Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Waive Tristen Newton, Sign RayJ Dennis To Two-Way Deal

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:32am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 3: Dennis’ two-way deal with the Pacers is now official, according to a press release. He will be eligible to play in up to 29 games with the NBA team between now and the end of the regular season.

JANUARY 1: The Pacers have waived two-way player Tristen Newton, the team announced in a press release. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reports that the move was believed to be Newton’s preference.

Indiana selected the 6’5″ guard out of the University of Connecticut with the No. 49 overall pick in this summer’s draft, and ultimately signed him to a two-way deal. He appeared in just five games for the Pacers at the NBA level, averaging just 1.6 minutes per night.

Across 10 games for the Pacers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, Newton averaged 17.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .424/.414/.688.

Newton was a core player on a pair of consecutive NCAA champions with the Huskies. Last year, he was honored as the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and a consensus All-American First Teamer.

Sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter) that the Pacers are signing free agent guard RayJ Dennis to a new two-way deal to replace Newton. Dennis has been plying his trade as an affiliate player for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers.

In 16 bouts with San Diego, Dennis has averaged 16.4 points, 6.1 dimes, 3.4 boards and 1.3 swipes per game on .461/.346/.810 shooting. The 6’2″ guard went undrafted out of Baylor following an All-Big 12 Second Team stint with the Bears.

Jazz Sign Elijah Harkless To Two-Way Contract

January 1st, 2025 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 1: The Jazz have officially signed Harkless and waived Jones, according to a team press release.

DECEMBER 31: The Jazz have agreed to sign guard Elijah Harkless to a two-way contract, according to reports from Ian Begley of SNY.tv and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).

Harkless, who went undrafted out of UNLV in 2023, has spent most of his professional career so far playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate. He also had a stint in the Canadian Elite Basketball League with the Saskatchewan Rattlers this past spring.

In 18 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the San Diego Clippers in 2024/25, Harkless has averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 steals in 27.1 minutes per contest. The 6’3″ guard has posted a shooting line of .438/.362/.810.

The Jazz don’t currently have an open two-way slot on their roster, so they’ll have to waive one of their current two-way players – Micah Potter, Oscar Tshiebwe, or David Jones – in order to make room for Harkless.

A two-way player is typically limited to no more than 50 NBA appearances in a season, but that figure will be prorated for Harkless, since he’s signing well into the season. Assuming his deal is finalized on Tuesday on Wednesday, his rest-of-season limit will be 30 NBA games.

Nets Sign Tosan Evbuomwan To Two-Way Deal

January 1st, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Rory Maher

11:00am: The signing is official, per a press release from the Nets. As expected, Jaylen Martin has been waived to open the two-way slot for Evbuomwan.

9:42am: The Nets are signing free agent forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

A native of the United Kingdom, Evbuomwan went undrafted in 2023 after starring in college at Princeton. He initially signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Detroit and was waived before the 2023/24 season began.

After spending the early portion of his rookie campaign in the NBA G League with the Motor City Cruise, Evbuomwan signed a 10-day hardship deal with Memphis at the end of January 2024. Shortly after that contract expired, he caught on with Detroit, signing a 10-day deal and then re-signing with the Pistons on two-way deal that covered two seasons.

Evbuomwan averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game in 17 total NBA appearances (eight starts) with Memphis and Detroit, posting a shooting line of .507/.375/.680. In 34 G League outings with the Cruise in ’23/24, he put up averages of 15.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .554/.361/.754 shooting in 34.2 MPG.

The 23-year-old was released by Detroit in October, then signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Clippers, was waived, and had his NBAGL rights acquired by the San Diego Clippers. In 18 total games with San Diego this season, the 6’8″ combo forward has averaged 19.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.8 APG on .519/.338/.726 shooting in 32.5 MPG.

A report on Tuesday indicated that Clippers forward Jordan Miller is a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract, but the team needs to open up a roster standard spot for that to happen. Evbuomwan was mentioned as a candidate to replace Miller’s two-way spot if he were promoted, but instead he’ll be heading to the Nets.

As our tracker shows, Brooklyn’s three two-way spots are currently occupied by Jaylen Martin, Tyrese Martin and Reece Beekman. One of those players will have to be released to make room for Evbuomwan.

It would be surprising if Tyrese Martin is the one who gets cut, considering he’s been playing regular minutes for the Nets of late. Brooklyn also just acquired Beekman a couple weeks ago in a trade with Golden State. Perhaps that will leave Jaylen Martin as the odd man out.

Nets Waive Jaylen Martin

January 1st, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Rory Maher

In order to sign Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract, the Nets have decided to release guard/forward Jaylen Martin, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms the news (via Twitter).

Martin, who turns 21 years old later this month, went undrafted in 2023 out of the Overtime Elite league. He signed a two-way contract with New York in the summer of 2023, but he was waived before the 2023/24 season began.

