Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Make Cuts To Set Regular Season Roster

October 18th, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics officially waived forward Hason Ward and wing Aaron Scott from their Exhibit 10 contracts on Saturday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Boston also moved forward with its plan to sign-and-waive RJ Luis, officially placing him back on waivers today.

As a result of the cuts, the Celtics’ roster now appears ready to go for the regular season. The team is carrying 14 players on standard contracts, including 12 on fully guaranteed salaries and Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta on partially guaranteed deals. Additionally, all three of the club’s two-way slots are filled.

Boston isn’t expected to fill its 15th standard roster slot early in the season due to its proximity to the luxury tax line. Any player the Celtics sign into that slot would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties.

Ward, Scott, and Luis are all expected to report to the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate. They’ll be eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 on top of their standard NBAGL salaries if they spend at least 60 days with Maine.

This is the second time this month that Luis has been waived by the Celtics — they needed to bring him back on an Exhibit 10 contract in order to make sure he was eligible for the bonus he’ll get for spending two-plus months with the G League team.

Cavs Sign, Waive Zeke Mayo

October 18th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:59 pm: Mayo has been waived, per NBA.com’s transaction log, putting him on track to sign a G League contract and join the Charge.

10:14 am: The Cavaliers have added guard Zeke Mayo on an Exhibit 10 contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Mayo, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, was a member of the Wizards’ Summer League team. He played one season for the Jayhawks, averaging 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.2% from deep. He had 18 points and six rebounds in an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Arkansas.

Prior to that, Mayo spent three seasons with South Dakota State and was named the Summit League Player of the Year in 2024.

The 6’4” guard will likely be waived and join the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate. He could earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 with the Charge if he sticks with that team at least 60 days.

Hawks Convert Wallace To Standard Contract, Houstan To Two-Way

October 18th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

5:44 pm: The Hawks have officially promoted Wallace from a two-way contract to a standard deal and converted Houstan from an Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.

3:17 pm: Point guard Keaton Wallace and forward Caleb Houstan have both made the Hawks‘ regular season roster, but their contract situations will change before opening night.

Wallace is having his two-way contract converted into a one-year standard deal, his agents at Excel Sports Management tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Houstan, meanwhile, will have his Exhibit 10 contract turned into a two-way deal, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).

Players on two-way contracts can’t be active for more than 50 games and aren’t postseason-eligible, whereas no such restrictions exist for standard roster players, so the decision suggests that Atlanta is prioritizing Wallace’s availability from game to game over Houstan’s, at least to open the season.

Wallace, who appeared in 31 games with the Hawks on a two-way contract last season, made his case for a promotion by averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in 16.6 minutes per game across four preseason outings. He did struggle with his shot this month, knocking down just 30.8% of his attempts from the floor, including 8.3% of his three-pointers.

The Hawks don’t really have a traditional point guard backing up star Trae Young, with Dyson Daniels and Luke Kennard among the players excepted to take on ball-handling responsibilities, so there could be a path for Wallace to earn some minutes for the club.

As for Houstan, the former Magic sharpshooter has three years of NBA service under his belt, so this will be his final season of two-way eligibility. He joins Eli Ndiaye and Jacob Toppin as Atlanta’s two-way players.

Clippers Waive Three Players, Convert Telfort To Two-Way Deal

October 18th, 2025 at 5:43pm CST by Luke Adams

5:43 pm: All of the Clippers’ roster moves outlined below, including Telfort’s promotion to a two-way deal, are now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

2:32 pm: The Clippers are setting their regular season roster by waiving Jason Preston, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and TyTy Washington Jr. while converting Jahmyl Telfort to a two-way contract, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) that Telfort would fill L.A.’s open two-way slot. The team created that opening four days ago by cutting Trentyn Flowers.

Telfort, who went undrafted out of Butler in June, averaged 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as a super-senior in 2024/25 before becoming draft-eligible. The 6’7″ forward suited up for the Clippers’ Summer League team in July, averaging 3.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.4 APG in 12.3 MPG across five appearances in Las Vegas.

Telfort appeared in three of the Clippers’ preseason games, scoring just nine total points in about 29 minutes of action, but the team has decided to keep him around over Preston, Baldwin, and Washington, all of whom have NBA experience and all of whom were also on Exhibit 10 contracts. According to Murray (Twitter link), Telfort has impressed the team in recent weeks with his awareness, defensive effort and versatility, and toughness.

Preston, Baldwin, and Washington would each be eligible to earn a bonus worth $85,300 if they report to the San Diego Clippers this fall and spend at least 60 days with L.A.’s G League affiliate.

The Clippers, who are too close to their hard cap to carry a full roster to open the season, will have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals once these transactions are official.

Spurs Waive Flagler, Umude, Potter; Biyombo Makes Team

October 18th, 2025 at 5:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have waived guards Adam Flagler and Stanley Umude, along with forward Micah Potter, the team announced today in a press release.

Flagler, 25, was on a two-way deal with the Thunder last season and appeared in 37 games for the champions. He rarely played outside of garbage time, averaging 1.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .260/.194/.500.

Umude, 26, had a similar role for the Bucks. Appearing in 22 games while on a two-way contract with Milwaukee, the former Arkansas standout scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 86 total minutes of action. He converted just 5-of-26 (19.2%) field goal attempts.

Potter, 27, had a more substantial role while on a two-way contract with the Jazz, averaging 4.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 18.6 MPG across 38 outings (10 starts).

All three players were on Exhibit 10 deals in San Antonio and will now be eligible to earn bonuses worth $85,300 apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Austin Spurs, the team’s G League affiliate.

Veteran center Bismack Biyombo was also in camp with the Spurs on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, but he wasn’t among today’s cuts and will make the regular season roster, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. San Antonio now has 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

The Spurs actually made a few more roster moves on Saturday, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who tweets that the team signed and waived center James Banks, guard Jamaree Bouyea, and guard Kyle Mangas. That trio will likely be ticketed for Austin along with the rest of today’s cuts.

Wolves Exercise 2026/27 Options On Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr.

October 18th, 2025 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have picked up the third-year options for guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., the team announced in a press release.

The decisions guarantee Dillingham’s $6,889,320 and Shannon’s $2,801,640 salaries for the 2026/27 season. They will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions after that season ends.

Selected out of Kentucky with the eighth pick in last year’s draft, Dillingham appeared in 49 games as a rookie, averaging 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 10.5 minutes per night while shooting 44.1% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range.

Shannon, the 27th pick out of Illinois, got into 32 games and put up 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per night with .482/.355/.810 shooting splits.

Both players may see increased minutes this season as Minnesota relies more on its younger guards to ease the strain on 38-year-old Mike Conley. The loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency should also open up some more backcourt minutes.

We’re tracking all the 2026/27 rookie scale option decisions here. They are due by October 31.

Nuggets Waive Moses Brown, Kessler Edwards

October 18th, 2025 at 4:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets have waived Moses Brown and Kessler Edwards, a source tells Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

Brown, a 26-year-old center, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver in September. He appeared in 13 total games last season with Indiana and Dallas, but spent most of the season in the G League. The Nuggets’ affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, recently acquired Brown’s returning rights, so he’s likely headed there once he clears waivers.

Brown has been a journeyman since he entered the league in 2019, making brief stops with seven teams.

Edwards, a 25-year-old small forward, also joined the Nuggets on an Exhibit 10 deal this summer. He got into 40 games with Dallas last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per night. He may also be headed to Grand Rapids, where like Brown, he will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the team.

The cuts leave Denver with 14 standard contracts and all three of its two-way slots filled.

Nets Waive Grant Nelson, Hunter Cattoor

October 18th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Forward Grant Nelson and guard Hunter Cattoor, who had been on Exhibit 10 contracts with the Nets, have been waived, the team announced today (Twitter link via Keith Smith of Spotrac).

The moves had been expected, since Nelson and Cattoor are considered likely to end up with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. They each be eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with Long Island.

Nelson, a 6’11” power forward, went undrafted in June. The 23-year-old played his first three college seasons at North Dakota State before transferring to Alabama for his final two years. He averaged 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a super-senior in 2024/25

Cattoor played five college seasons for Virginia Tech prior to going undrafted in 2024. The 24-year-old guard spent last season with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in France’s top basketball league, averaging 8.5 points while shooting 37.2% from long distance in 25 games.

Even after today’s cuts, Brooklyn’s roster isn’t quite ready for the regular season. The team is still carrying 16 players on standard contracts, including 14 on guaranteed deals. Someone will need to be traded or waived by Monday in order to set the opening night roster. The Nets are operating right around the NBA’s minimum salary floor and will want to make sure they end up above that threshold before the season begins so that they don’t forward their end-of-season luxury tax payment.

The Nets also still have a two-way slot open, but none of their current 16 players are eligible to be converted to that opening without passing through waivers first.

Knicks Waive Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, Matt Ryan

October 18th, 2025 at 4:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

As expected, veteran guard Garrison Mathews was cut by the Knicks, the team announced (via Twitter). New York has also waived Alex Len and Matt Ryan.

Mathews signed a non-guaranteed contract last month, as did Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, with the understanding that the team was only able to keep one of them due to financial limitations. Brogdon announced his retirement on Wednesday, so Shamet appears to have earned the roster spot.

A report on Friday stated that Mathews has been impressive since training camp opened, but the Knicks didn’t have the ability to fit two veteran salaries on their roster without trading someone away. Shamet played for New York last season and was considered the front-runner to make the team.

The report also states that Mathews is likely to draw interest from teams that need outside shooting help now that he’s on waivers. He has been with three teams in his six NBA seasons and shot 39% from three-point range with Atlanta last season.

Len and Ryan both signed with the Knicks in mid-September, with Len getting an Exhibit 9 contract and Ryan receiving an Exhibit 10 deal. Both were considered long shots to make the team, but Ryan may wind up with New York’s G League affiliate.

It looks like the last available roster spot will go to rookie small forward Mohamed Diawara, who was selected with the 51st pick in this year’s draft. That had been expected due to the Knicks’ cap limitations — Diawara’s rookie minimum salary will allow the team to remain below their hard cap.

With Shamet and Diawara filling the 13th and 14th spots on New York’s roster, the team will have to wait until early April to add a 15th man, unless it makes a cost-cutting trade before then.

Wolves’ Juzang Gets Two-Way Deal; Newton Among Cuts

October 18th, 2025 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

4:14 pm: As expected, the Timberwolves confirmed in a press release that they’ve waived Newton, Johnson, Pullin, and Bernard. The team put out a separate announcement confirming Juzang’s conversion to a two-way deal.

3:34 pm: The Timberwolves are converting Johnny Juzang from his Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal on the heels of his strong preseason, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Juzang, who signed with Minnesota in September after being waived by Utah in June, put up 13.8 points in just 17.6 minutes per game in five preseason appearances for the team. His shooting line was a scorching .500/.483/.833, and he also grabbed 4.2 rebounds per contest.

The Timberwolves didn’t have a two-way spot open for Juzang, so the club has to make a cut. Tristen Newton is the odd man out and will be waived, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Newton, the 49th pick in the 2024 draft, accepted his two-way qualifying offer in September after spending his rookie year on a two-way deal. A 6’5″ guard, Newton was much quieter during the preseason than Juzang, averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game while shooting 38.9% from the floor.

Newton isn’t the only Timberwolf being cut ahead of the season. Veteran forward Alize Johnson is also being placed on waivers, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Camp invitees Zyon Pullin and Jules Bernard, who are also on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts, seem likely to be waived too, though that hasn’t been confirmed yet.