Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Sign Derrick Walton Jr. To One-Year Contract

October 21st, 2019 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have signed point guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to fill their last roster spot, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

The Clippers waived forward Donte Grantham on Saturday, paving the way for Walton to make the opening-night roster. Walton’s $1.45MM deal won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10.

Walton signed a training camp deal with the Clippers in July. Walton spent a season with the Heat on a two-way contract in 2017/18 after going undrafted out of Michigan. He joined the Bulls for training camp last fall, but was waived before the regular season began and ended up playing overseas in 2018/19 for teams in Lithuania and Germany.

Walton averaged 7.0 PPG and 3.0 APG while playing in all five Clippers preseason games. He’ll back up Patrick Beverley and Terance Mann, though Lou Williams will also run the offense at times.

Joe Ingles Signs One-Year Extension With Jazz

October 21st, 2019 at 6:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:29pm: It’s official, according to the Jazz’s Twitter feed.

6:19pm: Forward Joe Ingles has agreed to a one-year, $14MM extension with the Jazz, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The extension applies to the 2021/22 season. Ingles is making nearly $12MM this season but that number drops to $10.83MM next season, as the four-year, $52MM contract he signed in 2017 was frontloaded.

Monday was the deadline to extend a player with two years left on his deal, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes in a tweet. The extension will include likely and unlikely bonuses, Marks adds.

The 6’8” Australian, who turned 32 earlier this month, emerged as a fixture in the starting lineup the last two seasons and his playmaking skills became a key component to Utah’s offensive scheme. He averaged 12.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 5.7 APG in 31.3 MPG last season. He’s averaged 9.7/4.2/3.6 in those categories in 27 career playoff games.

He might be used in a sixth-man role this season due to his versatility.

Cavs Claim Alfonzo McKinnie Off Waivers

October 21st, 2019 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

6:01pm: The claim is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

4:13pm: As expected, forward Alfonzo McKinnie didn’t make it through waivers after being cut by the Warriors on Saturday. The Cavaliers, who had second priority in the NBA’s waiver order, have claimed McKinnie, a league source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

McKinnie, 27, emerged as a rotation player for Golden State last season, averaging 4.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG with a .487/.356/.563 shooting line in 72 regular season games (13.9 MPG). He also appeared in 22 playoff games for the club.

However, the Warriors were facing a roster crunch this fall due to their hard cap, and had to choose between keeping either McKinnie or Marquese Chriss. The Dubs opted for Chriss, forcing them to waive McKinnie, since he wasn’t eligible to have his contract converted into a two-way deal.

McKinnie’s minimum salary for the 2019/20 season will remain non-guaranteed until January, so the Cavs have the flexibility to audition him for the next couple months before making a decision on whether to fully guarantee his salary.

Cleveland had only been carrying 13 players on standard contracts, so no corresponding move was necessary to make room for McKinnie. The team is now approximately $1.3MM below the tax line, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad.

Bulls Exercise Options On Markkanen, Carter Jr., Hutchison

October 21st, 2019 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have exercised their fourth-year option on forward Lauri Markkanen and third-year options on center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Chandler Hutchison, according to a team press release. That guarantees the trio’s contracts for the 2020/21 season.

Markkanen will make $6.73MM next season after collecting $5.3MM this season.

Injuries limited Markkanen to 52 games last season. He averaged 18.7 PPG and 9.0 RPG while shooting .430 from the field and .361 from 3-point range.

Carter Jr. will take home $5.45MM next season after receiving approximately $5.2MM this season.

Carter Jr. was selected No. 7 overall in 2018 draft. He, too, battled injuries last season and was limited to 44 games but showed the ability to be a defensive anchor. He averaged 10,3 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG in 25.2 MPG as a rookie.

Hutchison will receive $2.44MM next season after making $2.33MM in 2019/20.

Hutchison, selected with the No. 22 pick in 2018, averaged 5.2 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 44 games during his rookie campaign. He’s expected to play a reserve role this season.

Pacers Sign Domantas Sabonis To Four-Year Extension

October 21st, 2019 at 5:13pm CST by Luke Adams

5:13pm: The Pacers have officially signed Sabonis to his new extension, the team confirmed in a press release.

“I’m very excited to remain with the Pacers, this is where I wanted to be,” Sabonis said in a statement. “I appreciate the organization showing their confidence in me; and I’m ready to be part of what’s going to be a great year for our team.”

3:10pm: The parade of rookie scale extensions continues on deadline day, with Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis the latest player to agree to a new long-term deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Sabonis’ new four-year extension with Indiana is worth $74.9MM (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links) has the value at $77MM in guaranteed money over four years, adding that the deal could be worth up to $85MM with incentives. Sabonis’ new contract, which goes into effect in 2020/21, won’t feature any team or player options, tweets Scott Agness of The Athletic.

It has been a wild few days for the Pacers and Sabonis, with a report on Friday night suggesting that the two sides were far apart in contract negotiations, prompting the team to explore the trade market in search of a possible deal. Indiana’s asking price was said to be “too high,” so it doesn’t appear as the club ever came close to actually moving the 23-year-old.

Still, it didn’t sound as if Sabonis and the Pacers were in a great place over the weekend. Asked about the situation on Saturday, the Lithuanian replied, “I know exactly how the Pacers feel about me now,” an apparent reference to those trade rumors. Given today’s news, that comment could have a very different meaning now, as the Pacers were willing to invest even more heavily in Sabonis than they did a year ago in Myles Turner, who received a four-year, $72MM deal.

Both Sabonis and Turner should be very movable on their new long-term contracts, so that’s still a path the Pacers could eventually explore. For now though, the plan is to play the two big men alongside one another in the starting lineup. That approach had mixed results last season, but the Pacers are invested in committing more time and energy to making it work.

Sabonis, 23, only started five games last season after making 85 starts in his first two seasons, but he still enjoyed his best season as a pro, averaging 14.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 2.9 APG in just 24.8 minutes per contest.

He and Turner, along with newly-acquired guard Malcolm Brogdon, will be tasked with helping the Pacers get off to a good start this season while their MVP – Victor Oladipo – remains on the shelf due to a quad injury.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Sign Buddy Hield To Four-Year Extension

October 21st, 2019 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

5:03pm: Hield’s extension is now official, according to a press release issued by the Kings.

“Buddy has made tremendous growth each season since joining the team and we are thrilled that he will remain a King as we continue to build an exciting future here in Sacramento,” general manager Vlade Divac said in a statement. “He has quickly established himself as an elite shooter in the league and is an important part of our young, dynamic core.”

11:24am: The Kings and shooting guard Buddy Hield have reached an agreement on a four-year rookie scale extension worth $86MM in guaranteed money, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Amick, the deal will feature another $20MM in incentives. Carmichael Dave of KHTK Sports 1140 (Twitter link) first reported that the two sides were expected to finalize an agreement in advance of today’s deadline.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the four-year deal is worth $94MM and can reach up to $106MM, which suggests that perhaps $8MM of that $20MM in bonus money is tied to “likely” incentives rather than “unlikely” incentives, though we’ll have to wait for the full details.

A source tells Amick (Twitter link) that Hield’s incentives will be both team- and player-based, with All-Star berths and NBA Finals appearances among the ways the sharpshooter can maximize his earnings. Woj adds (via Twitter) that there will be “reachable” incentives related to three-point shooting.

Hield’s salaries will also descend annually, per Amick. Like Harrison Barnes‘ new four-year, $85MM contract with the Kings, Hield’s deal will start in the $24MM range and decline to $18MM+ by year four. That will allow the franchise to maximize its cap flexibility in later years, when pricey new deals for De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley could go into effect.

Hield’s four-year extension won’t feature any team or player options, notes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Hield enjoyed an underrated breakout season in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (20.7), RPG (5.0), APG (2.5), and several other categories. He increased his productivity while maintaining his impressive efficiency, converting 42.7% of 7.9 three-point attempts per game.

His 278 three-pointers in ’18/19 placed him seventh on the NBA’s all-time list for threes in a single season. Only Stephen Curry (four times), James Harden (2018/19), and Paul George (2018/19) have ever made more outside shots in a season.

Despite Hield’s impressive ascent, he and the Kings had a gap to bridge in contract negotiations this fall as they attempted to get something done before the season and avoid having the former first-round pick become a restricted free agent next summer. Hield used increasingly escalating rhetoric in conversations with reporters, even hinting at a trade demand if he and the Kings couldn’t work out a new long-term deal.

A recent report indicated that Hield was seeking $110MM over four years, while Sacramento was offering $90MM. While we don’t know for sure that those numbers were accurate, the terms of his new deal suggest a compromise — at worst, he’ll earn $86MM over four seasons, but that number could be significantly higher if he hits several of his bonus benchmarks.

If Hield had reached the open market in 2020, he would’ve been eligible for a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet worth up to an estimated $124.7MM, based on the league’s latest cap projections. However, he always seemed willing to accept less than the max from the Kings in order to avoid a year of uncertainty. Amick notes (via Twitter) that players and agents are also a little worried about the China situation negatively impacting the cap next year and beyond.

With another $24MM+ in guaranteed salary on their books for 2020/21, the Kings are extremely unlikely to be a major player in free agency next summer. And with Hield off the market, an already weak ’20 free agent class looks even less intriguing.

Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), and Malik Beasley (Nuggets) are among the top extension-eligible players who still have until 6:00pm eastern time to sign new deals to avoid restricted free agency next year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings Claim Forward DaQuan Jeffries

October 21st, 2019 at 4:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings have claimed rookie swingman DaQuan Jeffries off waivers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Jeffries was one of five players waived by the Magic on Saturday. The 6’5” Jeffries, who played college ball at Tulsa, was ranked by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony as the fourth-best prospect who wasn’t drafted in 2019. He posted 13.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG, and 1.0 SPG in his final college season, shooting .502/.366/.755. Jeffries made five brief appearances during Orlando’s preseason games but didn’t score.

Tyler Lydon will likely be waived to clear a roster spot for Jeffries, James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. The former Nuggets forward signed a two-year, minimum-salary pact with Sacramento in July but only $50K was guaranteed in the first year.

Lakers Cut Devontae Cacok, Demetrius Jackson

October 21st, 2019 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have finalized their roster for the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived Devontae Cacok and Demetrius Jackson.

Los Angeles took the decision down to the wire, but Cacok and Jackson were always the most likely players to be released. The Lakers have 14 players on fully guaranteed salaries, with Dwight Howard and his non-guaranteed contract set to occupy the 15th and final slot on the standard roster.

Cacok or Jackson could have received a two-way contract, but the Lakers have already filled both of those slots as well, with Zach Norvell Jr. and Kostas Antetokounmpo starting the season as the club’s two-way players.

Although Cacok and Jackson had non-guaranteed contracts, the Lakers will be on hook for two days’ worth of their minimum salaries, since they won’t clear waivers until the second day of the regular season.

Grizzlies To Decline Josh Jackson’s Option

October 21st, 2019 at 4:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies are declining Josh Jackson‘s fourth-year option, which will make him an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian tweets.

Jackson, who will make a little over $7MM this season, was due to receive $8.93MM in 2020/21 if Memphis had chosen to pick up the option.

Jackson was a huge disappointment in his two seasons with the Suns, who selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2017. He averaged 12.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.9 APG in 156 games with Phoenix. He only started 29 of 79 games last year for one of the league’s worst teams.

His unspectacular play, coupled with some troubling incidents off the court, convinced Phoenix to ship him to Memphis this offseason in what was essentially a salary dump.

He will start this season in the G League after skipping training camp. However, if Jackson can turn his career around, the Grizzlies might still be interested in re-signing him, Herrington adds.

Pistons Waive Joe Johnson

October 21st, 2019 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

4:31pm: The Pistons have officially waived Johnson, per a press release from the team. A source tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) that Iso Joe isn’t giving up on his NBA comeback and plans to pursue other opportunities.

2:27pm: The Pistons are waiving veteran forward Joe Johnson, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The move should pave the way for Detroit to finalize its regular season roster, with Christian Wood claiming the final spot on the 15-man squad.

Johnson, who didn’t play in the NBA during the 2018/19 season, turned heads with his performance in Ice Cube‘s 3-on-3 league earlier this year. The 17-year NBA veteran showed he still had something left in the tank during his BIG3 run, ranking atop the league in scoring, winning the MVP award, and leading his team to a championship.

That performance helped earn Johnson a partially guaranteed deal in Detroit. However, the team still had 14 players on guaranteed contracts and Wood – who had a non-guaranteed salary – made a strong case to be part of the regular season roster. The Pistons reportedly explored trade options to open another roster spot, with Langston Galloway and Khyri Thomas among the candidates to be moved, but ultimately decided to release Johnson.

An injury may have also been a factor in the Pistons’ decision, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter) that Johnson was experiencing swelling in his Achilles. According to Haynes, tests came back clean and Johnson was responding well to treatment. Still, for a 38-year-old who hasn’t played in the NBA in over a year, any health issues should be approached with caution.

With Johnson headed to the waiver wire, the Pistons will be on the hook for his $220K partial guarantee, assuming he goes unclaimed. Detroit’s team salary is now just $4K below the luxury tax line, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.