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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.

Suns Sign Bismack Biyombo For Rest Of Season

January 11th, 2022 at 11:14am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 11: Following the expiration of his 10-day deal on Monday night, Biyombo has now officially signed a rest-of-season contract with the Suns, the team announced today (via Twitter). His prorated minimum-salary deal will pay him $1,366,392, while Phoenix takes on a cap hit of $863,368.

JANUARY 6: Bismack Biyombo, who joined the Suns on a 10-day contract last week, will sign with the team for the remainder of the season, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Biyombo made an impact in two games with Phoenix, coming off the bench to average 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in 23.5 minutes per night. He helped the Suns pick up a pair of wins while centers Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee were in the health and safety protocols.

An 11-year veteran, the 29-year-old Biyombo had been out of the league after spending the past three seasons with the Hornets. There was a rumor in November that he might play in Spain, but nothing ever materialized.

He is among a large group of players who received NBA opportunities under the hardship provision as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak over the past month. The Suns needed immediate help in the middle with Frank Kaminsky and Dario Saric sidelined as well by long-term injuries.

The seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, Biyombo spent his first four seasons in Charlotte, then played for the Raptors and Magic before returning to the Hornets in 2018. He has appeared in 704 total NBA games with career averages of 5.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per night.

Nuggets Sign James Ennis To 10-Day Contract

January 10th, 2022 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

6:53pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

2:04pm: The Nuggets intend to sign forward James Ennis to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the plan is for Ennis to be available for Tuesday’s game vs. the Clippers.

The Nuggets, who have a full 15-man roster, will sign Ennis using a hardship exception. Will Barton has entered the health and safety protocols, per Charania (Twitter link), making the team eligible for a new hardship addition when Carlik Jones‘ 10-day contract expires tonight.

Denver is also reportedly likely to sign DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract. The team doesn’t have any players besides Barton in the protocols, but will qualify for a non-COVID hardship exception because at least four players are on the shelf with long-term injuries.

Less than 24 hours ago, it looked like Ennis would be joining another Northwest team, having reportedly lined up a 10-day deal with Utah. However, the Jazz decided to sign Denzel Valentine instead after Ennis was said to be a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Presumably, the Nuggets are confident that Ennis will clear the testing process.

Ennis has already played for two other teams this season, having signed 10-day contracts with both the Nets and the Clippers. The 31-year-old averaged 6.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG in four games (10.5 MPG) with those two teams. Last season in Orlando, he recorded 8.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG on .473/.433/.805 shooting in 41 games (24.0 MPG).

Mavericks Waive JaQuori McLaughlin

January 10th, 2022 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have requested waivers on guard JaQuori McLaughlin, the team announced today in a press release. McLaughlin will become a free agent on Wednesday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

A 6’4″ point guard, McLaughlin began his college career at Oregon State before transferring to UC Santa Barbara for the last three seasons. He was named Big West Player of the Year as a senior in 2020/21 after averaging 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 40.8% from three-point range.

McLaughlin wasn’t drafted in July, but he caught on with the Mavs, signing a two-way contract with the team in September. His role in Dallas was essentially nonexistent, as he logged just 11 total minutes across four games and has yet to score his first NBA points. However, he averaged 13.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 4.7 RPG in 12 games (31.6 MPG) for the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate.

Dallas has been active in turning over its two-way contracts slots as of late. The team waived two-way player Eugene Omoruyi on December 26 and signed Theo Pinson today to fill that opening. Now, the Mavs once again have an open two-way spot.

It’s worth noting that Marquese Chriss, who has played well on a series of 10-day contracts with the club, isn’t eligible for a two-way contract, since he’s in his fifth NBA season. To sign a two-way deal, a player must be in his first, second, third, or fourth season.

Nuggets Trade Bol Bol To Pistons, Sign Davon Reed To Two-Way Deal

January 10th, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 10: The Nuggets have officially acquired McGruder and the Nets’ 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Bol, the team announced today in a press release. Denver also confirmed Reed’s two-way deal and Cornelie’s release in a separate announcement on Sunday.

JANUARY 9: The Pistons will be sending veteran shooting guard Rodney McGruder and a future second-round draft selection to the Nuggets in exchange for intriguing young power forward Bol Bol, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The pick going to Denver in the deal will be a 2022 second-rounder that Detroit originally acquired from the Nets, per Woj and James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

There is more personnel news out of Denver. The Nuggets will upgrade the contract of guard Davon Reed, currently signed to his third 10-day hardship exception contract, to a two-way deal, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. To make a two-way slot available for Reed, Denver will release current two-way player Petr Cornelie.

In 12 games with Denver, including two starts, Reed is averaging 4.4 PPG on a .457/.350/.800 shooting line, along with 3.0 RPG, 1.3 APG and 1.2 SPG.

