Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Nets Sign Iman Shumpert

January 31st, 2021 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

JANUARY 31: The Nets made the signing official on Saturday night, announcing it in a press release.

JANUARY 30: The Nets are finalizing a deal with free agent swingman Iman Shumpert, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Shumpert will return to the team after playing 13 games for Brooklyn last season. He was a rotation member and a strong defensive presence after signing with the Nets in November of 2019, but without a guaranteed contract the team wasn’t willing to give him a long-term roster spot. He was “reluctantly” released a month later when Wilson Chandler returned from a 25-game suspension.

Shumpert has played for five teams in his 10 NBA seasons, averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 459 games. He has been out of the league since the Nets let him go.

Brooklyn was required to fill at least one spot by today to get its roster up to 14 players. Today marks two weeks since the James Harden trade became official, with the Nets sending out four players while taking back only Harden.

Wizards Sign Alex Len To One-Year Deal

January 23rd, 2021 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 23: The Wizards have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Len.

JANUARY 22: Free agent center Alex Len, who cleared waivers on Thursday after being released by the Raptors on Tuesday, has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Wizards, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Len had multiple suitors and chose the Wizards in part because of the clear path to playing time in D.C. — starting center Thomas Bryant tore his ACL earlier this month and will miss the rest of the season, while Anzejs Pasecniks was released this past weekend, leaving Robin Lopez as the only true center on the active roster.

The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Len signed a one-year, $2.26MM contract with the Raptors in November, but didn’t see much action in his brief stint with the team. The 2.3 points and 10.9 minutes per game he averaged in seven contests with Toronto would’ve been his lowest marks since his rookie season.

Len has been more productive in recent years. He averaged a career-best 11.1 PPG in 77 games (20.1 MPG) with Atlanta in 2018/19, then posted 8.0 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 55 games (17.6 MPG) in part-time roles for the Hawks and Kings last season.

Having waived Pasecniks a few days ago, the Wizards had an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to make room for Len.

The big man will earn a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum on his new deal with Washington, notes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). If the signing is officially completed today, Len would earn a $1,712,648 salary and the Wizards would take on a $1,276,472 cap hit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Sign Jordan Bell To 10-Day Contract

January 23rd, 2021 at 10:55am CST by marksuleymanov

10:55am: The Wizards have officially signed Bell, the team announced today in a press release.

9:30am: The Wizards plan to sign forward Jordan Bell to a 10-day contract using the hardship provision, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Bell, 26, began his career with the Warriors during the 2017/18 season. Golden State won the NBA championship that season with Bell as a key reserve, averaging 4.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 57 games (13 starts).

The Los Angeles native appeared in 68 games for the Warriors the following season but has since bounced around the league. After signing with the Timberwolves in 2019, Bell was traded as part of the four-team, 12-player trade in February and was subsequently released.

Washington signed and waived Bell back in mid-December with the intention of having him suit up in the upcoming G League bubble. The Capital City Go-Go (the Wizards’ NBAGL affiliate) claimed Bell off waivers last March, so the team held his returning rights for the upcoming season. He may still be ticketed for the Go-Go after his stint with the Wizards.

As we’ve noted, the NBA adjusted the hardship provision this season to give teams flexibility to sign players to 10-day contracts if hit hard not just by injuries but by a series of positive COVID-19 tests.

The Wizards have not played since January 11 as a COVID-19 outbreak among the team and safety and health protocols have forced postponements. Bell joins Alex Len as another big man who will reportedly sign with Washington.

Bell’s 10-day contract will pay him about $115K, while the Wizards take on a cap hit of approximately $111K, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Sixers Sign Rayjon Tucker To Two-Way Deal

January 22nd, 2021 at 6:14pm CST by Luke Adams

6:14pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

2:05pm: The Sixers intend to sign free agent wing Rayjon Tucker to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Charania, Philadelphia will then send Tucker to play in the G League’s Disney World bubble for its NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Tucker, 23, spent most of his rookie season in 2019/20 with the Jazz, appearing in 20 games for the club. He also put up big numbers in the G League for the Wisconsin Herd and the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 23.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 19 NBAGL games (33.4 MPG).

Tucker was traded from Utah to Cleveland in a salary-dump deal in the offseason and was subsequently waived. He quickly caught on with the Clippers for training camp, but didn’t crack the team’s regular season roster and was released again a few days before opening night.

The 76ers had an open two-way slot after cutting Dakota Mathias earlier this week, so no corresponding roster move will be required to make room for Tucker. He’ll join Paul Reed as Philadelphia’s two-way players.

Solomon Hill Receives Salary Guarantee From Hawks

January 22nd, 2021 at 4:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks are guaranteeing Solomon Hill‘s $2.17MM salary for the remainder of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The move will lock in Hill’s $1.62MM cap charge.

Atlanta had until February 24 to decide whether to make the guarantee but opted to give the veteran forward peace of mind for his steady contributions. Hill has appeared in all 14 games for the injury-riddled Hawks, averaging 5.0 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 20.1 MPG.

Atlanta is Hill’s fifth team since he entered the league during the 2013/14 season. He played for Miami and Memphis last season.

The Hawks signed Hill on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal to add a veteran presence and defensive-minded wing to their mix. Hill was the only members of the 15-man Atlanta roster who was playing on a non-guaranteed deal.

Cavs Trade Kevin Porter Jr. To Rockets

January 22nd, 2021 at 2:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 22: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Rockets and Cavaliers. Houston confirmed in its announcement that Clemons has been released to make room for Porter.

“After careful and thoughtful evaluation, we made the very difficult and collective decision to make this trade,” Cavs GM Koby Altman said in a statement. “Given the culture and environment we have worked to cultivate here in Cleveland, we feel this move is in everyone’s best interest. Kevin has a bright career ahead of him as a professional basketball player and, at his core, is a good person.”

JANUARY 21: The Cavaliers are sending second-year swingman Kevin Porter Jr. to the Rockets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).

In exchange, the Cavs will receive a future protected second-round draft pick from Houston, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter). Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets that the pick is top-55 protected and will most likely never actually be conveyed to Cleveland.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com notes, the primary benefit of the deal for the Cavs is to open up a roster spot and to move off Porter’s guaranteed rookie-scale salary for this season ($1.72MM) and 2021/22 ($1.78MM). Since Houston can absorb Porter’s salary into a traded player exception, Cleveland won’t have to take a player back in the deal.

After throwing a locker room tantrum on January 15 when he discovered his locker had been relocated, Porter was instructed by the Cavaliers to clean out his locker and expect to be waived or traded.

Porter, who initially dropped in the 2019 draft due to off-court concerns, has had a tough second season. In November, he was arrested on charges of mishandling a firearm (a felony), plus driving without a license and marijuana possession (both misdemeanors). Last month, a grand jury cleared Porter of all charges.

Porter has not suited up for the Cavaliers at all this season. During a solid rookie outing, however, the No. 30 2019 draft pick out of USC impressed with averages of 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.9 SPG across 50 contests.

The Rockets, now in asset-accrual mode after sending perennial MVP candidate James Harden to the Nets in a four-team trade last week, are taking a flyer on a talented player in this deal. The hope, according to Fedor and MacMahon (Twitter link), is that veteran player development coach John Lucas can help Porter get his career back in track in Houston.

In order to open up a roster for Porter, the Rockets will waive injured guard Chris Clemons, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Clemons’ minimum salary for 2020/21 was initially non-guaranteed, but Houston will be obligated to pay it in full after he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. The Rockets are in better position to eat that money following the Harden deal — team salary is now comfortably below the luxury tax line rather than above it, and the club is no longer right up against its hard cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this story.