Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Noah Vonleh Tests Positive For COVID-19, Waived By Bulls

December 15th, 2020 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 15: Vonleh’s release from the Bulls is now official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

DECEMBER 14: Veteran forward Noah Vonleh has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be waived by the Bulls, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Teams won’t be announcing which of their players test positive for the coronavirus this season, but Vonleh confirmed his diagnosis to Haynes.

“Unfortunately, I have tested positive for COVID, and so my time with the Bulls has come to an end,” Vonleh said in a statement to Yahoo Sports. “Thank you to the organization for everything. Though it was a short time, I appreciate the opportunity. I am thankfully feeling good, and I look forward to working my way to another NBA opportunity once I’m cleared to play again!”

The Bulls are carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Vonleh isn’t one of them, so his positive test likely just accelerated his release — unless he earned a spot on the regular season roster, he would’ve been waived within the next week anyway. He’ll undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine as he awaits medical clearance, Haynes notes.

The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Vonleh began his career in Charlotte before moving on to Portland, Chicago, and New York. In 2019/20, he began the season in Minnesota before being traded to Denver as part of the four-team mega-deal involving Clint Capela and Robert Covington.

In total, Vonleh averaged just 3.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 36 games (10.5 MPG) for the Timberwolves and Nuggets last season. He was more productive in 2018/19 for the Knicks, recording 8.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 68 games (25.3 MPG), and is still just 25 years old, so he should get another NBA opportunity.

Sixers Release Ryan Broekhoff, Derrick Walton

December 15th, 2020 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 15: The Sixers have officially waived Broekhoff and Walton, per RealGM’s transactions log.

DECEMBER 14: The Sixers will part ways with a pair of players on their 20-man camp roster, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is waiving wing Ryan Broekhoff and guard Derrick Walton.

Broekhoff and Walton each signed one-year, minimum-salary contracts with the 76ers last month. Neither player had a guaranteed salary, however, so Philadelphia won’t be on the hook for dead money as a result of the cuts.

Broekhoff, 30, spent most of the last two seasons with the Mavericks after having played overseas for five years. The former Valparaiso sharpshooter averaged 4.0 PPG with a .403 3PT% in 59 games (10.7 MPG) for Dallas.

Walton, 25, made his NBA debut with Miami back in 2017/18. He spent most of the ’19/20 season with the Clippers, averaging 2.2 PPG and 1.0 APG in limited minutes (9.7 MPG) over 23 games for the club.

Philadelphia will be carry 18 players, including a pair on two-way deals, once Broekhoff and Walton are officially released. The battle for the final spot on the team’s 15-man regular season roster may come down to Vincent Poirier, who has a fully guaranteed salary, and Justin Anderson, who doesn’t.

Knicks Sign James Young, Waive Tyler Hall

December 14th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed James Young and waived Tyler Hall, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).

New York’s intention to sign Young was reported last week. Young, 25, was the 17th pick of the 2014 draft by Boston. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2017/18 season, when he made six appearances for Philadelphia. He played in Israel last season.

Young’s contract terms were not revealed but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Hall was signed over the weekend to an Exhibit 10 contract. Hall’s G League rights are already held by the Knicks, so he could earn a $50K bonus if he plays for the Westchester Knicks for at least 60 days.

Hall, who played college ball at Montana State, was on the Westchester roster last season. He appeared in 39 games, averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.7 APG in 39 games.

The Knicks are stocking their G League team with these types of roster maneuvers and Young could be headed through the same process.

Clippers Waive Ky Bowman, Malik Fitts, Jordan Ford

December 14th, 2020 at 4:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have cut three training camp invitees, announcing today that they’ve requested waivers on guard Ky Bowman, forward Malik Fitts, and guard Jordan Ford.

Bowman spent last season with the Warriors after going undrafted out of Boston College, averaging 7.4 points, 2.9 assists and 22.6 minutes in 45 games, including 12 starts. Bowman had his two-way contract converted into a multiyear standard deal in February, but only the 2019/20 salary was guaranteed. Golden State waived him last month.

Fitts is an undrafted rookie out of St. Mary’s. In 68 total games with the Gaels, Fitts averaged 15.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG.

Ford is also an undrafted rookie out of the same college. A two-time member of the All-WCC team, he was the second-leading scorer in the West Coast Conference in 2019/20, averaging 21.9 PPG.

Los Angeles now has 17 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed deals and a pair on two-way pacts. Rayjon Tucker, the Clippers’ other player without a fully guaranteed salary, remains under contract for now, but could also be waived soon if the team doesn’t intend to open the regular season with a full roster.

Any of the waived players could eventually resurface with the Clippers’ G League team, Agua Caliente.

Lakers Waive Zavier Simpson, Kevon Harris, Tres Tinkle

December 14th, 2020 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers waived guard Zavier Simpson, guard Kevon Harris, and forward Tres Tinkle on Sunday, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.

Simpson, Harris, and Tinkle were all rookie free agents who went undrafted last month, then agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts with the Lakers. It looked as if the plan was for them to participate in training camp and then perhaps join Los Angeles’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. However, the team reportedly opted not to bring them to camp as a coronavirus precaution.

The Lakers are also among the teams expected to bypass the proposed G League bubble, as our JD Shaw has reported. As such, Harris, Simpson, and Tinkle may not get an opportunity to play for South Bay this season. Still, it appears all three players officially signed their Exhibit 10 deals, just in case.

