Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Sign Javan Johnson, Donta Scott

September 18th, 2024 at 6:48am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 18: The Warriors have officially signed Johnson and Scott, per RealGM’s transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 17: The Warriors are signing free agent forward Javan Johnson and Donta Scott to Exhibit 10 contracts, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Johnson, 25, was in camp with the Warriors last fall after going undrafted out of DePaul in 2023. He spent his first professional season with the Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s G League affiliate – and appeared in a total of 48 Showcase Cup and regular season games, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 20.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .399/.375/.882.

Scott wrapped up a five-year college career at Maryland this past spring. As a super-senior in 2023/24, he averaged 11.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 33 games (30.2 MPG), with a shooting line of .407/.335/.812. He went undrafted in June, then played for the Warriors in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues.

In all likelihood, Johnson and Scott will end up being waived before the regular season begins and reporting to Santa Cruz for the start of the NBAGL season. Their Exhibit 10 contracts will put them in position to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K (on top of their standard G League salaries) if they spend at least 60 days with Golden State’s affiliate.

The Warriors currently have 19 players under contract, so no corresponding moves will be necessary to make room for Johnson and Scott on the 21-man offseason roster.

Cavaliers Re-Sign Isaac Okoro To Three-Year Contract

September 17th, 2024 at 7:18pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 17: Okoro’s new deal is official, the Cavaliers confirmed today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Cavaliers are re-signing restricted free agent Isaac Okoro to a three-year, $38MM contract, agents Michael Tellem, Jeff Schwartz and Marcus Monk tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Okoro, 23, came in at No. 20 on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents, making him the top remaining player who had yet to sign a new deal. It took more than two months, but the NBA’s lone restricted free agent has reached an agreement to return to Cleveland.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Okoro’s $11.8MM qualifying offer would have expired on Oct. 1, though he still would’ve been a restricted free agent had a deal not been reached by that point. The Cavs were approximately $10.4MM below the luxury tax line before accounting for Okoro’s new contract, Marks adds.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Okoro’s three-year deal features $33MM in guaranteed money. Sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Okoro’s contract features some unlikely bonuses tied to his team’s success (Twitter link).

The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Okoro averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range in 69 regular season games in 2023/24, including 42 starts (27.3 minutes per contest). The 6’5″ wing is primarily known for his defense, particularly on the ball, where he’s frequently tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

When we polled our readers about Okoro’s situation last week, 59% of those who voted thought he would end up accepting his qualifying offer — essentially just a one-year contract — to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. About 17% thought he would re-sign with the Cavs on a multiyear contract.

Scotto reports (via Twitter) that the Nets and Hornets were among the teams that showed sign-and-trade interest in Okoro before he agreed to a new contract with Cleveland.

Once Okoro’s signing is official, the Cavs will have 14 players on standard contracts, though only 11 of those deals are fully guaranteed. Tristan Thompson and Sam Merrill are on non-guaranteed contracts, while Craig Porter Jr. has a $1MM partial guarantee on his $1.89MM salary. All three of the team’s two-way slots are filled.

Pistons Sign Dereon Seabron To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 17th, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with guard Dereon Seabron, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The deal is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Seabron has played on two-way deals with the Pelicans over the past two seasons. He has appeared in a total of 11 NBA games, averaging 1.6 points in 6.1 minutes per contest.

Seabron has spent the bulk of his two pro seasons in the G League. He appeared in 28 games with the Birmingham Squadron last season, including 26 starts, and averaged 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 33.3 minutes per game.

This summer, Seabron played in three Las Vegas Summer League games for the Bulls, averaging 8.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.7 APG in 21.4 MPG.

Seabron, 24, went undrafted out of North Carolina State.

An Exhibit 10 contract would allow Seabron to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he’s waived by the Pistons and then spends at least 60 days with the Motor City Cruise.

Timberwolves Sign Eugene Omoruyi, Skylar Mays

September 17th, 2024 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 17: Both deals are official, per RealGM’s transaction log. Both Omoruyi and Mays signed Exhibit 10 contracts, as expected, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

SEPTEMBER 16: The Timberwolves have agreed to sign free agents Eugene Omoruyi and Skylar Mays, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

While Scotto doesn’t specify the terms of the agreements, Omoruyi and Mays seem likely to sign non-guaranteed contracts that include Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 language. The Exhibit 9 clause protects teams in the event of a preseason injury, while the Exhibit 10 clause allows for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if the player is waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate.

