Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Bryce McGowens To Two-Way Contract

July 31st, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

July 31: McGowens’ two-way contract with the Pelicans is now official, the team announced in a press release.

July 30: The Pelicans are signing free agent guard Bryce McGowens to a new two-way deal, his Priority Sports agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

McGowens has split his three previous NBA seasons between the Hornets and Trail Blazers.

The Nebraska swingman inked a two-way deal with Charlotte as a rookie in 2022/23, toggling between Charlotte and its NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. His contract was converted to a multiyear standard deal midway through that first pro season. In 105 combined regular season bouts for the Hornets across two years, he averaged 5.2 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 1.0 APG, with a shooting line of .419/.330/.764.

Charlotte cut McGowens in the summer of 2024, and he subsequently agreed to a two-way deal with the Blazers. The 6’7″ wing played a limited role at the NBA level for Portland, averaging just 2.5 MPG across 13 outings.

Still just 22, McGowens put up impressive numbers for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s NBAGL affiliate, in 2024/25. Across 16 regular season bouts, he averaged 29.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .487/.330/.806 shooting. A right rib fracture cut his season short.

McGowens will join fellow two-way signings Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson in New Orleans.

Thunder Sign Malevy Leons To Exhibit 10 Deal

July 30th, 2025 at 3:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have signed free agent forward Malevy Leons, the team announced in a press release.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Rylan Stiles of SI.com says Leons signed an Exhibit 10 contract.

After going undrafted out of Bradley in 2024, Leons signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder last September and was waived before the 2024/25 season began.

At that point, it seemed like Leons would be headed to the G League to start his first professional season, but he was actually re-signed to a standard contract and spent two-plus weeks with the Thunder last fall, earning $126,356 on a minimum-salary deal before being cut in mid-November.

Leons’ NBA contributions were modest. He played 21 total minutes over six appearances and recorded two points, three rebounds and one assist. The 6’9″ Dutch forward was a regular contributor at the NBAGL level with the Oklahoma City Blue though, averaging 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block on .489/.353/.773 shooting in 47 games (26.9 minutes per contest).

The Thunder now have 17 players under contract, plus a reported two-way agreement with Branden Carlson.

An Exhibit 10 is a non-guaranteed training camp contract and is typically designed to ensure a player can receive a bonus worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived before the season begins and spend at least 60 days with their club’s affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, and Oklahoma City will have one open two-way spot after Carlson signs.

Second-Rounder Max Shulga Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics

July 30th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Former VCU standout Max Shulga has signed a two-way contract with the Celtics, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.

Shulga was selected No. 57 overall in the 2025 draft. Boston acquired his rights in a trade with Orlando.

A 6’4″ guard, Shulga was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and played high school basketball in Madrid, Spain. He spent three college seasons at Utah State prior to transferring to VCU in the summer of 2023.

In two seasons with the Rams, Shulga averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 72 games (32.8 minutes per contest). He posted a shooting line of .440/.402/.826 over that stretch and earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors each of the past two seasons. Shulga was also the conference’s Player of the Year in 2024/25.

While Shulga is now officially under contract, the Celtics still have an unsigned second-round pick (No. 46 overall) in big man Amari Williams. He’s also expected to sign a two-way deal, as former ESPN employee Jonathan Givony reported on the second night of the draft.

Shulga will earn $636,435 for his rookie season and can appear in up to 50 games in 2025/26.

Daeqwon Plowden Signs Two-Way Deal With Kings

July 30th, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Rory Maher

2:55pm: Plowden’s two-way deal with Sacramento is official, per the transactions log at NBA.com.

2:06pm: Free agent wing Daeqwon Plowden has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Kings, agent Drew Kelso tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Plowden is a Philadelphia native who spent five college seasons at Bowling Green prior to going undrafted in 2022. The 26-year-old played for the affiliate clubs of the Pelicans and Magic during the 2022/23 and ’23/24 campaigns.

