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Rockets To Sign Trevelin Queen

November 19th, 2020 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted free agent shooting guard Trevelin Queen has reached an agreement to join the Rockets, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Details on Queen’s deal haven’t been reported, but if it’s not a two-way contract, it’s safe to assume it’s a training camp invite, perhaps with an Exhibit 10 clause.

An All-WAC player for New Mexico State in 2019/20, Queen averaged 13.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.7 SPG in 26 games (27.5 MPG). He also posted a solid shooting line of .471/.387/.814. Queen was the No. 26 player on ESPN’s list of top undrafted prospects.

The Rockets have now reached deals with a pair of undrafted free agents, having also lined up a two-way contract for Arkansas’ Mason Jones.

Raptors’ Boucher Among Players Receiving Qualifying Offers

November 19th, 2020 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors big man Chris Boucher is receiving a qualifying offer from the team, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The QO, which is worth just shy of $2MM, will make Boucher a restricted free agent this offseason. As long as that offer remains in place, he’ll have the option of accepting it and playing out the season in Toronto, or negotiating a new contract with the Raptors or another team. If he signs an offer sheet with a rival suitor, the Raps would have the opportunity to match it.

Unlike his teammate, Raptors wing Malcolm Miller won’t be getting a $2MM qualifying offer, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Instead of becoming a restricted free agent, Miller will be unrestricted, free to sign outright with any team.

Here are a few more updates on qualifying offers being issued across the NBA:

The Kings extended a qualifying offer to two-way player DaQuan Jeffries, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that Sacramento coaches like Jeffries’ defense and energy. Jeffries’ QO will be another two-way deal with a $50K guarantee.
The Wizards have made a qualifying offer to two-way shooting guard Garrison Mathews, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Matthews averaged 5.4 PPG with an impressive .413 3PT% in 18 games (12.6 MPG) for Washington as a rookie. His QO is another two-way contract with a $50K guarantee.
Two-way guard Gabe Vincent received a qualifying offer from the Heat, making him a restricted free agent, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Vincent didn’t see much time in the NBA last season, but the Heat apparently liked what they saw enough to offer him a second two-way deal.

Lakers Waiving Quinn Cook

November 19th, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are waiving Quinn Cook before his salary for 2020/21 becomes fully guaranteed, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Cook currently has a $1MM partial guarantee on his $3MM cap hit for next season. If he remains on the roster, that figure becomes fully guaranteed, so the Lakers will let him go before that happens, creating at least $2MM in cap flexibility. If the club decides to stretch Cook’s $1MM guarantee over three seasons, it would open up an extra $667K.

Cook, who signed with Los Angeles as a free agent during the 2019 offseason after two years in Golden State, didn’t have a major role for the Lakers. He averaged 5.1 PPG, 1.2 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 44 regular season games (11.5 MPG) and then logged only 24 total minutes during the team’s postseason run.

Assuming Cook clears waivers this weekend, he’ll be free to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.

Jazz Sign Romaro Gill To Exhibit 10 Deal

November 19th, 2020 at 1:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 30, 6:18pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

NOVEMBER 19, 1:24pm: Seton Hall center Romaro Gill will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz, Adam Zagoria writes for NJ.com.

The 7’2″ Gill opted for Utah after receiving several offers, according to his agent, Steve McCaskill. Gill will attend training camp with the Jazz and will receive a guarantee of up to $50K if he is waived and winds up with the team’s G League affiliate.

Gill, 26, was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in the conference last season. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in his second year with the Pirates. Gill tells Zagoria he has been working to improve his mid-range game since the season ended.

Hawks Signing Nathan Knight To Two-Way Contract

November 19th, 2020 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have reached an agreement on a two-way deal with undrafted free agent center Nathan Knight, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Knight, who spent all four years of his college career at William & Mary, averaged a double-double in 2019/20 as a senior, recording 20.7 PPG and 10.5 RPG in 32 games (29.6 MPG).

Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who ranked Knight 11th among undrafted prospects, called him one of the most skilled big men in college basketball and suggested he would have been a lock to have been drafted in the first round a decade or two ago. However, his poor lateral quickness could create issues on defense in the modern NBA.

