Lakers Sign Talen Horton-Tucker
Second-round pick Talen Horton-Tucker has signed with the Lakers, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Horton-Tucker was selected 46th overall with a pick that was acquired from the Magic in a draft-night trade.
Because L.A. is over the cap, the team isn’t able to able to sign Horton-Tucker past two years, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The maximum he could earn on his new deal is $898,310 as a rookie and $1,517,981 in 2020/21.
A 6’4″ swingman, Horton-Tucker averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his only season at Iowa State.
Milos Teodosic To Play In Italy
Former Clippers guard Milos Teodosic has signed with the Italian club Virtus Bologna, relays Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The team announced the new contract, which will cover three years.
Teodosic, 32, was a disappointment during his time in L.A. after being a huge star in Europe. He played just 60 games in two seasons, including 15 this year, before being waived in February. He averaged just 10 minutes per night this season and was lamenting his lack of of playing time all the way back in November.
Teodosic is a six-time All-EuroLeague selection and was the league’s MVP in 2010. He helped the Serbian team capture the silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, as well as silvers at the 2009 EuroBasket tournament and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Clippers Re-Sign Patrick Beverley
JULY 12: The Clippers have officially re-signed Beverley, the team announced today in a press release. While agreeing to terms with Beverley was one of the club’s first moves of free agency last week, it was far from the last — L.A. has since acquired Leonard and Paul George while also reaching new deals with Ivica Zubac, Rodney McGruder, and JaMychal Green.
JULY 1: Patrick Beverley will remain with the Clippers on a three-year, $40MM deal, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s the exact contract that Beverley was rumored to be seeking in a report earlier this week.
Beverley was among the most highly sought after guards on the free agent market, with the Mavericks, Lakers, Bulls and Kings among the teams expressing interest.
Re-signing Beverley won’t affect the Clippers’ ability to get a deal done with Kawhi Leonard, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), who observes that they can still add Leonard to the roster without needing to trade Danilo Gallinari.
The Clippers made it a priority to keep Beverley, who was an inspirational leader for the team, along with a dogged defender. He missed nearly all of the 2017/18 season after being acquired from Houston in the Chris Paul deal, but bounced back strong this year, posting a 7.6/5.0/3.8 line in 78 games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sixers Sign Raul Neto
JULY 12: The Sixers have officially signed Neto to his new contract, the team announced today in a press release.
“By adding Raul to our roster, we’ve gained an experienced and valuable veteran who is a tremendous passer with great court vision,” GM Elton Brand said in a statement. “We’re fortunate that he’s now a member of the 76ers and we’re eager to integrate him into our team.”
JULY 3: Raul Neto, who was waived Sunday by the Jazz, will sign with the Sixers when the moratorium lifts on Saturday, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. It will be a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Utah had to get rid of Neto’s $2.15MM salary to open enough cap space to complete a trade with Memphis for Mike Conley. Neto’s contract for next season would have become fully guaranteed on July 6.
Neto, 27, had spent his entire four-year career with the Jazz after they acquired his draft rights from the Hawks. He has been a valuable backup point guard at times, but has only played 40, 41 and 37 games the past three seasons. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 assists this year in about 13 minutes per night.
The Sixers need a new point guard off their bench after losing free agent T.J. McConnell, who will sign with the Pacers.
Jonas Valanciunas Re-Signs With Grizzlies
JULY 11: The Grizzlies have officially re-signed Valanciunas, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 30: The Grizzlies and Jonas Valanciunas have agreed to terms on a three-year, $45MM deal, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (via Twitter), the contract will have a descending structure, so it will likely start around $16MM. Wojnarowski first reported (via Twitter) several hours before free agency began that Valanciunas would be staying in Memphis on a three-year, $45MM deal.
The Grizzlies acquired the 27-year-old center in a February trade that sent Marc Gasol to Toronto. Valanciunas put up career-best number in 19 games with Memphis, averaging 19.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per night.
The fifth pick in the 2011 draft, Valanciunas was part of the Raptors’ foundation for six and a half years before being traded. Earlier this month, he opted out of a $17,617,976 salary for next season.
At three years, Valanciunas’ new contract will expire before the Grizzlies’ next deal for Jaren Jackson Jr., notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dorian Finney-Smith Re-Signs With Mavericks
JULY 11: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Finney-Smith, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 2: The Mavericks will bring back restricted free agent Dorian Finney-Smith on a three-year, $12MM contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The third-year forward signed with Dallas in 2016 after going undrafted out of Florida. He missed most of the 2017/18 season with tendinitis in his left knee, but bounced back strong this year, averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 81 games.
