Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Sharife Cooper, Pete Nance

September 13th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have officially signed free agent guard Sharife Cooper and forward Pete Nance, the team announced today in a press release. Cleveland also formally confirmed its deal with Justin Powell, which we previously detailed.

The 48th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cooper spent his rookie year on a two-way contract with Atlanta, then played for the Cleveland Charge in the G League last season. Appearing in – and starting – 25 games for the Charge, he averaged 21.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .431/.316/.853.

Nance’s Exhibit 10 agreement with the Cavs was reported shortly after he went undrafted in June. He has ties to the organization — he’s the son of former Cavs legend Larry Nance and the younger brother of Larry Nance Jr., who spent parts of four seasons with Cleveland.

After spending four seasons with Northwestern, Nance transferred to North Carolina for a “super senior” season in 2022/23, averaging 10.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.1 BPG on .422/.320/.816 shooting in 30 games (30.1 MPG) for the Tar Heels. He had a larger offensive role with the Wildcats in ’21/22, posting 14.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.1 BPG on .497/.452/.768 shooting in 30 games (27.2 MPG).

While it hasn’t been confirmed in each case, Cooper, Nance, and Powell likely all received Exhibit 10 contracts, which can be converted into two-way deals before the regular season or would put them on track to earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they’re waived and then spend at least 60 days with the Charge.

Cleveland now has 20 players under contract, one away from the offseason limit.

Zavier Simpson Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Pistons

September 13th, 2023 at 7:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SEPTEMBER 13: Simpson officially signed with the Pistons on Tuesday, per RealGM’s transaction log.

JULY 27: Free agent point guard Zavier Simpson is signing a one-year contract with the Pistons, Simpson’s agent Daniel Hazan tells Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sources inform James L. Edwards III of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) that Simpson’s deal will include an Exhibit 10 clause.

The six-footer went undrafted out of Michigan in 2020. He then joined the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, late into the 2020/21 season. Simpson re-joined the Blue for the 2021/22 season. He finally made his NBA debut with the Thunder proper in April 2022, upon signing a rest-of-season deal.

Across his four contests with Oklahoma City, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.0 BPG. It remains his only regular season NBA experience to date.

He joined the Magic’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic), for 2022/23. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 9.0 APG, and 1.7 SPG across 32 contests, all starts, with Lakeland, posting a shooting line of .524/.474/.580. Simpson made the NBAGL Next Up Game as a result of his play last year. Most recently, he played for Detroit’s Summer League squad this month.

Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, announced in a press release that it has acquired Simpson’s returning player rights through a trade with the Magic’s affiliate team, the Osceola Magic. Motor City is trading a 2024 G League second-rounder, plus the returning rights of Reggie Perry and Devontae Cacok, in exchange for Simpson.

The move signals that Simpson’s deal with the Pistons is meant to ensure he receives an Exhibit 10 bonus and that the team envisions him eventually joining the Cruise.

Cavaliers Sign Justin Powell

September 13th, 2023 at 6:59am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: Powell’s deal with the Cavaliers is official, according to the transaction log at RealGM.com.

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign undrafted rookie free agent Justin Powell, agent George Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Powell played for Auburn as a freshman, Tennessee as a sophomore, and Washington State as a junior before declaring for the NBA draft as an early entrant this spring. The 6’6″ wing was a full-time starter for the Cougars last season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest (34 games), with a shooting line of .408/.379/.811.

After going undrafted, Powell suited up for the Heat‘s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas. A June report indicated that he had agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami, but it appears that agreement either fell through or was reported erroneously.

While Scotto’s report today doesn’t include any additional details on Powell’s deal with Cleveland, it seems likely end up signing an Exhibit 10 contract. That would put him on track to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.

The Cavaliers currently have four open spots on their 21-man offseason roster, so no one would need to be cut to make room for Powell.

Kings Waive Nerlens Noel, Neemias Queta

September 12th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:12pm: The duo has officially been waived, according to a team press release.

5:02pm: The Kings are waiving centers Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Both big men were signed by Sacramento this offseason to partially guaranteed one-year deals, but the Kings subsequently signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed one-year deal after he cleared waivers.

The Kings want to give Noel and Queta an opportunity to hook on with another organization before training camp rather than hanging onto them and then waiving them shortly before the season begins.

Noel was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal as a free agent this summer. He received a $300K guarantee, which would have increased to $600K if he made the 15-man opening night roster.

Noel has appeared in 467 career regular season games since being drafted sixth overall in 2013 but didn’t play much in 2022/23. After being traded from New York to Detroit during the 2022 offseason, the 29-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Pistons, who bought him out at the end of February. He signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn and played in three games for the Nets, but didn’t get a second 10-day and finished the season as a free agent.

The Kings signed Queta to a two-year, minimum-salary contract. His $2,019,706 salary for the upcoming season included a $250K guarantee, while the second season was non-guaranteed. The guarantee for the upcoming season would have doubled if he was on the opening night roster.

Queta has been on Sacramento’s roster the past two seasons, appearing in a total of 20 NBA games. The 7’0” Queta was a second-round pick in 2021 out of Utah State.

Noel and Queta were projected to fight for one roster spot as the No. 3 center behind Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len. That changed when the Mavericks waived McGee and the Kings signed him after he cleared waivers. Sacramento has 14 guaranteed contracts and could explore other options, or just leave open the 15th roster spot.

Kings Sign Jordan Ford To Camp Deal

September 12th, 2023 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:11pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

8:11pm: The Kings are bringing back guard Jordan Ford on an Exhibit 10 contract, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets.

Ford was on Sacramento’s camp roster last season but he was waived in mid-October.

Undrafted out of St. Mary’s in 2020, Ford started 32 games last season for the G League’s Stockton Kings. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He also appeared in six Summer League games for Sacramento, averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 assists in 27.7 minutes.

If he’s waived before the season starts, Ford could earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton. The Kings could also convert his contract to a two-way deal. Sacramento has one two-way slot available, as our roster counts page shows.

Magic Sign Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams

September 12th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed free agents Trevelin Queen and Brandon Williams, according to a team press release.

Queen’s agreement with Orlando was previously reported. He received an Exhibit 10 contract and Williams’ contract mirrors Queen’s deal, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

If they are waived before the season starts, both players could earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate.

The camp additions will give the Magic 19 players on their roster, including two-way deals. They can carry 21 players into camp, so more signings are likely to be completed. They have a two-way deal available, so it’s possible Queen or Williams could have their contract converted to that slot.

Queen, a 6’6” swingman, played in seven games last season for the Pacers, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 24 games (15 starts) with Fort Wayne of the NBA G League, averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game.

Queen has also played in 17 career NBA regular season games with Houston and Indiana. During the 2021/22 season, Queen was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League championship.

Williams, a 6’2” guard, played in 27 games (25 starts) last season with College Park of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points and 5.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Williams played in 24 career NBA regular season games with Portland, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists in 26.7 minutes during the 2021/22 season.

Cavaliers Sign Tristan Thompson

September 12th, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have officially signed Thompson, per NBA.com’s transaction log. His deal includes a partial guarantee, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Cavaliers are finalizing a contract with free agent big man Tristan Thompson, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It will be a reunion between the two sides, as Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons in Cleveland after the team selected him fourth overall in the 2011 draft. The 32-year-old was a key member of the Cavs’ championship run in 2016, starting all 21 playoff games and averaging 6.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing solid defense.

It would be shocking if Thompson received anything but a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, considering he barely played at all in 2022/23. He signed with the Lakers on the final day of the regular season, appearing in six of the team’s 16 playoff games for 32 total minutes.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms Charania’s report (via Twitter), noting that the Cavs currently only have 13 players on standard contracts. Teams are required to carry at least 14 players for the majority of the season, so it seems Thompson will hold that spot for now.

Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 boards over his 619 regular season games with Cleveland. He signed a two-year deal Boston as a free agent in 2020, but only lasted one year, having been traded in August 2021. He played for three different teams — Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago — in ’21/22.

We’ll have to wait and see if Thompson receives any guaranteed money from the Cavaliers. His level of play has certainly dropped off in recent years, but he had some good moments during his brief stint with the Lakers, and he’ll provide frontcourt depth and veteran leadership for Cleveland.

Once Thompson’s deal is complete, the Cavs will have 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

Hawks Re-Sign Trent Forrest To Two-Way Deal

September 12th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have re-signed Trent Forrest to a two-way contract, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.

Forrest had spent the offseason as a restricted free agent after finishing last season on a two-way deal with Atlanta. The Hawks issued him a qualifying offer that was the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract, so Forrest may have simply accepted that QO rather than negotiating a new deal. The qualifying offer prevented him from signing outright with a new team.

Forrest, 25 has appeared in 113 total regular season games over the last three years for the Jazz and Hawks since going undrafted out of Florida State. He has averaged 3.0 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per contest over the course of his professional career.

With Forrest back under contract, the Hawks’ roster looks just about set for the regular season — the team has 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and three (Forrest, Seth Lundy, and Miles Norris) on two-way deals. Atlanta will likely fill out its 21-man preseason squad with non-guaranteed signees before training camp gets underway.

Now that Forrest has re-signed with the Hawks, only two restricted free agents remain unsigned. Both are two-way RFAs: Theo Maledon (Hornets) and Matt Ryan (Timberwolves).

Bulls Sign Henri Drell To Camp Contract

September 12th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed free agent swingman Henri Drell to a training camp contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Drell, 23, has spent the last two seasons playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. He didn’t have a major role in 2021/22, but became a starter last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31.3 minutes per night (29 regular season games). He posted a shooting line of .486/.341/.750.

Given that the Bulls specifically described Drell’s deal as a camp contract, he looks like a good bet to be waived prior to the regular season and return to the G League. In that scenario, assuming his agreement includes Exhibit 10 language, he’d be eligible to receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Windy City.

Chicago now has a full 21-man offseason roster. That group includes 15 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), three on Exhibit 10 deals, and three on two-way pacts.

Spurs Waive Cameron Payne

September 11th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Rory Maher

4:20pm: The Spurs have officially waived Payne, the team announced in a press release.

1:01pm: The Spurs are releasing Cameron Payne, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Assuming he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire, San Antonio will be on the hook for Payne’s 2023/24 salary, which is fully guaranteed at $6.5MM. Wojnarowski says there will be a “significant market of contending teams” interesting in signing the veteran guard if he clears waivers.

Phoenix traded Payne to San Antonio a couple months ago in a salary-dump deal. The Spurs picked up a 2025 second-rounder and $5.7MM in cash as part of the trade, while the Suns received a protected 2024 second-rounder.

Payne appeared in 48 games for the Suns last season, averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .415/.368/.766. The 29-year-old will be one of the top players left on the free agent market after a solid run as a backup with Phoenix.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the Spurs are facing a roster crunch — even after waiving Payne, they still have 17 players on guaranteed contracts. That number will need to be trimmed to 15 by the start of the season.

Payne freely admitted last month that he’d rather be in Phoenix than San Antonio. However, league rules forbid Payne from re-signing with the Suns, Marks notes.

With a packed roster and in the midst of a rebuild, Payne clearly wasn’t part of the Spurs’ plans. They now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit.