Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Sign Briante Weber To Two-Way Deal

October 24th, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 24: Weber’s two-way contract with the Rockets is now official, the team announced today (via Twitter). Weber will immediately report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

OCTOBER 23: The Rockets will fill their second two-way slot by signing Briante Weber, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The deal includes a team option for 2018/19.

The defensive-minded point guard signed with the Lakers for training camp, but was waived just before the start of the regular season. L.A. had a two-way opening at the time, but elected to give it to Vander Blue.

Weber will report to Houston’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley for the start of training camp today. The 24-year-old may get an early opportunity to prove himself with the Rockets as Chris Paul remains sidelined with a sore knee that is expected to keep him out of action for two to three more weeks.

Demetrius Jackson, also on a two-way contract, has been serving as the team’s backup point guard in Paul’s absence. As long as they are on two-way deals, both Weber and Jackson will be limited to 45 days apiece in the NBA, starting today.

The Rockets still have an open roster spot, but they don’t plan to fill it right away, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Weber has received opportunities with several NBA teams since going undrafted out of Virginia Commonwealth in 2015. He excelled in the G League and had brief stints with the Grizzlies, Heat, Warriors and Hornets. His longest stay with one team came in 13 games with Charlotte at the end of last season, when he averaged 3.8 points in about 12 minutes per night.

Pelicans Sign Jameer Nelson To One-Year Deal

October 22nd, 2017 at 6:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Oct. 22: The Pels have officially signed Nelson, the team announced in a press release.

Oct. 21: The Pelicans have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free agent point guard Jameer Nelson, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Nelson was on the open market for less than 24 hours, having cleared waivers on Friday evening after being cut this week by the Nuggets.

Nelson, 35, has 13 years of NBA experience under his belt, with stints in Orlando, Dallas, Boston, and Denver. Most recently, he appeared in 148 games over the last two and a half seasons for the Nuggets, providing some stability at the point guard position as the club looked to incorporate youngsters Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray.

After struggling in 2015/16, Nelson bounced back last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.1 APG in 75 games (39 starts) for the Nuggets. However, with Denver intent on adding Richard Jefferson this week, Nelson was the odd man out when the club needed to open up a roster spot.

Upon clearing waivers, Nelson reportedly drew interest from the Rockets, Nets, and Hornets in addition to the Pelicans. All four of those clubs are dealing with injuries at the point guard spot. In New Orleans’ case, it’s Rajon Rondo on the shelf, recovering from sports hernia surgery.

Rondo is expected to return to the court next month, but Nelson may remain in the Pelicans’ rotation at that point. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported earlier today that the veteran point guard was seeking an opportunity where he’d have a chance to play a significant role, so presumably New Orleans doesn’t just view him as an interim solution.

The Pelicans don’t currently have an open spot on their roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player if they intend to finalize Nelson’s deal right away. If New Orleans waits until after its third game, the team would become eligible for a hardship exception and would be granted a 16th roster spot to sign Nelson without cutting anyone.

Hardship exceptions are awarded to clubs carrying at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games due to injury or illness. Rondo, Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Omer Asik, and Solomon Hill will all fit that bill for the Pelicans.

Meanwhile, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the tax line and the hard cap for the Pelicans. Adding Nelson on a fully guaranteed deal without waiving anyone would take New Orleans into the tax and move the team dangerously close to its hard cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans Waive Jordan Crawford

October 22nd, 2017 at 6:34pm CST by Jeff Kasler

Oct. 22: The Pelicans officially waived Crawford today, the team announced in a press release.

Oct. 21, 4:27pm: The Pelicans asked the NBA to guarantee that their request for an injury exception would be granted before signing Nelson, tweets Adrian Wojanarowski of ESPN. When that appeal was denied, New Orleans had to waive a player before Nelson could be added to the roster.

3:24pm: The Pelicans are waiving guard Jordan Crawford, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Crawford’s contract is only partially guaranteed for $250K, so most of his salary will come off New Orleans’ cap.

Today’s agreement with Jameer Nelson would have pushed the Pelicans into the luxury tax, but letting Crawford go will allow them to sneak back under the tax threshold and will provide some breathing room below the hard cap. New Orleans will actually create a small amount of savings through the two transactions due to Crawford’s $1.7MM cap hit, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details.

New Orleans could have waited until after tomorrow’s game to apply for a hardship exception in order to sign Nelson. Due to mounting injuries, the Pelicans will still be eligible for the exception, which would allow them to add a 16th player, but it’s not clear whether or not take advantage of it.

Crawford, who will turn 29 on Monday, appeared in 21 total games during his stint with New Orleans at the end of last season and the start of this year. In those games, he averaged 13.6 PPG and 3.0 APG in just 22.6 minutes per contest. He’ll reach free agency early next week, assuming he clears waivers.

Raptors Waive K.J. McDaniels

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:35pm: The move is official, according to a tweet from the team.

11:56am: The Raptors plan to waive K.J. McDaniels, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

The fourth-year swingman won a roster spot in Toronto after signing with the team in August. He didn’t play in either of the Raptors’ first two regular season games.

McDaniels only has a $100K guarantee on his $1,524,305 salary, so the Raptors won’t lose much by parting with him. The team, which had a full roster heading into the season, now has one opening.

McDaniels has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Sixers in the second round in 2014. He was traded to the Rockets in 2015, then was dealt to the Nets in February. The 52 games he played with the Sixers as a rookie remain his career high.

Wizards Pick Up Kelly Oubre’s 2018/19 Option

October 21st, 2017 at 2:59pm CST by Jeff Kasler

The Wizards have picked up the fourth-year option on Kelly Oubre‘s rookie contract, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post.

The fourth-year team option is worth $3.2MM and keeps Oubre locked up through the 2018/19 season.

Oubre, 21, was the team’s first-round pick in 2015 and has emerged as a vital piece of the Wizards puzzle. He is currently the starting power power forward, due to injuries to Markieff Morris and Jason Smith. In two games this year, he is averaging 9.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG.

The Wizards face a similar decision with power forward Chris McCullough, whose fourth-year option is worth about $2.2MM and must be picked up by October 31.

Bucks Sign Joel Bolomboy To Two-Way Contract

October 20th, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by Austin Kent

5:16pm: The Bucks have officially announced the signing over Twitter.

5:00pm: The Bucks are signing Joel Bolomboy to a two-way contract, Chris Reichert of 2 Ways, 10 Days tweets. The forward was the last cut by the Jazz in preseason after they selected him in the second-round of the 2016 NBA Draft.

While the Weber State product didn’t spend much time in the NBA during his rookie campaign he was particularly dominant with Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City. The 23-year-old will look to build upon a solid stat line in his first season with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

In 22 games with the Stars in 2016/17, Bolomboy averaged 16.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. After his release from the Jazz last week he was expected to be the first-overall pick in the annual G League draft on Saturday.

When Bolomboy does get a chance to suit up for the big league club in Milwaukee, he’ll compete with the likes of Mirza Teletovic and John Henson for reps off the bench.

Knicks Sign Isaiah Hicks To Two-Way Contract

October 20th, 2017 at 11:46am CST by Austin Kent

OCTOBER 20: The Knicks have officially signed Hicks to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 19: The Knicks are planning to sign forward Isaiah Hicks to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The North Carolina alum went through training camp with the Hornets earlier this month.

After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Tar Heel will look to make an impression with the franchise bouncing between the New York squad and the Knicks’ G League affiliate in Westchester.

Once the move becomes official, both of the Knicks’ two-way slots will be filled, with center Luke Kornet occupying the other one.

Blazers Sign Wade Baldwin To Two-Way Contract

October 20th, 2017 at 8:40am CST by Austin Kent

OCTOBER 20: The Blazers have officially signed Baldwin to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 19: The Blazers and free agent point guard Wade Baldwin have agreed on a two-way deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The 21-year-old was waived by the Grizzlies earlier in the week.

Baldwin will join a Portland franchise that has done a particularly good job developing guards over the years, most notably their star backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Considering Baldwin’s potential heading into his rookie campaign as a first-round pick last season, it will be interesting to see if the change of scenery serves him well.

Baldwin averaged just 3.2 points per game in limited time on the court last season but spent the summer in competition with Andrew Harrison for a role off the bench in Memphis. In Portland, Baldwin will set out to steal minutes from incumbent backup Shabazz Napier if and when he gets a shot with the NBA club.

While Baldwin’s contract will be a two-way deal, the Blazers currently lack a direct G League affiliate, so it’s not yet clear which G League club he’ll suit up for this season.

Nuggets Sign Richard Jefferson To One-Year Deal

October 19th, 2017 at 8:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 19: Jefferson’s deal with the Nuggets is now official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions. Denver waived Nelson on Wednesday to open up a roster spot for the veteran forward.

OCTOBER 16: Veteran forward Richard Jefferson has agreed to a one-year, $2.3MM contract with the Nuggets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

Jefferson cleared waivers on Monday. He was traded by the Cavaliers to the Hawks on Saturday in a cost-cutting and roster-trimming move by Cleveland. Atlanta immediately waived him.

Denver will likely waive veteran point guard Jameer Nelson to make room for Jefferson, according to Wojnarowski.

Jefferson fortifies the small forward spot behind Wilson Chandler. His primary backup, Will Barton, suffered an ankle injury in practice on Monday.

It’s somewhat surprising that Denver would let Nelson go, as he was considered a potential starter during camp. The Nuggets have apparently decided to go with the much younger duo of Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray at point guard.

The Bucks were considered contenders for Jefferson’s services but wound up claiming another ex-Cavalier, DeAndre Liggins, on Monday. Jefferson, 37, averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 79 regular-season contests last year.

Contractually, Jefferson will collect two paybacks. He’ll also receive $2MM from the Hawks, who will get a $500K set-off at the end of the season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Nuggets Waive Jameer Nelson

October 18th, 2017 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have waived veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, as expected, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Nelson will clear waivers on Friday, assuming he goes unclaimed. Meanwhile, Denver is expected to use the newly-opened roster spot to officially sign Richard Jefferson.

A 13-year NBA veteran, Nelson has spent the last two and a half seasons in Denver, starting 59 of his 148 games for the team during that stretch. After struggling through the 2015/16 campaign, the 35-year-old bounced back last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.1 APG with a .444/.388/.714 shooting line in 75 contests.

The Nuggets drafted Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft and leaned on him as their starting point guard for most of the last two seasons, but Nelson stepped into the starting lineup last season when Mudiay underwhelmed.

With Nelson no longer around to provide veteran stability, Denver will have to lean heavily on Mudiay and 2016 first-rounder Jamal Murray at the point guard spot. Monte Morris, who is on a two-way contract, should also provide some organizational depth at the position, while players like Will Barton and Gary Harris may get an opportunity to handle the ball a little more too.

Nelson had a fully guaranteed $4,736,050 salary for 2017/18, so the Nuggets will have to eat that amount if the veteran clears waivers, which is likely. His salary can’t be stretched.