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Spurs Promote Barlow, Sign Bouyea To Two-Way Deal

March 2nd, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 2: The Spurs have officially promoted Barlow to the standard roster and signed Bouyea to a two-way contract, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

MARCH 1: The Spurs are converting Dominick Barlow‘s two-way deal into a standard contract, agent Todd Ramasar tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

San Antonio will fill Barlow’s former two-way spot by signing free agent guard Jamaree Bouyea, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Barlow went undrafted out of the Overtime Elite league in 2022 and caught on with the Spurs that summer, signing a two-way contract. The 20-year-old forward/center re-signed with San Antonio last offseason, inking another two-way deal.

Barlow has appeared in 51 games with the Spurs over the past two seasons, averaging 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per contest. San Antonio had an open spot on its standard roster, which means no subsequent roster move is necessary to promote Barlow.

Bouyea, 24, has appeared in 11 NBA games with the Heat, Wizards and Trail Blazers over the past two seasons, averaging 2.3 points in 11.6 minutes. While he struggled in his limited run with Portland in 2023/24, the former San Francisco star has been on fire in the G League of late, averaging 29.3 points, 11.3 assists, 9 rebounds and 2.3 steals over his last three games, per Charania.

Bouyea, who went undrafted in 2022, has spent most of his first two professional seasons with Miami’s NBAGL affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Sixers Sign Jeff Dowtin To Two-Way Contract

March 2nd, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

1:00pm: The Sixers have put out a press release officially announcing Dowtin’s two-way deal.

10:45am: The Sixers are signing guard Jeff Dowtin to a two-way contract, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Philadelphia opened up a two-way roster spot by waiving Kenneth Lofton on Friday.

Dowtin, 26, has played 34 games in the NBA since the 2021/22 season, making appearances with the Warriors, Bucks, Magic and Raptors. Most of his big league experience came last season with Toronto, where he averaged 2.4 points and 1.2 assists per night and made a positive impression as the team’s primary backup at the point down the stretch.

Dowtin has been more productive in the G League throughout the course of his career. This season, he has been playing with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate in Delaware, averaging 17.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 47.5% from the floor and 37.5% from three in 17 regular season and Showcase Cup appearances.

Dowtin joins Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith as Philadelphia’s two-way contract players. The Sixers also have two open standard contract spots after Darius Bazley‘s 10-day contract expired on Thursday.

Raptors Re-Sign D.J. Carton On Two-Way Contract

March 2nd, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

After his 10-day contract with the team expired earlier this week, guard D.J. Carton has returned to the Raptors on a two-way deal, the club announced today in a press release.

Carton has spent nearly his entire professional career in the G League since going undrafted out of Marquette in 2021. After one year with the Greensboro Swarm, he has spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s NBAGL affiliate.

In 29 games this season for Iowa, Carton averaged 18.6 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 35.4 minutes per contest, with a strong shooting line of .527/.395/.796.

That performance earned him a call-up to the NBA on a 10-day deal with the Raptors on February 21. He appeared in two games with Toronto during those 10 days, scoring eight points and handing out a pair of assists in 11 minutes of action.

The Raptors opened up a two-way slot on their roster by promoting Javon Freeman-Liberty to a standard contract on Friday night — Markquis Nowell and Jontay Porter are the team’s other two-way players.

Following Carton’s signing, Toronto now has 17 of its 18 total roster spots filled, with one standard spot still available.

Nets Sign Jacob Gilyard To Two-Way Contract

March 2nd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 2: Gilyard’s two-way deal is now official, according to an announcement from the Nets.

MARCH 1: The Nets intend to sign former Grizzlies point guard Jacob Gilyard to a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Gilyard was previously on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, but Memphis waived him last week in order to sign Jordan Goodwin.

Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 NBA games in a season. Gilyard was nearly at the 50-game limit, and the Grizzlies had a full 15-man standard roster. Instead of promoting him and having to waive someone from the standard roster, they decided to cut ties.

Gilyard, 25, was a college star at Richmond before going undrafted in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with Memphis at the end of 2022/23, appearing in one game as a rookie. In 37 games this season, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from deep in 17.7 minutes per contest.

