Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Jahlil Okafor

August 9th, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 9: The Pelicans have officially signed Okafor, according to the NBA’s official transactions log.

AUGUST 8: The Pelicans have agreed to sign free agent center Jahlil Okafor, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). A source tells Wojnarowski that Okafor will sign a two-year contract with a partial guarantee in the first year and a team option for year two.

Scott Kushner of The Advocate first reported on Tuesday that the Pelicans and Okafor were engaged in discussions about a possible deal. As we noted at the time, the 22-year-old could be a good fit on a Pelicans roster that is short on traditional centers. Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic, and Julius Randle are expected to see the majority of the frontcourt minutes for the club, but none of those players is a natural five.

While Emeka Okafor, Alexis Ajinca, and Cheick Diallo are also options at center for the Pelicans, Okafor’s salary is still non-guaranteed, Ajinca missed the entire 2017/18 season with a knee injury, and Diallo has played primarily at the four since arriving in New Orleans.

The Pelicans currently have 12 players on fully guaranteed salaries for 2018/19, with Emeka Okafor, DeAndre Liggins, Troy Williams, and now Jahlil Okafor among the players with non-guaranteed deals or partial guarantees. That should open the door for the former Sixer to potentially earn a spot on New Orleans’ 15-man regular season roster.

Okafor, drafted by the 76ers with the third overall pick in 2015, averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG during his rookie year, but has seen his playing time and production decline since then. After being traded to Brooklyn this past season, he posted 6.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 26 contests (12.6 MPG) with the Nets.

Because Okafor isn’t a strong rim protector or outside shooter, he has had trouble carving out a consistent role over the course of his NBA career. However, there shouldn’t be much pressure on him to make an impact in New Orleans — the team has already used its mid-level exception on Randle and its bi-annual exception on Elfrid Payton, meaning Okafor’s new partially guaranteed contract will only be worth the minimum.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Timberwolves Sign James Nunnally

August 8th, 2018 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 8, 10:05am: The Timberwolves have officially signed Nunnally, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 7, 3:26pm: Nunnally’s two-year deal with the Timberwolves will be worth the veteran’s minimum and will include partial guarantees, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

AUGUST 7, 12:57pm: Former Sixers wing James Nunnally is set to return to the NBA, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the Timberwolves have agreed to sign Nunnally to a two-year contract.

Nunnally, who played his college ball at UC Santa Barbara, went undrafted in 2012 and has played in a handful of leagues since then. Besides appearing in 13 total games for the Hawks and 76ers back in 2013/14, the 28-year-old also played in 84 G League contests and has spent time with teams in Greece, Puerto Rico, Spain, Israel, Italy, and Turkey.

Most recently, Nunnally played for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce, serving as a key rotation player on a club that also featured Brad Wanamaker, Jan Vesely, Luigi Datome, and Jason Thompson. In 29 EuroLeague contests last season, Nunnally averaged 9.3 PPG and made an eye-popping 55.4% of his three-point attempts.

Nunnally, who was also linked to the Trail Blazers and Rockets this offseason, will bring his shooting ability to a Timberwolves roster that was in need of another long-distance marksmen. While a minimum-salary deal seems likely, Minnesota did have the ability to offer its bi-annual exception ($3.382MM) or the rest of its mid-level exception ($2.05MM) if necessary.

Mavericks Sign Devin Harris

August 8th, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 8: The Mavericks have made their deal with Harris official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed the veteran guard. Dallas now has a full 20-man roster, so a move will be required at some point to accommodate Donte Ingram‘s reported agreement with the club.

JULY 26: The Mavericks and veteran guard Devin Harris have reached an agreement on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news.

Harris, who will receive $2.4MM, was the beneficiary of Yogi Ferrell‘s change of heart. Ferrell backed out of an agreement with Dallas to sign with the Kings. That opened up a backcourt spot for the 35-year-old combo guard.

This will mark his third stint with the franchise. The Mavericks acquired him in a draft-night trade with the Wizards in 2004 and kept him until 2008, when they traded him to the Nets. Harris returned to Dallas as a free agent in 2013 and spent five more years with the Mavs before they traded him to the Nuggets in February.

