Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Sign Juwan Morgan

September 15th, 2021 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 15: Morgan officially signed his training camp contract with the Celtics on Tuesday, per RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 8: The Celtics have agreed to a deal with Juwan Morgan, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports that the free agent forward will compete for a spot in training camp with the team.

A former Big Ten standout at Indiana, Morgan went undrafted in 2019 and caught on with the Jazz, first signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Utah and then agreeing to a multiyear deal with the team. In 50 total regular season games with the club across two seasons, the 24-year-old averaged 1.4 PPG and 1.1 RPG on 51.8% shooting in just 5.6 minutes per contest.

Although Morgan didn’t see much NBA action for the Jazz and didn’t receive a qualifying offer earlier this summer, he did actually crack the starting lineup in two games during the 2020 postseason due to injuries, and he was a starter for the Salt Lake City Stars during the 2019/20 G League season. He put up 14.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.6 BPG in 15 games (27.4 MPG) for the Stars.

Once Boston’s acquisition of Juan Hernangomez is complete, the club will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Jabari Parker with a small partial guarantee. Morgan would have to make a pretty strong impression during the preseason to crack the 15-man roster, but the Celtics do have a two-way slot open alongside Sam Hauser.

Rockets Working Towards Re-Signing Dante Exum

September 14th, 2021 at 10:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Rockets are nearing a deal to re-sign free agent reserve guard Dante Exum, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania had reported earlier today that Houston was talking to free agent point guards, with John Wall not expected to play for the team this season.

Injuries have hampered Exum’s time in the league thus far. He was drafted by the Jazz with the fifth overall pick in 2014. The club eventually sent him to the Cavaliers in December 2019.

Cleveland, in turn, shipped Exum out to the Rockets as part of the four-team James Harden trade, though injuries kept him on the bench for the entirety of his 2020/21 Houston tenure. He appeared in just six games for Cleveland, and thus overall, during the 72-game 2020/21 NBA season.

All told, Exum has appeared in 245 of a possible 554 games during his eight-season NBA run thus far. The 6’5″ Exum holds career averages of 5.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.1 APG across 18.6 MPG.

On a Houston team not expected to contend for a postseason berth, the 26-year-old could have plenty of opportunity to rebuild his value in the marketplace. Charania observes that Exum averaged 9.0 PPG and 2.8 APG for Team Australia’s bronze medal-winning club this summer during the Olympics in Tokyo.

The Rockets currently have a full 20-man preseason roster, so they’d need to waive someone to make room for Exum. Khyri Thomas, Daishen Nix, Tyler Bey, and Armoni Brooks are on non-guaranteed contracts.

Mavericks Expected To Sign Frank Ntilikina

September 14th, 2021 at 9:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

It is anticipated that the Mavericks will add defensive-oriented former Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina within the next few days, league sources inform Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link).

Stein notes that Dallas had been eyeing Ntilikina even in the 2017 NBA draft lottery, but after the Knicks selected him with the eighth pick, the Mavericks pivoted to Dennis Smith Jr. with the No. 9 selection. Smith, who himself was eventually sent to the Knicks in 2019, recently signed a training camp deal with the Trail Blazers.

During the 2020/21 season, Ntilikina earned $6.2MM in the fourth year of his rookie deal. This year, his deal will most likely be either a non-guaranteed deal or a veteran’s minimum. The Mavericks currently have 14 players on guaranteed deals, with one player – Moses Brown – signed to a non-guaranteed contract and both of their two-way contract spots occupied.

The 6’4″ reserve guard, still just 23, suited up for 33 games with the Knicks last year under head coach Tom Thibodeau. He averaged just 2.7 PPG and 0.9 RPG across 9.8 MPG. A talented defensive player, Ntilikina has yet to develop on the other end of the hardwood. He holds career averages of 5.5 PPG, 2.7 APG and 2.0 RPG.

Derrick Walton Jr. To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Pistons

September 14th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran point guard Derrick Walton Jr. is set to sign an Exhibit 10 contract for a reunion with the Pistons, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Walton was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree during his NCAA tenure with Michigan. After going undrafted in 2017, Walton saw his first NBA action on a two-way contract for the Heat. He played 16 games with Miami in the 2017/18 season, averaging 1.8 PPG, 1.0 APG and 1.0 RPG in 9.2 MPG.. He was far more productive with the Heat’s NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 16.1 PPG, 7.0 APG, 4.0 RPG and 1.4 SPG in 27 games, all starts.

During the 2018/19 season, the 6’0″ guard first joined Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas. He parted ways with the team in February 2019, next linking up with Alba Berlin for the remainder of their year.

In the past, Walton has been able to parlay a training camp deal into an NBA call-up. He returned to the league during the 2019/20 season, inking an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers after a solid 2019 Summer League showing. Walton eventually made the team’s 15-man roster and ultimately suited up for 23 games with the Clippers, plus seven games with their NBAGL affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers. In a cash-saving move, Los Angeles sent Walton the Hawks in February 2020, where he was subsequently waived. He joined the Pistons on a 10-day contract, making a three-game cameo with Detroit. Walton averaged 2.0 PPG, 1.0 APG and 0.6 RPG during his 26 games played during the season overall.

Walton inked a training camp deal with the Sixers ahead of the 2020/21 season, but was released by the club before the start of the year. He then pivoted to an international option, signing a one-year contract with French EuroLeague club ASVEL.

Most recently, Walton suited up for the Wizards’ 2021 Summer League club.

