Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets To Sign Auburn’s Jaylin Williams, Maryland’s Jahmir Young

June 27th, 2024 at 11:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 deal with Auburn forward Jaylin Williams, who went undrafted on Thursday, reports Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link).

Not to be confused with the Jaylin Williams (or Jalen Williams) in Oklahoma City, this Jaylin Williams is a 6’8″ forward who has spent the past five years with the Tigers. He enjoyed his best college season in 2023/24, setting new career highs in PPG (12.4), FG% (.574), and 3PT% (.395) across 34 games (24.1 MPG).

Denver has also agreed to sign undrafted rookie free agent Jahmir Young to an Exhibit 10 contract, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

Young has a decorated college résumé that includes a trio of All-Conference USA nods with Charlotte during his first three NCAA seasons and a pair of All-Big Ten berths during the past two seasons with Maryland. In 2023/24, the 6’2″ guard averaged 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 35.4 minutes per game across 32 starts, with a shooting line of .404/.324/.900.

The Nuggets have been busy since the second round of the draft ended on Thursday. Besides lining up Exhibit 10 deals for Williams and Young, they’ve also already reportedly reached two-way agreements with PJ Hall and Trey Alexander.

Lakers Signing East, Olivari To Exhibit 10 Contracts

June 27th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers are planning to sign a pair of undrafted free agent guards to Exhibit 10 contracts.

Per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links), Missouri combo guard Sean East II and Xavier’s Quincy Olivari are expected to join Los Angeles’ offseason roster.

The 6’3″ East played for four college programs across his five NCAA seasons, but spent the past two with Missouri. In 2023/24, as a full-time starter, he averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, with an impressive shooting line of .521/.450/.856.

Olivari, a two-time All-CUSA honoree during his four seasons at Rice, transferred to Xavier for his final season of NCAA eligibility in 2023/24. With the Musketeers, the 6’2″ guard posted averages of 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals a night. He logged shooting splits of .425/.409/.814.

Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed agreements that can be converted to two-way deals ahead of the regular season. If an Exhibit 10 signee is cut by his team and spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate, he’s eligible to earn a bonus. Last year, that bonus could be worth up to $75K; it will increase at the same level as the league’s salary cap for 2024/25.

Yongxi Cui Intends To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Blazers

June 27th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted rookie free agent Yongxi Cui plans to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Also known as “Jacky,” Cui is a 6’8″ wing who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association this past season.

The 21-year-old also suited up for China’s World Cup team last summer before posting solid numbers in the CBA in 2023/24 — he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 56 appearances for Guangzhou, with a .520/.365/.783 shooting line.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Celtics Sign Tristan Enaruna To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 27th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

July 11: Enaruna’s Exhibit 10 deal with Boston is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

June 27: Undrafted rookie free agent Tristan Enaruna has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

A 6’8″ Dutch-born wing, Enaruna spent his first two college seasons at Kansas from 2019-21 before transferring to Iowa State for 2021/22 and then to Cleveland State for 2022-24. After playing a modest role through his junior year, he broke out with the Vikings over the past two seasons as a starter, averaging 19.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 33.2 minutes per game across 35 outings in 2023/24.

Enaruna, who has been named to the All-Horizon League first team in each of the past two years, was the No. 40 prospect on ESPN’s list of undrafted rookies. He also earned MVP honors at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this spring, notes Chepkevich.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line for a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. The maximum Exhibit 10 bonus was $75K last season and will increase at the same rate as the salary cap in 2024/25.

No free agent contracts for the 2024/25 season can be signed until July, so Enaruna’s deal with Boston is just tentative for now.

Sixers To Sign David Jones, Max Fiedler

June 27th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers are signing Memphis guard David Jones to a two-way contract, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Philadelphia will also be signing Rice big man Max Fiedler to an Exhibit 10 deal, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (via Twitter).

Both Jones and Fiedler went undrafted in 2024, making them unrestricted free agents.

A 6’6″ wing, Jones had a highly productive junior campaign for the Tigers, averaging 21.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 2.2 SPG on .459/.380/.797 shooting in 32 games (32.3 MPG) in 2023/24. A native of the Dominican Republic, Jones was ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s best available list. He had previous collegiate stops at DePaul and St. John’s before transferring to Memphis.

Fiedler, meanwhile, spent all five of his college seasons with the Owls. As a “super senior” last season, he averaged 9.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 5.3 APG in 32 games (29.9 MPG).

If Fiedler is released by the 76ers before the ’24/25 season begins and spends at least 60 days with their G League affiliate (the Delaware Blue Coats), he could earn a bonus worth up to nearly $78K.

Samuel, Buie Signing Exhibit 10 Deals With Suns

June 27th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns are signing all-time Northwestern leading scorer Boo Buie and Florida forward Tyrese Samuel to a pair of Exhibit 10 deals, sources inform Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter links).

Buie, a 6’2″ two-time All-Big Ten guard, scored a total of 2,187 points during his five-season Wildcats tenure. In 2023/24, he posted a career-high 19.0 points per game on .438/.434/.858 shooting. His 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 34 games this season all also represent career highs.

