Blazers sign Anthony Tolliver, Heat waive Shavlik Randolph

After suffering their ten millionth injury, the Portland Trail Blazers were granted a roster exemption by the NBA, enabling them to sign a 16th player. They used it to sign Anthony Tolliver from the Idaho Stampede, who was arguably the best big man in the D-League. If you can really call him a big man, that is.

Tolliver played as an undersized centre in college, but is somewhat undersized for even the ower forward position in the NBA, let alone centre. To counter this, Tolliver has developed a good outside jumpshot throughout his professional career, and it is now his calling card. Tolliver played some for the Spurs last season, but his jumpshot picked a bad month for a vacation, and he was waived before the contract guarantee date. He spent the rest of the year split between the D-League and Turkey.

I don't know why the Blazers felt that they needed a slightly small face-up power forward particularly badly, given that two of their healthy 9 players are Dante Cunningham and Juwan Howard, who are much the same player if with slightly less jumpshot range. Some more conventional size might have been a better option for a team that currently only has Joel Przybilla at centre, in which ranks last in the NBA in points in the paint. But the Blazers also worked out Chris Richard and Courtney Sims for the spot, and yet clearly decided that Tolliver was the best. And BPA is almost always a good policy.

Inevitably, though, it will all be for nought, and Tolliver himself will probably get some kind of arse compression injury from sitting on the bench for so long.

(By the way, if any Blazers fans were wondering if Tolliver was eligible to be re-assigned to the D-League at any point; he isn't. Tolliver was on the Cavaliers roster for the first 36 hours of the 2007/08 season, and that tiny amount is enough to count as a year of NBA experience, even though he didn't play a single minute. Therefore, A-Toll has two years of NBA experience, which makes him ineligible for an already impossibly unlikely assignment. The extra year of experience also means he's going to get paid more, so that's good.)

(Oh, and if you sign two guys like Jeff Pendergraph and Patrick Mills, who are already injured when you sign them are are expected to miss lengthy amounts of time, league wide sympathy for your injury crisis is reduced slightly.)

Additionally, the Miami Heat waived Shavlik Randolph. The tax paying team had clearly realised that they were paying an unnecessary large amount of money for a player with a on-guaranteed contract to sit on the inactive list, so they waived him and plugged the dam. Until that moment, Randolph had been on an NBA roster every day since leaving Duke early in 2005. He went undrafted, but after three full seasons with the Sixers and one with the Blazers, he'd garnered four years of NBA experience and a few million dollars, being paid a good amount of money to get injured a lot and play very little. So it's not as though leaving early worked out badly.

Summer league round-up: New Orleans Hornets

View the Hornets summer league roster.

- Earl Barron: Barron had played three straight seasons with the Miami Heat from 2005-2008, but his luck with that ran out last offseason. He signed with Upim Bologna, but got injured before the season started and never played for the team. Barron (so named because it's impossible for him to ever get pregnant) didn't reappear until March, when he was acquired by the L.A. D-Fenders of the D-League. He averaged 28 minutes, 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 blocks and 3.5 fouls per game, shooting 41% from the field and scoring 128 points on 131 shots. For a 7 footer in the D-League, that's pretty jank. Still, if the Hornets decide not to bother with Sean Marks again, then Barron has a vague chance.

- Earl Calloway: Calloway went undrafted in 2007, but instantly put up a blistering season in the D-League, averaging 19/5/6 on 49% shooting (40% 3pt, 88% FT). He still didn't make the big league, and signed in Croatia with Cibona Zagreb, for whom he averaged 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Counting against Calloway's NBA prospects is the fact that he'll be 26 by the time next season starts, and that he has only a couple of good seasons under his belt. The numbers are good, though, and he keeps landing this gigs. Why he's chosen the Hornets is a valid concern; as desperately thin and skint as the team is, small guards are the last thing they need. Then again, it shouldn't really matter to Calloway, who has already signed for Khimki next season as the replacement for Milt Palacio.

