Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign Jeremy Sochan To Rookie Contract

July 9th, 2022 at 8:22am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have signed forward Jeremy Sochan to a rookie scale contract, according to a team press release.

The lottery pick became the first top-10 selection for San Antonio since Tim Duncan went first overall in 1997. The Spurs used the No. 9 overall pick on Sochan, who played one season at Baylor and was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 9.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG while appearing in 30 games.

Assuming the usual 120% rate above rookie scale, Sochan’s four-year deal is worth $23,046,751. He’ll make $5,063,520 during his rookie campaign.

Sochan won’t play in the Summer League after missing all of the team’s pre-Vegas practices due to COVID-19. He also suffered a hamstring injury, Paul Garcia of Project Spurs relays via Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The injury occurred prior to the draft, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets.

This leaves Dyson Daniels (Pelicans) and Walker Kessler (Jazz) as the only unsigned first-round selections.

Lakers Sign Second-Rounder Max Christie

July 8th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have signed Max Christie, the 35th pick of last month’s draft, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). The Lakers drafted him after acquiring the 35th pick from the Magic in exchange for a 2028 second-rounder and cash.

Christie was a highly-touted prospect entering college last season, but he struggled a bit in his freshman season for Michigan State, averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 APG on .382/.317/.824 shooting in 35 games (30.8 MPG). With the caveat that it’s Summer League (therefore disorganized), in three contests (22.7 MPG) at the California Classic in San Francisco, Christie averaged 6 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 2 APG while shooting 25% from the floor.

Still, Los Angeles’ front office is high on the 19-year-old, with GM Rob Pelinka calling him a “consensus” choice with the team’s lone draft pick.

The terms of Christie’s deal were not disclosed, but the Lakers used their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Lonnie Walker and are now limited to minimum-salary deals, so a two-year, minimum contract seems likely.

Considering he’s only 19 and the Lakers are trying to contend, Christie will probably spend a good amount of time in the G League this season with L.A.’s affiliate, South Bay.

The Lakers have undergone a roster overhaul of their role players in free agency thus far after going 33-49 and missing out on the postseason in 2021/22, reportedly prioritizing speed, defense and shooting with the signings of Lonnie Walker, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant.

Bucks Re-Sign Lindell Wigginton

July 8th, 2022 at 7:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks have re-signed guard Lindell Wigginton, the team announced in a press release.

Wigginton, 24, played 19 games (10.5 MPG) as a rookie for Milwaukee last season while on a two-way contract, averaging 4.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.2 APG. The terms of his new deal were not disclosed, but considering both of the team’s two-way spots are currently occupied (by Sandro Mamukelashvili and AJ Green), Wigginton was likely signed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract that makes the player eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. It can also be converted into a two-way deal before the season.

The Canadian point guard spent most of last season with the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 16.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.9 APG in 25 total games. After going undrafted out of Iowa State in 2019, Wigginton spent his first two pro seasons playing for the G League’s Iowa Wolves, as well as a couple of international stops in Israel and Canada.

Spurs Sign Malaki Branham To Rookie Scale Contract

July 8th, 2022 at 6:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have signed first-round pick Malaki Branham to his rookie scale contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

In 32 games (29.6 MPG) as a freshman for Ohio State, Branham averaged 13.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2 APG on .498/.416/.833 shooting. He was named Big Ten Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Third Team for his efforts.

The 19-year-old put up 15 points and three rebounds on 6-15 shooting in his Summer League debut this evening, a 99-90 loss to the Cavaliers.

Branham was the 20th overall pick by San Antonio and will earn $2,925,600 as a rookie and $14,177,433 over the course of four seasons, assuming he receives 120% of the rookie scale amount, which is standard. As with all first-rounders, both the third and fourth seasons are team options.

Branham is the 27th first-round pick from last month’s draft to officially finalize his rookie contract, as shown by our tracker of draft pick signings. Dyson Daniels (Pelicans), Jeremy Sochan (Spurs), and Walker Kessler (Jazz) are the lone holdouts, but there’s no reason to believe they won’t join their fellow first-rounders soon.

