Reggie Perry

Trail Blazers Sign Reggie Perry Via Hardship Exception

DECEMBER 28: The signing is official, according to a team press release.


DECEMBER 27: The Trail Blazers intend to sign big man Reggie Perry to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 57th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Perry spent his rookie year in ’20/21 on a two-way contract with the Nets, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 26 games (8.1 MPG) at the NBA level and putting up 18.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 15 games (28.8 MPG) for the Long Island Nets in the G League.

Perry joined the Raptors for training camp this fall, then joined Toronto’s G League affiliate after failing to secure a spot on the regular season roster. He has averaged a double-double (19.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG) in 11 games (32.0 MPG) for the Raptors 905 this season and has shown an ability to stretch the floor, hitting 2.1 threes per game at a 37.7% clip.

The Blazers, who currently have seven players in the health and safety protocols, have signed three replacement players to 10-day deals so far — Perry will be the fourth.

Raptors Waive Freddie Gillespie, Reggie Perry

The Raptors have made a pair of roster cuts, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived big men Freddie Gillespie and Reggie Perry.

Gillespie, who went undrafted out of Baylor in 2020, averaged a double-double (10.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG) with 2.3 BPG in 15 games (27.8 MPG) for the Memphis Hustle in the G League’s Orlando bubble. That performance earned him a pair of 10-day contracts, then a multiyear deal, with the Raptors. He appeared in 20 games for Toronto down the stretch, recording 5.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 19.6 MPG.

Because Gillespie’s contract wasn’t fully guaranteed beyond the 2020/21 season, the Raptors will only be on the hook for his modest partial guarantee ($50K).

Perry, who was on a non-guaranteed deal, was added to Toronto’s camp roster last month after being let go by Brooklyn earlier in the offseason. Perry spent his rookie year in 2020/21 on a two-way contract with the Nets, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 26 games (8.1 MPG) at the NBA level and putting up 18.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 15 games (28.8 MPG) for the Long Island Nets in the G League.

Perry initially received a qualifying offer, but didn’t accept it, and Brooklyn ultimately took it off the table in mid-August, making the forward/center an unrestricted free agent.

The Raptors will still need to make at least one more cut before opening night next week, since four players – Yuta Watanabe, Sam Dekker, Isaac Bonga, and Ishmail Wainright – remain in the mix for three spots on the 15-man roster. Watanabe is considered a good bet to make the team, so the other players three may be competing for two spots, assuming Toronto carries a full 15-man squad into the regular season.

Raptors Sign Reggie Perry

The Raptors have signed second-year forward Reggie Perry, per a team press release.

Financial details of the move were not disclosed, but Blake Murphy (formerly of The Athletic) tweets that it will be an Exhibit 10 contract for training camp. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into standard or two-way deals and give players like Perry the opportunity to earn bonuses worth up to $50K if they end up joining the club’s G League affiliate after being cut, which seems pretty likely in this case, as Murphy notes.

Both of the Raptors’ two-way contract slots are currently filled, so they would have to waive one of those players in order to convert Perry to a two-way contract. The signing of Perry means that the team’s 20-man training camp roster is now full.

The 57th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Perry played sparingly for the Nets as a rookie last season, seeing action in 26 games and posting averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in just 8.1 MPG.

He did post strong numbers for their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, averaging 18.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 28.8 MPG across 15 games. The team was reportedly high on the former SEC co-player of the year, and he definitely has a chance to make it back to the NBA at some point.

New York Notes: Perry, Thomas, Jokubaitis, Grimes

The Nets rescinded their qualifying offer to Reggie Perry just before Friday’s deadline, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be back for another season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The second-year power forward can no longer accept the offer, which was limited to one year with a $50K guarantee because he was a two-way player last season, and Brooklyn can’t match any offer he might receive in free agency because he’s now unrestricted.

Perry remains with the Nets’ Summer League team and took part in practice today. He wasn’t made available to the media afterward, and coach Jordan Ott said questions about Perry’s future should go to his bosses.

