Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Sign Rookie Taelon Peter To Two-Way Contract

July 24th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

1:47pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

10:30am: As anticipated, the Pacers and the No. 54 overall pick of the June draft, Taelon Peter, have agreed to a two-way deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Indiana general manager Chad Buchanan recently indicated that Peter was in line to receive a two-way contract. The Pacers cleared a spot for the shooting guard by pulling their qualifying offer to Enrique Freeman.

By adding Peter, the Pacers have filled all of their two-way slots. RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson have the Pacers’ remaining two-way contracts.

Peter excelled in a sixth man role at Liberty University last season. He only started two of 35 games, yet averaged 13.7 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 45.3 percent from three-point range. He also grabbed 4.0 rebounds and handed out 1.0 assist in 22.7 minutes per contest. Liberty won its conference tournament and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Oregon, a game in which Peter scored eight points.

Peter spent his previous three seasons with Division II Arkansas Tech. In four Summer League appearances, he averaged 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game for Indiana.

“We like a lot of things he does as far as playing without the ball, his shooting, his movement. I thought he showed very encouraging signs defending the ball in Las Vegas,” Buchanan said.

Suns Claim Jordan Goodwin Off Waivers

July 23rd, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 24: The Suns issued a press release confirming they’ve claimed Goodwin, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.

JULY 23: The Suns have claimed former Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin off waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Goodwin, 26, was released over the weekend so L.A. could create room below the first apron to sign Marcus Smart with its bi-annual exception. In late June, the Lakers picked up their team option on Goodwin’s $2.35MM contract for the upcoming season, which carries just a $25K guarantee.

Phoenix inherits Goodwin’s full contract via the waiver claim, so L.A. will have the $25K come off its books.

Goodwin joined the Lakers on a two-way contract in early February and was converted to a standard deal in late March. He appeared in 29 games, making five starts and averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.7 minutes per night. He also posted .438/.382/.818 shooting numbers.

The move marks a return to Phoenix for Goodwin, who was acquired from Washington two summers ago as part of the Bradley Beal trade. He appeared in 40 games with the Suns during the 2023/24 season before being dealt to Memphis.

Goodwin began his career on a 10-day deal with the Wizards in 2021 and signed a two-way contract the following season.

The addition of Goodwin will give the Suns 14 standard contracts, along with three two-way deals. His contract will remain non-guaranteed, apart from the $25K, until the league-wide guarantee date in January, and he will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

David Jones-Garcia Signs Two-Way Deal With Spurs

July 23rd, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 23: Jones-Garcia has officially signed his two-way contract with the Spurs, the team announced today in a press release.

July 22: The Spurs are signing Summer League standout David Jones-Garcia to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Jones-Garcia earned All-Summer First Team honors playing for San Antonio. The 6’6″ wing finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. He posted averages of 21.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 3.8 APG while shooting 52.9% from 3-point range during a handful of games in Vegas.

Jones-Garcia recently turned down a three-year offer from Olympiacos and let all other European suitors know he was committed to continuing his NBA career. He’ll now focus on trying to earn a promotion to a standard NBA contract.

After going undrafted out of Memphis in 2024, Jones-Garcia signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last July but was waived in September. He also spent about a month-and-a-half on a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to being released on January 1.

The 23-year-old didn’t appear in any NBA games with Utah last season. However, he was one of the top performers in the G League, finishing as the runner-up in voting for NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

Jones-Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic, was also named to the All-California Classic Summer League team earlier this month after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

San Antonio hadn’t filled any of its tw0-way slots, so the team will still have two more openings when Jones-Garcia signs.

Magic Waive Two-Way Player Ethan Thompson

July 23rd, 2025 at 7:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have waived two-way player Ethan Thompson, the team’s PR department tweets.

Thompson signed a two-way deal with Orlando in February but never appeared in an NBA game. The 6’5” guard played 31 games with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Osceola, averaging 18.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.2 minutes per contest.

Thompson, 26, has made 127 G League outings in total, including 33 with the Mexico City Capitanes during the 2023/24 season. He went undrafted in 2021 out of Oregon State and had a couple of training camp deals with Chicago but was waived during camp both times. Thompson also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic last year and was waived during training camp.

