Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Sharife Cooper To 10-Day Deal

February 26th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have signed free agent Sharife Cooper to a 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log (hat tip to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Cooper, 22, was the 48th overall pick of the 2021 draft after spending one season at Auburn. He spent his rookie season — 2021/22 — on a two-way deal with Atlanta, making 13 brief NBA appearances for 39 total minutes.

A 6’0″ point guard, Cooper signed a two-way deal in the summer of 2022 to return to the Hawks, but they released him a few days later. Prior to each of the past two seasons, Cooper has signed Exhibit 10 training camp deals with the Cavs and then was waived to receive a bonus for playing for the Cleveland Charge, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

In 34 games with the Charge in 2023/24, Cooper has averaged 18.2 PPG, 7.1 APG, 4.0 RPG and 1.6 SPG on .448/.313/.809 shooting in 32.4 MPG. He averaged 22.8 PPG, 7.0 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .453/.356/.841 shooting in 43 games at the NBAGL level last season (33.7 MPG).

Since the Cavs have an open spot on their standard roster, they didn’t have to waive anyone to sign Cooper. As a one-year veteran, he will earn $103,550 over the course of his 10-day contract.

Grizzlies Sign Matthew Hurt To Second 10-Day Deal

February 26th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Matthew Hurt will return to the Grizzlies on a second 10-day contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 23-year-old power forward signed his first 10-day contract with Memphis in late January via the hardship exception. He appeared in three games, averaging 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.7 minutes per night.

Although the Grizzlies didn’t specify, this appears to be another hardship signing, as Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke remain out of action with long-term injuries. Memphis currently has a full roster, and the team released Jacob Gilyard over the weekend rather than converting his two-way contract to a standard deal because it didn’t want to open a roster spot.

Hurt has spent most of the season with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, where he’s putting up 21.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was in training camp with the Grizzlies last fall, but was waived before the start of the season. He has been with the Hustle since going undrafted out of Duke in 2021.

Andrew Funk Joins Bulls On Two-Way Deal

February 25th, 2024 at 10:14am CST by Arthur Hill

10:14am: Funk’s deal is official, the Bulls announced in a press release.

8:37am: G League guard Andrew Funk will sign a two-way contract with the Bulls, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Funk, 24, inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets last July after going undrafted out of Penn State. He was waived before the start of the season and joined the Grand Rapids Gold, where he’s averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 20 G League regular season games. He’s one of the NBAGL’s best outside shooters, connecting at better than 39% from three-point range.

Funk will fill the two-way spot that will open when Onuralp Bitim is converted to a standard deal, as Charania reported Friday. Those moves will give Chicago a full 18-man roster, with all three two-way slots filled.

Depending on when Funk officially signs, he will be eligible to be active for up to 14 or 15 games for the Bulls for the rest of the season.

Bulls Sign Onuralp Bitim To Multiyear Contract

February 25th, 2024 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 25: Bitim’s new contract is official, the Bulls announced (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 23: The Bulls will use the open spot on their 15-man roster to promote Onuralp Bitim from his two-way deal to a standard contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Bitim is signing a multiyear pact with the team.

Bitim is in his first NBA season after playing professionally for several years in Turkey. He was made the All-EuroCup Second Team for Bursaspor last season, averaging 18.1 points and 3.2 assists in 18 EuroCup contests, before agreeing to come stateside to join the Bulls.

The Turkish wing – who will turn 25 next month – has not had a role in Chicago so far this season, however, appearing briefly in just two games at the NBA level. While Bitim has yet to score his first NBA point, he has played regularly for the Windy City Bulls, appearing in 22 Showcase Cup and regular season G League games so far this season.

Bitim has averaged 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 30.1 minutes per contest for Windy City, posting a shooting line of .415/.363/.909. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they have improved as of late — he has averaged 16.7 PPG with a .433 3PT% since the NBAGL regular season began at the end of December.

It seems the Bulls have liked what they’ve seen from Bitim enough to give him a promotion and to give themselves the option of having him on next season’s roster at a minimum-salary rate. Terms of his new contract have yet to be reported, but I imagine it will include little to no guaranteed money beyond this season, giving the club some flexibility.

Once Bitim’s promotion is official, the Bulls will have a full 15-man standard roster, with one of their two-way slots open. They’ll have until March 4 to fill that two-way opening.

Grizzlies Release Gilyard, Sign Goodwin To Two-Way Deal

February 24th, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies have released Jacob Gilyard and filled his two-way spot by signing Jordan Goodwin, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report the moves (Twitter link), noting that Gilyard made a “positive impression” on Memphis despite being waived. He initially signed a two-way deal with the Grizzlies last April, making one appearance as a rookie in 2022/23.

Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 NBA games in a season. As we relayed a few days ago, Gilyard — a 5’9″ point guard who went undrafted in 2022 out of Richmond — was nearly at the 50-game limit, and the Grizzlies have a full 15-man standard roster.

Instead of converting him to a standard deal and having to waive someone on a guaranteed contract, they decided to cut Gilyard, who averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from deep in 37 games this season (17.7 minutes). He’ll still receive his full two-way salary, but two-way deals don’t count against the salary cap, whereas standard deals do.

Gilyard will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday if he clears waivers.

Memphis initially signed Goodwin to a 10-day hardship contract before the All-Star break. That deal expired after last night’s loss to the Clippers, but the Grizzlies will keep him around on a two-way contract.

A third-year guard out of Saint Louis, Goodwin has previously played for the Wizards and Suns. He has averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in two appearances thus far with Memphis (26.5 minutes).

The Grizzlies have a full 18-man roster, with all three two-way slots filled.

Ashton Hagans Returns To Trail Blazers On Two-Way Contract

February 23rd, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 23: The Trail Blazers have officially signed Hagans to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 22: The Trail Blazers will sign Ashton Hagans to fill their open two-way slot, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The 24-year-old point guard was on Portland’s roster earlier this month on a 10-day contract, but it was terminated early because the team needed an open spot to promote two-way player Duop Reath. Hagans got into four games during his time with the Blazers, making one start and averaging 2.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 15 minutes per night.

Hagans appeared in two games with Minnesota during the 2020/21 season, but he has mostly been in the G League since going undrafted out of Kentucky in 2020. He has spent the majority of this season with Portland’s new Rip City Remix affiliate and was selected as a G League All-Star.

Once Hagans’ signing is finalized, Portland will have a full roster with all 15 standard spots and all three two-way slots filled. Justin Minaya and Ibou Badji are the team’s other two-way players.

Pistons Officially Confirm Reported Roster Moves

February 23rd, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have officially issued a press release (Twitter link) to formally confirm that three previously reported roster moves have been finalized. Those roster moves are as follows:

Promoted Stanley Umude to a standard contract (story)
Signed Buddy Boeheim to a two-way contract (story)
Signed Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract (story)

All three transactions were reported on Thursday, but Evbuomwan’s 10-day contract with Detroit was still active through last night’s game in Indiana, so the team waited an extra day for it to expire before essentially swapping his and Umude’s spots on the 18-man roster. Boeheim’s two-way deal was completed at the same time.

The Pistons now have a full squad, with Umude taking the 15th spot on the standard roster while Evbuomwan and Boeheim join Jared Rhoden as Detroit’s two-way players.

A player who signs a two-way contract during the season is subject to a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit, so Evbuomwan and Boeheim will each be eligible to be active for up to 15 of the team’s remaining NBA games this season.

For more information on the three players involved in the Pistons’ latest transactions, be sure to check out our previous full stories on each move.

Thunder Waive Aleksej Pokusevski

February 23rd, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have cut forward Aleksej Pokusevski from their 15-man roster, the team announced today in a press release. Pokusevski will become a free agent on Sunday if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

The No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Pokusevski flashed some tantalizing upside in his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons. However, his development was hindered by health issues. He was limited to just 34 games (25 starts) in 2022/23 due largely to a leg fracture that sidelined him for about three months, then broke his arm during a workout in the spring of 2023 and sprained his ankle this past September.

Pokusevski got off to a strong start in ’22/23, averaging 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game across his 34 appearances, with career-best shooting rates of 43.4% from the field and 36.5% from the three-point line. But those injuries ended the seven-footer’s season early and he only saw garbage-time action in 10 games this season, logging 60 total minutes.

Given his lack of a role and his expiring contract, Pokusevski was a candidate to be on the move at this month’s deadline, but has now been waived instead after not being in included in a trade. Barring an unexpected waiver claim, the Thunder will remain on the hook for his 2023/24 cap hit of $5,009,633.

Pokusevski is still just 22 years old, so as long as he’s healthy, there will likely be rebuilding teams that explore taking a flier on him. John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) wonders if the Wizards might kick the tires on the young forward, given that general manager Will Dawkins was in Oklahoma City’s front office when he was drafted. For what it’s worth, Pokusevski remains eligible this season to sign a two-way contract.

As for the Thunder, they open up a spot on their 15-man roster as a result of the move. That opening doesn’t have to be filled immediately — it could be used to explore the buyout market, sign someone to a 10-day contract, or perhaps promote one of their two-way players.

Mike Conley Signs Two-Year Extension With Timberwolves

February 23rd, 2024 at 9:10am CST by Rory Maher

FEBRUARY 23: Conley’s extension with the Timberwolves is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

FEBRUARY 19: Veteran point guard Mike Conley has agreed to a two-year, $21MM extension with the Timberwolves, agents Steven Heumann and Jess Holtz tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Conley, 36, is earning $24.4MM this season in the final year of his current contract. He would have been Minnesota’s biggest free agent this summer, but inking a two-year extension will keep him off the open market.

Shams Charania of The Athletic hears Conley’s extension is worth $22MM (Twitter link), so we’ll have to wait for more details to learn his exact cap hits for 2024/25 and 2025/26. Either way, it sounds like he won’t hit free agency until 2026, when he’ll be 38.

Conley has started all 50 of his games for the Wolves in ’23/24 and has been a key leader for the No. 1 seed in the West. In 28.9 minutes per night, he has averaged 10.6 PPG, 6.4 APG, 2.9 RPG and 1.0 SPG. In his 17th NBA season, Conley is posting career-high marks from three-point range (44.2%) and the free throw line (92.3%).

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Minnesota’s front office has been trying to work out a deal for Conley for several weeks, and obviously the interest was mutual. His new extension is similar to the one Al Horford signed with Boston in December 2022 (two years, $19.5MM).

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes (Twitter links), the Wolves project to be over the second tax apron in ’24/25, with their entire starting lineup under contract. The other four starters are Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

Timberwolves Sign Justin Jackson To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 22: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

FEBRUARY 21: The Timberwolves have agreed to sign former first-round pick Justin Jackson to a 10-day contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 15th overall pick in 2017, Jackson has appeared in 278 total regular season games for the Kings, Mavericks, Thunder, Bucks, Celtics, and Suns across six seasons in the NBA. However, he has been out of the league for over a year, having been waived by Oklahoma City last February after being sent from Boston to OKC in exchange for Mike Muscala at the trade deadline.

Jackson has spent the 2023/24 season playing for the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate. In 35 games for the Legends, he has averaged 19.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .480/.427/.868.

Minnesota had been carrying 13 players on standard contracts since this season’s February 8 trade deadline and had until Thursday to fill at least one of the two openings on its roster, as we outlined over the weekend. Unless the Wolves make a second addition to their roster, they’ll find themselves in a similar situation once Jackson’s 10-day contract expires, with up to two weeks to re-add a 14th man.

Jackson will earn $145,301 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Wolves take on a cap hit of $116,075. The contract will cover the team’s next five games, starting on Friday vs. Milwaukee.

With Jackson’s 10-day deal on their books, the Wolves are now $1.4MM below the luxury tax line, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That will be a consideration as Minnesota manages its roster during the season’s final weeks, since the organization won’t want to become a taxpayer.