Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Magic Re-Sign Michael Carter-Williams

November 21st, 2020 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 24, 12:02pm: The Magic have officially announced their new deal with Carter-Williams.

NOVEMBER 21, 11:32am: It’s a two-year deal for Carter-Williams, with no player or team option on the second year, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. It’s believed to be worth in the range of $3MM per year, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

NOVEMBER 21, 8:00am: Free agent point guard Michael Carter-Williams has agreed to a deal to return to the Magic, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Terms of the contract agreement aren’t yet known.

Initially acquired by Orlando for the stretch run in 2018/19, Carter-Williams re-signed with the club last summer and came off the bench in 45 games during the ’19/20 campaign. He averaged 7.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 18.5 minutes per contest.

With veteran guard D.J. Augustin unlikely to return to Orlando, there may be a path to a larger role in 2020/21 for Carter-Williams, a former Rookie of the Year, though that will depend on what other moves the Magic make this offseason.

The Magic have now made deals with two of their own free agents, agreeing to bring back both Carter-Williams and James Ennis. The team is also adding Dwayne Bacon on a two-year deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Sign Bobby Portis

November 21st, 2020 at 11:30am CST by marksuleymanov

NOVEMBER 25: The Bucks have signed Portis, according to the NBA’s official log of transactions.

NOVEMBER 21:: Free agent big man Bobby Portis has reached an agreement to sign with the Bucks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’ll get a two-year contract with a second-year player option, Charania adds (via Twitter).

The Bucks are signing Portis using their bi-annual exception, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That will mean a $3.6MM first-year salary with a $3.8MM option for 2021/22.

The Knicks declined an option on Portis earlier this week to make him a free agent. New York reportedly had an interest in re-signing the center but instead, he heads to the Eastern Conference powerhouse Bucks.

Portis, 25, appeared in 66 games (five starts) for the Knicks last season, averaging 10.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG. The Arkansas native spent his first three-and-a-half seasons in the Windy City with the Bulls before he was shipped to the Wizards in February 2019.

With Milwaukee, Portis and his 6’10’, 250-pound frame will get major minutes backing up the big man duo of reigning two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Sign Raul Neto To One-Year Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22: The Wizards have officially signed Neto, the team announced tonight in a press release.

NOVEMBER 21: The Wizards have agreed to sign free agent point guard Raul Neto to a one-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

Neto, 28, was a backup point guard in Philadelphia last season, averaging 5.1 PPG and 1.8 APG on .455/.386/.830 shooting in 54 games (12.4 MPG) for the 76ers.

In Washington, he’ll help replenish the Wizards’ backcourt depth, with Shabazz Napier, Gary Payton II, and Jerian Grant hitting free agency on Friday.

Assuming the Wizards open the season with John Wall still on the roster, they plan to manage his workload carefully, perhaps resting him in back-to-backs, which should give Neto an opportunity to increase his playing time.

Jon Teske, Magic Agree To Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 10:54am CST by marksuleymanov

The Magic have agreed to a deal with Michigan big man Jon Teske, according to the Medina Gazette. The terms of the contract are unknown but it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Teske, 23, is coming off his senior season with Michigan in which he posted his best numbers to date. The 7’1″, 265-pound Teske averaged 11.6 PPG and 6.7 RPG as a senior. For his collegiate career, the Medina, Ohio, native averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.8 RPG while making over half of his shot attempts (50.1%).

“It’s the best fit for me right now as a player,” Teske said of joining the Magic. “A couple other teams were interested, but for me to showcase my talents and play within my skills, it’s a big advantage going there.”

If Teske’s pact turns out to be an Exhibit 10, it will be a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary contract. The deal allows a bonus of up to $50K if he is waived and remains on the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days.

Grizzlies Re-Sign De’Anthony Melton To Four-Year Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22: The Grizzlies have officially announced their new deal with Melton, confirming the move in a press release.

NOVEMBER 21: The Grizzlies have agreed to re-sign free agent guard De’Anthony Melton to a four-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the deal will be worth $35MM. Melton had been a restricted free agent.

The 22-year-old’s modest box-score numbers – 7.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.9 APG – understated his impact in Memphis during the 2019/20 season. He was perhaps the Grizzlies’ best perimeter defender and the team had a +5.1 net rating when he played, compared to a -4.0 mark when he was on the bench.

The 46th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Melton earned the minimum salary for the first two years of his NBA career, but will now have a 2020/21 salary comparable to that of Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley, the top picks in his draft class, notes Charania (via Twitter). Charania says Melton will earn $9.6MM in year one, suggesting the deal has a declining structure.

The Grizzlies held Early Bird rights on Melton and will be able to re-sign him using those rights, so the deal won’t affect the team’s mid-level exception, which remains available. Melton, meanwhile, will join Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, and Dillon Brooks as the only Grizzlies players under contract beyond 2022.

Melton had been the 20th overall player on our list of 2020’s top 50 free agents.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Sign Kris Dunn To Two-Year Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

NOV. 28: The Hawks have made the signing official, per a press release.

NOV. 21: The Hawks have reached an agreement to sign free agent guard Kris Dunn, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’ll be a two-year contract worth $10MM, with a second-year player option, Woj adds.

Based on the terms reported by Wojnarowski, it sounds like Dunn could end up fitting into Atlanta’s room exception ($9.77MM over two years) once the team uses up its cap room. If that’s the plan, the Hawks should still have in the neighborhood of $25MM to spend on other players.

A former fifth overall pick, Dunn hasn’t developed much of an offensive game since entering the league in 2016, having averaged just 7.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 3.4 APG on .444/.259/.741 shooting in 51 games (24.9 MPG) last season for Chicago. The Bulls decided not to make him a restricted free agent, passing on their qualifying offer.

However, Dunn has become one of the NBA’s very best perimeter defenders, leading the league with 2.9 steals per 36 minutes in 2019/20. That makes him an ideal fit in Atlanta’s backcourt, where he could handle tough defensive assignments and allow Trae Young to focus primarily on his offensive game.

Dunn represents the second notable free agent agreement so far for the Hawks, who also struck a three-year deal with Danilo Gallinari. Atlanta is believed to be in the running for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rajon Rondo too, though it’s not clear if the team’s deal with Dunn will affect either pursuit — there’s definitely some positional overlap with Rondo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Malik Fitts Joins Clippers On Exhibit 10 Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 9:49am CST by marksuleymanov

NOVEMBER 29: Fitts’ Exhibit 10 contract with the Clippers has become official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

NOVEMBER 21: The Clippers have agreed to sign Saint Mary’s forward Malik Fitts to an Exhibit 10 deal, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Under his Exhibit 10 deal, Fitts will come to Clippers training camp on a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary contract. The deal allows a bonus of up to $50K if he is waived and remains on the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days.

After transferring from South Florida following the 2016/17 campaign, Fitts joined Saint Mary’s and displayed impressive scoring and shooting ability across two seasons. In 68 total games with the Gaels, Fitts averaged 15.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.7% beyond the arc.

“Clipper Nation let’s get it!” Fitts wrote in a tweet about joining the Clippers.

Heat Sign Maurice Harkless To One-Year Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 23: The Heat have officially signed Harkless to his new deal, the team confirmed in a press release.

“We have always liked what Moe Harkless brings to a team,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “We like his experience in knowing the role he will play for us real well. Moe can guard multiple positions, play above the rim, great shot blocker for his position and most importantly for our offense, space the floor with his three-point shooting. He is a player with great character and toughness.”

NOVEMBER 21: The Heat have reached an agreement to sign Maurice Harkless to a one-year contract worth $3.6MM, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

As Wojnarowski explains (via Twitter), Harkless passed up on more lucrative offers for an opportunity to play a regular role for the defending Eastern champions and intends to re-enter the market in 2021 when more league-wide cap room is available.

