Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz To Sign Taevion Kinsey On Exhibit 10 Contract

September 27th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz are signing Taevion Kinsey to an Exhibit 10 contract, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.

Kinsey had been on a two-way contract with Utah, which he signed in July, but was waived in August. He’s now returning to the organization as part of the training camp roster.

Kinsey went undrafted in 2023 after playing five college seasons at Marshall. As a “super senior” for the Thundering Herd in 2022/23, he averaged 22.1 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .542/.404/.744 shooting in 32 games (37.8 MPG), earning Sun Belt Player of the Year for his efforts.

A 6’5″ wing, Kinsey signed a training camp deal with Utah last summer and was waived in October. He wound up signing a 10-day contract with the Jazz in March, but he didn’t appear in a game.

Kinsey spent the majority of his first pro season playing for the Jazz’s NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. In 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Stars (29.6 MPG), he averaged 10.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG while posting a strong shooting line of .555/.427/.780.

He’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived, then rejoins the Stars for at least 60 days.

Pacers Waive Polley, Tominaga; Sign James

September 27th, 2024 at 4:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have waived forward Tyler Polley and guard Keisei Tominaga, according to a team press release.

Polley signed an Exhibit 10 contract on Thursday and Tominaga inked a similar deal this week. Assuming they clear waivers, they’ll be eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the G League’s Indiana Mad Ants.

Polley, a former UConn forward, has spent his first two professional seasons playing in the Greek Basketball League. He played last season for Kolossos, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds on .442/.347/.795 shooting in 21 games (25.6 minutes).

Tominaga, an undrafted guard, averaged 15.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 26.1 minutes per game across 32 outings (all starts) for Nebraska in 2023/24.

In an additional move, the team signed guard Josiah-Jordan James to an Exhibit 10 contract. The Pacers agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with James shortly after he went undrafted out of Tennessee.

James appeared in 144 games with the Volunteers and helped Tennessee reach the Elite Eight this year for the second time in program history. He appeared in 36 games last season, averaging 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.2 minutes per night while shooting 40.2% from the field and 34.1% from three-point range.

Reporting in June suggested James was expected to compete for a two-way deal. However, Indiana has already filled all three spots and say in today’s release that he’ll be joining the Mad Ants, which suggests he’ll be waived before the NBA season begins.

Thunder Sign Cormac Ryan, Two Others

September 27th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have signed rookie free agent shooting guard Cormac Ryan, the team announced today. While the terms of the contract weren’t revealed, it’s almost certainly an Exhibit 10 deal.

Ryan played college basketball for Stanford, Notre Dame, and North Carolina from 2018-24, appearing in a total of 152 games at the NCAA level, including 36 in 2023/24 for the Tar Heels. As a “super-senior” last season, he averaged 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 30.3 minutes per game with a shooting line of .382/.354/.874.

The Thunder added Ryan to their Summer League roster in July and he suited up in a total of seven games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, averaging 4.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG on 19.4% shooting in 12.7 MPG. Despite his underwhelming Summer League performance, it seems the 6’5″ guard is in Oklahoma City’s plans for the coming season.

In all likelihood, Ryan will be waived at some point before the regular season begins and will report to the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue. If he spends at least 60 days with the Blue, he’ll be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard G League salary.

In addition to announcing Ryan’s deal, the Thunder also confirmed today that they’ve signed forwards Malevy Leons and Alex Reese, whose Exhibit 10 agreements with the club were previously reported — one in June and one earlier in the day on Friday.

The Thunder now have 20 players on their preseason roster. More moves are likely coming sooner or later, as they’ve yet to finalize reported Exhibit 10 deals with Buddy Boeheim and Javonte Cooke.

Timberwolves Sign Chasson Randle To Camp Deal

September 27th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 27: Randle has officially signed with the Timberwolves, per a press release from the team.

Minnesota is now at the maximum offseason limit of 21 players under contract.

