Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Waive Tim Frazier, Sign Dairis Bertans

March 1st, 2019 at 7:58pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 1: Both Frazier’s release and Bertans’ signing are now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

FEBRUARY 28: The Pelicans are making a change to their roster, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team has waived guard Tim Frazier and is working to sign EuroLeague guard Dairis Bertans.

Although neither move has been officially announced yet, Wojnarowski suggests Frazier was released on Wednesday night, while Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that Bertans has agreed to a two-year deal with a team option for 2019/20. Will Guillory of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that Bertans will require FIBA clearance, but the hope is that he can join the Pelicans later this week.

Bertans, 29, is the older brother of Spurs sharpshooter Davis Bertans. Like his brother, Dairis is most dangerous from beyond the arc — while Davis ranks second in the NBA with a .469 3PT%, Dairis leads the EuroLeague with a .536 3PT% in 22 games this season for Italian team Olimpia Milano.

Once the elder Bertans exercises the out clause in his deal with Olimpia Milano and officially joins the Pelicans, he’ll be able to sign for a deal worth up to about $274K in 2018/19, ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (via Twitter). However, that figure is only possible if New Orleans uses the remainder of its bi-annual exception, having given most of it to Elfrid Payton last summer. The Pelicans used their full mid-level exception on Julius Randle.

If New Orleans opts for a minimum salary contract instead, it’ll be worth approximately $199K for this season. Both that figure and the bi-annual number are based on Bertans signing today, so they’d dip a little each day if the move is delayed. Either contract will include a minimum salary (about $1.42MM) for 2019/20. Even if the Pelicans had wanted to go beyond two years for the Latvian guard, they wouldn’t have been able to due to their limited available exceptions.

Meanwhile, Frazier will retain his playoff eligibility for a new team, since he’s being waived before the end of March 1. It’s not clear whether he’ll catch on somewhere else right away, but he could provide some depth at the point for a contender. In 47 games (19.3 MPG) this season, he has averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.4 APG with a .451/.351/.780 shooting line.

These two moves will represent the first two transactions for new Pelicans interim GM Danny Ferry.

Hawks Sign B.J. Johnson To 10-Day Contract

March 1st, 2019 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 1: The signing is official, the Hawks announced in an email.

FEBRUARY 26: The Hawks will fill the final opening on their 15-man roster by signing G League shooting guard B.J. Johnson to a 10-day contract, reports Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to Vivlamore, the club will make the move official later in the week.

Johnson, who went undrafted out of La Salle in 2018, joined the Magic for training camp and the preseason last fall, and then was waived by Orlando before the regular season began. He subsequently headed to the G League and has spent the 2018/19 campaign playing for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s affiliate.

In 37 games (30 starts) for Lakeland, Johnson has recorded 14.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.4 SPG with a shooting line of .464/.426/.837.

Although the Hawks are carrying 14 players for now, Jordan Sibert‘s 10-day contract will expire this Friday night, so the club could open up a roster spot even after signing Johnson. Re-signing Sibert and officially adding Johnson would keep the 15-man squad full for the time being.

Kings Sign Corey Brewer For Rest Of Season

February 28th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

3:58pm: Brewer’s new deal with the Kings will be worth $2MM, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who notes that the club had competition to keep the veteran today (Twitter links). That means that Sacramento is using its room exception to lock up Brewer, rather than just doing a minimum salary deal.

2:16pm: The Kings have made it official, announcing Brewer’s new rest-of-season deal in a press release.

1:10pm: The Kings plan on signing veteran swingman Corey Brewer to a rest-of-season contract, reports James Ham of NBC Sports California (Twitter link). Brewer’s second 10-day deal with Sacramento expired overnight, so he’s technically a free agent until he inks a new deal with the Kings.

Brewer, who appeared in seven games on a pair of 10-day contracts for the Sixers earlier this year, didn’t play during his first 10 days with Sacramento. However, he has emerged as a rotation piece during the Kings’ last few contests, averaging 16.3 MPG in three games, including 20 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee. Brewer averaged 8.3 PPG on .444/.364/.714 shooting in those games.

