Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Sign Nate Hinton To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 7th, 2021 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

7:41pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Pacers.

3:20pm: The Pacers have reached an agreement with free agent guard Nate Hinton on an Exhibit 10 deal, agent Tallen Todorovich tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Hinton, 22, signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks during the 2020 offseason after going undrafted out of Houston. The 6’5″ shooting guard spent his rookie season in Dallas, appearing in 21 games for the club, but only played limited minutes, averaging 2.0 PPG in 4.4 MPG. He saw more action at the G League level for the Santa Cruz Warriors, putting up 10.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 10 games (23.0 MPG).

The Mavs issued a qualifying offer to Hinton earlier this summer to make him a restricted free agent and he accepted it, briefly returning to the team on a second two-way deal. However, Dallas waived him in August in order to open up a two-way slot for JaQuori McLaughlin.

The Pacers currently have a total of 19 players under contract, including 13 on guaranteed contracts, four on non-guaranteed deals, and a pair on two-way pacts. Hinton, who will join Keifer Sykes and Terry Taylor as the Pacers players with Exhibit 10 deals, will be the team’s 20th man.

Earning a regular season roster spot will be a challenge, but if Hinton ends up joining Indiana’s G League affiliate for at least 60 days, his Exhibit 10 contract would make him eligible to earn a bonus of up to $50K.

Spurs Sign Joe Wieskamp To Two-Way Contract

September 7th, 2021 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 7: The Spurs have officially announced the signing of Wieskamp to a two-way deal, per a team press release.

AUGUST 17: Former Iowa wing Joe Wieskamp will sign a two-way contract with the Spurs, according to Scott Dochterman of The Athletic (Twitter link; hat tip to RealGM).

Wieskamp, who will turn 22 next Monday, averaged 14.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG on .491/.462/.677 shooting in 31 games (29.3 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21. He earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors and was the 41st player to come off the board in the July 29 draft.

The Spurs already have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Drew Eubanks on a partially guaranteed deal and Bryn Forbes and Jock Landale still to sign. As such, there probably wouldn’t have a spot for Wieskamp on the 15-man regular season roster, so it makes sense that San Antonio will start him off on a two-way contract.

Once they sign Wieskamp, the Spurs will still have their second two-way slot open, though Keita Bates-Diop is a candidate to fill it — the team still has a two-way qualifying offer out to him.

Bulls Sign Matt Thomas

September 6th, 2021 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed free agent sharpshooter Matt Thomas to a contract, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. The signing occurred on Saturday, per RealGM.

Thomas, who signed a multiyear deal with the Raptors in 2019 following an impressive stint overseas, spent a year-and-a-half with Toronto before being sent to Utah at the 2021 deadline. In total, he appeared in 86 games for the Raptors and Jazz, averaging 4.0 PPG in 8.9 minutes per contest.

Thomas is known for his ability to knock down three-point shots. He made 41.3% of his long-distance attempts during his two NBA seasons after making 48.1% for Valencia Basket during his last year in Europe in 2018/19.

While the specific details of Thomas’ deal aren’t known, RealGM classifies it as a one-year contract. And since it doesn’t show up NBA.com’s transactions log – which doesn’t list non-guaranteed signings – it’s probably safe to assume it’s not guaranteed.

Since Chicago has been carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, Thomas could get an opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot. Stanley Johnson, another former Raptor who reached a deal with the Bulls today, also figures to be in the mix for a roster spot — it’s unclear whether or not Johnson’s salary will be guaranteed.

Clippers Waive Yogi Ferrell

September 5th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have waived guard Yogi Ferrell, the team announced on Sunday night in a press release. The move reduces L.A.’s total roster count to 15 players.

Ferrell, 28, signed a 10-day contract with the Clippers in April, then inked a multiyear deal with the team when his initial agreement expired. He appeared in eight total regular season games for L.A., averaging 4.6 PPG and 2.1 APG in 12.0 MPG, then logged garbage-time minutes in nine postseason contests.

Because Ferrell’s 2021/22 salary was non-guaranteed, the Clippers won’t be on the hook for any of his $1.98MM minimum salary. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if and when he clears waivers later this week.

The Clippers now have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Jay Scrubb on a two-way deal. The team has also reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 pact with George King and has a two-way qualifying offer out to Amir Coffey.

Spurs Waive Chandler Hutchison

September 4th, 2021 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:12pm: The move is official, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

4:40pm: The Spurs plan to release small forward Chandler Hutchison, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Hutchison’s salary for the upcoming season is guaranteed, so San Antonio will owe him the full amount of $4,019,459. He was acquired from the Wizards in a five-team trade last month.

