Devonte’ Graham Rumors

Devonte’ Graham Joins South Bay Lakers

December 13th, 2024 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA point guard Devonte’ Graham has signed a G League contract and joined the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). South Bay waived forward Tommy Rutherford in order to make room for Graham.

A former second-round pick (No. 34 overall in 2018) who played four years of college ball at Kansas, Graham had some productive seasons with the Hornets during his first few years in the NBA, including a strong 2019/20 campaign in which he averaged 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game with a .373 3PT% across 63 outings (35.1 MPG).

However, the six-year veteran saw his playing time decline in recent years as he moved on to the Pelicans and then the Spurs, only appearing in 23 games and averaging a career-low 13.6 MPG for San Antonio last season. Graham was traded back to Charlotte in a salary-dump deal over the summer, was subsequently waived, then spent training camp and the preseason on a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers before being cut again.

There were rumors in October that Graham would head overseas and play for the Shanghai Sharks in China, but that never came to fruition. Instead, the 29-year-old will remain stateside, catching on with the Lakers’ G League squad ahead of the league’s Winter Showcase in Orlando next week.

The Winter Showcase, which takes place from December 19-22, serves as a meeting point for executives and scouts around the NBA, so it will be a good opportunity for Graham to make his case for an NBA contract.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. Joins Shanghai Sharks

October 31st, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Bulls earlier this month, forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. has officially joined the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Lofton suited up for the Sharks for the first time on Thursday, per Asia-Basket.com, compiling 18 points and 10 rebounds across 19 minutes in his CBA debut.

Lofton, 22, went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech in 2022. He spent his rookie season with the Grizzlies and remained in Memphis for the start of the 2023/24 season before being waived last December when the team needed to open up a roster spot at the conclusion of Ja Morant‘s suspension. Lofton also played for the Sixers and Jazz last season and was in camp with Chicago this fall.

Although Lofton didn’t see much action at the NBA level in ’23/24, he finished the year strong in Utah, averaging 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 22.8 minutes per game across four April outings for the Jazz.

He also had a big year in the G League, earning All-NBAGL First Team honors after putting up 25.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 19 regular season games (30.1 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats and the Salt Lake City Stars.

Lofton isn’t the only former NBA player on his new team. Former first-round pick D.J. Wilson and ex-Celtics guard Tremont Waters are also playing in Shanghai. According to GTV Hoops (Instagram link), veteran point guard Devonte’ Graham has agreed to join the Sharks too, though Graham has yet to suit up for the club.

Trail Blazers Waive Devonte’ Graham

October 17th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Trail Blazers have waived veteran guard Devonte’ Graham, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian was first to report the move.

Assuming he goes unclaimed, Graham will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

Graham signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with Portland in August in the hope of making the regular season roster. He was competing with Dalano Banton for the 15th and final standard roster spot — Graham being released drastically improves Banton’s odds of making the team.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise, but it was still a key roster battle to monitor. Banton impressed the Blazers down the stretch of last season, and they picked up their 2024/25 team option on his contract at the end of June, giving him a partial guarantee of $217,533, with the remainder of his $2,196,970 salary still non-guaranteed. If Banton makes the opening night roster, his partial guarantee will increase to $1,098,485.

A former second-round pick (No. 34 overall in 2018) who played four years of college ball at Kansas, Graham had some productive seasons with Charlotte in his first few NBA seasons, including averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal per contest in 63 games in ’19/20 (35.1 MPG).

However, the six-year veteran only appeared in 23 games for San Antonio last season, averaging a career-low 13.6 minutes, and was traded to the Hornets in July in a salary dump. Charlotte promptly waived him before his full $12,650,000 salary became guaranteed, but Graham will still be paid his $2.85MM partial guarantee, with the Hornets carrying that figure as a dead-money cap hit.

Portland’s roster could be ready for the regular season, though there’s still time to make some minor additions for G League purposes. The team now has 18 players under contract, with 15 players on standard deals and all three of its two-way slots filled.

Blazers Notes: Reath, Williams, Backcourt, Graham, Banton

October 9th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers backup center Duop Reath remains a potentially integral part of Portland’s crowded big man rotation, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

The 6’11” big man is the only rostered Blazers center who’s a proficient three-point shooter. During his rookie season in 2023/24, the 28-year-old stepped up in the absence of an injured Robert Williams III, assuming primary reserve duties behind starter Deandre Ayton.

