Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Match Offer Sheet For Tyrone Wallace

September 5th, 2018 at 8:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have matched the Pelicans’ offer sheet for guard Tyrone Wallace, according to a team press release.

“We identified Tyrone as a versatile, competitive and tough-minded player who adds to the organizational culture,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “Ty worked hard with our staff at Agua Caliente and Los Angeles, and his growth has been a reflection of his commitment to getting better. Together with our team’s player development program, Ty demonstrated impressive improvement and contributed meaningfully to our team last season. We are excited to welcome Ty back to the Clippers.”

The Pelicans signed Wallace on Monday to an offer sheet worth the veteran’s minimum, approximately $2.9MM over two years. The Clippers had two days once Wallace signed the offer sheet to decide whether to match it or let him go.

It was generally assumed the Clippers wouldn’t match the offer sheet for the 6’5” restricted free agent, who played last season on a two-way deal. With Wallace back in the mix, the Clips now have 15 players with guaranteed deals, plus non-guaranteed contracts for Wallace and Patrick Beverley, so they’ll have to trade or release a couple of those players by the end of the preseason.

Still, as ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks points out (via Twitter), even though retaining Wallace doesn’t help the Clippers clear their roster logjam, there’s little risk involved in bringing him back for the time being. His new deal features a partial guarantee of $300K (as of September 12), but won’t become fully guaranteed until the new year, and the second season is fully non-guaranteed, with no trigger dates.

The Clippers will now have the opportunity to evaluate Wallace and the rest of their roster in training camp, and will only be out $300K if they decide that the second-year guard isn’t part of their plans after all. That wouldn’t be a terrible outcome for Wallace either, as he’d have the opportunity to reach unrestricted free agency after having collected $300K for a few weeks of work.

With 17 players now vying for 15 spots in L.A., Jawun Evans‘ roster spot becomes even more precarious. The 6’0″ Evans has a guaranteed contract, but it’s only worth the minimum and doesn’t feature any guaranteed money beyond 2018/19. The Clippers also have numerous point guard options, including Patrick Beverley, Avery Bradley, Milos Teodosic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Josh Huestis Receives Camp Invite From Spurs

September 5th, 2018 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Thunder swingman Josh Huestis has received a camp invite from the Spurs, Fred Katz of MassLive.com tweets. The news was confirmed by Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

There’s been little news regarding Huestis since he entered unrestricted free agency this summer. The Thunder didn’t pick up his fourth-year option prior to last season.

Huestis wasn’t able to establish a steady rotation role with Oklahoma City until his third and last season with that organization. He saw action in 69 games and averaged 2.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 14.2 MPG but shot just 28.7% from long range. He also saw spot duty in four postseason games.

The Spurs currently have 14 players with contract guarantees, so there is a roster opening if Huestis shines in training camp. The Spurs have Rudy Gay, Lonnie Walker and Dante Cunningham as small forward options but the retirement of Manu Ginobili could open the door for Huestis.

The 6’7” Huestis was a late first-round pick in 2014 out of Stanford and spent the bulk of his time in the G League prior to last season.

Magic Sign Gabe York, B.J. Johnson To Exhibit 10 Deals

September 5th, 2018 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have added a pair of players to their 20-man offseason roster, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel, who reports (via Twitter) that Gabe York and B.J. Johnson have signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the team. The Magic have confirmed the signings in a pair of press releases.

Both players figure to ultimately end up with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League squad, Robbins notes. Exhibit 10 contracts allow an NBA franchise to give bonuses worth up to $50K to players who are released from the team’s NBA roster and spend at least two months with the team’s G League affiliate.

York, who played his college ball at Arizona, went undrafted in 2016 and has since played for teams in the G League, Italy, and Germany. In 44 career NBAGL games for the Erie BayHawks, the 6’3″ guard averaged 15.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG with a .436/.361/.837 shooting line. He participated in a free agent camp with the Jazz earlier this summer.

