Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Sign Branden Carlson To 10-Day Contract

January 10th, 2025 at 9:29am CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have signed rookie center Branden Carlson to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.

It’s a reunion for the two sides, as Oklahoma City waived Carlson a few days ago before his full-season salary became guaranteed.

A 25-year-old from Utah, Carlson played five college seasons for the Utes prior to going undrafted in 2024. Known for his ability to stretch the floor, Carlson initially signed a two-way deal with Toronto in July, but was cut in mid-October, a few days before the 2024/25 season began.

Carlson, who opened the season with the Raptors 905 in the G League, signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Thunder in mid-November. He only saw garbage-time action with Oklahoma City at the NBA level, logging 25 total minutes across seven outings.

However, he has been pretty productive at the NBAGL level, averaging 14.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 blocks in eight appearances with the 905 and Oklahoma City Blue (27.9 minutes per contest). He posted a shooting line of .490/.367/.500 in those outings.

The move will ensure that Carlson remains in the Thunder’s system, at least temporarily. His G League rights are controlled by the 905, but NBA deals take precedence.

Jared McCain Formally Ruled Out For Season

January 9th, 2025 at 7:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Sixers announced on Thursday that rookie guard Jared McCain is expected to miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after undergoing surgery for a meniscus tear in December.

McCain was previously listed as out indefinitely, but the Sixers are shutting down any speculation about a potential return this season with this announcement.

While the announcement doesn’t come as a major surprise, it’s still a big blow to a Sixers team that continues to struggle with injuries. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George missing varying amounts of time during the season’s opening months, McCain looked like a bright spot in a season with few of them in the early going.

The No. 16 pick in the 2024 draft, McCain burst onto the scene as a Rookie of the Year favorite with his play through the first two months of the season. In 23 games (eight starts), he averaged 15.3 points while shooting 38.3% from three on 5.8 attempts per game.

McCain was on a hot streak after being named a starter, averaging 18.2 PPG and making 39.4% of his threes.

When McCain underwent surgery in December, the Sixers’ announcement suggested that he underwent a full repair of his meniscus, rather than a meniscectomy, a procedure that involves removing the meniscus. A player who undergoes a meniscectomy can often return within a couple months, but a repair typically results in a significantly longer absence.

Philadelphia has stayed in the playoff picture in the wake of his injury, winning eight of its last 12 games entering Thursday. The Sixers are just one game back of the Bulls for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

Pelicans Waive Trey Jemison, Sign Keion Brooks

January 9th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Tristan Tucker

6:40 pm: The Pelicans have used their open two-way slot to sign Keion Brooks Jr., the team announced (Twitter link via William Guillory of The Athletic).

Brooks, who went undrafted in 2024 out of Washington, is averaging 17.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks in 20 games with New Orleans’ G League affiliate in Birmingham. After signing the 6’7″ forward, the Pelicans will have all three two-way slots filled with 14 players on standard contracts.

5:01 pm: The Pelicans are waiving two-way center Trey Jemison, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). The Pelicans originally claimed Jemison on waivers from the Grizzlies last July.

Jemison, 25, has experience with the Wizards, Grizzlies and Pels. He made 16 appearances with New Orleans this season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per night. He didn’t play much with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, this season, but did average 10.9 PPG, 11.8 RPG and 1.6 BPG with the Squadron last season.

The 6’11” center originally went undrafted in 2023 after playing collegiately with Clemson and then UAB. The Pelicans signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal last September, but he was cut and played with Birmingham in the G League as an affiliate player.

The Wizards signed him to a 10-day deal last January before he caught on with the Grizzlies on a 10-day contract after his Washington contract expired. Jemison impressed for a Grizzlies team needing bodies last year, earning a two-year, two-way deal and averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23 games (14 starts).

Because he’s being waived two days after the league-wide salary guarantee deadline, Jemison will be assured of earning his full-season two-way salary.

By waiving Jemison, the Pelicans will open up a two-way roster spot, with Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain occupying the two others. New Orleans also has an open standard roster slot. Boston is likely to earn a promotion to a standard deal at some point this year after becoming a rotation mainstay.

NBA Postpones Thursday’s Hornets-Lakers Game

January 9th, 2025 at 1:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has postponed Thursday’s matchup between the Hornets and Lakers due to the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the league announced today in a press release. The game will be rescheduled at a later date.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, who first reported the news of the postponement, several members of the Lakers organization have been impacted by the fires, including head coach JJ Redick, who lost his home (Twitter links). Redick said on Tuesday night that his immediate family and members of his extended family had to evacuate their homes in the Pacific Palisades area.

“We’re heartbroken for Los Angeles,” the Lakers said in a statement (Twitter link). “Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation. And our gratitude is with the first responders and all of you who come together when we need each other most. … We’re with you, L.A.”

