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Hawks Waive Bruno Fernando

July 30th, 2024 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

2:28pm: The Hawks have officially cut Fernando, according to a press release from the team.

1:08pm: The Hawks are waiving big man Bruno Fernando, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The move will let Atlanta off the hook for Fernando’s $2,717,391 salary for the 2024/25 season. That money was set to become fully guaranteed if the 25-year-old remained under contract through this Thursday. By waiving him before then, the Hawks will be able to remove it all from their cap, taking the team’s salary below the luxury tax line.

Fernando’s salary guarantee date was originally set for June 29. He and the Hawks reached an agreement to move it back to July 10, then pushed it back again to August 1.

Given that Atlanta likely would have waived him on June 29 or July 10 if he hadn’t agreed to move back his guarantee date, Fernando had some incentive to play ball in the hopes of receiving his full salary, like he did a year ago after the team postponed his guarantee deadline, then ultimately hung onto him.

It looks like it won’t work out for him this year though, and it may be more difficult for him to find a new NBA home this late in the offseason, with fewer roster spots available around the league. Still, the free agent market for centers has been picked pretty clean, so he should immediately become one of the most intriguing options available.

A five-year veteran who was a second-round pick in 2019, Fernando began his NBA career with the Hawks and was traded back to Atlanta in February 2023.

After playing eight games for the Hawks down the stretch of the 2022/23 season, he didn’t play much at all in the first half of ’23/24, appearing in just 13 of Atlanta’s first 49 games for an average of 6.5 minutes per contest. However, he was thrust into a larger role in the second half due to a series of frontcourt injuries, averaging 7.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 70.1% from the line over his final 32 games (18.7 MPG).

Assuming the Hawks officially waive Fernando before 4:00 pm CT on Tuesday, he’ll be on track to clear waivers on Thursday. A team interested in placing a claim would have to commit to guaranteeing his 2024/25 salary.

Nuggets Sign Spencer Jones To Two-Way Contract

July 30th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 30: The Nuggets have officially signed Jones to a two-way contract, they confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 19: The Nuggets will fill their open two-way contract slot by signing undrafted rookie free agent Spencer Jones to a two-way deal, reports Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

A 6’7″ forward, Jones spent all five of his college seasons at Stanford from 2019-24, starting 139 of his 146 games during that time. As a super-senior last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.1 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .438/.409/.645.

Jones was a 39.7% three-point shooter on 5.4 attempts per contest across his five seasons with the Cardinal, setting a school record with 315 career made three-pointers. Denver likes his combination of size, skill, and shooting, according to Durando.

Jones was on the Trail Blazers’ Summer League roster in Las Vegas. He came off the bench in Portland’s first game last Saturday, but was ruled out for Monday’s contest due to an illness and hasn’t played since.

Denver filled its other two-way slots earlier this month by signing two other undrafted rookies, Trey Alexander and PJ Hall. Once they complete their reported signings of Jones, Russell Westbrook, and DeAndre Jordan, the Nuggets will have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals, so they’ll essentially be set for the regular season.

A player who spends the entire 2024/25 season on a two-way deal will be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA regular season games and will earn a salary of $578,577.

Hawks Sign Dominick Barlow To Two-Way Deal

July 30th, 2024 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

4:41pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

2:18pm: The Hawks and free agent forward Dominick Barlow have agreed to terms on a two-way contract, agent Todd Ramasar tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Barlow, 21, spent most of the past two seasons on two-way contracts with the Spurs, earning a promotion to San Antonio’s standard roster in early March. The Spurs signed Barlow to a rest-of-season contract that expired this summer and then didn’t issue him a qualifying offer in June, so he became an unrestricted free agent.

Barlow appeared in 61 NBA games with the Spurs across his two seasons with the club, averaging 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 13.6 minutes per contest. The former Overtime Elite prospect impressed at the G League level, putting up 23.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .569 FG% in 19 Showcase Cup and regular season games (33.2 MPG) for the Austin Spurs in 2023/24.

The Hawks previously signed Seth Lundy and Keaton Wallace to two-way deals, so Barlow will fill the lone remaining opening.

While there’s nothing to stop Atlanta from moving players in and out of those two-way slots up until (and beyond) the start of the regular season, for the time being there’s no room for second-round pick Nikola Djurisic, who underwent foot surgery last week.

Sixers Sign Reggie Jackson

July 30th, 2024 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have officially signed veteran guard Reggie Jackson, the team announced today in a press release. He received a one-year contract, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The move had been anticipated since last Tuesday, when word broke that Jackson would be cut by the Hornets and that he intended to join the 76ers after clearing waivers. The 34-year-old gave up approximately $3.3MM in a buyout agreement with Charlotte, which is the amount he’ll earn on his new minimum-salary deal with Philadelphia.

“Reggie is a playoff-tested veteran who brings leadership and experience to our backcourt,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in a statement. “He’s been a dynamic offensive player throughout his 13 seasons in the league.”

Jackson spent the 2023/24 season in Denver, backing up Jamal Murray at the point. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, posting a .431/.359/.806 shooting line in 82 outings (23 starts).

Jackson exercised a $5.25MM player option in June, but the Nuggets wanted to go in a different direction with their backup point guard spot and traded the 34-year-old to Charlotte along with multiple second-round picks in a salary-dump deal. Denver signed Russell Westbrook to fill the backcourt hole created by that trade. The Hornets, meanwhile, made that deal with Denver in order to acquire those future second-rounders rather than Jackson, who wasn’t in their plans for 2024/25.

Now that their addition of Jackson is official, the Sixers have 13 players on standard contracts — 12 are on fully guaranteed deals, while Ricky Council‘s salary is non-guaranteed. Philadelphia figures to add at least one more player on a standard contract at some point between now and opening night, though it remains to be seen if the team will fill both 15-man roster openings.

Jackson will provide additional depth in a Sixers backcourt that features rising star Tyrese Maxey, veterans Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, and rookie Jared McCain.

Spurs Sign Harrison Ingram To Two-Way Deal

July 29th, 2024 at 3:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have signed forward Harrison Ingram to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

Ingram, 21, was the 48th overall pick of last month’s draft. He had been one of several second-round picks who had yet to sign an NBA deal, though a two-way contract was always considered the likely outcome for him.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Ingram spent his first two college seasons at Stanford. He transferred to North Carolina for his junior year, averaging 12.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.4 SPG in 37 games last season for the Tar Heels (32.8 MPG). He posted a shooting slash line of .430/.385/.612 in those contests.

Ingram suited up for San Antonio’s Summer League squads in California and Las Vegas, averaging 10.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG in seven total appearances (27.8 MPG). His shooting line was .382/.406/.385, per RealGM.

As our tracker shows, Ingram will fill the Spurs’ third and final two-way spot. Guards Jamaree Bouyea and David Duke Jr. are San Antonio’s other players on two-way contracts.

Spurs, Nathan Mensah Agree To Training Camp Contract

July 29th, 2024 at 1:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs plan to sign free agent big man Nathan Mensah to a training camp contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Mensah, 26, went undrafted last year after spending five college seasons at San Diego State. He joined the Hornets last fall, initially signing an Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp before being waived prior to the 2023/24 season.

Mensah opened his first professional season playing for Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, averaging 10.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 14 Showcase Cup games last fall (29.3 minutes per contest).

Amid multiple frontcourt injuries, the Hornets promoted Mensah to a two-way contract in December. He averaged 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 25 NBA games (12.6 minutes) before he was cut in early March. He returned to the Swarm to conclude his rookie campaign.

A 6’8″ center from Ghana who possesses a 7’4″ wingspan, Mensah caught on with the Spurs for Summer League action in California and Las Vegas. Evidently he impressed the club, as he’ll reportedly be signing with San Antonio for training camp.

While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, camp deals like Mensah’s often contain Exhibit 10 language to give players an opportunity to earn a bonus if they’re waived before the season begins and then spend at least 60 days with a team’s NBAGL affiliate. In Mensah’s case, that would be the Austin Spurs.

Suns Trade David Roddy To Hawks For E.J. Liddell

July 29th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 29: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Suns. As we detailed in separate stories, Phoenix isn’t expected to retain Liddell into the regular season, since the team has 16 players on guaranteed contracts after signing Tyus Jones.

JULY 26: The Suns and Hawks have agreed to a minor trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Phoenix is sending forward David Roddy to Atlanta in exchange for forward E.J. Liddell.

It’s a cost-saving move for Phoenix, which is above the second tax apron and cannot take in more salary than it ships out in a trade.

Liddell has a $2.1MM contract and a $2.3MM team option for 2025/26. Roddy has a $2.8MM salary and a $4.8MM team option for 2025/26. Atlanta has until October 31st to exercise its ’25/26 option on Roddy, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link).

Roddy was shipped from Memphis to Phoenix in a three-team deal at last season’s trade deadline. The 23rd overall pick of the 2022 draft will be entering his third season. He started 13 of 48 games for the banged-up Grizzlies last season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.7 minutes per contest. He saw less action in a Suns uniform, appearing in 17 games off the bench and averaging just 3.7 minutes in those outings.

