Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lavoy Allen Set To Play In China

November 27th, 2017 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

After not finding an NBA home for the 2017/18 season, veteran big man Lavoy Allen is headed to China, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Allen will sign with the CBA’s Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Former Grizzlies power forward Jarnell Stokes is expected to be let go by the Bulls, per Pick.

Allen, 28, entered the NBA in 2011 as the 50th overall pick in the draft. After spending two and a half seasons with the Sixers, Allen was sent to Indiana in 2014 along with Evan Turner. Allen had been a member of the Pacers for three and a half seasons since that trade, but had his team option for 2017/18 declined in June, making him a free agent.

Allen’s numbers in 388 career regular season NBA games were modest — in 17.8 minutes per contest, the Temple alum averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Those averages figure to skyrocket in China, where marginal NBA bigs often transform into stars. Jared Sullinger, for instance, has put up 34.0 PPG and 15.6 RPG in nine games for the Shenzhen Leopards this season, while Stokes – apparently being replaced by Allen – had recorded 28.2 PPG and 13.4 RPG in five games.

Allen will join a Zhejiang squad that has a 5-3 record in CBA action so far this season. Former NBA swingman Sonny Weems has been the club’s leading scorer, averaging 29.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 6.6 APG.

Terrence Jones Waived By Chinese Team

November 24th, 2017 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting kicked out of practice and leaving the Qingdao Eagles earlier this week, veteran big man Terrence Jones has now been waived by the Chinese team, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). The Eagles signed former Knicks second-round pick Maciej Lampe to take Jones’ place on their roster, Pick notes.

Jones, who signed a one-year deal back in July to play in China this season, only lasted about three weeks on his new club’s roster. In nine CBA games, the 25-year-old power forward averaged 22.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 2.3 BPG.

Jones had been hoping to parlay a strong performance in China into another NBA opportunity, but his stint with Qingdao seems unlikely to generate a whole lot of interest stateside. While Jones’ numbers are good, they aren’t as eye-popping as the averages posted in China by some other former NBAers — Jared Sullinger, for instance, is recording 34.0 PPG and 15.6 RPG this season for the Shenzhen Leopards. It also sounds like Jones isn’t leaving the Eagles on good terms, which would be a red flag for potential suitors.

The 18th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Jones spent his first four NBA seasons with the Rockets, flashing some potential during his time in Houston. However, the Rockets opted not to re-sign him and he spent last season with the Pelicans and the Bucks. He was waived by both teams before ultimately making the move overseas in the offseason.

Jared Sullinger Extends Contract In China

November 20th, 2017 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After signing a two-month contract with the Shenzhen Leopards in September, veteran big man Jared Sullinger has now extended his contract with the Chinese club, agreeing to a full-season deal, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).

As Pick details, Sullinger’s new agreement with the Leopards includes bonuses that could increase the value of his deal to $1.4MM. The Chinese season ends before the NBA season does, so depending on how deep a playoff run his team makes, Sullinger could get clearance to return to the NBA in the spring.

As is the case with many players who make the leap from the NBA to the Chinese Basketball Association, Sullinger has been putting up huge numbers so far this season. In nine games for Shenzhen, the 25-year-old has averaged 34.0 PPG and a league-high 15.6 RPG. Sullinger, a former first-round pick who spent five NBA seasons with the Celtics and Raptors, has helped lead the Leopards to a 5-4 record so far.

Leandro Barbosa To Play In Brazil

November 20th, 2017 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Leandro Barbosa is continuing his playing career in his home country of Brazil, having joined Franca Basquete, the team recently announced (Instagram link). Barbosa’s agreement with the Brazilian club was first reported by Giancarlo Giampietro (Twitter link).

Barbosa, who will turn 35 next Tuesday, began his basketball career in Brazil back in 1999 and has played there as recently as the 2013/14 season. However, he has spent the majority of the last 15 years playing for NBA teams, appearing in 969 total regular season and playoff games for the Suns, Warriors, Raptors, Celtics, and Pacers.

Most recently, the Brazilian guard played a part-time role for the Suns last season, rejoining the franchise with which he started his career. In 67 games (14.4 MPG), Barbosa averaged 6.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 1.2 APG, with a shooting line of .439/.357/.889. Phoenix elected not to guarantee Barbosa’s full $4MM salary for 2017/18 though, waiving him in July to save $3.5MM.

The exact terms of Barbosa’s deal with Franca Basquete aren’t clear — it’s possible he’ll be free to explore NBA opportunities later in the season, if there’s any interest.

David Lee Announces Retirement

November 19th, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Two-time All-Star David Lee announced on his Instagram page that he has retired from the league.

The Knicks drafted Lee with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2005 draft and he spent five seasons with the franchise. New York dealt him to Golden State via sign-and-trade during the 2010 offseason in order to make room for Amar’e Stoudemire.

Lee started at power forward during his first four seasons as a Warrior. In 2014, he ceded his starting spot to Draymond Green and a year later, he was dealt to the Celtics. He didn’t carve out a meaningful role in Boston and the team found there wasn’t much of a trade market for a traditional low-post four. The Celtics then waived Lee and he spent the rest of the 2015/16 season with the Mavs.

Lee played for the Spurs last season, where he showcased his ability to produce as a role player. He saw 18.7 minutes per game in San Antonio and sported a player efficiency rating of 18.5.

He’ll end his career with a 19.1 player efficiency rating and averages of 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

Sixers Renegotiate, Extend Robert Covington’s Contract

November 17th, 2017 at 2:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 17, 2:35pm: The Sixers have officially announced Covington’s new contract, confirming the deal in a press release.

