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Kings Waive DJ Steward

September 12th, 2022 at 5:52pm CST by Rory Maher

5:52pm: Steward has officially been waived, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

4:05pm: The Kings are waiving DJ Steward, a source tells James Ham of ESPN 1320 and TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter links).

According to Ham, if Steward doesn’t sign with another team, Sacramento is hopeful that he will rejoin the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton, who hold his returning player rights. His new deal, which he just inked last week, included a small partial guarantee for $50K.

A former McDonald’s All American, Steward spent his lone college season with Duke before going undrafted in 2021. He signed a training camp deal with the Kings last year but was waived before the start of the 2021/22 season.

Steward spent all of last season with the Stockton Kings, appearing in 30 regular season games (21 starts, 29.2 MPG) with averages of 14.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .463/.331/.884 shooting. The 6’2″ guard also played 12 games (four starts, 21.9 MPG) with Stockton during the Showcase Cup last fall, averaging 12.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.1 SPG on .394/.383/.923 shooting.

The Kings have one of the more unique roster situations right now because they only have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, have reportedly reached agreements with four others — Kent Bazemore, Quinn Cook, KZ Okpala and Jeriah Horne — that have yet to become official, plus three players with relatively small partial guarantees in Matthew Dellavedova, Chima Moneke and Sam Merrill.

It appears as though they’ll have a true training camp competition to determine the last few spots on the standard roster, with both two-way spots currently filled by Keon Ellis and Neemias Queta.

Jarrett Culver Signs Two-Way Deal With Hawks

September 12th, 2022 at 12:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have signed Jarrett Culver to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

The 23-year-old shooting guard spent last season with the Grizzlies, appearing in 37 games and averaging 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per night. Memphis acquired him in a trade with the Timberwolves last summer.

Culver was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, but he wasn’t able to establish himself in a regular role with either the Grizzlies or Wolves. The Hawks are taking a low-risk gamble on his youth and potential.

Culver was a star at Texas Tech, where he averaged 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 75 games. He led the Red Raiders to the first NCAA Championship Game in school history and earned a spot on the 2019 Final Four All-Tournament Team.

The Hawks opened up a two-way slot on Sunday by waiving Chaundee Brown. The team’s other two-way contract belongs to guard Trent Forrest.

The addition of Culver brings Atlanta’s roster back to 18 players, two below the offseason limit, with the start of training camp 15 days away.

Hornets Sign Four Players To Exhibit 10 Deals

September 12th, 2022 at 11:12am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets have signed Jalen Crutcher, Anthony Duruji, Jaylen Sims and Isaiah Whaley, the team announced in a press release. They all received Exhibit 10 contracts, sources tell Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Whaley was the only name that had been previously reported.

All four players will join Charlotte for the start of training camp on September 27. The Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed and carry a minimum salary, but the players are eligible to receive $50K bonuses if they’re waived before the start of the regular season and join the team’s G League affiliate in Greensboro.

The Hornets now have 18 players on their offseason roster, leaving two openings ahead of camp. Charlotte has 13 players with guaranteed contracts and Bryce McGowens on a two-way deal.

Crutcher, a 23-year-old point guard, was in camp with the Hornets last fall. He spent the season as an affiliate player in the G League, averaging 16.2 points and 6.0 assists in 33 games with the Swarm.

Duruji, 24, split his college career between Louisiana Tech and Florida. The forward averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds over the past two seasons with the Gators.

Sims averaged 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in four seasons at UNC Wilmington. The 23-year-old guard is a native of Charlotte.

Whaley, 23, spent five years at Connecticut and was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020/21 season. The power forward was part of the Hornets’ Summer League team, but didn’t appear in any games.

Hawks Waive Chaundee Brown

September 11th, 2022 at 3:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hawks have waived two-way swingman Chaundee Brown, Atlanta announced today in a press statement.

As Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes (Twitter link), the team will now have an available two-way player slot, with training camp set to commence in just a couple weeks.

Brown, 23, went undrafted out of Michigan in 2021. Though he was briefly on two-way deals with the Lakers and Hawks for parts of last season, he got the most run as an affiliate player with the Lakers’ NBAGL club, the South Bay Lakers.