It remains to be seen how Roddy slots in to the Hawks’ plans, since they have a number of options at both forward spots. It stands to reason they value him over Liddell, since they’ll add some salary in this transaction. Indeed, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link) reports via a source that the Hawks view Roddy as a better roster fit than Liddell.

Liddell, a 2022 second-rounder out of Ohio State, has only been under contract with Atlanta since July 6. He was thrown into the Dejounte Murray blockbuster with New Orleans for salary-matching purposesl

Liddell had his rookie season delayed by a devastating right knee injury in July 2022. Last season, he appeared in just eight games off the bench for New Orleans. He played 26 games for the Birmingham Squadron in the G League, averaging 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest.

Tyus Jones Signs With Suns

July 29th, 2024 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 29: Jones’ deal with the Suns is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

JULY 27: Free agent point guard Tyus Jones has agreed to sign with the Suns, agent Kevin Bradbury tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Jones will sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

Jones confirmed his decision in a statement to ESPN, as Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter).

“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels to me and my family – beginning with the way (Suns owner) Mat Ishbia and the front office recruited me to how coach (Mike Budenholzer) showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard,” Jones said.

“My agent (Bradbury) walked me and my family through multiple free agent offers and sign-and-trade proposals at a number of different financial levels but the Suns’ opportunity is where I can best maximize my value for a return to free agency next year as well as give myself a chance to be part of what I think will be a special team and season.”

A nine-year veteran, Jones was long considered one of the NBA’s top backup point guards while playing in Minnesota and Memphis. He got the chance with the Wizards in 2023/24 to become a full-time starter and made good on that opportunity by establishing new career highs in field goal percentage (48.9%), three-point percentage (41.4%), points per game (12.0), and assists per game (7.3) while continuing to take excellent care of the ball (he has never averaged more than 1.0 turnover per game).

We ranked Jones 15th overall on our list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason, but it quickly became clear that there wouldn’t be an opportunity for him to be the starting point guard on a contending team while earning a salary in the neighborhood of the $14MM he made last year in D.C.

Jones’ statement to Wojnarowski, which mentions that he expects to start in Phoenix, suggests that he’ll at least meet two of those three criteria. While he’s accepting a major pay cut, he’s in position to play a significant role on a team that has championship aspirations.

The Suns’ three stars – Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal – are all relatively ball-dominant, but none of them are true point guards, so the team entered the offseason seeking a veteran who could organize the offense. Prior to signing Jones, Phoenix – which could only offer minimum-salary contracts while operating above the second tax apron – also added point guard Monte Morris on a one-year deal.

Jones will earn $3,003,427 on his minimum-salary contract, while the Suns will carry a cap hit of $2,087,519. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who confirmed earlier today that the Suns were eyeing Jones, tweets that the 28-year-old chose Phoenix over the Hawks and Grizzlies.

The expectation is that, after trading David Roddy for E.J. Liddell, the Suns will waive Liddell in order to create room on the projected 15-man roster for Jones. As Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (via Twitter), Phoenix is saving about $727K in the Roddy/Liddell swap and would remove another $1.41MM from its cap if Liddell is waived using the stretch provision.

Those two moves would essentially cancel out the impact of Jones’ deal on the Suns’ 2024/25 cap, providing crucial savings for a team whose salary is so far over the luxury tax line.

Nuggets Sign Jahmir Young To Training Camp Deal

July 27th, 2024 at 6:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jahmir Young has signed a training camp contract with the Nuggets, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Denver’s agreement with Young was first reported after last month’s draft.

The 23-year-old point guard earned All-Big Ten honors in each of the last two seasons at Maryland. Prior to that, he played three years at Charlotte and was named to the All-Conference USA team each season.

Young appeared in 32 games with the Terrapins as a super senior, averaging 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 35.4 minutes per night. He played for Denver’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, posting 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in five games.

Denver also recently signed forwards Gabe McGlothan and Jaylin Williams to training camp deals.

Boogie Ellis To Sign With Kings

July 27th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boogie Ellis has reached a contract agreement with the Kings and will compete for a roster spot in training camp, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old guard played for Sacramento’s Summer League team after going undrafted out of USC last month. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five games while shooting 51.3% from the field and 54.5% from three-point range.

Ellis began his college career at Memphis in 2019 before transferring to USC two years later. He earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors last season while averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29 games with the Trojans.

The Kings currently have 13 players with standard contracts, and that number will grow with the expected signing of Orlando Robinson. Sacramento’s three two-way slots are filled by Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones.