Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trail Blazers Sign Moses Brown To Camp Deal

September 9th, 2019 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have signed undrafted UCLA center Moses Brown to a training camp contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The move increases Portland’s offseason roster count to 16 players.

Brown, who will turn 20 next month, declared for the 2019 draft as an early entrant after spending just one season playing for the Bruins. In his freshman year, Brown averaged 9.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 32 games (23.4 MPG).

While Brown isn’t much of a shooter – he didn’t attempt a three-pointer and made just 35.2% of his free throws – he flashed impressive rim-protecting upside, with 1.9 blocks per game. He caught on with the Rockets for Summer League play, but saw just two minutes of action for the team in Las Vegas.

The Trail Blazers typically don’t load up their offseason roster with many camp invitees on non-guaranteed contracts, since they don’t have a G League affiliate of their own to send those players once the regular season begins. Still, the club has one two-way contract slot available, so Brown could be a candidate to fill that opening alongside fellow rookie Jaylen Hoard.

Nuggets Sign Bol Bol To Two-Way Contract

September 6th, 2019 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 6: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

SEPTEMBER 4: The Nuggets have signed rookie center Bol Bol to his first professional contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that it’s a two-way deal.

Once viewed as a probable lottery pick, Bol saw his stock dip leading up to the 2019 draft due to long-term health concerns related to his slender 7’2″ frame. The former Oregon standout slipped all the way to No. 44, where the Nuggets landed him, acquiring his rights in a draft-night trade with the Heat.

No player drafted as high as 44th overall has signed a two-way contract to start his career since the NBA introduced two-way deals in 2017. However, the Nuggets and Bol were uniquely suited for such an arrangement for a handful of reasons.

For one, Bol is returning from a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for most of his first and only college season. The Nuggets will want to take things slow, as they did last year with Michael Porter Jr., making sure the 19-year-old is 100% healthy before throwing him into the NBA deep end. Bol is also still very raw, so it makes sense that the club would want him to begin his career in the G League rather than debuting in the NBA immediately.

Meanwhile, as cap expert Albert Nahmad recently outlined, Denver is less than $1MM away from the tax threshold, and could move even closer to tax territory if certain veterans earn unlikely contract incentives this season. Adding Bol on a standard rookie contract worth $898K would have jeopardized the Nuggets’ ability to stay out of the tax in 2019/20.

Bol could have forced the issue to some extent, since the Nuggets were required to offer him a one-year, non-guaranteed contract this week in order to retain his NBA rights. However, it appears he and his camp have bought into a plan that will start him out on a modest two-way salary before he’s eventually promoted to the NBA squad.

Developing Bol will be somewhat complicated by the fact that the Nuggets are one of two NBA teams without a G League affiliate of their own. Still, that didn’t stop Monte Morris and Torrey Craig from turning two-way deals into standard contracts (and regular roles in Denver’s NBA rotation). While they were on two-way contracts with the Nuggets, Morris played for the Rockets’ affiliate in the NBAGL and Craig spent time with the Heat’s affiliate.

With Bol locked up, the Nuggets’ roster looks just about regular-season-ready. The team has 14 players on guaranteed salaries, with Bol and Tyler Cook on two-way contracts. PJ Dozier has also been invited to Denver’s training camp, though it’s hard to envision a place on the roster for him unless he replaces Cook as a two-way player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nene Returns For 18th NBA Season, Re-Signs With Rockets

September 6th, 2019 at 6:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 6: The Rockets have officially announced the signing, according to a team press release.

SEPTEMBER 3: Free agent big man Nene plans on returning to the Rockets, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Nene opted out of the final year of his most recent contract back in June, which led many to believe he would retire. He has spent 17 years in the NBA so far, with the past three seasons coming in Houston.

The Rockets inked veteran center Tyson Chandler this offseason, so with Chandler and Nene in the frontcourt, the team has solid depth at the five. Houston shouldn’t need to rely heavily on either veteran big man to spell starter Clint Capela, which should allow the team to give their elder centers nights off when needed.

Nene was selected by New York with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2002 draft and he was subsequently traded to Denver on draft night along with Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson in a package for Antonio McDyess. Nene is the only member of the 2002 draft class still in the league.

In addition to the Rockets and Nuggets, the Sao Carlos native has also played for the Wizards. Only nine active players have appeared in more NBA games than Nene.

Celtics To Sign Kaiser Gates To Camp Deal

September 5th, 2019 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have reached an agreement to sign former Xavier forward Kaiser Gates to a training camp contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Gates will get the opportunity to compete with Tacko Fall and Javonte Green for the 15th spot on Boston’s regular season roster. The Celtics will still have one more opening on their 20-man offseason after signing Gates, so another camp invitee could become involved in that competition too.

Gates, who will turn 23 in November, joined the Bulls for training camp last fall after going undrafted. 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, he recorded 12.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .408/.375/.786 shooting line.

If Gates doesn’t make the Celtics’ regular season roster and instead heads back to the G League, the Bulls would still hold his NBAGL rights. The Celtics’ affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, would have to trade for those rights if they want to get him on their roster for 2019/20.

Hornets Sign Ahmed Hill To Two-Way Contract

September 5th, 2019 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 5: The Hornets have officially signed Hill to a two-way deal, the team confirmed today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 4: The Hornets are signing undrafted free agent Ahmed Hill to a two-way contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A 6’5″ guard out of Virginia Tech, Hill posted 13.1 PPG on .443/.391/.812 shooting in 35 games in his senior year with the Hokies. After going undrafted, he joined the Nets’ Summer League roster and appeared in six games in Las Vegas, averaging 6.8 PPG on 44.8% shooting in 18.2 minutes per contest.

As our two-way contract tracker shows, Charlotte previously filled one of its two-way slots by signing rookie forward Robert Franks, so the team won’t have any openings after officially adding Hill.

That puts No. 52 overall pick Jalen McDaniels in an interesting spot. With 17 players on standard contracts and point guard Kobi Simmons expected to join that group shortly, the Hornets will have a full 20-man offseason roster.

It’s possible that Charlotte will eventually waive a player to make room for McDaniels, but the club’s agreement with Hill could signal that the former San Diego State forward will begin his professional career overseas or on a G League contract.

Warriors Sign Andrew Harrison To Camp Deal

September 5th, 2019 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 5: Harrison’s deal is official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

AUGUST 27: The Warriors have reached an agreement with free agent guard Andrew Harrison, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Harrison is signing a training camp contract with the team. Agent Kevin Bradbury of BDA Sports informed Wojnarowski of the deal.

Harrison, 24, has spent the last three seasons in the NBA, appearing in 145 total regular season games for the Grizzlies, Cavaliers, and Pelicans. He spent time with all three teams early in 2018/19, averaging 3.2 PPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.2 RPG in 17 contests (11.0 MPG). After being waived by New Orleans in January, he caught on with Russian club Khimki to finish the season.

A former Kentucky standout, Harrison is on track to become the 18th player under contract with the Warriors. The team is currently carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, two on non-guaranteed deals, and a pair on two-way pacts.

Because they’re right up against a hard cap, the Warriors are unlikely to retain Harrison for their regular season roster. If he doesn’t catch on with another NBA team to start the 2019/20 season, it’s possible he’ll join Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Rockets Adjust Contracts For Ponds, McDowell-White

September 5th, 2019 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 5: After converting Ponds and McDowell-White to two-way contracts, the Rockets have converted them back to standard deals, according to RealGM’s official transactions log and ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

The two players appear to be back on essentially the same contracts they were before, but with one key difference, as Marks explains: The initial Exhibit 10 deals for Ponds and McDowell-White didn’t feature Exhibit 9 language, which limits a team’s liability if a player is injured in training camp or the preseason. Teams must have at least 14 players under contract to add Exhibit 9 language to an agreement, which the Rockets didn’t when they signed the duo in early July.

Without the Exhibit 9 clause, the Rockets would have had to pay either player’s salary if he suffered an injury in the preseason, up until he got healthy. As such, a season-ending injury would have forced Houston to pay the player’s entire salary, which would have compromised the team’s ability to limit its tax bill (or avoid the tax altogether). With Exhibit 9 language in place, Houston will now only be on the hook for $6K in the event of an injury.

The upshot is that Ponds and McDowell-White are back on non-guaranteed salaries and Houston’s two-way slots are once again open.

SEPTEMBER 4: The Rockets have converted the Exhibit 10 contracts for rookies Shamorie Ponds and William McDowell-White into two-way deals, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Previously, Houston had been one of just three NBA teams without a two-way player under contract.

Ponds and McDowell-White were two of the first players signed in July, as the Rockets locked them up to contracts even before the July moratorium ended. Both players suited up for Houston’s Las Vegas Summer League roster.

Ponds, a 6’1″ guard out of St. John’s, averaged 19.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.1 RPG, and an impressive 2.6 SPG in 33 games during his junior year in 2018/19 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.

McDowell-White spent the last several years playing for teams in Australia and Germany. Having started his career with the Sydney Kings in 2016, the 6’5″ Australian combo guard spent a season and a half with German club Brose Bamberg, leaving the team earlier this year to prepare for the 2019 draft.

As we explained on Tuesday, converting an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal is one of a handful of options that teams have for a player on an E10 pact. I noted within that story that I expected the Rockets to have a few players compete in camp for their two-way slots, but it appears the team has made its two-way decisions well in advance of the preseason.

Grizzlies Sign Matt Mooney To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 4th, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 4: The deal is now official, per a release from the team.

AUGUST 17: The Grizzlies have agreed to sign Matt Mooney to an Exhibit 10 deal, as the guard tells KeloSports. Mooney will likely end up playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

The 6’3″ guard helped lead Texas Tech to the National Championship game last season, though the team lost to Virginia. He’s the third member of that squad to ink an NBA contract this offseason with Jarrett Culver joining the Wolves and Tariq Owens finding himself on the Suns.

Mooney said he had been deciding between the Grizzlies and the Heat for his first deal in the NBA. He’ll join Memphis for training camp.

The Grizzlies currently have a full 20-man roster, so they’ll need to make a trade or a cut before officially signing Mooney.

Hornets Issue Required Tender To Jalen McDaniels

September 4th, 2019 at 6:36pm CST by clarkcrum

The Hornets have issued a one year, non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract offer (“required tender”) to 2019 second-round pick, rookie forward Jalen McDaniels, reports Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

Per Bobby Marks of ESPN, all unsigned 2019 second-round draft picks become free agents if not given a required tender by today, so the Hornets had to make a decision as to whether they wanted to retain McDaniels’ rights after drafting the San Diego State product No. 52 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

As we noted earlier today, the Hornets have already agreed to sign rookie guard Ahmed Hill to the team’s second two-way contract, and with the expected addition of point guard Kobi Simmons, Charlotte will have a full 20-man offseason roster without McDaniels. As such, the team may no longer be interested in bringing the rookie to training camp this season.

However, as Bonnell notes, two-way contracts can be a fluid situation, so if Charlotte wants to sign McDaniels to a two-way contract later (perhaps when his legal troubles are more thoroughly settled), the team could easily move on from Hill or fellow two-way recipient Robert Franks.

Heat Sign Davon Reed To Camp Deal

September 4th, 2019 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 4: The Heat have officially signed Reed, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 3: The Heat are expected to sign former Hurricanes guard Davon Reed to a training camp contract, reports Shandel Richardson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirms the agreement, tweeting that Reed will join the group of Heat players on Exhibit 10 contracts competing for a two-way deal.

Reed, 24, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Suns, but lasted just one season in Phoenix before being cut last October. He quickly caught on with the Pacers on a two-way contract and spent most of the 2018/19 campaign playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate.

Reed has put up modest numbers (2.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG) in limited playing time (9.3 MPG) in 31 NBA career games for the Suns and Pacers. He was a little more effective in 34 NBAGL contests last season, posting 13.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG, but he struggled to score efficiently, with a shooting line of .398/.326/.753.

The Heat have 12 players on guaranteed salaries, with Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn in position to claim the final two regular season roster spots. Jeremiah Martin, Kyle Alexander, Chris Silva, and Reed will be among the non-guaranteed camp invitees vying for the club’s two-way contracts. Miami could bring up to two more players to camp on Exhibit 10 deals.