Pacers Waive Samson Johnson
The Pacers have waived Samson Johnson, according to the NBA.com’s transaction log.
Johnson signed his Exhibit 10 contract with Indiana on September 23, though the deal had reportedly been agreed to near the end of June.
The 6’10” forward played four years for UConn, winning two national championships in 2023 and 2024. In his senior year, he averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game.
Johnson went undrafted earlier this year, then played in two games for the Pacers’ Summer League team, scoring six points and collecting two blocks in 16 total minutes.
This move lets the Pacers to keep Johnson in their system, and will allow him to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he stays with Indiana’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Bloom, for 60 days or more.
Lakers Waive Jarron Cumberland, Sign Tevian Jones
The Lakers have waived Jarron Cumberland to make room to sign Tevian Jones, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Cumberland signed his Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers on Thursday after Los Angeles waived forward Arthur Kaluma to make room on the roster for him. The terms of Jones’ deal weren’t reported, but it will almost certainly also be an Exhibit 10 as well.
Jones, a 6’7″ guard, went undrafted in 2023 after five years of college, two with Illinois and the final three with Southern Utah. He averaged 17.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his senior season.
The 25-year-old played for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2024/25, averaging 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in the G League regular season, with a shooting line of .415/.346/.732.
Jones was previously signed and waived by the Pelicans in 2023. If he’s cut prior to the start of this season, he will be eligible to join the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Jones would earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he sticks with the team for 60 days or more — Cumberland and Kaluma will be eligible for the same deal.
Nuggets Waive Javante McCoy, Justyn Hamilton
The Nuggets have waived Javante McCoy and Justyn Hamilton, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
Denver’s signing of McCoy to an Exhibit 10 deal was reported on September 21. The 6’5″ guard has spent the last three seasons in the G League after a five-year career with Boston University. He averaged 10.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season for the Motor City Cruise while shooting 25% from three.
The signing of Hamilton hadn’t been previously reported, though earlier today, the Oklahoma City Blue and Grand Rapids Gold, G League affiliates of the Thunder and Nuggets, respectively, completed a deal that sent Hamilton to the Gold for the rights to Andrew Funk and a second-round pick.
Hamilton was presumably signed and waived by Denver in order to ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he reports to the Gold and spends at least 60 days with the G League team.
Hamilton played 26 games for the Blue last season, averaging 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per contest.
Sixers Sign Saint Thomas
The Sixers have signed Saint Thomas to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer (via Twitter).
The 22-year-old forward played four games for Philadelphia during the Las Vegas Summer League in July, averaging 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per contest after going unselected in the 2025 draft.
Thomas played his senior year at USC after starting his collegiate career at Loyola Chicago and transferring to Northern Colorado for his junior season. In his final year, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 points, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the floor and 30.3% from beyond the arc.
Thomas’ Exhibit 10 deal will make him eligible to earn a bonus of up to $85,300 if he is cut and spends at least 60 days with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
Clippers Waive TyTy Washington, Zach Freemantle, Taylor Funk
The Clippers have waived TyTy Washington Jr., Zach Freemantle, and Taylor Funk, according to the NBA.com transaction log.
Washington was signed in early August to an Exhibit 10 deal, and it was subsequently reported that he received the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus of $85,300 in the deal, which pointed to him ending up with the team’s G League affiliate in San Diego if he didn’t get converted into a two-way deal.
Washington, the 29th pick in the 2022 draft, has played for the Rockets, Bucks, and Suns in his three years in the NBA, holding career averages of 3.3 points and 1.2 assists in 10.5 minutes per game. Still just 23 years old, the 6’3″ guard out of Kentucky has struggled to find consistency with his shot in limited minutes, though he scored efficiently in the G League.
The Clippers signed Freemantle to an Exhibit 10 deal on September 10 as the 21st member of the team’s offseason roster. He previously played five seasons at Xavier, posting averages of 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in his age-24 season before going undrafted earlier this year.