Last July, Plowden signed a two-way contract with the Warriors. While he drew strong reviews for his play in 2024 Summer League, Golden State wound up waiving him last September to make space on the roster for 2024 second-round pick Quinten Post.

The 6’6″ guard/forward caught on with the Hawks organization, signing an Exhibit 10 deal before being waived last October and playing for their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with Atlanta in December and was traded to — and subsequently released by — Phoenix earlier this month.

Plowden made his NBA debut for the Hawks on January 15, recording 19 points and four rebounds while making seven of his eight field goal attempts in 25 minutes. He made four garbage-time appearances over the following four months prior to the season finale on April 13, when he notched 17 points and four rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting in 31 minutes.

Plowden, who participated in the NBAGL’s Up Next event at All-Star weekend in February, recently played for the Kings’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 7.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 14.3 MPG across six contests. He shot 37.5% from deep and was impressive on defense, tweets Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento.

In 40 games with College Park last season, Plowden averaged 15.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.1 SPG (31.7 MPG). He posted a shooting line of .404/.327/.877.

As our tracker shows, Plowden will fill Sacramento’s third and final two-way spot, joining Dylan Cardwell and Isaiah Stevens as players on two-way deals.

Doug McDermott Signs With Kings On One-Year Contract

July 29th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Rory Maher

July 29: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

July 21: Veteran sharpshooter Doug McDermott is re-signing with the Kings on a one-year contract, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, McDermott will earn $3.6MM in 2025/26, which is the veteran’s minimum for a player with 10-plus years of experience.

James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com confirms the news (via Twitter).

McDermott is entering his 12th NBA season and second with Sacramento. He appeared in 42 games last season but didn’t play much, averaging 3.5 points while shooting 43.6% from long distance in a career-low 8.1 minutes per contest.

The 33-year-old forward was a lottery pick back in 2014 (No. 11 overall) after a standout college career at Creighton. While McDermott hasn’t made the same sort of impact in the NBA that he did in college, he remains a dangerous shooter and off-ball cutter who needs to be accounted for at all times on offense, though he is often targeted on the other end of the court.

We’ll have to wait and see whether or not McDermott’s new contract is guaranteed. He will be the 15th player on the Kings’ standard roster, as our tracker shows.

Jordan Miller Signs Two-Way Contract With Clippers

July 29th, 2025 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 29: Miller’s two-way deal is official, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Baldwin has been officially waived, as we detailed in a separate story.

July 26: After waiving Jordan Miller earlier this month, the Clippers are bringing him back on a two-way contract, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old small forward was one of the stars at the Las Vegas Summer League, earning first-team honors after averaging 22 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53% from the field and 39% from three-point range.

L.A. will create an opening for Miller by waiving Patrick Baldwin Jr., according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), who states that the team has interest in signing Baldwin to an Exhibit 10 contract if he clears waivers. TyTy Washington Jr., whose impending signing was reported earlier today, will have an Exhibit 10 deal and will also compete for a two-way contract, Murray confirms.

The Clippers elected to part with Miller 18 days ago rather than give him a $350K guarantee on his $2.19MM salary for next season. His previous contract would have included another guarantee if he earned a spot on the opening night roster.

L.A. originally gave Miller a two-way contract in 2023 after selecting him out of Miami with the 48th pick in the draft. He remained on the two-way deal through most of last season before it was converted to a standard contract on March 1.

Miller appeared in 37 games last season, putting up 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night with .433/.211/.800 shooting numbers.

Kobe Sanders, who signed on July 10, and Trentyn Flowers occupy the team’s other two-way spots.

Clippers Waive Patrick Baldwin Jr.

July 29th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Clippers have waived forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

A report over the weekend indicated that Baldwin would be waived to open up a two-way contract slot for Jordan Miller. That report, from Law Murray of The Athletic, noted that the Clippers would have interest in bringing back Baldwin on an Exhibit 10 contract if he clears waivers.

