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Two Jazz Signings Among NBA’s Latest Minor Moves

September 28th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of recently reported Jazz signings are now official, according to the NBA transaction log at RealGM.com. Utah has officially signed guard Isaiah Wong and wing Taevion Kinsey, whose Exhibit 10 agreements with the team were revealed within the last week.

RealGM actually lists both players as having signed with Sacramento, but that appears to be an input error — their deals were said to be with Utah, and Wong and Kinsey are both listed on the Jazz’s roster on the team’s official website.

Another Exhibit 10 signing was officially completed on Friday, with the Hawks announcing in a press release that they’ve added Daeqwon Plowden to their training camp roster. Plowden had been on a two-way deal with the Warriors but was recently waived in order to make room for rookie Quinten Post.

Here are a few more of the minor roster moves from around the league that were overshadowed on Friday by the news of the biggest trade of the 2024 offseason:

  • According to the official transaction log at NBA.com, the Trail Blazers have waived Estonian wing Henri Drell, who had been on an Exhibit 10 contract. Drell will likely end up playing for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.
  • The Spurs have cut guard Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of former NBA guard Jameer Nelson, per NBA.com. As we wrote when Nelson signed with San Antonio earlier this week, he seems destined to become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs in the NBAGL.
  • The Clippers have waived guard Elijah Harkless, according to NBA.com. Harkless spent the 2023/24 season playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate and will likely return to the team – now known as the San Diego Clippers – this fall.
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Jazz To Sign Taevion Kinsey On Exhibit 10 Contract

September 27th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz are signing Taevion Kinsey to an Exhibit 10 contract, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets.

Kinsey had been on a two-way contract with Utah, which he signed in July, but was waived in August. He’s now returning to the organization as part of the training camp roster.

Kinsey went undrafted in 2023 after playing five college seasons at Marshall. As a “super senior” for the Thundering Herd 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.

A 6’5″ wing, Kinsey signed a training camp deal with Utah last summer and was waived in October. He wound up signing a 10-day contract with the Jazz in March, but he didn’t appear in a game.

Kinsey spent the majority of his first pro season playing for the Jazz’s NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. In 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Stars (29.6 MPG), he averaged 10.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG while posting a strong shooting line of .555/.427/.780.

He’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived, then rejoins the Stars for at least 60 days.

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Jazz Exercise Option On Head Coach Will Hardy

September 27th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

11:00am: According to Haynes (via Twitter), the Jazz have actually exercised their fifth-year option on Hardy, which would mean he’s now under contract through the 2026/27 season.

10:23am: The Jazz have exercised a team option on head coach Will Hardy‘s contract, according to a press release issued by the club.

A former assistant in San Antonio and Boston, Hardy was hired by Utah in 2022 to replace Quin Snyder. The Jazz have a regular season record of just 68-96 (.415) since then and haven’t made the playoffs under Hardy, but the team exceeded expectations in the first halves of both seasons before the front office traded away veterans at the February deadline.

The Jazz – who traded away stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to jump-start a rebuild during the same offseason that Hardy was hired – are evaluating the head coach’s performance based on the job he has done developing young talent and establishing a positive culture within the organization. By those measures, his first two years have been a success, according to general manager Justin Zanik.

“Will has done a great job of guiding our program and instilling the right values and competitive habits with our young group,” Zanik said in a statement announcing the decision. “The organization looks forward to developing with Will as we strive for long-term success through strategic and deliberate growth.”

Reporting at the time of Hardy’s hiring indicated that he was signing a five-year contract; tweets from Chris Haynes and Michael Scotto today indicate that the option being exercised is Utah’s fourth-year option for 2025/26. It’s possible Hardy actually signed a four-year contract and the details were reported incorrectly back in 2022; the team may also hold another option for the ’26/27 season.

Either way, Hardy is under contract in Utah for at least the next two seasons. If the club’s young core continues to take promising steps forward in 2024/25, it seems relatively safe to assume he’ll be extended beyond 2026.

Hardy is the NBA’s second-youngest active head coach, Scotto notes, having been born just five months before Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics.

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Jazz Sign, Waive Babacar Sane

September 26th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 26: Sane has been released, Utah announced in a press release.

AUGUST 13: The Jazz have added undrafted rookie forward Babacar Sane to their offseason roster, according to RealGM’s transaction log. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) in June that Sane would be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Utah.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with his club’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts before the start of the regular season, but I expect the plan for Sane is to have him become an affiliate player for the Salt Lake City Stars.

Sane, who will turn 21 next month, is a native of Senegal who attended the NBA Academy Africa and then played in the Basketball Africa League before coming stateside in 2022. He spent the past two seasons with the G League Ignite before the team was shut down at the end of the ’23/24 campaign.

