Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Acquire Abdel Nader From Celtics

July 23rd, 2018 at 8:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:53pm: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Thunder and Celtics.

8:11pm: The Thunder will acquire swingman Abdel Nader from the Celtics, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Nader, who was on a partially guaranteed contract, was expected to be waived before Oklahoma City came calling, Charania adds. The Thunder will also receive cash considerations, Charania adds in another tweet.

Recently acquired guard Rodney Purvis will go to Boston and be waived, according to Keith Smith of RealGM (Twitter link). Purvis has a non-guaranteed contract. Purvis was traded from the Magic to the Thunder last week.

The 6’7” Nader is due to make $1,378,242 next season, which included a $450,000K guarantee. He’s signed for two additional years, though the second year is non-guaranteed and the third year is a team option.

Nader was chosen by Boston with the 58th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and spent a season with the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ G League affiliate, before signing an NBA contract with the Celtics last summer.

Nader, 24, averaged 3.0 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 48 contests last season. He’ll likely play the small forward spot and fight for playing time behind starting forwards Paul George and Jerami Grant.

Mavs Sign Chinese Star Ding Yanyuhang

July 23rd, 2018 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have signed Chinese swingman Ding Yanyuhang to a contract, according to a team press release.

It’s not immediately clear whether Yanyuhang received a two-way contract, though Dallas opened up one of those slots by trading forward Johnathan Motley to the Clippers on Monday. Dallas also has roster space to give Yanyuhang a standard contract and is currently thin at the wing positions.

The 6’6” Ding has spent the last seven seasons playing professionally for China’s Shandong Golden Stars. In 45 games for Shandong last season, he averaged 26.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.6 SPG and earned his second consecutive Chinese Basketball Association Domestic MVP award.

Ding played on the Mavericks’ summer-league team last year. He was a candidate for a two-way contract with Dallas last summer.

Clippers Acquire Johnathan Motley From Mavs

July 23rd, 2018 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers have acquired forward Johnathan Motley in a deal with the Mavericks, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Both Los Angeles and Dallas have confirmed the transaction via press releases.

The Clippers also received the rights to Renaldas Seibutis in exchange for the draft rights to Maarty Leunen, plus $50K. Motley is on a two-way contract. It’s the first-ever trade involving a two-way contract, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.

Dallas opened up a two-way contract slot via the transaction.

Motley, 23, averaged 8.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 11 games with Dallas last season. The 6’10” power forward went undrafted out of Baylor.

Seibutis was a second-round pick by Dallas all the way back in 2007. Siebutis, 33, is a 6’5” guard who currently plays in Lithuania and is also a member of that country’s national team.

Leunen was drafted in the second round by the Clippers in 2008. The 6’9” Leunen, 32, attended the University of Oregon and is currently playing in Italy.

Travis Trice Signs Camp Deal With Bucks

July 23rd, 2018 at 5:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard Travis Trice has signed a training-camp deal with the Bucks, Keith Smith of RealGM.com tweets.

Trice has played for Milwaukee’s summer-league squad the last two years. He averaged 8.8 PPG and 4.0 APG in five games this summer in Las Vegas. The 6’2” Trice was on the Knicks’ G League team last season and has also played overseas in Lebanon and Australia. He appeared in nine games for the Westchester Knicks and averaged 21.1 PPG and 6.4 APG in nine games while making over half of his 3-point atttempts.

Trice, 25, was undrafted in 2015 out of Michigan State.

The Bucks have Eric Bledsoe, Matthew Dellavedova and Brandon Jennings on their point guard depth chart, though Jennings’ salary for next season has not yet been guaranteed.

Nets Sign Forward Ed Davis

July 23rd, 2018 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 23, 4:56pm: The team has made the signing official, according to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times (Twitter link).

JUNE 30, 11:45pm: The Nets and Ed Davis have agreed to terms on a one-year, $4.4MM contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Davis had been an unrestricted free agent.

