Frank Jackson Signs With Suns
SEPTEMBER 21: Jackson officially signed with the Suns on Tuesday, per RealGM’s NBA transaction log.
SEPTEMBER 20: The Suns are signing free agent guard Frank Jackson to a non-guaranteed contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Jackson, 24, has five years of NBA experience, though he missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury. He was an early second-round pick in 2017 and spent his first three NBA seasons with the Pelicans. He played the last two seasons with the Pistons.
Jackson averaged 9.8 PPG in 40 games during his first season in Detroit and made 40.7% of his 3-point tries. He averaged a career-best 10.6 PPG in 53 games last season but his 3-point shooting cratered to 30.8%.
He became a free agent in late June when Detroit declined its $3.15MM option on Jackson’s contract. He’ll now get a chance to make the Suns’ roster.
The Suns only had 16 players under contract, including a pair of two-way players, so they can be expected to make more roster moves before training camp with camp rosters maxing out at 20.
Northwest Notes: Favors, Timberwolves, Hardy, Lillard
Derrick Favors‘ future with the Thunder is very much up in the air heading into training camp, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
Oklahoma City is three standard contracts over the limit but Favors’ expiring deal may be the most compelling reason he’ll make the 15-man roster. His $10,183,800 cap hit could prove useful in a trade.
He’s still a serviceable center and positive influence in the locker room as well, two other compelling reasons to keep him around, Mussatto adds.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- While some people wonder how Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert will fit together, the Timberwolves’ biggest issues will likely be a lack of knockdown shooters and lead ball-handlers, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Minnesota is actually quite deep, despite all the bodies the team swapped to acquire Gobert, and Krawczynski breaks down each position in this in-depth piece.
- The Jazz are undergoing an extensive rebuild and new head coach Will Hardy will have to earn the confidence of his players to get through it, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. The front office showed its confidence in Hardy by giving him a five-year contract, knowing developmental wins will be more important than actual victories.
- While Trail Blazers’ star Damian Lillard had already made tens of millions of dollars playing basketball, the generational wealth he’ll accumulate with the two-year, super-max extension he signed this summer was humbling, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape.com. “Me and [my wife] talked about it. It’s a big deal. When I talked to [agent Aaron Goodwin] and everybody I talked to about it, it was a big deal. I was like, ‘What am I supposed to do? Post something on Instagram saying something crazy?’ I don’t know what I was supposed to do. It was a big deal.”
Canada Likely To Drop Vaccination Requirement
All NBA players could soon be allowed to cross the Canadian border and suit up for road games in Toronto, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
Canada’s federal government plans to drop the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for people who enter the country by the end of September, according to Eric Atkins and Robert Fife of The Globe and Mail. An official familiar with the matter confirmed to Rob Gillies of The Associated Press that Canada will likely drop its vaccine requirement by the end of the month.
Unvaccinated travelers who are allowed to enter Canada are currently subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine.
As recently as last month, NBA teams were informed via a memo that players still need to have either received a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine, or been given a medical clearance from getting one, in order to play games in Canada this upcoming season. Those requirements would be dropped once the restrictions are lifted.
Last season, there were no exemptions from this rule for NBA players. A vast majority of NBA players are vaccinated against COVID-19 but if Canada indeed drops the vaccination requirement, the few who remain unvaccinated won’t be left behind.
Sharife Cooper Signs Camp Deal With Cavs
SEPTEMBER 20: The Cavaliers have officially signed Cooper, according to RealGM’s NBA transaction log. The team waived Chandler Vaudrin to open up a spot on the 20-man roster for Cooper.
SEPTEMBER 19: Free agent guard Sharife Cooper will sign a training camp contract with the Cavaliers, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Cooper has been looking for another NBA opportunity since the Hawks waived him in late July. He recently worked out for the Lakers.
Cooper, 21, was the 48th overall pick in the 2021 draft. The 6’1” point guard appeared in only 13 games at the NBA level, logging 39 total minutes and making just 3-of-14 shots from the field.
The former Auburn standout played regularly in the G League, averaging 17.1 PPG and 6.9 APG on .431/.361/.907 shooting in 22 regular season appearances (30.2 MPG) for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate.
Since the Cavaliers only have 12 players on fully guaranteed deals, Cooper could earn his way onto the roster with a strong showing. Otherwise, on an Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll be eligible for a $50K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the team’s G League affiliate.
Bucks Waive Ibou Badji
The Bucks have waived undrafted rookie Ibou Badji, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
Badji was signed on Monday to an Exhibit 10 contract. Badji will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate.
Badji, who turns 20 next month, spent the 2021/22 season with Forca Lleida CE of the LEB Oro, Spain’s second league. In 37 games (19.9 MPG) last season, the Senegalese center averaged 8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 BPG, according to his NBA.com draft profile.