In 31 Showcase Cup and regular season games last season for the Ignite, Sane averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .445/.263/.699. The 6’6″ forward, who participated in the G League’s Next Up Game at All-Star weekend in each of the past two years, declared for the draft as an early entrant this spring.

It has been a busy week of roster moves for the Jazz. They renegotiated and extended Lauri Markkanen‘s contract last Wednesday, then officially signed Drew Eubanks, Svi Mykhailiuk, Kyle Filipowski, and Johnny Juzang in recent days, while also swapping out one two-way player (Taevion Kinsey) for a new one (Oscar Tshiebwe).

Utah currently has 18 players under contract, including 14 on standard deals, three on two-ways, and now Sane on an Exhibit 10 pact. The club figures to fill out its 21-man offseason roster at some point between now and the start of training camp this fall.

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Jazz Sign, Waive Dane Goodwin

September 25th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Jazz have waived Goodwin, the club announced in a press release. The move opens up a spot on Utah’s preseason roster and lines Goodwin up to play for the Salt Lake City Stars this fall.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Jazz have signed guard Dane Goodwin, according to a team press release. Terms were not released but it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Goodwin spent last season with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League, appearing in 26 regular season games (14 starts), averaging 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 22.3 minutes per contest. Goodwin, who made 43.8% of his three-points for Stockton, also played on the Kings’ Summer League squad in July.

The Salt Lake City Stars recently acquired his G League rights from the Stockton Kings, lining him up to be a returning rights player for Utah’s NBAGL team.

Goodwin went undrafted out of Notre Dame last year. He played five seasons with the Fighting Irish, appearing in 158 games (94 starts) and averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 30.5 minutes per outing.

Assuming Goodwin is on an Exhibit 10 deal, he will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Jazz’s G League affiliate.

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Jazz Sign, Waive Keshawn Justice

September 23rd, 2024 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 23: The Jazz have waived Justice, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 20: Justice has officially signed with the Jazz, the team confirmed in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 19: The Jazz are expected to sign free agent forward Keshawn Justice to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Justice went undrafted in 2023 after five seasons at Santa Clara. He caught on with the Jazz’s Summer League squad and then spent his first professional season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

In 31 Showcase Cup and regular season outings for the Stars, Justice registered averages of 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.8 minutes per game. He shot just 38.2% from the field, but made 39.0% of his three-point attempts and 75.0% of his free throws.

The Jazz’s deal with Justice suggests they likely plan on having him rejoin the Stars, who hold his NBAGL returning rights. Justice’s Exhibit 10 contract will put him in line to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he spends at least 60 days with Utah’s G League squad.

Utah has one opening on its 21-man offseason roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Justice.

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Isaiah Wong, Jazz Reach Agreement On Exhibit 10 Deal

September 22nd, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Wong will join the Jazz for training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Darrel Comer of Tandem tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old shooting guard spent last season as a two-way player with the Pacers. He made just one brief NBA appearance, but he averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30 regular season games with the team’s G League affiliate.

Wong was selected with the 55th pick in the 2023 draft after four seasons at Miami, Florida, where he was named ACC Player of the Year in 2023. He was chosen to participate in the G League Invitational tournament earlier this month, and he took part in the Next Up Game at All-Star Weekend.

The Exhibit 10 contract gives Wong an opportunity to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Utah and spends at least 60 days with the franchise’s G League team.

The Jazz are already at the 21-player limit for their preseason roster, so another move will be necessary before Wong’s contract can be finalized.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Northwest Division

September 20th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Northwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets

Under general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets have typically set their training camp roster early in the offseason and not made any changes to the back end until the preseason is underway. Last year, for instance, Denver maxed out its 21-man roster on August 3 and didn’t make another roster move until October 13.

It looks like the team will probably stick to that pattern this year, taking the current group to camp and then rotating some Exhibit 10 signees on and off the roster during the preseason. With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, Denver’s projected regular season roster also looks set.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Although the Timberwolves have some back-end roster flexibility, they also have significant projected luxury tax penalties, and with the battle for control of the franchise headed to arbitration this fall, it’s still unclear who exactly will be on the hook for that tax bill.

With that in mind, I’d be surprised to see the Wolves carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season. And it’s probably safe to assume Dozier will start the season as the 14th man, since he has a $1MM partial guarantee that the team would have to eat if he’s waived and replaced with a newcomer. Minnesota could potentially make a change at that 14th spot before the league-wide guarantee date on January 7 if Dozier doesn’t prove in the first half that he deserves it, but his place on the opening night roster looks relatively safe.

While I expect some more Exhibit 10 shuffling in the coming days and weeks, the Wolves could set their camp roster by simply completing Randle’s deal, which would get them to the 21-man limit.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Even if they finalize their reported Exhibit 10 deals with Boeheim and Leons before October 1 and have both players with them in training camp, the Thunder would only have 19 players under contract, so they likely have more moves up their sleeve in the coming week or two.

The Thunder are one of the few NBA teams well positioned to bring in another veteran free agent who could make the 15-man standard roster. While Jaylin Williams will make the team, that still leaves the 15th spot open, and Oklahoma City is more than $11MM away from the luxury tax line, so another minimum-salary signing wouldn’t be a problem financially. With Topic out for the season and Kenrich Williams seemingly unlikely to be ready for opening night, the club could also use another depth piece.

It’s unclear whether the Thunder are perusing the free agent market with an eye toward adding a 15th man, but one more wing would make sense to me, with Oshae Brissett, Nassir Little, Justin Holiday, and Reggie Bullock among the available players who could fit.

Portland Trail Blazers

Banton’s big numbers (16.7 PPG, 3.6 APG) down the stretch for the Trail Blazers were the result of significant usage (27.2%) rather than a jump in scoring efficiency (he shot .408/.311/.780). Still, I’d give him the edge over Graham for the 15th roster spot in Portland since he’s younger and has a small partial guarantee. That spot’s not set in stone though.

The Trail Blazers still have one opening on their 21-man preseason roster. Unless the Blazers intend to bring in another player to compete with Banton and Graham to be the 15th man, that roster spot could be used to churn through Exhibit 10 signees for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz‘s roster looks pretty close to ready for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and all three two-way spots occupied. Utah’s roster moves this fall may just consist of rotating Exhibit 10 players in and out before making final cuts at the end of the preseason.

A two-way shake-up is always a possibility, but Potter, Preston, and Tshiebwe all played well in the G League last season, so one of the non-guaranteed camp invitees would have to make a strong impression in October for the team to make a change there.

Previously:

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Northwest Notes: Gupta, Mays, Singer, Jazz Offseason

September 17th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta is changing sports. He’s leaving his post as executive vice president of basketball operations to take a prominent position with soccer’s Chelsea FC, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Gupta, 42, has been in the Timberwolves’ front office since May 2019. He also had stints with the Rockets, Sixers and Pistons. Gupta served as the interim head of basketball operations in Minnesota following the 2021 dismissal of Gersson Rosas before the organization hired Tim Connelly in 2022.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Timberwolves’ NBA G League franchise, the Iowa Wolves, has acquired the returning player rights to guard Skylar Mays from the Westchester Knicks in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Vit Krejci and a 2025 G League first round pick, according to a Wolves press release. The Timberwolves signed Mays to an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday. By trading for Mays’ returning player rights, the Wolves can offer him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves.
  • A former Nuggets beat writer is joining their organization. Denver is hiring former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer as their director of intelligence and strategy, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. In addition to hiring Singer, the Nuggets are promoting Todd Checovich to the position of scouting director. Drew Nicholas, who held that position for two years, accepted a new job with the Nets this summer.
  • Many of the Jazz players stayed close to their NBA home during the offseason. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton spent the majority of the summer working out in Utah, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
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And-Ones: Fitts, Gilyard, NBA Schedule, Flagg, Swarm Staff

September 16th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an NBA G League swap, the Memphis Hustle acquired a 2025 first-round pick and the returning player rights to forward Malik Fitts from the Cleveland Charge, the Grizzlies’ G League team tweets.  The Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, received the returning player rights to guard Jacob Gilyard.

Fitts has appeared in 18 NBA games, most recently in eight contests with Boston during the 2021/22 campaign when he was signed to two 10-day contracts. Gilyard appeared in a combined 41 NBA games with the Grizzlies and Nets last season. He was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn after Memphis waived him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • It’s impossible to keep all the NBA teams happy and give them their desired dates on an 82-game schedule. Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic spoke to an unnamed source who detailed the issues confronting the schedule makers. “You’ve got 30 different teams each with their own perspective on what they would like to see and within each of the 30 teams, you’ve got multiple perspectives from what makes the most sense,” the source said. “The league is then responsible for taking all of the different perspectives and try to make something that’s going to please everyone, which inherently is an impossible task.”
  • How would projected 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg impact a team in rebuild mode? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report dives into that topic, exploring how the Duke freshman big man would fit in with the Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.
  • Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff have been announced as assistant coaches on DJ Bakker‘s staff with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets‘ affiliate, the G League team announced in a press release. Peavy joins the Swarm after serving last season as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. Noel spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ affiliate. Ruoff was on West Virginia’s coaching staff the last two seasons.
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