Singer notes that Bol struggled to find a consistent position while with the Nuggets and thus toggled between spot minutes at small and power forward. Head coach Michael Malone and his coaching staff also apparently projected more upside out of big men Vlatko Cancar and Zeke Nnaji, who had moved ahead of Bol in the team’s rotation prior to Cancar’s recent foot fracture. Singer adds that the Nuggets plan to retain McGruder for the time being.

Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press opines that the addition of Bol will help a depleted Detroit squad up front, which Sankofa identifies as one of the 8-30 club’s key weaknesses. Woj writes in his piece that the addition of the 7’2″ forward will be an opportunity for the rebuilding Pistons to take a flyer on a young player with upside.

This season, Bol is averaging 2.4 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 5.8 MPG. Last season across eight games with the Windy City Bulls, the 22-year-old averaged 12.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 2.3 BPG. He recently had his best offensive game at the NBA level, scoring 11 points against the Rockets in 20 minutes on January 1.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link) that, by sending the expiring $2.15MM deal of Bol out in exchange for the $1.7MM expiring deal of McGruder, the Nuggets will carve out additional space below the NBA’s luxury tax. Denver is now $2.4MM under the tax line.

The 6’4″ McGruder has not made much of an impact during his time in Detroit. The 30-year-old re-signed with the Pistons on a veteran’s minimum deal this summer after spending the 2020/21 season in Detroit. This season, he is averaging just 2.5 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 9.5 MPG, across 17 of the club’s 38 contests.

Heat Re-Sign Kyle Guy, Chris Silva To 10-Day Contracts

January 10th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

1:47pm: The Heat have officially re-signed both Guy and Silva to 10-day hardship deals, the team confirmed in a press release.

12:03pm: In addition to retaining Guy, the Heat will re-sign Chris Silva to a 10-day deal, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Both players will be signed via hardship exceptions, since Garrett remains in the COVID-19 protocols and Markieff Morris has entered the protocols as well, Winderman notes.

A 6’8″ forward, Silva averaged 4.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG in five games (12.2 MPG) during his first 10-day contract with Miami.

10:37am: The Heat intend to re-sign guard Kyle Guy to a second 10-day contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Guy’s first 10-day deal with the team expired on Saturday night.

Wojnarowski says Guy is expected to return to the club via a hardship exception. Currently, the Heat only have one player – Marcus Garrett – in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Miami’s pending agreement with Guy suggests the team either expects Garrett to remain in the protocols a little longer or knows that another player is about to enter the protocols.

The 55th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Guy spent his first two seasons on a two-way contract with Sacramento, but played a very limited role with the Kings, appearing in 34 games and averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.0 APG in 7.2 minutes per contest. He played the best basketball of his NBA career during his recent 10-day stint with the Heat, recording 9.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.6 RPG on .514/.350/.800 shooting in 20.2 minutes per contest.

Guy will earn $95,930 over the course of his new 10-day deal with the Heat, but that money won’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes as long as it’s a hardship signing.

While Guy is poised to re-sign with the Heat, there’s no indication yet that any of the other five players whose 10-day contracts expired over the weekend – Aric Holman, Haywood Highsmith, Mario Chalmers, Nik Stauskas, or Chris Silva – will be retained in the short term.

Mavs Sign Marquese Chriss To Third 10-Day Deal

January 10th, 2022 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

1:04pm: Chriss’ 10-day contract is now official, according to the Mavs (Twitter link). It’ll run through January 19, covering Dallas’ next five games.

9:42am: The Mavericks intend to sign big man Marquese Chriss to a third 10-day hardship contract, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). Chriss’ second 10-day deal with Dallas expired overnight, so he’s technically a free agent for now.

A player isn’t permitted to sign more than two traditional 10-day contracts with the same team in a single season. However, that rule doesn’t apply to hardship deals, which are permitted as long as a team has at least one player who is in the health and safety protocols. The Mavs are eligible to sign Chriss to another 10-day deal via a hardship exception because Kristaps Porzingis remains in the protocols, says Stein.

Chriss, 24, has now appeared in 10 games with the Mavs this season, averaging 6.1 PPG and 4.1 RPG in just 11.9 minutes per contest. Dallas has gone 8-2 in those games. The former eighth overall pick, who previously played for the Suns, Rockets, Cavaliers, and Warriors, is coming off a 2020/21 season that ended after just two games when he broke his right fibula.

Entering today, Dallas had 15 players on its standard roster, with one two-way slot open. Theo Pinson, whose 10-day hardship contract also expired overnight, is expected to fill that opening — Chriss wasn’t eligible for a two-way deal because he’s in his fifth NBA season.

If the Mavs want to retain Chriss once they’re no longer eligible for a hardship exception, they’ll need to trade or release someone from their 15-man roster.