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Bucks Acquire Damian Lillard In Three-Team Trade

9:37pm: The trade is now official, the Bucks announced in a press release.

Damian Lillard is an elite player in our league and someone we’ve long been fans of,” said general manager Jon Horst. “These opportunities are rare and hard to measure and execute. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity for our community and team, and beyond excited to welcome Damian and his family to the Milwaukee Bucks. His character, competitiveness, talent and experience complement our group and gives us the best chance to win at the very highest level as we create new memories together.”

These are the hardest, most human moments of this business. Jrue was unmatched in his commitment to the Bucks and the Greater Milwaukee community,” Horst said of Holiday. “He’s truly a champion on and off the court, and we are all thankful for what he and his family have given to our team and city. He and his wife Lauren were steadfast in their efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. Their leadership and dedication to the community has left an indelible mark and inspired the Bucks organization for years to come.”


1:22pm: The Bucks have reached an agreement to trade for star Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard in a blockbuster three-team deal that also includes the Suns, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

According to Wojnarowski, Portland will acquire guard Jrue Holiday and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick from the Bucks, along with the right to swap first-round picks with Milwaukee in 2028 and 2030. The Blazers will also get center Deandre Ayton and rookie forward Toumani Camara from the Suns in the deal.

In exchange for Ayton and Camara, Phoenix will receive center Jusuf Nurkic, forward Nassir Little, and guard Keon Johnson from Portland, as well as wing Grayson Allen from Milwaukee, per Woj.

The massive deal is the culmination of a saga that lasted nearly three months after Lillard requested a trade out of Portland in early July. The seven-time All-Star had spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the Trail Blazers but felt that the team was no longer moving toward championship contention following consecutive lottery seasons and sought a change of scenery.

Miami was Lillard’s landing spot of choice, but reports throughout the process indicated that there was little communication between the Heat and Trail Blazers. In recent days, with the Blazers believed to be working to make a deal before the start of training camp, other Eastern Conference suitors like the Raptors and Bucks were increasingly connected to the 33-year-old.

Milwaukee ultimately emerged as the surprise winner of the Lillard sweepstakes, beating a handful of conference rivals to the punch and strengthening a core that also includes two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and standout starters Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, both of whom signed new free agent contracts with the club this offseason.

While there have been questions about whether Lillard would be happy to report to any team besides the Heat, both he and Antetokounmpo have expressed a desire to play with one another in the past, as Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com point out (all Twitter links). And the Bucks should put Lillard in a better position to win a championship than he ever had with the Blazers.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo may not be any more inclined to sign a long-term extension with the Bucks following the acquisition of Lillard than he was earlier in the offseason, given that he would benefit financially from waiting another year. However, in dealing for another star like Lillard, the Bucks’ front office proved it heard Giannis’ call for the organization to be as committed to contending for titles as he is.

The Blazers, who patiently scoured the market for most of the offseason in the wake of Lillard’s trade request, will come away from the deal with a pair of intriguing new players in Ayton and Holiday, though the big man is more likely to remain in Portland than the veteran guard.

According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the Blazers – who are focused on developing a young backcourt that features Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and this year’s No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson – remain engaged in trade talks involving Holiday and could flip him to a contender for additional assets.

Holiday, who can become a free agent next summer if he turns down his 2024/25 player option, recently spoke about his desire to sign a contract extension with the Bucks, but now appears destined for a new long-term NBA home. Holiday will become extension-eligible in February, though as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), he won’t be able to sign a contract that exceeds the extend-and-trade limits (two new years, 5% raises) until six months after being dealt.

On the other hand, it sounds like Ayton will be a keeper for the Blazers, who have had interest in the former No. 1 overall pick in the past and were linked to him again within the last week. The 25-year-old had an up-and-down five-year stint in Phoenix that included some tension with former Suns coach Monty Williams, but he has averaged a double-double for five straight seasons, including 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game across 67 contests last season.

As for the Suns, they recognized that a player such as Ayton, who liked to have the ball in his hands, might not be an ideal fit alongside their new big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, and turned the young center and his $32.5MM cap hit into a series of role players on smaller contracts, including another big man in Nurkic.

Acquiring Nurkic, Little, Allen, and Johnson will make the Suns deeper and will give them more flexibility in future trades, given that their nearly all of their non-stars had been on minimum-salary contracts. However, the move creates a bit of a roster crunch in Phoenix. The club will now have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Jordan Goodwin and Ish Wainright on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. At least two of those 17 players will have to be traded or cut before the regular season tips off.

While the Suns will increase their roster count as a result of this trade, the Bucks and Trail Blazers are both sending out more players than they’re taking back. That’s especially notable for Milwaukee, which had been carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries prior to agreeing to acquire Lillard. The Bucks now project to have an open spot on their 15-man regular season roster, which could be used to add a backup point guard.

