Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Sign Jamison Battle To Exhibit 10 Contract

July 16th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have signed undrafted forward Jamison Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.

The 6’7” Battle averaged 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 31.4 minutes per game in 35 starts as a fifth-year senior at Ohio State last season. He shot 46.9% from the field and 43.3% from beyond the arc, which ranked second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally. Battle also led the Big Ten in free throw percentage at 92.6%.

Battle played two seasons at George Washington (2019-21) and two at Minnesota (2021-23) prior to joining the Buckeyes.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or the player can earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate, in this case the Raptors 905.

Warriors Sign Daeqwon Plowden To Two-Way Deal

July 16th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

7:17pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.

11:31am: Free agent guard Daeqwon Plowden has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Warriors, agent Drew Kelso tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Plowden, who went undrafted out of Bowling Green in 2022, has spent his first two professional seasons in the G League, playing for the Birmingham Squadron in 2022/23 and the Osceola Magic in ’23/24.

In 49 Showcase Cup and regular season outings for Osceola last season, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 25.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .472/.397/.797.

The 6’6″ wing has made his case for a spot on Golden State’s 18-man regular season roster this month with his performance for the Warriors’ Summer League teams in California and Las Vegas. In five total Summer League games (24.2 MPG), Plowden has averaged 16.6 PPG on .537/.481/.706 shooting.

As our tracker shows, Plowden is poised to fill the Warriors’ only open two-way slot. Pat Spencer and Reece Beekman currently occupy the other two spots. Spencer is a carryover from last season’s roster – his two-way contract, signed in February, included a second year – so if Golden State wants to create a two-way opening for second-round pick Quinten Post, he might be the odd man out.

Thunder Officially Sign Alex Ducas To Two-Way Contract

July 16th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Thunder have signed undrafted rookie free agent Alex Ducas to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. The agreement between the two sides was first reported shortly after the draft concluded last month.

Ducas spent all five of his college seasons at Saint Mary’s. In 34 games in 2023/24, the 6’6″ Australian sharpshooter averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 28.1 minutes per contest while knocking down 43.8% of his three-point attempts.

Ducas ranked 32nd on ESPN’s list of the draft-eligible players who weren’t among the 58 selected in June.

All three of the Thunder’s two-way slots are now filled. In addition to Ducas, the team is carrying Adam Flagler and Ajay Mitchell on two-way deals.

Oklahoma City also has 14 players on standard contracts (13 fully guaranteed) and has reportedly agreed to sign Malevy Leons and Buddy Boeheim to Exhibit 10 deals.

PJ Dozier Signs With Timberwolves

July 15th, 2024 at 9:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

JULY 15: The signing is official, according to a team press release. The minimum-salary contract is worth $2.6MM and is partially guaranteed, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

JULY 3: The Timberwolves have reached an agreement with free agent guard PJ Dozier, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reports (Twitter link). The contract will be for one year, per Krawczysnki, and figures to be worth the minimum, given Minnesota’s cap limitations.

Dozier is a six-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He has spent the majority of his career in Denver, playing 97 of his 121 career games for the team and overlapping with former Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who now runs the Wolves’ front office.

Dozier played well as a reserve for the Nuggets in 2020/21, averaging 7.7 PPG in 21.8 MPG across 50 games. However, he suffered a torn ACL the following season and was subsequently traded and waived. He last played for Sacramento in ’22/23, but only appeared in 16 games before heading to play with Partizan Belgrade, where he averaged 9.2 PPG last season.

Dozier was actually with the Wolves for training camp in 2022, but ultimately didn’t make the team. Before signing his 10-day contracts with Sacramento in ’22/23, he spent the majority of the year playing for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate.

After tearing his ACL, Dozier’s camp kept in touch with Connelly, who remains high on the 27-year-old guard, Krawczynski reports (Twitter link).

According to The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine, Dozier’s deal is for a 15-man roster spot (Twitter link). After reportedly coming to an agreement with sharpshooter Joe Ingles earlier Wednesday, the Timberwolves are up to 14 standard contracts.

Seth Curry Returns To Hornets On One-Year Deal

July 15th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Seth Curry is returning to the Hornets on a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The signing is official, according to a Hornets press release.

Curry, who turns 34 next month, was waived by Charlotte last month before his $4MM salary for next season became guaranteed. It was noted at that time both sides were interested in exploring another contract. He’ll provide depth at the shooting guard spot.

The younger brother of Stephen Curry, Seth actually has a better career three-point percentage (43.1%) than his superstar sibling (42.6%). However, the 33-year-old – who obviously isn’t Steph’s equal as a play-maker or all-around scorer – is coming off a down year in 2023/24. He appeared in a total of 44 games for the Mavericks and Hornets, averaging just 5.1 points per game on .392/.352/.903 shooting.

The younger Curry, who was sent from Dallas to Charlotte in February as part of the trade package for P.J. Washington, was able to suit up for just eight games down the stretch for his hometown Hornets, as his season ended early due to a sprained ankle.

While the terms of Curry’s new contract weren’t reported, a minimum-salary agreement seems likely.

KJ Martin Re-Signs With Sixers

July 15th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

JULY 15: The Sixers have officially re-signed Martin, according to a team press release.

“KJ Martin is a talented young player who brings athleticism and versatility to our front court,” team executive Daryl Morey said. “He’s a fearless competitor who is just scratching the surface of his potential. We’re eager to see his continued growth here in Philadelphia.”

The second year of Martin’s deal is non-guaranteed, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

JULY 13: Forward KJ Martin is signing a two-year deal to return to the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Martin is set to earn a maximum of $16MM over the two years of the deal.

While Martin’s production with the Sixers last season was modest — 3.7 points per game in 58 appearances with Philadelphia — re-signing on such a contract allows the Sixers to maintain trade flexibility.

Philadelphia originally acquired Martin as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the Clippers early in the 2023/24 season. Martin didn’t play much for either the Sixers or the Clippers, but he was impressive early in his career with the Rockets. The No. 52 pick in 2020 by the Rockets, Martin averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds across 206 games in the first three seasons over his career.

Still just 23, Martin can serve as a deep reserve option at the forward position for the Sixers or be used as a trade piece when he becomes eligible to be dealt in January.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (Twitter link), the Sixers will be over the first apron after they fill out their roster and will not be able to take in more salary than they send out. However, Philadelphia could package Martin’s deal with others to acquire another player making less at the deadline. Alternatively, he could be traded into a team’s cap space and allow the Sixers to duck the luxury tax.

We wrote that such a move was a likely outcome after the Sixers renounced nearly all of their free agent cap holds except for Martin’s earlier this week.

In 266 career appearances with the Rockets, Clippers and Sixers, Martin holds career averages of 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Knicks Sign Cameron Payne To One-Year Contract

July 15th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:06pm: The Knicks have officially signed Payne, the team’s PR department tweets.

6:20pm: The Knicks are signing reserve point guard Cameron Payne to a one-year contract, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT tweets.

The Knicks are using the veteran’s minimum exception to sign Payne, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. The deal will be worth approximately just over $3MM.

Payne will immediately jump into the mix for backup minutes behind star floor leader Jalen Brunson.

Payne, 29, will be joining his seventh team since entering the league in 2015. He split his time between the Bucks and Sixers last season.

Milwaukee traded Payne and a 2027 second-round pick to Philadelphia for Patrick Beverley at the trade deadline. With Milwaukee, Payne appeared in 47 games and averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 assists in 14.9 minutes. With the Sixers, Payne saw action in 31 regular-season contests, averaging 9.3 points and 3.1 assists in 19.4 minutes. He also appeared in a handful of Philadelphia’s playoff games.

The addition of Payne makes it less likely that second-round pick Tyler Kolek will play a rotation role in his rookie year. Miles McBride is another candidate for regular minutes among the backcourt reserves.

The Knicks had also expressed interest in free agent point man Tyus Jones, according to Begley, who says that Payne’s playoff experience added to his appeal. The addition of Payne gives the Knicks 13 players on the roster, Begley notes (Twitter link), so at least one more move is coming.

Payne was arrested in Arizona this offseason after he made a false report and would not identify himself.

