Blake Hinson Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
February 9: Hinson’s two-way deal with the Jazz is official, the team announced in a press release.
February 7: The Jazz will sign Blake Hinson to a two-way contract, agent Paolo Zamorano of Gersh Sports tells ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old small forward is in the midst of a standout year in the G League, where he’s averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Hinson has yet to appear in an NBA game, but he’s already spent time with three teams. He signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in the summer of 2024 after going undrafted, then inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors in September of 2024 before being released prior to the start of the season.
He joined the Trail Blazers on an Exhibit 10 deal this past September, but was waived on the same day and headed to the G League.
Hinson’s college career consisted of two years at Mississippi and two years at Pitt. He was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2023 and a first-team choice in 2024.
The Jazz have a two-way opening after trading John Tonje to Boston on Thursday. Elijah Harkless and Oscar Tshiebwe are their other two-way players.
Grizzlies Sign Lawson Lovering To 10-Day Deal
3:17 pm: Lovering’s 10-day contract is official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
2:45 pm: The Grizzlies are signing 7’1” rookie center Lawson Lovering to a 10-day contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Lovering has spent this season with the Memphis Hustle in the G League. In 24 games with the Hustle, he’s averaged 7.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.
Lovering was signed by Memphis on an Exhibit 10 deal in early September. He played four preseason games for the Grizzlies and averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.5 minutes before getting waived in mid-October. The 22-year-old Wyoming native went unselected in the 2025 draft after his final collegiate season at Utah.
He temporarily fills a frontcourt need for Memphis, which traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah last week. The Grizzlies opened up a spot on the 15-man roster on Friday when they waived Eric Gordon. With Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke currently recovering from injuries, Memphis didn’t have any healthy centers.
Because a 10-day contract must cover at least three games, Lovering’s deal will actually run for 12 days before expiring — the Grizzlies play twice before the All-Star break, then resume action on February 20 vs. Utah.
Pistons Promote Daniss Jenkins, Waive Dario Saric
February 9: The moves are official, according to a team press release.
February 8: The Pistons are converting Daniss Jenkins from a two-way contract to a two-year standard deal using a portion of their bi-annual exception, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Jenkins will receive a two-year, $8MM contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). His salary will represent the largest single-season sum a two-way player has ever received on a conversion, Scotto notes.
The second-year guard’s new contract will feature a team option for 2026/27, Charania adds.
To make room on their standard roster, the Pistons are expected to waive veteran forward/center Dario Saric, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Hunter Patterson of The Athletic confirms Saric will be the odd man out (Twitter link).
Jenkins will now be eligible to play for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. Two-way players are not playoff-eligible.
Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said prior to Friday’s game that the team planned to promote Jenkins this weekend. Jenkins reached his 50-game active limit on Friday evening in the blowout victory over New York.
Jenkins reportedly turned down a two-year, minimum-salary contract offer near the end of January, which turned out to be the right call. The 24-year-old point guard recently told Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press that he was motivated by going undrafted out of St. John’s in 2024.
“If I’m being honest, and everybody knows I’m a very humble guy, but in college, most of these dudes that got drafted, what was the difference between me and them?” he said. “What? You tell me, what was the difference? For me, going undrafted is insanity to me, literally insanity, and that burns inside of me every single day.”
In 42 games this season (16.8 minutes per contest), Jenkins has averaged 8.2 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals on .430/.391/.800 shooting. He has been Detroit’s primary backup behind Cade Cunningham for much of 2025/26.
The bi-annual exception, as its name suggests, is only available to teams once every two years. Detroit will not have access to the exception in ’26/27.
Saric is earning a guaranteed $5,426,400 this season, but most of that total was already paid by Sacramento, which traded him to Chicago on February 1. The Bulls sent him to the Pistons a couple days later in the deal that saw Kevin Huerter land in Detroit and Jaden Ivey in Chicago.
Saric, 31, only appeared in five games in 2025/26 after playing in 16 contests with Denver last season.
Hornets Waive Malaki Branham, Re-Sign Pat Connaughton
9:41 am: Charlotte used the open roster spot created by releasing Branham to re-sign Pat Connaughton, announcing the move on Twitter.
Connaughton was waived last Wednesday so a deal bringing Jones from Orlando could be completed. Connaughton, a 33-year-old swingman, has appeared in 22 games this season, posting 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per night.
9:00 am: The Hornets have opened up a roster spot by waiving Malaki Branham, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 22-year-old combo guard was traded at last week’s deadline. Washington initially agreed to send him to Dallas as part of the eight-player Anthony Davis deal, but the Mavericks expanded the trade to reroute him to Charlotte in exchange for Tyus Jones.
