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Bulls Waive Cameron Payne

January 3rd, 2019 at 10:39pm CST by JD Shaw

10:39pm: The Bulls have officially waived Payne, according to a press release from the team.

8:05pm: The Bulls are likely to waive Cameron Payne once their multi-player trade with the Grizzlies is official, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Payne is a former first-round pick and holds four years of NBA experience.

Chicago agreed to send Justin Holiday to Memphis in exchange for Wayne Selden, MarShon Brooks, a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick on Thursday, Wojnarowski reported. The Bulls already have a full 15-man roster, so they don’t have the room necessary to acquire two players for one without releasing someone else.

The Bulls are expected to remain active in trade discussions as the February 7 deadline nears, with the team already shopping players such as Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez, Wojnarowski adds. Chicago holds a 10-28 record through their first 38 games this season.

Payne, 24, was traded from the Thunder to the Bulls at the trade deadline in February of 2017. He’s struggled to establish himself as a consistent contributor since entering the league, dealing with a series of foot injuries in recent years.

Payne spent one full season and two half-seasons with Chicago, though he appeared in just 67 total games for the Bulls during that time. He has averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 assists and 17.3 minutes in 31 games this season, shooting 41% from the floor and 27% from 3-point range.

Suns Release Eric Moreland

January 3rd, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have waived veteran forward/center Eric Moreland, the team announced today in a press release. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Moreland will become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

Moreland, 27, signed with Phoenix last month and appeared in just one game for the team, playing five minutes in a blowout loss to Golden State on New Year’s Eve.

Moreland was leaned on as a rotation piece in Detroit last season, averaging 2.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 67 contests (12.0 MPG) for the Pistons. However, he was cut by in July before his salary for 2018/19 could become fully guaranteed, and spent training camp with the Raptors. He also participated in the latest round of World Cup qualifiers, helping Team USA clinch a berth in this year’s event.

Before releasing Moreland, Phoenix had been carrying 14 players on standard NBA contracts, which is the league-mandated minimum. Teams are allowed to dip down to 13 players for two weeks at a time, so the Suns will have until January 17 to replace Moreland on their roster.

Because Moreland’s contract was non-guaranteed, the Suns will only be on the hook for a prorated portion of his minimum salary. The big man earned approximately $239K during his time in Phoenix.

Alan Williams Waived By Nets, Will Play In China

January 2nd, 2019 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have requested waivers on veteran big man Alan Williams, the team announced today in a press release. Williams, a two-way player with Brooklyn, has a deal lined up with a team in China, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Williams, who will turn 26 later this month, spent parts of three seasons with the Suns after making his NBA debut in March of 2016. The former UC Santa Barbara standout had a promising 2016/17 season in Phoenix, averaging 7.4 PPG and 6.2 RPG in just 15.1 minutes per contest (47 games).

That showing earned Williams a three-year, $17MM+ contract, but a knee injury sidelined him for most of last season, limiting him to five games. Because the final two years of his deal weren’t guaranteed, the Suns released him in the offseason and he caught on with the Nets.

Williams had bounced back nicely in the G League in 2018/19, averaging 21.0 PPG and a league-high 14.7 RPG in 17 games (26.9 MPG) for the Long Island Nets. However, he didn’t appear in a game for Brooklyn, which has a crowded frontcourt, and the team has opted to move on from him, allowing him to pursue an opportunity overseas.

The Nets now have one two-way contract slot open, with Theo Pinson occupying the other slot. Teams have until January 15 to sign two-way deals, so Brooklyn figures to fill its newly-created opening within the next couple weeks.

Grizzlies Sign Jarnell Stokes, Waive D.J. Stephens

January 1st, 2019 at 4:19pm CST by JD Shaw

JANUARY 1: Stokes has officially signed, according to a tweet from the Grizzlies.

DECEMBER 30: The Grizzlies plan to sign forward Jarnell Stokes to a two-way deal, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Memphis created an open two-way roster spot by waiving D.J. Stephens on Sunday, reaching the agreement to sign Stokes beforehand.

Stokes had worked out for the Grizzlies in early November before the team signed Joakim Noah, a league source told Hoops Rumors.

Stokes has spent the first part of the season playing in Sioux Falls, G League affiliate of the Heat, and appeared in 19 games with Memphis during the 2014/15 season. He’s improved vastly on defense in his time away from the team, transitioning into a solid two-way player that fits the Grizzlies’ grit-and-grind mentality.

Stephens, 28, signed a two-way deal with Memphis on Oct. 8 and played just one game with the team this season. He appeared in 10 contests with the club’s G League team, averaging 7.9 points and five rebounds per outing.

The Grizzlies have upcoming games scheduled against the Rockets (Dec. 31), Pistons (Jan. 2) and Nets (Jan. 4), holding a 18-17 record through the season’s first 35 games.

