Pistons Waive Troy Brown Jr., Buddy Boeheim
6:01pm: The Pistons have officially waived Brown, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.
Detroit also cut wing Buddy Boeheim, whose two-way contract with the team ran through the 2024/25 season. Boeheim appeared in 10 games for the Pistons last season, averaging 3.4 points per contest on .310/.320/.800 shooting.
1:53pm: The Pistons have decided to not guarantee swingman Troy Brown Jr.‘s $4MM contract for the 2024/25 season and instead will waive him, report James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Brown inked a two-year, $8MM deal with the Timberwolves during the 2023 offseason. He earned $4MM in the first year, with a non-guaranteed $4MM for year two. That salary would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through Sunday.
The 6’6″ small forward was flipped from Minnesota to Detroit midway through the 2023/24 season as part of a trade package for Monte Morris. For the year, he posted cumulative averages of 4.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.0 APG in 14.0 MPG for the two clubs, while suiting up for 59 total contests (15 starts). Brown also logged a middling shooting line of .372/.333/.865.
A journeyman 3-and-D bench wing, Brown played for the Wizards, Bulls, and Lakers from 2018-23 before splitting last season between the Timberwolves and Pistons. Now, it appears he’ll be on the move again.
Though he doesn’t possess much of a handle, he was — prior to this season, anyway — a capable jump shooter and a solid man-to-man perimeter defender. That skill set still should have value on the open market, though at what cost remains to be seen.
Damion Lee Declines Player Option With Suns
Suns shooting guard Damion Lee has declined his $2.8MM player option with Phoenix and will become an unrestricted free agent, sources inform Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 6’5″ swingman missed the entire 2023/24 NBA season after suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee, which ultimately required surgery.
Lee initially signed a one-season, minimum contract to join the Suns in the summer of 2022. He then inked a one-and-one contract with Phoenix last summer. During his lone healthy season with the Suns, Lee averaged 8.2 PPG on a .442/.445/.904 shooting line, along with 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 74 healthy contests.
After going undrafted in 2016, the Louisville alum began his NBA career with the Hawks in 2017/18, but he has spent most of his time in the league with the Warriors, with whom he won a championship as a floor-spacing backup in 2021/22. He was reunited with one-time Golden State teammate Kevin Durant in Phoenix when the latter was traded there from the Nets in 2022/23.
According to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link), a new deal with the Suns is a possibility for Lee, who would be eligible to sign for more than the veteran’s minimum since Phoenix holds his Early Bird rights.
Jeff Dowtin Jr.’s Option Declined By Sixers
The Sixers have opted to decline reserve point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr.‘s team option for 2024/25, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
After going undrafted out of Rhode Island in 2020, Dowtin spent the 2020/21 season with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate. The 6’3″ point guard has since logged time with the Warriors, Bucks, and Raptors, often on either 10-day contracts or two-way deals that have seen him split his time with each team’s G League affiliate club.
Dowtin started off the 2023/24 season with Philadelphia’s NBAGL team, the Delaware Blue Coats, before inking a two-way deal with the Sixers. In April, that contract was converted to a standard agreement for the rest of the season, with a second-year team option.
All told, Dowtin boasts career NBA averages of 2.9 points, 1.5 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 steals per night. In 20 games with Delaware last year, Dowtin averaged 19.1 PPG on .491/.387/.906 shooting, along with 5.3 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.2 SPG.
Dowtin had been eligible for a qualifying offer, which would have made him a restricted free agent and allowed Philadelphia to match any contract extended his way. It appears that he did not receive one, given that the Sixers are looking to maximize their cap space with free agency looming.
Cam Reddish Exercises Player Option With Lakers
Lakers forward Cam Reddish has picked up his minimum-salary player option for 2024/25, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The move guarantees Reddish’s $2.46MM salary for next season.
Last season with Los Angeles, Reddish averaged a career-worst 5.4 PPG on .389/.336/.759 shooting, alongn with 2.1 RPG, 1.0 APG and 1.0 SPG. Health issues limited him to just 48 contests with the club, which included 26 starts.
As Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets, now that Reddish, Christian Wood, D’Angelo Russell, and Jaxson Hayes have picked up their options for next season, the Lakers project to have 14 roster spots filled for next season, assuming LeBron James returns.
The Lakers have three rostered role players who are free agents this season in reserve 3-and-D forward Taurean Prince and backup guards Max Christie and Spencer Dinwiddie. Buha notes that Los Angeles may want to hold on to Christie, a restricted free agent.
To carve out more roster space, the front office may be looking to offload contracts. Given that Hayes and Reddish were minimal contributors during the Lakers’ stretch run and postseason, those two are among the most obvious candidates to be moved. Extracting value in return could prove difficult.
Celtics Decline Team Option On Neemias Queta
The Celtics have decided to decline the player option of reserve center Neemias Queta, making him a free agent, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (via Twitter).
The move doesn’t necessarily mean Queta’s days in Boston are over, according to Himmelsbach, who suggests the two sides could explore a new deal.
Queta was initially selected by the Kings out of Utah State with the No. 39 pick in 2021. After two seasons in Sacramento, the seven-footer jumped ship to join the eventual champs. He averaged a career highs of 5.5 points and 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per night with the Celtics across 28 contests, earning a promotion from his two-way contract to the 15-man roster.
He was not part of the club’s rotation during its title run, appearing for cameos in just three contests.
Hawks Picking Up Option On Garrison Mathews
The Hawks are picking up their team option on marksman Garrison Mathews for the 2024/25 season, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Scotto notes that this could help clear a path for the Lipscomb alum, 27, to sign a contract extension with the club in the future. As Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets, Mathews will become eligible for extension-eligible on July 6.
In 2023/24, Mathews connected on 44% of his shot attempts from beyond the arc, a career best. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game on a .456/.440/.810 shooting line while appearing in 66 contests for the 36-46 Hawks. The journeyman wing has also played for the Wizards and Rockets since kicking off his career in 2019.
He was flipped to the Hawks late into the 2022/23 season, but finally carved out a consistent bench role as a floor-spacer last year.
Lakers Signing East, Olivari To Exhibit 10 Contracts
The Lakers are planning to sign a pair of undrafted free agent guards to Exhibit 10 contracts.
Per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links), Missouri combo guard Sean East II and Xavier’s Quincy Olivari are expected to join Los Angeles’ offseason roster.
The 6’3″ East played for four college programs across his five NCAA seasons, but spent the past two with Missouri. In 2023/24, as a full-time starter, he averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, with an impressive shooting line of .521/.450/.856.
Olivari, a two-time All-CUSA honoree during his four seasons at Rice, transferred to Xavier for his final season of NCAA eligibility in 2023/24. With the Musketeers, the 6’2″ guard posted averages of 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals a night. He logged shooting splits of .425/.409/.814.
Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed agreements that can be converted to two-way deals ahead of the regular season. If an Exhibit 10 signee is cut by his team and spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate, he’s eligible to earn a bonus. Last year, that bonus could be worth up to $75K; it will increase at the same level as the league’s salary cap for 2024/25.
Southwest Notes: Missi, Sheppard, Edey, Ajinca
With incumbent starter Jonas Valanciunas on the cusp of unrestricted free agency and a possible departure, the Pelicans may have added a major insurance policy by drafting former Baylor center Yves Missi, writes William Guillory of The Athletic.
“The defensive versatility of (Missi) is something we were really excited about. He’s not just a rim protector. He has the ability to be a multiple-coverage big,” team president David Griffin said. “When you look at an athlete with his size and the way he tested for us here. The things he’s capable of physically are very rare.”
Guillory cautions that Missi is liable to run into foul trouble and may not be ready to immediately contribute, with general manager Bryson Graham referring to the big man as “developmental.” However, Graham also likened Missi to Dereck Lively II, who played a major role as a rookie for the Western Conference champions in Dallas.
“He has such a good feel for finding space. He’s able to set screens and play in the dunker (spot),” Graham said. “It’s a lot like a Dereck Lively-type. I think his feel for the game is very advanced. (Having) somebody like that next to (Zion Williamson), it’s going to unlock him.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Had former Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard been selected by the Hawks or Wizards with the first or second pick in the draft on Wednesday, the Rockets had a plan to trade down. When he fell to Houston with the third pick, Houston stayed put, enticed by the 20-year-old’s long range shooting acumen. During a conversation with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the 6’2″ guard revealed exactly what Rockets brass wants him to contribute from the jump. “The biggest thing right away is the shooting, just coming in and being able to knock down shots,” Sheppard said. “But at the same time, coming in and doing what you do daily. Playing basketball the right way. Having a high IQ. Just doing the right basketball play.”
- Despite rumors that his team was trying to move up to select Donovan Clingan, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman suggested in comments to reporters on Wednesday that Memphis had been targeting All-American former Purdue center Zach Edey with the No. 9 pick all along, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Let’s just say this is exactly what we were hoping would happen,” Kleiman said. “When we talk about the DNA of this team and what we are trying to build out, Zach Edey to a T is that definition.”
- The Mavericks only added one new player near the end of this year’s draft, 6’8″ small forward Melvin Ajinca. Dallas traded its own No. 58 pick and cash considerations to the Knicks in order to acquire the French swingman at No. 51. Despite the fact that 50 players were selected before Ajinca, general manager Nico Harrison is excited by the 20-year-old’s ceiling, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s really young and he has huge upside,” Harrison said. “We just like the way he plays. He has a chance to be really good.”
Samuel, Buie Signing Exhibit 10 Deals With Suns
The Suns are signing all-time Northwestern leading scorer Boo Buie and Florida forward Tyrese Samuel to a pair of Exhibit 10 deals, sources inform Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter links).
Buie, a 6’2″ two-time All-Big Ten guard, scored a total of 2,187 points during his five-season Wildcats tenure. In 2023/24, he posted a career-high 19.0 points per game on .438/.434/.858 shooting. His 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 34 games this season all also represent career highs.
Samuel, a 6’10” All-SEC big man, spent his first four collegiate seasons at Seton Hall before transferring to the Gators in 2023/24. He scored 13.9 points per game on 56.4% field goal shooting and 56.2% foul shooting, plus 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest.
Exhibit 10 agreements are non-guaranteed, but can be converted into two-way contracts before the start of the regular season. If a player on an Exhibit 10 contract is waived and then links up with a team’s NBAGL affiliate club for at least 60 days, he’s eligible to earn a bonus, expected to be worth in the range of $78K this season.
Daniss Jenkins Signing Two-Way Deal With Pistons
The Pistons have agreed to a two-way contract with undrafted St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).
The 6’3″ guard enjoyed a well-traveled run through college, playing for the Pacific Tigers, the Iona Gaels and the St. John’s Red Storm.
In 2023/24 during an All-Big East season with St. Johns, Jenkins averaged 14.9 points per game on shooting splits of .446/.354/.851. He also dished out 5.4 assists, pulled down 3.5 boards, swiped 1.6 steals, and blocked 0.5 shots across his 33 contests for the club, all starts. He was a 2022/23 All-MAAC player during his lone season at Iona.
The Pistons have a pair of two-way players from last season – Buddy Boeheim and Tosan Evbuomwan – under contract on deals that cover the 2024/25 season, so Jenkins figures to fill the third and final two-way slot on the roster, though the team could make more changes as the offseason progresses.