Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Sign Justin James To Two-Way Contract

September 22nd, 2021 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have filled their open two-way slot by signing free agent swingman Justin James to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

James, 24, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings after being selected 40th overall in the 2019 draft out of Wyoming. He didn’t play a regular role for Sacramento, but appeared in 72 games across two seasons, averaging 3.2 PPG and 0.9 RPG with a shooting line of .446/.343/.544 in 7.5 minutes per contest.

James’ contract with the Kings covered the 2021/22 season, but his salary for the coming year wasn’t guaranteed, giving the team the opportunity to waive him last month without being on the hook for any dead money.

In Utah, James will occupy the Jazz’s second two-way slot alongside Trent Forrest. With James under contract, the team is now carrying 18 players, including 13 on guaranteed deals and Miye Oni on a non-guaranteed contract. James, Forrest, and Exhibit 10 recipients MaCio Teague and Derrick Alston round out the current group. The Jazz have room for two more camp invitees if they so choose.

Bulls Exercise 2022/23 Options For Coby White, Patrick Williams

September 22nd, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have exercised a pair of rookie scale team options, locking in guard Coby White and forward Patrick Williams for the 2022/23 season, the team announced today in a press release.

While decisions on standard team options are typically due right before free agency begins, teams have to make their decisions on rookie scale team options a year in advance. By October 31, clubs must either exercise or decline third-year options for first-round picks from 2020 and fourth-year options for 2019’s first-rounders.

White was a starter for the Bulls this past season, but figures to come off the bench following the team’s acquisition of Lonzo Ball in free agency. The 21-year-old averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 4.1 RPG on .416/.359/.901 shooting in 69 games (31.2 MPG) in 2020/21. His ’21/22 debut may be delayed, since he’s coming off left shoulder surgery.

Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft, was also a full-time starter last season as a 19-year-old rookie. His role for 2021/22 remains unclear, but the former Florida State standout looks like a key part of Chicago’s long-term plans. He put up 9.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .483/.391/.728 shooting in 71 games (27.9 MPG) last season.

White’s fourth-year option for 2022/23 is worth $7,413,955. He’ll now be extension-eligible during the 2022 offseason and would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2023 if he doesn’t sign a new deal next year. Williams’ third-year option for ’22/23 will pay him $7,775,400. The Bulls will have to decide on his fourth-year option for 2023/24 by October 31, 2022.

Cavaliers Sign Denzel Valentine To Two-Year Deal

September 22nd, 2021 at 12:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 22: The Cavaliers have officially signed Valentine, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. As previously relayed, the contract is reportedly partially guaranteed in year one and non-guaranteed in year two.

SEPTEMBER 10: The Cavaliers are signing swingman Denzel Valentine to a two-year contract, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.

Valentine’s interest in Cleveland had previously been reported.

Valentine, 27, spent the first five years of his NBA career in Chicago. He had a promising 2017/18 season (10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, .386 3PT%), but missed all of the ’18/19 campaign due to an ankle injury and has provided inconsistent production since that point.

The news that Cleveland is bringing in Valentine coincides with the team deciding to waive Damyean Dotson. Valentine will compete for minutes at the shooting guard and small forward spots.

Hawks Sign Jahlil Okafor To Non-Guaranteed Contract

September 22nd, 2021 at 8:36am CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 22: The deal became official on Tuesday, per RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 16: Former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor is signing with the Hawks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via twitter). The contract will be non-guaranteed.

In a follow-up tweet, Hawks beat reporter Chris Kirschner of The Athletic notes that Okafor and recently-signed Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who is also on a non-guaranteed deal, are the most likely candidates to claim the 15th and final spot on the team’s regular season roster.

The team currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts and 19 players signed to its training camp roster, so Okafor will be their 20th man on the roster, with no corresponding moves necessary to add him.

It’s worth noting that the Hawks could have claimed Okafor off waivers when he was released by the Nets last week, but doing so would have meant taking on a guaranteed minimum contract for the upcoming season. Waiting until he cleared waivers gave them the opportunity to sign him to a non-guaranteed deal, granting the team more flexibility with their roster.

Okafor has bounced around the league in recent years and struggled to break Detroit’s big man rotation last season before being traded to Brooklyn in the offseason. However, he does hold career averages of 10.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG in just 19.5 MPG, so he’s capable of packing an offensive punch when given the opportunity.

Quinn Cook Signs Non-Guaranteed Contract With Blazers

September 22nd, 2021 at 8:35am CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 22: Cook officially signed his contract with Portland on Tuesday, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 21: Two-time NBA champion Quinn Cook is signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (twitter link).

Cook struggled to find a permanent home last season, playing in 16 games with the Lakers before being waived in February, then playing seven games with the Cavs on a couple of 10-day contracts.

It was reported yesterday that the Warriors were planning on working out Cook this week, but it appears he’ll no longer be an option for Golden State.

Known for his strong locker-room presence and shooting ability, the Washington, D.C. native holds a career slash line of .461/.408/.795 in 14.1 MPG.

Once they officially finalize their agreement with Cook, the Blazers will have 18 players on their training camp roster, with two spots remaining, including an open two-way contract.

Pistons Sign Anthony Tarke To Camp Deal

September 22nd, 2021 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have signed rookie free agent wing Anthony Tarke to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

Tarke, 23, began his college career at NJIT before transferring to UTEP and then to Coppin State. He had his best season as a senior for Coppin State, filling up the box score with 16.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.6 SPG, and 1.9 BPG. He posted a .473/.321/.561 shooting line in 22 games (34.8 MPG).

Although he wasn’t selected in the July 29 draft, Tarke caught on with Detroit’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, appearing in four games for the club and averaging 4.0 PPG and 3.0 RPG in a limited role (15.8 MPG).

Having signed Tarke, the Pistons are now carrying 18 players — 14 on guaranteed contracts, two on two-way deals, and a pair on non-guaranteed camp contracts. The team has also reportedly reached an agreement to add Derrick Walton to its 20-man roster.

Theoretically, Tarke could be in play for a spot on the Pistons’ 15-man regular season roster – or a two-way contract, if Luka Garza is promoted – but he seems more likely to end up joining the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s new G League affiliate. His Exhibit 10 contract would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Cruise.

Wizards Sign Jordan Schakel To Training Camp Contract

September 21st, 2021 at 8:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

8:08pm: The Wizards have officially inked Schakel to an Exhibit 10 deal, the team announced today (via Twitter).

7:40pm: Rookie wing Jordan Schakel has signed a training camp contract with the Wizards, sources inform JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).

The 6’6″ Schakel went undrafted following a four-season San Diego State stint. During his final collegiate season in 2020/21, he averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG on .473/.461/.908 shooting. The 23-year-old was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team and to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team for his efforts.

Shaw notes that Schakel most recently suited up for the Kings’ championship-winning 2021 Summer League squad.

The revamped Wizards have 14 guaranteed contracts on their books heading into the 2021/22 season. The minimum-salary contract of center Daniel Gafford only becomes fully guaranteed on January 7, 2022, but it seems highly likely that Washington will re-up on the springy big man. Washington has one of its two two-way contract openings still available.

Schakel could conceivably compete for the Wizards’ available two-way slot in training camp. Should that not transpire, he could still log time for the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. If Schakel can stick with the Go-Go for at least 60 days, he will earn a $50K bonus.

JD Shaw contributed to this report.

Magic Add Admiral Schofield

September 21st, 2021 at 4:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Magic have finalized a deal with free agent forward Admiral Schofield, according to an official team press release.

Orlando currently has 15 guaranteed rosters, so the addition of Schofield appears most likely to be an Exhibit 10 training camp deal, though official terms of the contract have not been revealed. Schofield is the 20th player on the Magic’s 2021/22 roster ahead of the September 28 start of the team’s training camp.

This is not the first time Orlando has been interested in adding Schofield. Near the end of the 2021 season, with the Magic firmly ensconced in a full-on tank, chatter emerged about Schofield potentially getting a look with the club via a hardship exception. The Magic later moved on from the deal as a result of “inconsistencies” in Schofield’s COVID-19 testing, but clearly the team’s interest hasn’t waned.

Schofield could be competing for the Magic’s available two-way player slot. The undersized (6’5″) power forward out of Tennessee was originally drafted with the No. 42 pick in 2019 by the Sixers, before being sent to the Wizards in a draft-night trade. Schofield enjoyed a decorated NCAA run. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and the All-SEC Second Team during his four-year collegiate tenure.

Across 33 career NBA appearances (all during his rookie 2019/20 season), the 23-year-old Schofield holds averages of 3.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 11.2 MPG.

Schofield has also suited up for the NBAGL affiliates of both the Wizards and Hornets, the Capital City Go-Go and the Greensboro Swarm, respectively. In 47 G League contests, Schofield holds averages of 14.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 2.1 APG across 29.5 MPG.

Most recently, Schofield played for the Hawks’ 2021 Summer League roster.

Raptors Sign Reggie Perry

September 21st, 2021 at 11:37am CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors have signed second-year forward Reggie Perry, per a team press release.

Financial details of the move were not disclosed, but Blake Murphy (formerly of The Athletic) tweets that it will be an Exhibit 10 contract for training camp. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into standard or two-way deals and give players like Perry the opportunity to earn bonuses worth up to $50K if they end up joining the club’s G League affiliate after being cut, which seems pretty likely in this case, as Murphy notes.

Both of the Raptors’ two-way contract slots are currently filled, so they would have to waive one of those players in order to convert Perry to a two-way contract. The signing of Perry means that the team’s 20-man training camp roster is now full.

The 57th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Perry played sparingly for the Nets as a rookie last season, seeing action in 26 games and posting averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in just 8.1 MPG.

He did post strong numbers for their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, averaging 18.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 28.8 MPG across 15 games. The team was reportedly high on the former SEC co-player of the year, and he definitely has a chance to make it back to the NBA at some point.

Timberwolves Sign Bowen, Silva, Lewis, Miller

September 20th, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have signed forwards Brian Bowen II and Chris Silva and guards Matt Lewis and Isaiah Miller, according to a team press release.

The signings give Minnesota a full 20-man camp roster. Terms were not disclosed, but they’re all training camp deals.

Bowen started all five games for the Timberwolves in the Las Vegas summer league, averaging 8.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 24.5 MPG. He has played 12 games for the Pacers.

Silva saw action in 15 total games last season for the Heat and Kings, where he averaged 2.1 PPG and 1.8 RPG. Silva was dealt to the Kings at the trade deadline and waived in late April.

Lewis went undrafted out of James Madison University. He was named the CAA Player of the Year last season.

A report that the club was signing Miller to an Exhibit 10 contract came to light in late July. He also played in all five games of the summer league games, averaging 7.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 APG in 16.2 MPG.