Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Re-Sign Chris Chiozza

March 23rd, 2019 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 23: The signing of Chiozza is official, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

MARCH 22: After signing a 10-day contract with the Rockets last month, Chris Chiozza will soon return to the team, according to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (via Twitter). League sources tell Johnson that the Rockets intend to sign Chiozza to a rest-of-season contract.

Chiozza, 23, went undrafted out of Florida in 2018 before joining the Wizards in the fall for training camp. After being waived by Washington, he has spent most of his rookie season in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 13.2 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.9 SPG with a .438/.407/.760 shooting line in 47 NBAGL games (33.5 MPG). Despite joining the Rockets for 10 days after the All-Star break, Chiozza has yet to make his regular-season NBA debut.

The Rockets are currently carrying 13 players on their roster, so adding Chiozza will get them back to the league-mandated 14-player minimum. Teams that dip below 14 players are given a two-week window to reach that minimum. Since Terrence Jones‘ 10-day contract expired overnight on March 13, Houston still has several days before that window expires, so it’s not clear if Chiozza will be re-signed right away.

If the Rockets wait a few more days to sign Chiozza, it could help ensure that the team stays out of tax territory. Still, as cap expert Albert Nahmad detailed last week (via Twitter), Houston should remain safely under the tax line for 2018/19 as long as Clint Capela doesn’t earn either of his $500K bonuses for a 65% free-throw rate or a 30% defensive rebound rate. Currently, the big man is not on track to meet either benchmark.

Kings Sign Cody Demps To 10-Day Contract

March 22nd, 2019 at 10:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have signed free agent guard Cody Demps to a 10-day contract, the club announced today in a press release. Sacramento had an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to create room.

Demps is a local product who played his college ball at Sacramento State and has spent the past two years with the Kings’ G League affiliate. In 49 games (41 starts) for the Stockton Kings this season, he has averaged 11.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .446/.308/.802 shooting.

Sacramento’s roster looks fairly healthy at this point, so it’s not clear whether Demps will see much playing time in the next 10 days. If he impresses the Kings during that stretch, perhaps he’ll earn a rest-of-season contract, though his 10-day stint in Sacramento could end up being more of a reward for the work he has put in for the club’s NBAGL squad.

As a rookie, Demps will earn $47,371 over the course of his 10-day deal.

Suns Sign Jimmer Fredette

March 22nd, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 22: The Suns have made it official, announcing Fredette’s new deal today in a press release.

MARCH 21: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette to a rest-of-season contract which will include a team option for 2019/20, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Because Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster, no corresponding move will be required to create an opening.

The move is not yet official, as Fredette still requires clearance after spending the 2018/19 season in the Chinese Basketball Association, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. That should happen soon.

Once Fredette officially finalizes his new deal with the Suns, he’ll be back in the NBA for the first time since the 2015/16 season, when he appeared in just six games for the Pelicans and Knicks. Since then, the 30-year-old guard has made a name for himself in China, where he has put up huge scoring numbers for the Shanghai Sharks. In 43 games this season, Fredette averaged a league-leading 36.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 2.6 SPG.

Although he never developed into a reliable rotation player in 235 games for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, and Knicks, the former BYU star has said that he feels as if he’d succeed if given another opportunity in the NBA. Given how often teams are launching three-point shots these days, Fredette’s outside touch should be an asset — he made 38.1% of his three-point attempts in his previous five NBA seasons.

“I definitely get that itch when I watch NBA games, I know that I can be out there,” Fredette told Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype in November. “They’re shooting so many three-pointers and so much of it has to do with space, movement and transition. During half-court sets, they’re looking to space and drive and shoot and that plays into my skill set so well. It’s absolutely my style. I see their offensive systems and everyone can use another shooter, another scorer.”

The Suns will now have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The exact terms of Fredette’s deal aren’t yet known, but if he signed for the minimum, his non-guaranteed 2019/20 option would be worth just shy of $2MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers Sign Scott Machado To 10-Day Deal

March 21st, 2019 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 21: The Lakers have officially signed Machado to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 20: Veteran guard Scott Machado will sign a 10-day contract with the Lakers, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.

The 28-year-old was in training camp with L.A., but was waived just before the season began. His only prior NBA experience was six games with the Rockets during his rookie year of 2012/13.

Machado has spent this season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he posted a 16.4/3.4/8.0 line in 45 games. He was recently named G League Player of the Week, according to Scotto.