As for Johnson, he completed his college career this past spring, so this deal with the Magic will be his first professional contract. In his senior year at La Salle, the 6’7″ shooting guard recorded 20.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors.

The Magic had two openings on their roster prior to signing York and Johnson, so they’re now at the offseason max. The club is carrying 14 players on fully guaranteed salaries, two on two-way contracts, one (Isaiah Briscoe) with a partial guarantee, and three on non-guaranteed deals.

Pacers Re-Sign Ben Moore

September 5th, 2018 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have officially re-signed forward Ben Moore to a new contract, per the NBA’s transactions log. Scott Agness of The Athletic first reported the agreement, tweeting that Moore was signing a one-year, partially guaranteed deal with Indiana.

Moore, who initially joined the Pacers last August as an undrafted free agent out of SMU, was waived before the regular season began, but later agreed to a two-way contract with the club.

The 23-year-old only appeared very briefly in two games for the Pacers, but had a solid year for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, averaging 11.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .552/.352/.812 shooting line in 43 games (27.9 MPG). His two-way deal expired at season’s end.

While a return to Fort Wayne looks like the most probable outcome for Moore to open the 2018/19 season, the Pacers only have 14 players on guaranteed NBA contracts, with no obvious candidate to fill the 15th spot on their regular season roster. Unless the club intends to keep that final slot open to begin the year, Moore could compete to be Indiana’s 15th man.

Moore may also get an opportunity to earn some valuable non-NBA experience later this month, before the Pacers’ training camp gets underway. He’s one of 14 players vying for a spot on Team USA’s 12-man roster for the club’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay (September 14) and Panama (September 17).

Spurs Sign Chimezie Metu To Three-Year Deal

September 4th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 4: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

AUGUST 30: The Spurs have reached a contract agreement with 2018 second-round pick Chimezie Metu, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Metu is signing a three-year deal with San Antonio.

Metu, a 6’11” forward/center, declared for the draft as an early entrant this past spring after a productive season at USC. In his junior year, Metu averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.7 BPG with a .523 FG% in 34 games.

The Spurs used the 49th overall pick in the 2018 draft to nab Metu, and while it took a couple months for the two sides to finalize a contract agreement, Charania notes that the team is “high” on the young big man.

San Antonio will use a portion of its mid-level exception to complete its deal with Metu. The Spurs initially used about $6.15MM of their $8.64MM MLE to sign Marco Belinelli, and could’ve fit Dante Cunningham‘s one-year, $2.49MM contract neatly into the remaining portion of that exception.

However, signing Cunningham using the mid-level exception would’ve prevented San Antonio from offering Metu more than two years, since the team only would have had the bi-annual exception and minimum salary exception still available in that scenario. Instead, the Spurs completed their deal with Cunningham using the bi-annual exception, leaving their MLE open for Metu.

The Spurs currently have 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, not counting Manu Ginobili, who figures to be waived at some point after having announced his retirement. Metu’s deal will almost certainly have at least a guaranteed first year, increasing San Antonio’s fully guaranteed contract count to 14. Quincy Pondexter, who reportedly received a partial guarantee on his new contract, is also in the mix for a spot on the regular season roster.

Pelicans Sign Darius Morris

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

4:25pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

9:51am: The Pelicans are continuing their efforts to add depth at the point guard position, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that veteran free agent Darius Morris is signing with New Orleans. Morris will receive a partially guaranteed two-year deal, per Charania. It’ll be worth the minimum.

News of the Pelicans’ agreement with Morris comes a day after word broke that the club is signing two-way restricted free agent Tyrone Wallace to an offer sheet. New Orleans has two openings on its 20-man offseason roster, so the team could add both Wallace and Morris and let them battle it out for a regular season roster spot. Morris could also be an insurance policy in case the Clippers match the Pelicans’ offer sheet for Wallace.

