Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Trade AJ Griffin To Rockets In Three-Team Deal

June 27th, 2024 at 6:42pm CST by Luke Adams

6:42pm: The trade is now officially complete, according to press releases from the Hawks and Rockets. Because Atlanta ended up trading the No. 44 pick (Pelle Larsson) and cash to Miami in exchange for No. 43 pick Nikola Djurisic, that trade agreement between the Heat and Hawks has been folded into this one, making it a three-team deal.

1:14pm: The Hawks and Rockets have agreed to a trade that will send forward AJ Griffin to Houston in exchange for the No. 44 pick in Thursday’s draft, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Griffin, the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft, had a promising rookie season in which he averaged 8.9 points per game with a .465/.390/.894 shooting line in 72 contests (19.5 MPG).

However, he missed time due to leg and ankle issues and personal reasons in 2023/24 and didn’t play much when he was available, averaging just 8.6 minutes per contest in 20 appearances. His scoring numbers cratered to 2.4 PPG on 29.0% shooting (.256 3PT%).

Despite his forgettable sophomore season, Griffin had been a player of interest in Houston for a while, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Rockets, who will be operating over the cap but have plenty of breathing room below the luxury tax line, will be able to acquire the 20-year-old without sending out a player because they have a $4.5MM trade exception from last year’s Kevin Porter trade that Griffin will fit into, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Using a trade exception created last year will hard-cap Houston at the first tax apron for 2024/25.

Griffin will earn a guaranteed $3.89MM salary for next season and the Rockets will have until the end of October to decide whether or not they want to exercise his $5.97MM team option for the ’25/26 season.

The Hawks have been exploring possible deals involving Griffin since February’s trade deadline, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The move will help them out a bit financially — as Marks tweets, Atlanta’s projected team salary is now right at the luxury tax line, though it would increase to first tax apron territory in the event that Saddiq Bey gets a qualifying offer.

The Hawks, whose own second-round pick at No. 40 is controlled by Portland, will now have the opportunity to select a player in a similar range at No. 44 tonight.

PJ Hall Signs Two-Way Deal With Nuggets

June 27th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

July 10: Hall’s two-way contract with Denver is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

June 27: The Nuggets are signing center PJ Hall to a two-way contract, sources tell Harrison Wind of DNR Sports (Twitter link).

Hall had been considered a first round-level talent by the Nuggets, per Wind, but he ended up going undrafted.

During a four-season collegiate stint, Hall showed massive improvements from his freshman to senior seasons. In 2023/24, he averaged 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 steals per night across 36 games, with a .488/.315/.779 shooting line. The scoring, rebounding, and blocks represented his NCAA career highs.

The 6’10” big man was twice named an All-ACC honoree while with the Tigers.

Denver finished with a 57-25 record and the No. 3 seed in 2023/24, but failed to defend its 2023 championship when it fell to the jumbo-sized, defense-first Timberwolves in a seven-game semifinal series. Taking a flier on size with an undrafted free agent is an intriguing tactical move.

Knicks Acquire No. 34 Pick Tyler Kolek From Blazers

June 27th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:53pm: The Blazers have issued a press release confirming the trade is official.

3:40pm: The Trail Blazers are trading the No. 34 pick in the draft for three future second-rounders, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Knicks used the pick to select Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets.

The Trail Blazers will receive two second-rounders the Knicks acquired in previous trades — a 2027 from Minnesota, and a 2029 that will be the least favorable of Indiana’s or Washington’s pick. New York also included its own 2030 second-round pick, according to Fischer (Twitter link).

Kolek is one of most established floor leaders coming out of the college ranks and provides depth behind star point man Jalen Brunson. Kolek led the nation in assists per game this past season at 7.7. He’s led the Big East in assists per game for three straight seasons.

In his senior season, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He’s valued as a passer with excellent footwork and finishing ability. He also improved his 3-point shooting in his last two college seasons, averaging 39.8% and 38.8%.

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, there was a “ton of noise” that the Knicks would use one of their late first-rounders on Kolek (Twitter link). As it turned out, he was still available early in the second round.

