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Raptors Sign D.J. Carton To 10-Day Contract

February 21st, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

12:23pm: Carton has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Raptors, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

9:21am: The Raptors are set to fill one of their open roster spots by signing guard D.J. Carton to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A pair of spots on Toronto’s standard 15-man roster opened up earlier this week when 10-day deals for Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye expired. The Raptors had up to two weeks to fill at least one of those openings, but it appears they won’t waste any time getting back to the NBA-mandated roster minimum.

Carton has spent his professional career in the G League since going undrafted out of Marquette in 2021. After one year with the Greensboro Swarm, he has spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s NBAGL affiliate.

In 29 games this season for Iowa, Carton has averaged 18.6 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 35.4 minutes per contest, with a strong shooting line of .527/.395/.796.

Carton’s 10-day contract with Toronto will cover the team’s first five games after the All-Star break. He’ll earn a salary of $64,343 for his 10 days with the Raptors, who will still have one open roster spots after officially signing Carton.

Ryan Rollins Signs Two-Way Contract With Bucks

February 21st, 2024 at 9:23am CST by Rory Maher

FEBRUARY 21: The Bucks have officially announced Rollins’ two-way contract (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 19: Free agent guard Ryan Rollins is signing a two-way contract with the Bucks, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Rollins was selected 44th overall in the 2022 draft after two college seasons at Toledo. He only appeared in 12 games as a rookie last season with the Warriors, who traded him to the Wizards last summer as part of the Chris Paul/Jordan Poole deal.

The 21-year-old didn’t play much for Washington either, making 10 appearances for 66 total minutes in 2023/24 before the Wizards released him in January.

A few days later, it was reported that Rollins was accused of repeatedly shoplifting from a Target store in Virginia. He was charged with seven counts of petit larceny, which is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia.

It’s unclear what came of his legal situation, as he had a court hearing scheduled for February. But evidently the Bucks felt comfortable taking a chance on Rollins, who was viewed as having defensive upside and an ability to create shots when he was drafted.

Milwaukee has a pair of two-way openings, so the team won’t have to release anyone to add Rollins.

Darius Bazley Signs 10-Day Deal With Sixers

February 20th, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 20: Bazley has officially signed with the Sixers, according to a team press release.

FEBRUARY 19: The Sixers will sign Darius Bazley to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The 23-year-old big man has been playing with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate in Delaware since being waived by Brooklyn prior to the start of the season. Bazley is averaging 20.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 18 regular season games with the Blue Coats, and Charania points out that he recently had a 38-point, 15-rebound performance.

Bazley should provide some depth to the Sixers’ front line, which has been depleted with the loss of Joel Embiid to meniscus surgery. Assuming he signs on Thursday, Bazley will be eligible for that night’s game against New York, plus four more over the 10-day contract.

After creating three open roster spots through trades, Philadelphia faces a deadline of Thursday to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players. The team filled one opening by signing Kyle Lowry last week.

A first-round pick in 2019, Bazley began his career in Oklahoma City, where he spent three-and-a-half seasons before being traded to Phoenix at last year’s deadline. He appeared in just seven games with the Suns before becoming a free agent last summer. He was selected to participate in the G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend.

Suns Sign Thaddeus Young

February 20th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 20: The Suns have officially signed Young, announcing the deal in a press release. That means he’ll be available for Phoenix when the club’s post-All-Star schedule gets underway on Thursday, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.

“Thad is a highly respected veteran player who makes us a better team in our pursuit of winning an NBA Championship,” general manager James Jones said in a statement. “Thad is extremely intelligent and plays with a competitive intensity. His size and defensive abilities add versatility to our roster.”

FEBRUARY 13: The Suns are finalizing a deal to sign free agent forward Thaddeus Young, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Young had been with the Raptors for the past two years, but was traded to Brooklyn at last week’s deadline along with Dennis Schröder in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets opted to waive Young, who was on an expiring $8MM contract, in order to open up a roster spot to complete the deal that sent Royce O’Neale to Phoenix in exchange for draft picks and two incoming players.

A veteran in his 17th NBA season, Young hasn’t been a regular starter since 2018/19 and played a limited role in Toronto this season. He averaged 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 15.2 minutes per game across 23 appearances (six starts), shooting a career-high 62.1% from the floor.

Young is unlikely to play major minutes in Phoenix either, but will provide some additional frontcourt depth and veteran leadership on a team with title aspirations. In addition to playing at forward, the 35-year-old can also function as a small-ball five.

The Suns have two open spots on their 15-man roster after trading away four players at the deadline for O’Neale and David Roddy, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Young.

Due to a new rule related to the buyout market, Phoenix is ineligible to sign a player cut during the season if his pre-waiver salary exceeded the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.4MM), but that restriction doesn’t apply to Young, who was earning less than that.

Hornets Sign Marques Bolden To 10-Day Deal

February 20th, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

11:05am: The Hornets have made it official, announcing in a press release that Bolden has signed his 10-day contract. It will run through February 29.

7:36am: The Hornets are set to sign big man Marques Bolden to a 10-day contract, agent Michael Johnson Jr. tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bolden, 25, has past NBA experience with the Cavaliers and was on a two-way contract with Milwaukee earlier this season. However, he only appeared briefly in two games with the Bucks before being waived on January 7 before his full-season salary could become guaranteed.

Bolden has spent most of the season in the G League playing for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate. In 31 Showcase Cup and regular season contests, he has averaged 13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .554/.404/.743.

As Charania observes, the center has played some of his best basketball of the season as of late, averaging 17.0 points and 13.8 rebounds during the Herd’s current six-game winning streak, with double-doubles in all six of those victories.

Bolden will provide some depth in a frontcourt that has been impacted by Mark Williams‘ lengthy absence due to a back injury. Nick Richards has been starting in Williams’ place, but the Hornets don’t have a ton of options at the five beyond that, especially with P.J. Washington no longer around to occasionally act as a small-ball center. That means there could be a path for Bolden to earn playing time.

No roster move will be necessary for the Hornets, who have been carrying 14 players since buying out Kyle Lowry last week.

Cavaliers Sign Pete Nance To Two-Way Deal

February 19th, 2024 at 3:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have signed free agent forward Pete Nance to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

An undrafted rookie who played four college seasons at Northwestern and a fifth at North Carolina, Nance made two brief appearances with the Cavs last month while on a 10-day contract. That deal expired on January 27, making Nance an unrestricted free agent.

Nance was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract in September by the Cavs, then waived during training camp. He has spent the majority of 2023/24 with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.

In 29 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Charge, he has averaged 13.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.5 BPG on .471/.353/.795 shooting.

The Cavs had an open two-way slot after promoting Craig Porter, so no further roster moves were necessary to sign Nance, who turned 24 years old today. Nance is the son of former Cavs legend Larry Nance and the younger brother of Larry Nance Jr., who spent parts of four seasons with Cleveland.

Danilo Gallinari Signs With Bucks

February 18th, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 18: Gallinari’s deal with the Bucks is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

FEBRUARY 15: Free agent forward Danilo Gallinari is signing with the Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter).

Gallinari chose Milwaukee over several other suitors because of the opportunity to play in coach Doc Rivers‘ frontline rotation, Wojnarowski adds. The veteran played for Rivers during his time with the Clippers in 2017-19.

Gallinari, who didn’t play at all last season due to a torn ACL, will be wearing his third different Eastern Conference uniform this season. The 35-year-old appeared in 26 games with the Wizards before he was traded last month to Detroit

Gallinari saw action in six games with the Pistons, who waived him after the trade deadline due to a roster crunch. In those combined 32 games, he has averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.8 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .451/.355/.850. Gallinari was on an expiring $6,802,950 contract before the Pistons waived him.

Milwaukee is an apron team but is allowed to sign Gallinari since his prior salary was $6.8M– below the $12.4MM non-tax mid-level exception. He’ll get the prorated veteran’s minimum and there is no set-off from his remaining salary owed by the Pistons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The Bucks had a roster spot available after trading little-used backup center Robin Lopez last week to the Kings, who later waived him.

The Bulls were one of the other teams eyeing Gallinari, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. The Suns also reportedly showed interest in Gallinari, a career 38.2% 3-point shooter, as did the Clippers, according to Bucks guard Patrick Beverley, and the Cavaliers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Heat Sign Guard Delon Wright

February 18th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have officially signed guard Delon Wright, according to a team press release.

