Matt Mooney Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Lopez, Mooney, Bacon, Maledon

August 9th, 2024 at 4:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Mexican guard/forward Karim Lopez, who is ESPN’s top-ranked international prospect in the 2026 draft class and a potential lottery pick, has signed with the New Zealand Breakers as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program, he told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), Lopez signed a two-year deal with the Breakers. The 17-year-old is known for his two-way versatility, basketball instincts and competitiveness, Givony adds.

Here are a few more international notes:

Former NBA guard Matt Mooney has also signed a contract with the Breakers, the team announced in a press release. Mooney played four games with Cleveland and one with New York in two different NBA seasons. The 28-year-old, who is known for his shooting ability, spent the 2023/24 campaign in Italy with Trento after playing in Turkey and Spain the previous two seasons.
Dwayne Bacon, who played four NBA seasons with Charlotte and Orlando from 2017-21, has signed with Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg, according to a team press release (hat tip to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando). The veteran guard/forward has spent the past few seasons playing in Monaco, Greece and China.
Free agent guard Theo Maledon is nearing a contract agreement with ASVEL in his native France, reports Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of BeBasket (Twitter link). The 34th pick of the 2020 draft, Maledon has appeared in 177 NBA games over the past four seasons with Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Phoenix. He has been a free agent since he was released by the Suns in March, later suiting up for Orlando’s Summer League squad. The 23-year-old started his professional career with ASVEL in 2017.

Knicks Re-Sign Damyean Dotson, Matt Mooney

December 31st, 2021 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After their initial 10-day hardship contracts expired overnight, Damyean Dotson and Matt Mooney have each signed a second 10-day deal with the Knicks, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.

Neither Dotson nor Mooney played much during their first 10 days with New York. Dotson got into two games and logged 21 total minutes, while Mooney only made a brief cameo on Christmas Day. However, the two shooting guards provided the Knicks with some depth while they dealt with a minor COVID-19 outbreak.

New York still has four players in the health and safety protocols and Danuel House is the only other player currently on a 10-day deal with the team, so Dotson and Mooney will stick around a little longer.

Dotson will earn $102,831 over the course of his 10-day contract, while Mooney will make $85,578. Neither figure will count toward team salary for cap or tax purposes.

Knicks Sign Matt Mooney Via Hardship Exception

December 21st, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 21: The Knicks have officially signed Mooney to a 10-day contract, according to the team (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 20: Free agent shooting guard Matt Mooney is signing a 10-day contract with the Knicks via a hardship exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Mooney, who went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2019, began his first professional season with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, before signing a two-way contract with the Cavaliers. He appeared in four NBA games as a rookie, logging just 19 total minutes.

Mooney played for the Raptors’ G League team in 2020/21, then joined the Mexico City Capitanes this season. He has struggled with his three-point shot through 12 G League games in ’21/22, making just 27.6% of his outside attempts, but he’s still averaging 15.2 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 2.2 SPG in 32.8 MPG, and has displayed a more reliable three-pointer in past NBAGL seasons.

The Knicks are signing a series of replacement players to fill out a roster hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. Tyler Hall joined the team on Sunday and Damyean Dotson has reportedly agreed to a 10-day deal as well.

Cavs Place Randolph, Matthews, Mooney On Waivers

December 19th, 2020 at 12:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have waived guards Levi Randolph, Charles Matthews and Matt Mooney, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.

The most significant cut is Mooney, since he was on a two-way deal. That opens up a two-way slot, with the other occupied by Lamar Stevens.

The moves leave Cleveland with 16 players on the official roster, one over the limit. Big men Marques Bolden and Dean Wade are candidates for the two-way contract, though Wade would have to go through waivers before he could sign that deal.

Randolph was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal last month. He’ll likely wind up with their G League team, the Canton Charge.

Randolph, 28, has been trying to break into the NBA since graduating from Alabama in 2015. He has been part of Cleveland’s training camp the past two seasons and signed a two-way contract in January, but was waived six days later. Randolph led the Charge in scoring last year at 16.9 PPG.

Matthews was also on an Exhibit 10 contract. He spent one season at Kentucky in 2015/16 before transferring to Michigan, where he played for two seasons. Matthews declared early for the draft in 2019, but tore his ACL during a team workout.

Mooney signed a two-way contract with the Cavs last January after going undrafted in 2019. He made four brief appearances with Cleveland last season and saw action in 42 G League games, averaging 13.1 PPG and 5.1 APG in 31.2 MPG.