Omoruyi, 27, has played for the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since making his NBA debut in the fall of 2021. The 6’7″ forward made a career-high 43 appearances for Washington last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG in 9.1 MPG. His contract with the Wizards covered the 2024/25 season, but his salary was non-guaranteed and Washington opted to waive him in August.

Mays, the 50th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has appeared in 105 games across four seasons for the Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. The 27-year-old guard, who played his college ball at LSU, split his time between Portland and L.A. last season, appearing in 38 total NBA games and averaging 4.1 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. He owns a career shooting line of .445/.345/.859.

Mays was rumored last month to be drawing interest from Italian team Olimpia Milano, but it appears he’ll be remaining stateside at least for the time being. He’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract, whereas Omoruyi – who has three years of NBA service – has one more season of two-way eligibility.

The Wolves currently have 17 players under contract. Once they complete reported deals with Omoruyi, Mays, and Chasson Randle, they’ll be one away from the 21-player preseason limit.

Kings Officially Sign Rookie Guard Boogie Ellis

September 16th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings have officially signed Boogie Ellis, according to a press release from the team.

Sacramento’s intention to sign the former USC guard was first reported in late July. Terms of the contract have not been reported or announced, but it’s most likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Ellis played for Sacramento’s Summer League team after going undrafted. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five games in July while shooting 51.3% from the field and 54.5% from 3-point range.

Ellis began his college career at Memphis in 2019 before transferring to USC two years later. He earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors last season while averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29 games with the Trojans. In his three seasons at USC, Ellis averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 95 career games.

An Exhibit 10 contract would allow Ellis to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he’s waived by Sacramento and then spends at least 60 days with the Stockton Kings. He would also be eligible to have the contract converted into a two-way deal before the season, but the Kings don’t currently have an open two-way slot.

Lakers Sign Christian Koloko To Two-Way Deal

September 16th, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 16: The Lakers have officially signed Koloko, according to the team, who confirmed in a press release that they’ve waived Hinson to open up a spot for the newcomer.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Lakers and free agent big man Christian Koloko have agreed to a contract, agent Calvin Andrews tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Koloko will get a chance to compete for frontcourt minutes in Los Angeles, per Charania.

Koloko is expected to sign a two-way deal, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), which means the Lakers will need to release one of their current two-way players. Armel Traore, Blake Hinson, or Colin Castleton currently occupy L.A.’s two-way slots.

Koloko is on the comeback trail after missing the entire 2023/24 season due to a blood clot issue. Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reported in July that the seven-footer had received medical clearance to resume playing, while Andrews said last month that his client had a “major breakthrough” with his blood clot issue, which was addressed via corrective surgery.

Koloko is still awaiting formal clearance from the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play panel. Sources tell Woike (Twitter link) that while the 24-year-old can technically sign the contract before receiving clearance from the panel, the signing will have to be reviewed by the NBA, and he can’t participate in on-court work until he’s cleared.

The Clippers, the Spurs, and his former team, the Raptors, were also interested in signing Koloko, as Charania reported on Friday night.

The 33rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, Koloko appeared in 58 games for Toronto as a rookie, averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 13.8 minutes per game across 58 appearances (19 starts). He was the Pac 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in his final college season at Arizona in 2021/22.

The Lakers will be without center Christian Wood this fall after the big man recently underwent knee surgery that is expected to sideline him for at least eight weeks, so they could use more depth up front.

Lakers Waive Two-Way Player Blake Hinson

September 16th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 16: The Lakers have officially waived Hinson and signed Koloko, the team announced in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 15: The Lakers are waiving two-way player Blake Hinson, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Los Angeles inked Hinson to the two-way contract in early July.

Hinson, an undrafted 6’8” rookie wing, played two seasons with Pittsburgh after a two-season stay at Ole Miss. He also spent some time at Iowa State but didn’t play there.

Hinson, 24, put up impressive stats in his senior year, averaging 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He shot 45.4% from the field and 42.1% on three-point attempts. The three-point shooting came at a high volume — he averaged 7.9 attempts per game.

The moves opens up a two-way spot for the Lakers, who reportedly intend to sign center Christian Koloko. Big man Armel Traore, another undrafted rookie, and center Colin Castleton currently hold the other two-way deals.

Hinson is expected to draw interest from several teams in free agency, Scotto adds.

Jazz Sign Max Abmas

September 16th, 2024 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have signed free agent guard Max Abmas to a contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Abmas, who finished his college career at Texas after spending four years at Oral Roberts, went undrafted in June after averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 35.1 minutes per game for the Longhorns across 34 outings (all starts) in 2023/24.

Abmas led the Summit League in scoring in each of his last three seasons at Oral Roberts, averaging 23.0 PPG in 92 games (all starts) with a .444/.394/.889 shooting line during his sophomore, junior, and senior years before transferring to Texas to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility.

After suiting up for Utah’s Summer League team and averaging 12.3 PPG on .452/.412/.778 shooting in four games in Las Vegas, Abmas will likely now end up with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

While the Jazz’s announcement didn’t provide any details on Abmas’ deal, it will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract, putting him in line to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he’s waived by Utah and then spends at least 60 days with the Stars.

The Jazz now have 20 players under contract, including 15 on standard contracts, three on two-way deals, and two (Abmas and Babacar Sane) on camp contracts.

Knicks Sign Marcus Morris To Exhibit 9 Deal

September 15th, 2024 at 5:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Marcus Morris is heading back to New York — at least, for now.

The Knicks have signed the free agent veteran forward to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 training camp deal, New York announced in a press statement (Twitter link).

An Exhibit 9 contract contains language that protects teams in the event of a preseason injury. As detailed in our glossary entry, the Knicks would only be on the hook for $15K should Morris get hurt while under contract, rather than having to cover the prorated portion of his salary until he recovers.

Unlike an Exhibit 10 deal, an Exhibit 9 contract cannot be converted into a two-way deal prior to the season, though Morris has too many years of NBA service to be eligible for a two-way anyway. The veteran forward also won’t be eligible for the Exhibit 10 bonus (worth up to $77.5K) available to players who are cut and then spend time with their team’s G League affiliate.

Morris is the second NBA veteran this weekend to have signed with the Knicks on an Exhibit 9 contract, along with the previously announced addition of shooting guard Landry Shamet.

New York has 14 of its 15 standard roster spots occupied. It seems likely that Morris will compete against Shamet and combo forward Chuma Okeke for that final slot. Shamet and Morris could theoretically add some floor-spacing depth for a Knicks club that is looking to improve on its 50-32 record last season and advance to its first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.

Across 13 pro seasons, the 6’8″ Morris has suited up for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Clippers, Sixers and Cavaliers. Morris last played for New York during the first half of the 2019/20 season, during David Fizdale‘s final days on the team’s bench.

In his prime, the now-35-year-old was a stellar 3-and-D role player on several deep playoff clubs.

The Kansas alum split his 2023/24 season between Philadelphia and Cleveland as a veteran reserve, logging an average of 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game with a shooting line of .439/.403/.818.

Spurs Waive Jamaree Bouyea

September 15th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:50pm: The Spurs have officially waived Bouyea, per a press release from the team.

10:40am: The Spurs will open up a two-way roster spot by waiving Jamaree Bouyea, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old guard signed a two-year contract with the team in March and appeared in three games. He spent most of last season in the G League, averaging 17.1 points, 7.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game with Austin and Sioux Falls.

Bouyea’s NBA career began in 2022 when he signed with Miami after going undrafted following five collegiate seasons at San Francisco. He appeared in five total games with the Heat and Wizards during the 2022/23 season.

Bouyea inked a two-way contract with Miami last summer, but was waived before the start of the season. He joined the Trail Blazers on a two-way deal in November, but was released 10 days later.

The move provides the Spurs with a little bit of roster flexibility heading into training camp. David Duke and Harrison Ingram hold the team’s other two-way slots.