The Magic signed center Orlando Robinson to a two-way contract earlier this week. As a result of waiving Thompson, they now have two open two-way slots.

Rockets Sign Josh Okogie

July 22nd, 2025 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

5:37pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

12:37pm: The Rockets and free agent wing Josh Okogie have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Charania reports that it’s a $3.1MM deal for Okogie, which suggests it’ll be worth his minimum ($3,080,921). It will be fully guaranteed, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Okogie, who will turn 27 in September, opened the 2024/25 season with Phoenix before being traded to Charlotte in January’s Nick Richards deal. He appeared in a total of 40 games for the Suns and Hornets, making seven starts and registering averages of 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 15.6 minutes per contest, along with a .443/.348/.741 shooting line.

Considered a talented, versatile perimeter defender, Okogie had excellent on/off-court splits during his stint with the Hornets, albeit in a small sample. The team had a +2.6 net rating in his 274 minutes of action and a -13.7 mark when he wasn’t on the court.

Okogie’s contract with the Hornets called for his $7.75MM salary for 2025/26 to become guaranteed if he remained under contract through June 30. The two sides agreed to push back that deadline to July 15 as the front office explored the trade market for the 6’4″ swingman, but Charlotte had no luck finding a deal and ultimately waived Okogie last week.

The Rockets recently released Jeenathan Williams, who had a non-guaranteed contract of his own, in order to move team salary approximately $3.6MM below the first tax apron, giving the club the ability to bring in one more veteran-minimum player to fill its 14th roster spot. It looks like Okogie, whose deal will count for about $2.3MM against the cap, will be that player, giving Houston another defensive-minded option on the wing.

Barring cost-cutting moves, the Rockets won’t have the ability to add a 15th man while remaining below their first-apron hard cap until later in the regular season.

Marcus Smart Officially Signs With Lakers

July 22nd, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Smart has officially joined the Lakers. The team announced the signing of the veteran guard in a press release.

“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the statement. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games. He knows and understands playoff winning and will be a key leadership voice in our group.

“Surrounding our stars with two-way players like Marcus is critical to our overall vision of how we want to play and win next season. This is an exciting player acquisition, for sure.”

Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards over the weekend and was placed on waivers. At that time, it was reported that the combo guard had decided to join the Lakers. Smart’s new contract is worth roughly $10.5MM over two years and includes a player option for the second season.

Smart, who gave up $6.8MM of his $21.59MM salary as part of his buyout with Washington, could back up both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and will boost his new team with his leadership, ball-handling and defensive prowess.

Smart, 31, has battled health problems over the past two seasons. He was named Defensive Player of the Year with Boston in 2022, but his career took a downturn after a trade to Memphis in the summer of 2023. A wide swath of injuries limited him to 39 total games in a year and a half with the Grizzlies before he was sent to Washington in a three-team deal at this year’s trade deadline.

He appeared in 19 games with Memphis and 15 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes per night with .393/.348/.761 shooting numbers.

Trail Blazers Sign Blake Wesley To One-Year Contract

July 22nd, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

11:15 am: Wesley has officially signed with the Blazers, the team confirmed today in a press release.

10:11 am: Shortly after being bought out by the Wizards, shooting guard Blake Wesley has agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It’ll be a fully guaranteed contract, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

The 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Notre Dame, Wesley spent his first three professional seasons in San Antonio, where he appeared in 156 total regular season games. He played a limited role for the Spurs, averaging just 4.3 points and 2.4 assists in 14.3 minutes per night, with a .409/.297/.634 shooting line.

While Wesley’s contributions at the NBA level have been modest, he’s still just 22 years old and is considered a strong on-ball defender. He has also shot the ball better in the G League than he has in the NBA, making 45.6% of his field goal tries and 35.9% of his three-point attempts for the Austin Spurs.

Wesley was traded to Washington earlier this month as part of a deal that sent Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio. However, he was only a Wizard for about a week-and-a-half before agreeing to give up roughly $1.38MM of his $4.73MM salary for 2025/26 in order to secure his release.

The exact financial terms of Wesley’s deal with Portland haven’t been reported, but it figures to be a minimum-salary contract, which would pay him roughly $2.38MM. In other words, he’ll more than make up the money he forfeited in his buyout with Washington.

Adding Wesley will give the Blazers 15 players on standard contracts, including 14 with guaranteed salaries. Duop Reath‘s salary guarantee date is coming up on August 1.

Hayden Gray Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Celtics

July 21st, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie Hayden Gray has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

Gray led Division I in steals last season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game in 35 starts for UC San Diego. Gray, a 6’4” guard, shot 47.9 percent overall and 41.8 percent on 3-point attempts. He was a two-year starter for the Tritons.

Gray was a member of the Celtics’ Summer League team and appeared in one game, posting seven points, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

“I’ve got pretty good anticipation, reading the ball-handler’s eyes, knowing where they want to go with it,” Gray told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. “I take pride in defense. A lot of teams are really focusing on creating more possessions, and I think I can do that by causing turnovers and also just being a floor general, handling the ball, and setting the table for everyone.”

If Gray is waived, he would be in line for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he joins the G League’s Maine Celtics and spends at least 60 days with Boston’s affiliate.

Clippers Sign Chris Paul To One-Year Deal

July 21st, 2025 at 5:49pm CST by Luke Adams

5:49pm: The signing is official, according to a Clippers press release relayed by Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (Twitter link).

“He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role (coach Tyronn Lue) asks him to play,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in the statement.

10:13am: Chris Paul is returning to Los Angeles, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who hears from the point guard’s representatives at CAA that Paul has agreed to sign with the Clippers for what will likely be his last season.

It will be a one-year, minimum-salary deal for Paul, per NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Paul received interest from a number of teams during free agency, but was known to be prioritizing an opportunity to play close to his family in Los Angeles. He reportedly rebuffed interest from Eastern Conference suitors like the Bucks and Hornets, as well as non-West Coast clubs like the Mavericks. The Clippers and Suns were long viewed as the most likely landing spots for the future Hall of Famer.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, spent six seasons with the Clippers from 2011-17 during what was arguably the most successful stretch of his NBA career. He received MVP and Defensive Player of the Year votes in each of his first five seasons in Los Angeles and was an All-Defensive first-teamer in all six years. He also made five consecutive All-Star teams and earned five All-NBA nods (three first-team and two second-team) in his first go-round as a Clipper.

While Paul is no longer in his prime, he started every game for San Antonio last season, marking just the second time in his 20 NBA seasons that he has made 82 regular season appearances. The former Wake Forest standout averaged a career-low 8.8 points per game for the Spurs, but contributed 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per night while making 37.7% of his three-point attempts and 92.4% of his free throws.

Paul has started 1,314 of his 1,354 career NBA games, with all 40 of those appearances off the bench coming in Golden State in 2023/24. It’s unclear if he’ll get a chance to be part of the starting five in L.A. next season, with James Harden, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and defensive ace Kris Dunn all in the backcourt mix as well.

Still, having Paul on the roster further solidifies the depth chart for a Clippers team that has made several notable veteran additions with limited resources this offseason. The club split its mid-level exception on Beal and Brook Lopez, traded Norman Powell for John Collins, and will now bring Paul aboard on a minimum-salary contract.

Once their signing of Paul is complete, the Clippers will have 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts. They won’t have enough breathing room below their first tax apron hard cap to add another veteran-minimum player before the season begins.

Lakers Waive Two-Way Player Trey Jemison

July 21st, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers have waived two-way player Trey Jemison III, the team announced in a press release (hat tip to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register).

The Lakers have completely revamped their two-way roster. They reportedly are signing Christian Koloko and Chris Manon to fill two of those spots. Jemison held the third and final slot, so the Lakers are now free to sign another player to take his place.

That may have already been determined. The Lakers reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with former Villanova forward Eric Dixon shortly after he went undrafted in June, though the signing isn’t yet official.

Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans during the 2024/25 season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in ’23/24.

Overall, Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience (14 starts), averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game.