Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Exercise Bones Hyland’s Fourth-Year Option

October 30th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers are exercising Bones Hyland‘s 2024/25 fourth-year option, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. The move is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Hyland will make $4,158,439 in ’24/25 after earning $2,306,400 this season.

The Clippers acquired Hyland from Denver for a pair of second-rounders at last year’s trade deadline. A late first-round pick in 2021, Hyland publicly pushed for a bigger role with the Nuggets and they ultimately decided to move on from him. Hyland hasn’t enjoyed an expanded role since the trade but seems more settled and happier in Los Angeles.

Hyland appeared in 111 regular season games with the Nuggets and 14 more with the Clippers last season. He’s off to a solid start on Los Angeles’ second unit this season, averaging 15.7 points and 1.7 assists in 21.7 minutes per game.

Rockets Exercise 2024/25 Options On Green, Sengun, Smith, Eason

October 30th, 2023 at 5:50pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 30: The Rockets have officially exercised their options on all four players, the team tweets.

OCTOBER 12: While the decisions won’t be formally announced until the end of the month, the Rockets plan to exercise their 2024/25 team options on Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith and Tari Eason, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

The news was expected, as all four players are considered core pieces for the Rockets. The decisions don’t impact any of the players this season, but will guarantee their contracts for ’24/25.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Green will earn $12,483,048 in 2024/25. Sengun, who was the No. 16 pick of the same draft, will have a $5,424,654 salary in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. Both players will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2024.

Smith was the No. 2 pick of last year’s draft. He will earn $9,770,880 in ’24/25, his third season, while Eason, the No. 17 pick in 2022, will make $3,695,160. Next October, the Rockets will have to decide whether or not to pick up Smith and Eason’s fourth-year options, though that also seems like a formality.

A 6’4″ guard, Green averaged 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.7 APG on .416/.338/.786 shooting last season. Sengun, a 6’9″ Turkish center, averaged 14.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .553/.333/.715 shooting in ’21/22. Both players are starters, as is Smith. Eason is one of Houston’s main bench players.

Smith, a 6’10” forward, averaged 12.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .408/.307/.786 shooting as rookie in ’21/22. Eason, another forward, averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .448/.343/.752 shooting last season.

The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.

Knicks Exercise 2024/25 Team Option On Quentin Grimes

October 30th, 2023 at 1:28pm CST by Tristan Tucker

OCTOBER 30: The Knicks have officially exercised their option on Grimes, the team announced (via Twitter).

OCTOBER 26: The Knicks are exercising their 2024/25 team option on guard Quentin Grimes, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). Because his fourth-year option is being picked up, Grimes will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension next offseason.

Grimes, 23, has averaged 9.2 points per game across 118 career appearances (73 starts). As the No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Grimes will earn $4,296,682 in ’24/25. As Begley notes, this is a formality for most players with rookie scale team options and due to their affordable nature, they’re rarely declined, though it does happen.

Grimes has evolved into a key piece during his time with the Knicks, impressing in his rookie season before essentially becoming a full-time starter the following year. He jumped up to averaging 11.3 PPG with New York last season and scored 11 points in his ’23/24 debut on Wednesday against the Celtics.

The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.

Wolves Exercise 2024/25 Team Option On Wendell Moore Jr.

October 27th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Timberwolves have picked up their third-year team option on second-year wing Wendell Moore Jr., the team announced in a press release.

Moore, the 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Duke, will now have a guaranteed $2,537,040 salary in 2024/25. The Wolves will have until the end of October 2024 to decide if they want to pick up their fourth-year team option on Moore’s rookie scale contract for ’25/26.

The 22-year-old only appeared in 153 regular season minutes over 29 NBA games (5.3 MPG) as a rookie in ’22/23. He was not in Minnesota’s rotation for the team’s season opener on Wednesday.

Moore did receive some run in the G League for the Iowa Wolves last season, appearing in 13 total games (31.1 MPG) during the Showcase Cup and regular season. He averaged 18.8 PPG, 4.7 APG and 4.6 RPG on .451/.370/.793 shooting in those appearances.

Many teams have already made decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options this fall, with the deadline set for next Tuesday, October 31. However, some decisions are still outstanding. The full list can be found right here.

Nets Exercise 2024/25 Team Options On Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe

October 26th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have exercised their 2024/25 team options on guard Cam Thomas and center Day’Ron Sharpe, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Since their fourth-year options have been picked up, both players will now be eligible for rookie scale extensions next offseason.

