Magic Sign Devin Cannady To 10-Day Contract
Free agent guard Devin Cannady has signed a 10-day deal with the Magic, agent Jared Mucha of Excel Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The club has issued a press release announcing the move.
Cannady, 24, went undrafted out of Princeton in 2019 and has spent the last two seasons in the G League. After playing for the Long Island Nets as a rookie, he joined the Magic for training camp in December, then suited up for Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, during the 2020/21 “bubble” season.
Cannady’s regular season numbers in 13 games (25.8 MPG) for Lakeland were relatively modest, as he averaged 11.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.7 APG. However, he knocked down 40% of his three-point attempts and played a key part in the Magic’s postseason run, scoring 22 points in the team’s NBAGL championship win to earn Finals MVP honors.
The Magic had an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Cannady. He’ll earn $61,528 during his 10 days with Orlando and should get a chance to make his NBA regular season debut sometime in the next week-and-a-half.
Bucks Notes: Holiday, Portis, Ham
Jrue Holiday‘s contract extension includes $4.1MM in bonuses currently deemed likely and $20.9MM in unlikely bonuses, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports. The guaranteed salary adds up to roughly $135MM through the 2024/25 season.
The contract includes a player option in the fourth and final season. He received a 20% raise from his $25.1MM base salary this season. From there, the extension gives him an 8% raises on his first-year base salary.
With Holiday locked up along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, it will be nearly impossible for the Bucks to create cap space to sign significant free agents. Instead, they will have to using cap exceptions and offer minimum contracts, Nehm adds.
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- Holiday’s contract will make it nearly impossible to retain Bobby Portis, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes. Portis has a $3.8MM option on his contract for next season and is likely to opt out. Milwaukee won’t have access to its full mid-level exception next year and that will remain the case should the front office extend Donte DiVincenzo close to his market rate, Hollinger adds.
- Holiday already feels like a part of the Bucks’ family and didn’t have to be persuaded to sign the extension, according to an ESPN story. “I’m really not the type to be wooed and all that,” he said. “I don’t need to be courted or whatever, but it felt good to be appreciated. It felt good to be wanted.”
- Darvin Ham had discussions with Texas Tech, his alma mater, about its head coaching position but opted to stay on Milwaukee’s staff, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Ham plans to stay in the NBA and pursue a head coaching job. He was a finalist for the Pacers’ head coaching job last fall and also interviewed for the Clippers’ head coaching position.
Clippers Notes: Rondo, George, Cousins, Zubac, Kennard
Rajon Rondo will try to maximize the production of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George when he’s on the court for the Clippers, Mark Medina of USA Today writes. “I’ll try to get our two main guys the ball in a lot easier spots as far as them not having to work so hard to get the ball against a set defense,” Rondo said. “If we’re able to create the stops and get out on the break, it’s my job to advance the ball and let those guys attack one-on-one before the defense gets set.” Rondo has already noted opponent tendencies that his teammates have found helpful, Medina adds.
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- George has no issue with Rondo jumping right in as a team leader and sage voice, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Rondo’s a leader, you know the point guard, he’s a leader,” George said. “We’re going to listen to him. I look at him as a leader, a leader of this group. He’ll hold a lot of weight. He holds a lot of weight in the locker room. As he gets more comfortable within our system, getting games under his feet, he’ll hold us accountable.”
- DeMarcus Cousins‘ 10-day contract will pay him $175,668, with $110,998 counting toward the cap, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Cousins was officially signed on Monday to provide frontcourt depth with Serge Ibaka currently out due to a back injury.
- A couple of tweaks could help both the starting lineup and second unit. A Western Conference scout told the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike the team should keep Ivica Zubac in the starting lineup, even when Ibaka returns. A executive within the conference believes the coaching staff should unleash Luke Kennard as the primary second-unit point guard.
Rockets Claim DaQuan Jeffries
7:29pm: The Rockets have officially claimed Jeffries, according to a team press release.
4:28pm: The Rockets will claim former Kings forward DaQuan Jeffries off waivers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Jeffries, a 23-year-old shooting guard, is under contract through next season. He was placed on waivers Saturday by Sacramento.
The Rockets had an open roster spot after waiving Ben McLemore.
Jeffries signed a two-year, $3MM contract in November which included a $1.7MM team option on the second season. Houston can take a look at Jeffries the rest of this season and see if it wants to exercise that option.
Jeffries missed time this season due to a Grade 3 ankle injury and fell out of Sacramento’s rotation. He averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.6 RPG across 17 games for the Kings this season after appearing in 13 games as a rookie on a two-way contract last season.
He had a season-high 18 points against Milwaukee on February.
Malik Beasley To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Injured Hamstring
Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley will miss the next four-to-six weeks due to a Grade 3 left hamstring injury, The Athletic’s Shams Charania tweets.
Beasley played 29 minutes against Memphis on Friday, then missed Minnesota’s game against Philadelphia on Saturday for what was initially described as a minor hamstring injury. The injury turned out to be much more severe after an MRI was conducted, according to a team press release. He’ll be re-evaluated in three weeks, the release adds.
Beasley is averaging 19.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 2.4 APG while making 39.9% of his 3-point attempts. He re-signed with Minnesota on a four-year, $60MM contract in November as a restricted free agent.
With Minnesota wrapping up its schedule on May 16, it sounds like Beasley’s season could be over.
The news of Beasley being sidelined coincides with the return of backcourt partner D’Angelo Russell, who will play on Monday after missing 26 games due to a knee injury.
Clippers Sign DeMarcus Cousins To 10-Day Deal
APRIL 5: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
APRIL 4: The Clippers will add Cousins this week, provided he clears COVID-19 protocols, Charania tweets.
MARCH 31: The Clippers plan to sign free agent center DeMarcus Cousins, pending clearance of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that Cousins is in Los Angeles and is beginning to go through the testing protocols (Twitter link).
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported (via Twitter) that Cousins and the Clippers were discussing a 10-day contract, adding that a decision isn’t expected to be finalized until next week.
Los Angeles is currently carrying just 13 players on standard contracts, and the NBA’s required minimum is 14. However, the league allows teams to dip below that minimum for up to two weeks at a time, and the Clippers don’t have to add a 14th man until next Monday, so they may use that full two-week window before officially signing Cousins.
Cousins, 30, began the season with the Rockets after missing all of 2019/20 due to an ACL tear. The four-time All-Star didn’t exactly look like his old explosive self in Houston, averaging 9.6 PPG and 7.6 RPG on just 37.6% shooting in 25 games (20.2 MPG). He also wasn’t particularly mobile on defense. The Rockets ultimately decided to part ways with the veteran center, releasing him last month.
Still, Cousins has some remaining upside as last year’s ACL surgery moves further into his rear view, and the Clippers are in need of a third center behind Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac, as Wojnarowski tweets.
It doesn’t hurt that Cousins has long-standing relationships with a handful of Clippers players, including former teammates Rajon Rondo (Kings, Pelicans, Lakers) and Patrick Patterson (Kentucky, Kings), notes Charania (Twitter link).
Assuming Cousins and the Clippers officially finalize a 10-day deal, it’ll pay him nearly $176K, with the Clippers taking on a $111K cap hit. Cousins would be able to sign up to two 10-day contracts with L.A. before the team would have to either let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
D’Angelo Russell Ready To Return On Monday
Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell will return to the lineup on Monday against Sacramento, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Russell last played on February 8, when he lasted just six minutes against the Mavericks before leaving with what was described as left leg soreness. He also missed a game due to right quad soreness.
Russell is averaging 19.3 PPG and 5.1 APG this season. After being drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 pick in 2015, Russell was shipped to the Nets in the summer of 2017. He became an All-Star for Brooklyn in 2019 but wound up with the Warriors on a four-year, $117MM maximum contract sign-and-trade that summer.
He was traded last February, along with Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman, to Minnesota in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and two future draft picks.
Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns have only played five games together since the trade. Russell’s return gives Minnesota a chance to evaluate how Russell, Towns, and top pick Anthony Edwards blend together.
Knicks Sign John Henson To 10-Day Contract
4:01pm: The Knicks have officially signed Henson to a 10-day deal, the team confirmed today in a press release.
1:55pm: The Knicks are expected to fill the final open spot on their 15-man roster by signing big man John Henson to a 10-day contract, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).
Henson, 30, has a reputation as a defensive-minded center and a solid rim protector. The former 14th overall pick spent last season with the Cavaliers and Pistons, averaging 5.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 40 games (15.0 MPG). However, he hadn’t caught on with a new team since becoming a free agent in November.
Multiple reports in late March indicated that Norvel Pelle and Henson were among the top options the Knicks were considering as they sought additional frontcourt depth in the wake of Mitchell Robinson‘s foot injury. New York ended up signing Pelle on Friday, but apparently that won’t stop the club from adding Henson as well.
With 13 players on full-season contracts and Pelle and Henson on 10-days deals, the Knicks will be able to evaluate both centers and assess whether to commit to either one on a second 10-day contract and/or a rest-of-season agreement.
It’s not clear what stage of COVID-19 testing Henson is at, but he’ll have to clear the NBA’s protocols before officially signing with the Knicks. When the deal is finalized, it’ll pay him $158,907 for 10 days, with the team taking on a $110,998 cap charge.
Thunder Sign Jaylen Hoard To Two-Way Contract
A busy day of transactions in Oklahoma City continued this afternoon, as the Thunder announced in a press release that they’ve signed free agent forward Jaylen Hoard to a two-way contract.
Undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2019, Hoard spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Portland, logging limited minutes in 13 games for the Trail Blazers. After reaching free agency in the fall, Hoard signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Thunder, who released him after gaining his NBA G League rights.
Hoard, who turned 22 last week, subsequently suited up for the Oklahoma City Blue at the Walt Disney World bubble in February and March, averaging 9.7 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 15 games (22.0 MPG) off the bench for the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate.
The Thunder had an open two-way contract slot after promoting Moses Brown to the 15-man roster — Hoard will fill that opening, joining Josh Hall as Oklahoma City’s second two-way player.
The Thunder also made a change to their standard roster earlier today, waiving Justin Jackson and signing Justin Robinson to a 10-day deal.
Thunder Sign Justin Robinson To 10-Day Deal
2:42pm: The Thunder have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Robinson to a 10-day contract.
1:37pm: The Thunder are signing free agent guard Justin Robinson to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Robinson, who went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2019, spent part of his rookie season with the Wizards, appearing in nine games at the NBA level in ’19/20. He saw more playing time in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go and – after he was waived by Washington – the Delaware Blue Coats, averaging 14.2 PPG and 5.5 APG in 33 total games (31.2 MPG).
Robinson rejoined the Blue Coats for the 2020/21 G League “bubble” season, recording 15.5 PPG and 5.9 APG on .389/.376/.629 shooting in 13 games (31.1 MPG). The 23-year-old was a full-time starter for a Delaware squad that made it to the NBAGL Finals.
Because the Thunder waived Justin Jackson earlier today, they have an open spot on their 15-man roster and won’t need to make another move to accommodate Robinson.
Robinson’s 10-day deal will pay him approximately $99K, with an identical cap hit. The Thunder remain well below the salary floor for 2020/21, so the contract won’t have any real impact on the club’s finances.