The 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Baldwin played limited minutes as a rookie in Golden State before being sent to Washington in the Jordan Poole/Chris Paul trade during the summer of 2023. He also played a limited role in D.C. across a season-and-a-half until he was dealt to the Spurs at the 2025 trade deadline. San Antonio waived the 22-year-old shortly after acquiring him and he finished last season on a two-way contract with L.A.

In 93 total NBA outings, Baldwin has averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .405/.373/.658. The 6’9″ forward has played more of a featured role in the G League, including in 2024/25, when he put up 17.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .489/.364/.594 shooting in 23 games for the Capital City Go-Go and San Diego Clippers. He also filled up the box score with 2.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals per contest.

Baldwin still has one more year of two-way eligibility remaining.

The Clippers, meanwhile, can now officially move forward on their new two-way agreement with Miller, who will join Kobe Sanders and Trentyn Flowers as the team’s two-way players.

Pistons Sign Colby Jones To Two-Way Contract

July 29th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Arthur Hill

July 29: The Pistons have officially announced their two-way deal with Jones, confirming the signing in a press release (Twitter link). Jones and Tolu Smith are now on two-way contracts with the Pistons, who still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Daniss Jenkins too.

July 23: Free agent shooting guard Colby Jones will sign a two-way contract with the Pistons, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jones, 23, had a strong finish to last season in Washington after being acquired from Sacramento in a three-team trade at the deadline. In 15 games with the Wizards, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.7 minutes per night while posting .466/.308/.657 shooting numbers.

Jones was traded to Oklahoma City last month, but the Thunder immediately waived his non-guaranteed $2.22MM contract for the upcoming season.

Jones began his career with the Kings after being selected with the 34th pick in the 2023 draft. This will be his first time on a two-way contract.

The Pistons have a two-way opening, so no corresponding roster move will be required before Jones can be signed.

Raptors Release Colin Castleton

July 28th, 2025 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors have waived big man Colin Castleton, the team announced in a press release.

Castleton, who went undrafted out of Florida in 2024, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Lakers, who waived him last October, a few days before the 2024/25 campaign began.

Shortly after being cut by L.A., the 25-year-old caught on with the Grizzlies, again signing a two-way deal. Memphis released him in January.

After spending a few months in the G League, Castleton inked a pair of 10-day deals with Toronto in March before joining the 76ers on a 10-day pact in early April. The Raptors re-signed him to a two-year standard contract on the final day of the regular season.

Castleton’s minimum salary for 2025/26 was non-guaranteed, so the Raptors won’t incur a cap charge by waiving him.

In 26 total appearances for Memphis, Philadelphia and Toronto last season, Castleton averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, Castleton didn’t play well for the Raptors during Summer League action, averaging 2.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 11.5 MPG over five contests in Las Vegas. He shot just 33.3% from the field and struggled with turnovers (1.8 per game).

Castleton’s NBAGL rights are currently controlled by the Magic, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

The Raptors now have 16 players on their standard roster, including 14 players on guaranteed deals, plus A.J. Lawson on a non-guaranteed contract and David Roddy on an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp. All three of their two-way spots are filled, as our tracker shows.

Lawson Lovering, Grizzlies Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

July 28th, 2025 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

Rookie free agent center Lawson Lovering has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies after suiting up for the team during the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link).

Lovering, who went undrafted in June, spent the past two seasons at the University of Utah after starting his college career at Colorado from 2021-23. As a senior in 2024/25, he started all 28 games he played for the Utes, averaging 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.

The seven-footer appeared in a total of seven games for the Grizzlies’ Summer League team in SLC and Vegas, averaging 3.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 12.9 MPG while making 62.5% of his field goal attempts.

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals prior to the NBA regular season. A player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract also becomes eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate, so Lovering could end up joining the Memphis Hustle this fall.