Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Waive Two-Way Forward Malik Fitts

January 13th, 2022 at 3:39pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz have waived two-way forward Malik Fitts, the team announced. Fitts recently suffered a fractured wrist that will sideline him for at least four weeks, and with Utah struggling (four consecutive losses) with COVID-related absences, the team opted to waive Fitts to likely add a healthy player to the roster.

Fitts hasn’t been a regular part of Utah’s rotation this season, having logged just 14 minutes in six games entering last Friday’s contest in Toronto. With a depleted roster, the Jazz leaned on Fitts for a rotation role vs. the Raptors and he responded with six points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. However, he also sustained his wrist injury during the game.

Fitts entered training camp with the Jazz on an Exhibit 10 deal which was converted into a two-way deal prior to the season. The 24-year-old spent three games (11 total minutes) as a rookie with the Clippers last season after going undrafted out of Saint Mary’s in 2020.

Obviously it’s an unfortunate turn of events for the second-year pro, who will hopefully recover well from the wrist fracture in order to try and earn another shot in the league. For Utah, it optimizes roster flexibility with six players currently in the health and safety protocols.

Bol Bol Trade To Pistons Voided

January 13th, 2022 at 12:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:39pm: The Pistons announced that the trade was rescinded because “medical clearance was not received for all players involved,” tweets James Edwards III of The Athletic.

11:13am: The Pistons have reneged on a trade that would have would have sent Rodney McGruder and a second-round pick to the Nuggets in exchange for Bol Bol, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Detroit cited an issue with Bol’s physical, Singer adds. He notes that Bol had foot surgery during college, but hasn’t experienced any injury problems during his three seasons in the NBA. Denver was surprised by the Pistons’ decision, according to Singer (Twitter link).

The 22-year-old Bol is an intriguing talent but hasn’t been able to firmly establish himself at any position in Denver. Other big men had moved ahead of him in the rotation, and the Nuggets are seeking veteran help for a playoff run. It’s not clear if Denver will try to work out another trade for Bol, who has a $2.15MM expiring contract.

Bucks Sign Lindell Wigginton To Two-Way Deal, Waive Javonte Smart

January 13th, 2022 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have signed G League guard Lindell Wigginton to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release. Two-way guard Javonte Smart has been waived to make room on the roster.

Wigginton, 23, has been playing for Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 17 games. This is his third season in the G League.

After going undrafted in 2019, Wigginton signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves and participated in Minnesota’s training camp. He has yet to play in an NBA game.

Smart, an undrafted rookie out of LSU, signed a two-way deal with the Bucks in late November after being waived by the Heat in training camp. He appeared in 13 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per night.

Paris Bass Signs Second 10-Day Contract With Suns

January 12th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

January 12: The Suns have officially signed Bass to a second 10-day hardship deal, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

January 11: Rookie small forward Paris Bass is expected to sign a second 10-day contract with the Suns via the team’s hardship exception, his agent Daniel Hazan tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Bass will likely rejoin the team on Wednesday, Wojnarowski adds.

The 6’8″ forward out of Detroit Mercy, 26, signed his first such deal with Phoenix in late December. He has appeared in two games for Phoenix so far, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 3.5 MPG.

After going undrafted, Bass played for a variety of international clubs, including teams in Austria, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, and most recently Puerto Rico. He also earned some G League experience, joining the then-Erie BayHawks for the 2016/17 season. He averaged 3.9 PPG and 2.7 RPG across 11.9 MPG in 15 games for the BayHawks. The team was subsequently relocated to Lakeland, Florida from Erie, Pennsylvania in 2017, and re-branded as the Lakeland Magic.

Earlier this season, Bass returned to the G League, receiving significantly more playing time in his second stint. He averaged 17.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG in 14 games with the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

As of this writing, forward Ish Wainright is the only Sun in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and the team already has Justin Jackson under contract on a 10-day hardship deal. In order to sign Wainright on Wednesday, Phoenix will have to either terminate Jackson’s deal early or place a second player in the protocols.

Lakers Sign Sekou Doumbouya To Two-Way Deal, Waive Jay Huff

January 12th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have made a change to one of their two-way contract slots, announcing today that they’ve signed forward Sekou Doumbouya to a two-way deal and waived big man Jay Huff.

