Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Sign Marques Bolden To Camp Deal

September 5th, 2023 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have agreed to sign free agent center Marques Bolden to a training camp contract, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Bolden, 25, appeared in seven NBA games for Cleveland in 2020 and 2021, but has spent the majority of his professional career in the G League, including the last two seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars. Although he was a regular starter for Utah’s G League affiliate in 2021/22, averaging 11.7 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 21 regular season NBAGL games (30.1 MPG), the former Duke Blue Devil was limited to six total appearances for the Stars last season due to a shoulder injury.

The Bucks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, so they likely don’t envision Bolden having a spot on their regular season roster. Assuming his contract includes Exhibit 10 language, it could be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season begins, though Milwaukee doesn’t currently have a two-way opening either.

Exhibit 10 signees often end up being waived and then reporting to their team’s G League affiliate, earning a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the NBAGL club. But assuming the Stars still hold Bolden’s returning rights, which appears to be the case, then the Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s affiliate – would need to trade for those rights in order for the big man to receive a bonus from the Bucks.

Milwaukee had been carrying 20 players on its offseason roster, leaving one open spot, so no cut is necessary to make room for Bolden.

Javonte Cooke To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Timberwolves

September 4th, 2023 at 12:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent Javonte Cooke is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves, agent Jerry Dianis tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Cooke, 24, went undrafted last year out of Winston-Salem State. As Scotto notes, the 6’6″ guard spent his first professional season playing for Minnesota’s NBA G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

In 25 regular season games (20.3 MPG) with Iowa in 2022/23, including five starts, Cooke averaged 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.6 APG on .424/.308/.773 shooting splits.

Given his relatively modest contributions, it’s highly likely that Cooke will be waived by Minnesota before the ’23/24 season starts. In that scenario, if he spends at least 60 days with Iowa, he could earn a bonus of up to $75K.

As our roster count tracker shows, the Timberwolves currently have 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts and a pair of players on two-way deals, along with a two-way qualifying offer out to restricted free agent Matt Ryan. Since they’re below the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, they won’t have to make another roster move to sign Cooke.

Bucks Sign, Waive Iverson Molinar

September 3rd, 2023 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks signed combo guard Iverson Molinar to a contract on Friday and waived him on Saturday, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log.

Molinar, who went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2022, spent his first professional season with the Wisconsin Herd. He averaged 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 22.4 minutes per game across 23 regular season appearances with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate in 2022/23.

Since Molinar played for the team last season, the Herd will hold his returning rights, so the Bucks’ decision to sign and waive him wasn’t related to securing his G League rights. Instead, it was likely about making sure he earns a bonus for returning to the NBAGL club in 2023/24.

It’s safe to assume that Molinar received an Exhibit 10 contract, which will put him in line to receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd this season. Those Exhibit 10 bonuses typically exceed the full-season G League salary, so they provide a good incentive to get a player to stick with an NBAGL affiliate rather than seeking out an opportunity in an international league.

Molinar temporarily filled the Bucks’ 21st and final offseason roster spot, but the club’s roster count is back down to 20 following his release. Milwaukee also recently signed and waived Alex Antetokounmpo, who figures to return to the Herd too.

JaVale McGee Signs With Kings

September 2nd, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Tristan Tucker

SEPTEMBER 2: The signing is official, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

SEPTEMBER 1: McGee is signing a guaranteed minimum-salary contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

AUGUST 31: Free agent center JaVale McGee is signing with the Kings, according to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The Mavericks officially waived McGee on Tuesday and now he’s set to join another Western Conference contender.

McGee, 35, signed with Dallas last year on a three-year, $17MM deal and opened the year as a starter, but quickly fell out of the rotation altogether. In all, McGee averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games (career-low 8.5 minutes) with the Mavericks. Once it was clear McGee was no longer in the team’s future plans, Dallas cut him loose this offseason and is stretching his remaining salary over the next five years for roughly $2.35MM through 2027/28.

The Kings will hope McGee, a three-time champion, has enough left in the tank to help contribute to a team that ended a 16-season playoff drought last year. McGee is just one season removed from averaging 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in Phoenix, where he played in 74 games and made 17 starts.

Sacramento’s interest in McGee was reported shortly after he was waived by Dallas. It’s unclear what kind of deal he’s signing, but it likely isn’t for more than the veteran’s minimum and may not be fully guaranteed.

Sacramento’s roster is stacked with backup centers. Nerlens Noel, Neemias Queta, Alex Len and Skal Labissiere (reported) are likely to compete with McGee for minutes and/or a roster spot. Queta and Noel are in more direct competition with McGee for a roster spot. Len’s roster spot appears safe and Labissiere is joining on a training camp deal with the goal of him playing for the Stockton Kings next year. Meanwhile, Noel has a $300K partial guarantee and Queta has a $250K partial guarantee.

