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Trail Blazers Officially Announce Four Camp Signings

September 7th, 2022 at 6:05pm CST by Rory Maher

The Trail Blazers have officially signed Devontae Cacok, Olivier Sarr, Isaiah Miller and Jared Rhoden, the team announced. All four players, whose deals were previously reported, received Exhibit 10 training camp deals.

Of the group, only Cacok and Sarr hold NBA experience — Cacok has appeared in 36 games in parts of three seasons with the Lakers and Spurs, while Sarr played 22 games with the Thunder last season. Miller went undrafted out of UNC Greensboro in 2021 and spent last season in the G League with the Iowa Wolves; Rhoden is an undrafted rookie out of Seton Hall.

The Blazers have an unusual roster situation for a couple of different reasons. At the end of August, they waived Didi Louzada, using the stretch provision to stay below the luxury tax threshold of $150,267,000. That left the standard 15-man roster with 14 players on guaranteed deals, but even adding a minimum-salary player would push them over the tax line, so that last spot will almost certainly remain open for now (they could sign someone later in the season if they want to, since NBA salaries are prorated).

The second reason the roster situation is unusual is because Portland is one of only two teams without an NBA G League affiliate (the Suns are the other). Ordinarily players signed to Exhibit 10 deals are earmarked as affiliate players, and assuming they’re waived before the regular season, they become eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K.

However, since the Blazers don’t have an affiliate, none of the four players will be eligible for the bonus. Instead, evidently all four will be competing for the club’s lone two-way spot that’s still open — Brandon Williams currently occupies the other. Players on two-way contracts are eligible to appear in up to 50 games, but aren’t eligible for the postseason.

Malcolm Hill Re-Signs With Bulls On Two-Way Deal

September 7th, 2022 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Malcolm Hill has re-signed with the Bulls on a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to NBA.com’s transactions log, the deal is already official.

The Bulls extended Hill a two-way qualifying offer at the end of June, so he likely just decided to sign the QO to stick with Chicago.

The 26-year-old Hill was an unusual rookie last year. He went undrafted in 2017 out of Illinois and played internationally in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel prior to returning stateside.

Hill initially signed a training camp deal with the Pelicans prior to the 2021/22 season, but was waived before the season started and spent time with the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. In December of last year, he signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Hawks, appearing in three games.

After Hill’s 10-day deal with Atlanta expired, he caught on with Chicago, initially signing a 10-day hardship deal before inking a two-way contract. Hill appeared in 16 games (10.4 MPG) with the Bulls, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .432/.323/.700 shooting.

The 6’6″ wing had a bigger role and put up better stats for Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, averaging 18.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 3.1 APG on a stellar .500/.396/.875 shooting line in eight games (33.1 MPG). Hill most recently suited up for the Bulls’ Summer League squad, averaging 13.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .465/.474/.889 shooting in five games (25.0 MPG), per RealGM.

The Bulls have 15 players signed to guaranteed standard contracts and both two-way spots now filled, so their roster is already full heading into training camp. Any future signings will likely be Exhibit 10 deals with the option of being converted to two-way contracts — Justin Lewis‘ two-way spot might be vulnerable after he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL last month.

Markieff Morris Signs With Nets

September 7th, 2022 at 9:52am CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 7: The Nets have officially signed Morris, the team announced today in a press release. As previously reported, Morris’ new deal is said to be non-guaranteed.

AUGUST 30: The Nets will add veteran forward Markieff Morris on a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Morris spent last season with the Heat, but appeared in just 17 games after suffering a neck injury. He averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night and likely would have played a much larger role if he hadn’t been hurt.

Brooklyn will be the seventh NBA team for Morris, who entered the league in 2011. He has become mainly a bench player over the past four years and was an effective reserve for the Lakers during his last healthy season in 2020/21.

Morris, who signed minimum-salary deals with both L.A. and Miami, will likely get the same arrangement from the Nets. He may be seen as a replacement for LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin, who both remain unsigned.

Once Morris’ signing becomes official, Brooklyn will have 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts. Edmond Sumner‘s deal is partially guaranteed and Yuta Watanabe‘s is non-guaranteed.

Blazers To Sign Devontae Cacok To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 5th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are signing free agent big man Devontae Cacok to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Cacok, who will turn 26 next month, spent the 2021/22 season with the Spurs, first on a two-way contract and then on a rest-of-season deal. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer when the team didn’t issue him a qualifying offer.