Doumbouya began the season on a two-way contract with the Lakers, but was waived in November while he was recovering from a foot injury. At the time, Los Angeles brought in Chaundee Brown to fill Doumbouya’s two-way slot. Brown has since been replaced by Mason Jones, while Doumbouya is now taking Huff’s spot.

Doumbouya, 21, was the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent the first two years of his NBA career in Detroit. However, he struggled to score efficiently during his time with the Pistons, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .384/.254/.691 shooting in 94 games (17.3 MPG).

The Pistons sent Doumbouya to the Nets in their DeAndre Jordan trade during the 2021 offseason, and the young forward was subsequently flipped to the Rockets, who waived him. In the month he spent with the Lakers earlier this season, Doumbouya averaged 7.0 PPG and 3.0 RPG in two appearances (8.0 MPG).

Huff, who caught on with the Lakers after going undrafted out of Virginia, logged just 20 total minutes with the team across four games. At the G League level, he recorded 10.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in eight games (22.1 MPG) for the South Bay Lakers.

Jazz Sign Zylan Cheatham To 10-Day Contract

January 12th, 2022 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

11:47am: The Jazz have officially finalized Cheatham’s 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through January 21, covering Utah’s next five games.

9:03am: The Jazz are set to sign swingman Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Utah already has three players on 10-day hardship deals, with Danuel House under contract through Saturday, Norvel Pelle through Sunday, and Denzel Valentine through next Wednesday. However, since the Jazz have five players in the health and safety protocols, they remain eligible to continue adding replacement players using hardship exceptions.

Cheatham, 26, has spent most of this season with the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate. In 13 NBAGL games (30.5 MPG), he averaged a double-double (14.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) with a solid .491/.429/.806 shooting line. That performance earned him a 10-day contract with Miami just before Christmas, but he didn’t play at all for the Heat and entered the COVID-19 protocols before his deal expired. He has since cleared the protocols.

Undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, Cheatham spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, appearing in four NBA games in 2019/20. Those are his only NBA regular season appearances to date.

Cheatham will earn $85,578 over the course of his 10 days with Utah, but that money won’t count toward team salary for salary cap or luxury tax purposes.

Sixers Sign Charlie Brown Jr. To Two-Way Deal, Waive Aaron Henry

January 11th, 2022 at 4:17pm CST by Luke Adams

4:17pm: The Sixers have officially signed Brown to a two-way contract and waived Henry, the team announced in a press release.

4:00pm: The Sixers will retain guard Charlie Brown Jr. beyond his current 10-day hardship deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Brown will receive a two-way contract from the team. Philadelphia is waiving forward Aaron Henry to open up a two-way slot for Brown, Charania adds.

Brown is a Philadelphia native who played his college ball at Saint Joseph’s. He has bounced around the NBA and G League since going undrafted in 2019, spending time with Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Philadelphia at the NBA level and playing for the College Park Skyhawks, Iowa Wolves, and Delaware Blue Coats in the NBAGL.

Brown began this season with Delaware, averaging 16.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.6 SPG on .457/.400/.850 shooting in 11 games (30.2 MPG). That earned him 10-day hardship deals with the Mavs and Sixers.

He has appeared in two games since signing his 10-day contract with Philadelphia on January 3, averaging 2.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.0 SPG in 17.5 MPG.

Henry, who went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2021, logged just 17 total minutes in six NBA games for Philadelphia on his two-way deal. In 10 G League contests for Delaware, he recorded 13.2 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .431/.327/.500 shooting. The 22-year-old will be free to sign with any team if he clears waivers.

Brown’s current 10-day deal won’t expire until Wednesday night, but the Sixers could terminate it early if they want to move him into his newly-earned two-way slot sooner rather than later.

Pacers Sign Lance Stephenson To Second 10-Day Contract

January 11th, 2022 at 3:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 11, 3:29pm: The Pacers have officially signed Stephenson to his second 10-day hardship contract, the team announced in a press release. League sources reiterated to Stein (Twitter link) that Stephenson is still expected to remain with Indiana for the rest of the season once the team is no longer eligible for a hardship exception.

JANUARY 11, 1:41pm: Following the expiration of Stephenson’s first 10-day contract on Monday night, the Pacers are now planning to sign him to a second 10-day deal using a hardship exception, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

The Pacers still had three players – Goga Bitadze, Caris LeVert, and T.J. Warren – in the health and safety protocols when they last updated their injury report, so they remain eligible to carry players on 10-day deals via the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Stephenson still looks like a safe bet to eventually get a full-season commitment, but keeping him on 10-day contracts for now will allow Indiana to maximize its roster flexibility with the trade deadline less than a month away.