The Lakers have a full 15-man roster, but Andre Ingram‘s 10-day deal is about to expire, so it appears the team will opt not to re-sign him to create room for Machado.

Pelicans Claim Christian Wood, Waive Jason Smith

March 20th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:37pm: The move is official, according to a tweet from the Pelicans.

4:10pm: The Pelicans picked up former Bucks forward Christian Wood on waivers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Jason Smith has been waived to create a roster opening, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Milwaukee parted with Wood on Monday to make room for Tim Frazier, who was signed to bolster the backcourt after an injury to Malcolm Brogdon. There was speculation that Wood might draw interest on the waiver wire because of the promise he showed in the G League and a $1,645,357 salary for next season that is non-guaranteed. He will receive $822,679 if he’s not waived before opening night, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. With the waiver claim, New Orleans inherits Wood’s $1,512,601 cap charge for this year, which is removed from the Bucks’ books.

Wood, 23, got into just 13 games during his time in Milwaukee, playing less than five minutes per night. He made a huge impact in the G League, averaging 29.3 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 2.4 APG and 2.2 BPG on 55.9% shooting in 28 games (35.3 MPG) for the Wisconsin Herd. He has previous NBA experience with the Sixers and Hornets.

Wood may get a greater chance to prove himself with the Pelicans, who are playing Anthony Davis on a limited schedule and are thinking about shutting down Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore for the rest of the season.

Smith finds himself on waivers after playing just two games for New Orleans following a trade from the Bucks last month. The 33-year-old was on his third team this season, playing six games for Milwaukee and 12 for Washington.

Timberwolves Sign Cam Reynolds To Multiyear Deal

March 19th, 2019 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 19: The Timberwolves’ new deal with Reynolds is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

MARCH 15: The Timberwolves and rookie swingman Cameron Reynolds have agreed to terms on a multiyear deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). While Charania doesn’t provide additional details on the agreement, Reynolds’ new contract is unlikely to be fully guaranteed after this season.

An undrafted free agent out of Tulane, Reynolds signed with the Kings during the 2018 offseason, but was released before the regular season got underway. After spending most of the season with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the 24-year-old earned a call-up from the Timberwolves last month.

Reynolds is currently on his second 10-day contract with Minnesota, having averaged 4.3 PPG in six NBA games (14.8 MPG) for the Wolves. That deal is set to expire on Monday night, so the two sides figure to make Reynolds’ multiyear contract official after that.

While there’s no guarantee that Reynolds will earn a spot on the Timberwolves’ 2019/20 roster, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets that head coach Ryan Saunders is a big fan of the youngster. According to Krawcznyski, the club believes that Reynolds’ length and shooting ability could make him a solid rotation player in the future.

Once Reynolds’ new deal is finalized, the Wolves will officially have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on standard NBA contracts. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, Reynolds will become the sixth player this season to parlay a 10-day deal into a rest-of-season guarantee from the same club.

Bucks Sign Tim Frazier, Waive Christian Wood

March 19th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 19, 10:22am: The Bucks have officially signed Frazier to a rest-of-season deal, according to a press release from the team.

MARCH 18, 11:05am: The Bucks have officially waived Wood, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MARCH 18, 9:32am: The Bucks are making a change to their 15-man roster in the wake of Malcolm Brogdon‘s foot injury, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will sign free agent guard Tim Frazier. Milwaukee will waive forward Christian Wood to open up a spot for the new addition.

It’s a logical move for the Bucks, who carried Frazier on their roster during training camp and the preseason last fall before releasing him. The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Pelicans at that point, but once New Orleans fell out of playoff contention in February, the club cut Frazier to take a flier on EuroLeague sharpshooter Dairis Bertans.

In 47 games (17 starts) this season with the Pelicans, Frazier averaged 5.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 2.9 RPG with a .451/.351/.780 shooting line.

Signing Frazier will allow the Bucks to address an area of need, with Brogdon expected to miss approximately six to eight weeks due to a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot. However, the move will cost the team Wood, who was a “valued member” of the organization, as Haynes tweets.

The 23-year-old played sparingly for Milwaukee this season, but has put up massive G League numbers, averaging 29.3 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 2.1 BPG on 55.9% shooting in 28 games (35.3 MPG) for the Wisconsin Herd. He’s expected to draw interest from other NBA clubs, per Haynes, though he wouldn’t be playoff-eligible this spring.

If Wood goes unclaimed on waivers, the Bucks will remain responsible for his $1,512,601 cap hit for 2018/19, but would be off the hook for $1,645,357 salary for 2019/20, since it’s non-guaranteed. Wood might be an appealing target on waivers though, since his two-year, minimum-salary contract allows any club to place a claim using the minimum salary exception. If he’s claimed, his cap charge would be removed from Milwaukee’s books.

Frazier, meanwhile, would have a $205,098 cap hit for the rest of the season if the Bucks officially sign him today.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hawks Sign Deyonta Davis To 10-Day Deal

March 19th, 2019 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

10:21am: The Hawks have officially signed Davis to a 10-day contract, the club announced today in a press release. The deal will run through Thursday, March 28.

8:57am: The Hawks are set to sign G League big man Deyonta Davis to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Atlanta opened a spot on its 15-man roster on Monday when Tyler Zeller‘s 10-day deal expired, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Davis, 22, was selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2016 draft and appeared in 98 total games in two seasons for the Grizzlies, averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 12.1 minutes per contest. However, Memphis traded him to the Kings during the 2018 offseason and he was subsequently waived.

Having failed to catch on with an NBA team for the 2018/19 season, Davis headed to the G League, where he has appeared in 43 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors. The former Michigan State standout has recorded 9.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 23.4 MPG for Golden State’s NBAGL affiliate.

With their spot in the lottery fairly secure, the Hawks have been using 10-day contracts to audition various players during the season’s second half. Davis will be the fourth player to sign at least one 10-day deal with Atlanta in 2019, joining Zeller, Jordan Sibert, and B.J. Johnson. Johnson’s second 10-day pact is set to expire this Thursday night, so the Hawks will open up another roster spot at that time.

Davis will earn $85,458 on his 10-day contract with the Hawks.

Heat Sign Charles Cooke To 10-Day Deal

March 15th, 2019 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:48pm: The signing is official, the team’s PR department tweets.

4:45pm: The Heat will sign guard Charles Cooke to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Cooke has been playing with their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Miami needed to add another player to fulfill the league requirement of 14 players on the 15-man roster. The Heat have been at 13 players since March 2 and needed to make a move by Saturday.

Cooke, 24, went undrafted out of Dayton. He played 13 games with the Pelicans last season but averaged just 2.9 MPG in those appearances.

In 37 games with the Skyforce, Cooke averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.2 APG in 31.0 MPG.

Magic Sign Michael Carter-Williams To 10-Day Deal

March 15th, 2019 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

1:28pm: The Magic have officially signed Carter-Williams to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

1:16pm: The Magic will add some depth at the point guard position by signing free agent Michael Carter-Williams to a 10-day contract, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). Orlando has a full 15-man roster, but won’t need to waive anyone to make room for Carter-Williams, as the team has been granted a hardship exception, per Robbins.

An NBA team can apply for an extra roster spot via the hardship provision when it has four players who have missed at least three games each and are expected to remain sidelined for the next two weeks. For Orlando, Markelle Fultz, Mohamed Bamba, and Timofey Mozgov remain on the shelf with long-term injuries. With Isaiah Briscoe out as well due to knee surgery, the Magic meet the requirements for that 16th roster spot.

Carter-Williams, a former Rookie of the Year, signed with the Rockets during the 2018 offseason, but wasn’t a great fit in Houston, appearing in just 16 games (9.1 MPG) for Mike D’Antoni‘s club before he was traded to the Bulls and subsequently waived in January. He has been a free agent since then.

Since breaking into the league in 2013/14, Carter-Williams’ career has trended in the wrong direction — he has seen his playing time and his scoring numbers decline in each of his five seasons since winning that Rookie of the Year award. Still, the Magic could be a good short-term fit for the 27-year-old.

Carter-Williams will reunite with Steve Clifford, his head coach last season in Charlotte. And with Briscoe unavailable, there could be point guard minutes available in Orlando behind starter D.J. Augustin. Jerian Grant has handled those minutes in Briscoe’s absence and held the backup job earlier in the season, but his play has been up and down and the Magic have struggled with him on the floor. The club has a -7.8 net rating when Grant plays, compared to a +1.9 rating when he sits.

The Magic remain in the hunt for a playoff spot in the East, just 1.5 games behind Miami for the No. 8 seed. If they so desire, they’ll be able to sign MCW to a second 10-day contract without waiving anyone once this deal ends, assuming none of those injured players are ready to return.

Carter-Williams will earn $99,290 on his 10-day deal, which will carry a cap hit of $85,458.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.