Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Donte DiVincenzo To Decline Option, Become Free Agent

June 27th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo will decline his $4,725,000 option in order to become an unrestricted free agent, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that DiVincenzo would not pick up his option. He figures to have plenty of suitors in free agency after a solid season with Golden State.

DiVincenzo appeared in a career-high 72 games, including 36 starts, with the Warriors. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.3 minutes per game. The 6’4” guard, who made a career-best 39.7% of his 3-point attempts, also appeared in 13 playoff games this spring.

The Timberwolves, Rockets, Knicks and Lakers are reportedly among the teams who might pursue DiVincenzo, who could command the full $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

That would easily top what the Warriors can offer — a four-year, $23.2MM deal — due to cap restrictions. They only held Non-Bird rights, preventing them from offering a higher starting salary than $5.4MM, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

DiVincenzo signed a two-year, $9.225MM contract with the Warriors last offseason, which included the player option. He spent three-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee and also had a 25-game stint with Sacramento during his walk year.

Pistons Exercise Isaiah Livers’ Team Option

June 27th, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have exercised their 2023/24 team option on Isaiah Livers‘ contract, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move will lock in Livers’ $1,836,096 salary for next season and put him on track to reach restricted free agency in 2024 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

The decision comes as no surprise, given that the option is worth the veteran’s minimum and Livers is a player the Pistons want to continue developing.

After appearing in just 19 games as a rookie in 2021/22 for health reasons, Livers emerged as a regular rotation piece last season, averaging 6.7 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 52 contests (23.1 MPG). The 6’7″ forward has knocked down 37.8% of 3.8 three-point attempts per game since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2021.

Livers is one of three Pistons players whose contracts include team options for the 2023/24 season. Alec Burks ($10.49MM) is expected to have his option picked up too, while the decision on Eugene Omoruyi‘s ($1.93MM) remains up in the air.

The Pistons entered the offseason with eight players on guaranteed contracts for ’23/24. Livers figures to join Burks and first-rounder draftees Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser to increase that count to 12 as the team prepares for free agency this weekend.

Grizzlies Exercise Option On Xavier Tillman’s Contract

June 26th, 2023 at 6:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies have exercised their contract option on Xavier Tillman for next season, the team’s PR department tweets.

It was a mere formality for a rotation player who will make $1,930,681 in 2023/24.

Tillman averaged 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game last season while appearing in 61 contests, including 29 starts. He had an expanded role in the playoffs, averaging 8.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.7 minutes against the Lakers in the opening round of the conference playoffs.

Tillman’s role expanded in the second half of the season when Steven Adams was sidelined by a knee injury.

The second-round pick in the 2020 draft will be an unrestricted free agent next summer unless the team reaches an extension agreement with the 6’8” big man.

Hawks Waive Donovan Williams

June 26th, 2023 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have waived two-way guard Donovan Williams, the team’s PR department tweets. Williams’ two-way contract had covered the 2023/24 season, but it appears he won’t return to Atlanta.

Williams played two games for the Hawks in April. He spent most of last season with their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, averaging 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24 contests, including 21 starts.

Williams, 21, was signed to a two-way contract in January. Prior to that, the UNLV product played for Brooklyn’s G League squad.

Williams’ G League rights are currently owned by the Trail Blazers’ newly-named Rip City Remix, Caleb Johnson of 92.9 The Game notes (Twitter link). Rip City acquired his rights in an expansion draft earlier this month.

Heat Issue Qualifying Offers To Orlando Robinson, Jamal Cain

June 26th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Rory Maher

The Heat have issued qualifying offers to Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Robinson and Cain are on two-way contracts, so they’ll be two-way restricted free agents. However, they’ll still be eligible to sign a standard deal with a rival team (which Miami could match) or with the Heat.

Robinson went undrafted in 2022 after three seasons at Fresno State. He averaged 3.7 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 31 games (13.7 MPG) as a rookie for the Heat in 2022/23.

There was talk of converting the 7’0″ center’s two-way deal into a standard contract at one point during the season, but Miami wound up signing veterans Kevin Love and Cody Zeller to fortify its frontcourt rotation, leaving Robinson on his two-way deal.

Cain, 24, was also a rookie last year after going undrafted. He spend his first four college seasons at Marquette before finishing up at Oakland. Cain appeared in 18 games for the Heat, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 13.3 MPG.

Both Robinson and Cain will play for the Heat’s Summer League team, per Winderman.

As Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald notes (via Twitter), there’s a Thursday deadline for the Heat to extend Omer Yurtseven a qualifying offer in order to make him a restricted free agent. The young center, who was on a standard contract, appeared in just nine games last season after a major ankle injury required surgery.

Victor Oladipo also has until Thursday to pick up his $9.45MM player option, Chiang adds, though that’s almost certainly a mere formality since the veteran guard will likely miss most — if not all — of next season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in April.

Pistons Waive R.J. Hampton

June 24th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have placed R.J. Hampton on waivers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The team has confirmed the move (via Twitter).

Hampton’s $1,997,238 salary for 2023/24 was non-guaranteed until July 6, so Detroit won’t owe him any further money. If he doesn’t get claimed off waivers, Hampton will become an unrestricted free agent and will be eligible to sign with any team.

The Pistons picked up the third-year shooting guard in February when he cleared waivers after being let go by the Magic. Hampton was signed to a minimum contract that was only guaranteed through the end of the season. He appeared in 21 games for Detroit, averaging 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.5 minutes per night.

Hampton, 22, was a highly touted prospect when he entered the NBA as the 24th pick in the 2020 draft. The Nuggets acquired him from Milwaukee in a draft night deal, but he lasted less than a season in Denver before being sent to Orlando at the trade deadline.

Suns, Wizards Officially Complete Bradley Beal Trade

June 24th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Wizards have issued press releases confirming that the Bradley Beal trade is official. Word of the agreement first broke last Sunday afternoon, with further details trickling out on Monday and Thursday.

The Wizards’ trade with the Pacers that moved Washington up from No. 8 to No. 7 in Thursday’s draft is also being folded into this transaction, making it a three-team deal. The full terms of the blockbuster deal are as follows:

Suns acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
Wizards acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick); the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash (approximately $3.5MM; from Suns).
Pacers acquire the draft rights to Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick), the Suns’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick.

Because the Suns’ 2028 second-rounder, originally committed to the Wizards as part of the Beal trade, is being rerouted to Indiana, all three teams satisfy the NBA’s “touching” rules for three-team deals.

The Wizards have now traded away their top two leading scorers from the 2022/23 season on consecutive days, having formally finalized their deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston very early on Friday morning.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and new president of basketball operations Michael Winger issued statements within today’s trade announcement, wishing Beal well after he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career in D.C.

“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” Leonsis said. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”

“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” Winger said. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”

The Suns issued a statement of their own expressing excitement about the acquisition of Beal.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bradley, Jordan and Isaiah to the Phoenix Suns as we continue to build one of the premier organizations in all of sports,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said. “Bradley Beal is one of the best players in the NBA and brings so much to our team including incredible work ethic, great character, and the mindset of a champion. Jordan and Isaiah add talent and versatility to our roster that will continue to make this team among the league’s best. We are committed to bringing an NBA championship to Phoenix and I could not be more excited about how this organization is coming together heading into the upcoming season.”

The Wizards have already agreed to a separate trade that will send Paul on to Golden State for a package headed by Jordan Poole, but referred to Shamet within today’s press release as someone who will be a “valuable contributor to our organization,” which suggests they plan to hang onto him.

For more details on the Beal trade, you can read our original story here and our Thursday follow-up here. We also have separate full stories detailing the Wizards’ move up to No. 7 and their trade agreement with the Warriors involving Paul and Poole.

Knicks To Decline Derrick Rose’s Team Option

June 24th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks plan to decline Derrick Rose‘s $15,596,339 team option for 2023/24, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).

As Popper writes, Rose was beloved throughout the organization, particularly by head coach Tom Thibodeau, but his on-court role in ’22/23 was virtually non-existent after December. He appeared in just one regular season game after the calendar flipped to 2023.

Still, the Knicks valued his leadership and the way he handled being benched, and a reunion on a minimum-salary deal is still a possibility if Rose is unable to find an opportunity for more playing time, Popper adds.

New York had until midnight on Saturday to make a decision on Rose’s option, per Popper.

Overall, Rose averaged career lows in points (5.6) and minutes (12.5) per game across 27 contests. He posted a .384/.302/.917 shooting line in his limited opportunities this past season.

Fred Katz of The Athletic confirms the news (Twitter links), noting that it may not have been as obvious a decision as it might appear on the surface. As Katz previously wrote, picking up Rose’s option could have given the Knicks an opportunity to use him as a salary-matching piece in trades, but now that has been eliminated as a possibility.

The 2010/11 league MVP and former No. 1 overall pick will become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team. He was previously linked to the Bulls and Bucks.

The Knicks project to have access to the full mid-level exception in free agency after declining Rose’s option, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Pete Nance To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Cavaliers

June 24th, 2023 at 10:21am CST by Rory Maher

Pete Nance has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers after going undrafted on Thursday night, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

As Fedor writes, Nance 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 his final “super senior” season in 2022/23, averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on .422/.320/.816 shooting in 30 games (30.1 minutes) for the Tar Heels. He had a larger offensive role with the Wildcats in ’21/22, posting 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks on .497/.452/.768 shooting in 30 games (27.2 minutes).

Nance is expected to play for the Cavs’ Summer League squad, Fedor adds, and will be present for training camp. His Exhibit 10 contract could potentially be converted to a two-way deal, but if he’s waived by the Cavs before the 2023/24 season starts, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the team’s G League affiliate.

Spurs To Sign Charles Bediako, Setric Millner Jr.

June 23rd, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Spurs are reportedly adding two new undrafted prospects to their comprehensive haul this week.

Former Alabama center Charles Bediako will sign a one-year deal with the Spurs, agent Daniel Green informs Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement aren’t known, but it’ll likely be non-guaranteed, perhaps with Exhibit 10 language.

Ex-Toledo senior small forward Setric Millner Jr. is inking an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, sources tell Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (via Twitter).

Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted to two-way deals or can put a player on track to receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

During a two-year college career, the seven-foot Bediako was named to the 2023 All-SEC Tourney and SEC All-Defense teams. Across his two college seasons with the Crimson Tide, he averaged 6.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 0.7 APG and 0.6 SPG during 19.3 MPG.

Millner averaged 15.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG during 2022/23. He was a two-time All-MAC and a 2023 All-MAC Tourney honoree. Chepkevich notes that the 6’6″ wing number among 64 seniors brought to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this spring.

San Antonio was of course the headliner in this week’s draft, as the team had the opportunity to select a potential generational talent, French big man Victor Wembanyama, with the top pick. The Spurs also added G League Ignite guard Sidy Cissoko in the second round.