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Thunder Sign Bismack Biyombo For Rest Of Season

February 10th, 2024 at 7:52pm CST by Luke Adams

7:52pm: The signing is official, the Thunder announced in a press release.

12:22pm: The Thunder have bolstered their frontcourt depth by signing free agent center Bismack Biyombo for the rest of the season, reports Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). It’s a minimum-salary deal for Biyombo, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A 13-year veteran, Biyombo signed a one-year, $5MM contract with the Grizzlies earlier this season to help fill in at center following Steven Adams‘ season-ending knee surgery. He started 27 of 30 games he played for the team, averaging 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 23.9 minutes per night.

Memphis originally signed Biyombo using an extra roster spot that was granted during Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension. The Grizzlies hung onto the big man following the star guard’s return, waiving Kenneth Lofton in order to create room on the roster for him, but eventually let Biyombo go when Morant suffered a season-ending injury of his own and the team’s focus shifted away from pushing for the playoffs this season.

Biyombo, 31, will become the veteran voice among a group of Oklahoma City centers that also features second-year big men Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. He may not play regular rotation minutes, but he’ll provide important injury insurance for a team on track to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

The Thunder traded three players for Gordon Hayward on deadline day, creating two open spots on their 15-man roster which they’ve already filled by promoting Lindy Waters and signing Biyombo. The club still has one vacant two-way slot.

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Pistons Owner Expresses Support For GM Troy Weaver

February 10th, 2024 at 6:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons owner Tom Gores expressed confidence in general manager Troy Weaver during a session with reporters Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. There has been speculation that Weaver may be replaced amid a historically bad start to the season, but Gores didn’t provide any indication that he’s considering such a move.

“I think we just came together and the first thing we did is take accountability for the mistakes we made,” Gores responded when asked about Weaver. “As an organization, you really can’t go forward until you acknowledge what didn’t work. That was the first thing. And being honest about that provides you the future. If you don’t look in your past for a little bit and what was right and what was wrong, it’s very hard to go to the future. We did that along the process. I have confidence in Troy. I have confidence. We leaned on each other through this process, but we also didn’t avoid the idea of what were we accountable for? It gave us a pathway to go forward.”

The Pistons still have the league’s worst record at 8-44 after losing to the Clippers today, but Sankofa points out that they have been more competitive recently, going 5-8 since acquiring Mike Muscala and the recently waived Danilo Gallinari from Washington last month. The roster shakeup continued at Thursday’s deadline as Detroit added six new players — Simone Fontecchio, Troy Brown Jr., Shake Milton, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn — while parting with veteran shooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, among others.

“We needed to mix up our formation,” Gores explained. “We had to let a few of our players go, all good men. Bojan and Burks contributed a lot to our Pistons. We just needed to change it up a bit and create some more pace-and-space for our young guys. As you know from Troy, we were at it working all last week, so we just needed to, for the sake of the team, let the young guys fly free.”

Today marked Gores’ first public comments on the team since late December when he promised fans that changes were going to be made. In today’s media session, Gores told reporters that he was involved in the process “almost every day.”

“The first month after that, I did a lot of it on a couple days of Zooms and calls and all that stuff,” Gores said. “Over the last 10 days, the team will tell you, Troy will tell you, we had a lot of all-nighters and up really late just making sure we make the right decision for this team. It’s a pivotal moment and you have to know when it’s pivotal. For us, it was important to get the right makeup and I thought we made pretty good moves. We also have a lot of cap space now in the summer, and we gained some good players.”

Gores added that he learned a lot about coach Monty Williams and people throughout the organization by watching how they responded in difficult times. He also indicated that several of Thursday’s additions could be in the Pistons’ long-term plans.

“This is just the beginning, and it’s our responsibility to do this,” Gores said. “We have to learn from what didn’t work, so we have to take that forward now. As I told the team and front office and everyone else that if we don’t win from our losses, then what are we doing? We have to be better because of our losses, and that’s our opportunity.”

