Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Amile Jefferson Signs Two-Year Contract With Magic

November 1st, 2019 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

4:47pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

1:37pm: The Magic have agreed to sign big man Amile Jefferson to a two-year contract, agent Michael Tellem tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jefferson had been on a two-way deal with Orlando.

A former undrafted free agent out of Duke, Jefferson spent much of the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Timberwolves, though he didn’t appear in an NBA game for the team. He was on a two-way deal with the Magic for the entire 2018/19 campaign, playing limited minutes in 12 games at the NBA level, before signing another two-way pact for ’19/20.

Although Jefferson hasn’t seen much action in the NBA, he has thrived in the G League, with averages of 17.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 2.9 PG in 81 total games (34.1 MPG) for the Iowa Wolves and Lakeland Magic. He was named to the All-NBAGL Third Team last spring.

The Magic had been carrying just 13 players on their standard roster to open the regular season. NBA rules require teams to dip below 14 players for up to two weeks at a time, so Orlando had to add a player by early next week. Jefferson will be the club’s 14th man once his new deal becomes official.

While Wojnarowski didn’t offer additional details on Jefferson’s two-year contract, I’d expected a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal to give the Magic some flexibility.

Kings Won’t Pick Up 2020/21 Options On Giles, Swanigan

October 31st, 2019 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are declining two of their four rookie scale options for the 2020/21 season, a league source tells James Ham of NBC Sports California (Twitter link). According to Ham, Sacramento won’t be picking up the fourth-year options for Harry Giles ($3,976,510) or Caleb Swanigan ($3,665,787).

As expected, Sacramento has exercised its fourth-year option on De’Aaron Fox ($8,099,627) and its third-year option on Marvin Bagley III ($8,963,640). Those were procedural moves and were never in doubt. However, the decisions on Giles and Swanigan are a little more interesting.

Giles, the 20th overall pick in the 2017 draft, has been plagued by knee issues since entering the league. Injuries cost him his entire rookie year and limited him to 58 games (14.1 MPG) in 2018/19. He has also yet to play this season as he battles knee pain.

Given his upside, I still though Sacramento would likely exercise Giles’ 2020/21 option. However, it appears the club decided the risk outweighed the reward when it came to guaranteeing nearly $4MM for the big man.

The Kings’ option decision on Swanigan is less surprising. The former Purdue power forward has averaged just 2.1 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 51 career regular season contests with Portland and Sacramento, having never developed into a reliable rotation player.

Giles and Swanigan, two of just four players around the NBA who have had their rookie scale options turned down, will both become unrestricted free agents in 2020 as a result of today’s decisions. At that time, Sacramento won’t be able to offer them a starting salary worth more than the value of their declined options.

Meanwhile, Fox will become extension-eligible next July, while Bagley has one more option on his rookie scale contract for the 2021/22 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Warriors Pick Up 2020/21 Options On Spellman, Evans

October 31st, 2019 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

2:43pm: The Warriors have officially exercised their options on both Spellman and Evans, the team confirmed (via Twitter).

8:50am: The Warriors have exercised their 2020/21 rookie scale option on Omari Spellman, reports Logan Murdock of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). In addition to picking up Spellman’s third-year option, the team will do the same for Jacob Evans‘ third-year option, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Spellman, 22, had a promising rookie season for Atlanta in 2018/19, averaging 5.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a .344 3PT% in 46 games (17.5 MPG). However, the Hawks determined he wasn’t in their long-term plans and sent him to Golden State in an offseason trade for Damian Jones and a future second-round pick.

Because Spellman was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2018 draft, his option for 2020/21 will have a cap charge of just $1,988,280, the lowest of any 2018 first-rounder. Evans, who was the No. 28 pick in the same draft, will count for $2,017,320 against the cap in ’20/21 with his option exercised.

