Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Expected To Sign Yves Pons, Romeo Weems

July 30th, 2021 at 1:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have lined up deals with a pair of notable undrafted free agents, according to reports. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) says Tennessee’s Yves Pons is expected to sign with Memphis, while Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears from sources that DePaul’s Romeo Weems will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the team.

Pons – the 19th-best available undrafted rookie, according to ESPN’s list – is a 6’6″ forward who earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019/20. After becoming a full-time starter for Tennessee as a junior, Pons averaged 9.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 57 games (31.4 MPG).

It’s not clear what kind of contract Pons will sign with the Grizzlies, but an Exhibit 10 deal or a two-way pact are the most likely options.

Weems – the 26th undrafted prospect on ESPN’s list – is another defensive-minded small forward. He averaged 7.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 18 games (28.6 MPG) for DePaul as a sophomore in 2020/21, knocking down 36.6% of this three-point attempts.

His Exhibit 10 deal could be converted a two-way contract before the regular season starts or could make him a candidate to end up with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

Celtics Sign Sam Hauser To Two-Way Contract

July 30th, 2021 at 1:00am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

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

JULY 30: It is anticipated that the Celtics will sign undrafted Virginia forward Sam Hauser to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’8″ forward began his college career at Marquette, but transferred to Virginia for a redshirt 2019/20 season. During his lone active season with the Cavaliers in 2020/21, Hauser averaged 16 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG, with a shooting line of .503/.417/.896 across 25 games.

The 23-year-old was an All-Big East Third Team honoree in 2019 while still with Marquette, and was named an All-ACC First Teamer this season. Hauser was ranked as the ninth-best undrafted player on ESPN’s list.

Hauser was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer for the 2020/21 season, and ranked second on the club in scoring efficiency (behind new Pelicans guard Trey Murphy) with a 123.6 offensive rating.

Justin Champagnie Joins Raptors On Two-Way Deal

July 30th, 2021 at 12:39am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 7: Champagnie’s two-way contract is official, the Raptors announced on Twitter.

JULY 30: Undrafted second-year Pittsburgh wing Justin Champagnie will join the Raptors on a two-way deal, reports Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’6″ swingman spent two seasons with the Panthers. A 2020/21 All-ACC selection, the Brooklyn native averaged 18.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 BPG, and 1.2 SPG in 20 games during his sophomore season. He posted a slash line of .477/.311/.711.

Considered a solid player on both sides of the ball, Champagnie’s athleticism makes him intriguing at the pro level, though his underwhelming jump shooting may have hurt his draft stock. Not since former NBA big man DeJuan Blair had a Pittsburgh player averaged a double-double, though Champagnie has healthier knees.

Champagnie was listed as the 13th-best available undrafted rookie, per ESPN’s list.

Knicks Trade No. 19 Pick Kai Jones To Hornets

July 30th, 2021 at 12:24am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 30: The trade is official, according to a Knicks press release.

JULY 29: The Knicks will send the 19th pick to the Hornets in exchange for a future first-round selection, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Charlotte plans to draft Texas big man Kai Jones, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

The Hornets were originally targeting Jones at No. 11 before Connecticut guard James Bouknight became available, states Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sources tell Fischer that Jones is one of two prospects who came to Charlotte twice for pre-draft workouts.

The Hornets were searching for centers this offseason, and they’ve filled the position with a pair of trades. Earlier today, they picked up Mason Plumlee from the Pistons in an exchange of draft picks.

New York will receive a heavily protected first-rounder from Charlotte in 2022, tweets Zach Lowe of ESPN, who adds that the protections will decrease over the next three years. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the protections are 1-18 next year, 1-16 in 2023, 1-14 in 2024 and 1-14 in 2025. If not conveyed by then, the pick will become two future second-rounders (Twitter link).

Rockets Acquire No. 16 Pick Alperen Sengun From Thunder

July 30th, 2021 at 12:22am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 30: The Rockets have officially announced their acquisition of Sengun’s draft rights.

JULY 29: The Thunder will trade pick No. 16 to the Rockets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Houston will use the pick to draft Turkish center Alperen Sengun, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Oklahoma City will receive a pair of future first-rounders in return that originally belonged to the Pistons and Wizards, adds Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

According to RealGM, Detroit’s 2022 pick is protected for selections 1-16 next year, 1-18 in 2023, 1-18 in 2024, 1-13 in 2025, 1-11 in 2026 and 1-9 in 2027. If it doesn’t convey by then, Detroit will give up its 2027 second-rounder.

The protections on Washington’s 2023 pick are 1-14 in 2023, 1-12 in 2024, 1-10 in 2025 and 1-8 in 2026. If it still hasn’t conveyed, Washington will give up second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Sengun, who turned 19 this week, is the top international big man in the draft. He spent last season with Beşiktaş, averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named MVP of the Turkish League. He also has extensive experience in international basketball.

Knicks Trade Robinson-Earl To Thunder For Jokubaitis, McBride

July 30th, 2021 at 12:19am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 30: The trade is now official, the Knicks announced in a press release.

JULY 29: The Knicks will send the No. 32 pick to the Thunder for the Nos. 34 and 36 selections, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Shams Charania of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks will be choosing Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl with the No. 32 pick, and he will then be rerouted to Oklahoma City.

The Knicks drafted sharpshooting 6’4″ Žalgiris guard Rokas Jokubaitis with the No. 34 pick and 6’2″ West Virginia point guard Miles McBride with the No. 36 selection.

New York also has the No. 58 pick still upcoming in tonight’s draft. Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets that the club could be making further deals before the night is through.

In the first round, the Knicks selected Houston shooting guard Quentin Grimes with the No. 25 pick after sending their No. 21 pick, Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, to the Clippers in exchange for the No. 25 selection and a future second-rounder. Earlier, the Knicks flipped the No. 19 pick to the Hornets for a protected 2022 first-round pick.

Robinson-Earl, 20, was the 2020/21 Big East Player of the Year, and averaged 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.2 APG across his 25 contests as a sophomore at Villanova.

Lakers Sign Joel Ayayi, Austin Reaves To Two-Way Deals

July 30th, 2021 at 12:16am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 3: The two-way signings of Ayayi and Reaves are now official, the Lakers announced today in a press release.

JULY 30: The Lakers have reached an agreement with undrafted free agent Joel Ayayi on a two-way contract, a source tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The club has also agreed to sign rookie shooting guard Austin Reaves to a two-way contract, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Reaves and Ayayi rank second and third, respectively, on ESPN’s list of undrafted prospects.

Ayayi, a 6’5″ wing, averaged 12.0 PPG and 6.9 RPG on .575/.389/.781 shooting in 32 games (31.3 MPG) for the Zags as a junior in 2020/21. Reaves, who began his college career at Wichita State, transferred to Oklahoma for his last two seasons and had his best year in 2020/21, putting up 18.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.6 APG, though his three-point percentage was a modest 30.5%.

Ayayi and Reaves appear likely to take the roster spots previously held by two-way players Kostas Antetokounmpo and Devontae Cacok. Both players are free agents this offseason, and Antetokounmpo has already lined up a deal with a team in France.

Pacers To Add Duane Washington Via Two-Way Deal

July 30th, 2021 at 12:10am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pacers will sign undrafted junior Ohio State shooting guard Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

The 6’3″ wing was named to the 2020/21 All-Big Ten Third Team during his final collegiate year. A second-generation NBA pro, Washington is the son of former journeyman shooting guard Duane Washington Sr. and the nephew of five-time Lakers champion point guard (and current Sparks coach) Derek Fisher.

During his final NCAA season, Washington averaged 16.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 32.2 MPG. He started in all 31 of his appearances with the Buckeyes this season. Washington posted a solid slash line of .410/.374/.853 for the 2020/21 season. A good shooter, Washington’s defensive deficiencies and limited playmaking ability may impact his efficacy at the next level.

Clippers Acquire No. 21 From Knicks, Select Keon Johnson

July 29th, 2021 at 11:59pm CST by Luke Adams

11:59pm: The trade is now official, according to a Knicks press release.

9:23pm: After trading the No. 19 pick to Charlotte, the Knicks have agreed to trade away their No. 21 selection as well, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s going to the Clippers, who have used it to select Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, per Charania.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), New York will receive the No. 25 pick and a future second-rounder from Los Angeles in the deal. That second-round pick will be Detroit’s 2024 selection, Woj adds (via Twitter).

Johnson had been viewed as a potential lottery pick, but some teams had concerns about his medical records, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who notes (via Twitter) that the swingman still has significant upside.

Meanwhile, although Knicks fans may be disappointed that the team traded away one of its first-rounders and moved down four spots with the other, the moves allowed the team to add two extra future draft picks and will create even more cap room for free agency — New York will only have to account for the cap hold for the No. 25 pick now, rather than Nos. 19 and 21.

Sixers Sign Aaron Henry To Two-Way Deal

July 29th, 2021 at 11:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 8: The Sixers have officially signed Henry to his two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 29: The Sixers are set to ink undrafted Michigan State wing Aaron Henry to a two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 6’6″ junior forward was named to the 2020/21 All-Defensive Team and 2020/21 All-Big Ten Third Team. He had a breakout final collegiate season, averaging career highs in points (15.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (3.6) and steals (1.3) over 28 games, including 26 starts.

Henry, 21, holds a career NCAA shooting line of .493/.333/.762. His three-point shooting took a dip in his final season with the Spartans, however, as he converted just 29.6% of his 2.9 long-range attempts per night. He is listed fourth on ESPN’s ranking of undrafted NBA prospects.

The Sixers have had an active draft night. They selected Tennessee guard Jaden Springer in the first round, plus 6’11” Adriatic League forward Filip Petrusev and Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey in the second round.

All free agent contracts, including for two-way players, cannot be officially signed until the new league year officially starts.