Grizzlies Sign Xavier Munford To Two-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 11:24am: The signing is official, the Grizzlies announced via press release, referring to it as a multiyear deal. Memphis is limited to the minimum salary exception, so that means Munford’s new contract is a two-year arrangement that covers the rest of the 2015/16 season and 2016/17. He’ll make $874,636 next season and, provided the contract begins today as the team indicates, it’ll pay $21,621 for this season. The Grizzlies have a team option on next season, a league source tells Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The team waived Ryan Hollins minutes ago, so Memphis has 16 players as it stands.
WEDNESDAY, 9:06am: The Grizzlies will sign shooting guard Xavier Munford for the rest of the season and the playoffs, a league source tells Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal suggested earlier this week that such a move would come in light of his increasing role and production. Still, it’s unclear whether the Grizzlies would be allowed to carry extra roster spots in the postseason as they’ve done since last month via the hardship provision, so the fate of some Memphis players is unclear. The Grizzlies currently have 16 players, one over the usual limit, and that doesn’t include Munford.
Bryce Cotton is on a 10-day contract that expires after Saturday’s game against the Warriors, and the other 15 Grizzlies have contracts that cover the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. If the NBA won’t let the Grizzlies carry extra players into the playoffs, they’ll have to waive one of those 15 for Munford to stick around, and two if they also want to keep Cotton.
The Grizzlies haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet, but they drew closer to doing so with Tuesday’s win over the Bulls. Memphis has a three and a half game lead on the ninth-place Rockets.
Munford is averaging 5.6 points in 14.2 minutes per game for the Grizzlies and has nailed eight of his 13 attempts from behind the arc. He played nearly 34 minutes in Sunday’s game against the Magic and has averaged 24.4 minutes over the last three outings for Memphis. The 23-year-old who went undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2014 had never signed an NBA contract before he inked his first 10-day deal with the Grizzlies last month, having instead played most of this season and last for the D-League affiliate of the Suns. It’s unclear if his new contract with Memphis will also cover next season, but if it doesn’t, the Grizzlies would be able to make him a restricted free agent this summer and match offers for him.
Grizzlies Waive Ryan Hollins
THURSDAY, 11:07am: The move is official, the team announced via press release.
WEDNESDAY, 9:34pm: The Grizzlies intend to waive Ryan Hollins, Chris Vernon of ESPN 92.9 FM reports (Twitter link). The roster move was necessary in order to allow Memphis to ink Xavier Munford for the remainder of the season, Vernon notes. The franchise will be on the hook for the remainder of Hollins’ $239,605 salary, provided he clears waivers. Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal first noted that Hollins was a candidate to be released.
This appears to signal that the NBA won’t issue the Grizzlies any hardship exceptions for the playoffs. Memphis has 16 players under contract at current, not counting Munford, who’s reportedly due to re-sign for the season. Among the 16 is Bryce Cotton, whose 10-day contract will expire after Saturday’s game against the Warriors. The other 15 Grizzlies have contracts that run until the end of the season, so to formally add Munford on a rest-of-season deal without any hardship help from the league, the Grizzlies have to waive somebody, and that somebody appears to be Hollins.
This marks the end of Hollins’ fourth stint with the Grizzlies in 2015/16. He also spent a few weeks with the Wizards in November and December. In 32 games for Memphis this season overall, Hollins averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.9 minutes.
Sam Hinkie Steps Down As Sixers GM
8:01pm: The Sixers have confirmed Hinkie’s resignation via press release. “This evening, Sam Hinkie notified the organization that he has elected to step down as President of Basketball Operations and General Manager,” the team’s official statement relayed. “While we are disappointed in Sam’s decision, we would like to sincerely thank him for his contributions over the past three seasons. There is no question that Sam’s work has put us in a very strong position to take advantage of numerous opportunities for an exciting future.”
7:47pm: In a full-length piece, Stein posted an excerpt from Hinkie’s resignation letter to team ownership. “There has been much criticism of our approach. There will be more. A competitive league like the NBA necessitates a zig while our competitors comfortably zag,” Hinkie wrote. “We often chose not to defend ourselves against much of the criticism, largely in an effort to stay true to the ideal of having the longest view in the room. Given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers — you. So I should step down. And I have.” Stein’s sources also inform him that Bryan Colangelo’s hiring in Philadelphia is imminent.
7:40pm: Sixers team officials said that they are unaware of any resignation involving Hinkie, Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter).
7:37pm: In addition to Bryan Colangelo, Danny Ferry is the other candidate the Sixers were considering to work alongside Hinkie, Wojnarowski tweets.
7:12pm: Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has stepped down from his post with the team, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear at this time if this resignation was 100% voluntary and if Hinkie intends to remain with the organization in a different capacity going forward. Philadelphia is targeting Bryan Colangelo as a potential replacement for Hinkie, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical relays (Twitter links). Team ownership had stated the intention to add another top basketball executive who would hold a similar title to Hinkie’s, which did not sit well with the GM, the Vertical scribe adds.
Hinkie had said back in March that he wasn’t worried about his job security, even though the Sixers were reportedly considering a move that would further reduce his role. He’d lost much of his autonomy and influence in the wake of Jerry Colangelo being hired as chairman of basketball operations, so Hinkie’s departure doesn’t come as an absolute shock, though the timing certainly is odd given that the season has less than two weeks remaining.
Hinkie became the Sixers’ GM in May of 2013 after a stint as the Rockets executive vice president. The executive’s rebuilding through bottoming-out plan has been met with much scrutiny and derision around the league and Philadelphia had an overall record of 47-195 during Hinkie’s reign.
Nets Sign Henry Sims For Rest Of Season
The Nets have signed center Henry Sims for the rest of the season, the team announced via press release. His second 10-day contract expired overnight. The move restores Brooklyn to a 15-man roster, with every player signed through at least the end of the season. It’s not entirely clear whether the new deal for Sims extends into next season, but unlike the press release Brooklyn sent about its multiyear contract with former 10-day signee Sean Kilpatrick, the Sims press release refers only to the rest of the 2015/16 campaign. Thus, it appears Sims will once more become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Sims has seen plenty of opportunities in his brief time with the Nets, averaging 17.1 minutes per contest across nine games, two of which he started. The 26-year-old turned in arguably his finest Brooklyn performance Sunday, when he started and delivered 12 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Those numbers closely match the 11.8 points and seven rebounds he averaged in 26 games down the stretch for the Sixers in 2013/14.
Philadelphia gave him 32 starts last season, but he went unsigned for most of this past offseason until he hooked up with the Suns on a non-guaranteed deal in late August. Phoenix waived him before opening night and he spent the majority of this season with the D-League affiliate of the Pistons before the Nets gave him another shot at the NBA last month.
Nets Assistant GM Frank Zanin Steps Down
Nets assistant GM Frank Zanin has resigned, as he announced via Twitter (All Twitter links; hat tip to Jake Fischer of SI Now). Zanin was in charge of the front office for more than a month this season in between the time Brooklyn removed Billy King from the GM job January 10th and the February 18th hiring of new GM Sean Marks. Zanin has been one of two assistant GMs for the team since Marks added Trajan Langdon in that position last month.
“I would like to thank the Brooklyn Nets for allowing me to be a part of their organization for the past six years,” Zanin wrote. “After speaking with Sean this morning I have decided to step I down from my position of Assistant GM. This will allow Sean to fill out his staff and give me a chance to pursue other opportunities.”
The Nets didn’t make a roster move while Zanin was in charge, but rival executives nonetheless praised him for his handling of the team, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, who suggests Zanin will be a strong candidate for front office vacancies elsewhere (Twitter link). The Kings are looking for an experienced hand under GM Vlade Divac, though they appear to be zeroing in on David Morway. More openings figure to emerge after the season.
Zanin ascended to Nets assistant GM in July 2013, when the team promoted him after he spent three seasons as pro personnel scout and director of player procurement. He was with Philadelphia for several years before that as an assistant coach, scout, video coordinator and originally a video intern, having joined his hometown Sixers upon graduating college in 1999. It’s no shock that he and the Nets are parting ways given his ties to King, who was the GM of the Sixers during Zanin’s time with them. King remains in the Brooklyn front office, but Marks likely wants to place his own imprint on the organization.
Pelicans Sign Jordan Hamilton For Rest Of Season
MONDAY, 2:01pm: The signing is official, the team announced. The move restores New Orleans to an 18-man roster.
SUNDAY, 3:26pm: The Pelicans plan to sign swingman Jordan Hamilton to a deal that will cover the rest of the season, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Advocate reports (Twitter link). New Orleans has six games left to play, not including today’s victory over the Nets. Hamilton’s 10-day contract expires overnight.
The Pelicans first signed Hamilton on March 25th via the hardship provision. New Orleans has experienced a rash of injuries this season. Hamilton, 25, played well in five games. He scored in double figures in all but one outing and averaged 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Hamilton had signed with the Russian club Krasny Oktyabr in August but parted ways with the team in November. He joined the Rockets’ D-League affiliate in February and appeared in 14 games, averaging 14.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.2 minutes per contest. The 6’7” Hamilton appeared in 14 games for the Clippers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.7 minutes per game.
Grizzlies Sign Bryce Cotton To 10-Day Contract
FRIDAY, 12:52pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release. The contract will cover five games, against the Raptors, Magic, Bulls, Mavs and Wizards.
THURSDAY, 8:37pm:Bryce Cotton will join the Grizzlies on a 10-day contract, tweets Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis. He will replace Ray McCallum, whose second 10-day deal with Memphis will expire overnight. It would thus appear that the Grizzlies will maintain a 17-man roster, two over the usual limit, and that Memphis has received its latest in a line of hardship exceptions to supplement an injury-racked lineup.
Cotton had been with the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in Austin until late January, when he signed with Xinjiang in China. The 6’1″ point guard reached a deal with the Suns on November 25th, but appeared in just three games before being waived in January prior to contracts throughout the league becoming guaranteed.