“Robert Covington is a prime example of what hard work, dedication and commitment can lead to,” president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement. “Rob’s growth as a player on both ends of the floor makes him one of the most versatile and effective wings in the league, while his contributions of character and professionalism feature prominently in our evolving organizational culture. This extension is both well-deserved, and a really great story.”

NOVEMBER 15, 6:06pm: Sixers forward Robert Covington has agreed to a four-year extension valued at $62MM, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The official signing of the renegotiation/extension is planned for Friday, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).

The new deal includes a renegotiated sum for this year, followed by four more seasons, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). Philadelphia has roughly $15MM in available cap room, and all of that is expected to go to Covington on top of the $1,577,230 he is already making.

Bodner breaks down Covington’s new deal as $16,698,103 for this season, $10,018,862 for 2018/19, $10,820,371 for 2019/20, $11,621,880 for 2020/21 and $12,423,389 for 2021/22. (Twitter link). Those numbers aren’t yet official, but Bodner is confident that they’re very close to what the finalized deal will look like (Twitter link).

Today is the first day Covington is eligible to alter his current contract because it is the third anniversary of its signing. He had just been waived by the Rockets when the Sixers picked him up in November of 2014. He has developed into a reliable two-way player and has become a fixture in Philadelphia’s starting lineup.

Covington is averaging a career-high 16.8 points through 13 games, along with 5.7 rebounds and elite-level defense. He finished fourth in last year’s voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mavs Sign Antonius Cleveland To Two-Way Deal

November 17th, 2017 at 11:25am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 17: The Mavs have officially signed Cleveland to a two-way contract and waived Clavell, the team announced today in a press release.

NOVEMBER 16: The Mavericks will sign G League guard Antonius Cleveland to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Current two-way player Gian Clavell will be released to make room for Cleveland.

Cleveland was in training camp with the Warriors before being waived in early October. He has been playing for Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. A 6’6″ shooting guard, he went undrafted out of Missouri and played for the Trail Blazers during summer league.

Clavell has appeared in seven games with Dallas, averaging 2.9 points in about 9 minutes per night. The 24-year-old was voted Mountain West Player of the Year last season at Colorado State.

Rade Zagorac Expected To Sign With Serbian Team

November 14th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA second-round pick Rade Zagorac is expected to continue his career in his home country of Serbia, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Zagorac is committing to a new deal with KK Partizan Belgrade.

Zagorac, 22, was the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and after spending one final season overseas, he appeared poised to join the Grizzlies this year. However, despite signing a contract that was fully guaranteed for two seasons, the 6’9″ forward was unable to earn a spot on Memphis’ regular season roster. The club waived him along with fellow 2016 draftee Wade Baldwin at the end of the preseason.

Assuming Zagorac finalizes an agreement with KK Partizan Belgrade, it will represent a homecoming for the Serbian, who spent several seasons playing for Mega Leks before making the leap to the NBA. Zagorac is on track to team up with Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, who struck a deal with Partizan Belgrade earlier this year.

As for the Grizzlies, they’ll carry $950K in dead money on their 2017/18 cap for Zagorac, plus about $1.38MM for 2018/19. However, the club hasn’t given up on the idea of eventually trying to bring the young forward back to Memphis, as Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted last month.

Metta World Peace To Play In BIG3

November 13th, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing for the Lakers last season, Metta World Peace will take his talents to the BIG3 for the 2018 campaign, the league announced today. Interestingly, the press release – issued on World Peace’s birthday – refers to the 38-year-old by his given name, Ron Artest, noting that he’ll play under that moniker in the BIG3.

With the 2016/17 season winding down, World Peace publicly expressed a desire to reach the 20-season mark as a professional basketball player. However, the veteran forward, who has 18 years under his belt, was unable to find a new home this offseason and recently accepted a role as an assistant coach for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

Despite taking on a coaching role, World Peace seemingly hasn’t given up on the idea of playing. It’s not clear whether he hopes to parlay his BIG3 gig into another professional opportunity, as Josh Childress did, or if he simply wants to compete against other players who have retired from the NBA.

Either way, World Peace is on track to suit up as a BIG3 player in 2018. He’ll team up with Stephen Jackson, co-captaining the Killer 3s squad with his former Pacers teammate.

Knicks Waive Mindaugas Kuzminskas

November 12th, 2017 at 1:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks have waived forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas, the team announced via Twitter. The Lithuanian forward was barely used this season, seeing just two minutes of action in one game.

New York had to make a move by 4pm Central to open a roster spot for center Joakim Noah, whose 20-game PED suspension ended last night. With 15 other players under contract, the organization decided to unload Kuzminskas and the $3,025,035 in guaranteed money he will make this season.

“The respect this franchise has for Mindaugas cannot be overstated,” Knicks GM Scott Perry said in a statement released by the team. “His professionalism and work ethic were greatly appreciated by his teammates, coaches and the entire staff. This decision was extremely tough for us. We wish him nothing but the best moving on with his playing career.”

Kuzminskas appeared to have a promising future in New York after averaging 6.3 points in 68 games as a rookie last season, but lost an important advocate in the front office when Phil Jackson was fired as team president over the summer.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that last year’s standings will be used for waiver claims through the end of November (Twitter link). A team must be able to absorb Kuzminskas’ salary through cap space, a trade exception or a disabled player exception in order to file a claim.