The Mavericks have been active since free agency began Sunday, re-signing Kristaps Porzingis, Maxi Kleber and J.J. Barea, reaching an extension agreement with Dwight Powell and adding sharpshooting guard Seth Curry.
Dallas is emphasizing continuity and now has seven players whose contracts will run for at least three years, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is also pursuing Danny Green and may have room for another free agent as well.
The Mavs will be able to keep Finney-Smith’s sub-$2MM cap hold on their books and make their other offseason moves before going over the cap to lock up the forward using his Bird rights.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Grizzlies Sign John Konchar To Two-Way Deal
JULY 8: The Grizzlies have officially signed Konchar to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. Memphis opened up a two-way slot by sending Washburn to Golden State in the Andre Iguodala trade.
JUNE 21: Purdue-Fort Wayne guard John Konchar will sign a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The senior went undrafted despite participating in a large number of workouts. However, he impressed Memphis enough to get a shot at the NBA on a two-way deal.
Konchar posted a 19.5/8.5/5.4 line this year at IPFW. He is the only player ever to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 200 steals during his college career, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype (Twitter link).
Current Grizzlies two-way players Yuta Watanabe and Julian Washburn both have two-way deals that extend into 2019/20. Konchar is expected to replace Washburn in that second slot, with Watanabe returning, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian.
Knicks Notes: Portis, Randle, Smith Jr., Westbrook
The way free agency played out came as no surprise to newly acquired Knicks big man Bobby Portis, relays Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Portis said was certain in February that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were planning to team up in Brooklyn for the Nets.
“We all knew that. Everybody knew that,” he said. “I just don’t think the media knew that. Us basketball players, we all knew that. … I’m not going to leak my source. But we all know where they were going.”
That decision eliminated one possibility for Portis, who wanted to play in New York. He said the Bucks, Wizards, Clippers and Lakers were among the teams that expressed interest, but his first choice was the Knicks, who needed help in their frontcourt. Portis was primarily a power forward in Chicago and a center in Washington and feels comfortable at either position.
“I’m (gonna) be playing in a beautiful city for the New York Knicks,” he said. “That’s a dream come true. … Being able to have a chance to play in Madison Square Garden for 41-plus nights, it’s a thrill. It’s what everybody dreams of as a kid. I’m ecstatic.”
There’s more today from New York City:
- A “dream come true” is also how Julius Randle described his opportunity with the Knicks to Marc Berman of The New York Post. With a three-year, $61MM deal, Randle is the only one of New York’s six free agent additions to get a contract guaranteed beyond one season. “I had a lot of options,” Randle said. “I felt this opportunity for me was the greatest opportunity. The whole fan base that’s staving and hungry to win more than (any team) in the NBA.”
- The Knicks are coming off a 17-win season and didn’t make the splash in free agency that fans were hoping for, but Dennis Smith Jr. expressed confidence to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that they can be a playoff team. He cites not only an upgraded roster, but his own improved jump shot. Bondy notes that Smith is going to be challenged for the starting point guard role by the newly signed Elfrid Payton, who was drafted in Orlando by Knicks GM Scott Perry.
- Russell Westbrook‘s age, salary and lack of efficiency make him too much of a risk for the Knicks, argues Tommy Beer of Forbes. New York has been among the teams rumored to have interest in Westbrook since news of the Paul George trade broke yesterday, but its free agents signings will make it difficult to put together a deal until they’re all eligible to be traded on December 15.
Bulls Sign Daniel Gafford
JULY 8: The Bulls have officially signed Gafford, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 7: Second-round pick Daniel Gafford has reached an agreement with the Bulls on a four-year contract with a total value of $6.1MM, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The first two seasons of the deal are fully guaranteed.
The 6’11” center out of Arkansas was the 38th player taken in last month’s draft. He spent two years with the Razorbacks, averaging 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as a sophomore and earning a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team as well as first team All-SEC honors.
The Bulls will use cap room to make it a four-year deal, with yearly salaries likely to be set at $898,310, $1,517,981, $1,782,621 and $1,930,681.
“He’s a defensive rolling center, high energy, can run the floor,” Bulls executive vice president John Paxson said after the draft. “He’s very athletic. His rebounding numbers, analytically, his shot-blocking numbers were really high.”
Nets Sign Nicolas Claxton
Second-round pick Nicolas Claxton has signed a multi-year deal with the Nets, the team announced in a press release.
A power forward/center out of Georgia, Claxton was taken with the 31st pick in last month’s draft and should provide front-court depth behind Jarrett Allen and newly signed DeAndre Jordan.
A sophomore, Claxton was a second team All-SEC selection, leading the Bulldogs in scoring, rebounding and steals. He also blocked 2.5 shots per game, ranking him 10th in the nation.