Wolves Sign Nathan Knight To Two-Way Deal
AUGUST 4: Knight’s two-way contract with the Timberwolves is now official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
AUGUST 3: The Timberwolves have agreed to a two-way deal with Nathan Knight, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Knight, a 6’10” undrafted free agent out of William & Mary, played well in limited minutes for the Hawks last season, showcasing impressive athleticism, motor, and rebounding, and even hitting six of his 33 threes over the course of the year.
Knight averaged 20.9 PPG and nearly 10 RPG in his final two years at William & Mary, and capped off an impressive senior year by being named CAA Player of the Year and CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
According to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North, the Wolves beat out the Thunder and Warriors to land Knight, who will join McKinley Wright IV as the Wolves’ second two-way contract.
Kings Sign Terence Davis To Two-Year Deal
AUGUST 6: The Kings have made it official with Davis, announcing his new deal in a press release.
“We are excited that Terence will remain a part of the Kings family,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “His combination of scoring, defense, athleticism and energy are integral parts of our team. “We are thrilled to see Terence’s continued development in a Kings uniform.”
AUGUST 4: The Kings have reached an agreement with restricted free agent guard Terence Davis on a guaranteed two-year deal that will keep him in Sacramento, his agents at CAA Basketball tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 24-year-old came over to the Kings in a trade from the Raptors in March and played well in his 21 games coming off the bench, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG while shooting 37.2% on 5.4 three-point attempts per game in only 21.5 minutes a night. Davis’ defense has been at times erratic, but he has shown potential on that end as well.
After going undrafted in 2019, Davis put together a strong rookie season, including averaging 11.3 PPG in 17 MPG in the Raptors’ first-round playoff series against the Nets, and was rewarded with an All-Rookie Second Team selection a year ago.
Davis’ two-year deal is worth $8MM, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
That’s a far cry from the $9MM-per-year commitment Davis was rumored last month to be seeking, but as Scotto observes, it will put him on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, when he’s still just 26 years old.
Between the 6’4″, 201-pound Davis and rookie Davion Mitchell, the Kings are loading up on tough, physical guards who can shoot to round out their backcourt core of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Buddy Hield remains in the mix for now too, though he has been the subject of trade rumors.
Free Agency Rumors: Paul, Caruso, Birch, Green, Heat
The Pelicans offered Chris Paul a $100MM contract early in free agency, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on today’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst believes the Pelicans’ offer helped convince the Suns to add a fourth year to their offer — that fourth year is not guaranteed, but it’s not clear if New Orleans’ offer would have been fully guaranteed either.
According to Windhorst, after new Pelicans head coach Willie Green tried to help recruit him, Paul entertained the idea for some time before ultimately committing to the Suns.
On the same episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne stated that Alex Caruso was willing to go back to the Lakers for three years and $30MM, but that the Lakers weren’t willing to higher than about $7MM per year for the veteran guard. Concerns about an exorbitant luxury-tax penalty factored into that decision, per Shelburne.
We have more free agency rumors:
- Khem Birch could be nearing a return to the Raptors, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Grange reports that there’s “growing momentum” toward the two sides reaching a deal. The 28-year-old center was extremely productive in his 19 games for the Raptors after coming over in a trade, and has turned himself into a solid starting center over the last couple seasons.
- Add the Cavaliers to the list of teams interested in Danny Green, reports ESPN’s Jordan Schultz. Schultz also confirms, in a follow-up tweet, that the Lakers remain interested in a reunion with Green, which Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports previously reported. It doesn’t appear the Lakers will be able to offer Green more than the veteran’s minimum though.
- Following their deal with Victor Oladipo, the Heat remain interested in a low-cost veteran guard who will be healthy at the start of the season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), who names Lou Williams as a player who would “welcome” interest from the team.
Free Agency Rumors: D. Green, Hart, Cavs, Caruso, DeRozan
Free agent swingman Danny Green has been in contact with the Sixers multiple times over the past two days, according to Harrison Sanford, co-host of Green’s The Green Room podcast (Twitter link).
Sandford said that as of this afternoon, the two sides were nowhere close to a deal, and that the Bucks, Celtics, Bulls and Pelicans have all reached out as well. He adds in a separate tweet that Green has pre-existing relationships with both Ime Udoka of the Celtics and Mike Budenholzer of the Bucks from his time with the Spurs.
We have more free agency rumors:
- The Cavaliers have had some discussions about the possibility of a sign-and-trade for Pelicans restricted free agent forward Josh Hart, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Without a sign-and-trade agreement, Cleveland would be limited to offering Hart the full mid-level exception, which New Orleans would presumably match.
- Alex Caruso agreed to sign with the Bulls for four years, $37MM, and according to Zach Lowe of ESPN (hat tip to RealGM), the Lakers‘ offer to keep him was nowhere close to what was offered by Chicago. Ramona Shelburne added that – before Caruso agreed to his deal with the Bulls – the Timberwolves inquired about acquiring him in a sign-and-trade that would have included Marc Gasol, but didn’t have any luck.
- According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link), Bulls general manager Marc Eversley was crucial in securing a commitment from DeMar DeRozan, as the two had a long-standing relationship from when Eversley was the assistant general manager for the Raptors. The Bulls’ GM flew to Los Angeles to meet with DeRozan in person and had a “fruitful” two-hour meeting, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).
Jazz Sign Hassan Whiteside
AUGUST 6: The Jazz have made it official with Whiteside, announcing his deal in a press release.
“Hassan is one of the more physically gifted players in the game today and has a vast amount of valuable professional basketball experience,” Jazz GM Justin Zanik said in a statement. “We’re excited to add someone with his skillset and feel he’s a great fit with our current roster.”
AUGUST 3: The Jazz have agreed to a deal with free agent center Hassan Whiteside, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Whiteside is coming off his least productive season in seven years, having averaged 8.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 36 games (15.2 MPG) for Sacramento, but he remains a solid shot-blocker and rebounder, especially as a backup center.
The 32-year-old seven-footer signed a one-year deal with the Kings last year but could never get fully on track with his new team. The Jazz will be hoping that in Quin Snyder‘s system, backing up All-NBA center Rudy Gobert, Whiteside will be able to turn things around.
The Jazz recently traded reserve center Derrick Favors to the Thunder in a cost-cutting move, and Whiteside gives them some level of schematic continuity coming off the bench.
The Jazz are believed to be limited to minimum-salary deals after committing their taxpayer mid-level exception to Rudy Gay, so Whiteside’s deal figures to be worth the veteran’s minimum.
Hornets Sign Scottie Lewis, Arnoldas Kulboka
The Hornets have signed Scottie Lewis and Arnoldas Kulboka to two-way deals, per a team press release.
Lewis is a 6’5″ defensive specialist out of the University of Florida whom the Hornets selected 56th in this year’s draft. As a sophomore, Lewis averaged 7.9 PPG, 1.5 SPG and 1.0 BPG but failed to take much of a step forward as an offensive prospect. He is considered one of the better defensive and athletic players in this year’s draft.
Kulboka was the 55th pick in the 2018 draft and has been a draft-and-stash prospect since then. The 6’10” forward averaged 9.2 PPG and 4 RPG while shooting 42.5% from three on 4.6 attempts a night for Bilboa Basket, and has played for the Hornets during the past two Summer Leagues (2018/19 and 2019/20).
Lewis and Kulboka will supplant Nate Darling and Grant Riller as Charlotte’s two-way players.
Hornets Sign James Bouknight, Kai Jones
The Hornets have officially signed their two first-round picks, finalizing deals with former UConn guard James Bouknight and former Texas big man Kai Jones, according to a team press release.
Bouknight was taken with the 11th pick after averaging 18.7 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his sophomore season as an athletic shooting guard carrying a major offensive load. He showcased tough shot-making ability, elite athleticism and a nose for getting himself open off cuts and off-ball movement. The highlight of his season was a 40-point game against the ninth-ranked Creighton.
Jones, another sophomore, gained steam as a first-round pick throughout the season, and was at times even considered a potential lottery pick, due to his combination of athleticism, fluidity, and burgeoning offensive skillset, including a promising-looking jump shot. The Hornets traded a protected future first round pick to the Knicks to get the No. 19 pick to select Jones.
According to the team’s press release, Jones became just the fifth Bahamian player ever selected in the NBA draft.
Bouknight’s deal is expected to start at approximately $4.1MM and be worth approximately $19.1MM over its duration, while Jones’ is expected to start at around $2.7MM and will be worth approximately $13.4MM.
Knicks Notes: Fournier, Sims, Gibson, Bullock, Guarantees, Point Guards
In a story for The New York Post, Marc Berman describes how the Knicks came to terms with free agent Evan Fournier while the veteran wingman is in the midst of an Olympic run with the French national team. Berman writes that Fournier’s relationship with former Magic head coach Steve Clifford, a close friend of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, likely played a part in the Knicks’ decision to pursue the 6’7″ wing.
“I’d bet the Knicks signed him because Clifford raved to Thibs about how much Fournier wants to win and is about all the right things,’’ a source from Orlando told Berman. “Cliff says that Fournier is one of the toughest players — mentally and physically — that he’s ever coached.’’
We have more news from the Knicks:
- In a separate article, Berman writes that Jericho Sims, the athletic center out of Texas taken with the 58th pick, is likely to receive a two-way contract, thereby limiting him to a maximum of 50 games with the Knicks. Sims is set to play for the Knicks in Summer League.
- According to Ian Begley of SNY, Taj Gibson – who agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary contract to stay in New York – had significant interest around the league, but the Knicks sold him on his importance to their culture and the team’s development going forward.
- Begley also writes that the Knicks and Mavericks were interested in exploring a sign-and-trade for wing Reggie Bullock earlier in free agency, but that it’s unclear if such a deal has been pursued since Bullock committed to the Mavs.
- All of the contracts the Knicks agreed to on Monday — Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Evan Fournier — will be not fully guaranteed in their final year, Begley reports. Rose, Burks, and Noel will sign for three years apiece, while Fournier agreed to a four-year deal. Begley erroneously reported on Monday that Burks’ three-year deal was fully guaranteed.
- Finally, Begley writes that with the Knicks are interested in pursuing another point guard with their remaining cap space. Dennis Schroder and Reggie Jackson remain the two most prominent names on the point guard market.
Free Agency Roundup: Rose, Bjelica, Suns, Vanderbilt, Niang, Schroder
Derrick Rose had received interest from the Pelicans, Wizards, Bulls, and Heat before re-signing with the Knicks, write Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of USA Today. The USA Today adds that Kyle Lowry signing with the Heat helped usher Rose back to the Knicks and coach Tom Thibodeau. Rose agreed to a three-year, $43MM deal on Monday.
In the same piece, Zillgitt and Medina write that five other teams considered signing Nemanja Bjelica with their mid-level exception, but Bjelica prioritized signing with the Warriors instead. Bjelica agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum earlier today.
We have more free agency rumors:
- The Suns have two or three roster spots available, and according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, they expect to fill those spots with another big man, a ball-handler, and a wing. Gambadoro adds that JaVale McGee‘s agreed-upon deal will use part of the non-tax payer mid-level exception, leaving the remainder for another move.
- Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reports that the Timberwolves have met with RFA Jarred Vanderbilt. The 6’9 power forward is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 5.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.2 APG and providing an interesting blend of defense and play-making from the forward spot.
- Georges Niang may be on the Sixers‘ radar as a backup power forward, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Niang has had a productive last three years for the Jazz, and would give the Sixers another shooter in the frontcourt.
- Dennis Schröder was seeking $25MM a year when free agency started, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Now that Schröder is one of the last point guards left on the market, it’s unclear how much that number has come down.
Cavaliers Sign Evan Mobley To Rookie Contract
The Cavaliers have officially signed No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley, per a team press release.
The former Trojan averaged 16.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 2.9 BPG in his lone season at USC, showcasing impressive versatility on both ends of the floor. His combination of ball handling and passing ability, flashes of shooting potential, and general defensive dominance firmed up his status as a top-three pick early in the year.
The Cavaliers, after agreeing to sign Jarrett Allen to a five-year, $100MM contract, are locking in their long-term core around Mobley, Allen, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton.
Mobley’s rookie contract is expected to start at around $8.075MM in year one, and the deal is expected to pay him upwards of $36.6MM through its duration.