Kelenna

Azubuike

The deal would be contingent on the swingman passing a physical, which is certainly no slam dunk. He underwent patella surgery in 2009 and hasn’t played in the league since the 2009-10 season. He reportedly needed another surgery in March of 2011 on the troublesome knee, so we’ll have to wait and see if he passes the physical. The Mavericks recently waived Sean Williams, creating an open roster spot.

The veteran will look to get his legs back under him after missing most of the last two seasons with knee troubles. He’ll eventually work his way back up to the NBA where he’ll come off the bench for Dallas.

Azubuike will head to the D-League to hone his game, but the contract is for the remainder of the season and a team option for 2012-13. It’s another good bargain pickup by Dallas, but he won’t make an impact for fantasy owners.

With Lamar Odom leaving the team and Jason Kidd (groin) resting, the Mavs need bodies. Azubuike will be depth on the wing behind Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Roddy Beaubois.

Azubuike won’t make any impact this year, but it’s great to see him back in an NBA uniform after a devastating knee injury. Keep an eye on him this summer.

This is the fourth blurb for Azubuike today after not having one all year, so it’s been a busy day for the freshly signed swingman. He’ll head to the D-League for some needed playing time.

Azubuike’s promising career was cut short after he tore his left patella tendon in 2009, but he appears to finally be moving well again. And given the Cavaliers lack of depth and experienced talent on the wings, it’s possible that Azubuike could make some noise this season. We’re not ready to tell you to draft him, but he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on in training camp in case his knee has finally made a full recovery. He averaged 14 points, five rebounds and more than a 3-pointer per game for the Warriors in 2008-09 before suffering the knee injury that limited him to a total of 12 games over the past two seasons.

Azubuike made three brief appearances for the Mavs last season, a great sign after he needed two surgeries to repair a torn left patella tendon -- the first surgery was reportedly “botched.” His health is the huge question mark here, but at full strength he’s good enough to compete for a starting job.

“If he’s healthy, from what I saw in the past, he can play,” said Scott. “He could help us. But right now, it’s two or three years later with a couple of surgeries, so I’ve got to see him on the basketball court.’' Azubuike is still 28 years old, so we’re not ruling out the possibility that he’ll become a rotation player again.

Rookie Dion Waiters is expected to start at SG, while backup Daniel Gibson is recovering from a torn tendon in his foot, so Azubuike’s health is important for Cleveland. He’s a 40.9 percent 3-point shooter for his career, but multiple knee surgeries have obliterated his fantasy value and cast doubt upon his future in the NBA. Hopefully the 28-year-old swingman will have a positive training camp.