Bulls Re-Sign Kawamura To Two-Way Deal, Waive Flowers
The Bulls have signed guard Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract, according to a team press release. In a corresponding move, Chicago has waived Trentyn Flowers.
The Bulls essentially flipped their script from October when they waived Kawamura to sign Flowers to a two-way deal. Kawamura was released due to a medical condition, as he experienced right lower leg pain after appearing in two preseason games.
Kawamura stayed in Chicago rehabbing and told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link) at a recent game, “I’ll be back soon.”
The 5’8” Kawamura was a star in Japan before signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Memphis last fall. He was promoted to a two-way contract just before the ’24/25 season began and spent his NBA rookie year with the Grizzlies, playing a modest role in 22 games (4.2 MPG).
The 24-year-old received extended run with the Memphis Hustle, averaging 12.7 PPG, 8.5 APG, 3.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .383/.365/.761 shooting in 31 games (31.6 MPG). The Grizzlies didn’t give him a qualifying offer though, and he was an unrestricted free agent for a few weeks prior to impressing with the Bulls’ Summer League team, earning himself a two-way deal.
Kawamura has been a member of the Japanese National Team since 2021/22.
Flowers played in two games with the Bulls, averaging 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 2.8 minutes per night. Flowers also suited up in three G League regular season contests for Chicago’s affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, and averaged 8.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 2.7 APG in 27.7 MPG. Prior to the start of the G League regular season, Flowers played in 11 games with Windy City during the G League Tip-Off Tournament (13.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.1 BPG).
Emanuel Miller and Lachlan Olbrich hold the Bulls’ two other two-way deals.
Raptors Waive Mo Bamba
Just over a week after signing him, the Raptors have waived center Mo Bamba, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
The sixth overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft, Bamba opened the 2025/26 season in the G League, then joined the Raptors last Monday to provide depth in the middle while starting center Jakob Poeltl recovers from a back injury.
Bamba, 27, was excelling in the NBAGL for the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 16.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game in 14 outings for Utah’s affiliate. However, he didn’t play much during his brief stint with Toronto, logging four minutes last Monday vs. Orlando and just 93 seconds in garbage time on Saturday against Atlanta.
Bamba’s contract was non-guaranteed, so waiving him prior to this week’s league-wide salary guarantee date will allow the Raptors to avoid paying his full salary. The team will take on a cap charge of $194,771 for Bamba’s 11 days of service (nine on the roster and two on waivers).
Teams are now permitted to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, so the Raptors may bring back Bamba on a short-term deal once he clears waivers.
On the other hand, Poeltl’s return may not be far off — he’s taking contact and working on his reconditioning, head coach Darko Rajakovic said on Monday (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). Toronto has also been playing well as of late with Sandro Mamukelashvili playing a regular role off the bench behind a small-ball starting lineup that features rookie Collin Murray-Boyles as the de facto five. Still, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) believes there’s a decent chance the team re-signs Bamba to a 10-day deal for insurance purposes.
Bamba is the second veteran center on a non-guaranteed contract to hit waivers this week, joining former Pacers big man Tony Bradley, who was cut on Monday.
Pacers Waive Tony Bradley
The Pacers have waived center Tony Bradley, the team announced in a press release. NBA insider Jake Fischer was first to report the news (via Twitter).
Bradley played a regular but modest role for Indiana this season, making 29 appearances while averaging 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. The eight-year veteran’s minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed and the Pacers had until Wednesday to decide whether or not to guarantee it for 2025/26.
Indiana will carry a $1,355,225 dead-money cap hit for Bradley, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). His full salary was worth $2,940,876.
Assuming he clears waivers, Bradley will become an unrestricted free agent in a couple days. As Tony East of Forbes and Circle City Spin notes (via Twitter), the Pacers could choose to re-sign Bradley on a 10-day contract. The news also increases the likelihood of Micah Potter having his contract guaranteed.
Bradley, who turns 28 years old later this week, suffered a fracture on the tip of his right thumb two-plus weeks ago. Head coach Rick Carlisle referred to Bradley’s thumb as “partially functional” and the 6’10” big man had been wearing a splint on it.