Across five games with the Lakers and Hawks last year, the 6’5″ wing averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20.8 minutes a night. In 30 games with the South Bay Lakers last year, Brown averaged 15.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG and 0.6 SPG, on .447/.328/.833 shooting.

With Brown gone, point guard Trent Forrest is now the Hawks’ lone remaining two-way player under contract. Guard Tyson Etienne and power forward Chris Silva, both signed to training camp deals with the club, could compete for the newly available second two-way opening.

Pelicans Sign Dereon Seabron, John Petty Jr.

September 9th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have officially signed guards Dereon Seabron and John Petty Jr., the team announced in a press release.

According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link), Petty will receive an Exhibit 10 contract, while Seabron’s two-way contract, which was reported back in June, is now official. The Pelicans also confirmed that they have signed Daeqwon Plowden, who is on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Seabron, 22, was one of the top undrafted players following the 2022 NBA draft a few months ago. He averaged 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals during the 2021/22 season while leading North Carolina State in all four categories.

The 6’7″ guard was named the Most Improved Player in the ACC and was a second-team all-conference choice as a sophomore for the Wolfpack. Seabron most recently suited up for New Orleans during Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 in five games (18.6 minutes), per RealGM.

Petty, 23, went undrafted in 2021 after four years at Alabama. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pelicans last fall and was waived before the season, designating him as an affiliate player for their G League team, the Birmingham Squadron.

In 31 games (26.2 minutes) for the Squadron last season, he averaged 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Like Seabron, Petty also suited up for New Orleans during Summer League, averaging 7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games (24.0 minutes), per RealGM.

The Pelicans still have one two-way slot still open after signing Seabron. Second-round pick E.J. Liddell, who unfortunately tore his ACL during Summer League, remains unsigned.

Pelicans Sign Daeqwon Plowden To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 9th, 2022 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 9: The Pelicans have officially signed Plowden to an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has learned.

JULY 19: After playing for the Pelicans‘ Summer League team, undrafted rookie swingman Daeqwon Plowden will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with New Orleans, sources tell Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Plowden, who spent all five years of his college career at Bowling Green State, averaged 15.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG on .414/.356/.792 shooting in 31 games (30.6 MPG) in 2021/22. The 23-year-old received All-MAC honors in each of his last three seasons and made this year’s All-MAC Defensive Team.

Plowden didn’t play a major role for New Orleans’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging just 16.1 minutes per game in three appearances. But he made the most of his limited minutes, averaging 12.0 PPG on .647/.500/.909 shooting.

An Exhibit 10 deal is non-guaranteed and worth the minimum, but it could put Plowden on track to receive a $50K bonus if he’s waived before the regular season and then joins the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate.

Plowden’s Exhibit 10 contract could also be converted into a two-way deal if he impresses in training camp. The Pels have reportedly committed one two-way slot to Dereon Seabron, but their other slot remains open for now.

Cavs Sign Jamorko Pickett, Chandler Vaudrin To Camp Deals

September 9th, 2022 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

1:14pm: Both signings are official, per RealGM’s NBA transaction log.

10:14am: The Cavaliers are set to sign free agent forward Jamorko Pickett and guard Chandler Vaudrin to training camp contracts, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Pickett, who went undrafted out of Georgetown in 2021, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pistons, appearing in 13 games at the NBA level and averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 13.5 MPG.

The 24-year-old saw more action at the G League level, registering 14.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG on .429/.328/.913 shooting in 17 regular season NBAGL games (31.4 MPG) for the Motor City Cruise. After becoming an unrestricted free agent, he suited up for the Cavs’ Summer League team in Las Vegas this July.

The Big South Player of the Year in 2021, Vaudrin had been on track to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers a year ago after going undrafted out of Winthrop. However, the 25-year-old point guard tore his ACL while playing for Cleveland’s Summer League team and missed his entire rookie entire season, so that deal didn’t come to fruition — until now.

The Cavs were said to be working out several veteran free agents earlier this week as they considered how to fill their 20-man training camp roster. Pickett and Vaudrin both participated in those workouts, per Fedor.

Cleveland currently has 16 players under contract (14 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals), so the team will still have two roster spots available after officially adding Pickett and Vaudrin.

