Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Theo Pinson Returning To Knicks On Two-Way Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 29: Pinson’s two-way deal with the Knicks is now official, the team tweets.

NOVEMBER 22: The Knicks will sign Theo Pinson to a two-way contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

New York claimed Pinson off waivers in June, but he became a free agent on Thursday when the Knicks turned down their team option for 2020/21.

The 25-year-old shooting guard spent the past two years with the Nets. He got into 33 games last season, averaging 3.6 PPG in about 11 minutes per night.

The Knicks created a two-way opening by waiving Kenny Wooten earlier this week. They made a qualifying offer to Jared Harper, who could return to fill the other two-way slot.

Warriors Sign Kent Bazemore To One-Year Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24: The Warriors have signed Bazemore to his one-year contract, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: The Warriors and free agent forward Kent Bazemore have agreed to a one-year deal, agent Austin Walton tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bazemore’s new contract will be worth the veteran’s minimum, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), so it won’t cut into Golden State’s mid-level exception or potential disabled player exception. Bazemore will earn $2.32MM, while Golden State will take a $1.62MM cap hit.

It’s a reunion for the two sides, as Bazemore started his career in Golden State as an undrafted free agent back in 2012. This time around, the 31-year-old should get an opportunity to play regular minutes on the wing, especially with Klay Thompson expected to miss the entire season with an Achilles tear.

Bazemore, who began last season with the Trail Blazers, had a slow start to the year, but played well after being traded to the Kings in January. In 25 games down the stretch for Sacramento, the three-and-D swingman averaged 10.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.2 SPG with a shooting line of .418/.384/.733.

Bucks Sign Torrey Craig

November 22nd, 2020 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 26: The Bucks have officially signed Craig to a one-year contract, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: The Bucks are making another free agent addition, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached a deal with veteran wing Torrey Craig. Craig’s reps at CAA confirmed the agreement.

Craig entered the league year as a restricted free agent, but became unrestricted when the Nuggets withdrew his qualifying offer on Saturday. As a result, Denver didn’t have the right to match offers for the swingman.

Craig, who will turn 30 next month, averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 58 games (27 starts) for Denver in 2019/20, providing the team with solid perimeter defense. However, he became a victim of a roster crunch in Denver.

In Milwaukee, he’ll be tasked with helping to guard some of the Eastern Conference’s talented wing scorers, joining an impressive defensive squad that includes past All-Defensive players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Jrue Holiday.

While the terms of Craig’s deal haven’t been reported, a minimum-salary pact seems likely, given Milwaukee’s projected hard-cap constraints.

Pacers To Re-Sign JaKarr Sampson

November 22nd, 2020 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

JaKarr Sampson has agreed to re-sign with the Pacers, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It will be a fully guaranteed minimum deal for one year, according to his agent, Aaron Turner.

The sixth-year forward came to Indiana in the summer of 2019 on a one-year contract. He appeared in 34 games, starting 12, and averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per night.

Sampson, 27, has been with five teams since signing with the Sixers in 2014. He also had short stays with the Nuggets, Kings and Bulls.

Mavericks Sign Devonte Patterson To Exhibit 10 Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 9:10am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 1: Patterson has been officially added to Dallas’ camp roster, the Mavs announced today (via Twitter).

NOVEMBER 22: Devonte Patterson of Prairie View will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Mavericks, tweets Tim Cato of The Athletic.

The 6’7″ forward was named SWAC Player of the Year last season after averaging 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He originally declared for the NBA draft in 2019, but opted to return to school.

The signing assures Patterson an invitation to Dallas’ training camp. Players with Exhibit 10 contracts usually have the chance to earn bonus money for joining a team’s G League affiliate, but the fate of the G League is uncertain this season.

Wizards To Sign Caleb Homesley To Exhibit 10 Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:49am CST by Luke Adams

After going undrafted on Wednesday, Liberty shooting guard Caleb Homesley has lined up an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, the school’s basketball program announced (via Twitter).

Homesley averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 30 games (30.8 MPG), increasing his 3PT% to .369, the best mark of his college career.

In a typical year, players who receive invites to NBA training camps on Exhibit 10 deals would often end up with that team’s G League affiliate and would earn a $50K bonus for spending at least 60 days in the NBAGL. However, with the fate of the G League season up in the air, for now all that’s assured is that camp invite.

Suns Sign Ty-Shon Alexander To Two-Way Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:20am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24: Alexander has officially signed his two-way contract with the Suns, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: The Suns have agreed to sign undrafted rookie guard Ty-Shon Alexander to a two-way contract, according to Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops (Twitter link). Alexander essentially confirmed the report, quoting Babock’s tweet and thanking the Suns for the opportunity.

Alexander played his college ball at Creighton, declaring for the draft this year after his junior season. In 31 games (34.7 MPG) for the Bluejays, he averaged 16.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG on .431/.399/.860 shooting.

Mike Schmitz of ESPN, ranking Alexander as the ninth-best undrafted prospect, praised his “smooth shooting stroke and stellar defense,” suggesting he has the tools to develop into a three-and-D off guard.

Tariq Owens finished the 2019/20 season as Phoenix’s only player on a two-way contract, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer, so the club will likely look to sign a second two-way player to join Alexander.

Hornets To Sign Javin DeLaurier To Camp Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 11:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets will bring undrafted Duke power forward Javin DeLaurier to training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Agent Gary Durrant tells Goodwill that DeLaurier will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Charlotte.

DeLaurier, who spent four years at Duke, was one of the Blue Devil’s captains, but didn’t play significant minutes for the team. In 2019/20, he averaged 3.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 31 games (13.2 MPG).

The Hornets have been active on the UDFA market so far, having reportedly reached agreements to sign Kahlil Whitney (Exhibit 10), Keandre Cook (Exhibit 10) and Nate Darling (two-way) as well.

Serge Ibaka Signs With Clippers

November 21st, 2020 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 25: The Clippers have officially signed Ibaka, the team announced in a press release.

NOVEMBER 21: The Clippers will sign free agent big man Serge Ibaka, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Ibaka will receive $19MM over two years on his new deal, signaling that Los Angeles will use its full mid-level exception to complete the signing. Charania adds (via Twitter) that the contract will feature a second-year player option.

The agreement represents a major coup for the Clippers, who lost center Montrezl Harrell to the rival Lakers early in free agency and saw power forward JaMychal Green leave for a deal in Denver. Ibaka, who can play either the four or five, will help replenish the team’s frontcourt depth, giving L.A. a big man who can knock down outside shots on offense and protect the rim on defense.

After starting his career in Oklahoma City and spending a brief stint in Orlando during the 2016/17 season, Ibaka has been in Toronto for the last three-and-half seasons, winning a title with the Raptors (with Kawhi Leonard) in 2019. This past season, he averaged 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG with an impressive .512/.385/.718 shooting line in 55 games (27.0 MPG).

By committing their full mid-level exception to Ibaka, the Clippers will hard-cap themselves for the 2020/21 league year and they don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room below the $138.93MM apron. However, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter), the club can create a little extra breathing room by waiving non-guaranteed contracts for Joakim Noah and Justin Patton. Bringing back Noah on a new one-year, minimum-salary deal would cost the team about $1MM less than his current deal.

The Clippers remain in the market for a play-making guard and another big man, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. However, the team will likely be limited to minimum-salary offers or perhaps a portion of the bi-annual exception.

The Raptors, one of the many teams that made an effort to sign Ibaka, were believed to be averse to offering multiyear money, since it would compromise their projected cap room for the summer of 2021. They reportedly offered the big man a one-year, $12MM deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Sign Mamadi Diakite To Two-Way Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 24: Diakite has officially signed his two-way contract with Milwaukee, per the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 21: Mamadi Diakite will sign a two-way contract with the Bucks, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Diakite’s agent, Gary Durrant, confirmed the signing.

A 6’9″ forward out of Virginia, Diakite went undrafted on Wednesday. The 23-year-old was a second-team all-ACC selection last season.

With the signing, Milwaukee has filled both of its two-way slots. The other one went to free agent guard Jaylen Adams, who reached an agreement earlier today.