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Pacers Sign Dakota Mathias To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 26th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pacers have waived Kyle Mangas and Cameron McGriff, the team announced in a press release. Indiana has also signed Dakota Mathias to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Both Mangas and McGriff were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and both finished last season with the Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate. Now that they’ve been released, Mangas and McGriff will receive bonuses worth up to $77.5K on top of their standard NBAGL salaries as long as they spend at least 60 days with the Mad Ants once the 2024/25 season begins.

Mathias played four years of college ball in Indiana at Purdue prior to going undrafted in 2018. He has appeared in 14 regular season games with Philadelphia and Memphis, last playing for the Grizzlies during the 2021/22 campaign. He has averaged 3.9 points in 9.9 minutes per contest during his brief NBA career.

A 6’4″ guard, Mathias is an excellent outside shooter, having converted more than 40% of his three-point tries in both college and the G League. In addition to his time in the NBA and NBAGL, the 29-year-old has also played professionally in Spain. He spent part of last season in Germany with Ratiopharm Ulm.

As with Mangas and McGriff, the Pacers’ announcement specifies that Mathias’ Exhibit 10 deal was designed for him to join the Mad Ants for the upcoming season. That means he will be waived at some point before the ’24/25 campaign begins.

Pelicans Waive Matt Ryan

August 23rd, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Rory Maher

9:03pm: The Pelicans officially waived Ryan on Friday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:19pm: The Pelicans plan to waive sharpshooter Matt Ryan, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Ryan, 27, appeared in 28 games for New Orleans in 2023/24, averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from three-point range in 13.9 minutes per contest. He missed several weeks of action last season due to a right calf strain and a right elbow injury, which required surgery in December.

New Orleans claimed Ryan off waivers last October, inheriting the two-way contract he signed with Minnesota shortly before the start of training camp. He also had brief stints with the Celtics and Lakers earlier in his career.

The Pelicans converted Ryan to a standard contract at the very end of last season, making him playoff-eligible. However, his three-year deal — which featured a significant end-of-season payday in ’23/24 — was non-guaranteed for the ’24/25 and ’25/26 seasons. That means the Pels won’t carry a dead-money cap hit by cutting Ryan loose.

Ryan’s salary for ’24/25 would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through the start of the regular season.

After officially signing Javonte Green, the Pelicans had 15 players on standard contracts, with 13 players on guaranteed salaries. They’re back down to 14 players now, with Jose Alvarado holding the lone non-guaranteed deal.

The Pelicans are still about $1.6MM over the luxury tax line after releasing Ryan, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, with a tax distribution to non-taxpaying teams projected to be a record high of $18.2MM. 13 teams are presently over the tax threshold, Marks adds.

If Ryan clears waivers in a couple days, he will become an unrestricted free agent. As a three-year veteran, he remains eligible for a two-way contract covering one season.

Pacers Sign Kyle Mangas, Cameron McGriff To Exhibit 10 Deals

August 23rd, 2024 at 6:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have signed free agent guard Kyle Mangas and forward Cameron McGriff to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today in a press release.

Mangas, a native of Indiana who played his college ball at Indiana Wesleyan, went undrafted in 2021 and spent two seasons overseas with teams in the Czech Republic and Lithuania before catching on with the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate, for the 2023/24 campaign.

In 51 total Showcase Cup and regular season games last season for the Mad Ants, the 6’4″ guard averaged 16.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .478/.389/.860.

McGriff, who went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020, bounced around several leagues in his first few professional seasons, playing in Belgium, Puerto Rico, Greece, and France in addition to multiple stints in the G League and a brief cameo in the NBA for the Trail Blazers during the 2021/22 season.

Like Mangas, McGriff finished last season as a member of the Indiana Mad Ants. After playing in 32 games for the Memphis Hustle, the 6’7″ forward was traded to the Mad Ants in March and made eight appearances for the Pacers’ affiliate down the stretch. In his 40 total outings for the two teams, he recorded averages of 11.3 PPG and 4.2 RPG on .434/.331/.887 shooting.

While Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals before the regular season begins, it doesn’t sound like that’s the plan for Mangas or McGriff. The Pacers’ announcement mentions specifically that the plan for the duo is to rejoin the Mad Ants, who hold their G League returning rights.

Signings these Exhibit 10 deals will allow Mangas and McGriff to receive bonuses worth up to $77.5K on top of their standard NBAGL salaries as long as they spend at least 60 days with the Mad Ants after being waived by the Pacers.

Indiana now has a full 21-man offseason roster.

Javonte Green Signs With Pelicans

August 22nd, 2024 at 5:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

AUGUST 22: Green’s addition is now official, the Pelicans have announced (Twitter link).

AUGUST 20: The Pelicans are signing free agent Javonte Green, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 6’4″ wing with power forward versatility closed last season with the Bulls.

According to Charania, the deal is for one year. William Guillory of The Athletic adds that it will be a guaranteed minimum-salary contract (Twitter link). Since Green has five years of NBA service, his deal will pay him $2,425,403 while counting for $2,087,519 against the cap.

Green went undrafted in 2015 but caught on with the Celtics ahead of the 2019/20 season. He spent one-and-a-half years with Boston before being traded to the Bulls.

The Radford product was a key part of the 2021/22 Bulls, averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 65 games (45 starts). He wasn’t re-signed by the team after his contract expired in 2023 but he eventually caught back on with the organization last season when he signed a pair of deals with the Bulls to close out the year.

In his nine games last season, Green averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. In 195 career games, he holds averages of 5.4 points and 3.1 boards while shooting a .541/.345/.754 line.

Once Green’s deal is official, the Pelicans will have a full 15-man roster of standard contract players, with 13 guaranteed salaries. All three of their two-way spots are also occupied.

With Jonas Valanciunas out of the fold, New Orleans added several bigs to their bench in Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis. While Green doesn’t have the same size as those players, he provides another strong rebounding presence (6.8 rebounds per 36 minutes).

Hawks, Joey Hauser Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 21st, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are signing free agent forward Joey Hauser to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source confirms to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link). Billy Reinhardt (Twitter link) first reported the agreement between the two sides.

Hauser, who went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz last July, but was cut during the preseason. He caught on with the Clippers as a G League affiliate player and spent his rookie season with the Ontario Clippers, appearing in 50 total Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season games and averaging 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.

The younger brother of Celtics wing Sam Hauser, Joey made 41.6% of his three-point attempts in his college career at Marquette and MSU, then converted 36.4% of his tries from beyond the arc in the G League last season. He suited up for the Pelicans at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.

Although Reinhardt suggests Hauser will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in Atlanta’s camp this fall, he’s unlikely to claim a 15-man roster spot, given that the Hawks already have 15 players on guaranteed salaries and are right up against the luxury tax line.

Exhibit 10 deals – which are one-year, minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the cap until the regular season – can also be converted to two-way contracts. However, the Hawks already have three players filling their two-way slots, so Hauser would presumably have to outperform Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace, or Dominick Barlow this fall to have a chance to earn a roster spot that way.

If the College Park Skyhawks were to acquire Hauser’s returning NBAGL rights from the Ontario Clippers, he could receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Atlanta this fall and then spends at least 60 days with College Park.

Wizards Waive Eugene Omoruyi

August 21st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

12:00pm: The Wizards have officially waived Omoruyi, the team announced today (via Twitter).

10:48am: The Wizards are expected to place forward Eugene Omoruyi on waivers on Wednesday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Omoruyi is currently on an expiring $2,196,970 contract. However, his salary is fully non-guaranteed, so Washington wouldn’t be on the hook for any of that money once he’s been officially released.

Omoruyi signed a two-way contract with the Wizards last July after being waived by the Pistons. The former Oregon standout, who previously spent time with Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Detroit from 2021-23, appeared in a career-high 43 games last season for Washington, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 9.1 minutes per night.

The Wizards converted Omoruyi’s two-way deal to a standard two-year contract in March.

If he’s claimed off waivers, Omoruyi’s new team would be responsible for his $2.2MM salary for 2024/25, which becomes partially guaranteed for $1MM if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season. Should the 27-year-old go unclaimed, he’d become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to sign with any club.

Waiving Omoruyi is the first step for the Wizards to address their roster crunch ahead of the regular season. Entering the day, the team was carrying 17 players on standard contracts, including 15 players with guaranteed salaries.

Besides Omoruyi, Jared Butler is the other player without a fully guaranteed deal, so Washington could set its 15-man regular season roster by cutting Butler — or by waiving or trading a player on a guaranteed contract.

Keyontae Johnson Agrees To Deal With Hornets

August 20th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson is signing with the Hornets, according to a social media post from his agency, Priority Sports (Instagram link).

It’s unclear what sort of deal Johnson is signing with the Hornets. Charlotte has one open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot, so he could theoretically be signing into one of those open spots. A two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 contract feel like the most likely outcomes for the former Kansas State forward.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in 2023 and spent his rookie season on a two-way contract. He averaged 1.2 points in nine games last season but played more in the G League, averaging 19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 38 games with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Johnson began his collegiate career at Florida, where he played from 2018-22. He was a member of the All-SEC First Team in his sophomore season after averaging 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. Then, in 2020, Johnson made national headlines after collapsing on the court and falling into a coma. He made a remarkable recovery over the next two years before returning to basketball in 2022/23 as a member of Kansas State. He had a terrific season for the Wildcats, averaging 17.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and was rewarded with an NBA contract for his efforts.

The 6’6″ forward continued his impressive play into the G League last season where he made 40.4% of his three-point attempts.

Signing Johnson would bring the Hornets to 17 players on their offseason roster out of a maximum 21. They have 14 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), a pair on two-way deals, and Johnson, whose deal has yet to be specified. The team has also reportedly agreed to sign undrafted free agent Raequan Battle to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Cavaliers Re-Sign Emoni Bates To Two-Way Deal

August 20th, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agent Emoni Bates is back under contract with the Cavaliers, according to the NBA’s official transaction log, which indicates that the forward has signed a two-way deal with Cleveland.

Bates became a restricted free agent when the Cavs issued him a two-way qualifying offer following his rookie season. In all likelihood, he simply accepted that QO, which is the equivalent of another one-year, two-way contract.

A former five-star recruit, Bates was selected 49th overall in the 2023 draft following a pair of up-and-down college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. The 20-year-old appeared in just 15 games for Cleveland as a rookie, averaging 2.7 points per game on 30.6% shooting in 8.9 minutes per night.

In 27 Showcase Cup and regular season G League games for the Cleveland Charge, Bates showed more promise, putting up 21.6 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a .414/.371/.814 shooting line. He was voted in as a participant in the NBAGL’s Up Next game at All-Star weekend in February.

The Cavaliers have now officially filled one of their two-way slots, with JT Thor reportedly set to fill another. Once Thor’s deal is official, Cleveland will have one more two-way contract to offer.

Bates had been one of just two restricted free agents who remained unsigned. His new deal leaves teammate Isaac Okoro as the only RFA still on the market.

Raptors Sign Jared Rhoden To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 19th, 2024 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have signed free agent guard Jared Rhoden, the team announced (via Twitter).

It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, a source tells Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link), which means Rhoden will be invited to camp with no assurances of earning a roster spot or a two-way contract. He can receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with Toronto’s G League affiliate.

Rhoden, 24, played the past two years on two-way contracts with the Pistons, appearing in 31 total games. Last season he averaged 4.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 17 games while shooting 50% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.

A former standout at Seton Hall, Rhoden signed with the Trail Blazers after going undrafted in 2022. He was waived before the start of the season and claimed by the Hawks, who waived him the next day.

Toronto has now reached the training camp limit of 21 players, Murphy adds (Twitter link). That total breaks down to 14 guaranteed contracts, Bruno Fernando‘s non-guaranteed deal, three two-way players and three with Exhibit 10 contracts. That includes Quincy Guerrier, whose Exhibit 10 deal has been reported, but not confirmed by the Raptors. Murphy notes that the team has plenty of room below the tax line to make in-season roster moves.

Sixers To Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Deal

August 18th, 2024 at 11:33am CST by Rory Maher

11:33am: Yabusele has agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). It will be minimum-salary contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Yabusele has two years of NBA experience, so his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.

11:06am: The Sixers and Guerschon Yabusele are in “serious talks” about a contract that would bring the French forward stateside, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The news is pretty surprising, given that Yabusele’s buyout clause with Real Madrid is valued at $2.5MM — multiple NBA teams viewed that figure as “prohibitive,” according to Marc Stein (Substack link). However, Charania says Yabusele is working to resolve his situation with the Spanish powerhouse.

As our Luke Adams outlined a couple days ago, NBA teams are only permitted to pay up to $850K this season for an international player’s buyout without that money counting toward their cap. According to Charania, the remaining $1.65MM is what’s being discussed between Yabusele and Real Madrid.

The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.

The 28-year-old has become a star in Europe over the past several seasons, the past three of which came with Real Madrid. He was one of the top players at the Olympics in Paris, averaging 14 points per game and earning second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.

Shortly after France lost to the United States in the gold-medal game, Yabusele indicated he was eager to return to the NBA, and now a deal appears imminent.