Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Waiving Lonnie Walker IV

October 19th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Celtics are waiving Lonnie Walker IV, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Instead of keeping a full 15-man standard roster, Boston will head into the season with an open slot.

There was some speculation that Walker had done enough to make the team. He played well in the preseason, averaging 7.3 points in 16.4 minutes per game across four appearances. He’s also a young, six-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 9.8 PPG and 2.3 RPG.

However, the Celtics are about $7MM over the second tax apron, so keeping Walker without trimming salary elsewhere would have resulted in about $8.8MM in extra projected tax penalties on top of his $2.1MM cap hit, meaning it would have cost about $11MM in total to keep him for the season.

As we mentioned earlier Saturday, the Celtics could have kept Walker on the 15-man roster and tried to reduce their tax payment later in the season with a trade or two. Instead, they’re opting to move on from the veteran guard, at least for now.

Walker is a candidate to be claimed off waivers by a team with an opening on its roster and a need for a high-scoring guard. The Celtics’ decision to waive Walker could be an indication that they don’t view that as a likely outcome — or they’re fine if it does happen. The Miami product didn’t agree to a deal until late August, sitting on the free agency market for about two months. So if guaranteed offers didn’t materialize then, they may not this time around either.

Walker was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract, so he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine. Over the course of his career, Walker has been a proven commodity, so if he doesn’t get claimed or signed by another team at this time, the Celtics could revisit him later while keeping him in their system. Of course, even if he plays in Maine, Walker would be free to jump ship for another NBA team at any point this season.

Walker was not eligible for a two-way contract because he holds six years of NBA service.

By waiving Walker, the Celtics regular season roster looks set. They have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Wizards, Bucks, Wolves Among Teams Exploring Roster-Trimming Trades

October 19th, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Tristan Tucker

With teams finalizing rosters ahead of Monday’s cut-down deadline, there could be a flurry of activity from teams exploring avenues to keep players on crowded rosters. According to Spotrac’s Keith Smith (Twitter link), several luxury tax teams are exploring moving off salary in an effort to keep other players they like.

While the Wizards aren’t a luxury tax team, they’re one of the many teams looking to make a move before Monday’s roster deadline. As NBA insider Jake Fischer reports (Threads link), the Wizards want to keep Jared Butler around on the 15-man roster. Butler is on a non-guaranteed contract, which made him a release candidate, but he played well in the preseason, averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 assists in 14.3 minutes per game across five outings.

That could lead the Wizards to explore trading or even cutting former No. 10 overall pick Johnny Davis, according to Fischer. The Wizards aren’t expected to exercise Davis’ fourth-year option and while he hit a clutch shot in Friday’s preseason finale, he struggled this preseason and through his two NBA years with shooting efficiency.

However, outright cutting Davis would mean not being able to use his $5.3MM salary to help facilitate trades later down the road. It’s possible Washington agrees to a bigger trade before the beginning of the regular season or considers waiving another player.

As we outlined earlier today, it’s important to note that while most teams will make cuts Saturday, that’s not really an issue for the Wizards. The main wave of cuts today are mostly going to be non-guaranteed contracts and since teams like the Wizards cutting guaranteed salary would be eating dead money anyway, they have until Monday’s deadline to come to a decision.

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

The Bucks have informed rival teams of early interest in trading third-year wing MarJon Beauchamp, according to Fischer (Threads link). Beauchamp was the 24th overall pick in 2022 by the Bucks, so their willingness to move him is noteworthy. Across his first two seasons in the league, he’s averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds. While Fischer suggests the Bucks could be looking to acquire a defensive-minded wing, Smith notes via Twitter that Milwaukee has also expressed interest in re-signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo — moving Beauchamp without taking a player back would open up that opportunity. Antetokounmpo is expected to miss the season while recovering from an Achilles tear, so signing him would be for his locker room presence, which Smith says is “prized” by both the franchise and his brother Giannis.
The Timberwolves have looked into trade options for recently acquired forward Keita Bates-Diop, according to Fischer (Threads link). Bates-Diop was rerouted a couple of times this summer, going from the Nets to the Knicks in the Mikal Bridges trade before landing with Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster. Bates-Diop is set to make just under $2.7MM this season and with the Wolves already about $17MM over the second tax apron, they’d prefer to move off his salary rather than eating it. Moving Bates-Diop is also about finding a way to keep PJ Dozier on the roster. The Wolves have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, plus Dozier on a partially guaranteed deal. Dozier is a favorite of president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
Celtics guard Lonnie Walker IV‘s Exhibit 10 status is noteworthy, as he was seen as a bargain signing by the reigning champions at the time, but they have tight finances as a team well over the second apron. Still, Walker’s impressive preseason puts Boston in an interesting position, and Fischer indicates the Celtics have considered keeping him around. If they retained Walker through the season and made no other changes, Boston would have to make approximately $9MM in projected tax payments on top of Walker’s minimum-salary contract due to their position against the second apron. However, that amount isn’t calculated until the end of the season, so the Celtics may explore trading Jaden Springer as late as February’s trade deadline so they can keep Walker, Fischer reports.
[UPDATE: The Celtics are waiving Walker.]
The Pistons may be the primary contact for any team looking to make salary- or roster-trimming trades, Smith notes (Twitter link). The Pistons have an open roster spot and $10.2MM in cap space, putting them in position to accommodate players like Davis, Beauchamp, Bates-Diop or Springer if their teams were willing to attach draft capital.