Morris, a second-round pick in the 2011 NBA draft, spent four seasons playing for the Lakers, Sixers, Clippers, Grizzlies, and Nets after entering the league. In 132 total regular season contests (11.1 MPG), the 27-year-old averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.4 APG, last appearing in an NBA game in 2015. Since then, Morris has played in the G League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

Like Wallace, Morris was one of a handful of free agent point guards who worked out for the Pelicans in August. The club also took a look at Ty Lawson and Erick Green.

If the Clippers don’t match Wallace’s offer sheet with New Orleans, he would become the seventh player on the Pelicans’ roster with a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed salary. Emeka Okafor, Jahlil Okafor, Troy Williams, Kenrich Williams, Garlon Green, and Morris would also be in the mix on non-guaranteed on partially guaranteed deals.

Grizzlies Sign Brandon Goodwin To Camp Deal

September 4th, 2018 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies have signed undrafted rookie Brandon Goodwin to a contract, reports Jon Roser of the Memphis Grizzlies Radio Network (Twitter link). According to Roser, it’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Goodwin, which means he’ll likely end up with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

Goodwin, who began his college career at UCF before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference’s Player of the Year in 2017/18. For the season, the 6’2″ point guard averaged 18.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.8 APG to go along with a .470/.275/.750 shooting line.

Goodwin wasn’t viewed as a top-100 prospect heading into the draft by experts like ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, so it didn’t come as a surprise that he went undrafted. Still, Memphis has had its eye on him for a while — the Grizzlies brought Goodwin in for a workout in early June, then added him to their Summer League roster. The 22-year-old averaged 12.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG in seven games with the club in Las Vegas.

It has been a busy week for the Grizzlies in terms of roster moves. In addition to signing Goodwin, the team has also made three other moves since last Tuesday, adding Doral Moore to its camp roster and waiving Dakari Johnson and Kobi Simmons. Memphis has 19 players under contract after signing Goodwin.

Pelicans, Tyrone Wallace Agree To Offer Sheet

September 4th, 2018 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 4, 12:42pm: Wallace’s two-year offer sheet with the Pelicans will feature a $300K partial guarantee as of September 12, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

SEPTEMBER 3, 11:55am: The Pelicans’ offer sheet for Wallace is a two-year, minimum salary deal that is partially guaranteed, sources tell ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). The cap hits would be $1,349,383 for year one and $1,588,231 for year two.

SEPTEMBER 3, 11:26am: The Pelicans have reached an agreement with restricted free agent guard Tyrone Wallace, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Wallace will sign an offer sheet with New Orleans.

Wallace finished the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Clippers, who extended a qualifying offer to the rookie guard. The 24-year-old isn’t a traditional restricted NBA free agent like Rodney Hood or Patrick McCaw, but he’s a two-way RFA, which essentially gives the Clips the same rights — they’d have the opportunity to match the Pelicans’ offer sheet.

A former second-round pick out of the University of California, Wallace made his NBA debut for the Clippers last season after signing a two-way deal with the club, and became a crucial part of L.A.’s rotation. In total, Wallace appeared in 30 games (19 starts), averaging 9.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 28.4 minutes per contest.

Wallace was one of a handful of point guards to work out for the Pelicans in August as the club sought depth at the position. Ty Lawson, Darius Morris, and Erick Green were among the other free agents who earned a look from New Orleans, but the team apparently liked what it saw from Wallace. If the Pelicans add Wallace or another point guard to their regular season roster to join Elfrid Payton and Frank Jackson, it would allow Jrue Holiday to see more action off the ball.

Assuming Wallace officially signs his agreed-upon offer sheet with the Pelicans, the Clippers would have two days to decide whether or not to match it. The Clips already have an overcrowded backcourt and a full roster, so they may simply let Wallace go. Still, the Pelicans’ cap flexibility is limited and their offer will have to be for the minimum salary, so it’s not out of the question that L.A. would match the offer and figure out its roster logjam later.