- Jaycee Carroll: Carroll was a spectacularly efficient scorer for Utah State, leading the WAC (giggidy) in his senior season with a 22.4 points per game scoring average on percentages of 53%/50%/92%. His NBA prospects suffer from the fact that he's 26, and that he's also a 6'2 shooting guard that's not particularly quick, who is an out and out scorer and not a point guard. But this doesn't stop him in Europe, and last year Carroll scored 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, shooting 51% overall, 47% from three and 83% from the line for Banca Teramo in Italy.

Same problem as Calloway, though; why try out here?

- Darren Collison: Big fan of Collison. He's like Chris Duhon except with a mid range game and the ability to recognise when to shoot. And Chris Duhon with those things added to his game would be a fine player. The Hornets now need only three backups before they're ready. Oh, and one more starter.

- Brian Cusworth: Cusworth is an occasionally bearded 7'0 centre, Harvard graduate, all-Ivy League second team member in 2005, former winner of the Estonian National Championships and former Estonian league MVP. He won those awards in 2007/08 and was able to turn it into a prolific gig in the Spanish second division, with a team called Leche Rio Breogan Lugo. Cusworth averaged 27 minutes per game, totalling averages of 15.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. He's succeeded everywhere that he's played. But that's because he's never played at a standard this good before.

- Terry Martin: Martin averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds for LSU in his senior season, shooting 36% from the floor. I don't know why he's here.

- Luke Nevill: Luke Nevill continues a fine pedigree of Australian centres that we've seen in recent years, from Andrew Bogut to Chris Anstey to Luke Schenscher to A.J. Ogilvy. For some reason they seem to be way better at producing centres than guards, Patty Mills excepted. Nevill just played 5 years at the University of Utah, averaging 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game on 61% FG and 79% FT. However, in the piss weak draft for centres that we just witnessed - so weak that Goran Suton, Chinemelu Elonu and Robert Dozier managed to get picked - Nevill still didn't get taken. Strange. Nevertheless, as with Barron earlier, no team needs big man help more than the Hornets. And if that help comes at the rookie minimum salary, they'd be quite content with that.

- Larry Owens: Larry Owens has just played two consecutive seasons in Belgium. Last year, for Belgacom Liege, Owens averaged 12.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. One in every three of his field goal attempts was a three pointer. But he shot only 16% from three point range. I have absolutely no idea why he's here, either. The Hornets aren't THAT desperate for a small forward.

- Marc Salyers: Salyers is an add choice to get a summer league invite. Summer league is usually for team's recent draftees, undrafted seniors and one or two year pros. But Salyers is a 30 year old Samford graduate who has been a professional since 2001. He was a Hornets summer league participant four years ago, too, so clearly they're checking back in. In his career, Salyers has played in Poland, Italy, France Germany, spending last year in the Ukraine. He averaged 11.8 points and 4.5 in the Ukranian league as the starting small forward for Azovmash, the team that won the Superleague title. But that doesn't make him any less of a summer league invite. But, still. His chances of making the team in Ryan Bowen's place have got to be higher than those of Larry Owens.

- Courtney Sims: Sims was a training camp signee of the Hornets last year, but didn't make the team. He then spent some time with the Suns and Knicks, while averaging MVP calibre numbers in the D-League (22.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 61% shooting). Of all the unsigned players in all the summer leagues who are looking to make an NBA roster, the hooking up of Courtney Sims and the New Orleans Hornets looks to be a match made in heaven. But then again, the same was true of last year.

- Marcus Thornton: Thornton has already signed, thereby closing the door on Calloway and Carroll's chances. He also presumably is at least partly the reason that his former teammate, Terry Martin, is on this team. The Hornets correctly seem to have realised how staggeringly crap their depth was last year, and obtaining Collison and Thornton in the draft is a good start to correcting that. But Christ do they need some big man depth. Speaking of.......

- Anthony Tolliver: Tolliver played with the Hornets last year on a ten day contract. Well, I say that; he didn't actually play in any of their games. He just hung around for a bit. Tolliver also guest starred (if that's the term) with the Spurs, who gave him plenty of air time for no particular reason. In that time, all Tolliver really demonstrated was an increased boner for his recently discovered jumpshot. He shot 22% from three point range. Maybe put it to bed for a bit, Anthony.

