Jazz Waive Brock Motum
Forward Brock Motum has been waived by the Jazz, the team announced in a press release. The move cuts Utah’s roster to 14 players, one under the league maximum. It’s unclear if the Jazz intend to send Motum to the D-League, as teams can retain the rights for up to four players.
Motum’s minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed, so the Jazz won’t be on the hook for any money as a result of cutting him. The 23-year-old Motum appeared in five games for Utah’s summer league team in Las Vegas, averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. He spent the 2013/14 season with Granarolo Bologna of the Italian Serie A League, where he averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
The 6’10” Australian played at Washington State and ranks second in school history in both career points (1,530) and field goal percentage (.567). He was the Pac 12’s leading scorer as a senior at 18 points per game.
Cavaliers Exercise Option On Dion Waiters
The Cavaliers have exercised their fourth-year contract option on Dion Waiters, general manager David Griffin announced Saturday. This move gives the Cavs $21.48MM in guaranteed salary commitments for the 2015/16 season. But that figure doesn’t include a total of $41.17MM in player options for LeBron James, Kevin Love and Mike Miller. It also doesn’t factor in Tristan Thompson, who will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension by Oct. 31st.
The decision on Waiters isn’t surprising, as he has become a big part of Cleveland’s rotation during his two seasons in Cleveland. Last year with the Cavaliers, he averaged 15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 70 games. Waiters was selected fourth overall by the Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA draft. He is scheduled to make $4,062,000 in 2014/15 and $5,138,430 in 2015/16.
During his time in Cleveland, Waiters hasn’t quite developed as rapidly as the team would have hoped. A natural point guard, he’s still adapting to his move to the wing, and his high turnover rate (2.1 per game) and low field goal percentage (42.4% for his career), have held him back from having more of an impact on the court. With the additions of James and Love, and with the continued development of Kyrie Irving, Waiters won’t likely average 13-14 shots per game, so his numbers are likely to take a slight hit.
Pacers Waive Four Players
3:24pm: All four players have indeed been waived, the team announced.
3:05pm: The Pacers have waived C.J. Fair, Arinze Onuaku, Chris Singleton and Adonis Thomas, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). These moves will trim Indiana’s preseason roster count down to the regular season maximum of 15 players. All four of the waived players were in camp on non-guaranteed deals, so the team won’t be responsible for any debt to them.
Thomas appeared in only six NBA games as a rookie, averaging 2.3 points in 6.2 minutes per game. The 21-year-old spent two years at Memphis, where he played 27.5 minutes per game for the Tigers and was the second leading scorer on a team that earned a six seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
The 6’9″, 27 year-old Onuaku appeared in a total of five games last season, split between the Pelicans and the Cavaliers. Onuaku averaged 0.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His slash line was .200/.000/.500.
A former first round selection of the Wizards, Singleton has appeared in 148 career games, including 62 starts, averaging 4.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.6 APG, while playing 17.6 MPG. His career shooting numbers are .376/.319/.633.
Fair played four season for Syracuse, averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 0.8 APG. His career slash line was .462/.343/.723.
Mavs Waive James, Johnson, Lamb
The Mavericks have officially waived Bernard James, Ivan Johnson, and Doron Lamb, the team has announced. These moves bring Dallas’ preseason roster count down to the league maximum 15, so no further roster moves would be required prior to beginning the regular season. This also means that Charlie Villanueva and his non-guaranteed contract is likely to make the regular season roster, though that’s just my speculation.
James’ contract was fully guaranteed for $915,243, and the team has reportedly looking to trade the center, but apparently no takers were found. Lamb’s deal came with no guarantee, but Johnson’s contract included a partial guarantee of $25K, which the Mavs will be responsible to pay.
It’s not clear if the team will look to send any of these players to the NBA D-League at this time. Teams can retain the D-League rights for up to four players. Lamb would seem to be the most likely of the bunch for Dallas to try and develop down in the D-League, seeing as he’s the youngest of the players that were waived, and has the most potential upside.
Wolves Cut Brady Heslip
Guard Brady Heslip has been officially waived by the Timberwolves, the team has announced. The move trims Minnesota’s roster to 16 players, one over the league maximum. It’s unclear if the team intends to send Heslip to the D-league, as teams can retain the rights for up to four players.
Heslip’s minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed, so the Wolves won’t be on the hook for any salary as a result of this move. Heslip wasn’t a lock to make the regular season roster, so his departure doesn’t come as a shocker.
The 6’2″ Canadian was a sharpshooter at Baylor, ranking first in school history in three-point percentage and second in made three-pointers. The 24-year-old guard played in five games for the Minnesota’s summer league team in Las Vegas, averaging 6.2 points per game.
Kings Cut Trey Johnson
The Kings have cut ties with Trey Johnson, the team has officially announced. This move reduces Sacramento’s preseason roster count to 14 players, one below the regular season maximum.
Johnson’s minimum salary contract didn’t include any guaranteed money, so the Kings aren’t on the hook to the player for any cash. Johnson was a longshot to make the regular season roster with Sacramento’s depth in the backcourt, so the team parting ways with him isn’t surprising.
In parts of three NBA seasons, Johnson has appeared in 23 contests, averaging 2.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG, and 0.7 APG. The 6’5″ shooting guard’s career slash line is .385/.333/.947. He has also spent parts of four seasons in the D-League, turning in his best season as a professional in a 2010/11 campaign in which he averaged 25.5 PPG.
Wizards Cut Lucas, James, Silas
2:13pm: The trio of Silas, James, and Lucas have indeed been waived, the team announced in a press release.
SATURDAY, 1:10pm: The Wizards have waived Silas, James, and John Lucas III, Michael reports (Twitter link). No official word from the team has been made, and their was no mention of Butler also being waived. After these moves the team’s preseason roster count stands at 15, so the Wizards wouldn’t be required to make any further cuts.
8:29pm: Michael has updated his report to reflect that Butler, James and Silas have yet to be released, and could actually still be retained. Though, in a later story, the CSN Washington scribe suggests that the chances the Wizards retain any of the trio is slim.
TUESDAY, 9:38am: The Wizards are set to part ways with Rasual Butler, Damion James and Xavier Silas, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com, who writes amid his story on Washington’s deal with John Lucas III. That indicates that the club will place its non-guaranteed contracts with the trio on waivers in advance of Monday’s deadline to set its opening-night roster. The addition of Lucas will give the team 15 players with at least a partial guarantee, which puts the squeeze on Butler, James and Silas.
The three swingmen appeared to have better chances at remaining with the team into the regular season once Bradley Beal went down with injury, but it looks like GM Ernie Grunfeld is going a different direction to bolster his backcourt. James and Silas were reportedly the strongest contenders among the three to remain with the team. Silas went to training camp with the Wizards this fall for the second year in a row, while James was the 24th overall pick in 2010 and showed promise before a series of injuries derailed his career. The 35-year-old Butler was hoping to duplicate what he did with Indiana last year, when he made the Pacers out of camp and wound up contributing in the playoffs.
The subtraction of Butler, James and Silas will drop the Wizards to 15 players, seemingly setting the club’s opening-night roster. Washington released Daniel Orton, Vander Blue and David Stockton earlier in the preseason.
Suns Waive Earl Barron
1:54pm: Barron has been officially waived, the team has announced.
1:34pm: The Suns have waived Earl Barron, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link). No official announcement from the team has been made, but this move would reduce Phoenix’s preseason roster count to 15 players, which is the regular season maximum. Barron’s contract was non-guaranteed, so the team’s look at Barron didn’t cost them anything.
Apparently, Barron didn’t impress the Suns enough to unseat one of their younger big men from the team’s rotation. If he’s healthy Barron should have an opportunity to catch on with another team now, or later on during the season on a 10-day contract, as veteran big men tend to be in higher demand as the season progresses and injuries begin to take their toll on rosters.
In 124 career games, Barron has averaged 4.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG. His career slash line is .375/.071/.716.
Rockets Sign Richmond, Waive Geron Johnson
The Rockets have made a pair of moves today. The team has signed Akeem Richmond and waived Geron Johnson, the team announced in a press release. These moves do nothing to alleviate Houston’s current preseason roster logjam, and the team still has 20 players under contract. The Rockets will still need to pare down their roster by five prior to the deadline. Signing Richmond this close to the wire is likely aimed at retaining his D-League rights for the season, though the is merely my speculation. It isn’t known yet if Johnson’s deal included any guaranteed money, nor if Richmond’s does.
Johnson was inked only yesterday, with the team waiving Akil Mitchell to clear the required roster slot. Johnson went undrafted this past June, but the Rockets were among the teams that worked him out prior to the draft, and he subsequently joined Houston’s summer league team in July. The 22-year-old guard averaged just 8.9 points in 27.9 minutes per game as a senior with Memphis last season, but he did log 4.9 RPG, excellent numbers from a backcourt player.
The 6’0″ Richmond went undrafted this year out of East Carolina, after spending his first two seasons with Rhode Island. His career collegiate numbers are 11.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.1 APG. His career shooting numbers were .384/.384/.824.
Spurs Cut Ties With Three Players
The Spurs have waived forwards JaMychal Green, Fuquan Edwin, and Robert Vaden, the team announced in a press release. Edwin and Vaden were both inked just yesterday to non-guaranteed deals, so San Antonio won’t owe the pair any money. Green has a partial guarantee on his contract, so he’ll walk away with $60K for his troubles. These moves reduce the team’s preseason roster count to 15, so the team won’t have to make another move prior to the regular season commencing.
The 6’5″ Vaden technically has one year of NBA experience, even though he’s never appeared in a regular season or playoff game. The Thunder signed him to a multiyear deal in the final days of the 2010/11 season and traded him the following preseason to the Timberwolves, who cut him before opening night. He was most recently with Belfius Mons-Hainaut in Belgium where he appeared in 10 games, logging 9.0 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 27 minutes per night. Vaden was originally drafted with the No. 54 pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Hornets (then known as the Bobcats). In four college seasons split between Indiana and UAB, Vaden averaged 15.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG. He also spent two seasons in the NBA D-League for the Tulsa 66ers, averaging 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Edwin went undrafted this year after spending four seasons at Seton Hall. In 127 career games for the Pirates, he averaged 12.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.4 APG while playing 30.3 minutes a night. Edwin played for the Thunder in the summer league, appearing in three games, and notching 1.3 PPG in 7.5 minutes per night. Both he and Vaden were likely inked with the intention of retaining their D-League rights, though that’s just my speculation.
The 6’8″ Green went undrafted in 2012 and spent all of 2012/13 in the D-League. He spent training camp with the Clippers last year, but was cut before the season. He averaged 12.3 PPG and 8.1 RPG on .496 shooting while in the D-League.