Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers To Sign Guard Frank Mason

December 18th, 2020 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are signing point guard and reigning G League Player of the Year Frank Mason III to a non-guaranteed contract, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.

It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Bodner adds (Twitter link), though Mason could add backcourt depth to the NBA club.

Mason became an unrestricted free agent when the Bucks pulled their qualifying offer to him last month.

The 5’11” point guard out of Kansas spent his first two seasons in the league with the Kings, appearing in a total of 90 games. He then signed a two-way contract with the Bucks in 2019/20.

Mason played nine games for Milwaukee and 23 for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. Mason averaged a league-best 26.4 PPG for the Herd, along with 5.0 APG and 3.4 RPG, earning G League MVP honors.

Pacers Waive Brimah, Hammonds, Add Gray, Robinson

December 18th, 2020 at 9:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have waived Amida Brimah and Rayshaun Hammonds and signed Josh Gray and Devin Robinson, according to a team press release.

Brimah and Hammonds were on Exhibit 10 contracts and could resurface on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League team, once they clear waivers.

Brimah, 26, was in Indiana’s training camp last season on an Exhibit 10 contract but suffered a torn right ACL that required surgery.

Brimah’s previous NBA experience includes an Exhibit 10 deal with the Spurs in 2018 and a Summer League stint with the Bulls in 2017. He played two G League seasons with the Austin Spurs and spent one season in Belgrade.

Hammonds is a rookie forward out of Georgia. He averaged 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 32 games for the Bulldogs last season.

Gray was waived by the Thunder early this month after they acquired the guard in a multi-team trade. The 27-year-old Gray played in five games for the Suns during the 2017/18 season. He had a two-game cameo with the Pelicans during 2019/20. Across 15.6 MPG with those clubs, Gray has averaged a cumulative 4.9 PPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 RPG and 1.14 SPG.

Robinson, 25, played for the Raptors’ G League team, Raptors 905, last season. The 6’8” forward averaged 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

An Exhibit 10 contract provides players with an invitation to training camp and a guarantee of up to $50K if they are waived and later stay with the team’s affiliate in the G League for at least 60 days.

Nets Claim Paul Eboua Off Waivers

December 18th, 2020 at 6:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have claimed forward Paul Eboua off waivers, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic tweets. The Heat waived Eboua on Wednesday.

Eboua had been in the running for one of Miami’s two-way deals. He was previously a member of Italian club Victoria Libertas and declared for the draft as an early entrant in the spring.

A number of teams reportedly expressed interest in Eboua before he signed a camp deal with the Heat. While Eboua chose the Heat at the time, Miami’s G League club in Sioux Falls isn’t expected to participate in the NBAGL’s proposed Atlanta bubble.

The 6’8″ Eboua, 20, will likely to wind up with the Nets’ G League team in Long Island, according to NetsDaily.com. He averaged 7.4 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 21.6 MPG last season.

Jazz Waive Trevon Bluiett, Three Others

December 18th, 2020 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have waived guard Trevon Bluiett and three undrafted rookies — center Romaro Gill, forward Tre Scott and guard Jake Toolson — according to a team press release.

Utah needed to make room on its 20-man roster for two new additions, guard Yogi Ferrell and forward Malcolm Miller.

Some or all of the players let go on Friday could wind up with the Jazz’s G League club in Salt Lake City if they clear waivers.

Bluiett appeared in 41 games with the Salt Lake City Stars last season, averaging 14.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 2.5 APG in 29.3 MPG.

Gill, an undrafted rookie out of Seton Hall, posted averages of 7.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.2 BPG in 30 games last season.

Scott was a four-year player at Cincinnati and averaged 11.4 PPG and 10.5 RPG in 33.7 MPG for the Bearcats last season.

Toolson spent two seasons at BYU before transferring to Utah Valley and then back to BYU last season. He averaged 15.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.9 APG as a senior.

Jazz Sign Malcolm Miller To Exhibit 10 Contract

December 18th, 2020 at 6:03pm CST by Luke Adams

6:03pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

12:06pm: The Jazz are signing free agent forward Malcolm Miller to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source tells Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Miller, 27, spent most of the last three seasons with the Raptors, initially on a two-way deal and later as part of the team’s 15-man roster. Although he flashed a little three-and-D potential, Miller never established himself as a regular rotation player in Toronto, appearing in just 53 games across three years.

He averaged 2.0 PPG on .434/.406/.625 shooting in extremely limited playing time (6.7 MPG) at the NBA level. In 97 career G League contests (29.9 MPG), he has averaged 12.1 PPG with a .374 3PT%.

The Jazz currently have a full 20-man roster and have also reached a deal with Yogi Ferrell, so they have a number of transactions to complete, first to accommodate Ferrell and Miller, then to pare their roster down for the start of the regular season.

Miller is unlikely to make Utah’s regular season squad and could end up playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s G League affiliate.

Jazz Sign Yogi Ferrell

December 18th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

6:00pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

8:08 am: The Jazz have agreed to a deal with free agent guard Yogi Ferrell, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania didn’t provide any additional details on the terms, so it’s not clear whether or not Ferrell will receive any guaranteed money, but it figures to be a minimum-salary contract.

Ferrell, 27, spent the last two seasons in Sacramento and saw his role reduced during his tenure with the Kings. Last season, he averaged just 4.4 PPG and 1.4 APG in 50 games (10.6 MPG). He played a more prominent role earlier in his career in Dallas, averaging a career-best 10.2 PPG and 2.5 APG in 2017/18.

The Jazz currently have a full 20-man training camp roster, so they’ll need to make a cut before officially finalizing their deal with Ferrell.

Utah is only carrying 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but Shaquille Harrison, Juwan Morgan, and Miye Oni look like good bets to make the team on non-guaranteed deals. For Ferrell to make the regular season roster, he’d either have to beat out one of those three players or count on the Jazz – who are slightly over the tax line – to retain a 15th man to start the year.

Clippers Release Rayjon Tucker

December 18th, 2020 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have waived wing Rayjon Tucker, the team announced today. Tucker will clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Tucker, 23, spent most of his rookie season 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).

Utah traded Tucker to Cleveland last month before his 2020/21 salary became fully guaranteed and he was subsequently cut by the Cavaliers. He joined the Clippers a few days later and has spent training camp and the preseason with the club.

With Tucker no longer on the roster, the Clippers look just about set for the regular season. They’re currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts (all guaranteed), with Amir Coffey and Jay Scrubb on two-way deals.

Pelicans Exercise 2021/22 Options On Zion, Hayes, Alexander-Walker

December 18th, 2020 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have picked up their 2021/22 team options on the rookie scale contracts of Zion Williamson, Jaxson Hayes, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a league source tells Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).

All three players already had their salaries guaranteed for the coming season. Having these options exercised ensures that their salaries for 2021/22 – the third year of their respective rookie contracts – will also be locked in.

Williamson’s option salary for ’21/22 will be approximately $10.7MM, while Hayes will earn about $5.3MM and Alexander-Walker will make $3.3MM. A year from now, the Pelicans will face decisions on all three players’ 2022/23 options.

Williamson – 2019’s No. 1 overall pick and, improbably, the longest-tenured Pelican – appeared in just 24 games as a rookie, playing limited minutes after coming off knee surgery. However, he still put up outstanding numbers, including 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 27.8 minutes per contest. He’s set to enter this season without minute restrictions.

Hayes and Alexander-Walker played modest roles as rookies and aren’t considered franchise cornerstones on the same level that Williamson is, but the Pelicans will be counting on both youngsters to take a step or two forward in 2020/21.

Mavericks Cut Freddie Gillespie, Devonte Patterson

December 18th, 2020 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have cut a pair of their training camp invitees, issuing a press release today announcing that forwards Freddie Gillespie and Devonte Patterson have been waived.

Both players are rookies who signed with Dallas after going undrafted last month. Gillespie played his college ball at Baylor, while Patterson came out of Prairie View. They saw limited action during the Mavericks’ preseason games.

Typically, Gillespie and Patterson would probably be on track to join the Texas Legends as G League affiliate players, but if Dallas’ NBAGL team doesn’t participate in the proposed bubble this season, that won’t be an option for the duo.

The Mavericks are now carrying 18 players and will have to make one more cut to set their roster for the regular season. Courtney Lee, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, is expected to be the odd man out.

Warriors Waive Kaleb Wesson, Axel Toupane, Dwayne Sutton

December 18th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have officially released three training camp invitees, announcing today in a press release that they’ve requested waivers on forwards Kaleb Wesson, Axel Toupane, and Dwayne Sutton.

Wesson, Toupane, and Sutton were all on Exhibit 10 contracts and weren’t expected to make Golden State’s 15-man regular season roster, so today’s announcement doesn’t come as a major surprise. Sutton was viewed as a candidate to have his Exhibit 10 pact converted into a two-way deal, but it appears that won’t happen after all.

All three players are good bets to join the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate, assuming the club takes part in the proposed NBAGL bubble, as is expected.

The Warriors now have 17 players on their preseason roster. Since 16 of those players are on standard contracts and just one (Nico Mannion) is on a two-way deal, they’ll need to make at least one more roster move before they’re set for the regular season. Juan Toscano-Anderson, one of three players with a non-guaranteed salary, may be the odd man out.

Golden State will reportedly sign Jeremy Lin as well, though he’s ticketed for Santa Cruz and will be released shortly after inking his deal.