Evans struggled in his rookie year, averaging just 1.3 PPG on 34.0% shooting in 30 games (6.8 MPG). His option was hardly a lock to be picked up, but the 22-year-old looked a little better in the early going this season, scoring 18 points in 43 total minutes and making 4-of-8 three-pointers. He’s currently sidelined with a left adductor strain and isn’t due to be re-evaluated for about three more weeks, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Timberwolves Exercise Josh Okogie’s 2020/21 Option

October 31st, 2019 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have officially picked up their 2020/21 rookie scale team option on Josh Okogie, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Although Minnesota waited until deadline day to officially make the move, there was never a doubt that the club would exercise the third-year option, worth $2,651,040.

Okogoie, 21, emerged as a reliable rotation player for the Timberwolves in his rookie season after being selected 20th overall in the 2018 draft. While he struggled with his shot (.386 FG%, .279 3PT%), the former Georgia Tech standout provided strong perimeter defense and flashed some offensive potential.

With Okogie now locked up through at least 2020/21, the next decision the Wolves face will be whether to pick up his $4,087,904 fourth-year option for 2021/22. That decision will be due one year from today.

NBA teams have until the end of the day to exercise their rookie scale options for the ’20/21 season, and only a handful of them are still outstanding. We’re tracking all those decisions right here.

Celtics Pick Up 2020/21 Options On Tatum, Williams

October 30th, 2019 at 9:40pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 30, 9:40pm: As expected, the Celtics have now picked up Williams’ option, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

OCTOBER 14, 5:00pm: RealGM’s official transactions log lists the Celtics as having exercised Tatum’s option, but not Williams’. While I’d still expect Time Lord’s option to be picked up, it hasn’t happened yet. Boston has until October 31 to make its decision.

OCTOBER 14, 2:58pm: The Celtics have exercised their fourth-year option on former No. 3 overall pick Jayson Tatum, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Boston has also picked up its third-year option on 2018 first-rounder Robert Williams, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Both options are for the 2020/21 season, with Tatum’s cap hit ($9,897,120) significantly outweighing Williams’ ($2,029,920). Tatum will now be eligible for a contract extension in 2020 and would be on track for restricted free agency in 2021 if he doesn’t sign a new deal next year. Williams has one more year on his rookie contract in 2021/22 — the C’s will have to make a decision on that option by October 31 next year.

Both Tatum and Williams could take on more responsibilities in 2019/20 after a handful of veterans left the Celtics over the summer. Tatum, in particular, figures to be leaned on more heavily as an offensive play-maker with Kyrie Irving no longer in the mix, as the Celtics hope the 21-year-old can take another leap after an up-and-down performance last season.

Williams, meanwhile, will play a more modest role, but Boston’s frontcourt situation is unsettled now that Al Horford, Aron Baynes, and Marcus Morris are playing for new teams. There could be regular minutes available for the former Texas A&M standout going forward.

With the October 31 deadline nearing, we’re tracking all of the 2020/21 rookie scale option decisions from around the NBA right here.

Cavs Won’t Exercise Ante Zizic’s 2020/21 Option

October 30th, 2019 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers won’t be picking up their 2020/21 option on Ante Zizic‘s rookie scale contract, league sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $3,872,215.

If Cleveland had exercised that fourth-year option, it would have put Zizic on track to become eligible for an extension during the 2020 offseason and restricted free agency during the summer of 2021.

Instead, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next July. Assuming he finishes the season with the Cavs, they’ll be ineligible to offer him a starting salary higher than $3,872,215 on a new contract.

Zizic, 22, was part of the trade package that the Cavaliers received from the Celtics for Kyrie Irving during the summer of 2017. However, his contributions in Cleveland through two years have been modest. In 91 games, he averaged 6.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 14.2 minutes per contest. He has yet to make his 2019/20 debut due to a left foot injury.

Zizic, who is now on an expiring contract, has a $2,281,800 cap hit for the 2019/20 season.

Cavaliers Pick Up Collin Sexton’s 2020/21 Option

October 29th, 2019 at 4:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Cavaliers have picked up Collin Sexton‘s third-year option, sources tell Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Sexton will make approximately $4.99MM during the 2020/21 season. He has another team option on his contract for the following campaign. Assuming it’s exercised as well, he’ll become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2021 offseason.

Cleveland selected Sexton with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He started 72 games for the club during his rookie season and has started all three games this year next to 2019 first-rounder Darius Garland.

Sexton isn’t the only Cavaliers player with a rookie scale option for 2020/21. Cleveland will have until Thursday to make a decision on Ante Zizic’s fourth-year option, worth approximately $3.87MM.

Clippers Exercise 2020/21 Option On Landry Shamet

October 29th, 2019 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Clippers have picked up their 2020/21 rookie scale team option on Landry Shamet, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Shamet, 22, was drafted 26th overall in 2018 by the Sixers, then was sent to the Clippers at last season’s deadline in the Tobias Harris blockbuster. He emerged as a reliable rotation piece for both playoff teams, averaging 9.1 PPG on .431/.422/.806 shooting in 79 total games (22.8 MPG).

We heard earlier this afternoon that Los Angeles had exercised its ’20/21 option on Jerome Robinson, so it was only a matter of time until we heard the same on Shamet’s option. It will be worth just $2,090,040. The Clippers will have until October 31, 2020 to pick up Shamet’s $3,768,342 option for 2021/22.

We’re tracking all of the decisions on 2020/21 rookie scale options right here.

Clippers Picking Up Jerome Robinson’s 2020/21 Option

October 29th, 2019 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have exercised their third-year option on Jerome Robinson, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move will guarantee Robinson’s $3,737,520 cap hit for the 2020/21 league year.

A 6’5″ shooting guard, Robinson was the 13th overall pick in the 2018 draft. However, he didn’t see much action in his rookie season, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.2 RPG in just 9.7 minutes per contest over 33 games. Given all the veteran depth the Clippers have now, the 22-year-old probably won’t play a major role this season either. He has logged just six total minutes through four games.

Still, the Clips project to be over the cap next season and won’t necessarily need to maximize their flexibility, so locking in a prospect like Robinson at a fairly modest price makes sense. Before October 31, 2020, the club will have to decide whether or not to exercise his $5,340,916 option for the 2021/22 season.

Landry Shamet is the other Clipper who has a rookie scale option to be picked up before Thursday’s deadline. That decision will be a no-brainer for the club, given that Shamet is a starter and his 2020/21 option costs just $2.09MM.

Cavs Sign Cedi Osman To Four-Year Extension

October 26th, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by clarkcrum

OCTOBER 26, 2:30pm: The Cavaliers have officially signed Osman to his four-year extension, the team announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 24, 8:59pm: In his full story for Cleveland.com, Fedor details that Osman will earn $8.75MM, $8.05MM, $7.35MM, and $6.65MM (non-guaranteed) over the life of the extension.

OCTOBER 24, 7:48pm: According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the Cavaliers and forward Cedi Osman have agreed to a four-year, $31MM contract extension, per Osman’s representatives. Brian Windhorst of ESPN adds that the figure is $30.8MM and that the final year of the extension is non-guaranteed.

The extension, which will begin next season, will keep the 24-year-old Macedonian under team control through the 2023/24 season. Four seasons is the longest extension Osman could have received, as veteran contract extensions (besides super-max deals) are limited to five total seasons, counting the years remaining on the current contract.

Osman, who is scheduled to make just over $2.9MM this season in the last year of his current deal, could have earned up to 120% of the estimated average salary in the first year of the extension, or just under $11.5MM. Clearly, he’ll not reach that figure based on the reported value of the deal.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com hears that Osman’s salary will decline over the life of the contract and Bobby Marks of ESPN adds that his 2020/21 salary will be $8.6MM. At a decline of 8% per season – the maximum amount allowed under the CBA – Osman’s contract would be worth just under $30.3MM, which is close to the figures reported by Stein and Windhorst.

The Cavaliers will surrender some cap flexibility this upcoming offseason by signing Osman to a deal with a first-year salary about $3.1MM higher than his cap hit would have been, but with so many other potential free agents signing extensions, the Cavs were smart to lock up Osman for the future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.