Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign Cam Reynolds To 10-Day Contract

March 26th, 2021 at 6:29pm CST by Luke Adams

6:29pm: It’s official, according to a team press release.

2:50pm: Free agent forward Cameron Reynolds is returning to the Spurs, according to his agent James Dunleavy, who tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the team is signing Reynolds to a 10-day contract.

Reynolds, 26, spent the preseason with San Antonio, then joined the Austin Spurs for the G League bubble at Walt Disney World last month. In 14 NBAGL contests (29.0 MPG), he averaged 16.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .412/.337/.833 shooting.

The former Tulane standout has 19 games of NBA experience under his belt, having spent part of the 2018/19 season with the Timberwolves. He’ll earn $99K on his 10-day deal with San Antonio.

The Spurs briefly filled the 15th spot on their roster when they acquired Marquese Chriss at the trade deadline, but reopened it when they bought out LaMarcus Aldridge. As such, no corresponding roster move will be required to officially sign Reynolds.

Cavaliers Buy Out Andre Drummond’s Contract

March 26th, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45pm: The buyout agreement is official, according to a team press release.

“I want to thank Andre for his contributions to our team both on and off the court, and for his professionalism and mutual cooperation as we navigated through this process with him and his representation,” GM Koby Altman said. “We have great respect for Andre as a person and a player here in Cleveland and we are happy to have reached an outcome that is in the best interest of both Andre and our team.”

12:53pm: The Cavaliers have reached a buyout agreement with center Andre Drummond, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Drummond will be free to sign with any team once he officially clears waivers.

The move was expected, with reports on Thursday indicating that the Cavs were negotiating a buyout with Drummond after failing to find a favorable trade at the deadline.

Drummond, 27, is averaging a double-double for the eight consecutive season in 2020/21, with 17.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG in 25 games (28.9 MPG) for Cleveland. However, he wasn’t in the Cavs’ long-term plans, so the team pulled him out of its rotation in February to create more minutes for new center Jarrett Allen and to resolve his situation.

Drummond’s $28.75MM expiring salary made it impossible for the club to recoup anything of real value on the trade market. However, he could be as available on the free agent market for as little as the veteran’s minimum. Money will be one of the factors Drummond must consider as he weighs which team to join next, since some of his suitors – including the Lakers – will be limited to offering the prorated minimum, while others – like the Knicks – could go much higher.

His potential role and the opportunity to compete for a championship are other factors that Drummond will have to consider as he explores his options. Besides the Lakers and Knicks, the big man is expected to talk to the Clippers, Celtics, Hornets, and possibly the Nets.

Executives around the league reportedly view the Lakers as the frontrunners for Drummond.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Grizzlies Waive Gorgui Dieng

March 26th, 2021 at 4:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies have waived Gorgui Dieng, according to a press release posted on the team’s Twitter feed.

The 31-year-old big man has appeared in 39 games, including 22 this season, in parts of two seasons with Memphis. He’s averaged 7.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 17.7 MPG during those contests.

His $17.3MM expiring contract made it difficult to deal Dieng before Thursday’s deadline. With Xavier Tillman Sr. ahead of him in the rotation behind starting center Jonas Valanciunas, Dieng became a prime buyout candidate.

He’ll clear waivers on Sunday afternoon and become an attractive pickup for a contender seeking frontcourt help.

Jazz Acquire Matt Thomas From Raptors

March 26th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 26: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Raptors.

MARCH 25: The Raptors are trading guard Matt Thomas to the Jazz for a future second-round pick, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The pick will be the Warriors’ 2021 second-rounder that was owed to Utah, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.

Thomas provides the Jazz with another shooter off the bench. Thomas, 26, made his NBA debut last season, appearing in 41 games and averaging 4.9 PPG in 10.7 MPG. He’s appeared in 26 games this season, averaging 2.7 PPG in 7.4 MPG. However, the 6’4” Thomas has knocked down 45.7% of his 3-point attempts over the last two seasons.

Thomas is making approximately $1.52MM. The Jazz will have to decide by the start of free agency whether to guarantee his $1.78MM salary next season.

Utah will use a $3,542,060 traded player exception to absorb Thomas’ salary, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. The Jazz had an open roster spot.

Toronto will generate a $1.5MM TPE through this transaction. The Raptors also open up a roster spot, which they may need if they deal Kyle Lowry by the trade deadline.

Cavs, Nuggets Finalize JaVale McGee Trade

March 26th, 2021 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 26: The trade is official, the Cavaliers announced in a press release.

MARCH 25: The Cavaliers are finalizing a trade that will send veteran center JaVale McGee to the Nuggets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Cleveland will acquire big man Isaiah Hartenstein and a pair of second-round picks in the deal, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Mike Singer of The Denver Post first reported that the two teams were discussing Hartenstein.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), the picks headed to the Cavs are a top-46 protected 2023 second-rounder and an unprotected 2027 second-rounder.

