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Thunder To Sign Alex Ducas, Malevy Leons

June 27th, 2024 at 7:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder plan to sign free agent guard Alex Ducas, who went undrafted out of Saint Mary’s, to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Oklahoma City will also ink free agent forward Malevy Leons to an Exhibit 10 contract, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

Ranked No. 32 on ESPN’s best undrafted players list, Ducas spent all five of his college seasons with the Gaels. In 2023/24, the 6’6″ Australian sharpshooter averaged 9.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.9 APG while knocking down 43.8% of his three-point attempts in 34 games (28.1 MPG).

A 6’9″ forward who hails from the Netherlands, Leons spent his final three collegiate seasons with Bradley after attending a junior college in Missouri. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG on .488/.341/.783 shooting in 35 games (34.4 MPG) last season for the Braves.

If Leons is waived by the Thunder before the ’24/25 season begins and spends at least 60 days with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, he could earn a bonus worth up to nearly $78K.

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Knicks Trade No. 51 Pick Melvin Ajinca To Mavs

June 27th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Rory Maher

7:55pm: The trade is official, according to the Mavericks (Twitter link). In exchange for Ajinca, the Knicks received Hukporti, cash, and the draft rights to 2007 first-rounder Petteri Koponen. Dallas sent $1MM in cash to New York, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

5:43pm: The Knicks are trading the No. 51 pick in the 2024 draft to the Mavericks in exchange for the No. 58 pick and cash, sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports hears New York will also acquire the rights to a player who was previously drafted, though that player has yet to be reported (Twitter link).

Dallas will acquire the rights to French wing Melvin Ajinca, who was selected 51st overall, while New York will control the rights to German big man Ariel Hukporti, the final pick of the draft.

A 20-year-old guard/forward, Ajinca averaged 9.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .373/.309/.797 shooting in 28 games (24.6 MPG) this past season for Saint-Quintin, which competes in France’s top basketball division (LNB Elite).

Hukporti, 22, spent the 2023/24 season in Australia with Melbourne United, averaging 8.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 28 games (18.4 MPG).

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Thunder Officially Confirm Three Trades

June 27th, 2024 at 7:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have issued a press release confirming that three separate minor trades reported earlier in the day have been officially completed. The following trades were finalized, per the team:

  • The Thunder sent Lindy Waters to the Warriors in exchange for the draft rights to No. 52 pick Quinten Post (story).
  • The Thunder then sent Post’s rights and cash to the Trail Blazers in exchange for the draft rights to No. 40 pick Oso Ighodaro (story).
  • Finally, the Thunder sent the rights to Ighodaro and cash to the Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to No. 38 pick Ajay Mitchell (story). The Knicks received $500K in cash, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While the deals were completed as three separate transactions, the upshot is that the Thunder sent out Waters (to the Warriors) and cash (to both the Blazers and Knicks) in exchange for Mitchell, the No. 38 pick in today’s second round.

Post eventually landed with Golden State, while Ighodaro was sent to Phoenix.

[RELATED: 2024 NBA Offseason Trades]

A native of Belgium, Mitchell had an impressive junior season for UC Santa Barbara in 2023/24, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals on .504/.393/.858 shooting in 29 games (31.5 minutes per contest).

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Heat To Sign Keshad Johnson, Zyon Pullin, Bryson Warren

June 27th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Fresh off the end of the 2024 draft, the Heat have agreed to sign a trio of undrafted free agents to new contracts.

Miami has reached agreements with Arizona forward Keshad Johnson and Florida guard Zyon Pullin on two-way contracts, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links).

A 6’7″ swingman, Johnson played for San Diego State across his first four seasons of NCAA eligibility before using his bonus senior season to transfer to the Wildcats. In 2023/24, he posted averages of 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, with a shooting line of .530/.387/.710.

Pullin, an All-SEC honoree this past season, similarly enjoyed a five-year collegiate career. He played for UC Riverside from 2019-23, then transferred to Florida this past season. With the Gators, the 6’4″ guard averaged 15.5 points on .444/.449/.847 shooting, along with 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per contest. He started in 27 of 33 games in 2023/24.

Meanwhile, sources have informed Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter) that Miami has also agreed to sign Bryson Warren – who played on the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, before declaring for the draft – to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Warren, a 6’3″ combo guard, averaged 7.8 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 17 regular season games with Sioux Falls, posting a shooting line of .381/.306/.778.

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals or can set up a player to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then joins his team’s NBAGL affiliate.

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Magic Trade No. 47 Pick Antonio Reeves To Pelicans

June 27th, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Rory Maher

7:13pm: The trade is official, the Magic confirmed (via Twitter).

4:40pm: The Magic are trading the No. 47 pick in the 2024 draft to the Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that New Orleans will acquire the rights to Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves (Twitter links).

A source tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Pels will send Orlando second-round pick swaps in 2030 and 2031 in exchange for No. 47 (Twitter link). Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel confirms the deal (via Twitter), adding that the second-round swaps from New Orleans are unprotected.