Thomas, the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft, will earn $4,041,249 in ’24/25. Sharpe, the 29th pick of the same draft, will make $3,989,122.

As Dan Martin of The New York Post writes, Thomas had an excellent offensive performance in Brooklyn’s season opener vs. Cleveland, getting the Nets back in the game by pouring in 36 points (on 13-of-21 shooting) in just 25 minutes off the bench. He missed his final attempt at the end of the game, however, and the Nets lost by one point.

“It felt good, obviously,” Thomas said of his performance. “Obviously, you want to win, but it’s good to always reflect on what you do well.”

Sharpe, meanwhile, played 12 minutes in his 2023/24 debut, notching four points, two rebounds and two blocks. He appeared in 80 games for Brooklyn over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest.

The full list of decisions on 2024/25 rookie scale team options can be found right here.

Raptors Exercise 2024/25 Option On Scottie Barnes

October 25th, 2023 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have exercised the fourth-year option on Scottie Barnes‘ rookie scale contract for the 2024/25 season, the team announced today in a press release.

Barnes’ salary for the 2023/24 season – approximately $8MM – had already been locked in. Today’s move also fully guarantees his $10,130,980 salary for ’24/25, putting him on track to become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason.

Barnes, 22, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 after being drafted fourth overall in 2021. He didn’t take a meaningful step forward in his second NBA season, averaging 15.3 points per game for a second straight year while his FG% (.456), 3PT% (.281), and rebounds per game (6.6) all dipped a little. However, he showed more flashes of potential as a play-maker and continued to display his defensive versatility.

The Raptors remain very high on Barnes’ long-term upside, having reportedly made him unavailable when they got involved in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes during the offseason.

Barnes’ rookie scale option was the only one Toronto had to make a decision on by the October 31 deadline, as our tracker shows.

Sixers Re-Sign Ricky Council To Two-Way Contract

October 25th, 2023 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

12:12pm: Tubelis has been waived in order to open up a two-way slot for Council, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

11:53am: The Sixers have agreed to a new two-way contract with rookie shooting guard Ricky Council, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The signing is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Council, who played two college seasons at Wichita State before transferring to Arkansas for his junior year in 2022/23, averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 34.1 minutes per game (36 games) for the Razorbacks last season. His 27.0% mark on three-point tries left something to be desired, but he was considered one of the top prospects to go undrafted this year.

Following June’s draft, Council quickly latched on with Philadelphia on a two-way deal, playing for the club in Summer League and the preseason before being cut last Friday. The Sixers had to release a two-way player in order to convert Javonte Smart‘s Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract.

We don’t know exactly what Philadelphia’s thinking is in waiving Council only to bring him back five days later. However, it’s worth noting that the terms of Terquavion Smith‘s and Azuolas Tubelis‘ two-way deals called for them to have 50% of their full salaries guaranteed if they weren’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season. Council’s previous contract didn’t include those same terms.

It’s possible the Sixers always wanted to retain Council but didn’t want to deny Smith or Tubelis a payday of approximately $205K (each player had already been guaranteed $75K of his $560K two-way salary). Keeping both of those players through opening day on Tuesday ensures they’ll get their salary bumps, which won’t count against Philadelphia’s cap. I’d expect one of them – rather than Smart – was cut to make room for Council, though that hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Hornets Sign Ish Smith, Waive Edmond Sumner

October 24th, 2023 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

3:03pm: The Hornets have officially signed Smith and waived Sumner, the team announced in a press release.

12:37pm: The Hornets are making an early-season roster change, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will sign veteran guard Ish Smith, waiving Edmond Sumner to clear a spot on the 15-man roster.

Smith, a well-traveled NBA veteran, has played for a record 13 teams, including the Hornets in 2021/22. Last season, the 35-year-old won his first NBA championship in Denver, averaging 2.5 points and 2.3 assists in 9.3 minutes per game across 43 regular season appearances for the Nuggets.

Charlotte presumably felt the need to add some extra point guard depth behind starter LaMelo Ball, with projected backup Frank Ntilikina expected to miss at least four weeks due to a fractured tibia. Smith and Theo Maledon are among the players who will be in the mix for those backup minutes until Ntilikina is ready to return.

While terms of Smith’s deal haven’t been reported, I’d expected a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal. That would give the Hornets the flexibility to swap him out for another player prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date in January if Ntilikina is healthy by then.

