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Clippers Sign Brodric Thomas To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 26th, 2023 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have signed free agent shooting guard Brodric Thomas, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. The agreement was first reported by Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says it’s an Exhibit 10 deal.

Thomas, 26, appeared in a total of 44 NBA regular season games from 2020-22 for the Rockets, Cavaliers, and Celtics, averaging 3.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per contest.

Although his impact at the NBA level has been limited, Thomas has played well in the G League, averaging 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals in 31.9 minutes per game across 36 regular season appearances for three NBAGL teams. He posted a .436/.384/.714 shooting line in those games.

Thomas played for the Clippers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas this July and now seems likely to end up with the Ontario Clippers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. His Exhibit 10 contract would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived by L.A. and then spends at least 60 days with Ontario.

Thomas could also be a candidate to fill one of the Clippers’ two-way contract slots. His Exhibit 10 deal can be converted into a two-way anytime up until the day before the regular season, and L.A. has an open spot alongside Jordan Miller and Moussa Diabate.

The Clippers now have 20 players under contract.

Warriors To Sign Rodney McGruder

September 25th, 2023 at 3:38pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors are signing free agent wing Rodney McGruder, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran guard/forward will be competing for a standard roster spot in training camp, Charania adds.

McGruder, 32, is a seven-year NBA veteran, appearing in 317 regular season games with the Heat, Clippers and Pistons over that span. He has spent the past three seasons with Detroit.

McGruder’s on-court time has been limited in recent seasons — he appeared in 99 games for an average of 14.9 MPG during his Pistons tenure. However, he had solid production when he did play, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.1 RPG on a .441/.412/.768 shooting line from 2020-23.

A former Kansas State Wildcat, McGruder was reportedly a highly respected locker-room leader for the Pistons, which is part of the reason why they kept bringing him back. Detroit renounced his rights this summer in order to maximize its cap space.

Slater previously reported the Warriors were prioritizing another wing (instead of a big man) to add to their roster ahead of training camp. McGruder will be part of that equation for now.

At a press conference on Monday, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the team was still exploring its options with the final standard roster spots, which suggests McGruder might be on a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deal.

“We’re open and I think that’s a great position to be in where we have flexibility and can evaluate … We don’t have our sights set on one thing,” Dunleavy said, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link).

The Warriors currently have 13 players on standard contracts and a pair of players — Lester Quinones and Usman Garuba — on two-way deals. McGruder will fill the 14th spot once his deal is official.

Hawks Sign Chris Silva

September 25th, 2023 at 3:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks have signed free agent big man Chris Silva, the team announced in a press release.

Silva, 27, has appeared in 70 NBA games over four seasons with the Heat, Kings, Timberwolves and Mavericks, holding 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.

Prior to 2022/23, Silva signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks and was waived before the season started. That made him eligible for a bonus — on top of his G League salary — after he spent 60-plus days with Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

Silva signed a pair of 10-day deals with the Mavericks last season, marking his lone NBA action. His second 10-day deal with Dallas was cut short due to the addition of Justin Holiday, though Silva still received his full 10-day salary.

Atlanta currently has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and Silva is ineligible for a two-way deal. While the terms of his current agreement were not disclosed, he likely signed another Exhibit 10 contract to play for the Skyhawks again in 2023/24.

The Hawks now have 19 players on their roster, as our tracker shows.

Warriors Sign Usman Garuba To Two-Way Contract

September 25th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 25: Garuba’s two-way contract is now official, the Warriors announced on Monday (via Twitter).

SEPTEMBER 15: The Warriors have agreed to sign free agent center Usman Garuba to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Golden State currently only has one player (Lester Quinones) on a two-way deal, leaving a pair of open slots, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to create room for Garuba.

Garuba, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft. He spent his first two years in the NBA with Houston, appearing in 99 total games for the Rockets and averaging 2.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per night.

Garuba was included earlier this offseason in the five-team trade that landed Dillon Brooks in Houston. He was sent to the Hawks in that deal as a salary-matching piece, then was flipped to Oklahoma City as part of a trade package for Patty Mills. Oklahoma City subsequently waived him last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Garuba, who was born in Madrid and began his professional career with Real Madrid in 2017, represented Spain in the World Cup following his release from the Thunder, and reports last week indicated that a reunion with Real Madrid might be in the works. However, it seems the youngster will make every effort to try to stick in the NBA before seriously considering a return to his home country.

