Where Are They Now, 2010; Part 11

Calling it early; Miami will trade Dorell Wright along with New Orleans' 2010 second rounder to the Grizzlies in exchange for changing the protection on the Grizzlies 2012 secound rounder - already owed to the Heat from last year's Shaun Livingston deal - from top 55 to top 50. (That is to say, in exchange for as little as possible.)

That's a prediction, not a story, but it makes sense; Miami gets under the tax with this deal, and Memphis gains a free decent player and a 40's pick to replace their own, which is owed to the Lakers as a part of the Pau Gasol deal. It's the kind of deal a lot of teams have done lately, not least of all Memphis, who spent much of last year taking on either people's unwanted cap hits in exchange for future picks and cash. It's a solid way to do business, and, post-Iverson buyout, they can afford to do it again. Add this to my list of predicted trades, which previously featured one other; Hilton Armstrong to the Clippers, who's now gone to the Kings instead. Don't know why I was so hung up on it being the Clippers. Thought too much about TPE's and forgot about cap space.

Speaking of which, the salaries are updated.

Also, what I said earlier about Mikki Moore was wrong. Golden State does not pay him more now that they've waived him; for some reason, the rebate thing applies once a player has been paid more than the two year minimum, regardless of whether he's on the roster not. Thus, Golden State will still only pay $825,495 to Moore after all. Sorry. The confusion/misinformation stemmed from the case of Austin Croshere, who last season signed a one year minimum salary contract with Indiana (later claimed off waivers by Milwaukee) but who didn't make it beyond the guarantee date; Croshere got paid $543,026 by the Bucks for his two months of work, which was 73 days worth of the team or more year veteran's salary for that season ($1,262,275), but apparently that wouldn't have applied if his contract was guaranteed. This makes it even weirder than the Bucks waived him, since it cost them $543,026 for 73 days work and would have only cost $254,555 for another 97 more. But anyway.

Everything's Justin Frazier's fault, somehow.



- Derrick Byars

Byars is American, so he's obviously in the German league. He's with ALBA Berlin, yet he's averaging only 6.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in the German league, along with 5.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in the Eurocup, shooting only 26% from three point range in the Budnesliga and 33% in the Eurocup.

Nevertheless, Bulls fans still haven't stopped talking about him.



- Sergei Bykov

Dynamo Moscow lost all their good import players over the last year because they ran out of money. This means that Bykov - who last year was buried as the third point guard behind Hollis Price, Brian Chase and Jannero Pargo, and behind Travis Hansen at shooting guard - now gets to star. His numbers are up across the board, averaging 18.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in the Eurocup, in conjunction with 22.9/2.9/4.4 in the Russian Superleague. He leads the Superleague in points per game, and is third in assists per game as well. Yet Dynamo have only a 3-5 record anyway because they have no imports to support him with.



- Rashid Byrd

Rashid Byrd appears to be unsigned. I say "appears to be," because someone purporting to be his cousin said on this site's Facebook page that Rashid had been reacquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the D-League team with which he finished up last season. However, no source of D-League news seems to agree with her. So either it's a premonition, something that's going to happen soon, a misunderstanding, or a lie. The last one seems unlikely.

In lieu of Rashid Byrd news, here's a video of him and Ron Artest discussing life, women and condoms.



- Zarko Cabarkapa

Zarko Cabarkapa was out of the game for three years, from early 2006 to early 2009, due to the chronic injuries that hampered his NBA career. He reappeared last January with his former team, Buducnost in Montenegro, for whom he played four games. He totalled 25 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 fouls, before not playing again after February after having yet another surgery. Cabarkapa is now 28 years old, still unsigned and still recuperating, but he hasn't given up yet.



- Justin Cage

Cage is with Dexia Mons-Hainaut, a Belgian team not keen to admit that they're actually Belgian. The team has a 10 man rotation, and yet employs only one German; youth player Alexandre Libert. (Former Idaho State forward Jim Potter is into his fifteenth season in Belgium, so I guess he counts too.) Dexia recently lost their American head coach - Chris Finch - to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, and replaced him with an Israeli head coach and a Dutch assistant. It's a very international affair, just as long as that nation is not Belgium.

On the year, Cage is averaging 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in the Belgian league, alongside 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in the Eurochallenge. He also totalled 10 points in his only Eurocup game of the year, but I watched that game, and he kind of sucked a bit. (Although his accidentally-banked-in three was kind of cool.) Indeed, the whole Dexia Mons-Hainaut team sucked in that game; after beating Valencia in the first leg by 15 points, all Dexia had to do was either win again, or lose by no more than 14 points. This should have been easy, even on the road, and Dexia actually led by double digits at one point. But then they pissed it all away in the second half, lost by 18, and were knocked out of the competition. Whoops.



- Nick Calathes

Calathes is playing for Panathinaikos, where his Greek passport helps the team bypass rules in non-Greek players. He played quite a lot to begin the year backing up Vassilis Spanoulis, but has seen less time since Sarunas Jasikevicius returned from injury. On the season, Calathes (or Kalathis to the Greeks) averages 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the Greek league, along with 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in the Euroleague. Those numbers might not look too good, but as the third string point guard on one of the world's best and deepest teams, they're pretty solid.



- Pat Calathes

Nick's brother Pat is three years older and 8 times balder. Pat retains a strong hairline at the front, but the crown is starting to go and he's only in his mid 20's. I feel your pain, brother. Pat is also in Greece and playing for Maroussi, another Euroleague team. He is averaging 5.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in the Greek league, along with 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in the Euroleague.



- Earl Calloway

Calloway was announced as a signee of Khimki to start the summer, but apparently that was a lie. Instead, after doing fairly well for the New Orleans Hornets in summer league, he went to Spain and joined Cajasol Sevilla. Calloway is putting up his usual all-around numbers, averaging 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 28 minutes per game, shooting 41% from the field and 40% from three point range.

Also on that team is Maurice Ager, who we've already covered in part 1. I thought you might like to know that he has raised his shooting percentage since part 1 was written, from 22% to 26%.



- Elden Campbell

I can't find Elden Campbell. And believe me, I've looked. It wouldn't be a surprise if the man named the "Big Easy" is taking it Big Easy in his 40's, but it'd also be useful to find something. So if you know something, phone in.



- Marcus Campbell

D-League veteran Campbell has gone back there, rejoining his last team, the Anaheim Arsenal, who are now known as the Springfield Armor. (Arse to Arm. Giggidy.) The Armor aren't good this year, sporting only a 3-14 record, and part of the reason for that is their lack of size. It's not Campbell's fault, as he averages 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in only 20 minutes of 10 games. But their other main centre option is former Tennessee big man Major Wingate, who manages to turn it over three times a game in only 28 minutes. Not easy to do when you're not a big man scorer.



- Nik Caner-Medley

Caner-Medley was with Calloway's team Cajasol Sevilla last season, but it didn't end well. Caner-Medley drunkenly punched a team mate in the face at the club's end of season party, and was kicked out, ne'er to return. He's gone back to Spain anyway, joining up with Estudiantes Madrid and averaging 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Also on that team is British prospect Dan Clark. Clark won his fame as a prospecy in NBA circles back in 2005, but he's never done much with is since, toiling on loan in the Spanish minor leagues while Estudiantes held onto his rights. However, this season marks the first time he's gotten regular ACB time, and he's doing rather well with it. In 10 games this year Clark is averaging 4.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 50% from three point range. As a 21 year old in the ACB, that's not bad.



Finally.....

- Jason Capel

Capel was briefly a member of the Bobcats back in 2005, thanks in no small part to the fact that his dad Jeff was an assistant there at the time. Capel was only there for training camp, though, and did not make the team. Indeed, his career only lasted two more years total before Capel had to retired with chronic back problems aged only 26. He then rejoined the Bobcats as a radio announcer, later switching to becoming an announcer for ACC games, and then followed family tradition by becoming a coach. He is currently an assistant coach at Appalachian State.




As always, if you want to keep tracks of the transaction of these players without having to wait until every January, use the transaction indexes for all three of the NBA, the D-League and the world at large. Every relevant transaction is in there. Even the Taiwanese ones.

Where Are They Now, 2009; Part 8

A lot of people are called Brown, I've noticed. How fascinating.

- Dee Brown started the year with the Wizards, but was then waived when it emerged that he wasn't much god, nor was he the answer to Washington's pretty severe outside shooting problems. He then went to a Suns mini-camp, where he beat out Eddie Gill, Damon Stoudamire, Darrell Armstrong, Walker Russell and Troy Hudson to win Phoenix's mandatory 13th roster spot. He's since had his arse waived again this week, due to the mandatory contract guarantee date of January 10th. The Suns, seemingly, are going to do what they so love doing - keeping the bare minimum of players at all times, going to 12 as and when they can, to avoid paying out as little money as possible. This from the team that traded away Rudy Fernandez and Rajon Rondo just to save money, and who then gave Goran Dragic more than either of them. Even the Jason Richardson trade saved them money, It kind of makes you squirm, doesn't it?

- I've been literally inundated with one request for news on Never Gonna Keep Me Down Elton Brown. Oddly, that request comes from soneone who already knows the answer. But, sod it, let's play along anyway. After spending the preseason with the Chicago Bulls, and having trouble getting a shot away without it being blocked by a defender and/or the rim, Elton went to Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv, hoping to be good again. However, Elton appeared in only one game, scoring two points with two rebounds, before it was announced in late December that Maccabi were releasing him, supposedly because they were disappointed with his conditioning. Whether he has actually left yet, I'm not sure, but he's not playing with the team, and any remaining chance of some dramatic turnaround with the team is going to be made even less likely once Marcus Fizer makes his return from long term injury lay-off, which will happen in the near future. So, the D-League it is then.

- Andre Brown started the season with the Charlotte Bobcats, after surprisingly making the team out of training camp. (Their quest for a big man started with Brown, then included Linton Johnson, saw a brief sojourn with Dwayne Jones, and eventually they settled on Juwan Howard. Somewhere in that cycle, they waived Jermareo Davidson. In case you didn't know, Larry Brown now coaches the Charlotte Bobcats.) Waived soon afterwards, Andre Brown now plays in the D-League with the Austin "Danger" Toros, thereby guaranteeing himself a contract from the San Antonio Spurs at some point. Brown averages 16.1 points and 10.0 rebounds whilst remaining the worst free throw shooter alive today.

