Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Sign JaKarr Sampson To Camp Deal

September 18th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 18: The Bulls have officially signed Sampson, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Bulls will fill their final roster spot heading into training camp by signing JaKarr Sampson, tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Sampson is a three-year veteran who has spent time with three NBA teams. He played 22 games for the Kings last season, averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per night. Sampson started his career with the Sixers, then joined the Nuggets after being waived in 2016.

The addition of Sampson comes on the heels of a reported deal with Kaiser Gates, a rookie out of Xavier.

Heat Officially Re-Sign Dwyane Wade

September 18th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially re-signed Dwyane Wade to a new contract, the team confirmed today in a press release. Word broke over the weekend that Wade had decided to return to Miami for one more season.

“We are very delighted that Dwyane decided to return,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “I believe that Dwyane can play a big part in us winning, that’s what he is all about. I’m glad he’s back.”

Wade, 36, has spent nearly all of his 15-year NBA career with the Heat since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft. While he had brief stints with the Bulls and Cavaliers in recent years, all of Wade’s best seasons have come in Miami, including his 12 All-Star appearances, eight All-NBA nods, and three NBA championships.

Having rejoined the Heat down the stretch last season, Wade showed he was still capable of contributing to the club, averaging 12.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 21 regular season contests. He also looked like his old self in Game 2 of the Heat’s first round series against Philadelphia, leading the club to its only playoff victory with 28 points in 26 minutes.

Wade’s new – and likely final – contract with the Heat will be worth the veteran’s minimum ($2,393,887) for one season. Because the deal will only count for about $1.51MM on Miami’s cap, the tax impact will be reasonably modest, increasing the team’s projected tax bill by just shy of $2.6MM.

With Wade officially back in the fold, the Heat have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts and may leave the 15th spot on their roster open to start the season to avoid further increasing their tax bill.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Cut Two Players, Sign James Young

September 18th, 2018 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks continue to tweak their offseason roster, officially waiving two players and signing two more today. Jordan Barnett and Brandon McCoy have been released by Milwaukee, with James Young and Robert Johnson taking their spots on the roster, per RealGM’s transactions log. Johnson’s deal was reported on Monday.

Like other teams around the NBA, the Bucks will be rotating players on and off their roster leading up to the start of the regular season as they secure players’ rights for their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. Barnett and McCoy apparently won’t come to camp with the NBA squad, but they’re candidates to end up with Milwaukee’s NBAGL team once the season gets underway.

Of the four players involved in today’s transactions, Young is the most notable. The former first-round pick, selected 17th overall in 2014, has yet to make much of an impact at the NBA level, but has put up big numbers in the G League (19.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 70 games) and is still just 23 years old. He was in camp with the Bucks last fall, then spent part of the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Sixers.

Today’s moves leave Milwaukee’s 20-man offseason roster full, but more transactions figure to come soon. The club has reached reported agreements with Shabazz Muhammad and Christian Wood, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks and RealGM’s Keith Smith (Twitter links) both indicate that veteran guard Tim Frazier is likely to join the roster at some point too. In order to accommodate those signings, the Bucks will need to open up three roster spots.

Cavaliers Sign Levi Randolph

September 18th, 2018 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have signed former Alabama standout Levi Randolph to a training camp contract, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log. RealGM also lists Cleveland’s deal with Bonzie Colson, signaling that the previously-reported agreement is now official.

The signings are the latest in a string of moves for the Cavs, who are working on securing certain players’ G League rights and finalizing their roster for training camp. Cleveland recently added JaCorey Williams to its offseason roster, and also signed and released Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith.

That 20-man offseason squad is now full, with Randolph and Colson officially under contract. The Cavs have reportedly reached a contract agreement with Kobi Simmons as well, meaning the team will have to open up a roster spot before Simmons’ deal can be formally finalized.

Randolph, who went undrafted out of Alabama in 2015, has played in the G League and in international leagues since then, spending time with the Maine Red Claws and with clubs in Italy and France. Most recently, 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). The 6’6″ shooting guard also played for the Pacers’ Summer League team in July.

Rookie Guard Robert Johnson Joins Bucks In Camp

September 17th, 2018 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Indiana University guard Robert Johnson has agreed to a training camp deal with the Bucks, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. The news was confirmed by Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops.

