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Magic Waive Mac McClung, Two Others

October 21st, 2023 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have removed three players from their roster ahead of the regular season, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has waived guards Mac McClung and Brandon Williams, as well as swingman Daeqwon Plowden.

McClung, Williams, and Plowden were all on Exhibit 10 contracts. The hope is that all three players will join the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, according to Beede. Osceola has made trades this offseason to acquire the returning rights for each of them.

McClung has only appeared in four NBA games, but starred at All-Star Weekend last season, winning the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest, and had a big year in the G League. The 24-year-old appeared in 31 NBAGL regular season games for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s affiliate – and averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game. He posted an impressive .550/.474/.823 shooting line during the G League regular season and helped lead the Blue Coats to a title.

Williams has 24 games of NBA experience under his belt, but spent last season with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL team. Plowden spent his first professional season in 2022/23 playing for New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

The Magic also formally confirmed in a press release that they’ve converted Trevelin Queen to a two-way contract, as previously reported. Their roster is now set for the regular season, with 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way pacts.

Knicks Convert Charlie Brown Jr., Jacob Toppin To Two-Way Deals

October 21st, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks have converted Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin to two-way deals, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The moves are official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and New York had a couple of open two-way spots after waiving Nathan Knight and Jaylen Martin. That means no corresponding moves were necessary in order to promote Brown and Toppin.

Brown, 26, has appeared in a total of 41 NBA regular season games for the Hawks, Thunder, Mavericks, and Sixers since 2019, but wasn’t in the league last year, having spent the season with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for a Delaware Blue Coats team that won the 2022/23 G League championship.

Following his stint in Delaware, the 6’6″ wing caught on with the Knicks for Summer League play in July. He was a standout in four games in Las Vegas, averaging 19.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG with a shooting line of .547/.375/.800.

Toppin, meanwhile, went undrafted in June out of Kentucky. The 6’9″ forward averaged a career-best 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for the Wildcats as a senior in 2022/23, earning a starting role and averaging 31.4 MPG in 33 appearances.

Interestingly, it was initially reported that Toppin would receive a two-way contract, but he actually signed an Exhibit 10 deal. Now, the 23-year-old has wound up on a two-way deal after all.

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Toppin impressed head coach Tom Thibodeau with his defense during preseason action (Twitter link). Toppin is the younger brother of former Knicks forward Obi Toppin, who was traded to the Pacers this summer.

Bucks Convert Marques Bolden To Two-Way Contract

October 21st, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

3:24pm: Bolden has officially had his deal converted to a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:51pm: The Bucks are converting center Marques Bolden‘s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bolden, 25, appeared in seven NBA games for the Cavaliers in 2020 and 2021, but has spent the majority of his professional career in the G League, including the last two seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars. Although he was a regular starter for Utah’s G League affiliate in 2021/22, averaging 11.7 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 21 regular season NBAGL games (30.1 MPG), the former Duke Blue Devil was limited to six total appearances for the Stars last season due to a shoulder injury.

Bolden made just 1-of-7 shots from the field in three preseason appearances for Milwaukee and had nearly as many turnovers (4) as points (5), but it seems the team wants to keep him around to provide additional frontcourt depth.

We speculated earlier today that his move might be coming, since Milwaukee had a two-way slot open, waived its other players on camp deals, and was carrying 16 players on standard contracts: Bolden and 15 whose salaries are fully guaranteed.

Once the conversion is official, the Bucks’ roster will be ready for the regular season, though the club could still make more moves between now and Monday’s deadline.

Jazz Guaranteeing Kris Dunn’s 2023/24 Salary

October 21st, 2023 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are guaranteeing Kris Dunn‘s $2,586,665 salary for the 2023/24 season, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The move was expected, Jones adds. Dunn’s early salary guarantee date was October 23, but now he knows a couple days early that his contract — which was previously non-guaranteed — will be fully guaranteed.

Dunn has played the best basketball of his NBA career since joining Utah late last season. He averaged 13.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .537/.472/.774 shooting in 22 games (25.8 MPG) with the Jazz in ’22/23. He also had a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, a strong mark for a point guard.

In five preseason games this fall (15.2 MPG), Dunn averaged 8.0 PPG, 2.8 APG and 1.6 SPG while shooting a remarkable 85.7% from the floor (18-of-21). Head coach Will Hardy recently praised the 29-year-old’s “tenacity” as well as the “fight and hunger” he shows on the court.

It’s been a remarkable career turn around for Dunn, who spent most of last season in the G League and only played 18 NBA games with the Hawks and Trail Blazers from 2020-22 (part of that was due to knee and ankle injuries while with Atlanta).

The former No. 5 overall pick was always a strong defender, but struggled to score efficiently, which has changed dramatically over the past year. He turned a couple of 10-day deals with Utah into a two-year contract worth $3.3MM+.

Dunn is set to his unrestricted free agency next summer, and should be coveted on the open market if he continues his strong play again in ’23/24.

Clippers Waiving Xavier Moon, Joey Hauser

October 21st, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are waiving wing Xavier Moon and forward Joey Hauser, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

The moves had been anticipated, since Moon and Hauser were on Exhibit 10 contracts and the Clippers already have 15 players on guaranteed deals and three on two-way pacts.

Moon played for the Ontario Clippers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – for most of last season, putting up 20.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .523/.389/.824 in 48 total regular season and Showcase Cup games (31.0 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.

Moon averaged 9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.3 APG on 38.1% shooting in four games (19.9 MPG) for Los Angeles during the preseason.

Hauser, whose brother Sam Hauser plays for Boston, went undrafted out of Michigan State earlier this year. He averaged 14.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 34 contests (34.1 MPG) during his final college season, posting an impressive shooting line of .484/.461/.876. He signed a two-way contract with the Jazz in July, but was waived last month.

Both Moon and Hauser appear likely to report to the Ontario Clippers in the NBAGL. Their Exhibit 10 contracts will put them in line for bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Ontario.

Thunder Exercise 2024/25 Team Options On Five Players

October 21st, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have exercised their rookie scale team options for the 2024/25 season on five players, the team announced today in a press release. Those options are as follows:

Chet Holmgren (third year, $10,880,640)
Josh Giddey (fourth year, $8,352,367)
Ousmane Dieng (third year, $5,027,040)
Tre Mann (fourth year, $4,908,373)
Jalen Williams (third year, $4,775,760)

Most of these decisions were no-brainers. Holmgren, Giddey, and Williams project as long-term building blocks for the franchise. Dieng didn’t have a major role as a rookie but is only a year removed from being selected 11th overall in the 2022 draft.

The most noteworthy option pick-up of the bunch is Mann’s. The 22-year-old guard had a promising rookie season in 2021/22, averaging 10.4 points per game with a .360 3PT%, but saw his scoring average (7.7 PPG) and 3PT% (.315) dip last season as his playing time was cut back, from 22.8 minutes per game to 17.7 MPG.

Given the Thunder’s roster crunch this offseason, Mann looked like a candidate to be one of the odd men out, but today’s decision signals that the club has no plans to waive him. That leaves Jack White, whose 2023/24 salary is only partially guaranteed for $600K, as perhaps the most likely release candidate on the roster, though the club could go in another direction. Oklahoma City previously traded Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to get down from 18 players on standard contracts to 16.

Giddey and Mann will now become eligible for rookie scale extensions next July, while the Thunder will have to decide by next October 31 whether to exercise their fourth-year options on Holmgren, Dieng, and Williams.

Sixers Sign, Waive Jared Brownridge

October 21st, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have signed and subsequently waived guard Jared Brownridge, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

We can safely assume that Brownridge, who has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats since the 2017/18 season, received an Exhibit 10 contract that will ensure he receives a bonus (worth up to $75K) as long as he spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League team again in 2023/24.

After averaging double-digit points per game for four straight NBAGL seasons, Brownridge had his role cut back last season and finished the year with 6.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .363/.374/.700 shooting in 28 games (18.8 MPG). He saw limited action (7.0 MPG) in four postseason games during the Blue Coats’ championship run.

Brownridge was previously signed-and-waived by the 76ers to get him an Exhibit 10 bonus in 2019 and 2021.

Northwest Notes: NAW, Reid, Brogdon, Agbaji, Nuggets

October 21st, 2023 at 2:17pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first foray in free agency, former first-round pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker decided to re-sign with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $9MM deal. Alexander-Walker had bounced around the league in his first four seasons, playing for New Orleans and Utah before being traded to Minnesota in February (he was technically on Portland for one day in ’21/22 as well).

