Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mustafa Shakur Signs To Play In Lithuania

September 12th, 2014 at 7:48am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 7:48am: The deal is official, the Euroleague announced.

THURSDAY, 4:15pm: Two-year NBA veteran Mustafa Shakur has signed a deal to play for Neptunas, a team in Lithuania, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The team has yet to make an official announcement, and the terms of the deal aren’t immediately clear, so it’s unknown whether the contract includes any sort of NBA escape clause, but it appears the point guard won’t return to the NBA for camp this fall.

Shakur made cameos in three games with the Thunder after inking a 10-day contract this past March, but Oklahoma City decided against re-signing him once it expired. The Keith Kreiter client spent much of last season in the D-League with the affiliates of the Thunder and Knicks, and he also made a brief two-game sojourn to play for Tadamon Zouk of Lebanon.

The 30-year-old’s most extensive NBA action came in 2010/11 with the Wizards, when he averaged 2.3 points in 7.2 minutes per game across 22 contests. Shakur joins James Anderson and Maalik Wayns among players heading to Lithuania after having spent at least part of last season in the NBA. Both Anderson and Wayns are set to play for Zalgiris Kaunas.

Grizzlies Sign Luke Hancock For Camp

September 11th, 2014 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

SEPTEMBER 25TH: The deal is official, as the Grizzlies have followed up with a formal announcement.

SEPTEMBER 11TH: Memphis has yet to make an official announcement, but the Grizzlies and Hancock put pen to paper last week, as the RealGM transactions log shows. Hancock’s deal is without a guarantee, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

AUGUST 31ST: Luke Hancock has agreed to a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Grizzlies, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).

Hancock began his collegiate career at George Mason University before the departure of coach Jim Larrañaga led him to transfer to Louisville. In 2013, Hancock was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament as he helped lead the Cardinals to a National Championship.

Hancock auditioned for the 76ers, Pistons, Bucks, Jazz, Rockets, and Celtics prior to the draft but wasn’t selected in June. The Pedro Power client averaged 10.1 PPG and shot ~37% from downtown in his two seasons with Louisville.

Nets Sign Jerome Jordan For Camp

September 11th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:33pm: The deal is official, the Nets announced via press release.

12:08pm: The Nets have struck a deal to bring former Knicks center Jerome Jordan to training camp, reports Robert Windrem of Nets Daily. The precise terms aren’t immediately clear, but it’s almost certainly for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Nets can give. Jordan has put pen to paper, and an official announcement from the team is imminent, according to Windrem.

The 7’0″ Jordan saw sparce playing time in 21 games for the Knicks in 2011/12, having since played in the D-League, the Philippines, and last season with Granarolo Bologna of Italy. He also spent the 2012 preseason with the Grizzlies. The former 44th overall pick out of Tulsa was briefly with the Rockets, who acquired him from New York as part of the Marcus Camby sign-and-trade in July 2012, but Houston waived him shortly thereafter. The Knicks appeared to have passing interest in a reunion last summer, but a deal never materialized.

The Nets have been carrying just 13 fully guaranteed contracts, as Windrem points out and as our roster counts show. So, Jordan appears to have a decent shot to make it to opening night if he can edge out Cory Jefferson, who has a partial guarantee worth $75K, and Jorge Gutierrez, whose non-guaranteed deal will become partially guaranteed for $25K if he sticks on the roster through September 26th. Agent Daniel Moldovan said in July that shooting guard Michael Jenkins would join the Nets for camp, too, but the team has yet to make that deal official.

Ryan Gomes Signs To Play In Spain

September 11th, 2014 at 11:26am CST by Chuck Myron

Eight-year NBA veteran Ryan Gomes has signed with Spain’s Saski Baskonia, also known as Laboral Kuxta, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The terms are unclear, but it looks like Gomes won’t head to camp with an NBA team this year, unlike last season, when he made the Thunder’s opening night roster.

