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Nuggets Sign Nick Young

December 10th, 2018 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have added some scoring punch to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed veteran swingman Nick Young to a contract. Brandon Goodwin has been waived in a corresponding move, according to the full press release from the club.

Having previously been granted a hardship exception to sign a 16th player due to their injury woes, the Nuggets used that exception on Goodwin, but will now slot Young in as their 16th man. The NBA can give a team a hardship exception, which allows for an extra roster spot, when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games and are expected to miss at least two more weeks.

In Denver’s case, Will Barton, Isaiah Thomas, Michael Porter, and Jarred Vanderbilt have all been on the shelf for most or all of the season, but the club’s injury issues don’t stop there. Gary Harris is now expected to miss multiple weeks, while Paul Millsap suffered a broken toe and will likely sidelined for the foreseeable future as well.

Down six players, the Nuggets will add some veteran help by signing Young, who had yet to find an NBA home for the 2018/19 season after winning a title with the Warriors in the spring. An 11-year veteran, Young has averaged 11.4 PPG on .418/.376/.836 shooting in 716 career regular season games. In Golden State last season, the 33-year-old posted 7.3 PPG in 80 games (17.4 MPG).

Young will receive a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who notes (via Twitter) that it will count against the cap for about $1.04MM. Once the Nuggets starts getting healthier, they will lose access to their exception and will have to either trade or release Young or another player to get back down to 15 players.

As for Goodwin, he’ll count for $66,319 against Denver’s cap for his 14 days of service.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Acquire George Hill From Cavs

December 8th, 2018 at 9:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

DECEMBER 8, 9:00am: As part of the deal, the Wizards also removed the protections on the 2020 second-round pick they owe the Bucks, reports Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). In summation, the trade looks like this, as Smith tweets:

Bucks receive George Hill, Jason Smith, cash considerations (from Wizards), the Wizards’ 2021 second-round pick (from Cavaliers), and the protections removed on the Wizards’ 2020 second-round pick.
Cavaliers receive John Henson, Matthew Dellavedova, the Bucks’ 2021 first-round pick (protections detailed below), the Bucks’ 2021 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2022 second-round pick.
Wizards receive Sam Dekker.

DECEMBER 7, 9:25pm: The trade is official, according to a Cavaliers press release. as relayed by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

6:20pm: The Wizards have agreed to make it a three-team deal by acquiring Dekker for big man Jason Smith and a second-round pick, Wojnarowski tweets. The Cavs will swap a 2021 second-rounder with Washington for a 2022 second-rounder, Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweets.

5:05pm: The Bucks have agreed to acquire veteran guard George Hill from the Cavaliers in exchange for guard Matthew Dellavedova, injured center John Henson and first- and second-round picks in 2021, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Cleveland is also sending forward Sam Dekker to Milwaukee, Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweets.

As always, the deal is contingent on the players passing physicals.

The Bucks will save approximately $18MM for the 2019/20 season with this move, which will increase their flexibility to make more moves next summer, Wojnarowski notes in a separate tweet. With Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe both on track to become free agents in July, that extra flexibility could be crucial.

The Cavs are showing a continued willingness to take on salary in order to acquire future assets, Wojnarowski adds.

There was a sense of urgency in getting this deal done on Friday. These players are now eligible to be aggregated on the February 7th trade deadline, Wojnarowski points out in another tweet. Thus, these players can be combined with other contracts in a deadline deal.

While Cleveland is technically acquiring Milwaukee’s 2021 first-rounder in the deal, it’s likely to get pushed back to 2022. That’s because the first-rounder that Milwaukee owes Phoenix next summer almost certainly won’t change hands until 2020, as it’s protected 1-3 and 17-30 for 2019. Since teams can’t trade future first-round picks in back-to-back seasons, the Cavs would have to wait an extra year to get their pick from Milwaukee.

There are protections on the first-round pick going to Cleveland, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link). The first-rounder is protected 1-14 in 2021; 1-10 in 2022; 1-10 and 25-30 in 2023; and 1-8 in 2024. If still not conveyed by then, it converts to two second-rounders in 2025.

Hill is making $19MM this season but his $18MM salary for next season doesn’t become fully guaranteed until July 1. Only $1MM is guaranteed, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Milwaukee will almost assuredly cut him loose before then, eating his $1MM partial guarantee. However, Hill can be a contributor this season on a playoff contender.

