Tre Scott

Nets Sign Malachi Smith

The Nets have signed free agent guard Malachi Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).

Smith, 25, has been playing in the G League since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023. He was with the Rip City Remix and Wisconsin Herd during his rookie year and spent the 2024/25 campaign with the Memphis Hustle, appearing in 46 total games for the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

Smith averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 25.3 minutes per game for the Hustle last season, making 50.1% of his shots from the field, including 34.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The Long Island Nets acquired Smith’s returning rights from Memphis last month, so it’s a pretty safe bet that the plan is for him to be waived in the coming days and then report to Long Island for the G League season. He’ll likely receive a small partial guarantee as part of the arrangement.

While most players who are ticketed for their teams’ NBAGL affiliates sign Exhibit 10 contracts, the Nets have been structuring their deals a little differently this fall since they don’t mind having the bonuses they pay those players count against their cap as they look to reach the NBA’s minimum salary floor. Exhibit 10 bonuses don’t carry a cap hit, but partial guarantees do.

For instance, as Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, when signing with the Nets on Monday, Tre Scott received a standard contract with a $45K partial guarantee, while Terry Roberts got a $25K partial guarantee on his standard deal. Both Scott and Roberts were waived today, per Lewis, but those partial guarantees will continue to count against Brooklyn’s cap.

Nets Sign Terry Roberts, Tre Scott

The Nets have signed free agents Terry Roberts and Tre Scott, the team announced (Twitter link via Keith Smith of Spotrac).

A 6’3″ guard who went undrafted out of Georgia in 2023, Roberts caught on with Long Island in his first post-college season in 2023/24. However, his life was derailed in February 2024 after being shot in the upper chest by a stray bullet.

Roberts, who was temporarily placed on a ventilator as a result of the incident, eventually made a full recovery and returned to Long Island last season. In 31 games in ’24/25, he averaged 6.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 25.7 minutes per contest.

Scott, a 6’8″ forward, has played professionally since 2020. He has spent time in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada but has primarily competed in the G League in recent years. He also had a two-game stint with the Cavaliers in ’21/22.

After playing a modest role with the Osceola Magic during the Tip-Off Tournament last fall, Scott joined Brooklyn’s NBAGL affiliate for the ’24/25 regular season. In 34 games (32.0 MPG) with Long Island, the 28-year-old averaged 11.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.4 SPG.

The terms of the contracts were not disclosed, but both may have signed Exhibit 10 deals, which would make each player eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived in the coming days and then spends at least 60 days in the G League with the Long Island Nets.

It’s worth noting that Brooklyn, which has operated below the NBA’s minimum salary floor for most of the offseason, has also been signing future Long Island players to standard contracts that include a partial guarantee of $85,300. The difference between those contracts and Exhibit 10 deals is that the 60-day requirement is waived and the $85,300 counts against the Nets’ cap. It’s possible Roberts’ and Scott’s contracts are structured that way.

Brooklyn is now back at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract. The Nets opened up a pair of roster spots earlier on Monday when they waived Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme.

Nets Notes: Russell, Thomas, Johnson, Scott

Following the reported trade that will see the Nets send Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Lakers for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated suggested (via Twitter) that Russell could be a buyout candidate to monitor.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears that isn’t being considered (Twitter link), with the two sides planning for Russell to head to Brooklyn for a second stint as Net. The impending free agent made his lone All-Star appearance with the team back in 2018/19, Scotto notes.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac writes, part of the reason a Russell buyout seems unlikely is because he earns $18.7MM, well over the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, so he would be ineligible to sign with teams operating over either of the tax aprons if he were released.

Russell has never been known for his consistency and that has been particularly true in ’24/25, with the former No. 2 overall pick seeing his averages drop across the board, including career lows in points (12.4) and minutes per games (26.2). The 28-year-old has started 510 out of 600 regular season games in which he’s appeared during his 10-year career, but has come off the bench for the majority of this season, making just 10 starts in 29 appearances.

Here’s more from Brooklyn:

  • The Nets will get their leading scorer back on Sunday vs. Orlando, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Cam Thomas, who was previously listed as probable, will return to action after missing the past 13 games with a left hamstring strain. Brooklyn went just 4-9 without the 23-year-old — the team’s offense was ranked eighth in the league prior to the injury, but was 29th in the games he missed, according to Lewis (Twitter links). “He’s done a great job to get himself healthy and ready to play with his teammates…We’re excited to have him back,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez. “His teammates were excited. He was excited, had a smile on his face. So it’s a good day for us.”
  • Forward Cameron Johnson was sidelined on Friday with a hip contusion but he’ll return on Sunday as well, Lewis adds. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), rival teams that continue to be under the impression that the Nets value Johnson and have placed a high asking price for him in trade talks, though it’s unclear what specifically they’re looking for in return. The 28-year-old is posting career highs in several statistical categories.
  • The Nets’ G League affiliate in Long Island has completed a trade, acquiring Tre Scott and a 2026 NBAGL second-round pick from the Osceola Magic in exchange for big man Patrick Gardner. Scott holds two games of NBA experience, having suited up for Cleveland on a 10-day contract back in ’21/22.