Heat Waive Nassir Little, Three Others

October 19th, 2024 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have requested waivers on Nassir Little, Zyon Pullin, Isaiah Stevens, and Warren Washington, the team announced today (via Twitter).

All four players were in camp with Miami on non-guaranteed contracts. Little had an Exhibit 9 deal, while Pullin, Stevens, and Washington each had Exhibit 10 language in their agreements. That means those latter three are good candidates to land with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate, whereas Little – who wouldn’t earn an Exhibit 10 bonus with the Skyforce – may seek out another opportunity.

Little is the most notable name in the group, having been a first-round pick in 2019 who has 237 career NBA regular season appearances under his belt. After spending his first four seasons in Portland, he was traded to Phoenix in last year’s Damian Lillard blockbuster, but struggled for his new team, averaging a career-low 3.4 points per game with a .300 3PT% in just 10.2 minutes per game.

Little, who has battled injuries since entering the league and has never played more than 54 games in a season, was waived by the Suns in August with three years and $21.75MM left on his contract. He had a chance to make the Heat’s regular season roster, but the odds were against him, given that retaining him into the regular season would have pushed Miami’s team salary above the restrictive second tax apron.

The Heat now have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. Barring some last-minute moves for G League purposes, their roster could be set for opening night.

Bulls Convert E.J. Liddell To Two-Way Deal

October 19th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 19: Liddell’s conversion to a two-way contract is now official, the Bulls announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 18: The Bulls are converting E.J. Liddell‘s Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Chicago currently has an open two-way spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Liddell.

An Illinois native who starred in college at Ohio State, Liddell was selected with the 41st pick of the 2022 draft. Unfortunately, he missed his entire first season with the Pelicans after tearing his ACL in Summer League, but the team kept him on a two-way deal for the 2022/23 campaign.

Liddell, a 6’7″ forward, was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in July 2023. He spent most of last season in the G League, only making eight NBA appearances for 23 total minutes with New Orleans in ’23/24.

Liddell was traded twice during the offseason, first to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray deal, then to Phoenix in a salary dump by the Suns (former first-rounder David Roddy was sent to Atlanta). Phoenix subsequently waived Liddell, making him a free agent until he signed a training camp deal with Chicago.

Since the Bulls didn’t release anyone, they still have 18 players under contract, which is the regular season limit.

As we previously relayed, it seems like the team plans to keep Talen Horton-Tucker into the regular season after waiving Onuralp Bitim and Kenneth Lofton, though that could change before Monday’s final cut-down deadline. Horton-Tucker, who has been a standout in preseason, was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal but is ineligible for a two-way contract due to having five years of NBA experience.

Nets Convert Tyrese Martin To Two-Way; Waive Killian Hayes, Amari Bailey

October 19th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets have converted forward Tyrese Martin to a two-way contract and waived guards Killian Hayes and Amari Bailey, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and New York Post’s Brian Lewis (Twitter links).

Brooklyn’s roster now stands at the regular season limit of 18 players, with 15 on standard contracts and all three two-way slots filled.

Martin, the No. 51 overall pick in the 2022 draft, spent the first year of his career with the Hawks. He only saw action in 16 games and was waived the following offseason. Martin played last season for the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate in Iowa, averaging 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 39 games.

A former UConn standout, Martin signed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn this offseason. He stood out in four preseason appearances with the Nets, averaging just 4.8 PPG but often receiving playing time alongside the Nets’ bench players and other two-ways. He was ahead of Bailey and the other non-guaranteed training camp invitees in minutes.

Hayes spent the first four seasons of his career in Detroit after being drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in 2020. He showed chops as a play-maker, averaging 5.2 assists per game across 210 career appearances, but he only shot 38.2% from the field in those games. After being waived by the Pistons at last season’s trade deadline, he didn’t catch on with another team for the rest of 2023/24.

