Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Waive Levi Randolph

October 10th, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have trimmed their offseason roster by one, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived camp invitee Levi Randolph. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, once he clears waivers.

Randolph, who went undrafted out of Alabama in 2015, played in the G League and in international leagues to start his career, spending time with the Maine Red Claws and with clubs in Italy and France.

Before joining the Cavs for camp, the 6’6″ shooting guard played for the Pacers’ Summer League team in July. He finished the 2017/18 campaign with French club SIG Strasbourg, averaging 8.6 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 22 French League games (19.5 MPG). Randolph appeared in two preseason games for Cleveland.

The Cavs now have 19 players under contract and will need to make a couple more cuts to get down to the regular season roster limit by next week.

Thunder Waive Alford, McDaniels, Solomon

October 10th, 2018 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived three players from their preseason roster, the team confirmed today in a press release, announcing that guard Bryce Alford, forward K.J. McDaniels, and center Richard Solomon have been released.

Although Alford, McDaniels, and Solomon joined the Thunder for training camp and the preseason, they were never considered likely to make the club’s regular season roster. However, they could end up playing in the G League for the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, assuming they clear waivers.

After today’s roster moves, the Thunder now have 17 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts.

While Oklahoma City could technically carry its current squad into the regular season, the club will likely leave its 15th roster spot open to start the season to avoid increasing its projected tax bill. Still, the team’s final non-guaranteed player – Abdul Gaddy – remains on the roster for now.

Clippers Waive Desi Rodriguez

October 9th, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers have waived Desi Rodriguez, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Rodriguez, having signed an Exhibit 10 deal, will likely play for the team’s new G League squad, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.

The 6’6″ wing appeared in two games for Los Angeles during the preseason. He also played for the Clippers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Rodriguez played four seasons at Seton Hall University where he appeared in 129 games. He averaged 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest during his collegiate career and earned Second Team All-Big East honors as a senior.

Celtics Waive Nick King, Jeff Roberson

October 9th, 2018 at 4:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics have waived Nick King and Jeff Roberson, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The pair of forwards had agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Boston earlier last month.

King went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State and spent Summer League playing for the Lakers. Roberson also went undrafted and saw limited action for the Warriors’ summer league squad. Both players are expected to play for the Celtics’ G League team, the Maine Red Claws.

Boston now has 18 players under contract, including its pair of players on two-way deals. The team will need to make one more move before the season begins, as the maximum roster count is 17.

The decision on Boston’s final roster spot may come down to Jabari Bird, who has a guaranteed salary but is dealing with legal issues, vs. Marcus Georges-Hunt, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.

Rockets Sign Brandon Sampson To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 9th, 2018 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

4:25pm: The Rockets have officially signed Sampson, the team confirmed in a press release.

4:05pm: The Rockets have agreed to terms with former LSU guard Brandon Sampson on an Exhibit 10 deal, league sources tell Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic (Twitter link). Houston has multiple openings on its 20-man preseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to complete the signing.

Sampson, who declared for the 2018 NBA draft following his junior year at LSU, was not selected in June. During his final college season, 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).

The Rockets almost certainly don’t envision Sampson as part of their regular season roster, but his Exhibit 10 contract creates a couple other potential paths — he could have that deal converted into a two-way contract, or he could be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then spends two months with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate.

Hawks Sign C.J. Anderson, Waive Isaac Humphries

October 9th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks made a minor change to their roster today, announcing in a pair of press releases that they’ve signed former UMass guard C.J. Anderson, waiving recently-added big man Isaac Humphries in a corresponding move.

Humphries, a native of Australia who went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, signed with Atlanta on Monday after having spent his first professional season with the Sydney Kings and Serbian club FMP. The 20-year-old only spent about 24 hours under contract with the Hawks, but his signing was designed to secure his G League rights — he figures to end up playing for the Erie BayHawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate.

The Hawks likely have a similar plan in mind for Anderson, who averaged 10.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .414/.400/.813 shooting line for the University of Massachusetts during his senior season in 2017/18. Atlanta has 15 players on guaranteed salaries already, so Anderson figures to be cut sometime before next week’s roster deadline. If he clears waivers, the Hawks would hold his G League rights as an affiliate player.

Spurs Sign Josh Huestis To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 9th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

2:12pm: The Spurs have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Huestis.

1:05pm: The Spurs appear set to fill the open spot on their 20-man preseason roster by signing Josh Huestis, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Huestis and the Spurs have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. Word of the agreement comes more than a month after reports indicated that Huestis had received a camp invite from San Antonio.

A first-round pick in 2014, Huestis played a season in the G League before joining the Thunder in 2015/16. After appearing in just seven games for Oklahoma City over his first two NBA seasons, the 6’7″ forward earned a rotation role last season. However, he didn’t make much of an impact, averaging 2.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG with a .330/.287/.300 shooting line in 69 games (14.2 MPG).

Because the Thunder had turned down their fourth-year option on Huestis’ rookie scale contract, he became an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 26-year-old remained on the market for over three months before agreeing to sign with the Spurs.

While the Spurs have a potential opening on their 15-man regular season squad, Huestis will be an underdog to claim that spot. Veteran swingman Quincy Pondexter, who has a partial guarantee worth $150K, looks like a better bet to become San Antonio’s 15th man, assuming the team even carries a full roster into the season. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals though, so that could be an option for Huestis. The Spurs have about a week to make their roster decisions for opening night.

Grizzlies Waive Forward Ismaila Kane

October 8th, 2018 at 10:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies have waived forward Ismaila Kane, according to a team press release.

The 6’9” Kane made one preseason appearance, logging two minutes. The Senegal native went undrafted after playing 13 games last season for Atlanta Metropolitan of the National Junior College Athletic Association. He could wind up with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League team, once he clears waivers.

Memphis needed to make a roster move after signing swingman D.J. Stephens to a two-way contract.

Nuggets Waive Forward Emanuel Terry

October 8th, 2018 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have waived forward Emanuel Terry, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Terry signed a training camp deal in early August. With 15 players on guaranteed contracts in Denver, he had little hope of making the team’s opening night roster. The Nuggets could retain Terry’s G League rights if he clears waivers.

The 6’9” Terry made a good impression during summer league action with Denver, posting averages of 7.4 PPG and 5.0 RPG while shooting 61% from the field in 17.6 MPG over five games.

Terry, 22, defied the odds by landing an NBA contract after going undrafted out of a Division II program. He played four seasons at Lincoln Memorial, averaging 16.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 2.2 BPG in his senior year.

Grizzlies Sign D.J. Stephens To Two-Way Deal

October 8th, 2018 at 7:27pm CST by Luke Adams

7:27pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

9:36 am: Former Bucks swingman D.J. Stephens is returning to the NBA, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies are signing Stephens to a two-way contract.

The Grizzlies currently only have one of their two-way slots filled, but they’re carrying a full 20-man preseason roster, so a corresponding move will be required to finalize the signing. Memphis will likely cut one of its players on non-guaranteed contracts, clearing the way for Stephens to join Japanese wing Yuta Watanabe as the two-way players on the roster.

Stephens, who played his college ball at the University of Memphis, went undrafted in 2013. After spending most of his rookie season in Greece, the 6’5″ guard/forward joined the Bucks briefly, appearing in three games with the team over the course of a 10-day contract.

Although Stephens later signed training camp deals with the Pelicans, Cavaliers, and Grizzlies, he hasn’t played in another NBA regular season game since that short stint with Milwaukee in 2014. His résumé since then includes stops in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Puerto Rico, France, and the G League. The 27-year-old won a championship in France last season playing for Le Mans.