Where Are They Now: 2009 NBA Summer League Teams Part 1
September 2nd, 2009
It’s been roughly two months since summer league started, and most of the players involved have been rehomed now. The following is a list of where everybody currently is, or where they might be going.
This list gets a bit long, so if you want to just skip to your favoured team, you can do so. I’ll allow that.
Boston Celtics
– Nick Fazekas: Fazekas has signed in Europe for next year, with Dijon of France. The longer this goes on, the more it looks like Fazekas is never going to get back into the NBA. Even though he led this Celtics summer league team in points and rebounds, the NBA doesn’t seem to want to know. If that continues to happen, it’ll be…..well, it’ll be strange.
– J.R. Giddens: Giddens is still with the Celtics, as Boston tried valiantly to convince Indiana that they wanted him as a part of a Marquis Daniels sign and trade. The Pacers refused.
– Lester Hudson: Hudson hasn’t signed with the Celtics yet, but it’s likely that he will do. The Celtics really should try and find a veteran backup option first, even if the pickings are pretty slim now. But if they were going to do that, they probably would have done it already.
– Coby Karl: Karl remains unsigned. He also played on the Nuggets’ summer league team. The Nuggets are publicly in the market for a good-shooting two guard. Coby Karl is a good-shooting two guard. The Nuggets’ head coach is George Karl. George Karl is Coby Karl’s dad. It’s going to write itself. You can just feel it.
– Chris Lofton: Lofton is unsigned, but won’t be returning to Mersin, who have already replaced him with Richie Frahm and Jimmy Baron.
– Bryan Mullins: Southern Illinois’s very own Bryan Mullins has signed with JL Bourg Basket, a team in France’s second division. Going from the French second division to the NBA is only really possible if you’re an athletic 18-year-old French forward, so we may not hear from him again. PS: It turns out that Mullins has an Irish passport. This will help his European career greatly.
– Gabe Pruitt: The Celtics waived Pruitt last month, in spite of their need for a point guard, which isn’t a glowing endorsement of Gabe’s worth. He later worked out for the Grizzlies, but they decided on Marcus Williams instead, which also isn’t a glowing endorsement of Pruitt.
– Kevin Rogers: Rogers has signed with Panionios in Greece. Quite a lot of players in this post have gone to Greece, you’ll notice. It’s the new CBA.
– Mike Sweetney: As genuinely overexcited as I was about Sweetney’s return from two years out of the game, it kind of sucked. Sweetney may have lost 40lbs, but that’s only because he weighed 60 in the first place. He’s still heavier than Colin Farrell’s eyebrows, and played only one game before coming down with the classic Sweetney injury of “strained hamstring,” not playing again. It’s a start, at least, but it’s not been a very good one. I still believe, however, and hope he finds peace.
– Robert Swift: Swift had more fouls than rebounds in summer league. He still hasn’t done anything for three years, and the mobility has badly, badly gone wrong. Even Danny Ainge doesn’t seem to want him any more. Swift is unsigned, and really needs to go to the D-League and start again.
– Bryce Taylor: Taylor has gone from Italy to Germany, signing with Telekom Baskets Bonn for this season.
– Bill Walker: Walker is still with the Celtics. He might have been with the Pacers right now, but Indiana decided that obtaining Bill Walker isn’t worth taking on Tony Allen, J.R. Giddens, or both.
– Darius Washington: Macedonian passport in hand, Washington is back in Europe, playing for Galatasaray in Turkey.
Chicago Bulls
– James Augustine: Despite playing well for the Bulls, Augustine is staying in Spain to play a second season for Gran Canaria.
– Tyrell Biggs: Biggs signed in Greece with AS Trikalla, as have a couple of other people on this list that we’ll get to later.
– Brandon Costner: Costner has signed in Belgium with Dexia Mons-Hainaut. There are nine Americans on the team, which is a bit strange, although due to the wonders of nationalisation, at least three of them have European passports. (Including Kent State’s very own Nate Reinking, one of Britain’s best guards. Which is like being one of Operation Barbarossa’s best tacticians.)
– Chris Davis: I have absolutely nothing to report. Partly because he hasn’t signed anywhere that I can find, and partly because it’s hard to Google information on someone with such a common name.
– Taj Gibson: Gibson is signed with the Bulls for next year, ready to wow us all. The last time a Bulls fanbase was so unanimously down on a draft pick, that player was Kirk Hinrich. And that worked out all right. Also, I recently watched USC versus Boston College, when Gibson passed like Vlade Divac and didn’t miss a shot in a 24-point outing. He makes good decisions. I feel a bit better about him now.
– Taurean Green: Green has signed with AEK Athens in Greece. However, the team is said to be close to bankruptcy, so he might not stay long.
– Julius Hodge: Remains unsigned. Julius Hodge fact: Julius Hodge was named by his older brother after Julius Erving. It’s kind of got that Denis Law/Dennis Bergkamp thing going on. Except in that example, BOTH of them were legends.
– James Johnson: So far in his time with the Bulls, Johnson has added to his kickboxing prowess with an awesome dancing ability. If he turns out to be any good at basketball as well, we’ll have ourselves a number to retire.
– Linton Johnson: Johnson was under contract to the Bulls during summer league, signing unguaranteed through 2010 towards the end of last season. He was waived after summer league, though, and remains unsigned. The Sixers were said to be interested, but nothing has come of that. However, despite the Bulls waiving him three weeks prior, Linton still represented the Bulls at a recent charity golf outing. Nice man. I’d gladly take him back, if things were different. We just ran out of money and minutes.
– Nick Lewis: Lewis has spent the last two and a half years in the D-League. He’s done well, but the D-League pays badly, so he’s had to go to France to get this dollar and put work in. He’s signed with Roanne to replace Taj Gray.
– Lorenzo Mata-Real: Unsigned. Here’s a great quote about, though:
Even if he grew up in California, Lorenzo feels himself 100% Mexican.
If that’s not worth a giggidy, then nothing is.
– Bryan Mullins: See Boston entry.
– DeMarcus Nelson: The Bulls waived Nelson when they waived Johnson, and he has since caught on with Air Avellino in Italy.
– Anthony Roberson: Roberson was a third player signed unguaranteed through 2010 who was waived after summer league concluded. My mate Doug reports the amusing story of how new Bulls GM Gar Forman was so visibly offended at how bad Roberson was in summer league, that he couldn’t help but swear publicly about it. Good times.
– Josh Shipp: Shipp is signed in Turkey with Bornova Bld, alongside Kedrick Brown and Frank Elegar. They’ll probably have fun highlight reels.
– A.D. Vassallo: Vassallo didn’t play with the Bulls summer league team in the end as he’d sign in France with Paris-Levallois. This hasn’t changed.
– Luke Zeller: Zeller has signed in Japan with a team called the Shiga Lakestars in the BJ League. If you’re wondering if signing in Japan is like signing in China or Korea, it isn’t.
Cleveland Cavaliers
– Christian Eyenga: Eyenga signed a three year extension with DKV Joventut Badalona, so we won’t be seeing him in the NBA for a good long time yet. Would the Cavs prefer Dante Cunningham or DeJuan Blair or Jermaine Taylor with that pick right now? I’m going to go ahead and say yes.
– Jamont Gordon: Gordon has signed with Cibona Zagreb in Croatia.
– Danny Green: It took a while, but Green has now signed with the Cavaliers. Two-year minimum salary contract; first year $140,000 guaranteed, second year $125,000 guaranteed becoming fully guaranteed if he makes the 2010/2011 opening day roster. You heard it all here first.
– David Harrison: Harrison is unsigned and I haven’t heard a single rumour about a single team wanting him.
– Robert Hite: Hite is signed in Italy with the team formerly known as Premiata Montegranaro. They’re now known as Sigma Coatings Montegranaro. Somewhere on the web, someone should make a list of the history of team’s names, to help stave off the confusion. And inevitably, that person’s going to end up being me, isn’t it?
– Darnell Jackson: Jackson is still on the Cavs roster, but his contract is completely guaranteed. He might be all right, though, because the Cavs have only 14 under contract, even when you include him and Jawad Williams. It’s not like they’re having a particularly dynamic offseason and need all the roster spots they can get.
