Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Officially Sign Dwight Howard

July 12th, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

A three-week saga that saw Dwight Howard traded by one team, bought out by a second team, and signed by a third team has come to an end. According to the NBA’s official transactions log, Howard formally signed his new contract with the Wizards on Wednesday.

Howard, who had initially been owed nearly $24MM as he entered a contract year, was traded from the Hornets to the Nets in a deal that saw Charlotte acquire Timofey Mozgov, a pair of second-round picks, and $5MM in cash. While that trade was agreed upon before June’s draft, it couldn’t be finalized until July for salary cap reasons.

The former No. 1 overall pick was subsequently bought out by the Nets, giving back a reported $5MM to the team in that agreement. After clearing waivers earlier this week, Howard was able to officially finalize his new contract agreement with the Wizards, a two-year deal that will use the taxpayer mid-level exception.

As our chart of this year’s mid-level values shows, the contract will pay him $5,337,000 in 2018/19, with a 2019/20 player option worth $5,603,850.

Howard projects to slot in as the Wizards’ starting center after the team traded former starter Marcin Gortat to the Clippers in a June deal. Based on Washington’s current roster, Howard would be backed up by Ian Mahinmi, Jason Smith, and Thomas Bryant at the center position.

While Howard has seemingly worn out his welcome at his last several NBA stops, the 32-year-old remains a productive NBA center and should provide the Wizards with a big man who can finish at the rim, grab double-digit rebounds, and block some shots. Last season in Charlotte, Howard averaged 16.6 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 81 starts (30.4 MPG).

Having added Howard, Austin Rivers, Jeff Green, and rookie Troy Brown so far this offseason, the Wizards are up to 14 players with a team salary approaching $135MM. Barring cost-cutting moves, Washington figures to be a taxpayer again in 2018/19. If the team wants to fill out the last spot on its roster, it will only have the minimum salary exception available to do so.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heat Withdraw Derrick Walton’s Qualifying Offer

July 11th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have withdrawn Derrick Walton‘s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.

A two-way player for Miami last season, Walton received a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. The qualifying offer was a one-year, two-way contract with a $50K guarantee, and gave the Heat the ability to match any offer sheet Walton signed with another team. However, Miami has apparently given up its right of first refusal by rescinding its QO.

Teams around the NBA have until this Friday to withdraw qualifying offers for NBA and two-way restricted free agents. If clubs keep their QOs on the table beyond that date, they can’t be withdrawn without the player’s consent for the rest of the summer.

Walton, 23, saw limited action in 16 games for the Heat last season, playing more extensively for the club’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In 27 NBAGL contests, the point guard averaged 16.1 PPG and 7.0 APG with a .442/.377/.902 shooting line.

Duncan Robinson is currently occupying one of the Heat’s two-way contract slots. With Walton seemingly no longer in the mix for the other spot, Miami should have a two-way opening going forward.

Rockets Sign Forward James Ennis

July 11th, 2018 at 4:36pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 13, 6:57pm: The signing is official, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

JULY 11, 4:36pm: The Rockets will sign free agent forward James Ennis, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Houston and Ennis have agreed to a two-year deal. The second year will be a player option, Charania adds.

Ennis is a logical three-and-D addition for a Rockets team that has lost Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute on the wing so far this offseason. A career 35.9% shooter from three-point range, Ennis averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 72 total games last year with the Grizzlies and Pistons.

Although Ennis was inconsistent from beyond the arc after arriving in Detroit in a deadline trade, the Pistons were said to have “significant interest” in re-signing him entering free agency. Upon officially hitting the market, Ennis reportedly drew interest from the Sixers, Nets, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Rockets. The Kings also made a strong push for Ennis in recent days, per Charania, but Houston ultimately won out.

According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, the Rockets were able to secure Ennis for the veteran’s minimum, which means his deal will be worth about $3.47MM over two years. That would be a big win for Houston, as the team will still have its full taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.337MM) available to offer other free agents.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com though, Ennis’ two-year deal will be worth about $4MM, which would require a portion of the MLE unless some generous rounding is involved. We’ll await further clarification.