Spurs Officially Waive Danilo Gallinari

July 8th, 2022 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Spurs have waived forward Danilo Gallinari, sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Acquired by San Antonio in the Dejounte Murray trade in June, Gallinari was used as a salary-matching piece in that deal. The $5MM partial guarantee on his $21.45MM salary for 2022/23 was increased to $13MM to help make the deal work, according to Marks.

Additionally, Gallinari’s salary guarantee date was pushed back from June 29 to July 8. By waiving him today, the Spurs will avoid paying the remaining non-guaranteed portion ($8.45MM) of his ’22/23 salary.

Gallinari has already lined up a deal with the Celtics and will be able to officially sign with Boston after he clears waivers on Sunday. He is reportedly receiving $13MM across two seasons on his new contract, which will include a second-year player option. The Celtics are completing the signing using their taxpayer mid-level exception.

Although he won’t help improve the Celtics’ top-ranked defense, Gallinari is a talented scorer and shooter who can play several positions. He has connected at 38.1% from three-point range during his career and averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with the Hawks last season.

Nuggets Sign Nikola Jokic To Super-Max Extension

July 8th, 2022 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 8: Jokic’s super-max extension is now official, the Nuggets announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic have agreed to terms on a five-year, super-max extension that projects to be the richest contract in NBA history, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jokic has one year remaining on his current contract, so his new deal will begin in 2023/24 and will be worth 35% of that year’s cap, with subsequent 8% raises.

With the NBA now projecting a $133MM cap for ’23/24, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Jokic is on track to earn a starting salary of $46.55MM and a total of $269.99MM across five seasons.

The contract will include a player option in the fifth year, per Charania. Jokic’s salary for that season (2027/28) projects to be worth $61.45MM. The deal will also include a trade kicker, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Jokic, who met the criteria for a super-max extension a year ago when he won his first Most Valuable Player award, wasn’t technically eligible to sign such a deal until this year, when he had seven years of NBA experience under his belt.

He cemented his case for that super-max deal by winning a second MVP award in 2021/22, establishing new career highs in PPG (27.1), RPG (13.8), and FG% (.583) while also averaging 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 74 contests (33.5 MPG).

This extension agreement had long been anticipated. Jokic’s agent Misko Raznatovic said earlier in the year that he anticipated his client would sign a super-max extension, and the center himself confirmed in April that he’d accept the offer if the Nuggets put it on the table.

James Harden Plans To Sign Two-Year Deal With Sixers

July 8th, 2022 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

After turning down a $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season, star guard James Harden will accept a starting salary about $15MM below that on a new deal with the Sixers, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). That would result in a ’22/23 salary in the $32-33MM range.

According to Charania, Harden intends to sign a two-year contract with Philadelphia that includes a player option for ’23/24. While the exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known, Charania’s reporting suggests a total value in the neighborhood of $66-68MM.

When Harden declined his option last week, reports at the time indicated that he planned to sign a new contract with the Sixers that included a lower first-year salary in order to help the team accommodate other roster moves.

Philadelphia has since used its full mid-level exception to sign P.J. Tucker and its bi-annual exception to sign Danuel House, hard-capping team salary at approximately $157MM for the season. Harden’s new deal should leave the 76ers with about $2MM in wiggle room below that hard cap, tweets Derek Bodner of The Daily Six.

According to Charania (Twitter link), Harden’s close relationships with key figures in the Sixers organization, including president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and minority owner Michael Rubin (who is selling his stake in the franchise but is expected to remain involved), were major factors in establishing trust between the two sides during negotiations.

There was a sense after Harden declined his option that he’d be rewarded with a long-term contract that would give him more total guaranteed money, but the one-plus-one structure will give him the chance to opt out and sign a new maximum-salary contract next summer. It will also give him veto power on any trade during the 2022/23 league year.

Harden, who was traded from Brooklyn to Philadelphia midway through the 2021/22 season, had a down year by his standards and was hampered by a hamstring injury. The 10-time All-Star finished the season with 22.0 PPG, 10.3 APG, and 7.7 RPG on .410/.330/.877 shooting in 65 total games (37.2 MPG) for the Nets and Sixers.

Charania reported last week that the former MVP has resumed his workout and on-court program much earlier than usual this offseason and has communicated to Sixers officials that he’s focused on winning a championship in 2023.

Raptors Sign D.J. Wilson To Two-Year Contract

July 8th, 2022 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed free agent forward D.J. Wilson to a multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), it’s a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a $250K partial guarantee.

It’s a reunion for the Raptors and Wilson, who signed three 10-day contracts and appeared in four games with Toronto in 2021/22. The former first-round pick out of Michigan played well in his limited run with the club, averaging 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 13.5 minutes per game while knocking down 11-of-15 shots (73.3%).

Wilson was released from his third and final 10-day contract with the Raptors in March after injuring his knee.

A year ago, the Raptors signed several free agents to multiyear deals with small partial guarantees in the first season and had them compete for spots on the 15-man regular season roster. It’s possible the team will take the same route this year.

Currently, Toronto has 12 players on fully guaranteed standard contracts, with Dalano Banton and Armoni Brooks on partially guaranteed deals. Second-rounder Christian Koloko is also likely in line for a spot on the 15-man regular season roster, which would leave just two openings available for Banton, Brooks, Wilson, and any other free agents the Raptors may sign before the season.

Of course, with the Raptors still being linked to the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, it’s possible the roster could undergo more significant changes by the fall.

Bulls Sign Dalen Terry To Rookie Scale Contract

July 8th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed first-rounder Dalen Terry to his rookie scale contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Appearing in 37 games (all starts) during his sophomore season at Arizona in 2021/22, Terry averaged 8.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.9 APG with a shooting line of .502/.364/.736 in 27.8 MPG. The 6’7″ guard also earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team.

After declaring for the draft as an early entrant, Terry was selected 18th overall by the Bulls. His new contract will be worth $3.19MM in his rookie season and $15.45MM across four years, unless he accepts less than 120% of the rookie scale amount, which is extremely rare.

As our tracker of draft pick signings shows, Terry is the 26th first-rounder from last month’s draft to officially finalize his rookie contract. Dyson Daniels (Pelicans), Jeremy Sochan (Spurs), Malaki Branham (Spurs), and Walker Kessler (Jazz) haven’t yet put pen to paper, but there’s no reason to believe all four won’t sign soon.

Mohamed Bamba Signs Two-Year Deal With Magic

July 7th, 2022 at 10:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 7: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

JUNE 30: The Magic are set to bring back big man Mohamed Bamba on a two-year, $21MM contract, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

By opting to not tender a qualifying offer to Bamba, Orlando made him an unrestricted free agent. Haynes notes that several rival clubs were considering Bamba, who enjoyed a breakout fourth season with the Magic. He started in 69 of 71 available contests for Orlando, having previously started in six games across his first three NBA seasons.

Suiting up in a jumbo-sized frontcourt alongside fellow 2018 lottery draft pick Wendell Carter Jr., Bamba averaged career highs of 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG and 1.2 APG across 25.7 MPG. He posted a tantalizing .480/.381/.781 slash line.

During the 2021/22 season, Bamba at last consistently exhibited the promise that convinced Orlando to draft him with the sixth pick out of Texas. He became one of the league’s better rim protectors and emerged as a reliable long-range option on volume (38.1% on 4.0 attempts a night).

Bamba’s future with the club may see him return to a reserve role. The Magic opted to take Duke power forward Paolo Banchero with the top pick in the 2022 draft, and will most likely start Franz Wagner, the eighth pick in 2021, at small forward. Carter was signed to a four-year, $50MM extension last summer. Though Bamba was also extension-eligible, Orlando ultimately opted to let him reach unrestricted free agency before bringing him back, so it seems likely that Carter will at least start the 2022/23 season at center. Injured power forward Jonathan Isaac, himself the sixth pick in the 2017 draft, is expected to return to the floor at some point during the 2022/23 season as well.

The 7′ big man is returning to a club that will boast a variety of solid players. After kicking off their rebuild in full with a flurry of moves at the 2021 trade deadline, Orlando also’s future already looks bright. In addition to the club’s aforementioned lottery talent in the frontcourt, the team also boasts talented young guard Cole Anthony, 2021 lottery selection Jalen Suggs, and 2017 No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz in the backcourt.