Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign Devin Vassell To Five-Year Extension

October 3rd, 2023 at 3:03pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 3: The Spurs have officially signed Vassell to his contract extension, the team announced today in a press release.

OCTOBER 2, 5:09pm: Vassell’s extension is a straight five-year deal with no options and features $135MM in guaranteed money, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that Vassell can earn another $11MM in incentives.

OCTOBER 2, 4:09pm: Guard/forward Devin Vassell is signing a five-year, $146MM rookie scale extension with the Spurs, his agents at CAA Sports tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Given how much money they’re committing to him, clearly the Spurs view Vassell as a long-term cornerstone of their rebuild alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, 2022 lottery pick Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson, among others.

Vassell, 23, was the No. 11 pick of the 2020 draft after two years at Florida State. The Georgia native had a breakout third season in 2022/23, averaging 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals on .439/.387/.780 shooting.

However, Vassell was limited to 38 games (31.0 minutes per night) last season due to a left knee injury, which required surgery in January.

Back in June, there were rumors the Spurs might be looking to add another lottery pick. General manager Brian Wright shut down any speculation that the team would entertain trading Vassell, and now San Antonio is inking the young wing to a new contract.

If Vassell’s extension is fully guaranteed, he will earn $29.2MM annually on his new deal, which will begin in 2024/25. He will make $5.89MM this season.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, despite the significant financial commitment to Vassell, the Spurs still project to have $45-60MM in cap room next summer, so they could be a major player in free agency.

The Spurs have a history of signing their productive first-round picks to rookie scale extensions. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Johnson all inked extensions with San Antonio in recent years, though Murray and White have since been traded.

Vassell is the sixth player to agree to a rookie scale deal this offseason. The full list — as well as the players who are eligible for their own extensions — can be found right here.

Heat Exercise 2024/25 Option On Nikola Jovic

October 3rd, 2023 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have exercised their third-year team option on Nikola Jovic, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). The move has no impact on Jovic’s status for the upcoming season, but locks in his $2,464,200 salary for the 2024/25 season.

Unlike team option decisions on veteran contracts, which are generally due by June 29, team option decisions on rookie scale contracts must be made by October 31, a year before they go into effect. The full list of upcoming ’24/25 rookie scale team option decisions can be found right here — Jovic’s is the first to be picked up.

The 27th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Jovic was limited to 15 appearances as a rookie, in part due to back issues. He averaged 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .406/.229/.947.

The 20-year-old forward offered a promising glimpse of his potential at this summer’s World Cup, where he averaged 10.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.6 APG on .566/.423/.769 shooting in eight games (23.9 MPG) for Serbia. He was frequently cited as a possible trade candidate if the Heat made a move for Damian Lillard, but ultimately remained in Miami as the team stood pat.

The Heat’s next major decision on Jovic’s contract will come in the fall of 2024, when they’ll have to decide whether to exercise his fourth-year option, worth approximately $4.46MM, for the 2025/26 season.

Celtics Sign Wenyen Gabriel

October 3rd, 2023 at 11:32am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 3: Gabriel’s signing is official, the Celtics announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 1: Journeyman power forward/center Wenyen Gabriel is signing with the Celtics, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

With Robert Williams III now en route to the Trail Blazers, the Celtics have acted quickly to shore up their frontcourt depth. Charania notes that Gabriel will hope to carve out rotation minutes off the bench with Boston. He will play behind expected starters Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.

The 6’9″ big man out of Kentucky spent the past two seasons as a springy reserve with the Lakers.

In 2022/23, Gabriel was mostly employed by head coach Darvin Ham as a small-ball five. Across 68 contests with Los Angeles, the 26-year-old averaged 5.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.5 BPG and 0.5 APG in just 15.1 MPG. He largely fell out of the team’s rotation during its run to the Western Conference Finals this spring, as his shooting deficiencies and inability to guard true centers made him something of a liability.

Charania tweets that Boston had brought in Gabriel for workouts recently as the club looked to fill out its roster. Gabriel helped his native South Sudan nab its first Olympic berth ever during the FIBA World Cup this summer. He averaged 9.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG during the tournament, Charania notes.

Gabriel has also played for the Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Nets during his four-year NBA career.

Blazers Add Knox, Reath, Smith, Davis, Minaya

October 2nd, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers officially signed Kevin Knox, Duop Reath, Malachi Smith, Antoine Davis and Justin Minaya, according to a team press release announcing the training camp roster.

Knox agreed to a one-year deal in early September. The 24-year-old forward became an unrestricted free agent after Portland declined to pick up his $3MM option for the upcoming season.

Knox began last season with the Pistons, but was sent to Portland in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 21 games with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night.

Reath also agreed to a one-year contract in September. He played for Portland’s Summer League team, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games, and started for Australia during the World Cup. He has played overseas since going undrafted out of LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia and China.

Smith and Davis agreed to Exhibit 10 contracts after going undrafted in June. Smith, a shooting guard, was named WCC Sixth Man of the Year this season after averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 37 games with Gonzaga. He played one season for the Zags after transferring from Chattanooga.

Davis, a guard, finished his career at Detroit Mercy as the second all-time leading scorer in Division I history. He capped off his college career by averaging 28.2 PPG last season.

The addition of Minaya was not previously reported. A 6’7” forward, he finished last season with Portland on a hardship 10-day contract. Minaya went undrafted out of Providence in 2022 and spent most of his first professional season playing for the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League. In 27 NBAGL regular season appearances (35.1 MPG), he averaged 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.1 steals with a shooting line of .487/.339/.472.

Portland now has a full 21-man squad.

Raptors Sign Makur Maker To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 2nd, 2023 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed free agent center Makur Maker to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). The deal became official on Saturday.

A cousin of former NBA big man and lottery pick Thon Maker, Makur Maker played for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League in 2021/22, then went undrafted in 2022. He spent last season with the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ G League affiliate.

Maker, who will turn 23 in November, averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 44 regular season and Showcase Cup games last year with the Go-Go. He had his returning rights traded to the Raptors 905 last month.

As Murphy notes, Toronto certainly signed Maker with an eye toward having him suit up for the club’s G League affiliate. Assuming he’s waived by the Raptors and then spends at least 60 days with the Raptors 905, Maker’s Exhibit 10 agreement means he’ll receive a bonus worth up to $75K.

Toronto now has a full 21-man roster for training camp.

Bryson Williams Joins Clippers On Exhibit 10 Deal

October 2nd, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:00pm: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

7:56am: Bryson Williams is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Clippers and join the team for training camp, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

The 25-year-old power forward played for L.A.’s G League affiliate in Ontario last season after being signed and waived by the Clippers last October. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23 games while shooting 48% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Williams also spent time with JL Bourg in France after signing with the team in May.

Williams’ college career consisted of two years at two years at Fresno State, two years at UTEP and one year at Fresno State. He went undrafted in 2022.

The Exhibit 10 deal means Williams can earn a bonus of up to $75K if he joins the Ontario team again and stays there for at least 60 days.

Kings Sign Jaylen Nowell, Jeremy Lamb

October 2nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 2: Lamb’s deal is now official as well, according to RealGM.

SEPTEMBER 30: The signing of Nowell is now official, per RealGM’s transaction log. Sacramento’s deal with Lamb hasn’t yet been formally completed.

SEPTEMBER 29: The Kings are expected to add free agent wings Jaylen Nowell and Jeremy Lamb to their roster for training camp, a source tells James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

Nowell, 24, spent his first four NBA seasons with the Timberwolves after being selected with the No. 43 overall pick out of Washington in 2019. He set a new career high with 10.8 points per game in 65 games (19.3 MPG) last season, though his three-point percentage dipped to 28.9% in 2022/23 after he made 34.5% of his outside attempts in his first three seasons.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Thursday that Sacramento recently brought Nowell in for a workout.

Lamb, 31, is a former lottery pick who has appeared in 573 career regular season games since 2012 for four teams, including – most recently – the Kings. However, the veteran swingman wasn’t in the league last season following a down year in 2021/22. He averaged 7.3 PPG on .383/.324/.840 shooting in 56 games (16.7 MPG) for Indiana and Sacramento in ’21/22.

The Kings currently have two open spots on their 21-man preseason roster, so they wouldn’t have to waive anyone to make room for Nowell and Lamb.

