Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Reportedly Intend To Cut Trevor Keels

July 24th, 2023 at 9:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

To create a two-way roster slot for swingman Dylan Windler, the Knicks intend to release incumbent two-way shooting guard Trevor Keels, sources inform Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’5″ wing was just reportedly re-signed to a second two-way deal with New York less than a week ago. He signed his first two-way contract a year ago after being selected with the No. 42 pick out of Duke in the 2022 draft.

The 19-year-old appeared in a scant three contests for New York’s NBA squad, averaging just 2.7 MPG. In 25 regular season bouts with the Westchester Knicks, the team’s G League affiliate, Keels averaged 13.9 PPG on .425/.355/.710 shooting. He also notched 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

Keels was an ACC All-Rookie Teamer during his lone collegiate season, averaging 11.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 2.7 APG in his 36 regular season games with the Blue Devils, including 26 starts.

Once the Knicks complete their roster shuffling, it appears their three players on two-way contracts will be Windler, Nathan Knight, and Jaylen Martin.

Quenton Jackson Released By Wizards

July 24th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have waived guard Quenton Jackson, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.

After going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022, the 6’5″ wing first joined Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, in the fall of the 2022/23 season. The Wizards then inked him to a two-way deal in February.

In nine games with the Wizards proper, Jackson averaged 6.2 PPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 RPG. Across 29 contests off the bench for the Go-Go, the 24-year-old posted averages of 15.5 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG and 1.4 SPG, with a shooting line of .535/.395/.775 shooting.

With Jackson now off their books, the Wizards have just one player, forward Eugene Omoruyi, signed to an official two-way contract heading into 2023/24. Washington can sign up to three players to two-way deals and will reportedly fill one of its open slots with guard Jared Butler.

Bulls Sign Onuralp Bitim To Two-Way Contract

July 24th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

JULY 24: Bitim’s two-way deal is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

JULY 21: Turkish guard/forward Onuralp Bitim has agreed to a two-way contract with the Bulls, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Bitim, 24, was a second-team EuroCup player for Bursaspor in Turkey last year and a Turkish League champion in 2019. He averaged 18.1 points and 3.2 assists in 18 EuroCup games last season.

Rumors regarding Bitim joining the Bulls on a two-way began percolating overseas shortly after the draft. However, he did not join the Bulls for Las Vegas Summer League and it was unknown whether he would join the team. The two sides apparently reached an agreement in the interim and now Bitim slots into the Bulls’ third and final two-way contract spot.

Rookie center Adama Sanogo joined the Bulls on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of UConn and forward Justin Lewis signed a two-year two-way deal toward the end of last season.

The Bulls also have 13 players on standard contracts. Carlik Jones‘ non-guaranteed salary of $1.9MM becomes partially guaranteed for $250K on the first day of the regular season, so the team has a pathway to another roster spot if he is waived by the start of next season. Additionally, the Bulls were granted a $10.2MM disabled player exception for the season-ending injury of Lonzo Ball, though it only generates cap flexibility, not an extra roster spot.

The Bulls still have Ayo Dosunmu‘s restricted free agency to handle as well as the possible returns of Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr. and/or Terry Taylor. Taylor spent last season in Chicago on a two-way deal, so Bitim’s signing makes his return less likely.

Duane Washington Cut By Knicks

July 24th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Guard Duane Washington Jr. has been cut by the Knicks, the team officially announced (Twitter link).

Washington had been a two-way restricted free agent after New York tendered a qualifying offer his way earlier this summer, but after the team filled up all three of its two-way slots heading into the 2023/24 season, his days with the team became numbered.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), Washington picked up his qualifying offer, prompting the Knicks to release him. Katz adds that the team will now make an additional decision on the fate of another of its two-way players so it can accommodate swingman Dylan Windler, who has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the team.

A 6’3″ combo guard, Washington went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021, but ultimately latched on with the Pacers for a lengthy rookie season run in 2021/22. He began his run with Indiana on a two-way deal, but saw his contract converted to a standard agreement in the spring of 2022. Across 48 contests, including seven starts, he averaged 9.9 PPG on .405/.377/.754 shooting splits, along with 1.8 APG and 1.7 RPG. He was cut in the offseason.

Washington spent his sophomore NBA stint with the Suns and Knicks on a pair of two-way deals. He appeared in 31 games for a depth-plagued Phoenix club, but didn’t crack New York’s rotation.

Across five G League contests for New York’s NBAGL affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, Washington averaged 16.6 PPG on a .424/.368/1.000 slash line. He also logged averages of 2.8 APG and 1.6 RPG.

Ayo Dosunmu Re-Signs With Bulls

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 23: The Bulls have officially re-signed Dosunmu, the team confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 21: The Bulls will retain shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu on a three-year deal worth $21MM, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The contract was confirmed by Dosunmu’s agent, Mike Lindeman of Excel Basketball, Wojnarowski adds.

Chicago made Dosunmu a restricted free agent by extending a $5,216,324 qualifying offer last month. The Bulls would have been able to match any offer he received, which likely limited his interest on the open market. The Raptors were the only team reported to be considering Dosunmu over the past three weeks.

The 23-year-old guard appeared in 80 games last season, making 51 starts and averaging 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.2 minutes per night. However, his playing time and effectiveness both decreased after Chicago signed Patrick Beverley late in the season.

Chicago selected Dosunmu with the 38th pick in the 2021 draft and he made an immediate impact, starting 40 of the 77 games he played as a rookie. He earned a combined $2.49MM during his first two years in the league, so the new contract represents a significant raise.

Once Dosunmu’s contract becomes official, the Bulls will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts and will be about $3MM below the luxury tax, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Carlik Jones is also on the roster, but his $1.9MM deal is non-guaranteed until opening night.

The Bulls also re-signed Coby White this summer and brought in free agent guard Jevon Carter, so the competition for backcourt minutes will have to be worked out in training camp.

Lester Quinones Accepts Two-Way Offer From Warriors

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:16am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 23: Quinones’ new two-way deal is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

JULY 21: Lester Quinones will remain with the Warriors on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He will be given a “strong opportunity” to earn a standard deal in training camp, Charania adds.

The 22-year-old guard signed a two-way deal with Golden State last summer after going undrafted out of Memphis. He appeared in just four NBA games as a rookie, spending most of his time in the G League.

Quinones was a standout with the Warriors’ Summer League team, averaging 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in seven games between Las Vegas and the California Classic.

Golden State extended a two-way qualifying offer to Quinones in late June. That offer gives the player an option to return to his team on a two-way contract for another season with a small guarantee.

The Warriors don’t have any two-way players currently under contract, so they will still have two spots open once Quinones’ deal becomes official.

Javon Freeman-Liberty Signs Two-Way Deal With Raptors

July 22nd, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 22: Freeman-Liberty’s two-way contract with the Raptors is now official, the team announced in a press release.

JULY 21: Free agent guard Javon Freeman-Liberty is signing a two-way deal with the Raptors, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Chicago native went undrafted out of DePaul (which is also in Chicago) in 2022, signing an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with his hometown Bulls. Freeman-Liberty, 23, played for Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, in his pro debut this past season, averaging 17.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.4 SPG on .497/.390/.756 shooting in 16 regular season games (29.9 MPG).

A 6’4″ guard, Freeman-Liberty also played for the Bulls’ Summer League squads the past two seasons. In Las Vegas this year, he had a very impressive run, averaging 21.2 PPG in five games while shooting 49.3% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc en route to a spot on the All-Summer League Second Team.

As Blake Murphy of Sporsnet.ca notes (via Twitter), the Raptors have Markquis Nowell and Ron Harper Jr. on two-way deals, so Freeman-Liberty will fill the third and final two-way slot for now. Jeff Dowtin, who finished the season on a two-way deal and was given a qualifying offer, remains a restricted free agent.

The Raptors currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so there’s room on the roster for Exhibit 10 deals to secure G League rights and to possibly have a camp battle for the 15th spot, Murphy adds. NBA team can carry up to 21 players under contract in the offseason, but only 18 during the season (15 standard, three two-way deals).

Raptors Sign Jeff Dowtin To Training Camp Contract

July 22nd, 2023 at 5:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

5:12pm: Dowtin has officially re-signed with the Raptors, per a press release from the team.

3:25pm: Guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. is inking a training camp contract with the Raptors, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Though terms of the agreement have yet to be divulged, sources inform Charania that, should Dowtin qualify for the club’s standard roster on opening night, he would earn “a significant salary guarantee.”

Dowtin had been a two-way restricted free agent after Toronto extended a qualifying offer his way.

The 6’3″ point guard has bounced around the league since going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2021. Prior to his Raptors run, he suited up for limited stints with the Warriors, Bucks and Magic in 2021/22.

Dowtin finished his 2022/23 season with the Raptors on a two-way contract. Across 25 NBA contests, he averaged 2.4 PPG, 1.2 APG and 0.9 RPG. In 19 games for Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate, Raptors 905, Dowtin averaged 16.9 PPG on .502/.413/.771 shooting, along with 6.1 APG, 4.2 RPG and 1.7 SPG.

With all of Toronto’s two-way slots occupied, a standard spot would be necessary for Dowtin to join the club this year.

Per our two-way contract tracker, the Raptors currently have two players signed to two-way contracts in guard Markquis Nowell and power forward Ron Harper Jr. While it has been reported that the team has also added guard Javon Freeman-Liberty into its third and final two-way vacancy, that agreement is not yet official.

Hawks Sign Wesley Matthews

July 22nd, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

JULY 22: Matthews’ deal with the Hawks is official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

JULY 21: Free agent wing Wesley Matthews has agreed to a one-year deal with the Hawks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN.

Matthews, 36, is joining the Hawks after spending the last two seasons – and three of the last four – with the Bucks. In three seasons in Milwaukee, Matthews averaged 5.5 points and shot 34.6% from beyond the arc. Matthews joins Patty Mills as the second veteran shooter the Hawks have added this offseason.

The Hawks now have 17 players on standard contracts. Guard Tyrese Martin‘s $1.7MM contract is on track to become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived today (unless he agrees to push that guarantee date back) while guard Vit Krejci‘s $1.8MM contract is non-guaranteed with a Jan. 7 guarantee date.

Just because Martin and Krejci are on non-guaranteed contracts doesn’t mean they are necessarily on the chopping block. Atlanta has reportedly been exploring deals involving both Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter after shipping out John Collins earlier this offseason, so the team could theoretically create more roster spots via trades of Capela, Hunter or other players on the roster, like Garrison Mathews or Bruno Fernando, who each played sparingly after arriving in Atlanta at the trade deadline.

Further, we don’t yet know the nature of Matthews’ contract with Atlanta. While Wojnarowski reports that Matthews is signing a one-year deal, it will likely be worth the veteran’s minimum, and it’s unclear whether or not it’ll be fully guaranteed.

Hawks Waive Tyrese Martin

July 21st, 2023 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

3:31pm: The move is official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

10:51am: The Hawks intend to waive swingman Tyrese Martin, reports Grant Afseth of DallasBasketball.com and HoopsAnalysis.net (Twitter link). A league source confirms the news to Hawks reporter Brad Rowland (Twitter link).

The 51st overall pick in the 2022 draft, Martin appeared in just 16 games for the Hawks as a rookie after signing a standard contract with the team. He scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his 66 total minutes at the NBA level.

Martin saw more frequent playing time for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, averaging 18.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .503/.366/.805 shooting in 23 regular season contests (33.9 MPG) for Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

Although Martin’s contract covered the 2023/24 season, his minimum ($1.72MM) salary was non-guaranteed. He had a July 21 salary guarantee date, so the Hawks would have been on the hook for that full amount if they had kept him on the roster beyond Friday.

Waiving Martin will reduce Atlanta’s roster to 15 players on standard contracts, but the team is reportedly signing Wesley Matthews, so at least one more player will have to be waived or traded before the regular season begins.