A former Laker, Cacok appeared in 15 games last season with the Spurs, averaging 3.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 8.1 minutes per contest. The forward/center saw more action at the G League level for San Antonio’s affiliate, piling up 18.7 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 37 total NBAGL games (29.5 MPG) for the Austin Spurs.

Because Portland doesn’t have a G League team, Cacok’s Exhibit 10 contract won’t put him in line for a bonus, but it does make him eligible to have his deal converted into a two-way contract before the start of the season. Currently, the Blazers have one two-way slot open, with Brandon Williams filling the other.

Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller are already on Exhibit 10 deals with the Blazers, and Olivier Sarr is reportedly set to join them.

Trail Blazers Waive Norvel Pelle

September 4th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Trail Blazers have opted to waive camp signing Norvel Pelle, the team announced in a press statement.

Pelle, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland last month, inked a pair of 10-day hardship deals – one with the Celtics and one with the Jazz – during the 2021/22 season. In three contests for Utah, the 29-year-old big man scored six points and six rebounds in 19 total minutes.

A 6’10” center who went undrafted in 2013, Pelle played off and on for several seasons with the Sixers’ Delaware affiliate, during the team’s tenures as the 87ers and Blue Coats. He also played internationally for clubs in Taiwan, Beirut, and Italy.

After spending some time with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, Pelle eventually made his NBA debut in 2019 with the Sixers. He has since played for the Nets, Kings and Knicks, appearing in a total of 40 games at the NBA level.

With Pelle off their roster, the Trail Blazers currently have 17 players heading into training camp. It was reported earlier today that the club is signing 23-year-old center Olivier Sarr to a training camp deal — he’ll join guards Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller as the Portland players on Exhibit 10 contracts.

Trail Blazers Signing Olivier Sarr To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 4th, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent big man Olivier Sarr will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 23-year-old center spent most of last season with the Thunder, signing a pair of 10-day deals starting in late December and then agreeing to a two-way contract in February. He was waived in April, four days before the end of the regular season. Sarr appeared in 22 games for OKC, making two starts, and averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per night.

He took part in a Lakers mini-camp in June and played for the Suns in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Sarr’s signing will bring Portland up to 19 players, one short of the offseason maximum, with training camp about three weeks away. The Blazers also have Norvel Pelle, Jared Rhoden and Isaiah Miller on Exhibit 10 contracts.

Knicks Officially Announce RJ Barrett’s Extension

September 1st, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have officially signed forward RJ Barrett to a rookie scale extension, the team announced today in a press release.

While the Knicks’ didn’t specify the terms of the deal in their announcement, previous reports indicated that Barrett’s new four-year contract, which will go into effect in 2023/24, will include $107MM in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120MM with incentives related to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections.

“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation,” Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”

Fittingly, the Knicks announced Barrett’s extension at almost exactly the same time word broke that the Jazz were trading Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. The Knicks and Jazz reportedly had extensive discussions about Barrett as a possible centerpiece in a trade for Mitchell, with New York setting a Monday night deadline to either agree to a trade or extend the former No. 3 overall pick.

Barrett’s extension didn’t rule out the possibility that the Jazz and Knicks could work out a Mitchell trade, even one involving Barrett. However, it put those trade discussions on the back burner at least temporarily, opening the door for the Cavs to swoop in and finalize a trade for Mitchell themselves.

With Mitchell no longer available, it’s a safe bet Barrett will be a Knick in 2022/23. If he’s not included in another trade for a star down the road, he’s on track to remain in New York all the way through at least the ’26/27 season — his new deal reportedly doesn’t include any player or team options, so he won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2027.

A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season.

Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746), but the presence of newly acquired point guard Jalen Brunson this season should help boost Barrett’s scoring efficiency.

Raptors Sign Josh Jackson To Non-Guaranteed Deal

August 31st, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Rory Maher

3:00pm: Jackson’s contract is non-guaranteed, a source tells Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link).

2:26pm: The Raptors have signed free agent swingman Josh Jackson, the team announced (via Twitter). While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, it would be surprising if Jackson received a fully guaranteed contract.

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 draft after one season at Kansas, Jackson has struggled to gain traction in the NBA after being a highly touted but raw prospect.

Jackson was drafted by Phoenix, where he spent his first two seasons, then was traded to Memphis in the 2019 offseason. Memphis declined the team option on the fourth year of his rookie contract, so despite being a high pick, he only spent three of a possible four years on his rookie deal.

Jackson signed a two-year, $9.77MM contract with Detroit ahead of the 2020/21 season, but his on-court results were a mixed bag. He was in and out of the Pistons’ rotation last season and was later traded to the Kings at the February deadline in the four-team deal that sent Marvin Bagley III to Detroit.

Unfortunately, Jackson played even less for Sacramento than he had for Detroit, appearing in just 12 games for a total of 123 minutes.

In 291 career games, including 92 starts (23.1 MPG), the 25-year-old holds averages of 11.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.8 APG on .416/.292/.680 shooting. Jackson has good size (6’8″, 207 pounds) and above-average athleticism for a wing, but struggles to score efficiently, turns the ball over a lot (two more turnovers than assists in his career), and isn’t a great defender even though he has the tools for it.

The Raptors currently have 17 players on standard deals, including 13 with fully guaranteed contracts, according to our roster count. Jackson will likely be among the group that includes Dalano Banton, Justin Champagnie and D.J. Wilson as players battling for the final spots on the 15-man roster.

Spurs, Jalen Adaway Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 31st, 2022 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs and undrafted rookie free agent Jalen Adaway are in agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Adaway began his college career at Miami University in Ohio before transferring to St. Bonaventure. As a senior in 2021/22, the 6’5″ guard averaged 15.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG on .474/.376/.826 shooting in 32 games (37.8 MPG) for the Bonnies. He was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team.

Although he didn’t hear his name called on draft night in June, Adaway caught on with the Heat’s Summer League team, appearing in six total contests for Miami at the San Francisco and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. Now, it appears he’ll get an opportunity within the Spurs’ organization.

It’s unclear whether Adaway will get a legitimate chance to compete for a regular season roster spot on an already crowded San Antonio squad, but his Exhibit 10 contract would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the season and then joins the Austin Spurs as a G League affiliate player for at least 60 days.

Knicks Agree To Extend RJ Barrett, Complicating Donovan Mitchell Talks

August 30th, 2022 at 4:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and forward RJ Barrett are finalizing a four-year rookie scale contract extension that could be worth up to $120MM, agent Bill Duffy tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The exact base value of Barrett’s new deal isn’t yet known, but Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports (via Twitter) that there are bonuses tied to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections. In other words, it sounds like the former No. 3 overall pick would have to play at a very high level to earn the full $120MM.

A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season. Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746).

According to Wojnarowski, the Barrett extension will complicate the Knicks’ discussions with the Jazz about a potential Donovan Mitchell trade. Sources tell ESPN that those talks intensified over the weekend as the two teams made some progress, but there was still a gap between what each side was willing to do.

Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose set a Monday night deadline to either agree to a deal for Mitchell or commit to an extension for Barrett, per Wojnarowski, who notes that the “poison pill provision” will now almost certainly ensure that the former Blue Devil won’t be part of a package for Mitchell.

As we outline in our glossary entry, a player who signs a rookie scale extension but remains on his rookie contract has different outgoing and incoming salary-matching figures, which is referred to as a “poison pill” — in Barrett’s case, the gap between his outgoing and incoming figures will exceed $15MM, according to Wojnarowski. That would make it extremely challenging for both the Knicks and Jazz to send out and take back a legal amount of salary if Barrett is part of a package for Mitchell.

As Wojnarowski explains, Barrett was a “staple” in several of the proposals for Mitchell that the Jazz and Knicks discussed, with Utah highly valuing the 22-year-old. While New York had apparently been willing to include Barrett, the two teams were still at an impasse over the possible inclusion of Quentin Grimes and the number of unprotected first-round picks in the package, per ESPN.

It remains possible that the Knicks and Jazz will agree to a deal that doesn’t include Barrett, but that would require the Knicks to give up “far more” draft assets than they’ve been willing to surrender thus far, sources tell Wojnarowski.

For now, the two teams are backing off those trade talks, but the Jazz aren’t engaged in serious discussions with any other suitors about Mitchell, so neither they nor the Knicks have ruled out the possibility of resuming their talks before training camps begin in four weeks.

As Wojnarowski notes, Barrett’s extension will end an ignominious streak for the Knicks, as he’ll become the team’s first first-round pick since Charlie Ward in 1999 to sign a multiyear contract extension following his rookie deal.

Barrett will also become the fifth player to finalize a rookie scale extension this offseason. While his deal won’t be worth as much as the maximum-salary extensions signed by Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland, it will exceed Keldon Johnson‘s four-year, $74MM contract.

Assuming Barrett’s new extension doesn’t include any options, it will keep him under team control through the 2026/27 season.