Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Torrey Craig Signs Two-Year Contract With Pacers

August 20th, 2021 at 6:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 20: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

“Torrey is known for toughness, defense and being a great team guy,” Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said. “As a player who went undrafted, Torrey got to where he is through hard work and perseverance. He will be a great addition to our depth and our emphasis on defense.”

AUGUST 2: The Pacers are set to ink veteran free agent swingman Torrey Craig, most recently of the Bucks and Suns, to a two-year, $10MM contract, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that the Pacers will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign the 6’7″ Craig. The deal is fully guaranteed, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

The only player to have logged significant time playing for both NBA Finals teams during the 2020/21 season, Craig unfortunately found himself on the losing side with Phoenix, though he carved out a role for himself as a versatile, defense-first wing contributor.

After going undrafted out of USC Upstate in 2014, Craig first logged NBA action as a 26-year-old with the Nuggets in 2017. He signed a one-year deal with the Bucks as a free agent in 2020.

He struggled to carve out much of a role with Milwaukee during the first portion of the year, averaging just 2.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 0.9 APG in 11.2 MPG over 18 games.

Craig, 30, was ultimately traded to the Suns. In 18.8 MPG across 32 regular season contests, he averaged 7.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 1.0 APG. He posted a slash line of .503/.369/.800 while with Phoenix.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Knicks Sign M.J. Walker To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 20th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 20: The Knicks have officially signed Walker, the team tweets.

AUGUST 2: The Knicks have reached an agreement to sign former Florida State shooting guard M.J. Walker to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).

Walker, who went undrafted last Thursday, averaged 12.2 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 2.5 RPG in 24 games (29.0 MPG) as a senior in 2020/21. He posted an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 42.3% and earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.

Walker is the second undrafted rookie reported to have reached a contract agreement with the Knicks, who also lined up a training camp deal for Clemson’s Aamir Simms.

An Exhibit 10 contract will put Walker in position to either have his deal converted to a standard contract or two-way deal if he makes the team. If not, he could earn a bonus worth up to $50K by joining the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Mavericks Sign EJ Onu

August 20th, 2021 at 8:53am CST by Arthur Hill

EJ Onu has signed with the Mavericks, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Details on the contract weren’t released, but it’s likely to be a non-guaranteed training camp deal with Exhibit 10 language.

A 6’11” forward, Onu played four seasons at Shawnee State. He averaged 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior and helped the Bears capture the NAIA championship. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-South Conference three times and was selected as MSC Player of the Year this season.

He played for Dallas in the Summer League, but had to leave Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

The signing brings the Mavericks to 18 players under contract, along with a reported deal for Carlik Jones. Teams can bring up to 20 players to training camp.

Wizards Sign Jordan Goodwin To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 20th, 2021 at 8:35am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Goodwin has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, according to the transactions log at RealGM.

Goodwin, a 6’3″ guard of out St. Louis, was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive team in 2020 and 2021. The 22-year-old spent four seasons with the Billikens and averaged 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior. An undrafted free agent, he played for the Wizards in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The contract means Goodwin will join Washington for training camp and is eligible for a $50K bonus if he winds up playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. The signing brings the Wizards to 18 players, two short of the limit heading into camp. Kyree Walker is also expected to receive a training camp deal.

Spurs Sign Jock Landale

August 20th, 2021 at 8:07am CST by Eli Cohen

AUGUST 20: The signing is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

AUGUST 3: The Spurs have agreed to a two-year deal with Australian big man Jock Landale, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Landale, a 25-year-old, 6’11” center, is fresh off winning the 2021 NBL Grand Final MVP for Melbourne United. He averaged 16.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.5 BPG while shooting 38.9% from three on 149 total attempts during the 2020/21 season.

The Spurs are light in established frontcourt players, leaving the possibility of Landale to carve out a role for himself, especially if newly-signed Zach Collins is unable to stay healthy. With the team officially losing Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, the youth movement appears to be in full swing in San Antonio.

Hamidou Diallo Re-Signs With Pistons On Two-Year Contract

August 19th, 2021 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:35pm: A team press release has confirmed the signing, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. The second year of the contract is a team option, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

5:04pm: Restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo will remain with the Pistons on a two-year, $10.4MM deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Diallo’s agents, Thad Foucher and Joe Smith, informed Wojnarowski of the decision.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), the Pistons will eventually have to make another roster move to fit in Diallo, since they now have 16 guaranteed contracts on their books. There’s no rush to make that move, since teams can carry up to 20 players in the offseason.

Diallo appeared in 20 games after Detroit acquired him from Oklahoma City, averaging 11.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.2 APG. The high-flying Diallo also showed improvement with his 3-point shot after the mid-season trade, draining 39% of his 3-point shots. He had a breakout season with extended playing time, as he also averaged 11.9 for OKC in 32 games.

A 2018 second-round selection, Diallo appeared in 129 games with the Thunder. He’s averaged 7.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 17.8 MPG during his three-year career.

General manager Troy Weaver, a former Thunder executive, had prioritized re-signing Diallo this offseason. Detroit extended a qualifying offer of $2.08MM to make him a restricted free agent.

Diallo joins a crowd at the wing that includes top pick Cade Cunningham, who will often share the floor with Killian Hayes, as well Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson, Rodney McGruder, Frank Jackson and Jerami Grant (in bigger lineups).

Pelicans, Josh Hart Finalize Three-Year Contract

August 19th, 2021 at 10:45am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 19: Hart’s new contract with the Pelicans is now official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

AUGUST 16: The Pelicans are nearing an agreement to re-sign restricted free agent wing Josh Hart, Hart’s agents at CAA inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Woj reports that the contract will be a three-year, $38MM deal. New Orleans had Hart’s Bird rights, so no cap room maneuvering or exceptions are necessary to make the deal work.

The 6’5″ wing was part of the loaded package of young players and draft picks that arrived in New Orleans in the deal that sent All-Star big man Anthony Davis to the Lakers in the summer of 2019.

Hart, 26, was selected with the No. 30 pick in the 2017 NBA draft out of Villanova. He spent his first two seasons in Los Angeles, showing promising flashes as an intriguing two-way swingman.

Hart has seen his touches on offense improve as a reserve for the Pelicans from his tenure in Los Angeles. During his most recent season in 2020/21, Hart appeared in 47 of 72 possible contests. Across 28.7 MPG, he averaged 9.2 PPG on 43.9% shooting with 8.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 0.8 SPG.

Hart will be the Pelicans’ 15th player on a guaranteed contract, which means that power forward Wenyen Gabriel, currently on a non-guaranteed $1,762,796 contract for the 2021/22 season, looks like the odd man out.

Woj adds that the deal looks set to be concluded soon. Will Guillory of The Athletic echoes this sentiment, tweeting that “a few details” in the contract still need to be finessed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets Sign JaMychal Green To Two-Year Deal

August 19th, 2021 at 10:44am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 19: The Nuggets have officially re-signed Green, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

AUGUST 2: The Nuggets will bring back reserve power forward JaMychal Green, an unrestricted free agent, on a two-year, $17MM deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The agreement includes a player option for the 2022/23 season, Charania adds.

After going undrafted out of Alabama in 2012, the 6’8″ Green logged time with the Spurs, Grizzlies, and Clippers before linking up with Denver. Green, now 31, initially joined the Nuggets as a free agent in 2020, inking a two-year, $15MM deal with a player option for the 2021/22 season, which he then declined this summer.

An athletic big man with long-range shooting ability, Green proved a helpful contributor in Denver’s frontcourt rotation. Across 58 contests with Denver, Green averaged 8.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 19.3 MPG, with a stellar shooting line of .463/.399/.807. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 5.2 RPG during 19 MPG in the 2021 postseason.

The Pelicans were also interested in adding Green this summer, writes Mike Singer of the Denver Post.

The Nuggets appear determined to retain some key role players this summer, as it was also reported today that Denver is set to bring back free agent shooting guard Will Barton, also on a two-year deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Hawks Sign A.J. Lawson To Camp Deal

August 19th, 2021 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have signed rookie free agent A.J. Lawson to a one-year contract, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. While terms of the deal aren’t known, it figures to be a non-guaranteed camp deal that includes Exhibit 10 language.

Lawson, who went undrafted on July 29, put up 16.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .351 3PT% in 21 games (31.3 MPG) as a junior for South Carolina in 2020/21. The 6’6″ shooting guard earned a spot on the All-SEC Second Team.

Shortly after the draft, Lawson reportedly reached an agreement to sign with the Heat, then joined the team for Summer League play. However, he left Miami’s Summer League club in Las Vegas in order to join the Hawks’ SL squad, which was a pretty clear indication that he no longer intended to attend training camp with the Heat. Instead, it appears he’ll do so with Atlanta.

With the signing, the Hawks now have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, two on Exhibit 10 deals (Lawson and Johnny Hamilton) and one on a two-way pact (Sharife Cooper). Atlanta also has a two-way qualifying offer out to Skylar Mays and reportedly intends to sign undrafted rookie Ibi Watson to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Knicks Sign Dwayne Bacon

August 19th, 2021 at 7:33am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 19: The Knicks have officially signed Bacon, according to RealGM’s transactions log. It’s a one-year, minimum-salary contract, and I’d be surprised if it’s fully guaranteed.

AUGUST 9: After being waived by the Magic on Sunday, free agent shooting guard Dwayne Bacon appears to have lined up a new home elsewhere in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are set to sign Bacon on a new deal, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).

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

He then signed on with the Magic in 2020, proving his durability by appearing in every single 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 for a lottery-bound Orlando squad. Bacon sported a shooting line of .402/.285/.824.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) notes, the Knicks’ roster currently projects to include 14 guaranteed deals, one non-guaranteed contract (Argentinian point guard Luca Vildoza), and one player on a two-way contract (rookie forward Jericho Sims). It’s unclear whether Bacon will receive a full or partial guarantee on his new deal.

Of course, before he can sign with the Knicks, Bacon will need to clear waivers. That will happen on Tuesday, assuming he goes unclaimed.