Nets Sign D’Andre Davis To Partially Guaranteed Deal
The Nets have signed undrafted rookie free agent D’Andre Davis, according to the team (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Also known as Dre Davis, the 6’6″ guard/forward spent two years at Louisville and two more at Seton Hall before wrapping up his college career with Ole Miss in 2024/25. As a super-senior, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor and 32.5% on three-pointers.
Davis suited up in July for Brooklyn’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, appearing in four games and averaging 4.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 13.3 MPG.
Rather than signing Davis to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Nets gave him a standard contract with a partial guarantee of $85,300, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. According to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link), that’s the same deal the team gave David Muoka, who was signed and waived earlier this week.
For G League purposes, those deals for Davis and Muoka will essentially function like Exhibit 10 contracts would have, and it’s safe to assume both players will end up joining the Long Island Nets. The only real difference is that the $85,300 each player is receiving as a partial guarantee will count against the Nets’ cap.
Clubs generally favor Exhibit 10 deals because they don’t want those cap hits on their books, but those small partial guarantees may help ensure that the Nets’ team salary is above the minimum salary floor by opening night. Brooklyn is the only NBA team still operating below the cap.
Davis was signed as the Nets’ 21st man, taking the roster spot previously held by Keon Johnson until he was waived earlier today. According to Lewis (Twitter link), Johnson is dealing with an injury, which is one reason Brooklyn opted to cut him.
Western Notes: Thunder, Biyombo, Hyland, Wolves, M. Williams
The Thunder showed last season that veteran know-how isn’t necessarily a requirement to win an NBA championship — with an average of 25.6 years, Oklahoma City became the second-youngest champion in league history, according to Curtis Rowser III of Slam, who spoke to 24-year-old star Jalen Williams about that subject within the magazine’s latest cover story.
“I don’t think you need a bunch of veterans to be successful,” Williams said. “I think they’re definitely useful. But…I learned how to be a professional before I even signed paperwork to be on the Thunder. You go in there, and every single basketball on the ball rack is facing the exact same way; we tuck our shirts in for practice; we’re not wearing jewelry for practice.
“That stuff was ingrained in me since I’ve been in the organization. So we haven’t had to have vets teach us how to do things. We matured faster, because that’s the environment that we’ve been in.”
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Bismack Biyombo and Bones Hyland each waived the right to veto a trade as part of their deals with the Spurs and Timberwolves, respectively, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract typically receives an implicit no-trade clause, but the club can ask that player to waive that clause in advance — many have done so, as our tracker shows. Biyombo is on a fully non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with San Antonio, while Hyland got a $425K partial guarantee on his one-year deal with Minnesota.
- New Timberwolves CEO Matthew Caldwell spoke to Chris Hine of The Minnesota Star Tribune about why he accepted the job after nine years with the NHL’s Florida Panthers and his plans for the organization, including a possible new arena. Caldwell cautioned that even if an arena plan comes together quickly, it will take a few years to come to fruition, but added that it’s “a huge priority for us.”
- What might a rookie scale extension for new Suns center Mark Williams look like? Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic explores that question, relaying comments made by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who suggested that the former Hornet has been “quite poor” defensively in his first three NBA seasons. “He’s not as good as the length would make you believe on defense and his mobility has not been strong enough in ball screens and he consistently gets beat, but he’s massive. He’s a great lob threat,” said Vecenie, adding that a deal in the range of $20MM per year with some injury protections could make sense for Williams and the Suns.
Latest On Jonathan Kuminga
After writing on Monday in a story co-reported with Shams Charania that the Warriors have made Jonathan Kuminga a three-year offer worth approximately $75MM with a third-year team option, ESPN’s Anthony Slater provided an update on those negotiations on Tuesday during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).