He’ll join a Warriors team that could use some additional frontcourt depth — outside of Kevon Looney and Draymond Green, there aren’t any centers on the roster, though forwards like Dario Saric and Trayce Jackson-Davis could perhaps handle the role in certain five-man lineups. The Dubs are said to be considering a handful of free agent big men, including Dwight Howard.

Garuba’s two-way deal will pay him $559,782 and will make him eligible to appear in up to 50 regular season contests. However, if the Warriors are carrying fewer than 15 players on standard contracts, they’ll only be able to use their two-way players for up to 90 combined games, as we explain in our glossary entry.

Jordan Bell To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Pacers

September 23rd, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Tristan Tucker

Free agent big man Jordan Bell is signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

Bell, 28, won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2017/18 and has 161 games of NBA experience across five seasons with Golden State, Minnesota, Memphis, Washington and Chicago. The former Oregon big man holds career averages of 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per night.

The 6’8″ forward/center began his career in Golden State after being drafted with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2017 draft and spent the subsequent two seasons with the Warriors. Bell bounced around the league over the next few years, with his last NBA appearance coming with the Bulls in ’21/22 on a 10-day contract. He then played with the Guangzhou Loong Lions in China last season, appearing in 44 games, averaging 10.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks.

Scotto adds that Bell “will be a veteran leader” for the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. Bell has 39 games of G League experience in the regular season and Showcase Cup, and he averaged 13.5 points with the Mad Ants last season.

If Scotto’s phrasing wasn’t enough indication that Bell is almost certainly headed to the G League, the Pacers also have what looks to be a set regular season roster. Barring a potential Buddy Hield trade, the Pacers have 15 players on standard, guaranteed contracts, as well as three players on two-way contracts. Indiana is also reportedly bringing Darius McGhee to training camp.

Bell’s Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived by the Pacers and spends at least 60 days with the Mad Ants.

Kings Sign Deonte Burton

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Kings have signed free agent guard/forward Deonte Burton to a contract, according to RealGM’s NBA transaction log. The move was first reported by Sactown Sports 1140’s Brenden Nunes (Twitter link).

While the exact details of the deal aren’t known, it’s a safe bet that it’s a non-guaranteed camp contract with Exhibit 10 language.

Burton, 29, has 73 games of NBA experience across three seasons with Oklahoma City and Sacramento, with the majority of his time in the league coming from 2018-20 with the Thunder. The former Iowa State wing began his professional career in South Korea’s Korean Basketball League, where he won the KBL Foreign MVP Award after averaging 23.8 points.

His overseas scoring antics captured the attention of the Thunder in 2018, who signed him to a two-way deal before converting him to a standard contract in 2019. Burton then spent the past couple seasons in the G League, first with the Maine Celtics in 2021/22 and then the Stockton Kings for most of ’22/23. He earned a brief call-up with Sacramento last season on a 10-day deal, but did not close out the season with the Kings after being waived in February.

Having signed Burton, the Kings have 19 players under contract, with 14 on standard deals, three on two-way contracts, and Burton and Chance Comanche on training camp deals.

The Kings aren’t in the tax and could add a 15th player to a standard deal — it’s possible they’ll use training camp as an audition for that spot. It’s unclear what Sacramento plans to do with that opening but there’s technically a route for Burton to make the regular season roster if he impresses in camp.

If Burton’s contract includes Exhibit 10 language, he would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton.

Pelicans To Sign Kaiser Gates To Two-Way Contract

September 22nd, 2023 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Kaiser Gates to a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Gates, who went undrafted out of Xavier in 2018, spent one season (2021/22) in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem but has otherwise been playing in the G League since going pro, enjoying stints with Windy City, Maine, and Long Island.

In 40 total appearances in the NBAGL regular season and Showcase Cup for the Long Island Nets last season, the 26-year-old averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .473/.468/.674.

The Pelicans still have several openings on their 21-man offseason roster and had been the only NBA team with multiple two-way slots available, so they won’t need to make a corresponding move to clear room for Gates.

Once Gates’ deal is official, New Orleans will be able to add one more two-way player to join him and Dereon Seabron. Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link) says he’d be surprised if rookie big man Liam Robbins – who reached a deal with the Pelicans in June – doesn’t end up filling that opening.

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.