Cavaliers Waive Chandler Vaudrin
The Cavaliers have waived forward Chandler Vaudrin, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
Vaudrin was signed by Cleveland to a camp deal earlier this month.
The Big South Player of the Year in 2021, Vaudrin had been on track to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers a year ago after going undrafted out of Winthrop. However, the 25-year-old point guard tore his ACL while playing for Cleveland’s Summer League team and missed his entire rookie entire season.
Vaudrin will likely wind up with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League team. He can become an affiliate player, since his G League rights weren’t previously held by another team. He could earn a bonus of up to $50K under the terms of the Exhibit 10 contract if he’s with the Charge for at least 60 days.
Heat Add Guard Dru Smith
The Heat have signed guard Dru Smith, according to a team press release. Terms weren’t disclosed but it’s almost assuredly a training camp deal.
Smith is a familiar face. He appeared in three Summer League games with the Heat and averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 steals and 1.7 assists. He appeared in 10 games (five starts) with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, last season and averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.20 steals and 27.5 minutes.
Smith went undrafted out of Missouri.
Miami’s roster now includes 20 players, the maximum amount heading into training camp.
Celtics Waive Bruno Caboclo
The Celtics have waived forward Bruno Caboclo, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Boston signed Caboclo to a training camp deal late last month with the expectation he’d compete for a roster spot, so the timing is somewhat surprising. It’s possible the Celtics found a more desirable option, or that Caboclo had a better offer overseas.
His contract included Exhibit 10 language, so it’s also possible he could resurface with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League team.
The 20th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Caboclo appeared in a total of 105 NBA regular season games across seven seasons with the Raptors, Kings, Grizzlies, and Rockets. He averaged 4.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG on .403/.308/.836 shooting in 12.3 MPG.
Caboclo, who turns 27 on Wednesday, finished the 2020/21 season in France, then returned to his home country for the ’21/22 campaign, signing with Sao Paolo FC. Caboclo led the club to a BCL Americas title and earned MVP honors in the Novo Basquete Brasil, which is Brazil’s top basketball league.
Eastern Notes: Irving, Arcidiacono, Butler, Martin, Wizards
Kyrie Irving sees a silver lining in the sour way the Nets’ season ended. Irving said on the “Nets Kingdom” podcast that Brooklyn “needed” to go through the embarrassment of getting swept in the playoffs (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).
“It was meant to happen like that. Motivation, bro,” the Nets guard said. “We needed that humbling experience, especially going against the Celtics. It was already built to be that matchup. We’re going to see them again.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Ryan Arcidiacono’s contract with the Knicks is a standard, non-guaranteed minimum for one year, and doesn’t include an Exhibit 10 clause, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. The Knicks signed the 28-year-old guard on Saturday. He appeared in 10 games with the Knicks last season.
- A couple of scouts interviewed by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believe Jimmy Butler is the best option as the starting power forward for the Heat with Caleb Martin coming off the bench. However, there are concerns about Butler wearing down by playing that position.
- The Wizards aren’t likely to sign a player to their open two-way slot until the end of training camp, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Team officials would prefer to see how potential candidates perform in the preseason and whether there’s a better option on the waiver wire. Jordan Schakel has the other two-way spot.
Central Notes: Bagley, Knox, Hayes, Pacers, Ball, Pistons
Breakout seasons from Marvin Bagley III, Kevin Knox and Killian Hayes would go a long way toward a much improved season for the Pistons, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. All three lottery picks have yet to fulfill their promise but could become part of the team’s core group if they establish a firm foothold in the NBA this season.
Bagley was re-signed on a three-year, $37MM deal this summer, while Knox received a two-year, $6MM contract after passing through two organizations. Hayes is entering his third year with the Pistons and projects as the second-unit floor leader.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers announced the signing of forwards James Johnson and Bennie Boatwright and guards David Stockton and Gabe York on Friday. Hoops Rumors has learned Johnson was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract while Boatwright, Stockton and York signed Exhibit 10 deals. An Exhibit 9 contract must be for one season and for a minimum salary. Generally speaking, if a player only receives an Exhibit 9 clause and not an Exhibit 10, it signals he won’t be joining the team’s G League affiliate if he’s waived before the season begins. Johnson spent most of last season in Brooklyn, averaging 5.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 62 appearances (19.2 MPG).
- Lonzo Ball‘s recovery from his persistent knee issues remains fluid, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. The reason the Bulls haven’t officially put a timeline on Ball’s return is that they don’t really know when he’ll be back. Some days when Ball works out, everything seems fine. Other times, the knee flares up again. Ball, who hasn’t played since January, is doubtful for the start of the season.
- The Athletic’s Zach Harper gives the Pistons a B-plus grade for their offseason maneuvers. Adding point guard Jaden Ivey with their lottery pick, then trading for another to snare center Jalen Duren were the highlights of their offseason moves, with only the Knox addition ranking as a head-scratcher, according to Harper.