The 35-year-old combo guard appeared in 44 games with Dallas and 27 with Denver last season, averaging 8.4 PPG and 2.1 APG. His addition will give the Mavericks 16 players under contract.

Bucks Sign Jordan Barnett

August 7th, 2018 at 9:07pm CST by clarkcrum

The Bucks have signed Jordan Barnett to a training camp contract, per an official release from the team. Alec Lewis of Yahoo Sports first reported back in June that Barnett would receive a camp invite from Milwaukee.

Barnett, 22, appeared in all five of the Bucks’ summer league games in Las Vegas and averaged 6.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.6 minutes per game. He went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft upon finishing the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Missouri after transferring from Texas.

As a senior during the 2017-18 season, the 6’7” forward averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 32 games (all starts) with the Tigers while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from 3-point range.

The Bucks currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so while there’s technically an open roster spot for Barnett, he’s far more likely to end up playing for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

Magic Sign Amile Jefferson To Two-Way Contract

August 7th, 2018 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 7: The deal between the Magic and Jefferson is now official, per a team release.

JULY 27: The Magic have reached a two-way contract agreement with forward Amile Jefferson, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.

The former Duke power forward was on the Timberwolves’ roster last season. He signed a two-way contract in January, then received a standard contract late in the regular season. However, Jefferson never appeared in any games.

Jefferson, 25, went undrafted last June and joined the Timberwolves for training camp. After being waived by the team prior to the start of the regular season, Jefferson joined the G League’s Iowa Wolves.

In 47 games, Jefferson averaged 17.8 PPG and 12.8 RPG for Iowa, making shots at a 62.4% rate. He set a new NBAGL record by racking up 36 double-doubles.

Orlando now has both of its two-way slots filled. The other one is occupied by point guard Troy Caupain.

Grizzlies Sign Shelvin Mack

August 7th, 2018 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

3:38pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Mack, the team announced today in a press release.

1:58pm: The Grizzlies will sign free agent point guard Shelvin Mack to a one-year contract, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wojnarowski first reported about two and a half weeks ago that the two sides were discussing a one-year deal.

Mack, who inked a two-year contract with Orlando in 2017, appeared in 69 games for the Magic last season, averaging 6.9 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.4 RPG in a backup point guard role. His salary for 2018/19 only included a small partial guarantee though, so the Magic waived him last month before they were on the hook for the full amount.

By signing Mack, the Grizzlies will add some veteran stability to their point guard depth chart behind Mike Conley, who is coming off a major foot injury. Andrew Harrison and Jevon Carter are Memphis’ other point guards, with Kobi Simmons also in the mix on a two-way deal.

Memphis doesn’t have its bi-annual exception available this season and already used its full mid-level exception on Kyle Anderson, so Mack will receive a minimum-salary deal, which will keep the Grizzlies’ team salary just below the tax line.

Assuming Mack’s contract is guaranteed, it’ll be the 15th guaranteed deal on the team’s books, plus Harrison’s non-guaranteed salary. The Grizzlies will have to trade or release at least one player before the regular season begins, with Harrison and Dakari Johnson among those most at risk.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raptors Sign Jordan Loyd To Two-Way Contract

August 7th, 2018 at 1:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 7: The Raptors have officially signed Loyd to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 2: Jordan Loyd paid for his buyout with Darussafaka in the EuroLeague and is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Raptors, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

An agreement with Loyd has been rumored for a couple of weeks, but the deadline for Toronto to help buy him out of his Turkish deal passed in mid-July, leaving Loyd to work out the arrangement on his own.

The 25-year-old guard played for the Raptors’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2.8 APG in 17.3 minutes per contest, including a team-leading 17-point performance in the opener. He was used mainly at point guard in summer league play.

Loyd went undrafted out of Indianapolis in 2016 and spent a year with Fort Wayne in the G League before signing with Hapoel Eilat in Israel last season.

Once Loyd signs, the Raptors will still have a two-way slot open after moving Lorenzo Brown to the 15-man roster and withdrawing a qualifying offer for Malcolm Miller.

