Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic Sign Markelle Fultz To Three-Year Extension

December 21st, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

5:01pm: Fultz’s extension is now official, according to the Magic.

4:18pm: The Magic have agreed to sign former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz to a three-year rookie scale extension worth $50MM, agent Raymond Brothers tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal, which will begin in 2021/22 after Fultz earns $12.3MM this season, includes a third-year team option, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Philadelphia traded up in the 2017 draft to select Fultz, but he was limited to 33 games in a season-and-a-half with the Sixers, as he dealt with a troublesome shoulder injury and struggled to regain the form that made him the top prospect in his class.

After being dealt to the Magic at the 2019 trade deadline, Fultz stayed healthy for the team last season, averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG on .465/.267/.730 shooting in 72 games (27.7 MPG). Orlando has been “thrilled” with his progress and views him as a key part of the team’s future, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Fultz’s new deal is an interesting one for him and the Magic, and is comparable to a few other rookie scale extensions signed in the last couple years by players who have dealt with injuries. Luke Kennard‘s new four-year, $56MM contract (which includes $8MM in additional incentives) is in the same range, as is Dejounte Murray‘s deal from a year ago (four years, $64MM, plus $6MM in incentives).

The closest comparable may be the three-year, $52.5MM extension Caris LeVert signed with the Nets a year ago. Like LeVert, Fultz only signed for three years, putting him in position to potentially reach unrestricted free agency in his prime — he’ll be just 26 years old when his new contract expires.

Fultz is one of two Magic players to reach an agreement today on a rookie scale extension, joining fellow franchise cornerstone Jonathan Isaac.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Knicks Exercise Contract Options On Barrett, Knox

December 21st, 2020 at 4:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have exercised their 2021/22 contract options on recent lottery picks RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox, the team’s PR department tweets.

Barrett, the third pick of last year’s draft, will make approximately $8.6MM in his third season. Knox, chosen ninth in the 2018 draft, will make $5.85MM in his fourth season during the 2021/22 campaign.

Barrett was the third-leading scorer among rookies last season at 14.3 PPG in 30.4 MPG while appearing in 56 games.

Knox’s playing time and production regressed dramatically in his second season, but the Knicks’ new regime thinks enough of him to lock in his salary through the next two seasons. He has averaged 9.9 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 140 career games.

Notably, the Knicks’ announcement didn’t mention recently-acquired big man Omari Spellman, the team’s other player with a 2021/22 rookie scale option. New York has until December 29 to make a decision on Spellman, but teams generally announce all their exercised options at once, so the team may be declining that one.

Hawks Pick Up 2021/22 Options On Trae Young, Three Others

December 21st, 2020 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have officially exercised their 2021/22 team options on Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish, the team announced in a press release. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic first reported the news (via Twitter).

Young and Huerter were drafted in 2018, so they had their fourth-year options picked up today. Young will make $8.33MM in 2021/22, while Huerter will earn $4.25MM. They’ll both be eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2021 offseason.

Hunter and Reddish, both 2019 first-rounders, had their third-year options exercised. Hunter’s is worth $7.78MM, while Reddish’s is for $4.67MM. A year from now, Atlanta will have to make decisions on their fourth-year options for 2022/23.

While Young is the most obvious long-term franchise building block among the four youngsters, Huerter, Hunter, and Reddish all have room to continue improving and will vie for playing time in a crowded Hawks rotation this season.

Kings Waive Chimezie Metu

December 21st, 2020 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have set their roster for the start of the regular season by waiving power forward Chimezie Metu, league sources tell Jason Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Metu, a 2018 second-round pick, was never able to establish consistent playing time in San Antonio during his two years with the team. He appeared in 47 games over the last two seasons, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 5.3 minutes per contest before being waived by the Spurs this offseason.

Metu subsequently caught on with the Kings on a three-year contract with a $50K partial guarantee in year one. The multiyear nature of his deal with Sacramento and his strong play in the postseason (24 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in 29 total minutes) suggested he may be in the team’s plans, but he’ll be the odd man out in advance of tonight’s roster deadline.

The Kings now have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Glenn Robinson III on a non-guaranteed deal and Kyle Guy on a two-way pact. Metu could fill the Kings’ other two-way slot if he clears waivers and there’s mutual interest in a new deal.