Having re-signed Chris Paul and Gerald Green, Houston’s main focus in free agency now will be retaining restricted free agent Clint Capela. However, as their deal with Ennis shows, the Rockets still have the flexibility to fill in other holes in their roster while they try to find common ground with Capela. The club is viewed as the frontrunner to land Carmelo Anthony when he reaches the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Spurs Sign First-Rounder Lonnie Walker

July 11th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have officially signed first-round pick Lonnie Walker to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release. San Antonio has been formally finalizing many of its contract agreements today, having already confirmed new deals for Rudy Gay and Davis Bertans.

Walker, the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft, played his lone college season at Miami, averaging 11.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.9 APG for the Hurricanes. Though his numbers as a freshman weren’t great, the 6’4″ shooting guard always projected as a first-rounder due to his impressive upside and wingspan.

Like other first-round picks, Walker will get a rookie contract that features two guaranteed seasons, with team options on years three and four. Assuming he signed for the full 120% of the rookie scale, Walker will be in line for a first-year salary of approximately $2.36MM. His four-year deal will be worth about $12.46MM in total.

With Walker officially locked up, only one 2018 first-rounder – 29th overall pick Dzanan Musa (Nets) – remains unsigned.

Spurs Re-Sign Davis Bertans

July 11th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 11: The Spurs’ two-year, guaranteed deal with Bertans is now official, according to his agent Arturs Kalnitis (Twitter link).

JULY 10: According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Bertans’ new deal with the Spurs is for $14.5MM over two seasons.

JULY 9: After declining to match Kyle Anderson‘s offer sheet with the Grizzlies, the Spurs won’t let a second restricted free agent get away. According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, San Antonio has agreed to terms on a new contract with forward Davis Bertans. While it’s not official yet, the two sides are expected to complete a four-year, $20MM deal, per Carchia.

Bertans, 25, played regular minutes for the Spurs in 2017/18, averaging 5.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG with a .440/.373/.816 shooting line in 77 games (14.1 MPG). A 6’10” power forward, Bertans is capable of guarding frontcourt players on defense and stretching the floor on offense (1.2 threes per game).

Reports over the last week or two linked Bertans to the Jazz, Nets, and Timberwolves. However, Utah elected not to aggressively pursue outside free agents and the Wolves addressed their need for a stretch four by adding Anthony Tolliver. The Nets had cap room available to push the Spurs on Bertans, but appear to be biding their time and considering their options for their remaining space.

San Antonio will increase its team salary to approximately $110MM with Bertans back on the books. The team holds his Early Bird rights, so it can go over the cap to re-sign him without using another exception like the mid-level.

The Spurs entered the offseason with qualifying offers out to three restricted free agents. Although Anderson got away, the team appears poised to re-sign Bertans and is in a good position to retain Bryn Forbes as well.

Clippers Sign Luc Mbah A Moute

July 11th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 11: The Clippers have officially signed Mbah a Moute, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

JULY 9: Rockets free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute has agreed to a one-year contract with the Clippers, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The contract will be worth $4.3MM, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

Mbah a Moute had expressed dissatisfaction in his negotiations with Houston this month with the Rockets apparently offering just the veteran’s minimum. The Spurs, Lakers, Wizards, and Sixers had also reportedly expressed some level of interest in Mbah a Moute.

The Clippers essentially split their mid-level exception to acquire both Mbah a Moute and another forward, Mike Scott, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

The loss of Mbah a Moute appears to increase the possibility that Carmelo Anthony will wind up in a Houston uniform. The Rockets have now lost two key defensive wings in free agency with Trevor Ariza joining the Suns.

Familiarity played a role in Mbah a Moute’s decision, as he played two seasons for Doc Rivers and the Clippers before joining the Rockets prior to last season. He averaged 7.5 PPG in 25.6 MPG in his limited offensive role while making an above-average 36.4% of his long-range attempts.

In terms of the Clippers, the addition of Mbah a Moute gives them 14 guaranteed contracts and three others – Milos Teodosic, Patrick Beverley and CJ Williams – that are partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes. Los Angeles now has $118MM in salary, $5.7MM below the luxury-tax threshold.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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.