Cotton, who will earn $49,709 on the 10-day contract, will become the record 28th player to play for the Grizzlies this season. The team has had as many as 18 on its roster at a time because of injury exceptions.
Grizzlies Sign Jordan Farmar For Rest Of Season
The Grizzlies have signed Jordan Farmar for the rest of the season, the team announced via press release. The veteran point guard’s 10-day contract expired overnight. The move restores the Memphis roster to 17 players, two over the normal regular season roster limit, so it appears the NBA has once more given the injury-hit Grizzlies a hardship provision for an extra roster spot. Normally, the league hands out extra roster spots for only 10 days at a time, but it appears it’s made an exception for Memphis and Farmar, just as with the contract Tim Frazier signed for the rest of the season with the Pelicans last week.
Farmar has put up strong numbers, averaging 10.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.2 turnovers in 25.6 minutes per game across five appearances, three of which were starts. The 10-day deal was his first NBA contract since he reached a January 2015 buyout deal with the Clippers, who are the likely first-round playoff opponent for Memphis this year. Farmar’s contract will carry through the playoffs.
The 29-year-old has received the bulk of the playing time at point guard of late, instead of fellow 10-day signee Ray McCallum, while Mike Conley continues to sit out with a sore Achilles tendon. Four other Grizzlies are also dealing with injuries, as the CBSSports.com injury log shows, including Marc Gasol, who’s out for the season. The team faces a decision regarding McCallum in the next couple of days, as his 10-day contract will expire tonight. Xavier Munford, who’s also on a 10-day deal, is under contract through Tuesday.
Farmar, who’s in his ninth NBA season, will make $111,683 on his new contract. The Grizzlies are on the hook for only $78,011 of it, with the league picking up the rest, presuming Farmar and Memphis didn’t tack next season onto the deal, as is sometimes the case with midseason signees.
Pelicans Sign James Ennis To 10-Day Contract
2:05pm: The signing is official, the team announced. The contract will cover six games, against the Spurs, Nuggets, Nets, Sixers, Celtics and Lakers.
1:31pm: The NBA has indeed given the Pelicans another hardship provision for an 18th roster spot, as Jim Eichenhofer of the team’s website confirms. Eichenhofer doesn’t mention Ennis but suggests the team may make a signing as soon as today. New Orleans has a two-day window from the time the league grants the provision to use it.
8:47am: The Pelicans will sign former Heat and Grizzlies swingman James Ennis, sources tell Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate (Twitter links). The move appears to be a signal that the NBA has given New Orleans another hardship exception for an extra roster spot. Seven Pelicans are out for the season with injuries, including Jrue Holiday and Alonzo Gee, whose season-ending maladies the team announced Tuesday. The Pelicans already have 17 players under contract, two over the normal limit.
Memphis waived Ennis on March 2nd to make room on its roster for Ryan Hollins, and somewhat curiously, the Grizzlies and Ennis haven’t circled back to each other even as the team has made a flurry of moves and received multiple hardship exceptions amid a rash of injuries similar to the trouble the Pelicans have gone through. The Grizzlies nonetheless seemed to have little use for the 25-year-old who was the 50th overall pick in 2013, sending him on eight D-League assignments and only putting him on the floor in 10 games at the NBA level.
Ennis began the season with the Heat, for whom he saw much more playing time before they shipped him out in November via the Mario Chalmers trade. The Heat never sent Ennis to the D-League once they signed him in 2014, and he averaged 5.0 points in 17.0 minutes per game across 62 appearances for Miami last season.
He’ll see $49,709 on his 10-day contract with New Orleans and add to a shrinking reserve of healthy Pelicans. Dante Cunningham, Omer Asik, Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas, Tim Frazier, Jordan Hamilton, Kendrick Perkins and Alexis Ajinca are the only New Orleans players without some sort of ailment, The Advocate’s Brett Dawson notes (Twitter link).
Pistons Sign Lorenzo Brown To Second 10-Day
The Pistons have signed point guard Lorenzo Brown to a second 10-day contract, the team announced via press release. His initial 10-day pact expired overnight. The latest deal costs $55,722 and covers five games, against the Thunder, Mavericks, Bulls, Heat and Magic. Detroit is a game up in the loss column on Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The first 10-day contract was essentially an insurance policy for the team, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy conceded, as Reggie Jackson nursed a virus and Spencer Dinwiddie dealt with a deep bone bruise in his ankle. Neither Jackson nor Dinwiddie currently appear on the CBSSports.com injury report, and fellow point guard Steve Blake is also healthy, but the Pistons are nonetheless keeping Brown in their 15th roster spot for the time being.
Brown has yet to appear in a game with Detroit. He averaged 2.5 points in 7.6 minutes per game across eight appearances on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Suns earlier this year. The 25-year-old who was the 52nd pick in the 2013 draft has spent most of the season with the Pistons D-League team. Detroit is plenty familiar with him not just from his D-League experience but also from his 2014 preseason stint on the Pistons NBA roster.