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Pelicans Place CJ McCollum In Protocols, Will Sign Ty Wallace To 10-Day

March 10th, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyrone Wallace plans to sign a 10-day deal with the Pelicans, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Wallace has averaged 27 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 5.9 APG in his last 11 games with the G League’s Long Island Nets.

It’s been a long road back to the NBA for Wallace, the 60th pick of the 2016 draft. He appeared in 92 games for the Clippers from 2017-19 and 14 more for the Hawks during the 2019/20 season. The shooting guard averaged 5.2 PPG in 15.5 MPG during those 106 career appearances.

The news coincides with New Orleans’ announcement on Thursday that CJ McCollum has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and will miss at least Friday’s game against Charlotte (Twitter link). Brandon Ingram is out at least seven-to-10 days due to a hamstring strain.

Alize Johnson‘s 10-day contract is set to expire on Friday. However, Wallace could be added under the hardship exception due to McCollum’s status, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Cavaliers Sign Moses Brown To 10-Day Deal

March 10th, 2022 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 10: Cleveland has officially signed Brown, the team announced in a press release.

MARCH 9: The Cavaliers are signing Moses Brown to a 10-day deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The young center played for the Mavericks this season but was waived as part of the two-for-one trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Brown, 22, had his $1,701,593 salary guaranteed for 2021/22 ahead of the January 10 deadline despite playing a very limited role for Dallas. He appeared in 26 games for the Mavs, averaging a modest 6.5 MPG. He was productive last season for the Thunder, averaging 8.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 1.1 BPG in 43 games (21.4 MPG).

Brown has shown he’s a strong rebounder, but possesses very limited ball skills and is often slow to rotate defensively. He’s definitely a raw, unfinished product at this stage of his career, but he’s flashed some upside and could develop with time.

It’s basically a no-risk flier on an intriguing 7’2″ prospect for the Cavs, who will be without All-Star center Jarrett Allen for an indefinite period after he suffered a fractured finger on Sunday. I’m skeptical that Brown will actually crack Cleveland’s rotation once the signing becomes official, given that the team is trying to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has relied on Dean Wade, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens when the team has dealt with frontcourt injuries this season, with occasional spot minutes to veteran Ed Davis. However, the Cavs have an open roster spot and if Brown impresses during his 10 days, they could sign him for the remainder of the season as injury insurance if Allen is out for an extended period.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the Brown will meet the team in Miami and the plan is for him to be available for Friday’s contest against the Heat.

Jordan Schakel Signs Two-Way Deal With Wizards

March 9th, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 9: The Wizards have officially signed Schakel to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. As we relayed earlier today, the team waived Ayayi to make room for Schakel.

MARCH 8: Shooting guard Jordan Schakel will sign a two-way contract with the Wizards, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Schakel most recently played for Washington’s NBA G League club, the Capital City Go-Go.

The Wizards currently have both their two-way slots occupied, by guards Joel Ayayi and Cassius Winston. One of those two players will need to be waived for the Wizards to complete the signing of Schakel.

Schakel, 23, is an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State. The 6’6″ wing had previously signed a 10-day hardship contract with Washington in December, appearing in two games. He averaged just 7.0 MPG in those contests with the Wizards.

In 21 games for the Go-Go this season, Schakel is averaging 14.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG. Across 32.0 MPG, he boasts shooting splits of .431/.352/.941.

Schakel will join a Wizards team at a bit of a crossroads this season. Washington, which has won five of its last 10 games, remains very much in the Eastern Conference play-in picture, despite the shelving of star guard Bradley Beal for the rest of the season following a left wrist surgery. At 29-34, the No. 11 Wizards are just 1.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Hawks and two games behind the No. 8 Hornets and No. 9 Nets.

Wizards Waive Joel Ayayi

March 9th, 2022 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards waived rookie shooting guard Joel Ayayi on Tuesday, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. Ayayi had been on a two-way contract.

After going undrafted out of Gonzaga last July, Ayayi signed a two-way deal with the Lakers, but was cut just before the season began. The Frenchman was claimed off waivers by Washington and had spent the last few months with the franchise.

