Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavericks Sign Eugene Omoruyi To Two-Way Contract

August 13th, 2021 at 8:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have signed rookie Eugene Omoruyi to a two-way contract, the team’s PR department tweets.

Omoruyi went undrafted after spending one season at Oregon and three at Rutgers. Dallas’ decision to ink Omoruyi to a contract was reported right after the draft and the franchise obviously likes the 6’6” small forward enough to hand him one of its two-ways.

Omoruyi averaged 17.1 PPG and 5.4 RPG on .473/.376/.765 shooting in 28 games (30.6 MPG) with the Ducks. In two summer league contests, Omoruyi is averaging 16.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG.

The Mavs’ other two-way slot is occupied by guard Nate Hinton. Dallas now has a full 17-man roster, though the club can add up to three more players to its offseason squad.

Celtics Sign Dennis Schröder To One-Year Deal

August 13th, 2021 at 5:40pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 13: The Celtics have officially signed Schroder, according to a team press release.

“We are really excited to welcome Dennis and his family to Boston,” president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in a statement. “Dennis is a high-level player and competitor, who has consistently impacted winning with his play on both ends of the court.”

AUGUST 10: The Celtics and free agent point guard Dennis Schröder are in agreement on a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the deal will be worth the $5.89MM taxpayer mid-level exception.

Schröder has officially confirmed in an Instagram story that he’s joining the Celtics.

“This is one of the best franchises in NBA history and it will be a honour to put on the green and white and do what I love!” Schröder wrote. “I’m going out there every night and leaving it all on the floor for the city!! Who’s ready?!”

We first heard last week that the Celtics and Schröder were engaged in contract discussions, with a report earlier today indicating the team had offered him a one-year, $5.9MM deal.

Today’s report suggested Schröder was seeking a second-year player option and the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth about $9.5MM), but the C’s wanted to maintain cap flexibility in 2022 and avoid hard-capping themselves this season. It appears Schröder relented.

Schröder had an up-and-down season for the Lakers in 2020/21 after being acquired from the Thunder last fall. His scoring average dipped to 15.4 PPG, his lowest mark since 2015/16, and his shooting numbers (.437 FG%, .335 3PT%) also fell off a little following a career year in Oklahoma City.

The 27-year-old struggled in the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to Phoenix, putting up just 14.3 PPG and 2.8 APG on .400/.308/.846 shooting in six games (32.7 MPG), though he was coming off a case of COVID-19 near the end of the regular season.

Despite Schröder’s inconsistent play in Los Angeles, the extent to which his market collapsed is still surprising. He reportedly turned down a four-year extension offer worth in excess of $80MM during the season. When the Lakers agreed to trade for Russell Westbrook, it closed one door for Schröder, and the teams seeking a point guard in free agency didn’t have the German atop their lists of targets.

As a result, the Celtics – who traded away starting point guard Kemba Walker in June – will get a bargain for the 2021/22 season, while Schröder will look to rebuild his value in Boston before re-entering the free agent market in 2022.

As Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston notes (via Twitter), if the Celtics remain committed to not using more than the taxpayer portion of their mid-level exception, they’ll be limited to one- or two-year minimum-salary deals for any other signings, including draft-and-stash prospect Yam Madar.

Bulls Sign Ayo Dosunmu, Marko Simonovic

August 13th, 2021 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

6:53pm: Dosunmu received a guaranteed two-year, $2.48MM contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. That’s a minimum-salary deal, which would leave the mid-level open for Simonovic.

1:38pm: The Bulls have officially locked up a pair of second-round picks, signing guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward/center Marko Simonovic to their first NBA contracts, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Dosunmu, 21, played his college ball at Illinois, spending three years with the Fighting Illini before declaring for the draft following his junior season. He averaged an impressive 20.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.3 APG on .488/.390/.783 shooting in 28 games (35.1 MPG) in 2020/21 and was selected 38th overall by the Bulls in the 2021 draft.

Simonovic, meanwhile, was the No. 44 pick in the 2020 draft, but played in Serbia for one more season before making the leap to the NBA. The 21-year-old big man, who confirmed earlier this week that he’d be signing with the Bulls, put up 15.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 25 games (31.6 MPG) for Mega Basket in the Adriatic League in 2020/21.

Terms of the two deals aren’t yet known, but the Bulls had less than $1MM of their mid-level exception left after signing Alex Caruso using most of the MLE. That means they’ll be able to give one of their rookies a three- or four-year deal, but will be limited to two years for the other (via either the bi-annual exception or the minimum salary exception).

The Bulls now have 12 players on under contract, with Lauri Markkanen‘s restricted free agency still to be resolved.

Bucks Sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo To Two-Year Deal

August 13th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

1:03pm: The Bucks have officially re-signed Antetokounmpo, the team announced today in a press release.

“Thanasis brings energy, effort and tenacity every minute of every game,” general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “He’s a valuable part of our team and we’re excited to have him remain in Milwaukee.”

7:55am: The Bucks and free agent forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo have agreed to a new two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The older brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis has spent the last two seasons in Milwaukee and appeared in 57 games for the club in 2020/21, averaging 2.9 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 9.7 minutes per contest.

Prior to the 2019/20 season, the 6’6″ forward had played for a handful of international and G League teams and made a brief NBA cameo for the Knicks during the 2015/16 season, appearing in two games.

The terms of Antetokounmpo’s new deal aren’t known, but a minimum-salary pact seems likely.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), prior to agreeing to a new contract with Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee had been carrying 12 players on guaranteed contracts and three with partial or non-guarantees (Georgios Kalaitzakis, Elijah Bryant, and Mamadi Diakite). It’s unclear if Antetokounmpo is receiving a full guarantee.

Jazz Sign Second-Rounder Jared Butler

August 12th, 2021 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have signed guard Jared Butler, according to a team press release.

According to Priority Sports, Butler’s agency, it’s a two-year guaranteed deal (Twitter link). Utah used its full taxpayer mid-level exception on Rudy Gay, leaving just the minimum salary exception for Butler — that means he was limited to no more than two years at the minimum.

Butler was acquired from the Pelicans in a draft-night deal. It was folded into part of a larger three-team deal.

Butler was a key component for national champion Baylor, averaging 16.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.3 RPG and 2.0 SPG while shooting 41.6% from 3-point range as a junior. He had 22 points and seven assists in the title game against Gonzaga and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Kawhi Leonard Re-Signs With Clippers On Four-Year Deal

August 12th, 2021 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 12: Leonard has officially signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract that includes a player option in the final year, according to Haynes. The Clippers have issued a press release announcing the deal.

As our maximum-salary chart shows, the four-year contract will be worth about $176.3MM, as follows:

2021/22: $39,344,900
2022/23: $42,492,492
2023/24: $45,640,084
2024/25: $48,787,676 (player option)

As noted below, because Leonard only had Early Bird rights, he couldn’t sign a five-year deal, so this is the longest and largest contract he could have received this offseason.

“Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship.

“This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization, where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi. For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury. We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with teammates.”

AUGUST 6: Free agent forward Kawhi Leonard won’t be making a surprise departure from Los Angeles this summer, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the two-time NBA Finals MVP has decided to re-sign with the Clippers.

While Leonard will be signing a new contract with Los Angeles, the exact terms of that deal are still being discussed, says Haynes.

Leonard turned down a $36MM player option on Sunday in order to reach free agency, since he’s now eligible for a slightly higher maximum salary ($39.34MM). It seems safe to assume his new contract will be worth the max, so the two sides are likely weighing how many years it’ll cover.

The Clippers hold the superstar’s Early Bird rights, allowing for a contract of up to four years and $176MM. If he were to sign a one-plus-one deal with a second-year player option, Kawhi could make $39MM+ this season, then opt out to sign another new contract in 2022, when he has full Bird rights and could get up to five years from the Clips. Based on the NBA’s latest salary cap projection, a five-year deal at that point would be worth over $241MM.

Leonard, 30, had another All-Star season for the Clippers in 2020/21, averaging 24.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and a career-high 5.2 APG on .512/.398/.885 shooting in 52 games (34.1 MPG). Despite missing 20 regular season games, he earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team.

