Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Re-Sign Aaron Holiday

July 1st, 2024 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The Rockets have officially re-signed Holiday, per the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 1: The Rockets and veteran guard Aaron Holiday have struck a new deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Holiday is signing a two-year, $10MM contract to remain in Houston. The second year will be a team option, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

The younger brother of fellow NBAers Jrue Holiday and Justin Holiday, Aaron played a regular rotation role off the bench in Houston last season, averaging 6.6 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game across 78 appearances. He posted a solid shooting line of .446/.387/.921.

After spending his first three NBA seasons in Indiana, Holiday has bounced around the league in recent years, spending time in Washington, Phoenix, and Atlanta in addition to Houston. This will be the first time since his Pacers days that the 27-year-old will return to a team for a second season.

Because he signed as a free agent with the Rockets last season, Holiday only has Non-Bird rights this summer, meaning the team can’t give him a deal worth more than 20% above the veteran’s minimum without using a different exception. As a result, Houston has to dip into either its mid-level exception or bi-annual exception to complete the signing.

Using the non-taxpayer MLE to sign Holiday to a starting salary worth a little less than $5MM would leave the Rockets with about $8MM of that exception left over. Using the bi-annual exception would result in a maximum two-year total of about $9.57MM for Holiday and would leave the MLE untouched. Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears the club plans to take the latter route, using the BAE to bring back the reserve guard.

Warriors Sign De’Anthony Melton To One-Year Contract

July 1st, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 8: Melton has officially signed his contract with the Warriors, the club confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link).

JULY 1: The Warriors are signing free agent guard De’Anthony Melton to a one-year, $12.8MM contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (via Twitter), Golden State can complete the deal by using either the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or via sign-and-trade. Either scenario will hard-cap the Warriors at the first apron, which is set at $178.1MM in 2024/25.

$12,822,000 is the full value of the non-taxpayer MLE for next season.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Warriors have long been fans of Melton and believed he wasn’t optimally utilized when they faced Memphis in the playoffs a couple years ago.

A 6’2″ combo guard with a 6’8″ wingspan, Melton earned $8MM last season in the final campaign of a four-year, $35MM contract that declined over time. He’ll earn a raise next season with Golden State and an opportunity to boost his value ahead of 2025 free agency if he performs well with the Warriors.

Melton has been a valuable role player over the past four seasons, averaging 10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.5 SPG while shooting 38.3% from three-point range in 240 regular season games over that span (24.5 MPG). The primary reason the 26-year-old only received a one-year deal is he was limited to just 38 games last season with the Sixers due to a back injury, making the signing somewhat risky for Golden State.

Still, if Melton is healthy, he could provide an infusion of youth, defense and athleticism to the Warriors. And his salary is large enough that even though they’ll only have his non-Bird rights a year from now, they could still make him a competitive offer in 2025 free agency, assuming things go well for both sides.

The 46th pick of the 2018 draft, Melton has played for Phoenix, Memphis and Philadelphia over the course of his six NBA seasons.

Clippers Sign Nicolas Batum To Two-Year Deal

July 1st, 2024 at 1:42pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 9: Batum’s new deal with the Clippers has been finalized, per the NBA’s official transaction log. In case you missed it, the veteran forward said he received interest from 17 teams as a free agent.

JULY 1: Free agent forward Nicolas Batum is returning to Los Angeles, having agreed to a two-year, $9.6MM contract with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Veteran reporter Marc Stein first reported (via Twitter) that the Clips were a “strong contender” to land the 35-year-old, who also drew interest from the Spurs and Warriors, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links).

Based on the reported terms, it seems very likely that L.A. will use the bi-annual exception to sign Batum. If that’s the case, the exact value of the two-year pact will be $9,569,400.

Batum has long been a highly versatile player who can fulfill multiple roles on both ends of the court. He has a great feel for the game and is a very smart ball-mover and passer, on top of being a strong three-point shooter — he has converted 39.8% of his long-distance looks over the past four seasons.

After an ill-fated yet highly lucrative stint with Charlotte from 2015-20, Batum had a career renaissance with the Clippers from ’20-23. He spent most of last season with Philadelphia, however, after he was traded to the Sixers in the James Harden deal. Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported yesterday that Batum would not be returning to Philly.

The 25th pick of the 2008 draft, Batum spent his first seven NBA seasons in Portland. The 16-year veteran will be playing for his native France in the Paris Olympics later this month.

