Cavaliers Sign Killian Hayes, Four Others
September 26: The Cavaliers have officially signed Hayes, according to the team, which formally announced its training camp roster on Friday.
The Cavs also completed previously reported Exhibit 10 agreements with Baylor forward Norchad Omier and former Auburn forward Chaney Johnson, in addition to signing free agent wing Tristan Enaruna and forward Miller Kopp. The club now has a full 21-man roster for camp.
September 23: The Cavaliers and former lottery pick Killian Hayes have agreed to a contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Details were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal with no certainty of making the opening night roster. However, the Cavaliers need to fill out their 21-man preseason roster — adding Hayes would give them 16 players, five short of the training camp maximum.
In a related move, Cleveland acquired Hayes’ G League rights in a trade with the Nets’ affiliate. The Long Island Nets acquired a first- and a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA G League Draft from the Cleveland Charge in exchange for the returning player rights to Hayes.
Hayes reportedly drew interest from teams in Europe this offseason, but was focused on earning another NBA opportunity.
ASVEL Basket in France reportedly made Hayes a strong offer and Real Madrid in Spain and Anadolu Efes in Turkey also registered some interest in the free agent point guard.
However, Hayes is hoping to stick in the NBA after appearing in 216 regular season games across the past five seasons. The seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Pistons, he struggled to adjust to the NBA game in Detroit, where he made just 38.2% of his field goal attempts and 27.7% of his 3-point attempts across four seasons from 2020-24.
Still, Hayes is just 24 years old and played well in a very small sample with Brooklyn last season, averaging 9.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game and making 38.1% of his three-point tries in six appearances (five starts). The 6’5″ Frenchman spent most of 2024/25 playing for the Long Island Nets in the G League, where he put up 17.3 PPG, 7.4 APG, and 5.4 RPG on .463/.371/.689 shooting in 33 outings (32.9 MPG).
Hayes is no longer eligible for a two-way contract, so if he hopes to make an NBA roster this fall, he’ll have to do it by earning a standard 15-man spot.
Pacers Waive Samson Johnson
The Pacers have waived Samson Johnson, according to the NBA.com’s transaction log.
Johnson signed his Exhibit 10 contract with Indiana on September 23, though the deal had reportedly been agreed to near the end of June.
The 6’10” forward played four years for UConn, winning two national championships in 2023 and 2024. In his senior year, he averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game.
Johnson went undrafted earlier this year, then played in two games for the Pacers’ Summer League team, scoring six points and collecting two blocks in 16 total minutes.
This move lets the Pacers to keep Johnson in their system, and will allow him to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he stays with Indiana’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Bloom, for 60 days or more.
Lakers Waive Jarron Cumberland, Sign Tevian Jones
The Lakers have waived Jarron Cumberland to make room to sign Tevian Jones, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Cumberland signed his Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers on Thursday after Los Angeles waived forward Arthur Kaluma to make room on the roster for him. The terms of Jones’ deal weren’t reported, but it will almost certainly also be an Exhibit 10 as well.
Jones, a 6’7″ guard, went undrafted in 2023 after five years of college, two with Illinois and the final three with Southern Utah. He averaged 17.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his senior season.
The 25-year-old played for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2024/25, averaging 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in the G League regular season, with a shooting line of .415/.346/.732.
Jones was previously signed and waived by the Pelicans in 2023. If he’s cut prior to the start of this season, he will be eligible to join the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Jones would earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he sticks with the team for 60 days or more — Cumberland and Kaluma will be eligible for the same deal.
Nuggets Waive Javante McCoy, Justyn Hamilton
The Nuggets have waived Javante McCoy and Justyn Hamilton, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
Denver’s signing of McCoy to an Exhibit 10 deal was reported on September 21. The 6’5″ guard has spent the last three seasons in the G League after a five-year career with Boston University. He averaged 10.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season for the Motor City Cruise while shooting 25% from three.
The signing of Hamilton hadn’t been previously reported, though earlier today, the Oklahoma City Blue and Grand Rapids Gold, G League affiliates of the Thunder and Nuggets, respectively, completed a deal that sent Hamilton to the Gold for the rights to Andrew Funk and a second-round pick.
Hamilton was presumably signed and waived by Denver in order to ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he reports to the Gold and spends at least 60 days with the G League team.
Hamilton played 26 games for the Blue last season, averaging 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per contest.
Sixers Sign Saint Thomas
The Sixers have signed Saint Thomas to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer (via Twitter).
The 22-year-old forward played four games for Philadelphia during the Las Vegas Summer League in July, averaging 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per contest after going unselected in the 2025 draft.
Thomas played his senior year at USC after starting his collegiate career at Loyola Chicago and transferring to Northern Colorado for his junior season. In his final year, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 points, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the floor and 30.3% from beyond the arc.
Thomas’ Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he is cut and spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
Clippers Waive TyTy Washington, Zach Freemantle, Taylor Funk
The Clippers have waived TyTy Washington Jr., Zach Freemantle, and Taylor Funk, according to the NBA.com transaction log.
Washington was signed in early August to an Exhibit 10 deal, and it was subsequently reported that he received the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus of $85,300 in the deal, which pointed to him ending up with the team’s G League affiliate in San Diego if he didn’t get converted into a two-way deal.
Washington, the 29th pick in the 2022 draft, has played for the Rockets, Bucks, and Suns in his three years in the NBA, holding career averages of 3.3 points and 1.2 assists in 10.5 minutes per game. Still just 23 years old, the 6’3″ guard out of Kentucky has struggled to find consistency with his shot in limited minutes, though he scored efficiently in the G League.
The Clippers signed Freemantle to an Exhibit 10 deal on September 10 as the 21st member of the team’s offseason roster. He previously played five seasons at Xavier, posting averages of 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in his age-24 season before going undrafted earlier this year.
The signing of Funk had not been previously reported, which would indicate that he was offered a sign-and-waive deal in order to ensure he gets a bonus for joining the team’s G League affiliate.
The 27-year-old forward was a six-year collegiate player, spending five years with St. Joseph’s before ending his career with Utah State. He averaged 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 37% from three and 90% from the free throw line in his final season. He was previously signed and waived by the Celtics in 2023 and the Wizards in 2024.
All three players will be eligible for their Exhibit 10 bonuses if they stay with the San Diego Clippers for 60 days or more.
Raptors Sign Jared Rhoden
The Raptors have signed Jared Rhoden, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (via Twitter). The terms of the deal were not reported, though it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 contract.
Rhoden, 22, was previously with the Raptors on a two-way contract, but was waived in July while recovering from a torn labrum in his right shoulder that limited his time with the team.
The 6’6″ guard played 10 games for Toronto last season, averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 32.4% from three. He had previously played for the Pistons and Hornets from 2022-24.
Rhoden is the 21st and final player on the Raptors’ training camp roster. He will fight for a spot with the team, and if waived, will be eligible for a bonus of up to $85,300 should he stay with the Raptors 905 (Toronto’s G League team) for at least 60 days.
Hawks Waive Kobe Johnson, Lamont Butler, Malik Williams
The Hawks announced today that they have requested waivers on Lamont Butler, Kobe Johnson, and Malik Williams, writes Caleb Johnson for 929 The Game (via Twitter). With the move, Atlanta has finalized its 18-man training camp roster.
Johnson was officially signed to his Exhibit 10 deal just over two weeks ago, and Butler and Williams were signed two days ago. Having been signed and waived by Atlanta, the three players will be eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. College Park acquired Williams’ returning rights earlier this month.
Johnson, brother of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, went undrafted earlier this year after averaging 7.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game with a .464/.362/.704 shooting line for UCLA as a senior.
Butler, a 6’2″ guard who played his final college season at Kentucky, averaged 11.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG while shooting 39.1% from three as a fifth-year senior. He also went undrafted in June.
Williams played five seasons for Louisville. The 6’11” center averaged 9.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG in his final season before going undrafted in 2022. He appeared in seven games with the Raptors in 2023/24.
Dennis Smith Jr. Signs With Mavericks
September 26: Smith has officially signed with the Mavs, the team announced today (via Twitter).
September 18: The Mavericks are signing Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Dallas selected Smith with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft and he spent the first season and a half of his career there.
Dallas has 15 players on standard contracts before signing Smith, including Brandon Williams, who is only guaranteed for $200K until opening night.
Smith’s contract is presumably non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed, setting up an opportunity for him to earn a spot on the opening-night roster if he performs well enough in training camp.
Before the Mavericks waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s contract to bring back Dante Exum, they reportedly toyed with the idea of moving Jaden Hardy. It’s unclear whether that’s still on the table at all, but if the Mavericks wanted to keep both Smith and/or Williams, it would mean moving Hardy or another player via trade to clear up a spot.
A 6’2″ guard out of NC State, Smith averaged 14.5 points and 4.9 assists in 101 games (all starts) with the Mavericks from 2017-19. He was moved at the 2019 deadline to the Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Since then, he hasn’t played more than 58 games for a franchise, having become a journeyman guard from 2019-24.
Smith had perhaps his most impressive season of his career in 2022/23, when he emerged as one of the premier guard defenders in the league while playing for the Hornets and averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per contest. However, the Hornets didn’t bring him back and he spent the following season for Brooklyn before not playing in the NBA last season.
In all, Smith holds career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 326 career games (152 starts).
Mavericks Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
September 26: Robinson-Earl is officially a Maverick, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
September 21: The Mavericks are in the process of signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a training camp deal, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While Stein doesn’t specify the terms, the deal will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract.
Robinson-Earl is a four-year NBA veteran who has spent two seasons with the Thunder and two with the Pelicans after being drafted 32nd overall by the Knicks, who were selecting on behalf of Oklahoma City.
He played a career-high 66 games for New Orleans last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per night while shooting 34.1% from three.
This would mark the 21st and final training camp roster spot the Mavs have to offer. Dallas has a good amount of depth at the big man positions, with Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Dwight Powell all expected to play rotation roles at the four and/or five.
Stein notes (via Twitter) the lack of roster space for Robinson-Earl, but adds that the 24-year-old chose to accept a non-guaranteed offer from Dallas rather than going overseas, where there was interest in his services.