Jordan Bone Agrees To Two-Way Deal With Magic
Second-year point guard Jordan Bone has agreed to a two-way contract with the Magic, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Bone played on a similar contract with the Pistons after being drafted in the second round in 2019 but spent much of the season in the G League. He appeared in 10 games with Detroit but only averaged 5.3 MPG in those outings.
The Pistons, under new GM Troy Weaver, decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Bone. That made the former Tennessee star an unrestricted free agent.
Orlando is also reportedly using its other two-way slot on another point guard, Karim Mane.
Wolves Notes: Rubio, Edwards, Davis, Beasley
In a conversation with Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Ricky Rubio discussed his first stint with the Timberwolves, his impending second stint with the franchise, and the experience of being traded twice in the span of days. Rubio said he found out about his involvement in the Suns‘ Chris Paul trade last week when Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter.
“It’s not the way you want to know, especially my agent was talking with the team and they said my name was off the table when all the rumors and all the stuff happened,” Rubio said. “You feel like everything that they have said to you all year and buying into a new project and a young team and they need you, blah, blah, blah. It seems like nothing’s true.”
As Krawczynski writes, Rubio wasn’t upset about the move itself, since he understands why the Suns would want Paul. Still, he was stung by the way he found out. Now, after initially making his NBA debut for the Timberwolves as a 21-year-old, the point guard is looking forward to returning to the team as a veteran who can help guide a young squad.
“It started to really make more sense for me to really connect the puzzle and get to Minnesota and help a young team with a lot of talent and already have done really good things,” he told Krawczynsi. “I feel like I can fit in the puzzle.”
Here’s more on the Wolevs:
- In an in-depth story on how the Timberwolves decided to use the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft on Anthony Edwards, Krawczynski cites sources who say that the team never really got close to trading that pick. The Wolves were unwilling to accept what they considered subpar value to move down and risk missing out on the Georgia guard, per Krawczynski. “He stood head and shoulders above any player in this draft and we were excited to be at No. 1 to be able to select him,” president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said of Edwards.
- Michael Rand of The Star Tribune makes a case for why he believes veteran center Ed Davis could be the Timberwolves’ most important new player for the 2020/21 season.
- Three days after agreeing to a new $60MM deal with the Timberwolves, Malik Beasley made a court appearance today. Beasley, who faces a pair of felony charges related to a September incident, was told to have no contact with the alleged victims and a potential witness, tweets Krawczynski. His next court appearance will be on December 17.
Free Agent Rumors: Batum, Thomas, Mudiay, Ferrell, Briscoe
The Hornets plan to waive Nicolas Batum and use the stretch provision on his $27.1MM contract for the upcoming season in order to sign Gordon Hayward, unless they can figure out a sign-and-trade deal that would save them from stretching Batum.
Assuming he’s released, Batum shouldn’t have trouble finding a new home. His agent, Jeremy Medjana, told Basket Session that the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, Bucks and Raptors are interested in signing him once he clears waivers (hat tip to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype). Batum, who has played for Charlotte the past five seasons, only appeared in 22 games last season.
Here are more free agency notes and rumors:
- Former MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas said his latest hip procedure was a success and he’s eager to prove it, the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reports. Thomas says he feels like his former self in workouts. “I was blowing by people,” he said. “I haven’t blown by anybody since I had a Celtics uniform on.” Thomas was waived after the Wizards traded him to the Clippers in February and remains unsigned.
- Reserve point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Yogi Ferrell are generating some interest on the free agent market, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Both players could likely be had for the veteran’s minimum.
- Point guard Isaiah Briscoe hopes to return to the NBA, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Briscoe went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, but made it onto the Magic’s roster for the 2018/19 season. He spent the 2019/20 season in Poland playing for King Szczecin. In 39 games with Orlando, Briscoe averaged 3.5 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG, across 14.3 MPG.
Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this post.
Suns Waive Elie Okobo
The Suns have waived backup guard Elie Okobo, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 31st overall pick in the 2018 draft, Okobo spent two years in Phoenix, appearing in a total of 108 games. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.2 APG in 15.5 minutes per contest during those two seasons.
Okobo became expendable as a result of Cameron Payne‘s strong play during the summer restart and the Suns’ offseason backcourt overhaul. Chris Paul, E’Twaun Moore, and Langston Galloway are joining Devin Booker and Payne.
Okobo’s $1.66MM salary for the 2020/21 season would have become guaranteed if he remained under contract through this Thursday. By waiving him, the Suns won’t be on the hook for any of that money. Okobo, meanwhile, will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed.
Suns Sign Langston Galloway
NOVEMBER 29: The move is official, according to the RealGM Transactions Page.
NOVEMBER 23: The Suns have reached a contract agreement with free agent guard Langston Galloway, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). It’s a minimum-salary deal for Galloway, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Twitter).
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link) reported earlier this afternoon that Phoenix had interest in signing Galloway.
Galloway flew somewhat under the radar in 2019/20 as part of a Pistons team that was never in the playoff hunt. However, he enjoyed arguably the best individual season of his career, with 10.3 PPG on .435/.399/.859 shooting in 66 games (25.8 MPG).
In Phoenix, Galloway will provide extra depth in a talented backcourt that already features Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and E’Twaun Moore. He and Moore figure to give the Suns some scoring punch off the bench.
Hornets To Sign Xavier Sneed
The Hornets have reached a contract agreement with undrafted rookie forward Xavier Sneed, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Charlotte has reportedly filled its two-way slots, so Sneed’s deal is likely an Exhibit 10 deal. An Exhibit 10 contract provides players with an invitation to training camp and a guarantee of up to $50K if they are waived and later assigned to the team’s affiliate in the G League.
Sneed was a four-year player and three-year starter at Kansas State. As a senior, he averaged 14.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.8 SPG in 32.6 MPG. Sneed was an early entrant for the 2019 draft but withdrew his name in time to return for his senior campaign at KSU.
Bucks, Cavaliers Complete Minor Trade
The Cavaliers and Bucks have officially completed a minor trade, the Cavs announced today in a press release.
The Cavaliers acquired the Bucks’ 2025 second-round pick in the deal in exchange for the rights to former second-round pick Ilkan Karaman. Additionally, the protections on the Bucks’ 2022 first-round pick – sent to Cleveland in a deal two years ago – have been removed.
Although it’s technically a separate transaction, this deal is related to the Bucks’ Jrue Holiday mega–deal. Milwaukee is sending the Pelicans two future first-round picks in that swap. That wouldn’t have been possible as long as the conditions on the traded 2022 pick (which was protected through 2024) remained in place.
Teams aren’t permitted to leave themselves without first-round picks in back-to-back future drafts or trade picks more than seven years in advance. By removing the protections on the 2022 pick to Cleveland, the Bucks freed up their first-rounders to be dealt starting in 2024 — they’ll send the 2025 and 2027 selections to New Orleans.
As a sweetener for accommodating the Bucks, the Cavaliers will pick up that 2025 second-rounder in exchange for the NBA rights of a player drafted in 2012 who will almost certainly never play in the NBA.
Rockets Sign DeMarcus Cousins To One-Year Deal
DECEMBER 1: The Rockets have officially signed Cousins, the team announced today in a press release. Houston now has a full 20-man roster.
NOVEMBER 23: The Rockets and free agent center DeMarcus Cousins have agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary contract, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links) first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal and says it will be non-guaranteed.
Cousins, 30, has only played in 78 games over the last three seasons – and didn’t play at all in 2019/20 – due to a series of major leg injuries, including a torn Achilles and, most recently, a torn ACL.
He reportedly received contract offers prior to the NBA’s summer restart, but turned them down in order to focus on his rehab. He’s aiming to get back to 100% before returning to action, so it’s not clear yet whether he’ll be ready to go for the start of the season.
A fully-healthy Cousins would be a tantalizing weapon for the Rockets this season. The four-time All-Star has career averages of 21.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 3.2 APG in 565 games, and while he’s certainly unlikely to match those numbers, he’d be a bargain for Houston if he’s able to recapture his old form at all.
Houston’s agreement with Cousins is the latest signal that the team will be pivoting away from its micro-ball approach for 2020/21. The team also agreed to a three-year, $41MM deal with big man Christian Wood.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Celtics Re-Sign Tremont Waters To Two-Way Deal
NOVEMBER 24: Waters’ deal is now official, according to the NBA’s transactions log.
NOVEMBER 23: The Celtics are bringing back guard Tremont Waters on a two-way contract, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets.
Waters also played on a two-way contract last season. With center Tacko Fall also coming back on a two-way deal, Boston has reached agreements to fill both its slots.
A 2019 second-round pick out of LSU, Waters appeared in 11 regular-season games last season and averaged 3.6 PPG and 1.5 APG in 10.8 MPG. He also made a cameo appearance in the postseason.
Waters spent most of his rookie campaign with the Maine Red Claws and was named to the All-NBAGL Second Team. Waters averaged 18.0 PPG, 7.3 APG and 2.0 SPG in 33.8 MPG while starting 36 games for the Red Claws.
Lakers Trade McGee, Future Second-Rounder To Cavs
NOVEMBER 23: The deal is official, according to a press release from the Cavs. Cleveland acquires McGee and the Lakers’ second-round pick in exchange for McKinnie and Bell, as expected.
NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers are set to send center JaVale McGee and a future second-round draft pick to the Cavaliers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). This will create flexibility below the hard cap to allow the Lakers to sign veteran center Marc Gasol.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the second-round pick will be from the 2026 NBA draft. Fedor reports in a separate tweet that small forward Alfonzo McKinnie and big man Jordan Bell will be headed to Los Angeles in the deal.
McGee has a $4.2MM cap charge for 2020/21, which the Cavaliers have no way to absorb without sending out some salary themselves. McKinnie ($1.76MM) and Bell ($1.76MM) are currently on non-guaranteed deals, but their salaries will have to be at least partially guaranteed to make the deal work. The Cavs have to send out about $2.34MM and non-guaranteed money doesn’t count for salary-matching purposes.
Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that the likely outcome will see McKinnie being fully guaranteed, while Bell gets about a $600K guarantee. The Lakers could then waive and stretch Bell to create a little extra flexibility.
McGee started at center for most of the Lakers’ 2019/20 championship season, but was supplanted in the starting lineup during the last two rounds of the playoffs by the more mobile Markieff Morris or Dwight Howard most of the time, with Anthony Davis shifting from power forward to center to close out the Heat in Game 6 of the Finals. McGee is a three-time champion thanks to tenures with the Warriors and Lakers.
It doesn’t sound as if the Cavaliers view McGee as a mere salary dump. The team wanted a veteran big man with experience coming off the bench behind Andre Drummond, according to Fedor, so McGee will replace Tristan Thompson on the roster. Cleveland continues to explore possible free agent deals involving the mid-level, with a focus on backup point guard, per Fedor.
Luke Adams contributed to this story. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.