Nuggets To Trade Reggie Jackson To Hornets

June 27th, 2024 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have agreed to trade veteran point guard Reggie Jackson to the Hornets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), who hears from a source that Charlotte will also receive three second-round picks in the deal.

The Nuggets will send out their own 2025, 2029, and 2030 second-round picks in the swap, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). They’ll receive cash from the Hornets, tweets Matt Moore of Action Network.

The news comes just three days after Jackson picked up his $5.25MM player option with Denver for the 2024/25 season.

Jackson, who originally signed with Denver on the buyout market in February 2023, struggled down the stretch during the Nuggets’ championship season, making just 38.3% of his field goal attempts (27.9% of his three-pointers) in 16 regular season games before falling out of the rotation for the playoffs.

However, the Nuggets opted not only to retain him for the 2023/24 season but to give him a raise, signing him to a two-year, $10.25MM contract using their taxpayer mid-level exception. The 34-year-old responded with a strong bounce-back season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .431/.359/.806.

Despite that solid ’23/24 season, the Nuggets are essentially moving Jackson in a salary-dump deal, attaching future draft assets to move him and create some additional breathing room below the tax aprons.

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), Denver’s team salary is now right around the $171MM tax line and approximately $19MM below the second apron. If the club wants to remain below that second apron and re-sign veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is declining his $15.4MM player option, additional cost-cutting moves would likely be required.

It’s unclear whether or not Jackson will be in the Hornets’ plans for 2024/25. The team is expected to operate under the cap this offseason, so it could use cap room to take on the guard’s expiring contract. The $8MM room exception can also be used to acquire players via trade now, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets.

Heat, Hawks Swap No. 43, No. 44 Selections

June 27th, 2024 at 4:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

[Update: This trade has been folded into a separate agreement and officially completed as a three-team deal.]

The Heat are flipping the No. 43 pick to the Hawks for the No. 44 pick and cash, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter links here).

The Hawks will thus be receiving guard Nikola Djurisic at No. 43, while the Heat will wind up with Arizona Wildcats guard Pelle Larsson, the No. 44 pick.

Significantly, Atlanta will now be hard-capped at the second tax apron as a result of sending out cash.

Djurisic, 20, has played three-plus seasons with Mega in the Adriatic League. He averaged 15.4 points and 3.5 assists last season. He’s a potental draft-and-stash candidate.

Larsson, 23, played three seasons with the Wildcats after one year at Utah. He’s a prolific 3-point shooter — 39.7% in 133 career college games. Last season at Arizona, he averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He shot 51.9% from the field and 42.6% from deep.

Knicks To Trade No. 38 Pick To Thunder

June 27th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are trading the No. 38 pick in the 2024 draft to the Thunder, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Oklahoma City will be sending New York the No. 40 pick and cash, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that the Thunder will select UC Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell (Twitter links).

A native of Belgium, Mitchell had an impressive junior season for the Gauchos in 2023/24, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals on .504/.393/.858 shooting in 29 games (31.5 minutes per contest).

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Thunder previously agreed to acquire the No. 40 pick from the Trail Blazers in exchange for the No. 52 pick. OKC intially secured the 52nd pick in the deal that sent Lindy Waters to Golden State (Twitter links).

Portland will receive cash from Oklahoma City for moving down from No. 52 to No. 40.

Jamal Murray Expected To Agree To Four-Year Max Extension

June 27th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets and point guard Jamal Murray are making progress toward a four-year, $208.45MM maximum contract extension this offseason, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). The Nuggets will present the offer to Murray and both sides expect an agreement.

Murray is entering the final season of a five-year, $182.8MM contract. He’s due to make $36MM in 2024/25

Under the terms of the extension, Murray would make approximately $46.53MM in 2025/26, $50.25MM in 2026/27, $53.97MM in 2027/28 and $57.7MM in 2028/29, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan. He could’ve added a fifth year worth $61.4MM if he re-signed as a free agent in 2025, according to Gozlan, but Murray has apparently chosen to lock into the long-term security now (Twitter link).

These salary estimates are based on a $141MM cap in 2024/25, then a 10% increase in 2025/26.

Murray won a championship with the Nuggets in 2023 and is generally considered the best active player never to be selected as an All-Star. During the title run, Murray averaged 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 20 games.

Injuries limited him to 59 regular-season games this past season, when he averaged 21.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and a career-best 6.5 assists. In Denver’s 12 postseason games, he averaged 20.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

He’s a career 45.2% shooter, including 38% from beyond the 3-point line. A 2016 lottery pick, Murray is still just 27 years old.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope To Decline Option, Become Free Agent

June 27th, 2024 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has decided to decline his $15.4MM player option with the Nuggets for the 2024/25 season, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, who report (via Twitter) that the veteran wing will become an unrestricted free agent.

The decision doesn’t necessarily mean Caldwell-Pope won’t return to Denver, but the Nuggets figure to face plenty of competition for the three-and-D specialist. Multiple teams with cap room are expected to pursue him, per Charania and Jones.

Caldwell-Pope, 31, played an important role on the Lakers team that won a title in 2020 and the Nuggets squad that won the 2023 championship. He has knocked down 40.3% of his three-point attempts over the last five seasons and is a strong perimeter defender.

While Denver would obviously like to bring back its starting shooting guard, a strong offer for Caldwell-Pope would likely push the team’s salary above the restrictive second tax apron. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth expressed a desire to re-sign Caldwell-Pope but suggested that the team has contingency plans prepared – including potentially sliding Christian Braun into the starting five – in the event that KCP leaves.

“I think we have to look at everything, and the nature of free agency is, he’s unrestricted,” Booth said. “So we can try to bring him back, and if he doesn’t want to come back or opts to go somewhere else, that’s his prerogative. So we’ll have to work with that. But I think we’re prepared to plug and play, so to speak.”

The Sixers and Magic are among the cap-room teams who have been mentioned as possible suitors for Caldwell-Pope, the No. 11 free agent on our top-50 list.

Suns’ Eric Gordon To Opt For Free Agency

June 27th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns veteran wing Eric Gordon will turn down his $3.36MM player option for the 2024/25 season and become an unrestricted free agent, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While a recent report from The Athletic had indicated that Gordon was “50-50” on his player option decision, plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 subsequently stated that he didn’t expect the 35-year-old to be back in Phoenix next season. According to Charania, multiple contenders are expected to pursue Gordon.

Gordon is no longer the 20+ PPG scorer that he was earlier in his career, but the 16-year veteran has remained a reliable rotation piece for contending teams in recent years. After accepting a minimum-salary contract to join the Suns last summer, he averaged 11.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .443/.378/.797.

During his foray into free agency in 2023, Gordon prioritized the ability to play a significant role for a contending team over seeking out the most lucrative offer, since he almost certainly could’ve earned more than the veteran’s minimum from another club. We’ll see if his priorities remain the same this summer.

Gordon is one of four Suns who had a player option decision to make by June 29 and will join Drew Eubanks among those who are opting out. Josh Okogie‘s and Damion Lee‘s decisions have yet to be reported.

Warriors To Acquire Lindy Waters From Thunder For 52nd Pick

June 27th, 2024 at 1:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder will send Lindy Waters to the Warriors in exchange for the 52nd pick in today’s draft, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Oklahoma City holds a $2.2MM non-guaranteed team option on Waters that must be exercised before the deal can be completed. Golden State views Waters as a potential rotation player and plans to guarantee his salary, keeping him on the roster, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The 26-year-old shooting guard spent the past three years with OKC, mostly on two-way contracts before receiving a standard deal in February. He appeared in 38 games this season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 7.4 minutes per night.

The Thunder don’t have any other second-round picks, and there’s a belief that they might want to trade up even further, Fischer adds (Twitter link). Oklahoma City traded into the late first round Wednesday night, acquiring the 26th pick from New York to draft Dillon Jones.

OKC could be targeting San Francisco forward/center Jonathan Mogbo in the second round, speculates Rylan Stiles of Inside the Thunder. The team needs to find a replacement for two-way big man Olivier Sarr, who is expected to miss all of next season after suffering an Achilles injury in the G League Finals.