Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Guaranteeing Kris Dunn’s 2023/24 Salary

October 21st, 2023 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are guaranteeing Kris Dunn‘s $2,586,665 salary for the 2023/24 season, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The move was expected, Jones adds. Dunn’s early salary guarantee date was October 23, but now he knows a couple days early that his contract — which was previously non-guaranteed — will be fully guaranteed.

Dunn has played the best basketball of his NBA career since joining Utah late last season. He averaged 13.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .537/.472/.774 shooting in 22 games (25.8 MPG) with the Jazz in ’22/23. He also had a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, a strong mark for a point guard.

In five preseason games this fall (15.2 MPG), Dunn averaged 8.0 PPG, 2.8 APG and 1.6 SPG while shooting a remarkable 85.7% from the floor (18-of-21). Head coach Will Hardy recently praised the 29-year-old’s “tenacity” as well as the “fight and hunger” he shows on the court.

It’s been a remarkable career turn around for Dunn, who spent most of last season in the G League and only played 18 NBA games with the Hawks and Trail Blazers from 2020-22 (part of that was due to knee and ankle injuries while with Atlanta).

The former No. 5 overall pick was always a strong defender, but struggled to score efficiently, which has changed dramatically over the past year. He turned a couple of 10-day deals with Utah into a two-year contract worth $3.3MM+.

Dunn is set to his unrestricted free agency next summer, and should be coveted on the open market if he continues his strong play again in ’23/24.

Clippers Waiving Xavier Moon, Joey Hauser

October 21st, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers are waiving wing Xavier Moon and forward Joey Hauser, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

The moves had been anticipated, since Moon and Hauser were on Exhibit 10 contracts and the Clippers already have 15 players on guaranteed deals and three on two-way pacts.

Moon played for the Ontario Clippers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – for most of last season, putting up 20.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .523/.389/.824 in 48 total regular season and Showcase Cup games (31.0 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.

Moon averaged 9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.3 APG on 38.1% shooting in four games (19.9 MPG) for Los Angeles during the preseason.

Hauser, whose brother Sam Hauser plays for Boston, went undrafted out of Michigan State earlier this year. He averaged 14.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 34 contests (34.1 MPG) during his final college season, posting an impressive shooting line of .484/.461/.876. He signed a two-way contract with the Jazz in July, but was waived last month.

Both Moon and Hauser appear likely to report to the Ontario Clippers in the NBAGL. Their Exhibit 10 contracts will put them in line for bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Ontario.

Thunder Exercise 2024/25 Team Options On Five Players

October 21st, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have exercised their rookie scale team options for the 2024/25 season on five players, the team announced today in a press release. Those options are as follows:

Chet Holmgren (third year, $10,880,640)
Josh Giddey (fourth year, $8,352,367)
Ousmane Dieng (third year, $5,027,040)
Tre Mann (fourth year, $4,908,373)
Jalen Williams (third year, $4,775,760)

Most of these decisions were no-brainers. Holmgren, Giddey, and Williams project as long-term building blocks for the franchise. Dieng didn’t have a major role as a rookie but is only a year removed from being selected 11th overall in the 2022 draft.

The most noteworthy option pick-up of the bunch is Mann’s. The 22-year-old guard had a promising rookie season in 2021/22, averaging 10.4 points per game with a .360 3PT%, but saw his scoring average (7.7 PPG) and 3PT% (.315) dip last season as his playing time was cut back, from 22.8 minutes per game to 17.7 MPG.

Given the Thunder’s roster crunch this offseason, Mann looked like a candidate to be one of the odd men out, but today’s decision signals that the club has no plans to waive him. That leaves Jack White, whose 2023/24 salary is only partially guaranteed for $600K, as perhaps the most likely release candidate on the roster, though the club could go in another direction. Oklahoma City previously traded Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to get down from 18 players on standard contracts to 16.

Giddey and Mann will now become eligible for rookie scale extensions next July, while the Thunder will have to decide by next October 31 whether to exercise their fourth-year options on Holmgren, Dieng, and Williams.

Sixers Sign, Waive Jared Brownridge

October 21st, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have signed and subsequently waived guard Jared Brownridge, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

We can safely assume that Brownridge, who has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats since the 2017/18 season, received an Exhibit 10 contract that will ensure he receives a bonus (worth up to $75K) as long as he spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League team again in 2023/24.

After averaging double-digit points per game for four straight NBAGL seasons, Brownridge had his role cut back last season and finished the year with 6.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG on .363/.374/.700 shooting in 28 games (18.8 MPG). He saw limited action (7.0 MPG) in four postseason games during the Blue Coats’ championship run.

Brownridge was previously signed-and-waived by the 76ers to get him an Exhibit 10 bonus in 2019 and 2021.

Wizards Sign, Waive Hamidou Diallo, Gabe Kalscheur

October 21st, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

2:10pm: Diallo and Kalscheur have been waived, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

11:12am: The Wizards have signed free agent wing Hamidou Diallo and guard Gabe Kalscheur to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Diallo, 25, was the 45th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Over the last five years, he has appeared in 263 regular season games for the Thunder and Pistons, averaging 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night. Last season, he made a career-high 57.3% of shots from the field in 56 games (17.8 MPG) for Detroit, putting up 9.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG.

I gave Diallo a spot near the bottom of my list of this year’s top 50 free agents, writing that his athleticism, rebounding ability, and defensive acumen helped make up for his lack of outside shot. However, it seems NBA teams weren’t as high on the veteran wing, who remained on the market for over three-and-a-half months before finally catching on today with the Wizards.

The terms of Diallo’s deal – along with Washington’s roster crunch – indicates that the plan is for him to be waived and join the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate. That’s presumably the next step for Kalscheur too. Both players would earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Go-Go.

An undrafted rookie out of Iowa State, Kalscheur averaged 12.9 PPG on .400/.354/.726 shooting in 33 games (33.6 MPG) as a super-senior in 2022/23.

Hornets Cut R.J. Hunter, Nathan Mensah, Terrell Brown Jr.

October 21st, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are placing three players on waivers, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who reports (via Twitter) that wing R.J. Hunter, center Nathan Mensah, and guard Terrell Brown Jr. have been cut.

Hunter, Mensah, and Brown were all on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts and now look like good bets to join the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, after they clear waivers.

The Swarm recently acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Memphis Hustle and Mensah can be made an affiliate player, since he’s a rookie whose NBAGL rights weren’t previously held by another team. Hunter should also be eligible to be an affiliate player, since he hasn’t played in the G League since 2019/20, meaning his returning rights have expired.

After releasing the trio, the Hornets will have 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. No additional moves would be required to set their roster for the regular season, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Charlotte won’t make any more changes before Monday’s cut-down deadline.

Mavs Convert Dexter Dennis, Greg Brown To Two-Way Deals

October 21st, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks have converted the Exhibit 10 contracts of Dexter Dennis and Greg Brown into two-way deals, the team announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that Dennis was being converted (Twitter link).

Dallas had a pair of two-way openings, so no corresponding moves are necessary to promote Dennis and Brown. A.J. Lawson occupies the team’s third two-way spot.

Dennis, 24, went undrafted in June. He spent his first four college seasons at Wichita State before joining Texas A&M for the 2022/23 season. As a “super-senior” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to college players due to COVID-19, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game across 34 appearances.

Dennis never averaged double-digit points per game in any of his five college seasons and made just 37.5% of his shots from the field over the last two years, including 30.4% of his three-pointers. However, he’s a talented defender who earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 for the Shockers.

The 43rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Brown spent his first season-and-a-half as a pro in Portland, appearing in 64 games for the Trail Blazers during that time. He didn’t establish himself as a regular rotation player, averaging just 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night with a shooting line of .422/.294/.636.

Because the Blazers didn’t have a G League affiliate of their own during Brown’s time with the team, they couldn’t send him to their own NBAGL program for developmental purposes. The 21-year-old ended up being waived in February to accommodate Portland’s trade deadline moves, then finished the season with the Ontario Clippers in the G League.

