Suns Waive DeJuan Blair
MONDAY, 6:11pm: The team officially announced today that Blair has been waived (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 5:15pm: The Suns will waive newly acquired power forward DeJuan Blair, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. The news that Phoenix would waive Blair or Kris Humphries was first relayed by Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Blair was shipped to the Suns along with Humphries in exchange for Markieff Morris earlier today.
Blair is earning $2MM this season, the remainder of which Phoenix will be on the hook for. The power forward is under contract for 2016/17, but that salary is non-guaranteed, so the Suns won’t have any impact on their salary cap for next season as a result of this move.
The 26-year-old appeared in 29 contests for the Wizards this season and averaged 2.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.5 minutes of action per outing. His shooting numbers are .412/.000/.385.
Warriors Sign Anderson Varejao
MONDAY, 6:07pm: The team officially announced the signing via press release.
SUNDAY, 8:32pm: The Warriors have signed Anderson Varejao, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team has yet to make an official announcement, but Charania indicates the two sides have reached an agreement. Varejao signed at the veteran’s minimum for the rest of the season, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported earlier today that Golden State was the front-runner to sign Varejao, with the Spurs also reportedly having had mutual interest. The minimum salary for Varejao will be prorated. So, if he were to officially sign Monday on a deal that covers only the rest of the season, he would receive $458,575, with $289,755 coming from the Warriors and the NBA picking up the rest. Golden State, which is between $10MM and $15MM above the luxury tax threshold, would be in line to pay an additional $724,388 in taxes for the Varejao deal, making the total cost, in combined payroll and taxes, a projected $1,014,143. That number would go down slightly each day the Warriors wait to formally make the signing.
Golden State is currently carrying 15 players on its roster with each contract being fully guaranteed, so a subsequent move will be needed. The Warriors have a need in the frontcourt with Festus Ezeli still out because of arthroscopic knee surgery and Andrew Bogut nursing an Achilles injury.
The Blazers waived the 33-year-old Varejao after acquiring him from the Cavs in a deadline-day trade. He told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and Cleveland Plain Dealer that he has no hard feelings toward the Cavs and is excited to join the Warriors (Twitter link). Varejao, who has never played for any other team aside from the Cavs, is averaging 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Magic Waive Jared Cunningham
4:30pm: The move is official, the Magic’s public relations department announced via Twitter.
4:13pm: The Magic have waived Jared Cunningham, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The team hasn’t publicly acknowledged the move, but it took place today, according to Robbins. The release was expected, with Magic-employed beat writer John Denton going so far as to write that Orlando would cut the former 24th overall pick who came via Thursday’s trade with the Cavaliers. The reason Cunningham lingered on the Magic roster for as long as he did is because they were waiting on Channing Frye, who went to Cleveland in the swap, to pass his physical. He did so earlier today, according to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Cunningham won his way onto the regular season roster for the Cavs with a strong preseason, averaging 12.4 points in 25.3 minutes per game, enough of a case for Cleveland to risk paying approximately $3.8MM in extra luxury tax penalties on top of their $947,276 obligation on his minimum salary. That risk became even more profound when the Cavs kept him past the date in January when his one-year contract became fully guaranteed. His tight bond with LeBron James surely didn’t hurt his case to stick around in Cleveland, but he averaged only 2.6 points in 8.9 minutes during the regular season, and the Cavs ultimately moved off his salary, and all the tax implications connected with it, on the final day possible, shipping him to the Magic.
The 24-year-old is still in line to make his full $981,348 salary, with the Magic on the hook for $947,276 of it and the league picking up the rest. That assumes he clears waivers, however. Every team except Orlando and Cleveland is eligible to claim him off waivers, as long as they have an open roster spot, and he seems like a decent candidate for a claim, given his first-round pedigree, relative youth and preseason performance.
Pistons, NBA Void Donatas Motiejunas Trade
3:06pm: The Pistons confirmed the voiding of the trade, via press release.
“Standard with all trades, medical clearance on all players involved is required for completion. Medical clearance was not given on all players and the trade is being rescinded,” Bower said in Detroit’s statement. “In view of privacy considerations relating to medical information, we will have no further comment.”
1:15pm: The Pistons and the NBA are in the process of voiding the three-team Donatas Motiejunas trade, sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The power forward didn’t pass Detroit’s physical, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter), so the deal between the Pistons, Rockets and Sixers is off. Motiejunas, Marcus Thornton and Denver’s 2017 second-round pick will return to the Rockets, the Pistons will get back Joel Anthony and their top-eight protected 2016 first-round pick, while the Sixers will once more have the rights draft-and-stash player Chukwudiebere “Chu” Maduabum. The Sixers released JaKarr Sampson to facilitate the trade, but they won’t get him back, since he’s agreed to a two-year deal with the Nuggets.