Samuel, a 6’10” All-SEC big man, spent his first four collegiate seasons at Seton Hall before transferring to the Gators in 2023/24. He scored 13.9 points per game on 56.4% field goal shooting and 56.2% foul shooting, plus 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest.

Exhibit 10 agreements are non-guaranteed, but can be converted into two-way contracts before the start of the regular season. If a player on an Exhibit 10 contract is waived and then links up with a team’s NBAGL affiliate club for at least 60 days, he’s eligible to earn a bonus, expected to be worth in the range of $78K this season.

Daniss Jenkins Signing Two-Way Deal With Pistons

June 27th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons have agreed to a two-way contract with undrafted St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

The 6’3″ guard enjoyed a well-traveled run through college, playing for the Pacific Tigers, the Iona Gaels and the St. John’s Red Storm.

In 2023/24 during an All-Big East season with St. Johns, Jenkins averaged 14.9 points per game on shooting splits of .446/.354/.851. He also dished out 5.4 assists, pulled down 3.5 boards, swiped 1.6 steals, and blocked 0.5 shots across his 33 contests for the club, all starts. He was a 2022/23 All-MAAC player during his lone season at Iona.

The Pistons have a pair of two-way players from last season – Buddy Boeheim and Tosan Evbuomwan – under contract on deals that cover the 2024/25 season, so Jenkins figures to fill the third and final two-way slot on the roster, though the team could make more changes as the offseason progresses.

Suns Acquire No. 40 Pick Oso Ighodaro From Knicks

June 27th, 2024 at 7:59pm CST by Luke Adams

7:59pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Suns. Rather than trading the No. 51 pick back and forth, the Knicks are simply receiving No. 56 pick Kevin McCullar and the Celtics’ top-45 protected 2028 second-round pick in exchange for Ighodaro.

4:32pm: Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports has clarified (via Twitter) that the Suns sent Boston’s 2028 second-round pick (top-45 protected) to the Knicks for No. 51, then traded No. 51 back to New York along with No. 56 in exchange for No. 40.

Essentially, then, the Knicks are receiving No. 56 and Boston’s protected 2028 second-rounder for No. 40 (Ighodaro), while still holding No. 51.

4:21pm: Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro was selected with the 40th overall pick in Thursday’s draft. We can say that with certainty. Tracking which team controls that pick is a little trickier.

While the Trail Blazers entered the day with control of No. 40, they agreed to trade it in a deal with the Thunder involving the No. 52 pick, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Oklahoma City then agreed to send it – along with cash – to the Knicks in a deal for the No. 38 pick, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the Knicks subsequently reached a deal to send No. 40 to the Suns, who will ultimately control Ighodaro’s draft rights. Phoenix is sending No. 56 to New York as part of that trade, tweets Charania.

We’re still waiting for details on what else Portland is getting to move down from No. 40 to No. 52 and what else the Knicks are getting to move down from No. 40 to No. 56. Wojnarowski reported (via Twitter) that New York is receiving the No. 51 pick in addition to 56, but the Knicks already acquired that pick from Washington in an earlier deal.

We’ll update this story when we have more clarity on those trade details.

Thunder To Sign Alex Ducas, Malevy Leons

June 27th, 2024 at 7:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder plan to sign free agent guard Alex Ducas, who went undrafted out of Saint Mary’s, to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Oklahoma City will also ink free agent forward Malevy Leons to an Exhibit 10 contract, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link).

Ranked No. 32 on ESPN’s best undrafted players list, Ducas spent all five of his college seasons with the Gaels. In 2023/24, the 6’6″ Australian sharpshooter averaged 9.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.9 APG while knocking down 43.8% of his three-point attempts in 34 games (28.1 MPG).

A 6’9″ forward who hails from the Netherlands, Leons spent his final three collegiate seasons with Bradley after attending a junior college in Missouri. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG on .488/.341/.783 shooting in 35 games (34.4 MPG) last season for the Braves.

If Leons is waived by the Thunder before the ’24/25 season begins and spends at least 60 days with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, he could earn a bonus worth up to nearly $78K.

Knicks Trade No. 51 Pick Melvin Ajinca To Mavs

June 27th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Rory Maher

7:55pm: The trade is official, according to the Mavericks (Twitter link). In exchange for Ajinca, the Knicks received Hukporti, cash, and the draft rights to 2007 first-rounder Petteri Koponen. Dallas sent $1MM in cash to New York, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

5:43pm: The Knicks are trading the No. 51 pick in the 2024 draft to the Mavericks in exchange for the No. 58 pick and cash, sources tell ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports hears New York will also acquire the rights to a player who was previously drafted, though that player has yet to be reported (Twitter link).

Dallas will acquire the rights to French wing Melvin Ajinca, who was selected 51st overall, while New York will control the rights to German big man Ariel Hukporti, the final pick of the draft.

A 20-year-old guard/forward, Ajinca averaged 9.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .373/.309/.797 shooting in 28 games (24.6 MPG) this past season for Saint-Quintin, which competes in France’s top basketball division (LNB Elite).

Hukporti, 22, spent the 2023/24 season in Australia with Melbourne United, averaging 8.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 28 games (18.4 MPG).