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Pistons Add Derrick Walton, Cassius Stanley On 10-Day Contracts

December 25th, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2:21pm: The deals for both guards are now official, according to an official statement from the Pistons (via Twitter).

2:08pm: Guards Derrick Walton and Cassius Stanley are expected to sign 10-day deals with the Pistons via hardship exceptions, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Walton and Stanley logged some preseason run with Detroit before ultimately being waived ahead of the 2021/22 NBA season. They were most recently playing for Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

Stanley, a 6’5″ shooting guard, is averaging 9.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG for the Cruise, with a shooting line of .380/.256/.600. The 22-year-old was selected with the No. 54 pick by the Pacers in 2020 out of Duke.

The 6’0″ point guard Walton, 26, went undrafted out of Michigan in 2017. He has logged time with the Heat, Clippers, and Pistons. Walton also has played internationally, with Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas and later German club Alba Berlin.

In 12 games for Motor City, Walton is averaging 13.6 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. He holds shooting averages of .416/.365/.765 with the G League club.

The 5-26 club could use all the help it can get. Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saben Lee, Rodney McGruder, and Isaiah Stewart are among the Pistons in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Detroit is also without star forward Jerami Grant, still dealing with a thumb injury; big man Kelly Olynyk, absent due to a grade-2 MCL sprain; and Isaiah Livers, who continues to be day-to-day while he works on his conditioning.

Keep tabs on the league’s various coronavirus-related absences via our daily tracker.

Celtics Sign Al-Farouq Aminu, Norvel Pelle

December 25th, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 25: The Celtics have officially signed Aminu and Pelle to 10-day contracts, the team announced today in a press release. Both deals will run through January 3.

DECEMBER 24: The Celtics have agreed to sign forward Al-Farouq Aminu and big man Norvel Pelle to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Boston currently has eight players in the health and safety protocols. The team has signed Justin Jackson, C.J. Miles, and Joe Johnson to 10-day deals, but remains eligible to sign a few more replacement players and will take advantage of that allowance to add Aminu and Pelle.

An 11-year veteran, Aminu has averaged 7.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG across 711 total regular season games for six teams. The 31-year-old, who has long been considered a strong defender, has battled health issues in recent years and has only played in 41 total games since signing a three-year, $29MM+ deal with the Magic during the 2019 offseason. He was traded from Orlando to Chicago in last season’s Nikola Vucevic blockbuster, then was rerouted to San Antonio in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in August before being waived by the Spurs in October.

Pelle, meanwhile, has played for a handful of international teams and has bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G League over the last two seasons. The 28-year-old appeared in a total of 37 games from 2019-21 for the Sixers, Nets, Kings, and Knicks. A talented rim protector, Pelle has averaged 2.2 blocks per game in 95 career G League contests and put up 8.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG in his first nine games (22.1 MPG) with the Cleveland Charge this season.

Assuming they clear the COVID-19 testing process in time, Aminu and Pelle could join the Celtics for their Christmas Day game in Milwaukee on Saturday.

Hawks Sign Cat Barber, Malik Ellison To 10-Day Deals

December 25th, 2021 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

8:13am: The Hawks have issued a press release confirming the signing of Barber and announcing that they’ve also signed guard Malik Ellison to a 10-day deal using a hardship exception.

Ellison, the son of former No. 1 overall pick Pervis Ellison, is another call-up from the College Park Skyhawks. He averaged 10.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG with a .505/.423/.640 shooting line in 14 games (29.7 MPG) for Atlanta’s G League team this season. The 6’6″ guard went undrafted out of Hartford in 2020 and played in the Czech Republic last season.

7:28am: The Hawks will promote guard Cat Barber from their G League affiliate and sign him to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As we detailed on Friday, Atlanta was required to sign another replacement after having more players – Onyeka Okongwu and Wesley Iwundu – enter the health and safety protocols. The team had previously signed Lance Stephenson, Malcolm Hill, and Iwundu via hardship exceptions.

Barber, 27, will have an opportunity to make his NBA debut more than five years after he went undrafted out of NC State in 2016. Since then, he has played for a series of international and G League clubs, most recently joining Atlanta’s affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. In 14 NBAGL games this season, he had averaged 13.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 4.1 RPG on .449/.387/.767 shooting in 26.4 minutes per contest.

While Atlanta’s roster has been hit hard by positive COVID-19 tests as of late, the team did get some good news on Saturday — big man Clint Capela has exited the protocols and will play in the Christmas Day game vs. the Knicks, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The Hawks still have eight players in the protocols, including Trae Young.

Lakers Sign Darren Collison, Stanley Johnson To 10-Day Deals

December 24th, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 PM: The 10-day contracts for Collison and Johnson are now official, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (via Twitter).

12:28 PM: The Lakers intend to sign guard Darren Collison and forward Stanley Johnson to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team hopes both players can be available for Saturday’s Christmas Day contest vs. Brooklyn.

Collison made a surprise retirement announcement just ahead of free agency in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018/19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.

There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19/20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Warriors this summer, signaling that he remained open to the idea of a comeback. Now, for at least 10 days, it’s happening.

Johnson, 25, signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Bulls earlier this month, but entered the health and safety protocols before appearing in a game with the team. Assuming he tested positive for COVID-19, it appears he’s now fully recovered.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, and Raptors since entering the NBA. He has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 371 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .375/.298/.761 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.

Collison and Johnson will be the Lakers’ third and fourth hardship signings, joining Isaiah Thomas and Jemerrio Jones. The team currently has five players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Warriors Sign Quinndary Weatherspoon To 10-Day Deal

December 23rd, 2021 at 6:31pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 23: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

DECEMBER 22: The Warriors are calling up shooting guard Quinndary Weatherspoon from their G League affiliate, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a 10-day deal. Golden State will complete the signing using a hardship exception.

The Warriors haven’t been hit too hard yet by COVID-19 this month, but do have two players in the protocols for the time being — Jordan Poole entered the protocols last Friday and Andrew Wiggins joined him on Sunday. This will be the club’s first hardship signing of the season.

The 49th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Weatherspoon spent his first two professional seasons with San Antonio, logging limited minutes in a total of 31 games. This season, he has been a regular contributor for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, averaging 16.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .442/.281/.905 shooting through nine games (27.4 MPG).

Golden State’s team salary is far above the luxury tax line, but Weatherspoon’s 10-day deal won’t count for cap or tax purposes. He’ll earn $95,930 across 10 days.

Mavericks Sign Brandon Knight Via Hardship Provision

December 23rd, 2021 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 23: The Mavericks have officially signed Knight to a 10-day deal, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dallas has now added six players via hardship exceptions, as our tracker shows.

DECEMBER 22: Another NBA veteran is making a comeback, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Mavericks plan to sign guard Brandon Knight to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception.

Knight, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019/20 season, has 446 regular season appearances on his career résumé, having spent time with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Rockets, and Cavaliers from 2011-20. The 30-year-old has averaged 14.1 PPG over the course of his career, though he has been well below that mark since the ’15/16 season.

Knight signed a G League contract earlier this year in the hopes of earning a shot with an NBA team. He has put up 21.3 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.6 RPG in 11 games (38.0 MPG) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBAGL affiliate, making 3.2 three-pointers per game at a 35.7% rate.

As we noted earlier when word broke that the Mavs had reached a 10-day deal with Carlik Jones, the club’s number of reported hardship signings has now exceeded the number of players they have in the health and safety protocols, which suggests a couple more Dallas players could end up entering the protocols today.

Mavericks Sign Carlik Jones To 10-Day Deal

December 23rd, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 23: Jones’ 10-day contract with the Mavericks is now official, the team announced today (via Twitter). It will run through January 1.

DECEMBER 22: The Mavericks are calling up guard Carlik Jones from their G League affiliate, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Jones is getting a 10-day deal via a hardship exception.

A 6’1″ guard, 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 has started all 10 games he has played for Dallas’ G League team. He has averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG on .451/.324/.875 shooting in 30.8 minutes per contest.

Dallas has now completed two hardship signings and has reportedly lined up three more, even though the team only has four players currently in the health and safety protocols. The NBA’s new rules allow clubs to sign a replacement for each player who enters the protocols.

That could mean that another Mavs player will enter the protocols today or that one of the team’s previously-reported agreements has fallen through — we’ll have to wait for more clarity.

Bucks Sign Javin DeLaurier To 10-Day Contract

December 23rd, 2021 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

2:36pm: The Bucks have officially signed DeLaurier, the team announced today in a press release.

1:32pm: The Bucks intend to promote Javin DeLaurier from their G League affiliate, having agreed to sign him to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, agent Gary Durrant tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

DeLaurier, a 6’10” forward/center, spent four seasons at Duke prior to going undrafted in 2020. He appeared in seven G League games for the Greensboro Swarm – Charlotte’s affiliate – last season and has played 12 games for the Wisconsin Herd in 2021/22.

In 16.6 minutes per game for Milwaukee’s NBAGL squad this season, DeLaurier has averaged 7.8 PPG and 6.8 RPG while shooting 60.0% from the floor.

The Bucks have three players currently in the health and safety protocols, but have yet to sign a replacement player using the hardship exception. DeLaurier’s 10-day deal, which will pay him $53,176, won’t count against Milwaukee’s team salary for cap or tax purposes.

Mavericks Sign Charlie Brown Jr. To 10-Day Contract

December 23rd, 2021 at 12:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 23: The Mavericks have officially signed Brown to a 10-day deal, the team announced today (via Twitter). The team has now finalized three hardship signings this week and has two more (Brandon Knight and Carlik Jones) reportedly on tap.

DECEMBER 21: Valuable Mavericks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. is now in the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Given that Hardaway is the fourth Maverick to be placed into COVID-19 protocols in the last four days, the Mavericks will ink shooting guard Charlie Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract via the league’s hardship exemption, Charania tweets.

Brown is currently with the NBAGL’s Delaware Blue Coats. Across two NBA seasons, he has appeared in 19 games between the Hawks in 2019/20 and the Thunder in 2020/21. He holds career averages of 3.2 PPG and 1.1 RPG.

The 23-year-old shooting guard out of Saint Joseph’s is averaging 16.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 0.9 BPG in 11 starts this season with the Blue Coats, on shooting splits of .457/.400/.850.

Dallas re-signed Hardaway this past summer to a four-year, $75MM contract. In 29 contests for the Mavericks, including 20 starts, the 29-year-old out of Michigan is averaging 14.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG. The 6’5″ guard has had an inconsistent shooting season from the floor and has seen his numbers dip at the charity stripe, with splits of .391/.332/.743.

Knicks Sign Danuel House To 10-Day Contract

December 23rd, 2021 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived last weekend by the Rockets, forward Danuel House has found a new NBA home, at least temporarily. The Knicks have signed House to a 10-day contract, the club announced in a press release.

It’s a hardship signing for the Knicks, who still have five players in the health and safety protocols even after Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett were cleared. New York has already signed three other replacement players to 10-day contracts — House joins Tyler Hall, Damyean Dotson, and Matt Mooney.

House had been a reliable contributor for the Rockets in past years, averaging 9.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .431/.373/.759 shooting in 138 games (27.7 MPG) in the three seasons preceding 2021/22. However, he fell out of Houston’s rotation this year as the team prioritized younger players. In 16 games (14.6 MPG), he averaged just 4.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG on .338/.294/.895 shooting.

House, whose $3,894,000 salary with the Rockets for this season was fully guaranteed, will earn another $111,457 on his 10-day deal with New York. That money won’t count against the Knicks’ team salary for cap or tax purposes.

House’s contract will run through January 1, covering the Knicks’ next five scheduled games.