Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Sign, Waive Elijah Bryant

October 14th, 2021 at 8:16pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 14: Bryant has been waived for the second time in less than three weeks, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.

SEPTEMBER 29: Three days after waiving him, the Bucks have re-signed free agent shooting guard Elijah Bryant to a training camp deal, league sources tell Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bryant, 26, initially joined the Bucks during the last week of the 2020/21 regular season and was part of the group that won an NBA championship three months later. He put up 16 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes during Milwaukee’s regular season finale, then logged garbage-time minutes in 11 playoff contests.

The former BYU standout, who began his professional career by playing in Israel from 2018-21, received a multiyear contract when he signed with the Bucks in May, but it wasn’t guaranteed beyond the ’20/21 season, allowing the team to cut him over the weekend without incurring a cap charge. His new deal may include Exhibit 10 language, which would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

Re-signing Bryant puts Milwaukee on track to have a full 20-man preseason roster. In addition to their 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, the Bucks are carrying Georgios Kalaitzakis on a partially guaranteed salary and Tremont Waters and Javin DeLaurier on Exhibit 10 pacts. Bryant and Johnny O’Bryant – whose agreement with the team was reported on Tuesday – should round out the roster.

Bucks Sign, Waive Rayjon Tucker

October 14th, 2021 at 7:07pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 14: The Bucks, as expected, have waived Tucker, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.

OCTOBER 13: The Bucks have signed free agent swingman Rayjon Tucker to an Exhibit 10 contract, a league source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). In a corresponding roster move, Milwaukee waived Jemerrio Jones, who signed a training camp contract earlier in the week.

Tucker, 24, spent most of the 2019/20 season with the Jazz, then signed a two-way contract with the Sixers in January of 2021. He has appeared in a total of 34 regular season games in his first two NBA seasons, averaging a modest 2.8 PPG and 0.9 RPG in 6.7 minutes per contest.

The Bucks signed Tucker to his very first NBA contract, an Exhibit 10 deal back in August 2019. He appeared in 16 games with the Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s G League affiliate – as a rookie before getting called up to the NBA by Utah.

The Bucks likely envision Tucker returning to the Herd for the 2021/22 campaign, and Jones figures to join him there.

Knicks Sign Goodwin; Thunder Add Hopson

October 14th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed former Hawks guard Brandon Goodwin, the team’s PR department tweets.

Goodwin saw action in 47 games with Atlanta last year, averaging 4.9 PPG and 2.0 APG. He played on a $1.7MM contract last season and became a free agent when the team failed to extend a qualifying offer. He didn’t play in the postseason, partially due to a respiratory condition.

It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. That would give the Westchester Knicks his G League rights if/when the Knicks waive him.

Here are a couple more of the latest training camp signings:

The Thunder have signed guard Scotty Hopson to a camp deal, according to the team’s PR department. He appeared in 41 games with the Oklahoma City Blue from 2018-20, including six games in 2020 where he averaged 18.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31.2 minutes. He played for Melbourne United last season. Hopson, who played one games with Dallas during the 2017/18 season, will likely be waived and return to the Blue.
The Jazz have signed Nino Johnson, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. Johnson, a 6’9” forward, played for the G League’s Memphis Hustle two seasons ago. He’ll likely be waived and play for Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Jazz Waive Bolden, Teague, Alston Jr.

October 14th, 2021 at 4:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have waived Marques Bolden, MaCio Teague and Derrick Alston Jr., Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.

The 6’10” Bolden signed a camp deal in late September. He was on a two-way contract with Cleveland last season and appeared in six games. The Cavs waived him but added him again to its G League affiliate. Bolden averaged 9.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 2.1 BPG across 10 games for the Charge during the G League “bubble” season.

Teague inked his Exhibit 10 contract in mid-August. After beginning his college career at UNC Asheville, Teague transferred to Baylor for his junior year and played a key role on the 2021 national champions as a senior. The 6’4″ guard was the Bears’ second-leading scorer with 15.9 PPG on .478/.395/.831 shooting in 30 games (31.7 MPG).

Alston joined the team on his camp deal in mid-September. He went undrafted this year after playing for Boise State. The 6’9″ swingman averaged 17.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.2 APG across 32 games, all starts, during his final collegiate season with the Broncos.

It’s quite possible all three will end up with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

Bulls Sign, Waive Bryce Alford

October 14th, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 14: The Bulls have waived Alford, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The guard is a potential candidate to join the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate.

OCTOBER 13: The Bulls are signing free agent guard Bryce Alford to a training camp contract, a league source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). The deal is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

Alford, who played his college ball at UCLA, spent two years in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue to begin his professional career in 2017-19. He has since made stops in Germany and Portugal.

The Bulls have two openings on their preseason roster after waiving Daniel Oturu and Ethan Thompson on Monday, so no corresponding move will be necessary to complete the signing of Alford.

Knicks Waive Dwayne Bacon

October 14th, 2021 at 4:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks are waiving guard Dwayne Bacon, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

Bacon, who was on an Exhibit 10 deal, was considered a strong candidate for the last roster spot on a team with 14 guaranteed deals. This development could improve the chances of Wayne Selden making the opening-night roster.

New York signed Bacon in August after Orlando waived him. He appeared in every game for Orlando during the 72-game 2020/21 NBA season, including 50 starts. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG and 0.6 SPG in 25.7 MPG.

Bacon, 25, spent his first three NBA seasons with the Hornets and their NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

Lakers Sign, Waive Frank Mason

October 14th, 2021 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 14: The Lakers have waived Mason, according to the team (Twitter link). He looks like a good candidate to join the South Bay Lakers in the G League.

OCTOBER 13: Mason’s signing is official, the Lakers announced (via Twitter).

OCTOBER 6: The Lakers are signing free agent guard Frank Mason III, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Since the team has an open spot on its 20-man preseason roster, no corresponding move will be required.

Wojnarowski classifies Mason’s deal with the Lakers as a training camp contract. Technically, training camps are over now with the preseason underway, but calling the contract a camp deal simply means it’ll be non-guaranteed, perhaps with Exhibit 10 language included.

Mason, the 34th overall pick in the 2017 draft, has bounced around the NBA a little since beginning his career with the Kings. He has since seen action for the Bucks and Magic, and also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Philadelphia last December.

In 103 total NBA games, Mason has averaged 6.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 2.0 RPG in 15.7 minutes per contest, with mediocre shooting numbers (.396/.301/.755). However, he had a huge year in the G League in 2019/20, averaging 25.3 PPG with a .502/.428/.815 shooting line in 24 games (30.2 MPG) and earning NBAGL MVP honors.

Los Angeles has just 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but may not carry a 15th player to start the season. Mason has more NBA experience than L.A.’s other camp invitees and could become the team’s 14th man, though it’s possible the Lakers envision him as a player who will join their G League affiliate rather than one who will make the regular season roster.

Hornets Waive Jalen Crutcher, Cameron McGriff

October 14th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have cut a pair of players from their preseason roster, announcing in a press release that Jalen Crutcher and Cameron McGriff have been placed on waivers.

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 went undrafted in 2020 after four seasons with Oklahoma State. The 6’7″ forward 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. He joined the Hornets for this year’s Summer League.

Charlotte signed Crutcher and McGriff to non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts less than a week ago. While Crutcher saw some action in one of the team’s preseason games, neither player was a real candidate to make the regular season roster. Both Crutcher and McGriff will likely end up playing for the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.

Thunder Waive Melvin Frazier, Expected To Sign Zavier Simpson

October 14th, 2021 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After joining the Thunder on a training camp deal earlier in the week, veteran wing Melvin Frazier has been waived, the team announced today.

The No. 35 pick in the 2018 draft, Frazier played in just 29 NBA games in his first two professional seasons, with Orlando. He has spent more time in the G League over the last three years, appearing in 41 games with the Lakeland Magic from 2018-20, then suiting up for the Oklahoma City Blue in the 2021 NBAGL bubble.

Frazier played a limited role with the Blue, averaging just 6.8 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 12 games (20.8 MPG), but the fact that he received an Exhibit 10 deal this week suggests the Thunder plan on having him return to their G League affiliate for the 2021/22 season.

The Thunder now have an open roster spot and may use it to sign Zavier Simpson. Our JD Shaw (Twitter link) hears from a source that Oklahoma City is expected to sign the guard to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Like Frazier, Simpson played for the OKC Blue last season and would be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he returns to the G League and spends at least 60 days with the club. The former Michigan Wolverine averaged 9.8 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 4.3 RPG in 15 games (28.5 MPG) in the G League in 2021.

Clippers Cut Moses Wright, George King

October 14th, 2021 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have waived forwards Moses Wright and George King, the team announced today. Both players signed Exhibit 10 contracts with Los Angeles last month.

An undrafted rookie, Wright spent all four years of his college career at Georgia Tech and had a huge season as a senior in 2020/21, averaging 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.5 SPG with a .532/.414/.658 shooting line in 25 games (35.3 MPG). He was named the ACC Player of the Year and made the ACC’s All-Defensive team.

King, the 59th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Colorado, spent his rookie season with Phoenix on a two-way contract, but appeared in just one NBA game and has been out of the league for the last two years. He played in Italy and Poland during the 2019/20 season, then spent the ’20/21 campaign in Germany with the Niners Chemnitz.

Both Wright and King played sparingly for the Clippers during the preseason, logging fewer than 10 minutes per game. It’s possible both players will end up on the roster of the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, L.A.’s G League affiliate.

The Clippers will have to make at least one more cut before the regular season begins. Harry Giles and Isaiah Hartenstein are vying for the 15th spot on the roster.