Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Sign Lamont Butler, Deivon Smith, M.J. Walker

October 13th, 2025 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks have made three additions to their preseason roster, announcing in a press release that they have signed guards Lamont Butler, Deivon Smith and M.J. Walker.

While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, all three players likely signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals, which would put them in line for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived before the season begins and spend at least 60 days with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

It’s unclear why Atlanta brought back Butler — the former San Diego State and Kentucky guard already signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Hawks in late September. He was cut a couple days later.

Smith, a Georgia native has spent the past five years playing at four different colleges, suiting up for Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Utah and St. John’s. In 30 games last season for the Red Storm (27.1 minutes), the 6’1″ guard averaged 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals, with a shooting line of .380/.352/.667.

Both Butler and Smith played for the Hawks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Walker, another Georgia native, went undrafted in 2021 and has spent the past four seasons in the G League with the Westchester Knicks and the Greensboro Swarm (the Hornets’ affiliate). The 27-year-old also had a brief 10-day hardship stint with the Suns in 2021/22, playing eight NBA minutes in two appearances.

Atlanta now has 21 players under contract, which is the offseason limit.

Nets Waive Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme

October 13th, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have released Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).

Whitehead being cut is significant because his $3,262,560 salary for 2025/26 is fully guaranteed, meaning the Nets will now carry a dead-money cap hit. Assuming he clears waivers, Whitehead’s $5,366,912 team option for 2026/27 will be declined as part of the transaction.

A 6’7″ wing, Whitehead was a highly touted high school recruit who has dealt with several injuries over the past few years. Brooklyn selected Whitehead 22nd overall in the 2023 draft after he spent one season at Duke, but the 21-year-old has only played in 22 NBA games over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.

Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of the past two seasons in the G League. He was promoted to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong ’24/25 regular season with the Nets’ affiliate team in Long Island.

The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 option on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, so they won’t incur a cap hit by waiving him. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.2 APG in nine games (28.2 MPG) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.

Since he only has one year of NBA experience, Timme could theoretically return to the Nets on a two-way deal if he goes unclaimed, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). However, the team has yet to determine if Timme will get that final two-way spot, Lewis reports.

Waiving Whitehead and Timme likely means the Nets are deciding between Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin for their 15th standard roster spot. Wilson has a $88K partial guarantee which will increase to about $382K if he makes the regular season roster, while Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed.

Cormac Ryan Released By Bucks

October 13th, 2025 at 3:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks have waived Cormac Ryan, the team announced (via Twitter).

Ryan signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Bucks in September after playing for Milwaukee’s Summer League squad in Las Vegas. He appeared in five games and averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.1 minutes per contest. He also played two preseason games for the Bucks, averaging 5.0 PPG in 4.0 MPG.

The Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, acquired Ryan’s returning player rights in a trade last month. After being waived, he’s now eligible for a $85,300 bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd.

A 6’5″ shooting guard, Ryan went undrafted in 2024. He played five college seasons for three different schools — Stanford, Notre Dame and North Carolina.

Ryan spent 2024/25 with the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, after signing an Exhibit 10 deal last fall and subsequently being cut. In 37 games with the Blue (27.3 MPG), he averaged 12.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG on .416/.384/.970 shooting.

The Bucks have also officially released Jamaree Bouyea, whose two-way spot will reportedly be taken by Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest of the Antetokounmpo brothers. Milwaukee currently has 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit, though that number will go up to 20 as soon as Antetokounmpo has been signed.

Bulls Waive Mouhamadou Gueye

October 13th, 2025 at 1:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have waived Mouhamadou Gueye, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link).

Gueye has 11 games of NBA experience, all with the Raptors in 2023/24. Gueye, who went undrafted out of Pitt in 2022, joined the Raptors on a 10-day deal in February 2024 and a two-way contract that March. He averaged 2.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 10.9 minutes per contest during those NBA appearances.

Gueye was on the Wizards’ camp roster last season, then was waived before opening night. He averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game over 34 contests for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League club.

Having signed an Exhibit 10 deal in early September, Gueye will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the Windy City Bulls and spends at least 60 days with that team, Chicago’s G League affiliate.

Grizzlies Add Charlie Brown Jr., Waive Tyler Burton

October 13th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies have signed guard Charlie Brown Jr. and waived forward Tyler Burton, according to a team press release.

Memphis’ intent to sign Brown was reported last month.

Brown was sent to Charlotte last October as part of the three-team trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The 28-year-old was waived before the start of the season and played for the Raptors 905 in the G League, where he averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21 regular season contests and tied a league record with nine steals in a game.

Brown has appeared in 49 NBA games with five teams since going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s in 2019. However, his only NBA action since 2022 came during an eight-game stint with the Knicks on a two-way contract in 2023/24.

Assuming Brown signed an Exhibit 10 contract — the Grizzlies already have 15 players on guaranteed deals — he’ll be able to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with the G League’s Memphis Hustle.

Burton was signed to a camp deal in early September. He spent last season with the Hustle, appearing in eight games and averaging 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12 minutes per night. He played three years at Richmond and two years at Villanova before going undrafted in 2024.

He’ll likely return to the Hustle with the possibility of collecting his Exhibit 10 bonus. He’s considered a returning-rights player.

Thunder Sign Payton Sandfort, Waive Viktor Lakhin

October 13th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder have added wing Payton Sandfort to their camp roster, the team announced. In a corresponding move, they have waived Viktor Lakhin, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

An undrafted rookie out of Iowa, Sandfort appeared in 33 games (all starts) for the Hawkeyes last season and averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.9 minutes per game. Sandfort appeared in 134 games with Iowa over a four-year span and started regularly the past two seasons.

It was reported shortly after the draft that Sandfort would sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City — that has finally come to fruition.

It’s likely Sandfort will be waived and then join the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team. He would be in line for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he stays with that club for at least 60 days.

Lakhin was signed on Sunday to a camp deal.

Lakhin, who ranked third on ESPN’s list of 2025 prospects among players who weren’t drafted, played three college seasons at Cincinnati prior to transferring to Clemson for his senior year. In 34 games for the Tigers in 2024/25, the Russian big man averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks in 23.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .507/.375/.696.

However, Lahkin sustained a torn tendon in his left foot in May. The 6’11” forward/center will also likely wind up with the Blue.

Wizards Sign Kadary Richmond, Alondes Williams; Waive Leaky Black, Skal Labissiere

October 13th, 2025 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards have finalized the signings of guards Kadary Richmond and Alondes Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced (via Twitter). Forward Leaky Black and big man Skal Labissiere, who were also on Exhibit 10 deals, were both waived to make room on the training camp roster.

Washington’s agreement with Richmond was first reported following the draft in late June. The 6’5″ guard played at St. John’s last year after spending one season with Syracuse and three with Seton Hall. He earned second team All-Big East honors last season after averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 36 games.

Williams, whose deal was reported in August, has appeared in nine total games over the past three seasons while on two-way contracts with Brooklyn, Miami and Detroit. He’s eligible to sign another two-way deal with the Wizards, but the team currently has all three of its slots filled.

Black signed with Washington on October 2, while Labissiere has been with the team since October 6. Neither of them was used in the Wizards’ lone preseason game so far.

All four players could end up with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, where the Exhibit 10 contracts will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the team.

The moves leave the Wizards’ roster at the preseason limit of 21 players.

Kings Sign, Waive Mitch Mascari, Daniel Batcho

October 13th, 2025 at 7:38am CST by Luke Adams

October 13: Both players have been waived, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Ocotber 10, 8:00 pm: As expected, Mascari and Batcho have officially signed their non-guaranteed contracts with the Kings, per RealGM’s transaction log.

October 10, 11:51 am: The Kings have reached an agreement to sign free agent shooting guard Mitch Mascari, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Mascari, who won a pair of NCAA DII championships at Northwest Missouri State in 2021 and 2022, transferred to Drake for his final year of college in 2024/25. The 6’5″ guard averaged 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game across 35 outings last season, knocking down 40.3% of his three-point tries. He played all 40 minutes in Drake’s victory over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament, racking up four steals in that game.

Mascari suited up for the Suns’ Summer League team in Las Vegas this summer and averaged 1.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 10.9 MPG in three contests.

While Scotto didn’t provide any details on the agreement, it’s almost certainly an Exhibit 10 contract that will put Mascari in line to be an affiliate player for the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League team. If he spends at least 60 days with Stockton, the undrafted rookie would be eligible to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth a maximum of $85,300.

Since Sacramento has multiple openings on its 21-man preseason roster, no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Mascari. According to James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link), expectation is that the move will happen later today, along with the reported signing of Daniel Batcho, with both players waived shortly thereafter.

Thunder Sign Viktor Lakhin

October 12th, 2025 at 10:22am CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have signed Viktor Lakhin, per a team press release.

Former ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony viewed Lakhin as a potential second-round pick entering the 2025 draft. However, the 6’11” forward/center sustained a torn tendon in his left foot in May, an injury that was expected to sideline him for three months, and he wound up going undrafted.

Lakhin, who ranked third on ESPN’s list of 2025 prospects among players who weren’t drafted, played three college seasons at Cincinnati prior to transferring to Clemson for his senior year. In 34 games for the Tigers in 2024/25, the Russian big man averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks in 23.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .507/.375/.696.

While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, it’s safe to assume Oklahoma City signed Lakhin to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal. If he’s waived before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with the G League’s OKC Blue, Lakhin could earn a bonus worth up to $85,300.

Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted to two-way deals, and the Thunder do have a two-way opening. A promotion for Lakhin seems unlikely given the timing of the signing, but it’s technically still a possibility.

The Thunder are now back at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract. They waived guard Jazian Gortman to make room for Lakhin.

Thunder Waive Jazian Gortman

October 12th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have waived Jazian Gortman, the team announced on Sunday morning.

Oklahoma City signed Gortman to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract last month. The 22-year-old guard appeared in four preseason games for the Thunder, averaging 9.8 points, 2.0 assists (1.8 turnovers) and 1.8 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per contest.

After being released, Gortman is now eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate.

Gortman, who went undrafted out of Overtime Elite in 2023, spent his first pro season in the NBAGL with the Wisconsin Herd and the Rip City Remix, the affiliate teams of the Bucks and Trail Blazers, respectively. The 6’2″ point guard caught on with the Mavericks in the summer of 2024, initially signing an Exhibit 10 deal. Gortman impressed Dallas during training camp and preseason, having been promoted to a two-way contract shortly before the 2024/25 campaign began.

Gortman made 16 garbage-time appearances with the Mavs, playing 53 total minutes, before being released in late January. He also played 34 G League games (34.5 MPG) with the Texas Legends last season, averaging 20.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .450/.272/.813 shooting.

The Thunder have signed Viktor Lakhin to replace Gortman on their roster, as we detail in a separate story.