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Jazz Waive Romeo Langford, Two Others

October 17th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have removed three players from their preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived swingman Romeo Langford, guard Michael Devoe, and forward Keshawn Justice.

All three moves had been anticipated. Langford, Devoe, and Justice were on Exhibit 10 contracts, which will put them in line for bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. They’re not obligated to head to the NBAGL now that they’ve been cut – they could find an opportunity elsewhere they like more – but it appears that’s the plan for all three.

Langford, who will turn 24 next Wednesday, was drafted 14th overall by the Celtics in 2019 when current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was Boston’s head of basketball operations. He has shown some promise as a defender but hasn’t displayed much of an offensive game since entering the NBA, averaging 4.6 points per night on .430/.288/.659 shooting in 141 career games (16.1 MPG).

Devoe played for the Ontario Clippers in the G League last season after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech. He put up modest stats in his rookie season (6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20.8 minutes over 29 regular season games), but he had a strong Summer League showing for Portland, averaging 18.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in just 23.9 minutes per game (four games).

Justice went undrafted in June after five seasons at Santa Clara. As a “super senior” in 2022/23, the 23-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 rebounds in 33 games for the Broncos (34.9 minutes). He played for the Jazz’s Summer League squad, averaging 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in five games (23.4 minutes).

The Jazz now have 18 players under contract. Utah’s roster looks ready for the regular season, though the club could still shuffle players in and out of its three open roster spots for G League purposes.

Lakers Waive Vincent Valerio-Bodon, Damion Baugh, Scotty Pippen Jr.

October 16th, 2023 at 6:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Lakers have waived forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon and guards Damion Baugh and Scotty Pippen Jr, according to a team press release relayed by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link).

Pippen, 22, is the son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and spent last season, his rookie year, with the Lakers on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Vanderbilt. He averaged 21.4 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds with the South Bay Lakers in 19 regular season G League games. Pippen appeared in two preseason contests with the Lakers this year and averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Baugh, 23, appeared in one game with the Lakers in the preseason. He joined the team after going undrafted out of TCU, where he averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 assists per game in his senior season.

Valerio-Bodon, 22, made one preseason appearance for the Lakers. The 6’10” forward averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per night in the Hungarian NBIA last season.

All three players are likely to end up with the South Bay Lakers if they go unclaimed on waivers, given that they signed Exhibit 10 deals. If that happens, they’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they stay with South Bay for at least 60 days.

The Lakers have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way contracts. Given that they’ll likely save the 15th spot on their standard roster for flexibility purposes, their roster is pretty set for opening night. It’s possible the Lakers shuffle out players on Exhibit 10 deals in the coming days to funnel them to the G League.

Warriors Sign Javonte Green, Yuri Collins; Waive Three Players

October 16th, 2023 at 5:10pm CST by Rory Maher

5:10pm: The Warriors have officially signed Green and Collins, per the team (Twitter link).

12:37pm: The Warriors plan to sign free agents Javonte Green and Yuri Collins, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

To create roster space, Golden State waived Donovan Williams, Javan Johnson and Kendric Davis, according to Slater. All three players were on non-guaranteed training camp deals. The Warriors confirmed (via Twitter) that Williams, Johnson and Davis have been released.

Slater says the plan is for Green and Collins to be waived as well, with all five players expected to play for the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. While the terms of the deals were not disclosed, Slater’s reporting strongly suggests that Green and Collins will be signing Exhibit 10 contracts, which would entitle both players to a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Santa Cruz.

Green, 30, holds four seasons of NBA experience with Boston and Chicago. The 6’4″ guard/forward was limited to 32 games in 2022/23 due to a lingering right knee problem. A strong athlete and defender who is limited offensively, Green holds career averages of 5.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .534/.342/.753 shooting in 186 regular season contests (15.8 MPG).

Collins, meanwhile, is a 6’0″ point guard who went undrafted in June out of Saint Louis. He averaged 11.2 PPG, 10.1 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .442/.319/.735 shooting in 32 games (35.1 MPG) as a senior last season. An All-Atlantic 10 First Team member each of the past two seasons, Collins suited up for the Warriors in Summer League action.

Once the signings of Green and Collins are official, the Warriors will have 20 players under contract, one shy of the preseason limit.

Pelicans Sign Izaiah Brockington, Waive Landers Nolley II

October 16th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have waived Landers Nolley II in order to sign free agent guard Izaiah Brockington, the team announced in a press release.

NBA teams typically specify when they have signed players to two-way contracts, so it seems likely that Brockington signed an Exhibit 10 deal. He could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the season starts and then spends at least 60 days with the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals.

Brockington missed nearly all of his rookie season in 2022/23 after sustaining a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Pelicans last year. After going undrafted, New Orleans signed him to a two-way deal last September, but he was waived a couple weeks later.

The 24-year-old played four collegiate seasons for three teams. He started out at St. Bonaventure, spent two seasons with Penn State and finished up Iowa State. In ’21/22 with the Cyclones, Brockington averaged team-highs of 16.9 PPG and 6.8 RPG on a .447/.362/.775 shooting line.

Brockington made two brief cameos for the Squadron in March and suited up for the Pelicans during Summer League in Las Vegas.

Nolley, who went undrafted in June out of Cincinnati, was signed to a non-guaranteed training camp deal. He’s likely headed to Birmingham for his first pro season.

The Pelicans’ roster remains at 21 players under contract, which is the preseason maximum. They have one open two-way slot.

Bulls Waive Quenton Jackson

October 16th, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have announced (via Twitter) that shooting guard Quenton Jackson has been placed on waivers.

Jackson signed with the team in September after the Wizards released him in July. He appeared in nine games with Washington last season, spending most of the year in the G League, where he averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 29 regular season contests.

Jackson went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022 and was in training camp with the Wizards before the start of the season. He rejoined the team in February on a two-year, two-way contract.

The Exhibit 10 deal that Jackson signed with the Bulls gives him the opportunity to earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s Windy City G League affiliate.

The move leaves Chicago with three openings on its 21-man offseason roster.

Grizzlies Sign Jason Preston, Timmy Allen

October 16th, 2023 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies have added Jason Preston and Timmy Allen to their roster, waiving Matthew Hurt and Mychal Mulder to make room, the team announced (via Twitter).

Preston, a 24-year-old point guard, was waived by the Clippers earlier this month before his $1.8MM salary became fully guaranteed. He appeared in 14 games with L.A. last season and spent most of his time in the G League.

Allen, a rookie forward, played for the Grizzlies’ Summer League team after going undrafted out of Texas. The 23-year-old averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Longhorns last year.

Memphis has 15 players with guaranteed contracts, so there’s virtually no chance for either Preston or Allen to win a roster spot. However, if they signed Exhibit 10 deals, they can earn a bonus of up to $75K if they get waived and spend at least 60 days with the Memphis Hustle, the organization’s G League affiliate.

Hurt and Mulder both signed with the Grizzlies two weeks ago and saw limited action in the preseason. Hurt, a 23-year-old forward, appeared in two games and had three points, three rebounds and an assist. Mulder, a 29-year-old guard, scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in two games.

The moves leave Memphis at the offseason roster limit of 21 players.

Heat Cut Drew Peterson, Alondes Williams

October 14th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have waived forward Drew Peterson and guard Alondes Williams, the team announced today in a press release. The cuts reduce Miami’s roster count from 21 players to 19.

Peterson, who went undrafted earlier this year out of USC, was a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree while with the Trojans. Across 33 games in 2022/23, the 6’8″ super-senior averaged 13.9 PPG with a shooting line of .442/.358/.752. He also contributed 6.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

Williams went undrafted in 2022 out of Wake Forest and spent most of the season with the Long Island Nets in the G League. He appeared in 24 games at that level, including 12 starts, and averaged 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 27.6 minutes per game. He also played one game for the Brooklyn Nets in December.

Peterson and Williams, who each appeared in one preseason game with the Heat, had been on Exhibit 10 contracts. Although they won’t make Miami’s regular season roster, the plan is still for them to join the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Assuming Peterson and Williams spend at least 60 days with the Skyforce, they’ll receive Exhibit 10 bonuses worth $75K.