As a strong defender and high-energy player, Brewer has fit in nicely for the Kings, who traded away a pair of small forwards at the deadline, in Iman Shumpert and Justin Jackson. Harrison Barnes has assumed most of those newly-opened minutes, but the club has found playing time for Brewer recently too.

No corresponding roster move will be required to re-add Brewer, whose signing will give the Kings 14 players on NBA contracts. That leaves one open roster spot if the team wants to add any reinforcements during its playoff push.

If he signs today, Brewer’s new contract would carry a cap hit of about $359K, assuming it’s worth the minimum.

Timberwolves Sign Cam Reynolds To 10-Day Deal

February 27th, 2019 at 12:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 27: The Timberwolves have officially signed Reynolds to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Friday (March 8).

FEBRUARY 25: The Timberwolves are signing swingman Cameron Reynolds of the G League’s Stockton Kings to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Reynolds provides depth with Robert Covington currently sidelined by a knee injury.

Reynolds, 24, was undrafted last year out of Tulane. He’s averaging 16.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.2 APG in 28.0 MPG over 33 G League games. He’s shooting 41.9% from 3-point range.

Reynolds was also named this month to the USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team.

In 135 college games with Tulane, Reynolds averaging 10.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG. He was waived in October after getting invited to the Kings’ training camp and also played for their summer league team.

Nets Sign Tahjere McCall To 10-Day Deal

February 26th, 2019 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

1:14pm: The Nets have officially signed McCall to a 10-day contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.

11:46am: The Nets are poised to sign G League guard Tahjere McCall to a 10-day contract, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic (via Twitter). Brooklyn has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to accommodate McCall.

A former Tennessee State standout, McCall has spent his first two professional seasons with the Long Island Nets since going undrafted in 2017.

McCall’s numbers in the G League have been relatively modest – 9.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.6 APG in 60 games (27.1 MPG) – but he’s a strong perimeter defender and will now get an opportunity to stick with Brooklyn for at least 10 days.

The Nets are already carrying 14 players on standard NBA contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so adding McCall will give them a full 17-man squad.

Bucks Sign Isaiah Canaan To 10-Day Deal

February 25th, 2019 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have signed guard Isaiah Canaan to a 10-day contract, according to a team press release.

Canaan, has played in a combined 26 games with the Suns and Timberwolves this season, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.1 APG in 23.0 MPG. Minnesota inked to a pair of 10-day deals to combat backcourt injuries but decided not to offer him a standard contract once those guards got healthy.

The Suns waived him in late November even though he had started 15 games. Canaan was working with a non-guaranteed contract after re-signing with them during the offseason.

Milwaukee was in the market for veteran help with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sterling Brown, Donte DiVincenzo and George Hill dealing with short-term injuries.

Rockets Sign Terrence Jones, Chris Chiozza On 10-Day Deals

February 22nd, 2019 at 9:15pm CST by JD Shaw

FEBRUARY 22nd, 9:15pm: The signings are official, per team release.

FEBRUARY 21st, 8:27pm: The Rockets are signing G League forward Terrence Jones to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). In addition to Jones, Houston will also sign rookie guard Chris Chiozza to a separate 10-day deal, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Both Jones and Chiozza will start their 10-day contracts with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers — G League affiliate of the Rockets — for evaluation purposes, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

Jones, who holds five years of NBA experience, last played in the league with the Bucks and Pelicans during the 2016/17 season. He spent time with the Rockets during his first four professional seasons, quickly becoming a valuable rotation player for the team. Jones holds career-averages of 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 24 minutes per contest.

Chiozza, a University of Florida product, went undrafted in 2018 and joined the Wizards last fall for training camp. He’s played in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go throughout the 2018/19 season, averaging 13.1 points per game on 42% shooting from 3-point range as a point guard.

The Rockets had to sign two players within the next day to bring their roster count to 14 players, doing so in accordance with NBA rules. Houston (33-24) also got center Clint Capela back from injury for its game against the Lakers on Thursday night, prepping for the start of a final push ahead of the postseason.

Knicks Sign John Jenkins To Two-Year Deal

February 21st, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 21: After Jenkins’ 10-day deal expired overnight, the Knicks officially finalized his multiyear contract today, announcing the signing in a press release.

