Pelicans Sign Hollis Thompson To Second 10-Day Contract
2:48pm CST: The Pelicans officially announced the signing via Twitter (link).
12:07pm CST: The Pelicans are expected to give shooting guard Hollis Thompson a second 10-day contract when his first deal expires today, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
Thompson is in the starting lineup for tonight’s game with the Lakers, so it’s reasonable to think that New Orleans plans to keep him around for a while. The Pelicans are short on wing players after shipping Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway to the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
They signed Thompson on February 23rd to help fill the void. He has appeared in five games since then, starting four, with averages of 4.6 points and 3.0 assists.
”I think he’s solid and we like our rotation with E’Twaun Moore coming off the bench because we have the ability to, if a guy got in quick foul trouble or something like that,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. ”We stuck Hollis out there to see if he would be OK. I think he’s been a pleasant surprise, really … moreso on the defense end, just being able to get to the right spot and things like that.”
Thompson started the season with the Sixers and played 31 games, but was released in early January before his salary became fully guaranteed. When his second 10-day contract with New Orleans expires, the Pelicans will have to either waive him or sign him for the remainder of the season.
Hawks Claim Jose Calderon Off Waivers
The Hawks have claimed Jose Calderon off waivers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Atlanta had been hoping to add Calderon as a backup to Dennis Schroder, either by submitting a claim or signing him once he cleared waivers. Hawks officials decided to go with the safest route and enter their own claim on Calderon.
The move will cost Atlanta $247,991 for the rest of the season, tweets Bobby Marks of the Vertical. That will cover the salary that Golden State gave Calderon when it signed and released him on Wednesday, and that money will come off the Warriors’ cap.
Calderon played 24 games for the Lakers this season before agreeing to a buyout on Monday. He had a salary of slightly more than $7.7MM, and L.A. will still be responsible for the money it owes him for the rest of the season. Calderon didn’t make any salary concessions in his buyout agreement, according to Marks (Twitter link).
The Hawks had an open roster spot after waiving Lamar Patterson, so another move won’t be necessary to add Calderon. He is expected to be in uniform for Sunday’s game with the Pacers, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 35-year-old will be eligible for the playoffs after the league ruled that Golden State waived him in time. He is now with his seventh NBA team, if the Warriors are included.
Bucks Release Toupane, Formally Sign Jones
The Bucks have officially signed forward Terrence Jones and released Axel Toupane from his 10-day contract, the team reports in a press release on its website. Milwaukee’s roster now sits once again at 15.
Toupane, whose 10-day deal was set to expire today anyway, will presumably return to the Raptors 905 of the D-League as Chris Reichert of The Step Back speculated earlier today. He saw action in two games with the Bucks during his NBA stint but had a negligible impact in the 6 minutes he saw on the floor.
In Jones the Bucks get an intriguing 25-year-old big man who’s flashed potential with both the Rockets and Pelicans previously. Jones averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 51 games with New Orleans this season but was released when the club added DeMarcus Cousins.
Jones – who has been signed for the remainder of the season – will wear No. 6 for the Bucks, according to the press release.
Cavs Sign Derrick Williams For Rest Of Season
March 4, 12:13pm: It’s official. According to an official press release on their website, the Cavaliers have signed Derrick Williams to a contract for the remainder of the season.
March 1, 8:13pm: Signing for the rest of the season would give Williams $268,029, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. That will count $230,690 against the cap for the Cavaliers and will result in $576,725 in luxury taxes.
7:22pm: Cavaliers forward Derrick Williams will receive a contract for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day deal expires Saturday, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The 25-year-old has been productive since joining the team in early February. He has appeared in seven games, averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 24 minutes per night. Williams started the season in Miami, where he played 25 games before being waived.
It’s uncertain how Williams’ role in the rotation will be affected by the additions of Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut this week or the eventual return from injury by Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. If he signs just for the rest of the season, Williams will be a free agent this summer for the third straight year.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/3/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Friday:
- The Pelicans have assigned forward Cheick Diallo to the D-League, the team reports in a press release on its website. Diallo has averaged 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 18 contests with the Greensboro Swarm.
- The Pistons have recalled rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije from their D-League affiliate, Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Ellenson and Gbinije have seen action in 14 and nine games for the Pistons respectively.
- The Wizards have assigned center Chris McCullough to the D-League, writes Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic. McCullough has averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 31 D-League contests this season. Having previously played for the Long Island Nets, McCullough is expected to join the Northern Arizona Suns on this assignment, says Hughes.
Sixers Sign Justin Harper To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 3, 9:11am: The signing is official, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
MARCH 2, 12:30pm: The Sixers intend to sign D-League forward Justin Harper to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Philadelphia had an opening on its roster after reaching a buyout agreement with Andrew Bogut earlier this week, so the club won’t have to make a corresponding roster move to sign Harper.
Harper, the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 draft, made his NBA debut way back in 2011 for the Magic, but was out of the league for a few years following his rookie season and has only appeared in 19 total regular season games in his career. The Richmond alum has played well in the D-League for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in recent years, however.
Harper earned an NBADL All-Star nod a year ago, and has been arguably even better this season, averaging 16.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and a .401 3PT% in 37 games. His call-up will represent a tough loss for the D-Fenders, who have a 28-10 record and hold the top seed in the D-League’s Western Conference.