SEPTEMBER 9: The Timberwolves have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with guard Chasson Randle, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Randle, 31, spent last season with AEK Athens but is quite familiar with the NBA. He has appeared in 119 regular season games, seeing action for the Knicks, Sixers, Wizards, Warriors, and Magic. His last stint came with Orlando, when he played in 41 games (five starts) during the 2020/21 season and averaged 6.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per contest.

Earlier in the day, the Timberwolves’ G League team, the Iowa Wolves, acquired Randle’s returning player rights from the Oklahoma City Blue (Twitter link). That set the stage for an Exhibit 10 offer.

If they’re waived by their NBA club and join that team’s G League affiliate, players who ink Exhibit 10 contracts are eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K (on top of the standard NBAGL salary) should they remain with those affiliate squads for at least 60 days.

Thunder, Alex Reese Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 27th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder and free agent forward Alex Reese have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Billy Davis tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Reese, who played at Alabama from 2017-21, averaged just 5.4 points per game on .369/.282/.706 shooting during his senior season with the Crimson Tide, then spent a year away from basketball, working as a bartender and moving furniture, per GTV Hoops (Instagram link).

After taking some time away from the sport, Reese signed to play in Luxembourg in 2022/23, then spent the ’23/24 season with the Rip City Remix in the G League. In 43 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for Portland’s affiliate, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just 17.3 minutes per contest, posting a solid shooting line of .442/.405/.766.

Reese’s strong showing in the NBAGL earned him a spot on Portland’s Summer League roster in July. He registered averages of 7.6 PPG and 2.2 RPG in five games (12.0 MPG) in Las Vegas, making just 32.4% of his shots from the field, including 29.6% of his three-point tries.

The Thunder most likely envision Reese suiting up for their G League team – the Oklahoma City Blue – in 2024/25, though they’ll have to acquire his returning rights from the Remix to make that happen. Assuming the Blue acquire those rights and Reese is waived by the Thunder, his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard G League salary if he spends at least 60 days with OKC’s NBAGL squad.

Hawks Sign Joirdon Nicholas To Camp Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hawks have signed free agent forward Joirdon Nicholas to a training camp contract, Atlanta has announced in a press statement.

Terms of the agreement weren’t reported, but it is likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Nicholas went undrafted out of Texas Southern in 2023. He suited up for the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, throughout the 2023/24 season. Across 39 combined regular season and Showcase Cup contests (16 starts), he averaged 8.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Additionally, Nicholas appeared in 19 contests for the Mexican club Zonkeys de Tijuana in 2023/24. He posted averages of 10.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG on 41.4% field goal shooting and 64.7% free throw shooting.

The Hawks currently have all 15 of their standard roster spots and all three of their two-way vacancies occupied. Exhibit 10 signings can be converted into two-way agreements, so there’s a chance that if Nicholas impresses Atlanta, the team could opt to waive Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace or Dominick Barlow.

The more likely scenario is that Nicholas will be in line for a $77.5K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. The Skyhawks recently traded for his returning rights.

Suns Cut Tyrese Samuel, Jaden Shackelford

September 26th, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns have waived forward Tyrese Samuel and guard Jaden Shackelford ahead of training camp, per the NBA’s official transaction log.

Both players had been on Exhibit 10 training camp deals with Phoenix.

Samuel went undrafted out of Florida this summer. The 6’10” All-SEC honoree averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while connecting on 56.4% of his looks from the floor and 56.2% of his free throw attempts.

After going undrafted out of Alabama, the 23-year-old Shackelford has spent the last two seasons in the G League as a member of the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. Last year, he recorded averages of 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .379/.356/.733 shooting across 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games.

Both players seem likely to end up with the Suns’ NBAGL squad, the Valley Suns, who acquired Shackelford’s rights in a trade earlier this month. Should Samuel and Shackelford stick with Phoenix’s G League team for at least 60 days, they will each be eligible for a bonus worth as much as $77.5K.