In a follow-up tweet, the Lakers told fans with tickets for the game to keep them, as the team will honor the tickets for the rescheduled date.

The Lakers’ and Clippers’ next games are at home on Saturday evening. The league will likely wait and see what happens with the devastating fires over the next few days before determining whether further postponements are required.

In unrelated news, the start of tonight’s game between the Trail Blazers and Mavericks has been moved up an hour (to 6:30pm CT) due to inclement weather in Dallas, per the NBA (Twitter link).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander “Comfortable” With Thunder, Wants To Stay In OKC

January 9th, 2025 at 9:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

The top player on the top team in the Western Conference plans to make a long-term commitment to the franchise.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters on Wednesday that he doesn’t want to play anywhere else. He’s not interested in going to a bigger market, as many of the league’s stars have done in recent years.

“I can only speak for myself. I love Oklahoma City and I can’t see a world where I’m not in Oklahoma City,” he said, as relayed by The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd. “I’m comfortable where I am. I like where I am. I love the people in the organization, love the people around me, and those are the things that matter. I go to work every day with a smile on my face.

“Me personally, the market doesn’t matter. The money doesn’t matter to a certain extent. But as long as I enjoy what I’m doing at a very high level, I love the people that I’m around doing it.”

Gilgeous-Alexander signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension in 2021. He’s currently in the third season of that five-year, $179.3MM contract.

SGA met the performance criteria to sign a designated veteran (ie. super-max) extension worth 35% of the salary cap when he made All-NBA teams in 2023 and 2024. However, he was ineligible to ink that extension last summer because seven seasons of NBA service are required. This is his seventh season, meaning he’ll be able to sign it in July 2025.

It’s a virtual lock that the franchise will offer him that super-max, which projects to be worth as much as $293MM over four years, beginning in 2027/28.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s statistics this season are closely aligned with last season’s numbers, when he made the All-NBA First Team and finished second in MVP voting. He’s averaging 31.3 points, 6.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Thunder, who are 30-6 despite losing their showdown with Eastern Conference-leader Cleveland on Wednesday.

Eugene Omoruyi Joins Raptors On 10-Day Deal

January 8th, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have signed Eugene Omoruyi to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release.

The 27-year-old small forward has been playing for Raptors 905 in the G League, where he was averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 28.1 minutes in 14 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games. Toronto’s affiliate acquired him off waivers in November.

The Raptors will be the fifth NBA team for Omoruyi, who appeared in 43 games with Washington last season.

He signed a two-way contract with Dallas after going undrafted in 2021, moved on to Oklahoma City on a two-way deal in 2022, then went to Detroit in 2023 on a pair of 10-day contracts before being signed for the rest of the season. He inked an Exhibit 10 deal with Minnesota in September, but was waived before the season began.

Omoruyi has appeared in 87 NBA games, averaging 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per night.

He will fill the roster opening created Tuesday when the Raptors waived veteran center Bruno Fernando. The signing brings Toronto back to a full roster, with all 15 regular spots and all three two-way slots filled.

Omoruyi’s contract will run through January 17, giving him an opportunity to play in five games. He will be eligible for a second 10-day deal when this one ends, but after that the Raptors would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to keep him on the roster.

Magic’s Paolo Banchero Set To Return This Week

January 8th, 2025 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Paolo Banchero is expected to suit up for the Magic this week for the first time since October, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, the expectation is that Banchero will be upgraded to questionable on Orlando’s next injury report and will be available for either Thursday’s home game vs. Minnesota or Friday’s vs. Milwaukee.

Banchero got off to an impressive start to the season in the fall, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 36.4 minutes per night in the first five games of the season. However, he sustained a torn right oblique on October 30 and was ruled out indefinitely. The former No. 1 overall pick has now missed 33 consecutive games.

After earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and making his first All-Star team in 2024, Banchero won’t be eligible for major awards in 2025 due to the NBA’s 65-game rule. But his return will be a boon for a Magic team that has played very well in his absence, even after forward Franz Wagner went down with a nearly identical injury in early December.

Orlando currently has a 22-16 record and holds the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

If Banchero is activated for Thursday’s game, it would be bad luck for the Timberwolves, who have already faced Zion Williamson on Tuesday in his first game since early November and Kawhi Leonard on Monday in just his second game of the season. However, Charania tweets that Banchero is more likely to make his return on Friday vs. the Bucks.

Bucks To Bring Khris Middleton Off Bench

January 8th, 2025 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have informed forward Khris Middleton that they’ll be removing him from their starting lineup and bringing him off the bench moving forward, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).