– Tarence Kinsey: Unlike Jackson and Williams, Kinsey DID get waived, probably because he had a contract guarantee date. He has since signed in Turkey with Fenerbahce; Kinsey signed a two year deal with a third option season, which might be the death knell for his NBA career.
– Leo Lyons: Lyons has signed with Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem, the Israeli team that has fallen from grace ever since Mario Austin left them. And Lyons is no Mario Austin.
– Maureece Rice: A man whose inability to spell his own first name is somewhat justified, Rice is unsigned, and might be a reasonable expectation to return to the D-League next year. To be honest, I’ve been meaning to look into how the D-League offseason works, but haven’t done so yet. Anyone willing to assist can email me at the usual address.
– Jawad Williams: See; Jackson, Darnell.
Dallas Mavericks
– Alfred Aboya: Aboya is unsigned, and Dallas probably won’t be bringing him to camp after a 40-minute, 3-point, 5-rebound, 7-turnover, 9-foul summer league performance.
– Rodrigue Beaubois: In the early going – so early that we haven’t played a game yet – Beaubois looks like being a steal in the late first round. Dallas hasn’t had one of these for a while (in fact, their recent draft record overall is really quite poor), but the last time they did get a steal, it was Josh Howard, the last first-round pick in 2003. So when they hit, they really hit.
– Andre Brown: If Brown hasn’t spent his whole summer at the free throw line, he’s gotten his priorities wrong. He has some offensive talent, which is why he keeps getting back into the league, but his FT% is always roughly equal to his FG%. And the 18% from the line that he shot in summer league would suggest that nothing’s changed. He remains unsigned.
– Nick Calathes: Calathes signed with Panathinaikos even before he was drafted, so there’s no real news to report here.
– Henry Dugat: Dugat is unsigned. Not a whisper. Didn’t even play for the Mavericks in summer league, after all that. Maybe he’s dead. (NB: He’s not dead.)
– Shan Foster: Foster is unsigned. He shot the ball well in summer league, and he’s a specialist shooter, so maybe he’ll come to camp with the Mavericks. But they’re out of room, with 17 players under contract already. So he probably shouldn’t.
– Mickael Gelabale: Gelabale was involved in a little rum-do last month. He agreed to sign with Alicante Lucentum in Spain’s ACB for 400,000 Euros, but when he turned up to sign the contract, it is said that he found that the agreement was for 50,000 Euros less than what he’d agreed to. So he refused to sign, fired his agent, and is now looking for an NBA gig. He has ruled out rejoining the D-League, apparently.
– Herbert Hill: Hill has parlayed a decent summer league outing into nothing at all. He remains unsigned.
– Quinton Hosley: Unknown. I’ll report it when it happens.
– Luke Jackson: Jackson started every game for the Mavericks in summer league, but played badly, still not being able to shoot at the NBA level for no obvious reason. He has since signed with Carife Ferrara in Italy. Does that mark the end of Luke Jackson’s NBA career. Probably.
– Nathan Jawai: Jawai is still with the Mavericks, but he’s one of 17. He has the comparative insurance of a guaranteed contract, but the Mavericks have swallowed bigger ones than that before. The Mavericks need a centre, and Jawai is that, but other candidates to be cut (Greg Buckner, Shawne Williams, Kris Humphries) may all have their uses as trade assets. If a team out there wants to trade a good eight-figure salaried player to sale a hell of a lot of money, Dallas can be right there with a package of Buckner, Williams and Drew Gooden. That’s what they’re banking on, it looks like. If such a deal happens, Jawai might be all right. If it doesn’t, he’s probably cut.
– Curtis Jerrells: Jerrells has agreed to sign with the Pistons, but hasn’t done it yet.
– Bryson McKenzie: Dear Bryson McKenzie’s agent; I am really sorry that you don’t think I was nice enough about your client the first time around. I’m sorry. Really. And I can’t WAIT until he tears up the IBL again.
– Aaron Miles: Unsigned. No stupid follow-up comment, either. Unless that one counts.