Following the series of transactions, the Lakers are once again carrying 16 players on their roster, including 14 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. They seem likely to open the season with those 16 players under contract.

Pistons Waive Louis King, Anthony Lamb, LiAngelo Ball

December 13th, 2020 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have cut three players from their 20-man training camp roster, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic, who tweets that the club has requested waivers on forward Louis King, forward Anthony Lamb, and wing LiAngelo Ball. King and Lamb briefly appeared in Detroit’s preseason game vs. New York on Sunday.

Lamb and Ball were training camp invitees who were never considered likely to make the 15-man regular season roster, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they’ve been waived. It’s possible they’ll end up playing for the Grand Rapids Drive, though it doesn’t look for now like Detroit’s G League affiliate will participate in the proposed NBAGL bubble.

As for King, the 21-year-old had signed a second two-way contract with the Pistons after spending his rookie season in 2019/20 on a two-way deal with the team. His release means that one of Detroit’s two-way slots is open — second-rounder Saben Lee occupies the other.

The Pistons now have 17 players under contract, including Lee and 16 players on guaranteed salaries. At least one of those 16 will need to be traded or cut before the regular season gets underway.

Spurs Sign, Waive Khyri Thomas

December 13th, 2020 at 5:14pm CST by JD Shaw

The Spurs signed guard Khyri Thomas to an Exhibit 10 contract this weekend, waiving the 24-year-old shortly thereafter, Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio tweets.

Thomas is expected to play with the team’s G League affiliate in the proposed bubble next month. The Thunder were among those to express interest in the free agent guard before he signed with the Spurs, Garcia adds.

Thomas, the No. 38 pick back in 2018, has spent the past two seasons with the Pistons. He appeared in a total of 34 games, struggling with his shooting and getting traded to Atlanta last month. The Hawks then waived the Creighton product upon acquiring him.

This move marks the second of its kind in recent days for San Antonio, who also signed and waived Kylor Kelley on Friday, sources told Hoops Rumors. Both players were inked to Exhibit 10 deals, which enables the pair to receive a bonus of up to $50K if they remain on the team’s G League affiliate for at least 60 days.

Knicks Sign Tyler Hall To Camp Deal

December 12th, 2020 at 7:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 12: The Knicks have officially signed Hall, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

DECEMBER 11: The Knicks have agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with guard Tyler Hall, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

It’s very likely an Exhibit 10 contract. Hall’s G League rights are already held by the Knicks, so he could earn a $50K bonus if he plays for the Westchester Knicks for at least 60 days once the NBA team waives him.

The Knicks opened up a training camp roster spot earlier in the day by waiving Skal Labissiere, who’s expected to join their G League club unless he’s claimed. Hall may have to wait in line for signing to be official, since James Young and Andrew White have also agreed to Exhibit 10 deals.

Hall, who played college ball at Montana State, was on the Westchester roster last season. He appeared in 39 games, averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.7 APG in 39 games.

Knicks Sign, Waive Andrew White

December 12th, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 12, 3:51pm: White has been waived, according to the team’s Twitter feed. He’ll likely hook on with the Knicks’ G League team in Westchester.

DECEMBER 12, 7:54am: The Knicks officially signed White on Friday after opening up a roster spot by waiving Labissiere, per the NBA’s transactions log.

DECEMBER 8: The Knicks have reached a contract agreement with free agent forward Andrew White, who will sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the team, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

White, 27, went undrafted in 2017 out of Syracuse. He was a Celtics camp invitee as a rookie and had a stint on a two-way contract for Atlanta in 2018, but has otherwise spent his professional career in the G League, playing for the Erie BayHawks, Maine Red Claws, and Westchester Knicks.

In 130 total NBAGL games, White has averaged 13.4 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .438/.389/.838 shooting in 30.6 minutes per contest.

Because the Knicks already hold White’s G League rights, the signing appears designed to get him a $50K Exhibit 10 bonus, assuming he qualifies for it in what figures to be a shortened NBAGL season. Typically, players must spend at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate to earn that bonus — it’s not clear if or how the rules might be adjusted in 2020/21.

New York also agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Skal Labissiere and James Young. The club has a full 20-man camp squad for the time being, so some back-of-the-roster shuffling will be required to complete the three signings. White, Labissiere, and Young will each likely have a very brief stay on the Knicks’ NBA roster.

Spurs Sign, Waive Kylor Kelley

December 12th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by marksuleymanov

The Spurs signed forward/center Kylor Kelley to an Exhibit 10 deal and then subsequently waived him, a source told JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).

Kelley, 23, started his journey to the NBA playing in a Christian college, moved onto a community college, and spent his final two collegiate seasons at Oregon State. In two seasons with the Beavers, he averaged 9.4 PPG and 5.3 RPG while averaging 3.4 blocks as a defensive menace.

The seven-footer set the all-time record for blocks (211) in OSU history. Additionally, the Oregon native set the school’s single-season records for blocked shots (107) and single-season blocked shots average (3.45), as well as the record for blocked shots in a game (nine).

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary pact that allows a player to make a bonus of up to $50K if he is waived and remains on the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days.

The plan for the 2020/21 G League season has yet to be officially announced, but Kelley would be a strong option to see time for the Austin Spurs if they participate.