Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Sign Justin Tillman

August 26th, 2022 at 10:47am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 26: The Nuggets have officially signed Tillman, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

The Grand Rapids Gold – the Nuggets’ G League affiliate – announced in a press release on Thursday that they’ve obtained Tillman’s returning player rights, signaling that they expect the big man to suit up for them in 2022/23.

AUGUST 12: The Nuggets have agreed to terms on a deal with free agent power forward Justin Tillman, agent Daniel Hazan informs Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Since going undrafted out of VCU in 2018, Tillman has played for clubs in South Korea, Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Puerto Rico. He also appeared in eight games for the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, during the 2018/19 season.

Haynes notes that Tillman was an All-G League First-Teamer for the 2021/22 season. The 6’8″ big man averaged 13.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 0.6 BPG for the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, in 14 games.

Denver is currently carrying 15 guaranteed contracts on its roster, meaning Tillman’s deal is most likely an Exhibit 10 training camp agreement. The Nuggets also have both their two-way player slots filled.

Hawks Sign Chris Silva

August 25th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hawks have signed free agent power forward Chris Silva, the team announced in a press release. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

Atlanta has 13 players signed to guaranteed contracts, plus Tyrese Martin on a partially guaranteed deal. Should Martin stick with the Hawks through January 7, his contract will become fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2022/23 season.

Since going undrafted in 2019, the 25-year-old Silva has played sparingly in 69 contests for the Heat, Kings, and Timberwolves. He holds NBA career averages of 2.9 PPG (on 60.6% shooting) and 3.9 RPG. In 29 NBAGL games with Iowa last season, the 2018 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year posted averages of 16.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG.

The Hawks have two players on two-way contracts, with former Wichita State guard Tyson Etienne on a training camp contract. Given the timing of Silva’s deal, it seems possible the 6’8″ big man out of South Carolina is also joining Atlanta on an Exhibit 10 agreement.

The Timberwolves’ G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, announced today that they’ve received the returning player rights to guard Nik Stauskas from the Hawks’ NBAGL club, the College Park Skyhawks, in exchange for Silva’s rights. That trade is a signal that Atlanta may plan on Silva heading to College Park to start the 2022/23 season.

Jazz Trade Patrick Beverley To Lakers

August 25th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

2:10pm: The trade is now official, the Jazz announced in a press release.

5:39am: The Lakers and Jazz are finalizing a trade that will send guard Patrick Beverley to Los Angeles in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Sources tell Wojnarowski that the deal is on track to be completed on Thursday.

Beverley, 34, is a talented perimeter defender who can be a positive contributor on offense as well. He helped get the Timberwolves back to the playoffs last season, averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game in 58 appearances (25.4 MPG). He’s also a career 37.8% three-point shooter across 10 NBA seasons.

Beverley, who is on an expiring $13MM contract, was traded from Minnesota to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster last month. However, he was always viewed as a candidate to be flipped to a new team, given that the Jazz are in retooling mode.

According to Wojnarowski, Beverley – who was in Los Angeles as a Clipper from 2017-21 – was enthusiastic about the idea of joining the Lakers in a trade and was “thrilled” to learn of the agreement between L.A. and Utah.

The Lakers had long been viewed as a potential suitor for Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who was considered the team’s top trade target this offseason. However, once Kevin Durant withdrew his trade request and it became clear that Irving would likely remain in Brooklyn, Los Angeles pivoted to acquiring another point guard without having to include Russell Westbrook and draft compensation in the deal.

Johnson, who is on an expiring minimum-salary contract for 2022/23, is an NBA journeyman, so Horton-Tucker is the centerpiece of the package headed to Utah. The former second-round pick had an up-and-down 2021/22 season for the Lakers, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG in 60 games (25.2 MPG), but struggling to score efficiently, with a modest shooting line of .416/.269/.800.

Horton-Tucker is still only 21 years old, so the Jazz presumably view the athletic wing as a player with some untapped potential. He’s under contract for $10.26MM in 2022/23, with an $11.02MM player option for the ’23/24 season.

Both the Lakers and Jazz are candidates to make additional deals before the season begins.

L.A. still has Westbrook and its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to dangle in trade discussions, and the idea of making a play for the Pacers duo of Buddy Hield and Myles Turner is even more intriguing now that the club has fortified its backcourt by agreeing to acquire Beverley. For now, the Lakers have $34MM in cap room for the summer of 2023, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), which will be a factor the team considers as its weighs additional trades.

In Utah, meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell remains a trade candidate, and the Jazz would likely be open to discussing deals involving veterans like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gay as well.

Celtics Sign Bruno Caboclo To Camp Deal

August 24th, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 24: The Celtics have officially signed Caboclo, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

AUGUST 1: Free agent forward Bruno Caboclo has reached an agreement on a training camp deal with the Celtics and will get the opportunity to compete for a roster spot this fall, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Caboclo appeared in a total of 105 NBA regular season games across seven seasons with the Raptors, Kings, Grizzlies, and Rockets. While the Brazilian forward had tantalizing physical tools, he never put them together at the NBA level, averaging 4.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG on .403/.308/.836 shooting in 12.3 minutes per contest.

Caboclo finished the 2020/21 season in France, then returned to his home country for the ’21/22 campaign, signing with Sao Paolo FC. Caboclo, who is still just 26 years old, led the club to a BCL Americas title and earned MVP honors in the Novo Basquete Brasil, which is Brazil’s top basketball league.

Caboclo worked out for the Jazz in June and played for Utah’s Summer League teams in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas in July, but will be heading to camp with the Celtics, who still have at least a couple regular season roster spots up for grabs. Boston is currently carrying just 12 players on standard contracts, plus a pair on two-way deals.

Spurs Re-Sign Joe Wieskamp To Two-Year Deal

August 24th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 24: The Spurs have officially re-signed Wieskamp, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 22: Free agent swingman Joe Wieskamp is re-signing with the Spurs on a two-year, $4.4MM contract, his agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wieskamp, 22, appeared in 29 games as a rookie last season, averaging 2.1 PPG in 7.1 MPG. The University of Iowa product was the No. 41 overall pick of the 2021 draft.

Wieskamp was a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer. He spent the bulk of the season on a two-way contract but was signed a standard contract in early March.

He was ruled out of Summer League action due to an ankle sprain.

On a rebuilding team, Wieskamp will fight for minutes at both wing spots. He was a 41.2% 3-point shooter in three seasons with the Hawkeyes and could be a rotation factor if he provides that threat in the NBA.

The terms of Wieskamp’s contract indicate he’ll be earning more than the minimum on his new deal, but it’s unclear whether both years are fully guaranteed.

Udonis Haslem Re-Signs With Heat For 20th, Final Season

August 23rd, 2022 at 3:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 23: The Heat have officially re-signed Haslem, the team announced today in a press release.

“From the first day that I saw him compete, to the last day when we retire his jersey at our FTX home, UD will go down in our team’s history as one of the best to ever play for the Miami HEAT,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement.

AUGUST 21: Veteran Heat power forward Udonis Haslem announced on Sunday at his Miami-based youth basketball camp that he will return for a 20th and final NBA season with the club, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Earlier this week, Haslem had indicated he would reveal his decision on his playing future at the camp.

“Got one more in me for Pop,” Haslem said, referencing his late father, as Reynolds tweets. “Got one more in me for the city. Got one more in me for the team.”

Per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the 6’8″ big man out of Florida is set to retire from the league following the 2022/23 season. “One more year,” Haslem said.

Chiang adds (Twitter link) that Haslem’s father, who passed away last August, had long hoped his son would suit up for 20 NBA seasons.

After four productive collegiate seasons with the Gators, Haslem went undrafted in 2002. He headed overseas for his first professional basketball experience, joining French club Chalon-Sur-Saône during the 2002/03 season. Haslem joined Miami for the ’03/04 campaign, with his play netting him a spot on the 2004 All-Rookie Second Team.

Only eight players in league history have played for 20 seasons or more. Haslem will join his former Heat teammate, current Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James, as the ninth and tenth such players to reach that benchmark. Additionally, Haslem will become just the third player ever to suit up for just one team for 20 seasons, joining Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki.

Haslem has long since transitioned from being a key rotation player with Miami to taking on a far more limited role. The 42-year-old has appeared in just 58 regular season contests since the start of 2016/17, serving as more of a valuable locker room voice and practice player. Last year, Haslem played 13 times in the regular season, averaging 2.5 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 6.4 MPG. He hasn’t appeared in a playoff game since 2016.

For his career, Haslem boasts averages of 7.5 PPG, on 48.9% shooting, and 6.6 RPG. He was a crucial role player on five Miami teams that made the Finals between 2006-14, winning championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013. In his current role as essentially a player-coach, Haslem helped guide the Heat to another Finals appearance, his sixth with the team, in 2020.

By latching on with Miami for a veteran’s minimum contract, Haslem will be the 14th player signed to the team’s standard 15-man roster. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel tweets that the addition of Haslem will put Miami just $200K beneath this season’s $150,267,000 luxury tax line.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (via Twitter), the Heat will probably leave their final 15-man roster spot unfilled to avoid the tax, unless they can cut costs elsewhere. They’ll be able to sign a 15th man late in the season when the prorated minimum salary dips below $200K.