The move represents a reunion for McGee, who was previously traded to the Nuggets at the 2012 trade deadline and spent the next three years with the franchise. The 33-year-old has played for Philadelphia, Dallas, Golden State, the Lakers, and Cleveland since then, averaging 8.0 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 33 games (15.2 MPG) this season for the Cavs.

In his return to Denver, McGee figures to slide into the backup center role behind Nikola Jokic. Hartenstein was penciled into that role at the start of the season, but had a somewhat underwhelming year, with 3.5 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 30 games (9.1 MPG). JaMychal Green, Zeke Nnaji, and Bol Bol have also seen some occasional minutes at the five, but McGee should be a more reliable veteran option for the Nuggets’ second unit.

As Singer observes (via Twitter), the Cavs were one of the teams with interest in Hartenstein before he signed with Denver last fall, so the 22-year-old should take on a bigger role in Cleveland. However, the second-rounders the Cavs are acquiring in the swap are probably a bigger factor in the team’s willingness to make the deal.

Although Hartenstein’s minimum-salary contract isn’t big enough to match McGee’s $4.2MM expiring deal, the Nuggets will be able to absorb that money using a trade exception created in last November’s Jerami Grant sign-and-trade and will still have about $5.33MM left on that exception, which expires in the offseason. The Cavs will create a $4.2MM traded player exception in the deal, while the Nuggets will generate a new $1.62MM TPE.

McGee will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Hartenstein has a minimum-salary player option for 2021/22.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans Trade Redick, Melli To Mavs; Lonzo Ball Stays Put

March 26th, 2021 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 26: The trade is now official, according to announcement from thes Mavericks (Twitter link) and Pelicans.

MARCH 25: The Pelicans won’t be trading point guard Lonzo Ball at today’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). However, New Orleans has agreed to a deal that will send J.J. Redick to the Mavericks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Pelicans will receive James Johnson, Wesley Iwundu, and a 2021 second-round pick in exchange for Redick and Nicolo Melli, a source tells Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter links). New Orleans also received cash from the Mavericks in the deal, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Charania initially reported that the Redick deal would be a three-team trade that also sent Trey Lyles from the Spurs to Dallas, but has since clarified that it will just be a direct trade between the Pelicans and Mavs.

Redick, who was averaging 8.7 PPG in 31 appearances off the bench, had expressed a desire to be dealt to a team in the Northeast, where his family resides. He’ll have to wait until the offseason to make that happen but he’ll provide the Mavericks with another 3-point threat off the bench. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Melli reportedly wanted out after seeing his playing time decline in his second NBA season. He’s only appeared in 22 games this season. He can be a restricted free agent if Dallas decides to extend a $4.87MM qualifying offer. The Mavs will keep Melli at least through the end of this season, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Johnson has an expiring $16MM contract. He’s averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 29 games this season and gives the Pelicans another frontcourt option. Iwundu has seen action in 23 games this season but has only averaged 2.1 PPG in 12.5 MPG during those outings. He has another year left on his contract but his 2021/22 salary is just $1.82MM.

As for Ball, the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, Nuggets and Sixers had all been linked to the former No. 2 pick to varying degrees in recent weeks, but New Orleans didn’t find a package attractive enough to deal its current floor leader.

The Pelicans will have to decide after the season whether to extend Ball a $14.36MM qualifying offer and make him a restricted free agent, or let him enter the market unrestricted. Assuming they extend that QO, as is expected, they’ll then have to weigh how aggressive they’re willing to be when it comes to a long-term contract offer.

Ball is averaging 14.2 PPG and 5.6 APG for the Pelicans, who are a disappointing five games below .500.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.

Celtics Trade for Evan Fournier

March 26th, 2021 at 12:27am CST by Arthur Hill

12:27am: The Fournier trade is now official, according to an announcement from the Magic (via Twitter).

9:07pm: The draft picks headed to Orlando in the trade are the Celtics’ own 2027 second-rounder and whichever pick is the least favorable of the Celtics’ and Grizzlies’ 2025 second-rounders, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).

2:36pm: The Celtics will also send Jeff Teague to Orlando in their trade for Fournier, according to Josh Robbins and Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Since Teague is on a minimum-salary contract, the value of the Magic’s $17MM+ trade exception generated by moving Fournier will remain the same.

Teague has been told he doesn’t have to report to Orlando and will be released by the Magic, Robbins adds.

10:34am: The Celtics are finalizing a deal to land shooting guard Evan Fournier from the Magic in exchange for two second-round picks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Since it appears Boston isn’t sending any sizeable salaries to Orlando in return, the Celtics will use part of their $28.6MM trade exception to take on Fournier’s expiring contract.

Fournier carries a $17.15MM cap hit that will be adjusted to $17.45MM once the deal is complete, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The increase involves bonuses, as Fournier has incentives for reaching the second round of the playoffs and the conference finals, which are both now considered likely since the Celtics did so last season.

Boston doesn’t have a roster opening, so another move will be necessary before the trade can be finalized. Marks adds that the deal puts the Celtics $1.6MM over the luxury tax, so Boston could include a low-priced contract in the trade to address both issues.

The Magic would create a $17.15MM trade exception if they’re not acquiring any players in the deal (or if they only take on a minimum-salary contract).

Fournier, 28, is in his ninth NBA season and his seventh with the Magic. He’s averaging a career-best 19.7 points per game and shooting 38.8% from three-point range in advance of unrestricted free agency.

The Celtics were previously said to be in serious contention to land Aaron Gordon from Orlando in addition to Fournier, but Gordon is reportedly headed to Denver.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Trade Aaron Gordon To Nuggets

March 25th, 2021 at 11:22pm CST by Luke Adams

11:22pm: The deal is official, according to a Magic press release (via Twitter).

3:05pm: The 2025 first-round pick headed to Orlando in the trade will be top-five protected, tweets Zach Lowe of ESPN. That protection will remain the same in 2026 and 2027 if it doesn’t convey immediately.

11:24am: The Nuggets and Magic have reached an agreement on a trade that will send forward Aaron Gordon to Denver, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links) also hears that the two sides are in agreement, reporting that Denver will send Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and a protected 2025 first-round pick to Orlando in the deal. The Nuggets will also acquire Gary Clark in the trade, tweets Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Gordon, who has been one of the most frequently discussed trade candidates this month, was said at the start of the week to be drawing serious interest from the Rockets. The Celtics overtook Houston as the frontrunner to acquire the 25-year-old on Tuesday, with the Nuggets reportedly emerging as the favorite as of Wednesday night.

It’s the second trade agreement of the day for the Nuggets, who also struck a deal with Cleveland to acquire JaVale McGee. The moves will shore up a Denver frontcourt that was hit hard last offseason by the free agent departures of Mason Plumlee, Jerami Grant, and Torrey Craig.

While McGee will take over as Nikola Jokic‘s backup at the five, Gordon can play either forward position, and should help provide the club with some of the defensive versatility that was lost when Grant and Craig left. It’s a safe bet that Gordon will be tasked with guarding bigger forwards like LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard during the postseason.

As for the Magic, the Gordon trade is the latest in a series of deals that signal the organization’s intention to reset its roster and retool around Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac. Orlando has also agreed to send Nikola Vucevic to Chicago and Evan Fournier to Boston.

According to earlier reports, the Celtics were offering Aaron Nesmith and a first-round pick as part of a package for Gordon. During conversations with the Timberwolves, the Magic wanted rookie Jaden McDaniels, but Minnesota was reluctant to part with him, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Instead, the Magic will get a package headlined by a future first-round pick and Hampton, who was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The 20-year-old has logged mostly garbage-time minutes in his 25 NBA games so far, but is viewed as having considerable potential.

Orlando also gets Harris, who has been productive in the past but has an oversized contract, including a $19.6MM salary this season and a $20.9MM cap hit for 2021/22. He was included in the deal for salary-matching purposes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Acquire Marquese Chriss From Warriors

March 25th, 2021 at 10:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

10:45pm: The Chriss deal is now official, per a tweet from the Warriors.

2:35pm: The Warriors will trade center Marquese Chriss to the Spurs, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State will receive the rights to Cady Lalanne in return, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

San Antonio will also get cash in the deal, adds ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The move will enable the Warriors to save some money on the luxury tax, rather than spending it for an injured player (Twitter link).

Chriss underwent surgery after breaking his right fibula in late December and is expected to miss the rest of the season. He is making $1.8MM this season on an expiring contract.

Lalanne, a 28-year-old center, was a second-round pick by the Spurs in 2015, but has never made it to the NBA. He is currently playing in South Korea.

Warriors Trade Brad Wanamaker To Hornets

March 25th, 2021 at 10:37pm CST by Luke Adams

10:37pm: The Warriors tweet that they have officially dealt Wanamaker to the Hornets. The terms of the deal are as follows:

Hornets acquire Wanamaker, the Raptors’ 2022 second-round pick (top-54 protected), and cash.
Warriors acquire the Hornets’ 2025 second-round pick (top-55 protected).

2:19pm: The Hornets have agreed to acquire veteran guard Brad Wanamaker in a trade with the Warriors, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Golden State won’t receive any players or picks in return, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Charlotte has the room to absorb Wanamaker’s $2.25MM cap charge, so no salary-matching was necessary.

Cash will be involved in the deal, per Slater, though it’s unclear which team is receiving it. Given Wanamaker’s middling production and the Warriors’ sizeable tax bill, I’d expect Golden State to be the team sending out cash, but Wes Goldberg of The San Jose Mercury-News says it’ll be Charlotte doing so. We’ll have to wait for more details.

Wanamaker was expendable because Golden State views rookie Nico Mannion as its backup point guard moving forward, according to Monte Poole of NBC Sports (Twitter link). The Warriors were able to open two roster spots today ahead of the buyout season.

After signing with the Warriors as a free agent in November, Wanamaker appeared in 39 games, all as a reserve, and averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 assists per night.