Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Sign Lamar Stevens To Camp Deal

September 26th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Rory Maher

Free agent forward Lamar Stevens has signed a contract with the Pistons, according to his agency, Priority Sports (Twitter link).

Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that Stevens has agreed to a training camp deal, which means it will be a one-year, minimum-salary contract that is non-guaranteed and won’t count against the cap. It figures to include Exhibit 9 language and perhaps Exhibit 10 language too.

Stevens played for four years at Penn State prior to going undrafted in 2020. He spent his first three NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, initially on a two-way deal before receiving a promotion to a multiyear standard contract at the end of his rookie campaign.

Known for his strength, toughness, athleticism and defensive versatility, Stevens was traded from Cleveland to San Antonio last summer in the three-team deal that saw the Cavs acquire Max Strus from Miami. San Antonio waived Stevens last July, but he caught on with the Celtics last fall for training camp, and was one of three players on Exhibit 9 contracts to make an opening night roster in 2023/24.

Not only did Stevens make Boston’s opening night roster, but he had his salary fully guaranteed in January. However, he rarely received playing with the Celtics, who traded him to Memphis — along with two second-round picks — for Xavier Tillman at the February deadline.

The 27-year-old played pretty well for an injury-ravaged Grizzlies squad, averaging 11.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .446/.289/.791 shooting in 19 appearances with Memphis (23.0 MPG). The team chose not to re-sign him this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Overall, Stevens has appeared in 203 regular season games over the course of his four seasons in the league, averaging 5.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .463/.286/.726 shooting in 15.7 MPG.

The Pistons currently have 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with big man Paul Reed on a non-guaranteed deal. Stevens will likely be vying for the 15th and final standard roster spot in training camp, assuming Detroit chooses to carry a full roster.

Jordan Bowden Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Hawks

September 26th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jordan Bowden has signed a contract with the Hawks, according to RealGM’s transactions log. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, HoopsHype contributor Cyro Asseo tweets.

Bowden most recently played for the Montreal Alliance of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, where he averaged 17.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.1 APG.

Last season, Bowden played in the NBA G League for the Maine Celtics and College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s affiliate. He appeared in a combined 25 regular season games, averaging 13.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.8 APG in 27.7 MPG. From 2021-23, Bowden played for the Long Island Nets.

The 27-year-old guard played college ball for Tennessee from 2016-20.

Bowden would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Skyhawks.

Harry Giles Signs One-Year Deal With Hornets

September 26th, 2024 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 26: Giles has officially signed with the Hornets, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 22: The Hornets have agreed to sign Harry Giles to a one-year contract, agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Giles will be given an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp, Charania adds.

Giles was once considered one of the top prospects in the country, but his career has been plagued by knee injuries. He won a roster spot with the Nets last fall after joining the team on an Exhibit 10 contract, but he appeared in just 16 games before being waived in February.

He signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in early March and saw limited time in seven games. In total, he averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.3 minutes per night between the two teams.

As Charania notes, Giles will be returning to North Carolina, where he was once a high school star before signing with Duke. After one season with the Blue Devils, he was selected by Portland with the 20th pick in 2017 and traded to Sacramento on draft night.

The Hornets have 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, along with Taj Gibson, who has a $1.1MM guarantee on his $3.3MM deal, so Giles will have a real chance to make the roster if he can put together a strong preseason.

Charlotte is carrying 20 players on its preseason roster, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary for Giles to be officially signed.

Bucks’ Alston, Hornets’ Battle Among Wednesday Cuts

September 25th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Bucks waived forward Philip Alston on Wednesday, according to the NBA’s transaction log. Alston had been signed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

The 6’6″ forward went undrafted this year after two seasons at Loyola Chicago. In his junior and senior seasons, he averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from the field. If he reports to the Bucks’ G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd and spends at least 60 days with the club, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

By waiving Alston, the Bucks dip to 20 players on their training camp roster, one below the limit. They also have Liam Robbins and James Akinjo signed to Exhibit 10 deals and it seems likely that they’ll continue churning through players as they prepare their NBA and G League rosters ahead of the season.

There were two more cuts from Wednesday:

The Hornets waived West Virginia product Raequan Battle, according to the log. Battle’s reported agreement from August must have been officially finalized shortly before he was cut. The Hornets now have 19 players on their offseason roster and another reported agreement with Harry Giles. In addition to three Exhibit 10 players already signed — Caleb McConnell, Marcus Garrett and Keyontae Johnson — the Hornets have a two-way contract opening and a vacant spot on their projected 15-man roster. Battle is now primed to suit up for the Greensboro Swarm if he so chooses. He averaged 16.1 PPG in his final collegiate season.
After signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal this morning, the Kings are waiving Justin Powell. The Kings are back down to 19 players on their offseason roster, with a pending agreement with Skal Labissiere that has yet to be finalized. They also waived Dexter Dennis earlier today. The Kings now have two players on Exhibit 10 deals: Boogie Ellis and Terry Taylor.

Kings Sign, Waive Dexter Dennis

September 25th, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The Kings have now waived Dennis, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

2:04pm: The Kings have signed free agent swingman Dexter Dennis, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Dennis, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2023 and caught on with the Mavericks for training camp, earning a two-way contract at the end of the preseason. However, he appeared in just four NBA games for Dallas before being waived in December.

Dennis played in a total of 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games in the G League as a rookie, including 29 for the Texas Legends and 15 for the Cleveland Charge, who traded for him in February. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per game with a shooting line of .430/.350/.778.

Dennis is also considered a strong defender, having won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 at Wichita State.

The Charge traded Dennis’ G League returning rights to the Stockton Kings earlier this month, so in all likelihood, he’ll be waived before the NBA season begins and will subsequently report to Sacramento’s G League affiliate, where his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

The Kings still have one open spot on their 21-man preseason roster and have reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with both Skal Labissiere and Justin Powell, so more back-of-the-roster transactions are likely coming in Sacramento.

Jazz Sign, Waive Dane Goodwin

September 25th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Jazz have waived Goodwin, the club announced in a press release. The move opens up a spot on Utah’s preseason roster and lines Goodwin up to play for the Salt Lake City Stars this fall.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Jazz have signed guard Dane Goodwin, according to a team press release. Terms were not released but it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Goodwin spent last season with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League, appearing in 26 regular season games (14 starts), averaging 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 22.3 minutes per contest. Goodwin, who made 43.8% of his three-points for Stockton, also played on the Kings’ Summer League squad in July.

The Salt Lake City Stars recently acquired his G League rights from the Stockton Kings, lining him up to be a returning rights player for Utah’s NBAGL team.

Goodwin went undrafted out of Notre Dame last year. He played five seasons with the Fighting Irish, appearing in 158 games (94 starts) and averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 30.5 minutes per outing.

Assuming Goodwin is on an Exhibit 10 deal, he will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

Pelicans Sign Jalen Crutcher To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 25th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Jalen Crutcher has signed a contract with the Pelicans, according to RealGM’s official log of NBA transactions. It’s a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Since going undrafted out of Dayton in 2021, Crutcher has spent three seasons in the G League, including two with the Greensboro Swarm and one with New Orleans’ affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

In 49 total games for the Squadron last season, Crutcher averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game and shot the ball well, with a 40.5% mark from beyond the three-point line and 86.3% from the free throw stripe. His strong play in Birmingham earned him a 10-day contract with the Pelicans in February — he appeared in just one game for the team, making his NBA debut on Feb. 27.

A player who signs an Exhibit 10 contract can have it converted to a two-way deal before the regular season or can qualify for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Given that the Pelicans don’t have a two-way opening and the Squadron already hold Crutcher’s NBAGL returning rights, the latter scenario appears more likely for the 25-year-old.

Raptors Sign, Waive Kennedy Chandler

September 25th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

2:58pm: As expected, the Raptors have waived Chandler, according to Murphy (Twitter link).

12:33pm: The Raptors have signed former second-round pick Kennedy Chandler to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

A 6’0″ point guard, Chandler was selected 38th overall out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft and played for the Grizzlies as a rookie. However, he had a disappointing first season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per game across 36 outings while shooting just 42.2% from the floor (including 13.3% on three-pointers) and 46.2% from the free throw line.

Memphis waived Chandler in April 2023 even though he still had two fully guaranteed years left on his contract.

Chandler spent the 2023/24 season with the Long Island Nets in the G League, appearing in 49 total Showcase Cup and regular season contests for Brooklyn’s affiliate. He averaged 13.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.361/.758.

The Raptors have been signing and quickly waiving free agents in recent days in order to put them in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days this season with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL team. That may be the plan for Chandler too, though the 905 will have to acquire his returning rights from Long Island to make that happen.

Toronto, at least for now, once again has a full 21-man preseason roster.

Timberwolves Sign Guard Trevor Keels

September 25th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Timberwolves have officially signed Keels, the team confirmed in a press release. The Wolves also formally confirmed three other recent signings.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Timberwolves have agreed to a contract with Trevor Keels, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

The 21-year-old guard played three games for the Knicks in 2022/23. Keels, who was the 42nd overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Duke, was waived by New York after his rookie campaign.

Keels participated in Minnesota’s training camp last season but he was waived before the opener. He spent the season with Minnesota’s G League club, the Iowa Wolves, where he averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract. Assuming that’s what Keels signs, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spend at least 60 days with Iowa again.

Kings Signing Justin Powell To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 25th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent shooting guard Justin Powell on an Exhibit 10 contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Powell, who went undrafted out of Washington State in 2023, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers last September and was with the team for training camp and the preseason before being waived and joining the Cleveland Charge as a G League affiliate player.

In 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Charge as a rookie, Powell averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 23.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .421/.368/.824.

Powell, 23, had his G League returning rights traded from the Charge to the Stockton Kings in a three-team deal earlier this month, so assuming he’s waived by Sacramento and then spends at least 60 days with Stockton, he’ll be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his NBAGL salary.

The Kings currently have 19 players on their 21-man preseason roster, meaning no corresponding move will be necessary in order to make room for Powell.