Washington picked up the 25-year-old from the Bulls at the trade deadline in March. He appeared in 18 games with the Wizards, averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per night.

Chicago selected Hutchison with the 22nd pick in 2018, but he was never able to able to develop a consistent role. He played just seven games for the Bulls last season and sat out nearly two months before the trade for what the team listed as personal reasons.

The Spurs had 17 guaranteed contracts, so at least one more will need to be waived or traded to get down to the regular season roster limit. They have 16 players signed for camp, plus Joe Wieskamp set to fill one of the two-way slots. Keita Bates-Diop remains a restricted free agent and could fill the other two-way opening.

Anthony Lamb Accepts Qualifying Offer From Rockets

September 4th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Lamb has accepted the qualifying offer that the Rockets made at the end of July, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Because Lamb was on a two-way contract, the offer is the equivalent of another two-way deal that carries a $50K guarantee. He and rookie Matthew Hurt will be Houston’s two-way players heading into camp, and they will battle for roster spots along with guards Armoni Brooks and Daishen Nix and forward Tyler Bey, who all have Exhibit 10 deals. Lamb’s signing brings the team to the training camp limit of 20 players.

After going undrafted out of Vermont, Lamb went to camp with the Pistons last December but was cut before the season began. The 23-year-old played in the G League before joining the Rockets in March. He got into 24 games, starting three, and averaged 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per night.

If Lamb makes the team, Feigen speculates that his future will be as a stretch four as he shot 39.2% from three-point range over his final 15 games. Lamb has upgraded his strength and fitness, according to Summer League coach Will Weaver.

“The biggest focus this summer is defense,” Lamb said. “I just went out trying to figure out how I can make myself more versatile, being able to switch onto multiple people, guard whoever comes against me. I’m trying to use my voice and talk to make sure that I’m really effective on that end.”

Nets Trade Jordan, Draft Picks To Pistons For Okafor, Doumbouya

September 4th, 2021 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 4: The trade is official, according to a Brooklyn press release.

“We appreciate everything DeAndre has contributed to our organization over the past two seasons both on and off the court and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in a statement.

SEPTEMBER 3: The Nets and Pistons have reached an agreement on a trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that Detroit will acquire center DeAndre Jordan, four second-round picks, and $5.78MM in cash. Brooklyn will receive Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya in return.

The draft picks headed to Detroit in the deal are the Nets’ own 2022 and 2027 second-round picks, plus the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ 2024 second-rounder (whichever is more favorable) and the Warriors’ or Wizards’ 2025 second-rounder (whichever is more favorable), sources tell ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, the plan is for the Pistons to work out a buyout agreement with Jordan, who has about $20MM left on his contract over the next two years.

The Nets had been trying for much of the offseason to find a taker for Jordan, a three-time All-NBA center who joined the team as a free agent in 2019 along with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but fell out of the rotation in 2020/21. A report earlier this week indicated Jordan and the Nets were exploring a possible buyout — now it’ll be up to the Pistons to complete those talks.

Although the Nets had to give up four second-round picks to dump Jordan’s salary, the financial benefits will be significant. Jordan is making more than Okafor and Doumbouya combined this year and has multiple years left on his contract, while Okafor and Doumbouya are on expiring deals. Wojnarowski estimates (via Twitter) that the club will save $47MM in the deal after accounting for salaries and projected tax penalties.

That money could be reinvested in buying back second-round picks down the road. However, as Woj points out, Brooklyn is confident in its ability to acquire minimum-salary talent to complement its Durant/Irving/James Harden core, as the team did this week by reaching an agreement with Paul Millsap.

The Nets will also acquire a pair of players in the deal, though it’s unclear if either Okafor or Doumbouya is in their plans. The team will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts and one (DeAndre’ Bembry) on a partial guarantee even before accounting for the incoming Pistons. Perhaps the Nets will give Doumbouya – 2019’s No. 15 pick – a shot, but I’d be surprised if they retain Okafor.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Brooklyn will create a $6.27MM trade exception in the swap, which is the difference between Jordan’s $9.88MM salary and Doumbouya’s $3.61MM figure. Okafor can be acquired using the minimum salary exception, so the Nets don’t need to match his salary.

As for the Pistons, they’ll take on some dead money as a result of this transaction, but the pros outweigh the cons. Detroit had traded away its own second-round picks from 2022 through 2026 in previous deals, so this gives general manager Troy Weaver a chance to restock his cache of draft assets. Additionally, the $5.78MM in cash the Pistons are getting in the deal – which is the max the Nets could offer – will help cover some of Jordan’s salary.