This offseason, Hayes signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets. While his four years of NBA service made him ineligible for a two-way deal, he’ll still qualify for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island.

Hayes didn’t suit up in a preseason game with the Nets while dealing with a hip injury. According to Charania, he’ll rehab the injury in the G League this season.

Bailey was a one-and-done prospect after suiting up for UCLA in 2022/23. He was the 41st pick in the 2023 draft by the Hornets and spent last season on a two-way deal. However, Bailey only got into 10 NBA games and the Hornets opted not to bring him back in free agency, leading to him signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets.

He played more extensively in the G League as a rookie, averaging an impressive 18.8 points and 4.3 assists on a .452/.358/.705 shooting split. Like Hayes, he’ll be eligible for a $77.5K bonus if he winds up spending at least two months with Long Island.

Given that both players are 23 or younger, there’s a chance the rebuilding Nets could revisit one or both if they open up roster spots via trade this season.

Blazers’ Thybulle Out 3-4 Weeks Due To Knee Procedure

October 18th, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers swingman Matisse Thybulle will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing a procedure on Thursday to address inflammation in his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter).

According to the Blazers, Thybulle will resume rehabilitation work on the knee and is expected to be sidelined for three or four weeks.

Thybulle, who was acquired by the Blazers in a trade at the 2023 deadline, appeared in 65 games in his first full season in Portland in 2023/24, making 19 starts and averaging 22.9 minutes per night. His contributions on offense were modest (5.4 PPG on .397/.346/.759 shooting), but he’s a talented, versatile wing defender, having made a pair of All-Defensive Second Teams during his time in Philadelphia.

Even if Thybulle is only out for the next three weeks, he’ll miss the first 10 games of Portland’s season, so the team will need to get by without him on the wing until then. The Blazers will also be without Shaedon Sharpe to open the season due to a shoulder injury.

With Thybulle on the shelf, second-year forward Toumani Camara should play more minutes behind veteran starters Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant, or even alongside them. Camara has impressed during the preseason and was pushing for a bigger role before Thybulle’s injury, as Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report details in a Substack article.

Reserves Jabari Walker, Kris Murray, and Dalano Banton are among the other candidates to move up the depth chart in Thybulle’s absence.

Knicks’ Shamet Diagnosed With Dislocated Shoulder

October 18th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks wing Landry Shamet, who suffered an injury during Tuesday’s preseason game against Charlotte, has been diagnosed with a dislocated right shoulder and will be reevaluated at a later date, the team announced today (via Twitter).

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), Shamet’s injured right shoulder continues to be examined, but there’s “initial optimism” about his odds of avoiding surgery.

Although Shamet is with the Knicks this fall on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract, reports throughout the preseason indicated he was a strong contender to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster. His injury complicates matters, since New York lacks back-end roster depth and spending flexibility below its hard cap — retaining and paying Shamet while he’s injured may not be the best use of a roster spot or of the team’s limited spending room.

The Knicks’ 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries count for about $185.35MM against the apron, leaving just $3.58MM in wiggle room below the team’s second apron ($188.93MM) hard cap. That’s not even enough for two minimum-salary veterans, so the club will likely fill its roster with one minimum-salary vet and one minimum-salary rookie (Ariel Hukporti is reportedly the frontrunner to be converted).

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic points out (via Twitter), the fact that the Knicks said Shamet will be evaluated “at a later date” may be a signal that they don’t plan to waive him, though that’s hardly a sure thing. If Shamet is cut, the Exhibit 9 language in his contract means the team would only be on the hook for $15K rather than having to pay his salary until he gets healthy.

We should get clarity soon on the Knicks’ plans, but it’s worth noting that the team is permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time and for up to 28 total days during the 2024/25 season. That means New York could opt to waive Shamet and its other camp invitees while postponing Hukporti’s conversion for now, rolling with just 12 players on the standard roster for the season’s first 14 days. The Knicks could then bring back Shamet at a later date.

Pacers Exercise Three 2025/26 Options, Waive Cole Swider

October 18th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have completed a series of transactions, announcing in a press release that they’ve exercised their 2025/26 team options on swingman Bennedict Mathurin, forward Jarace Walker, and guard Ben Sheppard. The team also requested waivers on forward Cole Swider.

The option pick-ups are fairly routine housekeeping moves that ensure all three recent first-round picks now have guaranteed salaries for at least one more season beyond ’24/25. Mathurin’s fourth-year option is worth $9,187,573, while Walker’s third-year option is worth $6,665,520 and Sheppard’s will pay him $2,790,720.

Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason, while Indiana will have fourth-year option decisions to make on Walker and Sheppard next fall.

The release of Swider is the most notable transaction in the bunch, as the Pacers’ decision to cut Kendall Brown earlier this week seemingly paved the way for Swider to earn a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. Still, Indiana isn’t far below the luxury tax line, so the club may opt to open the regular season with just 14 players on standard contracts, leaving that final spot open to maximize its roster and financial flexibility.

Of course, regular season rosters don’t have to be finalized until Monday, so there’s still time for the Pacers to make additional moves. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the team could theoretically promote one of its current two-way players to a standard deal and bring back Swider on a two-way contract. However, there have been no reports yet suggesting that’s the plan.

Swider’s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Pacers didn’t include Exhibit 10 language, so it doesn’t appear likely that he’ll end up with the Indiana Mad Ants, the team’s G League affiliate.

Hornets’ Charlie Brown Jr. Among Latest NBA Cuts

October 18th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have waived Charlie Brown Jr., Harry Giles and Keyontae Johnson, the team confirmed in a press release. Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer was first to report the moves (Twitter link).

Brown has appeared in 49 regular season games with Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Philadelphia and New York over the course of his four NBA seasons. The 27-year-old was signed-and-traded to the Hornets from the Knicks as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.

While it’s not surprising that Brown was released given Charlotte’s roster situation, it’s still a noteworthy event because he will be owed a guaranteed $2,237,692 for the 2024/25 season. Assuming he goes unclaimed, the Hornets will carry that salary as a dead-money cap hit on their books.

Notably, veteran swingman DaQuan Jeffries — another player acquired via sign-and-trade from the Knicks — was not cut today. That could mean the Hornets plan to keep him into the start of the regular season even though he fractured a bone in his hand last week. The team didn’t give a timetable for his return.

Both Giles and Johnson were on non-guaranteed training camp deals. A North Carolina native who played college ball at Duke, Giles is a former first-round pick (No. 20 overall in 2017) whose career was derailed by a series of major knee injuries. The 26-year-old big man split last season with the Nets and Lakers.

As for Johnson, he spent 2023/24 — his rookie season — on a two-way contract with the Thunder, but they chose not to give him a two-way qualifying offer over the summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Johnson, who had Exhibit 10 language in his contract, can earn a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate. Giles’ deal didn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause, so he wouldn’t be eligible for the same bonus and therefore seems unlikely to end up with the Swarm.

The Hornets now have 17 players under contract, with 14 players on guaranteed standard deals, Taj Gibson with a significant partial guarantee on his minimum-salary deal, and a pair of players on two-way contracts. NBA teams are permitted to carry three two-way players, so the team still has one roster vacancy ahead of the regular season.

Here are a few more players who were waived on Friday — all three were on non-guaranteed training camp deals:

The Kings have waived undrafted rookie Boogie Ellis, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The former USC guard, who had a solid preseason showing with Sacramento, will likely be headed to the Stockton Kings to begin his first professional season. Sacramento will still have to waive at least a couple more players beyond Ellis to set its regular season roster.
The Thunder announced that they have released Buddy Boeheim and Cormac Ryan. Both players will likely be headed to the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate. The Thunder now have 18 players under contract, which is the regular season limit.

Kevin Durant: “Not Even Thinking About” Possible Extension

October 17th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns star Kevin Durant downplayed the possibility of signing a one-year, $59.5MM extension prior to Monday’s deadline.

“I’m not even thinking about it,” Durant said after Thursday’s shootaround. “I’m just going to play out my contract really, and just focus on that. Focus on the team. I haven’t even really had conversations with anybody about a contract. Trying to focus on basketball.”

Durant, who became the first men’s basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals over the summer, will earn $51.8MM in 2024/25, followed by $54.7MM in ’25/26.

He can currently only tack on one year to his current contract due to the Over-38 rule. If he doesn’t sign a new contract by Monday, he’ll be ineligible to complete an extension during the season, but will be eligible again during the 2025 offseason.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), there’s a “strong likelihood” that Durant will hold off on extension talks until next offseason, when he’d be eligible to sign a two-year, $123.8MM extension.

Durant, 36, is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history, with 14 All-Star nods, 11 All-NBA appearances, four scoring titles, an MVP, two championships, and two Finals MVPs on his résumé.

In 75 regular season games last season, the 6’11” forward averaged 27.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.2 BPG on .523/.413/.856 shooting (37.2 MPG).