The Mavs still have 18 players on their roster, with 14 players on guaranteed standard deals and Markieff Morris on a partially guaranteed contract.

Magic Converting Trevelin Queen To Two-Way Deal

October 21st, 2023 at 1:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic wing Trevelin Queen is receiving a promotion, as his Exhibit 10 contract is being converted into a two-way deal, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

In Orlando’s preseason finale on Friday against Brazilian club Flamengo, Queen poured in 24 points (on 9-of-12 shooting) in just 24 minutes. He also had four steals in the game.

Queen went undrafted in 2020 out of New Mexico State. He has spent the majority of his three pro seasons playing in the NBA G League, winning the NBAGL’s MVP award in 2021/22.

The 26-year-old signed with the Sixers last summer, but was waived during the preseason and caught on with the Pacers on a two-way deal a few days later. He spent most of ’22/23 with Indiana, but was waived at the end of March.

Queen has appeared in a total of 17 NBA games while on two-way contracts with the Rockets and Pacers over the past two seasons. He holds modest career averages of 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per contest.

Queen once again put up big numbers at the G League level in ’22/23, including averages of 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 11 Showcase Cup contests (35.7 MPG) for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 24 NBAGL regular season games, he put up 22.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He was named to the Next Up Game at All-Star weekend.

The Magic had one open two-way spot, so they won’t have to waive anyone to convert Queen’s contract. They still have 21 players on their roster, which is the preseason limit.

Sixers Convert Javonte Smart To Two-Way Contract

October 21st, 2023 at 12:18pm CST by Tristan Tucker

12:18pm: The move is official, the Sixers confirmed in a press release.

10:16am: The Sixers are converting guard Javonte Smart to a two-way contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Smart was on an Exhibit 10 deal but, after impressing in the preseason, is having his contract converted.

Smart, 24, played with both the Bucks and the Heat on two-way contracts after going undrafted out of LSU in 2021. In 17 career games (one start), he has averaged 3.0 points. Smart has seen much more playing time in the G League over the past two seasons, putting up 16.9 points and 3.6 assists per night while shooting 33.9% from downtown (7.4 attempts) in 57 career regular season G League outings.

In four games with Philadelphia in the preseason, Smart averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 assists in 8.3 minutes, hitting 66.7% of his three-point shots.

The 76ers opened up a two-way contract spot on Friday when they waived Ricky Council IV, clearing the way for Smart’s conversion. No other roster moves are necessary to convert Smart, who joins Terquavion Smith and Azuolas Tubelis as the team’s two-way players.

The Sixers still have more work to be done with their roster, with 16 players signed to standard contracts. Filip Petrusev and Danny Green don’t have fully guaranteed salaries, but Montrezl Harrell could also be cut, considering he’s likely to be out for the season.

Timberwolves Sign, Waive Brian Bowen II, Javonte Cooke

October 21st, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

12:04pm: As expected, Bowen and Cooke have been waived, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter).

10:22am: The Timberwolves have added a pair of players to their preseason roster, announcing in a press release that forward Brian Bowen II and guard Javonte Cooke have signed with the team.

The Wolves didn’t specify the terms of the deals, but in all likelihood, they’re Exhibit 10 contracts, designed to get Bowen and Cooke bonuses worth up to $75K if they report to the Iowa Wolves and then spend at least 60 days with Minnesota’s G League team. Barring something unexpected, the two players are good bets to be cut later today.

Bowen, who played for Minnesota’s Summer League team in July, has some NBA experience, having appeared in 12 games for Indiana from 2019-21. The 25-year-old played for Iowa in 2021/22, averaging 14.9 points and 8.6 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per game across 27 appearances, with a shooting line of .452/.280/.785.

Cooke, 24, went undrafted last year out of Winston-Salem State and spent his first professional season playing for Iowa. In 41 games (19.4 MPG) with the Timberwolves’ NBAGL team, he averaged 7.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG on .424/.319/.650 shooting. His agreement with Minnesota was initially reported in September.

The T-Wolves’ roster consists, for the time being, of 19 players.