The 25-year-old wing had a strong summer, helping Canada win a bronze medal at the World Cup, and he’s ready to show he’s more than just a defensive specialist, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscriber link).

“My mentality, now more than ever, has been right,” Alexander-Walker said. “… I’m doing the right things, and I know that these guys are behind me and I’m in a position that I have support and trust and opportunity.”

As Hine writes, Alexander-Walker has been a fill-in starter during preseason with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels missing time due to injuries. That’s an indication that he’ll be a rotation regular once the 2023/24 season begins, and a “less is more” approach on offense could be the key to staying on the court.

“When he first came into the league … he wanted to always play with the dribble, go somewhere and try to do things, and he got himself in trouble doing that at times,” head coach Chris Finch said. “But now he uses his shooting. He’s a high-level shooter. Has a great high release so he can always get it off on people. Now, he’s using that to set up the rest of his game, which is really smart.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Timberwolves need to find the best way to optimize big man Naz Reid after signing him to a three-year, $42MM extension before he hit free agency. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details, Minnesota plans to use Reid primarily at power forward in ’23/24, which is a change — he has mostly played center to this point in his career. However, the early returns have been promising, per Krawczynski. “Right before Naz got hurt (he broke his left wrist at the end of the ’22/23 regular season), I thought he found his groove at the 4, really found out what that looked like,” Finch said. “Now, defensively, he’s got to get better and better there, and we’re going to have to help him with some schemes and stuff like that. I think this is all about trying to get your best players on the floor, and he’s clearly in our top eight players.”
Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who was dealt to Portland from Boston in the Jrue Holiday trade, says he has no issues coming off the bench again in ’23/24, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “I think it’s honestly important for Scoot (Henderson) to get this experience, starting,” Brogdon said. “He’s going to be the franchise player going forward, so he has to be invested in and given that opportunity.” Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year last season with the Celtics.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy wants Ochai Agbaji to focus on improving defensively in ’23/24, particularly on the ball, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I would like to see him take another step forward in terms of his isolation defense,” Hardy said of the second-year wing. “Guarding the ball in a pick-and-roll and navigating those screens is a skill and it takes a certain type of athleticism.” The Jazz have until October 31 to exercise their third-year option on Agbaji’s rookie scale contract.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post lists five reasons why the Nuggets will repeat as NBA champions this season — and five reasons why they won’t.

Wizards Sign, Waive Hamidou Diallo, Gabe Kalscheur

October 21st, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

2:10pm: Diallo and Kalscheur have been waived, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

11:12am: The Wizards have signed free agent wing Hamidou Diallo and guard Gabe Kalscheur to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Diallo, 25, was the 45th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Over the last five years, he has appeared in 263 regular season games for the Thunder and Pistons, averaging 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night. Last season, he made a career-high 57.3% of shots from the field in 56 games (17.8 MPG) for Detroit, putting up 9.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG.

I gave Diallo a spot near the bottom of my list of this year’s top 50 free agents, writing that his athleticism, rebounding ability, and defensive acumen helped make up for his lack of outside shot. However, it seems NBA teams weren’t as high on the veteran wing, who remained on the market for over three-and-a-half months before finally catching on today with the Wizards.

The terms of Diallo’s deal – along with Washington’s roster crunch – indicates that the plan is for him to be waived and join the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate. That’s presumably the next step for Kalscheur too. Both players would earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Go-Go.

An undrafted rookie out of Iowa State, Kalscheur averaged 12.9 PPG on .400/.354/.726 shooting in 33 games (33.6 MPG) as a super-senior in 2022/23.

Hornets Cut R.J. Hunter, Nathan Mensah, Terrell Brown Jr.

October 21st, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are placing three players on waivers, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who reports (via Twitter) that wing R.J. Hunter, center Nathan Mensah, and guard Terrell Brown Jr. have been cut.

Hunter, Mensah, and Brown were all on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts and now look like good bets to join the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, after they clear waivers.

The Swarm recently acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Memphis Hustle and Mensah can be made an affiliate player, since he’s a rookie whose NBAGL rights weren’t previously held by another team. Hunter should also be eligible to be an affiliate player, since he hasn’t played in the G League since 2019/20, meaning his returning rights have expired.

After releasing the trio, the Hornets will have 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. No additional moves would be required to set their roster for the regular season, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Charlotte won’t make any more changes before Monday’s cut-down deadline.