Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Waive Wayne Selden

January 3rd, 2022 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have placed veteran shooting guard Wayne Selden on waivers, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The team needed to open up a roster spot in order to complete its acquisition of Denzel Valentine and Selden was the most expendable player on the roster, since his minimum-salary contract isn’t fully guaranteed.

Selden, 27, has appeared in a total of 127 NBA games since making his debut in 2017, but only three of those appearances came this season. He had five points on 1-of-4 shooting in 19 total minutes for the Knicks in 2021/22.

Selden would’ve earned a $1,729,217 salary if he had remained under contract for the entire season. Because he’s being released now, he’ll instead make a prorated minimum of $785,104, which is also the amount that will apply to New York’s team salary. If Selden is claimed on waivers, he’d be back on track to earn his full salary and he’d be removed entirely from the Knicks’ cap, but that’s probably a long shot.

With a newly-opened roster spot, the Knicks are free to officially finalize their three-team trade with the Cavaliers and Lakers to acquire Valentine. Like Selden, Valentine doesn’t have a fully guaranteed salary, so the club will need to decide this week whether or not to keep him around beyond Friday’s salary guarantee deadline. New York is unlikely to hang onto Valentine for the season, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Ryan Arcidiacono Signs 10-Day Deal With Knicks

January 3rd, 2022 at 11:24am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 3: The Knicks have officially signed Arcidiacono to his 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release.

JANUARY 2: Former Bulls point guard Ryan Arcidiacono is set to join the Knicks on a 10-day hardship exception deal and could stick around for the rest of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

After going undrafted out of Villanova in 2016, the 6’3″ guard played with San Antonio’s NBA G League club, the Austin Spurs, during the 2016/17 season. He inked a two-way deal with the Bulls in 2017, and saw that converted to a standard contract with Chicago ahead of the 2018/19 season.

Arcidiacono played four total seasons in Chicago before the Bulls ultimately let him walk in free agency during the summer of 2021. The 27-year-old holds career NBA averages of 4.8 PPG, 2.2 APG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.6 SPG. He had most recently been playing with the Boston Celtics’ NBAGL affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

The Knicks are missing five players due to the health and safety protocols, but their need for a point guard is a result of injury absences. Derrick Rose continues to recover from an ankle surgery he underwent in late December and Kemba Walker sits for at least one night of back-to-back contests.

Bucks Sign Luke Kornet To 10-Day Hardship Deal

January 3rd, 2022 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 3: Kornet has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Bucks, the team announced in a press release. He’ll earn $102,831 over the next 10 days.

JANUARY 2: Luke Kornet will join the Bucks on a 10-day contract under the hardship provision, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The 26-year-old center just completed a 10-day deal with the Cavaliers. He appeared in two games, averaging 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per night. It was the first NBA action of the season for Kornet, who played a combined 31 games last year with the Bulls and Celtics.

Milwaukee currently has two players in the league’s health and safety protocols, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Semi Ojeleye. The Bucks will play five times over the next 10 days, starting with Monday’s game against the Pistons.

Warriors Release Jeff Dowtin

January 2nd, 2022 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors have waived two-way guard Jeff Dowtin, the team announced (via Twitter).

Golden State claimed Dowtin off waivers in October after he was let go by the Magic. The 24-year-old appeared in four games, averaging 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per night. He had a much larger role with the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, putting up averages of 17.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 12 games.

Dowtin also spent time with the G League’s Lakeland Magic after going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020. He signed training camp contracts with Orlando the past two years.

There’s no immediate word on what the Warriors plan to do with the open two-way slot.

Lance Stephenson Signs 10-Day Deal With Pacers

January 1st, 2022 at 6:50pm CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 1: The Pacers have officially completed Stephenson’s 10-day contract, announcing the deal in a press release.

DECEMBER 31: The Pacers plan to reunite with Lance Stephenson yet again, this time on a 10-day contract, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files writes. This will be his third stint with the club. Stephenson must test negative for COVID-19 prior to signing the contract, Agness adds.

Stephenson is currently finishing out a 10-day deal with the Hawks, which reunited him with former Pacers and current Hawks head coach Nate McMillan. After that deal concludes, Stephenson will sign another hardship deal with the Pacers. In five games so far in a limited role with the Hawks, Stephenson is averaging a modest 1.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 12.8 MPG.

Stephenson, 31, hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2018/19 season, but signed a G League contract this fall in the hopes of making a comeback. In his first 12 games for the Gold this season, the former Pacer averaged 19.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .471/.306/.686 shooting in 35.0 MPG.

Stephenson has appeared in a total of 508 regular season NBA games, including 298 with Indiana. He also spent time with the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Lakers during his nine years in the league.

The Pacers currently have five players in the health and safety protocols, which allows them to sign multiple players via hardship exceptions. They’ve already signed Ahmad Caver and Nate Hinton to 10-day deals, but Stephenson will provide much more experience to the team.

Pacers Sign Justin Anderson To Hardship Deal

January 1st, 2022 at 6:47pm CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 1: Anderson’s 10-day contract with the Pacers is now official, according to a press release from the team. It’ll run through January 10.

DECEMBER 31: In addition to Lance Stephenson, the Pacers plan to sign Justin Anderson to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files relays. Anderson just completed a 10-day deal with the Cavaliers, and his contract with the Pacers will be contingent upon a negative COVID-19 test, Agness writes.

