in the G League and was named All-NBA D-League First Team and NBA D-League Rookie of the Year in 2007.

The 35-year-old veteran power forward has played in 428 games over 10 NBA seasons, with career averages of 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Heat Sign Derrick Jones To Two-Way Deal, Waive Matt Williams

December 31st, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:37pm: The moves are official, according to Winderman (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 31, 11:39am: The Heat will sign small forward Derrick Jones to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Miami will create an opening by waiving shooting guard Matt Williams, who currently holds one of the team’s two-way deals, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).

The other two-way contract belongs to point guard Derrick Walton, who is nearing his 45-day NBA limit. The Heat could have chosen to convert Walton’s deal to a standard NBA contract and release center A.J. Hammons, who has spent the entire season in the G League after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Mavericks. Hammons is making more than $1.3MM this season and has nearly $1.45MM guaranteed for 2019/20, and Miami decided it isn’t ready to part with him.

Jones, 20, won a roster spot with the Suns last season, but was waived December 7 when Phoenix converted Mike James‘ contract to a full NBA deal. Jones has been playing for the Suns’ G League team in Northern Arizona since being cut. He appeared in 32 games for Phoenix in 2016/17 and six this season, averaging 4.7 points in about 15 minutes.

Williams has played a total of 11 minutes in three games for the Heat.

Nicolas Brussino Signs With Spanish Team

December 31st, 2017 at 9:38am CST by Arthur Hill

Nicolas Brussino, who was waived by the Hawks December 8, has signed with CB Gran Canaria in Spain, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

The 24-year-old swingman appeared in just four games for Atlanta, which claimed him off waivers after the Mavericks released him in July. He played 54 games for Dallas last season as a rookie, averaging 9.6 minutes and 2.8 points.

Brussino is a member of the Argentinian national team and won a silver medal at this year’s FIBA AmeriCup, where he earned a spot on the all-tournament squad.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas To Sign With Italian Team

December 31st, 2017 at 8:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who was waived by the Knicks last month, will sign with Olimpia Milano in Italy, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

His new contract will run through June of 2019, but it contains an opt-out clause for next summer in case he gets an opportunity to return to the NBA. He reportedly had offers from five EuroLeague teams, including Anadolu Efes in Turkey, before deciding on the Italian club.

Kuzminskas played just one game in New York this season before being released when the Knicks needed to open a roster spot for Joakim Noah‘s return from suspension. He had a solid rookie season in 2016/17, averaging 6.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 68 games, but lost support in the front office when former team president Phil Jackson was fired.

The 28-year-old small forward had a decade of international experience before coming to the NBA and played for the Lithuanian national team.

Rockets Sign Gerald Green To Non-Guaranteed Deal

December 28th, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

5:48pm: The signing is official, per team release.

2:19pm: The Rockets are finalizing a non-guaranteed deal with veteran guard Gerald Green, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The deal is not complete but the Rockets expect to sign Green before tonight’s game against the Celtics, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

With injuries to Chris Paul (groin), Luc Mbah a Moute (right shoulder) and Troy Williams (right knee MCL sprain), the Rockets have been searching for depth, per Feigen.

Green, 31, signed with the Bucks in September but was released after playing in four preseason games. The 10-year NBA veteran has played for eight teams in his professional career, including two seasons overseas in Russia. Green was a key bench piece for the Celtics last season as he averaged 5.6 PPG in 47 games for Boston.

Green previously played for Houston during the 2007/08 season but was released after appearing in just one game.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter) has the financial breakdown of Green’s deal. Depending on when the deal is signed, the Rockets will incur a cap hit anywhere from $864,000-$872,000 if Green is not waived by January 7.

Pacers Sign Alex Poythress

December 28th, 2017 at 12:07pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Pacers have signed second-year forward Alex Poythress to an NBA contract, the team announced in a press release on Thursday. Poythress was a two-way player splitting time between the Pacers and the G League affiliate, Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Poythress will now be with the Pacers moving forward.

Poythress, 24, has played in 11 games with Indiana this season but has averaged less than five minutes in his appearances. With the Mad Ants, Poythress averaged 20.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 2.7 APG.

After a productive season with the Mad Ants last year, including a G League All-Star appearance, Poythress averaged 10.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG in six games with the Sixers.

With the signing, Edmond Sumner becomes the lone two-way player on the Pacers’ roster.

Beno Udrih Signs With Lithuanian Team

December 24th, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who was waived by the Pistons in October, has signed to play in Lithuania, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Udrih will join Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the oldest and most decorated teams in the EuroLeague.

Udrih, 35, played for eight teams during a 13-year NBA career after being drafted by the Spurs with the 28th pick in 2004. His best seasons came in Sacramento, where he was a double-digit scorer for four straight years from 2007/08 to 2010/11.

He was involved in a controversy in February of 2016 when he agreed to a buyout with the Heat that gave Miami enough cap room to sign Joe Johnson after his buyout from the Nets. Udrih was sidelined because of foot surgery at the time and had no chance to catch on with another team. Miami re-signed him in August of that year, but he failed to earn a roster spot.

The Pistons claimed him off waivers and he spent a full season in Detroit, averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 assists in 39 games. The team opted to part with him in mid-October, even though it was already down to the roster limit of 15.

“It was still hard for me because I love the guy, and so does everybody out here,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told Ansar Khan of MLive at the time. “Good guy, knows how to play, really has a good way about him of helping the young guys and talking to them and teaching them. I’ve seen a lot of veterans who try to help young guys, but they come across as condescending a little bit, like, ‘I know more than you.’ Beno never came across like that. He was able to talk to guys.”

Mike James Waived By Suns

December 22nd, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by Austin Kent

The Suns have waived guard Mike James, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The 27-year-old rookie had initially been signed to a two-way contract with the franchise but had that deal converted into a regular season contract.

The decision was likely a difficult one for the organization to make, considering that James had thrived on a young team that found stability in the mature first-year player. We discussed on Wednesday, however, that such a decision may have been looming for the franchise.

With four players sidelined due to injury, the team had recently been granted a hardship exception and used it on December 13 to sign journeyman point guard Isaiah Canaan. Canaan’s play in the four games since has essentially forced the team’s hand.

In four matchups this season, playing 25.0 minutes a night, Canaan has averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. While James’ numbers were respectable in their own right, Canaan may have the higher ceiling, not least because despite being a five-year veteran, he’s still actually younger than James.

James, who went undrafted in 2012, will now turn his attention to finding a new home, a task that may be a bit easier now that he has a quarter of a season of big league games under his belt.

Jazz To Sign Naz Mitrou-Long To Two-Way Deal

December 22nd, 2017 at 4:53pm CST by Austin Kent

The Jazz plan to sign Naz Mitrou-Long to a two-way deal, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The combo guard out of Iowa State went undrafted over the summer but played briefly with Utah in training camp prior to being cut ahead of opening day.

After his October 14 release from the Jazz, the Canadian combo guard went to work for Utah’s G League affiliate, playing 20 games for the Salt Lake City Stars averaging 15.0 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Mitrou-Long will slide into the opening created earlier today when the Jazz waived two-way guard Nate Wolters.

Mitrou-Long was named to the All-Big 12 second-team during his final year of NCAA action and played with the Kings in the Las Vegas Summer League.