Ayayi appeared in seven NBA games for the Wizards this season, but logged just 20 total minutes in those games and has spent most of his time with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League. In 31 NBAGL contests (32.0 MPG), he has averaged 9.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.6 RPG on .455/.264/.548 shooting.

Washington is reportedly signing Jordan Schakel to a two-way contract, meaning either Ayayi or Cassius Winston had to be cut in order to create room on the team’s 17-man roster. It appears the Wizards have opted to hang onto Winston.

Heat Sign Haywood Highsmith To Three-Year Deal

March 8th, 2022 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 8: Highsmith’s signing is official, the Heat announced in a press release. The team used part of its mid-level exception for the minimum-salary contract, and the second and third seasons are non-guaranteed, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

MARCH 7: Haywood Highsmith‘s third 10-day contract with the Heat will expire on Monday night, but the team doesn’t intend to let the forward get away. Highsmith and Miami have agreed to a three-year deal, agent Jerry Dianis tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Highsmith, 25, has signed a pair of standard 10-day pacts with the Heat after initially receiving a 10-day hardship contract. He has appeared in nine games for the club, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 10.0 MPG.

While Highsmith’s numbers in a small sample size at the NBA level are underwhelming, he played well in the G League earlier this season, averaging 13.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG on .494/.393/.625 shooting in 17 games (29.8 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s NBAGL affiliate.

The Heat will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Highsmith to a deal that covers three seasons — the rest of 2021/22, plus two more years. According to Wojnarowski, the contract will include “team options,” which suggests that it’s not guaranteed beyond this season.

Miami has an impressive track record when it comes to signing developmental players to low-risk multiyear deals near the end of a season. During the last week of the 2018/19 campaign, the club signed Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson to three-year contracts that became two of the most team-friendly deals in the league when Nunn and Robinson emerged as reliable rotation players.

Once they officially finalize their agreement with Highsmith, the Heat will have a full 15-man roster.

Raptors Sign Armoni Brooks To 10-Day Deal

March 6th, 2022 at 9:16am CST by Arthur Hill

10:14am: Toronto has signed Brooks and released Wilson, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. The Raptors will likely continue to fill that 15th roster spot – which Brooks now occupies – with 10-day signings unless they decide to convert Justin Champagnie‘s two-way contract, Lewenberg adds (Twitter link).

9:16am: Former Rockets guard Armoni Brooks will sign a 10-day deal with the Raptors, tweets Blake Murphy of Sports.net.ca.

Murphy adds that D.J. Wilson might be let go early from his 10-day contract to make room for Brooks. Wilson hurt his knee on Monday in the only game he played after signing his third 10-day agreement with Toronto. That deal is set to expire on Wednesday.

Brooks, 23, was waived by Houston last month to accommodate a three-for-one deal with the Celtics at the trade deadline. A long-distance shooting specialist, he averaged 6.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per game for the Rockets this season, but connected at just 30% from three-point range. He signed with Houston as a two-way player last year and was converted to a standard contract in October.

Brooks had been playing for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, and there was a report last week that the Rockets had interest in bringing him back.

If Brooks signs before tonight’s contest at Cleveland, he will be eligible for five games during the 10-day deal. Toronto’s next game after that isn’t until Wednesday.

Celtics Sign Kelan Martin, Malik Fitts To Second 10-Day Deals

March 5th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 5: The Celtics have officially signed Martin and Fitts to their second 10-day contracts, the team announced (via Twitter).

MARCH 4: The Celtics are expected to sign Kelan Martin and Malik Fitts to a second pair of 10-day contracts, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Both players’ current 10-day deals will expire on Friday night.

Fitts, 24, is a second-year power forward out of Saint Mary’s. He had a two-way deal with the Jazz earlier this season, but was waived by Utah in January after fracturing his right wrist. He later signed an NBA G League contract prior to catching on with the Celtics.

Across seven contests with the Jazz this season, Fitts averaged 5.0 MPG. In seven games with the Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBAGL this season, Fitts averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 BPG and 1.0 SPG, on shooting splits of .396/.267/.846.

Martin, 26, played for the Pacers the past couple years, but Indiana waived him in January before his contract for the rest of this could become guaranteed. Through 27 games with Indiana this year, the third-year small forward out of Butler averaged of 6.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG.

