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Spurs Exercise 2019/20 Options On Jakob Poeltl, Derrick White

September 27th, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by JD Shaw

The Spurs have exercised the 2019/20 options in the contracts of Jakob Poeltl and Derrick White, the team announced in a press release. The club also exercised the $2.3MM option in Dejounte Murray’s contract for the season, as we noted earlier.

Poeltl was traded to the Spurs as part of a package featuring Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan in July, and is expected to provide depth in the frontcourt for San Antonio. His maturity and focus at the age of 22 has impressed Spurs’ staffers in his short time with the team.

Poeltl appeared in all 82 contests with the Raptors last season, holding per-game averages of 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 18.6 minutes. He was drafted with the No. 9 pick in 2016 after playing two collegiate seasons at Utah.

White, a 6’5″ combo guard who’s in his second NBA season, was selected by the Spurs with the 29th pick in 2017. He played just 17 games last season with the franchise, spending most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate Austin Spurs.

The Spurs have a cap charge of $3.7MM for 2019/10 by picking up Poeltl’s team option, and a separate charge of $1.9MM by exercising White’s option. Poeltl’s rookie contract is due to expire in 2020, while White has a fourth-year option for the 2020/21 campaign.

Spurs Pick Up Dejounte Murray’s Fourth-Year Option

September 27th, 2018 at 4:50pm CST by JD Shaw

The Spurs have picked up the fourth year option in Dejounte Murray‘s contract, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The option is worth $2.3MM for the 2019/20 season.

Murray, 22, appeared in 81 games last season, averaging 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per contest. He’s established himself as a premier defender with the Spurs, being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team last season.

Murray is expected to start at point guard and play alongside DeMar DeRozan in San Antonio’s new-look backcourt this season. The Spurs hold confidence that Murray can take the reins from Tony Parker, who left the team in free agency, and become a permanent starter in the league. San Antonio will need his production to have a chance at competing with elite Western Conference teams such as the Warriors, Rockets and Thunder.

Murray was drafted with the 29th overall pick in 2016 after spending one year in college with Washington. He’s entering his third season with the team this fall.

The Spurs will also need to make 2019/20 option decisions on Jakob Poeltl and Derrick White before the October 31 deadline.

Kings Sign Brandon Austin To Camp Deal

September 27th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have added another player to their roster for training camp, signing Brandon Austin to a camp deal, as James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. Austin, who spent time in the G League last season, appears likely to end up with the Reno Bighorns this season, tweets Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento.

Austin, a 6’8″ wing, went undrafted out of Northwest Florida State College in 2016. Last season, he appeared in 15 games for the Bighorns, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, averaging 9.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest.

With Austin under contract, the Kings are now carrying 19 players, one short of the preseason limit. That roster count includes 15 players on guaranteed salaries, three (Austin, Cameron Reynolds, and Jamel Artis) on non-guaranteed deals, and one (Wenyen Gabriel) on a two-way pact.

Magic Exercise 2019/20 Option On Jonathan Isaac

September 27th, 2018 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have picked up their third-year team option on Jonathan Isaac‘s rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. The option covers the 2019/20 season.

Isaac, who will turn 21 next Wednesday, appeared in just 27 games for the Magic in his rookie season, with his playing time limited by injuries and lineup decisions. However, the former sixth overall pick is considered a key part of Orlando’s long-term future, having been the first player drafted by the team’s current management group.

By exercising Isaac’s option, the Magic lock him in for the 2019/20 season with a $5.81MM cap charge. The young power forward also has a fourth-year option worth $7.36MM for 2020/21 — the club will have to make a decision on that option next fall before Isaac becomes extension-eligible in the summer of 2020.

Isaac’s was the only 2019/20 option the Magic had to make a decision on. The full list of rookie scale options decisions for ’19/20 can be found right here.

Nuggets Sign Donald Sloan

September 27th, 2018 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 27: The Nuggets have officially signed Sloan, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 19: The Nuggets appear set to fill the final spot on their 20-man offseason roster by signing veteran guard Donald Sloan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Denver has 18 players officially under contract, but has reportedly reached a contract agreement with free agent guard Xavier Silas as well.

Sloan, 30, has played more than 200 regular season games over the course of his career, but hasn’t appeared in an NBA contest since 2015/16, when he saw action in 61 games for the Nets. Last season, he averaged 18.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 4.2 RPG in 24 games (34.6 MPG) for the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate, before heading to China for a third stint with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

As Wojnarowski notes, the Nuggets’ deal with Sloan comes in the heels of reports questioning Isaiah Thomas‘ availability this fall following March hip surgery.

As Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports relayed on Tuesday (via Twitter), team president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was evasive when asked about the point guard’s status, suggesting that the Nuggets “want Isaiah to be right” before he returns to the court. Sam Amick of USA Today added (via Twitter) that Thomas is unlikely to be ready for training camp and his timeline remains unclear. “It might be a while,” Amick notes.

Of course, even if Thomas isn’t healthy for the start of the regular season, there may not be room on the 15-man roster for Sloan. The Nuggets are currently carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries, and would have to trade or release one of those players to retain Sloan. Instead, second-year point guard Monte Morris could have the opportunity to earn a regular role for Denver to open the season.

Pacers Exercise 2019/20 Options On Sabonis, Leaf

September 26th, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 26: The Pacers have officially exercised their 2019/20 options on both Sabonis and Leaf, the club confirmed today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Pacers will exercise their options on the rookie contracts of Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Leaf, tweets Scott Agness of The Athletic. Team president Kevin Pritchard confirmed the moves, which are contingent on both players passing physicals.

Sabonis, who will have a cap charge of $3,529,555 in 2019/20, was a pleasant surprise in his first year with Indiana after being acquired in a trade with the Thunder. He averaged 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 74 games, mostly as a reserve. He’ll be extension-eligible as of July 1, 2019.

Leaf, the 18th pick in the 2017 draft, got into 53 games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 PPG and 1.5 RPG. He will have a $2,813,280 cap hit for 2019/20. The Pacers will have to make a decision on his fourth-year option next fall.

Kings Sign Cameron Reynolds

September 25th, 2018 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have completed a long-rumored signing, adding undrafted rookie Cameron Reynolds to their training camp roster, per Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento (Twitter link). The Kings’ agreement with the former Tulane wing was first reported way back in June, right after the 2018 draft came to an end.

In his final college season in 2017/18, Reynolds averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 36.0 minutes per contest for Tulane. Although his three-point numbers took a little dip from 2016/17, he still made 2.0 threes per game at a rate of 35.3%.

Reynolds, who was a member of the Kings’ Summer League squads in the Sacramento and Las Vegas leagues in July, won’t be getting a two-way contract, according to Cunningham, who tweets that the 24-year-old will instead be joining the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate. That means he likely received an Exhibit 10 contract, which will assure him of some bonus money if he sticks with the Kings’ NBAGL squad this season.

The Kings now have 18 players under contract, including 15 on guaranteed deals, two (Reynolds and Jamel Artis) on non-guaranteed pacts, and one (Wenyen Gabriel) on a two-way deal.

Pistons Signed, Waived Scottie Lindsey

September 25th, 2018 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Northwestern standout Scottie Lindsey enjoyed a very brief stay on an NBA roster this weekend, as the Pistons signed him to a contract on Saturday before waiving him on Monday, per the RealGM.com and NBA.com transaction logs.

Given the abridged nature of Lindsey’s stint with the Pistons, the club was likely looking to secure his G League rights for the Grand Rapids Drive. Assuming his deal included an Exhibit 10 clause, the 6’5″ guard could be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least two months with Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate.

Lindsey, 22, averaged 15.2 PPG and 3.8 RPG in his senior year at Northwestern in 2017/18, recording a .399/.362/.829 shooting line in 32 games.

Lindsey was signed to the 20th and final spot on Detroit’s training camp roster, which the team subsequently used to add Chris McCullough after cutting Lindsey.

Knicks Sign Tyrius Walker To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 25th, 2018 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 25: The Knicks have officially signed Walker, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York now has a full 20-man camp roster.

SEPTEMBER 19: After playing for the Knicks during the Summer League in July, former Morehouse standout Tyrius Walker is joining New York on an Exhibit 10 contract, according to his agency You First Sports (Twitter link).

Walker, a 6’1″ guard, averaged 22.8 PPG in his final college season, buoyed by a .475/.357/.802 shooting line. Because he played for a Division II school, Walker’s competition wasn’t as strong as that of most of his fellow prospects, and he didn’t receive strong draft consideration. However, he did earn a spot on the Knicks’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas, and posted 6.3 PPG in three games (11.3 MPG).

An Exhibit 10 clause allows a team to give a player a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then spends at least two months with the club’s G League affiliate, so that’s likely what the Knicks have in mind for Walker.

C. Isaiah Smalls II of The Undefeated took a closer look back in July at Walker’s quest to achieve his NBA dream.

Nets Sign Nuni Omot To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 25th, 2018 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have filled their 20-man training camp roster by signing forward Nuni Omot to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link), it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.

Omot, who went undrafted out of Baylor this spring, averaged 9.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .489/.433/.855 shooting line during his final college season. He spent two years at Division II school Concordia University before transferring to Baylor for his junior and senior years, where he showed off a shooting stroke that made him a potential NBA sleeper, as Chris Dortch of NBA.com detailed in May.

With Omot under contract, the Nets now have a full 20-man roster, meaning there’s no room at the moment for Drew Gordon, who was reported to be on track for an Exhibit 10 deal of his own. It’s possible Brooklyn will still waive someone and sign Gordon at some point, but for now it’s Omot that claimed the final roster spot.

Brian Lewis of The New York Post first reported last week that Omot was a candidate to become Brooklyn’s 20th man for training camp.