The signing of Funk had not been previously reported, which would indicate that he was offered a sign-and-waive deal in order to ensure he gets a bonus for joining the team’s G League affiliate.
The 27-year-old forward was a six-year collegiate player, spending five years with St. Joseph’s before ending his career with Utah State. He averaged 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 37% from three and 90% from the free throw line in his final season. He was previously signed and waived by the Celtics in 2023 and the Wizards in 2024.
All three players will be eligible for their Exhibit 10 bonuses if they stay with the San Diego Clippers for 60 days or more.
Raptors Sign Jared Rhoden
The Raptors have signed Jared Rhoden, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (via Twitter). The terms of the deal were not reported, though it’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 contract.
Rhoden, 22, was previously with the Raptors on a two-way contract, but was waived in July while recovering from a torn labrum in his right shoulder that limited his time with the team.
The 6’6″ guard played 10 games for Toronto last season, averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 32.4% from three. He had previously played for the Pistons and Hornets from 2022-24.
Rhoden is the 21st and final player on the Raptors’ training camp roster. He will fight for a spot with the team, and if waived, will be eligible for a bonus of up to $85,300 should he stay with the Raptors 905 (Toronto’s G League team) for at least 60 days.
Sixers Notes: George, Embiid, Grimes, Edgecombe
The Sixers are already starting training camp without prized sophomore Jared McCain, who recently sustained a torn thumb ligament, and it looks like they will also be without star wing Paul George, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (subscriber link). George told reporters at Philadelphia’s media day on Friday that he won’t be a full participant in camp.
Jones writes that George is still working his way back from the knee injury that required surgery in June, though he is apparently reaching the final stages of his recovery process. According to George, he has done almost everything except for full-contact gameplay, and the next few weeks will be critical for understanding his timeline.
“I’m feeling stronger and stronger,” George said. “I feel a lot better now than I did at this point last year.”
When it comes to his on-court outlook, George has said that he’s “very comfortable playing at the four spot this year,” according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).
That willingness to play power forward could be important for a team light on that position in the depth chart. Outside of George, the team only has Trendon Watford and two-way player Jabari Walker to man the four. George notes that the ball-handling and play-making he brings could be very valuable at the power forward position.
We have more from the Sixers:
- Joel Embiid is feeling “pretty good” as he works to return from his knee injury, but there is still no specific timeline for his return, as Jeff Borzello for ESPN and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix write. “Obviously the goal is to play consistently and not be the position that we were last year.” Embiid said. “… I want to play every single game. I’ve been pretty unlucky when it comes to that compared to most NBA players. When you get to the point where I was last year where it was so unpredictable, it sucks. It is mentally draining.” When it comes to managing Embiid’s health, president Daryl Morey said, “The doctors’ advice, what Joel said on listening to his body, which is a big component on how doctors manage injuries — that’s going to be what carries the day this year.”
- Despite the public reports of a significant gap in negotiations between the Sixers and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, Morey said he’s feeling optimistic about the partnership, Borzello writes. “I think we will get to a resolution in the next few days, hopefully,” Morey said. “But we’re excited to bring him back. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, now and into the future, if we can get things resolved.”
- Sixers head coach Nick Nurse indicated that No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe will get a chance to play a role for the team as a rookie, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (via Twitter). “I think success for him this year is minutes. How many minutes did he play? Because we need to let him play through the ups and downs,” Nurse said, adding that Edgecombe has been working hard on his shooting since being drafted. With McCain set to miss the beginning of the season, Edgecombe will have a chance to earn some playing time early on. Capitalizing on that opportunity could be an important part of his season’s trajectory.
Hawks Waive Kobe Johnson, Lamont Butler, Malik Williams
The Hawks announced today that they have requested waivers on Lamont Butler, Kobe Johnson, and Malik Williams, writes Caleb Johnson for 929 The Game (via Twitter). With the move, Atlanta has finalized its 18-man training camp roster.
Johnson was officially signed to his Exhibit 10 deal just over two weeks ago, and Butler and Williams were signed two days ago. Having been signed and waived by Atlanta, the three players will be eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 apiece if they spend at least 60 days with the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. College Park acquired Williams’ returning rights earlier this month.
Johnson, brother of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, went undrafted earlier this year after averaging 7.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game with a .464/.362/.704 shooting line for UCLA as a senior.
Butler, a 6’2″ guard who played his final college season at Kentucky, averaged 11.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG while shooting 39.1% from three as a fifth-year senior. He also went undrafted in June.
Williams played five seasons for Louisville. The 6’11” center averaged 9.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG in his final season before going undrafted in 2022. He appeared in seven games with the Raptors in 2023/24.
Mavericks Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
September 26: Robinson-Earl is officially a Maverick, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
September 21: The Mavericks are in the process of signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a training camp deal, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While Stein doesn’t specify the terms, the deal will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract.
Robinson-Earl is a four-year NBA veteran who has spent two seasons with the Thunder and two with the Pelicans after being drafted 32nd overall by the Knicks, who were selecting on behalf of Oklahoma City.
He played a career-high 66 games for New Orleans last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per night while shooting 34.1% from three.
This would mark the 21st and final training camp roster spot the Mavs have to offer. Dallas has a good amount of depth at the big man positions, with Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Dwight Powell all expected to play rotation roles at the four and/or five.
Stein notes (via Twitter) the lack of roster space for Robinson-Earl, but adds that the 24-year-old chose to accept a non-guaranteed offer from Dallas rather than going overseas, where there was interest in his services.
Heat Extension Notes: Herro, Jovic, Powell
The Heat are operating in something of a middle ground from a competitive standpoint in their first full season of the post-Jimmy Butler era. They were able to land Norman Powell via trade while sending out Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson, who were unlikely to play major roles for the team, but have otherwise had a relatively quiet offseason.
However, there are still some big decisions to be made, as Ira Winderman explores for the South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link). Tyler Herro, who recently underwent ankle surgery, is extension-eligible, as are Powell and Nikola Jovic.
As Winderman writes, the window for the Heat and Herro to come to an agreement will be open for less than three weeks, from October 1-20. The 25-year-old, who is under contract through 2026/27, is coming off his first All-Star selection after averaging a career-highs of 23.9 points and 5.5 assists while playing a career-best 77 games.
A maximum extension for Herro would come out to three years and $149.8MM. While Herro has been a productive, hard-working player throughout his time in Miami, Winderman notes that the team has always appeared more committed to Bam Adebayo as a cornerstone than Herro.
Ultimately, Winderman predicts that unless Herro budges off his max number, the two sides will not reach an agreement before the extension deadline. However, he believes that there will be plenty of willingness to find a deal that works for both sides in future offseasons.
When it comes to Jovic, Winderman observes that there’s no argument for him commanding a deal in the same range of Herro or Adebayo, but that locking in guaranteed long-term money somewhere in the neighborhood of the mid-level – such as a deal worth between $50-60MM over four years – could appeal to both sides.
Jovic would get security with the team and not have to risk restricted free agency, which has a tendency to squeeze less-established young players, and if he can prove himself to be a fifth starter or even one of the first players off the bench, the extension could become a team-friendly contract for Miami.
Finally, there’s Powell. He’s by no means a seamless fit next to Herro in the backcourt, assuming both start, which is not guaranteed. There’s also the locker-room issue of potentially signing Powell to an extension while not signing Herro, which could rankle the Heat lifer.
The Heat also may want to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible for 2026, when Terry Rozier‘s big expiring contract will also come off the books.
These factors have Winderman leaning no on a Powell extension, unless the Heat extend or trade Herro. However, Winderman notes that should Powell break out for the team with Herro recovering from surgery, that would improve his chances of landing a long-term deal.
This lines up with previous reporting from Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson, who indicated that the Heat would be open to the possibility of an extension if Powell starts the season well. Unlike Herro and Jovic, he’ll remain extension-eligible beyond opening night, all the way until June 30, 2026.