On Friday afternoon, the Nets used a portion of their mid-level exception to promote rookie forward Jalen Wilson to a multiyear standard contract. That opened up a two-way spot, which Gilyard is set to fill.

Mike Muscala Signs With Thunder

March 2nd, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 2: Muscala has officially signed with the Thunder, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 1: Veteran center Mike Muscala intends to sign with the Thunder for the rest of the season after he clears waivers on Friday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Muscala was bought out and placed on waivers by the Pistons on Wednesday.

The move represents a reunion for the two sides, as Muscala played in Oklahoma City from 2019-23. He initially joined the team as a free agent in 2019, then re-signed in ’21 and again in ’22 before being sent to Boston at last season’s trade deadline.

Muscala appeared in 168 games during his initial run with the Thunder, averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per contest. He’s a big man who is capable of stretching the floor, having made 37.6% of his career three-point attempts, including 39.2% during his three-and-a-half seasons in OKC.

After being traded from the Celtics to the Wizards in the three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston last summer, Muscala began this season in D.C. and then was on the move again in January when the Wizards dealt him to Detroit.

In 37 total games for the two lottery-bound Eastern Conference clubs prior to this week’s buyout, the 32-year-old averaged 3.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 13.8 MPG. Although Muscala’s three-point percentage on the season is just 31.8%, that number has been on the rise in recent weeks — he made 38.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 13 games with the Pistons.

The Thunder have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so they won’t need to cut anyone to make room for Muscala.

It will be the second move made in recent weeks by the team to bolster its frontcourt — Oklahoma City also added Bismack Biyombo via free agency last month. Biyombo and Muscala will provide depth and bring different skill sets to a frontcourt led by Rookie of the Year candidate Chet Holmgren.

Hornets Sign Bolden To Two-Way Contract, Waive Mensah

March 2nd, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have signed center Marques Bolden to a two-way contract, according to a release from the team. To create a roster spot for Bolden, Charlotte waived two-way center Nathan Mensah.

Bolden recently spent time with the Hornets on a 10-day contract, which was ended early to make room for Aleksej Pokusevski on the 15-man roster. He appeared in one game with Charlotte. The 25-year-old has also had NBA stops in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He spent part of this season on a two-way deal with the Bucks, but only appeared in two games.

Bolden played three seasons at Duke, averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 88 career collegiate games (24 starts). He has been the most productive in the G League, where he’s averaged 13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 55.6% from the floor and 39.7% from deep in 31 regular season and Showcase Cup games with the Wisconsin Herd.

Mensah signed with the Hornets on a two-way contract in December after joining the team in training camp. He immediately carved out a small role, playing about 40 combined minutes in his first two career games and averaging 16.1 minutes from early to late January. However, his role diminished as time went on and he was nearing his active-game limit, prompting Charlotte to make the move to Bolden. In 25 games with the Hornets, Mensah averaged 1.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks.

The Hornets have 15 players on standard contracts and all three of their two-way spots are filled. Bolden joins Amari Bailey and Leaky Black as the Hornets’ two-way players.

Sixers Waive Kenneth Lofton Jr.

March 1st, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Maher

10:02pm: Lofton has been released, the 76ers confirmed in a press release.

9:45pm: The Sixers intend to waive Kenneth Lofton Jr., who is on a two-way contract, reports Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).

A burly forward/center, Lofton went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech in 2022. He caught on with the Grizzlies, signing a two-way contract before being converted to a standard deal at the end of his rookie season in 2022/23.

Lofton became the victim of a roster crunch in Memphis when the team needed to open up a roster spot to activate Ja Morant following the completion of his 25-game suspension. He was released in December, signing a two-way deal with Philadelphia a few days later.

After averaging 5.0 PPG and 2.1 RPG while shooting 52.7% from the floor in 24 games (7.3 MPG) as a rookie, the 21-year-old has struggled in his brief NBA minutes this season, averaging a combined 2.4 PPG and 1.1 RPG while making just 34.9% of his field goal attempts in 17 games with Memphis and Philadelphia (6.4 MPG). He only played two games for the 76ers, having spent most of his time with the Delaware Blue Coats, their NBA G League affiliate.

In 10 regular season games with the Blue Coats, Lofton put up big numbers, averaging 27.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.8 BPG on .577/.324/.746 shooting (29.8 MPG). He was named to the NBAGL’s Up Next Game, but wound up being replaced last month due to an injury.

Philadelphia has two openings on its standard roster and will have one open two-way spot once Lofton is officially released.

Pistons, Shake Milton Agree To Contract Buyout

March 1st, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pistons and veteran guard Shake Milton have agreed to a contract buyout, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says “multiple postseason contenders” are interested in signing Milton once he clears waivers.

The 54th pick of the 2018 draft, Milton spent his first five NBA seasons with the Sixers before hitting unrestricted free agency last summer. He signed a two-year, $10MM contract with the Timberwolves, with the second year being non-guaranteed.

Despite initial enthusiasm, the deal didn’t work out well for either party, as Milton averaged just 4.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.3 APG on .400/.264/.818 shooting in 38 games with Minnesota (12.9 MPG), well below his career marks. The Wolves wound up trading him to Detroit last month as part of a package for Monte Morris.

Milton appeared in four games for the Pistons, averaging 6.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 15.8 RPG. He’s only 27 and has been a productive reserve as recently as last season, so it’s not surprising that he’s expected to draw interest from several suitors.

Players must be waived by 11:59pm ET on Friday in order to maintain their postseason eligibility, so we can safely assume Milton be cut before the end of the day.

Raptors Promote Javon Freeman-Liberty To Standard Deal

March 1st, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

5:58pm: Freeman-Liberty has officially been converted to a standard deal, Toronto announced in a press release.

4:53pm: The Raptors are giving Javon Freeman-Liberty a promotion, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the 24-year-old will receive a multiyear standard deal. Freeman-Liberty is currently on a two-way contract.

A Chicago native who played four years of college ball at Valparaiso and DePaul, Freeman-Liberty went undrafted in 2022, later signing an Exhibit 10 contract with his hometown Bulls. He spent his first pro season playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s NBA G League affiliate, and had an impressive Summer League run in 2023, which led to a two-way deal with Toronto.

Freeman-Liberty, a 6’4″ guard, has only played four total minutes across two appearances with the Raptors in 2023/24, which is technically his rookie season. He’s been a standout at the NBAGL level for the Raptors 905, however, averaging 23.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.5 SPG on .461/.345/.830 shooting in 25 Showcase Cup and regular season games (35.2 MPG).

“Javon is quiet guy who came into camp and made a lot of noise,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. ” … We’re really proud of what he’s accomplished this year” (Twitter links via Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca and Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).

Rajakovic added that he hopes to get Freeman-Liberty some playing time with the NBA club at some point this season.

The Raptors currently have 13 players on standard contracts, and a 14th — D.J. Carton — on a 10-day deal, which expires tonight. That means they won’t have to waive anyone to convert Freeman-Liberty, since standard rosters can hold up to 15 players.

Nets, Jalen Wilson Finalize Three-Year Contract

March 1st, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

5:45pm: Wilson’s deal is now official, according to a press release from the Nets.

2:50pm: Wilson’s deal will include a partial guarantee for 2024/25 and a team option on the ’25/26 season, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

2:16pm: The Nets are promoting Jalen Wilson from his two-way contract and will give him a spot on their standard 15-man roster, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the rookie forward will sign a new three-year deal.

After winning a national championship with Kansas in 2022, Wilson led the Jayhawks in scoring (20.1 PPG) and rebounding (8.3 RPG) as a redshirt junior in 2022/23. He was named a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year before entering the 2023 draft, where he was selected with the No. 51 overall pick by the Nets.

Wilson didn’t play much at the NBA level earlier this season but impressed in the G League with the Long Island Nets, averaging 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 33.0 minutes per game across 22 appearances in the Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season. He posted a shooting line of .471/.380/.745 in those contests.

Wilson’s strong play with Long Island has helped earn him a spot in Brooklyn’s rotation in recent weeks. Since February 6, he has played in all 10 of the Nets’ games, averaging 5.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .444/.500/.667 shooting in 18.9 MPG.

The Nets have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be required to make room for Wilson. Once his promotion is official, the club will have an open two-way slot and will face a March 4 deadline to fill it.

Brooklyn will use a portion of its mid-level exception in order to sign Wilson to a contract exceeding two seasons. Additional details on the deal aren’t yet known.