JT Thor Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Officially Sign Tristan Thompson, JT Thor

September 9th, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 11: Thompson’s agreement is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

SEPTEMBER 9: A pair of previously reported Cavaliers signings are official, according to the transaction log at NBA.com, which lists center Tristan Thompson and forward JT Thor as having completed their respective deals with the team.

Thompson, whose signing was also announced in a press release posted to the Cavaliers’ website, reportedly inked a one-year contract with the club. While the full details have yet to be confirmed, it’s believed to be a minimum-salary deal that’s either partially or fully guaranteed.

The fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers before bouncing around the league and spending time with the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls, and Lakers from 2020-23. He returned to Cleveland last season, signing a one-year contract with the club almost exactly a year ago and appearing in 49 games in 2023/24.

Once a fixture in the Cavs’ starting lineup and one of the NBA’s top rebounders, Thompson played a limited role last season, contributing 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in just 11.2 minutes per contest during the regular season.

The 33-year-old, who was suspended for 25 games from January to March for an SPED (steroids and performance enhancing drugs) violation, averaged only 8.7 MPG in 10 postseason appearances off the bench. However, the team is said to value his veteran leadership in the locker room.

Thor has signed a two-way contract with Cleveland, joining Emoni Bates and Luke Travers as the three players filling the club’s two-way slots.

The 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Thor spent the first three years of his career in Charlotte. He averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 165 games (11 starts; 12.2 MPG) with the Hornets from 2021-24, then became an unrestricted free agent this summer when the team turned down its option for 2024/25 and declined to issue him a qualifying offer.

Thor, a former Auburn standout, played for South Sudan’s national team at the Paris Olympics this summer, averaging 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game as the club went 1-2 in pool play, failing to advance to the single-elimination round.

The Cavs now have 16 players under contract, with 13 on standard deals and three on two-way pacts. Isaac Okoro, the NBA’s lone remaining restricted free agent, is the favorite to fill the 14th spot on the standard roster. Cleveland will likely keep the 15th spot open to start the season to maximize flexibility and save some money.

Community Shootaround: Best Two-Way Contract Players

August 20th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Every year, several two-way contract players outperform their current deals and wind up playing more minutes than expected for their respective organizations. However, two-way players are limited to 50 games on their contracts and aren’t eligible for the postseason.

Once top two-way players approach their 50-game limit or it’s clear they’re either a part of the organization’s future or making an immediate impact, a team will often convert their deals. Some teams have to wait longer than others due to financial reasons or a lack of roster spots, however.

Take the Heat, for example, who often begin seasons with 14 players on standard deals as opposed to the maximum allowable 15 due to their position against the tax. That’s what they did in 2021/22 when they had Caleb Martin on a two-way deal before signing him at mid-season, when his salary would be prorated and allow them to squeeze under the tax line.

Still, we’re almost certain to see several players converted from two-way to standard contracts this season. Last year, Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter Jr. and Duop Reath were among impact players who were converted sooner rather than later. Martin, Aaron Wiggins and Sam Hauser are other good in-season examples for recent years.

The Heat could repeat history with a two-way player who may see minutes relatively early in the season with Keshad Johnson. Miami signed Johnson to a two-way deal right after the draft and he played well for the team this summer after ranking as one of the best undrafted free agents. With Martin gone, minutes are open along the wing and at the forward spot for the Heat and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson fill in.

The Wizards have a roster glut to sort through before making any such move, but since they’re likely to be active at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Justin Champagnie get brought up at some point. Champagnie has appeared in 56 NBA games and impressed in the G League.

The Kings may have one of the best trios of two-way players in the league with Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones. The latter two players went undrafted in 2024 but were rated among the best available rookie free agents after June’s draft. Mason Jones, meanwhile, has impressed in the league before and posted a .502/.459/.833 shooting line in the G League last season. Sacramento could have an opportunity for minutes early with Devin Carter dealing with a shoulder injury and the team light on depth.

Cleveland has been filling out its two-way slots over the past week, bringing in JT Thor and re-signing Emoni Bates. Thor is still just 21 after having three seasons of NBA experience. Bates impressed last season in the G League, averaging 21.6 PPG and making 37.0% of his 10.5 three-point attempts per game. With the Cavaliers still having three open standard roster spots, it’s possible their rotation is a bit shallower to begin the year even if Isaac Okoro re-signs.

Utah is another team with several “veterans” on two-way deals between Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Micah Potter. Tshiebwe, in particular, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season after pulling down 16.1 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a young team that could give minutes to as many young players as possible to see who sticks.

That brings us to our question of the day. Which player currently on a two-way contract do you see earning a promotion this season? Are there any players who you think are underlooked? Which players are primed to earn minutes right away?

Take to the comments to let us know. We look forward to your input!

JT Thor Agrees To Two-Way Contract With Cavaliers

August 17th, 2024 at 11:39am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Hornets forward JT Thor is signing a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link).

Thor, the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft, spent the first three years of his career with the Hornets. He didn’t play a major role with Charlotte, but earned a handful of spot starts across his tenure with the franchise. He averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 165 games (11 starts; 12.2 MPG) with the Hornets from 2021-24.

The former Auburn standout earned some first-round buzz in the 2021 draft after a freshman season that saw him average 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals while stretching out to the three-point line as a 6’10” forward. At 21 years old, he still has some untapped potential.

Thor most recently impressed in the Olympics, playing for South Sudan’s national team. He averaged about seven points and five rebounds for South Sudan.

Thor is the first reported two-way signing for the Cavs, giving them two other spots they can choose to fill. They have a two-way qualifying offer out for Emoni Bates, who finished last season on a two-way contract with the team.

Pete Nance and Isaiah Mobley also finished the 2023/24 season on two-way deals with Cleveland but are both unrestricted free agents, free to sign with any team.

Olympics Notes: Team USA’s Near Upset, Ivey, South Sudan, Embiid

July 20th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

It was only an exhibition game, but South Sudan had an opportunity to pull off the greatest upset in international basketball history Saturday in London, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Team USA needed a driving layup by LeBron James with eight seconds remaining and a crucial defensive stop to escape with a 101-100 victory.

It marked the first real taste of adversity for a U.S. team that’s heavily favored to win the gold medal in France. South Sudan built its lead as high as 16 points as the Americans’ offense looked badly out of sync for most of the first half.

“I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they’re capable of and that’s on me,” head coach Steve Kerr said.“They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille. … A good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.”

Kerr shook things up by using a completely different lineup to start the second half. That sparked a comeback that featured a 23-5 run covering the late third and early fourth quarters, but South Sudan still grabbed a late lead on a three-pointer by JT Thor that set up James’ heroics.

“I think the whole team was embarrassed at halftime to be totally outplayed and down 14,” Kerr said. “And I don’t think [James] was real thrilled about me not starting him in the third quarter. But I thought that next group that we put out there really did a good job defensively. And I looked down a couple of times and I can see LeBron chomping at the bit to be out on the floor as soon as he got out there and he went to work, so he was brilliant.”

There’s more Olympics news to pass along:

Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, who serves as head coach for South Sudan, believes the experience will help his team in the Olympics even though it didn’t quite get the victory, Windhorst adds. In addition to Thor, South Sudan was led by 2022/23 G League Player of the Year Carlik Jones, who posted a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Marial Shayok, a second-round pick by the Sixers in 2019, who had 24 points. “We want to take the momentum, the mindset, the tenaciousness that we had [to the Olympics],” Ivey said. “We didn’t flinch.”
South Sudan is already a remarkable story by reaching the Olympics in only its 13th year as a nation, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Former NBA star Luol Deng, who serves as president of the country’s basketball federation, personally funded the program and picked Ivey to serve as head coach in 2021. The Bright Stars qualified for the Olympics with their performance in last year’s FIBA World Cup.
In an episode of The Interview podcast, Joel Embiid explained that his decision to join Team USA was influenced by pressure from France (hat tip to HoopsHype). “It didn’t help that, you know, France that put an ultimatum on, you know, when the decision had to be made,” Embiid said.

Hornets Decline Team Option For JT Thor

June 28th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have declined their team option for 2024/25 on forward JT Thor, the team announced (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $1,988,598.

Thor, the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft, is eligible to receive a qualifying offer since he has just three years of NBA experience, but the Hornets indicated that he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Still only 21 years old, Thor never emerged as a reliable rotation piece in Charlotte through the first three seasons of his career. He appeared in 69 games and made eight starts in 2022/23 but averaged just 14.0 minutes, 3.8 points, and 2.2 rebounds per contest. One of the more productive stretches of Thor’s career came in the final 12 games of the ’22/23 season, when he averaged 9.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG while making 40.0% of his threes.

Thor played one collegiate season at Auburn, showing impressive instincts on both sides of the ball that saw him gradually climb up 2021 draft boards.

In all, Thor averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 165 appearances with the Hornets.