The Clippers currently have 15 players on guaranteed salaries, plus Patrick Beverley‘s non-guaranteed contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trail Blazers Sign Three Players To Camp Deals

September 4th, 2018 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 4: The Trail Blazers have officially announced their deals with Onuaku, Oliver, and Payton, confirming the signings in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 3: Three free agents are set to join the Trail Blazers on training camp deals, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that Chinanu Onuaku, Cameron Oliver, and Gary Payton II have all reached agreements with Portland.

Onuaku, a 2016 second-round pick, appeared in just six NBA regular season games in two seasons with the Rockets. The former Louisville center has spent most of his two professional seasons in the G League, playing in 83 total games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and averaging 12.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG to go along with 2.5 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.1 SPG, and a .617 FG%. The 21-year-old was traded from Houston to Dallas earlier this offseason, with the Mavericks subsequently waiving him.

Oliver, a former Nevada standout, signed a training camp contract with the Rockets after going undrafted in 2017, but was waived by Houston just before the regular season began. The 6’8″ forward spent his rookie season in the G League with Delaware and Wisconsin, averaging 10.8 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 39 total games.

Payton, meanwhile, is the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton. The 25-year-old point guard has seen a little NBA action over the last two seasons, appearing in 29 total contests for the Lakers and Bucks. Like Onuaku and Oliver, he also had a stint with the Rockets earlier in his career and has extensive G League experience.

The Trail Blazers already have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, meaning there might not be any opportunities for their camp invitees to earn regular season roster spots. Portland also doesn’t have its own G League squad, so Onuaku, Oliver, and Payton won’t become affiliate players for the Blazers.

Still, the Blazers haven’t filled either of their two-way contract slots, and Onuaku, Oliver, and Payton would all qualify for a two-way deal. It’s possible that one or two of them could have their camp contracts converted to two-way pacts if they look good in the preseason.

Lakers Buy Out, Waive Luol Deng

September 1st, 2018 at 2:09pm CST by marksuleymanov

2:09pm: Deng gave back $7.5MM on the $36.8MM left on his contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link). By using the waive-and-stretch provision, the Lakers will have approximately $38MM in salary cap space next summer.

1:12pm: The team has waived Deng, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

10:25am: The Lakers and forward Luol Deng have agreed to a buyout that will make the veteran a free agent, Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to report. Deng will be waived and stretched, which creates financial flexibility for Los Angeles.

Before reaching a buyout with Deng, the Lakers were projected to have $25MM in cap room for next season. However, by completing this move with Deng, that figure is expected to increase to about $36-38MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That creates room for a max contract next offseason for Los Angeles.

Deng, 33, had two years and $36.8MM left on the four-year, $72MM deal that he originally signed during the summer of 2016. Since inking that contract with the Lakers, Deng never settled into the team’s rotation, ultimately becoming an expensive bench player.

Per ESPN’s Chris Haynes, Deng is expected to field interest from several contending teams in free agency.

The former two-time All-Star played in 56 games his first year with the Lakers in 2016/17, averaging a career-low 7.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG. The Lakers sat Deng late in the season to evaluate its younger players, a role Deng assumed for all of the 2017/18 campaign.

Despite being healthy and able to play, Deng appeared in just one game this past season. The Lakers even made it publicly clear that they wanted to rid themselves of the albatross contract after the trade deadline in February.

“We wish, huh?” Johnson said with a laugh about whether or not the team was close to trading Deng (via The Orange County Register). “No, that didn’t happen. You want to make a move for us?”

While Deng was commended for his professionalism by Lakers brass, he insisted that his skills can still be effective on the right team. Speaking to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune in January, Deng said he can be an effective player on the court.

“That’s no question,” Deng said. “I’m not playing because I can’t play. If we’re going to go there, it is what it is. But I know I can play.”

In 14 NBA seasons, Deng wields career averages of 15.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 2.3 APG between the Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers.