Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Re-Sign Damyean Dotson, Matt Mooney

December 31st, 2021 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After their initial 10-day hardship contracts expired overnight, Damyean Dotson and Matt Mooney have each signed a second 10-day deal with the Knicks, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.

Neither Dotson nor Mooney played much during their first 10 days with New York. Dotson got into two games and logged 21 total minutes, while Mooney only made a brief cameo on Christmas Day. However, the two shooting guards provided the Knicks with some depth while they dealt with a minor COVID-19 outbreak.

New York still has four players in the health and safety protocols and Danuel House is the only other player currently on a 10-day deal with the team, so Dotson and Mooney will stick around a little longer.

Dotson will earn $102,831 over the course of his 10-day contract, while Mooney will make $85,578. Neither figure will count toward team salary for cap or tax purposes.

Cavaliers Sign Brandon Goodwin To 10-Day Deal

December 31st, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

2:32pm: In their press release confirming the Goodwin signing, the Cavaliers announced that they terminated Scott’s 10-day contract one day early.

11:12am: The Cavaliers have signed guard Brandon Goodwin to a 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. The deal will run through January 9, covering Cleveland’s next five games.

Goodwin, 26, has appeared in 97 NBA games since 2018 for Denver and Atlanta, averaging 4.7 PPG and 1.6 APG in 97 games (11.4 MPG). He had been playing for the Westchester Knicks in the G League this season, putting up 15.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.9 SPG in seven contests (35.1 MPG) for New York’s affiliate.

The Raptors reportedly reached a deal earlier in the month to sign Goodwin, but it was never formally completed. It appeared that Goodwin didn’t pass the COVID-19 screening process at the time. However, if he did test positive for the coronavirus, he has since been cleared.

As of Thursday, the Cavaliers only had two players left in the health and safety protocols: Darius Garland and Cedi Osman. Cleveland already has two hardship additions – Tre Scott and Malik Newman – on its roster, so the signing of Goodwin means the team either ended one of those deals early or has at least one more player entering the protocols today. Scott’s 10-day deal is set to expire after tonight’s game.

Pacers Sign Ahmad Caver To 10-Day Contract

December 31st, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

1:45pm: Caver has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Pacers, according to a press release from the team. Indiana is expected to complete another hardship signing, tweets Agness.

1:19pm: The Pacers will call up free agent guard Ahmad Caver from the G League and sign him to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A 6’2″ point guard, Caver has played for the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, since going undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2019. After coming off the bench for the Hustle for two years, he moved into the starting lineup in 2021/22, averaging 15.4 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.8 SPG on .413/.364/.818 shooting in 14 games (35.6 MPG) this season.

Entering the day, the Pacers had four players in the health and safety protocols. They’ve since added a fifth, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), who says Kelan Martin has tested positive for COVID-19.

Indiana has added one replacement player so far, signing Nate Hinton on Thursday. Caver is on track to be the team’s second hardship addition.

Clippers Sign Wenyen Gabriel Via Hardship Exception

December 31st, 2021 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

1:21pm: Gabriel’s 10-day contract with the Clippers is now official, according to the team. It’ll run through January 9, covering the team’s next six games.

7:17am: Wenyen Gabriel, whose 10-day contract with the Nets expired overnight on Thursday, has lined up a new 10-day deal with the Clippers, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers intend to sign Gabriel using a hardship exception and hope to have him available for Friday’s game in Toronto.

As Greif outlines, the Clippers are in need of some frontcourt help. Ivica Zubac entered the health and safety protocols on Thursday, Isaiah Hartenstein has been sidelined since December 18 due to a sprained ankle, and replacement player Moses Wright is no longer on the roster after his 10-day contract expired.

Gabriel could step into a rotation role right away for the Clippers after playing just a single minute during his 10 days with Brooklyn. The 24-year-old big man previously appeared in 51 total regular season games between 2019-21 for the Kings, Blazers and Pelicans.

The Clippers currently have three players in the COVID-19 protocols. Gabriel is on track to be the team’s third player on a 10-day contract, joining James Ennis and Xavier Moon. Ennis, like Gabriel, was with the Nets before agreeing to sign with the Clippers.