It’s bad news for Sumner, who was on track to be one of four players on non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contracts to make an opening night roster. Instead, it sounds like he’ll be placed on waivers prior to the Hornets’ regular season opener on Wednesday.

Sumner, 26, averaged 7.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 53 games (13.9 MPG) for the Nets last season, posting a shooting line of .461/.356/.917. It was his first season back following an Achilles tear that cost him all of 2021/22.

Assuming he’s officially cut on Tuesday, Sumner will receive a small portion ($40,459) of his non-guaranteed minimum salary, since he was on the roster until the first day of the regular season and will spend two more days on waivers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Signs Three-Year Max Extension

October 24th, 2023 at 12:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 24: The Bucks have officially announced Antetokounmpo’s extension.

“Milwaukee is where I started my career, it’s our home, it’s where we’re raising our family, and it’s where I’m going to continue to work hard every day to make Bucks fans proud,” Giannis said in a statement. “I want to thank Bucks owners Wes (Edens), Jamie (Dinan), Jimmy (Haslam) and Dee (Haslam) for their continuous support of me and my family, and I want to express my appreciation to (general manager) Jon Horst for being a trusted partner who has been with me since the day I arrived in Milwaukee 10 years ago.

“To my teammates and coaches, I will always be grateful to you for inspiring me to be my best every day. Together, we are committed to winning and bringing another championship to our city. And to Bucks fans, let’s get it!”

OCTOBER 23: Giannis Antetokounmpo is signing a three-year, maximum-salary extension with the Bucks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The contract will include a player option for the 2027/28 season, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo was signed through the 2025/26 on his current contract, though he had a $51,935,268 option for the final season of that deal. That ’25/26 option will be eliminated and replaced with the first year of the new contract.

While Wojnarowski pegs the value of the three-year extension at $186MM, that’s just an estimate for now. It’s only possible if the salary cap increases by the maximum amount (10%) in 2024 and 2025. Otherwise, the contract figures would come in a little lower.

Assuming annual 10% increases in each of the next two years, the extension would break down as follows, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets: $57,604,893 for the 2025/26 season; $62,213,285 the following season; and a $66,821,676 player option in 2027/28. The total value would be $186,639,853.

The terms of the deal are identical to the three-year extension Anthony Davis signed with the Lakers in August.

Antetokounmpo’s agreement with the Bucks comes as somewhat of a surprise, since he indicated in a New York Times interview this summer that he wouldn’t sign an extension.

“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Giannis said in August. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties.”

While Antetokounmpo could have waited until next offseason and theoretically received more money, he ultimately decided to make an early commitment. Certainly, the Bucks’ acquisition of another superstar, Damian Lillard, played into his thinking.

The New York Times interview – in which Antetokounmpo stated he wouldn’t sign long-term with Milwaukee unless he was confident the team is as committed to chasing more titles as he is – sparked widespread speculation that he would eventually ask for a trade or go into the free agent market. However, his decision to sign on Monday should quiet that speculation, at least in the short term.

The two-time Most Valuable Player award winner is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-best 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Still only 28 years old, he’s entering his 11th NBA season.

Monday was the last day the Bucks superstar could have signed an extension prior to next July, as we outlined earlier today.

Rockets Re-Sign Nate Hinton To Two-Way Contract

October 24th, 2023 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

After waiving him on Saturday, the Rockets have re-signed swingman Nate Hinton to a two-way contract, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

The move is official, per RealGM’s log of NBA transactions, as is the reported release of Trevor Hudgins, whose two-way spot was opened to make room for Hinton.

A 6’5″ wing who played his college ball at Houston, Hinton has spent most of his three professional seasons on two-way contracts or G League deals, appearing in 23 NBA games for the Mavericks and Pacers since 2020.

The 24-year-old played for the Cleveland Charge – the Cavaliers’ NBAGL affiliate – during the 2022/23 season, averaging 12.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .466/.383/.789 shooting in 27 regular season games (33.9 MPG). He appeared in three preseason games for the Rockets, playing limited minutes.

The Rockets have now made multiple changes to their two-way players ahead of the regular season, having also cut Darius Days in order to convert Jeenathan Williams to a two-way contract on Monday.

It’s unclear why Houston didn’t simply hang onto Hinton and convert him as it did Williams, since Hinton’s deal also included Exhibit 10 language. Negotiating a two-year deal would’ve required him to pass through waivers, but Hoops Rumors has learned that Hinton’s new contract is only for one year. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.