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Raptors Sign Justise Winslow To 10-Day Deal

February 10th, 2024 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

4:30pm: The signing is official, the Raptors announced in a press release.

12:19pm: The Raptors are promoting former lottery pick Justise Winslow from their G League affiliate and will sign him to a 10-day contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Winslow, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft, has spent time with the Grizzlies, Clippers, and Trail Blazers since playing in Miami for the first five years of his NBA career. The 27-year-old underwent ankle surgery in March 2023, which delayed his ’23/24 debut.

In 17 appearances for the Raptors 905 at the G League level this season, Winslow has averaged 16.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in 26.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .514/.276/.625.

A rangy, versatile wing, Winslow will provide some depth for Toronto and fill one of the team’s two open 15-man roster spots. The Raptors traded Dennis Schröder and Thaddeus Young to Brooklyn on Thursday in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, then waived Dinwiddie, creating a pair of roster openings.

Winslow’s 10-day contract will cover Toronto’s final three games before the All-Star break and then expire before the Raptors’ first post-All-Star contest on February 22. The club would be able to ink him to a second 10-day deal at that point, then would have to decide whether to sign him for the rest of the season or let him go (he could report back to Raptors 905 in that scenario).

Winslow will earn $166,176 over the life of his 10-day contract, with Toronto taking on a cap hit of $116,075.

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Knicks Sign Taj Gibson To Second 10-Day Deal

February 10th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 10: Gibson officially signed his second 10-day contract with the Knicks, according to team PR (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 9: The Knicks are bringing back Taj Gibson on a second 10-day contract, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Gibson’s first 10-day deal expired on Thursday night.

The move comes as no real surprise, given that Gibson is a Tom Thibodeau favorite and the Knicks have no shortage of roster spots available after trading four players to Detroit on Thursday and only taking back two in return. Even after re-signing the 38-year-old, New York will have two openings on its 15-man roster.

Thibodeau made it clear on Thursday that he hoped Gibson would be re-signed, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“It’s obvious. He’s been terrific,” Thibodeau said. “On any team, at any time, he’s a great addition. So I’m hopeful. (President of basketball operations) Leon (Rose) will (look at) everything and we’ll always do what’s best for the team. But everyone in the organization loves him and has an appreciation for him.”

This will be the third contract Gibson has signed with the Knicks this season. He initially rejoined the team on December 15 on a non-guaranteed deal and was waived on January 7, before his full-season cap hit was locked in. New York brought him back on a 10-day contract on Jan. 30.

Gibson typically wouldn’t be part of the Knicks’ rotation, but he has been forced into action several times this season due to frontcourt injuries. He logged 22 minutes in Thursday’s loss to Dallas, with Isaiah Hartenstein departing that contest early due to a sore left Achilles (Twitter link via Steve Popper of Newsday).

Gibson will earn a $183,704 salary over the course of his 10-day deal, while New York will carry a $116,075 cap hit. The contract will cover the team’s next three games before expiring during the All-Star break. If the Knicks want to retain him beyond that, they’ll need to offer a rest-of-season deal.

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Shaedon Sharpe Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery

February 9th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 9: Sharpe has undergone his core muscle procedure, according to a press release from the Trail Blazers, who stated that the guard will be reevaluated in six weeks.

FEBRUARY 6: Trail Blazers shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe will undergo corrective surgery to fix a core muscle injury, the team announced in a press release.

Sharpe hasn’t played since January 11 due to a lower abdominal strain. While attempting to ramp up his basketball activities during his rehab, Sharpe experienced worsening of his symptoms. Due to his lack of progression, it was determined that surgery was necessary. The procedure is tentatively planned for later this week.

While a timetable has yet to be determined, it’s fair to assume Sharpe’s injury could end his season, especially given that the Blazers are well out of the playoff race. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe is averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 33.1 minutes per game this season. He has started 25 of 32 games.

As a rookie, Sharpe appeared in 80 games (15 starts), averaging 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.2 minutes per game.

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Grizzlies Sign GG Jackson To Four-Year Deal

February 9th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 9: The Grizzlies officially announced their new deal with Jackson, confirming in a press release that Metu has been waived to make room on the 15-man roster for Jackson’s promotion (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 8: The Grizzlies and rookie GG Jackson have agreed to a four-year deal that will include three guaranteed seasons, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The agreement will promote Jackson, who had been on a two-way contract, to Memphis’ standard 15-man roster.

The 45th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Jackson is the youngest player in the NBA this season and wasn’t part of the Grizzlies’ rotation to open the 2023/24 campaign. However, with the team plagued by injuries and no longer in serious contention for a playoff spot, Jackson has been given an opportunity in recent weeks and has run with it.

The former South Carolina standout had averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 23.4 minutes per game with a shooting line of .445/.385/.692 in his previous 13 games entering play on Thursday. He had the best game of his young career against the Bulls on Thursday night, racking up 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench.

After making a pair of trades at the deadline with Boston and Phoenix, the Grizzlies have a full 15-man roster, but they reportedly intend to waive newly acquired big man Chimezie Metu, which would open a spot for Jackson to slide into. Once his promotion is official, Memphis will have an open two-way contract slot.

The Grizzlies figure to use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Jackson to his new deal.

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2024 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

February 8th, 2024 at 11:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the marquee in-season trades that took place during the 2023/24 season happened well before the trade deadline, including James Harden to the Clippers in November, OG Anunoby to the Knicks in December, and Pascal Siakam to the Pacers in January.

Still, there was no shortage of trade activity during the 30 hours leading up to the deadline, with 22 teams getting together to complete 19 trades on Wednesday and Thursday. A total of 46 NBA players were on the move in those deals, along with four more draft-and-stash players and plenty of draft picks and cash.

Here’s a recap all of 2024’s deadline deals:

Trades made on deadline day

The Knicks pick up a pair of solid rotation players (story)

The Sixers trade for one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters (story)

  • Sixers acquire Buddy Hield.
  • Pacers acquire Doug McDermott, Furkan Korkmaz, the Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick, the Trail Blazers’ 2029 second-round pick, and cash (from Sixers).
  • Spurs acquire Marcus Morris, the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick, and cash (from Sixers).
  • Note: The 2024 second-rounder technically has “most favorable” language, but there’s essentially no chance it won’t be Toronto’s pick.

Danny Ainge continues to stockpile draft assets (story)

  • Raptors acquire Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.
  • Jazz acquire Otto Porter, Kira Lewis, and either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

The Mavericks undo an offseason acquisition and swap power forwards (story)

  • Mavericks acquire P.J. Washington, the Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.
  • Hornets acquire Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and the Mavericks’ 2027 first-round pick (top-two protected).

The Mavericks line up a draft asset to use in a separate deal… (story)

  • Mavericks acquire either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is second-least favorable).
  • Thunder acquire the right to swap first-round picks with the Mavericks in 2028.

… The Mavs make use of that draft asset to upgrade at center (story)

  • Mavericks acquire Daniel Gafford.
  • Wizards acquire Richaun Holmes and either the Thunder’s, Clippers’, Rockets’ (top-four protected), or Jazz’s (top-10 protected) 2024 first-round pick (whichever is second-least favorable).

The upstart Thunder add a veteran for their playoff run (story)

The Suns acquire some extra help on the wing (story)

  • Suns acquire Royce O’Neale and David Roddy.
  • Nets acquire Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin, either the Pistons’, Bucks,’ or Magic’s 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; from Suns), the Grizzlies’ 2028 second-round pick (from Suns), the Grizzlies’ 2029 second-round pick (from Suns), and the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic (from Grizzlies).
  • Grizzlies acquire Yuta Watanabe, Chimezie Metu, and the right to swap their own 2026 first-round pick for either the Suns’, Magic’s, or Wizards’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable).

