Nuggets Add Adonis Arms On Exhibit 10 Deal
JULY 9: Arms has officially signed with the Nuggets, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
JUNE 24: Texas Tech combo guard Adonis Arms will sign with the Nuggets, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. It will be an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link).
Arms, 23, played five seasons of college basketball, but only one for the Red Raiders. The 6’6″ guard was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection after averaging 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 37 games.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. An Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season.
Tevin Brown Joining Pacers On Exhibit 10 Contract
The Pacers will sign Tevin Brown of Murray State to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
The 6’5″ shooting guard was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Racers this season as a redshirt senior.
Brown, 23, was ranked 18th among undrafted players by ESPN.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. An Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season.
Scotto’s Latest: Wizards, T. Jones, Brunson, Knicks, Ayton, More
The Wizards used their No. 10 overall pick on Thursday night to land one of the top guards in this year’s draft, selecting Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis. However, the Wizards remain in the market for veteran help at the point guard spot, and Grizzlies free agent Tyus Jones is among the players on their radar, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
As Scotto explains, Washington should have the flexibility to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and could make a compelling bid for Jones. The club could potentially give him the opportunity to start, which Jones “ideally desires,” writes Scotto.
The Grizzlies hold Jones’ Bird rights, giving them the ability to make a strong offer to retain Jones. Memphis’ decision to trade De’Anthony Melton to Philadelphia perhaps signaled that re-signing Jones will be an offseason priority, though the team did draft a potential backup point guard in Kennedy Chandler on Thursday night.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Rival NBA executives believe the Knicks are “all-in” for Jalen Brunson after making efforts to open up cap space on Thursday. Taj Gibson and his $5MM+ non-guaranteed salary will likely be waived to create more cap flexibility, says Scotto.
- The Knicks will have to open up more cap room to make a serious bid for Brunson, and Scotto reiterates that Cam Reddish and Alec Burks are possible trade candidates. Reddish was part of one of the offers New York sent to the Pistons for Jaden Ivey, according to Scotto, who says Burks has been offered to the Cavaliers and Pacers, among other teams.
- In considering potential landing spots for Suns RFA center Deandre Ayton, Scotto writes that people around the NBA have speculated about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving Pacers center Myles Turner — both players are represented by the same agent, Bill Duffy. Previous reports have indicated the Pacers spoke to the Suns prior to the trade deadline about Ayton.
- The Trail Blazers have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Ayton, but they remain intent on re-signing incumbent center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources tell Scotto.
- Although EuroLeague star Vasilije Micic is interested in coming to the NBA for the 2022/23 season, he wants to join a playoff contender and is interested in a salary worth close to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, says Scotto. The Thunder may have to trade Micic’s draft rights for those goals to come to fruition.
Hornets Notes: Williams, Coaching Search, McGowens
The Hornets were considering three centers heading into Thursday’s draft, but Duke’s Mark Williams was at the top of their list, writes Varun Shankar of The Charlotte Observer. Williams opened eyes with his measurements at the draft combine and will have the longest standing reach in the NBA at 9’9″. General manager Mitch Kupchak likes the idea of Williams catching lob passes from LaMelo Ball, but he said the 20-year-old big man needs to improve as a rebounder and add strength to get ready for the next level.
“He has a lot of work in getting stronger and I don’t have any doubt that he’ll work hard and get in the weight room,” Kupchak said. “He’s a good rebounder, I wouldn’t say that he’s gonna be our rebound monster right now, but I think if he gets stronger, I think he can become an excellent rebounder.”
The Hornets actually drafted Memphis center Jalen Duren first, but he was traded to the Knicks and ultimately to the Pistons. Charlotte received a protected first-round pick and four second-rounders in return, and Kupchak explained that the team wasn’t comfortable adding two more rookies after having three on the roster this season.
“We didn’t feel using both picks was prudent,” he said.
There’s more from Charlotte:
- Kupchak also spoke about Kenny Atkinson‘s decision to reconsider his agreement to become the Hornets’ next head coach, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Kupchak has been discussing the situation with owner Michael Jordan and indicated the organization may consider some new possibilities. “We have spent a lot of time going over candidates, maybe some new candidates and making sure we cover our bases,” Kupchak said. “We have never felt the need to rush this process. We want to pick the right coach — and we thought we did.”
- Former Hornets head coach Steve Clifford met with Kupchak and Jordan this week and is now considered to be a serious candidate for the position, sources tell Roderick Boone and Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Jordan also met with Mike D’Antoni, who was considered the runner-up when the offer was made to Atkinson.
- Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens, whom Charlotte traded up to draft at No. 40, is likely to be given a two-way contract, Boone tweets.
Wolves Acquire Wendell Moore From Rockets
JUNE 24: The two future picks the Rockets are receiving in the trade are the Timberwolves’ own 2025 and 2027 second-rounders, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The deal is now official, according to a press release from the Wolves.
JUNE 23: The Rockets are rerouting the first-round pick they’re acquiring from the Mavericks in the Christian Wood deal to the Timberwolves, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Duke guard Wendell Moore, who was chosen at No. 26, is thus headed to Minnesota.
Houston is receiving the No. 29 pick in this year’s draft, plus two future second-rounders, Wojnarowski reports in another tweet. The Rockets used that first-rounder to select Kentucky guard TyTy Washington.
Moore averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 4.6 APG for the Blue Devils. Washington averaged 12.5 PPG and 3.9 APG for the Wildcats.
Three Players Reach Exhibit 10 Deals With Clippers
The Clippers are adding three players to their roster via Exhibit 10 contracts.
Michael Devoe, a 6’5″ guard out of Georgia Tech, has reached an agreement with the team, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Devoe, 22, was a third-team All-ACC selection this season after averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the Yellow Jackets.
Loyola shooting guard Lucas Williamson is also joining the Clippers, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). Williamson was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year the past two seasons and was MVP of this year’s conference tournament.
L.A. is also adding Utah State’s Justin Bean, tweets Josh Newman of The Salt Lake Tribune. The 6’7″ combo forward is 25 years old after playing four years with the Aggies and redshirting in his freshman season.
Devoe will be given a chance to earn a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), and presumably Williamson and Bean will as well.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate. An Exhibit 10 contract can also be converted into a two-way deal before the start of the regular season.
Nets’ Outlook With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant Remains “Murky”
After reporting on Thursday afternoon that Kevin Durant was weighing his future in Brooklyn, potentially opening the door for Kyrie Irving to leave the Nets this offseason, Shams Charania of The Athletic further addressed the situation during Thursday night’s draft.
“Kevin Durant, I’m told, is seriously mulling his future options with the franchise and there’s an expectation that that now opens up an opportunity for Kyrie Irving to now proceed to find a new home,” Charania said (video link via Stadium). “… Whether that’s an opt-in and trade, a sign-and-trade, an opt-out and sign as a free agent, Kyrie Irving, it appears, is going to find a new home. Kevin Durant has four years left on his contract with the Nets. His future right now is very much up in the air.”
Although Charania’s wording makes it sound as if Irving is more likely to depart Brooklyn than to return, Brian Lewis of The New York Post says Kyrie and the Nets are still believed to be seeking an agreement that will keep him with the team. According to Lewis, some people around the NBA believe the recent leaks are part of an “artfully crafted and well-coordinated bluff” from Irving’s camp.
Irving’s decision on his $36.9MM player option isn’t due until next Wednesday, so the two sides still have several days to try to find common ground. Kyrie is said to be looking for a long-term contract, while the Nets prefer a shorter-term deal. Team owner Joe Tsai has “fully supported” management’s stance against making a long-term commitment to Irving, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reported on Thursday that Irving has a list of at least six preferred destinations if he leaves the Nets, reiterated on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday (video link) that the Lakers appear to have the “most interest” in the seven-time All-Star.
However, given the Lakers’ lack of trade assets, Irving’s only real path to the team might be to opt out and sign for the $6.3MM taxpayer mid-level exception. Given that he and the Nets reached an impasse over how long his deal would be, it seems unlikely that he’d settle for a one-year deal and a $30MM pay cut.
According to Wojnarowski, a few of the other teams on Irving’s reported wish list – including the Mavericks, Clippers, and Sixers – are unlikely to have legitimate interest. The Knicks created some additional cap flexibility with their moves in Thursday’s draft, but are prioritizing free agent point guard Jalen Brunson over Irving, says Wojnarowski.
Still, despite an apparent lack of logical landing spots for Kyrie, Wojnarowski (video link) describes the Nets’ situation as “perilous” due to the ripple effect it could have on Irving’s good friend Durant. According to Woj, Durant isn’t a lock to request a trade if Irving leaves, but he’d want the Nets to show him that they could still build a championship-caliber roster around him.
“KD wanting to remain with the Nets is not necessarily contingent on if Kyrie Irving walks,” Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance, according to Lewis. “That, if he walks, he wants to see what the roster could still look like, how it could be reshaped, how it can still be a championship contender. (Durant is) starting that new four-year max deal. This isn’t the transfer portal. You don’t get to say where you’d like to go. So if he decided and wanted and asked for a trade — which I’m told he’s not told the Nets he’s going to do or is ready to do — he’s probably not going to have a lot of say in where he goes.
“So that has to be part of (Durant’s) thinking if he does ask out of Brooklyn,” Woj continued. “But right now, I still think there’s a pathway for the Nets, for Kyrie Irving, for Kevin Durant to find a way forward together. But it’s murky, and it’s uncertain. The future of this Nets organization very well is going to be determined here in the next several days to a week.”
Central Notes: Ayton, Duren, Agbaji, Pacers, Bulls
The Pistons‘ draft haul Thursday night makes it less likely that they’ll pursue Suns center Deandre Ayton in free agency, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Ayton was believed to be Detroit’s main target after opening up roughly $43MM in cap space by agreeing to trade Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers. Thursday’s deals knock that number down to about $30MM, which sources tell Edwards the team plans to use to sign multiple players rather than handing out one large contract.
The Pistons landed their center of the future by acquiring Jalen Duren of Memphis, who “blew away” the organization during the pre-draft process, according to Edwards’ sources. Multiple teams called Detroit in hopes of making a deal for No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey, but the Pistons were more interested in landing another first-round selection. One of those calls came from the Knicks, who needed to offload salary in hopes of making a run at free agent guard Jalen Brunson. Detroit was able to use some of its cap room to take on Kemba Walker‘s contract, valued at $9.17MM next season, and received Duren, whom New York acquired from the Hornets in a previous deal.
Detroit now has an exciting young core with Ivey and Duren joining Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey, along with enough cap room to be a significant player in free agency. The Pistons are still expected to be big spenders when the process begins next week, sources tell Edwards.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers passed on several younger talents to take four-year college player Ochai Agbaji, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. After reaching the play-in tournament this season, Cleveland was focused on finding someone who could contribute right away, and there’s hope that the Kansas sharpshooter will add another dimension to the offense. The Cavs were extremely interested in French star Ousmane Dieng, Fedor adds, and would have considered him at No. 14 if the Thunder hadn’t traded up to grab him with the 11th pick.
- The Pacers had numerous trade opportunities Thursday night, but nothing worth pulling the trigger on, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “We’re always gonna be aggressive, but there’s always certain price points,” general manager Chad Buchanan said. “Sometimes you have to walk away from deals if it’s not right for your team.”
- Finding a rim protector will be one of the Bulls‘ priorities for the summer, tweets Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. The Bulls will explore their options through free agency and trades, according to general manager Marc Eversley, who suggested the team wants a player who can complement current center Nikola Vucevic.
Fabian White To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Lakers
After going undrafted out of Houston, forward Fabian White Jr. tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link) that he has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers. White will also play for L.A.’s Summer League team.
White spent five years with the Cougars, though he missed part of his fourth year while recovering from a torn ACL.
As a fifth-year senior in 2021/22, he enjoyed his best college season, averaging 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 38 games (27.8 MPG), with a shooting line of .491/.371/.688. The performance earned him All-AAC honors.
White’s Exhibit 10 deal will be a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that covers one year. It could be converted to a two-way deal or it could lead to a bonus worth up to $50K if White is waived and then joins the South Bay Lakers, L.A.’s G League affiliate.
Marcus Bingham Signing Exhibit 10 Deal With Mavericks
The Mavericks will sign Michigan State’s Marcus Bingham to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The seven-footer played four years for the Spartans and is an accomplished shot blocker, but didn’t become a full-time starter until his senior season. He averaged 2.2 rejections per game this year, along with 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.
Bingham, 21, ranked 42nd on ESPN’s list of undrafted players. His contract can become official when the new league year begins next week.