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Clippers To Sign Trentyn Flowers

June 28th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers plan to sign free agent forward Trentyn Flowers, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It’s unclear what type of contract the 19-year-old will receive, but Flowers was considered a potential late second-round pick (No. 56) on ESPN’s big board before going undrafted in 2024. He was the fourth-best prospect available on the open market, per ESPN.

Considering he was called by president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, owner Steve Ballmer and head coach Tyronn Lue (Twitter video link), it seems highly likely that Flowers received more than a summer league deal, but again, the terms have yet to be reported.

An American prospect who spent the 2023/24 season in the NBL’s Next Stars program, Flowers averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds on .458/.421/.613 shooting in 18 games (12.7 minutes) with the Adelaide 36ers. Flowers is considered a top-tier athlete with scoring upside, but the rest of his game isn’t very well rounded at this stage of his development.

Bulls Sign Marcus Domask To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 28th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 9: The Bulls have officially signed Domask, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

JUNE 28: Undrafted rookie free agent Marcus Domask is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls, according to a tweet from the Illinois men’s basketball team.

A Wisconsin native, Domask played a “super-senior” year with the Illini in 2023/24 after spending his first four college seasons at Southern Illinois. In 2023/24, the 6’6″ wing started all 38 games he played, averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 34.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .453/.297/.872.

That three-point mark was well below Domask’s average at Southern Illinois, where he knocked down 35.9% of his tries from beyond the arc.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception

June 28th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Relying on the trade machine at ESPN or Spotrac is probably the simplest way for NBA fans to verify whether or not a trade will work under league rules, but it’s a worthwhile exercise to examine and understand the primary tool in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that determines a trade’s viability — the traded player exception.

Teams with the cap room necessary to make a trade work don’t need to abide by traded player exception rules. However, if a team makes a deal that will leave its total salary more than $250K above the salary cap, the club can use a traded player exception to ensure the trade is legal under CBA guidelines.

There are two different types of traded player exceptions used in NBA deals. One applies to simultaneous trades, while the other applies to non-simultaneous deals.

In a simultaneous trade, a team can send out one or more players and can acquire more salary than it gives up. In a non-simultaneous trade, only a single player can be dealt, and the team has a year to take back the equivalent of that player’s salary (plus $250K for non-tax apron teams).

Let’s look into each scenario in greater detail….

Simultaneous:

In a simultaneous trade, different rules apply to teams whose salaries are below the first tax apron and those whose salaries are above the apron. A non-apron team can trade one or more players and take back….

200% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K), for any amount up to $7,500,000.
The outgoing salary plus $7.5MM, for any amount between $7,500,001 and $29,000,000.
125% of the outgoing salary (plus $250K), for any amount above $29,000,000.

Here’s a recent example of these rules in effect:

In January, the Pacers traded Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis, and Jordan Nwora to the Raptors in exchange for Pascal Siakam.

Brown was earning $22,000,000 in 2023/24, so if Indiana had traded him on his own, the team could have taken back $29,500,000 (his salary, plus $7.5MM). However, that wouldn’t have been enough to cover Siakam’s salary of $37,893,408.

By adding Lewis ($5,722,116) and Nwora ($3,000,000) to their trade package, the Pacers sent out a total of $30,722,116. The third rule listed above applies to that figure, meaning Indiana was able to take back 125% of the outgoing amount (plus $250K), for $38,652,645 in total — that was enough to cover Siakam’s salary, making the trade legal.

For apron teams, the traded player exception rules for a simultaneous trade are simpler, but far more restrictive. A team whose salary is over either tax apron can take back no more than 100% of the outgoing salary, no matter how much – or how little – outgoing salary is involved.

That means that if the Suns, who project to be a second-apron team in 2024/25, want to trade Nassir Little, they’ll be ineligible to take back a player earning even one dollar more than his $6,750,000 salary for next season.

A team’s position relative to the apron at the conclusion of the transaction dictates which set of rules they have to be abide by. For instance, a team whose salary sits just $2MM below the first tax apron can’t trade a $5MM player for a $10MM player, since that deal would push its salary above the apron. However, a team whose salary is $10MM below the apron could make that move.