Caleb Martin Signs Two-Way Contract With Heat

September 14th, 2021 at 1:53pm CST by Rory Maher

1:53pm: The Heat have officially signed Martin, the team announced in a press release.

12:48pm: Free agent forward Caleb Martin is signing a two-way contract with the Heat, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Martin is known as a defense-oriented hustle player and holds career averages of 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16 MPG over two seasons with the Hornets.

Charlotte waived Martin last month before his salary for the 2021/22 season could become guaranteed. Charania notes that Caleb will now be competing against his twin brother Cody Martin in the same division — Cody remains a member of the Hornets.

Both of the Heat’s two-way contracts are now filled, after the team previously signed former Kansas guard Marcus Garrett. Once Martin’s deal is official, Miami will have a full 20-man preseason roster.

Pelicans Signing Jared Harper, James Banks To Camp Deals

September 14th, 2021 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are signing free agent guard Jared Harper and big man James Banks III to training camp deals, agent Kshaun Daley of Verus Basketball tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Harper, who is celebrating his 24th birthday today, was on a two-way contract with the Suns during his rookie season in 2019/20, then spent most of the ’20/21 campaign on a two-way deal with the Knicks. The former Auburn standout saw limited NBA action in those two seasons, logging just 24 total minutes in 11 games, but he played regularly at the G League level.

In 46 total games for the Westchester Knicks and Northern Arizona Suns from 2019-21, Harper averaged 20.5 PPG and 5.9 APG on .429/.370/.802 shooting in 30.0 minutes per contest.

Banks, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2020 after making the ACC All-Defensive Team in both his junior and senior seasons. The 6’10” center spent his first professional season in Israel with Hapoel Be’er Sheva, then suited up for the Cavaliers at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

The Pelicans currently have 18 players under contract, including 15 on guaranteed deals, one on a non-guaranteed contract (Wenyen Gabriel), and two on two-way deals (Jose Alvarado and Daulton Hommes). Signing Harper and Banks will bring New Orleans to the 20-man preseason limit, though the team has also reportedly reached a deal with Malcolm Hill, so more moves are likely on the way before opening night.

Both Harper and Banks will be on Exhibit 10 deals, which will make them candidates to join the Birmingham Squadron – New Orleans’ G League team – if they don’t earn spots on the Pelicans’ 17-man regular season squad. In that scenario, they’d be eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K in addition to their NBAGL salaries.

Derrick Alston Jr. Signs Training Camp Deal With Jazz

September 13th, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

5:27pm: The Jazz have confirmed the signing of Alston via a press release.

5:04pm: Former Boise State wing Derrick Alston Jr. is signing a training camp deal with the Jazz, reports Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

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 in 2020/21. He also posted shooting splits of .444/.382/.856.

Alston, 23, went undrafted in 2021. He was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team in 2020 and the All-Mountain West First Team in 2021.

Further details of the contract have yet to be released, but it is most likely an Exhibit 10 agreement. As of this writing, the Jazz have 13 guaranteed contracts ahead of training camp and one of their two-way slots available. There are thus a few avenues through which Alston could latch on with the club.

Thunder Sign Paul Watson To Two-Way Contract

September 13th, 2021 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

After opening up one of their two-way contract slots by waiving Josh Hall, the Thunder have filled that opening by signing Paul Watson to a two-way deal, reports Kelsea O’Brien of BasketballNews.com (Twitter link).

Watson, 26, made his NBA debut with Atlanta, but spent most of the last two seasons with the Raptors, having signed a two-way contract with Toronto in January of 2020. The former Fresno State standout had that deal converted to a standard contract for the 2020/21 season, then was released last month before his ’21/22 salary became guaranteed.

During his time with Toronto, the 6’6″ swingman appeared in 35 games, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.7 RPG on .475/.466/.706 shooting in 10.5 minutes per contest. He spent most of his time in 2019/20 with the Raptors 905 in the G League, putting up an impressive 19.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .495/.423/.648 shooting in 30 NBAGL games (35.3 MPG).

Watson and Aaron Wiggins are now Oklahoma City’s two-way players. The team has 18 players under contract, including 13 on guaranteed salaries and three on non-guaranteed deals, leaving a pair of openings on the 20-man training camp roster.

Thunder Waive Josh Hall

September 12th, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by JD Shaw

The Thunder have waived two-way forward Josh Hall, the team announced in a press release today. Oklahoma City now has 17 players on its roster, including two-way player Aaron Wiggins.

Hall, 20, signed with the Thunder after going unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft. He appeared in 21 games with the team, averaging 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16 minutes per contest.

Oklahoma City tendered Hall a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent last month. He ultimately signed the offer, returning to the team on a two-way deal that contained a $50K guarantee.

League rules allow teams to carry 20 players entering training camps, meaning the Thunder now have one two-way spot and two camp spots available to use. The team held the second-worst record in the Western Conference last year at 22-50.

Damyean Dotson Waived By Cavaliers

September 10th, 2021 at 5:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have waived guard Damyean Dotson, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets.

Dotson had a non-guaranteed $2MM salary. The four-year NBA veteran averaged 6.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 2.0 APG in 19.7 MPG last season for Cleveland. He saw action in 46 games, including seven starts.

Dotson spent his first three seasons with the Knicks. He has averaged 7.5 PPG and made 34.6% of his 3-point shots during his career.

The Cavs are adding guard Kevin Pangos who has been playing overseas since attending Gonzaga, on a contract with a first-year guarantee. That put Dotson’s roster spot in jeopardy.

By trimming Dotson’s salary, Cleveland will give itself more breathing room under the tax line, John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets.