Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Sign Ethan Thompson To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 14th, 2025 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have signed free agent guard Ethan Thompson to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required).

While Thompson has yet to appear in an NBA regular season game, he has now signed five NBA contracts since going undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021 and spent the last two-plus months of the 2024/25 season on a two-way deal with the Magic.

A G League veteran, the 6’5″ shooting guard has played in between 43 and 49 NBAGL games in each of the past four seasons, spending time with the Windy City Bulls, Mexico City Capitanes, and Osceola Magic. In 47 outings for Orlando’s G League team last season, he averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 33.4 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .415/.396/.805. He knocked down a career-high 3.3 three-pointers per contest.

An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season begins, and Miami does have an open two-way slot. However, it appears likely that the Heat are signing Thompson with an eye toward having him join their G League affiliate as a returning rights player — the Sioux Falls Skyforce made a trade with Osceola on Wednesday to acquire Thompson’s rights (Twitter link).

If Thompson is waived before the regular season begins and then spends at least 60 days with the Skyforce, he’d earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his standard NBAGL salary.

The Heat now have 17 players officially under contract, including 14 on fully or partially guaranteed standard deals, one on an Exhibit 10, and a pair on two-ways. They also still have a qualifying offer on the table for restricted free agent Dru Smith.

Clippers Sign Jason Preston To Camp Contract

August 13th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have signed guard Jason Preston to a training camp contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Preston was an early second-round pick by the Clippers in 2021 after a stellar college season at Ohio University. However, he never truly found his footing at the NBA level, partly due to injuries.

Preston was on the Jazz’s roster early last season as a two-way player but was waived in November after suffering a calf strain.

A 6’4″ point guard, Preston missed his entire rookie season with a right foot injury and was cut ahead of the 2023/24 season after appearing in 14 NBA games in ’22/23.

Preston began the 2023/24 season with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League squad, then caught on with the Jazz in January on a two-way deal. He spent the rest of that season shuttling between the NBA roster and the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s NBAGL affiliate. He only appeared in one G League regular season game last season.

Across 21 career NBA contests with the Clippers and Jazz, Preston has averaged 2.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game.

According to our roster count tracker, Preston will be the 20th player on the Clippers’ camp roster. Assuming he signed an Exhibit 10 deal, the 26-year-old would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the G League’s San Diego Clippers.

Nuggets Sign Kessler Edwards

August 12th, 2025 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

10:00 pm: The deal is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

1:32 pm: The Nuggets and free agent forward Kessler Edwards have reached an agreement on a deal, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Edwards, who turned 25 on Saturday, has appeared in at least 36 games in each of the past four seasons after being drafted 44th overall out of Pepperdine in 2021. He played some of his best basketball in the second half of 2024/25 for a Mavericks team beset by injuries.

With several key frontcourt players sidelined for Dallas, Edwards averaged 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 24.8 minutes per night with a .538/.486/.900 shooting line from February 10 to March 19. He started in 14 of 16 games during that stretch before reaching his two-way games played limit.

In total, Edwards made 40 appearances (18 starts) for the Mavs, averaging 4.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .496/.407/.923 shooting in 15.2 MPG. He holds career averages of 3.6 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 12.7 MPG across 178 outings for Brooklyn, Sacramento, and Dallas.

Scotto doesn’t provide any details on what sort of contract Edwards and the Nuggets have agreed to, but Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports (via Twitter) it’s a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal.

The Nuggets are carrying 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, so there could be a path for Edwards to make the team as a 15th man, but Denver is already operating slightly over the tax line and may want to keep that spot open to start the season. Edwards is no longer eligible for a two-way contract.

Celtics Sign Chris Boucher On One-Year Deal

August 10th, 2025 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

August 10: Boucher has officially signed with the Celtics, according to a press release from the team.

August 5: The Celtics are signing free agent forward Chris Boucher on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Boston opened up a frontcourt spot for Boucher by agreeing to trade Georges Niang to Utah on Tuesday. Boucher will compete for minutes at both the power forward and center spots for the Celtics, who have been busy shedding salary and revamping their roster throughout the offseason.

Save for one cameo appearance with Golden State in 2017/18, Boucher has spent his entire career with the Raptors. Boucher has played in Toronto for the past seven seasons, winning a title in 2019 and appearing in 406 games, primarily off the bench (23 total starts).

He has averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.7 minutes during his NBA career while shooting 48.8 percent overall and 33.9 percent beyond the three-point arc.

