Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Sign Ariel Hukporti On Two-Way Deal

July 8th, 2024 at 6:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:06pm: The signing is official, the team’s PR department tweets. It’s a one-year deal, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets.

6:04pm: The Knicks are signing the last pick of the draft, Ariel Hukporti, to a two-way contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).

The German-born big man spent the 2023/24 season in Australia with Melbourne United, averaging 8.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 28 games (18.4 MPG).

New York made multiple trades in the second round and wound up with the final pick in the draft, where it snagged Hukporti. All of the Knicks’ two-way slots are open, though they have a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Jacob Toppin.

Pelicans Sign Yves Missi To Rookie Scale Contract

July 8th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have signed first-round pick Yves Missi to a rookie scale contract, according to the NBA transactions log. The Pelicans confirmed the signing via a press release.

Missi, a big man out of Baylor, was the 21st pick of the draft. Assuming he received the maximum 120% of this year’s rookie scale salaries, Missi will make $3,193,200 in his first season. He can earn a total of $15,654,827 over the next four seasons.

Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.

In his lone college season, Missi averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game while appearing in 34 contests, including 32 starts.

With the departure of Jonas Valanciunas, Missi has an opportunity to earn minutes in his rookie campaign.

Celtics Re-Sign JD Davison To Two-Way Contract

July 8th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

JD Davison is back under contract in Boston, according to the Celtics, who announced (via Twitter) they’ve signed the free agent guard to another two-way deal.

Davison, who was the 53rd overall pick out of Alabama in 2022, has spent his first two professional seasons on two-way contracts with the Celtics, logging just 105 total minutes in 20 games at the NBA level across those two years.

While Davison hasn’t been able to crack the rotation on a veteran NBA roster, the 21-year-old has been a high-level performer for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He earned All-NBAGL Third Team honors this past season after averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game across 44 total Showcase Cup and regular season contests.

The Celtics didn’t issue Davison a qualifying offer at the end of June because he was ineligible for another two-way QO (his offer would’ve been a one-year, partially guaranteed standard contract). However, it appears bringing him back on a third two-way contract was always the plan. Davison will play for Boston’s Summer League team this month in Las Vegas.

The C’s now have one two-way slot available, with Drew Peterson filling the other.

Wolves Sign Dillingham, Shannon To Rookie Contracts

July 8th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have officially signed first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon to their rookie scale contracts, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

Minnesota acquired the No. 8 pick – which originally belonged to Toronto – from the Spurs on draft night in order to select Dillingham. The former Kentucky guard averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in just 23.3 minutes per game across 32 outings during his first and only college season, knocking down an impressive 44.4% of his three-point attempts.

While Dillingham may not play a significant role immediately on a veteran roster that is coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, the Wolves lost some backcourt depth this offseason when Monte Morris and Jordan McLaughlin signed elsewhere. At the very least, the team’s lottery pick should get a chance to earn rotation minutes and provide some scoring punch off the bench.

The Wolves used their own No. 27 pick on Shannon, another high-scoring guard. The 6’6″ Illinois alum put up 23.0 PPG on .475/.362/.801 shooting in 33.9 MPG (32 games).

Assuming neither player accepted less than the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale, Dillingham will earn about $6.26MM as a rookie, with a four-year deal worth $28.49MM, while Shannon’s rookie salary will be $2.55MM and his four-year contract will be worth $13.08MM.

As our tracker shows, 27 of this year’s 30 first-round picks have now signed their rookie scale contracts.

Heat Re-Sign Haywood Highsmith

July 8th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25pm: The signing is official, the team tweets.

12:10pm: The Heat have agreed to re-sign free agent forward Haywood Highsmith, agent Jerry Dianis tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Highsmith will receive a two-year, $11MM deal to remain in Miami, per Wojnarowski. The full amount is guaranteed, with no team or player option on the second year, Woj adds (Twitter link).

“We’ve been consistent with Miami with how Haywood felt,” Dianis told Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). “And we felt he wanted to be in Miami. This deal memorializes that.”

Highsmith, who is 6’7″ with a seven-foot wingspan, earned a rotation role in Miami over the last two seasons due primarily due to his defense. However, he has gradually developed into more of a threat on the offensive end, having set new career highs in points per game (6.1), field-goal percentage (46.5%), and three-point percentage (39.6%) while averaging 20.7 minutes per contest across 66 games (26 starts) in 2023/24.

The No. 36 free agent on our top-50 list, Highsmith reportedly drew interest from rival suitors during free agency. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the Bucks and Suns – both of whom were limited to minimum-salary offers – were among the teams pursuing the 27-year-old, with Damian Lillard joining Milwaukee’s recruiting efforts.

However, Highsmith had spoken multiple times in the spring about his desire to remain in Miami. The Heat were limited in their ability to offer much more than the two-year, $11MM contract they put on the table due to their proximity to the second tax apron — and their desire to remain below that apron.

According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), the club projects to have about $1.5MM in breathing room below the second apron, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts. That suggests, barring additional roster moves, that the 15th roster spot may remain open entering the season.

Daniel Theis Signs With Pelicans

July 8th, 2024 at 10:48am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 9: Theis’ deal with New Orleans is now official, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 8: Free agent center Daniel Theis will join the Pelicans on a one-year contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

His salary will be roughly $3MM, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). That suggests it’s probably a minimum-salary deal, which would be worth $2,800,834.

The well-traveled big man will provide an inside presence for a New Orleans team that just lost Jonas Valanciunas, who was shipped to Washington in a sign-and-trade deal. Theis could be in contention for a starting spot, depending on how the Pelicans fill out the rest of their roster.

New Orleans will be the sixth team for Theis, who averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 59 games with the Clippers last season. He signed with L.A. in mid-November after being waived by Indiana.

Theis, 32, began his career with Boston in 2017. He also had short stays with Chicago and Houston, along with a return to the Celtics late in the 2021/22 season.

Theis was one of the stars of the German team that went undefeated while winning the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He will represent Germany again at this year’s Summer Olympics.

Raptors Re-Sign Immanuel Quickley To Five-Year Deal

July 8th, 2024 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 8: The Raptors have announced the new contract with Quickley (Twitter link).

“Immanuel embodies so many things that are important to our team,” team president Masai Ujiri said. “… He wants to win and he will be a Raptor for years to come. We are very high on I.Q. – our point guard of the future.”

JUNE 28: Immanuel Quickley, a restricted free agent this offseason, intends to re-sign with the Raptors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the guard will receive a five-year contract worth $175MM.

Quickley, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up in 2022/23, was the centerpiece of the Raptors’ return in the OG Anunoby trade with the Knicks in December, arriving in Toronto midway through the season along with RJ Barrett.

The fourth-year guard averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game with a .395 3PT% in his first 38 games as a Raptor, establishing himself as part of the team’s long-term future.

As we wrote when we ranked Quickley seventh in our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents, Tyler Herro (four years, $120MM, plus incentives), Jordan Poole (four years, $123MM, plus incentives), and Devin Vassell (five years, $135MM, plus incentives) were expected to be a few points of comparison for the guard’s contract negotiations this summer.

While it remains to be seen if Quickley’s $175MM will be fully guaranteed, the 25-year-old appears poised to land a bigger payday than any of those players by securing an annual average value of $35MM per year.

It’s the second major financial commitment the Raptors will make to a cornerstone piece this summer. The team also reportedly intends to sign Scottie Barnes to a five-year rookie scale extension that will begin in 2025/26 and will be worth a projected $225MM.

Neither deal can become official until July, and Toronto may not rush to formally complete Quickley’s deal, since his cap hold is just $12.5MM. If they end up operating under the cap, the Raptors can use up all their room while keeping that hold on their books, then go over the cap using Quickley’s Bird rights to sign him to his new deal.

Quickley is the fifth free agent in the top 10 of our top-50 list to reach an agreement with his team during the new exclusive negotiating window between the end of the NBA Finals and the official start of free agency on June 30. He joins Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Nic Claxton, and Malik Monk as players who have agreed to remain with their current teams. The other players in our top 10 are Paul George, Tyrese Maxey (who is considered a lock to remain in Philadelphia), LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, and James Harden.

Scottie Barnes Signs Max Extension With Raptors

July 8th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 8: Barnes’ extension is now official, the Raptors confirmed (via Twitter).

“We are so proud of Scottie for the player and leader he has become,” team president Masai Ujiri said in a press release. “I’ve said before that he is the type of player you build a team around. Well, we are doing that. … Together, our future starts here. It starts now.”

JUNE 24: Scottie Barnes will receive a maximum-salary extension from the Raptors that could pay him up to $270MM over five years, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The deal won’t include a team or player option, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Toronto intends to rebuild its roster around the 2022 Rookie of the Year, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball recently met with team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster to work out the terms of the deal. Barnes will become eligible to sign it once the moratorium lifts on July 6.

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link) offers details on the projected salaries for Barnes, noting that the base value of the extension projects to be nearly $225MM (based on a $141MM cap in 2024/25 and a 10% increase for ’25/26), but it could reach $270MM if he makes an All-NBA team next season.

[Hoops Rumors Glossary: Derrick Rose Rule]

Without an All-NBA nod next spring, Barnes would be on track to earn $38,775,000 when the extension begins with the 2025/26 season, followed by $41,877,000 in 2026/27, $44,979,000 in 2027/28, $48,081,000 in 2028/29 and $51,183,000 in 2029/30.

Barnes’ extension and an expected new deal for Immanuel Quickley mean the Raptors likely won’t have any cap space to work with next summer, Gozlan adds (Twitter link). They could have about $30MM available this year if they decline their $23MM team option on Bruce Brown or trade him without receiving much salary in return.

Barnes has emerged as Toronto’s franchise player since being drafted with the fourth pick in 2021. He earned his first All-Star selection this season, averaging 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 60 games. His season ended early when he underwent surgery for a broken bone in his left hand in early March.

The Raptors seemed to anoint him as the key to their future when they traded away OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam in separate deals over the winter.

Barnes becomes the first member of the 2021 draft class to reach an extension with his team. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs are among the others in line for extensions this summer.

Pacers Sign Johnny Furphy To Four-Year Deal

July 7th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have signed second-round pick Johnny Furphy to a four-year, $8.59MM contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The fourth year is a team option.

Furphy was projected as a first-round pick and even had a green room invite but slipped to the second round. He was part of a draft night trade after being selected by the Spurs with the No. 35 selection.

Indiana is using the second-round exception to sign Furphy. The max allowed under the second-round exception on a four-year deal is around $9.06MM, so Furphy took a little less than that.

Players who are signed using the second-round pick exception won’t count against a team’s cap between July 1 and July 30 of their first season.

He averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game in his one-and-done season at Kansas.

Sixers Sign Tyrese Maxey To Five-Year Max Contract

July 7th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

“Tyrese subscribes to the philosophy that every day is a chance to get one percent better and he’s proven that and then some in his first four seasons in the NBA,” top exec Daryl Morey said. “He comes from an amazing family and is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. … This extension is a reflection of our belief in Tyrese and I can’t wait to watch his continued evolution as a leader and superstar.”

JULY 1: As expected, the Sixers and restricted free agent guard Tyrese Maxey have reached an agreement in principle on a five-year, maximum-salary contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As our breakdown of the maximum salaries for 2024/25 shows, Maxey’s new deal will start at $35,147,000 (25% of this year’s salary cap) and will be worth a total of $203,852,600. It’ll be fully guaranteed, with no option in year five, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

Maxey initially became eligible for a rookie scale extension last July, but word broke just over a year ago that the Sixers wouldn’t be pursuing a new deal with the rising star at that time, since they wanted to maximize their cap room for 2024.

By letting Maxey reach free agency instead of extending him early, Philadelphia is carrying a cap hold worth just $13MM for the guard this summer instead of having him on the books for $35MM+, which helped clear the path for the team to land Paul George on a maximum-salary contract.

After Maxey agreed to put off his payday by a year, there was always an expectation that the 76ers would take care of him in restricted free agency, but he made that decision even easier by leveling up as the club’s lead guard in 2024/25 following the early-season trade of James Harden.

Maxey averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 37.5 minutes per game across 70 outings (all starts) this past season, posting a shooting line of .450/.373/.868. The performance earned him the 2024 Most Improved Player award.

The No. 2 free agent on our top-50 list, Maxey is the third player in the 2024 FA class to agree to a maximum-salary contract this summer, joining his new teammate George and Pacers forward Pascal Siakam. Lakers star LeBron James could join that group in the coming days, though the terms of his next deal remain up in the air as L.A. considers its roster options.

If he had made an All-NBA team this season, Maxey would’ve qualified for a contract that started at up to 30% of this year’s cap instead of 25%, increasing his potential earnings to $244.6MM. While he did earn All-NBA votes, the 23-year-old finished a little outside of the top 15, missing out on meeting the Rose Rule criteria.

The 76ers will use up all their cap room before going over the cap to officially re-sign Maxey using his Bird rights.