Cavaliers Unsure When Kevin Porter Jr. Will Report To Camp

December 6th, 2020 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers forward Kevin Porter Jr. continues to work through his legal issues and there’s not a definite date for him to join the team for training camp, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Porter was arrested last month after a single-car accident in which police allegedly found a .45-caliber handgun and suspected marijuana in his vehicle. A judge dismissed the marijuana charge Wednesday, and a grand jury will determine what to do with the gun charge.

The Cavaliers are working with Porter, his agents and the league to try to resolve the matter and are hoping he will eventually be able to return with a clean record. However, there’s no way to know when that might happen. The organization is committed to helping Porter get through this incident, Fedor adds.

“We’re in the human being business. And no matter what our ups and downs are, our responsibility is to look out for one another and take care of one another and try to help one another as best we possibly can. And we’ll continue to do that,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “So we won’t give up on anybody. We’ll continue to give people the best opportunity to make themselves into the best version of themselves that we possibly can until you leave that door, and then even then we’ll maintain relationships with you and try to help you if we ever possibly can. But we’re all in on all of our guys. And that won’t change.”

Porter, 20, was the last pick of the first round in the 2019 draft. He showed flashes of promise during his rookie season, averaging 10.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 50 games.

The Cavs also started camp without JaVale McGee, Matt Mooney and Levi Randolph, Fedor adds. McGee, who was acquired in a trade with the Lakers, is expected to join the team soon and Bickerstaff believes he will be able to contribute right away.

“JaVale is a guy who has helped teams win titles and protects the paint and I think he benefits our young guys in a major way,” Bickerstaff said. “His ability to protect them on the defensive end of the floor and then his ability to roll to the rim, I think he fits. Obviously Dre (Andre Drummond) can do those things as well so we think it’s a really, really good pairing.

Randolph played in the AmeriCup Qualifying tournament and didn’t sign with Cleveland until Tuesday. New NBA guidelines require anyone with a new contract on December 1 or later to undergo separate COVID-19 testing protocols before being cleared for workouts. Fedor states that his restrictions could be lifted in a few days. Mooney, who inked a two-way contract, may join the team today.

Cavs Sign Matt Mooney To Two-Way Contract

January 15th, 2020 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

3:26pm: The Cavaliers have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Mooney to a two-way contract.

8:00am: After releasing Levi Randolph on Sunday to open up a two-way contract slot, the Cavaliers are expected to fill that opening by signing G League guard Matt Mooney, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It’ll be a two-year, two-way deal for Mooney, Fedor adds.

An undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech, Mooney signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Grizzlies in September and spent training camp with Memphis. Once the regular season got underway, he joined the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, where he has started 22 of 24 games, averaging 12.6 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.7 SPG with a shooting line of .479/.368/.955.

Mooney, who will be Cleveland’s second two-way player alongside Dean Wade, will be eligible to spend up to 24 days in the NBA before the G League regular season ends in March. If the Cavs keep him for the entirety of his new two-way contract, Mooney will be eligible for restricted free agency during the summer of 2021.

The signing will give the Cavs a full roster, though two of the players on their 15-man squad – Alfonzo McKinnie and Tyler Cook – are on 10-day contracts that will expire this weekend.

Grizzlies Sign Dusty Hannahs, Waive Matt Mooney

October 14th, 2019 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have signed Dusty Hannahs, waiving Matt Mooney in a corresponding move to create an opening on their roster, the team announced today in a press release. The moves were first reported by Jon Roser of Grind City Media, who tweets that Hannahs’ deal is an Exhibit 10 contract.

Hannahs, 26, made his NBA debut for the Grizzlies late last season when he signed a 10-day contract with the club. The 6’3″ shooting guard appeared in just two games for the Grizzlies, having spent most of his season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

The former Arkansas standout averaged 14.5 PPG on .477/.413/.926 shooting in 49 games (25.6 MPG) in the NBAGL last season. He also played for the Grizzlies’ Summer League teams in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas in July, averaging 12.0 PPG in nine games.

According to Roser, both Hannahs and Mooney are expected to return to the G League and play for the Hustle in 2019/20. Mooney figures to be an affiliate player, while the Grizzlies hold Hannahs’ returning rights. Each player will be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Hustle.

Grizzlies Sign Matt Mooney To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 4th, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 4: The deal is now official, per a release from the team.

AUGUST 17: The Grizzlies have agreed to sign Matt Mooney to an Exhibit 10 deal, as the guard tells KeloSports. Mooney will likely end up playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

The 6’3″ guard helped lead Texas Tech to the National Championship game last season, though the team lost to Virginia. He’s the third member of that squad to ink an NBA contract this offseason with Jarrett Culver joining the Wolves and Tariq Owens finding himself on the Suns.

Mooney said he had been deciding between the Grizzlies and the Heat for his first deal in the NBA. He’ll join Memphis for training camp.

The Grizzlies currently have a full 20-man roster, so they’ll need to make a trade or a cut before officially signing Mooney.

Heat Notes: Free Agency, Leonard, Okpala, Mooney

August 22nd, 2019 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat won’t be in the market for any of the remaining free agents unless they trade someone from their current roster, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The hard cap that the team has been operating under since the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade has put a severe limit on its flexibility. Miami is already uncomfortably close to its $138.9MM limit.

That means potential additions such as Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony are off the table unless the Heat make another move to open space. They could release Kendrick Nunn, whose contract isn’t fully guaranteed, but Winderman considers that unlikely. If they decide to trade someone in exchange for a lesser salary, Winderman identifies Meyers Leonard, who will earn $11.3MM this season, as a possibility. He adds that they may try to move Goran Dragic by the deadline or save their next significant moves for next summer.

There’s more this morning from Miami:

Second-round pick KZ Okpala wouldn’t object to spending time in the G League if it’s necessary to get consistent playing time, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson notes that a similar path worked for Josh Richardson, who played four games for Sioux Falls as a second-round pick in 2015. “I trust the staff and whatever they say is best,” Okpala said. “I believe in that and will go into it with a good foot forward.”
Free agent guard Matt Mooney, who agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies last week, received the same offer from the Heat, Jackson notes in the same story. It’s a similar situation to Rayjon Tucker, who recently joined the Bucks, as both players worked out for Miami and were interested in two-way contracts. However, the Heat have decided to let players in training camp compete for two-way deals.
Jackson rates the Heat’s potential interest in six players recently identified by former Hawks GM Wes Wilcox as among the most likely to be traded: Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala and Devin Booker. Miami’s interest in Beal is well known, and he would be at the top of the list if he becomes available. The Heat had discussions about Paul, but won’t make a deal unless they get their two first-round picks back from Oklahoma City. Jackson doesn’t believe Miami would want Love because of his age, contract and injury history, while Iguodala fits better on an immediate contender. However, Jackson sees Booker and Wiggins as possible targets in the future if the Heat can’t land another star in free agency.

Central Notes: Beverley, Bucks, Pacers, Doumboya

June 15th, 2019 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers free agent guard Patrick Beverley would consider signing with the Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). Beverley said he’d enjoy playing in his hometown, though he’d probably take the best offer he can find on the market.

“I am Chicago. I’m from Chicago. I bleed Chicago. I really think I can help the city. I think I can save the city,” Beverley said. “I inspire already. And I’d be a great inspiration just walking around the city of Chicago, knowing I’m from there, knowing that someone made it out and you can go and do the same. I’m a Chicago kid. So of course I’m open to playing for the Chicago Bulls if that’s a team that’s interested in me. At the same time, any decision that is made, it’s never personal. It’s always business.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bucks are the early favorite to win the championship next season, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. The odds from BetOnline.ag have the Bucks as the lukewarm 9-2 choice, followed by the Warriors.
The Pacers will host the Virginia Tech duo of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Justin Robinson in a pre-draft workout on Monday, according to a team press release. Phil Booth (Villanova), Kris Clyburn (UNLV), Matt Mooney (Texas Tech) and KZ Okpala (Stanford) will also visit Indiana’s practice facility. Alexander-Walker is ranked No. 22 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony with Okpala two slots behind him. Devin Cannady (Princeton) JaKeenan Gant (Louisiana-Lafayette), Cameron Jackson (Wofford), Christian James (Oklahoma) and Lamar Peters (Mississippi State) were among the players who visited on Friday, Scott Agness of The Athletic tweets.
Draft prospect Sekou Doumbouya visited the Bulls on Friday, the team’s PR department tweets. The forward plays for Limoges CSP in the French league.