“I actually talked to Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, this morning, and the messaging they’re adopting this week is ‘turn the TO to a PO and it’s done,'” Slater said. “… (The team option) on that three-year deal, if that’s suddenly a player option, not only will Jonathan Kuminga sign it, they’re saying, but he will be completely bought in on the mission that they’re asking of him, which is – using Turner’s messaging – to get Steph Curry and Draymond Green a fifth ring (and) Jimmy Butler his first ring.”
Reporting throughout the summer has indicated that Kuminga is seeking a contract that positions him to be more of a building block than simply a trade chip.
While the 22-year-old would prefer to be in a situation where his role is both more prominent and more defined, Slater’s report suggests he has expressed a willingness to re-sign with Golden State – where his playing time and responsibilities have been inconsistent – if he’s assured of a multiyear guarantee and the opportunity to reach the open market in two years.
“(Kuminga’s camp would view a third-year player option as) a show of goodwill…for what they’re calling ‘years of confusion’ over his role and a willingness to suppress some of his personal ambitions,” Slater said. “… (He would) accept what’s probably going to be a bench role, what’s probably going to be fluctuating minutes, and accepting what will very likely be a tradable contract.”
According to ESPN’s report on Monday, the Warriors’ only offer to Kuminga that hasn’t included a team option on the final year was a three-year proposal that averaged about $18MM annually. There would be little reason for the RFA forward to accept that offer over the version of the three-year deal that includes a team option and is worth closer to $25MM per year.
Signing the one-year, $8MM qualifying offer that comes with a no-trade clause and a path to 2026 unrestricted free agency remains an option for Kuminga until October 1 if he’s not satisfied with any of the team’s other offers.
Here’s more on Kuminga:
- Golden State’s goal of maximizing cap flexibility for the summer of 2027 has been a factor in negotiations with Kuminga and in sign-and-trade talks, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Given their desire to keep their options open for that offseason, the Warriors have been reluctant to give Kuminga a player option for 2027/28; it’s also one reason why the club isn’t eager to acquire Malik Monk, the centerpiece of the Kings‘ sign-and-trade offer for Kuminga, who has a player option worth $21.6MM for ’27/28.
- The Kings are still under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them, but the Warriors shut down sign-and-trade talks with Sacramento and the Suns earlier in the summer, says Amick. While it’s possible Golden State revisits those discussions at the 11th hour, league and team sources say a deal with either Pacific rival remains highly unlikely, Amick adds.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a closer look at the Kuminga standoff, exploring various potential outcomes and explaining the various factors each involved party is taking into account.
Pelicans Sign, Waive Johnny O’Neil
The Pelicans have signed and waived undrafted rookie free agent Johnny O’Neil, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
A 6’10” forward/center who spent the past five years playing college basketball, O’Neil played for American University for three seasons before transferring to Santa Clara in 2023. Last season, he averaged 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 21.9 minutes per game across 34 outings (19 starts), with a shooting line of .432/.396/.778.
Although O’Neil generated little pre-draft buzz and didn’t suit up for the NBA Summer League in July, the Pelicans are apparently intrigued by his ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor as a big man.
Signing O’Neil to an Exhibit 10 contract and then waiving him should set up New Orleans to designate O’Neil as an affiliate player for the Birmingham Squadron in the G League this fall — and to pay him a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Squadron.
The Pelicans now have 20 players under contract and appear to be using the 21st and final spot on their offseason roster to shuffle players in and out for G League purposes. The team also signed and waived undrafted rookie Jalon Moore this week.
Nets Waive Keon Johnson
The Nets have waived Keon Johnson, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
Johnson appeared in 79 games with Brooklyn last season, including 56 starts. He averaged a career-best 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.4 minutes per contest.
However, Johnson’s playing time was expected to be reduced dramatically with restricted free agent Cam Thomas signing his qualifying offer and an influx of first-round rookies on the roster. Brooklyn also acquired another shooting guard, Kobe Bufkin, from Atlanta this week.
