Wizards Sign Jarell Eddie, Waive Ryan Hollins
WEDNESDAY, 10:30am: The moves are official, the team announced.
1:21pm: It’s expected to be a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for Eddie, Charania writes in a full story. That’ll force a decision no later than January 7th, the last day teams can waive non-guaranteed deals without them becoming fully guaranteed. The Wizards have the capacity to give Eddie more than the prorated minimum salary, with a $1.464MM sliver of the mid-level exception still in their quiver, but non-minimum signings are rare for midseason acquisitions, and especially so for players coming up from the D-League. Sources who spoke with Charania wouldn’t close the door on the possibility that the Wizards will re-sign Hollins later this season.
TUESDAY, 12:52am: The Wizards plan to sign Jarell Eddie and waive Ryan Hollins, sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Eddie, a one-year NBA veteran, has been playing for the Spurs affiliate in the D-League since the Warriors cut him at the end of the preseason. Hollins is on a non-guaranteed deal he signed November 30th, but Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported last week that it would become fully guaranteed if Washington keeps him past December 27th, which the team apparently doesn’t intend to do.
Eddie, a 24-year-old small forward, was averaging 14.1 points in 28.6 minutes per game with the Austin Spurs, but it’s his blistering 3-point shooting that sets him apart. He’s made 32 of 61 attempts so far this season, good for 52.5%. He shot 45.2% on 281 attempts from beyond the arc in the D-League last season. He’s yet to appear in an NBA regular season game, though he has credit for one year of service thanks to the 10-day contract he signed last March with the Hawks. Eddie will help offset the loss of Bradley Beal, whom the team declared out for at least two weeks on December 12th because of a stress reaction in his leg.
Hollins has made three starts during his brief Wizards tenure, but he’s averaged only 9.6 minutes across five total appearances and hasn’t played in any of the team’s last five games. The 31-year-old signed with the Grizzlies for camp but didn’t stick for opening night in Memphis.
Washington is dealing with a hail of injuries, with Beal, John Wall, Otto Porter, Drew Gooden, Nene and Alan Anderson all dealing with some sort of malady, as CBSSports.com details. Still, none appear certain to keep anyone out for more than the next two weeks, so a hardship exception for an extra roster spot isn’t in play.
Do you think we’ll see Hollins in the NBA again this season? Leave a comment to tell us.
Southeast Rumors: Oubre, Lamb, Green
Kelly Oubre wasn’t supposed to get much playing time this season but he’s making the most of his unexpected opportunity, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. The Wizards wanted to essentially redshirt the rookie small forward but injuries have thrust him into the rotation, Castillo continues. Oubre’s performances during the team’s 1-3 road trip against Southwest opponents — including an 18-point outing against the Spurs — were some of the few positives that came out of it, Castillo adds. He was selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the Hawks and then dealt to the Wizards on draft night. “Progression is the word,” Oubre told Castillo. “Every game is different. Every game I try to get better. At practice I probably get better. I’m starting to get the hang of the whole NBA thing now.”
In other news around the Southeast Division:
- Hornets shooting guard Jeremy Lamb credits coach Steve Clifford for his breakout season, as he indicated to Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. Lamb’s reputation as a dead-eye shooter preceded him but Clifford has also utilized Lamb as a playmaker, Brigham continues. “He does a good job helping everybody play to their strengths. He sees the best in me,” Lamb told Brigham. “Coach Clifford said he always knew I was a good shooter, but he didn’t realize how good of a passer I was, so he said I should do more in making plays for others.”
- Gerald Green claims the Heat value his defense more than his previous teams, especially the Suns, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports. The veteran swingman told Lieser that the Suns “dogged” him regarding his defensive effort the past two seasons but the Heat coaching staff has treated him much differently. “This year they’ve got me on the best players, so I’ve taken the challenge,” Green said. “They give me confidence and they encourage me so much to go out and do it. I’ve never been encouraged to play defense with any other team I’ve been on.”
- The Hawks recalled center Walter Tavares from the D-League’s Austin Spurs on Monday following a two-game stint, a development initially reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) and later confirmed on the team’s website. Tavares has appeared in six D-League games and four NBA games this season.
And-Ones: Millsap, Lin, D-League
The Magic offered Paul Millsap a max contract on July 1st and the power forward told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that Orlando’s pitch was impressive before he ultimately decided to re-sign with the Hawks.
“I was their first priority, and everything about their team was looking good at the time,” Millsap told Robbins. “It intrigued me. The presentation was great.”
Millsap, per Robbins, chose to stay in Atlanta, however, because he grew a fondness for the area and he got used to calling it home. Millsap added that his teammates and the Hawks’ coaching staff had a lot to do with his decision to re-sign because he believes Atlanta has “built something special thus far.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The non-guaranteed minimum salary of recent Wizards signee Ryan Hollins becomes fully guaranteed if the team doesn’t waive him by the end of December 27th, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders in a roundup of guarantee dates. Pincus also reveals that Bryce Cotton, who signed with the Suns last month, is on a non-guaranteed contract for the minimum salary that covers just this season and wouldn’t become guaranteed until next month’s leaguewide guarantee date.
- Hawks big man Mike Muscala, previously thought to have a $473,638 partial guarantee on his $947,276 minimum salary, has no guarantee at all, Pincus shows in the same post and on Twitter.
- Jeremy Lin, who signed a two-year, $4.4MM contract with the Hornets in July, said his new team is a very good fit for his style and strengths, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays.
- The Mavs recalled Justin Anderson, Jeremy Evans and Salah Mejri from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release. Evans has appeared in 19 games with the Mavs while Anderson has played in 17 and Mejri has seen action in five.
- The Thunder assigned Josh Huestis to the D-League, the team announced. Huestis has appeared in nine games this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s D-League affiliate.
- The Celtics recalled Terry Rozier and Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release.
Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Lin, Oubre
Victor Oladipo, a former No. 2 overall pick who’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, is playing like a first-team All-Defensive player, according to Magic coach Scott Skiles, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel relays. Oladipo is adept at guarding one-on-one, pressuring ball-handlers and contesting entry passes, Robbins explains. All of that has contributed to making the Magic a better defensive team this season, Robbins adds. Skiles moved Oladipo to the bench earlier this season, but the third-year shooting guard responded well.
Here’s more on the Southeast Division:
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman believes Drew Gooden and Nene should be able to return at some point this week, Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic.com relays. Nene has missed 12 straight games with a left calf strain while Gooden has missed 21 games because of a right calf strain, as Standig notes. Nene is set for free agency at season’s end.
- Wizards rookie Kelly Oubre is gaining confidence lately after scoring 18 points Wednesday and earning his first start on Saturday, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.
com writes. Oubre must be cognizant of not allowing himself to get into foul trouble early in games going forward, Michael adds, because there is a decent chance the Wizards will look to use more of him soon. “I told him he had to play a little bit differently now than when I have put (him) in games and it’s been a cause-havoc situation,” Wittman said. “I told him he had to learn situations. We’re short-handed. You get the first one and you’ve got to be smart. It was trying to get him to understand the difference between starting and being in the position where he had been.” - While Jeremy Lin‘s numbers aren’t as eye-opening as they were during his “Linsanity” run, the point guard has added lineup flexibility for the Hornets and his turnover percentage is at a career low, Jesus Gomez of SB Nation’s Pounding the Rock details.
Eastern Notes: Yormark, Harrellson, D-League
Nets CEO Brett Yormark is excited about the coming offseason and the free agent possibilities it brings, NetsDaily relays. “This will be the first time we’ve been able to test free agency and really realize the power of Brooklyn, the power of our brand and the commitment that ownership continues to make,” Yormark said. “We’ve got a good story to tell — with the addition of our $50MM practice facility and the D-League franchise — and I think we’ll be in a position where we’ll be able to add to Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bojan Bogdanovic and some of the other younger pieces, and bring in the necessary pieces to turn things around quickly. I’m excited about that opportunity, but obviously we have to make all the right decisions and we have to plan now. … I think there’s a chance here to really build something special.” Brooklyn is currently projected to have between $32MM and $38MM in free cap space next summer.
Here’s more from the East:
- Wizards camp cut Josh Harrellson has signed with the Latvian club VEF Riga, the team announced (translation courtesy of Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 26-year-old averaged 3.9 points in 7.3 minutes per game over seven preseason appearances for Washington this year.
- Brandon Jennings‘ decision to accept a rehab assignment in the D-League is a testament to the point guard’s commitment and love of the game, according to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. It also demonstrates the value of the franchise having its own D-League affiliate, Langlois adds. “I think it shows how important the commitment [team owner] Tom [Gores] was able to make to have a D-League team and putting money into it,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve already gotten a value of last year sending Spencer Dinwiddie and Quincy Miller there and this year sending Spencer and Darrun [Hilliard] down. Now you’ve got a guy who can be a big part of what you do and you’ve got somewhere close by where you can send him and he can play. Those kinds of things seem minor when we’re talking about ownership commitment, but that’s a big one. We can send Brandon there to get significant minutes.”
