With the NBA regular season ready to open on Tuesday, a few teams made roster moves Monday.
The Milwaukee Bucks claimed journeyman Deandre Liggins off waivers, while point guard Kay Felder was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bulls. The Denver Nuggets signed veteran Richard Jefferson to a one-year deal after he was released by the Atlanta Hawks, which took place just hours after he was acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
DeAndre Liggins
Since the 2016-17 season ended, Liggins has been involved in a bevy of transactions. He was traded to the Houston Rockets, traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul deal, traded to the Atlanta Hawks, waived by the Hawks, signed by the Miami Heat, waived by the Heat, and finally claimed off waivers by the Bucks on Monday.
The 29-year-old received his most playing time of his NBA career last season as he appeared in 62 games as a member of the Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. Liggins started 19 games for Cleveland before he was waived late in the season and picked up by Dallas. The shooting guard appeared in just one game for the Mavericks. On the season, he averaged 12.5 minutes per game and posted per game averages of 2.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.2 blocks. He shot 55-of-142 (38.7 percent) from the field, 17-of-46 (37.0 percent) on threes, and 25-of-40 (62.5 percent) from the foul line.
He previously played three seasons in the NBA from 2011-12 to 2013-14, totaling 57 games with the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Heat.
Liggins also spent time playing overseas in Russia and Germany.
Kay Felder
With Kris Dunn slated to miss the beginning of the season due to injury, the Bulls added to their point guard depth by claiming Felder off waivers. The 22-year-old was taken with the 54th pick in the second round by the Hawks but was subsequently traded to the Cavaliers.
The diminutive guard appeared in 42 games for the Cavaliers last season. Felder averaged 9.2 minutes per game and finished with per game averages of 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He shot 62-of-158 (39.2 percent) from the field, 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) on three-pointers, and 35-of-49 (71.4 percent) from the free throw line.
Felder was an electric scorer and passer while playing collegiately at Oakland. He was a Third-Team All-American during his junior season in 2015-16 when he averaged 24.4 points and 9.3 assists per game.
Richard Jefferson
Getting ready to enter his 17th NBA season, Jefferson will now be a member of the Denver Nuggets. The Cavaliers were forced to get rid of a guaranteed contract after they signed Dwyane Wade, and Jefferson took the fall. The Hawks acquired him but had no intentions of keeping the 37-year-old as he doesn't fit their rebuilding plans.
Jefferson was a member of the 2016 Cavaliers team that won the NBA Championship and was on the team last season that lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
The small forward appeared in 79 regular season games (13 starts) in 2016-17 and had per game averages of 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. He shot 153-of-343 (44.6 percent) from the field, 62-of-186 (33.3 percent) on threes, and 80-of-108 (74.1 percent) from the free throw line.
In 16 seasons, Jefferson has appeared in 1,161 games (809 starts). He has career per game averages of 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.
