Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Trade McGee, Future Second-Rounder To Cavs

November 23rd, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 23: The deal is official, according to a press release from the Cavs. Cleveland acquires McGee and the Lakers’ second-round pick in exchange for McKinnie and Bell, as expected.

NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers are set to send center JaVale McGee and a future second-round draft pick to the Cavaliers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). This will create flexibility below the hard cap to allow the Lakers to sign veteran center Marc Gasol.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the second-round pick will be from the 2026 NBA draft. Fedor reports in a separate tweet that small forward Alfonzo McKinnie and big man Jordan Bell will be headed to Los Angeles in the deal.

McGee has a $4.2MM cap charge for 2020/21, which the Cavaliers have no way to absorb without sending out some salary themselves. McKinnie ($1.76MM) and Bell ($1.76MM) are currently on non-guaranteed deals, but their salaries will have to be at least partially guaranteed to make the deal work. The Cavs have to send out about $2.34MM and non-guaranteed money doesn’t count for salary-matching purposes.

Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that the likely outcome will see McKinnie being fully guaranteed, while Bell gets about a $600K guarantee. The Lakers could then waive and stretch Bell to create a little extra flexibility.

McGee started at center for most of the Lakers’ 2019/20 championship season, but was supplanted in the starting lineup during the last two rounds of the playoffs by the more mobile Markieff Morris or Dwight Howard most of the time, with Anthony Davis shifting from power forward to center to close out the Heat in Game 6 of the Finals. McGee is a three-time champion thanks to tenures with the Warriors and Lakers.

It doesn’t sound as if the Cavaliers view McGee as a mere salary dump. The team wanted a veteran big man with experience coming off the bench behind Andre Drummond, according to Fedor, so McGee will replace Tristan Thompson on the roster. Cleveland continues to explore possible free agent deals involving the mid-level, with a focus on backup point guard, per Fedor.

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

Hawks Sign Solomon Hill To One-Year Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The Hawks have officially signed Hill, per a team press release. The deal is non-guaranteed, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

“Solomon is a player who has been on four playoff teams and has competed on the highest level,” president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “We are fortunate to add his veteran presence to our group.”

NOVEMBER 23: The Hawks and free agent forward Solomon Hill have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowsi (Twitter link).

Hill, 29, was very briefly a member of the Hawks last summer when the team acquired him from New Orleans in a draft-night trade, but Atlanta flipped him to the Grizzlies in a subsequent deal. After appearing in 48 games for Memphis, Hill was once again traded at the 2020 deadline and finished the season with the Heat, appearing in a total of 18 regular season and playoff games for Miami.

For the 2019/20 season, Hill averaged 5.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG in a total of 59 games (18.4 MPG) for the Grizzlies and Heat. While he’s not much of a scorer, the former first-round pick has the size to match up with most wings on defense.

The Hawks have made it a priority this offseason to add some solid defenders to their roster, having already struck deals with Kris Dunn and Rajon Rondo. The team is also signing Danilo Gallinari and is waiting to see if Sacramento will match its offer sheet for Bogdan Bogdanovic.

With Hill coming aboard, the Hawks project to have at least 15 players on guaranteed contracts if the Kings decline to match on Bogdanovic, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, who notes (via Twitter) that second-round pick Skylar Mays could end up on a two-way deal if there’s no room on the standard roster for him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans Sign Wenyen Gabriel, Sindarius Thornwell

November 23rd, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 30: Both signings are now official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

NOVEMBER 23: The Pelicans are filling two of their roster spots with forward Wenyen Gabriel and guard Sindarius Thornwell, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets.

Both will play on veteran minimum deals. Gabriel is receiving a two-year contract with a team option for the 2021/22 season.

New Orleans plans to go with a 14-player roster, including restricted free agent Brandon Ingram, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Ingram has yet to sign but he’s expected to get a max contract.

The Pelicans also plan to fill both two-way slots, Guillory adds.

Gabriel began last season with the Kings and was traded in midseason to the Trail Blazers. The undrafted Gabriel appeared in a combined 30 regular-season games as a rookie and also saw action in four postseason games.

Thornwell was part of the Clippers’ rotation for two seasons but appeared in just two games with the Pelicans last season after signing as a substitute player during the restart. Otherwise, he spent the 2019/20 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League.

Tacko Fall Returns To Celtics On Two-Way Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24: The deal is official, per the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 23: Second-year center Tacko Fall, a fan favorite in Boston, is returning to the Celtics on a second two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

An undrafted free agent out of UCF, the 7’5″ big man spent his rookie season in 2019/20 on a two-way deal with the Celtics, appearing in seven NBA games for the club. He racked up 23 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks in just 33 minutes in those seven contests.

Fall was a rotation mainstay for the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ G League affiliate, averaging 12.9 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 3.1 BPG in 29 games (23.3 MPG) for the club.

The Celtics’ issued a qualifying offer to Fall last week, making him a restricted free agent. Now it appears he’ll be back with the team for the 2020/21 season, filling one of the two-way slots. Tremont Waters, the club’s other two-way player last season, also received a QO from the club, but it’s not clear yet whether or not he’ll return.

Pistons To Sign Former Vermont Star Anthony Lamb

November 23rd, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Undrafted free agent swingman Anthony Lamb has reached an agreement with the Pistons, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

It’s uncertain whether he’s receiving a training camp deal or if he’s signing a two-way contract. Detroit has a two-way slot available.

The 6’6” Lamb was a four-year starter at Vermont and the two-time America East Conference Player of the Year. Lamb averaged 16.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.5 APG and 1.2 BPG as a senior. During his college career, Lamb made 33.6% of his 3-point attempts.

He withdrew his name from the 2019 draft after working out for several teams.

Warriors To Sign Dwayne Sutton

November 23rd, 2020 at 3:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former Louisville wing Dwayne Sutton, who went undrafted last week, has agreed to a contract with the Warriors, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Brett Siegel of Hoop Analysis Network (via Twitter) reports that the three-and-D swingman will get an Exhibit 10 contract and has a good chance to have it converted to a two-way deal for the season. The 6’5″ 23-year-old was an All-ACC Honorable Mention with the Cardinals this past season.

Sutton spent his first college season with the University of North Carolina at Asheville, then redshirted his sophomore season to transfer to his hometown squad in Louisville. During his redshirt senior year in 2019/20, Sutton averaged 9.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 0.8 BPG, and 0.7 SPG. He also connected on 35.4% of his 2.6 looks from long range per game.

He certainly could help provide depth at a position of need for Golden State, after All-Star wing Klay Thompson went down for the season with an Achilles tear last week.

Raptors Sign Alex Len To One-Year Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 3:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 26: Len has officially signed with the Raptors, per the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 23: The Raptors will add veteran big man Alex Len to their center rotation, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). Len will presumably compete with Chris Boucher for backup minutes behind Aron Baynes, another new addition.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter) reports that Len will sign a one-year contract.

After using most of their mid-level exception on the two-year, $14.3MM Baynes signing, the Raptors will use the leftover portion of their MLE to sign Len, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). As a result, he’ll earn about $2.32MM instead of a minimum salary of $2.17MM.

Drafted with the fifth pick by Phoenix in 2013, the oft-traveled Len signed with the Hawks during his first crack at free agency in 2018, for a two-year, $8.5MM contract. Atlanta dealt Len to the Kings in a package for Dewayne Dedmon and two future second-rounders at the 2019/20 trade deadline.

The 27-year-old seven-footer holds efficient career averages of 8.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 19.6 MPG across his seven NBA seasons.

Toronto saw its top two centers, veterans Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, walk in free agency. The Raptors have moved quickly to piece together a respectable rotation of big men to replace them — including incumbent RFA Boucher.

The 33-year-old Baynes is a competent defender who has recently developed into a perimeter shooting threat, while the lankier Boucher became an intriguingly athletic rotation piece last season. Len provides a big body in the post to threaten players at the rim. Though they lack the two-way versatility or passing of their predecessors, this triumvirate may be able to replace a decent amount of their output.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavs Re-Sign Matthew Dellavedova To One-Year Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 2:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 25: Dellavedova’s contract is now listed in the NBA’s transactions log, making it official.