The Heat are still carrying three players on Exhibit 10 contracts: Cole Swider, Justin Champagnie, and Cheick Diallo. Since Miami only has 13 players on standard deals, one of those camp invitees seems likely to either earn a spot on the 15-man roster or get a two-way contract (if the Heat convert a two-way player to a standard deal). Of the three, Swider has generated the most buzz so far this fall.

Mavericks Waive Mike Miles, Two Others

October 14th, 2023 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have removed three players from their preseason roster, waiving guard Mike Miles Jr., guard Jordan Walker, and swingman Joe Wieskamp, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Miles, who signed with Dallas in July after going undrafted out of TCU, had been one of the club’s two players on two-way deals. Now that he has been cut, the Mavs are carrying only one two-way player (A.J. Lawson), leaving two openings.

Walker and Wieskamp had been on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts and look like candidates to join the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate. The Legends acquired Wieksamp’s returning rights from the Wisconsin Herd in a trade last month. And as an undrafted rookie, Walker can be made an affiliate player, since his rights weren’t previously held by an NBAGL team.

Walker and Wieskamp appeared in all three of the Mavs’ preseason games in Abu Dhabi and Spain, logging 24 and 12 minutes, respectively. Miles didn’t play at all in the preseason, though he averaged 12.2 points in five Summer League games for the club.

Dallas now has 18 players under contract, including 15 on standard deals, Lawson on a two-way, and Greg Brown and Dexter Dennis on Exhibit 10 pacts. The Mavs could fill their open two-way slots by converting Brown and Dennis, but it’s possible they have other moves in mind before opening night.

Hawks Sign, Waive David Singleton

October 14th, 2023 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 14: As expected, Singleton’s stint on Atlanta’s roster was short-lived. The Hawks issued a press release today announcing that he has been waived.

OCTOBER 13: The Hawks have signed rookie free agent guard David Singleton, the team announced today in a press release.

The agreement was reported shortly after June’s draft and is finally official, nearly four months later. According to that June report, Singleton’s contract is an Exhibit 10 deal.

Singleton, who went undrafted out of UCLA earlier this year, played with the Bruins for five seasons, making 43.4% of his three-pointers during that time. He averaged 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per contest across 37 appearances this past season, then joined the Hawks for Summer League, appearing in a couple games in Las Vegas.

The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, so their roster appears pretty set for the regular season. That means Singleton will likely be waived in the coming days and then report to the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate. If he spends at least 60 days with the Skyhawks, he would receive an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $75K.

Nuggets Sign Brimah, Pickett, Toney; Waive Boum, Franklin, Funk

October 13th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nuggets have waived Souley Boum, Armaan Franklin and Andrew Funk in order to create the roster space to sign Amida Brimah, Jamorko Pickett and Au’Diese Toney, per a team press release.

The terms of the contracts for Brimah, Pickett and Toney were not disclosed. However, Boum, Franklin and Funk were all on Exhibit 10 deals — considering the Nuggets have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts (with all three two-way slots full), the new additions are likely on Exhibit 10 contracts as well.

If Brimah, Pickett and Toney are on Exhibit 10 deals and are waived before the season starts, they’d each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s NBAGL affiliate.

Brimah, a 6’10” center from Ghana, played five games (5.8 MPG) with the Pacers back in 2020/21 while on a two-way deal. He went undrafted out of UConn in 2017 and has multiple seasons of G League experience. The 29-year-old played in France and Belgium the past two seasons.

Pickett, who played college ball at Georgetown, went undrafted in 2021. He signed a two-way deal with the Pistons as a rookie in ’21/22, playing 13 games (13.5 MPG) with Detroit. The 25-year-old forward spent last season with the G League’s Cleveland Charge after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with — and then being waived by — the Cavs.

A 6’6″ wing, Toney played three college seasons at Pitt before transferring to Arkansas in 2021/22. He played for the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic) in ’22/23, his first professional season. In 28 regular season games (15 starts, 20.9 MPG) with Lakeland, he averaged 8.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .558/.380/.786 shooting.

Denver’s preseason roster remains full, with 21 players under contract.