On top of that, the Pistons had been facing a roster crunch, with 16 players on guaranteed contracts. A two-for-one trade, followed by a Jordan buyout, will reduce that number to 14, giving Detroit an open roster spot to work with. The club could give a camp invitee such as Jamorko Pickett the opportunity to earn that spot this fall or could simply carry 14 players to start the regular season.

Once Jordan is bought out, he’ll be officially placed on waivers and will become an unrestricted free agent two days later. Multiple recent reports have suggested the Lakers are a suitor to keep an eye on, and Wojnarowski reiterates that point today (via Twitter), calling Los Angeles a “serious contender” to sign the veteran center.

Marquese Chriss Signs Non-Guaranteed Deal With Blazers

September 3rd, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:00pm: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.

8:53pm: Marquese Chriss has agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Chriss played in just two games last season with the Warriors before suffering a broken right fibula in practice that ended his season. The Spurs acquired Chriss and his expiring contract in late March, then waived him a few days later.

Chriss has fully recovered from the injury, according to Charania, and will compete for a roster spot. Chriss appeared in 59 games with Golden State in 2019/20, including 21 starts, and averaged 9.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 20.3 MPG. He’s entering his sixth NBA season.

Portland has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Dennis Smith Jr. and Chriss among those expected to come to training camp on non-guaranteed deals. The Blazers may keep their 15th roster spot open to start the regular season, since they’re slightly over the tax line.

DeAndre Jordan Expected To Sign With Lakers

September 3rd, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign with the Lakers once the Nets’ deal with the Pistons is completed and Detroit waives him, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Jordan will receive a veteran’s minimum contract of one year and $2.6MM from Los Angeles.

Brooklyn agreed to trade Jordan along with four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. The Pistons are expected to buy out and waive Jordan, who has two years and nearly $20MM remaining on his contract.

Jordan is giving back $4MM to get out of his contract, Charania adds in another tweet.

How much Jordan, who fell out of Brooklyn’s rotation last season, would play with the Lakers is a major question mark. Los Angeles still has Marc Gasol on the roster and also signed Dwight Howard in free agency. Anthony Davis, naturally, will also see minutes at center. However, there’s been speculation that Gasol might not return to Los Angeles for the upcoming season.

The Lakers already have 13 players with guaranteed contracts and two others, Chaundee Brown and Mac McClung, on non-guaranteed deals.

Nets Sign LaMarcus Aldridge, Waive Alize Johnson

September 3rd, 2021 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:43pm: The Nets have officially signed Aldridge, according to a team press release.

4:19pm: The Nets are signing veteran power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and have waived Alize Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn has officially announced the release of Johnson.

Aldridge will receive a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2.6MM for one year. That was all the Nets could offer due to salary cap constraints.

Aldridge retired last season due to an irregular heartbeat, but received medical clearance to resume his career on Thursday and Brooklyn was considered his likely destination. He played five games with the Nets before the condition forced him to temporarily end his career.

“I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I’m fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA,” Aldridge said in a statement to ESPN. “I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship.”

Aldridge, who also dealt with heart issues in 2017, started talking about a comeback last month. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21 games last season with the Spurs as the team’s starting center. San Antonio opted to go with younger players and ultimately reached a buyout agreement, allowing him to sign with Brooklyn in late March. He was waived after announcing his retirement.

Johnson, 25, appeared in 18 games for Brooklyn in 2020/21, averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in just 10.5 minutes per contest.

Since he was on a three-year, minimum-salary contract, Johnson can’t be claimed off waivers using the minimum salary exception, but a team with a trade exception big enough to absorb his non-guaranteed $1.76MM salary could submit a claim. If he goes unclaimed, Johnson will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.

Brooklyn has been quite busy this week. The team reportedly reached an agreement with free agent forward Paul Millsap and has also agreed to trade DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons along with four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash in exchange for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya.

After officially adding Millsap and Aldridge and completing their trade with Detroit, the Nets will have 16 players on guaranteed contracts and one (DeAndre’ Bembry) on a partially guaranteed deal, meaning more roster moves will be necessary to set the 15-man regular season roster next month.

Additionally, Brooklyn is carrying a two-way player (Kessler Edwards) and another (David Duke) on an Exhibit 10 deal. The club also has two unsigned second-round picks (RaiQuan Gray and Marcus Zegarowski).