HoopsHype.com Rumors

John Rohde: Thunder waives guard Walker Russell. Roster down to 18. Final cuts (15 max) must be made by 4 p.m. next Monday. #thunder Twitter @RohdeOK

Oklahoma City Thunder, Walker Russell 

Darnell Mayberry: Most interesting thing I learned today at Thunder media day: Walker Russell has a tattoo of Beavis & Butthead on his left calf. Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Oklahoma City Thunder, Walker Russell 

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed guard Walker Russell to a contract. RealGM

Oklahoma City Thunder, Walker Russell, Training Camp 

Walker Russell Jr.'s agent told the HoopsHype basketball website today that the Detroit Pistons intend to keep his client for the rest of the season. Although the Pistons have made no such announcement, that decision would come as little surprise, given Russell's success since his D-League call-up. Friday is the deadline for teams to guarantee contracts of players who are on non-guaranteed deals. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Walker Russell 

Giovanni Funiciello, Russell's agent, told HoopsHype that the Pistons have made a decision to keep his client, too. Russell later thanked the Pistons, via the Twitter social-media website, for making him a “Piston for the rest of the season.” Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Walker Russell 

Jorge Sierra: The Detroit Pistons are keeping guard Walker Russell, agent Giovanni Funiciello tells HoopsHype. Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Walker Russell 

Walker D. Russell Jr., a 29-year-old rookie who has seen plenty of career crossroads, faces another next week. At the very least, he has caused the Detroit Pistons to pause and think. At issue is next week's Feb. 10 deadline for NBA teams to release players with non-guaranteed contracts, like Russell, or guarantee their contracts for the rest of the season. Russell, whose father was a Piston, took a long road to get here on a Jan. 20 call-up from the D-League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and he doesn't want to leave now. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Walker Russell 

"Man, one day at a time," Russell said about the looming deadline, before Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. "I haven't really worried about it. It is in the back of my head. Who wouldn't be thinking about it? But at the same time, I've been taking it one day at a time and, hopefully, I can keep playing good and I can be a Piston for the rest of the year." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Walker Russell 

The NBA Development League likes to tout that it's the fastest way to get to the NBA and, on Thursday night, that motto proved true. The Detroit Pistons decided to make their first first foray into the D-League, according to a source close to the situation, when they decided to call-up Walker Russell from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Russell is no stranger to the Pistons organization as he spent training camp with them this season, but it's been a long time coming for the 6-foot point guard as this his first in-season NBA opportunity after spending parts of five seasons -- dating back to 2006 -- in the D-League. Ridiculous Upside

Detroit Pistons, D-League, Walker Russell 

Walker Russell Jr. is playing his fifth season in the NBA Development League, but it seems this might finally be the year for the veteran point guard out of Jacksonville State. The 6-foot point guard has had a solid last couple of days, anyway, as he was named the D-League Player of the Week on Monday after learning he's been invited to attend training camp with the Detroit Pistons. Ridiculous Upside

Detroit Pistons, D-League, Walker Russell 

Three of the most productive players in Fort Wayne Mad Ants history will return to the team this winter. Chris Hunter, Ron Howard and Walker Russell Jr., all former NBA D-League All-Stars, came to terms with the team for the 2011-12 season, the Ants announced Tuesday. “I look forward to building this team around this tremendous core,” Mad Ants president Jeff Potter said. news-sentinel.com

D-League, Chris Hunter, Ron Howard, Walker Russell