Boucher, 32, saw action in 50 games last season, averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. He didn’t appear in a game after Feb. 26 as the Raptors decided to essentially shut down the veteran big man and take a long look at their younger players.

Boucher was the last remaining player from the Raptors’ championship club. He holds the all-time franchise records as a reserve for points, rebounds, blocks, minutes and games played.

Toronto held Boucher’s Bird rights and reportedly was interested in re-signing him but that didn’t come to fruition. He’ll now join an Atlantic Division rival.

As an eight-year veteran, Boucher will earn $3,287,409 on his minimum-salary deal while the Celtics carry a cap hit of $2,296,274.

Celtics Waive Two-Way Forward Miles Norris

August 10th, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics have waived Miles Norris, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). He was on a two-way deal.

Norris played three games for the Celtics last season, in which time he averaged 2.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 11.7 minutes per game.

The former UC Santa Barbara standout, who went undrafted in 2023, spent most of the 2024/25 season in the G League, playing for the Memphis Hustle until March and then appearing in several games for the Maine Celtics down the stretch after signing his two-way deal with Boston.

In total, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.5 minutes per game across 44 total outings for the Grizzlies’ and Celtics’ G League affiliates.

The Celtics currently have Max Shulga and the recently acquired RJ Luis on two-way contracts. No. 46 overall pick Amari Williams looks like the top candidate to fill the team’s newly opened third slot.

Clippers Sign Baldwin, Washington To Exhibit 10 Deals

August 9th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers have officially signed Patrick Baldwin Jr. and TyTy Washington Jr. to Exhibit 10 contracts, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Washington (29th overall) was selected directly after Baldwin (28th) in the first round of the 2022 draft. Neither player has found much consistency at the NBA level to this point, and they’ll reportedly be competing for a two-way contract in training camp.

Baldwin, 22, was drafted by Golden State and spent his rookie season with the Warriors. He was traded to Washington in the 2023 offseason and spent a year-and-a-half with the Wizards, who sent him to San Antonio in February.

The 6’9″ forward was released by the Spurs but caught on with the Clippers, inking a two-way contract in March. He was waived in late July to make roster space for Jordan Miller, with Law Murray of The Athletic stating at the time that Los Angeles was interested in re-signing Baldwin to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Washington, 23, played a limited role across 31 outings for the Rockets as a rookie and was traded twice during the 2023 offseason – from Houston to Atlanta to Oklahoma City – before being waived by the Thunder. He subsequently spent his second season on a two-way contract with Milwaukee and his third year on a two-way deal with Phoenix.

Both Baldwin and Washington have three years of NBA experience and one year of two-way eligibility remaining. The Clippers’ two-way spots are currently held by Miller, 2025 second-rounder Kobe Sanders, and 20-year-old wing Trentyn Flowers.

If Baldwin and/or Washington are cut before the 2025/26 season begins and decide to play in the G League, they would be eligible for bonus worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the San Diego Clippers.

The Clippers now have 19 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed standard deals.

Spurs Sign Micah Potter, Adam Flagler

August 9th, 2025 at 9:26am CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs signed free agent big man Micah Potter earlier this week, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.

While the terms were not disclosed, Potter likely signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract featuring Exhibit 9 language and perhaps Exhibit 10 language as well.

Known for his ability to stretch the floor, Potter has spent the past three seasons on two-way contracts with the Jazz. Because he holds four years of NBA experience, he is no longer eligible for a two-way deal.

The 27-year-old forward/center appeared in a career-high 38 games with Utah last season, averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .422/.316/.850.

San Antonio also recently added free agent guard Adam Flagler to its training camp roster, as first noted by Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, according to RealGM.

Flagler, a former Baylor standout who won an NCAA title with the Bears in 2021, has been a member of the Thunder’s organization for the past two years. The 25-year-old signed a two-way contract with Oklahoma City in February 2024 and was on a two-way deal for all of 2024/25 as well.

A 6’3″ shooting guard, Flagler made 37 appearances for the defending champions last season, averaging just 5.5 minutes per game. That isn’t surprising, given OKC’s impressive backcourt depth. He also missed several weeks of action with a broken bone in his right hand.

If Flagler is waived before the ’25/26 season begins and spends at least 60 days in the G League with the Austin Spurs, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted to two-way deals, though the Spurs do not currently have a two-way opening, as our tracker shows.

The Spurs now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit.

Wizards, Akoldah Gak Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 8th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

Australian forward Akoldah Gak has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Wizards, agent Deirunas Visockas tells Olgun Uluc of ESPN (Twitter link).

It will be the first NBA contract signed by Gak, who spent several years playing professionally in his home country before coming stateside and joining the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League earlier in 2025.

The 23-year-old subsequently suited up for the Wizards’ Summer League team in July, averaging 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 16.8 minutes per game across three outings in Las Vegas.

A 6’11” forward, Gak began to play regular minutes in Australia’s National Basketball League after joining the Cairns Taipans in 2023. In 2024/25, he put up 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 19.5 minutes per game for Cairns, with a field goal percentage of 51.5%.

Gak almost certainly won’t open the regular season on the Wizards’ roster, but looks like a prime candidate to become an affiliate player for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League team. His Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his NBAGL salary if he’s waived by the Wizards and then spends at least 60 days with the Go-Go.

Wizards Re-Sign Anthony Gill To One-Year Deal

August 7th, 2025 at 1:12pm CST by Rory Maher

1:12pm: As Robbins tweets, Gill’s signing is now official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

12:57pm: The Wizards are re-signing free agent forward Anthony Gill to a one-year contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Gill has spent the past five seasons in Washington, largely serving as a veteran leader and mentor to his younger teammates. Although he was waived in late June before his $2,546,675 salary for 2025/26 would’ve become guaranteed, multiple reports from Josh Robbins of The Athletic — including at the time of Gill’s release — indicated that both sides were interested in a reunion, so the signing had been anticipated.

After going undrafted out of Virginia in 2016, Gill started his professional career overseas, playing in Turkey with Yesilgiresun Belediye in 2016/17 before spending three years with Russian club Khimki, which competed in the EuroLeague at the time. He parlayed his strong international play into multiple contracts with the Wizards, his first and only NBA team to this point.

Gill, who will turn 33 years old in October — a few days before the season begins — appeared in 51 games in ’24/25, posting modest averages of 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per contest. In addition to the Wizards, the 6’7″ forward was also linked to multiple EuroLeague teams this summer.

As Robbins explained last month, the new deal is a win for both sides, as Gill will earn more on a veteran’s minimum contract ($2,667,947) than his old contract would’ve paid him and the league’s reimbursement policy will reduce the Wizards’ salary cap hit to $2,296,274, equivalent to a player with two years of experience.

Interestingly, the signing of Gill puts the Wizards at 16 players on standard contracts, one above the regular-season limit. While Justin Champagnie is on a non-guaranteed deal, he should be a lock to make the roster after a breakout ’24/25 campaign.

Assuming Gill makes the cut, perhaps one of Washington’s new additions, like Malaki Branham or Dillon Jones, could be the odd man out. For what it’s worth, Jones ($2.75MM) makes far less money than Branham ($4.96MM).

The Wizards also brought back Marvin Bagley III on a minimum-salary deal last month. His contract is guaranteed, but he technically would have the smallest dead-money cap hit.

Celtics Trade Georges Niang, Two Picks To Jazz

August 6th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

August 6: The move is now official, per the Celtics (via Twitter).

The second-rounders headed to the Jazz in the deal are either the Celtics’ or Magic’s 2027 pick (whichever is most favorable) and either the Celtics’ or Cavaliers’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable), per Jake Fischer (Twitter link).

August 5: The Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Utah is utilizing part of the $26.6MM trade exception created in last month’s three-team trade in which Utah dealt John Collins to the Clippers, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

It’s another salary dump for the Celtics, allowing them to move well below the second tax apron.

Niang was acquired by Boston from the Hawks in the three-team Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster this offseason. The 6’7″ forward has an expiring $8.2MM contract for next season.

Niang has been on the move quite a bit this year. He began last season with Cleveland and played 51 games for the Cavaliers, all but one off the bench, before getting dealt to Atlanta in February. Niang appeared in 28 games with the Hawks, including two starts. Overall, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes per night last season.

Niang will provide Utah with another floor-stretching big off the bench. He’s a career 39.9% shooter on three-point tries.

It will be his second stint with the Jazz, whom he played with from 2017-21. They’re looking at him as someone who can play a rotation role and bring veteran leadership to their young core, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The two sides have spoken, according to Jones, and Niang is happy and excited to be back in Utah.

Luis, an undrafted rookie out of St. John’s, was signed to a two-way contract, so he’ll fill the Celtics’ open two-way slot. Boston reached an agreement with free agent forward Chris Boucher to take Niang’s spot on the 15-man roster.

According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), the Celtics shed approximately $5oMM off their luxury tax bill with the Niang trade. They’re now just $1.7MM above the first apron and $9.4MM above the luxury tax line. They also created a $8.2MM trade exception.