Across 68 contests (20 starts), Reath averaged 9.1 points on .461/.359/.742 shooting splits, along with 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 blocks and 0.5 steals per night. His 35.9% long range conversion rate arrived on 3.6 attempts, pretty good for a guy playing just 17.9 minutes per game.

Though Williams is injured again, the former All-Defensive Second Teamer will likely still leapfrog Reath when healthy, as Portland no doubt hopes to find a new trade home for him at some point. Former Connecticut standout Donovan Clingan, the Trail Blazers’ prized lottery draft pick this summer, seems likely to earn some run, too.

“That’s the benefit of the team,” Reath said of the Portland centers’ various skill sets. “Everybody’s good at what they’re good at. (Clingan) is huge. Great rim protector. You’ve got me, who can stretch the floor a little bit. Everybody is just different. So, coach can use whatever he needs that game, that day.”

There’s more out of Portland:

Speaking of Williams, the 6’9″ vet recently supplied an update on his Grade 1 left hamstring strain, suffered last week in a practice. As Fentress writes in another Oregonian story, Williams is projected to return in two weeks, meaning he should be available around the start of the Trail Blazers’ season. He suited up for just six games last year, before undergoing a season-ending knee surgery in November. Fentress reports that Williams is taking part in some of the Trail Blazers’ training camp activities, though he is currently avoiding the tougher drills. “I feel good,” Williams said. “Working out a little bit more. Ramping up a little bit more.”
Fourth-year Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is bullish on the team’s depth at the guard position, too, Fentress adds in a different article. Expected starting shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe sustained a shoulder separation and is set to miss the next four-to-six weeks, but Billups expects backups Scoot Henderson, Dalano Banton and training camp signee Devonte’ Graham to step up admirably. Anfernee Simons will be temporarily moved back to a shooting guard role on the squad while Sharpe recuperates.
According to Fentress, in the absence of Sharpe, both Banton and Graham are expected to start the year with Portland. Banton is on a partially guaranteed deal, while Graham’s contract is non-guaranteed. “He’s just such a hooper,” Billups said of Banton. “He’s just such a good basketball player.” In order to hang onto both Banton and Graham into the regular season, Portland would have to trade or waive a player with a guaranteed contract. Fentress doesn’t specify who might be the odd man out.
In case you missed it, Billups is still wrapping his head around his impending enshrinement into the Hall of Fame this week.

Contract Details: Kennard, Fernando, Graham, Allen

August 5th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Luke Kennard‘s new one-year contract with the Grizzlies, originally reported to be worth $11MM, actually has a base salary of just $9.25MM, Hoops Rumors has learned. Kennard can also earn an additional $1,387,500 in unlikely incentives, so his deal can max out at $10,637,500.

That disparity between the reported terms and the actual terms is important, given Memphis’ proximity to the luxury tax line. An $11MM cap hit would have put the Grizzlies over the luxury tax line by about $1MM, but because Kennard counts for just $9.25MM against the cap, the team’s salary is hovering right around $170MM, a little below the tax line ($170,814,000).

Kennard, Desmond Bane, and Brandon Clarke have unlikely contract incentives that could make Memphis a taxpayer if they’re earned. Given how close they are to the luxury tax line, I’d expect the Grizzlies to keep a close eye on each player’s progress toward his respective bonuses and make a minor cost-cutting move by February’s trade deadline if necessary — finishing the season just slightly above that tax threshold would cost the team a significant end-of-season payout that’s only available to non-taxpayers.

Here are more details on some recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Bruno Fernando signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Raptors. It’s non-guaranteed for the time being, but Fernando’s full $2,425,403 salary (and $2,087,519 cap hit) would become guaranteed if he remains under contract beyond the first day of the regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Devonte’ Graham‘s one-year, non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Trail Blazers includes Exhibit 9 language, but not Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That suggests Graham probably isn’t planning to join the Rip City Remix (Portland’s G League team) as an affiliate player if he’s waived by the Blazers this fall.
Jarrett Allen‘s three-year, $90.72MM extension with the Cavaliers is a straightforward, fully guaranteed contract with no options on the final year and no trade kicker, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

Devonte’ Graham Signs Non-Guaranteed Contract With Blazers

July 31st, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 31: The signing is official, the Blazers confirmed today in a press release. Graham’s contract is non-guaranteed, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian confirms (via Twitter).

JULY 30: Free agent guard Devonte’ Graham has agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Graham appeared in 46 games with the Spurs the past two seasons.

Graham wound up on the free agent market after the Spurs traded him to the Hornets earlier this month and Charlotte waived him. Graham’s $12.65MM contract was only partially guaranteed for $2.85MM before he was cut loose.

Terms of the contract with the Blazers haven’t been revealed, but Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report believes it’s a camp deal, noting the Blazers currently have all 15 roster spots filled. One of those players, Dalano Banton, has a partially guaranteed contract. His $2.2MM salary is only guaranteed for $217,533 if he’s waived before opening night.

Graham, 29, played sparingly with the Spurs last season, averaging just 5.0 points per game on a .352/.301/.813 shooting line. He appeared in only 23 contests, logging 13.6 minutes per night.

Graham began his NBA career with the Hornets, for whom he played from 2018-21. He spent 2021/22 and part of ’22/23 with the Pelicans before being traded to San Antonio midway through that season. During his best year, 2019/20, Graham finished fifth in Most Improved Player voting, averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

Spurs Trade Graham, Second-Round Pick To Hornets; Graham Waived

July 6th, 2024 at 3:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

3:35pm: After officially waiving three players to create additional cap room, the Hornets have completed their trade for Graham and New Orleans’ 2025 second-round pick, per a team release. They sent out cash to San Antonio and immediately waived Graham, as expected.

2:26pm: The Hornets will receive New Orleans’ 2025 second-round pick in the deal, while the Spurs receive cash, sources tell Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link).

12:41pm: The Spurs are trading Devonte’ Graham and a second-round draft pick to the Hornets, one of the veteran guard’s former teams, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Graham won’t be back in Charlotte for long, though. According to Wojnarowski, the Hornets plan to waive Graham, making him an unrestricted free agent. The guard’s $12.65MM is partially guaranteed for $2.85MM, so Charlotte will have to take his fully salary into its cap room but will only end up on the hook for $2.85MM.

The 6’1″ Kansas alum, 29, played sparingly with the Spurs last season, averaging just 5.0 points per game on a .352/.301/.813 shooting line. He appeared in just 23 contests, logging 13.6 minutes per night.

Graham kicked off his NBA career with the Hornets, for whom he played from 2018-21. He spent 2021/22 and part of ’22/23 with the Pelicans before being traded to San Antonio midway through that season. During his best year, 2019/20, Graham finished fifth in Most Improved Player voting, averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes (via Twitter), this deal will give San Antonio some additional cap relief — the team now projects to have up to about $19MM in cap space.

As Gozlan notes, the Spurs could theoretically take back the mid-sized contract of a veteran wing like Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter to help orchestrate a three-team sign-and-trade with the Bulls and Kings to send All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento. San Antonio likely has something specific up its sleeve that will require a bit of extra breathing room below the cap, since Graham’s $2.85MM partial guarantee was pretty minimal.

The Hornets are reportedly waiving Davis Bertans in order to open up the cap room necessary to take on Graham’s salary.

Spurs, Devonte’ Graham Move Back Contract Guarantee Date

June 28th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Spurs and guard Devonte’ Graham are moving back his contract guarantee date to July 8, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link).

Graham’s contract is already partially guaranteed for $2.85MM for next season, but it was set to increase to $12.65MM by July 1. Now, the Spurs have an extra week to mull over options for Graham, including potential trades.

The Spurs acquired Graham in 2023 from New Orleans in a move that also involved Josh Richardson going to the Pelicans.

In one-and-a-half seasons with the Spurs, Graham has averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game and has shot 33.8% from beyond the arc. The 34th overall pick in the 2018 draft began his career with the Hornets, playing modest minutes in his first season before breaking out and averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists in 2019/20, finishing fifth in Most Improved Player voting.