Mavericks Sign Maxi Kleber To Three-Year Extension

September 8th, 2022 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

7:41pm: The Mavericks have officially announced Kleber’s extension (via Twitter).

10:43am: Kleber’s extension will be fully guaranteed, sources tell Charania (Twitter link).

9:04am: The Mavericks are finalizing a three-year extension with forward Maxi Kleber, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Kleber’s new contract will be worth $33MM.

Kleber is set to earn $9MM in 2022/23, the final season of the four-year, $34MM deal he signed with Dallas during the 2019 free agent period. His new agreement with the team, which will bump his average annual salary to $11MM, will extend his contract through the 2025/26 season.

An undrafted free agent from Germany, Kleber has spent the last five seasons with the Mavericks. He has appeared in 326 regular season games during that time, starting 136 of them and averaging 7.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .446/.359/.796 shooting in 22.7 minutes per contest.

Kleber, 30, saw his shooting percentages drop off noticeably in 2021/22, as he made just 39.8% of his shots from the floor, including 32.5% of his threes. However, Dallas’ new financial commitment to him suggests the team is confident he’ll bounce back in ’22/23.

With Spencer Dinwiddie‘s and Reggie Bullock‘s salaries for 2023/24 not yet fully guaranteed, there might have been a path for the Mavs to create some cap flexibility next summer. However, their deal with Kleber signals they’re fully preparing to operate over the cap again, even with Christian Wood and Dwight Powell still on expiring deals.

Kleber will become one of three Dallas players under contract through at least ’25/26, joining Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith, who holds a player option for that year.

Because Kleber’s extension will exceed the NBA’s extend-and-trade limits, he’ll be ineligible to be dealt for six months after his signing date. Even if the two sides finalize the agreement shortly, that six-month window will extend into March, well past the 2023 trade deadline, so Dallas won’t be able to move him until next offseason.

Kleber is set to become the 10th player to sign a veteran contract extension so far this offseason, as our tracker shows.

DJ Steward Signs With Kings

September 8th, 2022 at 6:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Kings have brought back free agent guard DJ Steward, signing him to a new contract, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.

Last year, Steward also joined Sacramento on a training camp deal, but he was waived by the club ahead of opening night. The 6’2″ guard, who went undrafted out of Duke in 2021, ultimately joined Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

Over the course of 30 regular season games (21 starts) with Stockton, he averaged 14.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.4 APG. The 20-year-old posted shooting splits of .463/.331/.884 while in the G League last season.

Sacramento currently has 12 players inked to guaranteed spots on its 15-man standard roster. Three others are signed to non-guaranteed deals, and the team has reportedly reached agreements with KZ Okpala, Quinn Cook, and Kent Bazemore. Shooting guard Keon Ellis and center Neemias Queta occupy the club’s two-way player slots.

According to Anderson, it’s not clear if Steward will join the Kings for training camp or if his new deal is just an Exhibit 10 contract designed to get him a bonus if and when he returns to Stockton. Given all of Sacramento’s other reported signings, the latter scenario seems more likely.

Jerome Robinson Joins Warriors On Training Camp Deal

September 8th, 2022 at 6:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 8: The Warriors have officially announced the deal in a press release (Twitter link). It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

AUGUST 31: Free agent guard Jerome Robinson will sign a training camp contract with the Warriors, according to a tweet from ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Robinson, 25, last played in the NBA with the Wizards during the 2020/21 season, but he only got into 17 games and saw limited playing time. Washington decided not to pick up Robinson’s fourth-year option, which would have paid him $5.34MM, and he was waived just before the end of the regular season.

Robinson was a lottery pick in 2018, having been drafted by the Clippers with the 13th selection. He was never able to carve out a role in L.A. and was sent to the Wizards in a three-team deal at the 2020 trade deadline.

He spent last season with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, so he already has a connection to the organization. He appeared in 22 games for Santa Cruz and averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per night.

Golden State has 13 guaranteed contracts and may carry just 14 players into the regular season due to luxury tax concerns. That 14th spot will likely be reserved for Andre Iguodala, but if Iguodala retires or if the Warriors decide to carry a 15th man, there would be one available roster spot that Robinson can fight for.