Potter just signed with Indiana on Dec. 26 but has made a positive impression on the team in a short period of time. He has started the past two games and made six appearances overall (20.7 MPG), averaging 8.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.2 APG on .500/.389/1.000 shooting.
Rockets Sign Tristen Newton To Two-Way Contract
January 4: Newton has been signed and Smith has been waived, the Rockets announced in a press release. The moves were officially finalized on Saturday.
January 3: Tristen Newton is joining the Rockets on a two-way contract, a league source tells Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Tyler Smith will be waived to create an opening.
Newton, a 24-year-old shooting guard, signed a two-way deal with Minnesota in September, but was waived prior to the start of the season. He has been playing for the Iowa Wolves in the G League, where he’s averaging 26.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.
Newton was selected by Indiana with the 49th pick in the 2024 draft, and he appeared in five games on a two-way contract before being released early last January. Minnesota claimed him off waivers, and he saw action in three more NBA games.
Newton will be eligible to appear in up to 29 games with Houston if his new contract is finalized by the end of the day. His two-way salary will become fully guaranteed as long as he remains on the roster through Wednesday.
Smith, a 21-year-old power forward, hasn’t made any NBA appearances since signing his two-way deal with the Rockets on December 2. He was the 33rd pick in the 2024 draft and got into 23 games with Milwaukee last season.
Grizzlies Re-Sign Christian Koloko
12:20 pm: Koloko’s second 10-day deal is official, according to the Grizzlies (Twitter link). The contract will run through January 11, covering Memphis’ next six games.
11:56 am: The Grizzlies have been granted another hardship exception and will use it to bring back center Christian Koloko on a second 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Memphis initially added Koloko via a hardship deal on December 22. The big man appeared in five games for Memphis during his first 10 days with the team, averaging 18.6 minutes per night and making one start on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia.
Although Koloko only scored 10 points in those five outings, he contributed in other ways, grabbing 19 rebounds and registering six steals and six blocks. Memphis had a +15.2 net rating during his 93 total minutes on the court.
A hardship exception allows a banged-up team to add an extra player beyond the 15 on its standard roster. A team qualifies if it has four players who have missed three or more consecutive games due to injuries or illnesses and are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.
Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, John Konchar, and Brandon Clarke are all in the midst of extended absences for the Grizzlies. While they’re all due to be reevaluated at some point in January, the fact that Memphis has been granted another hardship exception by the league suggests that at least four of them aren’t especially close to returning.
After Koloko’s second 10-day contract expires, the Grizzlies will have to either sign him to a rest-of-season contract or let him go, since players can’t sign three 10-day deals with the same team. As our tracker shows, Koloko is the first Memphis signee to get a second 10-day contract this season — Charles Bassey and Kobe Bufkin each just got one.
Koloko will earn $136,717 over the course of his second 10-day deal, while the Grizzlies carry a cap hit of $131,970.
Hawks Sign RayJ Dennis To Two-Way Deal
8:00 pm: The signing is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
9:02 am: Just four days after being cut by the Clippers, free agent point guard RayJ Dennis has reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the Hawks, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Atlanta will be Dennis’ third team of the season. The former Baylor standout opened the fall with the Pacers on a two-way contract that carried over from 2024/25, but was waived on November 30. He signed a new two-way deal with the Clippers on December 4 and spent most of the month with L.A. before being let go on Saturday to make room for TyTy Washington Jr.
A second-year pro, Dennis has appeared in 25 total NBA games for the Pacers and Clippers, but hasn’t seen much playing time. He holds averages of 3.8 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per contest.
While his NBA output has been modest, Dennis keeps earning new contracts due in large part to his play in the G League. In seven outings this fall for the Noblesville Boom and San Diego Clippers, the 6’1″ guard averaged 20.9 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 33.1 minutes per game.
News of Dennis’ agreement with Atlanta comes on the heels of the team waiving forward Eli Ndiaye following a season-ending shoulder injury. Dennis will join center Malik Williams and forward Caleb Houstan as the Hawks’ two-way players.
If Dennis officially finalizes his new deal before the end of the day, he’ll be eligible to be active in up to 30 NBA games for his new team. His two-way salary would become fully guaranteed as long as he sticks with the Hawks through next Wednesday (January 7).
Hawks Waive Eli Ndiaye
The Hawks have requested waivers on forward Eli Ndiaye, the team announced today in a press release.
A rookie free agent who had been playing for Real Madrid, Ndiaye signed a two-way contract with the Hawks in early July, less than a week after going undrafted. Viewed as a developmental prospect for the franchise, the 21-year-old didn’t suit up at all for Atlanta in 2025/26, having instead spent the first half of the season with the College Park Skyhawks in the G League.
In nine games (seven starts) with the Skyhawks, Ndiaye averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 26.2 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, in a G League contest on December 9, Ndiaye suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which will require season-ending surgery. The 6’8″ forward will reportedly undergo that procedure in early January.
Ndiaye is Atlanta’s second two-way player to sustain a season-ending injury this year. Forward Jacob Toppin underwent right shoulder surgery earlier in December and was also waived by the Hawks, who signed center Malik Williams as replacement.
The club now has another open two-way slot alongside Williams and forward Caleb Houstan and reportedly plans to fill it with free agent guard RayJ Dennis.
Mo Bamba Signs With Raptors
DECEMBER 29: The signing is official, the Raptors announced (via Twitter). .
DECEMBER 28: Free agent center Mo Bamba is signing a one-year deal with the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
This move comes on the precipice of Toronto getting an update on the health status of starting center Jakob Poeltl, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter links), who reports that Bamba’s deal will be non-guaranteed.
Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter) that this move puts Toronto’s team salary $475K over the first apron and about $2.1M over the tax line, but adds that he doesn’t expect the Raptors to operate in the tax by the end of the season, making them a clear candidate for further moves.
With Poeltl in and out of the rotation due to injury, the Raptors have relied on Sandro Mamukelashvili for frontcourt depth, but Bamba gives them a different look due to his length and shot-blocking ability.
Bamba started his career with the Magic, playing four-and-a-half seasons in Orlando after being drafted sixth overall in 2018. He holds career averages of 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over his seven-year career. The 27-year-old big man played 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League this season, averaging 16.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.
The NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee date is January 7 — players on non-guaranteed contracts must be waived on or before that date if their teams want to avoid locking in their full-season salaries. The Raptors could essentially treat Bamba’s non-guaranteed deal like a 10-day contract, waiving him by Jan. 7, then bringing him back on two actual 10-day contracts before making a decision on whether to retain him for the rest of the season.
TyTy Washington Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Clippers
December 28: Washington’s two-way deal with the Clippers is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log, while Dennis has been cut, according to RealGM’s transaction log.
December 27: The Clippers will sign point guard TyTy Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team will waive two-way point guard RayJ Dennis to create an opening, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Washington, 24, inked a training camp deal with the team this summer, but was waived before the start of the season. He has been playing with L.A.’s G League affiliate in San Diego, where he’s averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 41.1% from three-point range.
Washington was selected with the 29th pick in the 2022 draft, but he hasn’t been able to find a consistent NBA home. After spending his rookie season with Houston, he was traded to Atlanta in the summer of 2023 and then shipped to Oklahoma City four days later. He was waived by OKC, then signed a two-way contract with Milwaukee in August of 2023 and a two-way deal with Phoenix in August of 2024.
Washington has appeared in 58 total games with the Rockets, Bucks and Suns and has spent time in the G League in each of the last four seasons.
Dennis, 24, signed a two-way contract with the Clippers on December 4, four days after being waived by Indiana. He made just one four-minute appearance for L.A. Dennis joined the Pacers on a two-way deal in January and got into 24 total games.
Nets Sign Chaney Johnson To Two-Way Contract
The Nets have signed free agent Chaney Johnson to a two-way contract, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
A 6’7″ small forward, Johnson was a key reserve for an Auburn team that reached the Final Four last season, averaging 9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 38 games (23.5 MPG) as a senior in 2024/25. He went undrafted in June and spent training camp and part of the preseason with the Cavaliers prior to being released from his Exhibit 10 deal.
Johnson, 23, has been playing in the G League with the Cleveland Charge to open the 2025/26 campaign. Through 16 games (25.5 MPG) with the Cavs’ affiliate team, the Alabama native has averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .604/.400/.731 shooting.
Brooklyn had the only two-way opening in the NBA, so no corresponding move was necessary to add Johnson.