Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Officially Sign Maten, Gates; Camp Roster Set

September 30th, 2019 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have made a handful of roster moves to set their roster for training camp, the team announced today in a press release. Boston waived recently-signed players Bryce Brown and John Bohannon, officially signing Yante Maten and Kaiser Gates using the newly-created openings.

Maten, 23, spent most of the 2018/19 season on a two-way contract with the Heat. He appeared in just two games for Miami but thrived for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. The rookie power forward averaged 23.5 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 30 games for Sioux Falls, earning a spot on the All-NBAGL Second Team. After being waived by Miami this summer, he reached an agreement with Boston.

Gates, who will turn 23 in November, joined the Bulls for training camp last fall after going undrafted out of Xavier. He was waived by Chicago before the season began and reported to the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. In 50 NBAGL games, the forward recorded 12.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .408/.375/.786 shooting line. Earlier this month, he agreed to sign with the Celtics.

As for the Celtics’ waived players, Brown is expected to become an affiliate player for the Maine Red Claws, while Bohannon will likely rejoin to Boston’s G League team as a returning rights player.

The Celtics now have a full 20-man roster heading into camp, including 14 players on guaranteed salaries. Assuming Boston plans on carrying a 15th man, Maten and Gates figure to compete with Tacko Fall and Javonte Green for that spot.

Spurs Waive Matt Farrell

September 30th, 2019 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have released former Notre Dame guard Matt Farrell, league sources tell JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link). With Farrell now on waivers, San Antonio has officially announced its training camp roster, which consists of 19 players.

Farrell, 23, went undrafted in 2018 and spent his first professional season in the G League, playing for the Sixers’ affiliate. In 45 games (27.0 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats, the 6’1″ point guard averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a shooting line of .410/.351/.755.

San Antonio’s NBAGL team, the Austin Spurs, acquired Farrell’s returning rights in a trade with the Blue Coats earlier this month. As a result of his Exhibit 10 contract with San Antonio, Farrell will now be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least two months with Austin, where he’ll start the 2019/20 season.

Thunder Officially Sign Four Players To Camp Roster

September 30th, 2019 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have officially signed four players to their roster for training camp, filling up their 20-man squad, the team announced today in a press release. Swingman DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, big man Eric Moreland, guard Abdul Gaddy, and forward Myke Henry have all joined the Oklahoma City roster.

The team’s deals with Akoon-Purcell and Moreland were previously reported. We broke word of Akoon-Purcell’s contract agreement on Saturday, while Moreland agreed to terms with the Thunder back in August. Akoon-Purcell spent part of the 2018/19 season on a two-way deal with Denver, while Moreland finished the year with the NBA champion Raptors.

Gaddy, 27, joined the Thunder for training camp a year ago but was waived before the regular season began. He spent the 2018/19 campaign in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 9.5 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 3.2 RPG in 49 games (29.1 MPG). The former Washington standout appears likely to return to the Thunder’s G League affiliate again this season.

As for Henry, his deal with the Thunder was first noted by his agency Edge Sports earlier in September. The 6’6″ forward made his NBA debut in 2017/18 when he appeared in 20 games for the Grizzlies. He played in Israel last season but has previously spent time with the OKC Blue and is another candidate to return to the Blue in 2019/20.

The Thunder now have 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, two on two-way contracts, and Justin Patton on a partially guaranteed contract. Patton is the favorite to win the 14th spot on the roster and Oklahoma City may not carry a 15th man, so it would be an uphill battle for any of today’s signees to earn a regular season roster spot.

Thunder To Sign DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell

September 28th, 2019 at 2:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, who spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, will join the Thunder for training camp, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. League sources tell Shaw that the free agent shooting guard has agreed to a partially guaranteed contract.

Akoon-Purcell, 26, signed with Denver last summer and saw limited action in seven NBA games before being waived in December. He spent time with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel and finished the season with ESSM Le Portel in France.

The addition leaves Oklahoma City with two open roster spots ahead of the start of training camp on Tuesday. Once the Thunder make it official with Akoon-Purcell, they’ll have 15 players signed to standard contracts (13 fully guaranteed), along with both two-way slots filled and a reported agreement with Eric Moreland.

Thunder Waive Markel Brown

September 27th, 2019 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have opened up another spot on their 20-man roster by waiving Markel Brown, the team announced today in a press release. Brown was initially signed on Tuesday.

A former second-round pick, Brown spent last season in Turkey and has also played in Russia in recent years. The last year he spent stateside was in 2017/18, when he spent some time with the Rockets but suited up for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League for most of the season.

Brown’s brief union this week with the Thunder signals that the team expects him to return to the Blue this fall. His Exhibit 10 contract will put him in line to earn a $50K bonus if he spends at least two months with OKC’s G League affiliate.

The Thunder now have four open spots on their 20-man roster, which they’ll likely fill in the coming days.

Magic Sign B.J. Johnson To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 27th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have signed free agent guard B.J. Johnson, the team announced today in a press release. According to Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter), it’s an Exhibit 10 contract for Johnson, who inked a similar deal with the club last fall.

