Knicks Sign MarJon Beauchamp To Two-Way Deal
March 4: The Knicks have officially signed Beauchamp to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
March 3: The Knicks are adding MarJon Beauchamp on a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Beauchamp was waived by the Clippers on Saturday in order to promote Jordan Miller to a standard contract. The Knicks opened up a pair of two-way slots by waiving Matt Ryan and Jacob Toppin on Sunday.
The 24th overall pick in 2022, Beauchamp has struggled to establish himself as a reliable NBA rotation player. He has averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 129 career contests (11.2 MPG).
The 6’7″ forward spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Bucks, then was traded from Milwaukee to Los Angeles at the deadline in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr. Beauchamp came off the bench in 26 contests with the Bucks this season before he was dealt and made three limited appearances with the Clippers.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), he’s eligible to be active for 12 of the Knicks’ 22 remaining regular-season games.
Kevin McCullar holds the Knicks’ other two-way contract.
David Roddy Signs Two-Way Deal With Rockets
March 4: The Rockets have officially signed Roddy to a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
March 3: David Roddy has agreed on a two-way contract with the Rockets, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Houston opened up a two-way spot by promoting Jeenathan Williams to a standard four-year, $8.2MM contract over the weekend.
Roddy didn’t last long as a free agent after he was waived by the Sixers on Saturday. Roddy signed a two-way deal with Philadelphia last month after a 10-day contract with the Sixers expired. He played three games with Philadelphia, averaging 6.0 points in 9.7 minutes per contest.
Roddy began the season with Atlanta, but was placed on waivers so the Hawks could complete a two-for-one deal with the Clippers at the trade deadline. Before being released, he appeared in 27 games, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.8 minutes per night.
The Sixers selected Roddy with the 23rd pick in 2022, but traded him to Memphis on draft night. He was sent to Phoenix in a three-team deal at the 2024 deadline and then shipped to Atlanta in an offseason trade.
Roddy, who turns 24 later this month, has averaged 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17 minutes per game during his 165-game NBA career.
He’ll add depth to a frontcourt that’s been a little banged up recently. A handful of forwards and centers are listed as questionable for Monday’s game against Oklahoma City.
Celtics Add Miles Norris On Two-Way Deal
March 4: Norris’ two-way contract with the Celtics is now official, according to a press release from the team.
March 2: The Celtics are signing forward Miles Norris to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Norris, who has yet to make his NBA debut, has been playing for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle. In 36 games combining his Showcase Cup and regular-season appearances, Norris is averaging 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.6 minutes per contest.
Norris went undrafted in 2023 after playing at UC Santa Barbara. He signed a two-way contract with the Hawks prior to last season but was waived in December. He then joined the Hawks’ G League team in College Park, where he averaged 11.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 45 games.
Norris participated in the Grizzlies’ training camp this past fall after signing a camp deal, but was waived prior to the season.
Boston opened up a two-way spot on Sunday by waiving rookie forward Anton Watson.
Kyrie Irving Suffers Left Knee Injury
[Update: Upon further evaluation, Irving’s knee injury has been diagnosed as a season-ending ACL tear.]
Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain in Monday’s game against Sacramento, according to ESPN News Services.
The injury occurred during the first quarter. Irving drove between defenders DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas in the lane and fell to the court. He grabbed at his left knee and was down face-first for a few minutes.
DeRozan was called for a reach-in foul on the play and Irving managed to make two free throws before being helped to the locker room.
It’s another brutal blow for the Mavericks, who have been hit by a wave of injuries since the controversial trade of Luka Doncic. Anthony Davis suffered an adductor strain in his first game with Dallas and remains sidelined. Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford and Caleb Martin are also on the mend.
Irving came into the contest averaging 25.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 49 games. He’s reached the 30-point mark in five games since the Doncic trade.
To make matters worse, Jaden Hardy exited the game during the second half with a right ankle sprain, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets. The Mavs were blown out, 122-98.
If Irving needs to miss significant time, Spencer Dinwiddie will likely absorb the bulk of his minutes.
Southwest Notes: Williams, Olynyk, Williams Jr., Mavs Ticket Prices
The four-year, $8.2MM contract that Jeenathan Williams signed on Sunday after getting promoted by the Rockets from his two-way deal is only guaranteed for the remainder of this season, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Williams’ teammates were well aware of his addition to the 15-man roster.
“As soon as I walked in the gym, they, like, they stampeded me and all gave me hugs and like, saying congrats. So it was a dope moment,” he told Lerner (Twitter link).
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Veteran big man Kelly Olynyk, acquired from Toronto in the Brandon Ingram trade, continues to shine for the Pelicans. He scored a season-high 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting in a win over the Jazz on Sunday night. “It’s rare,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said about Olynyk’s skill set, per John Coon of The Associated Press. “He’s seven feet. Can shoot the ball. Put it on the floor. Can post. Can rebound. Can pass. He’s smart defensively. He knows when to switch. He’s good with angles. He’s a great addition to our group.” Olynyk will have one year and $13.4MM remaining on his contract after this season. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in five games with the Pelicans.
- Grizzlies guard Vince Williams Jr. says he’s not quite fully recovered from the Grade 3 ankle sprain he suffered in November, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Williams says he’s at “about 80 percent,” but feels good and is hoping to hit his stride when other guys around the league may be wearing down. Williams has appeared in seven games since the injury but has been limited to 20 minutes per game.
- Mavericks fans were infuriated by the Luka Doncic trade. Now, they have an additional reason to be upset. They’ll have to pay more money to watch the team next season, as the franchise is raising season-ticket prices. The team said season tickets will go up by an average of 8.61% next season and the increase is due to “ongoing investments in the team and fan engagement,” according to ESPN News Services.
Southeast Notes: Okogie, McClung, Ware, Robinson, Mitchell
Hornets forward Josh Okogie has begun individual on-court workouts as he continues to rehab a left hamstring strain, the team’s PR department tweets. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Okogie has been sidelined since late January. He had given Charlotte a boost after being acquired earlier that month, averaging 10 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.4 assists in 21.3 minutes per game over seven appearances.
Okogie was traded from Phoenix to Charlotte as part of the Nick Richards deal. A rotation regular with Phoenix for two-and-a-half seasons, Okogie played 25 games with the Suns this season. He’s in the first year of a two-year, $16MM contract, which includes a non-guaranteed salary of $7.75MM next season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Three-time dunk contest winner Mac McClung suffered a broken right thumb while playing for the NBA G League’s Osceola Magic on Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. McClung, who is averaging 21.1 points in the G League while on a two-way contract with the Magic, plans to play through the injury, according to Charania.
- Heat rookie big man Kel’el Ware was sidelined on Monday against the Wizards due to a sprained left knee. It’s the first game he has missed with an injury or illness since sitting out the Heat’s Dec. 2 loss to the Celtics due to right foot tendinitis, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Ware was benched for virtually all of the fourth quarter in an overtime loss to the Knicks on Sunday, then played three-plus minutes in OT. “Every game I sit back, I watch it, I try to learn from it and see where I can get better,” Ware said. “So it’s a developmental process.” Ware underwent an MRI on his knee, which showed no structural damage, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets.
- Duncan Robinson had a combined 44 points and 11 assists in two Heat victories prior to being held to 10 points and five assists in 32 minutes on Sunday. Robinson can become a free agent this upcoming summer by terminating next season’s $19.9MM salary by June 29. If Robinson opts in for 2025/26, the Heat could make him a free agent by waiving him by July 8 — in that scenario Miami would only be on the hook for $9.9MM. However, Robinson’s strong play may make that a difficult choice, Chiang notes. “He’s really improved in all aspects,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
- Heat guard Davion Mitchell has been receiving heavy minutes in nine appearances since being acquired in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster. Mitchell has averaged 10.1 points, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 53.9 percent from the field in 33.1 minutes per game. “We want to encourage him to continue to be more aggressive,” Spoelstra said, per Chiang. “I think he still can be a guy who can generate some easy opportunities when he touches the paint. He’s a very willing passer, he wants to get guys involved, he wants to get our main guys the ball almost to a fault. We’ll clean that all up. But I like his game when he’s assertive because he has the right intentions to move the ball.”
Wizards Claim JT Thor Off Waivers
The Wizards have claimed forward JT Thor off waivers, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Thor, who was on a two-way contract, was waived by the Cavaliers over the weekend. Washington opened up a two-way slot on Monday by promoting Justin Champagnie and giving him a standard four-year deal.
Thor, 22, was the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Auburn and spent three seasons with the Hornets before signing a two-way contract with Cleveland in September.
The 6’9″ forward was a regular in Charlotte, appearing in 165 total games as a Hornet, but played a limited role for the Cavaliers this season, appearing in just nine games and averaging 4.7 minutes per night. He was effective in his rare appearances, compiling 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 42 total minutes.
Thor also saw action in 24 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, averaging 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest, with an underwhelming shooting line of .434/.276/.762.
Wizards Mulled Reacquiring Bradley Beal Last Month
The Wizards contemplated reacquiring Bradley Beal prior to the trade deadline, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.
In their failed quest to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat, the Suns desperately tried to find a third team that would take Beal’s maximum-salary contract, since Miami was unwilling to do so. With Phoenix operating over the second apron, the only way it could pull off that trade and retain Kevin Durant and Devin Booker was to trade Beal. Butler, of course, wound up getting dealt to the Warriors.
Washington sent Beal to the Suns in the summer of 2023. The previous year, Washington signed Beal to five-year extension with a no-trade clause, which he waived in that deal.
However, Beal balked at waiving the clause before this year’s deadline, so even if the Wizards, Suns, and Heat had figured out a trade construction that sent him to Washington and Butler to Phoenix while appeasing all three teams, Beal may not have signed off.
It’s unknown exactly what type of enticements the Wizards were seeking to take on Beal’s contract. They felt one potential incentive for Beal to return to Washington was that he could have become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He racked up 15,391 points with the Wizards, 160 points behind Elvin Hayes.
Previous reporting from ESPN stated that the Wizards and Hawks were the only two teams to consider the idea of acquiring Beal at the trade deadline.
Beal, who has two years left on his contract, averaged 23.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in seven February games but the Suns went 1-6 in those contests. He returned to action on Sunday after missing two games with tightness in his left calf.
Pistons Notes: Duren, Thompson, Cunningham, Turnaround
Jalen Duren, who can sign a rookie scale extension this offseason, has become a steady force inside for the Pistons. Duren is averaging a double-double this season thanks to a strong February in which he posted 13.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. In his first March game on Saturday, Duren powered for 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high six blocks against the Nets.
“Consistency. We are seeing the talent we believe has always been there. But now he’s found a way and it’s the most difficult thing to do in this league,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The separator in this league is, do you have 10 good games a year, do you have 30 good games a year, can you do it all the way to 82 games or whatever it may be? He’s put a run together where he’s been dominant on both ends of the floor.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Detroit has continued to thrive despite the loss of starting guard Jaden Ivey in early January. Ausar Thompson has stepped into the lineup and given the club a different dimension. In 28 starts, the second-year wing is averaging 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 23.3 minutes per game. Thompson’s defensive prowess is a product of preparation. “He does a great job of watching film and studying guys, understanding our system, how he can be most impactful,” Bickerstaff said. “But with a guy like him, you just kind of unleash him. You don’t give him too many rules. We’re so confident in what he’s able to do naturally. We just tell him to go eliminate guys, and so far, he’s done a great job of being able to do that.”
- In a lengthy feature, The Ringer’s Mirin Fader examines how Cade Cunningham has bounced back from the worst season in franchise history to engineering the league’s biggest surprise. His leadership qualities have shined through, according to his teammates. “There’s been games at halftime where he’s come in and said, ‘I got to be better’ when you don’t even think he does need to be better,” Malik Beasley said.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa examines five reasons for the team’s stunning turnaround, including the hirings of general manager Trajan Langdon and Bickerstaff, the firing of Monty Williams, their success in free agency, and key momentum-building victories.
Rockets Convert Williams’ Two-Way To Standard Deal, Waive Zeller
9:00 pm: The moves are official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
7:48 pm: Jeenathan Williams is having his two-way contract converted by the Rockets into a standard four-year, $8.2MM deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Also known as Nate Williams, the swingman is in his third season. Williams has appeared in 35 NBA games in his career, including five games with Portland. Williams, who went undrafted out of Buffalo, was re-signed to a two-way contract in July.
This season, he’s seen action in eight games, averaging 3.6 points in 5.5 minutes per contest. In 17 appearances with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G League, Williams has averaged 20.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 30.7 minutes per game.
It remains to be seen how much of Williams’ new deal is guaranteed.
Houston is opening up a spot on the 15-man roster by waiving Cody Zeller, who had a non-guaranteed contract after this season, Charania adds in another tweet.
Zeller, 32, hasn’t played at all this season. In a salary-dump deal just before the February 6 deadline, the Hawks traded him and a 2028 second-round pick to Houston to move below the luxury tax threshold.
He had not been around the team since the deal, via an arrangement between him and the team’s front office.
Zeller was signed to a multiyear contract by the Pelicans last offseason specifically to be used as a salary-matching piece in the Dejounte Murray trade. While he was technically a member of the Hawks for several months, he didn’t participate in training camp with Atlanta and agreed to remain away from the team.