– Ahmad Nivins: Nivins is signed with Basquet Manresa in Spain, alongside Hawks draftee Sergiy Gladyr. Basquet Manresa used to be known as Ricoh Manresa. Add them to the name change list. (Also, I like the -qu instead of the -k. We might have to make that mandatory.)
– K.C. Rivers: Rivers, who didn’t play for the Mavs, has signed with Associazione Basket Latina, an Italian second division team that I’ve never heard of.
– Damjan Rudez: Rudez was named as a very late addition to the Mavericks summer league roster, and apparently no one told him, because he didn’t play a minute for them. He is signed for next year with Cedevita Zagreb, alongside nobody that you’ve heard of. Unless you’ve heard of Elzie Bibbs. (Former Washington General, apparently. That lucky man.)
– Moussa Seck: I have no news on Moussa Seck, who presumably is going back to the Montegranaro system for about eight more years of development. But the Mavericks apparently really fell in love with him, so much so that they gave him four minutes of PT. Then again, this is the team that gave up a first-round draft pick for Pavel Podkolzin. There’s something about that 7’3 barrier that gets them going. By the way, that surrendered first-rounder later became Linas Kleiza. Whoops.
– Trent Strickland: Strickland will be playing basquetball next season for AEK Larnacas in Cyprus. Presumably, Cyprus pays well.
Denver Nuggets
– Derrick Byars: Byars is unsigned, and looks to be a candidate for a return to the D-League, after being one of the better players in it last year. Might even get a training camp spot.
– Dontaye Draper: Unattatched and looking. Like me.
– Ronald Dupree: In his six-year professional career, Ronald Dupree has never played outside of America. Seattle was as close as he got. This hasn’t changed; he’s not signed in Europe for next year, and looks like an inevitable training camp/D-League shoe-in. Good luck Doop.
– C.J. Giles: Giles has signed for next season with Smart Gilas in the Philippines. Smart Gilas are a weird team that aren’t even really a club; check this for the details. As a part of the move, Giles will soon receive a Philippines passport.
– Richard Hendrix: Hendrix had a decent summer league for Denver, and a very good one for Orlando. Yet despite producing everywhere he’s been, Hendrix is not in the NBA. Instead he’s in Spain with CB Granada. Shame.
– Coby Karl: I’m telling you. It’s happening. The Nuggets reportedly really want Wally Szczerbiak, and Rashad McCants is having a workout with them later this week, but it’s just a smokescreen. It’s going to be Coby. It has to be. What’s the point of having a dad as a coach if he can’t get you the gig? My dad does my car insurance, after all. It’s the way of the world.
– Tywon Lawson: I’m willing to back down a bit on my stance that Lawson is greatly superior to Jonny Flynn. But only a bit. Lawson’s still good.
– Kareem Rush: After scoring 54 points on 58 shots last year, even worse than his career ratio of 1.012 points per shot, the league may have finally figured out that Rush isn’t actually a good shooting role player after all. He remains unsigned.
– Cedric Simmons: Simmons is out of the NBA. He is signed with Peristeri in Greece, a team that just got promoted to the first division.
– Sonny Weems: Weems has been traded twice this summer; first from Denver to Milwaukee, and then from Milwaukee to Toronto, where he will replace Joey Graham. (And in more ways than one, too; Weems looks more like Joey Graham than Stephen Graham does.) His contract guarantee date has now passed, so he’ll be sticking around somewhere.
Detroit Pistons
– Michael Bramos: Bramos did exactly what a fringe NBA player with a Greek passport should do; he went to Greece. He signed a two-year deal with DASH Peristeri Athens, just like Simmons above.
– Will Bynum: The Pistons have lots of faith in Will Bynum, so much so that they’re probably not going to sign a third point guard (unless Curtis Jerrells shows something quickly). That might not seem like a big deal, but if you’ve seen Ben Gordon play point guard, it is.
– Austin Daye: Daye is signed, and actually signed waaaaaaaay before the press conference which said that he’d signed. It happens like that sometimes.
– Marquise Gray: Gray was a very late addition to the Pistons squad, getting the gig probably because he was from Michigan State (for whom he averaged a hot and spicy 3/3 last year). He had 7 points and 6 fouls in his one summer league game, and is currently unsigned. Apparently he had offers from Israel, France and Germany, but nothing has come of any of them yet.
