Clippers Sign Ky Bowman
DECEMBER 1: The Clippers have officially signed Bowman, the team announced today in a press release.
NOVEMBER 25: The Clippers have reached an agreement with guard Ky Bowman, allowing him to compete for a roster spot in training camp next month, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It figures to be a minimum-salary contract, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times tweets. It also doesn’t sound like it’ll be fully guaranteed.
Bowman spent last season with the Warriors after going undrafted out of Boston College, averaging 7.4 points, 2.9 assists and 22.6 minutes in 45 games, including 12 starts.
Bowman had his two-way contract converted into a multiyear standard deal in February, but only the 2019/20 salary was guaranteed. As a result, Golden State was able to waive him last week without being on the hook for any additional money.
NBA Postpones All-Star Weekend In Indianapolis
The NBA and Pacers have postponed All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, which was originally set to be held from February 12-14 in 2021, the league announced in a press release today.
The events have been re-scheduled for February 16-18, 2024, with the All-Star Game scheduled to commence on February 18. Plans for a revised 2021 All-Star Weekend will be announced at a later date.
“While we are disappointed that the NBA All-Star Game will not take place in Indianapolis in 2021, we are looking forward to the Pacers and the city hosting the game and surrounding events in 2024,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “I want to thank [Pacers owner] Herb Simon, Steve Simon, Rick Fuson and the entire Pacers organization as well as the NBA All-Star 2021 Host Committee and the community of Indianapolis for working with us to reschedule our All-Star activities.”
Following 2021, Cleveland is set to host All-Star Weekend in 2022, with Salt Lake City hosting the events in 2023. The 2024 event would mark the second All-Star Game hosted by Indianapolis, with the first being held back in 1985.
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring Indiana the very best All-Star experience in 2024,” Simon said. “The efforts of so many Hoosiers to prepare for NBA All-Star 2021 put us ahead of the game for the hard work to come, and we are so grateful to the NBA for once again recognizing Indianapolis as a city that delivers world-class events.”
Nuggets Sign Greg Whittington To Two-Way Deal
2:26pm: Whittington’s two-way deal is now official, per a press release from the Nuggets.
2:02pm: The Nuggets are signing free agent forward Greg Whittington to a two-way contract, agent Jerry Dianis told Hoops Rumors. Denver finalized the agreement with Whittington on Tuesday, making him the second two-way player on the team’s roster, alongside Markus Howard.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Whittington, a versatile 6’9″ forward, spent the past two seasons playing overseas in Turkey and Israel. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 14 EuroCup contests with Galatasaray last season, shooting 52.8% from behind the arc.
Prior to reaching an agreement with the Nuggets, Whittington turned down multiple offers from interested NBA and EuroLeague teams, his agent said.
“We chose this team because it was abundantly obvious that Greg has an immediate pathway to playing time for a championship-caliber team,” Dianis explained, “and that gives him the chance to significantly increase his future value.”
Denver lost forwards Jerami Grant (Pistons), Torrey Craig (Bucks), and Keita Bates-Diop (Spurs) this month, creating an appealing fit for Whittington on the team. The 27-year-old, who can play and defend multiple positions, is expected to provide frontcourt depth for a club that reached the Western Conference Finals this past season.
Two-way rules have been tweaked for 2020/21, allowing players to be activated for 50 of their teams’ 72 games, rather than being limited to 45 days spent in total. In addition, players will receive flat salaries of $449K, rather than receive a salary based on how many NBA days they played. Denver is one of two NBA teams without a G League affiliate — the other being Portland.
Whittington went undrafted back in 2015 after spending two seasons at Georgetown. He later joined the Heat for Summer League, attended training camp in the fall, and helped the team’s G League affiliate win a championship that season. In addition to Turkey, he’s also made stops in Australia, Sioux Falls, Japan and Israel.
We first reported on Saturday that the Nuggets were the favorites to sign Whittington.
Hornets Re-Sign Bismack Biyombo
NOVEMBER 30: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
NOVEMBER 22: The Hornets have reached an agreement with center Bismack Biyombo, bringing him back for a third straight season, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes tweets. Biyombo’s deal will be for one year, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer
Biyombo holds nine years of NBA experience, making past stops with Charlotte, Toronto and Orlando. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Hornets before signing with the Raptors, where he averaged 6.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during the 2016 NBA playoffs.
This past season, the 28-year-old held per-game averages of 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 19.4 minutes in Charlotte. At 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, Biyombo was the No. 7 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.
Charlotte has made several notable moves in free agency, including drafting LaMelo Ball at No. 3 and reaching a four-year, $120MM deal with Gordon Hayward. The team finished with the tenth-best record in the East at 23-42 last season.
Clippers Re-Sign Marcus Morris To Four-Year Deal
NOVEMBER 25: The Clippers have officially announced the re-signing of Morris, via a team press release.
NOVEMBER 22: The Clippers and Marcus Morris have reached an agreement on a new contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran forward will sign a four-year, $64MM contract with the club.
Morris was one of Los Angeles’ top priorities this offseason, averaging 16.7 points and five rebounds per game last season with the Knicks and Clippers. He fit seamlessly alongside Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and others, adding three-point shooting and toughness on the defensive end.
Morris, who turned 31 in September, will likely remain in the team’s starting lineup next season. Prior to joining the Clippers, he held stints in Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, Boston and New York.
The Clippers had a disappointing playoff exit last season, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team has since fired Doc Rivers, overhauled its coaching staff under Tyronn Lue, and lost Montrezl Harrell to the rival Lakers in free agency.
In addition to reaching a deal with Morris, the Clippers also agreed to a new contract with veteran forward Patrick Patterson in free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wizards Sign Robin Lopez
NOVEMBER 22: Lopez’s deal is now official, per a press release from the Wizards. It’s worth $7.3MM for one year, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
NOVEMBER 20: The Wizards have agreed to a deal with free agent center Robin Lopez, marking their second transaction in free agency thus far, according to Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith (Twitter link).
The agreement is a one-year deal, Smith adds (via Twitter). The exact value isn’t clear, but it’ll be worth less than the full mid-level exception of $9.258MM, fitting into that MLE.
Lopez, 32, joins the Wizards after spending one season with the Bucks. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 14.5 minutes per game, seeing the least amount of playing time since the first few seasons of his career.
Lopez has played over 800 NBA games, making past stops with Phoenix, New Orleans, Portland, New York and Chicago. He’s expected to provide depth at center behind Thomas Bryant as the Wizards look to make a playoff push this season.
Washington had been searching for a defensive-minded back-up center, with Lopez holding 12 years of past NBA experience. The team also agreed to a five-year, $80MM deal with forward Davis Bertans on Friday.
Suns Sign Damian Jones
NOVEMBER 29: Jones’ signing is official, according to the RealGM Transactions Page. He only has a $350K partial guarantee in year one, with a non-guaranteed second season, per Dave King of The Bright Side (Twitter link).
NOVEMBER 22: The Suns have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent center Damian Jones, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jones will earn the veteran’s minimum, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Jones, 25, spent last season with the Hawks and was acquired in July of 2018 from Golden State. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Warriors, having been drafted by the team at No. 30 in 2016.
Jones played 55 games with Atlanta last season, averaging 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 16.1 minutes per contest. He’s expected to provide depth behind starting center Deandre Ayton in the frontcourt, with Phoenix seeking their first playoff berth since the 2009-10 season.
Over the past week, the Suns also traded for Chris Paul (in a deal that sent out Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ricky Rubio), agreed to sign Jae Crowder, and reached a deal to bring back Jevon Carter.
Nets Signing Jordan Bowden To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Nets have agreed to an Exhibit-10 deal with undrafted guard Jordan Bowden, according to Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio.
Bowden will attend training camp with the team after spending four seasons at Tennessee, averaging 13.7 points, four rebounds and one steal per game last year.
An Exhibit-10 contract, as Garcia explains, is considered a one-year deal worth the league minimum salary. However, the deal comes with a $50K bonus if the player doesn’t make the roster and plays for the team’s G League affiliate instead, which is the traditional route players take with this deal.
Bowden, 23, is a 6-foot-5 guard with impressive range and a physical style of play. He’ll attend a Nets camp that consists of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and others, with Brooklyn possessing one of the most talented teams in the league.
Magic Re-Sign Gary Clark To Two-Year Deal
NOVEMBER 23: The Magic have officially re-signed Clark, the team announced today in a press release.
NOVEMBER 21: The Magic have agreed to a new two-year contract with free agent forward Gary Clark, bringing him back for a second straight season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The agreement is worth $4.1MM, Wojnarowski adds, which suggests it’ll be worth slightly more than the minimum. The second year of the contract will include a team option, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.
Orlando tipped its hand that it wanted to bring back Clark but extending him a $1.82MM qualifying offer, which made him a restricted free agent.
The Magic signed Clark after the Rockets waived him in early January. Clark, 25, appeared in 24 games for Orlando, averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 14.8 MPG. Clark, who turned 26 earlier this week, played a total of 69 games with Houston after going undrafted out of Cincinnati.
Grizzlies Sign John Konchar To Four-Year Deal
NOVEMBER 22: The Grizzlies have made their deal with Konchar official, announcing it in a press release.
NOVEMBER 21: The Grizzlies are signing swingman John Konchar to a four-year, $9MM deal, agent Happy Walters told Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Konchar, 24, was on a two-way contract with the team last season, averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in his 19 games. He spent most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate, holding per-game averages of 12.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 29.1 minutes. He received a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies earlier this week that made him a restricted free agent.
In addition to Konchar, Memphis also agreed to a new four-year contract with De’Anthony Melton on Saturday, plus two-way deals with Killian Tillie and Sean McDermott earlier in the week. The team lost forward Josh Jackson to Detroit when free agency began Friday night.
Konchar went undrafted in 2019, signing a two-way contract with the Grizzlies shortly thereafter. He spent four seasons at Purdue University Fort Wayne from 2016-19.