Houston had slipped beneath the luxury tax line with the trade, according to The Vertical’s Bobby Marks, so today’s news has negative financial consequences for the Rockets, who are again in line to be taxpayers. The threat that the trade might fall apart grew over the weekend when the Pistons asked for and received an extra 24 hours to examine Motiejunas, who has dealt with lingering back trouble after undergoing surgery in April. The 25-year-old has appeared in only 14 games this season.
The Pistons had latitude to seek a change to the terms of the trade, including the protection attached to the first-rounder that was to go to Houston, according to Marks (Twitter link), but instead it appears they’ve decided, with the NBA’s blessing, to nix it altogether. Rescinding the trade will leave the Pistons and Sixers with one open roster spot apiece while the Rockets will go from two open roster spots to a full 15-man roster. Houston was reportedly among the teams interested in signing veteran rebounder Reggie Evans but now would have to cut somebody to do so.
Teams typically have 72 hours to administer physicals to the players they receive via trade, so it’s possible for deals to fall apart even after clubs formally announce them, even though it’s rare. The Thunder’s doctors didn’t like what they saw when they evaluated Tyson Chandler in 2009, leading the NBA to void Oklahoma City’s trade with the Hornets that year. Pistons GM Jeff Bower was the Hornets GM then, so he’s now seen voided trades from opposite perspectives.
The death of the trade is a boost to Anthony’s job prospects, since the Sixers were reportedly poised to waive him once the deal was ratified. Still, it’s perhaps a financial loss for him, since he could have latched on elsewhere for a salary that would have gone on top of the $2.5MM he’s seeing this year on his existing contract.
Conversely, it can’t help the earning potential for Motiejunas, who’s set for restricted free agency in the summer. It was a lock that either Motiejunas or fellow soon-to-be restricted free agent Terrence Jones would leave the Rockets this summer, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com wrote before the trade agreement last week.
The voiding of the trade scraps the pair of trade exceptions, worth $2,288,205 and $947,276, respectively, that the Rockets were able to create. It also kills off a $211,795 trade exception for the Pistons, though that one would have been virtually unusable anyway.
Which team do you think suffers the most because the trade is getting voided? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Nuggets Sign JaKarr Sampson
2:14pm: The signing is official, the team announced, confirming that it’s a multiyear arrangement (Twitter link). USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets that it contains a partial guarantee for next season, which conflicts with Charania’s report.
10:48am: The contract will be guaranteed for the rest of this season by rule, but it’ll be non-guaranteed for next season, Charania writes in a full piece that also includes confirmation of the deal from agent Seth Cohen.
10:03am: The Nuggets and former Sixers combo forward JaKarr Sampson are finalizing a two-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Sixers had wanted to re-sign him after releasing him Thursday to make room for their three-way trade with Houston and Detroit, one that’s held up as the Pistons continue to evaluate the health of Donatas Motiejunas. Detroit is sending Joel Anthony to Philadelphia as part of the swap, and Philadelphia offloaded Sampson to make room for Anthony, whom the Sixers reportedly intend to waive once the trade is finalized.
Denver has two open roster spots after having released J.J. Hickson and Steve Novak on Friday, so the Nuggets don’t have to make a corresponding move to add Sampson. It’ll likely be a minimum-salary contract, since that’s all Denver could give unless Hickson and Novak gave back large portions of their respective salaries in their buyout deals. Sampson was making the minimum salary, worth $845,059 to him as a one-year veteran, on his contract with Philadelphia. Assuming his new deal is also worth the minimum, it’ll be pro-rated, and thus too small for Philly to reap any savings via set-off. So, Sampson is poised to receive whatever the Nuggets give him on top of his full $845,059 from the Sixers.
Sampson, 22, is in his second NBA season after going undrafted out of St. John’s in 2014 and winning a spot on the Sixers despite a four-year contract that originally contained only $50K in guaranteed salary. He started 32 games as a rookie and 18 this season, with a career scoring average of 5.2 points per game. His numbers are virtually identical this year to those from last year, except his 3-point shooting. He made 24.4% on 127 total attempts last season, a woeful performance that’s led him to much fewer shots behind the arc this year, as he’s attempted only 34 and made just six.
Bucks Sign Steve Novak
MONDAY, 10:51am: The signing is official, the team announced, also confirming Copeland’s release.
SUNDAY, 4:22pm: The Bucks have signed Steve Novak, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team has yet to make an official announcement, but Stein indicates the deal is done.
Stein first reported on Saturday that the Bucks planned to sign Novak. The veteran small forward just cleared waivers from the Nuggets, who released him Friday as part of a buyout deal. Denver acquired him from the Thunder in the Randy Foye trade.
The Thunder rarely used Novak this season. He made only seven appearances, averaging just 3.4 minutes per game. The move presents a bit of a homecoming for Novak, who played his college ball at Marquette University. The Bucks will be Novak’s ninth different team in 10 seasons in the league. By signing Novak, who carved out a name for himself over his career for his 3-point shooting prowess, the Bucks are also expected to waive small forward Chris Copeland.
Bucks Waive Chris Copeland
MONDAY, 10:50am: The move is official, the team announced.
SUNDAY, 8:11pm: The Bucks have waived Chris Copeland, according to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The team has not issued an official announcement, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times indicates via Twitter that the move has been made to make room for Steve Novak.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com first reported Saturday that the Bucks would likely release Copeland. The Bucks are responsible for the remainder of Copeland’s $1.1MM salary, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets. The Bucks reportedly signed Novak today once he cleared waivers.
The Bucks signed Copeland this past offseason, but the veteran never made an impact with the team. The 31-year-old is averaging 2.1 points and 0.5 assists in 6.5 minutes per game this season. As a journeyman and late-bloomer, Copeland likely won’t draw much interest around the league.
Warriors Release Jason Thompson
MONDAY, 10:09am: The move is official, the team announced via press release.
SUNDAY, 9:00pm: The Warriors waived Jason Thompson to make room for Anderson Varejao, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Warriors will use the stretch provision, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group tweets. Thompson had $2.65MM guaranteed for 2016/17, but the Warriors can stretch $883,333 over the next three seasons, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports points out via Twitter.
The Warriors acquired Thompson this past offseason in a trade from the Sixers. Thompson, whom the Kings had traded to the Sixers earlier in July, has had the worst season of his career, statistically speaking, so it is no surprise the Warriors are parting ways. A starter for most of his carer, Thompson has appeared in only 28 games and has made only one start.
It will be interesting to see if any team adds Thompson, 29, who has been in decline since the 2013/14 season. The Warriors reportedly reached an agreement with Varejao on Sunday. The Warriors had a need in the frontcourt with Festus Ezeli still out because of arthroscopic knee surgery and Andrew Bogut nursing an Achilles injury, but seemingly had no desire to play Thompson.
Knicks Sign Jimmer Fredette To 10-Day Deal
MONDAY, 9:59am: The signing is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter). The contract will cover five games, against the Raptors, Pacers, Magic, Heat and Trail Blazers.
SUNDAY 9:04am: Fredette confirmed that he will likely be signing a 10-day contract with Knicks as soon as Monday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports relays (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 1:48pm: The Knicks plan to sign Jimmer Fredette, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). It’ll be a 10-day contract, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (on Twitter). The former 10th overall pick has spent much of the season with New York’s D-League affiliate, and this past weekend he won the MVP award in the D-League All-Star Game. The Knicks have an open roster spot, so they don’t have to make a corresponding move.
Fredette is averaging 22.3 points in 36.2 minutes per game across 28 regular season D-League appearances this season. He’s regained his vaunted outside shooting touch, nailing 40.4% of his 3-pointers. That’s much better than the 9 for 49 clip he’s produced at the NBA level in his limited playing time over the past two seasons. Still, his most profound struggles have come on defense, and his shortcomings on that end reportedly played a key role in New York’s decision to sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo instead of Fredette earlier this season.
The Pelicans had Fredette on their roster for a brief time in November, when he reprised the role of little-used reserve that he played last year with New Orleans. He was with the Spurs in the preseason this past fall on a partially guaranteed deal, but he didn’t make the opening night roster, a signal of how mightily the former BYU star has struggled to translate his college success to the pro level.
Fredette, who turns 27 this coming Thursday, will make close to $60K on the 10-day deal, an amount that exceeds his D-League salary for the entire season. New York will pay close to $56K, the equivalent of the cost of a prorated minimum-salary 10-day contract for a two-year veteran. The NBA picks up the rest.
Mavs Sign David Lee
MONDAY, 9:51am: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
8:52pm: Mavs coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the team will officially sign Lee Monday morning, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets.
SUNDAY, 4:13pm: The Mavericks have signed David Lee, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dallas has yet to make an official announcement, but Stein indicates the deal is done.
The 11th-year veteran had just cleared waivers from the Celtics, who released him Friday as part of a buyout deal. Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reported Saturday that Dallas was expected to sign Lee using the prorated room exception, which is a form of the mid-level.
The room exception is worth $2,102,224 as of today. Its original value was $2.814MM, but according to collective bargaining agreement rule, it began to prorate by 1/170th each day on January 10th. Lee cleared waivers because no team had the free cap space to absorb his $15.5MM salary. Boston attempted to find a taker for Lee prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, but the power forward reportedly had “no value” around the league.
Lee, who has not played since January 10th, has appeared in 30 games for Boston this season and is averaging 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 15.7 minutes of action per contest.