The undrafted Johnson played with the Hawks’ summer league team, appearing in seven games and averaging 7.1 PPG in 15.6 MPG. Johnson averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.7 APG in his final season with the Hoosiers. Johnson made 38.9% of his 3-point tries during his college career.

While it’s highly unlikely the 6’3” Johnson will make the 15-man roster, it increases the chances that he’ll develop his game with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

The Bucks currently have a full 20-man roster and have reportedly reached agreements with Shabazz Muhammad and Christian Wood as well, so they’ll have to make a series of roster moves at some point to accommodate all their deals.

Spurs Will Sign Drew Eubanks To Two-Way Deal

September 17th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Drew Eubanks, who went undrafted out of Oregon State, has reached agreement on a two-way contract with the Spurs, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Eubanks, 21, played three seasons with the Beavers, averaging 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds as a junior. He joined the Spurs for Summer League play, participating in both the Utah and Las Vegas leagues.

The Spurs were among a handful of teams with both two-way contracts still available, so one spot remains open a week away from training camp.

Dwyane Wade To Return For Final Season

September 16th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Austin Kent

7:59pm: The Heat have offered Wade the $2.4MM veteran’s minimum and Wade plans to accept it, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

7:07pm: Veteran guard Dwyane Wade has decided to return for one final season with the Heat. The 36-year-old announced and explained his decision through a video he released on Twitter.

Wade cites a desire to spend more time with his family as one of the driving forces behind the decision.

After starting his career with 13th consecutive seasons in Miami, Wade spent the 2016/17 campaign with his hometown Bulls, followed by a partial season with the Cavaliers and eventually a late season return to the Heat in 2017/18.

Wade averaged 12.0 points in 22.2 minutes per game after returning to the Heat last season and raised those to 16.6 and 25.4, respectively, in Miami’s five 2018 playoff games.

At this point, there’s still no indication what Wade’s final contract with the club will look like although it’s likely to fall within the $2.4MM veteran’s minimum and the $5.3MM taxpayer MLE.

In either scenario, the acquisition will have substantial luxury tax implications.

Cavaliers Sign Forward JaCorey Williams

September 14th, 2018 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward JaCorey Williams has signed a contract with the Cavaliers, according to the RealGM transactions log.

Terms were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal. Williams participated briefly in Cleveland’s training camp last season but was waived to make room for Dwyane Wade. Williams eventually wound up playing 49 games for their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, where he averaged 15.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Williams went on to play for Israel’s Hapoel Gilboa Galil during the spring.

Williams, a 6’8″ forward, played his first three college seasons at Arkansas, then transferred to Middle Tennessee State for his senior year. He enjoyed a breakout season there, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year for 2016/17, joined the Warriors’ summer league team before his short stay in Cleveland’s training camp.

The Cavaliers have waived guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, whom they signed to Exhibit 10 contracts on Thursday, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. That duo will join the team’s G League camp.

The Cavs have also reportedly reached an agreement with point guard Kobi Simmons and also added forward Bonzie Colson, though neither have officially signed. If they do become official, Cleveland will reach the 20-player training camp roster limit.

Raptors Sign Kyle Collinsworth

September 14th, 2018 at 5:53pm CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 14: The signing is official, according to RealGM transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Raptors will sign Kyle Collinsworth, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link). The pact will only be partially-guaranteed.

The addition of Collinsworth brings Toronto’s training camp roster to 18, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. The team has the ability to add two more players.

Collinsworth played 32 games for the Mavericks last season, seeing 15.0 minutes per contest. He scored just 3.2 points per game while struggling from behind the arc, just four of 17 shots from downtown.

Bonzie Colson Added To Cavs Camp Roster

September 13th, 2018 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Notre Dame star forward Bonzie Colson has agreed to a training camp contract with the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The addition of Colson gives Cleveland a full 20-player roster for camp. The Cavs also reached camp agreements with guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith on Thursday.

The 6’6” Colson missed most of his senior season with the Fighting Irish due to multiple foot injuries. He was viewed as a potential second-round pick before fracturing his left foot against Penn State during the National Invitation Tournament in March. When he was able to take the court, he was very effective, averaging 19.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 2.2 BPG as a senior.

He was scheduled to play for the Cavs at the Las Vegas Summer League but that plan was scuttled because he was still rehabbing his foot.