Bucks Sign Tyler Smith To Four-Year Contract
JULY 6: Smith signed a four-year, $7.9MM contract that will be guaranteed for the first two seasons, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The $7.9MM total indicates that the forward will receive the rookie minimum salary, minimizing the impact on Milwaukee’s projected tax bill.
JULY 5: The Bucks have officially signed second-round pick Tyler Smith to his first NBA contract, the team announced today in a press release.
The Bucks didn’t reveal any additional details, but the league’s transaction log indicates it’s a standard deal rather than a two-way, which is no surprise for a No. 33 overall pick. Milwaukee will have used the second-round pick exception to complete the signing, which means it’ll be either a three-year or four-year contract — either way, there will be a team option on the final season.
Smith, 19, was selected after spending the 2023/24 season with the G League Ignite. The 6’9″ forward averaged 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.2 minutes per game across 43 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Ignite. His shooting line was .474/.360/.732.
Smith spent time in the Overtime Elite program before joining the Ignite.
With Smith and first-rounder AJ Johnson now under contract and Delon Wright and Taurean Prince reportedly joining the team on free agent contracts, the Bucks project to have 14 roster spots filled. Of those 14 players, 12 are on guaranteed contracts, with A.J. Green on a non-guaranteed deal (until Monday) and Andre Jackson holding a partial guarantee.
Trade Rumors: DeRozan, Kings, Lakers, Grant, Cavs, Finney-Smith, Okoro, More
While the Kings are among the teams believed to have some interest in Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, there has been a growing sense entering the weekend that Sacramento is more focused on free agent forward DeMar DeRozan, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Earlier reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski named the Kings as a legitimate suitor for DeRozan, who would need to be acquired via sign-and-trade, with a third team likely taking on salary from Sacramento in the deal.
Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento (Twitter link) confirms there’s “mutual interest” between DeRozan and the Kings, while James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link) confirms Sacramento has talked to the Bulls about a sign-and-trade and suggests that a third team has been “lined up.”
However, there continues to be competition from rival suitors for the 34-year-old’s services, Ham adds. As John Hollinger of The Athletic writes, it also won’t be easy to construct a three-team trade that gets DeRozan the type of salary he wants, ensures the Bulls don’t take back much money, and has the Kings sending out enough assets to Chicago and a third team to incentivize them to make the deal.
Although there are other teams who could open up a little cap room, Detroit and Utah are the only two teams with significant space still available, and the Pistons are rumored to be keeping their room open for trade opportunities, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Chicago and Sacramento have been talking to Detroit in relation to a possible DeRozan deal.
Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- The Trail Blazers and Lakers have had conversations about Jerami Grant, but if the Blazers are going to send him to Los Angeles, they’d want both of the future first-round picks the Lakers can trade (2029 and 2031), along with matching salaries, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. The Lakers have been unwilling to meet that price and Portland isn’t in any rush to move its top forward, so the talks haven’t gotten far, Highkin writes, noting that – outside of Rui Hachimura – the Blazers wouldn’t have much interest in the players L.A. could put in a package for Grant.
- After Zach Lowe reported earlier today that Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is a possible trade target to watch for the Cavaliers, Scotto confirms that Cleveland likes Finney-Smith and has monitored him since Brooklyn acquired him in 2023. Scotto adds that Cavs restricted free agent Isaac Okoro is viewed as a potential sign-and-trade candidate (in general, not specifically for Finney-Smith).
- Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji and Sixers free agent KJ Martin are two trade candidates to keep an eye on, according to Scotto. Nnaji is beginning a four-year, $32MM contract after not playing a regular role in Denver last season, so his value on the market would be limited. As for Martin, his small cap hold could allow the Sixers to get creative by signing-and-trading him in order to take back more salary than they would be able to accommodate with the cap room they’ll have left over once their major signings are complete.
- Speaking of the Sixers, they’re on track to add Paul George as a straight free agent signing rather than in a sign-and-trade, according to Marc Stein at Substack. That comes as no surprise, since acquiring George via sign-and-trade would hard-cap Philadelphia at the first tax apron, potentially limiting the team’s flexibility for the rest of 2024/25.
Scotto’s Latest: Beasley, Hield, Nuggets, Martin, Pelicans, Mavs, Cavs
Coming off a season in which he made a career-high 41.3% of his three-point attempts, free agent swingman Malik Beasley was considered the Mavericks‘ Plan B for outside shooting help if they were unable to land Klay Thompson, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
With Dallas no longer in the mix for Beasley, the 27-year-old sharpshooter is receiving interest from the Pelicans, who like the idea of having him stretching the floor alongside Zion Williamson, league sources tell Scotto.
Meanwhile, the Pistons “flirted” with potentially offering Buddy Hield a one-year contract and have considered doing the same for Beasley, Scotto writes, but for now Detroit wants to keep its salary cap space open for trade purposes, since the team is well positioned to take on an unwanted contract or two and receive draft assets for its trouble.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- The Nuggets and Heat were among the teams to express interest in Hield before he agreed to join the Warriors, per Scotto. However, neither team could realistically match the $8.7MM starting salary Hield got from Golden State. Denver is shopping in free agency with its $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception in the hopes of adding a player who can help fill the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope-sized hole in the team’s rotation, Scotto notes.
- When he declined his $7.1MM player option with Miami, Caleb Martin was hoping for a deal worth at least the full mid-level exception ($12.9MM) and possibly more than that, sources tell HoopsHype, but nothing has materialized so far. The Sixers are among the teams with interest in Martin, but his asking price would have to drop for that to be realistic, according to Scotto.
- While the Pelicans continue to peruse the trade market for centers – with Wendell Carter of the Magic among the targets on their radar – veteran big man Daniel Theis has been linked to New Orleans as a possible cheaper option in free agency, Scotto writes.
- The Mavericks, in the market for one more guard, have considered a possible reunion with Spencer Dinwiddie or Dennis Smith Jr., according to Scotto, who hears that Malachi Flynn is another playing Dallas is considering if Dinwiddie and Smith end up elsewhere.
- Johnnie Bryant (Knicks), Jared Dudley (Mavericks), and Trevor Hendry (Nets) are among the coaches the Cavaliers are eyeing as possible assistants for Kenny Atkinson‘s staff, Scotto reports. Bryant was close with Donovan Mitchell from their days in Utah together, while Dudley and Hendry were with Atkinson in Brooklyn (Dudley as a player, Hendry as a staffer).
Western Notes: Carter, Suns, Nunez, Thunder, Jazz
Kings first-round pick Devin Carter will miss both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues due to a left shoulder injury, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required).
General manager Monte McNair acknowledged after drafting Carter last week that the former Providence guard was dealing with a shoulder ailment and said the Kings’ doctors would be taking a closer look at it. While the injury will keep Carter out of action this month, McNair expressed confidence that it’s “not a long-term issue.”
The No. 13 overall pick told The Sacramento Bee that he suffered the injury in a pre-draft workout. Asked if he’s feeling pain or discomfort, Carter replied, “I’m feeling fine. I just want to get the team doctor’s opinion and go from there.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Within a story grading the Suns‘ re-signing of Damion Lee, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports says the team remains interested in bringing back Josh Okogie on a new deal worth more than the minimum. Phoenix currently has just one open spot on its 15-man roster, but Bourguet hears from a source that waiving a player like David Roddy or Nassir Little might be a possibility if Okogie is re-signed and another top free agent target (possibly Kyle Lowry) is available. I’d be pretty shocked if the Suns cut Little, who has three guaranteed years left on his contract, but Roddy isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond this season.
- Spurs second-round pick Juan Nunez appears unlikely to sign an NBA contract immediately. A report from Spanish outlet Encestando (hat tip to Sportando) suggests Nunez is on track to join Barcelona on a deal that will give him the option to leave for the NBA next summer. The Spanish point guard was the No. 36 selection in last week’s draft.
- In a pair of stories for The Oklahoman, Joel Lorenzi explores Isaiah Hartenstein‘s fit in Oklahoma City and examines what the Thunder‘s roster will look like after trading for Alex Caruso and adding Hartenstein in free agency. Lorenzi, who is projecting Caruso to start and Hartenstein to come off the bench, suggests the veteran center’s play-making and screening will help make the offense more versatile, which the Thunder could’ve used in this year’s playoffs.
- The Lauri Markkanen trade rumors are a reflection of the Jazz‘s awkward current position, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required). As Larsen details, if they hang onto Markkanen, the Jazz risk winning too many games next season to have a legitimate shot at landing a future star in the 2025 draft; but there are no guarantees they’ll be able to draft that future star even if they do trade him, and going that route would further delay their timeline for contending.
Warriors Notes: Hield, DeMarco, Thompson, Anderson
The Warriors conducted their recruitment of Buddy Hield while the veteran sharpshooter was in Valencia, Spain, where he’s looking to secure an Olympic berth for the Bahamian national team. According to reporting from The Athletic, Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco – who is the head coach for the Bahamas – served as a “helpful ally” for Golden State’s front office in those recruiting efforts.
Hield’s decision to join the Warriors had been trending in that direction for a couple days before he made up his mind, per The Athletic. A late Wednesday call from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr helped seal the deal for Hield, who slept on it before finalizing his decision on Thursday.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes within the same story, Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson are three veterans with varying skill sets who will help the Warriors solidify their rotation, but the club is still probably “a large move away from being considered any type of fringe contender.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- When the Warriors negotiated the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade with the Mavericks, they had the option of taking back Josh Green or another one of Dallas’ mid-sized contracts (likely Maxi Kleber), but they preferred to use the Thompson trade exception to go shopping in free agency for a player they liked more, sources tell Slater of The Athletic.
- While Anderson averaged 22.6 minutes per game during the regular season for Minnesota last season, his playing time declined to 15.4 MPG in the playoffs. Slater suggests that – as long as the Warriors’ roster is healthy – the forward’s playing time in Golden State may end up closer to that postseason average.
- Thompson took to Instagram on Friday to send a heartfelt farewell to Warriors fans and his longtime franchise. “Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y’all,” he said as part of a longer statement. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day one. … Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened. Until we meet again. Sea captain out.”
- Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic takes a closer look at the legacy Thompson leaves behind in the Bay Area following his 13 years and four championships with the Warriors.
And-Ones: Team USA, Bonuses, Summer League, Draft, Tavares
The members of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Paris this summer have arrived in Las Vegas, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Team USA will hold a pre-Olympic camp in Vegas from July 6-8 and will be joined by a 15-man Select Team for scrimmaging purposes.
Led by LeBron James (two Olympic gold medals, 20 All-Star berths) and Kevin Durant (three gold medals, 14 All-Star berths), the 12-man Olympic roster is as formidable as any team USA Basketball has fielded in the 21st century, with 84 combined All-Star nods. It will make picking a starting lineup a challenging task for head coach Steve Kerr.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said on Friday, per Reynolds. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Expect NBA teams to include unlikely incentives less frequently in player contracts going forward, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Those unlikely bonuses don’t count against the cap if they’re not earned, but they do count when determining a team’s position relative to the tax aprons, giving high-spending teams less wiggle room below those aprons. For instance, the Heat – who are operating in between the first and second aprons – would presumably prefer not to have to account for the $1.5MM unlikely bonus Tyler Herro would earn for winning Defensive Player of the Year.
- With the Bulls, Magic, Nets, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, and Hawks among the teams announcing their Summer League rosters on Friday, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points has updated his tracker of the Summer League squads from around the NBA.
- While no concrete decisions have been made yet about next year’s draft schedule, the expectation is that the NBA will want the second round (ie. the second day) to start in the evening instead of the afternoon, Marc Stein writes at his Substack. The second day of the 2024 draft began at 4:00 pm Eastern time on June 27 so as not to compete with the U.S. presidential debate that was scheduled for that evening.
- There had been some speculation in the spring that Walter Tavares might try to make an NBA comeback this summer, but the former Hawks and Cavaliers big man – who has been a star in Europe since 2017 – won’t be going anywhere, having signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced in a press release. The all-time EuroLeague blocks leader, Tavares has won a pair of EuroLeague championships with Madrid in 2018 and 2023.
2024/25 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker
Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry three extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. These players generally bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League, but remain under team control and can’t be poached by rival franchises.
First introduced in 2017, two-way deals have undergone some rule changes in recent years, and the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement has updated them further. Here are some key points to remember:
- Teams can now carry three players on two-way contracts, rather than two.
- Two-way players are eligible to be active for up to 50 of their team’s 82 regular season games. If a team isn’t carrying a full 15-man standard roster, its two-way players can only be active for a combined 90 games.
- Players on two-way contracts will earn $578,577 in 2024/25, half of the rookie minimum.
- Two-way contracts can’t be signed after March 4.
You can check out our glossary entry to learn more about two-way contracts.
NBA teams have begun to fill in their two-way slots for the 2024/25 league year, so we’ll track all those deals in the space below. Some two-way players from 2023/24 inked two-year contracts and remain under contract for this season, while others have been newly signed.
If a two-way signing has been reported by a trusted source but isn’t yet official, we’ll list it in italics and link to the report, updating the info as necessary. Players who are in the first year of two-way contracts that cover two years (the maximum length), will be noted with an asterisk (*) once that info is confirmed.
This tracker will continue to be updated throughout the 2024/25 league year, and can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.
Here are 2024/25’s two-way players:
Updated 4-13-25
Atlanta Hawks
- Keaton Wallace, G
- Daeqwon Plowden, G *
- Jacob Toppin, F
Boston Celtics
- Drew Peterson, F
- Miles Norris, F *
- Empty
Brooklyn Nets
- Reece Beekman, G
- Tosan Evbuomwan, F *
- Tyson Etienne, G
Charlotte Hornets
- KJ Simpson, G *
- Damion Baugh, G *
- Wendell Moore Jr., G
Chicago Bulls
- E.J. Liddell, F
- Emanuel Miller, F
- Jahmir Young, G *
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Emoni Bates, F
- Luke Travers, G/F
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin, F *
Dallas Mavericks
- Kessler Edwards, F
- Kai Jones, C
- Empty
Denver Nuggets
- Trey Alexander, G
- PJ Hall, F/C
- Spencer Jones, F
Detroit Pistons
- Daniss Jenkins, G
- Ron Harper Jr., G/F *
- Tolu Smith, F *
Golden State Warriors
- Jackson Rowe, F *
- Taran Armstrong, G
- Empty
Houston Rockets
- N’Faly Dante, C
- Jack McVeigh, F
- David Roddy, F *
Indiana Pacers
- Quenton Jackson, G
- Enrique Freeman, F
- RayJ Dennis, G *
Los Angeles Clippers
- Trentyn Flowers, G/F
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F *
- Seth Lundy , F *
Los Angeles Lakers
- Christian Koloko, C
- Trey Jemison, C *
- Empty
Memphis Grizzlies
- Cam Spencer, G
- Yuki Kawamura, G
- Zyon Pullin, G *
Miami Heat
- Dru Smith, G
- Josh Christopher, G
- Isaiah Stevens, G
Milwaukee Bucks
- Stanley Umude, G
- Pete Nance, F *
- Jamaree Bouyea, G *
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Jesse Edwards, C
- Tristen Newton, G
- Bones Hyland, G
New Orleans Pelicans
- Jamal Cain, F
- Keion Brooks Jr., F
- Lester Quinones, G *
New York Knicks
- Kevin McCullar, G/F
- MarJon Beauchamp, F
- Anton Watson, F
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Adam Flagler, G
- Alex Ducas, G
- Branden Carlson, C
Orlando Magic
- Trevelin Queen, G
- Mac McClung, G
- Ethan Thompson, G *
Philadelphia 76ers
- Jeff Dowtin, G
- Alex Reese, F *
- Jalen Hood-Schifino, G
Phoenix Suns
- Collin Gillespie, G
- Jalen Bridges, G/F
- TyTy Washington Jr., G
Portland Trail Blazers
- Justin Minaya, F
- Bryce McGowens, G
- Sidy Cissoko, F *
Sacramento Kings
- Mason Jones, G
- Isaiah Crawford, G/F
- Empty
San Antonio Spurs
- David Duke, G
- Harrison Ingram, F
- Riley Minix, F
Toronto Raptors
- Ulrich Chomche, C *
- Jared Rhoden, G *
- Empty
Utah Jazz
- Micah Potter, C
- Oscar Tshiebwe, F/C
- Elijah Harkless, G *
Washington Wizards
- Tristan Vukcevic, C
- Jaylen Martin, F *
- JT Thor, F
Magic Re-Sign Trevelin Queen On Two-Way Deal
JULY 5: Queen’s deal is done, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.
JULY 4: The Magic will bring back free agent guard Trevelin Queen on a two-way contract, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Queen, 27, has spent much of his time in the G League since going undrafted out of New Mexico State in 2020, though he has also had stints with Houston, Indiana, and Orlando at the NBA level. He appeared in 14 NBA games while on a two-way deal with the Magic in 2023/24, averaging 2.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11.8 minutes per night.
Although he’s been buried on NBA depth charts, Queen has been a star in the G League in recent years. He won both the regular season and Finals MVP awards in 2022 and made the All-NBAGL Second Team in 2024 in addition to earning MVP honors in this year’s G League Next Up Game at All-Star weekend. In 35 total games for the Osceola Magic this past season, he put up 23.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.4 SPG with a .493/.313/.816 shooting line.
Queen received a two-way qualifying offer from the Magic last week to make him a restricted free agent, so in all likelihood, he’ll simply accept that offer.
Orlando will still have a pair of two-way open slots after officially signing Queen. Admiral Schofield and Kevon Harris were their other two-way players last season, but Schofield signed a deal with a French team and Harris is an unrestricted free agent.
Bucks Sign AJ Johnson To Rookie Contract
JULY 7: Johnson’s contract with the Bucks will pay him approximately 114% of the standard rookie scale amount in the first season of the deal, a notch below the 120% max allowed, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). He’ll make $2,795,294 instead of $2,943,120, netting the Bucks nearly $150K in savings.
JULY 5: Bucks rookie AJ Johnson has officially signed his first NBA contract, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
A 6’5″ guard, Johnson was born and raised in California but opted against playing college basketball stateside. He spent the 2023/24 season in Australia’s National Basketball League, playing for the Illawarra Hawks as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program.
Johnson’s playing time was limited as a Hawk — he logged just 7.9 minutes per game across 25 contests, with averages of 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds and a shooting line of .355/.286/.538. However, he had a strong showing at the draft combine, intriguing teams within his athleticism, and is viewed as a player with plenty of upside. He won’t turn 19 until December, making him one of the NBA’s youngest players heading into next season.
As the No. 23 pick in the draft, Johnson will have a first-year salary of about $2.94MM and a four-year total of approximately $14.76MM if he signed for the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale. While that has yet to be confirmed, it’s rare for a player to sign for less than 120%.
Half of this year’s 30 first-round picks have now formally signed their rookie scale contracts, as our tracker shows.
Pacers Sign James Wiseman To Two-Year Contract
JULY 5: The Pacers have officially signed Wiseman, according to the NBA’s transaction log.
The fact that the deal is official during the July moratorium is confirmation that it’s a minimum-salary contract. It’s partially guaranteed in year one, with a second-year team option, tweets Tony East of SI.com.
JULY 2: Former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman is headed to Indiana, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Pacers and the free agent center have reached an agreement on a two-year deal.
Wiseman, 23, was selected by the Warriors one pick after Anthony Edwards and one pick before LaMelo Ball in the 2020 draft. However, he struggled to find his fit on Golden State’s veteran roster, then missed his entire 2021/22 second season due to a knee injury, which slowed his development.
The big man was traded to Detroit midway through his third season in 2023 and has spent the last season-and-a-half with the Pistons. In 2023/24, he appeared in 63 games (six starts), averaging 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 17.3 minutes per night.
When Wiseman failed to meet the “starter criteria” entering his free agency, the value of his qualifying offer dropped from $15.8MM to about $7.7MM, but the Pistons still opted against tendering him a QO. That gave him the ability to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.
Wiseman will join a Pacers team coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. He figures to slot in behind starting center Myles Turner and backup Isaiah Jackson on the depth chart this fall, vying with Jackson for rotation minutes and giving Indiana some additional depth at the five following the departure of Jalen Smith to Chicago.
While Wojnarowski’s report doesn’t provide any details on Wiseman’s salary, a minimum deal seems likely, given the Pacers’ proximity to the luxury tax. Indiana technically has the mid-level and bi-annual exception available, but using the full BAE or a chunk of the MLE would push team salary over the tax line and could create a hard cap at the first apron.