FEBRUARY 20: With John Jenkins‘ 10-day contract with the Knicks about to expire, the two sides have reached an agreement on a longer-term deal, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Jenkins will sign a two-year contract with New York.

Jenkins, who will turn 28 next month, has played some of the best basketball of his career in 2018/19. The former first-round pick spent most of the season with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, averaging 24.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 3.6 APG with a .473/.431/.928 shooting line in 19 games.

That performance earned Jenkins a pair of 10-day contracts with the Wizards, though he played limited minutes in just four games with the team. He saw more action in two games with the Knicks, posting 10.5 PPG in 17.5 minutes per contest.

The exact terms of Jenkins’ new deal have yet to be reported, but it’s safe to assume it’ll be worth the minimum, and Marc Berman of The New York Post tweets that the 2019/20 salary will be non-guaranteed. The Knicks are being very cautious with how they use their cap room for next season, so it makes sense that Jenkins’ deal won’t cut into that room at all.

Berman does note that there will be an early trigger date, so New York will have to decide during the summer whether to retain or part ways with Jenkins.

Even after re-signing Jenkins, the Knicks will still have just 13 players on NBA contracts, so they’ll have to add at least one more player this week to get up to the league-mandated minimum of 14. It appears that player will be Henry Ellenson, who has reportedly agreed to a 10-day deal with the club.

Suns Sign Ray Spalding To 10-Day Contract

February 21st, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 21: The Suns have officially signed Spalding to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 19: The Suns intend to sign free agent forward Ray Spalding to a 10-day contract, reports Gina Mizell of The Athletic (Twitter link). Phoenix has a pair of open roster spots, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Spalding, who will turn 22 next month, was selected with the 56th overall pick in the 2018 draft and spent most of his rookie season with the Mavericks. While the former Louisville standout appeared in just one game for Dallas, he was a starter in the Texas Legends’ frontcourt, averaging 15.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.2 BPG, and 1.7 SPG in 29 games (30.1 MPG) for the Mavs’ G League affiliate.

The Mavericks released Spalding about three weeks ago when they needed to open up a roster spot to accommodate the incoming players in the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster. Despite a team-friendly contract, he cleared waivers and has been an unrestricted free agent since then.

The Suns will get a look at the rookie and will get back to the NBA-mandated roster minimum of 14 players as a result of the signing. Phoenix had been at 13 players since waiving Wayne Ellington on February 7, and had a two-week window to re-add a 14th man.

Thunder Sign Markieff Morris

February 20th, 2019 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 20: The signing is official, the Thunder announced on their website. Morris will make $573,295 over the next four months and will have a $427,288 cap hit, Bobby Marks posts on ESPN Now. Between Morris’ salary and luxury tax penalties, the total cost to OKC will be $2.2MM.

FEBRUARY 14: The Thunder have reached a contract agreement with free agent forward Markieff Morris, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Even after signing Richard Solomon and Scotty Hopson to 10-day deals today, Oklahoma City has an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be required.

Morris, 29, spent most of the season with the Wizards, averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .436/.333/.781 shooting in 34 games (26.0 MPG). However, conscious of their proximity to the luxury tax threshold, the Wizards opted to trade him at last week’s deadline, saving some money by sending him to New Orleans along with a future second-round pick for Wesley Johnson.

After being subsequently waived by the Pelicans, Morris – who had been recovering from a neck injury – was cleared to resume full basketball activities and reportedly drew interest from the Rockets, Raptors, and Lakers in addition to the Thunder. The Nets were among the other clubs in the mix for him, tweets Charania.

[RELATED: 2019 Buyout Market Watch]

Morris represents an intriguing addition for the Thunder, who had been on the lookout for a stretch four due to Patrick Patterson‘s inconsistent play. While Morris wasn’t exactly having a career year in Washington, he’ll be an upgrade on Patterson, assuming he’s healthy. He should also help replace the shooting previously provided by Alex Abrines, who parted ways with Oklahoma City last week.

It’s not clear whether or not the Thunder will sign Morris right away. Postponing the transaction until after the All-Star break would create some savings on OKC’s cap and projected tax bill, so if Morris is on board with it, the club may wait.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.