Jusuf Nurkic‘s primary backup at the five during the 2017/18 season, Davis appeared in 78 games for the Trail Blazers, averaging 5.3 PPG on 58.2% shooting. The 29-year-old was also a force on the glass, racking up 7.4 RPG in just 18.9 minutes per contest.

Davis reportedly had interest in remaining in Portland, so it’s somewhat surprising that the two sides couldn’t work something out, given the modest price of his agreement with Brooklyn. However, the Blazers have been particularly cost-conscious so far this summer, having declined to tender qualifying offers to rotation players Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton.

Davis figures to step into a regular role for the Nets behind young center Jarrett Allen. Brooklyn is acquiring Dwight Howard in a trade with Charlotte, but the club is expected to negotiate a buyout with the former No. 1 pick, clearing the way for Davis to become Allen’s primary backup.

While the Nets should have some cap room available after buying out Howard, it’s possible that the team will wait to finalize its reported agreement with Davis. The room exception is worth $4,449,000 in 2018/19, so Davis’ deal would fit nicely.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Antonius Cleveland Claimed By Bulls

July 23rd, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have claimed guard Antonius Cleveland, who was placed on waivers by the Hawks, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. The move is official, according to the Bulls’ website.

Cleveland was let go by the Hawks in order to facilitate the three-team Carmelo Anthony trade with the Thunder and Sixers. Atlanta also received swingman Justin Anderson in that deal.

Cleveland, 24, saw action in four games with the Hawks last season, averaging 3.3 PPG in 10.4 MPG. He also appeared in 13 games with the Mavericks and seven G League contests.

Cleveland was signed to a multi-year contract in March after signing consecutive 10-day contracts earlier in the season. He had a non-guaranteed salary of $1.38MM for next season before he was placed on waivers. Chicago now picks up that contract.

Chicago had an open slot on its roster but the 6’6” Cleveland joins a crowd at the shooting guard spot that includes Zach LaVine, Justin Holiday, Chandler Hutchison and Antonio Blakeney.

Lakers Sign Michael Beasley

July 23rd, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 23: Beasley’s contract with the Lakers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

“Michael adds another component of versatility to our deep roster,” GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “His length and ability to guard multiple positions, stretch the floor, play-make and create his own shot are all essential characteristics for us. Coming off one of the finest years of his career, we think Michael is poised to have a very exciting and strong season for us.”

JULY 20: Free agent forward Michael Beasley has agreed to a contract with the Lakers, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. It’s a one-year, $3.5MM contract, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link).

Los Angeles used a big chunk of its $4,449,000 room exception to get Beasley in the fold.

Exactly what kind of role Beasley will carve out is a big question mark. He’ll join a forward rotation of LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lance Stephenson. Luol Deng is still on the roster as well, though Los Angeles is trying to find a way to dump his contract.

Beasley fits in with a locker room already full of volatile personalities. Along with Stephenson, the Lakers have also signed two other players this summer who are no strangers to controversy, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee.

Beasley, still just 29, has bounced around the league since the Heat made him the second pick in the 2008 draft. He’s also played for the Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets and Bucks before a productive stint with the Knicks last season. He averaged 13.2 PPG, his highest total since posting a career-best 19.2 PPG with Minnesota in 2010/11. He also averaged 5.6 RPG and 1.7 APG while appearing in 74 contests, including 30 starts.

The Knicks lost interest in bringing back Beasley after signing former Magic forward Mario Hezonja.

Pelicans Sign Garlon Green

July 23rd, 2018 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have signed forward Garlon Green to a multiyear contract, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.com. According to Smith (via Twitter), Green’s deal will include a partial guarantee for 2018/19, with trigger dates in future seasons.

Green, who went undrafted out of TCU in 2013, has played with teams in Australia, Germany, Belgium, and Japan since beginning his professional career. Earlier this month, he participated in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Pelicans. In five games with New Orleans’ squad, he averaged 9.2 PPG on 63.0% shooting.

While it remains to be seen whether Green will be able to play his way onto the Pelicans’ regular-season roster, his showing in Summer League action appears to have impressed team management. New Orleans isn’t expected to have a G League team in 2018/19, so the Pelicans won’t be able to designate him as an affiliate player in the fall if he’s waived.

Green is the younger brother of Rockets swingman Gerald Green.

Hornets Sign Tony Parker

July 23rd, 2018 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 23: The Hornets’ deal with Parker is now official, the team confirmed today in a press release.

“We are thrilled to add a player of Tony’s caliber and experience to our roster,” GM Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “We believe his track record of success and playoff resume will add backcourt depth to our roster and veteran leadership to our group. Parker’s experience with Head Coach James Borrego will be an invaluable asset to us moving forward as well. We are excited to welcome Tony to Charlotte and for him to continue his Hall-of-Fame career with the Hornets.”

JULY 6: After spending 17 seasons in San Antonio, Tony Parker will head to Charlotte for the 2018/19 season. The veteran point guard has reached an agreement to sign with the Hornets, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Parker will sign a two-year, $10MM contract with the Hornets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). A tweet from Charlotte forward Nicolas Batum first hinted that Parker – Batum’s teammate on the French national team – would join the franchise.

The Hornets had been on the lookout for a backup point guard after struggling to find consistent production behind Kemba Walker in recent years. Parker, 36, will provide a steady presence at that spot, though he’s no longer the impact player he once was. In 2017/18, the longtime Spur lost his starting job to Dejounte Murray and averaged a career-low 7.7 PPG and 3.5 APG in 55 games (21 starts).

As Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News tweets, there were about five or six teams interested in Parker, but he chose the Hornets because the team sold him on more playing time and a significant role.

Parker’s departure is the latest development in what has been an unusually dramatic year in San Antonio. The Spurs will now be without a point guard who first joined the franchise back in 2001 and has appeared in more than 1,400 total regular season and postseason games with the team.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Parker called Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich within the last hour to inform him of his plan to head to Charlotte. Although the Spurs wanted Parker back, the veteran will reunite with former San Antonio assistant James Borrego, who was hired as the Hornets’ head coach this spring.

This is the second time in recent years that a club headed by a former Spurs assistant has made a play for a longtime Spur. The Sixers and Brett Brown were unable to lure Manu Ginobili to Philadelphia in 2016, but Borrego and the Hornets were able to secure Parker’s services this time around.

Parker’s deal figures to be completed using a portion of the Hornets’ mid-level exception, since the team is over the cap. The trade that sent Dwight Howard to Brooklyn helped Charlotte create the flexibility to complete a signing like this one without going into tax territory.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

International Moves: Peters, Kulboka, Goudelock

July 23rd, 2018 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Suns forward Alec Peters, the 54th pick in the 2017 draft, is headed to Russia to play for CSKA Moscow, the team announced today. Peters spent the 2017/18 on a two-way contract, appearing in 20 games for Phoenix. He averaged 4.1 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 11.3 minutes per contest. Having not received a qualifying offer from the Suns at season’s end, Peters will continue his career overseas.

“I could not be more excited to join such a prestigious and well-known organization as CSKA Moscow,” Peters said in a statement. “I appreciate the belief of coaching staff and management, who know my set of skills and think that my style of playing will fit the team. I know that I come to the first-class organization and look forward to help the team win the EuroLeague title.”

Here are a few more international transactions of note:

Lithuanian forward Arnoldas Kulboka is back with German club Brose Bamberg after being loaned to Orlandina in Italy last season, according to an announcement from the team (hat tip to Sportando). Kulboka was selected by the Hornets with the 55th overall pick in the 2018 draft, so Charlotte will retain his NBA rights and could have the opportunity to bring him stateside in a future season.
Former NBA guard Andrew Goudelock, who appeared in 49 total games with the Lakers and Rockets, has signed with the Shandong Golden Stars in China, per an announcement from his agency (hat tip to Sportando). International basketball journalist David Pick first reported earlier this month (via Twitter) that Goudelock was signing a $1.5MM+ deal with Shandong to replace Ty Lawson.
French big man Jonathan Jeanne, who was considered a potential 2017 NBA draft pick before he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, has officially signed with Iberojet Palma in Spain after being medically cleared earlier this year.