Of Sacramento’s 19 current players, 14 have fully guaranteed standard contracts. The Kings’ 15th and final regular season spot appears to be up for grabs after Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta were waived earlier this month. Nowell and Lamb could end up competing for that spot, though the team also isn’t obligated to carry more than 14 players on standard deals to open the season.

Bucks Sign Cameron Payne To One-Year Contract

October 2nd, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 2: The signing is official, the Bucks announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 1: Damian Lillard appears to have a new backup.

Sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the Bucks have agreed to sign free agent point guard Cameron Payne to a new one-year contract.

The 6’1″ vet out of Murray State is joining a revamped Milwaukee squad after salvaging his career with a four-year stint on the Suns.

The No. 14 pick in the 2015 lottery, Payne struggled to develop through runs with the Thunder, Bulls and Cavaliers. He really found his footing after signing on with Phoenix in 2019. Across his four seasons with the Suns as Chris Paul‘s backup, Payne posted regular season averages of 9.8 PPG on .434/.384/.833 shooting splits. He also contributed 4.2 APG, 2.6 RPG and 0.7 SPG.

In July, the Suns traded Payne, a 2025 second-rounder and cash to the Spurs for a 2024 protected second-round draft pick. He was waived by San Antonio in September, becoming an unrestricted free agent. Payne had been owed a guaranteed salary of $6.5MM.

Payne now looks likely to become the primary reserve behind newly acquired All-Star point guard Lillard on a starry East contender that seems poised to once again contend for a top seed in the conference.

Though terms of the deal have yet to be divulged, the Bucks cannot offer Payne anything above the veteran’s minimum due to their proximity to the tax aprons.

Spurs Waive Millner, Gray Ahead Of Camp

October 1st, 2023 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs have waived forward Setric Millner and forward/center RaiQuan Gray, according to the NBA transactions log.

Milner was on a two-way contract, which he signed on Sept. 18. Waiving him will open a two-way slot entering training camp.

Millner, who began his college career with Cleveland State in 2018/19, spent his sophomore year with Northwest Florida State College, then transferred to Toledo, where he played his junior, senior, and “super-senior” seasons.

In 35 games (32.7 MPG) in 2022/23, Millner averaged 16.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG with a shooting line of .496/.420/.784, earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. He joined the Spurs for Summer League after going undrafted and appeared in five total games for the club in Las Vegas and Sacramento this July.

Gray was signed to a training camp deal on Sept. 28. Gray was waived by Brooklyn this summer after he signed a two-way deal during the final week of the 2022/23 season in April. For the Long Island Nets, Gray averaged 15.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .578/.382/.629 shooting line in 18 games (30.6 MPG).

The Austin Spurs – San Antonio’s G League affiliate – recently acquired Gray’s returning rights from Long Island in an NBAGL trade. Assuming Gray’s new deal includes Exhibit 10 language, he’ll be in line to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Spurs’ G League team.

San Antonio now has 19 players on its camp, which means more moves may be forthcoming.

Trail Blazers Sign, Waive Ashton Hagans

October 1st, 2023 at 8:05pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 1: The Blazers officially signed and then waived Hagans, according to the NBA transactions log.

He was on an Exhibit 10 deal, meaning if he joins the G League’s Rip City Remix and remains with that team for 60 days, he could earn a bonus up to $75K.

AUGUST 18: The Trail Blazers are signing free agent guard Ashton Hagans to a one-year deal, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Hagans, who played college ball at Kentucky prior to going undrafted in 2020, spent part of 2020/21 — his rookie season — on a two-way contract with the Timberwolves. However, he only appeared in two games with Minnesota for a total of four minutes prior to being waived in February 2021.

The Raptors signed Hagans to an Exhibit 10 contract in October 2021, waiving him almost immediately. He spent ’21/22 playing for their NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.

Last season, the 24-year-old played for the Hornets’ NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, holding modest averages of 6.8 points, 4.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 30 regular season games (21.1 minutes).

Haynes didn’t reveal the terms of Hagans’ contract, but it’s highly likely to be a training camp deal featuring an Exhibit 10 clause. If Hagans is waived before the ’23/24 starts, he could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Portland’s new G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.

The Blazers currently only have 14 players under contract — 12 on guaranteed standard deals, and a pair on two-way contracts.