Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic, Terrence Ross Finalize Buyout Agreement

February 12th, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 12: Ross has officially been released by Orlando, the team has revealed in a press release (via Twitter). He’ll reportedly sign with the Suns upon clearing waivers.

11:06am: The Magic and veteran swingman Terrence Ross are finalizing a buyout agreement that will put him on track for free agency, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Ross, 32, has been with the Magic since being traded from Toronto to Orlando at the 2017 deadline.

He averaged 14.4 points in 27.2 minutes per game in 220 contests during his first four full seasons with the team, but has seen his role cut back in the last two seasons as the Magic have gone through a rebuilding process. He has averaged just 9.2 PPG in 22.8 MPG across 105 appearances since the start of last season.

Ross has been viewed as a trade candidate since Orlando’s 2021 fire sale that saw Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier all dealt. However, he stuck around for an extra two years beyond that, as the Magic never got the sort of offer they sought for the veteran shooter, who has made 36.2% of his 3,500 career three-point attempts.

Given that Ross is on an expiring contract and suggested last spring he’d welcome a change of scenery, it comes as no surprise that he’s seeking his exit from Orlando after staying put through the trade deadline.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who first reported that Ross was a buyout candidate, says the Mavericks and Suns are two potential suitors to keep an eye on. Marc Stein (Twitter link) has also heard word of Dallas’ interest in the veteran wing.

Spurs Waive Stanley Johnson, Will Convert Charles Bassey To Standard Contract

February 12th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs have released veteran forward Stanley Johnson, the team announced today in a press release.

Johnson signed with San Antonio in mid-December and averaged 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench in 30 games while shooting 45% from three-point range. Despite being drafted in 2015, he’s only 26 and could spark some interest among contending teams on the buyout market.

Johnson was a part-time starter last season with the Lakers, who have a roster spot open after making several moves at the trade deadline. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report isn’t sure if L.A. can bring back Johnson because he was traded to the Jazz in August and subsequently waived (Twitter link), but Pincus believes the language in the collective bargaining agreement is murky enough that it might be worth a phone call to the league to verify.

The Spurs intend to use their roster opening to convert Charles Bassey‘s two-way deal to a standard contract, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio signed Bassey after the Sixers waived him in October, and he’s averaging 4.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 24 games.

Thunder Sign Olivier Sarr To Two-Way Contract

February 12th, 2023 at 8:38am CST by Arthur Hill

Center Olivier Sarr has returned to the Thunder on a two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

The 23-year-old center signed a pair of 10-day contracts and then a two-way deal with Oklahoma City last season. He appeared in 22 total games, averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds, before being waived in April.

Sarr joined the Trail Blazers for training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract and was impressive enough in the preseason to earn a two-way deal with the team. However, he suffered a partial tear of a ligament in his right wrist that sidelined him for six weeks and he was waived in mid-November. In January, he signed with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

OKC had a two-way opening after converting Eugene Omoruyi‘s contract to a standard deal on Friday.

Terrence Ross To Sign With Suns Following Buyout

February 11th, 2023 at 11:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Terrence Ross plans to join the Suns after his buyout with the Magic is complete, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Ross must clear waivers before he can sign with Phoenix.

Earlier in the day, Wojnarowski reported that the Mavericks were the frontrunners to add Ross, but he says that changed when new Suns owner Mat Ishbia and coach Monty Williams got involved. They were able to sell Ross on the idea of coming to Phoenix to join Kevin Durant in pursuit of a title.

The Suns have two open roster spots, so they can sign Ross without a corresponding move.

Dallas’ offer is limited to a pro-rated minimum contract, which is worth about $900K, points out Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link), while Phoenix has $5.2MM of its mid-level exception left and could offer more than the minimum (though it’s unclear whether they will).

Ross will help replace some of the wing depth the Suns had to send to Brooklyn in the Durant trade. He’s a career 36.2% shooter from three-point range and is connecting at 38.1% from long distance this season. He was averaging 8.0 PPG in 42 games for Orlando.

Raptors Sign Joe Wieskamp To Multiyear Deal

February 11th, 2023 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

5:00 pm: Wieskamp’s deal is worth the minimum salary and doesn’t currently include any guaranteed money for 2023/24, tweets Anil Gogna of No Trade Clause. Wieskamp’s salary for next season would become guaranteed if he remains under contract beyond June 30.

10:15am: The Raptors have signed free agent swingman Joe Wieskamp to a multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Wieskamp previously signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Toronto in January. Because teams aren’t permitted to sign a player to more than two standard 10-day deals in a single season, the Raptors were unable to bring back the 23-year-old without committing to him for at least the rest of 2022/23.

Now that the trade deadline has passed and Toronto still had an open spot on its 15-man roster, the club has decided to re-sign Wieskamp to fill that opening.

In his first 20 days as a Raptor, Wieskamp appeared in just two games, scoring nine points in 17 minutes and making 3-of-4 three-pointers. The former Iowa standout has spent most of this season in the G League, where he has averaged 16.7 PPG and made 41.2% of his threes in 19 total contests for the Wisconsin Herd and Raptors 905.

Wieskamp was drafted 41st overall in 2021 by the Spurs and spent most of his rookie season on a two-way contract with San Antonio. The 23-year-old re-signed with the Spurs last August on a two-year deal that included a guaranteed $2.175MM salary for 2022/23, but was the victim of a roster crunch in San Antonio and was waived in October just before the regular season tipped off.

The deal with Wieskamp likely means that the Raptors won’t be a player in the buyout market, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). While Toronto could waive a player to open up another roster spot if needed, its team salary is quite close to the luxury tax line, Murphy notes.

The exact terms of Wieskamp’s new contract aren’t yet known, but it seems unlikely to include much – if any – guaranteed money beyond the current season. Assuming it’s a minimum-salary deal, he’ll earn $545,989 for the rest of 2022/23.

Pacers Officially Waive Serge Ibaka

February 11th, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Pacers have waived veteran center Serge Ibaka. The team confirmed the transaction in a press release.

Ibaka was traded from Milwaukee to Indiana on deadline day, but he was only included for salary-matching purposes in the four-team trade that sent Jae Crowder to the Bucks (and, of course, Kevin Durant to the Suns). A Thursday report indicated that he would be released by the Pacers.

Ibaka, 33, hasn’t looked the same after having back surgery a couple years ago. This season with the Bucks, he averaged a career-low 11.6 minutes per game in 16 appearances, putting up 4.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .481/.333/.615 shooting in his limited role. He and the Bucks agreed last month that he’d remain away from the team as the two sides sought a trade.

Ibaka has a strong NBA track record, having been one of the league’s best shot blockers during his time in Oklahoma City and playing a key part on a championship team in Toronto in 2019. We should get a sense based on how much interest he draws in free agency whether teams still believe he has something left in the tank.

The big man will clear waivers on Monday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

The Pacers are reportedly expected to re-sign James Johnson to fill the roster spot that Ibaka’s release will open.

Thunder Add Eugene Omoruyi To 15-Man Roster

February 10th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:51pm: Omoruyi’s new contract and promotion to the 15-man roster is official, according to a team press release.

6:58pm: The Thunder are converting forward Eugene Omoruyi‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The contract will run through the 2023/24 season, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet. Details were not disclosed but it’s likely a minimum deal without a full guarantee for next season.

Omoruyi signed a two-way contract in early July.

He has appeared in 21 NBA games this season, including two starts. He’s averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per night.

The Thunder opened up a roster spot by trading Mike Muscala to Boston. Though Justin Jackson was sent to OKC in the deal, he was waived on Friday.

Omoruyi went undrafted in 2021 and spent time with the Mavericks on a two-way deal last year. He suffered a season-ending injury in December and was subsequently waived.

During his college career, he spent three seasons at Rutgers and one season at Oregon before declaring for the 2021 NBA draft.

Spurs Re-Sign Gorgui Dieng

February 10th, 2023 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Gorgui Dieng is once again back under contract with the Spurs, according to a press release from the team announcing that he has signed a rest-of-season deal.

Dieng, who began the season in San Antonio, was waived a little over a month ago to accommodate the team’s acquisition of Noah Vonleh. He subsequently signed a pair of 10-day contracts, and now that the Spurs got through the trade deadline with an open spot on their 15-man roster, he’s back as the club’s 15th man.

Dieng, 33, has played sparingly for the Spurs in 2022/23, averaging 3.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 17 contests (9.8 MPG). However, the organization highly values his veteran leadership and his presence in the locker room.

On his new minimum-salary contract, Dieng will earn $895,743 for the rest of the season while the team takes on a $622,582 cap hit.

With their roster now full, it’s unclear whether more moves could be coming for the Spurs. They acquired Khem Birch and Devonte’ Graham as salary-matching pieces at the trade deadline, and while those two veterans may not be in San Antonio’s long-term plans, they’re both owed guaranteed salary in 2023/24, so they’re not ideal buyout candidates.

Wizards Sign Quenton Jackson On Two-Way Deal

February 10th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

FEBRUARY 10: Jackson’s two-way contract is now official, the Wizards confirmed in a press release.

FEBRUARY 9: Free agent point guard Quenton Jackson is joining the Wizards on a two-way deal, his agents Adie von Gontard and Gino Littles have informed Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Wizards have an open two-way slot, so no corresponding roster move is necessary. Jackson will join incumbent combo guard Jordan Goodwin as the club’s second two-way player going forward, though Goodwin is a strong candidate to be promoted to the 15-man roster sooner or later.

Jackson, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M this summer, has been playing for Washington’s NBAGL affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, in 2022/23.

Across 17 games with Capital City, Jackson has been averaging 14.6 PPG on .506/.348/.774 shooting splits. He also is chipping in 3.9 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.5 SPG. He will no doubt get plenty of chances to boost those averages on this new two-way agreement, as this promotion will see him splitting his time between the Wizards and their G League club.

Mavericks Sign Chris Silva To Second 10-Day Contract

February 10th, 2023 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Following the expiration of his first 10-day contract on Thursday night, forward Chris Silva has signed a second 10-day deal with the Mavericks, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Silva didn’t see much action during his first 10 days in Dallas, appearing in just one of four games and playing only three minutes. Nonetheless, it seems the Mavs aren’t prepared to move on from him.

Before signing with Dallas, Silva had been playing for Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. The 26-year-old averaged 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game in 18 Showcase Cup appearances (26.0 MPG) for the Skyhawks. Since the regular season began, he has recorded 14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 0.9 BPG in 11 contests (22.4 MPG).

Silva’s new deal will run through February 19, covering the Mavs’ four remaining games before the All-Star break. After it expires, Dallas will have to decide whether to re-sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk.

Silva will earn $109,318 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Mavs will carry a cap hit of $105,522.