Harkless, 27, began the 2019/20 season with the Clippers and was a regular starter during his first 50 games in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Knicks in a deadline deal.

In 62 overall games, Harkless averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .502/.347/.591 in 23.0 minutes per contest. He’s considered a solid perimeter defender, though his three-point shot comes and goes — he has a career rate of just 32.5% from beyond the arc.

Miami will likely slide Harkless into the rotation role vacated by Derrick Jones, who has agreed to sign with Portland.

The Heat intend to use the bi-annual exception (worth $3.623MM) to sign Harkless, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. That would hard-cap Miami for the season at $138.93MM. The one-year commitment will allow the franchise to retain its cap flexibility for 2021.

Tres Tinkle Agrees To Exhibit 10 Deal With Lakers

November 21st, 2020 at 9:10am CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers have agreed to terms on an Exhibit 10 contract with Oregon State standout Tres Tinkle, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman was first to report (Twitter link).

Tinkle, 24, went undrafted in Wednesday’s virtual NBA Draft after showing his scoring process across five seasons with the Beavers. An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary pact that allows a player to make a bonus of up to $50K if he is waived and remains on the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days.

After returning to Oregon State for his final year in 2019/20, the three-time First-Team All-Pac-12 standout became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,233 points. A broken wrist in his sophomore season limited Tinkle to just six games but met requirements for a medical redshirt and regained a year of eligibility.

In 31 games this past collegiate campaign, the 6’7″ Tinkle averaged 18.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG across 34.5 minutes per game. For his college career, Tinkle averaged 17.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.0 APG while shooting 46.0% from the field.

Thunder Trading Steven Adams To Pelicans

November 21st, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

9:00am: Wojnarowski has another update on this deal, reporting (via Twitter) that George Hill will indeed end up with the Thunder rather than the Pelicans. New Orleans will also send Oklahoma City Darius Miller‘s $7MM expiring contract, Washington’s 2023 second-round pick, and Charlotte’s 2024 second-round pick, Woj adds.

New Orleans is still acquiring Bledsoe in the multi-team trade, per Woj (Twitter link), so Miller’s contract will likely need to become fully guaranteed for salary-matching purposes and the Pelicans will still probably have to send out a bit more salary. So I expect there are still more parts of this deal to be reported.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that Adams may also need to amend his trade kicker to make the money work.

12:41am: The lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick that the Nuggets agreed to send to the Pelicans on draft night in order to land RJ Hampton will be rerouted to Oklahoma City as part of this deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The Thunder will also receive two future second-round picks from New Orleans, per ESPN.

12:00am: Having already traded away guards Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder, the Thunder are now finalizing a trade that will send veteran center Steven Adams to the Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The deal is becoming a part of the Jrue Holiday blockbuster that New Orleans and the Bucks previously agreed upon, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Holiday trade will expand to include more teams and players. It still has “a lot of moving parts” and will take some work to finish, tweets Wojnarowski.

The Thunder will be receiving a first-round pick and second-round picks as part of the expanded swap, per Woj (Twitter link).

While it’s tricky to evaluate the deal before we know all those moving parts, we can at least break down Adams’ fit in New Orleans. He’ll fill the hole in the frontcourt created by the free agent departures of Derrick Favors and Jahlil Okafor earlier this evening. The Pelicans were said to have interest in Aron Baynes, among other big men, but it looks like Adams will be the team’s new man in the middle.

In 2019/20, Adams averaged 10.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG in 63 games (26.7 MPG) as Oklahoma City’s starting center. His contract is somewhat onerous, with a $27.5MM cap hit for 2020/21. However, it’ll be an expiring deal and will come off the Pelicans’ cap next summer.

With the Pelicans now taking on Adams’ salary, it seems likely that at least one of the point guards they were set to receive in the Holiday trade – Eric Bledsoe and George Hill – will be rerouted elsewhere — most likely to OKC.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.