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Bulls To Retain Talen Horton-Tucker

October 19th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Talen Horton-Tucker will open the season with the Bulls, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the sixth-year guard has made the team as its 15th man.

The 46th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Horton-Tucker spent his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers and his last two in Utah. While he showed some promise with each team and logged regular rotation minutes in each of the past four seasons, he hadn’t taken a significant step forward during that time — his 39.6% field goal percentage last season represented a career low.

Still, Horton-Tucker is just 23 years old (24 in November) and made a strong impression this fall in Chicago on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

The 6’4″ guard averaged 13.0 points per game in five preseason outings despite playing just 17.8 minutes per contest. He also took good care of the ball (0.8 turnovers per game) and knocked down three-pointers at a better rate (33.3%) than he has in any of his five NBA seasons.

Horton-Tucker is on a minimum-salary contract that will pay him $2,425,403 and will count against Chicago’s cap for $2,087,519 if it becomes fully guaranteed. For now, he’ll earn $13,939 for each day he spends on the roster, with the Bulls having the option of waiving him on or before January 7 to open up that 15th spot and avoid paying his full-season salary.

Barring any last-minute moves, the Bulls’ roster looks ready for the regular season, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Horton-Tucker on his non-guaranteed deal, and three players occupying the two-way slots.

Horton-Tucker is the first player on an Exhibit 10 contract confirmed to be making his team’s standard opening night roster.

Magic Converting Mac McClung To Two-Way Contract

October 19th, 2024 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:18pm: McClung has been officially converted to a two-way deal, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

12:50pm: The Magic are filling one of their open two-way slots by converting Mac McClung‘s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A 6’2″ guard, McClung is the reigning G League Most Valuable Player and a two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.

Despite excelling in the G League and showing off impressive athleticism in the last two dunk contests, McClung has struggled to break through at the NBA level. Since making his regular season debut nearly three years ago, he has appeared in just four NBA games — one for the Bulls in December 2021, one for the Lakers in April 2022, and two for the Sixers in April 2023.

McClung will now have a chance to suit up for the Magic this fall as one of the team’s two-way players, alongside Trevelin Queen.

Orlando still has one more two-way slot available, with Exhibit 10 camp signees Jalen Slawson, Ethan Thompson, and Alex Morales all eligible to be converted by Monday. The team could also decide to look outside the organization to fill that final two-way opening.

Mavericks Sign, Waive Jamir Chaplin, Jarod Lucas

October 19th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 19: Chaplin and Lucas have both been waived, the team announced. The Mavericks 18-man roster to begin the season appears set, barring last-minute moves.

OCTOBER 18: The Mavericks have added free agents Jamir Chaplin and Jarod Lucas to their offseason roster, the team announced (via Twitter).

While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, both players almost certainly signed Exhibit 10 deals and will be waived in the next 24 hours or so. If that comes to fruition, each would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBA G League affiliate.

Chaplin, who went undrafted in June, spent his first four college seasons at South Florida before finishing his career at Little Rock. The 6’5″ guard averaged 14.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .584/.361/.714 shooting in 34 games with the Trojans last season (33.9 MPG), earning a spot on the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team.

Lucas, a 6’3″ guard, also went undrafted in June. He played three seasons at Oregon State before transferring to Nevada for his final two collegiate seasons. In 34 games with the Wolf Pack last season, Lucas averaged 17.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .421/.394/.899 shooting (32.6 MPG).

The Mavs now have 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit. They’ll need to get down to 18 players ahead of the regular season.

Celtics Waiving Lonnie Walker IV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

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

Heat Waive Nassir Little, Three Others

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spurs Convert Riley Minix To Two-Way Contract

October 19th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Spurs announced on Saturday that they’ve converted former Morehead State forward Riley Minix to a two-way contract. Minix impressed in this offseason for San Antonio, averaging 7.7 points in 7.8 minutes across three preseason games.

San Antonio signed Minix to an Exhibit 10 deal in July after he went undrafted in June. Minix averaged 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 34.9% from three as a 6’7″ forward at Morehead State. He also averaged 9.0 PPG in four summer league games.