He joins a guard rotation that includes Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon and Tony Snell. The addition of Hill would seemingly reduce Donte DiVincenzo‘s minutes.

Henson is making $11.3MM this season and has a $10.5MM guarantee for next season in the final year of his deal. He recently underwent wrist surgery and could miss the rest of the season.

Dellavedova, who will begin his second stint in Cleveland, is making $9.6MM this season and the same amount next season.

Dekker is making $2.76MM and Milwaukee would have to extend a $3.9MM qualifying offer after the season to make him a restricted free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Suns Sign Jawun Evans To Two-Way Deal

December 7th, 2018 at 5:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:55pm: The Suns have officially signed Evans, the team announced in a press release.

5:00pm: The Suns will sign guard Jawun Evans to a two-way contract, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.

Evans has been playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. The 6-foot Evans, 22, has appeared in 14 G League games this season, averaging 18.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.6 APG and 1.6 SPG in 30.4 MPG.

The Suns have been searching for a short-term solution at point guard with Devin Booker, who had been moved to the point in the starting lineup, nursing a hamstring injury.

Phoenix had an open two-way slot. George King, a shooting guard, has the other two-way deal.

The Clippers waived Evans in mid-October despite having a guaranteed contract worth approximately $1.378MM after they acquired swingman Wesley Johnson. Evans underwent sports hernia surgery last spring after appearing in 48 games with the Clippers as a rookie. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.1 APG in 16.2 MPG.

The Oklahoma State product was the 39th pick of the 2017 draft and was traded by the Sixers to the Clippers in a draft-night swap.

Rockets Reach Three-Year Deal With Clark, Re-Sign House

December 6th, 2018 at 4:49pm CST by JD Shaw

The Rockets have reached a new deal with forward Gary Clark, converting his two-way contract into a three-year, $3.7MM deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team confirmed the move in a press release.

Clark’s deal is fully guaranteed this season and half guaranteed during the 2019/20 season with incentives to make it fully guaranteed, Charania reports. The 2020/21 salary would become guaranteed on August 1, 2020, provided Clark is still on the roster.

Houston used part of its mid-level exception in the agreement with Clark, who has emerged as a solid two-way player in 21 games this season.

“It felt kind of unreal, all I’ve been through to get to this point,” Clark said about signing his contract, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26. “From injuries to everyone on the outside not believing in me. Nothing is secure in this business. You have to perform every day.”

The team is also bringing back swingman Danuel House on a two-way contract, according to Charania. House was waived Tuesday after playing just five games, and signed his new contract with the team in time to play against the Jazz on Thursday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Clark has averaged 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest, guarding multiple positions when called upon and playing inspired basketball in his first NBA season. He’s struggled shooting the ball (30% from the floor and 27% from deep), but has impressed teammates and coaches alike with his aggressive mentality and positive attitude.

The Rockets have dealt with several key injuries and have a 11-12 record this season, which includes losing five of 10 games at home. After playing Utah on Thursday, the team has contests against the Mavericks, Blazers and Lakers.

The Rockets have 15 roster spots and both two-way contract slots filled, but could open another roster spot once they move on from Carmelo Anthony.

Pelicans Sign Andrew Harrison To Two-Way Deal

December 5th, 2018 at 4:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

DECEMBER 5: The Pelicans have officially signed Harrison to his two-way contract, per a press release from the team.

DECEMBER 4: The Pelicans will sign Andrew Harrison to a two-way deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The combo guard began the season in Memphis before the team waived him. He then caught on with the Cavaliers on a two-way deal, only to be waived again after Cleveland acquired Alec Burks.

Harrison has played in 139 NBA games to date. He’s averaging 7.2 points and 2.8 assists per contest while shooting 37.5% from the field.

Rockets Waive Danuel House

December 4th, 2018 at 4:35pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Rockets have waived swingman Danuel House, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Houston added House to its roster in late November after he showcased his ability in the G League. The signing came when the Rockets had a bevy of injuries but it appears the team is confident in its depth now that several of its players have come back from injury.

House has played in five games for Houston this season. He averaged 8.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Because House was on a non-guaranteed contract, the Rockets will only be on the hook for a small portion of his minimum salary. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, the cap charge for House should be about $94K.

Grizzlies Officially Sign Joakim Noah

December 4th, 2018 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

12:41pm: As expected, the Grizzlies have officially signed Noah, the club announced in a press release.

