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Nuggets Waive Johnson, Pecherov, Sweetney

October 24th, 2015 at 4:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets have waived Nick Johnson, Oleksiy Pecherov and Devin Sweetney, the team announced via a press release. The cuts pave the way for Erick Green to stick for opening night on his partially guaranteed deal, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, and he’s indeed made the regular season roster, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post confirms (Twitter links). Green’s guarantee is just $100K. Pecherov and Sweetney’s deals are non-guaranteed, but Johnson’s deal is fully guaranteed for two more seasons, and he is owed $845,059 for 2015/16 and $980,431 for the 2016/17 campaign, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Denver will be responsible for that unless Johnson is claimed off waivers. The team’s roster count now stands at 15, the regular season limit.

Johnson, 22, was acquired from Houston as part of the Ty Lawson trade. The 2014 42nd overall pick appeared in 28 games last season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game, and he owned a slash line of .347/.238/.680. Johnson’s release means the Nuggets have waived all four of the players they acquired in the Lawson trade, Dempsey notes (Twitter link).

Pecherov, 29, has been out of the NBA since the 2009/10 campaign when he appeared in 44 games for the Timberwolves. The center has career NBA averages of 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.2 blocks to go along with a slash line of .386/.290/.793.

The 27-year-old Sweetney went undrafted out of St. Francis of Pennsylvania in 2010. In four seasons with the Red Flash, the swingman averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, and he had a shooting line of .423/.268/.785. Sweetney spent the 2014/15 season playing for a pair of teams in Switzerland, where he notched averages of 20.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 19 total contests, before finishing up with Huracanes of the Dominican Republic on a four-game stint in which he put up 9.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 APG in 27.3 MPG.

Suns Cut Henry Sims, Keep Cory Jefferson

October 24th, 2015 at 4:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:19pm: The release of Sims is official, the team announced via Twitter.

2:06pm: The Suns intend to waive center Henry Sims, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. Sims’ deal was non-guaranteed, so the move won’t cost Phoenix any funds. The departure of Sims also means that Cory Jefferson will make the regular season roster, Coro adds. The Suns’ roster count will go down to 14 players, one under the regular season maximum.

Sims, 25, made 73 appearances for the Sixers last season, including 32 starts. He averaged 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.2 minutes per contest. His career numbers through three NBA campaigns are 7.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG to go along with a slash line of .475/.174/.760. Philadelphia didn’t tender a qualifying offer to the big man this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jefferson, the final pick of the 2014 draft, appeared in 50 games for the Nets this past season, averaging 3.7 points in 10.6 minutes per game. Brooklyn waived the 24-year-old 6’9″ forward in July so the team could avoid his non-guaranteed salary becoming partially guaranteed for $150K.

Grizzlies Waive Diawara, Carter, Jones, Stepheson

October 24th, 2015 at 4:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies have waived Yakhouba Diawara, Sampson Carter, Lazeric Jones and Alex Stepheson, the team announced. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported the moves minutes earlier (Twitter link). The Memphis roster drops to 16, which means one more cut has to take place no later than Monday. JaMychal Green, who has a $150K partial guarantee, and Ryan Hollins, who’s on a non-guaranteed deal, are the only remaining Grizzlies without full guarantees. The four players Memphis is letting go have no guaranteed money.

Diawara, 33, was attempting an NBA comeback after having played overseas since his last NBA appearance in 2009/10. The swingman averaged 2.3 points in 16.0 minutes per game across six preseason contests this month.

Carter was a 25-year-old combo forward who went undrafted out of UMass in 2014. Last season he hopped from BC Prievidza in Slovakia to CAB Madeira in Portugal and finally to Club Virgilio Castillo, also known as Chola, of the Dominican Republic. Pincus reported that his contract was a one-year, minimum-salary arrangement without a guarantee. He averaged 1.0 point and 6.0 minutes per game in six preseason appearances.

Jones’ contract was the first NBA deal for the former UCLA point guard who spent three years playing overseas. The 25-year-old put up 5.8 points in 14.3 minutes per game over six preseason contests for the Grizzlies.