Knight is the third rookie the Hawks are adding to the mix, having drafted Onyeka Okongwu and Skylar Mays on Wednesday.

Myles Powell To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Knicks

November 19th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 29: New York’s signing of Powell is now official, per a team tweet.

NOVEMBER 19: The Knicks will sign Seton Hall guard Myles Powell to an Exhibit 10 contract, Adam Zagoria writes for NJ.com.

Powell, an AP first-team All-American and winner of the Jerry West Award as the nation’s top shooting guard, will be with New York in training camp. He is eligible for a guarantee of up to $50K if he is waived and joins the Knicks’ G League affiliate.

Zagoria notes that the team’s shake-up may give Powell an opportunity to earn a roster spot. After today’s moves, New York has just seven players under contract for next season.

Former NBA player Rick Brunson, who has been training Powell and Knicks top pick Obi Toppin, believes the Seton Hall product has a future in the league.

“There’s NBA talent, which usually gets drafted on their talent, and there’s NBA players, and Myles is an NBA player,” said Brunson. “He may not check all the boxes with the length and the athleticism and height and all that B.S., but the guy is an NBA player. He can shoot, he’s tough, he makes threes at a high rate, he’s tough as nails, he can guard. He’s a winner and he’s a proven winner in college.”

Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr. Opts In For Next Season

November 19th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. will exercise his $18.975MM player option for next 2020/21, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Acquired from the Knicks midway through the 2018/19 season, Hardaway became a valuable contributor during his first full season in Dallas. The 28-year-old averaged 15.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 71 games while shooting a career-best 39.8% from three-point range.

Like many players with option years, Hardaway would have faced an uncertain fate in free agency due to the league’s downturn in revenue and the lack of teams with cap space. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer in what is expected to be a more robust market.

Thunder To Exercise Option For Hamidou Diallo

November 19th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder will exercise their $1.66MM team option for next season on Hamidou Diallo, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Diallo, 22, has been a solid bench player for Oklahoma City during his first two years in the NBA. He averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 46 games last season.

With Mike Muscala opting in earlier today, all the Thunder’s option decisions for next season have been resolved.

Knicks Waive Four Players, Decline Options For Portis, Pinson

November 19th, 2020 at 12:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:40pm: The Knicks have confirmed all the roster moves detailed below and added that they’ve turned down their team option on Theo Pinson, whom they claimed off waivers in June. Pinson’s option had been worth $1.7MM, but he’ll become an unrestricted free agent instead of remaining with New York.

The team projects to enter free agency with upwards of $38-40MM in cap room.

12:06pm: The Knicks will waive Elfrid Payton and Kenny Wooten and have decided not to pick up Bobby Portis‘ option for next season, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. In addition, the team won’t make a qualifying offer to Damyean Dotson, who becomes an unrestricted free agent.

New York will also waive veteran forward Taj Gibson, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), and Wayne Ellington, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The decisions are designed to create cap flexibility, Popper adds (Twitter link). He notes that the team could opt to re-sign some of the players, but at lesser salaries than what they were scheduled to make (Twitter link).

Payton had a $1MM guarantee on his $8MM deal for next season. He started 36 of the 45 games he played last season, but the Knicks have indicated they want to find a new starting point guard. Gibson also had a $1MM guarantee on his $9.45MM contract, while Ellington receives $1MM of his $8MM deal. Wooten was on a two-way contract and didn’t appear in any NBA games.

The Knicks held a $15.75MM option for Portis, who averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 66 games last season, mostly as a reserve. Dotson, who got into 48 games off the bench and averaged 6.7 PPG, would have required a $2,023,150 QO.

Pacers Signing Rayshaun Hammonds To Exhibit 10 Deal

November 19th, 2020 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Georgia forward Rayshaun Hammonds will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers, tweets Scott Agness.

The 6’9″ junior averaged 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 32 games for the Bulldogs last season. He was second on the team in scoring behind overall No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards.

An Exhibit 10 contract provides players with an invitation to training camp and a guarantee of up to $50K if they are waived and later assigned to the team’s affiliate in the G League.