Offseason Observations: Exhibit 10 Terms, Okoro, Current FAs, Stretch Provision

With the start of most NBA training camps just 11 days away (and even sooner than that for the Celtics and Nuggets), the 2024 offseason is nearing its end.

Before we put a bow on the summer of 2024, we have one more installment of our "Offseason Observations" to share today, following up on similar articles published in July and August.

Here are some of the under-the-radar cap- and CBA-related stories I'm keeping an eye on as teams around the league prepare for their media days and training camps.


The disparity between Exhibit 10 bonuses

As we've written many teams in recent weeks, when a player signs an Exhibit 10 contract with an NBA team, is waived before the regular season begins, and then spends at least 60 days with his club's G League affiliate, he's eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

We always clarify that those bonuses can be worth "up to" $77.5K because that's the maximum possible Exhibit 10 bonus in 2024/25 (up from $75K a year ago, having increased at the same rate as the salary cap). But not every player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract is able to negotiate that maximum bonus.

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Magic Waive Tre Scott, Myron Gardner

The Magic have placed a pair of players on waivers, cutting forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

Scott, who has played professionally since 2020, has spent time in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada but has primarily competed in the G League in recent years. He split last season between the Greensboro Swarm and the Osceola Magic (Orlando’s affiliate), averaging 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 22.6 minutes per game across 41 total appearances.

Gardner also played for Osecola in 2023/24, appearing in 47 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the team. He posted averages of 5.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 15.4 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .425/.317/.600.

Both Scott and Gardner also played for Orlando’s Summer League team in Las Vegas this July. Because the Magic hold both players’ G League returning rights, Scott and Gardner will be in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses if they reported back to Osceola and spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club this season.

Orlando now has 18 players under contract, including 15 on guaranteed deals, Trevelin Queen on a two-way pact, and Jarrett Culver and Jalen Slawson on Exhibit 10 contracts. The team figures to fill out its 21-man roster before training camp begins.

Magic Sign Jarrett Culver, Two Others To Exhibit 10 Deals

7:43pm: The Magic have confirmed the new signings in a press statement (Twitter link).


7:34pm: Free agent journeyman guard Jarrett Culver has agreed to a deal with the Magic, his agents BJ Bass and Cam Brennick inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that Culver’s contract will include Exhibit 10 language and reveals that free agent forwards Tre Scott and Jalen Slawson are also signing Exhibit 10 training camp deals.

The Suns selected Culver, a 6’6″ shooting guard/small forward out of Texas Tech, with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft and sent him to the Timberwolves in a draft-night deal. The 25-year-old has since also suited up for the Grizzlies and Hawks. Across 144 regular season NBA contests (43 starts), Culver has averaged 6.5 points on .401/.276/.509 shooting splits. He also registered averages of 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 steals per game.

Scott, 27, has mostly suited up for G League affiliate teams since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020. All told, he has appeared on one 10-day hardship deal with the Cavaliers during the 2021/22 season, earning minutes in a pair of NBA games.

The 24-year-old Slawson was drafted by the Kings out of Furman with the No. 54 pick in 2023. Sacramento inked the 6’7″ wing to a two-way contract. He played in 12 games for the Kings during the 2023/24 season, averaging a scant 3.1 minutes per contest.

Orlando has a tandem of two-way contract slots available heading into training camp. According to Beede, Scott and Slawson will now compete against previously-announced signings Myron Gardner and Mac McClung for those two openings. As Beede tweets, Culver will be ineligible to compete for a two-way deal because he has too many NBA years of service.

Exhibit 10 deals can be converted into two-way agreements ahead of an NBA season. If, however, a player is waived by a team, they’ll still have access to a bonus worth as much as $77.5K — provided they spend at least 60 days with their club’s G League affiliate.

Hornets Sign Theo Maledon To Two-Way Deal, Waive Three Players

4:58pm: Maledon’s contract is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

In order to make room for Maledon and Edmond Sumner, who is signing a non-guaranteed one-year deal, Charlotte released Angelo Allegri, Tre Scott and Jaylen Sims. All three players were on Exhibit 10 contracts and will likely be heading to the G League.


4:17 pm: Free agent guard Theo Maledon is returning to the Hornets on a two-way contract, sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the news (via Twitter).

The Hornets gave Maledon a two-way qualifying offer at the end of June, making him a restricted free agent. He was the last restricted free agent left on the board this offseason, and likely just accepted his QO ahead of training camp.

The French point guard was the 34th overall pick of the 2020 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Thunder, but was traded to Houston prior to last season. The Rockets waived Maledon, and he signed a two-way deal with Charlotte a few days later.