Johnson’s $2,349,578 was only guaranteed for $271,614. That partial guarantee would have increased to $760,520 if he had been on the team’s opening night roster.
As a result of waiving Johnson, the Nets now have 20 players on their camp roster. Ricky Council IV is still expected to sign with the team, having agreed to a deal at the start of August.
Johnson, who began his career with the Clippers and also had a stint with the Trail Blazers, will now become a free agent on Friday unless he’s claimed on waivers. The 6’5” wing was a first-round pick in 2021 out of Tennessee, but has struggled with his shooting during his young career, averaging 37.9% overall and 32.4% on three-point tries in 161 career games.
NBA Europe Could Launch As Early As 2027
The new European basketball league backed by the NBA could begin play as early as 2027, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno and Tim Reynolds.
NBA and FIBA are working together to launch NBA Europe.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Front Office Sports, Silver called a 2027 start “ambitious, no doubt about it,” but did not rule out that possibility. Existing arenas across Europe could be used when the initial launch occurs until more modern infrastructure is built up.
“I don’t think I’d want to go much longer than ’28,” Silver said. “The opportunity is now to do something like this.”
Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum met this summer with United Kingdom prime minister Keir Starmer, among other government officials, along with various possible stakeholders regarding the new venture. Those meetings convinced Silver that NBA Europe would be successful.
“I would say I’m enthusiastic about it,” Silver said.
Early plans call for the new league to have 16 teams, though that number could change. Existing European clubs like Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Barcelona are likely to figure into the NBA’s plans for the new league, according to the AP.
A new British league that intends to launch in 2027 indicated in a recent press statement that it expects the NBA’s European league to begin at the same time, with franchises in London and Manchester, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net relays.
“Basketball’s probably the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, and it’s a huge No. 2 sport in Europe behind soccer, so I think there’s a real opportunity,” Silver added.
Pelicans Sign, Waive Jalon Moore
September 17: Moore has been waived, according to the NBA transactions log. That opens up a training camp roster spot for New Orleans.
September 16: The Pelicans have signed rookie free agent Jalon Moore to a training camp deal, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.
A 6’7″ forward, Moore spent two seasons at Georgia Tech from 2021-23 and then two years at Oklahoma from 2023-25 before going undrafted in June. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per game across 34 outings (all starts) for the Sooners, posting a solid shooting line of .471/.381/.840.
Moore had been projected as a possible second-round pick before he suffered an Achilles tear during a workout with the Spurs this spring, which prompted his agent Mike Silverman to call for changes to how the pre-draft process works.
“We’re truly heartbroken for Jalon,” Silverman told ESPN at the time. “It’s time to revamp the NBA pre-draft process. Flying around the country to perform intense competitive workouts exposes players to risk of major injuries. No other pro sports league puts their draft prospects in this position.”
While Moore seems likely to miss the entire 2025/26 season, the Pelicans may be planning to sign-and-waive him in order to gain his G League rights, with an eye toward keeping him in their system for ’26/27.
The transaction gives New Orleans a full 21-man offseason roster, including 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four (including Moore) on Exhibit 9/Exhibit 10 deals, and three on two-way pacts.
And-Ones: Sengun, Giannis, Future Rankings, G League Swap, Drell
Rockets center Alperen Sengun made an eye-opening statement regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo after Turkey defeated Greece for the EuroBasket semifinals.
“He’s not a great passer. He’s an amazing player, you know, but he’s not a great passer. So we just tried to help and jump to close the paint,” Sengun said, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com.
When asked about Sengun’s comments on Sunday, according to BasketNews, the Bucks superstar replied, “I’m not the guy that will talk back to coaches or players or people that say bad things about me. It doesn’t really matter because at the end of the day, you won’t remember what they say. You’ll remember how I respond. So, I keep everything to myself. You can go see my clips on YouTube. And then come back and ask me if I’m a good passer. There you go. That’s it.”
The disagreement continued on social media but both players later issued apologies for comments they made on Instagram, according to Eurohoops.net.