The Timberwolves aim to solidify their backup point guard spot (story)

The Nets swap point guards, while the Raptors clear more 2024 cap room (story)

The Bucks look to improve their perimeter defense with the help of a conference rival (story)

The Celtics add some frontcourt depth (story)

  • Celtics acquire Xavier Tillman.
  • Grizzlies acquire Lamar Stevens, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick, and the Mavericks’ 2030 second-round pick.

The Celtics add some backcourt depth (story)

  • Celtics acquire Jaden Springer.
  • Sixers acquire either the Bulls’ or the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable).

The Pistons land an RFA-to-be wing who’s in their future plans (story)

The Sixers dip below the luxury tax line (story)

  • Pistons acquire Danuel House, the Knicks’ 2024 second-round pick, and cash.
  • Sixers acquire the Pistons’ 2028 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

The Warriors and Pacers make a deal that financially benefits both sides (story)

  • Pacers acquire Cory Joseph, the Hornets’ 2025 second-round pick (top-55 protected) and cash ($5.8MM)
  • Warriors acquire the least favorable of the Pacers’ 2024 second-round picks.
  • Note: In all likelihood, the 2024 pick will be the least favorable of the Bucks’ and Cavaliers’ second-rounders.

The Bucks dump some salary (story)

The Celtics reduce their tax bill (story)

  • Trail Blazers acquire Dalano Banton and cash.
  • Celtics acquire either the Trail Blazers’ or Pelicans’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable; top-55 protected).

The Clippers take advantage of their last opportunity to trade cash for a while (story)

  • Clippers acquire the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate.
  • Nuggets acquire cash ($2.68MM).

Notable trade candidates who stayed put

Players waived on deadline day

Officially released:

Expected to be bought out or waived:

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Thunder Acquire Gordon Hayward From Hornets

February 8th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:57pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Hornets. Charlotte received Bertans, Mann, Micic, and second-round picks in 2024 and 2025 in exchange for Hayward.

The Thunder announced in their own press release confirming the deal that the 2024 second-rounder is Houston’s and the 2025 second-rounder is Philadelphia’s. Oklahoma City also said it sent cash to Charlotte in the swap.

The Hornets waived guards Ish Smith and Frank Ntilikina to make room on their roster for the incoming players.

1:04pm: The Hornets will receive a pair of second-round picks from the Thunder in the deal, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

11:17am: Oklahoma City will include Vasilije Micic in the deal for salary-matching purposes, Charania tweets. The 30-year-old point guard makes $7.7MM this season and next year, with an $8.1 team option for 2025/26. Charlotte will also receive draft compensation, Charania adds.

The trade will leave the Thunder $6.9MM below the tax threshold with two open roster spots, Gozlan notes (Twitter link).

9:54am: The Thunder are nearing a deal for Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Tre Mann and Davis Bertans will be sent to Charlotte in return, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hayward’s contract includes a 15% trade bonus that will adjust his salary from $31.5MM to about $33.3MM tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. That would move Oklahoma City into luxury tax territory unless Hayward opts to waive part of the bonus, but there’s been no indication yet that he will agree to that. Gozlan notes that Hayward is eligible for an extension of up to two seasons through the end of June.

The Thunder will have to take back more money for the deal to be finalized, points out Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Bertans is making $17MM this season and Mann is at $3.2MM, which isn’t enough to match Hayward’s salary.

The 33-year-old Hayward brings a veteran presence to a young OKC team that has exceeded expectations this year. Injuries have limited him to 25 games, but he has been productive when he’s been able to play, averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.

Bertans, a 31-year-old power forward, is headed for his fourth team in the last three years. The veteran sharpshooter has been out of the Thunder’s rotation all season, with minimal playing time in 15 games. He holds a $5.25MM guarantee on his $16MM salary for 2024/25.

Mann, a third-year point guard, has seen limited action in 13 games this season. He was selected with the 18th pick in the 2021 draft and is under contract for one more season at $4.9MM.

