Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Waive Sindarius Thornwell

February 23rd, 2021 at 5:30am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 23: The Pelicans officially waived Thornwell on Monday, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

FEBRUARY 22: The Pelicans intend to release guard Sindarius Thornwell, reports Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Thornwell appeared in 11 games for New Orleans this season, but saw limited action, averaging just 4.8 minutes per contest. In 53 total minutes, he scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, chipping in four steals.

According to Guillory, the Pelicans were happy with Thornwell’s performance, but will make the move for financial reasons. The 26-year-old’s minimum-salary contract isn’t fully guaranteed, so by waiving him prior to Wednesday’s salary guarantee deadline, the club will save some money and create more breathing room below the luxury tax line.

Rather than counting for $1,620,564 against the Pelicans’ cap, Thornwell will have a cap charge of $721,484, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. New Orleans will move approximately $1.4MM below the tax threshold, Marks adds (Twitter link).

Because the Pelicans already have an open spot on their 15-man roster, releasing Thornwell will reduce their total standard contracts to just 13. The league-mandated minimum is 14, but teams can dip below that number for two weeks at a time. New Orleans will have to add a 14th man within two weeks and will likely do so by utilizing a 10-day contract — 10-day deals can be signed starting on Tuesday.

Rockets Sign Justin Patton To Two-Way Deal

February 19th, 2021 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

3:35pm: The Rockets have officially signed Patton to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

7:15am: The Rockets will fill their open two-way contract slot by promoting a center from the G League, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who hears from agent Brian Jungreis that Justin Patton has agreed to a two-way deal with Houston.

Patton, 23, was the 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, but was limited to just nine NBA games across his first three seasons in the NBA with the Timberwolves, Sixers, and Thunder due in large part to injuries, including broken bones in both feet.

The big man has seen more action at the G League level, appearing in 83 total NBAGL games since 2017/18. He was selected in the first round of this year’s G League draft by the Westchester Knicks and has played in four games for the club, averaging 10.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 21.5 minutes per contest.

The Rockets opened up one of their two-way spots earlier this week when they waived Ray Spalding, who suffered an Achilles injury in just his second game with the club. That was the latest blow to a Houston frontcourt that has had some bad injury luck lately — Christian Wood has been on the shelf with an ankle sprain for two weeks, while a quad issue has sidelined P.J. Tucker for the last two games.

It’s possible Patton will see some action in the Rockets’ depleted frontcourt in the short term. Once he officially signs, we should get a better sense of whether Houston intends to keep him with the NBA squad for a little while or if he’ll report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before the G League season ends in March.

Rockets Waive Ray Spalding

February 16th, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets are waiving forward Ray Spalding, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

Spalding suffered an Achilles injury in his second game with the team on Monday, when he logged 10 minutes against Washington.

The Rockets signed Spalding to a two-way contract on Friday.

Spalding, the 56th overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent time with the Mavericks and Suns as a rookie in 2018/19, then joined the Hawks for training camp in 2019 before being waived and claimed by Houston. After being cut again, he later signed a two-way contract with the Hornets.

He got off to a strong start with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBAGL bubble last week, averaging 18.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG in his first two games (27.5 MPG).

Nets Waive Norvel Pelle, Sign Andre Roberson

February 16th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

1:03pm: The Roberson signing is official, the Nets announced in a press release.

6:16am: The Nets have waived center Norvel Pelle, opening up a spot on their 15-man roster, the team announced in a press release issued early on Tuesday morning.

With that newly-opened roster spot, Brooklyn will sign free agent forward Andre Roberson, who has agreed to a deal with the club, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) initially reported that the Nets were “strongly considering” adding Roberson to replace Pelle.

Charania had said on Monday that the Nets mulled the possibility of signing Roberson last month before opting for veteran swingman Iman Shumpert instead. With so many non-guaranteed contracts at the back of their roster – including Pelle’s – the Nets ultimately decided to circle back to the former Thunder forward.

Roberson, who is limited on offense but has a reputation as a defensive stopper, returned last August during the NBA’s summer restart after having been on the shelf for two-and-a-half years due to knee issues. In his last full season, way back in 2016/17, he averaged 6.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .464/.245/.423 shooting and typically guarded opponents’ top perimeter threats.

Roberson’s defensive ability should be an asset on a Nets team that doesn’t lack offensive firepower, with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving leading the way. Roberson and Durant were teammates for three years in Oklahoma City.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Brooklyn will carry a modest $217,845 cap hit for Pelle’s 22-day stint with the club. The big man, who logged limited minutes in just three games for the Nets, will clear waivers on Thursday and will be free to sign with any team, assuming he goes unclaimed.

If Roberson signs a guaranteed contract or is retained beyond the salary guarantee deadline of February 24, he’ll have a full-season cap hit of $998,978, the prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum, per Marks. Once the signing is official, the Nets will once again have a full 15-man roster, though they could make additional adjustments before next Wednesday’s salary guarantee deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Sign Chasson Randle To Two-Way Contract

February 15th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: The Magic have officially signed Randle and waived Mason, the team announced in a press release.

12:24pm: The Magic intend to sign free agent guard Chasson Randle to a two-way contract, according to Josh Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Randle, who made his NBA debut in 2017, has appeared in 78 total games since then for the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, and Warriors, averaging 5.3 PPG and 1.7 APG in 13.9 minutes per contest. He was on a 10-day contract with Golden State last March when the season was suspended, but didn’t catch on with a new NBA team for the summer restart or for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

Randle has been playing in the G League bubble this month for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate. In two games (26.3 MPG), he has averaged 20.0 PPG on .556/.375/.667 shooting.