Bucks Sign Drew Timme; Sign, Waive Alex Antetokounmpo

September 2nd, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 2: The Bucks have officially waived Alex Antetokounmpo, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

The Bucks retain Antetokounmpo’s G League rights and he’ll receive a bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. The Athletic’s Eric Nehm first reported that the team would waive Antetokounmpo on Friday.

SEPTEMBER 1: The Bucks have added a third Antetokounmpo brother to their offseason roster, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log, which lists Milwaukee as having recently signed Alex Antetokounmpo to a one-year contract.

While terms of the deal aren’t known, it will almost certainly be a non-guaranteed contract, likely with Exhibit 10 language. Such a deal could be converted to a two-way contract or would make Antetokounmpo eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate.

Antetokounmpo, 22, has played in the G League since going undrafted in 2021. The 6’8″ forward spent the 2021/22 campaign with the Raptors 905, then played in Wisconsin last season. In 32 regular season G League games with the Herd in ’22/23, he averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per night, with a subpar shooting line of .372/.247/.559.

Antetokounpmo joins his older brothers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks’ roster, which has now reached its 21-man offseason limit. The club is carrying 15 players on guaranteed deals, three on (presumed) Exhibit 10 contracts, and three on two-way pacts.

To get to 21 players, Milwaukee also officially signed undrafted Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, whose Exhibit 10 agreement with the team was reported back in June.

Timme spent four college seasons at Gonzaga, building an impressive résumé before declaring for the 2023 draft as an early entrant. He was a three-time consensus All-American and won the WCC Player of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023.

In his final year with the Bulldogs, the 6’10” big man averaged 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per game across 37 appearances, making 61.6% of his shots from the floor.

Celtics Sign Svi Mykhailiuk To One-Year Contract

August 31st, 2023 at 6:30pm CST by Rory Maher

6:30pm: The signing is official, the Celtics announced in a press release.

3:28pm: The Celtics are signing free agent swingman Svi Mykhailiuk to a one-year contract, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

A second-round pick (47th overall) back in 2018, the 26-year-old Ukrainian has bounced around quite a bit over his five NBA seasons, having played for six different teams over that span. Mykhailiuk spent most of 2022/23 with the Knicks prior being traded to Charlotte at the February deadline in the four-team deal that sent Josh Hart to New York.

While Mykhailiuk rarely saw action with New York, appearing in just 13 games for 40 total minutes, he played well for the Hornets down the stretch last season. In 19 games (22.5 MPG) with Charlotte, he averaged 10.6 PPG, 2.7 APG and 2.4 RPG on .441/.404/.676 shooting.

Mostly known as a solid outside shooter (36.0% career from deep), Mykhailiuk has appeared in 252 regular season games for the Lakers, Pistons, Thunder, Raptors, Knicks and Hornets. He also brings plus size on the wing, standing 6’7″ and weighing 205 pounds.

A report last month indicated that Greek club Panathinaikos was interested in Mykhailiuk’s services, but the veteran guard/forward was reportedly focused on finding another NBA opportunity, which has now come to fruition.

Boston, meanwhile, has been scouring the free agent market for wing depth, reportedly holding workouts with at least four veterans over the past week-plus. Mykhailiuk wasn’t among the players named, but obviously he was on the team’s radar.

The Celtics only have 13 players on standard contracts (11 guaranteed), so they won’t have to make a roster move to sign Mykhailiuk, though it’s unclear if he’ll receive a guaranteed deal.

Hornets Waive Kobi Simmons

August 31st, 2023 at 5:07pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have waived guard Kobi Simmons, according to a team press release.

Simmons, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Hornets in March after spending most of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. The former Arizona guard then saw his two-way contract converted into a standard deal in April. His minimum salary for ’23/24 was fully non-guaranteed.

Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 46 regular season and Showcase Cup games for the Swarm in 2022/23, shooting 38.1% from deep. Last season was actually Simmons’ third playing for the Swarm. However, Simmons only made five NBA appearances in ’22/23, scoring just five total points in that span of time.

Simmons is a seasoned G League veteran, having played in 159 games in the NBA’s developmental league since going undrafted in 2017. The 6’5″ guard began his career with the Grizzlies on a two-way deal back in the ’17/18 season, averaging 6.1 points in 32 games (12 starts) with Memphis. However, the Grizzlies cut ties with him following the season.

The next year, in ’17/18, the Cavaliers signed Simmons to a 10-day contract and he appeared in a single game, but he didn’t stick around in Cleveland. After that, Simmons played for the Swarm in three of the next four seasons before landing his two-way deal with the team.

