Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Sign Miles Norris, Waive David Johnson

October 16th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies have signed power forward Miles Norris and waived guard David Johnson, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Johnson signed with Memphis earlier on Wednesday, and although terms of the deals weren’t announced, it’s very likely that both players received Exhibit 10 contracts. That will make them eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

Norris, 24, signed a two-way contract with Atlanta last summer after going undrafted out of California-Santa Barbara. He was waived in December and joined the Hawks’ G League team in College Park, where he averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 16 Showcase Cup games. Norris also played for Atlanta in the Las Vegas Summer League the past two years.

Memphis remains at the offseason roster limit of 21 players.

Celtics To Sign Hason Ward To Exhibit 10 Deal, Waive Dmytro Skapintsev

October 16th, 2024 at 6:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics will sign Hason Ward to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 6’9″ forward advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last spring with Iowa State. A super senior, Ward averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Cyclones while shooting 62.8% from the field. He transferred two years ago after playing his first three collegiate seasons at Virginia Commonwealth.

Ward is likely headed for the Maine Celtics in the G League, and the Exhibit 10 deal makes him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the team.

To make room on the roster, Boston has waived Dmytro Skapintsev, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Ukrainian center also had an Exhibit 10 deal and is also expected to play in Maine.

The Celtics will be back to the offseason roster limit of 21 players once the addition of Ward is finalized.

Magic Sign Alex Morales, Waive Robert Baker

October 16th, 2024 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have made a pair of minor roster moves, signing free agent guard Alex Morales and waiving center Robert Baker, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

The moves appear G-League-motivated. Like Baker, Morales figures to be cut by Orlando before the regular season begins. But because Baker was on an Exhibit 10 contract and Morales almost certainly will be too, they’ll be eligible to receive bonuses worth up to $77.5K apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s NBAGL affiliate, this season.

A 6’6″ shooting guard, Morales has played for the Magic’s G League team in each of the past two years while also suiting up for Osos de Manati in Puerto Rico during the NBA offseason.

In 49 Showcase Cup and regular season games in 2023/24 for the Osceola Magic, the former Wagner College standout averaged 9.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 23.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .501/.252/.625.

Having added one player to their roster while removing another, the Magic still have the maximum allowable 21 players under contract.

Nets Sign, Waive K.J. Jones

October 16th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 16: The Nets have waived Jones, the team announced today, putting him on track to report to Long Island this fall.

OCTOBER 15: The Nets have signed wing K.J. Jones to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to the RealGM transactions log.

Brooklyn’s agreement with Jones was first reported in late June, shortly after the draft. He appeared in one Las Vegas Summer League game for Brooklyn.

Jones played his college ball at Division II Emmanuel University in Georgia, where he averaged 26.2 points per game in back-to-back seasons. He scored more than 3,600 total points over the course of his five-year collegiate career and posted a shooting line of .482/.371/.868 across those five seasons, also logging career averages of 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest.

Jones was the only Division II prospect to receive an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this spring.

Jones will likely be waived and then join the G League’s Long Island Nets. He would be eligible for a bonus up to $77.5K if he stays with the G League team for at least 60 days.

Pelicans Cut Four Players

October 16th, 2024 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have removed four players from their preseason roster, announcing in a press release on Wednesday that they’ve requested waivers on Elfrid Payton, Keion Brooks Jr., Trhae Mitchell, and Josh Oduro.

All four players were on essentially identical non-guaranteed contracts with Exhibit 10 clauses and will now be eligible to earn bonuses worth $77.5K apiece if they reported to the Birmingham Squadron and spend at least 60 days with New Orleans’ G League affiliate.

Brooks and Oduro went undrafted earlier this year and have no prior G League experience, so they can be designated as “affiliate players” for the Squadron. Payton and Mitchell played for other NBAGL teams last season, but had their returning rights acquired by Birmingham in a pair of separate trades during the offseason.

The Pelicans now have 14 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, for a total of 17 players on their preseason roster.

Those are the 17 players who appear likely to open the regular season with the club, though it’s possible New Orleans will continue shuffling Exhibit 10 players on and off the roster over the next few days for G League purposes.

Blazers Sign, Waive James Bouknight

October 16th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 16: Bouknight has been placed on waivers, the Trail Blazers announced today (via Twitter). His next stop figures to be with the Rip City Remix, as outlined below.

OCTOBER 15: The Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard James Bouknight to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced today in a press release.

According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), the plan is for Bouknight to be waived before the regular season begins and report to the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate. His Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard NBAGL salary) if he spends at least 60 days with the Remix.

The 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bouknight never developed into a reliable rotation player for the Hornets, averaging 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game across 79 career appearances. His shooting line during that time was just .363/.335/.762.

Bouknight also had some legal troubles after making his NBA debut, and battled injuries. The 24-year-old underwent surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee last October and had his fourth-year option for 2024/25 declined a few weeks later. He was subsequently waived in February when the Hornets needed to open up roster spots to accommodate the incoming players in their Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington trades.

Portland now has 20 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed salaries, Devonte’ Graham and Dalano Banton on non-guaranteed deals, and three players on two-ways.

Jazz Sign, Waive Justin Lewis

October 16th, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 16: The Jazz, as expected, have waived Lewis, the team officially announced on Wednesday.

OCTOBER 13: The Jazz have signed forward Justin Lewis, according to a team press release.

It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, so the plan is for Lewis to be waived and then rejoin the Salt Lake City Stars, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune tweets.

Lewis appeared in 29 NBA G League regular season games during the 2023/24 season for the Stars, averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per contest. Lewis previously spent portions of the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons on a two-way contract with the Bulls. Chicago waived him in December.

The Baltimore native played two collegiate seasons at Marquette (2020-22).

Lewis will be eligible of a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Stars.

Grizzlies Sign David Johnson

October 16th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have signed free agent guard David Johnson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). Memphis had an opening on its 21-man preseason roster, so no corresponding transaction was necessary to make room for Johnson.

The 47th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Louisville, Johnson appeared in just two NBA games with Toronto as a rookie and has spent most of his three professional seasons in the G League, first with the Raptors 905 and then last season with the Memphis Hustle.

Johnson had his best season in 2023/24 for the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate, averaging 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in just 26.6 minutes per game across 24 appearances (nine starts). He converted 35.4% of 8.3 three-point attempts per contest.

Johnson also represented Team USA in the 3×3 U23 World Cup last month — he was one of the leading scorers in the FIBA tournament for the U.S. team that fell to the Germans in the gold medal game.

Given that Memphis still controls Johnson’s G League rights, it’s highly likely that the plan is for the Grizzlies to waive him in the coming days so that he can head back to the NBAGL and earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K for spending at least 60 days with the Hustle.

Thunder Sign Buddy Boeheim, Cut Alex Reese

October 16th, 2024 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have made a pair of roster moves, announcing today that they’ve signed forward Buddy Boeheim and waived forward Alex Reese. Oklahoma City is still carrying 20 players on its preseason roster, one below the limit.

The Thunder and Boeheim agreed to terms on an Exhibit 10 contract all the way back at the start of July, just a couple days after he was waived by the Pistons.

The son of longtime Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, Buddy spent most of the 2023/24 season with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, before being promoted to the Pistons on a two-way contract in February.

The younger Boeheim made just 10 NBA appearances last season and saw limited minutes, but played a significant role for the Cruise, averaging 15.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game across 47 Showcase Cup and regular season outings. He made an impressive 41.9% of 8.0 three-point tries per game while also knocking down 86.0% of his free throws.

The Oklahoma City Blue – the Thunder’s G League affiliate – acquired Boeheim’s returning rights in a trade with the Cruise this offseason, so it appears the plan is to waive him before the NBA season begins and have him report to the Blue. That also figures to be the next step for Reese. Both players will earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with OKC’s NBAGL team.

Hawks Sign, Waive Jarkel Joiner

October 16th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 16: As expected, the Hawks have waived Joiner, the team confirmed today in a press release. As detailed below, he’s now on track to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus (worth as much as $77.5K) if he rejoins the College Park Skyhawks and spends at least 60 days with the G League squad.

OCTOBER 15: The Hawks have reached the 21-man preseason roster limit by signing guard Jarkel Joiner to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It’s the second straight year in which Joiner has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Hawks. He joined the team for training camp last fall after going undrafted out of NC State in 2023, then was waived before the season began and spent his rookie year with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

Appearing in a total of 46 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Skyhawks last season, Joiner averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game. The 6’1″ guard posted a shooting line of .437/.305/.793.

Joiner has also played for the Hawks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas in each of the past two years.

In all likelihood, the Hawks intend to have Joiner rejoin their NBAGL team this season, in which case they’ll waive him from the NBA roster before opening night. His Exhibit 10 contract will ensure he earns a bonus worth a maximum of $77.5K as long as he spends at least 60 days with the Skyhawks.