- Eric Daniel Brunson is still the director of men's basketball operations at the University of Virginia, where he presumably extolls the virtues of being all heart.

- Rodney Buford is currently unsigned, which, in a sense, isn't a bad thing. I think he's found the solution to his endless suspensions. If he's not under contract, he can't be suspended for smoking weed, can he? That's genius Rodney, that is.

- Pat Burke is playing with Prokom in Poland, where he averages 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. He also just had a 20 rebound performance in the Euroleague, which is nigh on impossible to do, but which will guarantee him work for a while.

- Antonio Burks is no longer suspended, after being forced to sit out all of last season after walking out on a team that wasn't paying him. Seemed like an unfair suspension when so simplified, but, whatever. Burks signed a few days ago with Slupsk in Poland, if only for the name alone, and he has not played a game for them yet.

- Kevin Burleson is unsigned, and not even the Bobcats want him right now.

- Steve Burtt Jr is playing in Israel, where he averages 21.0 points and 3.4 rebounds for a team called Ashkelon. Fun Steve Burtt Fact, If Fun Is The Right Word For It: Steve Burtt Jr returned from his Christmas trip back to America a day late, after his mother forbade him from returning to the country until living arrangements were made for him in the middle of the country, out of the way of all that current Gaza shindig. Nasty business, that.

- I have no idea where Jackie Butler is. None whatsoever. The Rockets waived him last preseason, after only accepting him as pennance for getting Luis Scola for free. He then sat out the whole of last season. Butler was then supposed to join the Charlotte Bobcats for summer league, but didn't, and he hasn't been signed anywhere this season either. Keith Glass, if you're reading this, then let me know. And Keith Glass, if you're not reading this, I'm going to go back and re-write the review I gave your book. (Also note, re: the Bobcats summer league team - how stacked was that lineup? How the hell did it go 2-3?)

- Jamar Butler signed with Eldo Caserta in Italy, but left after only two games after disagreements with the coach, and has not played since. It's been said that he'll sign in Turkey, and it's been said that he'll sign in Germany, but at the time of writing he hasn't signed with either.

- Derrick Byars is with the Jam in the D-League, where he averages 16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

- Finally, fabled basketball vagabond Rashid Byrd is also in the D-League, where he averages 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds. His free throw shooting percentage (44.4%) is higher than his field goal percentage (39.3%). It's also enough to make him a better free throw shooter than Andre Brown.

ShamSports.com - Doing the hard work so that you can steal it. Salaries excluded.

Where Are They Now? Part 7

Derrick Byars is playing for Chorale de Roanne of the French league. He has also recently changed agents, which is something that was brought to my attention via email by a Mr (or Mrs) B.D. Byars. So thank you, whoever you are. And if you have any idea how much guaranteed money Derrick got to go to training camp with Philadelphia last year, and wish to share that with me too, that'd be good.

Will Bynum is playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, where he was recently arrested and charged with a hit and run. Even more recently (Sunday), he was acquitted, after the judge ruled that his actions were the only reasonable ones that he could have taken in order to get away from the situation (Bynum and his car were being pelted by rocks by a large group of people who obviously didn't like him very much, and Bynum clipped one while speeding away). Strange times. Even stranger, none of the people doing the rock throwing got charged either.

Rashid Byrd, one of the greatest all time Random Training Camp Signings Of Seven Footers Who Happen To Play In A Gym Next To An NBA Team And Who Get Signed To Keep The Numbers Up, has gone back to the oblivion from whence he came. He is playing for the mighty OC Gladiators of the ABA.

Zarko Cabarkapa has not played professionally since leaving Golden State. Whether this is due to apathy or injury, I could not say. But if I remember rightly, he had a problematic back complaint. So maybe it's that.

Justin Cage is playing for the Colorado 14ers in the D-League, and still isn't as good as his agent says he is. (What, by the way, is a 14er?)

Elden Campbell is long since retired, and was recently honoured as a "Clemson Legend".

Marcus Campbell is playing for Avellino in Italy after transferring from The Arse just this week.

Nik Caner-Medley is playing for Gran Canaria in Spain.

Jason Capel has quit playing professional basketball and is now a colour commentator. He's only 28, but apparently doctors told him to "shut it down". This story has movie potential. (That is to say, it has crap movie potential.)

Geno Carlisle's world tour of everywhere continues, and he is currently playing for Karisyaka in Turkey.

Bimbo Carmona is playing for Carolina in his native Puerto Rico, and still isn't someone that you've heard of. (Dammit, you should pour over summer league and training camp rosters some time. I do this often. Great fun. So many nobodies.)

Pat Carroll is playing for Alicante in Spain, and is also still entirely comparable to his brother Matt in every way. Except Matt has six years of guaranteed salary coming to him, and Pat is playing in Spain throwing lob passes to Martynas Andriuskevicius.