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Lakers Trade Marc Gasol, Second-Rounder, Cash To Grizzlies

September 10th, 2021 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

4:57pm: The trade is official, according to a Grizzlies press release (Twitter link).

1:38pm: The Grizzlies remain active on the trade market, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Memphis has agreed to acquire Marc Gasol, a 2024 second-round pick, and cash from the Lakers in exchange for the draft rights to 2016 second-rounder Wang Zhelin.

The swap will send Gasol back to the team with whom he earned three All-Star berths and a Defensive Player of the Year award, but the reunion will be short-lived. As Wojnarowski explains, the Grizzlies and Gasol have already agreed that he’ll be waived in order to allow him to remain in Spain with his family.

Gasol told reporters following Spain’s elimination from the Olympics last month that he intended to continue his NBA career and play out the last year of his contract with Los Angeles. However, there had been increasing chatter in recent weeks that suggested the veteran center had played his last game as a Laker. As Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group tweets, the “writing was on the wall” for Gasol following L.A.’s signing of DeAndre Jordan on Thursday.

It’s unclear if Gasol is set to retire as a player or if he simply won’t seek a new team right away after being released by the Grizzlies. Either way, the move will open up a roster spot for the Lakers and save them some money, even after accounting for the cash they send to Memphis in the deal.

Taking into account Gasol’s $2.69MM salary and the accompanying luxury-tax penalty, Wojnarowski estimates that L.A. will recoup about $10MM. The Lakers will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts once the deal is finalized, leaving two spots open on the 15-man roster, though the club may only fill one of them for the start of the regular season.

Los Angeles also gets the rights to Wang, the 57th pick in the 2016 draft. However, it looks like he was just included to make the deal legal — he seems unlikely to sign an NBA contract anytime soon.

As for the Grizzlies, this will be their seventh trade of the summer, including the Juan Hernangomez deal with Boston that’s not yet official. Like many of Memphis’ other trades, this one won’t move the needle much, but allows the team to acquire a minor asset in the form of a 2024 second-rounder. That pick will be the Lakers’ own and is unprotected, per Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

Until that Hernangomez deal is done, the Grizzlies have an open spot on their 20-man offseason roster, so they’ll likely look to complete the acquisition of Gasol and then release him before finalizing their deal with Boston, in order to avoid having to cut anyone.

The Grizzlies can acquire Gasol without matching salaries because he was signed using the minimum salary exception last offseason and can be acquired using the same exception. The Lakers will create a small trade exception worth Gasol’s outgoing salary ($2.69MM).

Heat Add Potter, Smart, Smith To Camp Roster

September 10th, 2021 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have added forward Micah Potter and guards Javonte Smart and Dru Smith to their training camp roster, according to a team press release.

Potter appeared in six Summer League games with Miami and averaged 7.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG. He went undrafted out of Wisconsin.

Smart averaged 5.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2.2 APG with Miami’s summer league squad. Smart played three seasons at LSU, becoming just the seventh player in school history to record at least 1,200 points, 300 assists and 111 steals.

Smith, who attended Missouri, also appeared in six Summer League games with the Heat and averaged 8.0 PPG, 2.5 APG and 1.17 SPG.

All three were signed to Exhibit 10 deals, bringing Miami’s camp roster to 19, one below the limit, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.

Exhibit 10 contracts give NBA teams a chance to bring players to training camp and get a look at them without guaranteeing them a regular season roster spot or any real salary. All three could potentially earn a $50K bonus if they remain on the Sioux Falls Skyforce roster for at least 60 days. The Skyforce are the Heat’s G League affiliate.

The trio could also be competing for Miami’s open two-way slot.

Nets Officially Sign Paul Millsap

September 10th, 2021 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Over a week after agreeing to terms with him on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, the Nets have officially signed free agent big man Paul Millsap, as our JD Shaw tweets. The team has issued a press release confirming the signing.

A four-time All-Star, Millsap has seen his role reduced in recent years during his second decade in the NBA. He spent the last four seasons in Denver, averaging 9.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .476/.343/.724 shooting in 56 games (20.8 MPG) in 2020/21. Most of those per-game averages were his lowest marks since 2007/08.

Still, Millsap remains a solid, reliable frontcourt option who can help stabilize a defense. The Nets likely won’t lean on him to play a major role, since they’ll have a few other options up front, including veterans Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, and up-and-coming center Nicolas Claxton.

As we noted last week when Millsap first agreed to sign with Brooklyn, the 36-year-old received interest from a handful of other clubs, including the Warriors, Bulls, and Clippers, but ultimately decided that the Nets gave him his best chance to compete for a title.

The Nets now have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus DeAndre’ Bembry on a partial guarantee. David Duke (Exhibit 10) and Kessler Edwards (two-way) are also under contract, leaving two open spots on the club’s 20-man offseason roster. It’s possible that unsigned second-round picks Marcus Zegarowski and RaiQuan Gray could fill those openings, but Brooklyn’s plans for those rookies remains unclear.

Blazers Sign Patrick Patterson To Camp Deal

September 9th, 2021 at 9:15pm CST by Luke Adams

9:15pm: The deal is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

4:11pm: The Trail Blazers have reached an agreement on a training camp deal for free agent forward Patrick Patterson, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Patterson, 32, spent the last two seasons with the Clippers, appearing in a total of 97 regular season games for the club. The veteran stretch four averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG on .420/.377/.800 shooting in 14.0 minutes per contest for the team over those two years.

A report on Wednesday from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype suggested that Patterson was among the veteran forwards receiving interest from the Blazers. The team was also linked to Michael Beasley, James Ennis, and Isaiah Hartenstein — it’s unclear if the deal with Patterson rules out the possibility of those players being added to the roster, or if Portland is open to further opening up its training camp competition for a roster spot.

The Blazers currently have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, with Dennis Smith Jr., Marquese Chriss, and now Patterson set to attend camp on non-guaranteed deals. Portland must carry at least 14 players during the regular season, so at least one roster spot is very much available. However, that may be the only spot up for grabs — the Blazers could opt to keep the 15th roster spot open to start the season in order to reduce their projected luxury tax bill.

Cam McGriff Agrees To Camp Deal With Hornets

September 9th, 2021 at 5:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Cameron McGriff has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hornets, Adam Zagoria of Forbes tweets.

McGriff played four seasons with Oklahoma State and went undrafted in 2020. He averaged 12.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG in his senior year.

McGriff played for Belgium’s Okapi Aalstar last season, averaging 13.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG. He was on the Hornets’ summer league roster.

Exhibit 10 contracts give NBA teams a chance to bring players to training camp and get a look at them without guaranteeing them a regular season roster spot or any real salary. If he ends up playing for the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, McGriff could earn a $50K bonus due to the Exhibit 10 language in his deal.

DeAndre Jordan Signs With Lakers

September 9th, 2021 at 5:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeAndre Jordan has signed with the Lakers, according to a team press release.

Jordan was traded to the Pistons by the Nets last week in a salary dump. He was then waived after agreeing to give up $4MM on the remaining two years of his contract, which had nearly $20MM left on it. He’ll gain another $2.6MM, the veteran’s minimum, by signing with the Lakers.

Jordan was signed by Brooklyn with the endorsement of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but fell out of the Nets’ rotation last season. A 13-year NBA veteran, Jordan appeared in 57 games (43 starts) for the Nets, where he averaged 7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.1 BPG in 21.9 MPG.

With Marc Gasol‘s future in L.A. filled with uncertainty, Jordan and free agent pickup Dwight Howard will likely compete for minutes when Anthony Davis isn’t playing center.

Luwawu-Cabarrot Signs Non-Guaranteed Deal With Hawks

September 9th, 2021 at 4:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have signed shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets.

The 26-year-old Luwawu-Cabarrot is a five-year NBA veteran. He played for the Nets for the past two years, including 58 regular-season appearances last season. He averaged 6.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 1.2 APG but shot just 36.5% from the field. He’s made 33.1% of his 3-point shots during his career.

Luwawu-Cabarrot also made 11 postseason appearances over the last two seasons. He became an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Atlanta has 16 other players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed deals, so Luwawu-Cabarrot will likely be competing for the last spot on the 15-man opening-night roster. The Hawks also have another player reportedly on a training camp deal and both two-way slots filled, which would give them a full 20-player roster heading into camp.

Nets Waive Jahlil Okafor

September 9th, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have waived veteran center Jahlil Okafor, the team announced today in a press release. Brooklyn acquired Okafor from the Pistons last week along with Sekou Doumbouya in the DeAndre Jordan trade.

A former third overall pick, Okafor spent last season in Detroit, averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.4 RPG in a very limited role (12.9 MPG) across 27 games. The big man has also spent time with the Sixers, Nets, and Pelicans since entering the NBA out of Duke in 2015.

Okafor’s release had been expected, since the Nets were carrying more than 15 players on guaranteed contracts and were overloaded in the frontcourt, having recently added LaMarcus Aldridge and agreed to terms with Paul Millsap.

Once they officially sign Millsap, the Nets will have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, plus DeAndre’ Bembry on a partially guaranteed deal. If the club wants to keep Bembry on its regular season roster, at least one more player will have to be traded or waived before opening night.

Okafor, meanwhile, could be claimed off waivers by any team using the minimum salary exception, but that’s unlikely, since his $2.13MM salary for 2021/22 is fully guaranteed. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, and the Nets will be on the hook for his salary.

E’Twaun Moore Signs With Magic

September 9th, 2021 at 12:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 9: The Magic have officially signed Moore, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 8: The Magic have agreed to a one-year, $2.6MM contract with guard E’Twaun Moore, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

It’s a veteran’s minimum contract for a player with Moore’s experience. He began his NBA career during the 2011/12 season.

Moore appeared in 27 games with the Suns on a one-year contract last season, including one start. He averaged 4.9 PPG and 1.5 APG in 14.4 MPG but struggled with his 3-point shot (31.4%). He also saw action in seven of Phoenix’s postseason games, averaging 2.4 PPG in 6.6 MPG.

This will be Moore’s second stint with the Magic. He appeared in 154 games with Orlando during his second and third seasons in the league.

Moore’s NBA career has also included stops in Boston, Chicago and New Orleans. He’s appeared in 598 regular-season games, averaging 7.9 PPG and 1.8 APG in 21.o MPG while making 38.8% of his 3-point attempts.

Orlando already had 17 players on its official roster, including 14 with guaranteed deals. Adding Moore makes it less likely that those without guaranteed deals will have a spot on the opening-night roster.

Clippers Sign Moses Wright To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 9th, 2021 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers, who continue to fill out their 20-man roster for training camp, have signed rookie free agent Moses Wright to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

A 6’9″ forward, Wright spent all four years of his college career at Georgia Tech and had a huge season as a senior, 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).

Wright was named the ACC Player of the Year and made the ACC’s All-Defensive team. After going undrafted, he represented the Pelicans in the Las Vegas Summer League last month, appearing in five games for New Orleans.

The Clippers have 14 players on guaranteed contracts on their roster. The team has also reportedly reached agreements on non-guaranteed deals with George King and Harry Giles.

Wright’s Exhibit 10 contract could theoretically provide a path to a spot on Los Angeles’ 15-man regular season roster. However, it’s more likely he’ll end up being an affiliate player for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, L.A.’s G League team. He could also be in the mix for a two-way contract, though the Clips have Jay Scrubb filling one of their two-way slots and may be eyeing Amir Coffey for the other — Coffey is still a restricted free agent for the time being.