“We just want to leave that to (general manager) Sean (Marks) and (head coach) Steve (Nash),” Ott said. “I’ll say this: He is here, he’s practicing. He’s a Brooklyn Net. He’s part of our summer league team. We coached him just like any other person on our team. We came here to get better. He got better (Saturday). We all got better. We’re going to continue to coach him every day. That’s what we’re all signed up to do. He’s a Brooklyn Net right now, and we’ll continue to coach him.”

There’s more on the two New York teams:

  • The Nets drafted Cameron Thomas well outside of the lottery, but he has been among the most productive rookies so far during Summer League, Lewis writes in a separate story. Going into Friday’s games, Thomas was the top-scoring first-year player in Las Vegas. “Cam, I mean, I don’t even know where to start,” Ott said. “Ultimate gamer, young guy, finds a way often. … Even just getting to the free-throw line when nothing is there, the ability to get to the free-throw line. For a young guy, it’s pretty incredible.”
  • Second-round pick Rokas Jokubaitis won’t finish Summer League play with the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. The 34th overall pick has left Las Vegas to join his Barcelona team, and Berman states that the plan was to have him play in three games. He notes that Jokubaitis saw limited action, but displayed speed, outside shooting and energy on defense.
  • Rookie guard Quentin Grimes had his best offensive showing Friday night, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the second half, Berman writes in another piece. Grimes credits the performance to becoming more aggressive. “I’m starting to get real comfortable,’’ he said. “The first two games, I didn’t shoot it the way I can. But I hung my hat on defense and rebounding and making plays. Allan Houston told me keep shooting, they’re going to fall. Penny (Hardaway) texted me and said you’re a shooter, keep shooting. That’s what you do. That’s what I did today, being aggressive at all times.’’

QO Roundup: Perry, Stanley, Brantley, Forrest, Coffey

The Nets will extend a qualifying offer to power forward Reggie Perry, tweets Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. The 57th pick in the 2020 draft, Perry was acquired in a trade with the Clippers and earned a two-way contract as a rookie. He appeared in 26 games last season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per night.

Because Perry was a two-way player with just one season in Brooklyn, his qualifying offer is limited to one year with a $50K guarantee. The QO means he will be restricted, giving the Nets the right to match any offer when free agency starts Monday.

There are a few more qualifying offers to round up:

  • Cassius Stanley received a QO from the Pacers, according to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). The shooting guard was also a rookie two-way player, so his offer is subject to the same terms as Perry’s. Stanely got into 24 games, averaging 1.5 PPG.
  • The Jazz extended qualifying offers to Jarrell Brantley and Trent Forrest, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic. Brantley, a power forward, averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds in 28 games in his second NBA season, while Forrest, a rookie point guard, appeared in 30 games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 assists per night. Both are two-way players.
  • The Clippers made a qualifying offer to Amir Coffey, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The second-year shooting guard, also on a two-way contract, got into 44 games, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.0 RPG.

Nets Expected To Sign Mike James To 10-Day Deal

APRIL 21, 2:39pm: Stein has now confirmed (via Twitter) that it’ll be a 10-day contract for James. As such, the expectation is that Brooklyn will simply release Aldridge to create a roster spot.


APRIL 21, 12:47pm: There are conflicting reports on the terms of James’ deal with the Nets. Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) suggests it’ll be a two-way contract, while Shams Charania of The Athletic says (via Twitter) it’ll be a 10-day pact.

Signing James to a 10-day contract would simply require waiving Aldridge. Chris Chiozza and Reggie Perry currently occupy Brooklyn’s two-way slots, so one of the two would have to be waived or promoted to the 15-man roster (taking Aldridge’s spot) if the team wants to do a two-way deal with James.


APRIL 21, 11:44am: James will sign with the Nets on Friday, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who confirms (via Twitter) that the veteran guard is still going through the COVID-19 testing protocols.

CSKA Moscow announced (via Twitter) it has reached an agreement with James that will allow him to become a free agent “until the end of the 2020/21 season,” and that he’ll sign with an NBA team soon.

The wording of CSKA’s statement suggests that James’ contract hasn’t been terminated, so it sounds like he’ll be required to report back to the Russian club for 2021/22 after finishing this season with Brooklyn. Andrew Bogut did this a couple years back, joining Golden State in the middle of a two-year contract with the NBL’s Sydney Kings before returning to Australia for the second year.


APRIL 19, 4:00pm: The Nets are in advanced talks with veteran guard Mike James, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times, who tweets that a deal between the two sides could be completed as soon as Tuesday.

Antonis Stroggylakis and Dionysis Aravantinos of Eurohoops initially reported that the Nets were eyeing James, who has also drawn interest from the Knicks. Chema de Lucas subsequently reported (via Twitter) that the 30-year-old was expected to sign a rest-of-season contract with Brooklyn, though Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link) heard that James was one of a couple players the team was interested in.

James, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 assists in 36 total games for Phoenix and New Orleans during the NBA’s 2017/18 season, has been playing in Europe since then. He was having a big year for CSKA Moscow this season, racking up 19.3 PPG and 5.7 APG in 27 EuroLeague contests (31.2 MPG), but was suspended indefinitely by the club following an altercation with head coach Dimitris Itoudis in late March.

James is under contract with CSKA Moscow through 2023, but Eurohoops’ report indicates that the club is willing to accommodate him if he finds an NBA opportunity, while Stein suggests that James has already been released from his contract overseas.

Further clarity on James’ situation should come soon. Assuming he does officially complete a deal with the Nets, he’ll take the roster spot previously held by LaMarcus Aldridge. While Aldridge technically remains under contract with Brooklyn for the time being, he announced his retirement last week and is expected to be waived in a procedural move.

New York Notes: Knicks, Nets, Rose, Claxton/Perry

The outstanding recent play of Knicks veteran big men Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson has appeared to validate the team’s decision not to make a big offer to center Andre Drummond on the buyout market, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman notes that head coach Tom Thibodeau ultimately made the call to not add Drummond.

“Those guys cover so much for us on the defensive end, blocking shots, being in the right position,” All-Star forward Julius Randle raved of the Knicks’ two veteran bigs. “They anchor our defense, honestly. They make my job easier, our guards’ job easier. It’s just amazing to have those two guys behind you. If you make mistakes, they’re going to cover for you.’’

Noel and Gibson have had to step up in the absence of Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, anticipated to miss the rest of the year with a broken foot.

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

  • Thanks to sharpshooting Nets duo Landry Shamet and Joe Harris connecting on 43% of their triples combined since the league’s All-Star break, Brooklyn might have its own poor man’s version of a “Splash Brothers” shooting tandem, writes Matthew Brooks of NetsDaily.
  • 32-year-old veteran Knicks reserve guard Derrick Rose is relishing his second tour of duty in New York, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News“It’s great being on a young team where everybody is locked in, everybody loves playing with one another and everyone is on the same page — which is to win games,” Rose said. “So it’s perfect.”
  • Nets center Nicolas Claxton and power forward Reggie Perry have entered the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN.

Atlantic Notes: Perry, Robinson, Ainge, Powell

During a conversation on the Glue Guys Podcast, do-everything Nets guard Bruce Brown expressed his excitement about rookie power forward Reggie Perry, freshly returned to Brooklyn after logging time in the G League “bubble” for the Long Island Nets. As relayed by Net Income of Nets Daily, Brown raved about Perry.

“The person I hadn’t seen a lot that was killing it in training camp was Reggie Perry,” Brown said. “He looked like he could be in the rotation. He was doing a little bit of everything, hitting threes, jump hooks, killing people, killing (center DeAndre Jordan) low key. He literally was killing training camp.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Though the Knicks have yet to supply a recovery timeline for the fourth metacarpal fracture incurred by center Mitchell Robinson on February 12, a Northwestern University-based orthopedic hand surgeon indicated to Marc Berman of the New York Post that Robinson could be out for a total of six to eight weeks.
  • During a conversation with Brian Robb of Mass Live, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge discussed a variety of topics, including just how active Boston will be in the week leading up to the trade deadline. “I always go into the trading deadline, thinking that there’s something that we can do to help our team,” Ainge said. “I’m not talking about a big talent swing, I’m talking about just incremental positional changes you know one position in place of another, that we could use.”
  • Raptors guard Norman Powell, on a tear of late, has emerged as perhaps Toronto’s top trade asset ahead of the deadline next week, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Powell has an $11.6MM player option for the 2021/22 season.

Nets Notes: All-Stars, Perry, Griffin, 10-Days

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden have become regulars at the All-Star Game, but it’s still an important event for all three of them, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Nets‘ trio, which has combined for 27 All-Star appearances, will technically be teammates Sunday on Team Durant, although Durant won’t be in Atlanta because of a strained left hamstring.

“For the All-Star Game, that’s always a blessing,” Harden said. “That means you’re doing something right. That means you’re playing extremely well up to that point. You never want to take opportunities like that for granted. So I’m blessed. I’m fortunate to be a part of my ninth All-Star Game.”

There’s more from Brooklyn:

  • Brooklyn has recalled Reggie Perry from the G League, Lewis adds in the same story. The rookie power forward averaged 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and shot 52.1% from the field in 15 games for Long Island. He appeared in 14 games for Brooklyn before being sent to the G League bubble.
  • The Nets are rumored to be the favorites to sign Blake Griffin, who agreed to a buyout with the Pistons this week, and Dan Devine of The Ringer believes he would be a good fit in Brooklyn. With Durant recovering slowly from his hamstring issue and Jeff Green dealing with an injured shoulder, the Nets need could use help in the frontcourt. Griffin could provide valuable minutes at power forward and may even split time with Green as a backup center. Devine believes Griffin might be rejuvenated by being surrounded with so much talent, and his play-making skills could make Brooklyn’s offense even more dangerous.
  • The Nets are letting their three 10-day contracts expire during the All-Star break, according to a NetsDaily story. Tyler Cook‘s deal ended today, while contracts for Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert will expire Sunday. A league source told NetsDaily there’s no urgency to sign any of them to a second 10-day deal because Brooklyn doesn’t play again until Thursday.

New York Notes: Green, Rose, Nash, Knicks Fans

Veteran Nets forward Jeff Green hopes to play “until the wheels fall off,” he told the New York Post’s Steve Serby in an extended interview. “Hopefully I’ll play another 10 years, but who knows?” the 34-year-old said. Green touched on a wide variety of subjects, from his college tenure with Georgetown to his life-saving heart surgery while with the Celtics to his three dream dinner guests.

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

  • Luck has been with new Knicks team president Leon Rose thus far this season, says Marc Berman of the New York Post. The 17-17 Knicks have also benefited from several savvy decisions by Rose, including the hirings of new head coach Tom Thibodeau and ex-Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne, the drafting of exciting point guard Immanuel Quickley and athletic dunker Obi Toppin, and the retention of forward Julius Randle, who has blossomed into an All-Star this year.
  • Nets head coach Steve Nash anticipates that rookie power forward Reggie Perry will improve as a three-point shooter, according to Chris Milholen of Nets Daily. “We like Reggie’s skill set,” Nash said. “He’s a guy that can develop into a very good three-point shooter and he’s got a good feel for the game.” Perry is currently connecting on 16.7% of his 0.9 three-point attempts per game with Brooklyn, but has taken major strides while with the Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, on the NBAGL Orlando “bubble” campus. There, Perry has made 44% of his 2.3 triple attempts a night, across 11 games.
  • Knicks fans are spending hundreds of dollars on rapid PCR pre-game COVID-19 tests, according to Sara Dorn and Khristina Narizhnaya of the New York Post. Up to 2,000 fans can attend games in Madison Square Garden, provided they test negative within three days of a game’s start time.