Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hornets Sign LiAngelo Ball To Non-Guaranteed Deal

September 26th, 2022 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have signed free agent guard LiAngelo Ball to a one-year contract, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Ball’s deal will be non-guaranteed, adds Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The older brother of Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, LiAngelo signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team before the 2021/22 season and spent the year with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate. In 28 games for the Swarm, he averaged 4.6 PPG and 1.1 RPG on .395/.357/.667 shooting in 13.2 minutes per contest.

LiAngelo Ball has also played for the Hornets’ Summer League team in each of the last two offseasons, appearing in three games for the club this July in Las Vegas.

The Hornets only have 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, so there’s theoretically a path to a spot on the 15-man regular season roster for Ball. However, given his modest production at the G League level, it’s hard to envision him earning one of those back-end roster spots.

If Ball’s new deal includes an Exhibit 10 clause, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived by Charlotte and then spends at least 60 days in Greensboro with the Swarm as a returning rights player.

Nuggets Waive Justin Tillman

September 26th, 2022 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Nuggets have waived forward Justin Tillman, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

The move had been anticipated after Denver recently announced a training camp roster that didn’t include Tillman. As we relayed on Friday, the 26-year-old is expected to play for the Grand Rapids Gold – the Nuggets’ G League affiliate – this season after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the club earlier this offseason.

A former VCU standout, Tillman has yet to make his NBA regular season debut, but has seen action in a number of leagues around the world since going undrafted in 2018. He has spent time in Korea, Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Puerto Rico, as well as in the G League.

Tillman was a member of the All-NBAGL First Team in 2021/22, averaging an impressive 23.5 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 28 games (35.3 MPG) for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s affiliate. Grand Rapids acquired Tillman’s returning NBAGL rights from College Park in an August trade.

The Nuggets now have 19 players officially under contract.

Pistons Sign, Waive Kyler Edwards

September 26th, 2022 at 6:50am CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 26: As expected, the Pistons have waived Edwards, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 19: Undrafted rookie guard Kyler Edwards has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons, his agents Aman Dhesi and Maurice Johnson tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Edwards, 23, reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Spurs the day after the draft, but that deal was never officially completed. He also spent Summer League with San Antonio, though he didn’t get much playing time — he averaged 8.6 MPG in four games, per RealGM.

Edwards spent his first three college years at Texas Tech before transferring to Houston for the 2021/22 season. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.0 SPG in 37 appearances (34.1 MPG) as a senior for the Cougars. Edwards opted to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and go pro this year.

Edwards’ Exhibit 10 contract, which is non-guaranteed, would make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the start of the season and spends at least 60 days with the the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate.

Jazz Sign Cody Zeller To Camp Deal

September 25th, 2022 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: Utah has officially signed Zeller, the team announced in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 20: The Jazz will sign Cody Zeller to a training camp deal, according to Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Zeller, 29, began his NBA career in 2013 with Charlotte and remained with the Hornets through the 2020/21 season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Trail Blazers last season and appeared in 27 games off the bench before suffering right patellar avulsion fracture.

He was waived just before the trade deadline as Portland cleared roster space in the CJ McCollum trade with New Orleans.

Zeller has averaged 8.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 22.2 MPG through 494 NBA games.

With 17 guaranteed contracts already on the books, plus one two-way contract and three reported Exhibit 10 deals, the Jazz will need to make more roster moves prior to the opening of camp.

A best-case scenario will be for Zeller to earn a roster spot as a backup big man on the rebuilding club.

Knicks Sign Jalen Harris

September 25th, 2022 at 8:46pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have signed free agent guard Jalen Harris, the team’s public relations department announced (via Twitter). The details of the agreement weren’t released, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal designed to get Harris to play for New York’s G League affiliate.

Harris, 24, was banned for one year from the NBA in July of 2021 for violating the terms of the anti-drug program. He appeared in just 13 games with the Raptors before that. Toronto drafted him No. 59 overall in 2021 after he played collegiately at Louisiana Tech and Nevada.

Harris averaged 7.4 points in 13.2 minutes with the Raptors, shooting 50% from the floor. While serving his suspension, Harris also played in Italy and Canada.

The Raptors reportedly gave Harris a two-way qualifying offer after he was reinstated by the NBA in August. That qualifying offer would theoretically have given Toronto the right to match any rival offer he received, so it seems the team either dropped the QO or opted not to match the Knicks’ deal.

The Knicks now have 19 players under contract with training camp set to start this week.

Nets Sign Marcus Zegarowski

September 25th, 2022 at 6:25pm CST by JD Shaw

The Nets have signed guard Marcus Zegarowski, who was drafted with the No. 49 overall pick in 2021, the team announced today in a press release. The terms of the agreement weren’t released. Brooklyn also signed and waived Zegarowski roughly one week ago.

Zegarowski, 24, played 92 games across three collegiate seasons at Creighton leading up to the 2021 draft. He averaged 14.1 points per game, shooting 47% from the floor, 42% from three-point range and 77% from the free throw line.

Zegarowski played with the Nets’ G League affiliate in 2021/22. The 6’2″ guard appeared in eight games, averaging 10.1 points per contest. He shot just 36% during those outings.

We’ll have to wait for clarity on Zegarowski’s situation, but the first contract he signed this offseason was likely his required tender, a non-guaranteed contract the Nets had to offer in order to retain his draft rights. By waiving Zegarowski after he signed that tender, Brooklyn gave up his draft rights. Bringing him back now suggests he may still be in the team’s plans as an affiliate player at Long Island.

Brooklyn has 19 players under contract entering training camp, which includes the team’s two-way players, Alondes Williams and David Duke.

Knicks Waive Nuni Omot, Garrison Brooks

September 25th, 2022 at 4:54pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have waived forwards Nuni Omot and Garrison Brooks, per the team’s public relations department (Twitter link). Both players were signed to Exhibit 10 deals and will head to the club’s G League affiliate, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

New York now has 18 players under contract. This includes Feron Hunt and Trevor Keels, who are both signed to two-way contracts. The team will open its training camp this week.

Omot, 6’9, played in Puerto Rico last season. He averaged 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists, appearing in 20.1 minutes per game. The 27-year-old went undrafted out of Baylor in 2018.

Brooks, also 6’9″, most recently played at Mississippi State. The 23-year-old held per-game averages of 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds, shooting 50%. He also played four collegiate seasons at North Carolina.

Fabian White Jr. Waived By Lakers

September 25th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With team training camp set to kick off on Tuesday, the Lakers are finalizing their roster. Forward Fabian White Jr. has been waived by Los Angeles, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Fabian had been signed to an Exhibit 10 deal by L.A. earlier this summer after going undrafted out of Houston. If White joins the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, this season, he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K.

The 6’8″ forward averaged 12.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.4 BPG and 1.0 SPG during his final 2021/22 collegiate season with the Cougars across 38 games, all starts. He posted a slash line of .491/.371/.688. In that last year with Houston, White was an All-AAC honoree, as well the AAC Tourney’s MVP.

White’s release leaves guard Javante McCoy and center Jay Huff as the Lakers’ remaining players inked to training camp deals.

Pacers Waive Justin Anderson, Norvel Pelle

September 25th, 2022 at 9:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers have placed forward Justin Anderson and center Norvel Pelle on waivers, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. Both players signed with the team on Friday and appear headed to Indiana’s G League affiliate in Fort Wayne.

Anderson, 28, signed three 10-day contracts with the Pacers last season and spent time with the Cavaliers as well on a 10-day deal. He appeared in 13 games for Indiana, averaging 6.8 PPG in 20.7 minutes per night.

Pelle, 29, had a brief NBA appearance last season, getting into three games with the Jazz after inking a 10-day contract in January. He was waived by the Trail Blazers earlier this month.

The moves bring the Pacers’ roster back down to 18 players and create room for two more signings before the start of training camp on Tuesday.

Magic Sign Aleem Ford, Zavier Simpson, Waive Joel Ayayi

September 24th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic have set their roster for the start of training camp, signing Aleem Ford and Zavier Simpson and placing Joel Ayayi on waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).

Ford, a 24-year-old small forward, got into five games after signing a 10-day contract with Orlando last December when the roster was ravaged by COVID-19. The former Wisconsin star played most of the season with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Lakeland, averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31 games.

Simpson, whose signing has been rumored since late July, started four games for the Thunder at the end of last season after inking a 10-day hardship contract in April. The 25-year-old point guard has played mainly in the G League since going undrafted out of Michigan in 2020.

Ayayi, a former two-way player with the Wizards, signed with Orlando 12 days ago and may be ticketed for the G League. The 22-year-old shooting guard saw limited playing time in seven games with Washington last season before being waived in March.