Hawks Sign Keaton Wallace To Two-Way Deal

July 15th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 15: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

JULY 13: The Hawks are signing free agent guard Keaton Wallace to a two-way contract, agents Max Lipsett and Marcus Monk tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wallace, 25, spent four years at the University of Texas at San Antonio prior to going undrafted in 2021. He has spent the past three seasons playing in the NBA G League for the Clippers’ and Hawks’ affiliate teams, briefly spending time on a two-way contract with the Clips in 2022/23.

Wallace has yet to make his NBA regular season debut. He is currently playing for Atlanta’s Summer League squad in Las Vegas. In the team’s first game on Friday, a six-point loss to the Wizards, Wallace put up 10 points (on 4-of-8 shooting), four rebounds, six assists (one turnover), two steals and one block in 23 minutes.

In 16 Showcase Cup games with the College Park Skyhawks last season, the 6’4″ Wallace averaged 12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.6 SPG on .438/.370/.789 shooting (30.0 MPG). He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 3-to-1, a solid mark for a guard.

If he stays on a two-way deal for the entire ’24/25 season, Wallace will earn a little under $579K. He will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025, assuming his contract is for one year and he isn’t released before then.

As our two-way contract tracker shows, the Hawks had a pair of two-way openings before Wallace’s addition was reported, so they will soon have just one vacancy. Atlanta has a roster crunch for players on standard contracts, with 15 players on guaranteed deals plus the non-guaranteed salary of Bruno Fernando.

Pelicans Sign Center Karlo Matkovic To Three-Year Deal

July 14th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:27pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Pelicans.

7:04pm: The Pelicans are signing 2022 second-round pick Karlo Matkovic to a three-year contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The third year will be a team option, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.

While Charania pegs the value of the contract at $4.9MM, a three-year, minimum-salary deal for a rookie would be worth approximately $5.4MM, so it sounds like Matkovic is getting the minimum via the second-round exception.

Matkovic provides depth at center for a team that lost Jonas Valanciunas in free agency. He played 34 games for the Slovenian club Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana last season, then joined the Birmingham Squadron. In 10 games with New Orleans’ G League squad, he averaged 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 blocks in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Matkovic was selected 52nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Pelicans and had remained overseas until his G League stint.

Matkovic, 23, had six points and six rebounds in 16 minutes in the Pelicans’ Summer League opener this weekend.

The low-cost signing will aid New Orleans regarding its luxury tax concerns, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets. Matkovic will have a first-year salary of $1,157,153 in 2024/25.

Hornets Re-Sign Miles Bridges To Three-Year Deal

July 14th, 2024 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 14: Bridges officially signed his deal to return to Charlotte, the Hornets announced (Twitter link).

JULY 6: The Hornets are re-signing free agent forward Miles Bridges, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN (Twitter links), Bridges’ new deal will be worth $75MM over three years and won’t include a team or player option.

After accepting his one-year, $7.9MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 69 games for the Hornets last season, posting a shooting line of .462/.349/.825. His contract gave him veto rights on any trade and he told the team in February that he intended to exercise those rights rather than approve a deal elsewhere.

While that stance was partly about not wanting to lose his Bird rights, Bridges also repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Charlotte, and that interest was reciprocated by the Hornets’ front office, led by new head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. The two sides have made good on those public comments by agreeing to terms nearly a week into free agency.

Bridges’ scoring ability, size, and versatility are ideal for an NBA forward, but his market in free agency was almost certainly affected by his off-court history, which includes multiple allegations of domestic violence.

Facing three felony charges after being accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children, Bridges entered a plea of no contest — accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt — to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent in November 2022.

The Hornets forward received three years probation and no jail time as part of the plea deal, which led to a 30-game suspension from the NBA (he was permitted to serve just 10 games of that suspension because he spent the entire 2022/23 season out of the league while his case played out). He subsequently faced three additional criminal counts related to a separate incident, but those were dismissed this February due to insufficient evidence.

Charlotte has been keeping Bridges’ $15MM cap hold on its books during the early part of free agency. The club will use up all of its cap room on other deals before going over the cap to re-sign Bridges using his Bird rights.