Timberwolves Sign Luka Garza

August 23rd, 2022 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have officially signed free agent forward/center Luka Garza, the team announced today in a press release. The Wolves also confirmed the previously reported signing of CJ Elleby, which was made official a couple weeks ago.

Garza, 23, was selected by the Pistons with the 52nd overall pick in the 2021 draft and spent his rookie season in Detroit, averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 32 games (12.2 MPG). He was a standout for the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, putting up 20.6 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 16 games (29.8 MPG) and earning a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.

Garza’s contract with the Pistons was for two years, but the 2022/23 season was a team option, which Detroit declined, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The former Iowa star is now on track to attend training camp with Minnesota, though it’s unclear if there will be any room for him on the club’s 15-man roster. The Timberwolves currently have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with Austin Rivers, Jaylen Nowell, and Nathan Knight seemingly the frontrunners to fill out the regular season squad.

If Garza doesn’t make the Timberwolves’ 15-man roster or end up on a two-way deal, he could become an affiliate player for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League team. Terms of his contract aren’t known, but if it includes Exhibit 10 language, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with Iowa.

Counting their two-way players, the Timberwolves now have 19 players under contract.

Hawks Sign Tyson Etienne To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 22nd, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have signed rookie guard Tyson Etienne, according to a team press release.

Atlanta’s decision to give Etienne an Exhibit 10 contract was reported one day after the June draft and it’s finally official.

Etienne joined the Hawks’ Summer League team after the agreement and he averaged 10.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 16.7 MPG over five games in Las Vegas.

Etienne went undrafted after playing three seasons for Wichita State. The American Conference Player of the Year in 2021, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.0 APG in 27 appearances (34.3 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.

Etienne is a talented three-point shooter, making 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.1% rate last season, though he was far less effective from inside the arc, converting just 32.6% of his two-point attempts.

Etienne is the nephew of former NBA player Marcus Camby and a cousin of Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan.

An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Etienne can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins the College Park SkyHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

The Hawks now have 17 players on their camp roster, including two-way players. They can add three more players before camp.

Celtics To Sign Denzel Valentine To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 22nd, 2022 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have agreed to a deal with free agent swingman Denzel Valentine, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Valentine will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston and will compete in training camp for a spot on the regular season roster.

The 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Valentine spent the first five years of his NBA career in Chicago before signing last offseason with the Cavaliers. He played a minor role in 22 games for Cleveland, then was dealt in January to the Knicks, who waived him. Following a 10-day contract with the Jazz, Valentine played in the G League for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Considered a strong three-point shooter, Valentine has made 36.0% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 256 NBA appearances (18.8 MPG). He has also knocked down 41.2% of his three-pointers in a small G League sample (16 games). Valentine appeared in 12 games (31.9 MPG) last season with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, filling up the box score with 14.6 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 7.0 APG.

The Celtics have at least 11 players expected to make their regular season roster, with Luke Kornet viewed as a strong candidate to be the 12th. The team has reportedly reached deals with Valentine, Bruno Caboclo, and Noah Vonleh to compete for the 13th and 14th spots — free agents like Brodric Thomas and Justin Jackson are also expected by local reporters to vie for a spot on Boston’s roster.

Because Valentine has been in the NBA for five seasons, he’s ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal, but he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and reports back to Maine for at least 60 days.

Raptors Give Jalen Harris Qualifying Offer

August 20th, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Jalen Harris, according to RealGM’s transactions log. That makes Harris a restricted free agent.

Harris was reinstated by the league earlier this week. He was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA on July 1, 2021 for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program, then became eligible to apply for reinstatement last month.

Harris was still under contract with Toronto at the time of his suspension and the Raptors had 30 days to tender him a one-year, two-way qualifying offer.

The Raptors already have 19 players under contract, with second-round pick Christian Koloko still unsigned and a two-way qualifying offer out to another restricted free agent, David Johnson.

Jarrett Culver also might also be added to the camp roster, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. The 2019 lottery pick played 37 regular season and three postseason games for the Grizzlies last season. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players until the day before the regular season begins.

The 59th overall pick in 2020, Harris spent his first professional season on a two-way contract with the Raptors, then signed with Vanoli Cremona in Italy for the 2021/22 campaign following his suspension from the NBA. This May, he joined the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League as he prepared to apply for reinstatement to the NBA.

Harris averaged 7.4 PPG on .500/.472/.778 shooting in 13 NBA games (13.2 MPG) and put up 17.6 PPG on .457/.500/.667 shooting in seven NBAGL contests (29.4 MPG) as a rookie in ’20/21.