From a cap perspective, the Bucks will take on the biggest long-term deal in the three-team trade — Lillard is under contract for four more seasons and will earn a projected $216MM during that time, while Holiday ($36.86MM) and Allen ($8.93MM) could both reach free agency next summer.

The Blazers will owe Ayton approximately $102MM over the next three years before he becomes eligible for free agency. Camara is under contract for four years, but it’s a minimum-salary deal and only the first season is guaranteed.

The Suns will take on Nurkic’s three-year contract worth $54.38MM and Little’s four-year contract worth $28MM in addition to Allen’s expiring deal. Johnson is owed a guaranteed $2.81MM salary in 2023/24 and has a $4.47MM team option that the Suns must pick up or decline by October 31, if he’s still on the roster at that point.

Celtics Sign Jordan Schakel To Non-Guaranteed Camp Deal

The Celtics have signed free agent guard/forward Jordan Schakel, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). It will be a non-guaranteed training camp deal, Smith adds, likely featuring Exhibit 10 language.

A 6’6″ wing, Schakel went undrafted out of San Diego State in 2021. He caught on with the Wizards for his rookie season, signing an Exhibit 10 contract before being waived and spending the bulk of 2021/22 with their NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

Schakel, who signed a 10-day hardship deal with Washington during the COVID-19 outbreak a couple years ago, inked a two-way contract with the Wizards prior to last season, but was released last November. Overall, he has played in six NBA games for 36 total minutes, all with the Wizards.

While he hasn’t played much at the NBA level, he was a G League regular the past two seasons. In 2022/23, he spent the fall Showcase Cup with the Go-Go, averaging 14.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.1 APG on .451/.360/.919 shooting over 17 games (31.3 MPG).

However, after spending six regular season games with the Go-Go, he finished last season with Golden State’s affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Overall, he averaged 10.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.5 APG on .452/.399/.862 shooting in 33 combined games with the two clubs (25.5 MPG).

It’s worth noting that since Schakel’s returning player rights are held by the Warriors, the Celtics will have to acquire his G League rights if the plan is for him to spend the upcoming season with their NBAGL affiliate in Maine, which seems highly likely. If he’s waived before the season starts, he could earn a bonus worth $75K — in addition to his G League salary — if he spends at least 60 days with Maine.

After signing Schakel, the Celtics now have 20 players on their roster ahead of training camp, one shy of the offseason limit.

Timberwolves Sign Tyrese Martin

9:00pm: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transactions log.


1:10pm: The Timberwolves have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent wing Tyrese Martin, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Martin will get the opportunity to compete in camp for a spot on Minnesota’s regular season roster.

The 51st overall pick in the 2022 draft, Martin was waived in July after appearing in just 16 games for the Hawks last season as a rookie. He scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his 66 total minutes at the NBA level.

Martin saw more frequent playing time for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, averaging 18.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .503/.366/.805 shooting in 23 regular season contests (33.9 MPG) for Atlanta’s G League affiliate. However, the Hawks opted against locking in the second year of his minimum-salary contract, cutting him before his guarantee date.

The details of Martin’s deal with the Wolves are unclear, but I expect it’ll be a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract, possibly with an Exhibit 10 clause.

Minnesota currently has 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and three on two-way deals. However, at least one of those two-way spots is believed to be up for grabs, with Matt Ryan expected to compete to keep his roster spot. If Martin gets an Exhibit 10 contract, it could be converted into a two-way deal before the regular season begins.

If Ryan and the Wolves’ other two-way players hang onto their spots and the team decides to carry a 15th man into the regular season, Martin would be competing against camp invitees such as Vit Krejci, Trevor Keels, and Daishen Nix to fill that final roster opening.

Heat Make Roster Moves, Add RJ Hampton On Two-Way Deal

The Heat have waived Jamaree Bouyea and Caleb Daniels in order to sign Jon Elmore and Cheick Diallo, the team announced in a press release. Elmore was immediately released to make room for RJ Hampton, who will take Bouyea’s two-way slot.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Miami had all these moves lined up to be finalized after the team didn’t trade for Damian Lillard. The longtime Trail Blazers star is surprisingly being sent to the Bucks in a three-team blockbuster.

A former first-round pick (24th overall in 2020), Hampton was sent to Orlando from Denver during his rookie season as part of the Aaron Gordon trade. Last fall, the Magic declined their fourth-year team option on the young guard, and his playing time was subsequently reduced.

Orlando wound up waiving Hampton after the February trade deadline and he caught on with the Pistons, but his two-year contract was only guaranteed for the remainder of 2022/23. Detroit released him in late June before his salary for ’23/24 became guaranteed, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Overall, Hampton averaged 6.4 PPG and 1.9 RPG on .430/.353/.750 shooting in 47 games (16.0 MPG) last season. He has appeared in a total of 162 games with the Nuggets, Magic and Pistons over his three NBA seasons.

Still just 22 years old, the Heat will take a flier on Hampton and see if they can turn him into a more consistent player. 2023/24 will be his final season of eligibility for a two-way contract. Hampton’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contest.

As for Diallo, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract and will compete for a roster spot in training camp, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). A native of Mali, Diallo holds five years of NBA experience with the Pelicans, Suns and Pistons, appearing in 183 regular season games with career averages of 5.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG from 2016-22.

Last season, Diallo played in Japan and Puerto Rico. The 27-year-old big man was the 33rd overall pick back in 2016.

As previously mentioned, Bouyea was on a two-way deal. It’s possible that he received a $75K partial guarantee as part of his contract — that’s the maximum protection a two-way player can have in ’23/24. Either way, that figure won’t count against the Heat’s salary cap. The 6’2″ point guard appeared in five NBA games as a rookie last season with Miami and Washington, both on 10-day deals.

Daniels and Elmore also received Exhibit 10 contracts, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms, which will make them each eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Miami’s NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Elmore, who holds some international experience, was a rotation regular for the Skyforce last season. Daniels, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Villanova in June.

As our tracker shows, Miami’s roster remains at the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, with 12 players on guaranteed standard deals and all three two-way slots filled.

Hawks Waive Chris Silva

Just days after signing him, the Hawks have waived big man Chris Silva, the team announced today in a press release.

Silva, 27, has appeared in 70 NBA games over four seasons with the Heat, Kings, Timberwolves and Mavericks, and holds career averages of 2.8 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 7.6 MPG.

A 6’8″ power forward/center, Silva went undrafted out of South Carolina in 2019. He has spent most of his professional career with Miami, appearing in 64 games with the club.

It appears Silva will end up rejoining the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, to open the 2023/24 season after spending much of ’22/23 with the club. Hoops Rumors has confirmed that Silva’s contract with the Hawks was an Exhibit 10 deal that will entitle him to a bonus worth $75K if he spends at least 60 days with College Park.

With training camp around the corner, Atlanta now has 18 players under contract, leaving three open spots on the team’s 21-man offseason roster.

Warriors, Rudy Gay Agree To One-Year Deal

The Warriors and free agent forward Rudy Gay are in agreement on a one-year contract, agent Sam Permut tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Gay will compete in training camp for a spot on Golden State’s regular season roster.

Gay, 37, spent the last two seasons in Utah and exercised a player option to guarantee his $6.48MM salary for 2023/24. However, he was traded twice this offseason – first to Atlanta in the John Collins deal and then to Oklahoma City as part of a package for Patty Mills – and was subsequently waived by the Thunder, making him an unrestricted free agent in July.

A 17-year veteran who regularly averaged in the neighborhood of 20 points per game during stints in Memphis, Toronto, and Sacramento earlier in his career, Gay has seen his playing time and his production decline in recent seasons.

His 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 14.6 minutes per game in 56 appearances with the Jazz in 2022/23 were all career lows, as were his 38.0% field goal percentage and a 25.4% mark on three-point tries.

Still, Gay put up decent scoring numbers off the bench for several years prior to last season, so the Warriors – who were identified in July as one of several clubs to register interest in the forward and were rumored to be in the market for a wing – will take a flier on him this fall to see what he still has left in the tank.

Golden State currently has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so the club could technically carry three additional players into the regular season — two on standard contracts and one on a two-way pact. However, Gay is ineligible to be a two-way player and it’s unclear whether the Warriors intend to fill all 15 of their standard roster slots. Leaving the 15th spot open would give the Dubs more in-season flexibility and would help reduce their end-of-season luxury tax bill.

If the Warriors only carry 14 players on standard contracts to open the season and don’t trade or waive anyone with a guaranteed salary, Gay would have to beat out fellow veteran wing Rodney McGruder and any other camp invitees for that final spot.

The full terms of Gay’s one-year deal aren’t yet known, but it will be worth the veteran’s minimum, which is all Golden State can offer. We’ll have to wait to see whether it includes any guaranteed money.

Pacers Sign Craig Sword, Pedro Bradshaw To Camp Deals

The Pacers have signed free agent guards Craig Sword and Pedro Bradshaw to training camp contracts, according to RealGM’s transaction log. The club now has 20 players under contract.

Tony East of SI.com (Twitter link) previously reported that Sword would be getting an Exhibit 10 contract from Indiana, while marketing agency RBA Showcase (Twitter link) confirmed Bradshaw’s signing.