Nets Exercise 2021/22 Option On Landry Shamet

December 21st, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have exercise the fourth-year option on Landry Shamet‘s rookie contract, the club announced today (via Twitter). The move locks in Shamet’s $3.77MM salary for the 2021/22 season.

Shamet, 23, has averaged 9.2 PPG on .420/.402/.828 shooting in his first two NBA seasons with the Sixers and Clippers. He was dealt from Los Angeles to Brooklyn in a three-team trade last month — the Nets also acquired Bruce Brown in that deal, sending Dzanan Musa and the No. 19 pick to Detroit.

Shamet will now become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2021 offseason. If he doesn’t sign a new deal at that point, he’d be on track to reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2022.

We’re keeping tabs on all the 2021/22 rookie scale team option decisions right here.

Pistons Exercise Sekou Doumbouya’s 2021/22 Option

December 21st, 2020 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have exercised their 2021/22 team option on Sekou Doumbouya‘s rookie contract, league sources tell Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The move guarantees the forward’s $3.6MM salary for the ’21/22 season.

Doumbouya, who will turn 20 on Wednesday, was the youngest player in the NBA last season after being selected 15th overall in the 2019 draft. He averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .390/.286/.674 shooting in 38 games (19.8 MPG) as a rookie.

While Doumbouya’s contributions in 2019/20 were modest, he has flashed some promise during the preseason this month. Most notably, he racked up 23 points, five rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots in just 17 minutes of action against New York last Sunday.

As our tracker shows, Doumbouya’s rookie scale option was the only one left for the Pistons to pick up after they waived Zhaire Smith and Dzanan Musa. The deadline for teams to exercise those options is December 29.

Detroit’s next decision on Doumbouya will come a year from now, when the club will have to either exercise or decline his team option for 2022/23. Assuming that option is picked up, the Pistons forward will become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2022 offseason.

Lakers Sign Kyle Kuzma To Three-Year Extension

December 20th, 2020 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

4:46pm: Kuzma has officially signed his extension with the Lakers, the team announced on social media (Twitter link).

3:56pm: The Lakers and forward Kyle Kuzma have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension worth $40MM, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal will include a third-year player option for the 2023/24 season, Wojnarowski reports.

Kuzma, 25, is the latest in a line of Lakers players that have agreed to lucrative new contracts this offseason. LeBron James and Anthony Davis signed maximum-salary deals that will keep them under team control through 2023 and 2024, respectively, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed a contract similar to Kuzma’s, though the final year of KCP’s three-year, $39MM pact isn’t fully guaranteed.

Those multiyear commitments to other key players likely helped open the door for a rookie scale extension for Kuzma in advance of Monday’s deadline, since the Lakers no longer had to consider whether to try to carve out cap room during the next couple offseasons.

Kuzma, who averaged a career-high 18.7 PPG in 2018/19, played a reduced role last season following the arrival of Davis. His 12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, .436 FG%, and 25.0 MPG were all career-lows, as he struggled at times to establish a clear-cut role for the eventual champions.

However, the Lakers clearly still believe in the fourth-year forward, as exhibited by their willingness to lock in a deal that will guaranteed him $13MM+ per year once his current contract expires in 2021. Kuzma, the 27th overall pick in the 2017 draft, will earn $3.56MM in the final year of his rookie deal this season.

Kuzma is the fifth player to agree to a rookie scale extension so far this offseason, joining Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and De’Aaron Fox.

While Kuzma didn’t get a maximum-salary commitment like those stars, he becomes the first player to receive a player option on a non-max rookie extension, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). That option will allow Kuzma to enter the unrestricted free agent market at age 28 if he outperforms his new deal.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Kuzma won’t become ineligible to be traded this season as a result of his new extension. However, the poison pill provision would apply in a hypothetical deal, complicating salary matching and reducing the odds that he’ll be moved anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pistons Waive Dzanan Musa

December 20th, 2020 at 11:33am CST by Arthur Hill

11:33am: The move is official, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

8:16am: The Pistons will waive swingman Dzanan Musa, a source tells Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

Musa will still earn $2,002,800 for the season as Detroit had 16 players in camp with guaranteed contracts. His $3,615,054 team option for 2021/22 will be voided unless he’s claimed on waivers.

The move will bring the roster down to 15 players on standard contracts, although Detroit still has an open two-way slot.

Musa was acquired from the Nets last month in a three-team trade that also brought Rodney McGruder and the draft rights to Saddiq Bey, the 19th pick this year. Musa spent two years in Brooklyn and averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 40 games last season.

Watanabe Gets Two-Way Deal From Raptors; Watson Promoted To Main Roster

December 20th, 2020 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

11:06am: Watson’s new contract is a two-year, minimum-salary deal with a $350K partial guarantee in year one, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic.

8:55am: The Raptors have converted Yuta Watanabe‘s camp contract to a two-way deal, according to NBA.com’s transactions page. Paul Watson, who joined the team on a two-way contract last season, has been promoted to the main roster.

Watanabe, 26, saw minimal playing time with the Grizzlies over the past two years, playing mostly in the G League. The small forward appeared in 33 total games for Memphis, and averaged 2.0 PPG in 18 games last season.

Watson, a 25-year-old shooting guard, played 10 NBA games in 2019/20. He signed with Toronto in January, one day after being waived by the Hawks.

Both players performed well during the Raptors’ three preseason games, sealing their spots on the regular season squad. Watanabe put up 14 points and 11 rebounds in 30 total minutes, while Watson had 11 points, five boards, and three blocked shots in 29 total minutes.

The Raptors’ roster, which includes 15 players on standard contracts and two – Watanabe and Jalen Harris – on two-way deals, is now set for the regular season.

Rudy Gobert Signs Five-Year Extension With Jazz

December 20th, 2020 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

11:00am: Gobert’s extension is official, the Jazz announced in a press release.

“Rudy is such a special player,” new team owner Ryan Smith said in a statement. “He makes everyone on the court better. We couldn’t be more excited about his commitment to this team, to Utah, and most importantly, to keeping this unique culture together.”

9:13am: Rudy Gobert has reached an agreement on a five-year, $205MM extension with the Jazz, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The final year of the deal will be a player option, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“It means that they believe in me,” Gobert told MacMahon, confirming the agreement. “They believe in what we’ve been building over the years with this whole organization, with coach (Quin Snyder) and all the guys. For me, it’s an incredible blessing. It’s a very motivating feeling to know that we all share the same vision and we all share this goal for this state and for this franchise.”

The 28-year-old center was eligible to receive a super-max deal that would have been worth up to $228MM. He opted to take a little less so that Utah could have some financial flexibility to build the team around him and Donovan Mitchell, who also signed a five-year extension last month. There were reports of tension between Gobert and Mitchell after both players contracted COVID-19 in March, but they have now committed to a long-term future with the franchise.

Gobert’s new deal is the third-largest in NBA history, MacMahon notes. The only bigger contracts are the new $228MM super-max deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the five-year, $206.8MM super-max that the Thunder gave Russell Westbrook in 2017.

Gobert is currently in the final season of a four-year, $102MM arrangement, and Utah has some flexibility with the parameters of his new contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Jazz could start the deal at $35.3MM for 2020/21, which is $4MM below 35% of the salary cap, with 8% raises each year. They could also opt to give him the full 35% at the beginning, which translates to a $39.3MM salary with 2.2% annual raises.

Gobert, who faced a Monday deadline to get a five-year extension finalized, has become one of the best centers in the league during his seven seasons in Utah. He won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017/18 and 2018/19 and has been an All-NBA selection in three of the past four years. The only thing missing from his resume is a long playoff run, which he believes the Jazz can accomplish soon.

“I want to win, and I feel like leaving this money on the table for the team just to be able to have better talent around me and Donovan was really important,” Gobert said. “I want to win, and I believe in this group and I believe in this organization, and I was willing to leave that money on the table for them.”

Gobert’s new contract is the latest in a long line of lucrative extensions signed since the new league year began last month. Only three players – Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, and Gordon Hayward – signed free agent contracts worth more than $100MM this offseason, but Gobert is the seventh player to finalize an extension worth $160MM or more, as our tracker shows.

The deal also takes another marquee free agent off the market for 2021. Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Paul George are among the other stars who will no longer reach free agency next summer after signing extensions this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.