Martin signed another two-way deal with the Knicks in late November 2023, then was cut again in December. He didn’t make any NBA appearances during his month with the Knicks.

Known for his athleticism, Martin signed a two-way contract with the Nets last February. The deal covered two years.

Martin didn’t play in any NBA games with Brooklyn during his rookie season and has only played five garbage-time minutes over three appearances in ’24/25. He scored his first NBA points when he made a three-pointer on October 27.

While Martin’s NBA contributions have been very limited, he has played pretty well for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate in Long Island this season, averaging 14.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .500/.375/.750 shooting in 11 total games (27.3 MPG). He sustained a scary-looking knee injury in late November, but thankfully it turned out to be a bone contusion instead of something more serious, and he was able to return after missing a couple weeks.

Assuming he clears waivers, Martin will be an unrestricted free agent two days after he’s officially cut loose.

Jazz Waive David Jones

December 31st, 2024 at 5:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 1: Jones has officially been waived, according to a team press release.

DECEMBER 31: The Jazz will open a two-way spot for Elijah Harkless by waiving David Jones, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto reported earlier today that Harkless will be signed out of the G League.

Jones, a 23-year-old small forward, inked a two-way deal with Philadelphia in July after going undrafted out of Memphis. He played for the Sixers’ Summer League teams in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, but was waived in late September.

Jones signed with Utah on November 22, but he hasn’t appeared in any NBA games. He spent time with both the Salt Lake City Stars and Mexico City Capitanes in the G League, where he is averaging 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

He will likely remain in the G League as he awaits another NBA opportunity.

Jones was a first-team All-AAC selection last season at Memphis, where he averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 32 games. He spent two years at DePaul and one at St. John’s before joining the Tigers.

Lakers Acquire Dorian Finney-Smith In Four-Player Deal

December 29th, 2024 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:33pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from both clubs.

11:20am: The Lakers will trade D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The second-rounders heading to Brooklyn will be Los Angeles’ own selections in 2027, 2030 and 2031, sources tell Charania. The ’27 pick being conveyed to Brooklyn is contingent on the ’27 first-round pick (top-four protected) L.A. owes Utah, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), as the Lakers will send the Jazz their ’27 second-round pick if the ’27 first-rounder lands in the top four.

Finney-Smith had been one of the most sought-after three-and-D players on this year’s market and will bring versatility to a team that has been looking to improve its defense. He’s having one of the best shooting seasons of his career, connecting at 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from three-point range while averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per night through 20 games.

The 31-year-old forward is earning $14.9MM this season and has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26 that he may be more likely to exercise if he’s part of a contending team in L.A. He could also decline the option in order to sign a longer-term deal with the Lakers or to test the free agent market.

Milton is signed through 2026/27, but only this season is guaranteed at $2.875MM. His salaries of $3MM for next season and $3.3MM for the following year won’t become fully guaranteed until the summer before each season.

Russell has an $18.7MM expiring contract, along with $700K in unlikely bonuses that will count toward the apron, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Lewis is making $1.9MM this year and has a $100K guarantee on his $2.2MM salary for 2025/26.

Russell spent time with Brooklyn early in his career and reportedly didn’t part on great terms when he was traded to Golden State in 2019. While he may be a buyout candidate, Russell’s $18MM+ salary would make him ineligible to join any team operating above either tax apron if he’s waived.

The Lakers were able to save some money in the deal and give themselves more flexibility under the second apron, Marks adds (Twitter links). They are currently within $30K of the second apron, but that number will rise to about $3.5MM once the deal is finalized and their projected tax bill will drop by about $11MM. Because they won’t have to aggregate their two outgoing salaries, the Lakers also still won’t be hard-capped at the second apron.

The trade will cost the Lakers three of the five second-round picks they had available to move, but they still have a pair of 2025 second-rounders, first-rounders in 2029 and 2031, and first-round pick swaps in 2026, 2028, and 2030 to offer in any future deals.

The Nets will continue their rebuilding process after sending Dennis Schröder to Golden State two weeks ago. They now project to have $65MM in cap space this summer, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), which gives them more ammunition to pursue high-level free agents and still re-sign Cam Thomas. Their cap room had previously been projected at around $50MM due to Finney-Smith’s player option.

Brooklyn will have 16 second-round picks and 15 first-rounders over the next seven years, Gozlan adds (Twitter link), giving them more draft equity than any other team. Taking on the extra salary leaves the Nets about $677K below the luxury tax for this season.

A report on Saturday night from Marc Stein indicated that the Nets and Grizzlies were actively involved in discussions that would send Finney-Smith to Memphis in exchange for a package centered around John Konchar and Luke Kennard.

The Grizzlies may have been willing to part with a first-round pick for Finney-Smith, but reportedly wanted to heavily protect that selection and sought second-round compensation in return. Stein states that the Lakers were able to top that offer by giving Brooklyn three second-round picks (Twitter link).

PJ Dozier Waived By Timberwolves

December 28th, 2024 at 4:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have waived PJ Dozier, the team announced in a press release.