Bucks Sign Delon Wright To One-Year Deal

July 1st, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: Wright has officially signed with the Bucks, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 1: The Bucks and free agent guard Delon Wright have agreed to a one-year contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski pegs the value of the deal at $3.3MM. As a second-apron team, Milwaukee has no access to the mid-level or bi-annual exception and can only offer veteran-minimum contracts to outside free agents. Since Wright has nine years of NBA experience, his contract figures to actually be right around $3MM, as our breakdown of this year’s minimum salaries shows.

Wright, 32, has played for eight teams across his nine NBA seasons, including the Wizards and Heat in 2023/24. He averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game across 47 total appearances for the two clubs last season, then took on an increased role in the postseason for Miami, averaging 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 26.8 MPG while making 6-of-10 three-pointers.

While Wright is a solid ball-handler and will make the occasional outside shot (.354 career 3PT% on 1.9 attempts per game), his value stems more from his play on the other side of the ball. His size and length are above average for a guard, and he’s comfortable switching and defending multiple positions.

While there’s no confirmation yet that Patrick Beverley won’t be back with the Bucks, Wright could end up playing a similar role to the one Beverley did, providing the team with a defensive-minded backup for Damian Lillard at the point.

Blazers Re-Sign Justin Minaya To Two-Way Contract

July 1st, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

Justin Minaya, who spent last season in Portland on a two-way contract, is returning to the Trail Blazers on a new two-way deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

Minaya, 25, appeared in 34 games for the Blazers last season, but played a very limited role. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per contest, shooting just 29.7% from the field and 24.5% from beyond the three-point line.

The 6’5″ forward, known more as a defender than a scorer, was more effective in the G League for the Rip City Remix, appearing in 20 Showcase Cup and regular season games and averaging 13.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG with a .438/.336/.606 shooting line.

The Blazers didn’t issue Minaya a qualifying offer prior to Saturday’s deadline, but evidently still want him in the organization going forward. He’ll fill one of Portland’s three two-way slots, and Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) says he wouldn’t be surprised if big man Ibou Badji ends up filling one of the other two-way openings.

Tobias Harris Signs Two-Year Deal With Pistons

July 1st, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 8: Harris has officially signed his contract with the Pistons, per the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 1: The Pistons have reached a two-year, $52MM agreement with free agent forward Tobias Harris, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). There are no options on either side, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Harris, 31, ranked 16th on our list of the top 50 free agents this summer. He can play either forward spot and will bring much-needed shooting to Detroit, along with a veteran presence for a young locker room.

Harris was a reliable scorer and valuable all-around player during his five-plus years in Philadelphia. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season with a shooting line of .487/.353/.878.

The move marks a return to Detroit for Harris, who played for the Pistons from February of 2016 to January of 2018. He was well-traveled before landing with the Sixers, being drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 and spending time with four other franchises in his first eight years in the league.

This is the first signing for a Detroit team that headed into free agency with more than $58MM in cap room, and it’s the first major roster addition under new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon.

The Pistons project to have roughly $26.5MM remaining, estimates Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (via Twitter), factoring in a cap hold for Simone Fontecchio. They hold Early Bird rights on the 28-year-old small forward and can offer him a new deal worth up to $58MM over four years.

Langdon appeared on the verge of making another significant move on Sunday night, as the Pistons reportedly neared a max extension with Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 draft.

Jalen Smith Signs Three-Year Contract With Bulls

July 1st, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 8: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

JULY 1: Free agent center Jalen Smith will join the Bulls on a three-year, $27MM contract, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Smith became an unrestricted free agent on Friday by declining his $5.42MM player option for next season. The 24-year-old, who ranked 44th on our list of the top 50 free agents, winds up with a nice raise and a longer deal in Chicago.

Smith is expected to be the Bulls‘ new backup center after Andre Drummond agreed to terms with Philadelphia on Sunday night. With no available cap space, Chicago will likely sign Smith with a portion of its $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Whether they use the MLE or acquire him via sign-and-trade, the Bulls will be hard-capped at the first tax apron of $178,132,000.

After being selected by Phoenix with the 10th pick in the 2020 draft, Smith was sent to Indiana at the 2022 trade deadline. He became a valuable backup in two-and-a-half years with the Pacers and played rotation minutes as the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

He averaged 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 61 games this season while shooting 59.2% from the floor and 42.4% from three-point range.

The addition of Smith is one of several recent moves the Bulls have made to create a younger, more athletic roster and become less reliant on veterans. They traded for Josh Giddey last week and agreed to terms on a new five-year deal with free agent Patrick Williams over the weekend.

Aaron Wiggins Signs Five-Year Deal With Thunder

July 1st, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 7: Wiggins has officially signed the contract, Joel Lorenzi of Oklahoma Sports tweets.

JULY 1: Aaron Wiggins will return to the Thunder on a five-year, $47MM contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old shooting guard became a restricted free agent on Saturday after Oklahoma City declined his $1.989MM option for next season and tendered him a qualifying offer.

That move was a prelude to a long-term deal. Wiggins has become a valuable rotation member during his three years with the team, and the Thunder wanted to lock him down for the future.

The No. 39 player on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents, Wiggins appeared in 78 games last season, making four starts and averaging 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per night. He also posted .562/.492/.789 shooting splits as OKC tied for the best record in the West at 57-25.

Wiggins was selected with the 55th pick in the 2021 draft after three seasons at Maryland. He turned out to be a bargain on his original four-year, $6.4MM deal, so the team decided to reward him and make sure he’s part of what appears to be a very bright future in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City also agreed to re-sign Isaiah Joe to a long-term deal after declining his option on Saturday. The Thunder will be able to keep both Wiggins’ and Joe’s modest cap holds on their books while using up their cap room, then go over the cap to re-sign them.

Thunder Sign Isaiah Joe To Four-Year Contract

July 1st, 2024 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The deal is now official, per a team press statement.

JULY 1: The Thunder and swingman Isaiah Joe have agreed to terms on a new four-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal will be worth $48MM.

Joe has spent the past two seasons in Oklahoma City after being waived by the Sixers in 2022. During that time, he has been one of the Thunder’s most reliable shooters off the bench, averaging 8.8 points per game with a .412 3PT% in 151 outings (11 starts; 18.8 MPG).

The Thunder held an extremely team-friendly option on Joe for the 2024/25 season. However, the club opted to decline that $2.165MM option in order to sign the sharpshooter to a longer-term contract.

While Oklahoma City could have exercised the option and then negotiated an extension with Joe, turning down the option – which technically allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent – ensured that he’ll receive a raise in ’24/25 and won’t compromise the Thunder’s offseason cap room. They can keep his minimum-salary cap hold on the books until they’ve used all that room, then go over the cap using his Early Bird rights to officially re-sign him to his new deal.

The maximum amount the Thunder could have given Joe on an Early Bird contract was about $58.2MM over four years, so this deal will come in a little lower than that.

The Thunder took a similar route with another rotation player, Aaron Wiggins, declining his minimum-salary team option for 2024/25, making him a restricted free agent, and agreeing to terms with him on a new five-year, $47MM deal.

Joe was the No. 23 free agent on our top-50 list.

Sixers Re-Sign Kelly Oubre On Two-Year Contract

July 1st, 2024 at 12:51am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

“Kelly was one of our most important contributors last season, bringing physicality, energy, and toughness to the table on a nightly basis,” top executive Daryl Morey said. “We’re excited to have him back and believe he’ll play a key role in our pursuit of a championship.”

JULY 1: Kelly Oubre is returning to Philadelphia, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the free agent forward is in agreement with the Sixers on a new two-year, $16.3MM deal. The contract will include a second-year player option, Wojnarowski adds.

After averaging 20.3 points per game with the Hornets in 2022/23, Oubre accepted a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia last summer and played a significant role for the club this past season, averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 68 games.

An athletic, versatile defender with good size, Oubre made 52 starts and averaged 30.2 minutes per night, logging more total minutes in ’23/24 than any Sixer besides Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. He came in at No. 31 on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.

The terms of Oubre’s new deal suggest he’ll be re-signed using Philadelphia’s room exception once the team has used up its cap space. As we outlined earlier, based on the $140.59MM salary cap for 2024/25, that exception for cap-room teams will start at just under $8MM and can be worth up to about $16.37MM over two years.

The 76ers have had a busy first day in free agency, reaching contract agreements with Andre Drummond (two years, $10MM), and Eric Gordon (veteran’s minimum) in addition to Oubre. Philadelphia is also the strong frontrunner to land star forward Paul George after the Clippers issued a statement on Sunday announcing that George will be signing with a new team.