The Magic have been hit hard by injuries at the point guard position this season. After losing Markelle Fultz for the season with a torn ACL, the team recently saw Cole Anthony go down with a shoulder strain and Frank Mason suffer a strained groin. Michael Carter-Williams just returned on Friday after missing over a month due to a foot sprain and is the only healthy point guard on the roster for the time being, so Randle could get an opportunity to earn minutes immediately.

Mason currently occupies one of the Magic’s two-way contract slots and is the likeliest candidate to be cut to make room for Randle, according to Robbins. Karim Mane is Orlando’s other two-way player.

Timberwolves Waive Ashton Hagans

February 13th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have waived two-way player Ashton Hagans, according to a team press release.

Hagans was signed to a two-way contract in late November. The undrafted rookie out of Kentucky made two very brief appearances with the Timberwolves before joining the team’s G League squad, the Iowa Wolves, at the Orlando bubble.

Hagans was one of several Iowa players suspended two games without pay this week for violating the league’s health and safety protocols. That incident contributed to the team’s decision to cut ties with the 21-year-old point guard, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Hagans started two seasons for the Wildcats. As a sophomore, Hagans averaged 11.5 PPG and 6.4 APG in 30 regular-season games.

Jordan McLaughlin is Minnesota’s other two-way player. Along with the vacated two-way slot, the Timberwolves also have an opening on their 15-man roster, giving the team some flexibility to make moves.

Rockets Sign Ray Spalding To Two-Way Deal

February 12th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Luke Adams

9:50pm: Spalding’s deal is official, as is Thomas’ release, according to an announcement from the team.

3:03pm: The Rockets will waive Thomas to make room for Spalding, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle confirms.

2:30pm: The Rockets are signing free agent power forward Ray Spalding to a two-way contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Spalding, the 56th overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent time with the Mavericks and Suns as a rookie in 2018/19, then joined the Hawks for training camp in 2019 before being waived and claimed by Houston. After being cut again, he later signed a two-way contract with the Hornets.

Between stints with NBA teams, the 23-year-old has played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. He was off to a strong start in the NBAGL bubble this week, averaging 18.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG in his first two games (27.5 MPG).

The Rockets are currently carrying Mason Jones and Brodric Thomas on two-way deals, so one of those players will have to be cut in order to make room for Spalding. Jones has been a more regular part of Houston’s rotation so far this season, appearing in 15 games, so Thomas – who has played in just four games – may be the odd man out.

The full list of players on two-way contracts can be found right here.

Nets Sign Noah Vonleh

February 8th, 2021 at 2:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:42pm: The Nets have officially announced the addition of Vonleh in a team press release. He will be available for tomorrow night’s game against the Pistons, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

9:29am: Free agent power forward-center Noah Vonleh will sign with the Nets, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Vonleh will add frontcourt depth to a team that has been lacking in big men since parting with Jarrett Allen last month in the James Harden trade. Brooklyn, which recently added Norvel Pelle and Iman Shumpert, will have a full 15-man roster for the first time since the deal once the Vonleh signing becomes official.

Vonleh had several opportunities to join the G League bubble in Orlando, but he decided to wait for a call from an NBA team, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old signed with the Bulls in the offseason, but never played for the team. He contracted COVID-19 during training camp and was waived in December before the season began.

A lottery pick in 2014, Vonleh has been with six teams during his six-year NBA career. He started last year with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Nuggets at the deadline. He averaged 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 36 total games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Magic Sign Frank Mason To Two-Way Deal, Cut Jordan Bone

February 3rd, 2021 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 3: The Magic have officially signed Mason, announcing in their press release that they’ve waived Bone to open up the required two-way slot. Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel notes (via Twitter) that Mason should be able to forgo the usual quarantine period for a newly-added free agent, since he has been at the G League bubble in Disney.

FEBRUARY 2: Free agent guard Frank Mason has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Magic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 34th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Mason has appeared in a total of 99 NBA regular season games for the Kings and Bucks over the last three seasons. While his NBA output (6.8 PPG on .397/.298/.757 shooting) has been modest, the 26-year-old had a huge year in the G League in 2019/20, averaging 25.3 PPG with a .502/.428/.815 shooting line in 24 games (30.2 MPG) and earning NBAGL MVP honors.

Mason was signed and waived by the Sixers in December for G League purposes, as the team intended to make him an affiliate player for the Delaware Blue Coats. For now though, it sounds like Mason will report to the Magic once he officially signs a contract and clears the NBA’s health and safety protocols. There could be a pathway to immediate playing time with Markelle Fultz (ACL) out for the season and Michael Carter-Williams (foot) also ailing.

While the NBA and NBPA have talked about creating a third two-way slot for teams this season, there’s no indication any agreement on that front is imminent, so the Magic will presumably have to waive one of their current two-way players to make room for Mason. Of the two, Jordan Bone has been a more regular part of Orlando’s rotation than 20-year-old rookie Karim Mane.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jordan Bell Released By Wizards

January 31st, 2021 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 31: Bell will join the Erie BayHawks in the G League bubble, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. Before the 10-day contract, the Wizards designated Bell as one of their four flex-affiliate players with plans to have him play for the BayHawks. Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, isn’t participating in the Orlando bubble.

JANUARY 30: The Wizards have given center Jordan Bell an early release from his 10-day contract, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Bell was signed last Saturday under the hardship provision when Washington had seven players sidelined, Katz explains (Twitter link). The six who were in health and safety protocols for COVID-19 will all be back by tomorrow, leaving no room for Bell. The Wizards already have a full roster with 15 guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.

Bell, 26, appeared in three games during his brief stay in Washington, averaging 3.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per night. He helped to fill a gap in the middle with Thomas Bryant lost for the year with an ACL injury and Moritz Wagner in the NBA’s protocols.