Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Trail Blazers Sign Skylar Mays To Two-Way Deal

October 1st, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:49pm: The move is official, the Blazers announced in a press release.

3:45pm: The Trail Blazers are bringing back free agent combo guard Skylar Mays on a two-way deal, his agent Mark Bartelstein informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets that Mays has been working out at Portland’s practice facility throughout the offseason.

The 6’4″ vet appeared in just six contests with the Trail Blazers in 2022/23 after inking a 10-day deal. He put up big numbers in those games, averaging 15.3 PPG on excellent .500/.462/.923 shooting splits, while also chipping in 8.3 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

Mays was drafted with the No. 50 pick by the Hawks in 2020 out of LSU, but failed to carve out a major rotation role during his two seasons in Atlanta. He split most of the 2022/23 season between the Sixers’ NBAGL affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Capitanes de Ciudad de México, before latching on in Portland.

Wizards Sign Jules Bernard, Waive Dejan Vasiljevic

October 1st, 2023 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have signed Jules Bernard to an Exhibit 10 contract and placed Dejan Vasiljevic on waivers, the team tweets.

Bernard went undrafted in 2022 out of UCLA. He spent most of last season with the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32 G League games.

The 6’6” swingman appeared in four games for Washington’s Summer League team in July. He had a brief stint with the Pistons last year before getting waived during training camp.

Vasiljevic agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract two weeks ago. The former Miami Hurricanes guard has played for the Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL since 2020 after going undrafted by NBA clubs.

In 36 games last season, Vasiljevic averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. The 26-year-old opted out of his contract with the Australian club following the season.

If he clears waivers and joins the Wizards’ G League team for 60 days, he’ll be eligible for a bonus up to $75K.

Spurs Sign Charles Bediako

October 1st, 2023 at 4:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Spurs have officially signed free agent rookie center Charles Bediako, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Bediako’s agreement with San Antonio was initially reported soon after the draft. Terms of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, though an Exhibit 10 training camp deal seems likely.

The seven-footer enjoyed a decorated NCAA run at Alabama. He was a 2023 SEC All-Defense and All-SEC Tourney honoree as a sophomore. During his two years with the program, Bediako posted averages of 6.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 0.7 APG and 0.6 SPG in 19.3 MPG.

Assuming Bediako has signed an Exhibit 10 deal, he could see that agreement converted to a two-way contract or, more likely, be waived by the club ahead of the regular season. He would then become eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K should he log 60 days or more with the Spurs’ NBAGL affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

Celtics Land Jrue Holiday In Trade Involving Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon

October 1st, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:33pm: The Celtics have officially announced the acquisition of Holiday in a press statement.

11:02am: The Celtics will acquire Jrue Holiday from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and draft assets, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The draft picks are Golden State’s first-rounder in 2024 and Boston’s unprotected first-rounder in 2029, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Warriors’ pick is top-four protected.

The Celtics were among Holiday’s preferred destinations after he was sent from Milwaukee to Portland in the Damian Lillard deal, Woj adds. He notes that Boston had to make a significant offer to beat out several teams that were pursuing the 33-year-old guard.

Holiday will make roughly $35MM this season and holds a $37.4MM player option for 2024/25. The Celtics are believed to want to work a long-term deal, and he will become eligible for an extension during the second half of the season, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Marks also points out that the trade with Portland wouldn’t be permitted next year because Boston will be above the second apron. He notes that teams in that position have an incentive to maximize their assets before the strictest provisions in the new CBA take effect.

The addition of Holiday provides the Celtics with an emphatic answer to the Bucks’ acquisition of Lillard on Wednesday. Those two trades position Boston and Milwaukee as the clear favorites for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Holiday will help replace the tough defensive presence the Celtics lost when they traded Marcus Smart to Memphis. He can share ball-handling duties with Derrick White and won’t have to be a full-time point guard like he was with the Bucks.

Boston has a hole to fill with the loss of Williams, but the team holds a $6.2MM trade exception that it could use in its search for a replacement, points out Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (Twitter link). If the Celtics can’t find a big man they like, they could use they exception on another player and try to use him in a trade for a center in two months.

After facing a limited market for Lillard throughout the summer, the Trail Blazers have radically reshaped their roster with a pair of deals. In addition to Brogdon and Williams, Portland also acquired Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara, along with three total first-rounders and a pair of pick swaps with Milwaukee.

Brogdon has two years left on his contract at $22.5MM each season, while Williams will make $11.6MM and $12.4MM over the next two years. Portland plans to hold onto Williams and pair him with Ayton in the frontcourt, Wojnarowski tweets. He adds that teams have expressed interest in Brogdon throughout the summer, and he seems to be a logical trade candidate with the Blazers committed to their young guards.

The Clippers, who nearly traded for Brogdon when the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis, are an obvious choice to pursue him now, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Greif also hears that the competition for Holiday came down to L.A. and Boston.

Clippers Waive Jason Preston

October 1st, 2023 at 2:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers point guard Jason Preston is being waived by L.A., reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team has officially confirmed the move.

Preston’s $1.8MM non-guaranteed salary for 2023/24 would have become fully guaranteed had he remained with the club through Sunday. Earlier this week, team president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank had indicated that the Clippers were still considering whether or not to retain Preston into training camp.

John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets that this move had been anticipated given that L.A. already has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts. Hollinger adds that the 6’4″ guard may have intriguing upside as a two-way signing somewhere. The Clippers currently have all three of their two-way slots occupied.

Preston, 24, was selected with the No. 33 pick in the 2021 draft out of Ohio, but missed the entirety of what would have been his rookie campaign in 2021/22 after undergoing a preseason foot surgery. He appeared in a scant 14 games for the Clippers in 2022/23, averaging 2.9 PPG, 1.9 APG and 1.6 RPG across 8.9 MPG.

That said, Preston showed some promise with his club’s G League team in 2022/23. In 21 games with L.A.’s NBAGL affiliate, the Ontario Clippers, Preston averaged 16.7 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.2 RPG and 0.7 SPG. He posted a shooting line of .486/.372/.844.

Kings Sign, Waive James Akinjo

September 30th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

10:00pm: The Kings have waived Akinjo, per RealGM’s transactions log.

3:02pm: The Kings have signed free agent guard James Akinjo to a training camp deal, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The signing is official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but training camp contracts typically feature an Exhibit 10 clause. If that’s the case here, Akinjo would receive a $75K bonus if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with the Sacramento’s NBA G League affiliate in Stockton.

A couple weeks ago, Stockton acquired Akinjo’s returning player rights in a G League trade with the Westchester Knicks. That strongly suggests his new contract was designed for him to head to Stockton in 2023/24.

A 6’1″ point guard, Akinjo played four college seasons with Georgetown, Arizona and Baylor, respectively, prior to going undrafted in 2022. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Knicks last fall and was waived prior to ’22/23.

Akinjo, 22, averaged 14.4 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 SPG in 20 regular season games (29.4 MPG) with Westchester last season, posting a .439/.340/.769 shooting line.

The Kings now have 20 players under contract.