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Timberwolves, Pistons Complete Monte Morris Trade

February 8th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 8: The Pistons have officially traded Morris to Minnesota in exchange for Milton, Brown, and the Timberwolves’ 2030 second-round pick, according to announcements from both teams.

Danilo Gallinari was waived by Detroit to complete the transaction.

FEBRUARY 7: The Timberwolves and Pistons are finalizing a trade that will send point guard Monte Morris to Minnesota, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania (Twitter link), Detroit will receive Shake Milton, Troy Brown, and a second-round pick in the swap. The pick will be Minnesota’s own 2030 second-rounder, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Morris was traded from Washington to Detroit during the 2023 offseason in exchange for a future second-round selection, but battled back and quad injuries that delayed his Pistons debut until late January. He has appeared in just six games so far this season and has made a limited impact, averaging 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .364/.182/.500.

However, Morris has a solid track record, having averaged 10.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.5 RPG on .480/.392/.829 shooting in 339 games across five seasons for the Nuggets and Wizards from 2018-23. He was a key contributor for many years in Denver under current Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

The Wolves had been in the market for a ball-handler who could back up starter Mike Conley. Jordan McLaughlin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Kyle Anderson have all gotten some reps in that role, but Morris is a more reliable option as a backup point guard, assuming he stays healthy and rounds into his usual form.

Morris is on an expiring $9.8MM contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (via Twitter), the 28-year-old will remain eligible until June 30 to sign an extension of up to two years, but Minnesota already projects to be well into tax territory next season, so it’s possible he’ll end up being a rental.

The Wolves will remain about $1.6MM below the luxury tax line after the trade and will have a pair of open spots on their 15-man roster, Gozlan adds (via Twitter). They’ll also be able to create a $4MM trade exception in the deal.

By acquiring a second-round pick for Morris, the Pistons will recoup the price they initially paid for him and won’t impact their projected summer cap room. Milton is earning $5MM this season while Brown is making $4MM, and both players have identical non-guaranteed cap hits for next season.

Assuming the Pistons hang onto both Milton and Brown for the rest of the season, they’ll have to decide by the end of June whether they want to guarantee either player’s 2024/25 salary.

Detroit will have to trade or waive a player to complete the deal, since the club currently has a full 15-man roster.

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Bucks Acquire Beverley From Sixers For Payne, Second-Rounder

February 8th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Rory Maher

8:38pm: The Bucks and Sixers have each put out a press release officially confirming the deal.

12:43pm: The Bucks are acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Sixers, he announced (via Twitter). Philadelphia will receive Cameron Payne and Milwaukee’s 2027 second-round pick, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic (All Twitter links).

Both players are on expiring minimum-salary contracts, so neither the Bucks nor the 76ers will have financial commitments to the veteran guards beyond this season.

The Bucks have reportedly been scouring the trade market in search of help on the defensive end. The team is currently 33-18, but Milwaukee ranks just 18th in the league in defense.

Beverley, 35, is a three-time All-Defensive team member, and while he’s no longer in his prime, he still ranks as a positive contributor on that end. It’s worth noting that Beverley previously played under new Bucks head coach Doc Rivers while they were employed by the Clippers.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets, sending out a defensive-minded veteran like Beverley might mean Philadelphia is confident about signing Kyle Lowry via buyout. Lowry is currently on the Hornets after being traded by the Heat.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported (via Twitter) on Thursday afternoon that Milwaukee was looking at Jazz guard Kris Dunn and Pelicans wing Naji Marshall to improve its defense. Perhaps the asking price for Dunn was too steep, and the Bucks decided to pivot to Beverley.

Payne, 29, is a former lottery pick who didn’t find much success over his first four seasons, but he resurrected his NBA career after a solid multiyear stint with Phoenix. Payne was traded to San Antonio in the offseason, waived, and then signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee. He has averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 assists while shooting 39.7% from three-point range in 47 games this season (14.9 minutes).

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