Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Saben Lee Re-Signs With Pistons

August 4th, 2021 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 6: Lee’s new deal with the Pistons is now official, per NBA.com’s transactions log. We’re still waiting on the exact terms of the contract.

AUGUST 4: After a promising rookie season, Saben Lee will sign a three-year contract to stay with the Pistons, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal includes a team option on the third year, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

The 22-year-old guard was part of a strong rookie class that Detroit put together last season. Selected with the 38th pick, he was acquired from the Jazz in a draft-night trade. He earned a spot in the Pistons’ rotation and averaged 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 48 games.

Lee, who spent last season on a two-way contract, was a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer over the weekend. Because he spent a year on that two-way deal, Detroit had Non-Bird rights on Lee and was able to do the three-year deal without using cap room, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

While the exact financial details aren’t yet known, the Non-Bird exception would allow the Pistons to give Lee a starting salary worth no more than 120% of the minimum.

Jalen Green Signs Rookie Contract With Rockets

August 4th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Green, the second selection in last week’s draft, has signed his rookie contract with the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Green is the first of Houston’s four first-round picks to sign, Feigen states, citing a person with knowledge of the deal.

Green signed for 120% of the rookie scale, which is common for first-round picks. He will earn about $8.99MM during his first season and will make up to $40.8MM over the course of the four-year deal.

The 19-year-old was the first major prospect to bypass college and sign with the newly formed G League Ignite team. In 15 games in the G League bubble in Orlando, Green averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per night, cementing his status as one of the best players in the draft.

He is preparing to make his Summer League debut this weekend, Feigen adds.

Lakers Waive Alfonzo McKinnie

August 4th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 4: The Lakers have officially released McKinnie, the team confirmed today in a press release.

AUGUST 3: The Lakers will waive veteran forward Alfonzo McKinnie, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

McKinnie still had two more years left on his minimum-salary contract with the Lakers, but his salaries for the next two seasons were fully non-guaranteed. As such, the team won’t be on the hook for any dead money as a result of releasing McKinnie, who will get a chance to seek out a new opportunity.

McKinnie, who will turn 29 next month, averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.4 RPG on .516/.410/.556 shooting in 39 games (6.6 MPG) for the Lakers in 2020/21.

Although McKinnie had been on a minimum contract, his $1.91MM salary for 2021/22 would’ve been higher than the cap hit for a newly-signed one-year, minimum-salary contract. So the Lakers will likely replace McKinnie on the roster with a free agent and save a bit of money in the process. That’s not insignificant, since the club projects to be well over the tax line this season.

Hawks Sign Jalen Johnson To Rookie Contract

August 4th, 2021 at 4:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

First-round pick Jalen Johnson has signed his rookie contract with the Hawks, according to the NBA.com transactions page.

Johnson, 19, played just part of his freshman season at Duke before leaving the team the team in February to prepare for the draft. He played 13 games for the Blue Devils, averaging 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per night, along with 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks.

The 6’9″ forward had been one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school, and there was a wide speculation about where he might be drafted, ranging from the late lottery to late in the first round.

Assuming Johnson receives 120% of his rookie scale amount, which most first-rounders do, he will earn $2,659,680 in his first season and could get as much as $12,888,585 over the four-year deal.

Trail Blazers Sign Cody Zeller

August 4th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 4: The Trail Blazers have issued a press release formally announcing the signing of Zeller. Because it’s a one-year, minimum-salary contract, it can be completed during the free agency moratorium.

AUGUST 2: Free agent center Cody Zeller has agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. It’ll be a minimum-salary contract, reports Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (via Twitter).

Zeller has spent his entire eight-year career with the Hornets. He averaged 9.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 1.8 APG in 20.9 MPG last season, though he only appeared in 48 games due to a hand fracture suffered during the season opener.

Zeller admitted prior to free agency he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I think the biggest thing is just being somewhere where I’m valued. I just want to win,” Zeller said.

Zeller will presumably back up Jusuf Nurkic, unless Portland makes some other moves.

Pacers Sign Chris Duarte To Rookie Contract

August 4th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have officially signed No. 13 overall pick Chris Duarte to his rookie scale contract, the club announced today in a press release.

Duarte, who turned 24 in June, was one of the older prospects in this year’s draft class, but became a popular target for teams seeking immediate help on the wing. While Indiana was able to snag him at No. 13, Duarte was reportedly a top option for the Warriors at No. 14 and was considered a trade-up target for the Knicks.

As a senior at Oregon in 2020/21, the 6’6″ shooting guard averaged 17.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.9 SPG with an impressive .532/.424/.810 shooting line in 26 games (34.1 MPG).

As our breakdown of 2021 rookie salaries shows, assuming he signs for 120% of his rookie scale amount, Duarte is in line for a four-year contract worth about $17.7MM, with a first-year salary of $3.75MM.

As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets, the Pacers have another first-round pick, Isaiah Jackson, to sign, but the No. 22 overall pick is tied up in a trade that’s not yet official, so the team will have to wait at least a couple more days to finalize his contract.

Kings Sign Terence Davis To Two-Year Deal

August 4th, 2021 at 2:48pm CST by Eli Cohen

AUGUST 6: The Kings have made it official with Davis, announcing his new deal in a press release.

“We are excited that Terence will remain a part of the Kings family,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “His combination of scoring, defense, athleticism and energy are integral parts of our team. “We are thrilled to see Terence’s continued development in a Kings uniform.”

AUGUST 4: The Kings have reached an agreement with restricted free agent guard Terence Davis on a guaranteed two-year deal that will keep him in Sacramento, his agents at CAA Basketball tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old came over to the Kings in a trade from the Raptors in March and played well in his 21 games coming off the bench, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG while shooting 37.2% on 5.4 three-point attempts per game in only 21.5 minutes a night. Davis’ defense has been at times erratic, but he has shown potential on that end as well.

After going undrafted in 2019, Davis put together a strong rookie season, including averaging 11.3 PPG in 17 MPG in the Raptors’ first-round playoff series against the Nets, and was rewarded with an All-Rookie Second Team selection a year ago.

Davis’ two-year deal is worth $8MM, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

That’s a far cry from the $9MM-per-year commitment Davis was rumored last month to be seeking, but as Scotto observes, it will put him on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, when he’s still just 26 years old.

Between the 6’4″, 201-pound Davis and rookie Davion Mitchell, the Kings are loading up on tough, physical guards who can shoot to round out their backcourt core of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Buddy Hield remains in the mix for now too, though he has been the subject of trade rumors.

Sixers Sign Andre Drummond To One-Year Deal

August 4th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 4: The Sixers have officially signed Drummond, the team announced today in a press release. Minimum-salary signings are one of the transactions that can be formally completed during the free agency moratorium.

AUGUST 3: The Sixers have reached an agreement with free agent center Andre Drummond on a one-year deal, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link), it’s a minimum-salary contract.

It’s an interesting fit for Drummond, who – as a member of the Pistons and Cavaliers – has had some fierce battles with 76ers center Joel Embiid over the years. In 2021/22, he’ll be Embiid’s backup in the middle, taking the spot previously occupied by Dwight Howard, who has agreed to return to the Lakers, Drummond’s most recent team.

Drummond, who will turn 28 next Tuesday, is one of the NBA’s best rebounders, having led the league in the category in four separate seasons. In 2020/21, he averaged 14.9 PPG and 12.0 RPG in 46 total games (27.0 MPG) for the Cavs and Lakers.

Drummond has spent much of his NBA career putting up big numbers for lottery teams or borderline playoff clubs. He joined the Lakers last season hoping to contribute to a winner, but fell out of the team’s rotation entirely by the time L.A. was eliminated by Phoenix in Game 6 of the opening round. In Philadelphia, he’ll be looking once again to prove he can be a reliable role player on a title-contending club.

The Sixers, who have agreed to re-sign Furkan Korkmaz via his Bird rights and Drummond to a minimum-salary contract, still have the mid-level exception at their disposal in free agency.

Raptors Waive Aron Baynes

August 4th, 2021 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have issued a press release announcing that they’ve officially waived veteran center Aron Baynes.

The move had been expected, since Baynes’ $7.35MM salary for 2021/22 would’ve become fully guaranteed if Toronto had kept him on the roster. Instead, the Raptors will clear that money from their books, creating some additional cap flexibility for the coming season.

Baynes, who signed a two-year contract with the Raptors during the 2020 offseason after enjoying a career year in Phoenix, was never a great fit with his new team. He averaged a modest 6.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 53 games (18.5 MPG) and his shooting percentages (.441/.262/.707) were significantly below his career rates.

While Baynes didn’t have a great year with Toronto, he should draw interest from teams in need of frontcourt depth. He’ll likely be available at a more team-friendly rate once he clears waivers.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have now waived four players – Baynes, Rodney Hood, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Paul Watson – who were on non-guaranteed contracts this week. The club, which is still working on the terms of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade with Miami, will have a few bench spots to fill on its 2021/22 roster.

Heat Re-Sign Victor Oladipo

August 4th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: The move is official, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, who confirms that it’s a one-year deal for the veterans minimum. Miami will retain Bird Rights on Oladipo.

“We really like Victor’s versatility and how he impacts the game in multiple ways,” team president Pat Riley said. “His speed skill set fits perfectly into the core we have built.”

1:00pm: It’s a minimum-salary contract for Oladipo, a source confirms to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

AUGUST 4, 12:29pm: Free agent guard Victor Oladipo has agreed to a deal to rejoin the Heat, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Charania doesn’t provide any additional details on the terms of the contract, he tweets that Oladipo’s plan is rebuild his value and return to the open market in 2022, which suggests it’s a one-year deal. Given Miami’s limited cap flexibility, it’s likely worth either the veteran’s minimum or something close to it.

Oladipo, who was named an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, has been slowed in recent years by a ruptured quad tendon he suffered in January 2019. The 29-year-old missed approximately a full calendar year while recovering from the injury and didn’t look like his old explosive self upon returning.

The Pacers traded Oladipo to the Rockets in the four-team James Harden blockbuster earlier this year, and Houston subsequently flipped him to Miami at the trade deadline. The former No. 2 overall pick was able to play in just four games for the Heat before health issues ended his season.

Oladipo went under the knife in May, once again undergoing surgery to repair his right quad tendon. There had been some speculation that he might not sign a new deal for a few months while he gets healthy, but it appears he’ll complete his rehab while under contract with the Heat.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the veteran guard is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to the court sometime between late December and early February.

Oladipo’s best individual season came in 2017/18 with the Pacers, when he averaged 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, and a league-high 2.4 SPG with a .477/.371/.799 shooting line. While the Heat aren’t expecting those kind of numbers from him when he returns this year, they reflect his ability to make a major impact on both ends of the court when he’s fully healthy.

If Oladipo can contribute during the second half of the 2021/22 season, he’ll give the Heat another option to deploy in tough defensive lineups that will feature the likes of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker, and Markieff Morris.