Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Haywood Highsmith To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Sixers

August 24th, 2021 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Haywood Highsmith, who appeared in five games with the Sixers during the 2018/19 season, will reportedly be returning to the team this fall.

Highsmith signed last month with Vanoli Cremona, but the Italian club announced today in a press release that the 24-year-old has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract. According to Vanoli Cremona, Highsmith will be signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia.

Highsmith, who went undrafted out of Wheeling in 2018, spent most of the first two seasons of his professional carer playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, the 76ers’ G League affiliate. In 89 NBAGL games (29.5 MPG), he averaged 11.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.6 APG on .423/.338/.679 shooting. He spent the 2020/21 season with the Crailsheim Merlins in Germany.

Since the Sixers project to have a full regular season roster, Highsmith looks like a long shot to make the 15-man squad. A return to Delaware may be in the cards for the forward, who would be eligible to earn a bonus of up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Blue Coats.

Celtics Sign Josh Richardson To One-Year Extension

August 24th, 2021 at 7:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 24: Richardson has officially signed his extension, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

AUGUST 23: The Celtics have agreed to tack on a one-year extension to the current contract of newly-acquired swingman Josh Richardson, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The former Mavericks wing’s contract was initially set to expire in 2022 after paying him $11.6MM this season. Charania notes that Richardson is now set to earn $24MM over the next two years, indicating that Richardson’s one-year extension will likely be worth about $12-13MM in 2022/23.

Earlier this summer, Richardson was sent to Boston in exchange for 7’2″ center Moses Brown in a one-for-one exchange. The Celtics used the remaining portion of their Gordon Hayward trade exception to accommodate the acquisition.

The 6’5″ Richardson, 27, will suit up for his fourth team in four seasons this fall. Initially drafted by the Heat with No. 40 pick out of Tennessee in 2015, he spent his first four seasons in Miami, flashing the potential to become a reliable 3-and-D wing, one of the hottest commodities in the NBA. He was sent to the Sixers as part of the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade in the summer of 2019, and then was moved again, this time to the Mavericks, during the 2020 offseason.

During the 2020/21 season, Richardson averaged 12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.5 APG, his worst output in those categories since becoming a full-time starter with the Heat in 2017/18. A career 35.8% shooter from long range (on 4.5 attempts a night), Richardson could help Boston in a more limited role as a floor spacer, supporting All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Richardson’s extension is the third one the Celtics have agreed to this month. The team also recently announced a new contract for Marcus Smart and also has a deal in place with Robert Williams.

Magic Sign Moritz Wagner To Two-Year Deal

August 23rd, 2021 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 23: The Magic have officially re-signed Wagner, the team announced in a press release.

AUGUST 4: The Magic have reached an agreement with free agent big man Moritz Wagner on a two-year deal, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 25th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Wagner spent his rookie season with the Lakers before being sent to Washington as part of the Anthony Davis blockbuster. He was subsequently flipped to Boston at the 2021 trade deadline in March and then waived in April. The Magic picked him up for the last three weeks of the season and apparently liked what they saw enough to bring him back.

Wagner averaged 11.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG with a shooting line of .409/.372/.879 in 11 games (26.0 MPG) for Orlando. Most of those figures exceeded his previous career highs.

Wagner figures to add depth to a Magic frontcourt that includes Wendell Carter and Mohamed Bamba. The team also reached a one-year deal with Robin Lopez to add some veteran experience to that group.

The move will unite Wagner with his younger brother, Franz Wagner, who was the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft. Orlando officially signed the younger Wagner to his rookie contract on Tuesday.

Wizards Add Jaime Echenique On Exhibit 10 Deal

August 22nd, 2021 at 3:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have signed free agent center Jaime Echenique to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Echenique played his college ball at Wichita State from 2018-20. The 24-year-old suited up for the Wizards’ Summer League club in Las Vegas.

The 6’11” big man went undrafted in 2020 and spent his first pro season with the Spanish club Acunsa GBC. In 18 games for the club, he averaged 12.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 0.9 BPG during just 20.3 MPG.

By signing this deal, Echenique will be able to play with the new-look Wizards during their training camp ahead of the 2021/22 season. Should Echenique end up playing for Washington’s NBA G League affiliate team, the Capital City Go-Go, he would qualify for a bonus worth up to $50K.

