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Knicks Exercise 2023/24 Option On Obi Toppin

October 26th, 2022 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have picked up their team option on forward Obi Toppin for the 2023/24 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Toppin’s fourth-year option will pay him a guaranteed salary of $6,803,012.

Toppin, the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, hasn’t played a significant role so far for the Knicks, averaging just 11.0 minutes per game in 62 appearances as a rookie and 17.1 MPG in 72 games last season. However, he has been increasingly productive in his limited minutes. He’s averaging 9.3 PPG and 3.7 RPG on 57.1% shooting through three games (16.0 MPG) in 2022/23.

Toppin will earn approximately $5.35MM this season before making $6.8MM in the final year of his rookie contract in 2023/24. He’ll be up for a rookie scale extension during the 2023 offseason and would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2024 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then.

The Knicks have two more rookie scale option decisions to make besides Toppin’s before next Monday’s deadline, though both seem fairly simple. We can presumably count on the team picking up Immanuel Quickley‘s fourth-year option ($4.17MM) and Quentin Grimes‘ third-year option ($2.39MM) for ’23/24.

Spurs Sign Charles Bassey To Two-Way Deal

October 24th, 2022 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

1:18pm: The Spurs have officially signed Bassey to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release. San Antonio waived Hall to open up a spot for the new addition.

12:26pm: The Spurs have agreed to sign free agent big man Charles Bassey to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Western Kentucky, Bassey appeared in 23 games for the Sixers as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per contest. He thrived when assigned to the G League, averaging 18.9 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 17 regular season games (28.6 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats.

Bassey, who played two years of high school basketball in San Antonio, had been under contract in Philadelphia for two more seasons, but his partial guarantee for 2022/23 was only worth about $75K. That made him one of the odd men out when the Sixers had a roster crunch — he was waived at the end of the preseason and become a free agent earlier this month.

In order to sign Bassey to a two-way deal, the Spurs will have to waive one of their current two-way players, Dominick Barlow or Jordan Hall. Both rookies signed with San Antonio this summer after going undrafted in June, with Hall receiving a two-year contract. He’ll likely be the player cut to make room for Bassey, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

As our two-way contract tracker shows, 59 of the 60 league-wide two-way slots are currently occupied. The Timberwolves are the only team with an opening.

Trail Blazers Sign John Butler To Two-Way Deal

October 20th, 2022 at 3:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 20: The Blazers have officially signed Butler to his two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 17: The Trail Blazers intend to add free agent power forward/center John Butler on a two-way deal, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 7’1″ big man went undrafted this year after spending one NCAA season with Florida State. Butler played with the Pelicans in the Summer League and during the preseason, before being waived by New Orleans last week.

During his lone collegiate season, the 19-year-old posted averages of 5.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.7 APG across 31 games, including 24 starts. He shot a promising 43.9% from long range on 2.6 attempts a night, though he also converted a lowly 44% of his looks at the charity stripe.

Butler’s impending deal with the Trail Blazers will actually be his second two-way contract this month. He initially saw his training camp contract with the Pelicans converted into a two-way deal before he was cut.

Butler joins another seven-footer, big man Olivier Sarr, in filling Portland’s pair of two-way contract openings heading into the season.

Timberwolves Waive Eric Paschall

October 19th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Timberwolves have waived forward Eric Paschall, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news in a press release.

Pachall was on a two-way deal with the Wolves, so they now have a two-way opening after releasing him. Minnesota also recently converted center Luka Garza to a two-way deal from an Exhibit 10 contract, waiving guard A.J. Lawson to make room for him.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Wolves were “very excited” to land Paschall on a two-way deal, but it sounds like he may have been cut due to “lingering Achilles issues.” He only appeared in one preseason game for the Wolves for 13 minutes, scoring one point.

The No. 41 pick in the 2019 draft, Paschall began his NBA career with the Warriors and had an impressive rookie season in Golden State in 2019/20, averaging 14.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 60 games (27.6 MPG). His role declined in his second season and he was traded in the 2021 offseason to Utah, where his minutes dipped further.