Branham had a limited role with the Wizards this season, appearing in 28 games, all as a reserve. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night with .473/.378/.824 shooting splits.
He’s earning a guaranteed $4,962,033 in the final year of his rookie contract, so the Hornets will be on the hook for the balance of that deal.
Branham was selected by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2022 draft after a strong freshman year at Ohio State. He was a part-time starter with the Spurs during his first two NBA seasons, but fell out of the rotation last year and was shipped to Washington in July.
The Hornets have won nine straight games and are currently 10th in the East.
Cam Thomas Signs With Bucks
9:20 pm: Thomas has officially signed with the Bucks, per a press release from the team. It’s a minimum-salary deal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks at Sports Business Classroom, which means Milwaukee will carry a rest-of-season cap hit of $844,607.
4:37 pm: Thomas confirmed his decision to sign with the Bucks in a statement to Spears (Twitter link).
“I picked Milwaukee because they wanted me and they told me they’ve been interested for years now,” Thomas said. “So, it’s good to have this opportunity come to fruition. And I’m just hoping to meet everybody, get to know everybody and contribute as soon as possible.”
Thomas’ contract with Milwaukee will cover the remainder of the season, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
4:02 pm: Free agent guard Cam Thomas has reached a contract agreement with the Bucks, agent Tony Ronzone tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Thomas was waived by the Nets on Thursday evening after he wasn’t traded prior to the deadline. He was hoping he would be released if he wasn’t included in a deal so he could pick his next team.
“Super excited ready to actually help and contribute to another team,” Thomas told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “My next team is getting elite scoring, good play-making and a good combo guard.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype linked Thomas to the Bucks multiple times leading up to the deadline. The Cavaliers also expressed trade interest in Thomas, according to Scotto, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal would have included Lonzo Ball and second-round draft compensation. The Cavs instead traded a pair of second-rounders to Utah take on Ball’s $10MM salary.
Thomas, 24, led the Nets in scoring during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. However, he was limited to just 25 games last season due to a left hamstring injury, which he strained again in early November. He wound up missing 20 consecutive games as a result of that injury.
Although Thomas is an undeniably talented scorer, he isn’t the most efficient offensive player, and his game isn’t very well-rounded. In 24 games this season, he has averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds on .399/.325/.843 shooting splits.
Milwaukee has an opening on its 15-man standard roster and won’t have to waive anyone to add Thomas. The Bucks also have an open two-way spot.
Lakers Sign Kobe Bufkin To Two-Year Contract
February 8: Bufkin has officially re-signed with the Lakers, the team confirmed today (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times).
February 7: Free agent guard Kobe Bufkin will sign a two-year contract with the Lakers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal includes a team option for next seas0n.
Bufkin, 22, has been a standout with the organization’s G League affiliate in South Bay and spent time with the Lakers on a 10-day contract in January. He appeared in four games during that stint, averaging 3.0 PPG in 11 minutes per night.
He also signed a 10-day hardship contract with Memphis in late November, but didn’t see any game action.
Bufkin was selected by Atlanta with the 15th pick in the 2023 draft, but only appeared in 27 games over two years before being traded to Brooklyn in September. The Nets waived him before the start of the season, and he headed to the G League, where he’s averaging 27.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 14 regular season games.
Bufkin will be the Lakers’ 15th standard contract once his signing is official. That means they would have to waive a player and eat some guaranteed money if they want to add anyone in the buyout market, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
Clippers Sign Dalano Banton To 10-Day Contract
February 8: Banton’s 10-day contract was finalized on Saturday, according to the official transactions log at NBA.com.
February 7: The Clippers plan to sign free agent guard Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract, according to reports from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
The Raptors selected Toronto native Banton with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He played two years for his hometown team and then spent the following two seasons with Boston and Portland.
In 216 games from 2021-25, Banton averaged 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .402/.304/.728 shooting (14.5 minutes per contest). At 6’8″, Banton has great size for a guard, but struggled with efficiency over the course of his first four years in the league.
Banton was unable to find a regular NBA contract as a free agent in 2025, instead inking an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with Dallas in October prior to being waived. He has been playing in the G League with Mavs’ affiliate team, the Dallas Legends.
The 26-year-old has put up big numbers with a high usage rate in the NBAGL this season, averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .441/.325/.821 shooting in 32 total games (32.7 MPG).
