Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Sign Walter Lemon Jr.

March 29th, 2019 at 10:52am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 29: The Bulls have officially signed Lemon, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 28: Point guard and Chicago native Walter Lemon Jr. will sign with the Bulls for the rest of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Lemon has spent most of this season with Chicago’s Windy City affiliate in the G League, where he averaged 20.1 points per game after being acquired in an early-season trade with Maine. The 26-year-old has played extensively in the G League and overseas since going undrafted out of Bradley in 2014.

Lemon got into five games with the Pelicans after signing a pair of 10-day contracts late last season. He inked a two-way deal with the Celtics last summer, but never played for Boston and was waived in November.

He will provide some help to a Bulls team that has been overwhelmed by injuries. On Wednesday, Lauri Markkanen became the team’s third prominent player to be shut down for the rest of the season, joining Chandler Hutchison and Wendell Carter Jr., who have both been sidelined for weeks. Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Otto Porter have also been unavailable recently.

Rockets Claim Trevon Duval Off Waivers

March 27th, 2019 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets claimed Trevon Duval off waivers from the Bucks on Tuesday before he reached unrestricted free agency. The move was first reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic (via Twitter) and later confirmed by the team.

Duval, 20, was on a two-way contract with Milwaukee, but the club decided to move on from the rookie guard once the G League season ended over the weekend. The Rockets, who had a two-way spot open after promoting Danuel House‘s to the 15-man roster, were rumored to be interested in claiming two-way player Jawun Evans. However, after the Thunder put a claim in for Evans, Houston nabbed Duval instead.

An undrafted free agent out of Duke, Duval spent most of the 2018/19 season in the G League, averaging 12.5 PPG, 3.6 APG and 2.8 RPG in 38 contests with the Wisconsin Herd. He got into three games for Milwaukee, playing six total minutes and averaging 1.7 PPG.

Before joining the Bucks last offseason, Duval played for the Rockets’ Summer League squad, so this is a reunion of sorts for the two sides.

Because he was waived after March 1, Duval won’t be playoff-eligible, even if the Rockets were to convert his contract to a standard NBA deal. However, he may see some action during the final couple weeks of the regular season, particularly if the Rockets aim to reduce James Harden‘s and Chris Paul‘s workloads down the stretch.

Raptors Re-Sign Jodie Meeks

March 26th, 2019 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 26: The Raptors have officially signed Meeks, the team confirmed today in a press release.

MARCH 25: After letting Eric Moreland‘s 10-day contract expire over the weekend, the Raptors plan on filling one of their open roster spots by bringing back Jodie Meeks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Toronto will sign Meeks to a rest-of-season contract.

Meeks, 31, appeared in 77 games in 2017/18 for the Wizards but saw his season come to an early end when he was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Meeks was traded to Milwaukee in the offseason, where he served the rest of his suspension at the start of 2018/19 before being waived.

Since then, Meeks has signed just one NBA contract, inking a 10-day deal with Toronto after the All-Star break. Although he only got into a couple games with the Raptors, the veteran sharpshooter provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 points and knocking down three 3-pointers in just 24 total minutes. The former Kentucky standout is a career 37.2% shooter from beyond the arc.

While Meeks is unlikely to play much of a role for Toronto in the postseason, he figures to see some action in the club’s final regular season games. Still, it’s not clear when the Raptors will officially sign Meeks, since they’re over the tax line and aren’t under pressure to add a 14th man right away.

When he does sign, Meeks will earn $12,295 per day for the rest of the regular season, with the contract counting against the Raps’ cap at a rate of $8,546 per day. The team will still have one more open roster spot once Meeks is back on board.

Thunder Claim Jawun Evans Off Waivers

March 25th, 2019 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:05pm: The transaction is official, according to a team press release.

4:39pm: The Thunder have claimed point guard Jawun Evans off waivers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

This comes as a surprising development, as the Rockets were expected to claim Evans after the two-way player was waived by the Suns on Saturday. Oklahoma City, which has tumbled to sixth in the Western Conference standings, made a preemptive strike to prevent Evans from going to Houston. The Rockets are currently third in the West.

It’s a kind of homecoming for the 22-year-old Evans, who starred at Oklahoma State. He made seven brief appearances with Phoenix this season.

Oklahoma City had a two-way opening after converting Deonte Burton‘s two-way deal to a standard contract earlier this month. Two-way players are not eligible for the playoffs.

It’s unlikely Evans will get any significant playing time with Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder and Raymond Felton at point guard.

Houston was looking to fill a two-way slot after promoting Danuel House to its 15-man roster.

Evans spent a good portion of this season with Northern Arizona in the G League, posting a 15.1/3.8/5.8 line in 32 games.

The Clippers waived him in October just before the start of the regular season, although he had a guaranteed $1.378MM deal.

Magic Sign Michael Carter-Williams To Second 10-Day Deal

March 25th, 2019 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

Michael Carter-Williams‘ 10-day contract with the Magic expired overnight on Sunday, but the veteran point guard isn’t going anywhere. According to a press release from the team, Carter-Williams has officially signed a second 10-day deal with Orlando.

A former Rookie of the Year, Carter-Williams began the 2018/19 season with the Rockets, but failed to lock down a rotation role in Houston. He was traded to the Bulls in January and was released before his salary became fully guaranteed.

Since catching on with the Magic earlier this month, the 27-year-old has served as D.J. Augustin‘s backup, displacing Jerian Grant in the rotation and filling in for injured rookie Isaiah Briscoe. MCW’s numbers on his first 10-day deal were modest (3.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, and a .222 FG% in 16.3 MPG), but he has played well on the defensive end and the Magic won all three games he played, keeping their postseason hopes alive.

The Magic’s press release announcing Carter-Williams’ new 10-day deal doesn’t indicate that anyone has been released, so it appears the team’s hardship exception has been extended. That exception – which can be granted to teams with at least four injured players – allows Orlando to temporarily carry a 16th man. However, if the Magic do make the playoffs and want MCW available, they’ll have to waive another player to make room for him, since the hardship exception wouldn’t extend to the postseason.

Carter-Williams’ new 10-day contract, like his previous deal, will count against the cap for $85,458, though he’ll earn a slightly higher salary ($99,290).

Greg Monroe Signs 10-Day Deal With Celtics

March 24th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

March 24: The Celtics have officially signed Monroe to his 10-day deal, the team announced on social media. There was some uncertainty over whether Monroe would ultimately be signed, but the team went forward with the agreement on Sunday.

March 22: Veteran center Greg Monroe has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Celtics, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Boston has an open roster spot, so the team won’t have to clear a space for the new addition.

Monroe provides some depth in the middle with the team’s top two big men, Al Horford and Aron Baynes, nursing injuries. Horford is dealing with left knee soreness, while Baynes is battling an ankle sprain. Neither will play against Charlotte on Saturday.

Appearing in 38 games with the Raptors this season, including two starts, Monroe averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 11.1 MPG. Toronto traded him to the Nets just before the February deadline and Brooklyn immediately waived him. He has been shopping for another opportunity since that point.

Monroe, 28, will be entering his second stint in a Boston uniform. He played 26 regular-season and 11 postseason games with the Celtics last year.

The Celtics could eventually sign former NBA forward Thomas Robinson as their 15th man, but they want him to play out the G League season with their affiliate, Keith Smith of RealGM tweets. Robinson was claimed by the Maine Red Claws team last week. Boston also had an imminent need at center, which made Monroe a logical choice.

Bucks Waive Trevon Duval

March 24th, 2019 at 12:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have waived rookie guard Trevon Duval, who spent the season on a two-way contract, the team announced on Twitter.

Duval played most of the year in the G League, averaging 12.5 points, 3.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 38 games with the Wisconsin Herd. He got into three games for Milwaukee, playing six total minutes and averaging 1.7 PPG.

Duval went undrafted last summer after one season at Duke. He played for the Rockets’ summer league team before catching on with the Bucks.

Because he was a two-way player, the move won’t affect Milwaukee’s roster. All 15 slots are filled by players with guaranteed contracts.

Suns Waive Jawun Evans; Rockets Expected To Make Claim

March 23rd, 2019 at 4:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:57pm: Phoenix has waived Evans, tweets Gina Mizell of The Athletic.

4:17pm: The Suns will waive two-way player Jawun Evans, who already has interest from the Rockets, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.

Evans signed a two-way deal with the Suns in December, but has only appeared in seven games for Phoenix, playing about nine minutes per night and averaging less than a point per game. He was much more productive with Northern Arizona, posting a 15.1/3.8/5.8 line in 32 games.

The second-year point guard had a promising rookie season with the Clippers, but couldn’t earn a spot on this year’s roster. He was waived in October just before the start of the regular season, although he had a guaranteed $1.378MM deal.

The Suns won’t be able to replace Evans because the deadline for signing two-way players has already passed. The G League season ends this weekend, and Northern Arizona won’t be in the playoffs.

Houston has a two-way slot open after promoting Danuel House to the 15-man roster. No move would be necessary before adding Evans, but the Rockets’ record puts them toward the back of the line for waiver claims, so it’s possible another organization could seize Evans. Teams will have 48 hours to submit claims once Evans is officially waived.

Spurs Nearing Deal With Donatas Motiejunas

March 23rd, 2019 at 1:28pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Spurs are nearing a deal with big man Donatas Motiejunas, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). After spending five seasons in the NBA, Motiejunas has played in China for the last two years.

San Antonio has an open roster spot since the buyout of fellow European Pau Gasol, thus no additional move needs to be made to accommodate the addition of Motiejunas.

Motiejunas, 28, signed a four-year deal with the Rockets in July 2012 and spent his first four NBA seasons in Houston. After being a reliable scoring option off the bench his first two seasons, Motiejunas broke out in 2014/15, averaging a career-high 12.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG in 71 games (62 starts).

The Lithuanian entered the 2016 offseason a restricted free agent and after a lengthy contractual dispute, the Rockets ultimately rescinded their offer sheet and made him a free agent. Following a 34-game stint with the Pelicans, Motiejunas signed with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association.

In 37 games this season, Motiejunas averaged an impressive 27.3 PPG and 14.0 RPG with the Golden Stars. The signing of Motiejunas would mark the second noteworthy CBA transaction this week as Jimmer Fredette signed a two-year deal with the Suns.

Clippers Sign Justin Bibbs To Second 10-Day Deal

March 23rd, 2019 at 1:04pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Clippers have inked guard Justin Bibbs to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Saturday (Twitter link). Los Angeles assigned Bibbs to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.

Bibbs, 23, joined the Clippers on his first 10-day deal on March 13. Since then, he has appeared in four games with the team’s G League affiliate, averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG. In 48 total NBAGL games, Bibbs has averaged 11.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG for the Maine Red Claws and Clippers.

The Dayton, Ohio native went undrafted out of Virginia Tech last year and was in training camp with the Celtics before being waived prior to the start of the season.