Scotty Hopson

Hawks, Mavs, Celtics, Thunder, Spurs Make Minor Cuts

The Hawks, MavericksCeltics, Thunder, and Spurs have each waived a player who had been under contract on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, per NBA.com’s transaction log. Those cuts are as follows:

In each of these cases, the player’s stint on his team’s roster was short-lived and his deal was aimed at either securing his G League rights or ensuring that he receives a bonus worth up to $50K for returning to his old NBAGL team this season.

Adaway’s Exhibit 10 agreement with the Spurs was reported in August, but wasn’t actually completed until today — by the time we knew he had officially signed his contract, he had already been cut.

The Hawks, Celtics, and Mavericks are now in compliance with the NBA’s regular season roster limit. Atlanta and Dallas each have 14 players on standard contracts, while Boston has 15. The Mavs are expected to add Facundo Campazzo as a 15th man before the regular season begins next week.

The Thunder and Spurs still have more moves to make before their regular season rosters are set. Both teams are expected to waive players with guaranteed contracts, so there was no need to finalize those moves today, as we explained on Saturday morning.

Thunder Sign Scotty Hopson, Waive Adam Mokoka

The Thunder have signed free agent guard Scotty Hopson, waiving recently signed guard Adam Mokoka to create room on their 20-man preseason roster, the team announced on Saturday.

Hopson, who appeared in one game for the Thunder last season while on a 10-day contract, has been a regular for the Oklahoma City Blue for the last few seasons. In 2021/22, he averaged 13.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG in 32 games (27.8 MPG) for OKC’s G League team.

Mokoka, 24, spent two seasons on a two-way contract with the Bulls from 2019-21. During that time, he appeared in 25 games at the NBA level, averaging 1.9 points in 6.7 minutes per game. The Frenchman returned to his native country last year to spend the season with Nanterre 92.

Mokoka will likely report to the OKC Blue as an affiliate player, while Hopson figures to join the Blue as a returning-rights player once he has been waived, which could happen later today. Assuming both players signed Exhibit 10 contracts, they’ll be eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with the Blue.

The Thunder still have a full 20-man roster and will need to get down to 17 players (15 on standard contracts, plus two on two-way deals) by Monday evening.

Three G League Players Sign With Thunder Under Hardship Exemption

Center Olivier Sarr and guards Scotty Hopson and Rob Edwards have signed 10-day contracts with the Thunder under the hardship exemption, according to the official NBA transactions log. All three have been playing for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

Sarr, who went undrafted this year after playing at Kentucky last season, has averaged 7.1 PPG and 4.9 RPG while mostly coming off the bench in 14 games for the Blue.

Hopson, 32, has three games of NBA experience. He’s appeared in 11 G League games this season, averaging 6.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.4 APG.

Edwards, undrafted last year out of Arizona State, has averaged 12.3 PPG and 1.9 APG in 15 NBAGL games this season.

Oklahoma City, with four players currently in the league’s health and safety protocols, also reportedly intends to sign Zavier Simpson.

Thunder Release D.J. Wilson, Scotty Hopson

The Thunder have waived forward D.J. Wilson and guard Scotty Hopson, the team announced today. The moves reduce Oklahoma City’s roster count to 18 players, for the time being.

Wilson, the 17th overall pick in the 2017 draft, spent the first three-and-a-half season of his career in Milwaukee before being traded to Houston at last season’s trade deadline. He had fallen out of the Bucks’ rotation, but averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a shooting line of .416/.339/.696 in 23 games (14.3 MPG) during his stint with the Rockets.

Hopson, who appeared in two NBA games in 2014 with Cleveland and one in 2018 with Dallas, has spent most of his career in the G League or playing in international leagues. The 6’7″ wing played for Melbourne United in 2020/21 after appearing in 41 G League games for the Oklahoma City Blue from 2018-20.

Hopson looks like a good bet to rejoin the Blue for the upcoming season, and it’s possible Wilson will join him.

Meanwhile, it appears the Thunder have also officially signed Zavier Simpson, whose Exhibit 10 deal with the team we reported on Thursday. Oklahoma City hasn’t formally announced the signing, but Simpson is listed on the team’s official roster page.

Knicks Sign Goodwin; Thunder Add Hopson

The Knicks have signed former Hawks guard Brandon Goodwin, the team’s PR department tweets.

Goodwin saw action in 47 games with Atlanta last year, averaging 4.9 PPG and 2.0 APG. He played on a $1.7MM contract last season and became a free agent when the team failed to extend a qualifying offer. He didn’t play in the postseason, partially due to a respiratory condition.

It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. That would give the Westchester Knicks his G League rights if/when the Knicks waive him.

Here are a couple more of the latest training camp signings:

  • The Thunder have signed guard Scotty Hopson to a camp deal, according to the team’s PR department. He appeared in 41 games with the Oklahoma City Blue from 2018-20, including six games in 2020 where he averaged 18.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31.2 minutes. He played for Melbourne United last season. Hopson, who played one games with Dallas during the 2017/18 season, will likely be waived and return to the Blue.
  • The Jazz have signed Nino Johnson, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. Johnson, a 6’9” forward, played for the G League’s Memphis Hustle two seasons ago. He’ll likely be waived and play for Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City.

World Cup Notes: Olynyk, Canada, Select Team

As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a knee injury will prevent Heat forward Kelly Olynyk from playing for Team Canada during this year’s World Cup in China. The Heat confirmed as much today in a press release announcing Olynyk’s right knee bone bruise.

According to Wojnarowski and the Heat, Olynyk is expected to be ready for the start of the NBA regular season. However, it’s not clear whether he’ll be healthy enough to fully participate in training camp next month. If he’s not, it could mean added reps for the likes of Meyers Leonard, James Johnson, Duncan Robinson, and/or some camp invitees.

As for Team Canada, their World Cup squad takes yet another hit. It has been overshadowed by all the Team USA withdrawals, but Team Canada has also experienced an exodus of NBA players from its roster, as we detailed last week. Olynyk joins Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tristan Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Dwight Powell, and many other Canadians on the list of players won’t be participating in the 2019 World Cup.

Here are a few more notes related to the World Cup:

And-Ones: Extension Deadlines, Team USA Scrimmages, James

The deadline for players to sign rookie extensions prior to opening night this upcoming season is Monday, October 21 at 6 p.m. ET, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. That group of 18 eligible players includes Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram and Jaylen Brown.

The extension deadline is the same for a veteran with multiple years remaining on his contract who has met certain criteria, including All-Star guard Bradley Beal. Players with one year left (including a player option) have until June 30, 2020 to sign an extension.

Regular season rosters will also be set on October 21, while Saturday, October 19 will be the last day a team can waive a player with a non-guaranteed contract and not incur a cap hit, Marks adds (Twitter links here).

We have more from the basketball world:

  • The USA Basketball World Cup team will scrimmage against a collection of G League and fringe NBA players over the next three days, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. There are 15 players remaining on the USA roster with Monday’s withdrawal by Kyle Lowry and 12 will make the final roster that will compete in the FIBA tournament in China. The group they’ll scrimmage will be called the L.A. Select Team and be coached by Jeff Van Gundy. That team will include players who participated in FIBA qualifiers, including Scotty Hopson, Chasson Randle and Ben Moore, Givony adds in another tweet.
  • Former Suns and Pelicans guard Mike James has signed with CSKA Moscow, according to a tweet from the team. James played a total of 36 NBA games in 2017/18, averaging 9.3 PPG and 3.5 APG in 19.1 MPG. James appeared in 30 Euro League games with Olimpia Milano last season, averaging a league-high 19.8 PPG and 6.8 APG. James and the Italian team mutually parted ways late last month.
  • The NBA released 2019/20 season schedules for every team on Monday. You can find them here.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, Morris, Thomas, Layman

Scotty Hopson and Richard Solomon are both back on the free agent market after their 10-day contracts with the Thunder expired, according to the Real GM transactions page. Oklahoma City signed both players shortly before the All-Star break to reach the NBA’s roster limit. The team is back down to 13 players and will have two weeks to fill at least one opening.

Neither player saw any court time in OKC. Solomon has yet to appear in an NBA game, while Hopson played two games with the Cavaliers during the 2013/14 season and one with the Mavericks last year.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Markieff Morris has found a perfect opportunity with the Thunder, his twin brother said in a comment tweeted by Jay King of The Athletic. Markieff signed with Oklahoma City after reaching a buyout with the Pelicans, who acquired him from the Wizards at the trade deadline. “I think that’s a great fit for him,” Marcus Morris said. “… I don’t think they have a guy like him over there. … I think he could be that piece that helps them battle it out with Golden State.”
  • Isaiah Thomas‘ return to action adds one more player to an already deep Nuggets backcourt and could present Michael Malone with his greatest coaching challenge of the season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. In two games since returning from his latest hip surgery, Thomas has scored 24 points in 29 minutes and could be a valuable weapon off the bench for the rest of the season. Malone, who already had five guards that were getting regular playing time, unveiled a three-guard lineup Friday that had Thomas, Monte Morris and Gary Harris on the court together. “If we have to adjust, we will,” Malone said, “but playing small, you got three playmakers out there that can all generate shots for their teammates and get their own shot in Monte, in Isaiah, in Gary Harris. That’s a pretty good bench unit, if you ask me.”
  • Jake Layman has become a “secret weapon” for the Trail Blazers, notes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. A second-round pick in 2016, Layman saw little action during his first two NBA seasons, but has made a breakthrough this year through a combination of shooting and athleticism.

Thunder Sign Scotty Hopson To 10-Day Contract

FEBRUARY 14: Hopson’s 10-day deal with the Thunder is now official, according to a press release issued by the club.

FEBRUARY 13: The Thunder plan to sign guard Scotty Hopson to a 10-day contract as they look to get back to the league-mandated roster minimum, reports Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Young, the signing is expected to be finalized before OKC’s game against New Orleans on Thursday.

Hopson, 29, was briefly a member of the Thunder back in October when the team signed – and then waived – him in order to secure his G League rights. He has spent the season with the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.8 APG with a .551/.341/.725 shooting line in 25 NBAGL games (29.0 MPG).

This will be the second straight season in which Hopson has signed a 10-day contract. He received one from the Mavericks last February, appearing in a single game with Dallas. His only other NBA action came back in 2013/14, when he played two games for the Cavs.

The Thunder also reportedly intend to sign Richard Solomon to a 10-day contract. Assuming they finalize deals with both Solomon and Hopson on Thursday, they’ll be back to the minimum roster count of 14 players, and will keep the duo under contract for three games over the next 10 days — tomorrow’s contest, plus two after the All-Star break.

Thunder Waive Four Players

The Thunder have waived guards Abdul Gaddy and Scotty Hopson and forwards Donte Grantham and Dez Wells, according to a team press release.

The moves pare Oklahoma City’s training camp roster to 16 players.

Gaddy saw spot duty in four preseason games. He has mostly played overseas since going undrafted out of Washington in 2013.

Grantham, Hopson and Wells were signed earlier this week. All could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, once they clear waivers.

Grantham was averaging a career-best 14.2 PPG and 6.9 RPG for Clemson last season before tearing his ACL in January.

Hopson played in Turkey last season, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 27 games with Galatasaray. He played one game with the Mavericks last year after signing a 10-day contract in February and played two games for the Cavaliers in 2013/14.

Wells played in Italy last season, averaging 11.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 52 games with Sidigas Avellino.