As Haynes explains, the Bucks are trying to establish continuity with their starting lineup while Middleton continues to work his way back to full strength following offseason surgeries on both ankles. The 33-year-old sat out Monday’s game in Toronto for “injury management” purposes related to his ankles and continues to face a minutes restriction, Haynes notes.

Deploying a starting lineup of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Andre Jackson, and Taurean Prince will allow head coach Doc Rivers to stick with that starting five even if Middleton has the miss the occasional game. Bringing the three-time All-Star off the bench will also make it easier for the team to manage his playing time for as long as he remains on a minutes limit.

Middleton, who made his season debut on December 6, came off the bench in his first five appearances of the season before starting each of his past seven outings. He has averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game across those 12 contests, with a shooting line of .447/.404/.852.

Middleton is the second multi-time All-Star to be removed from his team’s starting lineup this week while his name comes up in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, joining Suns guard Bradley Beal.

While the Bucks have reportedly considered the idea of pursuing Butler, it would be very challenging from a cap perspective to pull off a deal and they’re rumored to be among the teams who have been advised not to trade for the Heat star. So even though Middleton would almost certainly have to be included in a Milwaukee offer for Butler, it seems unlikely that such a deal will come to fruition.

Middleton will be available to play for the Bucks on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, Haynes adds.

Beal’s Agent: Waiving No-Trade Clause Not Being Discussed

January 8th, 2025 at 7:22am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Bradley Beal and his agent Mark Bartelstein haven’t had any talks about waiving Beal’s no-trade clause to approve a deal to a new team, Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

“There have been no discussions about trades with the Suns or any other team,” Bartelstein said. “Bradley’s total focus is on helping the Suns turn things around.”

As we outlined on Tuesday, Beal has been at the center of trade rumors as of late due to the reported mutual interest between the Suns and Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who is seeking a trade out of Miami. Phoenix is reportedly the only team willing to pay Butler the contract he wants and is believed to be the 35-year-old’s preferred landing spot.

Due to the Suns’ position relative to the second tax apron, they’re not permitted to aggregate salaries in a trade for Butler, meaning they would have to give up one of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, or Beal, all of whom have bigger cap hits than Butler’s $48.8MM figure.

Beal is the obvious choice of that trio from the Suns’ perspective, but his no-trade clause – one of just two in the NBA – complicates matters, as does his maximum-salary contract, which the Heat are reportedly unwilling to take on.

Phoenix has reportedly explored the market in search of a third team that would take on Beal, but any facilitator would have to be well compensated and the Suns, who would also have to incentivize Miami, don’t have many draft assets available to trade.

Speaking to Windhorst, Bartelstein didn’t rule out the possibility that Beal would waive his no-trade clause for a “perfect” situation, as he did when he was sent from Washington to Phoenix in 2023. But that isn’t currently under consideration.

It’s also worth reiterating that a no-trade clause doesn’t go away after a single trade — it covers a player’s entire contract unless he agrees to surrender it. Bartelstein tells Windhorst that his client wouldn’t be willing to give up that veto power before the end of the contract.

If Beal agreed to remove the no-trade clause from his contract upon being dealt, it might make a rival team more willing to roll the dice on him, since that club would have freedom to move him in a year or two. However, as long as Beal insists on hanging onto his NTC, it will make it that much more difficult for the Suns to find a taker.

Kings Waive Orlando Robinson

January 7th, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 pm: The Kings have officially waived Robinson, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:57 pm: The Kings, who entered the day with four players on non-guaranteed contracts, will retain three of those players and waive one, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Sacramento is cutting center Orlando Robinson, but will hang onto veteran forwards Doug McDermott and Jae Crowder, guaranteeing their full-season salaries. Defensive ace Keon Ellis also technically had a non-guaranteed deal, but was never in danger of being released.

Robinson, 24, joined the Kings as a free agent over the summer to provide depth at center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. However, the former Heat big man has appeared in just nine games, averaging 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest. Sacramento has primarily used Len and power forward Trey Lyles to back up Sabonis.

By waiving Robinson, the Kings will take on a dead-money cap hit of $959,779, which is also the salary he’ll earn for the time he spent with the team.

Retaining McDermott, Crowder, and Ellis will mean locking in cap charges of $2,087,519, $1,655,619, and $2,120,693, respectively. McDermott ($3,303,771) and Crowder ($2,620,232) will earn salaries exceeding their cap hits because the NBA reimburses a team for a portion of a player’s salary if he has more than two years of experience and signs a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

The transaction will leave the Kings with an open spot on their 15-man roster. The team is unlikely to fill that spot immediately, since it could be useful in trade season and keeping it open for the time being will give the club a little extra breathing room below the luxury tax line. Sacramento will be about $3.2MM below the tax line once the move is official, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).