Martin and Fitts have each made one appearance with the Celtics, receiving just three minutes apiece. The Celtics are currently 38-27, fifth in the East.

Nik Stauskas Signs Two-Year Contract With Celtics

March 4th, 2022 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 4: The Celtics have officially signed Stauskas, the team announced. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MARCH 3: Nik Stauskas is signing a two-year deal with the Celtics, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The veteran guard has been lighting it up in the G League, scoring a combined 100 points in his last two games for the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets’ G League affiliate. Overall, Stauskas is averaging 26 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 4.7 APG in G League competition over 14 games this season.

Stauskas, a lottery pick by Sacramento back in 2014, played two games for the Heat this season under the 10-day hardship exemption. Prior to that, Stauskas had not appeared in an NBA game since the 2018/19 season, when he played in a combined 68 contests for Portland and Cleveland.

In 338 career NBA appearances, Stauskas has averaged 6.8 PPG in 19.8 MPG while making 35.4% of his long-range attempts.

Boston has an open roster spot, plus two players with 10-day contracts (Kelan Martin and Malik Fitts) that are near expiration. Jaylen Brown missed Thursday’s game against Memphis with an ankle injury and Aaron Nesmith left the game early with an ankle sprain.

While the exact terms of Stauskas’ deal aren’t yet known, a minimum-salary contract that isn’t guaranteed for next season seems likely.

Spurs Sign D.J. Stewart Jr., Robert Woodard II To Two-Way Deals

March 4th, 2022 at 4:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have signed D.J. Stewart Jr. and Robert Woodard II to two-way contracts, our JD Shaw tweets. San Antonio had both of its two-way spots open after promoting Devontae Cacok and Joe Wieskamp to the 15-man roster. The Spurs now have a full 17-man roster.

Stewart, 22, went undrafted in 2021 after a couple of seasons with Mississippi State. He hasn’t made his NBA debut yet, but he’s put up solid numbers in the G League with Miami’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Through 33 games (36.2 MPG) with the Skyforce, he’s averaging 18.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.3 SPG on .497/.388/.737 shooting.

Like Stewart, Woodard is a Mississippi native who played two seasons with the Bulldogs in college. The two were teammates during the 2019/20 season, and now will be reunited with the Spurs. Woodard was the 40th overall selection of the 2020 draft. He’s barely played in the NBA, logging a total of 87 minutes across 25 games the past two seasons for the Kings.

Woodard was waived by Sacramento on February 10 to make room for the team’s trade additions. He later signed a G League contract and appeared in six games with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate. However, he was still technically an NBA free agent, as no team held his rights until the Spurs signed him. Through 11 G League games split between the Blue and the Stockton Kings, Woodard is averaging 15.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .473/.346/.611 shooting.

Spurs Promote Devontae Cacok, Joe Wieskamp To 15-Man Roster

March 4th, 2022 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

3:41pm: Both deals are for the rest of the season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That means Cacok and Wieskamp will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

2:04pm: The Spurs have promoted both of their two-way players, forward/center Devontae Cacok and swingman Joe Wieskamp, to the 15-man roster, signing them to standard contracts, the team announced today (Twitter link via JD Shaw).

Cacok, 25, has appeared in 11 games for San Antonio this season, averaging 3.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 8.4 minutes per contest. The former Laker has been a double-double machine at the G League level, averaging 19.2 PPG and 12.9 RPG in 21 NBAGL appearances (31.6 MPG) for the Austin Spurs.

The 22-year-old Wieskamp, meanwhile, has seen limited action in 17 NBA games as a rookie after being selected 41st overall in the 2021 draft. Like Cacok, he has played a larger role in the G League than in the NBA, averaging 15.9 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .439/.315/.800 shooting in 14 games (33.7 MPG) for Austin.

After buying out Goran Dragic and Tomas Satoransky, the Spurs had two openings on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding moves were required to make room for Cacok and Wieskamp. The club now has a pair of two-way slots open.

The exact terms of Cacok’s and Wieskamp’s new contracts haven’t yet been reported. A standard conversion from a two-way deal would just result in a minimum-salary, rest-of-season contract, but most clubs try to negotiate longer-term agreements. The Spurs wouldn’t be able to offer either player more than a two-year deal.