11:58am: Free agent center Joakim Noah has now undergone a physical with the Grizzlies and is set to officially sign his new contract with the club today, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). A report last Friday first indicated that the two sides had reached an agreement on a deal.

Noah’s contract will be a one-year, minimum-salary pact. It will pay him a prorated salary of $1,731,173 and will count against Memphis’ cap for $1,093,858. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies won’t need to waive anyone to open up a roster spot for their newly-added center — the team has had an opening on its 15-man squad since releasing Andrew Harrison earlier in the season.

Noah, who spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016, appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York. He was sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek, then was waived before this fall’s regular season opener with two years left on his contract.

Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role.

That’s the Grizzlies’ hope, as they’ll add the former Defensive Player of the Year to a frontcourt that has already features plenty of defensive talent, with veteran Marc Gasol and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. manning the middle.

Cavaliers Waive Preston, Harrison, Sign Blossomgame, Jones

December 2nd, 2018 at 11:15am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have replaced both of their players on two-way contracts, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland waived Billy Preston and Andrew Harrison and signed Jaron Blossomgame and Jalen Jones.

Blossomgame, a second-round pick by the Spurs in 2017, was recently acquired in a trade by Cleveland’s G League affiliate in Canton. The 25-year-old averaged 17.2 PPG in five games with the Charge while shooting 49% from the floor and 38% on 3-pointers.

Jones, also 25, played 16 games last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks. He started the year as a two-way player in New Orleans, then was claimed off waivers by Dallas in January. Fedor speculates that he may remain with the Cavs for a few games, rather than being sent to the G League right away, because David Nwaba is sidelined with a sore knee.

Preston signed a two-way deal with Cleveland in July, but hasn’t advanced above the G League. Fedor states that the Cavaliers talked about calling him up as insurance with the recent rash of injuries, but management decided he wasn’t ready to contribute at the NBA level.

The Cavs signed Harrison on November 9 to provide an extra ball-handler with George Hill hurt. Hill returned to the lineup last night and Alec Burks, acquired in a trade with the Jazz this week, will help run the offense, which eliminates the need to keep Harrison. He had played in 10 of the team’s past 11 games and was averaging 4.3 PPG.

Grizzlies, Joakim Noah Agree To One-Year Deal

November 30th, 2018 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have reached an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Noah will ink a one-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum — that was all Memphis could offer, since the team had used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions.

Noah will travel to Memphis on Sunday and sign his new contract with the Grizzlies sometime early next week, according to Charania, who adds that the club has targeted the 33-year-old for its backup center role all season.

Noah spent two seasons with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. However, he appeared in just 53 games during his time in New York, being sent away from the club last spring following a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek. The Knicks ultimately decided to waive Noah before this season’s regular season opener with two years left on his contract, stretching his $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.

Although Noah’s time as a Knick didn’t work out, he put up decent numbers in 2016/17 with the team, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG), so it’s possible he could still be productive in a limited role. He certainly won’t be relied upon as the lone defensive anchor in Memphis, where Marc Gasol and Jaren Jackson Jr. already roam the frontcourt.

As Charania alludes to, the Grizzlies and Noah had been circling one another for a while. The veteran big man was first linked to Memphis about a month ago, when a report suggested the two sides had been in contact. Those discussions reportedly intensified later in the month, with a report last week indicating that Noah and the Grizzlies were expected to finalize a deal in the not-too-distant future.

The Grizzlies waived Andrew Harrison earlier in the season to open up a spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Noah. The precise cap hit for Noah will depend on what day he signs his contract — if it’s finalized on Monday, he’d be in line for a salary of about $1.74MM and would count for approximately $1.1MM against Memphis’ cap.

Although the Grizzlies don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, Noah’s modest cap charge won’t put them past that threshold.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Celtics Waive Walt Lemon Jr.

November 29th, 2018 at 4:18pm CST by JD Shaw

The Celtics have waived guard Walt Lemon Jr., who was on a two-way contract with the team, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Lemon didn’t appear in any games with Boston, spending much of his time with the club’s G League team in Maine. He was signed to a two-way deal in July after spending part of the 2017/18 season with the Pelicans, where he played five NBA games.

Lemon, 28, went undrafted in 2014 after playing four collegiate seasons at Bradley. He averaged 22.4 points in 40 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, G League affiliate of the Pacers, during the 2017/18 season.

The Celtics have started the season with an 11-10 record, struggling to gain chemistry on both ends of the floor. They’re set to host the 4-16 Cavaliers on Friday.