However, after leading the Clippers to a first-round series win over Dallas and helping them pull to even in the second round vs. Utah, Leonard suffered a knee injury that ended his season and puts his availability for 2021/22 in doubt. He recently underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of his right ACL and has no set timetable for a return. The expectation is that he’ll miss most – or even all – of next season.

Leonard’s free agency, then, is reminiscent of when Kevin Durant hit the market shortly after tearing his Achilles in 2019 and received a four-year, maximum-salary commitment from the Nets. Brooklyn was confident that Durant would make a full recovery and the investment would pay off.

The Clippers appear to be of the same mindset with Leonard, as president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said last week that Kawhi’s ACL recovery will “require a great deal of time and we want to support him in that.”

Of course, while Durant chose a new team following his Achilles tear, there was never an expectation Kawhi would leave Los Angeles, despite one report suggesting he was open to hearing pitches from other teams. Leonard chose the Clippers over rival suitors during his last free agency in 2019 and remains committed to the franchise going forward.

Trail Blazers Sign Second-Rounder Greg Brown

August 12th, 2021 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have officially signed second-round pick Greg Brown to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release.

A 6’9″ forward, Brown was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team during his lone year with the Longhorns. Across 26 games, including 24 starts, Brown averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.0 BPG, and 0.6 SPG in just 20.6 MPG.

The Blazers entered draft night without any picks in either round, but reached a deal to acquire the No. 43 pick from the Pelicans in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and $2MM in cash. The team used that selection to draft Brown.

[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

Terms of the contract agreement weren’t disclosed, but there’s no indication it’s a two-way deal. I’d expect Brown to earn the rookie minimum or something close to it, with at least one or two years guaranteed. Assuming Portland used a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing, a deal that covers three seasons seems likely.

The Trail Blazers now have 13 players on standard contracts, with Trendon Watford on a two-way deal.

Grizzlies Re-Sign Killian Tillie To Two-Way Contract

August 12th, 2021 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have officially re-signed free agent forward/center Killian Tillie to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Tillie, who went undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2020, caught on quickly with Memphis last fall, signing a two-way deal with the team in November. He played sparingly for the NBA club as a rookie, averaging 3.2 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 18 games (10.1 MPG), but made enough an impression to earn a qualifying offer from the team prior to free agency.

That qualifying offer, which made Tillie a restricted free agent, was equivalent to another two-way deal with a $50K partial guarantee. It’s unclear if the 23-year-old simply accepted his QO or if he and the team negotiated a new agreement with a more significant guarantee.

Either way, Tillie now occupies one of Memphis’ two-way contract slots. Sean McDermott currently holds the other, as our tracker shows.

Spurs Sign First-Round Pick Josh Primo

August 11th, 2021 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have signed guard and lottery pick Joshua Primo, according to a team press release.

Primo, the 12th overall pick, played one season at Alabama. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 8.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG while starting in 19 of 30 games. The 18-year-old is currently averaging 12.0 PPG, 2.3 APG and 2.0 RPG in 26.0 MPG over three summer league games.

Assuming he receives the usual 120% above rookie scale, Primo will make $3.95MM in his first season and could earn $18.42MM over the next four seasons.

Primo was one of just two first-round picks who had yet to sign their rookie scale contracts — Usman Garuba is the lone unsigned first-rounder now, and his deal should be done soon too.

Isaac Bonga Signs With Raptors

August 11th, 2021 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:35pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the team.

5:37pm: Free agent swingman Isaac Bonga is signing with the Raptors, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.

Bonga’s deal will likely include a small guarantee and give him a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp, Murphy adds.

Bonga became an unrestricted free agent when the Wizards declined to extend him a qualifying offer. He has played for Washington the past two seasons after beginning his career with the Lakers.

The 2018 second-round pick started 49 of 66 games in 2019/20, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 18.9 MPG. His playing time dropped dramatically this past season, as he played in 40 games (eight starts) and posted modest stats (2.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG in 10.8 MPG). He went scoreless in 10 playoff minutes.

Bonga, 21, projects to be one of a handful of players with partial guarantees vying for roster spots in Toronto, joining the likes of Sam Dekker, Ishmail Wainright, and Yuta Watanabe.