Rockets Sign Andrew Goudelock
10:36am: Goudelock has signed, the team announced.
MARCH 9TH, 10:20am: The Rockets have finally received clearance from FIBA, a necessary step when players change countries, Feigen tweets. That was holding up the signing, which still hasn’t taken place.
3:28pm: The second year is a team option, tweets Feigen.
3:22pm: Goudelock’s contract is a minimum salary arrangement that covers the rest of the season and includes either a full or partial guarantee for 2016/17 that kicks in on August 1st, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter).
MARCH 2ND, 2:36pm: The Rockets and former Lakers shooting guard Andrew Goudelock have reached a contract agreement, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Goudelock has been playing for China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who just fell in the Chinese Basketball Association semifinals. The 27-year-old has been out of the NBA since 2013 but has a history with the Rockets organization, having played for their D-League affiliate for part of the 2012/13 season, when he won D-League MVP honors. Houston has a pair of open roster spots, so no corresponding move is necessary.
The Goudelock deal is reminiscent of Houston’s initial signing of Patrick Beverley, whom the team picked out of Russia in the middle of the season three years ago, though it would no doubt be a dream scenario for all involved if Goudelock develops the way Beverley has. In the meantime, Goudelock adds depth to a backcourt that the release of Marcus Thornton and the buyout deal with Ty Lawson have thinned. Goudelock averaged 22.1 points in 35.1 minutes per game with 41.6% 3-point shooting against relatively weak competition in China this season.
The details of the pact are unclear, but the Rockets have no more than about $900K to hand out to any one free agent this season, regardless of how much Lawson gave up in his buyout. Houston was about $524K shy of its hard cap before offloading Lawson.
Nets Sign Sean Kilpatrick To Second 10-Day
The Nets have signed Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract, the team announced via press release. The first expired overnight, as we noted minutes ago. The latest pact between Brooklyn and the 26-year-old shooting guard covers four games, against the Sixers (twice), Bucks and Bulls. It’ll cost $49,709.
The team could have waited to re-sign Kilpatrick until its next game, which isn’t until Friday, as many clubs do with 10-day signees, but the benefits of an immediate signing, which allows him to take part in practice and keeps him from slipping away to another team that might offer a better deal, apparently outweigh the alternative. He’s played a fairly prominent role in five Nets games so far, averaging 9.4 points in 16.6 minutes per contest, including a 19-point outburst Saturday against the Timberwolves. Perhaps most encouraging is his 3-point shooting, as he’s stuck nine of 18 attempts, carrying over the 42.6% form he displayed this season in 28 games for the Sixers D-League affiliate this season.
Brooklyn has no shortage of flexibility, with only 13 contracts that run through season’s end and newfound financial leeway beneath the tax in the wake of buyouts with Joe Johnson and Andrea Bargnani. The Nets still have an open roster spot even with Kilpatrick’s continued presence. NetsDaily hears new GM Sean Marks plans more moves soon, though it’s unclear if that applies directly to the roster in the wake of Tuesday’s hiring of assistant GM Trajan Langdon. In any case, the Nets and Kilpatrick will have to either commit to each other through season’s end or part ways at the end of their latest 10-day deal.
Suns Sign Chase Budinger
TUESDAY, 11:40am: The signing is official, the team announced.
7:41pm: The Suns will give Budinger a prorated veteran’s minimum contract that runs through the end of this season, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The signing is expected to take place after Budinger clears waivers on Monday.
SATURDAY, 5:04pm: The Suns intend to sign Chase Budinger provided he clears waivers, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). Phoenix has a roster count of 13 players after waiving shooting guard Sonny Weems earlier today, so no additional move is required to sign the swingman. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News and Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star first reported that the Suns were the front-runners to sign Budinger.
The small forward agreed to a buyout with the Pacers and officially hit waivers earlier today. Budinger, 27, appeared in 48 games for the Pacers this season prior to his release. He averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 15.0 minutes per night to accompany a shooting line of .419/.299/.708. The veteran shooter’s career numbers are 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Indiana was reportedly attempting to trade Budinger leading up to February’s trade deadline, but the Pacers found no takers for the remainder of his $5MM expiring contract. The Pacers acquired Budinger from the Timberwolves this past offseason when the plan was to move Paul George to power forward. While Budinger didn’t see much burn for Indiana, the Suns could benefit from his ability to stretch the floor with his outside shooting, though Budinger’s mark of 29.9% from deep on the season would be a career low if it stands.
Suns Sign Alan Williams To 10-Day Deal
TUESDAY, 11:39am: The signing is official, the team announced. The contract will cover five games, against the Knicks, Nuggets, Warriors, Timberwolves and Jazz.
MONDAY, 2:59pm: The Suns plan to sign Alan Williams to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The big man who went undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara this past summer is a Phoenix native who led the Chinese Basketball Association in rebounding, as Charania points out. The 23-year-old Williams posted 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per game for Qingdao in the months after making summer league appearances for the Rockets and Hornets. Phoenix has two open roster spots and is in line to save money with the Sixers reportedly poised to claim Sonny Weems off waivers, so the Suns have no shortage of flexibility for the Williams deal, which would cost a paltry $30,888.
Williams impressed on Houston’s Las Vegas summer league team, earning All-Tournament Second Team honors after putting up 20.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per contest over four appearances. It was a breakout performance after Charlotte gave him only 8.1 minutes per game in the Orlando summer league. Still, he was on NBA radars before that. He posted double-figure rebounding averages in each of his final three seasons in college and worked out for the Suns, among other NBA teams, before the draft.
Phoenix is dabbling heavily in short-term deals with only 12 players signed through at least the end of the season. The Suns already have point guard Phil Pressey on his second 10-day contract, which expires Thursday night. Williams is about to become the sixth player to sign a 10-day contract with the Suns this year, as our 10-day Tracker shows.
Nets Hire Trajan Langdon As Assistant GM
The Nets have named Cavs front office executive Trajan Langdon as their assistant GM, Brooklyn announced via press release. The 39-year-old Langdon had just joined Cleveland as director of player administration and basketball operations this past September. He’ll rejoin new Nets GM Sean Marks, his former colleague in the Spurs front office, where Langdon worked as a pro scout from 2012 to 2015. Marks indicated via Brooklyn’s statement that the Cavs green-lighted the in-season move.
“We are very pleased to welcome Trajan and his family to the Brooklyn Nets,” Marks said in the statement. “Trajan is someone I worked with closely at the Spurs, and he brings a unique combination of NBA and European experience to the position. Trajan’s recent front office post with Cleveland added to his professional resume, and I want to thank the Cavs for their cooperation in this effort. The Nets look forward to Trajan’s contributions.”
Langdon is most well-known for his time playing at Duke, the alma mater of former Nets GM Billy King. The native of Alaska has further connections with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, board member Sergey Kushchenko and rumored coaching candidate Ettore Messina, all of whom were affiliated with Russia’s CSKA Moscow when Langdon had a successful run as a player for that team, NetsDaily notes (on Twitter).
The Cavaliers drafted Langdon 11th overall in 1999, though he spent three only seasons as an NBA player, all of them with Cleveland. He was with the Clippers for training camp in 2004 but didn’t appear in the regular season for them.
Frank Zanin already holds the title of assistant GM for the Nets, who previously carried two assistant GMs when they employed Zanin and Bobby Marks, with whom the team parted ways last spring. It’s unclear what the hiring of Langdon means for the future of Zanin, who ran the front office while the team searched for King’s replacement.
Sixers Claim Sonny Weems, Release Christian Wood
5:06pm: The moves have taken place, the Sixers announced via press release.
3:40pm: Philly is claiming Weems to have a look at him, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, suggesting that the team plans to keep him around, at least for a while.
2:31pm: The Sixers plan to claim Sonny Weems off waivers from the Suns today and release Christian Wood from his 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The move appears to be geared toward lifting Philadelphia’s team salary, currently at about $60.4MM, to the league minimum of $63MM. Weems makes $2.814MM, which would push the Sixers over the salary floor by about $200K. However, Weems is only due a few more paychecks that will total about $660K, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). So, even though Weems’ full salary would hit Philly’s cap, the Sixers would only pay him a fraction of that amount. Philadelphia would have had to shell out the difference between its team salary and the salary floor to the players on its roster if it hadn’t made up the gap by the last day of the regular season.
A claim would help the Suns, too, since it would save them from having to pay the remaining $660K obligation to Weems and erase his entire salary from their cap. Phoenix would be just barely above the cap if Philly indeed comes away with the swingman.
Wood signed a 10-day contract just this past Friday, but the Sixers will owe him the full $30,888 value of the deal regardless of whether he remains on the roster. He would immediately become a free agent once the Sixers release him, since 10-day contracts don’t go on waivers. This would be the second time this season that Philadelphia has relinquished Wood, who hit waivers in January when the team decided to sign Elton Brand.
It’s unclear whether the Sixers intend to keep Weems, since they’ve often quickly waived players after taking on their salaries in the past. His contract includes a non-guaranteed salary of nearly $2.941MM for next season, so his contract could help serve as ballast for offseason trades even if the Sixers don’t envision a future with him. The 29-year-old was in and out of the Phoenix rotation this season, averaging 11.7 minutes per game in his return to the NBA after four years playing overseas. In any case, it’s no surprise to see Philadelphia in line to claim him, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors speculated this weekend that such a move would take place.