– Ibrahim Jaaber: Jaabar was a surprise inclusion on the Pistons summer league roster. Given his successful European career recently, he didn’t seem to need to be here. Apparently he realised this as well, because he didn’t play, and he’ll stay with Lottomatica Roma for at least one more season.
– Jonas Jerebko: Jerebko is signed with the Pistons, to a two-year minimum salary contract. First year guaranteed, second year 50% guaranteed.
– Dwayne Jones: Jones is unsigned. He often is around this time of year, and it’s usually because he has a training camp gig lined up somewhere. But I haven’t heard anything about that this time.
– Andre Owens: Bulgarian international Owens is signed in Turkey with Turk Telekom Ankara. Hurtling towards 30 and now owning a European passport, Owens’ NBA career may be over with.
– Jeremy Pargo: Jeremy is signed with Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa in Israel.
– Trent Plaisted: It was initially reported that Plaisted had signed with Reggio Emilia in Italy’s second division, but he didn’t. Instead, Plaisted is one of only two non-Croats signed next season with KK Zadar in Croatia. The other one….we’ll get to him later.
– Walter Sharpe: Sharpe is currently a member of the Bucks, after being salary-dumped onto Denver and then forwarded on as a part of the unnecessary Malik Allen trade. But his stay in Milwaukee might not last too long. While his guaranteed contract works in his favour, the depth chart is against him; Milwaukee already has Ersan Ilyasova, Joe Alexander, Cucumber A Moute and Hakim Warrick in the forward rotation, with others such as Carlos Delfino and Francisco Elson able to help out if necessary. Sharpe also played badly last year, which won’t help his case. And the Bucks also have 16 players under contract right now. Walter’s probably 16th.
– Sean Singletary: Singletary was a very late addition to the Pistons summer league roster. Will Bynum didn’t play and Jaaber reportedly didn’t even attend, so Singletary started all five games. He must have felt that he had the inside track on the Pistons’ third point guard spot. But now it appears that he’s lost out to Curtis Jerrells, who wasn’t even with the Pistons SL team. Tough break. Singletary is unsigned.
– Dajuan Summers: Summers has also signed with the Pistons for the minimum. First year guaranteed, second year $500,000 guaranteed. Since $500,000 represents the majority of his second-year salary, expect him to be around for both years.
– Clay Tucker: Tucker is signed with DKV Joventut Badalona. Ricky Rubio out, Clay Tucker in. A roughly equal trade-off there.
– Travis Walton: Like Gray, Walton was a late addition to the team off of his Michigan State experience. Unlike Gray, he didn’t play at all. Walton has now signed in the basketball haven of Switzerland with the Lugano Tigers.
– Deron Washington: 2008 second-rounder Washington has signed with the team, too, to a $250,000 guaranteed rookie minimum contract. He should be there until at least the deadline, and probably beyond.
Golden State Warriors
– Connor Atchley: Atchley totalled 25 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks and 17 fouls in four summer league games, which isn’t a very Connor Atchley-type of performance. He is currently unsigned. He sure won’t be a Warrior.
– Stephen Curry: I watched Davidson versus Butler last week. You know, the ESPN-televised game in which a still-gimpy Curry went about 6 for 48. I just thought I’d mention this in lieu of saying anything interesting. (By the way, Gordon Hayward = brilliant.)
– Jermareo Davidson: The Warriors waived Jermareo Davidson last month. The Warriors signed Mikki Moore last night. The two play relatively similarly. So why not have the younger guy? Is having Devean George and Mikki Moore really better than having Jermareo Davidson and Marco Belinelli? Well, OK. If you say so. Davidson is currently unsigned, by the way.
– Othello Hunter: Hunter has agreed to return to the Hawks for training camp this year. There’s a good chance he makes it beyond then, too.
– Lawrence Hill: Did you watch the Warriors in summer league and get endlessly confused between Lawrence Hill and Quan Prowell? Me too. If you did, Hill is the one that wanted to be remembered as a shooter. He is currently unsigned.
– Joe Ingles: Ingles has left Australia and signed with CB Granada in Spain.