The Suns also confirmed that they have officially signed power forward/center Mamadi Diakite and center Frank Kaminsky, whose deals were previously reported. Phoenix has one opening on its projected 15-man standard roster. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets that Diakite, Kaminsky and previously confirmed training camp signee Moses Wood are all slated to compete for it.

Warriors Sign Kevin Knox

September 26th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26: The signing is official, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 25: The Warriors and free agent forward Kevin Knox have agreed to a one-year deal, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Charania doesn’t specify the terms of the contract, Golden State is right up against a first-apron hard cap and can’t sign a player to a standard deal without a corresponding roster move, so it’s safe to assume Knox is inking a non-guaranteed camp contract that won’t count against the cap. It figures to include Exhibit 9 language and possible Exhibit 10 language too.

The ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Knox began last season with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate. He signed with the Pistons in early November and was in the NBA for three months before being sent to Utah at February’s trade deadline. The Jazz immediately waived him, and with no NBA opportunities immediately presenting themselves, the 25-year-old eventually reported back to the Remix.

For the season, Knox appeared in 31 games (11 starts) at the NBA level for Detroit, averaging 7.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per contest. Those averages aren’t far off from the ones he has posted across 306 career outings for the Knicks, Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Pistons (7.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 18.0 MPG), though his field-goal percentage last season (46.2%) was well above his 39.2% career mark.

Knox suited up for Golden State’s Summer League team in July, playing in six total games in the Las Vegas and California Classic leagues. He averaged 16.0 PPG and 7.2 RPG on .471/.351/.792 shooting in those contests.

There’s technically a path for Knox to make the Warriors’ regular season roster if the team makes a trade or cuts either Lindy Waters or Gui Santos, both of whom are non-guaranteed contracts. However, recent reporting has indicated Golden State will likely hang onto Waters and Santos.

Knox isn’t eligible for a two-way contract and his G League rights are still held by Rip City, so unless the Santa Cruz Warriors trade for those returning rights or Golden State finds room for him on the standard NBA roster, the forward’s stay in the organization may only last a few weeks.

Hawks Sign Daeqwon Plowden To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 6:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

SEPTEMBER 27: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

SEPTEMBER 26: The Hawks have agreed to a deal with free agent guard Daeqwon Plowden, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), Plowden is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Atlanta.

Plowden signed a two-way deal with the Warriors earlier this offseason, but he was recently waived to accommodate the signing of second-round pick Quinten Post.

A 6’6″ swingman, Plowden went undrafted out of Bowling Green in 2022. He spent the 2022/23 season with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, and played for the Magic’s NBAGL squad, the Osceola Magic, in 2023/24. Last year with Osceola, Plowden averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks per game across 33 regular season bouts (nine starts). He posted a shooting line of .471/.390/.769.

Plowden had an impressive Summer League showing with the Warriors in July, averaging 14.6 PPG on .490/.397/.757 shooting in eight outings at the Las Vegas and California Classic events, per RealGM.

The College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, acquired Plowden’s returning rights in a trade with Osceola earlier this month, so in all likelihood, he’ll be waived before the season begins and then report to College Park. If he spends at least 60 days with the Hawks’ affiliate, Plowden will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

Timberwolves Waive Trevor Keels

September 26th, 2024 at 5:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Timberwolves have cut guard Trevor Keels, Minnesota has announced in a press statement.

The 6’3″ guard had only recently been inked to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the club. Should he join Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, and stay with the club for at least 60 days, he’ll earn a bonus worth $77.5K.

The Knicks selected Keels with the No. 42 pick in 2022 out of Duke. He only appeared in three regular season contests for the Knicks, posting averages of 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds across 2.7 minutes per night.

In 25 regular season contests for New York’s NBAGL affiliate squad that year, the Westchester Knicks, he averaged 13.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.0 steal while shooting .425/.355/.710. He was waived by New York following his 2022/23 rookie season.

Keels, now 21, played for the Iowa Wolves for the entire 2023/24 season. Across 23 regular season contests (17 starts), Keels averaged 13.5 points (on .434/.367/.857 shooting), 3.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.