In all likelihood, both Sword and Bradshaw will end up as returning rights players for the Indiana Mad Ants (formerly the Fort Wayne Mad Ants), the Pacers’ G League affiliate. Bradshaw played for the team last season, while Sword was a member of the Capital City Go-Go who had his rights acquired earlier this month by the Mad Ants.

An NBAGL veteran who has appeared in more than 200 games at that level, Sword averaged 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 22.2 minutes per game last season in 43 appearances for the Go-Go, with a solid shooting line of .566/.387/.725. Bradshaw was a role player for the Mad Ants, averaging 9.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG on .507/.423/.763 shooting in 45 appearances (20.0 MPG).

Both players will earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they’re waived by the Pacers before the regular season and then spend at least 60 days with the Mad Ants.

Wolves Sign Trevor Keels To Training Camp Deal

SEPTEMBER 26: Minnesota has officially signed Keels, according to RealGM’s transaction log.


SEPTEMBER 25: The Timberwolves plan to sign free agent guard Trevor Keels to a training camp contract, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 42nd pick of the 2022 draft after one college season at Duke, Keels spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, who gave him a qualifying offer in June to make him a restricted free agent. Keels accepted his QO this summer to return to New York on a two-way deal, but his stint only lasted a week, as he was waived to make room for Dylan Windler.

Keels, 20, only appeared in three games for the Knicks in 2022/23 for a total of eight minutes. He was a starter for their G League affiliate in Westchester, however, averaging 13.9 points, 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 25 regular season games (30.2 minutes). He posted a shooting line of .425/.355/.710.

While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, Keels’ agreement with Minnesota likely features an Exhibit 10 clause, which would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. However, his NBAGL rights are currently held by the Knicks, so Iowa will have to make a trade with the Westchester Knicks — New York’s affiliate — to acquire his returning player rights.

Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, and the Timberwolves currently have one two-way opening, though they also have a two-way qualifying offer out to RFA Matt Ryan.

Once Keels is officially under contract, the Timberwolves will have 19 players on their roster, as our tracker shows.

Nets Sign Scottie Lindsey

The Nets have signed free agent shooting guard Scottie Lindsey to a training camp contract, according to announcements from the team and marketing agency RBA Showcase (Twitter link).

Lindsey, 27, has played primarily in the G League since going undrafted out of Northwestern in 2018, spending time with the Grand Rapids Drive, Erie BayHawks (now the Birmingham Squadron), Windy City Bulls, and Maine Celtics. He has also played in professional leagues in Portugal and Canada.

Last season, Lindsey appeared in a total of 44 regular season and Showcase Cup games for Maine, averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per contest with a shooting line of .435/.332/.860.

The Long Island Nets – Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – announced on Monday that they acquired the returning rights for Lindsey and A.J. Reeves from the Maine Celtics in exchange for the returning rights to Jordan Bowden and Noah Kirkwood, so it’s safe to assume the Nets view Lindsey as a player who will eventually suit up for their NBAGL squad.

Assuming Lindsey’s new deal with the team includes Exhibit 10 language, which is very likely, he’ll earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Long Island after being waived by Brooklyn.

The Nets, who have been busy making roster moves this week with an eye toward the G League season, now have 20 players under contract.

Matt Ryan Returns To Timberwolves On Two-Way Deal

2:25pm: Ryan has officially re-signed with the Wolves on a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log. As we relayed in a separate story, Ryan’s roster spot for the regular season isn’t necessarily safe, as he’ll have to compete with Minnesota’s camp invitees to retain his two-way spot.


7:57am: After remaining on the restricted free agent market for nearly three months, swingman Matt Ryan is signing a two-way contract to return to the Timberwolves, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Ryan opened last season on a non-guaranteed contract with the Lakers, but was waived at the start of December and quickly caught on with the Timberwolves on a two-way deal, finishing the season in Minnesota.

He appeared in 35 total games for the two Western clubs in 2022/23, averaging 3.6 points in 9.1 minutes per game while making 38.1% of his three-point attempts.

Ryan’s ability to hit outside shots – he’s a career 40.1% three-point shooter in 37 G League regular season appearances – helped earn him a qualifying offer from the Timberwolves in June that made him a restricted free agent. He had the option of accepting that QO, equivalent to another one-year, two-way contract, or seeking out an offer sheet from a rival suitor, which Minnesota could have matched.

Given that he’s remaining with the Wolves, it appears Ryan was unable to find a viable offer from another team this summer. He was one of two restricted free agents still on the market, along with fellow two-way RFA Theo Maledon of the Hornets.

Once Ryan officially re-signs, Minnesota will have filled all three of their two-way slots. Luka Garza and Jaylen Clark are the other two Wolves on two-way deals.