Gomes remained with Oklahoma City into January, but he appeared in only five games, and the Celtics released him shortly after he went to Boston in the three-team Courtney Lee trade and right before his contract would have become fully guaranteed for the season. The former 50th overall pick out of Providence played much more extensively during his first seven seasons in the league, topping out at 13.3 points in 31.9 minutes per game for the Timberwolves in 2007/08.

The 32-year-old is returning to Europe after spending part of 2012/13 playing in Germany. Gomes will join Tornike Shengelia, who struck a deal with Baskonia in May.

Warriors Sign Leandro Barbosa

September 10th, 2014 at 4:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:24pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2:43pm: Barbosa has put pen to paper, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link), though there has yet to be an official announcement from the team.

AUGUST 28TH: The Warriors and Leandro Barbosa have reached agreement on a one-year deal for the minimum salary, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It’s not immediately clear whether the salary for the 11-year veteran will be guaranteed.

Golden State had been on the lookout for backup guards, Stein notes, and the 6’3″ Barbosa fits that bill. The 31-year-old and the Heat held a mutual interest, though it didn’t seem as though Miami was going too hard after the client of Excel Sports Management. Barbosa reportedly had talks with a few teams, but he seemed prepared to wait until after the FIBA World Cup to find a deal, until the Warriors swooped in.

It’s a contrast from last year, when Barbosa went without an NBA deal until January, starting the season with a Brazilian team in an effort to prove his health after suffering a torn ACL in February 2013. Barbosa is once more coming off an injury that ended his season early, having broken his left hand in March while playing for the Suns. Still, the concern surrounding that injury isn’t as profound, as the Golden State deal demonstrates.

The Warriors had been carrying 13 guaranteed deals plus a non-guaranteed pact for undrafted rookie Aaron Craft. Barbosa gives the team yet another option at point guard behind starter Stephen Curry, joining Craft, Shaun Livingston and the injured Nemanja Nedovic.

Warriors, Jerry West Agree To Extension

September 10th, 2014 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors have agreed to an extension with Jerry West that will keep the Hall-of-Famer on the team’s executive board through the 2016/17 season, reports Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. West’s existing deal had been due to run out at the end of this coming season, and the 76-year-old recently told people close to him that he was thinking of retirement, even as he made it clear he was passionate about lifting the team to title contention, Kawakami hears.

West, who holds the title of director of scouting and administration for the club, has played a key role in Golden State’s decision-making since joining the Warriors in May of 2011, and he owns a partial stake in the franchise. He was vociferous in his opposition to trading Klay Thompson for Kevin Love this summer and helped influence the team’s decision not to do so, but West didn’t make the call to dismiss former coach Mark Jackson despite their poor relationship, Kawakami writes.

The Warriors recently signed GM Bob Myers to an extension that takes his contract through 2017/18. West’s commitment seals co-owner Joe Lacob’s desire to have his front office staff intact for years to come, as Kawakami points out. West is a two-time Executive of the Year award-winner, having taken home the honor in 1995 with the Lakers and in 2004 with the Grizzlies.

Chauncey Billups Retires

September 9th, 2014 at 8:46pm CST by Charlie Adams

Chauncey Billups confirmed that he won’t be returning to the hardwood next season, telling Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he’s retiring after 17 seasons in the NBA. The Pistons turned down a team option earlier this summer that would have paid the 37 year old $2.5MM to return to Detroit. He worked out for the Cavs in August, and although he was reportedly interested in teaming up with LeBron James in Cleveland, the veteran point guard has decided to hang up his jersey and move on from playing in the NBA.

While Billups acknowledged that he still had “a couple opportunities to play” if he had opted not to retire, the 2004 Finals MVP said he couldn’t ignore his deteriorating health that has limited him to appearing in only 49 games over the past three seasons. “It’s just time. I know when it’s time,” Billups said. “My mind and my desire is still strong. I just can’t ignore the fact that I haven’t been healthy for three years. I can try again and get to a point where I think I can go, but I just can’t sustain. Me not being able to play the way that I can play, that’s when you kind of know it’s that time.”

Billups expressed interest in taking a front office role at some point, but he told Spears nothing is imminent for the time being. The Timberwolves were reportedly likely to target Billups earlier this summer for an assistant coaching role, but the former Pistons stud indicated he’d be more interested in taking a television position or a job in a front office.

Over his career, Billups averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per night in 1043 games. He shot 41.5% from the floor and an impressive 38.7% from beyond the arc. The former third overall pick took home the NBA championship with the Pistons in 2004 and appeared in five All-Star games. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Billups earned $107,227,720 during his time in the NBA, having spent time with seven different clubs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Sign Langston Galloway, Travis Wear

September 9th, 2014 at 3:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks have signed combo guard Langston Galloway and power forward Travis Wear, the team announced (on Twitter). The pair are presumably on minimum-salary contracts for camp, either without guarantees or with only small partial guarantees attached to their deals.

Galloway and Wear played on New York’s summer league team in July after going undrafted the previous month. Galloway averaged 17.7 points and 4.3 rebounds with impressive 44.3% three-point accuracy in 36.2 minutes per game this past season with St. Joseph’s. Wear’s numbers for UCLA weren’t as flashy, as he put up 7.2 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 23.9 MPG. As with brother David Wear, who signed a camp deal with the Kings, Travis Wear’s playing time decreased with each successive season he spent as a Bruin.

New York is carrying 13 fully guaranteed deals, plus a partially guaranteed pact for Samuel Dalembert, who figures to compete for the starting job at center. The team’s contract with 34th overall pick Cleanthony Early is almost certainly fully guaranteed, which would force the team to have to unload someone’s guaranteed salary if Galloway, Wear or both make the club in their longshot bids. It seems more likely the team will use the camp invitations as a tool to secure the D-League rights to Galloway and Wear for their new affiliate in Westchester.

Hornets Sign Dallas Lauderdale For Camp

September 9th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

SEPTEMBER 22ND: The deal is official, the team announced.

SEPTEMBER 9TH: Big man Dallas Lauderdale will attend training camp with the Hornets, reports Chris Haynes of the Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The terms of the arrangement for the former Ohio State Buckeye aren’t immediately clear, but it’s likely for the minimum salary, perhaps with a nominal guarantee included.

The 6’8″ 25-year-old is heading to camp with an NBA club for the second straight year, having done so with the Blazers last autumn. Portland retained his D-League rights for this past season, and he did his most impressive work on the boards, averaging 8.7 a game to go with 7.5 points in 29.3 minutes per contest in the D-League.

Charlotte has been carrying 14 players on 14 guaranteed deals, as our roster counts show, but while Lauderdale doesn’t appear to have much camp competition as it stands, the Hornets will almost certainly bring in a few more camp invitees. NBA teams don’t have to carry any more than 13 players in the regular season, so it’s possible that Lauderdale or anyone else the team signs this month will have to be particularly impressive to make it to opening night.

Shawn Marion Signs With Cavs

September 9th, 2014 at 1:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SEPTEMBER 9TH: The signing is finally official, the team announced.

“Shawn brings great versatility, talent and championship experience to the team,” Cavs GM David Griffin said in the club’s statement. “He will impact both ends of the floor and his ability to guard multiple positions will be particularly important for us. Shawn is an accomplished, high-caliber veteran that will help with leadership on and off the court and we’re very happy to welcome him to the Cavaliers family.”

AUGUST 17TH: Shawn Marion has decided to join the Cavaliers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Cleveland can only offer Marion the veteran’s minimum salary, but the opportunity to play with LeBron James and to contend for an NBA Championship was the deciding factor, notes Stein. The Clippers, Pacers, and the Heat had also pursued the 15-year veteran.

Indiana could have offered Marion a larger role and more playing time, with Paul George most likely being lost for the season. The Pacers could have also offered a larger salary as well, with the league already approving the disabled player exception the franchise had applied for. But with James’ arrival, and Kevin Love set to be added as soon as Andrew Wiggins can be traded on August 23rd, the Cavs became too appealing an option for Marion.

Marion’s career averages are 15.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG. His career slash line is .485/.332/.811. Last season with the Mavericks, he averaged 10.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG, while appearing in 76 contests.