However, his production has gradually declined since that season. At 29 years old and a career 35.4% shooter from beyond the arc, Graham could provide value to prospective playoff teams, but likely not on his current contract. In 336 career games (171 starts), Graham holds career averages of 11.1 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Spurs Notes: Draft-Night Trade, Wembanyama, Castle, Collins

June 28th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs opted for future assets over immediate value with the eighth pick in Wednesday’s draft, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. With UConn guard Stephon Castle already headed to San Antonio at No. 4 and no one else on the board that he really wanted, general manager Brian Wright worked out a deal to send the pick to Minnesota in exchange for an unprotected first-rounder in 2031 and a pick swap in 2030.

Although he admits the pick will eventually be used on some “11-year-old right now,” Wright doesn’t plan to be the one making that selection, as the hope is it will be become a valuable trade chip as the team rebuilds. The immediate benefits from the deal are that the Spurs create an additional $7MM in cap room, giving them roughly $26MM to work with, and they add to a collection of draft assets that now includes 11 first-rounders over the next seven years.

“Those decisions are always difficult because you do all the work on the draft, and there’s definitely players that you like,” Wright said. “But you have to weigh the calculus on what’s best for the future. And we felt like the package that we got was one that made sense to move off of the eighth pick for.”

There’s more from San Antonio:

Wright said it’s “TBD” if Spanish point guard Juan Nunez, who was selected with the 36th pick, will be brought to the NBA next season, McDonald adds. Wright called Nunez, who will play for Spain in this year’s Olympics, “probably the best pick-and-roll player in the draft as a passer and creator.” The Spurs expect Harrison Ingram, who was selected at No. 48, to join Castle on their Summer League team and compete for a two-way contract at training camp.
Victor Wembanyama is “very happy” with the decision to take Castle at No. 4, per Tom Orsborn of The Express-News. He welcomed his new teammate via FaceTime after the pick was announced. “(Castle) is one of the most NBA-ready players in this draft and a very good person too,” Wembanyama said during a press conference at the French Basketball Federation.
Zach Collins is making progress after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder that he suffered in the final game of the season, Orsborn adds.“He’s doing great,” Wright said. “He’s working hard every day. Obviously, it was unfortunate, but you guys know Zach. He’s a hard worker and he’s been there before. He’s super competitive, so he attacks his rehab like he attacks the game, so he’s doing really well.”
Orsborn notes that the Spurs have several financial decisions left to make this summer. Devonte’ Graham has a $2.85MM guarantee on his $12.65MM salary for next season, and the team must waive him by Monday to avoid paying the full amount. Salaries of $3MM for Julian Champagnie and $2.5MM for Charles Bassey both become fully guaranteed if they’re still on the roster August 1.

Spurs Notes: Risacher, Win-Now Mode, Holland, Graham

June 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs hold the No. 4 overall pick in the draft and French forward Zaccharie Risacher might be a good fit for their roster. However, Risacher will likely be off the board by then and LJ Ellis of SpursTalk.com explores whether San Antonio should take him if he slides to their pick or even move up to nab him.

Ellis notes that the Spurs are in the market for multi-positional, multi-skilled players and Risacher might fit that description as well as any lottery prospect. However, statistical models don’t flatter the Frenchman, as he grades out as a typical second-round selection.

We have more on the Spurs:

The Spurs want to be competitive next season and make the playoffs, Jonathan Givony of ESPN told Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer during a podcast (video link). “They’re not looking to make this a 2-3 year process where they’re in the lottery again next year,” said Givony, who reports that they may look to trade the No. 4 and/or No. 8 selections in this year’s draft for a veteran who can help right away. Givony adds that Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell are the only untouchables on the roster.
Ron Holland might have been the top prospect of this year’s draft coming into this season. Holland’s stock took a hit during his one year with the G League Ignite but that might be good news for the Spurs, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio -News writes, since they are seeking a promising wing scorer with size. Holland is currently ranked No. 11 on ESPN’s Best Available list and could be a consideration with the latter of their lottery picks.
Devonte’ Graham, who has one year remaining on his four-year, $47MM contract, spent four days in Spain coaching at the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp. Nick Moyle of the Express-News details Graham’s experience at the camp. Graham added he’s looking forward to next season. “I come back every year same thing: motivated, do my part, leadership,” he said. “And we’ll see where it goes.” For what it’s worth, since the guard’s $12.65MM salary for 2024/25 is only partially guaranteed for $2.85MM, he may hit the free agent market this summer.