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Bulls Sign, Waive Derrick Favors, Kahlil Whitney

October 18th, 2023 at 10:07am CST by Tristan Tucker

OCTOBER 18: The Bulls have officially waived Favors and Whitney, the team announced today (via Twitter). As noted below, the expectation is that both players will end up with the Windy City Bulls in the G League.

OCTOBER 16: The Bulls have signed Derrick Favors and Kahlil Whitney to training camp deals, the team announced (Twitter link). Both players are likely to end up with the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, for the upcoming season.

A report on Saturday indicated that Favors intended to play in the G League, so his signing with the Bulls is likely just a formality ensuring he ends up with Windy City. Given the announcement indicates both players are signing camp contracts, it’s probable they signed Exhibit 10 deals, which ensures them a bonus of up to $75K if they are waived by the Bulls and spend at least 60 days with Windy City.

Favors, 32, is an 11-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 790 career games (503 starts) with the Nets, Jazz, Pelicans and Thunder. His best statistical season came in 2015/16, when he averaged 16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The 6’9″ forward opened up about his career and hopes for his future earlier this week as he eyes a return to the NBA.

Whitney has had an intriguing journey as he attempts to stick in the NBA. He played in just one season with Kentucky in 2019/20 as a consensus five-star prospect out of high school. However, he averaged just 3.3 points in 18 games (eight starts) in his freshman season. Surprisingly, he went one-and-done, signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Hornets after going undrafted in the 2020 draft.

The 6’7″ wing is still just 22 years old and has both G League and international experience in recent years. Whitney averaged 5.5 points in 18 regular season and Showcase Cup appearances with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season.

Both Favors and Whitney could show enough to stick with the Bulls in the future, if not now. Though the club has a full 15-man standard roster, Terry Taylor and Carlik Jones don’t see their contracts become fully guaranteed until January 10, so it’s possible Chicago makes changes to the back end of its roster down the line. Whitney is also eligible for a two-way deal, though the Bulls have all three two-way spots filled as of now.

Thunder Trade Oladipo, Robinson-Earl To Rockets For Porter, Second-Round Picks

October 17th, 2023 at 7:28pm CST by Luke Adams

7:28pm: Both teams have officially announced the trade, the Rockets via a press release and Thunder with a separate news release. The Thunder also announced they have waived Porter.

Houston made a related move, waiving Matthew Mayer in order to open a roster spot to complete the two-for-one deal. Mayer, who signed a camp deal in early August, went undrafted in June out of Illinois and caught on with the Rockets’ Summer League team. He’ll likely wind up with their G League squad, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

11:42am: The Thunder and Rockets have agreed to a trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Oklahoma City will receive guard Kevin Porter Jr. and a pair of future second-round picks in the deal, while Houston will get guard Victor Oladipo and forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

The Thunder, who will immediately waive Porter, are acquiring the Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick and the Bucks’ 2028 second-rounder from Houston, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

Porter was arrested in September on charges of assault and strangulation after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. The Rockets began trying to trade the 23-year-old shortly after his arrest and confirmed on media day that he wouldn’t be rejoining the team.

According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), prosecutors dropped a second-degree assault charge against Porter this week due to “insufficient evidence.”

However, Porter still faces charges of second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault, so the dropped charge doesn’t materially affect his NBA outlook. No team is likely to consider picking him up at least until the legal process has played out and the league has completed its own investigation and potentially handed out a suspension.

The Rockets’ goal in shopping Porter was to replace him with a player who could actually contribute on the court this season. It’s unclear what the team’s plans are for Oladipo, who is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, but Robinson-Earl should provide some depth in Houston’s frontcourt.

Once the deal is complete, the Rockets will have 16 players on standard contracts — 14 with fully guaranteed salaries, plus Aaron Holiday and Boban Marjanovic on partially guaranteed deals. The team will have to waive or trade one of those 16 players by Monday to get down to the regular season roster limit.

It’s possible Oladipo will be the odd man out, especially if his injury recovery is expected to extend well into the season. His expiring $9.5MM salary could be useful for salary-matching purposes in a subsequent deal, so the Rockets may try to find a way to hang onto him, but most of their roster consists of promising young players or recent additions, so there aren’t any other obvious candidates to be let go.

The Thunder were facing a roster crunch of their own this fall, with 18 players on standard contracts for 15 regular season roster spots. In trading Oladipo and Robinson-Earl for a player whom they’ll waive immediately, they’ll reduce their roster count to 16 players, meaning only one more cut (or trade) will be necessary before opening night.

Acquiring Porter doesn’t look great from a PR perspective for Oklahoma City, given what he has been accused of, but the team will drop him right away and acquires two more future draft picks in the deal. The Thunder also received two future second-round selections when they took on Oladipo in a salary-dump deal with the Heat earlier this offseason, so they’ve essentially added four second-rounders by taking him on from Miami and then flipping him to Houston.

In waiving Porter, the Thunder will eat $15.86MM in dead money this season, plus a $1MM partial guarantee for 2024/25. The rest of Porter’s four-year, $63MM+ contract was non-guaranteed, so Oklahoma City won’t be on the hook for additional money beyond that $16.86MM. OKC also generates a $1.9MM trade exception in the move, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

As for the Rockets, they’ll save a little money in the deal and create a new $4.5MM trade exception of their own. It’s also worth noting that Robinson-Earl, who is owed $1.9MM this season, has a $1.99MM team option for 2024/25, so Houston could hang onto him at a near-minimum cost for two seasons.

Robinson-Earl, who will turn 23 next month, appeared in 43 games for the Thunder last season, starting 20. He posted respectable averages of 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in a part-time role (18.9 MPG) and has shown an ability to make an outside shot (.344 career 3PT%), but was buried on OKC’s frontcourt depth chart with Chet Holmgren returning to action.

The Thunder and Rockets have been frequent trade partners in recent years, dating back to their Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook swap in July 2019. They also came together for trades during the 2021 and 2022 offseasons, and they were both involved in the five-team deal sending Dillon Brooks to Houston earlier this year.

Mavericks Sign, Waive Taze Moore

October 17th, 2023 at 5:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 17: The Mavericks have waived Moore, the team’s PR department tweets. It’s likely he’ll end up with the Legends after clearing waivers.

OCTOBER 16: The Mavericks have signed former University of Houston forward Taze Moore, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 6’5″ Moore joined Dallas’ G League team after going undrafted in 2022 and averaged 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24 regular season games with the Texas Legends. He also played for the Mavericks’ Summer League squad, posting 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in five games.

In an interview this summer with Grant Afseth of Sports Illustrated, Moore said the Mavs asked him to concentrate on defense in Las Vegas, but he feels he can handle any role that he’s assigned.

“I’m not really a well-known guy like that, and I’m kind of cool with that,” Moore said. “I’m a defensive guy, but when I was at (Cal) Bakersfield, I kind of had a team where I had to be an offensive threat and things like that. So I can just be anything you want me to be when you want me to be that. I can score. If you need me to score, I score. If you don’t, I won’t.”

Moore is a long shot to make the Mavericks’ roster, but assuming he signed an Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll be able to earn a bonus of up to $75K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with the Legends.

Dallas had room to sign Moore after waiving three players over the weekend. There are still two openings on the 21-man roster.

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.