The NBA Development League continues to stockpile former NBA players as it creeps closer to next week's D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada. The league added four assigned players on Tuesday and then went ahead and signed a pair of former NBA players for good measure.
Mikki Moore and Willie Warren both signed D-League contracts on Tuesday, according to a league source. Both former NBA players will clear waivers on Thursday and join their new team for a weekend of play before being thrust in front of an audience featuring representatives from all 30 NBA teams next week in Reno.
Moore, 36, has a bit of a history with the D-League as he was the first overall pick in the 2002 draft between stops with nine different NBA teams. He's also had some luck with playing in the minor leagues during the lockout as his first NBA stint -- with the Detroit Pistons in 1999 -- came after playing for the CBA's Fort Wayne Fury as the 1998-99 lockout dragged on. He recently surfaced in training camp with the Memphis Grizzlies last month, but was cut less than a week into camp.
Moore will join fellow 30-year-old-and-up club members Greg Ostertag, Ricky Davis, Mike James, Antoine Walker and Keith McLeod in the D-League as all five former NBA starters work to get back to the level they once were.
Warren is on the opposite end of the spectrum as he was cut by the Los Angeles Clippers during training camp after being selected in the second round of last year's draft. The 22-year-old appeared in 19 games with the Clippers last season, but only made noise when he put big numbers during 15 games on assignment with the Bakersfield Jam.
As far as other big names are concerned:
- Mike James will learn his new team sometime Wednesday afternoon as he clears waivers.
- ESPN's Marc Stein reported last week that NBA veteran Damon Jones has also agreed to join the D-League, but source says he hasn't sent his contract in quite yet.
- At least one more former NBAer is expected to sign with the D-League this week in former Phoenix Suns draft pick Taylor Griffin.
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