- The Raptors assigned shooting guard Norman Powell to their D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). This will be Powell’s first jaunt to the Raptors 905 this season.
- The Pistons have assigned Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, the team announced via press release. This will be Hilliard’s fourth stint with the Drive and Bullock’s first.
Southwest Notes: Ellis, Randolph, Neal
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the decision not to make an offer to Monta Ellis over the summer came down to a desire to clear cap space, not because of Ellis’ age (he turned 30 in October) or any thought that he was in decline, writes Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link).
“We love Monta as a person, his family. It was one of the times where I went back and forth a lot,” Cuban said. “Not just on the basketball side but on the family side. His wife [plans to attend] law school. His wife has an amazing future as a lawyer and it was hard. That’s the down side of this business.”
Ellis instead signed with the Pacers, though he’s still feeling the effects of offseason surgery, as Buckner also reports and as we passed along earlier. See more from the Southwest Division:
- Zach Randolph, now coming off the bench for the Grizzlies, tells Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com that he’s on board with his reduced role, and Randolph agrees with Jackson’s assertion that a dead-eye shooter in the mold of J.J. Redick is the missing element on the Memphis roster.
- Gary Neal roots for the Spurs whenever he’s not playing them and has plenty of admiration for the team with which he spent his first three NBA seasons, notes Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Neal is on a one-year, $2.139MM contract with the Wizards.
- The Mavs‘ inability to trade a first-round pick for any draft prior to 2018 and the lack of value their expiring contracts have in a market full of teams with cap flexibility for 2016 make it difficult to envision Dallas pulling off any swap that significantly upgrades the roster this season, contends Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Timberwolves Make Kevin Martin Available
The Timberwolves have made Kevin Martin available in discussions about potential trades, a source told Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Minnesota wants to find more time for younger perimeter players Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, according to Krawczynski. The potential that LaVine has shown to become a scorer and the increased amount of time Wiggins is seeing at shooting guard, plus the eight losses in nine games that the team has suffered, have helped prompt GM Milt Newton and company to put the 32-year-old Martin on the block and focus on Wiggins, LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad, Krawczynski explains.
Minnesota spoke with two teams about Martin early this season but was reluctant to move him amid a promising 8-8 start, Krawczynski writes. He began the season on the bench but the team made him a starter in late November to help him break out of a shooting slump, according to Krawczynski. The 12th-year veteran is nailing only 36.7% of his field goal attempts, a career low. Martin didn’t play in the team’s loss to the Knicks because of a sprained right (shooting) wrist, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, and he’s questionable for Friday’s game against the Kings.
Martin was a part of trade talk last winter, when a series of reports identified the Mavericks, Wizards, Bulls, Kings and Rockets as interested parties, though late Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders didn’t appear willing to trade him or work a buyout. The Mavs, who signed Wesley Matthews in the offseason, were no longer interested as of October, according to a report at that time from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, and it’s unclear if any of the other teams linked to him almost a year ago are still eyeing him.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca speculates the Raptors might have interest, citing Martin’s track record as a scorer and an asset to team chemistry as well as his relationship with a few of Toronto’s players, though he suggests his contract could be a stumbling block (Twitter links). Martin is making $7.085MM this season with a player option for nearly $7.378MM next year.
What team do you think would make sense for Martin? Leave a comment to let us know.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Wizards, Hornets
Former Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, in his first extensive interview since the trade that sent him to the Grizzlies, told to shed salary.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Gary Neal, whom the Wizards signed to a one-year deal in July, has filled the role of capable bench scorer, which is what Washington hoped for in inking the veteran point guard, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes. Neal’s contract, which is worth $2.1MM, fit into both the Wizards’ short-term plans and long-term flexibility, Castillo adds. The move has paid off with Neal averaging 10.6 points per game.
- After being traded to the Hornets from the Blazers, Nicolas Batum is playing the best basketball of his career, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com details. Batum’s all-around game has been so strong this season, Celtics coach Brad Stevens thinks the small forward has a good shot to make the All-Star team, as Toscano adds.
- Speaking of Batum, taking chances on him, Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes — who were each at uncertain points of their respective careers — in trades during the summer has made the Hornets dramatically better offensively, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains. In obtaining the players, the Hornets added size and versatility, Bonnell adds. “We made a concerted effort to improve offensively, improve our versatility and find more skilled players,” Hornets GM Rich Cho said. “I knew Nic from [working in] Portland; we knew Spencer had tremendous basketball IQ and could shoot the ball and spread the floor. Jeremy was someone we pursued for a long time. We liked him in college and saw him play a lot of games in the NBA and the D-League.”
Southeast Notes: Beal, Hawks Drafts, Batum
Bradley Beal‘s repeated leg problems are part of the reason the Wizards have been reluctant to commit to an extension, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The Wizards confirmed today that Beal has “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula.” He will miss at least seven games as he will be kept out of action for two weeks before being re-evaluated. Michael notes that the injury is in the same vicinity as his last stress reaction in February and is part of Beal’s “long and complex” injury history since being drafted in 2012. Michael also speculates that the latest injury could hold down Beal’s value when he becomes a restricted free agent next summer, possibly allowing Washington to sign him at a lower price.
There’s more tonight from the Southeast Division:
- Despite the injury, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post doesn’t believe Beal’s market value will be reduced. He writes that Beal is still likely to get a max offer from someone, especially with the coming rise in the salary cap linked to television revenue. Beal is trying to stay positive despite the latest setback. “I can’t worry about it,” he said. “If I do, it ruins me as a player. It ruins my confidence. It kind of makes an excuse for me, and I don’t want to live with myself in that category.”
- The Hawks‘ recent run of success is being threatened by their draft decisions, according to Jonathan Tjarks of Real GM. Atlanta posted the best record in the East last season, but Tjarks worries that the franchise is being hurt by poor use of its draft picks. The Hawks emerged from the draft with Lucas Nogueira in 2013 and Adreian Payne in 2014, then traded this year’s pick to the Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr. Atlanta ultimately traded Nogueira to Toronto and Payne to Minnesota, and Hardaway has spent time in the D-League this season.
- The Hornets‘ Nicolas Batum has already proven himself worthy of a max contract next summer, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Batum, whom Charlotte acquired from the Blazers in a June trade, has helped the Hornets get off to a 14-9 start, third best in the Eastern Conference. Fowler says Batum has stepped into the point forward role and has accepted much of the playmaking responsibility. The columnist estimates it will take nearly $20MM per season to keep Batum in Charlotte, but contends it will be worth it.
Wizards Use Stretch Provision On Martell Webster
The Wizards used the stretch provision to spread out the cap hit associated with the $2.5MM partial guarantee on Martell Webster‘s salary for next season, reports Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Webster, who cleared waivers after the team released him last week, will see the $2.5MM in three equal parts of $833,333 each season from 2016/17 through 2018/19 instead of receiving the $2.5MM all in 2016/17. That gives the Wizards about $1.667MM in added cap flexibility this summer, when they’re poised to chase soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant and reportedly plan to re-sign Bradley Beal to a max contract in free agency.
The stretch doesn’t apply to this season’s salary of almost $5.614MM. The full amount of Webster’s salary for next season was to have been more than $5.845MM, but Washington is only on the hook for the partially guaranteed value.
The league allows teams until the end of the first full day after a player clears waivers to decide whether they want to use the stretch provision to spread out his cap hit, so that accounts for some of the delay in reporting. The Wizards could have taken until the end of this past Thursday to declare whether they were stretching Webster’s salary.
The move leaves Washington with $37,691,855 in guaranteed salary for next season, when the cap is projected to hit $89MM. Beal’s cap hold is worth $14,734,954, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The Wizards would incur roster charges worth $3,804,297, a number equal to seven times the rookie minimum salary, if they were to strip down merely to Beal and the four players on their roster with fully guaranteed salary for next season. The maximum salary for Durant, who’ll have nine years of experience by next summer, is projected to be $24.9MM. That means the Wizards would have at least $81,131,106 tied up if they sign Durant, so they could spend between that amount and the cap to supplement their roster before circling back to re-sign Beal. Washington could use Beal’s Bird rights to exceed the cap, a privilege the team wouldn’t have with outside free agents.
Still, those numbers are merely based on projections and the idea that Washington would waive Kris Humphries, Drew Gooden and DeJuan Blair, all of whom also have partially guaranteed salary for next season. It would also require the team to get rid of its obligation to pay its 2016 first-round pick, which the Wizards could achieve by trading the pick or using it on a draft-and-stash player. The Wizards could pry open additional flexibility if they use the stretch provision on other players they might waive. In any case, the decision to stretch Webster’s salary will help the team supplement its roster for next season, even as it places slightly more burden on the team’s payroll for 2017/18 and 2018/19.