Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Convert Max Strus To Two-Way Deal, Waive B.J. Johnson

December 19th, 2020 at 11:14am CST by marksuleymanov

11:14am: As expected, the Heat have waived Johnson, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

10:50am: The Heat have converted guard/forward Max Strus‘ Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release on Saturday. Miami had an open two-way slot alongside point guard Gabe Vincent.

Strus appeared in two preseason contests with the Heat, averaging a team-best 16.5 PPG along with 5.0 RPG and 2.5 APG while shooting 50% from the field. In Miami’s 117-105 win last night over the Raptors, Strus came off the bench to add 22 points while shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range.

Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry two extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. Those deals will likely be more important than ever this season, since two-way players will be permitted to appear in up to 50 regular season games at the NBA level. With the G League season expected to take place in a bubble, two-way players figure to spend most or all of the season with their respective NBA clubs.

Strus’ converted deal means that he beat out swingman B.J. Johnson, who was signed by the Heat in early December. Johnson appeared in just two preseason games with the Heat, averaging 1.5 PPG. It is a near-lock that he’ll be waived, given his non-guaranteed deal, along with the fact that Miami is carrying 15 players with guaranteed contracts.

Bulls Release Zach Norvell, Simi Shittu

December 19th, 2020 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have waived shooting guard Zach Norvell and power forward Simisola Shittu, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Norvell and Shittu were training camp invitees for the Bulls and saw limited action in the club’s four preseason contests. Norvell had 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 40 total minutes, while Shittu put up 17 points and grabbed 10 boards in just 24 total minutes.

Neither player had a full or partial guarantee on his contract, so the Bulls won’t be on the hook for any dead money. Typically, both Norvell and Shittu would be candidates to play for the Windy City Bulls in the G League. However, Ridiculous Upside and Sportando have both reported that Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate isn’t expected to take part in the league’s proposed bubble.

The Bulls are now carrying 15 players on standard contracts (all guaranteed) and a pair on two-way deals, so their roster may be set for the regular season.

Spurs Sign London Perrantes

December 19th, 2020 at 10:20am CST by marksuleymanov

The Spurs have signed point guard London Perrantes, according to RealGM’s official transactions log.

It’s likely that Perrantes’ deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, which 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 Virginia product has not appeared in the NBA since a cup of coffee with the Cavaliers during the 2017/18 season when he suited up for 14 games as one of Cleveland’s two-way players.

After a series of Summer League stops, Perrantes was picked up by the Wizards’ G League affiliate Capital City Go-Go in January this year. The Go-Go hold Perrantes’ G League rights so the Austin Spurs (Spurs’ NBAGL affiliate) would have to acquire them.

Kings Waive Vince Edwards

December 19th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have waived small forward Vince Edwards, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.

Edwards signed a camp deal with the team this week and was just briefly part of Sacramento’s roster. The move appears designed to get Edwards a $50K bonus if he plays for the Kings’ G League affiliate in Stockton, though I believe the club would have to acquire his NBAGL returning rights from the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s affiliate.

Edwards spent the 2019/20 season in the G League, appearing in 38 total games for the Oklahoma City Blue and the Charge. He averaged 9.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .456/.379/.708 in 23.2 minutes per contest.

The Kings now have 18 players on their camp roster, including 17 on standard contracts and one on a two-way deal. They’ll need to make a couple more moves to set their squad for the regular season.

Raptors Cut Oshae Brissett, Alize Johnson, Henry Ellenson

December 19th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have waived forward Oshae Brissett, forward Alize Johnson, and big man Henry Ellenson as they move closer to setting their regular season roster, the team announced today.

Brissett, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019, spent his rookie year on a two-way contract with Toronto, appearing in 19 games for the NBA team and 30 for the Raptors 905 in the G League. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 30 games (27.8 MPG) at the NBAGL level.

Since Brissett’s new multiyear deal with the Raptors had a $300K partial guarantee in year one, the club will remain on the hook for that money unless he’s claimed off waivers on Monday.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in the 2018 draft and spent his first two professional seasons under contract with the Pacers. The 24-year-old logged just 182 total minutes in 31 games at the NBA level over those two years, but posted big numbers for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, with 19.5 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .514/.363/.699 shooting in 50 career NBAGL contests.

The 18th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Ellenson has bounced around from Detroit to New York to Brooklyn since entering the league, appearing in just 81 total games over four seasons. The former Marquette standout, who is still just 23 years old, started last season on a two-way contract with the Nets but was waived in January.

Both Johnson and Ellenson were training camp invitees who always looked like long shots to make the Raptors’ regular season roster. Johnson’s deal was non-guaranteed, while Ellenson had a modest $50K guarantee.

The Raptors are now down to 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, but will likely make a couple more roster moves before their regular season squad is locked in. According to Kelsea O’Brien of BasketballNews.com (Twitter link), current two-way player Paul Watson is expected to be promoted to the standard roster. Camp invitee Yuta Watanabe appears likely to fill Watson’s two-way contract slot, notes Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Timberwolves Sign Zylan Cheatham, Waive Ade Murkey

December 19th, 2020 at 8:28am CST by marksuleymanov

The Timberwolves made a pair of roster moves on Saturday, signing forward Zylan Cheatham and waiving forward Ade Murkey, according to RealGM. It’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract for Cheatham, who appears unlikely to make the regular season roster.

Cheatham, 25, was waived by the Thunder on Dec. 2 after he was part of the four-team deal that sent Steven Adams to New Orleans. The Arizona native signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans in July 2019 and subsequently made his NBA debut last season.

During the NBA’s restart in Orlando, Cheatham saw action in three contests for the Pelicans. In total, Cheatham posted averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in four games.

Minnesota signed the undrafted Murkey to an Exhibit 10 deal back in early December. The 22-year-old made one preseason appearance for the Timberwolves after appearing in 118 games across four seasons at the University of Denver. In that time, he posted averages of 10.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 APG. He was named to the 2020 All-Summit League Second Team.

Thunder Waive T.J. Leaf, Admiral Schofield

December 19th, 2020 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have made a pair of roster cuts, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived forwards T.J. Leaf and Admiral Schofield.

Leaf and Schofield were acquired by Oklahoma City in offseason trades. The Thunder took on Schofield’s contract as part of a deal that saw them move up from No. 53 to No. 37 in this year’s draft to select Vit Krejci. The club received Leaf and a future second-round pick in a deal for Jalen Lecque, who is on a cheaper contract.

The fact that neither Leaf nor Schofield made the Thunder’s regular season roster suggests those two trades were motivated by the opportunities to land Krejci and a future second-rounder.

Leaf, the 18th overall pick in the 2017 draft, failed to carve out a role as a regular, reliable rotation player during three seasons in Indiana. The former UCLA standout averaged just 3.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 28 games (7.9 MPG) for the Pacers in 2019/20.

Schofield, meanwhile, spent his rookie season in 2019/20 with the Wizards after being drafted 42nd overall a year ago. He played limited minutes in D.C., averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 33 games (11.2 MPG).

Both Leaf and Schofield will become unrestricted free agents, assuming they clear waivers. They’ll also be paid their 2020/21 salaries, since they were fully guaranteed. Leaf will earn $4.33MM, while Schofield makes $1.52MM. Schofield will also receive a partial guarantee of $300K on next season’s salary.

As for the Thunder, they now have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts and Frank Jackson on a partially guaranteed contract. They’ll have to make at least one more cut before the regular season roster deadline on Monday.

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.