In 58 appearances last season for the Jazz, the 25-year-old averaged 5.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .485/.370/.767 shooting in 12.7 MPG. He was eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Utah and became unrestricted.

It took about a month for Paschall to find a new team in free agency, and he said he contemplated retirement before ultimately accepting the two-way deal with Minnesota.

“It was just a lot, you know what I’m saying?” Paschall said. “I feel like mentally I wasn’t in the greatest place. Just tired. I was like, ‘I might just stop playing basketball.’ … You see the other players getting picked up, you’re not getting a call. You’re calling your agent every day. So I was at a point where I was like I might walk away.”

It’s unclear what the future holds for the three-year veteran, but he’ll clear waivers on Friday if he goes unclaimed.

Mavericks Sign Facundo Campazzo

October 19th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 19: Campazzo’s one-year deal with Dallas is non-guaranteed, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). The guard will earn $10,552 per day as long as he remains under contract.

OCTOBER 18: The Mavericks have officially signed free agent guard Facundo Campazzo, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dallas had an open spot on its 15-man regular season roster, so no corresponding move was required to make room on the roster for the new addition.

After initially reporting the Mavs’ interest in Campazzo, Marc Stein said last Thursday that the two sides were in advanced discussions on a one-year deal. Multiple subsequent reports indicated that the veteran point guard would sign with the team, and he reportedly arrived in Dallas over the weekend to take his physical and put pen to paper.

Campazzo spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets after establishing himself as one of the best point guards in the EuroLeague. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in 130 appearances (20.1 MPG) across his two seasons in Denver, knocking down just 37.2% of his shots from the floor.

The Mavericks entered training camp hoping that one of their in-house options would emerge as a reliable third ball-handling option behind Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie, but ultimately decided to add an experienced veteran to fill that role to open the season.

Campazzo’s friendship with Doncic likely helped him stand out from the other free agent point guards the Mavs could have targeted — the duo played for Real Madrid from 2015-18.

Campazzo reportedly received a one-year deal and it’s a safe bet that it’ll be worth the veteran’s minimum ($1,836,090). However, it’s unclear whether or not it’ll be guaranteed. Dallas’ other 14 players on standard contracts all have guaranteed salaries, so if Campazzo’s deal is non-guaranteed, it would give the club some flexibility with that 15th roster spot.

Raptors Pick Up 2023/24 Options On Barnes, Flynn, Achiuwa

October 19th, 2022 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

11:52am: The Raptors have officially announced that they’ve exercised their 2023/24 options on Barnes, Flynn, and Achiuwa, locking in approximately $16.26MM in total salary for the trio in ’23/24.

11:42am: The Raptors have exercised their team option on guard Malachi Flynn for the 2023/24 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), and are doing the same for their ’23/24 option on big man Precious Achiuwa, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

The 29th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Flynn has appeared in 91 games during his first two seasons as a Raptor, averaging 6.0 PPG and 2.3 APG in 16.1 MPG during that time, with a shooting line of .380/.326/.750. He’s currently recovering from a left cheekbone fracture and will wear a face mask to open the season.

As Murphy notes, Flynn’s fourth-year option wasn’t a lock to be exercised, since he has yet to establish himself as a regular rotation player in Toronto. However, the Raptors’ decision to guarantee his $3,873,025 salary for 2023/24 suggests they still believe he can become one.

Achiuwa, meanwhile, enjoyed a mini-breakout season after being acquired from Miami in last summer’s Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade. He averaged 9.1 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 73 games (23.6 MPG) for the Raptors in 2021/22, making 35.9% of his three-pointers.

Achiuwa was also Toronto’s most-used reserve in the team’s playoff series vs. Philadelphia, averaging 27.8 minutes per contest despite coming off the bench in five of six games. His fourth-year option for 2023/24 is worth $4,379,527.

The Raptors also hold a third-year option on Scottie Barnes, which will pay the reigning Rookie of the Year $8,008,680 in 2023/24. That option is a lock to be exercised before the October 31 deadline, but it’s not technically official yet, tweets Murphy.

De’Andre Hunter Signs Four-Year Extension With Hawks

October 17th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

8:00pm: The Hawks have officially announced the deal in a press release.