JANUARY 9: The Pacers will likely sign Lance Stephenson for the rest of the season after his 10-day contract expires on Monday night, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Stephenson has averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 22.8 minutes per night in four games on his hardship deal. He also appeared in six games last month for the Hawks on a 10-day contract.

After Saturday’s win over Utah, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said there has been a difference in the team since Stephenson arrived, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star.

“Our bench hasn’t been this into the game in any game this year. It’s not that they’re not good guys, there just hasn’t been the same kind of vibe (since Stephenson rejoined the franchise),” Carlisle said. “When this move was made, (team president Kevin Pritchard) told me, ‘We need some personality. We need some energy. A lot of people are gonna roll their eyes at this.’ I said, ‘I’m not rolling my eyes. I just want to know as much as I can about this guy so we can turn him loose and let him play his game.'”

Stephenson has benefited from the freedom that Carlisle has given him to play his game, Boyd adds. The 31-year-old swingman set an NBA record Wednesday with 20 points off the bench in the first quarter, then posted 16 points and 14 assists Saturday against the Jazz.

Stephenson, who started his career in Indiana, is now in his third stint with the team. He started his NBA career there in 2010, then re-signed with the Pacers in 2017.

“There are guys that deliver the ball in a way that elicits confidence and belief, and particularly in these two home games we’ve seen that (from Stephenson),” Carlisle said. “Look, I don’t want to go too over the top on this because he’s playing well, but the vibe that’s happening right now is something that’s much needed for our group.”

Thunder Sign Mamadi Diakite To 10-Day Contract

January 11th, 2022 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have signed forward Mamadi Diakite to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal was completed using a COVID-related hardship allowance.

Diakite, who will turn 25 next Friday, was in training camp with Oklahoma City in the fall, but fractured his hip and was waived at the end of the preseason. The 6’9″ forward spent his rookie season in 2020/21 with the Bucks after going undrafted out of Virginia. He initially signed a two-way contract, then was converted to a standard deal last April ahead of Milwaukee’s championship run.

Diakite played a very limited role at the NBA level in 14 regular season games and seven postseason contests. However, he put up big numbers in the G League bubble last winter for the Lakeland Magic, averaging a double-double (18.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and 2.1 BPG in just 27.7 MPG (12 games). He made 58.0% of his shots from the field for Lakeland, including half of his three-point tries (7-for-14).

The Thunder currently have two players – Isaiah Roby and Kenrich Williams – in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, allowing them to sign two replacement players using hardship exceptions. The team now has Diakite and Olivier Sarr on 10-day deals.

Diakite will earn $85,578 over the course of his 10 days with Oklahoma City, but it won’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes. His deal will cover the Thunder’s next five games before expiring on his birthday.

Clippers Sign Wenyen Gabriel To Second 10-Day Deal

January 11th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

1:10pm: Gabriel’s second 10-day contract is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. It’ll run through January 20, covering the Clippers’ next five games.

9:21am: The Clippers intend to sign big man Wenyen Gabriel to a second 10-day contract, agent Gary Durrant tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Gabriel’s initial 10-day deal with the team expired on Sunday night.

Tasked with providing the club with some frontcourt depth during his first 10 days in Los Angeles, Gabriel appeared in five contests, averaging 2.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 8.4 minutes per contest. Prior to joining the Clippers, he also spent 10 days with Brooklyn. In his two previous seasons, the former Kentucky standout spent time with Sacramento, Portland, and New Orleans.

The Clippers currently have two players – Luke Kennard and Justise Winslow – in the health and safety protocols, with one player – Xavier Moon – signed to a 10-day hardship contract. Haynes indicates that Gabriel will be another hardship signing, which makes sense if the expectation is for Kennard and Winslow to remain in the protocols for a little while longer.

If one of those players is on the verge of exiting the protocols, L.A. would need to either terminate Moon’s deal early or have another player enter the protocols in order to qualify for a COVID-related hardship exception for Gabriel.

Theoretically, the Clips could also qualify for an injury-related hardship exception, since Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Jason Preston, and Isaiah Hartenstein all remain sidelined. However, unless it’s reported otherwise, our expectation is that Gabriel will be added with a COVID-related hardship allowance, meaning his 10-day earnings ($95,930) won’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes.