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Nuggets Sign Matt Ryan, Set 20-Man Camp Roster

September 27th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have announced their 20-man training camp roster, and with it the signing of Matt Ryan, per a team press release.

Ryan, a 6’7″ rookie forward, went undrafted in 2020 after spending his final season with Chattanooga. He had his most productive season by far as a senior, averaging 15.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 30.6 MPG for the Mocs, with a shooting line of .423/.359/.879 across 33 games. He played for Notre Dame and Vanderbilt earlier in his collegiate career, but struggled to gain traction with either team.

The release doesn’t specify the exact details of Ryan’s contract, but it will likely be a standard Exhibit 10 contract.

The signing of Davon Reed, which our JD Shaw previously reported, is now official, per the release.

Denver’s reported deal with Giorgi Bezhanishvili still isn’t official yet, but it could occur later in the preseason.

The Nuggets have 14 players with guaranteed contracts, and guard PJ Dozier has a partial guarantee of $200K. Both of the team’s two-way spots are filled.

Sixers Sign Shaquille Harrison To Camp Deal

September 27th, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

3:04pm: The Sixers have officially signed Harrison, the team announced today in a press release.

8:51am: Free agent guard Shaquille Harrison is signing a training camp contract with the Sixers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Harrison, who will turn 28 next Wednesday, appeared in a total of 34 games last season — 17 for Utah and 17 more for Denver, plus nine playoff contests for the Nuggets. Although he provided his usual stellar perimeter defense, he struggled offensively, averaging 2.1 PPG on .333/.188/.818 shooting in 9.8 minutes per contest during the regular season

Harrison, who has also spent time with the Suns and Bulls, has put up 5.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .436/.283/.717 shooting in 173 career games (15.2 MPG).

It seems unlikely that Harrison will find his way onto Philadelphia’s regular season roster, since the team has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Paul Reed on a non-guaranteed deal. But he’ll get a chance to make an impression in training camp and perhaps the preseason — a strong showing would increase his likelihood of catching on with another team if he’s cut by the 76ers.

Harrison will be the 18th player on the Sixers’ preseason roster. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign Haywood Highsmith, but would still have an open roster spot if and when that deal gets done.

Lakers Sign Austin Reaves To Two-Year Deal

September 27th, 2021 at 1:41pm CST by JD Shaw

SEPTEMBER 27: The Lakers have officially confirmed Reaves’ new contract.

SEPTEMBER 26: The Lakers are planning to sign guard Austin Reaves to a two-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The second year of the agreement contains a team option, Charania reports, and Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times notes the first season is partially guaranteed.

Reaves, 23, had been on a two-way contract with the club, so his new deal represents a promotion to the standard roster, putting him in line to be the 14th man on the regular season squad.

Charania notes that the Lakers view Reaves in a similar mold to guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Alex Caruso, two players they managed to successfully develop in recent seasons.

Reaves went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft. He spent two collegiate seasons at Wichita State, then two more at Oklahoma, averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists during his final year.

The Lakers, who have 17 players under contract, now have a two-way roster spot available to use.

Kings Confirm Deal With DJ Steward, Set 20-Man Camp Roster

September 27th, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have put out their 20-man training camp roster, as Sean Cunningham of ABC10 relays (via Twitter), and it doesn’t include any surprises. In addition to the 19 players who were already under contract with Sacramento, the 20-man squad includes undrafted rookie guard DJ Steward, whose contract agreement with the team was reported way back in July.

Steward declared for the draft this spring after just one year at Duke. In his only college season, he put up 13.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG with a shooting line of .426/.341/.811 in 24 games (30.8 MPG), earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team. After going undrafted, he suited up for the Kings during the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

While terms of the Kings’ deal with Steward weren’t disclosed, an Exhibit 10 arrangement seems likely. That would put him in line to earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived by Sacramento and then joins the team’s G League affiliate in Stockton for at least 60 days.

The Kings are now carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and two on two-way pacts.

Clippers Re-Sign Amir Coffey To Two-Way Contract

September 27th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: Coffey’s deal is now official, the Clippers confirmed in a press release announcing their 20-man training camp roster.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Clippers are re-signing free agent wing Amir Coffey to another two-way contract, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters today (Twitter link via Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times).

Coffey, who was the last remaining restricted free agent on the market, received a qualifying offer from the Clips back in July to make him a restricted free agent, so his options were limited. He’ll likely get a little guaranteed money on his new two-way deal, and Frank suggested he’ll also get a chance to compete for the 15th spot on Los Angeles’ regular season roster.

Coffey, 24, has spent the last two seasons on a two-way contract with the Clippers, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.0 RPG on .433/.387/.673 shooting in 62 total games (8.9 MPG). He appeared in 44 regular season games and another 10 playoff contests in 2020/21.

The Clippers will now have a full 20-man roster for training camp, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and Coffey and Jay Scrubb on two-way contracts.

Given how far the team is over the tax line, I wouldn’t be surprised if L.A. only carries 14 players on its standard roster to start the season. Even if the club opts for a 15th man, Coffey may be hard-pressed to beat out camp invitees like Harry Giles and Isaiah Hartenstein, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he simply remains in the two-way slot to start the year.

Thunder Sign Rob Edwards, D.J. Wilson

September 27th, 2021 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have filled out their 20-man training camp roster by signing guard Rob Edwards and forward D.J. Wilson, the club announced in a press release.

Edwards, who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2020, played for the Oklahoma City Blue – the Thunder’s G League affiliate – as a rookie in 2020/21. The 6’6″ guard averaged 12.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG with a .440 3PT% in 15 NBAGL games (21.3 MPG).

Wilson, the 17th overall pick in the 2017 draft, spent the first three-and-a-half season of his career in Milwaukee before being traded to Houston at last season’s trade deadline. He had fallen out of the Bucks’ rotation, but averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a shooting line of .416/.339/.696 in 23 games (14.3 MPG) during his stint with the Rockets.

Terms of the deals weren’t disclosed, but it’s safe to assume they’re both non-guaranteed training camp contracts. Oklahoma City now has 13 players with guaranteed salaries, five on non-guaranteed deals, and a pair on two-way pacts.

Bulls Sign Daniel Oturu

September 27th, 2021 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed free agent center Daniel Oturu to their training camp roster, agent Kevin Bradbury of REP1 Basketball tells Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

It’s the third team of the offseason for Oturu, who was selected 33rd overall in the 2020 draft and spent his first NBA season with the Clippers, averaging 1.8 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 30 games (5.4 MPG). He was sent to the Grizzlies along with Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo in an August trade, then was waived by Memphis last week.

Although Oturu didn’t make a real impact at the NBA level in his rookie season, he’s still just 22 years old and is only two years removed from a standout sophomore season for the Minnesota Gophers. He put up 20.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 2.5 BPG in his final year at college, earning Big Ten All-Defensive honors.

Of course, even if the Bulls see some potential in Oturu, that doesn’t necessarily assure him of a regular season roster spot. The team only has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but competition for the last spot or two on the 15-man roster will be fierce, with NBA veterans Stanley Johnson, Alize Johnson, Tyler Cook, and Matt Thomas also in the mix.

The Bulls now have a full 20-man preseason roster.

Suns Sign Chasson Randle

September 27th, 2021 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: The Suns have officially signed Randle, the team announced in a press release late on Sunday night.

SEPTEMBER 22: Free agent guard Chasson Randle is signing a training camp contract with the Suns, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Randle, 28, has appeared in a total of 119 NBA regular season games for the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors, and Magic since making his debut in January 2017. Last season, he signed a two-way contract with Orlando in February and played a regular role for the team in the second half, averaging 6.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .388/.338/.792 shooting in 41 games (20.4 MPG).

Based on Wojnarowski’s report, it sounds like Randle’s contract with Phoenix will be non-guaranteed. However, it won’t include Exhibit 10 language, since the Suns don’t have a G League affiliate and Randle is ineligible to have his contract converted to a two-way deal.

As such, the only path for Randle sticking with the Suns would be to earn the final spot on the regular season roster. Phoenix is currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed deals, and retaining a 15th man wouldn’t push team salary over the tax line, so there’s a viable path to a roster spot for Randle, though the club may bring other players to camp to compete for that spot.

Thunder Claim Mamadi Diakite, Waive Charlie Brown Jr.

September 26th, 2021 at 8:57pm CST by JD Shaw

The Thunder have claimed big man Mamadi Diakite off waivers from the Bucks, the team announced in a press release. Milwaukee waived Diakite on Friday.

Diakite, 24, went unselected in the 2020 draft. He signed a two-way deal with the Bucks shortly thereafter, then signed a multi-year deal at the end of the season. Only $100K of his salary was guaranteed for next season, however, making it easier for Milwaukee to waive him.

Diakite was a force in the G League during his 12 games last season. He averaged 18.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest, shooting 58% from the floor. The 6’9″ Virginia product will have the ability to add depth for a young Thunder frontcourt this season.

Because Diakite is on a three-year contract, the Thunder couldn’t use the minimum salary exception to claim him and had to instead use part of a traded player exception, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter). The team likely used a portion of its $9.59MM TPE from last season’s George Hill deal.

Oklahoma City also waived guard Charlie Brown Jr. in a separate transaction, the team said. Assuming he goes unclaimed, Brown will reach free agency this week after spending part of last season with the Thunder. The 24-year-old appeared in nine games, averaging 4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 16.9 minutes per contest.

Cavaliers Sign Kyle Guy To Camp Deal

September 26th, 2021 at 7:26pm CST by JD Shaw

The Cavaliers have signed guard Kyle Guy to a training camp deal, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Fedor notes that Guy will compete for an open two-way spot with the team.

Guy, who joins Tacko Fall, RJ Nembhard and others competing for the two-way spot, most recently played with the Kings. He appeared in 31 games last season, averaging 2.8 points in 7.6 minutes per contest.

Guy also won an NCAA championship with Virginia in 2019. He was selected with the No. 55 pick in the draft a few months later, signing a two-way contract with Sacramento after that.

The Cavaliers now have 20 players under contract ahead of training camp. Guard Brodric Thomas occupies the team’s only filled two-way spot.