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Spurs Re-Sign Rudy Gay

July 11th, 2018 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 11: The Spurs have officially re-signed Gay, the team announced today in a press release.

JUNE 30: Veteran forward Rudy Gay has committed to re-sign with the Spurs on a one-year, $10MM deal, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Gay winds up with a modest raise after opting out of a contract that would have paid him $8,826,300 next season. Factoring in a 20% raise from his $8,406,000 salary for 2017/18, the Spurs could go as high as $10,087,200 for Gay’s next deal using his Non-Bird rights.

The 31-year-old forward assumed a reduced role in his first year in San Antonio, but was able to bounce back from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered in Sacramento. Gay managed 57 games for the Spurs, averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per night.

Another year removed from that Achilles injury, Gay could be in for a larger role in San Antonio for the 2018/19 season, particularly if trade candidate Kawhi Leonard doesn’t return. The Spurs’ other key small forward, Kyle Anderson, is also no lock to return, though the team is expected to make an effort to re-sign the restricted free agent.

Having presumably used Gay’s Non-Bird rights to strike a deal with the veteran forward, the Spurs will still have their mid-level exception available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets Sign Second-Rounder Jarred Vanderbilt

July 11th, 2018 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have signed second-round pick Jarred Vanderbilt to a multiyear contract, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed by Denver, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that it’s a three-year, $4MM contract.

[RELATED: 2018 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The over-the-cap Nuggets will dip into their mid-level exception to complete the Vanderbilt signing, since the minimum salary exception would only have allowed for up to two years. The team is believed to have used a portion of its MLE on Torrey Craig, but still should have plenty left.

Vanderbilt, whose college career was limited by foot and leg injuries, appeared in just 14 games last season for Kentucky, averaging 5.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 17.0 MPG. Although he was unable to make much of an impact during his time with the Wildcats, the combo forward is a good athlete and has upside as a defender and rebounder.

The Nuggets used the No. 41 overall to nab Vanderbilt, trading up a couple spots to ensure that they landed him.

With Craig and Vanderbilt now on NBA contracts, and free agents like Nikola Jokic and Will Barton back in the fold as well, Denver is up to 15 players on guaranteed deals. That doesn’t leave room for two-way player Monte Morris, who had been a candidate for a promotion to the 15-man roster, prompting Gina Mizell of The Denver Post (Twitter link) to wonder if another salary-dump trade may be on the horizon for the Nuggets.

Magic Sign Troy Caupain To Two-Way Contract

July 11th, 2018 at 8:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have filled one of their two-way contract slots, with the team confirming today in a press release that it has signed Troy Caupain to a two-way deal. Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel first broke word of the agreement after a report in late June indicated that the two sides were discussing a potential two-way contract.

Caupain and the Magic have an existing relationship dating back to last August, when the team first signed the undrafted Cincinnati guard to a training camp deal. Caupain was waived by Orlando before the 2017/18 regular season began, but joined the team’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.

In 50 NBAGL games last season, Caupain filled up the stat sheet with 15.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.4 SPG. While he didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut in 2017/18, Caupain rejoined the Magic for Summer League play this month, and now will play on a two-way contract with the franchise in 2018/19.

The Magic were only carrying one two-way player – Jamel Artis – by the end of the ’17/18 league year, and opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Artis. That decision left both of Orlando’s two-way slots open for the coming year.

For more details on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our FAQ.

Warriors Re-Sign Kevon Looney

July 10th, 2018 at 9:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 10: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

JULY 3: Kevon Looney has agreed to re-sign with the Warriors, tweets ESPN’s Chris Haynes. He will receive a one-year, minimum-salary contract (Twitter link).

Golden State is able to keep an important rotation piece at a low price after opting not to guarantee the fourth year of Looney’s rookie contract. He will join Jordan Bell and Damian Jones in the Warriors’ center rotation, along with DeMarcus Cousins once he recovers from his Achilles injury.

Looney will receive $1,567,007 and Golden State will absorb a $1,512,601 cap hit, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The Warriors, who now have 12 players under contract, will own Bird rights on Looney when he becomes a free agent next year.

The Clippers, Rockets, Sixers and Hawks also showed interest in Looney, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link).

Looney, 22, is coming off his most productive NBA season, averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 66 games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Sign First-Rounder Donte DiVincenzo

July 10th, 2018 at 6:52pm CST by clarkcrum

The Bucks have signed first-round pick Donte DiVincenzo to his rookie scale contract, according to a press release issued by the team.

DiVincenzo, 21, was named the Big East Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year last season before leading Villanova to a national championship, earning 2018 Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors along the way. DiVincenzo scored a decisive 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting in the national championship game and averaged 23.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in his two Final Four games.

The Bucks selected DiVincenzo with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He figures to receive a first-year salary of approximately $2.48MM, the amount that represents the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale amount for the No. 17 pick in 2018/19.

Like all other first-rounders who sign rookie scale contracts, DiVincenzo will receive two guaranteed years, with team options in years three and four.

Lakers Sign JaVale McGee

July 10th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Austin Kent

JULY 10: The Lakers have officially signed McGee, the team announced today in a press release. The move takes L.A. over the cap, but the team still has its $4.449MM room exception available if it wants to make another signing worth more than the minimum.

JULY 1: The Lakers have reached an agreement on a one-year, minimum deal with center JaVale McGee, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. McGee will join Lance Stephenson and LeBron James in Los Angeles as part of the Twilight Zone Big 3 You Never Knew You Always Wanted.

Though the frequent Shaqtin’ A Fool honoree gets flak for the occasional on-court blooper, he has actually carved out a valuable bit role for himself in two seasons with the Warriors. His length and athleticism, though not always deployable in today’s small ball era, can impact the tone of games off the bench.

McGee averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors last year but saw those rates increase to 6.7 and 3.8 respectively in contests in which he played at least 10 minutes. Even if he serves a similar niche role with the Lakers, McGee’s minimum deal – worth $2.4MM with a cap hit of $1.5MM – is an affordable piece for a franchise that us quickly running out of roster spots.

The Lakers currently have McGee, 21-year-old Ivica Zubac, and rookie Moritz Wagner set to man the five, so we’ll see if they consider adding more support at the position.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Sign Duncan Robinson To Two-Way Contract

July 10th, 2018 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

3:10pm: The deal is now official, according to a press release from the team.

12:43pm: The Heat will sign Duncan Robinson to one of their two-way contract slots, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link). League sources tell Scotto that Robinson has agreed to a one-year two-way deal with Miami.

[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

After starting his college career at D-III school Williams College, Robinson headed to Michigan and spent the last three years with the Wolverines.

The 6’8″ guard/forward averaged a modest 9.3 PPG in his three seasons at Michigan, but showed off an impressive outside stroke, converting 41.9% of his three-pointers. During his time with the Wolverines, 565 of Robinson’s 785 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc.

Robinson has been playing for Miami’s Summer League squad and is averaging a team-high 14.0 PPG in two Las Vegas contests. He also looked good in the Sacramento Summer League last week, averaging 11.3 PPG on 57.1% shooting.

The Heat carried Derrick Jones and Derrick Walton as their two-way players in 2017/18, but opened up one of those slots when they signed Jones to a standard NBA deal last week. The team currently has a qualifying offer out to Walton, so it’s possible he’ll return alongside Robinson in that other two-way slot.

Lakers Sign Lance Stephenson

July 10th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Austin Kent

JULY 10: The Lakers have officially signed Stephenson, according to a press release from the team.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have Lance join our team,” GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Lance is playoff-tested and will bring a certain edge, confidence and toughness to our roster. His multi-positional versatility and open-court playmaking abilities are key ingredients for the basketball style we designed for next season.”

By signing Stephenson now, the Lakers have elected to use most or all of their remaining cap room to complete his deal, leaving the $4.449MM room exception available for another move.

JULY 1: The Lakers have agreed to a deal with Lance Stephenson, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. The 27-year-old swingman and notorious rival of LeBron James will head to Los Angeles after a career-reviving 14-month stint with the Pacers.

The pact, which ESPN’s Chris Haynes reports is worth $4.5MM over one season, will give the Lakers an additional veteran as they gear up to transition from a rebuilding young squad to a genuine Western Conference contender.

Stephenson, 27, had his 2018/19 team option turned down by the Pacers after he averaged 9.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.9 APG last season, appearing in all 82 games. While his shooting numbers (.427/.289/.661) were all below his career marks, it was still somewhat surprising to see the Pacers let Stephenson go. His option salary would have been $4.36MM, so he’ll get a slight raise on his new deal.

Based on the terms reported by Haynes, it appears the Lakers will use their room exception to sign Stephenson once they’ve used up all their cap room. The room exception is worth $4.449MM for 2018/19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers Sign Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk To Three-Year Deal

July 10th, 2018 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

1:18pm: The Lakers have officially signed Mykhailiuk, the team announced today in a press release.

12:27pm: The Lakers are in the process of finalizing a contract for second-round pick Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). According to Charania, it’ll be a three-year deal worth approximately $4.6MM, and will include a team option.

Mykhailiuk, the 47th overall pick of this year’s draft, is coming off a successful senior year at Kansas in which he averaged 14.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.7 APG while shooting 44.4% on three-pointers. The 21-year-old shooting guard has looked good in Las Vegas so far, averaging 16.0 PPG on 52.2% shooting in two Summer League contests.

If the terms Charania reported are accurate, it’s an impressive deal for Mykhailiuk. Fellow second-rounder Isaac Bonga only received about $4.1MM on his new three-year deal with the Lakers, and Bonga was selected eight spots earlier at No. 39 overall.

The Lakers still have cap room available, so they’ll use some of that space to finalize Mykhailiuk’s contract.

Grizzlies Sign Swingman Kyle Anderson

July 9th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 9, 10:55pm: The signing is official, according to a Grizzlies press release, after the Spurs declined to match.

JULY 6, 8:27pm: Spurs swingman Kyle Anderson has signed a four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet with the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. San Antonio has 48 hours to match the offer, which includes a 15 percent trade kicker, on the restricted free agent.

The Grizzlies will use their full mid-level exception on Anderson and become hard-capped if San Antonio fails to match, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

The Grizzlies targeted Anderson in their quest to upgrade at small forward, Wojnarowski continues. Anderson averaged 7.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 26.7 MPG last season. He started 67 of 74 games with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for all but nine games with a quad injury.

The 6’9” Anderson is entering his fifth season in the league and the Spurs have been positive about retaining him, Wojnarowski adds. He’s been a rotation player the last three seasons but has never posted big numbers. He is considered a superior defender, which attracted Memphis’ attention as it tries to restore a defensive mindset.