Stepheson followed a similar path, playing overseas after going undrafted in 2011 out of USC and finally landing his first NBA deal with the Grizzlies earlier this month, when the team cut camp invitee Michael Holyfield. Stepheson’s deal was a one-year, minimum-salary arrangement without a guarantee, as Pincus reported. He averaged 2.3 points in 9.2 minutes per game over three preseason appearances.

Celtics Waive Perry Jones III, Corey Walden

October 24th, 2015 at 4:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics have waived Perry Jones III and Corey Walden, the team announced via press release. By doing so, the Celtics will be responsible for the $2,038,206 that Jones is due for the 2015/16 season, as well as the $25K partial guarantee owed to Walden, unless either player is claimed off waivers. These moves reduce Boston’s roster count to the regular season maximum of 15 players.

Jones had been acquired by the Celtics from OKC in exchange for a protected 2018 second round pick back in July, and the team had reportedly been shopping the 23-year-old, but was apparently unable to find a taker. Through 143 career games Jones has notched averages of 3.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

Walden, who went undrafted out of Eastern Kentucky, appeared in two games with the Celtics’ summer league team in Las Vegas, averaging 2.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. Walden averaged 18.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists for EKU is his senior season. He intends to play for Boston’s D-League affiliate in Maine this season, his agent tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Clippers Waive Chuck Hayes, Keep Mbah a Moute

October 24th, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

3:37pm: Hayes has officially ben waived, the team announced.

3:18pm: The team will retain Luc Mbah a Moute and his non-guaranteed contract for opening night, Woike also hears (Twitter link). He’s the lone remaining Clipper without a full guarantee, as our roster count shows.

2:55pm: The Clippers will waive center Chuck Hayes, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register reports (Twitter link). Hayes’ minimum salary arrangement was non-guaranteed, so the move won’t cost Los Angeles any funds as a result.

Through 643 career NBA regular season contests, the 6’6″ center has averaged 3.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. His career shooting numbers are .498/.000/.618. Hayes has been in the league 10 seasons after going undrafted out of Kentucky.

This move reduces the Clippers’ roster count to 15 players, which is the regular season maximum.

Spurs Release Julian Washburn

October 24th, 2015 at 2:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs have waived Julian Washburn, the team announced via press release. San Antonio had just signed the swingman two days ago in a move that appears geared toward securing his D-League rights, since NBA teams can claim the D-League rights to as many as four players they cut from the NBA roster. The subtraction of Washburn, coupled with the team’s decision to waive Reggie Williams, takes San Antonio’s roster to 15 players, the regular season limit.

Washburn, a 23-year-old Texas native, went undrafted out of UTEP this year. He played with the Warriors in summer league, totaling two points in about 14 minutes spread over a pair of games, but he didn’t see any preseason action in his brief tenure on the Spurs roster.

San Antonio moves forward with Matt Bonner, who has a sizable $749,594 partial guarantee, and Rasual Butler, who’s on a non-guaranteed deal. The 13 other Spurs have full guarantees.

Raptors Part Ways With Four

October 24th, 2015 at 2:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors have officially released Shannon Scott, Axel Toupane, Michale Kyser, and Ronald Roberts, the team announced. Scott, Toupane, and Kyser all had partial guarantees of $25K included in their deals, and Roberts’ pact includes a partial guarantee of $75K. Toronto will be responsible for these payments unless the players are claimed off waivers. The Raptors’ roster count is now at 15 players.

Roberts, 23, played for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippines last season after inking a deal in January. Prior to signing overseas, he played in the D-League after the Sixers released him. He spent less than a week on Philadelphia’s NBA roster in December, having been signed to replace Jorge Gutierrez and let go to accommodate Furkan Aldemir. The Adam Pensack client was also with the Sixers during the preseason, and he played for Philly’s summer league team after going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s last summer.

Kyser’s numbers at Louisiana Tech weren’t overwhelming, as he put up 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game as a senior this past season, but at 6’10”, he patrolled the paint well, blocking 2.9 shots per contest. He put up 3.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 0.8 BPG in 14.6 MPG in four summer league appearances.