For the Sixers, Harper could get a chance at some playing time during his initial 10-day stint in Philadelphia, given the team’s current lack of depth at the four. With Ersan Ilyasova having been sent to the Hawks prior to the trade deadline, Dario Saric has been handling an expanded role at power forward.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/2/17
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Jazz assigned Joel Bolomboy to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team tweets. The 6’7” forward, who has bounced back and forth between the NBA and D League all season, has appeared in 22 games with the Stars, averaging 16.3 PPG and 13.0 RPG.
Bogdanovic Unsure About Joining Kings Next Season
European star swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic will not yet commit to joining the Kings next season and has signed with his Turkish team, Fenerbache, through next season. The 6’6” Bogdanovic posted on his Twitter feed that he hasn’t made a decision about his future plans, a post that was relayed by CSNBayArea.com’s James Ham. This may come as a surprise to Kings GM Vlade Divac, who said in recent interview that Bogdanovic would be “coming over next season as another asset.”
Bogdanovic has signed with his current Euroleague team through next season and has a contract buyout in excess of $1MM, international journalist David Pick tweets. Per the collective bargaining agreement, Sacramento can pay up to $675,000 of the buyout, according to Ham.
Bogdanovic and the Kings have operated as if he’ll played in the NBA next season since Sacramento acquired him from the Suns in a draft-night trade, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets, though Bogdanovic’s Twitter post at least throws some doubt into that expectation.
“I will not discuss the NBA or make a decision on my future until after my season with Fenerbahce is finished,” Bogdanovic wrote on Twitter. “I always live in the present day and love playing for Fenerbahce.”
Bogdanovic was the 27th overall pick of the 2014 draft and has lived up to the billing of a draft-and-stash prospect. The Kings acquired his rights, along with the 13th and 28th overall picks in last year’s draft and a future second-rounder, from the Suns in exchange for the No. 8 overall selection. Phoenix used it to draft power forward Marquese Chriss.
Even though he’s under contract overseas through the 2017/18 season, Bogdanovic has financial incentives to pursue a buyout and join the Kings. Bogdanovic will no longer be bound by the restrictions of the NBA’s rookie scale. By waiting this long to make the jump to the NBA, he will be free to negotiate any amount.
It’s natural to speculate whether the DeMarcus Cousins trade has given Bogdanovic second thoughts about joining Sacramento. Not only did the Kings trade away their franchise player, but the centerpiece of the deal for Sacramento was rookie shooting guard Buddy Hield. That would seemingly take away any hope of Bogdanovic securing a starting spot, unless the Kings use him as an undersized small forward.
Bogdanovic is a member of the Serbian national team, which captured a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. The Serbian-born wing is averaging 13.3 PPG, 4.3 APG and 2.9 RPG in 28 MPG this season, though he missed 23 games with an ankle injury. He’s generally considered one of Europe’s top perimeter shooters.
Terrence Jones Agrees To Sign With Bucks
Free agent forward Terrence Jones has agreed to sign with the Bucks for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Justin Verrier also tweet that Jones is poised to sign with Milwaukee.
The Pelicans waived him last Thursday after they were unable to deal him prior to the trade deadline. Jones appeared in 51 games, including 12 starts, for New Orleans and was averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 24.8 MPG. He became expendable when the club acquired DeMarcus Cousins in a blockbuster trade with the Kings.
Jones spent the first four years of his career with the Rockets. He could quickly become a rotation piece for the Bucks, who have been seeking frontcourt help since Jabari Parker suffered a season-ending knee injury. Michael Beasley has received the bulk of the minutes at power forward since Parker was injured but is also out at least three games with a hyperextended knee.
Milwaukee is still in the playoff hunt, currently two games behind the Pistons, who hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jones’ representatives reportedly contacted the Celtics after he cleared waivers but ultimately passed on him, as they already had 15 players with guaranteed deals.
Cavaliers Sign Andrew Bogut
MARCH 2: The Cavaliers have officially signed Bogut, the team announced today in a press release. Cleveland waived Jordan McRae on Wednesday in order to open up a spot on the roster for Bogut.
FEBRUARY 28: Andrew Bogut has committed to signing with the Cavaliers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN and he’s expected to do so this weekend. The center won’t officially clear waivers until 5 PM EST on Wednesday but was released in time to be eligible to play for the Cavs during the postseason.
The Australian big man had strongly considered the Rockets and Celtics, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets, but decided to head to Ohio after toiling away on a lottery-bound Mavs team for the past few month. Of the multitude of suitors hoping to lure the center, Houston was the one that could offer the most money, but Bogut was legitimately impressed with Boston’s pitch. Per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Bogut and his agent will likely consider the Celtics when the offseason free agency period opens on July 1.
In Cleveland, Bogut has the clearest path to the NBA Finals, where he could possibly clash against his former team. Just last summer, the center was hastily dealt by Golden State to the Mavs in order for the Warriors to free up space to sign Kevin Durant.
In 26 games this season, Bogut has averaged 3.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game but the biggest benefit the Cavaliers will get from the 32-year-old veteran is his interior defense.
Bogut was recently bought out by the Sixers after being dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in the Nerlens Noel/Justin Anderson swap. The two parties immediately pursued buyout options.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.