Michael Carter Williams Out For Rest Of Season
Michael Carter-Williams will miss the rest of the season and undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, the team announced. The injury damages whatever hopes of a postseason still exist for Milwaukee, which is in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games back of the last playoff spot. It’ll take the point guard three months to recover, according to the team.
It’s uncertain whether Carter-Williams will play again for the Bucks at all, since he was in multiple trade rumors before last month’s deadline. Coach Jason Kidd benched the former Rookie of the Year and marquee offseason signee Greg Monroe early last month, and Carter-Williams hasn’t played at all since February 27th because of patella tendinitis and his hip.
It’s much too late for the Bucks to apply for a disabled player exception, since the deadline for those is January 15th, but the hardship provision could be in play. The hardship would give the Bucks the opportunity to sign an extra player even though they’re at the 15-man roster limit. Milwaukee is also without Steve Novak for the rest of the season, and it’s uncertain when either John Henson, who’s been out since January, and Greivis Vasquez, who hasn’t played since November, will return. A team can apply for a hardship exception if it has four players expected to miss at least two weeks.
The injury robs Carter-Williams of a chance to make a final impression before he enters an offseason in which he becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension. He’s averaging career lows in points, shot attempts, assists and minutes per game, depressing his market value.
Celtics Sign Coty Clarke To 10-Day Contract
The Celtics have signed Coty Clarke to a 10-day contract, the team announced. The 6’7″ combo forward has been with Boston’s D-League affiliate and was on the NBA roster for training camp. The team was carrying an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is necessary. The contract, worth $30,888, will cover four games, against the Grizzlies, Rockets, Pacers and Thunder.
Clarke has averaged 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game across 39 D-League appearances this season, only 11 of which have been starts. Still, the 23-year-old displayed an ability to stretch the floor, with 38.8% 3-point shooting. This season has represented a return stateside for the former University of Arkansas player who spent last season with Hapoel Kazrin in Israel after going undrafted in 2014. He put up 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game with 43.1% 3-point shooting as a senior at Arkansas in 2013/14.
Boston gave Clarke only a cameo appearance during the preseason, but he appears to fit what the team has been looking for more recently. Coach Brad Stevens pointed to shooting and versatility as key attributes he wanted in someone who would fill the roster vacancy, and Clarke looks like he can deliver on both fronts.
Pacers Sign Ty Lawson
MONDAY, 8:19am: The signing is official, the Pacers announced.
“We’re glad to have Ty come play with the Pacers for this final run of the season,” Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in the team’s statement. “We think he brings added speed to our backcourt, he can get up and down the floor and he helps strengthen our second unit.”
Lawson, not far removed from having finished third in the league in assists last season, spoke merely of fitting in.
“This is a good opportunity for me to come here, try to help the Pacers win and get into the playoffs,” Lawson said in the statement. “I’m just ready to play and do whatever is needed.”
THURSDAY, 8:51pm: The Pacers have reached an agreement with free agent point guard Ty Lawson, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports. The exact details of the arrangement are not yet known, but it is likely a minimum salary pact that covers the remainder of the season, though that is merely my speculation. The team has about $1.9MM left on its room exception, so it could use that instead of a prorated minimum that would pay Lawson about $300K.
Indiana currently has the league maximum of 15 players on its roster, but the Pacers reportedly have had a buyout arrangement in place with small forward Chase Budinger for a week. The team has held off on finalizing the buyout due to the rash of injuries it has been hit with. Budinger is expected to be waived on Saturday, which is also when Lawson is expected to officially sign, Charania notes.
Lawson was never a good fit with the Rockets this year, prompting him and the team to reach a buyout arrangement prior to the March 1st deadline for players to hit waivers and retain postseason eligibility for other teams. In 53 appearances for Houston this season, Lawson averaged 5.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 22.2 minutes per night. His shooting line is .387/.330/.700.
Suns Waive Sonny Weems
4:50pm: Weems has officially been waived, the team announced.
3:36pm: The Suns intend to waive shooting guard Sonny Weems, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). The Suns currently have a roster count of 14 players, including Phil Pressey, who inked his second 10-day deal with the team last Tuesday. This means the team still had an open roster spot, so the move to release Weems wasn’t a necessity unless the Phoenix is eyeing multiple players for potential deals, though that is merely my speculation.
The 29-year-old will hit waivers and it would require $2.814MM of cap space or a trade exception of that amount or greater to claim him, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets. The shooting guard is owed approximately $660,000 for the remainder of the season, a number the Suns will be on the hook for if Weems goes unclaimed. The Sixers still need to reach the minimum salary floor of $63MM, so I would speculate they remain an outside possibility to make a claim on Weems.
Weems appeared in 36 games this season for the Suns and averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 assists in 11.7 minutes per outing. His slash line is .393/.406/.538.