Tolliver also played in the D-League, splitting his time between the Iowa Energy and the Austin Toros (while on assignment from the Spurs) and averaging roughly 14/8 between them. He left the D-League to sign with Galatasaray for the end of the Turkish season, and averaged 12.9 points and 6.5 rebounds in the final 15 games of their season. He, like Sims, has to have a chance of a moving reconciliation with the Hornets, considering how thin they are up front.

- Quinton Watkins: Watkins shouldn't be here. He should be in college. But it went wrong, quickly, and twice. Watkins was recruited by Illinois and supposed to play there, but he didn't make it due to academic ineligibility. He later moved to San Diego State, practiced with the team for a few months and expcted to play there....but again, he didn't, leaving in April 2008 due to "personal reasons". He hasn't been heard from since, until now. Watkins was once a highly sought-after shooting guard prospect out of high school, but you don't go from that to an NBA roster without something in between. And Watkins has nothing in between. (No ears jokes, please.)

- Julian Wright: Julian Wright has had ample opportunity to prove that he doesn't suck, and has failed at every one of them. I expect him to do it again.

Where Are They Now, 2009: BC 52's

- Lucas Tischer was recently waived by his Israeli team, Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa, presumably for poor performance. Tischer averaged a stonking 3.6 points, 2.3 fouls and 2.1 rebounds in the Israeli league

- Anthony Tolliver bounced back and forth between the NBA and the D-League this season, first going to camp with the Spurs, then making the team, chucking a load of threes, missing them, being assigned to the Austin Toros, being recalled, being waived, being acquired by the Iowa Energy, getting a 10 day contract from the Hornets, not playing a game for them, and then returning to the Energy. However, he's since given up, and left the Energy to sign with Galatasaray. Tolliver put up 12 points and 8 rebounds on his Galatasaray debut, averaged 12.4 points and 8.5 rebounds with the Energy, averaged 17.8 points ad 7.8 rebounds for the Toros, and 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds for the Spurs.

- Marko Tomas is still with Real Madrid, where he's been on and off now for about 4 years. Tomas averages 7.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in the Euroleague, alongside 5.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in the Spanish league.

- Jazz draft pick Ante Tomic is with KK Zagreb, where he's been now for 6 years. Tomic averages 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the EuroChallenge, alongside 15.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Adriatic league. Perhaps worryingly, though, this 7'1 player has 26 total blocks in 30 combined games. It's not a Sundov, but it's not great either.

- Ali Traore is averaging 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in the Eurocup, and 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in the powerhouse French league, for ASVEL. And my decision to add him to this website was probably a tad overzealous.

- Robert Traylor is still trying to rebuild a career that completely fell apart on him. After injuries, heart problems and legal trouble ruined his NBA career back in 2005, Traylor has had to start all over again. 20 months out of the game followed, and Traylor only reappeared on the scene in March 2007, when he played the final 6 games of the Spanish LEB 2 (the third division) season with Gestiberica Vigo. Traylor then spent two seasons in the Puerto Rican league (which, you'll remember, starts when most other leagues are finishing), and averaged a double double with almost 3 blocks both times. Traylor then persuaded the Cavaliers to give him a spot in this year's Vegas Summer League, where he averaged only 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 fouls per game, not a getting a roster spot for his efforts. Since then, Traylor has moved to Turkey, where he is playing for Kepez Bld Antalya, and actually playing really well. Tractor averages 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game, and not only was he voted a Turkish league all star; he won the MVP award for the game, too.

- Cezary Trybanski's season has gone far less well. He hasn't played or signed anywhere all year, after leading the Greek second division in blocks last season.

- Jake Tsakalidis is also currently unsigned after spending last year with Olympiakos. Not sure why.

- Question: is Nikoloz Tskitishvili good yet? Answer: not exactly. Skita averages 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds for Fuenlabrada Madrid in the Spanish league, being used primarily (and secondarily) as a spot-up shooter. Skita has shot 61 three pointers on the year to only 10 free throws, but he is hitting them at 46% (the three pointers, not the free throws).

- P.J. Tucker is averaging 19.7 points and 6.4 rebounds for BC Donetsk in the Ukraine, in only 12 games. Tucker missed three months of the season through injury, and has averaged only 15 ppg since his return. Although saying "only" 15 ppg sounds a bit disingenuous.