Warriors Decline To Match Cavs’ Offer Sheet For Patrick McCaw

December 30th, 2018 at 11:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have opted not to match the Cavaliers‘ offer sheet for Patrick McCaw, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter). Golden State had until the end of the day on Sunday to formally make a decision on McCaw, who inked a two-year, $6MM deal with Cleveland on Friday.

Reports surfaced over the weekend suggesting that the Warriors were leaning against matching McCaw’s offer sheet, since they were unsure how he’d fit back into the locker room after a lengthy holdout. The club also likes the idea of keeping its 15th roster spot open to retain flexibility going forward. Plus, matching McCaw’s offer sheet and keeping him for the season would have increased the Dubs’ projected tax bill by over $11MM.

McCaw, who has been 2018’s only unsigned restricted free agent for the past few months, had a promising rookie season for Golden State in 2016/17, but took a step backward last season. In 57 games (16.9 MPG), the former UNLV standout averaged 4.0 PPG on .409/.238/.765 shooting.

Despite his struggles in 2017/18, the Warriors issued McCaw a qualifying offer, then reportedly proposed a two-year, $5.2MM contract, with a non-guaranteed second year. Unsatisfied with that offer, McCaw held out for nearly the entire first half of the regular season as he sought a deal with another team. The Cavaliers stepped up and became that team this week.

Cleveland topped Golden State’s offer by signing McCaw to a two-year, $6MM offer sheet. While the Cavs’ deal is fully non-guaranteed, McCaw only has to remain under contract beyond January 7 to lock in his 2018/19 salary. If he’s waived on or before that date, his salary won’t become guaranteed, but he’ll be on track to become an unrestricted free agent, so it’s a win-win scenario for the 23-year-old.

The Cavaliers’ plan for McCaw remains unclear, but they currently have the NBA’s worst record (8-29) and are in the process of stockpiling young talent after carrying a veteran-heavy roster in recent years. McCaw could end up being an intriguing addition to a group of young players that includes Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance, and Ante Zizic.

Cleveland won’t have to make a corresponding roster move to finalize McCaw’s signing, since the club had been carrying an open spot on its 15-man roster. The Cavs’ roster is now full, and the team still has a little breathing room below the luxury tax line.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets Waive Nick Young

December 30th, 2018 at 12:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets have parted ways with veteran guard Nick Young, the team announced in a tweet.

Young signed in Denver 20 days ago shortly after the team was granted a hardship exception. He appeared in four games, averaging 2.3 PPG in 9.3 minutes per night.

The hardship exception expires when a sufficient number of players return from injury, and the Nuggets are starting to get healthy, notes Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports (Twitter link). Paul Millsap came back last night, and Gary Harris and Will Barton are expected to return soon.

Denver has a full roster with 15 players plus both two-way slots filled. Young, who had a non-guaranteed contract, understood the situation and was professional during his time with the team, Dempsey adds (Twitter link). The Nuggets will incur a $311,070 cap hit for Young, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Patrick McCaw Signs Offer Sheet With Cavs

December 28th, 2018 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

7:44pm: McCaw has officially signed the offer sheet, according to a team press release.

10:44am: The Cavaliers’ offer sheet for McCaw is non-guaranteed, tweets Wojnarowski. Players who aren’t waived by January 7 will have their 2018/19 salaries fully guaranteed, so no matter which team he ends up with, McCaw will either have his first-year salary locked in at that point or will be waived, putting him on track for unrestricted free agency.

10:26am: After remaining on the free agent market for nearly six months, shooting guard Patrick McCaw is poised to sign an offer sheet with the Cavaliers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). It will be a two-year deal worth $6MM, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Because McCaw is a restricted free agent, the Warriors will have the opportunity to match Cleveland’s offer. A report last week indicated that they were still prepared to match any offer sheet within reason, but this offer figures to give them pause, as McCaw has exhibited a desire to move on from Golden State, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Dubs will have two days to make their decision once McCaw makes it official with the Cavs.

McCaw, who has been 2018’s last unsigned restricted free agent for several months, had a promising rookie season for Golden State in 2016/17, but took a step back last season. In 57 games (16.9 MPG), the former UNLV standout averaged 4.0 PPG on .409/.238/.765 shooting.

Despite his struggles in 2017/18, the Warriors issued McCaw a qualifying offer, then reportedly proposed a two-year, $5.2MM contract, with a non-guaranteed second year. Unsatisfied with that offer, McCaw has held out for nearly the entire first half of the regular season as he sought a deal with another team. Now, the Cavaliers have stepped up to become that team, with their offer sheet topping the money Golden State had put on the table.

