Blake Stepp to Play in Serbia

Just four days after being released by the Minnesota Timberwolves, G Blake Stepp signed a one-year contract with KK Partizan Pivara MB, Serbia's defending champion and a Euroleauge participant.

Blake Stepp was the second to last (58th overall) selection of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was a four year player at the Gonzaga University, averaging 13ppg, 5apg, and 3.9rpg during his collegiate career.

In Partizan, Blake will team up with at least four probable future NBA Draft picks. The roster currently includes C Kosta Perovic, C Predrag Samardziski, F Luka Bogdanovic, and G Uros Tripkovic.

He is expected to arrive in Belgrade early next week.

Via KK Partizan Pivara MB Official Site

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Teams in Need of Help Start Watching the Waiver Wire

As the Nov. 2 start of the regular season draws closer, teams across the league are finishing up a second or third round of cuts to get their bulging rosters from near 20 players down to the regular season active maximum of 12. Even with up to three players allowed stashed on injured reserve, teams are forced to make some tough cuts for financial or basketball reasons.

Teams in need of situational help at certain positions may find stopgap solutions among the castoffs from their rivals.

The waiver wire is serving as a temporary home for NBA notables such as guard Anthony Goldwire (released by Minnesota), guard Derrick Zimmerman (Houston), swingman Corey Benjamin (Charlotte), guard Omar Cook (Charlotte), forward Gary Trent (Chicago), center Cezary Trybanski (Chicago), forward Art Long (Cleveland), guard Felipe Lopez (Dallas), forward Jason Sasser (Dallas), guard Mitchell Butler (Denver), forward Desmond Penigar (Denver), guard Brandon Armstrong (Golden State), guard Trajan Langdon (Los Angeles Clippers), forward Tang Hamilton (Miami), center Jelani McCoy (Milwaukee), forward Rick Rickert (Minnesota), forward Tracy Murray (New York), center Mengke Bateer (New York), forward Corsley Edwards (Orlando), forward Kirk Haston (Philadelphia), center Ruben Boumtje Boumtje (San Antonio), guard Mateen Cleaves (Seattle), guard Norm Richardson (Toronto), forward Ousmane Cisse (Toronto), guard Jason Miskiri (Utah) and forward Cedric Henderson (Utah).

Recently released Bulls guard Mike Wilks has signed on with the San Antonio Spurs to plug their backup point guard hole. The Detroit Pistons are expected to release one of two point guards -- Smush Parker or Horace Jenkins -- within the next two days.

Via Tommie De Riemaecker of RealGM.com

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Sir Charles Barkley Eyes a GM Job

If reports in the New York Post ring true Charles Barkley might not be in TNT's NBA studio for too much longer. Barkley, it seems, is setting his sights on a return to day to day duties in the NBA. It might not be quite the same as running for Governor, but Barkley now has ambitions to follow the recent trend of players-to-management so he can try his hand at running his own NBA franchise.

"I'm going to be a GM sooner or later," Barkley told NYP TV Sports this week. "There is no rush for me."

Barkley, who played for the 76ers, Suns and Rockets, didn't indicate which club he would like to become a GM for.

"Anywhere I want to," Barkley said. "I'll tell you what - I could do a lot better than some of the [expletives] who are running teams right now."

If Barkley becomes a GM, he would join the growing trend of former all-star players running NBA teams, such as Isiah Thomas, Chris Mullin and even Barkley's good friend Michael Jordan.

Via NY Post

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