- Finally, Clay Tucker started the season with BC Kyiv, and averaged 15.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in the Ukrainian league, but he was waived when the team cut all its foreign players to save money. Tucker has since signed with Cajasol in Spain, where he has averaged 17 points through two games.

Summer signings, round 7

- In round 3, I set your collective minds at ease about the whereabouts of shaven headed corner lingerer, Jumaine Jones. I told you that he had signed in Italy. But apparently that's not the end of the matter. In a rather unique tale, Jumaine's two agents appear to have simultaneously agreed to two seperate contracts with two different teams in two different countries. Jones has seemingly agreed to sign with both Milano in Italy and with a team called Ural Great Perm in Russia. (Great name. A great name. Great perm, too.) I don't think there's any precedent for knowing quite what happens in situations such as this, so it's FIBA's problem now. Good stuff, though.

- On the off-chance that you can remember who Rashad Wright is - a Pacers secound rounder from 2004 who never made the NBA - then you'll be horny when you hear that he has signed with ALBA Berlin in Germany, after last played for Efes Pfilsen in Turkey. For those unaware....that's a backwards step. (No offense to ALBA Berlin fans. But it is. You know?)

- In news that I know will excite at least one reader of this website, former humoursly bad NBA player Reece Gaines has signed for Angelico Biella in Italy. I don't know who she is, but she sounds hot. I made that joke once before, and I shall continue to use it every time the name Angelico Biella crops up, because I'm unoriginal like that. (If you've never received a "hey, do you know what's happened to Reece Gaines?" email in your life, then you're missing out. Ask nicely and I'll write you one. Maybe.)

- Loukas Mavrokefalidis remains in Greece, going from Olympiakos to Maroussi Costa Coffee, where he'll join none other than Andreas Glyniadakis. Try spelling that frontcourt while shitfaced on Mescaline. Can't be done.

- Jorge Garbajosa did indeed sign with Khimky, as thread in a previous blog post. I guess the leg's better now, eh?

- Just In Cage has signed with Belgacom Liege in Belgium (or, specifically, in Liege in Belgium). This news may interest you if you are a Bulls fan - Cage played mediocrely for the Bulls summer league team last season, but was invited to training camp anyway, where he didn't last for very long. However, at some point between the two events, David Thorpe (who was working with Cage in some capacity) wrote a glowing commendation of Cage's hero-like basketball abilities. Certain Bulls fans bought into that, and began planning the franchise's entire direction around the formidable Justin "Magical" Cage. So news of hsi signing in the Belgian league will piss on those people's chips.

- Another Bulls summer league and former Spur, Keith Langford, is on the cusp of signing for Bologna in Italy. That's all I have to say about that. And now onto news about actual NBA players.

- The Spurs re-signed Kurt Thomas, and also signed Creighton's finest Anthony Tolliver. It has to be said that, while everyone's talking about the potential juicy goodness of the 2010 free agency class, no one has talked about the Spurs's potential impact on it. They do, after all, have only two players under contract that summer, and even though Manu Ginobili will be a free agent that summer, the Spurs have enough room to give him an extension and still be able to throw an arseload of cheese at a big name player. They'll have only the merest bare bones of a squad, but an aging foursome of Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and, say, Dirk Nowitzki....well, you'd have to respect that, even if the other 9 players are on minimum salary contracts. Which they'd probably have to be. (Note: given the way things work in the NBA, this scenario will prove to impossible within next to no time. Either Dirk will sign an extension, the salary cap won't increase as expected, or the Spurs will spend money on multiple lesser players. Or the franchise will fold. Or all four of those things. This is why I don't make predictions any more - they suck and are hard. Giggidy.)

- Sebastian Telfair re-signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, after a 'breakout' season in which he shot 40%.

- The Detroit Pistons are to sign Will Bynum, which could be amusing if Lindsey Hunter sticks around for another season. Imagine looking down that bench for a point guard who can hit a jumpshot. Good luck.

- Ricky Davis is the latest reasonably big name NBA player to be offered a disproportionally huge amount of money from Greek club Olympiakos as a replacement for Loukas Mavrokefalidis...........

- .....And Josh Childress did go to Olympiakos after all. Good on you, sir.