After signing P.J. Washington to a deal, Charlotte’s roster quickly became crowded. Having cut Simmons, Charlotte is down to 15 players on standard contracts (JT Thor and Frank Ntilikina have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals). The Hornets also have two players on two-way deals (Leaky Black and Amari Bailey) and four more who are reportedly joining the team for training camp (R.J. Hunter, Angelo Allegri, Nathan Mensah and Tre Scott).

The team drafted James Nnaji with the No. 31 overall pick this year but he has yet to sign and may be stashed. Theo Maledon remains a two-way restricted free agent.

Grizzlies Sign Shaquille Harrison, GG Jackson

August 31st, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

In a pair of press releases (Twitter links), the Grizzlies officially announced the signings of Shaquille Harrison and GG Jackson II.

While the terms of Harrison’s contract were not disclosed, Memphis has used its third and final two-way opening on Jackson, who was one of the few remaining 2023 draft picks who had yet to ink a contract, as shown by our tracker.

Harrison, 29, is a six-year NBA veteran who was waived by the Lakers in June before his salary for 2023/24 became guaranteed. He had eight brief playoff cameos for the Lakers in 2022/23 after signing on the last day of the regular season. Harrison had just finished a 10-day hardship deal with Portland prior to his stint in L.A.

Overall, the guard has appeared in 180 regular season games with Phoenix, Chicago, Utah, Denver, Brooklyn and Portland, holding career averages of 5.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .435/.281/.718 shooting in 15.4 MPG. Harrison also signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Grizzlies in ’21/22, though he never played a game for Memphis.

Known as a strong defender, Harrison spent the majority of the past two seasons in the G League, winning NBAGL Defensive Player of the Year in ’21/22 and finishing third last season. A report last month indicated he was drawing EuroLeague interest, but instead he’ll be returning to Memphis.

As Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian tweets, Harrison could be in line for NBA minutes once the Grizzlies receive an extra roster slot. Memphis will be able to move guard Ja Morant to the suspended list, opening up a 15-man slot, after the fifth game of his 25-game ban.

Jackson was the 45th pick in June after one college season at South Carolina. He was a highly touted prospect entering college and one of the youngest players in his draft class after reclassifying, but had an uneven freshman season for the Gamecocks.

Overall, the 18-year-old averaged 15.4 PPG and 5.9 RPG in ’22/23, posting a subpar .384/.324/.677 shooting line in 32 games (31.9 MPG). Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal previously wrote that Jackson would likely receive a two-way deal and spend most of the upcoming season in the G League.

The Grizzlies have reached the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, and they’ll have to make some roster moves ahead of training camp. 17 of their players are on guaranteed standard deals, which means they might have some dead-money cap hits this season unless they make a consolidation trade.

Jazz Sign Taevion Kinsey, Romeo Langford, Nick Ongenda

August 30th, 2023 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz have officially signed Taevion Kinsey, Romeo Langford and Nick Ongenda, per a team press release.

While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, the Jazz said the trio of free agents were added to their training camp roster, so they’ll likely all be on Exhibit 10 deals — it has already been reported that Langford will receive an Exhibit 10 contract.

Kinsey, a 6’5″ guard, went undrafted in June after five college seasons, all at Marshall. As a “super senior” in 2022/23, he averaged 22.1 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .542/.404/.744 shooting in 32 games (37.8 MPG), earning Sun Belt Player of the Year for his efforts.

Ongenda, a 6’11” center, also went undrafted in June. He spent all four of his college seasons at DePaul, averaging 12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 4.4 BPG in 2022/23. However, those numbers came in a small sample size — the Canadian big man was limited to just eight games (30.5 MPG) this past season due to a wrist injury.

Both Kinsey and Ongenda played for the Jazz during Summer League action in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

The Jazz have now reached the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, with 15 players on standard deals (12 guaranteed) and all three two-way slots filled.

If Kinsey and Ongenda signed Exhibit 10 contracts and are waived before the season starts, they could each receive a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts, though as we previously noted, Langford is ineligible for a two-way deal because he has already played four NBA seasons.

Jazz, Romeo Langford Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 30th, 2023 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have agreed to sign free agent wing Romeo Langford to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Langford, who will turn 24 this October, was drafted 14th overall by the Celtics in 2019 when current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was Boston’s head of basketball operations.

The former Indiana Hoosier spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons in Boston before being traded to San Antonio, where he has played since February 2022. He became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after the Spurs opted not issue him a qualifying offer.

Langford is a solid defender, but has struggled to make much of an impact on the offensive end of the floor. In 141 career regular season games, he has averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .430/.288/.659.

Since he has four years of NBA service under his belt, Langford will be ineligible to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal. However, if he doesn’t earn a spot on Utah’s standard 15-man regular season roster and then spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, he’d be in line for a bonus worth up to $75K.

With 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, the Jazz currently have three open spots on their 21-man offseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create space for Langford.