NBA Rumors - HoopsRumors.com

Timberwolves Waive Trevor Keels

September 26th, 2024 at 5:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Timberwolves have cut guard Trevor Keels, Minnesota has announced in a press statement.

The 6’3″ guard had only recently been inked to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the club. Should he join Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, and stay with the club for at least 60 days, he’ll earn a bonus worth $77.5K.

The Knicks selected Keels with the No. 42 pick in 2022 out of Duke. He only appeared in three regular season contests for the Knicks, posting averages of 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds across 2.7 minutes per night.

In 25 regular season contests for New York’s NBAGL affiliate squad that year, the Westchester Knicks, he averaged 13.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.0 steal while shooting .425/.355/.710. He was waived by New York following his 2022/23 rookie season.

Keels, now 21, played for the Iowa Wolves for the entire 2023/24 season. Across 23 regular season contests (17 starts), Keels averaged 13.5 points (on .434/.367/.857 shooting), 3.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.

Skal Labissiere Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Kings

September 26th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 26: The agreement is now official, Sacramento has announced.

AUGUST 14: Skal Labissiere will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento and play for the Stockton Kings this season, according to Sean Cunningham of KTXL in Sacramento (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old power forward/center took a similar path last offseason when he was signed and waived by Sacramento on September 8. He appeared in 14 games with Stockton, making two starts and averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 16.4 minutes per night. He was selected to take part in the G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend.

Labissiere started his career with the Kings, who acquired him from Phoenix after he was selected with the 28th pick in the 2016 draft. He played in 106 games over two and a half seasons with Sacramento before being shipped to Portland at the 2019 trade deadline. The Trail Blazers traded him to Atlanta a year later, and he hasn’t played in the NBA since then.

Labissiere has spent most of his time in the G League, making stops with the Westchester Knicks and the Mexico City Capitanes before coming to Stockton. He also had a brief stay with a team in Puerto Rico.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with his club’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts before the start of the regular season.

Keisei Tominaga Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Pacers

September 26th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26: The agreement is now official, per a Pacers announcement.

JULY 5: Undrafted Japanese guard Keisei Tominaga has agreed to join the Pacers on an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Tominaga, who initially declared for the draft in 2023 before returning to Nebraska for his “super-senior” season, averaged 15.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 26.1 minutes per game across 32 outings (all starts) for the Cornhuskers in 2023/24. A strong outside shooter, he made 37.6% of 6.3 three-point attempts per contest after knocking down 40.0% of his threes a year earlier.

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 of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Tominaga is the second undrafted rookie to reach an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers — they’re also bringing aboard Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James.

Pacers Sign Tyler Polley To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 26: The deal is now official, per a Pacers announcement.

SEPTEMBER 20: Former UConn forward Tyler Polley is signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers, agents BJ Bass and Cam Brennick tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Polley, 25, went undrafted in 2022 after five college seasons with the Huskies. As a “super senior” in 2021/22, he appeared in 33 games, averaging 7.6 points while shooting 35.0% from three point range in 20.2 minutes.

Polley has spent his first two professional seasons playing in the Greek Basketball League. He played last season for Kolossos, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds on .442/.347/.795 shooting in 21 games (25.6 minutes). According to Begley, the free agent forward recently worked out in Las Vegas, with the Pacers and Knicks among the teams in attendance.

Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deals that do not count against the salary cap before the season begins. If Polley is waived by the Pacers prior to the ’24/25 campaign and spends at least 60 days with the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate, he could earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his regular NBAGL salary.

The Pacers have 19 players on their offseason roster, two shy of the offseason limit, so they can add Polley without waiving anyone.

Suns To Sign Frank Kaminsky To Camp Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 4:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns are set to bring back free agent center Frank Kaminsky, his agency Priority Sports tweets. According to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link), it’ll be a training camp deal.

Exact terms of the agreement have yet to be divulged, but it is likely to at least have Exhibit 9 and potentially Exhibit 10 language.

The seven-foot Wisconsin alum, a former 2015 lottery pick, enjoyed an eight-year NBA run before heading overseas in 2023/24.

Kaminsky suited up for the Hornets from 2015-19 before signing with the Suns as a free agent in 2019-20. He logged three seasons with Phoenix.

Across 95 contests with the Suns (26 starts), the former All-American First Teamer recorded averages of 8.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 dimes, with a shooting line of .468/.344/.682.

Kaminsky split his final (for now) NBA season in 2022/23 between the Hawks and Rockets. He was a deep-bench reserve during his tenures with Atlanta and Houston, averaging just 2.5 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 0.8 APG in 36 total games.

The 31-year-old spent 2023/24 with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade.

The Suns have one opening on their 15-man standard roster, so if Kaminsky does impress he could earn an opportunity, though the team may want to leave that spot open for financial reasons, given its sizable projected tax bill.

Sporting longtime All-Stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Phoenix finished with a 49-33 record last year, but was obliterated by the Timberwolves in a first-round playoff sweep. Team president James Jones responded by firing head coach Frank Vogel and his staff after just one season, replacing him with former Bucks champion head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Suns also brought in point guard Tyus Jones on a steal of a veteran’s minimum deal. He is expected to start, which will likely push starting small forward Grayson Allen to the bench.

Phoenix could use a player with Kaminsky’s sharpshooting range to back up starting center Jusuf Nurkic and his newly signed backup, Mason Plumlee. It remains to be seen whether or not Kaminsky’s defensive shortcomings (and tax concerns) may disincentivize the Suns from bringing him back.

Bulls Exercise 2025/26 Option On Dalen Terry

September 26th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls have exercised their 2025/26 rookie scale team option on wing Dalen Terry, league sources tell Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Chicago had until the end of October to determine whether it wanted to pick up the option. The move means that Terry, who is already under contract for ’24/25, will earn a guaranteed $5,399,118 in ’25/26, which is the fourth and final season of his rookie contract.

The 18th pick of the 2022 draft, Terry didn’t play much as a rookie two seasons ago, averaging just 5.6 MPG in 38 appearances with the Bulls. He earned more playing time during his second season though, with averages of 3.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 1.4 APG in 59 games in ’23/24 (11.5 MPG).

Terry, who played two seasons of college ball at Arizona, was viewed as a point guard entering the draft but has mostly played on the wing professionally due to the Bulls already having ball-handlers on the roster. At 6’7″, he has the size to defend multiple positions.

We’re tracking all the decisions on ’25/26 rookie scale team options right here. The Heat are the only other team to have exercised any options so far — many of the decisions will be finalized closer to the Oct. 31 deadline.

Nuggets, Aaron Gordon Optimistic About Possible Extension

September 26th, 2024 at 3:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will be eligible for a four-year contract extension as of Friday, September 27. A four-year extension would require Gordon to decline his $22.84MM player option for 2025/26, with the first year of a potential new deal replacing that option.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, general manager Calvin Booth said he hopes the former No. 4 overall pick remains a Nugget for the foreseeable future.

“Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation and are able to find a deal,” Booth said (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). “… We want Aaron here for a long time.”

Gordon also sounded optimistic about a deal coming to fruition, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link)

“I really love this organization,” Gordon said. “I love the players on this team. I love the coaching staff. I hope we get it done. It seems like it’s moving forward in the right direction.”

Gordon, who turned 29 years old last week, played a key role in helping the Nuggets win their first championship in 2023. He’s a highly versatile player on both ends of the court and has excellent chemistry with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Gordon also touched on the tragic passing of his older brother Drew, who died following a car accident at the end of May. Drew played professionally for over a decade, including a stint with the Sixers in 2014/15.

“I always leaned on my brother,” Gordon said. “I understand I can’t take any relationship for granted. My teammates have been there every step of the way. They came to his service and his funeral. These guys have developed into my brothers.”

Gordon changed his jersey from No. 50 to No. 32 to honor his brother, per the NBA (Twitter video link).

“It was my brother’s favorite number, my dad’s favorite number, my sister played in it in college, I played in it in high school… it feels like home,” he said.

Jazz Sign, Waive Babacar Sane

September 26th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26: Sane has been released, Utah announced in a press release.

AUGUST 13: The Jazz have added undrafted rookie forward Babacar Sane to their offseason roster, according to RealGM’s transaction log. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) in June that Sane would be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Utah.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with his club’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts before the start of the regular season, but I expect the plan for Sane is to have him become an affiliate player for the Salt Lake City Stars.

Sane, who will turn 21 next month, is a native of Senegal who attended the NBA Academy Africa and then played in the Basketball Africa League before coming stateside in 2022. He spent the past two seasons with the G League Ignite before the team was shut down at the end of the ’23/24 campaign.

In 31 Showcase Cup and regular season games last season for the Ignite, Sane averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .445/.263/.699. The 6’6″ forward, who participated in the G League’s Next Up Game at All-Star weekend in each of the past two years, declared for the draft as an early entrant this spring.

It has been a busy week of roster moves for the Jazz. They renegotiated and extended Lauri Markkanen‘s contract last Wednesday, then officially signed Drew Eubanks, Svi Mykhailiuk, Kyle Filipowski, and Johnny Juzang in recent days, while also swapping out one two-way player (Taevion Kinsey) for a new one (Oscar Tshiebwe).

Utah currently has 18 players under contract, including 14 on standard deals, three on two-ways, and now Sane on an Exhibit 10 pact. The club figures to fill out its 21-man offseason roster at some point between now and the start of training camp this fall.

Sixers Sign Lester Quinones To Two-Way Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26, 3:15pm: Quinones has officially signed his two-way deal, the Sixers announced in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 25, 11:41am: Jones has been waived to make room on the roster for Quinones, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

SEPTEMBER 25, 8:46am: The Sixers and free agent guard Lester Quinones have agreed to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Quinones, who will turn 24 in November, spent last season with the Warriors. He began the year on a two-way deal and then was promoted to Golden State’s standard roster in February. The 6’5″ guard appeared in a total of 37 NBA games, averaging 4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 10.6 minutes per contest and posting a shooting line of .397/.364/.690.

Quinones spent more time in the NBA than in the G League last season, but has been an effective contributor for the Santa Cruz Warriors over the past two years, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.9 APG on .448/.362/.772 shooting in 65 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for Golden State’s NBAGL affiliate.

The Warriors opted not to tender Quinones a qualifying offer in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported in early July that the former Memphis Tiger was on the Sixers’ radar.

Philadelphia doesn’t currently have an open two-way slot, so either Justin Edwards, David Jones, or Jeff Dowtin will have to be waived in order to make room on the roster for Quinones.

Raptors Sign Jahmi’us Ramsey To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 26th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors have signed free agent guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). The team confirmed the signing in a press release.

Ramsey, 23, was the No. 43 overall pick of the 2020 draft after one college season at Texas Tech. He spent the majority of his first two seasons with the Kings, but he didn’t receive much playing time (7.1 MPG in 32 total games), and Sacramento cut him loose in February 2022.

The 6’3″ shooting guard caught on with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, following his stint with the Kings. Ramsey spent the entire 2022/23 season with the Blue and most of last season as well, having inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder last October before being waived to secure a bonus.

Ramsey, who earned a spot on the All-NBA G League Third Team in 2023/24, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Raptors in March. He appeared in seven games with Toronto, averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .439/.273/.833 shooting in 17.3 MPG.

As a three-year veteran, Ramsey remains eligible for a two-way contract for one more season. However, all three of the Raptors’ two-way spots are currently occupied, so they’d have to release someone for Ramsey to be converted.

If Ramsey is waived before the season begins and reports to the Raptors 905 (Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate) for at least 60 days, he could earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his regular G League salary.

The Raptors’ 21-man offseason roster is now full.