A Chicago native who spent his first three college seasons at Illinois State, Reeves transferred to Kentucky in 2022 and spent his final two seasons with the Wildcats. The Pelicans have reportedly been looking for shooters this offseason, and Reeves fits the bill. The 6’4″ guard had a very efficient offensive season in 2023/24, averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds on .512/.447/.863 shooting in 33 games (31.4 MPG).

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Raptors To Sign Branden Carlson, Quincy Guerrier

June 27th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors plan to sign undrafted free agent Branden Carlson to a two-way contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Carlson, who is ranked No. 33 on ESPN’s best available list, is a Utah native who spent all five of his college seasons with the Utes. The 7’1″ center averaged 17.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 1.5 BPG on .501/.379/.714 shooting in 36 games as a “super senior” in 2023/24 (29.6 MPG).

In his draft profile, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony says Carlson holds some intrigue as a big man with a nice blend of offensive skills, but he’s also 25 years old and very thin, which could make him a liability on the defensive end in the NBA.

Toronto also intends to sign undrafted free agent Quincy Guerrier to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A 6’7″ forward, Guerrier made stops at Oregon and Syracuse before finishing out his fifth and final college season with Illinois. As a super senior last season, he averaged 9.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .476/.374/.569 shooting in 38 games (24.1 MPG).

If Guerrier is waived by the Raptors before the ’24/25 campaign and spends at least 60 days with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, he could earn a bonus worth up to nearly $78K.

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Hawks Trade AJ Griffin To Rockets In Three-Team Deal

June 27th, 2024 at 6:42pm CST by Luke Adams

6:42pm: The trade is now officially complete, according to press releases from the Hawks and Rockets. Because Atlanta ended up trading the No. 44 pick (Pelle Larsson) and cash to Miami in exchange for No. 43 pick Nikola Djurisic, that trade agreement between the Heat and Hawks has been folded into this one, making it a three-team deal.

1:14pm: The Hawks and Rockets have agreed to a trade that will send forward AJ Griffin to Houston in exchange for the No. 44 pick in Thursday’s draft, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Griffin, the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft, had a promising rookie season in which he averaged 8.9 points per game with a .465/.390/.894 shooting line in 72 contests (19.5 MPG).

However, he missed time due to leg and ankle issues and personal reasons in 2023/24 and didn’t play much when he was available, averaging just 8.6 minutes per contest in 20 appearances. His scoring numbers cratered to 2.4 PPG on 29.0% shooting (.256 3PT%).

Despite his forgettable sophomore season, Griffin had been a player of interest in Houston for a while, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Rockets, who will be operating over the cap but have plenty of breathing room below the luxury tax line, will be able to acquire the 20-year-old without sending out a player because they have a $4.5MM trade exception from last year’s Kevin Porter trade that Griffin will fit into, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Using a trade exception created last year will hard-cap Houston at the first tax apron for 2024/25.

Griffin will earn a guaranteed $3.89MM salary for next season and the Rockets will have until the end of October to decide whether or not they want to exercise his $5.97MM team option for the ’25/26 season.

The Hawks have been exploring possible deals involving Griffin since February’s trade deadline, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The move will help them out a bit financially — as Marks tweets, Atlanta’s projected team salary is now right at the luxury tax line, though it would increase to first tax apron territory in the event that Saddiq Bey gets a qualifying offer.

The Hawks, whose own second-round pick at No. 40 is controlled by Portland, will now have the opportunity to select a player in a similar range at No. 44 tonight.

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PJ Hall Signs Two-Way Deal With Nuggets

June 27th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

July 10: Hall’s two-way contract with Denver is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

June 27: The Nuggets are signing center PJ Hall to a two-way contract, sources tell Harrison Wind of DNR Sports (Twitter link).

Hall had been considered a first round-level talent by the Nuggets, per Wind, but he ended up going undrafted.

During a four-season collegiate stint, Hall showed massive improvements from his freshman to senior seasons. In 2023/24, he averaged 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals per night across 36 games, with a .488/.315/.779 shooting line. The scoring, rebounding, and blocks represented his NCAA career highs.

The 6’10” big man was twice named an All-ACC honoree while with the Tigers.

Denver finished with a 57-25 record and the No. 3 seed in 2023/24, but failed to defend its 2023 championship when it fell to the jumbo-sized, defense-first Timberwolves in a seven-game semifinal series. Taking a flier on size with an undrafted free agent is an intriguing tactical move.

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Knicks Acquire No. 34 Pick Tyler Kolek From Blazers

June 27th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:53pm: The Blazers have issued a press release confirming the trade is official.

3:40pm: The Trail Blazers are trading the No. 34 pick in the draft for three future second-rounders, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Knicks used the pick to select Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets.

The Trail Blazers will receive two second-rounders the Knicks acquired in previous trades — a 2027 from Minnesota, and a 2029 that will be the least favorable of Indiana’s or Washington’s pick. New York also included its own 2030 second-round pick, according to Fischer (Twitter link).

Kolek is one of most established floor leaders coming out of the college ranks and provides depth behind star point man Jalen Brunson. Kolek led the nation in assists per game this past season at 7.7. He’s led the Big East in assists per game for three straight seasons.

In his senior season, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He’s valued as a passer with excellent footwork and finishing ability. He also improved his 3-point shooting in his last two college seasons,  averaging 39.8% and 38.8%.

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, there was a “ton of noise” that the Knicks would use one of their late first-rounders on Kolek (Twitter link). As it turned out, he was still available early in the second round.

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2024 NBA Draft Results

June 27th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 NBA draft is in the books, and we tracked all of this year’s picks in the space below, taking into account each trade agreed upon over the course of the draft.

Here are 2024’s NBA draft results:

First Round:

  1. Atlanta Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (story)
  2. Washington Wizards: Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Perth (story)
  3. Houston Rockets (from Nets): Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (story)
  4. San Antonio Spurs: Stephon Castle, G, UConn
  5. Detroit Pistons: Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
  6. Charlotte Hornets: Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet
  7. Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
  8. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Raptors via Spurs): Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
  9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
  10. Utah Jazz: Cody Williams, G/F, Colorado
  11. Chicago Bulls: Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Rockets): Nikola Topic, G, Crvena Zvezda
  13. Sacramento Kings: Devin Carter, G, Providence
  14. Washington Wizards (from Warriors via Trail Blazers): Carlton Carrington, G, Pittsburgh
  15. Miami Heat: Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
  16. Philadelphia 76ers: Jared McCain, G, Duke
  17. Los Angeles Lakers: Dalton Knecht, F, Tennessee
  18. Orlando Magic: Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado
  19. Toronto Raptors (from Pacers): Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
  20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson, G, California
  21. New Orleans Pelicans (from Bucks): Yves Missi, C, Baylor
  22. Denver Nuggets (from Suns): DaRon Holmes, F/C, Dayton
  23. Milwaukee Bucks (from Pelicans): AJ Johnson, G, Illawarra
  24. Washington Wizards (from Mavericks via Knicks): Kyshawn George, G, Miami
  25. New York Knicks: Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Ratiopharm Ulm
  26. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers via Wizards and Knicks): Dillon Jones, G/F, Weber State
  27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois
  28. Phoenix Suns (from Nuggets): Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia
  29. Utah Jazz (from Thunder): Isaiah Collier, G, USC
  30. Boston Celtics: Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton

Second Round:

  1. Toronto Raptors (from Pistons): Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco
  2. Utah Jazz (from Wizards): Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke
  3. Milwaukee Bucks (from Trail Blazers): Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite
  4. New York Knicks (from Hornets via Trail Blazers): Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette
  5. Indiana Pacers (from Spurs): Johnny Furphy, G, Kansas
  6. San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors via Pacers): Juan Nunez, G, Ratiopharm Ulm
  7. Detroit Pistons (from Grizzlies via Timberwolves): Bobi Klintman, F, Cairns
  8. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Jazz via Knicks): Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara
  9. Memphis Grizzlies (from Nets): Jaylen Wells, G, Washington State
  10. Phoenix Suns (from Hawks via Trail Blazers, Thunder, and Knicks): Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette
  11. Philadelphia 76ers (from Bulls): Adem Bona, C, UCLA
  12. Charlotte Hornets (from Rockets): KJ Simpson, G, Colorado
  13. Atlanta Hawks (from Heat): Nikola Djurisic, G, Mega Basket
  14. Miami Heat (from Warriors via Rockets): Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona
  15. Toronto Raptors (from Kings): Jamal Shead, G, Houston
  16. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pacers): Cam Christie, G, Minnesota
  17. New Orleans Pelicans (from Magic): Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky
  18. San Antonio Spurs (from Lakers): Harrison Ingram, F, UNC
  19. Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers): Tristen Newton, G, UConn
  20. Indiana Pacers (from Pelicans): Enrique Freeman, F, Akron
  21. Dallas Mavericks (from Suns via Wizards and Knicks): Melvin Ajinca, G, Saint-Quentin
  22. Golden State Warriors (from Bucks via Warriors, Thunder, and Trail Blazers): Quinten Post, C, Boston College
  23. Memphis Grizzlies (from Knicks via Pistons and Timberwolves): Cam Spencer, G, UConn
  24. Boston Celtics (from Mavericks): Anton Watson, F, Gonzaga
  25. Los Angeles Lakers (from Clippers): Bronny James, G, USC (story)
  26. New York Knicks (from Timberwolves via Nuggets and Suns): Kevin McCullar, G/F, Kansas
  27. Toronto Raptors (from Thunder via Grizzlies and Timberwolves): Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa
  28. New York Knicks (from Celtics via Mavericks): Ariel Hukporti, C, Melbourne
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