Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Tyreke Evans Signs One-Year Deal With Pacers

July 6th, 2018 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Evans’ deal with the Pacers is now official, the team announced in a press release. “With Tyreke, we thought we needed a secondary ball-handler to not only compliment Victor [Oladipo], but he can turn it downhill and make plays for others,” said president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.

Indiana also made its deal with McDermott official today.

JULY 3: The Pacers are in agreement on a one-year, $12MM deal with Tyreke Evans, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had reported (via Twitter) that Evans and the Pacers were closing in on a one-year deal.

Twitter user @SneakerReporter first broke word of a potential $12MM deal between the Pacers and Evans nearly 24 hours ago, though it’s not clear if an agreement was formally in place that early or if the two sides finalized it today. Evans traveled to meet with the Pacers today after having already met with the Thunder, Lakers, Warriors, and Hornets earlier in free agency, and Wojnarowski indicated this morning that Evans and the Pacers were still working toward a deal.

A former fourth overall pick and Rookie of the Year, Evans appeared in 52 games during an injury-shortened season for the Grizzlies. When healthy, he looked as good as he has at any time in his nine-year NBA career, averaging 19.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.1 RPG with a .452/.399/.785 shooting line.

The lottery-bound Grizzlies held onto Evans at the trade deadline rather than getting what they could for him, and at the time reports suggested that Memphis intended to push hard to re-sign the 28-year-old as a free agent, using their mid-level exception. However, there has been no indication that the Grizzlies made a strong effort to bring back Evans.

While other teams showed interest in Evans, none of them had the ability to make the sort of $12MM offer the Pacers did. Even after committing to Doug McDermott earlier in free agency, Indiana still had about $12-15MM in cap room to work with, and will devote most or all of that room to Evans. He’ll provide another play-maker in the backcourt for the Pacers, who lost Lance Stephenson to the Lakers.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link), Evans was the Warriors‘ initial target using their taxpayer’s mid-level exception ($5.337MM), but they were turned down by the guard, who was seeking more money and a larger role. He should get both in Indiana, though Golden State is probably happy with its fallback plan for that MLE.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trevor Ariza Signs One-Year Deal With Suns

July 6th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Ariza’s deal with the Suns is now official, the team confirmed in a press release. “Phoenix was the most aggressive team and the team that showed the most interest in me,” Ariza said today at his introductory press conference. “We all want to feel appreciated and wanted. When a team shows that much appreciation for what you do, naturally you are attracted to something like that.” (Twitter link from Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).

JUNE 30: The Suns and Trevor Ariza have reached an agreement on a one-year, $15MM contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Phoenix will use most – if not all – of its available cap room to complete the signing.

Ariza, who turns 33 on Saturday, averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG with a .368 3PT% in 67 regular-season games for the Rockets. While his season ended on a low note following an 0-for-12 shooting performance in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the veteran played a key role in Houston, knocking down corner threes and playing excellent perimeter defense. His departure will be a blow to the West’s No. 1 seed.

The Suns, meanwhile, continue to add depth to their frontcourt. In the last two drafts, Phoenix has used lottery picks to add Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges. The team also locked up T.J. Warren to a long-term extension that will take effect this year.

Given Phoenix’s need in the backcourt, the decision to devote the majority of its available cap room to Ariza is a little surprising. However, three-and-D wings are one of the most coveted assets in the modern NBA, and Ariza will provide veteran locker-room leadership as part of a young Suns roster.

While it’s not clear how the Suns will address their hole at the point, their deal with Ariza could be good news for a team like the Raptors, who had been concerned that Phoenix might sign Fred VanVleet to an aggressive offer sheet, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. The Suns seem likely to be in the market for a less expensive point guard now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sixers Trade No. 39 Pick Isaac Bonga To Lakers

July 6th, 2018 at 12:05pm CST by clarkcrum

JULY 6: The Lakers and Sixers have officially completed a trade that was initially reported more than two weeks ago, the Lakers announced today in a press release. The draft rights for Isaac Bonga, the No. 39 pick in the draft, are headed from Philadelphia to Los Angeles in exchange for the Bulls’ 2019 second-round pick and cash.

JUNE 20: The Lakers will acquire the No. 39 selection in tomorrow night’s draft from the Sixers, league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Lakers will send the Bulls‘ 2019 second-round pick and cash to the Sixers in return.

The 39th pick, originally owned by the Knicks, was acquired by the Sixers back in 2014 when the Knicks traded it and forward Travis Outlaw to the Sixers in exchange for forward Arnett Moultrie.

As noted by both Eric Pincus and Bobby Marks, this trade, as reported, can’t become official until the new salary cap year begins since the Sixers have already received the allotted $5.1MM in cash this season. As such, the Sixers will essentially be selecting a player for the Lakers tomorrow night.

Jazz Re-Sign Derrick Favors

July 6th, 2018 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6, 11:55am: The Jazz have officially re-signed their top free agent priority for the summer, the team announced on its website. Favors has been with Utah longer than anyone else currently on the roster and is the 12th player to reach 500 games for the franchise. The Jazz also finalized deals with Dante Exum and Raul Neto.

JULY 2, 2:02pm: The Jazz and free agent big man Derrick Favors have reached an agreement on a new contract that will keep Favors in Utah, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).

League sources tell Jones that the deal will be for two years, while agent Wallace Prather informs Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that it’ll be worth $36MM. Michael Scotto of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that Favors’ earnings over two years could exceed $37MM via incentives.

However, the second year on the agreement will be non-guaranteed, according to Jones (Twitter link). That will allow Utah to retain flexibility for 2019, when several contracts could come of the club’s books.

Favors, who will turn 27 later this month, enjoyed a strong bounce-back season for the Jazz in 2017/18 after an injury-plagued 2016/17 campaign. In 77 games (all starts) last season, Favors averaged 12.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.1 BPG with a career-best .563 FG%.

While Favors probably isn’t an ideal frontcourt partner for Rudy Gobert, given their overlapping skill sets, the duo found a way to make it work last season. Favors also provides the Jazz with rim protection and rebounding at the five when Gobert is on the bench — or when Gobert misses time due to injury, as he did last season.

Favors reached his decision after meeting with the Jazz in Atlanta for a few hours on Sunday. According to Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News (via Twitter), “a couple” other teams were in the mix for the veteran.

With Favors back in the fold, the Jazz – who are focusing on internal growth and development – figure to focus on retaining point guards Dante Exum and Raul Neto. The team will also have decisions to make soon on the non-guaranteed salaries for Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh, which would become guaranteed next week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Suns Sign Elie Okobo To Multiyear Deal

July 6th, 2018 at 11:39am CST by clarkcrum

JULY 6, 11:39am: Okobo’s deal is now official, the Suns announced on their website. The French point guard was an All-Star this season while playing for Pau-Lacq-Orthez in his homeland. Terms of the deal were not released, but it’s expected to be worth about $6MM in total, as noted below.

JUNE 24, 2:57pm: The Suns and the No. 31 overall selection of the 2018 NBA Draft Elie Okobo have agreed to a four-year contract worth approximately $6MM, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

Okobo, 20, has a buyout with Pau-Orthez of the LNB Pro A that will allow him to come to the NBA right away, and it appears to be well worth it, with Charania adding that the first two seasons of Okobo’s contract are fully guaranteed.

It’s not yet clear what the annual salaries will be in Okobo’s agreement, but the first two seasons are guaranteed for over $2.6MM and the third and fourth years will be non-guaranteed.

Because Okobo was not a first-round pick, he is not subject to the NBA’s rookie scale. Moreover, because he’ll sign a four-year contract, the Suns will be required to sign him using cap room or part of their MLE.

Okobo is the second player drafted in the second round of this year’s draft to sign a contract with his new team after Rodions Kurucs agreed to a contract with the Nets on Friday.

Clippers Sign Angel Delgado To Two-Way Deal

July 6th, 2018 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The Clippers have officially signed Delgado to a two-way contract, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

JUNE 21: Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado didn’t hear his name called during Thursday night’s NBA draft, but it didn’t take him long to find an NBA home. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter), Delgado has reached an agreement with the Clippers on a two-way contract.

Delgado, a 6’10” center, averaged a double-double in his senior year in 2017/18, posting 13.6 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 30.9 minutes per contest.

Having finished the 2017/18 season with only Tyrone Wallace on a two-way deal, the Clippers already have a two-way slot open on their roster. However, Delgado likely won’t finalize his agreement with the club until the new league year begins in July.

Trail Blazers Sign Nik Stauskas

July 5th, 2018 at 5:48pm CST by Luke Adams

July 5: The Blazers announced in a press release that they’ve officially signed Stauskas.

July 1: The Trail Blazers have reached an agreement to sign former eighth overall pick Nik Stauskas, reports ESPN’s Chris Haynes (via Twitter). Stauskas will sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the club, Haynes adds (via Twitter).

Stauskas, who began his NBA career with the Kings, has been traded twice since then, first to Philadelphia and then to Brooklyn. The 6’6″ shooting guard posted decent numbers for the Sixers in 2016/17, putting up 9.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG with a .496/.368/.813 shooting line. However, he fell out of the team’s rotation early in the 2017/18 campaign and was sent to the Nets along with Jahlil Okafor.

In 35 games for Brooklyn, Stauskas averaged 5.1 PPG in 13.7 minutes per contest, with a .404 3PT%. The Nets opted not to issue him a qualifying offer this week, which allowed him to reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Stauskas will earn $1,621,415 on his new deal, though Portland will only be on the hook for a $1,512,601 cap hit.

Rockets Sign Pair, Waive Aaron Jackson

July 5th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have signed undrafted rookie Gary Clark and second-round pick Vince Edwards, the team announced in a press release. Shortly thereafter, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweeted that the franchise had parted ways with Aaron Jackson, whom they inked at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

Although terms of the signings have not yet been revealed, it was reported last month that the club had come to terms on a two-way deal with at least Clark. There’s no mention of a two-way contract in Houston’s announcement, so it’s possible Clark received a standard NBA contract, perhaps with an Exhibit 10 attachments. A team can convert an Exhibit 10 contract into to a two-way deal prior to the start of the regular season.

Clark, a renowned rebounding threat out of Cincinnati, spent four seasons with the Bearcats before going undrafted last month. Edwards, similarly, just played out his senior season with Purdue before Houston made him a second-round pick in June.

Jackson, the 32-year-old guard who played a single regular season game for the Rockets last April and played sparingly for the club in the postseason, is expected to pursue a new deal in China, perhaps returning to the Beijing Ducks, Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania reports. His salary for 2018/19 was non-guaranteed.

Wizards Sign First-Rounder Troy Brown

July 5th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 5: The Wizards have officially signed Brown to his rookie deal, per the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll have a first-year salary of about $2.75MM.

JUNE 25: The Wizards have agreed to terms on a rookie contract for first-round pick Troy Brown, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). The deal can be made official once the new NBA league year begins on July 1.

Brown, a 6’7″ wing, is coming off a freshman year at Oregon in which he averaged 11.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG. The youngster has strong upside as a versatile defender who is capable of guarding any position from one through four. He was drafted 15th overall by the Wizards last Thursday.

Brown will be subject to the NBA’s rookie scale, making negotiations with the Wizards a simple process. He’ll be in line for two guaranteed seasons, followed by third- and fourth-year team options.

Under the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the rookie scale is tied to the salary cap, so we won’t know the exact salary amounts for this year’s rookies until the cap is set for 2018/19. However, based on a $101MM cap projection, Brown should be in line for a first-year salary worth approximately $2.73MM.

Clippers Sign Jerome Robinson To Rookie Deal

July 5th, 2018 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have signed first-rounder Jerome Robinson to his rookie contract, according to the NBA’s official transactions log. The team inked fellow lottery pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to his first NBA deal earlier this week.

Robinson, a 6’6″ guard out of Boston College, improved his stock in the weeks leading up to the draft and was ultimately the 13th prospect off the board in June. In his junior year in 2017/18, Robinson averaged a career-high 20.7 PPG with an impressive .485/.409/.830 shooting line. He also chipped in 3.6 RPG and 3.3 APG.

Although Robinson can play on or off the ball and can probably handle either guard position, it’s not clear how he’ll fit into the Clippers’ rotation in his rookie season. The team’s backcourt is crowded, with Robinson and Gilgeous-Alexander joining a group that currently features Avery Bradley, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Milos Teodosic, and Jawun Evans.

Robinson’s rookie contract will pay him a first-year salary of about $3MM, as our chart shows.