In simultaneous transactions, the traded player exception is used to instantly complete the deal, leaving no lingering loose ends. This form of the traded player exception isn’t what we’re talking about if we say a team “has a trade exception” available to use. Those outstanding trade exceptions come as a result of non-simultaneous deals.

Non-simultaneous:

In non-simultaneous deals, a team can trade away a single player without immediately taking salary back in return. The team then has up to one year in which it can acquire one or more players whose combined salaries amount to no more than the traded player’s salary (plus $250K for non-apron teams).

For instance, when the Nets sent Joe Harris to the Pistons along with a pair of second-round picks last offseason, they didn’t take any salary back. That was a non-simultaneous trade from Brooklyn’s perspective, allowing the team to create a traded player exception worth Harris’ salary ($19,928,571).

The Nets subsequently had a year to use that exception to acquire one or more players whose salaries total up to $20,178,571 (Harris’ salary, plus $250K). They used a portion of it to acquire Thaddeus Young and his $8MM salary in a deal with the Raptors, leaving approximately $12MM left over. Trade exceptions expire after a year if they haven’t been used in full — the remainder of that one will expire on July 8.

A team can acquire one or more players as part of a non-simultaneous trade. For example, when the Knicks completed their OG Anunoby trade with the Raptors in December, they sent out RJ Barrett and his $23,883,929 salary, creating a non-simultaneous trade exception worth that amount and immediately taking Anunoby’s $18,642,857 salary into it. That reduced the value of the trade exception to $5,241,072.

A team can create a non-simultaneous trade exception regardless of whether its salary is under or over the tax aprons. If the Suns were to trade the aforementioned Little this offseason for a player earning $3.75MM, they would create a non-simultaneous trade exception worth $3MM and would have one year to use it.

Putting the two together:

When evaluating an NBA trade, it’s worth remembering that two teams can view the deal entirely differently and that they’re allowed to divide a single trade into multiple parts to maximize their flexibility. For example, one team could consider a trade simultaneous, while the other team breaks the transaction down into two separate trades, one simultaneous and one non-simultaneous.

Let’s take a look at a recent real-life example, examining the Anunoby trade mentioned above between the Knicks and Raptors.

From the Knicks’ perspective, the trade broke down as follows:

Traded Immanuel Quickley ($4,171,548) for Precious Achiuwa ($4,379,527) and Malachi Flynn ($3,873,025).
- This trade is a simultaneous one for the Knicks, who were operating below both aprons, allowing them to take back up to 200% of Quickley’s salary, plus $250K. That figure works out to $8,593,096; Achiuwa and Flynn were earning a combined $8,252,552, making them a fit.
Traded RJ Barrett ($23,883,929) for OG Anunoby ($18,642,857).
- This is a non-simultaneous trade, with the Knicks essentially creating a $23.88MM trade exception for Barrett’s outgoing salary and immediately taking Anunoby into it. As noted above, New York has until December 30, 2024 to use the remaining $5,241,072 on the exception.

Here’s how it looked from the Raptors’ perspective:

Traded OG Anunoby ($18,642,857) for RJ Barrett ($23,883,929).
- In a simultaneous trade of Anunoby, the Raptors (also a non-apron team) were permitted to take back $26,142,857, which is the full amount of his salary, plus $7.5MM. That’s enough to cover Barrett’s $23.88MM salary, but not enough to take on Quickley too, since he was earning more than the $2,258,928 gap between Barrett’s salary and the amount Toronto could take back for Anunoby.
Traded Malachi Flynn ($3,873,025) for Immanuel Quickley ($4,171,548).
- Because they couldn’t use Anunoby to acquire both Barrett and Quickley, the Raptors had to use Flynn’s outgoing salary in a simultaneous trade to take on Quickley. Toronto could have taken back up to $7,996,050 in salary for Flynn (200% of his salary, plus $250K), so Quickley is an easy fit.
Traded Precious Achiuwa ($4,379,527) for “nothing.”
- Because Achiuwa’s salary wasn’t required for matching purposes, the Raptors moved him to the Knicks in a non-simultaneous trade, from their perspective, generating a trade exception worth his salary that they have until December 30, 2024 to use. They later used a $3MM chunk of that exception in a trade with the Pacers to take on Jordan Nwora. It’s worth noting that either Flynn or Achiuwa could have matched Quickley’s incoming salary, but teams will always use the smaller salary for matching purposes in that scenario, creating the trade exception with the bigger salary.

