Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Kobi Simmons

September 20th, 2018 at 1:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 20: The Cavaliers have officially signed Simmons after waiving JaCorey Williams to clear a roster spot, per RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Cavaliers will sign Kobi Simmons to a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The point guard participated in Cleveland’s free agent tryout camp last week.

Simmons played for the Grizzlies last season on a two-way contract, but Memphis waived him in late August. The 21-year-old appeared in 32 games, starting 12, and averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 assists per night.

Cleveland was at the 20-player roster limit after yesterday’s reported deals with Bonzie Colson, Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, so an opening will have to be created before all the contracts can be finalized.

Cavaliers Cut JaCorey Williams

September 20th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

JaCorey Williams‘ latest stint with the Cavaliers lasted a little longer than his time with the team a year ago, but not by much. A week after signing him, Cleveland has waived Williams, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

In 2017, Williams was signed by the Cavaliers and released one day later, since the team wanted to secure his G League rights. This year’s signing appears to have been G League-motivated as well, as Williams has been released several days before the Cavs’ training camp will get underway.

Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year in 2016/17 during his final year at Middle Tennessee State, spent last season playing for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s NBAGL affiliate. In 50 games (40 starts), the 6’8″ forward averaged 15.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG.

Having released Williams, the Cavaliers created an opening on their 20-man offseason roster, which they used to formally sign Kobi Simmons. Simmons had agreed to terms on a deal with the Cavs last week.

Wizards Sign Chasson Randle To Camp Deal

September 20th, 2018 at 12:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 20: Nearly two months after it was first reported, the Wizards’ deal with Randle is now official. The point guard is included on Washington’s training camp roster, posted today on the team’s website.

JULY 27: The Wizards have agreed to a training-camp contract with guard Chasson Randle, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.

Washington has an open spot on the 15-man roster and a two-way slot available, so Randle could become the No. 3 point guard if he shines during camp.

Randle, 25, played overseas with Real Madrid last season but didn’t see extensive action for the Euroleague champs. In 46 games, he averaged 3.6 PPG in 9.8 MPG.

The 6’1” Randle appeared in a combined 26 games with the Sixers and Knicks in 2016/17. He averaged 5.3 PPG and 1.3 APG in 11.6 MPG. New York waived him last September.

He went undrafted in 2015 out of Stanford.

Jarrett Jack Signs With Pelicans

September 19th, 2018 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 19: The signing is official, the Pelicans announced on their website.

SEPTEMBER 17: Veteran point guard Jarrett Jack has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pelicans, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Jack, 34, will be on the opening-night roster. The contract isn’t guaranteed, Charania adds in another tweet, so he’ll have to compete for one of the backup point guard spots.

New Orleans is well-stocked at point guard with starter Jrue Holiday along with Elfrid Payton, Frank Jackson and Darius Morris on the roster, though Jackson has undergone three foot surgeries and also sprained his ankle in summer-league action.

Along with Morris, the Pelicans have a handful of other players on non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed deals, including Emeka Okafor, Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green.

This is Jack’s third stint with the Pelicans. He played with them during the 2010/11 season and also saw action in two games during the 2016/17 campaign. He played 62 games with the Knicks last season, including 56 starts, and averaged 7.5 PPG and 5.6 APG in 25.0 MPG.

Bucks Sign Ike Nwamu, Waive Travis Trice

September 19th, 2018 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks continued an active week of roster moves by swapping one player for another on their 20-man roster. According to RealGM’s official transactions log, Milwaukee signed Ike Nwamu, cutting Travis Trice to create the necessary opening.

Nwamu, a 6’5″ guard, went undrafted out of UNLV in 2016 and has spent time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League and Greek club Lavrio Megabolt since then. Last season, he appeared in 47 games (29.7 MPG) for the Skyforce, averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.3 APG with a .422/.364/.829 shooting line.

Nwamu and Trice, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Bucks back in July, both look like candidates to eventually end up on the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate. The Bucks have been rotating players on and off their roster frequently as of late, seemingly to acquire NBAGL rights for certain guys who could play for the Herd.

While the Bucks have a full 20-man roster for now, the team still needs to finalize reported agreements with Shabazz Muhammad, Christian Wood, and Tim Frazier, so multiple players – including perhaps Nwamu – figure to be released in the not-too-distant future.

Pelicans Waive Emeka Okafor

September 19th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

12:04pm: Bobby Marks of ESPN.com clarifies (via Twitter) that the date for Okafor’s $100K partial guarantee had been pushed back to September 21, which helps explain the timing of today’s move. As such, New Orleans won’t be on the hook for any 2018/19 money for Okafor.

Marc Spears of The Undefeated adds (via Twitter) that Okafor has previously communicated a desire to continue his NBA career into the ’18/19 season, so we’ll see if he’s able to catch on with another club.

