Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Nathan Knight To Two-Way Contract

July 21st, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 21: The signing is official, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).

JULY 19: The Knicks are signing free agent big man Nathan Knight to a two-way contract, according to Anil Gogna of NoTradeClause.com (Twitter link). A source confirmed to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (Twitter link) that an agreement is in place.

Knight, who will turn 26 in September, spent the last two seasons in Minnesota after playing for the Hawks as a rookie in 2020/21. In 108 games across three seasons, he holds career averages of 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per night.

The Timberwolves had a minimum-salary team option on Knight for the 2023/24 season but turned it down and opted not to issue him a qualifying offer, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The 6’10” forward/center averaged a double-double (20.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG) at William & Mary during his final college season in 2019/20, but has yet to establish himself as a rotation player at the NBA level. This is his final season of two-way eligibility — his two-way deal will allow him to be active for up to 50 regular season games for the Knicks.

New York previously signed Jaylen Martin to a two-way contract, so Knight will fill the second of the team’s three two-way slots. The Knicks also issued two-way qualifying offers to Trevor Keels and Duane Washington, who are both still restricted free agents — with just one two-way spot still available, it appears that one of those two RFAs may not be in the club’s plans going forward after all.

Raptors Re-Sign Ron Harper Jr. To Two-Way Deal

July 21st, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 21: Harper’s two-way contract is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

JULY 20: The Raptors are re-signing free agent power forward Ron Harper Jr. to his second two-way contract with the team, his Roc Nation agent Drew Gross informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Harper initially joined the Raptors on a two-way deal last summer after going undrafted out of Rutgers. The 6’6″ Harper appeared in just nine contests for Toronto, averaging 2.2 points and 0.8 rebounds a night.

The 23-year-old made a bigger impact with Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate, the Raptors 905, averaging 16.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 BPG and 1.0 SPG in his 30 games with the club, including 27 starts.

While at Rutgers, Harper, son of five-time champion guard Ron Harper Sr., was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, and an Associated Press All-American honorable mention.

Harper’s solid final games with the Raptors 905 in 2022/23 helped him earn an additional two-way opportunity with Toronto for the 2023/24 season, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Harper will be the second player signed to a two-way contract by the Raptors, joining rookie guard Markquis Nowell. The team also still has a two-way qualifying offer out to guard Jeff Dowtin.

Magic Sign Admiral Schofield To Two-Way Contract

July 20th, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Rory Maher

5:46pm: The re-signing of Schofield to a two-way deal is now official, per a Magic press release (Twitter link).

12:15pm: Free agent forward Admiral Schofield is re-signing with the Magic on a two-way contract, agents Mark Bartelstein and George Roussakis tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A second-round pick in 2019 out of Tennessee, Schofield began his professional career with the Wizards but spent most of the past two seasons with the Magic, providing depth in Orlando’s frontcourt.

In 2022/23, he averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.7 RPG on .451/.324/.913 shooting in 37 games (12.2 MPG).

The 26-year-old had been on a two-way contract for most of his time with Orlando until he was promoted to a standard deal in February. His multiyear contract included a team option for ’23/24, which the Magic declined in late June, making Schofield an unrestricted free agent.

Once Schofield’s new contract is official, the Magic will have 15 players on their standard roster and two of their three two-way spots filled. Guard Kevon Harris occupies the other two-way slot.

NBA teams are permitted to roster 21 players in the offseason as opposed to 18 once the regular season begins(15 on standard deals and three two-way contracts).

Thunder Sign Jack White To Two-Year Deal

July 20th, 2023 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 20: The Thunder have announced in a press statement that the team has officially signed White. Oklahoma City waived veteran forward Rudy Gay to open up a roster spot.

JULY 1: The Thunder are signing free agent forward Jack White to a two-year contract, agent Sammy Wloszczowski tells Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

White had been a restricted free agent after being issued a qualifying offer by the Nuggets. Based on Charania’s wording, it sounds like the Thunder are confident they won’t face resistance on the deal, whether that means Denver won’t match an offer sheet or the Nuggets are dropping the QO, making White unrestricted.

A 6’7″ forward out of Australia, White played four college seasons at Duke from 2016-20 but didn’t have a significant role. He had a bigger opportunity playing for Melbourne United of the NBL, which he used to garner NBA attention.

White played for Denver’s Summer League team last year and impressed, earning a two-way contract from the Nuggets. While he only made 17 appearances for 66 minutes in 2022/23 as a rookie for the reigning champions, he’ll get his ring and now lands a standard contract with OKC.

The 25-year-old had a strong showing for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s G League affiliate) in the ’22/23 regular season, averaging 19.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 0.9 SPG on a .544/.409/.737 shooting line in 15 games (31.3 MPG). He was even more efficient during the fall Showcase cup, averaging 17.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG on .600/.500/.818 shooting in 12 games (32.5 MPG).

Thunder Waive Rudy Gay

July 20th, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 20: The Thunder have officially released Gay, per a press statement.

JULY 19: The Thunder are waiving forward Rudy Gay, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Gay, who turns 37 next month, has been traded twice this offseason. The Jazz sent him to Atlanta in the John Collins deal, and then the Hawks moved him to Oklahoma City in a salary dump.

As Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets, releasing Gay will open up a roster spot, which the Thunder will use to officially sign Jack White. The two sides agreed to the terms of a contract on July 1, but OKC made some trades to add draft assets, temporarily putting the deal on hold.

Gay has had a long and highly productive NBA career, often popping up on lists of the best players to have never been an All-Star. He averaged at least 17 points and five rebounds per game in 10 consecutive seasons from 2007-2017 with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Kings.

While the 17-year veteran was still a solid performer as recently as 2020/21 with the Spurs, he battled injuries over his two seasons with the Jazz, appearing in just 111 of a possible 164 regular season games. His production slipped as well, with Gay posting career lows in virtually every major statistic over the past two campaigns.

Overall, Gay has appeared in 1120 regular season contests, including 779 starts, with career averages of 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.7 BPG on .452/.346/.799 shooting in 30.9 MPG. In ’22/23, he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting in 56 games (14.6 MPG).

Gay is virtually certain to go unclaimed on the waiver wire, as he’ll earn a guaranteed $6,479,000 in ’23/24, which is the final year of his contract. The Thunder will be on the hook for that full amount in a couple days if he isn’t claimed, while the former UConn star will become an unrestricted free agent.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic previously identified the Warriors as a team that might be interested in Gay if he were to hit the open market.

Jazz Re-Sign Johnny Juzang To Two-Way Contract

July 19th, 2023 at 9:23pm CST by Luke Adams

9:23pm: Juzang’s two-way deal is official, the Jazz announced.

12:36pm: The Jazz are re-signing free agent guard Johnny Juzang to another two-way contract, his agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

After going undrafted out of UCLA in 2022, Juzang signed a two-way deal with Utah and appeared in 18 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds on .337/.328/.500 shooting in 12.9 minutes per night.

He saw more action and was more productive for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League, recording 20.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.3 APG with a .429/.364/.907 shooting line in 17 regular season appearances (31.6 MPG) for the Jazz’s NBAGL affiliate.

The Jazz issued a two-way qualifying offer to Juzang last month, making him a restricted free agent, but withdrew that offer earlier in July in order to maximize their cap room. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), that was just a logistical move, as the team remained high on the 22-year-old and put another two-way offer on the table for him.

Juzang is accepting that offer after an impressive showing with Utah’s Summer League squad. He put up 17.8 PPG on 53.2% shooting (52.2% on threes) in just 23.8 MPG across four Vegas appearances.

Once Juzang is officially back under contract, the Jazz will have filled their three two-way contract slots. Micah Potter and Joey Hauser are also on two-way deals with the club.

Trevor Keels Returning To Knicks On Two-Way Deal

July 19th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Trevor Keels has re-signed with the Knicks on a two-way deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (via Twitter). According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, it’s a one-year contract (Twitter link).

The 42nd pick of the 2022 draft after one college season at Duke, Keels spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, who gave him a qualifying offer last month in order to make him a restricted free agent. Based on the reported terms, it seems likely that Keels simply accepted his one-year QO in order to return to New York.

Still just 19 years old (he turns 20 in late August), Keels only appeared in three games for the Knicks in 2022/23 for a total of eight minutes. He was a starter for their G League affiliate in Westchester, however, averaging 13.9 points, 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal with a .425/.355/.710 shooting line in 25 regular season games (30.2 minutes per contest).

Once their two-way deal with Nathan Knight is official, the Knicks will have all three two-way slots filled, as former Overtime Elite guard Jaylen Martin occupies the third. That means Duane Washington might be the odd man out — he was given a qualifying offer last month, but the Knicks won’t have any spots available.

Hornets Sign Leaky Black To Two-Way Deal

July 19th, 2023 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 19: Black’s two-way deal with the Hornets is now official, the team announced.

JUNE 23: The Hornets will use one of their two-way slots in 2023/24 on rookie free agent Leaky Black, reports Adam Smith of Inside Carolina. The two sides have agreed to a two-way deal.

A 6’8″ swingman, Black went undrafted out of North Carolina on Thursday. He spent five seasons with the Tar Heels, averaging 7.3 PPG and 6.5 RPG on .411/.326/.702 shooting in 33 games (32.1 MPG) during his super-senior year in 2022/23.

While Black’s offensive contributions are modest, he’s considered an asset on the other end of the floor, having made the ACC’s All-Defensive team in both 2022 and 2023.

Prior to attending UNC, Black was born and raised in Concord, North Carolina, so it’s a local signing for the Hornets.

Xavier Sneed, one of the players who finished the 2022/23 season on a two-way contract with the Hornets, has a deal that covers ’23/24 as well. Assuming Charlotte hangs onto him, the team will be able to carry one more two-way player in addition to Sneed and Black.

Nuggets Sign Andrew Funk, Armaan Franklin To Exhibit 10 Deals

July 18th, 2023 at 8:41pm CST by Luke Adams

8:41pm: The Nuggets have signed both players to training camp contracts, according to a team press release.

10:37am: The Nuggets have reached contract agreements with a pair of undrafted free agents, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who reports (via Twitter) that rookie shooting guards Andrew Funk and Armaan Franklin will sign Exhibit 10 deals with the team.

Funk spent four years at Bucknell before transferring to Penn State for his final college season. He averaged 12.5 PPG and shot 41.2% on three-pointers as a “super-senior” in 2022/23. Of his 351 total field goal attempts, 272 came from beyond the arc.

Franklin spent two years at Indiana and then two at Virginia before forgoing his final season of NCAA eligibility. In 2022/23, he averaged 12.4 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .373 3PT% in 33 games (29.5 MPG). His Exhibit 10 agreement with the Nuggets was first reported shortly after the draft.

Both Funk and Franklin played for Denver’s Summer League team in Las Vegas this month. Although neither had a significant role, the Nuggets apparently liked what they saw enough to add the duo to their training camp roster.

The Nuggets will have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals once they complete their reported signings, so there probably won’t be room for Funk or Franklin on the regular season roster.

Funk and Franklin may end up becoming affiliate players for Denver’s G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold. Their Exhibit 10 agreements would make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $75K as affiliate players.

Suns Sign Bol Bol

July 18th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 18: The signing is official, according to the NBA transactions log.

JULY 16: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward/center Bol Bol to a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bol’s deal with Phoenix will be fully guaranteed.

The move had been expected since last weekend, when reports indicated that the Suns were the frontrunners to sign Bol. The 23-year-old was waived earlier this month by Orlando, as the Magic opted to move on from him before his salary for 2023/24 became guaranteed.

A second-round pick in 2019, Bol was limited to 53 games in Denver during his first three years in the NBA due to injuries, but enjoyed his best season in 2022/23 with the Magic. The 7’2″ big man stayed on the floor for 70 games and averaged 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 21.5 minutes per night.

Given his modest $2.2MM salary and his unique skill set, it was a little surprising that the Magic decided to move on from Bol, but he struggled to consistently produce during the second half of last season. In his final 29 games, his playing time and shooting efficiency dropped off, as he scored double-digit points just three times and recorded averages of 5.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 0.7 BPG on .447/.098/.806 shooting.

The Suns agreed to trade Cameron Payne to San Antonio in order to open up a roster spot for Bol, who will sign a minimum-salary contract. Once both moves are official, the club will be carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Jordan Goodwin and Ish Wainright on non-guaranteed deals.

Bol figures to compete for minutes in a frontcourt that includes big men Deandre Ayton, Drew Eubanks, and Chimezie Metu.