Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Sign First-Rounder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

July 4th, 2018 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have signed 11th overall pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to his rookie contract, according to the NBA’s official transactions log. The Clips have yet to confirm the move, so the team may be waiting for fellow first-rounder Jerome Robinson to finalize his rookie deal before announcing both signings at once.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s draft rights were traded last month, as he was dealt from the Hornets to the Clippers shortly after being selected. L.A. moved up one spot from No. 12 to nab the former Kentucky point guard, sending Charlotte a pair of future second-round picks in the deal. The Hornets ended up with Miles Bridges at No. 12.

At 6’6″, Gilgeous-Alexander’s size and versatility make him attractive to NBA scouts, some of whom believe he could become the best point guard in the 2018 draft. The youngster did a little of everything during his first and only season with the Wildcats, averaging 14.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.6 SPG with a .485/.404/.817 shooting line in 37 games (24 starts).

Assuming he signs for the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale, Gilgeous-Alexander will receive a 2018/19 salary of about $3.38MM. His four-year contract will have an overall value of nearly $17MM.

Sixers Sign Landry Shamet To Rookie Deal

July 4th, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have now locked up both of their 2018 first-round picks, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Landry Shamet to his rookie contract. The club previously made it official with Zhaire Smith.

Shamet, a 6’4″ guard, entered the 2018 NBA draft after averaging 14.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a .489/.442/.825 shooting line in his junior year at Wichita State.

The 26th overall pick, Shamet will be in line for a first-year salary of approximately $1.7MM, and will earn $9.5MM+ if he plays out the full four-year contract. The third and fourth years of the deal are team options.

The Sixers entered the offseason with 11 players under contract, so with Smith and Shamet locked up, J.J. Redick set to return, and Wilson Chandler arriving in a trade, the team’s roster for 2018/19 is taking shape.

Timberwolves Re-Sign Derrick Rose To One-Year Deal

July 4th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by marksuleymanov

JULY 4: The Timberwolves have officially re-signed Rose, the team announced today in a press release. While most signings can’t be finalized until after the July moratorium, deals that use the minimum salary exception are permitted, so Minnesota didn’t have to wait until Friday.

JULY 1: Former MVP Derrick Rose is finalizing a one-year deal to return to the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a one-year, minimum salary contract.

Since Rose has 10 years of NBA experience, his full salary for 2018/19 figures to be $2,393,887, the minimum for a 10-year veteran.

Rose, 29, is coming off a mostly disappointing season in 2017/18 as he appeared in 25 total games split between the Cavaliers and Timberwolves. Despite starting the year as Cleveland’s starting point guard, injuries — a familiar theme in his career — derailed Rose’s season, and multiple reports suggested he might retire. Instead, the Cavaliers shipped Rose to Utah as part of a three-team deal at the deadline and he was promptly released by the Jazz.

The Timberwolves, anchored by Rose’s former head coach with the Bulls, Tom Thibodeau, brought the veteran aboard in early March for their charge to the postseason. Rose appeared in just nine games with Minnesota, averaging 5.8 PPG in 12,4 minutes per contest. All told, Rose averaged 8.4 PPG and 1.4 APG between Cleveland and Minnesota.

However, Rose showed some life in the postseason as the Timberwolves faced the Rockets in the first round. Coming off the bench, Rose posted double-digits in four of the games, including back-to-back 17-point performances as the Wolves fell to Houston in five games. For the series, Rose averaged 23.6 minutes per game.

While it’s clear that he is far removed from his past MVP form, Rose’s postseason rejuvenation proved he is still a useful role player. Barring any other moves, the veteran will likely back up Jeff Teague along with Tyus Jones.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavaliers Sign Collin Sexton To Rookie Contract

July 4th, 2018 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have officially signed their first-round pick, former Alabama guard Collin Sexton, to his rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com first reported that the deal was done.

Sexton, the eighth overall pick, landed in Cleveland by way of last year’s Kyrie Irving blockbuster, which sent the Nets’ 2018 first-round selection from Boston to Cleveland. The Cavs’ new point guard will also wear Irving’s old No. 2 on his jersey.

The third point guard selected in the 2018 draft after Luka Doncic and Trae Young, Sexton enjoyed a productive freshman year at Alabama, averaging 19.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 33 games. He declared for the draft and went pro after just one college season.

As our breakdown of rookie salaries shows, Sexton will be in line for a first-year salary exceeding $4MM, with an overall value of $20MM on his four-year rookie contract. The first two years of the deal will be guaranteed, with team options for years three and four.

Joffrey Lauvergne Finalizes Deal With Fenerbahce

July 4th, 2018 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Former Spurs big man Joffrey Lauvergne officially has a new team, according to agent Misko Raznatovic, who tweets that his client has signed a two-year contract with Turkey’s Fenerbahce. The club has officially confirmed the signing as well (via Twitter).

Lauvergne, who signed a minimum-salary contract with the Spurs a year ago, played just 9.7 minutes per contest in 55 games for the club, averaging 4.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG.

Although Lauvergne had a player option for 2018/19 and could have remained in San Antonio, he turned down that option, with reports at the time suggesting he was on track to complete a deal with Fenerbahce. While it’s not clear how his new salary will compare to his $1.656MM option, Lauvergne will be on track for a larger role in Turkey.

Lauvergne has had a well-traveled professional career since 2009, playing for teams in France, Spain, Serbia, and Russia before arriving in the NBA in February 2015. Over the course of his four-season NBA career, Lauvergne was unable to find a long-term home or a consistent role, having spent time with Denver, Oklahoma City, and Chicago in addition to San Antonio.

Knicks Sign Allonzo Trier To Two-Way Deal

July 3rd, 2018 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 3: The Knicks have officially signed Trier to his two-way deal, the team announced in a press release. He’ll join Hicks in New York’s two-way slots, with Kornet getting a promotion to a standard NBA contract.

JUNE 21: Arizona’s Allonzo Trier will join the Knicks on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

New York is currently at its allotment of two-way players with Luke Kornet and Isaiah Hicks, but both are on one-year deals, so Trier can be added when they expire at the end of June.

Trier, 22, missed part of his junior season after testing positive for a banned substance. He was second on the team in scoring at 18.1 points per game, trailing only tonight’s No. 1 pick, Deandre Ayton.

Knicks Sign Isaiah Hicks To Two-Way Deal

July 3rd, 2018 at 6:08pm CST by Luke Adams

6:08pm: Hicks has officially signed his two-way contract, the Knicks announced on Twitter.

10:20am: Power forward Isaiah Hicks, who played on a two-way contract for the Knicks last season, is expected to sign a new two-way deal with the team soon, reports ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter link).

Hicks’ previous two-way contract only covered a single season, so the Knicks issued the 23-year-old a qualifying offer at season’s end, making him a restricted free agent. With former two-way player Luke Kornet poised to join New York’s 15-man roster, Hicks and Allonzo Trier, who reached a deal with the Knicks in June, are expected to fill the team’s two-way slots for 2018/19.

Hicks, who will turn 24 later this month, appeared in 18 games for the Knicks in his rookie year, averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 13.3 minutes per contest. He saw more action for the Westchester Knicks in the G League, posting 15.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 37 games with the club.

The Knicks entered the offseason with 12 players under contract. Now that Kornet, Mario Hezonja, and Kevin Knox are poised to take roster spots and Hicks and Trier will fill the club’s two-way slots, New York projects to have a full regular-season roster. The Knicks can carry a 20-man offseason roster, but will need to eventually waive or trade a player if they intend to sign second-round pick Mitchell Robinson to a spot on their 15-man regular-season squad, Begley notes (via Twitter).

Dante Exum Re-Signs With Jazz

July 3rd, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6, 11:46am: Exum’s new contract is now official, the Jazz announced on their website.

JULY 3, 5:03pm: Free agent point guard Dante Exum has agreed to a three-year, $33M deal with the Jazz, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

A restricted free agent, Exum has been limited by injuries through most of his career. He appeared in just 14 games last season after a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery. However, he performed well enough in the playoffs for Utah to bring him back.

Exum, who turns 23 later this month, has averaged 5.7 PPG in four years with the Jazz. He sat out the entire 2015/16 season after tearing his left ACL.

Having entered the offseason intent on keeping their own free agents in the fold, the Jazz have now accomplished that goal. Before reaching a deal with Exum, they also agreed to terms with restricted free agent point guard Raul Neto and unrestricted big man Derrick Favors. Neto and Favors will each sign two-year contracts with non-guaranteed second years.

With the new deals for Favors, Neto, and Exum taken into account, Utah’s projected team salary is up to about $122MM, putting the team very close to the $123.7MM tax line. However, the Jazz could create a little more breathing room by waiving non-guaranteed players like Ekpe Udoh, David Stockton, and even Jonas Jerebko, which could generate the flexibility necessary to use their mid-level exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Michael Porter Jr. Signs Rookie Deal With Nuggets

July 3rd, 2018 at 4:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets have signed first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. to a rookie contract, the team announced on its website.

Porter was projected as high as No. 2 in the draft, but concerns about his the condition of his back caused him to plummet all the way to 14th. He suffered a back injury that required surgery in his first college game, then played limited minutes in a pair of SEC and NCAA tournament contests.

Porter will receive $2,411,800 as a rookie and $2,824,500 in his second season. As with all first-rounders, his contract will have two guaranteed seasons, followed by two team option years.

Dwight Howard Finalizes Buyout Agreement, Will Sign With Wizards

July 3rd, 2018 at 4:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:34pm: Howard has finalized his buyout with the Nets and will sign a one-year deal with the Wizards for the MLE after he clears waivers, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.

4:11pm: The Wizards plan to offer a contract to Dwight Howard once his expected buyout with the Nets is complete, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

Howard is technically still a member of the Hornets, but that will change once the moratorium is lifted on Friday. He will be sent to Brooklyn under a deal agreed to two weeks ago, then will hit the open market if buyout negotiations go as planned.

Washington still has its $5.3MM mini mid-level exception to offer, along with a starting job. The Wizards need help in the middle after trading Marcin Gortat to the Clippers for Austin Rivers .

A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard could provide a defensive anchor and a strong rebounding presence in Washington. Regardless of where he ends up, Howard will be with his fourth team in four years, but he remains productive at age 32. He averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds in 81 games for Charlotte this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.