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Southeast Notes: Bryant, Wizards, Williams, Bridges

September 26th, 2024 at 10:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trading newly re-signed big man Thomas Bryant isn’t an option for the Heat at present, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber-only link).

The 27-year-old big man doesn’t become trade-eligible until December 15, when most players signed to new contracts this offseason can be dealt. Bryant inked a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal to return to Miami for a second straight year.

Bryant appeared in just 38 contests (four starts) for Miami, as he was toggled in and out of head coach Erik Spoelstra‘s rotations. All told, the 6’10” center averaged 5.7 points on 57.7% field goal shooting and 87.2% foul line shooting, along with 3.7 rebounds, in 11.6 minutes of action.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are fully embracing their rebuild this season, writes Joshua Robbins of The Athletic. During a preseason press conference on Thursday, top Washington executives Michael Winger and Will Dawkins spoke of their long play for relevance this year. “If we’re really to think about it, the phases of the rebuild… there’s the deconstruction phase,” Dawkins said. “There’s the laying-the-foundation phase. There’s the building it back up, and then there’s fortifying what you build. We’re still focused on deconstructing and laying that foundation. And I think that’s important to remind everyone, that we’re still early (in the process).” The team finished 15-67 in 2023/24, and made a pair of lottery picks this summer in big man Alex Sarr and point guard Carlton Carrington. Washington also acquired the draft rights to wing Kyshawn George, selected later in the first round. The Wizards will also be looking for internal growth from intriguing second-year small forward Bilal Coulibaly, their 2023 lottery selection.
The Magic are set to pay tribute to recently deceased co-founder and longtime front office executive Pat Williams this season, the team announced via press release. Orlando players will wear patches with the initials “PW” on their jerseys. Williams served as the Magic’s general manager from their inaugural season in 1989/90 through 1996. He was subsequently promoted to a role as the club’s senior vice president.
Recently re-signed Hornets forward Miles Bridges had options from several other clubs in free agency this summer, but wanted to remain in Charlotte, he told Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “With coach (Charles) Lee and the new coaching staff coming in, new management, I just feel like we are stepping in the right direction. And I just feel like I wanted to be a big part of that.” Bridges named the Clippers and Cavaliers as two of the teams that expressed interest in him. “Yeah, the Clippers are a great organization,” Bridges said. “They wanted me, the Cavaliers wanted me. But at the same time I was just trying to see what was the best fit for me, and what would make me and my family happy.”

Hawks Sign Joirdon Nicholas To Camp Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hawks have signed free agent forward Joirdon Nicholas to a training camp contract, Atlanta has announced in a press statement.

Terms of the agreement weren’t reported, but it is likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Nicholas went undrafted out of Texas Southern in 2023. He suited up for the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, throughout the 2023/24 season. Across 39 combined regular season and Showcase Cup contests (16 starts), he averaged 8.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Additionally, Nicholas appeared in 19 contests for the Mexican club Zonkeys de Tijuana in 2023/24. He posted averages of 10.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG on 41.4% field goal shooting and 64.7% free throw shooting.

The Hawks currently have all 15 of their standard roster spots and all three of their two-way vacancies occupied. Exhibit 10 signings can be converted into two-way agreements, so there’s a chance that if Nicholas impresses Atlanta, the team could opt to waive Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace or Dominick Barlow.

The more likely scenario is that Nicholas will be in line for a $77.5K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. The Skyhawks recently traded for his returning rights.

Suns Cut Tyrese Samuel, Jaden Shackelford

September 26th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns have waived forward Tyrese Samuel and guard Jaden Shackelford ahead of training camp, per the NBA’s official transaction log.

Both players had been on Exhibit 10 training camp deals with Phoenix.

Samuel went undrafted out of Florida this summer. The 6’10” All-SEC honoree averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while connecting on 56.4% of his looks from the floor and 56.2% of his free throw attempts.

After going undrafted out of Alabama, the 23-year-old Shackelford has spent the last two seasons in the G League as a member of the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. Last year, he recorded averages of 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .379/.356/.733 shooting across 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games.

Both players seem likely to end up with the Suns’ NBAGL squad, the Valley Suns, who acquired Shackelford’s rights in a trade earlier this month. Should Samuel and Shackelford stick with Phoenix’s G League team for at least 60 days, they will each be eligible for a bonus worth as much as $77.5K.

The Suns also confirmed that they have officially signed power forward/center Mamadi Diakite and center Frank Kaminsky, whose deals were previously reported. Phoenix has one opening on its projected 15-man standard roster. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets that Diakite, Kaminsky and previously confirmed training camp signee Moses Wood are all slated to compete for it.

Warriors Sign Kevin Knox

September 26th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26: The signing is official, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 25: The Warriors and free agent forward Kevin Knox have agreed to a one-year deal, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Charania doesn’t specify the terms of the contract, Golden State is right up against a first-apron hard cap and can’t sign a player to a standard deal without a corresponding roster move, so it’s safe to assume Knox is inking a non-guaranteed camp contract that won’t count against the cap. It figures to include Exhibit 9 language and possible Exhibit 10 language too.

The ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Knox began last season with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate. He signed with the Pistons in early November and was in the NBA for three months before being sent to Utah at February’s trade deadline. The Jazz immediately waived him, and with no NBA opportunities immediately presenting themselves, the 25-year-old eventually reported back to the Remix.

For the season, Knox appeared in 31 games (11 starts) at the NBA level for Detroit, averaging 7.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per contest. Those averages aren’t far off from the ones he has posted across 306 career outings for the Knicks, Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Pistons (7.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 18.0 MPG), though his field-goal percentage last season (46.2%) was well above his 39.2% career mark.

Knox suited up for Golden State’s Summer League team in July, playing in six total games in the Las Vegas and California Classic leagues. He averaged 16.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG on .471/.351/.792 shooting in those contests.

There’s technically a path for Knox to make the Warriors’ regular season roster if the team makes a trade or cuts either Lindy Waters or Gui Santos, both of whom are non-guaranteed contracts. However, recent reporting has indicated Golden State will likely hang onto Waters and Santos.

Knox isn’t eligible for a two-way contract and his G League rights are still held by Rip City, so unless the Santa Cruz Warriors trade for those returning rights or Golden State finds room for him on the standard NBA roster, the forward’s stay in the organization may only last a few weeks.

Hawks Sign Daeqwon Plowden To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SEPTEMBER 27: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

SEPTEMBER 26: The Hawks have agreed to a deal with free agent guard Daeqwon Plowden, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), Plowden is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Atlanta.

Plowden signed a two-way deal with the Warriors earlier this offseason, but he was recently waived to accommodate the signing of second-round pick Quinten Post.

A 6’6″ swingman, Plowden went undrafted out of Bowling Green in 2022. He spent the 2022/23 season with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, and played for the Magic’s NBAGL squad, the Osceola Magic, in 2023/24. Last year with Osceola, Plowden averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game across 33 regular season bouts (nine starts). He posted a shooting line of .471/.390/.769.

Plowden had an impressive Summer League showing with the Warriors in July, averaging 14.6 PPG on .490/.397/.757 shooting in eight outings at the Las Vegas and California Classic events, per RealGM.

The College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, acquired Plowden’s returning rights in a trade with Osceola earlier this month, so in all likelihood, he’ll be waived before the season begins and then report to College Park. If he spends at least 60 days with the Hawks’ affiliate, Plowden will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

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.