Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Sign Johnathan Williams

December 26th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, it was reported that the Wizards were close to signing Johnathan Williams and according to the team, the deal is official.

Washington will use the hardship provision to bring the big man on without a corresponding roster move. This will be the second player added via the hardship provision, as the team signed Gary Payton II earlier in the week.

As we explained in our story on Payton, the NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second additional roster spot can be granted.

Williams played with the Lakers last season on a two-way contract. Before that, the center split his college time between Missouri and Gonzaga.

As a free agent this past offseason, Williams signed with Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion, where he had averaged 12.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG in nine Israeli League games.

Jazz Waive Jeff Green, Sign Rayjon Tucker

December 25th, 2019 at 8:09am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 25: The Jazz have officially signed Tucker, according to NBA.com’s transactions log, which suggests that the move was finalized on Tuesday. In addition to having a guaranteed contract for 2019/20, Tucker will have a partially guaranteed salary for next season, per Tony Jones of The Athletic.

DECEMBER 24: The Jazz have officially waived Green, the team announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 23: The Jazz have decided to waive forward Jeff Green, Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic report.

Utah needed to open up a roster spot because the team is signing small forward Rayjon Tucker to a multi-year contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tucker, who went undrafted out of Arkansas-Little Rock, made a strong impression at the G League Showcase, having been identified by John Hollinger as the NBAGL player most deserving of a call-up. He had been playing for the Bucks’ affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. His contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of this season, according to Wojnarowski.

In 16 G League games this season, Tucker was averaging 23.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 2.8 APG in 33.8 MPG. The Jazz only have the prorated minimum exception available to sign Tucker, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Green was averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 28 games with Utah. He scored seven points in 18 minutes against Miami on Monday. He was making the veteran’s minimum at $2.56MM.

Green, 33, was playing for eighth NBA team. He started 44 games for Washington last season. His scoring average with the Jazz was the lowest of his career.

It’s unusual for a team to cut a rotation player, particularly right after a game. But the Jazz obviously valued the 6’5” Tucker and had competition for his services.

The Jazz were busy throughout the night. They also agreed to acquire guard Jordan Clarkson from the Cavaliers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavaliers Trade Jordan Clarkson To Jazz

December 24th, 2019 at 10:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 24: The trade has been officially completed, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. Clarkson and Exum should be ready to suit up for their new teams when they resume play on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

DECEMBER 23: The Cavaliers have agreed to trade shooting guard Jordan Clarkson to the Jazz for point guard Dante Exum and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The second-rounders are picks that were owed to Utah, San Antonio’s in 2022 and Golden State’s in 2023, Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweets.

Assuming the deal becomes official, it will be the first NBA trade since mid-July. The Thunder and Rockets finalized their Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook swap on July 16.

Clarkson is essentially a rental for the disappointing Jazz, who are looking to boost their bench scoring. Clarkson has an expiring $13.4MM contract. The Cavaliers will create a $3.83MM trade exception, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Cleveland also drops $5.1MM under the luxury tax line, Marks adds (Twitter link).

Exum, a former lottery pick whose career has been sidetracked by injuries, still has two years and $19.2MM left on his contract.

The Cavaliers are planning to deal veterans on the roster in order to obtain more draft picks and young assets, according to Wojnarowski. That could mean players such as Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson could also be on the move before February’s trade deadline.

Clarkson is off to a strong start, averaging 14.6 PPG. He erupted for a season-high 33 points against Memphis on Friday.

This is the third time in three years the teams have been involved in swap, Wojnarowski notes. The Jazz acquired Kyle Korver for Alec Burks and two-second round picks in November of 2018. They also were involved in a three-way deal with the Kings at the February 2018 trade deadline that included Cleveland trading Jae Crowder for Utah’s Rodney Hood.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Sign Gary Payton II

December 23rd, 2019 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have signed veteran guard Gary Payton II to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move had been expected, with a Saturday report indicating that the two sides were closing in on an agreement.

Payton has spent the 2019/20 season so far playing for the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate. In 16 games (32.4 MPG) for the club, he averaged 21.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 6.8 APG, and a league-leading 3.2 SPG, making his case for a call-up.

The 27-year-old, the son of former SuperSonics star Gary Payton, has appeared in 32 total NBA regular season games, spending time with the Bucks, Lakers, and Wizards since the 2016/17 season.

The Wizards had a full 15-man roster before signing Payton, but didn’t need to make a corresponding move to open up a roster spot, since they qualified for a hardship exception.

The NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. A hardship exception allows the club to add an extra player to its 15-man roster, increasing its roster limit.

John Wall, C.J. Miles, Thomas Bryant, and Jordan McRae are out with long-term injuries for Washington, with Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, and Moritz Wagner all banged up as well.

Wizards Sign Anzejs Pasecniks, Cut Chris Chiozza

December 17th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have signed former first-round pick Anzejs Pasecniks to a two-way contract, waiving two-way player Chris Chiozza to make room for Pasecniks, the team announced today in a press release.

Pasecniks, who will turn 24 this Friday, was drafted 25th overall by the Sixers in 2017 but never suited up for Philadelphia, having spent the next two seasons overseas. After the 76ers renounced his rights earlier this year, the 7’1″ center joined the Wizards’ Summer League team, then reported to Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, this fall.

In 12 NBAGL games, Pasecniks has averaged 10.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG with a .604 FG%.

As Fred Katz of The Athletic explains (via Twitter), the Wizards “really like” Chiozza, but felt they had to add another center to the mix with Thomas Bryant and Moritz Wagner both injured. Ian Mahinmi is currently the club’s only healthy player at the five.

Chiozza, who appeared in 10 games for Washington this season, will become a free agent if he clears waivers on Thursday. The point guard is expected to return to the Go-Go if he goes unclaimed, tweets Katz.

Hawks Request Waivers On Tyrone Wallace

December 14th, 2019 at 10:53am CST by marksuleymanov

The Hawks have requested waivers on guard Tyrone Wallace, the team announced in a press release Saturday.

Wallace, 25, was originally claimed off waivers from the Timberwolves by Atlanta on Oct. 23. Since then, the former Clippers guard appeared in 14 games for the Hawks, averaging 2.9 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 11.5 minutes per contest. In parts of three seasons, the California product has appeared in 106 games, averaging 5.2 PPG.

By waiving Wallace, the Hawks opened up a roster spot. As noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Hawks have $4.8M in room and could direct some of that money toward filling the now-vacant roster spot.

Thunder Sign Kevin Hervey To Two-Way Deal

December 12th, 2019 at 5:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder are inking Kevin Hervey to a two-way deal, as Erik Horne of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) and the team has confirmed in a press release. The forward has been with the team’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, for the past two seasons.

The Thunder selected Hervey with the No. 57 overall pick during the 2018 draft. He spent four years at Texas-Arlington during his collegiate career.

The franchise released Devon Hall, who had been utilizing one of Oklahoma City’s two-way deals, earlier today. Hall saw action in just five games this season for the Thunder before being released.

Nets Waive Iman Shumpert

December 12th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

3:13pm: The Nets have officially waived Shumpert, the team announced this afternoon in a press release.

10:54am: The Nets will waive veteran swingman Iman Shumpert, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brooklyn is currently carrying 16 players, but will have to get back down to 15 after this Saturday’s game in Toronto, when Wilson Chandler‘s 25-game suspension ends and he becomes eligible to be reinstated. The Nets, who have posted a 9-4 record since Shumpert entered the lineup, will “reluctantly” release the recently-signed 29-year-old due to their roster crunch, per Charania.

Having signed with the Nets on November 13, Shumpert quickly entered the club’s rotation, averaging 4.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 13 games (18.5 MPG). He didn’t shoot well during his time in Brooklyn (.328/.242/.571), but he provided head coach Kenny Atkinson with another reliable perimeter defender.

Once he’s officially placed on waivers, Shumpert will be eligible to be claimed by any of the NBA’s other teams, since he’s on a minimum-salary contract. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll once again become an unrestricted free agent and the Nets will be on the hook for the prorated portion of his non-guaranteed salary (about $419K if he’s cut today, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks).

Chandler, David Nwaba, Rodions Kurucs, and Theo Pinson were among the other players the Nets could have considered parting with if they’d wanted to retain Shumpert, but they’ll all hang onto their roster spots for now.

Thunder Release Two-Way Player Devon Hall

December 12th, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie shooting guard Devon Hall has been waived by the Thunder, the team announced today in a press release. Hall had been on a two-way contract, so Oklahoma City has now opened a two-way slot alongside Luguentz Dort.

The 53rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, Hall was stashed in the G League for a year before signing a two-way deal with the Thunder this past offseason. The 24-year-old appeared in five games for the NBA club, playing limited minutes. In three NBAGL games with the Oklahoma City Blue this season, he averaged 8.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.3 APG on .208/.308/1.000 shooting.

The former University of Virginia standout will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Saturday, while the Thunder will have until January 15 to fill their open two-way contract spot. The Suns are the only other NBA team that isn’t currently carrying two players on two-way deals.

Lakers Waive Zach Norvell Jr., Sign Devontae Cacok

December 11th, 2019 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

7:30pm: The Lakers have officially signed Cacok to a two-way contract and waived Norvell, the team announced in a press release.

3:38pm: The Lakers are making a change to one of their two-way contract slots, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is waiving guard Zach Norvell Jr. and signing big man Devontae Cacok.

Norvell, who went undrafted earlier this year, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers on the first day of the league year in July. He has logged just five minutes in two games with the NBA club this season, spending most of his time with the South Bay Lakers. In 23 G League games (24.7 MPG), he averaged 13.3 PPG on .353/.340/.867 shooting.

Cacok, meanwhile, was in camp with the Lakers this fall on an Exhibit 10 contract but was cut at the end of the preseason when the team set its regular season roster. He reported to South Bay as an affiliate player and has been productive as a member of the Lakers’ G League squad, recording 16.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG with a .669 FG% in 12 games (22.8 MPG).

Because he’s signing his two-way contract partway through the regular season, Cacok will be eligible to spend up to 33 days with the Lakers, a prorated portion of the usual 45-day limit.

Kostas Antetokounmpo is the Lakers’ other two-way player. His status remains unchanged.