Dozier signed a one-year contract with Minnesota in July that initially carried a partial guarantee of $1MM on his $2.6MM salary. All contracts throughout the league will become guaranteed after January 7, so the Wolves opted to part with Dozier rather than paying him for the rest of the season.

Minnesota will incur a $1,051,255 cap hit and will save about $5MM on its luxury tax bill, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old swingman saw minimal playing time with the Wolves, appearing in nine games and averaging just 3.9 minutes per night. He collected seven total points, five rebounds and five assists.

Dozier was attempting an NBA comeback after playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia last season. He was given the opportunity by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who ran the Nuggets during Dozier’s three seasons in Denver.

Dozier has played in 130 games over seven NBA seasons, spending time with Oklahoma City, Boston, Denver and Sacramento before coming to Minnesota. He has been mainly a reserve throughout his career and has compiled averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 15.4 minutes per game.

The Wolves had a full 15-man roster, so they’re not facing any time limit to replace Dozier. They could decide to promote one of their two-way players, Jaylen Clark, Jesse Edwards or Daishen Nix, they could look for a minimum-salary free agent or they could keep the roster spot open to reduce their tax bill.

Bulls Sign Emanuel Miller To Two-Way Deal, Waive DJ Steward

December 28th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 28: The Bulls officially signed Miller to his two-way contract, according to a release from the team. The team waived Steward to make room for Miller. Steward didn’t appear in a game for the Bulls but averaged 19.9 points and 7.5 assists per contest in the G League this season.

DECEMBER 27: The Bulls are signing free agent forward Emanuel Miller to a two-way contract, agents Mike George and Shy Saee tell Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link).

Miller went undrafted in 2024 after playing five collegiate seasons — two at Texas A&M and then his final three at TCU. In 2023/24 with the Horned Frogs, Miller averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals while posting a .486/.383/.815 shooting line in 34 games (32.6 minutes).

The 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavericks over the summer, then was waived before the ’24/25 season began. He has posted impressive numbers for their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .483/.375/.750 shooting in 16 games (37.5 minutes).

As our tracker shows, Chicago’s two-way spots are currently occupied by Adama Sanogo, DJ Steward and E.J. Liddell. One of those players will have to be released to make room for Miller.

A native of Canada, Miller is the older brother of Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller.

Assuming he officially signs with Chicago on Friday or Saturday, Miller will be eligible to appear in up to 31 NBA games this season, a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.

Hawks Sign Daeqwon Plowden To Two-Way Contract

December 27th, 2024 at 2:13pm CST by Rory Maher

2:13pm: Plowden’s two-way contract is now official, the Hawks announced in a press release.

9:10am: The Hawks are signing free agent wing Daeqwon Plowden to a two-way contract, agent Drew Kelso tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Atlanta opened up a two-way spot last week by waiving Seth Lundy, who has yet to play this season as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Plowden will now take that spot, Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirms (via Twitter).

Plowden, 26, is a Philadelphia native who spent five college seasons at Bowling Green prior to going undrafted in 2022. He is technically an NBA rookie, having spent his entire professional career to this point playing in the G League.

Plowden, who played for the affiliate clubs of the Pelicans and Magic during the 2022/23 and ’23/24 campaigns, was signed by the Warriors on a two-way deal over the summer. While Plowden drew strong reviews for his play in Summer League, Golden State wound up waiving him in September to make roster space for second-round pick Quinten Post.

The College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, acquired Plowden’s returning player rights a few months ago. After being cut by Golden State, he quickly signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Hawks, then was waived before the ’24/25 season began.

Plowden has been playing for College Park this season, averaging 14.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .427/.385/.783 shooting in 14 games (27.8 MPG).

Isaiah Stevens Signs Two-Way Contract With Heat

December 26th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Arthur Hill

9:49am: Stevens’ two-way deal is official, the Heat confirmed in a press release.

8:43am: The Heat will fill a two-way opening by signing Isaiah Stevens from their Sioux Falls affiliate in the G League, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The move, which had been expected along with the promotion of Keshad Johnson to the 15-man roster, was confirmed to Charania by Stevens’ agent, Matt Bollero of ProMondo Sports.

Stevens, a 24-year-old point guard, was in training camp with Miami, but was waived before the start of the season. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract in July after going undrafted following four years at Colorado State.

He will be eligible to appear in 31 games with the Heat for the remainder the season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). That’s a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.

Stevens is averaging 13.3 points and 10.9 assists in 17 games for the Skyforce, with a shooting line of .500/.317/.931. A three-time All-Mountain West selection, he was outstanding during Summer League as the Heat captured the championship in Las Vegas.

Miami has a December 29 deadline to add a 14th player to its roster — two weeks after trading Thomas Bryant to Indiana — so the moves with Johnson and Stevens will have to be finalized soon. Two-way player Dru Smith appeared to be in line for a promotion, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Monday.