Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Sign Antonius Cleveland

December 3rd, 2020 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have signed free agent guard Antonius Cleveland to a one-year contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log. It’s a safe bet that it will be a non-guaranteed training camp deal.

Cleveland, 26, spent the 2019/20 league year on a two-way contract with the Mavericks. He wasn’t great in his limited action for Dallas, racking up nearly as many fouls (8) as points (11) in 46 total minutes across 11 games.

However, Cleveland was a full-time starter for the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate. In 36 NBAGL contests, he averaged 14.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.6 SPG.

By our count, Oklahoma City now has 19 players under contract, though a number of the team’s reported deals – including a trade for Al Horford and agreements with five free agents – aren’t yet official, so many moves are yet to come.

Rockets Trade Westbrook To Wizards For Wall, First-Round Pick

December 2nd, 2020 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:04pm: The trade is now official, the Rockets announced in a press release.

6:58pm: The Rockets and Wizards have agreed to swap star point guards, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that John Wall is headed to Houston in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets will also receive a first-round pick, per Woj. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that it’ll be Washington’s protected 2023 first-rounder and will be lottery-protected. Those protections will gradually decrease each year, and if it hasn’t changed hands by 2026, it’ll become two second-rounders, says Charania.

The deal involves two players on super-max extensions, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Westbrook will make $41.4MM and $44.2MM over the next two seasons with a player option in 2022/23 for $47.1MM. Wall is due $41.3MM and $44.3MM in the next two years, followed by a $47.4MM player option. His contract also includes a 15% trade bonus that will be voided because his salary is more than the league maximum for the upcoming season, Marks adds (Twitter link).

Both players issued trade requests to their respective teams in the past month. Westbrook’s was reported November 11 after he told Rockets officials he has been “uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture.” He expressed a desire to join an organization where he will once again be the lead playmaker, which presumably will happen in Washington.

Wall’s request came a little more than a week later, after news leaked that the Wizards had spoken to the Rockets about a possible swap for Westbrook. General manager Tommy Sheppard responded by saying the team had no plans to trade Wall.

Up until today, Sheppard and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone hadn’t discussed a potential Westbrook/Wall trade since October, sources tell Wojnarowski. However, the two GMs revisited the idea and had worked out a deal within hours, according to Woj.

In Washington, Westbrook will be reunited with Scott Brooks, who was his head coach with the Thunder from his rookie season until 2015. Brooks has always been a huge fan of Westbrook and they remain close friends, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Westbrook is also close with Wizards assistant Robert Pack from their time together in OKC, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).

Westbrook, 32, spent one season in Houston after being traded there last summer. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 57 games, but his poor outside shooting was an issue for a team that places a heavy emphasis on the three-pointer. Westbrook shot just 25.8% from long range during the season and 24.2% in the playoffs.

In Houston, Wall will join forces with former college teammate DeMarcus Cousins, who officially signed with the Rockets on Tuesday. Wall was sidelined last season with an Achilles tear and hasn’t played at all since December of 2018. The 30-year-old was the top pick in the 2010 draft and has spent the past 10 seasons in Washington.

While the Rockets have now moved on from Westbrook, they don’t believe that James Harden – who also reportedly wants to be traded – will be moved before opening night, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. According to MacMahon, Houston recognized that the market for Westbrook was limited, but would seek a “king’s ransom” in any Harden deal.

Meanwhile, in D.C., Bradley Beal has been the subject of frequent trade speculation for the last year or two, but the Wizards have insisted both publicly and privately that he won’t be dealt, and Beal hasn’t expressed any interest in a move. That stance seems unlikely to change before he gets a chance to assess his fit alongside Westbrook over the course of the ’20/21 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Heat Exercise 2021/22 Team Option On Tyler Herro

December 2nd, 2020 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially exercised their 2021/22 team option on Tyler Herro, per Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

The move locks in the third-year option on Herro’s rookie contract, ensuring that he’ll earn $4MM a year from now. He’s set to earn $3.82MM in 2020/21. Miami will have to make a decision on his $5.72MM fourth-year option for ’22/23 next fall.

Rookie scale team option decisions for ’21/22 are due by December 29. Not every former first-round pick will have his third- or fourth-year option exercised this month, but in cases like Herro’s, picking up that option is a mere formality.

Herro, who will turn 21 in January, earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team last season, averaging 13.5 PPG on .428/.389/.870 shooting in 55 games (27.4 MPG). He elevated his game to a new level in the postseason, recording 16.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG in 33.6 minutes per contest as the Heat came within two wins of a title.

Pistons Re-Sign Louis King To Two-Way Contract

December 2nd, 2020 at 10:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have re-signed free agent forward Louis King to a new two-way contract, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

King, who went undrafted out of Oregon in 2019, spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Detroit. He didn’t see much action at the NBA level, logging limited minutes in 10 games, but averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 31 games (28.5 MPG) for the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ G League affiliate.

King will occupy one of Detroit’s two-way contract slots alongside second-round pick Saben Lee.

The Pistons also officially finalized their previously–reported training camp deals with LiAngelo Ball and Anthony Lamb, according to Smith (Twitter link). The three signings give Detroit a full 20-man training camp roster.

Thunder Waive Zylan Cheatham

December 2nd, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zylan Cheatham, who was acquired in a four-team trade last week, has been waived by the Thunder, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

Cheatham was among five players Oklahoma City received in the deal that sent Steven Adams to New Orleans. The Bucks and Nuggets were also involved in the trade.

Because Cheatham was a free agent, there had to be a sign-and-trade to include him in the deal. He will receive his $1.4MM salary for this season, but not the non-guaranteed money he had scheduled for 2021/22 and 2022/23.

The 25-year-old forward signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans prior to the NBA’s restart in Orlando. He appeared in three games, averaging 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in about 13 minutes per night.

On Tuesday, OKC waived guard Josh Gray, who was also part of the four-team trade. Mussatto notes that Cheatham and Gray became expendable after the Thunder reached a deal with Frank Jackson and acquired T.J. Leaf.

Pistons, LiAngelo Ball Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

December 2nd, 2020 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of Lonzo Ball and the older brother of LaMelo Ball, has agreed to sign a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Pistons, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Ball’s deal will contain an Exhibit 10 clause, per Charania (Twitter link). He’s extremely unlikely to make the Pistons’ regular season roster, but will be eligible to receive a $50K bonus if he plays in the G League.

As NBAGL guru Adam Johnson notes (via Twitter), Detroit’s affiliate – the Grand Rapids Drive – would need to acquire Ball’s rights from the Oklahoma City Blue. The 22-year-old signed a G League contract to join the Thunder’s affiliate back in March, just before the league went on hiatus due to the coronavirus. Current Pistons general manager Troy Weaver worked in the Thunder’s front office at the time.

Ball, a 6’5″ swingman, isn’t considered to have the same upside as his brothers, but has some experience playing professional ball in Lithuania and earned Finals MVP honors for the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association in 2018.

Thunder Sign Aleksej Pokusevski To Rookie Contract

December 2nd, 2020 at 7:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have locked up their first-round pick, officially signing Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski to his rookie contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

Pokusevski, one of the top international prospects in the 2020 draft class, was frequently connected to Oklahoma City in the weeks leading up to November 18, in part because his agent Jason Ranne used to work in the Thunder’s front office. Sure enough, on draft night, the Thunder moved up from No. 25 to No. 17 in a trade with the Timberwolves to snag Pokusevski.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The 6’11” forward, who doesn’t turn 19 until later this month, had reportedly been under contract with Olympiacos Piraeus through 2024. He’ll have to pay a buyout to his old team in Greece, though the Thunder will be able to pick up a significant chunk of that buyout.

Assuming he signs for 120% of the rookie scale amount, as nearly every first-round pick does, Pokusevski will earn $2.96MM as a rookie. His four-year contract, which includes third- and fourth-year team options, will have an overall value of $14.35MM.

The Thunder still have two unsigned 2020 draft picks, though it’s not clear if either Theo Maledon (No. 34) or Vit Krejci (No. 37) will come stateside right away.

Nicolas Batum Signs With Clippers

December 1st, 2020 at 9:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

10:08pm: The team officially announced the Batum signing in a press release and the Tucker signing in a separate release.

9:43pm: After clearing waivers following his release by the Hornets, veteran free agent forward Nicolas Batum will sign with the Clippers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Batum’s intention to sign with Los Angeles was initially reported by Charania after he was officially waived by Charlotte. The 31-year-old wing was a solid three-and-D contributor in his prime with the Trail Blazers and Hornets, but his production noticeably declined after he signed a five-year, $120MM extension with the Hornets in 2016.

Across his 12 NBA seasons, the 6’9″ swingman holds career averages of 11.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 APG, and 0.6 APG in 31.3 MPG. He is a career 35.7% shooter on 4.4 attempts a night from three-point land, and is shooting 84.1% from the charity stripe. Batum was a part-time player for the first time in his career in 2019/20, suiting up for just 22 games with the Hornets.

The Clippers are no doubt hoping Batum can conjure a semblance of this output in a fraction of the minutes for a championship contender led by star swingmen Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Batum is set to compete with fellow free agent wing Rayjon Tucker for reserve minutes, as Charania adds in a separate tweet that the Clippers will also sign Tucker. It’s an Exhibit 10 contract for Tucker, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old shooting guard, who split his college eligibility between Florida Gulf Coast and Little Rock, went undrafted in 2019. He played for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, to start the 2019/20 NBA season. He then signed on with the Jazz for the remainder of the season. Between stints with the Herd and Utah’s G League club, the Salt Lake City Stars, Tucker played 19 G League games.

Tucker averaged 23.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 0.9 SPG in the G League. He posted a slash line of .472/.361/.713. The 6’5″ wing was awarded December 2019’s G League Player of the Month honors, and netted an Eastern Conference Midseason All-NBA G League selection.

A defensive specialist at the next level, Tucker played 20 regular season games for the Jazz, averaging 8.1 MPG. Earlier this offseason, the Jazz traded Tucker to the Cavaliers, who subsequently waived him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Waive Joakim Noah; Retirement Likely

December 1st, 2020 at 8:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

10:09 pm: The Clippers have officially announced in a press release that they’ve waived Noah.

8:35 pm: As was expected following news of Reggie Jackson‘s return earlier today, the Clippers will waive backup center Joakim Noah, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

In a less expected development, Noah’s agent at BDA Sports, Bill Duffy, told Wojnarowski that the 6’11” center will likely retire rather than seek a basketball home elsewhere for 2020/21. Though the 35-year-old big man struggled during his lone Los Angeles season, he had a productive run as an energizing reserve with the Grizzlies the year prior.

“What an illustrious career for Joakim,” Duffy reflected. “It’s been my honor to represent Joakim through his journey.”

Noah won two NCAA championships with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007, alongside future NBA pros Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Marreesse Speights, Chris Richard, and Taurean Green. Those legendary Florida squads were coached by new Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.

After being drafted by the Bulls with the ninth pick in the 2007 draft, Noah went on to make two All-Star teams and help lead a culture change in Chicago, transforming the team into an energetic, defensive-first behemoth.

Noah’s crowning individual accolade in the NBA was being named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013/14 season. He also made the All-NBA First Team that season and finished with the fourth-most MVP votes that year (ahead of James Harden). During that standout season, Noah averaged 12.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.5 BPG, and 1.2 SPG across 80 games.

Overall, Noah was a three-time All-Defensive Team inclusion. Noah’s defensive moxie, stellar rebounding, terrific passing, and unique style and free throw form made him a local favorite during his Bulls tenure.

Noah signed a lucrative four-year, $72MM deal with his hometown Knicks during the free agency boom of 2016. The union was ultimately cut short ahead of the 2018/19 season, when New York opted to waive and stretch the rest of Noah’s deal. The club will be paying him $6.4MM during both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.

The Bulls will likely consider honoring the unique big man in much the same way they paid tribute to his long-time teammate, former All-Star Bulls forward Luol Deng. Chicago inked a one-day contract with Deng in October 2019 so that he could officially retire as a Bull. Noah has certainly earned a similarly hallowed place in the hearts of Bulls fans to merit such a tribute.

Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that this latest move means that the Clippers now have 13 guaranteed deals on their books, and currently find themselves a crucial $2.2MM below the league’s restrictive hard cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Re-Sign Reggie Jackson

December 1st, 2020 at 7:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

10:42pm: The Clippers have officially re-signed Jackson, the team confirmed in a press release.

7:01pm: The Clippers have opted to re-sign reserve guard Reggie Jackson on a one-year contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Woj adds that Los Angeles anticipates that Jackson will “play a prominent role” in the club’s guard rotation.

After reaching a buyout agreement with the Pistons in February, Jackson joined the Clippers for the stretch run of the 2019/20 season as a key backcourt option off the bench. In 21.3 MPG across 17 regular season contests with Los Angeles, Jackson averaged 9.5 PPG, 3.2 APG, and 3.0 RPG. He also posted excellent shooting splits of .453/.413/.905.

As uncertainty clouds the fates of guards Patrick Beverley, the starting point guard, and Lou Williams, his primary backup, Jackson may wind up being a more crucial contributor for the 2020/21 season.

Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that, because the Clippers are roughly $1MM below the NBA’s hard cap, the team will most likely waive the non-guaranteed $2.6MM veteran’s minimum contract of veteran reserve center Joakim Noah to make room for Jackson on the roster.

Los Angeles will be able to add one more player on a veteran’s minimum, Marks notes. A younger Noah replacement or wing depth would make sense for the Clippers. The club could also technically opt to waive Noah, then bring him back on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal, as the signing would represent a lower cap hit than retaining him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.