Timberwolves Place Four Players On Waivers
As rumored earlier today, the Timberwolves have officially waived veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, along with guard Charlie Brown Jr. and forwards Zylan Cheatham and Tyler Cook.
Hollis-Jefferson was in camp on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract, but he played well in three preseason games, averaging 7.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per night. After four years in Brooklyn, he joined the Raptors last season and posted a 7.0/4.7/1.8 line in 60 games.
Brown appeared in 10 games for the Hawks last season, but spent most of his rookie year in the G League. Cheatham got into four games for the Pelicans as a rookie, while Cook played a combined 13 games for the Cavaliers and Nuggets.
The moves leave Minnesota’s roster at 14, with 12 guaranteed contracts, plus a pair of two-way players.
Jazz Waive Yogi Ferrell, Malcolm Miller
The Jazz have waived guard Yogi Ferrell and forward Malcolm Miller, tweets Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
Ferrell, 27, just signed with the team on Friday. He spent the past two seasons with the Kings, but averaged a career-low 10.4 minutes per game last year. Miller, also 27, has been with the Raptors the past three years and got into 28 games last season.
Along with waiving four players Friday night, Utah’s roster is now down to 14, including just 11 guaranteed contracts, as well as a pair of two-way players. The Jazz are slightly over the luxury tax line and may not carry 15 players this season.
Draymond Green To Miss Season Opener
The Warriors will begin the season Tuesday night without Draymond Green, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. Green injured his foot during a scrimmage this week and is dealing with a mild muscle strain. Coach Steve Kerr has decided to be careful with the veteran forward, who missed most of training camp after an apparent bout with COVID-19.
“Draymond did not practice, so he’s doubtful for Tuesday,” Kerr said today. “He tweaked his foot in the scrimmage two days ago. Didn’t really know (how severe) until the next morning when he woke up; it was a little sore … he got an MRI. It’s clear. But we’re trying to be very, very careful … It’s not a long-term thing. We feel very confident that if he doesn’t play Tuesday or Christmas Day, he’ll be on the trip and we think he’ll be available pretty quickly.”
Kerr had better news about rookie center James Wiseman, who also sat out most of training camp. Wiseman was a full participant in today’s practice and is expected to be ready for the first game at Brooklyn, possibly as part of the starting lineup.
“James is going to be our starting center before too long,” Kerr said. “It might happen Tuesday, but clearly he is our long-term starting center. And when we feel he’s ready for that, then we’ll put him out there and then it’s a matter of minutes and how long he can play. And for me as a coach, for my staff, it’s let’s give him the experience of seeing the different pictures that are going to be in front of him.”
Celtics Waive Amile Jefferson
The Celtics got down to the roster limit by waiving power forward Amile Jefferson, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Jefferson, 27, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston two weeks ago, so he could wind up with the Celtics’ G League affiliate. He played a combined 30 games for the Magic in his first two NBA seasons before being waived in February. Jefferson got into 18 games last season, but played just 4.1 minutes per night.
Boston’s roster appears to be set for the regular season, with all 15 slots filled, as well as a pair of two-way players.
Nets Waive Three Players, Convert Perry To Two-Way Contract
The Nets have waived guards Chris Chiozza and Elie Okobo, along with forward Paul Eboua, the team announced in an email. The team will keep rookie forward Reggie Perry, converting his Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal.
Chiozza came to Brooklyn on a two-way contract in January and re-signed with the team in December. He got into 18 games and averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 assists in about 15 minutes per night. He also played 10 games for the Wizards last season.
Okobo and Eboua both joined the Nets this week, so they may be headed to the G League. Okobo was the 31st pick in the 2018 draft and spent the past two seasons with the Suns. Eboua was claimed Friday after being waived by the Heat.
Perry was taken with the 57th pick in this year’s draft. The Nets acquired him in a three-way trade that involved the Clippers and Pistons.
With the moves, Brooklyn’s roster is now complete with all 15 spots filled, along with a pair of two-way players.
Spurs Waive Cameron Reynolds, Tyler Zeller
The Spurs trimmed their roster by waiving forward Cameron Reynolds and center Tyler Zeller, the team announced on its website.
Reynolds, 25, signed an Exhibit 10 contract late last month and appeared in one preseason game, scoring six points in two minutes. Reynolds got into 19 games last season as a rookie with the Timberwolves.