The Clippers had a pair of standard roster openings after making three trades prior to Thursday’s deadline. Banton will, at least temporarily, fill one of those spots. Assuming Banton’s 10-day deal is finalized prior to Sunday’s game at Minnesota, his contract will expire over the All-Star break.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), the Clippers are nearing their “under-15” limit for two-way players — a team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use players on two-way contracts for up to 90 combined games. Signing Banton as a 14th man and then filling the 15th roster spot would allow L.A. to continue deploying both Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller beyond Saturday’s game (one of the two could be promoted into that 15th spot).
[Update: Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers]
Wizards Waive Dante Exum
The Wizards have placed veteran guard Dante Exum on waivers, the team announced today (via Twitter). Exum was one of the four players Washington acquired from Dallas in the Anthony Davis blockbuster ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
The move had been anticipated, since Exum underwent season-ending surgery on his right knee in December. He didn’t play at all in 2025/26 due to complications related to an offseason procedure on that knee, which required follow-up surgery.
It was the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited Exum’s availability over the course of his professional career. After playing all 82 games as a rookie, the former fifth overall pick missed his entire second NBA season in 2015/16 due to a torn ACL, then was plagued by shoulder, ankle, and knee issues in subsequent years.
Exum rebuilt his value by playing in Europe from 2021-23 before returning stateside during the 2023 offseason on a deal with Dallas. The 30-year-old Australian was a very effective role player for the Mavs when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.472/.768. However, he has made just 75 appearances since the start of the 2023/24 season, including just 20 in ’24/25 due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.
The Wizards will continue to carry Exum’s $2,296,274 cap hit on their books after he clears waivers, but they’ll open up a spot on their 15-man roster as a result of the move. They currently have 13 players on full standard contracts, with Keshon Gilbert occupying their 14th roster slot on a 10-day contract.
Kobe Sanders Receives Standard Contract From Clippers
The Clippers have promoted two-way player Kobe Sanders to a standard contract, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sanders’ new deal will be a two-year, minimum-salary contract that features a team option for 2026/27.
The 23-year-old shooting guard has become a productive member of L.A.’s rotation in his first NBA season. Through 43 games, he’s averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per night with .448/.381/.814 shooting numbers.
Sanders agreed to the two-way contract after being selected with the 50th pick in last year’s draft. The Clippers acquired him in a draft night trade with New York.
With just 13 players holding standard contracts, L.A. was nearing its “under-15” limit for two-way players to be active. A team carrying fewer than 15 players on its standard roster can only use players on two-way contracts for up to 90 combined games.
Sanders’ promotion and the expected signing of Dalano Banton to a 10-day contract will remove that concern, at least through the All-Star break.
When Banton’s 10-day deal expires, the Clippers will have to re-fill that 15th roster spot to ensure two-way player Jordan Miller can remain active — Miller himself could be promoted into that spot.
Warriors Convert Pat Spencer To Standard Contract
2:16 pm: Spencer’s contract covers the remainder of the season, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN, and will be worth the prorated veteran’s minimum ($857,804), which is all the Warriors could offer him, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
Spencer is on track to become a restricted free agent this summer, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter).
1:46 pm: The Warriors have officially converted Pat Spencer‘s two-way contract into a standard deal, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
The 6’2″ point guard is now eligible to play the rest of regular season. Spencer is playoff-eligible as well, which wasn’t the case on his two-way deal.
Golden State had two openings on its standard roster after Thursday’s trade deadline. The team now has one open standard spot (the Warriors are reportedly eyeing Lonzo Ball) and one two-way vacancy after converting Spencer’s contract.
A former lacrosse star at Loyola Maryland who didn’t play college basketball until he was a 23-year-old graduate student at Northwestern, Spencer is having a career year in his third season with Golden State, averaging 5.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds on .423/.431/.833 shooting in 36 games (14.4 MPG).
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported earlier on Saturday that Golden State was working to promote Spencer, who scored a career-high 20 points and knocked down a career-best six three-pointers in Thursday’s win at Phoenix (story via Kalyb Champion of the team’s website). Thursday marked Spencer’s 50th active game of the season, which is the limit for two-way players.
Spencer, 29, has played a modest role when Stephen Curry has been healthy in 2025/26, but has seen a major uptick in playing time when the superstar guard has been sidelined, averaging 11.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.9 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 13 games (25.3 MPG).
Marc Stein reported in December that Spencer’s promotion was viewed as a near lock, then noted in January that it was likely to occur after the deadline. Spencer also had his two-way deal converted into a standard contract last year.