11:42am: The Pelicans have parted ways with veteran center Emeka Okafor, announcing today in a press release that the former second overall pick has been waived. Assuming Okafor goes unclaimed, he’ll clear waivers on Friday, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Okafor, who was selected after Dwight Howard in the 2004 draft, played nine NBA seasons before health problems derailed his career in 2013. After missing four seasons, the big man returned to the NBA for the Pelicans in 2017/18 and provided solid minutes for the team after DeMarcus Cousins went down with an Achilles tear.

In 26 games (19 starts) for New Orleans last season, Okafor contributed 4.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 13.6 minutes per contest. He was out of the club’s rotation by the postseason, however, appearing briefly in just one playoff game.

Okafor was one of several players on the Pelicans’ roster who didn’t have a fully guaranteed salary — he reportedly had a $100K partial guarantee, so New Orleans will only be on the hook for that amount. With Okafor no longer in the mix, the Pelicans will have an open spot on their 20-man offseason roster, even after the team officially completes its deal with Jarrett Jack.

Okafor’s departure may be good news for a fellow big man who shares a last name with the veteran. Jahlil Okafor is now the only frontcourt player with a non-guaranteed salary on the Pelicans’ roster, and could be in good position to earn one of the open spots on the 15-man regular season squad.

Wizards Sign Lavoy Allen To Camp Deal

September 19th, 2018 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent center Lavoy Allen has signed a training camp contract with the Wizards, reports Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Washington currently has 18 players under contract, so once the team completes its reported deals with both Allen and Chasson Randle, its 20-man offseason roster will be full.

According to Buckner, Allen has been in Washington for the last week working out with Wizards players. He seemingly made an impression on the team, and will now compete for the final regular season roster spot, Buckner adds.

Allen, 29, didn’t play an NBA game last season, but has extensive experience with the Sixers and Pacers over the course of a six-year career. Most recently, he averaged 2.9 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 61 games in a minor role for the Pacers in 2016/17.

The Wizards have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Allen, Randle, Tiwian Kendley, and Chris Chiozza on non-guaranteed deals. While Allen and Randle are seemingly the best bets for that 15th roster spot, it’s possible Washington will carry just 14 players to start the season due to tax concerns.

Hawks Sign Cole Aldrich

September 18th, 2018 at 8:06pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 18: The Hawks have filled their offseason roster by officially signing Aldrich, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 6: The Hawks have reached an agreement with free agent center Cole Aldrich on a contract, reports Charley Walters of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). According to Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN (via Twitter), Aldrich will sign a non-guaranteed camp deal with Atlanta.

Aldrich, who will turn 30 next month, spent the last two seasons in Minnesota, playing a limited role for the Timberwolves. In 2017/18, he appeared in just 21 games and played only 49 total minutes. While his contract covered the 2018/19 season, Aldrich’s salary for the coming year only featured a modest partial guarantee, so the Wolves waived him in June before the full guarantee kicked in, making him an unrestricted free agent.

An eight-year veteran, Aldrich has never played a huge role for any NBA team since entering the league as the 11th overall pick in 2010, but he has logged 339 total games for six clubs. His most productive season came in 2014/15, when he averaged 5.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 61 contests (16.0 MPG) for the Knicks.

Before making their reported agreement with Aldrich official, the Hawks have two openings on their 20-man offseason roster. However, 15 of their 18 players currently under contract have guaranteed standard contracts for 2018/19, leaving no clear path for the veteran big man to make the regular season roster.

Still, Wolfson suggests that Aldrich is “motivated” to stick with Atlanta, so we’ll see if the club considers trading or waiving any players from its presumed 15-man squad to open up a spot for the former Timberwolf. Another former lottery pick, Thomas Robinson, will also be in camp with the Hawks on a non-guaranteed deal in the hopes of claiming a roster spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Sign Amida Brimah, Julian Washburn

September 18th, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have added a pair of players to their offseason roster, signing Amida Brimah and Julian Washburn to one-year contracts, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Those deals are be Exhibit 10 contracts, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.

Brimah, who played his college ball at UConn, went undrafted in 2017 and joined the Spurs for training camp. The 7’0″ center has yet to make his NBA debut, but spent the 2017/18 season with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, averaging 6.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 2.6 BPG in 48 games (22.6 MPG).

Washburn, meanwhile, is a former UTEP small forward who went undrafted in 2015 and has spent time with the Austin Spurs and international clubs since then. He helped the Spurs’ G League squad win the NBAGL title earlier this year, starting both games in the club’s best-of-three series sweep over the Raptors 905. Most recently, Washburn played for the Cantebury Rams in New Zealand.

The Spurs now have 18 players under contract. That number will increase by one when Drew Eubanks finalizes his reported two-way deal, but will decrease by one when the club officially removes Manu Ginobili from its roster.

Bulls Sign Kaiser Gates To Training Camp Deal

September 18th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 18: Gates’ deal with the Bulls is now official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14: Kaiser Gates has agreed to a training camp contract with the Bulls, tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Gates was part of the Bulls’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, scoring 6.7 PPG. He went undrafted out of Xavier, where he averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a junior. He shot 37.8% from 3-point range last year.

The signing of Gates will bring the Bulls up to 19 players, one short of the roster limit for training camp. They have 14 guaranteed contracts.