The 30-year-old Zeller signed with the Spurs before the restart and appeared in two games in Orlando, playing four total minutes. His contract included a non-guaranteed second season, so San Antonio won’t owe him any money. Zeller has played for seven teams in eight NBA seasons.
The Spurs’ roster is now down to 17 players, with both two-way slots filled.
London Perrantes, who was signed on Friday, will likely be cut today as well, since he was presumably only signed for G League purposes. However, the team didn’t announce his signing and may not announce his release either. Assuming he’s cut, San Antonio will start the season with an open spot on its 15-man roster.
Warriors Waive Juan Toscano-Anderson
Golden State has waived Juan Toscano-Anderson, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
The 27-year-old forward signed with the Warriors in February and appeared in 13 games before the hiatus, averaging 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per night. He also played 31 games for the team’s G League affiliate. Toscano-Anderson had a three-year contract, but it didn’t carry any guaranteed money beyond last season.
The move leaves Golden State with a 15-man roster and one of its two-way slots filled. Toscano-Anderson could be re-signed to fill the other opening, although there’s no indication that’s what the Warriors are planning.
NBA Has Adjusted Waiver Deadline For Saturday, Sunday, Monday
The NBA’s daily waiver deadline typically falls at 4:00pm central time — a player released by that time will clear waivers two days later at 4:00pm CT, while players who are cut later in the evening won’t clear waivers until three days later.
However, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the NBA has adjusted its waiver deadline for today, tomorrow, and Monday, pushing it back to 10:00pm CT. That tweak will be crucial as teams set their rosters for the start of the regular season on Tuesday.
The change was made as a result of the three preseason games being played on Saturday night, Marks notes (via Twitter). By adjusting the waiver deadline, the league will allow a team like the Hornets to play its final preseason game tonight and still make cut players on non-guaranteed contract before today’s waiver deadline.
As we explained earlier today, most teams make their roster cuts on Saturday, since players on non-guaranteed contracts must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season in order for teams to avoid carrying any dead money on their cap for those players. Players on non-guaranteed contracts who don’t clear waivers until Tuesday or Wednesday will be paid for one or two days of service.
Teams must adhere to regular season roster limits (no more than 15 players on standard contracts and two on two-way deals) by Monday.
Kings Waive Frank Kaminsky
DECEMBER 20: The move is official, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports.
DECEMBER 19: The Kings will release center/power forward Frank Kaminsky, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Kaminsky signed a one-year deal with the team earlier this month that carries a $50K guarantee.
Kaminsky, 27, got into 39 games with the Suns last season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in about 20 minutes per night. He was the ninth pick in the 2015 draft and spent the previous four years in Charlotte.
The Kings are now down to 17 players on their camp roster and will need to make at least one more move before Monday’s deadline. They have 14 fully guaranteed contracts, along with Glenn Robinson III, Chimezie Metu and one player on a two-way deal.
Robinson will make the final roster, according to James Ham of NBC Sports (Twitter link), so Sacramento may decide to waive Metu and re-sign him to fill the other two-way slot. Metu’s contract isn’t an Exhibit 10 deal, so it can’t be directly converted into a two-way contract.
Bulls Exercise Options On White, Carter, Hutchison
The Bulls have exercised the third-year team option on guard Coby White and fourth-year options on Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison for the 2021/22 season, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic tweets.
Chicago’s decisions on White and Carter, lottery picks and members of the starting five, were mere formalities. The Bulls’ decision on Hutchison wasn’t a slam dunk, though he’s projected to be a rotation player this season.
White, the seventh pick in last year’s draft, will receive $5,837,760 during the 2021/22 season. White averaged 13.2 PPG and 2.7 APG in 25.8 MPG as a rookie.
Carter, who was taken at the same spot in the 2018 draft, will receive a guaranteed $6,920,027 in 2021/22 while Hutchison will make $4,019,459.
Carter was limited to 43 games last season due to a thumb injury. He averaged 11.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 29.2 MPG.
Hutchison underwent shoulder surgery in March after play was halted. Hutchison, who was the No. 22 pick in 2018, had both of his two professional seasons cut short by health issues. In total, he has appeared in just 72 games (19.8 MPG), averaging 6.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .458/.295/.595 shooting since arriving in Chicago.