Pistons Sign Jaysean Paige To 10-Day Contract

December 31st, 2021 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

12:45pm: The Pistons have officially signed Paige to his 10-day contract, the team announced this afternoon in a press release.

7:01am: The Pistons have reached a deal to sign point guard Jaysean Paige to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, agent Dean Hadley tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Paige, who went undrafted out of West Virginia in 2016, has spent this season so far with the Maine Celtics, averaging 16.9 PPG on .455/.366/.870 shooting in 14 games (26.2 MPG) for Boston’s G League affiliate.

Prior to this season, Paige has played for teams in Germany, North Macedonia, England, Hungary, and Puerto Rico. He also had a previous stint with Maine during the 2019/20 campaign.

The Pistons have experienced plenty of roster turnover this month, with eight players currently in the health and safety protocols. They’ve already signed seven other players to 10-day hardship deals, so Paige is on track to be the eighth.

Heat Officially Sign Chalmers, Silva, Stauskas

December 31st, 2021 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially announced three previously-reported hardship signings, confirming in a press release that they’ve finalized 10-day deals with Mario Chalmers, Chris Silva, and Nik Stauskas.

Chalmers, 35, spent the first seven-plus years of his NBA career in Miami from 2008-15 and won a pair of championships with the franchise. The veteran guard appeared in a total of 646 regular season games and 99 postseason contests for the Heat and Grizzlies, but hasn’t played in the NBA since 2018. He recently joined the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, in the hopes of making an NBA comeback.

Silva, who just completed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves, began the season with the Iowa Wolves, averaging 15.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG in 12 games (25.6 MPG) for Minnesota’ G League affiliate. Like Chalmers, Silva has a history with the Heat — the former South Carolina standout began his career in Miami, appearing in a total of 55 games with the team between 2019-21 before being dealt to Sacramento at the ’21 trade deadline.

Stauskas, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft, appeared in 335 regular season games from 2014-19 for the Kings, Sixers, Nets, Trail Blazers, and Cavaliers. After a brief stint overseas, Stauskas signed in the G League for the 2021 bubble and then returned to the NBAGL this season. In 12 games (38.3 MPG) in 2021/22 for the Grand Rapids Gold, the 28-year-old has recorded 21.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.4 APG on .429/.352/.915 shooting.

The Heat now have seven players on 10-day hardship contracts, as Chalmers, Silva, and Stauskas join Kyle Guy, Aric Holman, Haywood Highsmith, and Zylan Cheatham. Cheatham is in the health and safety protocols, but the other six players should be available for Friday’s game in Houston.

Mavs Sign Chriss, Pinson To Second 10-Day Contracts

December 31st, 2021 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

12:06pm: The Mavericks have officially signed Chriss, the team confirmed today (via Twitter). The team also announced that it signed Theo Pinson to a second 10-day contract (Twitter link).

Pinson appeared in five games during his first 10-day deal with Dallas, averaging 5.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.6 APG in 15.8 minutes per contest.

The two deals will run through January 9, covering the Mavs’ next six games.

10:26am: Marquese Chriss became a free agent today when his 10-day contract with the Mavericks expired, but he won’t remain on the open market for long. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Dallas intends to bring back Chriss on a second 10-day hardship deal.

Chriss, 24, appeared in four games during his first 10 days with the Mavs, averaging 6.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 12.3 minutes per contest. He scored 13 points in 13 minutes last Thursday vs. Milwaukee, though he had three turnovers and fouled out of that game.

Chriss, who previously played for the Suns, Rockets, Cavaliers, and Warriors, is coming off a 2020/21 season that came to an end after just two games when he broke his right fibula.

The Mavericks currently have eight players in the health and safety protocols and five players (besides Chriss) signed to hardship deals. However, four of those contracts will expire on Friday or Saturday night, and Dallas expects to have a few players clear the protocols soon, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Cavaliers To Acquire Rajon Rondo From Lakers

December 31st, 2021 at 11:17am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 31, 11:17am: There are no other assets such as draft picks or cash included in the trade, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says it’s a straight swap: Rondo for Valentine.

Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) provides some financial details on the deal, noting that each team will generate a small traded player exception.

DECEMBER 31, 10:08am: The Lakers will trade Rondo to the Cavaliers, according to Charania (via Twitter).

Sources tell Wojnarowski that Cleveland will send Denzel Valentine to Los Angeles in the deal. The Lakers are expected to waive Valentine, who has a partially guaranteed contract, Woj adds. That would open up a spot on L.A.’s 15-man roster and could save the team some money, depending on how long that roster spot remains open.

So far, there’s no indication that any other assets are involved in the swap, but it’s not yet official, so more details could trickle in.

DECEMBER 30, 5:30pm: The Cavaliers are in serious discussions with the Lakers to acquire point guard Rajon Rondo, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the deal is expected to be completed as soon as Friday.

Cleveland lost Ricky Rubio to a season-ending torn left ACL on Wednesday and is seeking point depth in the veteran Rondo, who’s currently sidelined due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

In 18 games this season (16.1 MPG), the 35-year-old Rondo is averaging 3.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 3.7 APG. The four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion has seen his minutes and games played reduced in recent years, but he’s known for turning things up a notch in the playoffs. Given the Cavs’ lack of guard depth, acquiring Rondo could be a decent move, as Darius Garland has shown he can play well with other strong passers like Rubio.

Kevin Pangos, the only other point guard on Cleveland’s roster, will get his first career start Thursday against the Wizards, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Garland is currently sidelined in the protocols, leading to a big opportunity for Pangos. He was one of the better players in Europe over the past handful of years, so it will be interesting to monitor how he performs in his first prime-time action.

It’s not yet known what other pieces may be included in a Rondo deal, but a player technically isn’t required in return, since the point guard is on a one-year veteran’s minimum contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade and Ed Davis are all on non-guaranteed deals for the Cavaliers, while Denzel Valentine‘s contract is partially guaranteed at $500K (he’s already earned more than that by sticking with the team this long). Of the four players, I believe Valentine or Davis are the most likely to be traded/waived, as Wade and Stevens are both younger players the Cavs have developed over time.

Heat Expected To Sign Chris Silva To 10-Day Deal

December 31st, 2021 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat‘s run of 10-day signings is expected to continue with forward Chris Silva, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is aiming to finalize a hardship deal with Silva ahead of Friday’s game in Houston.

Silva just completed a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves, but didn’t see much action during his brief stint with the team, logging only three minutes in one appearance. Before getting a call-up to the NBA, the 25-year-old had averaged 15.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG in 12 games (25.6 MPG) for the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’ G League affiliate.

Silva and the Heat have a history — the former South Carolina standout began his career in Miami, appearing in a total of 55 games with the team between 2019-21 before being dealt to Sacramento at the ’21 trade deadline.

It has been a busy week for the Heat, who have already signed Kyle Guy, Aric Holman, and Haywood Highsmith to 10-day hardship contracts and are also expected to officially complete deals with Nik Stauskas and Mario Chalmers soon.

The club currently has eight players in the health and safety protocols and is missing a few more players due to injuries, so a handful of hardship signings were necessary to ensure no more games will be postponed, like Wednesday’s contest in San Antonio was.

Paris Bass Signs 10-Day Deal With Suns

December 30th, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by Rory Maher

8:46pm: Bass has signed his 10-day contract with the Suns, agent Daniel Kazan tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Bass will be available for Friday’s contest versus the Celtics, Haynes adds.

6:44pm: The Suns plan to sign forward Paris Bass to a 10-day contract via the hardship exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bass has been playing in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.

Bass was productive in 14 games with South Bay, averaging 17.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 27.5 MPG. The 26-year-old spent two years in college with Detroit, putting up 18.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.4 BPG in 2015/16 (24 games).

Bass spent the past two seasons with Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico, per RealGM.

Phoenix currently has four players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols: Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Elfrid Payton, and Abdel Nader.