7:07pm: Hawks small forward De’Andre Hunter is signing a four-season rookie scale contract extension worth up to $95MM to remain in Atlanta, agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link) that $90MM of the deal is guaranteed, while the remaining $5MM on the contract represents unlikely bonus incentives. Scotto adds that there are no player or team options baked into the agreement.

Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (via Twitter) that the fourth-year swingman’s contract extension will pay him $20.1MM starting in the 2023/24 season, with annual salary increases from there. Marks adds that $1.25MM in unlikely incentives could be paid out across each of the four years.

Hunter, the No. 4 pick out of Virginia in 2019, has spent his entire pro career with Atlanta. On draft night in 2019, the Hawks acquired Hunter’s draft rights from the Pelicans, who in turn had received his rights as part of the Lakers’ blockbuster summer deal for All-Star big man Anthony Davis.

When healthy, the 6’8″ wing has exhibited plenty of promise as an intimidating two-way force. However, Hunter has been hampered by injuries through the past two NBA seasons, having missed a combined 78 regular season contests from 2020-22.

Across 53 games during the 2021/22 season, the 24-year-old averaged 13.4 PPG on .442/.379/.765 shooting splits. He also chipped in 3.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 0.7 SPG. A strong defender capable of effectively pestering shooting guards through power forwards, Hunter operates as an excellent complement to star scorer Trae Young. With Atlanta having shored up its backcourt defense by trading for 2022 All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, Hunter may not be extended quite as much defensively this year.

Earlier this offseason, Hoops Rumors scribe Rory Maher predicted that Hunter could fetch a long-term deal in the range of $60-$80MM. The $60MM is what Rory projected the Hawks would have been willing to offer, while the higher end of the bargain represents what Rory considered to be the rate Hunter and his representatives may have wanted. Instead, the Hawks are making an even more aggressive commitment.

The robust $95MM total value of the deal represents a significant investment in the injury-prone wing, with the Hawks clearly gambling that he will be able to string together healthier seasons and continue to grow on offense in the seasons to come.

With Hunter agreeing to an extension, that brings the tally of rookie scale extension deals to 11 this year, tying a record that was set in 2021, tweets Marc Stein. The 2019 draft’s top five picks all signed lucrative extension deals. No. 13 pick Tyler Herro of the Heat, is the only other ’19 lottery pick to agree to a rookie scale extension.

Mamadi Diakite Signs Two-Way Contract With Cavs

October 17th, 2022 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

6:20pm: Diakite has officially signed a two-way deal with the Cavaliers, the team confirmed (via Twitter).

5:16pm: After being cut by the Cavaliers on Saturday, big man Mamadi Diakite has cleared waivers and the team intends to bring him back on a two-way deal, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). However, Fedor says “there are a few hurdles both sides need to clear” before the contract is signed.

Diakite had a strong preseason performance with the Cavaliers on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, which cannot be converted to a two-way deal, so that’s why the team had to waive him before giving him a two-way deal. He averaged 9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG on .824/.571/.833 shooting in four preseason games (16.8 MPG), per RealGM.

Diakite has appeared in a total of 27 regular season games for the Bucks and Thunder since going undrafted out of Virginia in 2020. He spent most of his rookie season on a two-way deal with Milwaukee before being promoted to the standard roster down the stretch. In 2021/22, he signed three separate 10-day contracts with Oklahoma City.

The 25-year-old has averaged 3.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in his 27 NBA contests (12.2 MPG). He also put up 18.5 PPG and 10.4 RPG in 12 G League appearances (27.7 MPG) for the Lakeland Magic during the truncated 2020/21 season, earning a place on both the All-NBAGL First Team and the league’s All-Defensive Team.

Relatedly, Fedor and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links) both say the Cavaliers signed and waived Brazilian wing Didi Louzada in order to secure his G League affiliate rights for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ NBAGL team.

Assuming the Cavs signed Louzada to an Exhibit 10 contract for that purpose, the team will be on the hook for two days’ worth of his prorated minimum salary, since he’ll spend the first two days of the regular season on waivers.

However, NBA.com’s transaction log indicates that Louzada was signed to a two-way deal. If Louzada briefly occupied the Cavs’ open two-way slot, it’s possible that’s one of the “hurdles” mentioned by Fedor to be cleared before Diakite signs. But it’s unclear if signing a player to a two-way contract and then waiving him secures his G League affiliate rights.

We’ll have to wait for a little more clarity on the Louzada situation, but in any case, it appears it will be Diakite who ultimately claims the two-way roster spot that opened up when Cleveland waived RJ Nembhard on Saturday.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Pistons Waive Kemba Walker

October 17th, 2022 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 17: As expected, the Pistons have waived Walker, the team confirmed today in a press release.

OCTOBER 14: The Pistons will likely waive veteran guard Kemba Walker in the coming days in order to get their roster down to the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts, according to Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A four-time All-Star, Walker has seen his production dip in the last year or two as he has been slowed by knee issues. He averaged 11.6 PPG and 3.5 APG on .403/.367/.845 shooting in 37 games (25.6 MPG) last season for the Knicks, and was a liability on defense.

New York sent Walker to Detroit in a salary-dump trade in June, and reports immediately indicated that the 32-year-old and the Pistons would likely come to a buyout agreement. However, that buyout didn’t end up coming to fruition.

There are likely a couple reasons why Walker has yet to accept the Pistons’ buyout offer. For one, there has been no indication that he has a guaranteed contract offer on the table from another team, as he seemingly confirmed last week.

Additionally, since Detroit has more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts, the team was always going to have to trade or release one of those players by the regular season roster deadline of October 17 — since Walker is so obviously the odd man out, the Pistons had little leverage to encourage him to give back a portion of his $9.17MM salary unless they parted with another player on a guaranteed deal.

If and when Walker is waived, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent two days later and would be able to sign with any team except the Knicks. Potential suitors will certainly be wary of Kemba’s knee problems, but he insisted last week that he can still be a useful NBA player and still has “a few years left” in him.

“I’ve got something in the tank for sure,” he said. “I feel great. I’m going to be honest. I’m going to have my opportunity. I’m not in any rush right now. I’m just grinding and trying to feel as good as I can. And right now, I feel great. I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time. I’m just waiting for the opportunity.”

Walker’s former team in Charlotte is one that has been mentioned as a possible landing spot — the Hornets were already short on point guard depth even before LaMelo Ball sprained his ankle during the preseason.

Thunder Waive David Nwaba, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss

October 17th, 2022 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have made three cuts ahead of Monday’s regular season roster deadline, announcing that they’ve waived swingman David Nwaba, guard Trey Burke, and forward/center Marquese Chriss.

All three players were sent from Houston to Oklahoma City last month, but that trade was more about cutting costs for the Thunder than it was about the players involved. Oklahoma City also received Sterling Brown in that deal and waived him too, so none of the four players acquired from the Rockets are still under contract with the Thunder (Houston has also waived the four players it acquired in the trade).

Three cuts were required for the Thunder because they had been carrying 18 players on guaranteed contracts after signing Isaiah Joe earlier today.

The team will be on the hook for the 2022/23 salaries for Nwaba ($5,022,000), Burke ($3,423,750), and Chriss ($2,193,920), assuming they go unclaimed on waivers. However, none of the three are owed any guaranteed money beyond this season. Nwaba, Burke, and Chriss have been solid rotation players in the past, but none were particularly effective for Houston in 2021/22.

Nwaba averaged 5.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 46 games (13.2 MPG), while making just 30.6% of his three-point attempts; Burke put up 5.1 PPG and 1.4 APG in 42 games (10.5 MPG) and shot a career-low 31.7% on threes; Chriss averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 34 appearances (10.2 MPG) and underwent knee surgery in June.

The Thunder now have 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so their roster is set for the regular season.

As for Joe, his new deal with the Thunder is a three-year, minimum-salary contract that is fully guaranteed for the first season and non-guaranteed in year two, with a third-year team option, Hoops Rumors has learned. Oklahoma City used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, which head coach Mark Daigneault expressed enthusiasm about in a Monday media session.

“He’s a guy that our scouts and our people have liked for some time,” Daigneault said, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter video link).