Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Sign E’Twaun Moore To One-Year Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 29: The Suns have officially signed Moore, per RealGM’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: Free agent shooting guard E’Twaun Moore has reached an agreement to sign a one-year deal with the Suns, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Stein reports that the deal will be worth $2.4MM, which suggests it’s likely a minimum-salary pact, rounded up. Moore’s minimum salary this year, as a nine-year veteran, will be $2,331,593.

Moore, 31, has spent the last four seasons in New Orleans, bouncing back and forth between roles as a starter and a backup during that time. He has been an effective scorer and shooter for the Pelicans, averaging 10.7 PPG on .474/.404/.736 shooting in his four years with the team.

Moore represents the latest intriguing addition for a Phoenix team that appears to be poised to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference in 2020/21. Having kicked off their offseason by acquiring Chris Paul in a trade with Oklahoma City, the Suns have since reached free agent agreements with Jae Crowder and Moore, as well as their own restricted free agent guard Jevon Carter.

The team also drafted big man Jalen Smith with the No. 10 pick on Wednesday and reportedly wants to re-sign RFA forward Dario Saric.

Pelicans Sign Willy Hernangomez

November 22nd, 2020 at 3:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 24: The Pelicans have officially signed Hernangomez, per the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: The Pelicans are set to sign center Willy Hernangomez to a one-year veteran’s minimum contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets. With four years of NBA experience to his credit, Hernangomez should earn $1,737,145 on such a deal.

The 250-pound 6’11” journeyman center, 26, started his NBA career with the Knicks, who drafted him with the 35th pick in 2015. Hernangomez finally joined New York for the 2016/17 season, and was eventually flipped to the Hornets in 2018. He will now back up starting Pelicans center Steven Adams, sent to New Orleans in a recent trade by the Thunder.

Hernangomez will essentially replace reserve center Jahlil Okafor in the New Orleans rotation. Okafor left the Pelicans for the Pistons in free agency. Hernangomez holds career averages of 6.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in just 14.4 MPG.

Rockets To Sign Sterling Brown

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Shooting guard Sterling Brown has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockets, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Because Brown never received a qualifying offer from the Bucks, he was able to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

The 6’5″ swingman was drafted by the Bucks with the 46th pick in 2017 out of SMU. The 25-year-old has a career slash line average of 5.2 PPG/3.1 RPG/1.0 APG across his three seasons in the league. He also has connected on an average of 77.4% of his free throw attempts, 41.7% of his shots from the floor, and 34.5% of his 2.6 three-point looks per contest.

His shooting should be a solid attribute to a changing Rockets club that still prioritizes surrounding stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook with switchable perimeter scorers, though how long those All-Star guards will stay with the franchise remains up in the air now.

Thunder Complete Trade Sending Kelly Oubre To Warriors

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22, 2:43pm: Erik Horne of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that the Warriors’ first-round pick headed to Oklahoma City will be top-20 protected. If it doesn’t convey, per Horne, the Thunder will instead receive Minnesota’s 2021 second-round pick (along with the Nuggets’ 2021 second-rounder, which they’ll get either way).

NOVEMBER 22, 2:27pm: The trade is now official, the Thunder announced in a press release. Oubre is headed to Golden State in exchange for the Warriors’ protected 2021 first-round pick and Denver’s 2021 second-round pick, per the team.

NOVEMBER 19, 8:10pm: The Thunder and Warriors are finalizing a swap that will send Oubre to Golden State in exchange for the Warriors’ protected 2021 first-round pick, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets that it has top-20 protection.

The Thunder will create a trade exception worth Oubre’s $14.4MM salary, assuming they intend to remain over the cap as they complete their offseason moves.

NOVEMBER 19, 3:55pm: The Thunder are engaged in serious talks about a trade that would send Kelly Oubre to the Warriors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The two sides are nearing an agreement, adds Adrian Wojnarowsi of ESPN (Twitter link).

It remains to be seen what the Thunder would acquire in a deal involving Oubre, but it’s a safe bet that GM Sam Presti would be looking to add at least one more future draft pick to his constantly-growing collection of them.

A deal sending Oubre to Golden State would almost certainly see the Warriors absorb his $14.4MM salary using the team’s $17.2MM trade exception. That exception allows the Dubs to acquire up to $17.2MM in salary without sending out any salary themselves.

Although a trade along these lines has long been the subject of speculation, it’s still a little surprising that the Warriors are willing to take on the increased tax bill that adding Oubre’s salary would create. As Bobby Marks of ESPN explains (via Twitter), based on current projections, Oubre would increase Golden State’s projected tax payment by about $68MM, resulting in a total increase of over $82MM after taking into account his actual salary.

The Warriors would likely get a bit of a break on that, since the NBA has said tax penalties will be reduced by the same amount that the league falls short of its revenue projection in 2020/21, but it’s still a massive commitment by the franchise.

However, Warriors ownership has exhibited a willingness to spend, and Oubre – who turns 25 next month – is a logical addition for a team that needed help on the wing even before word broke that Klay Thompson had suffered a torn Achilles.

In 2019/20, Oubre averaged a career-high 18.7 PPG in 56 games (34.5 MPG) for the Suns, chipping in 6.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG with a .453/.352/.780 shooting line. Phoenix, recognizing he wasn’t part of the team’s long-term plans, sent him to Oklahoma City in the Chris Paul blockbuster earlier this week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Frank Mason III Loses QO From Bucks, Becoming UFA

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being tendered a qualifying offer by the Bucks a few days ago that would have made him a restricted two-way free agent, point guard Frank Mason III saw that option withdrawn, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Mason is now back on the market as an unrestricted free agent.

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 logged nine games for Milwaukee and 23 for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. He thrived with the Bucks’ Oshkosh-based minor league club. Mason was the G League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2019/20 season, averaging a league-best 26.4 PPG, along with 5.0 APG and 3.4 RPG.

Mavericks Re-Sign Willie Cauley-Stein To Two-Year Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 1: The Mavericks have made it official, formally announcing that they’ve re-signed Cauley-Stein.

NOVEMBER 22: The Mavericks have agreed to bring back veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Cauley-Stein will sign a two-year contract worth $8.2MM. This signing would most likely be achieved via Dallas’s mid-level exception.

Charania adds (via Twitter) that there will be a second-year team option on Cauley-Stein’s contract, and notes that Dallas pivoted to a new deal with the big man after falling out of the mix for Marc Gasol.

Sources tell Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that the Mavericks are “most likely done” with their offseason dealmaking, but caution that “in this crazy environment you never know.” The club’s biggest new offseason addition is swingman Josh Richardson, brought in via a trade with the Sixers for Seth Curry that also yielded the rights to rookie guard Tyler Bey.

Cauley-Stein, 27, played 13 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 5.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 0.8 BPG in 12.1 MPG. Dallas traded for the 7′ center after starter Dwight Powell went down with an Achilles tear in January. Power forward/centers Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber will be ahead of Cauley-Stein in the center rotation.

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

Suns Sign Damian Jones

November 22nd, 2020 at 1:31pm CST by JD Shaw

NOVEMBER 29: Jones’ signing is official, according to the RealGM Transactions Page. He only has a $350K partial guarantee in year one, with a non-guaranteed second season, per Dave King of The Bright Side (Twitter link).

NOVEMBER 22: The Suns have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent center Damian Jones, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jones will earn the veteran’s minimum, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

Jones, 25, spent last season with the Hawks and was acquired in July of 2018 from Golden State. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Warriors, having been drafted by the team at No. 30 in 2016.

Jones played 55 games with Atlanta last season, averaging 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 16.1 minutes per contest. He’s expected to provide depth behind starting center Deandre Ayton in the frontcourt, with Phoenix seeking their first playoff berth since the 2009-10 season.

Over the past week, the Suns also traded for Chris Paul (in a deal that sent out Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ricky Rubio), agreed to sign Jae Crowder, and reached a deal to bring back Jevon Carter.

Nuggets Sign Isaiah Hartenstein

November 22nd, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 30: The Nuggets have officially signed Hartenstein, the team announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 22: The Nuggets intend to sign free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein to fill their final roster spot, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post. He’ll receive a two-year deal, Singer adds (via Twitter).

Hartenstein’s deal will include a second-year player option, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’ll be a minimum-salary contract, adds Singer (via Twitter).

Hartenstein, 22, spent the first two years of his NBA career in Houston before being waived in June. In 51 total games, he averaged 3.1 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 9.5 minutes per contest.

He’s expected to compete with Zeke Nnaji for Denver’s backup center job following the departure of Mason Plumlee, Singer notes. I’d expect Paul Millsap and JaMychal Green are also candidates to play some minutes at the five in smaller lineups when Nikola Jokic is off the floor.

Another player who could be in the mix for playing time at center is 2019 second-rounder Bol Bol, who will be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster, according to Singer. Bol will fill the roster spot previously occupied by Keita Bates-Diop, who will be waived before his salary for 2020/21 becomes guaranteed, per Singer.

Bol, once considered a probable 2019 lottery pick, dropped to No. 44 in last year’s draft due to health concerns. The 21-year-old was limited to seven NBA appearances and eight G League games as a rookie.

The Nuggets will also aim to sign forward Greg Whittington to a two-way contract, per Singer, though a league source tells JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors that Whittington has yet to agree to a deal. Undrafted Marquette free agent Markus Howard is on track to fill one on Denver’s two-way slots.

EJ Montgomery Signs With Bucks

November 22nd, 2020 at 1:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 2: The Bucks have officially signed Montgomery, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: Undrafted Kentucky forward EJ Montgomery is set to sign with the Bucks, according to Drew Franklin of Kentucky Sports Radio, citing Montgomery’s own Instagram. “For everyone asking we headed to Milwaukee @bucks!!!!” Montgomery initially announced.

The news was confirmed by Matt Velzaquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who indicated that the deal would extend to a training camp invitation, with a chance to potentially make the Bucks’ regular season roster.

The Bucks will able to field up to 20 players for their training camp lineup. In his two years with the Wildcats, the 6’10” power forward averaged 4.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.1 BPG across 19.0 MPG of game action. The 21-year-old Montgomery was a high school teammate of current Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons at Montverde Academy in Florida during Montgomery’s freshman and sophomore seasons.

Quinndary Weatherspoon Back With Spurs On Two-Way Contract

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 24: The Spurs have officially announced Weatherspoon’s two-way deal, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.

NOVEMBER 22: The Spurs will sign second-year shooting guard Quinndary Weatherspoon to another two-way contract with the team, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The 6’3″ guard, an All-SEC honoree for his last three years with Mississippi State, was drafted by the Spurs with the 49th pick last season, who signed him to his initial two-way contract at the time. He received a qualifying offer earlier this week to run things back. As a two-way player, such a deal typically signifies that Weatherspoon will net at least $50K from San Antonio.

The 24-year-old appeared in 11 games with San Antonio during his rookie season, averaging 1.1 PPG and 1.0 APG in 7.1 minutes per contest. Weatherspoon averaged 14.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.8 RPG across 36 games (including 35 starts) for the Spurs’ G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, during 2019/20.