NOVEMBER 23: Free agent reserve point guard Matthew Dellavedova will return to the Cavaliers, Olgun Uluc of ESPN tweets. The one-year agreement will be for the veteran’s minimum, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN adds (Twitter link).

The contract will pay Dellavedova $2.17MM. As the first year of a veteran’s minimum deal it will only count against $1.6MM of the Cavaliers’ salary cap. Since Dellavedova has re-signed on a one-year deal with Cleveland, the guard will be able to veto any potential trade that includes him for the 2020/21 season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Dellavedova opted to forgo the Cavaliers’ in-market bubble team workout this fall in anticipation of his free agency. The 6’3″ point guard was first signed in 2013 by the Cavaliers after going undrafted, and became a key role player for the team’s 2016 title run.

The 30-year-old Australian vet is coming off a four-year, $38MM deal he inked with the Bucks in 2016. Cleveland received Dellavedova again when it sent George Hill to Milwaukee in 2018.

Marc Stein of ESPN tweets that the Lakers, led by Dellavedova’s old Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, had interested in adding the veteran to one of their last available roster spots.

Dellavedova’s role with the lottery-bound Cavaliers diminished this past year. He averaged single-season lows in points (3.1 PPG) plus field goal percentage (35.4%) and three-point shooting percentage (23.1%), across a career-low 14.4 MPG.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers, Pistons Swap Zhaire Smith, Tony Bradley

November 23rd, 2020 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 23: The Pistons and Sixers have officially sent out press releases announcing the deal, confirming they’ve swapped Bradley and Smith.

There have been reports that Detroit may end up waiving Smith, but for now he remains on the roster.

NOVEMBER 22: The Sixers and Pistons are completing a minor trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that third-year wing Zhaire Smith will head to Detroit in the deal, while fourth-year center Tony Bradley goes to Philadelphia.

Smith was the 16th overall pick in the 2018 draft but has barely seen the court during his first two professional seasons, having battled health issues and playing just 13 total NBA games. He did appear in 28 games for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League last season, averaging 13.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a .530/.376/.714 shooting line.

As Omari Sankofa of The Detroit Free Press notes (via Twitter), the Pistons had been seeking more shooting on the wing and – since they’re in rebuilding mode – can afford to be patient in developing him. Moving Bradley also helps the team slightly clear its logjam at center, where the team has added Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor, and first-round pick Isaiah Stewart in the last few days.

In Philadelphia, meanwhile, new 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has apparently developed a newfound fondness for centers, having already signed Dwight Howard on Saturday to back up Joel Embiid. If Bradley remains with the 76ers, he’ll provide additional depth in the middle.

The 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Bradley spent his first three seasons in Utah before the Jazz agreed to trade him to Detroit earlier in the week. He earned regular minutes for the first time in 2019/20, averaging 4.9 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 58 games (11.4 MPG).

The financial impact of the trade will be minimal. Smith has a $3.2MM salary for 2020/21 and a $4.92MM team option for 2021/22, which Detroit must exercise or turn down by the end of next month. Bradley will earn $3.54MM this season before becoming eligible for restricted free agency next year.

Knicks Sign Obi Toppin To Rookie Deal

November 23rd, 2020 at 11:39am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks have announced (via Twitter) that they have inked their 2020 No. 8 lottery pick Obi Toppin to his rookie contract.

The former Dayton forward will earn $4,862,040 in his rookie year and about $22.1MM over the first four years of his NBA career, unless he accepts a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale. A full list of anticipated rookie scale salary figures is viewable here.

The 22-year-old 6’9″ Brooklyn native played two years for Dayton, averaging 20.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG across 31 games during his sophomore season (all starts). Toppin was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and the National College Player of the Year in 2019/20.

Toppin marks the first draft pick of new Knicks team president Leon Rose, and will join new head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s revamped New York roster for the 2020/21 season. This offseason, the Knicks appear to be mostly in asset-gathering mode, having made two deals to turn Ed Davis into three future second-round picks and having avoided signing big-money free agents like Fred VanVleet or Gordon Hayward or (thus far) trading for frustrated Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook.