Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Cut Jaylen Morris, Denzel Mahoney; Will Sign Jordan Burns

October 11th, 2021 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs continue to shuffle players in and out of the last few spots on their roster, having waived recent signees Jaylen Morris and Denzel Mahoney over the weekend, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Both Morris and Mahoney signed training camp deals with San Antonio last week, but neither player was under contract with the team for more than a couple days. The signings were almost certainly completed with an eye toward filling out the roster of the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate. Morris and Mahoney would receive Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $50K if they report to Austin and spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.

After opening up two roster spots, the Spurs have reached an Exhibit 10 deal with rookie guard Jordan Burns, agent Daniel Green tells Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com (Twitter link).

Burns, 24, was the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2021 after putting up 16.8 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG on .402/.392/.899 shooting in 16 games (29.3 MPG) for Colgate. The point guard went undrafted on July 29, but is now on track to sign his first NBA contract.

Like Morris and Mahoney, Burns appears likely to end up playing in Austin — San Antonio is already facing a roster crunch for the regular season, with 17 players on guaranteed contracts competing for 15 roster spots.

Nuggets Sign Giorgi Bezhanishvili To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 11th, 2021 at 7:59am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 11: Bezhanishvili has officially signed with the Nuggets, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Denver waived forward Matt Ryan to open up a spot on the 20-man roster.

SEPTEMBER 12: Free agent power forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili will ink an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). The 6’9″ rookie out of Illinois had previously suited up for Denver’s Summer League team.

The big man’s deal is fairly standard for a training camp invitee. Ostensibly, he could play himself into a rotation on the Nuggets’ 15-man roster to kick off the 2021/22 season. That said, the Nuggets are more likely to try him out on their new G League affiliate club, the Grand Rapids Gold. Bezhanishvili could also be in the mix for Denver’s second two-way player slot, alongside the already-signed Markus Howard.

The Nuggets currently have 14 players under standard guaranteed contracts, plus guard PJ Dozier on a non-guaranteed deal.

Bezhanishvili went undrafted this summer after logging three seasons with the Fighting Illini. The 22-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 95 contests with the club, including 57 starts.

He enjoyed his most productive collegiate run as a freshman. During the 2018/19 season, Bezhanishvili averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG, in 26.1 MPG, while starting all 33 games. By his junior season, those numbers had declined to 5.1 PPG and 2.7 RPG, while averaging just 14.5 MPG in 31 games as a reserve.

Nuggets Waive Matt Ryan

October 11th, 2021 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have released forward Matt Ryan, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. Ryan had signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team prior to the start of training camp last month.

Ryan played at three different school from 2015-20, finishing his college career with Chattanooga after stints at Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. As a senior for Chattanooga, he averaged 15.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .423/.359/.879 shooting in 33 games (30.6 MPG). He played for the Cavaliers at the Las Vegas Summer League this August.

Ryan seems likely to become an affiliate player for the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s new G League affiliate. He’d be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Gold.

Denver used the newly-opened spot on its 20-man preseason roster to sign Giorgi Bezhanishvili, who reached an Exhibit 10 agreement with the team a month ago.

Nets Sign Bryce Brown, Josh Gray; Waive Edmond Sumner

October 10th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by JD Shaw

The Nets have signed guards Bryce Brown and Josh Gray, the team announced, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link).

Both players seem likely to join the club’s G League affiliate in Long Island, Lewis notes in a separate tweet. If Brown and Gray signed Exhibit 10 contracts, they’ll be eligible to receive up to $50K by spending at least 60 days with Long Island this season.

Brown, 24, went unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft. He’s mostly played in the G League during his short career, averaging 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 26.7 minutes per game in two seasons.

Gray, 28, most recently played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League bubble. He scored 13 points, dished out 5.8 assists and recorded 1.6 steals per game in 14 contests.

Brooklyn have also officially waived injured guard Edmond Sumner, who was recently acquired by the club. Sumner is expected to miss the 2021/22 season due to a torn Achilles, so the move had been expected.

Warriors Waive Langston Galloway

October 9th, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors have waived veteran guard Langston Galloway, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link). Galloway had been signed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.

The 29-year-old Galloway played for the Suns last season but saw limited action with the team, appearing in 40 games with 11.0 minutes per contest. His role was even more limited in the playoffs, appearing in just 15 minutes over two games, none in the NBA Finals. He was reportedly unhappy with his part-time role after the season, having hoped for an opportunity for more minutes.

Galloway has been a solid outside shooter in the NBA, holding a career three-point mark of 37.0%. He’s known as a combo guard, playing more off-ball than on, but considered too short (6’1″) to play shooting guard full-time. He has played in 445 NBA games over his seven-year career for the Knicks, Pelicans, Kings, Pistons, and Suns, with career averages of 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 21.9 minutes per night.

It’s unclear when and where the next NBA opportunity might arise for Galloway. He’s ineligible for a two-way contract, as they’re unavailable for players who have at least four years of service. Perhaps he’ll receive another non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed offer if a player gets injured, as teams are always looking for shooting. Considering he went until the end of September before signing the non-guaranteed pact with the Warriors, a fully guaranteed contract seems unlikely at this time. However, I’m sure guaranteed money would be available to Galloway if he’s willing to play internationally.

The Warriors training camp roster now stands at 19 players, with 13 on guaranteed contracts. They have one two-way spot available.

Pelicans Sign James Banks, Malcolm Hill; Waive Zylan Cheatham, Jared Harper

October 9th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have signed James Banks and Malcolm Hill, the team announced in a press release. In order to create the roster space to sign both players, the team waived Zylan Cheatham and Jared Harper.

Both of the signings were previously reported, and are now official.

Banks, a 6’10” center, went undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2020 after making the ACC All-Defensive Team in both his junior and senior seasons. He spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Be’er Sheva, playing 13 games while averaging 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. He most recently played for the Cavaliers at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Hill, a 6’6″ wing, is a well-traveled international veteran. He’s played for teams in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan and Israel over the past four seasons. During the 2020/21 season, Hill played for Hapoel Jerusalem.

Harper, a 5’10” point guard, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Suns in 2019/20, then spent most of last season on a two-way pact with the Knicks. Harper rarely saw NBA action, but he played well in the G League, averaging 20.5 PPG and 5.9 APG in 30 MPG across 46 games the past two seasons.

Cheatham spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with Pelicans. He played very well at the G League level, but only saw action in four NBA games. He received a full minimum salary last season as part of the Steven Adams sign-and-trade, but was waived by OKC before he ever played a game for the team. After being waived, Cheatham briefly spent time with Minnesota on an Exhibit 10 contract, then appeared in 15 G League games for the Iowa Wolves.

The Pelicans have 15 players with guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots are filled, so Banks and Hill are probably long shots to make the regular season roster. However, because both players are on Exhibit 10 deals, if they’re waived before the start of the regular season and spend at least 60 days with New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, they’d be eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K in addition to their G League salaries.

Knicks Sign Tyler Hall To Non-Guaranteed Deal

October 8th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 8: The Knicks’ deal with Hall is now official, per a team release.

OCTOBER 6: The Knicks are filling the open spot on their 20-man preseason roster by signing free agent shooting guard Tyler Hall to a non-guaranteed contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Hall, 24, went undrafted out of Montana State in 2019 and has spent the first two seasons of his professional career as a rotation player for the Westchester Knicks in the G League. In 53 total games at the NBAGL level, Hall has averaged 9.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG on .421/.411/.742 shooting in 26.1 minutes per contest. He also played for New York’s Summer League team in August.

Hall likely won’t be in consideration for a spot on the Knicks’ regular season roster. However, if his non-guaranteed contract includes Exhibit 10 language, he could receive a bonus worth up to $50K if he returns to Westchester this season and spends at least 60 days with the G League club. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with New York last December as well.

The Knicks, who waived Luca Vildoza over the weekend, will once again have a full 20-man roster once Hall officially signs with the team.

Hornets Sign Jalen Crutcher, Cameron McGriff

October 8th, 2021 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After waiving two players earlier in the day, the Hornets have wasted no time filling those newly-opened roster spots. According to a press release from the team, Charlotte has signed guard Jalen Crutcher and forward Cameron McGriff.

Crutcher, a 6’1″ point guard, spent his last four years at Dayton, where he averaged 17.6 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 3.5 RPG on .463/.372/.763 shooting in 24 games (38.1 MPG) as a senior in 2020/21. He suited up for Milwaukee’s Summer League team in Las Vegas after going undrafted.

McGriff, meanwhile, went undrafted in 2020 after four seasons with Oklahoma State. He averaged 12.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG in his senior year, then played for Belgium’s Okapi Aalstar last season, putting up 13.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG. The Hornets’ agreement with McGriff, who was on the club’s Summer League roster, was reported in September.

Neither Crutcher nor McGriff is likely to make the Hornets’ regular season roster, as the team currently has 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts. However, they’re strong candidates to play for the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate. Assuming they signed Exhibit 10 contracts, Crutcher and McGriff will be in line for bonuses worth up to $50K if they spent at least 60 days with the Swarm.

The Hornets now once again have a full 20-man preseason roster.

Nuggets Exercise 2022/23 Option On Zeke Nnaji

October 8th, 2021 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have exercised their third-year team option on Zeke Nnaji‘s rookie scale contract, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The move guarantees Nnaji’s $2,617,800 salary for the 2022/23 season.

Nnaij was the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, joining the Nuggets after playing his college ball at Arizona. The 20-year-old wasn’t a major part of the team’s rotation as a rookie, but did get into 42 games, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 9.5 minutes per contest.

With Nnaji locked in for his third NBA season, the Nuggets will have to make their next major decision on the young forward a year from now, when they’ll have to either pick up or turn down his $4.3MM fourth-year option for the ’23/24 campaign. If that option is exercised, Nnaji would become extension-eligible during the 2023 offseason.

Our tracker of 2022/23 rookie scale option decisions can be found right here.

Grizzlies Sign Romeo Weems, Waive Shaq Buchanan

October 8th, 2021 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have made a minor change to their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed forward Romeo Weems and waived guard Shaq Buchanan.

Weems averaged 7.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 18 games (28.6 MPG) for DePaul as a sophomore in 2020/21, knocking down 36.6% of this three-point attempts. He agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Grizzlies shortly after going undrafted in July and has now finalized that deal over two months later.

Buchanan, who has signed Exhibit 10 deals with Memphis in three consecutive years, has spent the last two seasons with the Memphis Hustle in the G League, averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .426/.349/.657 shooting in 48 games (24.8 MPG). He’s a good bet to return to the Hustle this season, and Weems appears likely to join him.

Following their moves, the Grizzlies still have a full 20-man roster, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts, two on Exhibit 10 pacts, and a pair on two-way deals.