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Mavericks Sign Dexter Dennis

September 22nd, 2023 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have signed former Texas A&M guard Dexter Dennis, the team announced today (via Twitter). While the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, undrafted rookie free agents like Dennis typically receive Exhibit 10 contracts.

Dennis, 24, spent his first four college seasons at Wichita State before joining the Aggies for the 2022/23 season. As a “super-senior” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to college players due to COVID-19, he averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game across 34 appearances.

Dennis never averaged double-digit points per game in any of his five college seasons and made just 37.5% of his shots from the field over the last two years, including 30.4% of his three-pointers. However, he’s a talented defender who earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 for the Shockers.

As we noted earlier today when we examined the Mavs’ roster situation, they only have two players on two-way contracts, so Dennis and the team’s other camp invitees could have a shot to earn that final two-way deal. If he’s waived before the season begins, Dennis will likely report to the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate, where he could earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the club.

The Mavericks are now at 21 players, the offseason maximum, and their announcement today indicated that their training camp roster is set, which suggests they don’t intend to make any additional moves in the coming days. The club is traveling to Abu Dhabi and Spain for preseason games, so it will open camp next Wednesday, ahead of most NBA teams.

Sixers Sign Marcus Bagley

September 21st, 2023 at 7:09pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Sixers officially signed Marcus Bagley, per a team release. The terms of the contract were not disclosed but the deal is almost certainly an Exhibit 10 pact, which was reported back in June.

Bagley, the younger brother of Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III, played three collegiate seasons at Arizona State. The younger Bagley brother was limited to just five games over the past two seasons, but averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his freshman year in 2020/21.

The Sixers now have a full 21-man offseason roster, but are still reportedly signing Kelly Oubre, which would take them over that limit. In order to bring in Oubre, a player will need to be waived or traded. The most likely option is that the Sixers waive a player on an Exhibit 10 deal, potentially Bagley, before signing Oubre. The Sixers also have Javonte Smart and David Duke Jr. signed to training camp deals.

If he’s waived by the Sixers before the season starts, Bagley would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Wizards Sign Chase Audige To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 21st, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards have signed Chase Audige to an Exhibit 10 contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

Audige went undrafted in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. After spending his freshman year at William & Mary, the 6’4″ guard transferred to Northwestern, playing three more college seasons with the Wildcats.

As a senior in 2022/23, Audige averaged 14.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 2.4 SPG in 34 games (34.4 MPG), though he struggled with scoring efficiency (.368/.325/.832 shooting line).

Audige played for the Heat’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 5.4 PPG, 1.4 APG and 1.2 SPG over five games (14.0 MPG). Miami reportedly had interest in signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp, but Audige decided to accept an Exhibit 10 offer from an unknown team — which turned out to be the Wizards — because he thought he’d have a better shot at making the regular season roster.

The decision makes sense. While Washington’s standard roster will have to be trimmed to 15 before the season begins (it currently has 17 players on guaranteed deals), the Wizards have one two-way slot open, and Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals. The Heat currently do not have a two-way opening.

Audige would also be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

The Wizards had 20 players under contract — one shy of the offseason limit — prior to signing Audige, so they won’t have to make another roster move to add him. Their roster is now full ahead of training camp.

Chance Comanche Signs Training Camp Contract With Kings

September 21st, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 21: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

SEPTEMBER 20: The Kings will sign Chance Comanche, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

The 27-year-old big man played for Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton last season, averaging 13.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 32 regular season games. He was also part of the Kings’ entry in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League.

No details were given on Comanche’s contract, but it will likely include Exhibit 10 language. That will allow him to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with Stockton. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, but the Kings currently have all three of their two-way spots filled.

Comanche has been hoping for an NBA opportunity since going undrafted out of Arizona in 2017. He has played for three organizations in the G League and spent a season in Turkey as well. He signed with the Trail Blazers on the final day of the 2022/23 season, scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds in 21 minutes during his NBA debut.

Once Comanche’s contract becomes official, Sacramento will have 18 players, including 14 with fully guaranteed deals. The Kings will be able to add three more before the start of training camp.

Spurs Waive Javante McCoy

September 21st, 2023 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have waived guard Javante McCoy less than a week after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

McCoy, 25, spent his rookie season in 2022/23 with the South Bay Lakers in the G League after going undrafted out of Boston University. He came off the bench in 26 regular season NBAGL games, averaging 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 25.8 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .524/.370/.767.

McCoy played for San Antonio’s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas this July, appearing in six total games for the club.

The Austin Spurs recently acquired McCoy’s G League rights in a trade with South Bay. That move – along with the fact that he was waived so soon after being signed – signals that San Antonio intends to have him report to its NBAGL affiliate this fall. Assuming he spends at least 60 days with Austin, McCoy will earn a bonus worth $75K on top of his G League salary.

The Spurs now have 20 players under contract, leaving one open spot on their 21-man offseason roster.

Clippers Sign Xavier Moon To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 20th, 2023 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have officially signed free agent wing Xavier Moon to an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has learned. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides had reached an agreement.

Moon, who played in a handful of non-NBA leagues from 2017-21 after going undrafted out of Morehead State, has spent parts of the last two years with the Clippers, finishing the 2022/23 season on a two-way contract with the club. He has appeared in 14 total games for Los Angeles, averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 assists in 11.2 minutes per night.

Moon played for the Ontario Clippers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – for most of last season, putting up 20.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.9 RPG with a shooting line of .523/.389/.824 in 48 total regular season and Showcase Cup games (31.0 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.

Moon added another accolade to his résumé in July when he was named to the All-Summer League Second Team following a strong showing in Las Vegas for the Clippers.

L.A. has one two-way slot open and Scott hears from agent Andre Buck that Moon is expected to be given an opportunity to compete for that spot. An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way deal before the regular season begins.

If Moon doesn’t claim that two-way opening and is waived, he’d be eligible for a $75K bonus by spending at least 60 days with the Ontario Clippers.

Nets Sign Jordan Hall, Keifer Sykes

September 20th, 2023 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have signed a pair of free agent guards, the team announced today, adding Jordan Hall and Keifer Sykes to their 21-man offseason roster. Brooklyn now has 20 players under contract, leaving one roster spot open.

Hall, 21, signed a two-way contract with the Spurs last summer after going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s. He was waived during the first week of the regular season, then was brought back on a non-guaranteed contract about a week later before being cut again at the end of November.

Although Hall appeared in nine games for San Antonio, he spent most of his rookie season in the G League, averaging 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game across 38 appearances for the Austin Spurs. He posted a shooting line of .357/.363/.750.

Sykes, 29, played in 32 games for the Pacers in 2021/22 but has spent the majority of his professional career since 2015 playing in international leagues or in the G League. In 33 regular season and Showcase Cup contests last season for the Motor City Cruise, he averaged 15.0 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per night, on .422/.279/.842 shooting.

As Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets, Hall and Sykes will likely end up with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. Long Island acquired the returning rights to both players in NBAGL trades in recent weeks.

Assuming they both signed Exhibit 10 contracts, Hall and Sykes will be eligible to receive bonuses worth up to $75K if they’re waived by Brooklyn and then spend at least 60 days with Long Island.

Boban Marjanovic Re-Signs With Rockets

September 20th, 2023 at 8:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 20: Marjanovic has officially re-signed with the Rockets, per NBA.com’s transaction log. Marjanovic’s deal reportedly features a partial guarantee.

SEPTEMBER 10: Free agent big man Boban Marjanovic is returning to the Rockets on a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

A longtime fan favorite, Marjanovic is entering his ninth NBA season. He started his NBA career in San Antonio and has also played for Detroit, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Dallas.

The 7’4” center appeared in 31 games off the bench last season for Houston, averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per game.

In 317 career regular-season appearances, Marjanovic has averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 8.9 minutes.

He actually had two stint with the Rockets last season. He was acquired last summer in a trade with Dallas.

The big man was waived during a roster crunch after the February trade deadline, then was re-signed after clearing waivers.

As our roster count shows, the Rockets had 17 players under contract — outside of their two-way players — but only 12 possessed guaranteed deals. The addition of Marjanovic gives them a full training camp roster.

It’s safe to assume Marjanovic got the veteran’s minimum, and it’s unclear whether or not his deal will be fully guaranteed. He projects as the third center on the depth chart behind starter Alperen Sengun and Jock Landale.

Neemias Queta Signs Two-Way Deal With Celtics

September 19th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 19: The Celtics have officially signed Queta to a two-way contract, the team announced on Tuesday in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 16: Free agent center Neemias Queta is signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).

Queta played three college seasons at Utah State before Sacramento drafted him 39th overall in 2021. He spent his first two professional seasons with the Kings on two-way contracts, appearing in 20 total NBA games for an average of 7.5 MPG.

While his role with the Kings was modest, Queta excelled in the G League with their affiliate in Stockton. In 2022/23, he earned a spot on the All-NBAGL First Team and finishing second in MVP voting. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.9 BPG in 27.7 MPG across 29 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings.

Queta, who is the NBA’s first player from Portugal, was a restricted free this summer. He ultimately signed a partially guaranteed two-year deal to return to the Kings, but was waived this week after the team signed JaVale McGee to a guaranteed contract.

It’s worth noting that the 7’0″ big man sustained a stress reaction and sprain in his right foot during July Summer League action. However, that was more than two months ago, and clearly the Celtics are comfortable with Queta’s health.

As James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets, Boston could be a good landing spot for Queta. Kristaps Porzingis and Robert Williams have dealt with numerous injuries over the years, and Al Horford is 37. The only other big man on the roster is Luke Kornet, whose contract for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

Queta’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contests. Once the signing is official, the Celtics will have 18 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

Pistons Sign Jontay Porter To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 19th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have signed free agent forward/center Jontay Porter to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Detroit now has a full 21-man offseason roster.

Porter, 23, is the younger brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. Like his brother, Jontay dealt with injury issues early in his career, including a pair of ACL tears. However, he appeared in 32 G League games last season for the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 12.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 28.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .390/.341/.667.

While he got off to a hot start with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, Porter’s shooting percentages fell off over the course of the season. He made just 35.2% of his shots from the field (28.7% of his three-pointers) in 17 NBAGL regular season games after converting 44.0% (41.1% of his threes) in 15 Showcase Cup appearances.

Although the Pistons only have 14 players on standard guaranteed contracts, Porter seems unlikely to open the regular season in the NBA. The Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, announced today that they’ve acquired Porter from the Herd, which suggests the Pistons plan to have the former Missouri Tiger join the Cruise as a returning rights player.

Assuming Porter is waived by Detroit, his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Motor City. His Exhibit 10 deal could also be converted into a two-way contract if he impresses in camp.

Porter’s only previous NBA experience came in 2020/21, when he saw limited action in 11 games for the Grizzlies.