Scott played for the Spurs summer league team that won the title in Las Vegas, and he also saw action for San Antonio’s squad at the Salt Lake City summer league, averaging 5.3 points and 2.4 assists in 22.6 minutes per game over nine total appearances. The 6’2″ 22-year-old who went undrafted this summer was a full-time starter only in his senior season at Ohio State, when he averaged 8.5 PPG, 5.9 APG and 2.4 turnovers in 30.5 MPG.

The 6’7″ Toupane has been a mainstay for France’s Strasbourg IG over the past few seasons, and he averaged 7.0 points in 18.3 minutes per game with 35.4% three-point shooting in 2014/15. He put up 4.3 PPG in 10.9 MPG for the Raptors in summer league, missing all four of his three-point attempts.

Spurs Waive Reggie Williams

October 24th, 2015 at 2:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SATURDAY, 2:18pm: The move is official, the Spurs announced via press release. The team also announced it waived recent signee Julian Washburn, so San Antonio is at 15 players.

FRIDAY, 11:07pm: The Spurs intend to waive small forward Reggie Williams, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). Williams was in camp on a non-guaranteed deal, so San Antonio won’t owe any salary as a result of this move.

Williams, 29, appeared in 20 contests for the Spurs last season, averaging 1.9 points in 5.3 minutes per game. His career averages through 200 career NBA regular season contests are 7.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists to go along with a slash line of .458/.363/.747.

Releasing Williams will pare down the Spurs’ roster to 16 players, including 13 with fully guaranteed deals. San Antonio still has to release one more player prior to Monday’s deadline to reach the regular season maximum of 15 players. The departure of Williams likely means that Rasual Butler will make the team with his non-guaranteed deal, Charania adds.

Pacers Waive Kadeem Jack, C.J. Fair

October 24th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers have waived Kadeem Jack and C.J. Fair, the team announced. Jack was a late addition to the Pacers preseason roster, but his deal didn’t include any guaranteed money, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, and the same is true for Fair, who agreed to sign before camp. The moves leave the Pacers with 16 players, including 15 full guarantees and Toney Douglas, who’s assured of $600K in a partial guarantee.

Indiana signed Jack with an eye on funneling him to its new one-to-one D-League affiliate, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star reported, so his release comes as no surprise. NBA teams can claim the D-League rights to as many as four players they waive. The 22-year-old power forward who went undrafted out of Rutgers this year went scoreless in about four minutes during his lone preseason appearance.

Fair’s D-League rights already belonged to the Pacers before they signed him this summer, so the move wasn’t about securing those. This was the second straight year that the 24-year-old combo forward was with the Pacers for the preseason, though he’s failed to make the regular season roster either time. He averaged 1.6 points in 9.5 minutes per game during five preseason contests this fall, a performance that represented more playing time but decreased efficiency compared to his 2014 preseason.

Mavs Release Ashley, Holloway, Wilson

October 24th, 2015 at 12:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Mavericks have waived power forward Brandon Ashley, point guard Tu Holloway, and small forward Jamil Wilson, the team announced via a press release. Wilson and Ashley both have $50K partial guarantees on their deals, which Dallas will be responsible for provided they clear waivers. The terms of Holloway’s deal were not reported, though it was likely a minimum salary pact with little or no guaranteed money. The Mavs’ roster count now sits at 16 players, one over the regular season maximum.

Holloway played for the Venezuelan team the past two seasons and has also made stops in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Belgium and Turkey since going undrafted in 2012. He totaled 12 points, eight assists and three turnovers in nearly 44 minutes of action over four games with the Mavs summer league team in July of that year after posting averages of 17.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.0 turnovers in 36.6 minutes per game as a senior for Xavier in 2011/12. He did not make an appearance during this preseason for Dallas.

Wilson, 24, played for the Wizards in this year’s summer league in Vegas. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.7% from the field. He also saw action in all seven games this preseason and averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 17.5 minutes.

The 6’9” Ashley averaged 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds as a junior last season before declaring for the draft. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as a sophomore before breaking his foot in February of that season. Ashley played seven games for the Hawks in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Ashley appeared in all seven preseason contests for the Mavs this season and averaged 1.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.1 minutes.