When a team can’t use a traded player exception:

Under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams above the first or second tax apron face additional restrictions related to traded player exceptions, besides not being able to take back more salary than they send out.

A team is not permitted to use a (non-simultaneous) traded player exception created during the previous offseason or regular season if its team salary will be above the first tax apron upon the conclusion of the deal. Using a TPE created during the prior year will hard-cap the team at the first tax apron for the subsequent season.

For instance, the Rockets used a trade exception they created in last October’s Kevin Porter trade to acquire AJ Griffin from the Hawks on Thursday. That means Houston’s team salary will be hard-capped at the first apron for the 2024/25 league year. If the Rockets had been operating above the first apron, that deal wouldn’t have been permitted as constructed.

Apron teams are still allowed to use newly created trade exceptions. Circling back once more to the Suns/Little example outlined above, if Phoenix traded Little today for a player earning $3.75MM, the team would be able to use the $3MM TPE generated in that deal for the rest of the offseason or ’24/25 regular season.

But the Suns can’t currently use any of the three trade exceptions they generated in July and September of 2023. If Phoenix were to move below the first tax apron during the 2024/25 league year, those exceptions would become “unfrozen” (assuming they haven’t expired) and could be used.

Here are a couple additional restrictions that apron teams face related to trade exceptions:

A team is not permitted to aggregate two or more player salaries for matching purposes if that team will be above the second tax apron upon the conclusion of the deal. We have many more details on salary aggregation in a separate glossary entry.
A team is not permitted to take back salary using a signed-and-traded player as the outgoing matching piece if that team will be above the second tax apron upon the conclusion of the deal. If a team creates a (non-simultaneous) traded player exception by sending out a player via sign-and-trade, that exception can’t be used if the team will be above the second tax apron at the conclusion of the transaction.

More notes on traded player exceptions:

A team’s outgoing salary for matching purposes is the guaranteed salary rather than the total salary. For example, a player with a $2MM partial guarantee on a $10MM salary would only count for $2MM for salary-matching purposes for the team trading him (the team acquiring him would still have to account for him as $10MM in incoming salary). Between the end of a team’s season and June 30, the outgoing salary for a traded player is the lesser of his full current-season salary and his guaranteed salary for the next season. We have more details on this rule in a separate glossary entry.
Trade exceptions created in non-simultaneous trades can’t be combined with one another, with other exceptions, or with a player’s salary; they can’t be used to sign a free agent (except in a sign-and-trade); and they can’t be traded outright to another team. However, they can be used to claim a player off waivers.
The salary in a sign-and-trade can sometimes be subject to base year compensation rules. In that case, the player’s outgoing salary for trade purposes is either his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. For instance, when the Heat signed-and-traded Max Strus to the Cavaliers last summer, Strus’ incoming salary from Cleveland’s perspective was $14,487,684, but his outgoing salary from Miami’s perspective was just $7,243,842.
Teams that are under the cap before a trade and go over the cap as a result of the trade can’t create a trade exception as a result of that deal.
Players signed using the minimum salary exception can also be acquired using the minimum salary exception in a trade, so matching their salary using a traded player exception is not required. A tax apron team is permitted to acquire a player using the minimum salary exception without matching salaries.
For salary-matching purposes, future draft picks or the draft rights to an unsigned player aren’t taken into consideration. Neither is cash, which can be sent out in a trade by teams below the second apron.
Teams will be permitted to use the non-taxpayer mid-level, room, and bi-annual exceptions as de facto trade exceptions beginning in 2024/25. For instance, a club could trade for a player earning $10MM using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

The traded player exception is one of the CBA’s more complicated tools and can make it challenging for over-the-cap teams to navigate the trade market. It’s undoubtedly simpler to use an online trade machine to determine whether a deal is legal, but examining the rules and figuring out exactly how a blockbuster trade breaks down can provide rewarding insight into an NBA club’s management of its cap.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years.