– Jared Jordan: Jordan signed with Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. I read an interview somewhere where he said the NBA remained a dream, but he needs to start earning in the mean time. If that was just a more tactful way of saying “I’m probably not taking the optimal route to the NBA right here,” he’s right.
– Acie Law: There’s 82 games left in Acie Law’s NBA career. 55 of them may well be spent on the inactive list. This may well be it. Give them hell, Ace. For a change.
– Cartier Martin: Martin signed in Italy with Benetton Treviso last month.
– Anthony Morrow: Morrow averaged 25 points per game in summer league, second-best in the entire competition. Strangely, it was also the second-best on his team. There’s absolutely no doubt that Morrow will be in the NBA, not only for this year but for a while yet; the only question is what kind of contract he gets next year.
– Quan Prowell: Prowell is signed with Paris-Levallois in France for next year.
– Anthony Randolph: There are plenty of people who write plenty of pieces talking about the plenty of examples of the Warriors’ mismanagement these last two years. Here’s just one example for the hell of it; Don Nelson told Anthony Randolph to seek a trade last year. Apparently the fact that he’s everything the franchise needs was lost on Nellie.
– Lawrence Roberts: I got nothing. Nothing but love, anyway.
– Jamal Sampson: Sampson outplayed Atchley and Davidson in summer league, which sounds more impressive than the 3/4 he averaged. If he ever had a chance – and he probably didn’t – then Mikki Moore just took it.
Houston Rockets
– Hassan Adams: Adams is unsigned. He also recently didn’t turn up to an Arizona vs Arizona State charity game that he had committed to attend. He may have had an excuse, but we’ll just assume he’s evil.
– Rodrique Benson: Benson is also unsigned, but he is working on a mixtape right now. So that’s a solid excuse.
– Chase Budinger: Budinger signed a four-year, $3,332,457 contract with the Rocquettes, the first two years of which are fully guaranteed, and the final two years of which are fully unguaranteed. Why the tax-threatened Rockets gave him such a big pay hike above the minimum in the first year is a little strange, considering Budinger’s lack of leverage in the situation. I guess they’re just nice.
– Will Conroy: Conroy is unsigned after his 26.5ppg/8.0apg season last year. He may be angling to go back to the D-League again. If he is, then I don’t get why, because he’s spent the best part of four years there. He needs to start getting paid. Maybe he has a camp invite out there somewhere. Or maybe he just likes it.
– Marcus Cousin: Cousin was on the roster because he’s a University of Houston grad. He didn’t play in a game for the Rockets and is now signed with Mersin in Turkey.
– Joey Dorsey: Dorsey showed something in summer league, averaging a prime Ben Wallace-like 14.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in only 31 minutes a game. The turnover and foul numbers were very high, but it’s a start. There’s plenty of minutes available for Dorsey this year, if he can earn them.
– Charles Gaines: Gaines is unsigned.
– Mike Green: Green won David Thorpe’s heart in summer league, but not a training camp spot. He’s now in Belgium with Belgacom Liege.
– Maarty Leunen: Leunen’s never going to make the Rockets team, and I hope he knows that. This won’t stop him from a good European career, though, and Leunen is signed with NGC Cantu for next year.
– Brad Newley: See above, pretty much, except Newley is in Turkey with Besiktas.
– Jermaine Taylor: See Budinger. Taylor signed exactly the same deal. Although that’s more standard when you’re picked 32nd than when you’re picked 44th.
– Garrett Temple: The Rockets freaking love Temple, even in spite of his chronic inability to shoot over 40% (an inability that showed itself once again in summer league). Temple is unsigned, and if the Rockets brought him into training camp, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised. But if he then makes the team, I’ll be the most surprised I’ve been since Salma Hayek turned into a monster halfway through From Dusk Till Dawn. (It was a good film until that happened. And then it turned awful.)
– Darryl Watkins: Watkins is unsigned.
– James White: White is signed through next year, and has been for ages, but that doesn’t really mean a whole lot. Essentially, he just signed for training camp really really early. The arrivals of Budinger and Taylor may have cost him a spot, although the Rockets are looking to salary-dump Brent Barry, which should give White one more chance.