The Cavs currently have the NBA’s worst record (8-27) and are in the process of stockpiling young talent after carrying a veteran-heavy roster in recent years. If the Warriors decline to match their offer for McCaw, they’ll be able to add him to a group of young players that includes Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance, and Ante Zizic.

Because their offer sheet exceeds the minimum salary, the Cavs will have to dip into either the mid-level exception ($8.64MM) or bi-annual exception ($3.34MM). Both exceptions are fully available and would fit McCaw’s offer sheet. The deal would also leave Cleveland a little breathing room below the luxury tax threshold, since the club is currently about $3.93MM away from being a taxpayer, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The Cavs currently have an open spot on their 15-man roster and won’t have to make a corresponding move if they land McCaw. The Warriors also have an opening on their roster, but may prefer to keep that spot available for increased flexibility. Matching McCaw’s offer sheet would also increase Golden State’s projected tax bill by more than $10MM, as Marks tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Thunder Waive Davis, Sign Grantham To Two-Way Deal

December 28th, 2018 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 28: The Thunder have officially signed Grantham to a two-way contract, the club confirmed today in a press release.

DECEMBER 27: The Thunder are turning over one of their two-way contract slots, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived center Tyler Davis. According to Brett Dawson of The Athletic (via Twitter), Oklahoma City will replace Davis by signing Donte Grantham to a two-way contract.

Davis, who went undrafted in June after forgoing his final year of college eligibility to declare as an early entrant, signed a two-way contract with the Thunder in August. The 21-year-old big man appeared very briefly in just a single game for OKC, but racked up double-doubles for the club’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. In 15 NBAGL games, Davis averaged 17.2 PPG and 11.5 RPG in 26.7 minutes per contest.

As for Grantham, this will technically be the second stint with the Thunder for the former Clemson forward. Grantham, who tore his ACL during his senior season, signed a camp deal with Oklahoma City during the offseason, but was cut before the regular season began and joined the Blue. He has posted 10.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG with a .400 3PT% in nine G League games so far, as he gets back to full health.

There will likely be plenty of turnover in the two-way ranks in the coming weeks, since January 15 represents the deadline for clubs to sign players to two-way deals in 2018/19.

Rookie swingman Deonte Burton holds the other two-way contract slot in OKC.

Bulls Sign Brandon Sampson To Two-Way Deal

December 27th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 27: The Bulls have made it official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Sampson and waived Ulis.

DECEMBER 21: The Bulls are signing shooting guard Brandon Sampson to a two-way deal and waiving Tyler Ulis, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Charania erroneously reported earlier that Chicago was signing forward JaKarr Sampson from their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. JaKarr Sampson reached a deal earlier this week to play with the Shandong Golden Stars in China.

Brandon Sampson, 21, attended LSU and went undrafted. The 6’5” Sampson has appeared in 18 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ affiliate, averaging 17.6 PPG and 3.9 APG in 35.2 MPG.

Chicago’s other two-way slot is occupied by guard Rawle Alkins. As Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days tweets, Ulis has been out of action most of the season with a hip injury.

Sampson was on the Rockets’ training camp roster.

During his final college season as a junior, he battled an ankle injury and averaged just 7.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 27 games (18.9 MPG). Sampson joined the Hawks for Las Vegas Summer League play in July, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in three games (16.0 MPG).

Rockets Sign Austin Rivers

December 24th, 2018 at 11:09am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 24, 11:09am: The Rockets have officially signed Rivers to a rest-of-season deal, announcing the news in a press release.

DECEMBER 23, 1:34pm: Rivers will get back the $650K he gave to Phoenix in his buyout agreement, plus nearly $500K more from the Rockets, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Houston’s cap hit will fall between $914K and $931K, depending on when his signing becomes official. The Rockets don’t play again until Tuesday.

DECEMBER 23, 12:53pm: Former Wizards guard Austin Rivers has reached an agreement to join the Rockets, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

His contract will be fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Houston has an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary. The Rockets have part of their mid-level exception remaining, but there’s no word on whether Rivers will receive more than a veteran’s minimum contract. His new salary will cut into the $12MM still owed to him by the Suns, who waived him earlier this week.

Houston has a need for guard help with Chris Paul sidelined for at least the next two weeks with a strained hamstring. The move reunites the former Clippers teammates, who had an uneasy relationship when they were together in L.A. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Paul had no objections to signing Rivers, understanding that the team needs immediate backcourt help (Twitter link).

The agreement with the Rockets caps an eventful nine days for Rivers, who was involved in a canceled three-team trade, then was dealt to the Suns the next day. He reached a buyout agreement with Phoenix and has been looking for an opportunity with a contending team that could offer him consistent playing time. Houston qualified when Paul got injured Thursday night.

Rivers was having a productive first year in Washington after being acquired from the Clippers in an offseason trade. Used mainly in a reserve role, he posted a 7.2/2.4/2.0 line through 29 games.