Free Agent Rumors: KCP, George, Thompson, Bridges, More

June 28th, 2024 at 6:58am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is declining his 2024/25 player option and becoming an unrestricted free agent, appears more likely than not to switch teams this offseason, Marc Stein writes at Substack, citing league sources.

Stein, who has previously mentioned the Sixers and Magic as potential suitors for Caldwell-Pope, once again names them as teams who are well-positioned to make runs at the 31-year-old if they so choose, noting that Denver has luxury tax and apron concerns to consider. The veteran wing is considered to be a “strong possibility” for Orlando, per Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

According to Stein, the Mavericks are another potential suitor to watch for Caldwell-Pope, with league sources saying there’s mutual interest between the two sides. However, Dallas is operating over the cap and would need to make a sign-and-trade deal to make a competitive contract offer to Caldwell-Pope. There’s a sense that the Nuggets won’t have interest in accommodating a sign-and-trade with a conference rival, Stein writes, even if it means losing their starting shooting guard for nothing.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within a look at Paul George‘s potential free agency, Amick and Slater of The Athletic confirm that the Warriors‘ interest in the Clippers star is “legitimate” if he decides to go the opt-in-and-trade route instead of declining his 2024/25 player option. The Nuggets also recently had interest in George in that scenario, but don’t appear prepared to pursue a deal that would see them give up Michael Porter Jr. and “significant” draft capital, per The Athletic’s duo. For what it’s worth, Denver only has one tradable future first-round pick.
Despite a report from their colleague Shams Charania indicating that the Sixers‘ interest in pursuing George has “waned,” Amick and Slater cite a source who advises not to rule out Philadelphia entirely. The 76ers could offer George a maximum-salary deal using their cap room if he reaches the open market.
The Sixers also have interest in Klay Thompson, who continues to have little contact with the Warriors as he nears free agency, according to Amick and Slater, who add that the Nuggets also have Thompson on their list of potential replacements if they lose Caldwell-Pope. It’s hard to see how Denver, whose team salary is right at the luxury tax line, could make Thompson a strong offer unless more cost-cutting moves are made.
Discussing unrestricted free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson confirmed reporting that has suggested the team wants to re-sign Bridges. “I’ve made it very clear to Miles that we want him to remain as a Hornet,” Peterson said (story via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
Isaiah Hartenstein and Nic Claxton top John Hollinger’s list of free agent centers at The Athletic by a wide margin over the rest of the class, with Hollinger’s BORD$ formula favoring Hartenstein. Claxton already has a four-year deal lined up to remain in Brooklyn, making Hartenstein the clear top option on the open market.

Nuggets To Sign Auburn’s Jaylin Williams, Maryland’s Jahmir Young

June 27th, 2024 at 11:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal with Auburn forward Jaylin Williams, who went undrafted on Thursday, reports Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

Not to be confused with the Jaylin Williams (or Jalen Williams) in Oklahoma City, this Jaylin Williams is a 6’8″ forward who has spent the past five years with the Tigers. He enjoyed his best college season in 2023/24, setting new career highs in PPG (12.4), FG% (.574), and 3PT% (.395) across 34 games (24.1 MPG).

Denver has also agreed to sign undrafted rookie free agent Jahmir Young to an Exhibit 10 contract, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

Young has a decorated college résumé that includes a trio of All-Conference USA nods with Charlotte during his first three NCAA seasons and a pair of All-Big Ten berths during the past two seasons with Maryland. In 2023/24, the 6’2″ guard averaged 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 35.4 minutes per game across 32 starts, with a shooting line of .404/.324/.900.

The Nuggets have been busy since the second round of the draft ended on Thursday. Besides lining up Exhibit 10 deals for Williams and Young, they’ve also already reportedly reached two-way agreements with PJ Hall and Trey Alexander.

Lakers Signing East, Olivari To Exhibit 10 Contracts

June 27th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers are planning to sign a pair of undrafted free agent guards to Exhibit 10 contracts.