Wright, a nine-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 494 career NBA games (84 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.22 steals and 20.8 minutes.

The Wizards bought out Wright on Friday and waived him. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on the same day that the guard intended to sign with Miami.

Wright received the prorated veteran’s minimum, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets.

Wright had been with the Wizards since signing a two-year, $16MM contract with the club as a free agent in 2022. The 31-year-old appeared in 83 total games for Washington across those two seasons, averaging 6.1 points, 3.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 20.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .450/.350/.854.

Wright had an expiring $8.2MM deal prior to the buyout. After averaging 15.1 minutes per contest in his first 29 games this season, Wright logged just 18 total minutes in the Wizards’ first four games after the trade deadline, signaling that he was no longer part of their plans, so his buyout agreement didn’t come as a huge surprise.

The Heat were looking for point guard depth following Dru Smith‘s season-ending injury and the January trade sending Kyle Lowry to Charlotte, as well as injuries to Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson.

The Heat had an open spot on their 15-man roster, which is now full. Miami was permitted to sign Wright despite being over the first tax apron because his pre-waiver salary was less than this season’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.4MM).

Pelicans Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Two-Year Contract

February 17th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Rory Maher

FEBRUARY 17: The Pelicans have officially converted Robinson-Earl to a standard contract, according to a press release from the team.

FEBRUARY 16: The Pelicans plan to promote forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a two-year standard contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Robinson-Earl is currently on a two-way deal with New Orleans.

A league source tells Christian Clark of NOLA.com that the second season of Robinson-Earl’s new contract (2024/25) will be a team option (Twitter link).

After playing two college seasons at Villanova, Robinson-Earl was selected with the 32nd pick of the 2021 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Thunder, but he was traded to Houston in October and subsequently released by the Rockets before the 2023/24 season began. The 23-year-old caught on with the Pelicans the following week, with the deal made official on his birthday (November 3).

A 6’9″ big man, Robinson-Earl hasn’t played much for New Orleans this season, logging just 10.0 MPG across 21 appearances. He has averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.3 RPG over that span, with an impressive .517/.364/.909 shooting line, though the sample size is very small.

The Pelicans have two openings on their standard roster, so they won’t need to waive anyone to convert Robinson-Earl. In addition to a standard roster spot, they’ll also have an open two-way slot once the move is official.

As our tracker shows, Robinson-Earl will be the 12th player to be promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract in 2023/24. Trail Blazers big man Duop Reath is the 11th, having agreed to a three-year deal with Portland this afternoon.

Trail Blazers Sign Duop Reath To Three-Year Deal

February 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

10:00pm: Reath’s promotion to a standard contract is official, the Blazers announced in a press release.

1:50pm: The Trail Blazers are promoting Duop Reath to their standard roster, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the rookie center has agreed to a three-year contract with the club.

Reath, 27, signed a two-way contract with the Blazers in October and has emerged as a regular part of the team’s frontcourt rotation, appearing in 40 games so far this season, including 11 starts. He has averaged 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 17.4 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .475/.385/.741.

As Wojnarowski observes (Twitter link), Reath’s path to his first standard NBA contract has been an unorthodox one. He and his family fled South Sudan for a refugee camp in Kenya when he was nine years old and ultimately relocated to Australia.

After later moving to America, Reath spent two seasons at Lee College in Texas, then transferred to LSU for two more years. He went undrafted in 2018 and played professionally in Serbia, Australia, China, and Lebanon from 2018-23 before catching on with Portland. The big man was in camp with the Blazers on a non-guaranteed contract, but made enough of an impression to earn a two-way deal and has now received another promotion.

While the exact terms of Reath’s new contract aren’t yet known, the Blazers will use a portion of their mid-level exception in order to sign him for more than two seasons. The deal will be guaranteed for the rest of this season, and I’d expect it to include at least a partial guarantee for 2024/25.

The Blazers currently have a full 15-man roster, but Ashton Hagans‘ 10-day contract with the club will expire on Saturday night, opening up a spot for Reath.