Both Stephenson and Anderson are already in Cleveland, whom the Pacers will face in their road game on Sunday, so the two signings are convenient for all parties. In three games with the Cavs, Anderson averaged 4.3 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15.7 minutes.

Anderson, a five-year veteran, has made stops with the Mavericks, Sixers, Hawks, Nets and Cavs. He spent training camp with the Pacers this season, but was waived and subsequently played with their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In his 11 games with the Mad Ants this season, he’s averaged 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He was also the No. 21 pick in the 2015 draft.

Grizzlies Give Two-Year Deal To Tillie, Waive Merrill, Sign Terry To Two-Way

January 1st, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:30pm: The moves are official, the Grizzlies announced (Twitter links).

6:10pm: Two-way player Killian Tillie will sign a standard contract with the Grizzlies, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The second-year big man will get a deal worth $4MM over two years.

Tillie signed a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2020, then inked another two-way deal in August. He’s averaging 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 22 games this season, but his playing time has increased recently with the Grizzlies short-handed due to health and safety protocols.

Memphis will open a roster spot by waiving injured guard Sam Merrill, Woj adds (Twitter link). Merrill will undergo a surgical procedure on his left ankle that will keep him out of action for three to four months, sources tell Wojnarowski.

A rookie with the Bucks last year, Merrill was acquired by the Grizzlies in an offseason trade. He only appeared in six games for Memphis, averaging 4.2 PPG in 9.7 minutes per night, and last played on November 18. The move will include a $1.5MM cap hit, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that the Grizzlies believe Merrill has potential and may consider bringing him back once he’s healed.

The open two-way slot will be filled by guard Tyrell Terry, who signed as a hardship player last week, adds Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Terry has made two brief appearances since coming to Memphis, playing a combined three minutes.

Suns Sign Bismack Biyombo To 10-Day Deal

January 1st, 2022 at 3:37pm CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 1: Phoenix has officially signed Biyombo to a 10-day contract, the team announced on social media (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 31: The Suns are planning to sign veteran free agent center Bismack Biyombo for a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. It’s possible Biyombo could stick with the club longer than just 10 days, Woj adds.

This will be the 11th NBA season for Biyombo, who’s still just 29 years of age. He spent last season with the Hornets, but was unable to find a team in free agency. In 66 games last season (20.4 MPG), Biyombo averaged 5.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.2 APG and 1.1 BPG.

Biyombo has played 702 career games (307 starts) with Charlotte, Toronto, and Orlando. He’s known as strong rebounder and shot-blocker, however he lacks shooting touch.

The Suns are essentially down to their fifth center at the moment in Jalen Smith, and at 215 pounds he’s pretty thin to be playing lots of minutes down low. JaVale McGee and Deandre Ayton are currently in the health and safety protocols, while Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric are both sidelined by long-term leg injuries.

The Suns were over matched in the paint in their 123-108 loss to Boston Friday, giving up 13 offensive rebounds and losing the rebounding battle 51-38. Biyombo should provide immediate help in that department.

Wizards Sign Tremont Waters

January 1st, 2022 at 3:04pm CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 1: Washington has announced the signing of Waters, who inked a 10-day hardship contract with the team.

DECEMBER 31: The Wizards plan to sign Tremont Waters to a 10-day deal via a hardship exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Waters spent the past 10 days on a deal with the Raptors.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter link), Waters is technically under contract for Toronto’s game Friday against the Clippers, but he won’t dress after lining up a new opportunity with the Wizards. He appeared in two games with the Raptors, averaging 4.0 PPG, 2.o RPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 21 MPG.

Waters, who will turn 24 next month, was selected by the Celtics with the 51st overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent his first two professional seasons as a two-way player in Boston. In 37 career games with the Celtics, Waters averaged 3.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 9.6 MPG.

After the C’s opted not to bring him back for the 2021/22 season, he joined the Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s G League affiliate – and has averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 2.7 SPG on .421/.364/.714 shooting in 13 NBAGL games (31.5 MPG) this season.

The Wizards currently have seven players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, including guards Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, Raul Neto, and 10-day replacement player Brad Wanamaker. Waters will serve as a stopgap solution until some of those players return.

Nuggets Sign Carlik Jones To 10-Day Deal

January 1st, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:42pm: Denver has officially inked Jones to his 10-day hardship contract, the team announced in a press release. Jones’ deal with Dallas hadn’t been set to expire until the end of the day, so the Mavs presumably terminated it a little early.

12:02pm: The Nuggets are planning to sign Carlik Jones to a 10-day contract under the hardship exception, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.

Jones has been on the Mavericks’ roster under a 10-day deal, which will expire tonight. The point guard has made three short appearances with Dallas.

Denver currently has four players in league protocols.

Jones went undrafted earlier this year after transferring from Radford to Louisville for his senior season. He put up 16.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.5 APG in 19 games (37.5 MPG) in 2020/21 for the Cardinals and made the All-ACC First Team.

Jones spent training camp this fall with the Mavs, then reported to the Texas Legends, where he started all 10 games he played for Dallas’ G League team. He averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG on .451/.324/.875 shooting in 30.8 minutes per contest.