Per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links), Missouri combo guard Sean East II and Xavier’s Quincy Olivari are expected to join Los Angeles’ offseason roster.

The 6’3″ East played for four college programs across his five NCAA seasons, but spent the past two with Missouri. In 2023/24, as a full-time starter, he averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, with an impressive shooting line of .521/.450/.856.

Olivari, a two-time All-CUSA honoree during his four seasons at Rice, transferred to Xavier for his final season of NCAA eligibility in 2023/24. With the Musketeers, the 6’2″ guard posted averages of 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals a night. He logged shooting splits of .425/.409/.814.

Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed agreements that can be converted to two-way deals ahead of the regular season. If an Exhibit 10 signee is cut by his team and spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate, he’s eligible to earn a bonus. Last year, that bonus could be worth up to $75K; it will increase at the same level as the league’s salary cap for 2024/25.

Southwest Notes: Missi, Sheppard, Edey, Ajinca

June 27th, 2024 at 10:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With incumbent starter Jonas Valanciunas on the cusp of unrestricted free agency and a possible departure, the Pelicans may have added a major insurance policy by drafting former Baylor center Yves Missi, writes William Guillory of The Athletic.

“The defensive versatility of (Missi) is something we were really excited about. He’s not just a rim protector. He has the ability to be a multiple-coverage big,” team president David Griffin said. “When you look at an athlete with his size and the way he tested for us here. The things he’s capable of physically are very rare.”

Guillory cautions that Missi is liable to run into foul trouble and may not be ready to immediately contribute, with general manager Bryson Graham referring to the big man as “developmental.” However, Graham also likened Missi to Dereck Lively II, who played a major role as a rookie for the Western Conference champions in Dallas.

“He has such a good feel for finding space. He’s able to set screens and play in the dunker (spot),” Graham said. “It’s a lot like a Dereck Lively-type. I think his feel for the game is very advanced. (Having) somebody like that next to (Zion Williamson), it’s going to unlock him.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Had former Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard been selected by the Hawks or Wizards with the first or second pick in the draft on Wednesday, the Rockets had a plan to trade down. When he fell to Houston with the third pick, Houston stayed put, enticed by the 20-year-old’s long range shooting acumen. During a conversation with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the 6’2″ guard revealed exactly what Rockets brass wants him to contribute from the jump. “The biggest thing right away is the shooting, just coming in and being able to knock down shots,” Sheppard said. “But at the same time, coming in and doing what you do daily. Playing basketball the right way. Having a high IQ. Just doing the right basketball play.”
Despite rumors that his team was trying to move up to select Donovan Clingan, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman suggested in comments to reporters on Wednesday that Memphis had been targeting All-American former Purdue center Zach Edey with the No. 9 pick all along, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Let’s just say this is exactly what we were hoping would happen,” Kleiman said. “When we talk about the DNA of this team and what we are trying to build out, Zach Edey to a T is that definition.”
The Mavericks only added one new player near the end of this year’s draft, 6’8″ small forward Melvin Ajinca. Dallas traded its own No. 58 pick and cash considerations to the Knicks in order to acquire the French swingman at No. 51. Despite the fact that 50 players were selected before Ajinca, general manager Nico Harrison is excited by the 20-year-old’s ceiling, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s really young and he has huge upside,” Harrison said. “We just like the way he plays. He has a chance to be really good.”

Yongxi Cui Intends To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Blazers

June 27th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted rookie free agent Yongxi Cui plans to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Also known as “Jacky,” Cui is a 6’8″ wing who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association this past season.

The 21-year-old also suited up for China’s World Cup team last summer before posting solid numbers in the CBA in 2023/24 — he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 56 appearances for Guangzhou, with a .520/.365/.783 shooting line.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Pacific Notes: George, Harden, Bronny, Knecht, Carter, Dunn

June 27th, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Thursday night, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said the Clippers “love” Paul George and “very much want to retain” him, but acknowledged that the team doesn’t have full control over the process, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. George holds a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25. If he doesn’t get a contract offer he likes from the Clippers, he could turn down that option to become a free agent — or pick it up and request a trade.

“We hope Paul’s decision is to be here. He’s been awesome,” Frank said. “He’s been an All-Star. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a terrific person. He’s got great family, so we hope he’s here but also respect the fact that if he chooses to opt out, that’s his choice. He’s earned it and we’ll see how things play out.”

In addition to George, the Clippers have another key player facing unrestricted free agency, with James Harden set to reach the open market on Sunday if he doesn’t agree to a new deal before then. Frank said talks with Harden’s camp so far have been productive.

“We think James has been terrific for us,” Frank said. “We hope he’s had a great experience while he has been here and we hope he decides to continue to be here. … We very much want James to remain a Clipper and hope he decides to do the same.”

Re-signing both George and Harden would likely make the Clippers a second-apron team for a second straight season, with more punitive roster-building restrictions taking effect this offseason for clubs above the second tax apron. Frank admitted that’s a factor the organization can’t ignore as it weighs potential roster moves.

“This is a business and the reality of the new CBA impacts teams like us,” he said, according to Youngmisuk. “When your better players are in their 30s and you’re trying to build a sustainable roster, it impacts it. Like if there was no CBA, with (Clippers owner) Steve Ballmer, it would be carte blanche. With the new CBA, it’s not even about the money as it is how are you going to build a sustainable roster, maintain your tools to have transactional flexibility? And with that comes really, really hard decisions.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Discussing the Lakers‘ decision to draft Bronny James with the No. 55 pick on Thursday, head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka praised the former USC guard’s character, work ethic, and three-and-D potential, and said it would be “magical” to see him and his father LeBron James play alongside one another next season, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. While it’s safe to assume LeBron is happy with the pick, McMenamin says star big man Anthony Davis supported it too. “He’s very good defensively,” Davis said of Bronny. “He can read the floor very well. I think he’s a really good play-maker. I saw him work out a couple times besides the (Klutch Sports) pro day and working with a big — his reads, reading the defense, making the right passes — that was really impressive to me. I think he’s going to be fine, man.”
The Lakers were thrilled to land Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht at No. 17 on the first day of the draft, McMenamin writes in a separate story for ESPN. “If we would have had the 10th pick in the draft, we would have taken him. So, to get that value at 17 is really extraordinary,” Pelinka said, adding that new head coach J.J. Redick immediately started drawing up plays for the sharpshooter in the Lakers’ draft room. Viewed as a potential top-10 pick, Knecht slipped due to concerns about his age (23) and defense, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
No. 13 overall pick Devin Carter is dealing with a shoulder injury and his status for Summer League is up in the air, Kings general manager Monte McNair told reporters on Wednesday. However, McNair suggested the injury isn’t a serious one, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think we got to get him in here and get with our doctors and just see what it is,” the Kings’ GM said. “But when we get through the draft process, our docs are confident. We’ve been in touch with his team. We’re confident it’s not a long-term issue.”
Suns general manager James Jones acknowledged that first-round pick and defensive standout Ryan Dunn has room to improve as a shooter, but expressed confidence that will be possible in Phoenix, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). “I’m confident with our staff, with (Mike Budenholzer), our coaches, that he’ll be primed to improve as a shooter,” Jones said. “If he can do that and do it quickly, I think we found a gem.”

Celtics Sign Tristan Enaruna To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 27th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

July 11: Enaruna’s Exhibit 10 deal with Boston is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

June 27: Undrafted rookie free agent Tristan Enaruna has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

A 6’8″ Dutch-born wing, Enaruna spent his first two college seasons at Kansas from 2019-21 before transferring to Iowa State for 2021/22 and then to Cleveland State for 2022-24. After playing a modest role through his junior year, he broke out with the Vikings over the past two seasons as a starter, averaging 19.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 33.2 minutes per game across 35 outings in 2023/24.

Enaruna, who has been named to the All-Horizon League first team in each of the past two years, was the No. 40 prospect on ESPN’s list of undrafted rookies. He also earned MVP honors at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this spring, notes Chepkevich.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line for a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. The maximum Exhibit 10 bonus was $75K last season and will increase at the same rate as the salary cap in 2024/25.

No free agent contracts for the 2024/25 season can be signed until July, so Enaruna’s deal with Boston is just tentative for now.

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