After going undrafted out of La Salle in 2018, Johnson was with the Magic for training camp and the preseason, then spent most of his first professional season playing for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate. He averaged 15.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.4 SPG with a shooting line of .476/.444/.841 in 39 NBAGL games.

Johnson also had brief NBA auditions in 2018/19 with the Hawks, who signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts in March, and the Kings, who signed him for the final week of the regular season. The 23-year-old appeared in seven total regular season games for the two clubs, with Sacramento waiving him in July.

The Magic now have a full 20-man offseason roster, including just 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts. Although the team probably won’t carry a 15th man due to tax concerns, the 14th roster spot is up for grabs. Johnson could be in the mix for that spot, but seems more likely to eventually return to Lakeland, where he’d earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $50K if he spends two months with the club.

Celtics Sign John Bohannon

September 27th, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have officially signed center John Bohannon to a contract, per RealGM’s transactions log. It’s almost certainly a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal.

Bohannon, who went undrafted out of UTEP in 2014, has spent much of his professional career playing in the G League. In 2018/19, he appeared in 43 games (20.8 MPG) for the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s affiliate, filling up the box score with averages of 7.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.6 BPG.

Boston now has a full 20-man roster, though the team has yet to officially complete reported deals with Kaiser Gates and Yante Maten. There has been no indication that either agreement has fallen through, so Gates and Maten will likely be signed at some point after the Celtics open up roster spots by waiving a player or two.

While Bohannon figures to be one of the players cut by the Celtics, it’s not clear whether or not he’ll get a chance to attend camp with the team first. It looks like his contract is intended to ensure he’ll receive an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $50K when he eventually returns to the G League with the Red Claws.

Nets Sign Lance Thomas

September 27th, 2019 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Lance Thomas has made the move from one New York team to the other, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, who tweets that the former Knick has signed with the Nets. The team has since confirmed the move in a press release, after a handful of reports this week cited Thomas as a likely target for Brooklyn.

Thomas, 31, has spent his last four and a half seasons with the Knicks, though he gradually saw his minutes and role reduced over that time. In 2018/19, he averaged 4.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG in just 17.0 minutes per contest (46 games). At this point in his career, Thomas’ veteran leadership and locker-room presence may be just as valuable as his on-court contributions.

With Thomas under contract, the Nets are now carrying a full 20-man roster. That doesn’t include 2019 second-round pick Jaylen Hands, who remains unsigned. It’s not clear what Brooklyn’s plans are for the former UCLA guard. Brooklyn’s 20-man squad also doesn’t include Carmelo Anthony, who was frequently linked to the team within the last month.

The Nets have 15 players with guaranteed salaries, so there’s no clear path for Thomas to earn a roster spot to start the regular season. However, the club will be able to add a 16th man to its roster after five regular season contests, when Wilson Chandler becomes eligible for the suspended list. Chandler is serving a 25-game ban, so Brooklyn will have a 20-game window to carry that extra player.

Wizards Signed, Waived Michael Cobbins

September 27th, 2019 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

Before they officially set their 20-man roster for training camp by signing Chris Chiozza on Thursday, the Wizards briefly carried another newly-added player on their roster. According to RealGM’s transactions log, free agent power forward Michael Cobbins signed a contract with Washington and was waived shortly thereafter.

A former starter at Oklahoma State, Cobbins went undrafted in 2015 and signed his first professional contract with the Thunder that year, but has never appeared in an NBA game. Over the course of the last four seasons, Cobbins has spent time with teams in Greece, Germany, and Croatia, in addition to the the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League.

The Wizards’ deal with Cobbins was almost certainly an Exhibit 10 contract designed to get him a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least two months with Washington’s G League affiliate this season.

Since Cobbins’ last G League stint came with the OKC Blue in 2017/18, the Thunder’s NBAGL team would typically hold the 27-year-old’s returning rights for the coming season. However, the Capital City Go-Go claimed him in their expansion draft last summer, so the Wizards’ affiliate won’t have to make a trade to acquire his rights.

Rockets Sign Jaron Blossomgame To Camp Deal

September 27th, 2019 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: The Rockets have officially signed Blossomgame, the team announced in a press release. Houston’s 20-man camp roster is now set.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Rockets have reached an agreement on a training camp deal for Jaron Blossomgame, agent Andy Shiffman informs Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’ll likely be an Exhibit 10 contract.

Blossomgame, the 59th overall pick in the 2017 draft, spent his rookie season with the Spurs’ G League affiliate, then signed an NBA contract with San Antonio last fall. However, the Spurs opted not to carry him on their regular season roster and he caught on with the Cavaliers, spending most of the 2018/19 season on a two-way deal with Cleveland.

The 26-year-old appeared in 27 games for the Cavs but played a more regular role for the Canton Charge. In 29 games (32.7 MPG) with the Cavs’ G League team, Blossomgame averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.0 APG.

Houston will have a full 20-man offseason roster once the club makes it official with Blossomgame. The former Clemson standout may get an opportunity to earn one of the team’s open two-way contract slots, assuming he doesn’t make the 15-man regular season roster. If the Rockets intend to eventually have him join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as an affiliate player, they’ll have to acquire his G League returning rights.