Mavericks Sign Feron Hunt, Carlik Jones

August 21st, 2021 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 21: The Mavericks have officially signed Hunt and Jones, per a team press release. The signings of Onu and Omoruyi were previously completed.

The Mavs training camp roster is now finalized at 20 players. Terms of the deals were not disclosed, but they’re almost certainly Exhibit 10 contracts.

JULY 30: The Mavericks didn’t have a pick in Thursday’s draft, but they’ve been busy lining up deals with a handful of rookies who went undrafted in last night’s event.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Oregon’s Eugene Omoruyi and Louisville’s Carlik Jones have agreed to sign with Dallas, while Jeremy Woo of SI.com says (via Twitter) that Shawnee State’s EJ Onu has reached an agreement on a camp deal with the Mavs.

Omoruyi, who transferred to Oregon for his senior year after beginning his college career at Rutgers, averaged 17.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG on .473/.376/.765 shooting in 28 games (30.6 MPG) in 2020/21. The 6’6″ small forward earned All-Pac 12 First Team honors.

A 6’1″ guard, Jones also transferred for his senior year, making the move from Radford to Louisville. He put up 16.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.5 APG in 19 games (37.5 MPG) for the Cardinals and made the All-ACC First Team.

Onu, a 6’11” forward who was the 24th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s list of undrafted players, helped lead Shawnee State to a NAIA championship this spring.

SMU’s Feron Hunt also tweeted that he’s joining the Mavericks, and his marketing firm congratulated him on signing with Dallas, but it’s unclear if that’s just for Summer League or if he’ll be with the club for training camp. Hunt, a 6’8″ forward, declared for the draft after a junior year in which he recorded 11.1 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 16 games (28.2 MPG).

Marcus Smart Signs Four-Year Extension With Celtics

August 21st, 2021 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 21: The Celtics have officially signed Smart to his extension, the team announced today in a press release.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather play and no other fans I’d rather play in front of. I love Boston, and Boston loves me,” Smart said in a statement. “We’ve had some great moments and success in my time here, but there’s more to accomplish. I’m ready to put that Celtics jersey back on and get to work out on the Parquet with my teammates.”

AUGUST 16: Longtime Celtics guard Marcus Smart will sign a four-year, $77.1MM contract extension with the team that drafted him, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania adds that the deal will include a trade kicker.

Smart’s new contract is fully guaranteed through 2025/26. There is no player option, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who notes that the new agreement will begin during the 2022/23 season.

Originally selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft out of Oklahoma State, Smart first re-signed with Boston on a four-year, $52MM deal that will take him through the 2021/22 season. A two-time All-Defensive Team selection, the 27-year-old guard has proved to be a valuable addition during seven playoff-bound NBA seasons with the Celtics.

The 6’3″ Smart, working mostly as a starter, averaged 13.1 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.5 RPG and 0.5 BPG during the 2020/21 season. Beyond his raw numbers, Smart has shined as a wing and perimeter defender and operated as a vocal team leader.

Smart is earning $14,339,285 in 2021/22 and is eligible for a starting salary worth 120% of that amount on an in-season extension. The Celtics offered the maximum amount they could, so the new deal will start at $17,207,142 in ’22/23 and will feature 8% annual raises, for a total of $77,087,994.

The Celtics’ backcourt underwent two major transitions earlier during the 2021 offseason. Boston traded oft-injured former All-Star starting point guard Kemba Walker to the Thunder, then signed former starting Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to a one-year, $5.89MM deal using the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Wizards Re-Sign Cassius Winston To Two-Way Deal

August 20th, 2021 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have re-signed point guard Cassius Winston to a two-way contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

Winston, who also played on a two-way deal last season, was a restricted free agent this month after the team extended him a qualifying offer. That qualifying offer was the equivalent of another two-way contract with a $50K partial guarantee, so it’s possible Winston simply accepted it.

The No. 53 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Winston appeared in 22 games off the bench as a rookie. The former Michigan State star averaged 1.9 PPG in 4.5 MPG. He also played in one postseason game.

Washington’s other two-way slot is also available.

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.