NBA Training Camp Cuts Who Could Resurface During 2014-15 Season
As cheesy as it sounds, one team's trash could be another team's treasure.
General managers are in the process of cutting their rosters down to 15 men, and we've seen some noteworthy names get the ax over the past few weeks.
For some of these guys, it was just a numbers game. There's only so much room on each roster.
The following players have all been placed on waivers, and most of them, if not all, could find themselves in the D-League, where they'll be able to get called up at any point during next season.
These are the guys you can expect to resurface at some point in 2014-15, whether it's to replace an injured player or to simply upgrade a bench in need.
Peyton Siva, Point Guard, 24 Years Old
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After being cut by the Detroit Pistons back in July, Peyton Siva failed to make the Orlando Magic final 15-man roster.
But Siva earned himself a lot of fans back in 2013 when he guided Louisville to a national championship. He's got the likability factor working for him, and I'd imagine some general manager out there looking for point guard depth—as well as a little energy boost—might be inclined to give Siva a call.
CBSSports.com's Matt Moore suggested via Hardwood Paroxysm on Twitter that the Los Angeles Lakers go after him. And there's some sense to that, given the injury to Steve Nash and Siva's easy-to-root-for demeanor.
Realistically, Siva's value is held as a change-of-pace guard off the bench—a guy who can inject a lineup with a little life and playmaking.
He even shot 22-of-44 from downtown in the D-League last year, and for what it's worth, he registered a strong 5.0-1.67 assist-to-turnover ratio in summer league.
Siva has his limitations, but he might appeal to teams looking for a spark or jolt off the bench.
Chris Singleton, Small Forward, 24 Years Old
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Chris Singleton only got in 25 games last year with the Washington Wizards thanks to various injuries, including a broken bone suffered to the same one Kevin Durant fractured earlier this month.
After the Wizards chose not to hang on the Indiana Pacers picked him up only to waive him nearly two months later.
There's no question Singleton has been a disappointment through his first three NBA seasons, but his defensive versatility is still worth looking into. At 6'8", Singleton can guard both forward positions, and that could hold value to a team that already generates enough offensive firepower.
Singleton's erratic jumper has ultimately been holding him back—he's a career 31.9 percent shooter from downtown, not a good enough number for a guy who doesn't create his own offense.
But he's shown he's capable of knocking down shots—he did hit 44 threes as a rookie, and prior to going down last season he was 7-of-19 from behind the arc.
It's just too early to write off Singleton, the No. 18 pick in 2011, as an NBA contributor. Someone will give him another chance.
Jeff Adrien, Power Forward, 28 Years Old
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Jeff Adrien has been around for a while. There's no mystery as to what he's offering. Adrien is an interior specialist who brings toughness and activity in the middle.
He's bounced around quite a bit since going undrafted in 2009, but Adrien resurfaced in a noticeable way for the Milwaukee Bucks last season when he actually started 12 games and averaged 10.8 points and 7.9 boards on 51.5 percent shooting (28 games total).
And despite his showing some life this preseason with the Houston Rockets, they chose to go in a different direction.
At 28 years old, there isn't any upside here, but as a know-what-you're-going-to-get-type of contributor, Adrien might not be a bad plug-in play for a depleted frontcourt that's looking to get a little more physical.
Jordan Hamilton, Small Forward, 24 Years Old
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Update:
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Hamilton will be claimed by the Utah Jazz.
-- End of Update --
Jordan Hamilton never got much of a chance in Denver, where he played behind a number of proven wings over his first three years in the league. So the Nuggets trade him to the Houston Rocket, who never really had much use for him in the first place.
After letting him walk in free agency, the Toronto Raptors picked him up and waived him within a matter of months. Quite frankly, with Terrence Ross, DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson and Bruno Caboclo, there wasn't any room on that roster either.
Someone should have room for Hamilton, a capable outside shooter (career 35.8 percent from downtown) and scorer in the half court.
And he looked good this preseason too, having averaged 9.5 points in 18.3 minutes on 59.5 percent shooting and 6-of-11 from downtown through six games with the Raptors.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun quoted Hamilton as saying he knew he wasn't just auditioning for the Raptors this October, "but for the whole NBA."
Considering how limited Hamilton's opportunity has been and the skill set he brings to the table, I'm willing to bet someone takes a look to see if there's any untapped talent left to tap.
Will Cherry, Point Guard, 23 Years Old
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Something tells me we haven't seen the last of Will Cherry, even though he went undrafted out of Montana in 2013 and was cut by the Toronto Raptors this October.
Between the D-League, summer league and preseason, Cherry has had some impressive stretches where he's looked like an NBA-quality playmaker.
Teams out there searching for a backcourt spark might take interest, given his ability to make things happen with the ball in his hands. Though not the greatest game manager in terms of running a half-court set, he's a dangerous off-the-dribble weapon, particularly in the open floor.
As an attacker, he seems to make up for a lack of size with athleticism and strength, which he uses to bounce off or avoid contact and finish at difficult angles.
On the perimeter, he's a capable shooter—just not a knockdown one. Consistency has held him back, but we have seen Cherry catch fire and score in bunches.
He's made a strong case for himself over the past few months. Expect Cherry to be on the radar for those teams that get hit with the injury bug in the backcourt.
Khem Birch, Power Forward/Center, 22 Years Old
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Khem Birch, who went undrafted this past June, recently got the ax and was put on waivers by the Miami Heat. But there's usually a market for guys with Birch's well-defined strengths, which include finishing, shot blocking and rebounding.
He projects as an interior specialist—a guy you can stick in the middle to protect the rim and man the glass as well as throw down the dump passes and lobs that come his way.
Though limited offensively, Birch averaged a double-double at UNLV last year on 51 percent shooting. He's mostly a finishing target at the rim, but someone has to be that guy.
There are a number of teams that could use some extra length, athleticism and activity up front. How about the Cleveland Cavaliers?