International Notes: Slovenia, Doncic, Croatia, South Sudan, Siulepa

June 5th, 2024 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Slovenian national team has officially announced the 16 players who will make up its preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece next month (Twitter link). While the 16-man group features currently Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar and a couple other players with prior NBA experience (Zoran Dragic and Mike Tobey), the headliner is Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

Slovenia obviously hopes that Doncic will be available to help the team try to claim one of the final four Olympic berths this summer, and the Mavs star said on Wednesday that he wants to do so, despite battling knee issues this spring, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Doncic still has one more series to get through, so his availability in Greece will presumably hinge on how he’s feeling at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

Croatia, which will be in Slovenia’s group at the qualifying tournament in Greece, has also announced a preliminary roster for that event. Warriors forward Dario Saric and Clippers center Ivica Zubac are among the 17 players who are candidates to make up the 12-man roster, while former NBA wing Mario Hezonja is one of the other notable names in that group.
South Sudan, which has already qualified for the Olympics based on its results at last year’s World Cup, revealed a 25-man preliminary roster for Paris (Twitter link). Some of the biggest names in the mix for roster spots include Bol Bol, Wenyen Gabriel, Thon Maker, JT Thor, and World Cup star Carlik Jones.
Seventeen-year-old Australian prospect Roman Siulepa is signing with the Tasmania JackJumpers as part of the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Givony identifies Siulepa as one of the most promising international prospects in his age group, noting that the 6’7″ small forward has averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the second division of Australia’s NBL this season.

Southeast Notes: Bridges, Thor, Rollins, Hampton

October 13th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Miles Bridges turned himself in on Friday on the January arrest warrant that had yet to be served, reports Steve Reed of The Associated Press. The 25-year-old appeared before a district court judge in Lincoln County (a Charlotte suburb) and was released on $1,000 bond.

Bridges, who was with the Hornets in Washington D.C. on Thursday night, turned himself in early Friday morning, Reed writes.

The Hornets forward is accused of “unlawfully” and “knowingly” violating a 10-year domestic violence protective order that stems from a case last year in which he entered a plea of no contest to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent. The warrant also states that Bridges “continually contacted the victim,” according to Reed.

The separate criminal summons Bridges is facing for allegedly violating the protective order, misdemeanor child abuse and injury to personal property is still outstanding; the 25-year-old is due in court for that matter on November 13.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Hornets forward JT Thor, whose $1.84MM contract for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed, had a strong summer and could be primed for a breakout year, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He’s been amazing,” Terry Rozier said. “It’s no surprise, but it’s been talked about among all the peers about how great he’s been and how much time he’s put in this summer. And it’s just good to see. He’s one of the guys that never complained and always trying to get better since he came in the league. He never complained about things, always took things as a challenge and got better every day. And it’s now starting to show. And that’s all you can ask for in this league, is you try to get as much as you can out of it and then when your time comes you are ready for the opportunity. And I think it’s going to be a good year for him.” Thor was the 37th overall pick in 2021.
Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. thinks second-year guard Ryan Rollins has “elite” defensive potential, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Rollins, a 2022 second-rounder who was traded to Washington from Golden State this summer, concurs with Unseld’s assessment. “I appreciate that,” he said. “I feel the same way. I’ve got a very long wingspan and I love to play defense. You put the mentality with the physical attributes that I have, I mean, why not?“
Guard RJ Hampton, who is on a two-way deal with the Heat, sustained a right hamstring strain during warmups on Friday evening and was ruled out prior to Miami’s preseason game against San Antonio, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. We’ll have to wait for more updates on the severity of the injury.

Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Fultz, Lowry, Thor

January 20th, 2023 at 10:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Kyle Kuzma has been a hot name on the trade market, though the latest reports have indicated that the Wizards would prefer to keep him through the deadline in an attempt to re-sign him in free agency. The 27-year-old forward says he loves playing with Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal, and that will factor into his decision this summer.

“It plays into it a lot,” Kuzma told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). “I love playing with those guys. I see how easy it is for me, but this is something I’m not really thinking about right now. I’m so far away from it.”

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Markelle Fultz has made a major impact on the defensive end since he made his season debut at the end of November, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). “Just playing hard man,” he said. “Just giving all my effort while I’m on the court. Whether that’s ball pressure or trying to dive on the floor for a loose ball, I’m just trying to find any little way to give our team an advantage.” Fultz is averaging a career-high 1.7 steals per contest, per Price, who notes that the 24-year-old doesn’t gamble much while playing disruptive defense. The Magic have gone 12-12 in games Fultz has played and 5-16 without him.
Heat point guard Kyle Lowry recently returned from a four-game absence due to knee soreness. He says it’s been bothering him for a while, but hopes resting it resolved the issue, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It was good to just get myself right,” said Lowry. “My knee has been a little bit bothering me for a while. So it was good to get back. …I feel good. I feel pretty good right now and hopefully it doesn’t re-occur, and we just kind of build on that. You keep the body right and keep the mind sharp.”
Hornets coach Steve Clifford is a fan of JT Thor‘s team-first mentality and defense, but he admits his rotations have the second-year forward in an unenviable position, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer relays. “The guy to be honest with you, who to a certain degree is getting screwed, is JT Thor,” Clifford said. “I’m subbing him in a way — and he knows it and his teammates know it — just so we can keep more balanced lineups on the floor. He’s playing four minutes sometimes, three minutes sometimes. You can’t possibly be productive offensively with those minutes. He gets the minutes, but the way they are broken up, there’s no way. When I told him that, he said, ‘Hey, I know this isn’t about me.’ So, that’s why he has a chance to be a good player.”

Hornets Notes: Bouknight, Jones, Thor, Bridges, Hayward

October 2nd, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Hornets players James Bouknight, Kai Jones and JT Thor are hoping to enjoy more responsibilities with Charlotte this season, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Boone notes that this triumvirate of reserves needs to be prepared when new (returning) head coach Steve Clifford calls their number.

“We’ve talked about the potential of the team,” Jones said. “The biggest thing for us is always just being workers. We talk about that all the time, getting your extra in, coming in whenever you can — early morning, late at night — to be the player that you can be. Fulfill your potential.”

Bouknight reflected on the areas of his game he has been building out during the offseason.

“Just working over the summer on making the right reads on the weak side, passing the ball, playing with my size, playing on the defensive end,” he said. “I just think I’m capable of doing everything on the court, honestly.”

There’s more out of Charlotte:

The future of current Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Charlotte’s leading scorer in 2021/22, remains up in the air. The preliminary hearing in Los Angeles for his three domestic violence felony charges has been pushed back for a fourth time, from September 16 to October 7, according to Michael Gordon and Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges pleaded not guilty to all three charges in July. He remains a restricted free agent.
Oft-injured Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is missing today’s preseason opener after he “banged his knee” in a team practice, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). “He wants to play,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s actually a little upset about it, but it doesn’t make any sense to me and it doesn’t make any sense to [team trainer] Joe [Sharpe].”
In case you missed it, Luke Adams penned a Community Shootaround piece about some of the big questions surrounding the Hornets heading into the 2022/23 season. Weigh in with your thoughts!

Southeast Notes: Butler, Thor, Magic, Dinwiddie

August 9th, 2021 at 8:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After finalizing his new four-year, maximum contract extension over the weekend, All-NBA Heat swingman Jimmy Butler spoke about why he wanted to commit to Miami long-term, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“They allow me to be me here, love who I am as a person and player,” Butler said of the Heat organization. “Love the guys I have an opportunity to hoop with. I think we’ll be a really good team. We’re consistently getting better, adding the right amount of vets to get over the hump and win a championship. It means everything to me to represent this great organization.”

Butler, who turns 32 in September, said that he wants to finish his career in Miami.

“It’s a place for me,” Butler said. “Teammates allow me to be me. When I’m wrong, they’re going to tell me I’m wrong. When I’m right they still probably tell me I’m wrong. I love them for that. Blessing to play with these guys and [head coach Erik Spoelstra] and [team president] Pat Riley.”

A four-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Star, and five-time All-Defensive Team member while with the Bulls, Timberwolves and Heat (he did not earn any of these honors with his other NBA team, the Sixers), Butler showed no signs of slowing down during the 2020/21 regular season. He averaged 21.5 PPG on 49.7% shooting from the field and 86.3% from the free-throw line, as well as career-best averages of 7.1 APG, 6.9 RPG, and 2.1 SPG.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hornets rookie power forward JT Thor was signed to a four-year deal, with the first two seasons guaranteed, using some of Charlotte’s cap space, reports Bobby Marks of ESPN (Instagram video link). The 18-year-old big man was selected with the No. 37 pick out of Auburn in this year’s draft.
The young core of the rebuilding Magic – including rookie lottery picks Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, along with second-year point guard Cole Anthony – is exhibiting encouraging signs of development during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, writes Dan Savage of Magic.com. “It’s about them developing camaraderie, and their ability to just tie together and move forward growing together,” new head coach Jamahl Mosley said of the Summer League squad. “Just continuing to build off each other and for each other.”
After having waived shooting guard Dwayne Bacon this weekend, the Magic project to have an open 15th roster spot, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Robbins anticipates Orlando will probably leave this final roster spot available in case an opportunity arises for the team to take on an unwanted contract – along with a draft pick – into its sizable trade exception.
New Wizards starting point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has several intriguing incentives in his three-year, $62MM deal with Washington, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype details (Twitter link). Dinwiddie will earn a $1.5MM bonus if he plays in 50+ games, $100K if the Wizards win a first-round playoff series, $571K should the Wizards make the Eastern Conference Finals, and $400K if the Wizards qualify for the NBA Finals. As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Instagram video link) first reported, Dinwiddie would net a scant $1 bonus for winning the NBA Finals. Marks added in the same video that the partial guarantee on Dinwiddie’s 2023/24 salary will become fully guaranteed if he plays in 50+ games during the 2022/23 season.