Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Drew Eubanks Signs Fourth 10-Day Deal With Blazers

March 24th, 2022 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Maher

9:13pm: The signing under the hardship exception is official, according to a team press release.

12:40pm: The Trail Blazers intend to sign center Drew Eubanks to another 10-day contract, which will be his fourth consecutive deal with the team, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The 25-year-old has performed well through 13 games (28.1 minutes) with Portland, averaging 12.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .624/.286/.880 shooting (only seven attempts from deep). He’s started all 13 games in place of the injured Jusuf Nurkic.

Most of this year’s 10-day hardship contracts have been completed using the COVID-related hardship exception, but Eubanks has been signed multiple times using an injury-related hardship exception. A team qualifies for an injury-related hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games, as long as those players project to remain sidelined for at least the next couple weeks.

Portland has at least six such players – Nurkic, Damian Lillard, Nassir Little, Didi Louzada, Joe Ingles, and Eric Bledsoe – and possibly as many as seven, if Anfernee Simons isn’t expected to return soon. That’s why the club is eligible for the hardship exception.

Eubanks’ last 10-day deal expired overnight. His new 10-day contract will pay him $99,380.

Blazers Sign Kris Dunn To Second 10-Day Deal

March 24th, 2022 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:11pm: The signing under the hardship exception is official, according to a team press release.

8:15pm: The Trail Blazers are signing guard Kris Dunn to a second 10-day contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Dunn has appeared in six games with depleted Portland, averaging 7.3 PPG and 5.2 APG in 24.8 MPG. He was added under the injury hardship exception and presumably the Blazers will use the same provision the second time around, since they have a full 15-man roster.

Dunn was playing for the G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario prior to getting another opportunity to play in the NBA. The former No. 5 overall pick spent last season with the Hawks, but was limited to four games due to an ankle injury. He was traded from Atlanta to Memphis in the offseason and was subsequently waived.

Portland is scrambling to find bodies to finish out the season.

Drew Eubanks is reportedly signing a fourth 10-day with Portland. The Blazers have seven players who might miss the remainder of the season due to assorted injuries. Additionally, Josh Hart has missed the last two games due to a left knee issue.

Mychal Mulder Signs Two-Way With Heat; Kyle Guy Waived

March 24th, 2022 at 9:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have signed guard Mychal Mulder to a two-way contract and waived Kyle Guy, the team’s PR department tweets.

Mulder has been playing for Miami’s G League squad. He has averaged 17.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.7 APG in 10 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Mulder has 82 games of NBA experience under his belt. He played the last two seasons with Golden State. He saw action in 15 games with the Magic this season, averaging 3.7 PPG in 13.0 MPG. Mulder, 27, was waived by Orlando in early January.

Guy signed a two-way contract with Miami in mid-January. He appeared in 19 games with Miami, averaging 3.9 PPG in 9.8 MPG. He only saw action in eight games over the last two months and didn’t play more than seven minutes in any of those appearances.

Braxton Key Signs 10-Day Deal With Pistons

March 24th, 2022 at 9:12am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 24: The Pistons have officially signed Key to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through April 2 and will be worth $53,176.

MARCH 22: Free agent forward Braxton Key is set to sign a 10-day deal with the Pistons, his agent Billy Davis informs JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). Key was most recently with the Sixers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

The 19-53 Pistons are locked into the NBA lottery at this point. It makes sense for them to check out intriguing young prospects during this stretch of the season. Detroit will now get a first-hand look at the 6’8″ Key, who has enjoyed a promising season in the G League.

In 31 games with Delaware this season, including 21 starts, Key has averaged 18.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.1 SPG and 1.5 BPG. He also sports shooting splits of .475/.388/.670.

The 24-year-old signed a 10-day hardship exception contract with Philadelphia earlier this season, though he appeared in just two games for the club in limited minutes. He went undrafted out of Virginia in 2020, and latched on with the Delaware Blue Coats during the NBAGL’s Orlando “bubble” season in 2020/21.

The Pistons have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to officially sign Key.

Rockets Sign Anthony Lamb To Two-Way Deal

March 23rd, 2022 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

2:43pm: The Rockets have officially signed Lamb to a two-way contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

7:32am: The Rockets are signing forward Anthony Lamb to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’ll be the second time in two seasons that Houston has signed Lamb to a two-way deal.

Lamb, 24, played in the G League bubble with the Canton Charge and Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2020/21 after going undrafted out of Vermont in 2020. His solid showing for Houston’s G League affiliate (the Vipers) earned him a two-way contract with the Rockets last March.

He averaged 5.5 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 24 games (17.3 MPG) for Houston, then accepted his two-way qualifying offer during the offseason. However, he was waived in October so the Rockets could claim Garrison Mathews.

Lamb subsequently returned to the Vipers for the 2021/22 season, earning a 10-day call-up with the Spurs in January before rejoining Houston’s G League team. In 26 regular season games (33.9 MPG) for Rio Grande Valley, he has averaged 16.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.3 BPG on .467/.398/.764 shooting.

The Rockets have had a two-way opening since promoting Daishen Nix to their 15-man roster last month, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Lamb.

Many of the players who have signed late-season two-way deals have agreed to tack on a second year to their new contracts. It’s unclear at this point if Lamb’s deal will include a second year or if he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.

Isaiah Thomas Signs With Hornets For Rest Of Season

March 22nd, 2022 at 11:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 22: The Hornets have officially signed Thomas for the rest of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 21: Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas will sign with the Hornets for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Charlotte signed Thomas to a pair of 10-day contracts, the second of which was set to expire after Monday’s victory over New Orleans. He’ll now receive a standard contract, likely for the prorated veteran’s minimum.

Thomas had 15 points in 14 minutes off the bench on Monday. That was Thomas’ fifth double-digit scoring outing in seven games with the Hornets.

Overall, he’s averaging 9.9 PPG for his latest team. He has also made a strong impression as a locker room voice and mentor to the team’s young guards. Charlotte has a 7-2 record since Thomas’ arrival.

The 33-year-old also played for the Lakers and Mavericks this season under the hardship exception. The Hornets have an open 15-man roster spot and won’t need to make another roster move to retain Thomas.

Magic Sign Jeff Dowtin To 10-Day Contract

March 22nd, 2022 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have signed guard Jeff Dowtin to a 10-day contract, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The team has officially confirmed the move (Twitter link).

A G League regular for much of his professional career since going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020, Dowtin was a member of the Lakeland Magic team that won the NBAGL’s bubble season in 2020/21.

This season, he has appeared in 22 games for Lakeland and six for the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 21.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 4.6 RPG on .580/.398/.732 shooting in 28 total G League games (32.8 MPG). He also played in 12 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors during the NBAGL Showcase in the fall.

Dowtin earned a look from a pair of NBA teams earlier in 2021/22. He began the season on a two-way contract with the Warriors before being waived in January, then joined the Bucks on a 10-day hardship deal less than a week later. He appeared in five total games for Golden State and Milwaukee, but has been an NBA free agent since mid-January and has been playing for the Lakeland Magic since then.

Orlando had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to sign Dowtin, whose 10-day deal will run through March 31, covering the club’s next five games. He’ll earn $53,176 over those 10 days.

Pelicans Sign Tyrone Wallace To Second 10-Day Deal

March 21st, 2022 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

12:03pm: The Pelicans have officially signed Wallace to a second 10-day contract, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).

9:34am: The Pelicans are signing guard Tyrone Wallace to a second 10-day contract, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wallace’s initial 10-day deal with the team expired overnight following Sunday’s game in Atlanta.

Wallace signed a standard 10-day contract with New Orleans on March 11 after CJ McCollum entered the health and safety protocols. Even after McCollum returned, Wallace saw some action for the club, averaging 4.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG in four appearances (15.8 MPG).

Wallace struggled a little with his shot, making 7-of-18 field goals (38.9%), including 2-of-8 three-pointers (25.0%) and just 1-of-5 free throws (20.0%). However, the Pelicans – who won three of the four games in which Wallace played – apparently liked what they saw enough to commit to him for at least 10 more days.

The Pelicans will take on a cap hit of $95,930 for Wallace’s 10-day deal, which will pay him $99,380. If he officially re-signs before Monday’s game, he’ll be under contract through March 30, making him eligible for New Orleans’ next five games.

Once Wallace’s new contract expires, the Pelicans will either have to sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk, assuming the team doesn’t qualify for a hardship exception.

Cavs Re-Sign Moses Brown; Dean Wade To Miss Several Weeks

March 21st, 2022 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have brought back big man Moses Brown on a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Brown’s first 10-day deal expired on Saturday night.

Brown, initially signed earlier this month to provide some frontcourt depth with Jarrett Allen sidelined due to a finger injury, appeared in four games during his first 10 days with Cleveland. He averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per contest.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Allen – who is taking a non-surgical approach as he recovers from his broken finger – is hopeful of getting back into the lineup within the next three weeks. However, it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.

Additionally, Charania reports that forward Dean Wade has sustained a partial meniscus tear in his right knee and will be out for several weeks, creating another hole in the Cavaliers’ frontcourt. Wade had been a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation this season, averaging 19.2 MPG in 51 appearances. The hope is that he’ll be able to make it back by the end of the regular season or the start of the postseason, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The Cavs will play five games in the next 10 days, starting with a matchup vs. the Lakers on Monday night. Their games on Thursday in Toronto and on Saturday vs. Chicago will be crucial in the race for a top-six seed in the East.

Knicks Sign Feron Hunt To Two-Way Deal

March 18th, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 18: The Knicks have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Hunt to a two-way contract.

MARCH 17: The Knicks plan to sign Feron Hunt of the G League to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

In order to sign Hunt, the Knicks have waived forward Luka Samanic, the team’s PR department tweets. Samanic is out for the remainder of the season with a left heel injury.

Hunt 22, went undrafted in 2021 after three collegiate seasons at SMU. He was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract by the Mavericks during training camp, but was waived before the season started. The 6’8″ forward signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Pelicans in December, but didn’t receive any NBA playing time.

Through 37 games (35.2 MPG) with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ affiliate, Hunt is averaging 17.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .547/.361/.737 shooting.

Samanic was the 19th overall pick of the 2019 draft by the Spurs, who waived him in October of 2021, just before the season started. The 22-year-old Croatian appeared in 36 total games as a Spur, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .430/.294/.576 shooting in 9.9 MPG.

He caught on with the Knicks a handful of days later, signing a two-way contract. He hasn’t made an NBA appearance for New York and only played two games for its G League affiliate in Westchester, averaging 26.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 2.0 BPG on .524/.125/.667 shooting.

Marc Berman of The New York Post says (via Twitter) Samanic’s heel injury is plantar fasciitis, noting the young forward has only played once in the past nine weeks.