Nuggets Sign DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell To Two-Way Deal

August 7th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 7: The Nuggets have officially signed Akoon-Purcell to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 6: The Nuggets are expected to sign shooting guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell to a two-way contract, Chris Dempsey of Nuggets.com tweets.

Akoon-Purcell averaged 12.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.5 APG and 2.0 SPG in 19.3 MPG over four Las Vegas summer league contests with Denver. He played the last two years with the Bakken Bears in the Danish league, averaging 17.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 3.8 APG last season.

The 6’5” Akoon-Purcell went undrafted in 2016 after playing at Illinois State. As a senior, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.9 APG.

Denver’s two-way slots will now be filled if the team completes the transaction. The Nuggets signed second-round pick Thomas Welsh, the former UCLA center, to a two-way deal last month.

Clippers Trade Sam Dekker To Cavaliers

August 7th, 2018 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: The Cavaliers have officially acquired Dekker from the Clippers, the club announced today in a press release. The Clippers will receive the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko in exchange for Dekker, the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis, and cash.

Veremeenko and Seibutis were drafted in 2006 and 2007, respectively, and aren’t expected to ever play in the NBA.

AUGUST 5: The Cavaliers are finalizing a trade with the Clippers that would see forward Sam Dekker dealt from Los Angeles to Cleveland, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the two teams are still working out the specifics, but the trade will essentially allow the Clips to start clearing their roster logjam.

Dekker, 24, spent his first two NBA seasons in Houston after being selected 18th overall in the 2015 draft by the Rockets. He was included in last June’s Chris Paul blockbuster between the Rockets and Clippers, part of a package that also included Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley, and Montrezl Harrell, among others.

Dekker saw his minutes cut back on his new team in 2017/18, averaging just 12.1 MPG in 73 contests for the Clippers. The former Wisconsin standout recorded 4.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG with a .494 FG% for L.A.

Having re-signed several key players and added a few new ones this offseason, the Clippers were carrying 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts, a total that didn’t include Beverley and his non-guaranteed deal. As such, the club had been expected to trade or release a couple veterans before the start of the regular season in October. The Clips will get a head start on that cutdown process by moving Dekker and his guaranteed $2,760,095 salary. The move will also give the team a little extra breathing room below the tax line.

The Cavaliers won’t have to send out any salary in exchange for Dekker, since they have a traded player exception large enough to accommodate his salary. Cleveland created a $5.8MM trade exception last August in their Kyrie Irving trade with the Celtics — it’s the biggest of four TPEs currently held by the club, and is the only one sizable enough to fit Dekker’s salary. The Clips figure to create a new TPE of their own worth Dekker’s salary.

The move to Cleveland will give Dekker a chance at a fresh start, according to Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), who hears from one source that “a lack of maturity and focus regarding basketball” have been issues for the young forward early in his career.

It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers plan to use Dekker — he has served primarily as a four, but has spent a little time at the three as well. There may be a clearer path to playing time for Dekker at small forward, where Kyle Korver and Cedi Osman currently sit atop the Cavs’ depth chart, with David Nwaba perhaps entering the mix as well. But Dekker could potentially play at power forward alongside bigs like Kevin Love or Larry Nance in smaller lineups.

While the Cavs’ team salary will inch a little closer to the tax threshold with the acquisition of Dekker, it shouldn’t be a major concern for the team unless Nwaba is getting a lucrative deal and/or Rodney Hood receives a substantial raise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Emanuel Terry Signs With Nuggets

August 6th, 2018 at 6:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have signed forward Emanuel Terry, according to the NBA.com transactions log. The contract is believed to be a training camp deal.

Terry made a good impression during summer league action with Denver, posting averages of 7.4 PPG and 5.0 RPG while shooting 61% from the field in 17.6 MPG over five games. He caught the attention of the coaching staff even more with his high energy level and ability to guard multiple positions.

The 6’9” Terry, 22, defied the odds by landing an NBA contract after going undrafted out of a Division II program. He played four seasons at Lincoln Memorial, averaging 16.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 2.2 BPG in his senior year.