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- ESPN’s Insiders updated their three-year future rankings of every NBA franchise based on a variety of factors. Not surprisingly, the defending champion Thunder received the top ranking. The Rockets, Knicks, Cavaliers and Clippers rounded out the top five, with the Suns occupying the bottom of the totem pole.
- The Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder‘s NBA G League team, has acquired a 2026 first-round pick and the returning player rights to Steven Richardson from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for the returning player rights to Cormac Ryan, Thunder beat reporter Rylan Stiles tweets. Ryan joined the Bucks‘ camp roster on an Exhibit 10 deal last week, so this clears the way for him to receive a bonus up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends 60 days or more with the Herd.
- Spanish club Joventut Badalona and former Bulls forward Henri Drell have reached an agreement for the next two months with an option to extend until the end of the season, according to Penya.com. Drell played in the EuroBasket tournament with the Estonian national team. Last year, he played 15 games with La Laguna Tenerife. Drell appeared in four games with Chicago during the 2023/24 season.
Los Angeles Notes: Jones Jr., Clippers, Silver, Doncic
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t provide his former agent written notice of 15 days prior to firing him before he signed a free agent contract last year. That was a key reason why an arbitrator ruled that Jones’ former agent, Aaron Turner, was entitled to his full 4% commission of $1.2MM on the three-year, $30MM contract that Jones inked, Michael McCann of Sportico reports.
Jones stated he directly negotiated with the Clippers last year. Prior to Turner’s dismissal, the Mavericks offered Jones a three-year, $27MM contract. Jones testified he was “furious” by the offer, which was much less than he expected.
On June 26, 2024, Jones sent Turner an email saying he was terminating their Standard Player Agent Contract. Two days later, Jones asked Turner to waive the 15-day notice period and Turner declined.
Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:
- So what kind of penalties could the league hit the Clippers with regarding Kawhi Leonard‘s alleged no-show endorsement deal if it’s determined the team circumvented the salary cap illegally? John Hollinger of The Athletic notes that the league could fine the Clippers up to $7.5MM, fine Leonard up to $350K, forfeit Clippers draft picks, suspend owner Steve Ballmer or other Clipper personnel up to a year and fine them up to $1MM each; void Leonard’s contract and prohibit him from re-signing with the Clippers; and require Leonard to return the money he received from Aspiration. However, if the investigation ends during the season, voiding Leonard’s contract could lead to unintended consequences, with him becoming a free agent and signing with a contender on a minimum contract, Hollinger notes.
- Regarding the investigation, commissioner Adam Silver promised at the Front Office Sports conference that “we will get to the bottom of it,” according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). Silver added that “I don’t know anything about Kawhi’s deal. Show, no show; we’ll certainly find out.” The league hired a law firm to investigate the matter.
- Luka Doncic admits he was shocked when the Mavericks traded him to the Lakers and wasn’t sure how to process it, he told Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “I didn’t know how to react, how to act, what to say,” Doncic said. “It was a lot of shock. I felt Dallas was my home. I had many friends there. The fans always supported me. I didn’t want to upset Dallas fans. And I didn’t want to upset Laker fans.” Doncic also described his offseason conditioning program, which included one key element. “For the first time, I stopped playing basketball for a month,” he said, replacing that with “pure training and fitness.”
Thunder Rookie Thomas Sorber Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Thunder first-round pick Thomas Sorber underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link via Rylan Stiles of SI.com).
The injury, which was revealed earlier this month, will sideline the big man out of Georgetown for the entire season. Sorber is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the 2026/27 season.
Sorber was the No. 15 pick in the June draft. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.
The big man is the second straight Oklahoma City first-round selection to be sidelined for his rookie year. Last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.
The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what Sorber can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
Sorber signed his rookie scale contract in early July at a four-year total of $22.51MM. His deal is guaranteed for the first two seasons, with team options on years three and four.