Because he was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal and the Spurs had an open two-way slot, no corresponding moves were necessary in converting his contract. The Spurs’ roster still stands at 21 players, three over the regular season limit. Minix’s conversion is an indication that fellow Exhibit 10 signees Malachi Flynn, Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamaree Bouyea didn’t make the team.

Assuming that’s the case, all three of those players will likely be waived today. If they spend at least 60 days with the Austin Spurs in the G League, they’ll each receive a bonus worth $77.5K.

Minix joins David Duke Jr. and Harrison Ingram as San Antonio’s two-way players for the upcoming season.

Wizards Sign RayJ Dennis To Two-Way Deal

October 19th, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 19: Dennis’ deal with the Wizards is now official, per a press release from the team. Washington didn’t confirm which player was waived to open up a spot for Dennis, but will likely announce one or more cuts at some point today.

OCTOBER 18: The Wizards have reached an agreement on a two-way contract with undrafted rookie guard RayJ Dennis, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A fifth-year super-senior at Baylor in 2023/24, Dennis averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game across 35 contests (all starts). His shooting line was .479/.328/.731.

The 6’2″ guard also played for Boise State for two seasons and Toledo for two more before transferring to Baylor. He earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Year honors in 2023 with Toledo and made the All-Big 12 second team in 2024.

Dennis was part of the Clippers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with L.A. last month. He was waived last week after appearing in one preseason game and seemed on track to end up with the San Diego Clippers in the G League. Instead, it appears he’ll open the regular season as part of the Wizards’ 18-man roster.

With Justin Champagnie and Tristan Vukcevic on two-way deals, Washington had one two-way slot open. However, the team is currently at its preseason limit of 21 players, so someone will need to be waived to make room for Dennis. That shouldn’t be an issue, since the Wizards’ non-guaranteed camp invitees will likely be cut this weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Most Teams Will Finalize Roster Cuts On Saturday

October 19th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams have until Monday night (Oct. 21) to officially set their rosters for the 2024/25 regular season. However, a majority of NBA teams will likely have their rosters ready to go on Saturday, with far more roster cuts expected today and tomorrow than on Sunday or Monday.

Why is that? Well, releasing a player on Saturday will ensure he clears waivers on Monday, before the regular season gets underway.

Players who are cut during the season are also paid for each day they spend on waivers, so a player who hits waivers on Sunday and doesn’t clear until the first day of the season on Tuesday would technically earn one day’s worth of pay, even if his contract isn’t guaranteed. A player released on Monday would spend two regular season days on waivers.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Roster Counts]

For players with partial or full guarantees, spending the first day or two of the regular season on waivers doesn’t really matter, since they’re getting their full 2024/25 salary (or their partial guarantees) no matter when they’re released. But if a team waits until Monday to cut a player with a non-guaranteed salary, that team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of dead money for the player.

Two days’ worth of dead money won’t exactly break the bank — it would range from about $13K to $38K for a minimum-salary player. Still, most teams already know which players are in and which are out, so there’s no need to take the decision down to the wire on Monday. They’ll make those cuts sooner rather than later to avoid adding extra cap charges to their books for ’24/25. Even that small amount of savings could be important for teams who are right around the tax line or up against a hard cap.

While many teams will make their cuts on Saturday, a handful of clubs can afford to wait an extra day or two if they want to, since they’ll be waiving (or trading) players who have full or partial guarantees.

The Timberwolves, for instance, have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus PJ Dozier on a partially guaranteed contract, so unless they can find a trade involving one of those 16 players, they’ll need to waive one of them. Waiting until Sunday or Monday to make that cut won’t affect their cap outlook at all, since everyone is assured of receiving his full-season salary either way (except Dozier, who is assured of earning at least his $1MM partial guarantee).

Additionally, teams whose final roster moves won’t involve placing a player on waivers can afford to wait until Monday to complete those moves.

For example, the Magic currently have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, one on a two-way contract, and five on Exhibit 10 deals. While we don’t know exactly what the team’s plan is, Orlando could cut three of those Exhibit 10 players today, then convert the other two to two-way contracts on Monday in order to set its roster for the regular season.

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