Maledon averaged 6.7 PPG, 3.5 APG and 2.8 RPG in 44 games for the Hornets in 2022/23 (19.4 MPG), posting a .402/.297/.851 shooting slash line. Overall, he has appeared in 160 NBA games.

The Hornets will have to release someone to make room for Maledon, as their roster is currently at the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract. The 22-year-old will fill the team’s final two-way spot.

Hornets Sign Jaylen Sims, Three Others

The Hornets have officially signed four players, the team announced this week in a press release. While the Hornets didn’t reveal the terms of the deals in their release, Jaylen Sims, Tre Scott, Nathan Mensah, and Angelo Allegri all received Exhibit 10 contracts, Hoops Rumors can confirm.

Sims, who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2022, spent training camp last fall with the Hornets, then was waived at the end of the preseason. The 6’6″ wing spent his rookie year with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, averaging 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists 25.3 minutes per night across 39 Showcase Cup and regular season games.

Sims is the only one of Charlotte’s new additions whose deal wasn’t previously reported. Scott reached an agreement with the team in August, while Mensah and Allegri agreed to terms with the Hornets right after June’s draft.

Scott appeared in two NBA games for Cleveland during the 2021/22 season but has primarily played in the G League and overseas since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020. Mensah and Allegri went undrafted this June out of San Diego State and Eastern Washington, respectively. Mensah was a two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year with the Aztecs.

The Hornets now have a full 21-man offseason roster. Their squad features 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, one (Frank Ntilikina) with a partial guarantee, one (JT Thor) on a non-guaranteed deal, a pair on two-way contracts, and four on Exhibit 10 pacts.

Charlotte also reportedly reached an agreement on a non-guaranteed contract with R.J. Hunter. The club will have to make a cut at some point if it still intends to complete that deal — if the signing is just for G League purposes, it may not happen until sometime in October.

Sims, Scott, Mensah, and Allegri will likely all end up being waived and reporting to the Swarm for the start of the NBAGL season. Spending at least 60 days with the Hornets’ G League affiliate would allow each player to earn a bonus worth up to $75K.

It’s worth noting, since Charlotte has one two-way slot available, that Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals anytime prior to the first day of the regular season. However, the Hornets still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table to Theo Maledon, so they may envision him being the one to eventually fill that opening.

Hornets, Tre Scott Agree To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Hornets are signing free agent forward Tre Scott to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Scott, who went undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020, signed with French club Fos Provence Basket last summer. However, after he struggled to find success overseas, averaging modest totals of 7.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG on a poor .381/.169/.784 shooting line in 21 LNB Pro A games (20.1 MPG), the 26-year-old returned stateside and finished out 2022/23 with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate.

The 6’8″ forward played much better with the Swarm, averaging 17.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 2.8 APG on .538/.340/1.000 shooting in 10 regular season games (34.5 MPG). Scott spent most of his first two professional seasons in the NBAGL, playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, and the Cleveland Charge.

Scott also made a brief NBA appearance with the Cavaliers during the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2021. He signed a 10-day hardship contract and got in two games, scoring six points and grabbing a couple rebounds in 11 total minutes of action.

The most likely outcome is that Scott will be waived by the Hornets before the 2023/24 season begins. In that scenario, he could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Swarm.

The Hornets have a lot of roster uncertainty at the moment. While they only have 12 players on guaranteed standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, they also have three players on non-guaranteed deals (JT Thor, Kobi Simmons, and Frank Ntilikina), an unsigned draft pick (James Nnaji) and a pair of restricted free agents (P.J. Washington, Theo Maledon) who have yet to sign new contracts.

And-Ones: T. Scott, 2023 Draft, ’23 Cap, Freedom

NBA and G League veteran Tre Scott is headed overseas for the 2022/23 season, having signed with Fos Provence Basket, the French team announced in a press release.

Scott, who went undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020, has spent most of his first two professional seasons in the NBAGL, playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, and the Cleveland Charge.

The 6’8″ forward earned a call-up to the NBA last December during the league’s COVID-19 outbreak, signing a 10-day hardship deal with the Cavaliers. He appeared in two games for the Cavs during his brief NBA stint, scoring six points and grabbing a couple rebounds in 11 total minutes of action.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report shares his first 2023 mock draft, headed by French big man Victor Wembanyama and G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson. Overtime Elite wing Amen Thompson, Duke swingman Dariq Whitehead, and Villanova forward Cam Whitmore round out Wasserman’s initial top five.
  • Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at the teams currently projected to have the most cap room in 2023, including the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Magic.
  • In an interview with Israeli outlet Walla, free agent center Enes Freedom said he hasn’t received any offers from NBA teams this offseason (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops). Freedom attributed that lack of NBA interest to the comments he has made denouncing China, though it’s worth noting that his minutes were already on the decline due to his subpar outside shooting and defense.