NBA Rumors: Brandon Jennings Waived From Knicks, Jazz And Wizards Interested?
NBA rumors surfaced about former New York Knicks guard Brandon Jennings this week.
Jennings was released from the Knicks today, and he can become a free agent once he clears waivers.
Stan Van Gundy, Detroit Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations, said that Jennings is headed to the Charlotte Hornets.
SVG says Brandon Jennings headed to Charlotte
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) February 27, 2017
Jennings played for the Pistons from 2013-16, so Van Gundy is familiar with the guard. Van Gundy is also plugged into players’ transactions as the president of basketball operations for Detroit.
However, Jennings must clear waivers to sign with the Hornets outright. Charlotte does not have the cap room or exception to sign Jennings, per Hoops Rumors.
Not to mention, the Hornets are only one game ahead of the Knicks in the standings. It was reported that Jennings was waived after a request to join a playoff team. Hence, signing with the Hornets does not make a ton of sense.
The Hornets also have a full roster. They signed Briante Weber to a 10-day contract, and they have Johnny O’Bryant on a similar deal.
Otherwise, the Washington Wizards are also rumored to have some interest in Jennings, per ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
One team, league sources tell ESPN, with interest in newly released backup point guard Brandon Jennings: Washington.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 27, 2017
Otherwise, The Vertical’s Bobby Marks said that Jennings’ contract could be appealing to other teams looking to hit the salary cap floor. Jennings would only be owed $1.2 million if claimed by another NBA team.
Hoops Rumors identified the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves as NBA teams that are the farthest below the salary cap roster. Both teams have had previous rumors regarding their point guard situation.
Jennings, 27, averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 58 games for New York this season. Those are below his career averages of 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.
Last week, Jennings removed any references to the Knicks from his Twitter profile. He also made his account private. Some people speculated was due to Jennings getting moved at the NBA trade deadline. He also sat out the game before the NBA All-Star break.
However, the New York Postreported that Jennings needed a break from Twitter. He said he needed a break from the amount of tweets and drama that come from playing for the Knicks. Jennings also attributed him missing a game to his Achilles’ soreness.
As for the Knicks, they cut ties with the veteran guard to open up a roster spot for Chasson Randle. Randle went undrafted in 2015 but appeared headed for a roster spot with the Knicks earlier this season.
Randle suffered an orbital bone fracture, and he was waived. He later joined the New York Knicks’ D-League squad, which earned him a set of 10-day contracts. Randle turned those 10-day contracts into a deal for the remainder of the year. However, Philadelphia cut him last week to complete the Nerlens Noel trade with Dallas.
Now, it is reported that Randle will sign a multiyear deal with New York. The contract is expected to feature a partial guarantee for the 2017-18 season, per The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Randle is averaging 5.2 points,.6 rebounds and.8 assists this season.
The Knicks also lost center Joakim Noah for the season. Noah will have left knee surgery. It will not be known how long Noah will be out, until after the surgery is completed.
Noah signed a four-year, $72 million contract before this season. He aggravated the knee while working out during the All-Star break, per AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney.
The Knicks are 24-35 and are four games out of the playoffs.
[Image by David Zalubowski/AP Images]
