Bulls Sign Ersan Ilyasova Via Hardship Exception
DECEMBER 22: The contract is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions page.
DECEMBER 21: The Bulls have agreed to sign free agent forward Ersan Ilyasova to a 10-day contract using a hardship exception, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
The shorthanded Bulls, who currently have six players in the health and safety protocols, have already added Alfonzo McKinnie as a replacement player and will reportedly sign Mac McClung as well. The hardship signings won’t count toward the team’s 15-man roster limit, so no corresponding moves are necessary.
Ilyasova, 34, has an extensive NBA résumé, having appeared in 825 regular season games and another 52 playoff contests since making his debut in 2006. However, he didn’t sign until March last season and played a limited role down the stretch for the Jazz, averaging just 3.8 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 17 games (8.7 MPG).
The former second-round pick out of Turkey is known as a stretch four, having made 36.7% of his career attempts from beyond the arc.
Ilyasova will earn $151,821 over the course of his 10-day contract, but it won’t count against the Bulls’ team salary for cap or tax purposes.
Joe Johnson Signs 10-Day Contract With Celtics
4:11pm: The signing is official, the Celtics announced (via Twitter).
10:06am: Veteran NBA swingman Joe Johnson is returning to the NBA, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the seven-time All-Star is signing a 10-day contract with the Celtics via a hardship exception.
It’s an unexpected comeback for Johnson, who turned 40 years old in June and hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2017/18 season, when he appeared in 55 games for Utah and Houston. His last NBA contract came in the fall of 2019 — he competed in training camp for the Pistons’ final roster spot, but lost out to Christian Wood.
Johnson, who has won two MVP awards in the BIG3 in recent years, has appeared in 1,276 total regular season NBA games and another 120 postseason contests. He has career averages of 16.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.9 APG on .441/.371/.802 shooting, though those numbers fell off significantly in his final season in ’17/18.
The odds are against Johnson turning a 10-day audition into a full-season opportunity on an NBA roster, but it will be good to see him back in the league. He’ll join a Celtics team that currently has seven players in the health and safety protocols. Boston has also signed Justin Jackson and C.J. Miles to 10-day deals within the last week.
Pistons’ Cunningham, Sixers’ Green Enter Protocols
The list of players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols continues to grow. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Sixers wing Danny Green are the two latest players to enter the protocols, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
Word broke earlier this afternoon that Detroit had lined up a hardship deal with Cheick Diallo, which suggested that a Piston was about to enter the health and safety protocols. Unfortunately, it’s the No. 1 overall pick, who had been hitting his stride lately after a slow start to his rookie season.
Despite a couple clunkers this week vs. Miami and New York, Cunningham has averaged 18.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG on .447/.441/.826 shooting in his last 10 games (33.9 MPG). Now, he’ll be sidelined at least 10 days, unless he can register two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart before then.
While Cunningham is the first Piston to enter the health and safety protocols this week, Green has some company in Philadelphia — Andre Drummond, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang are also in the protocols. The Sixers have already signed one replacement player – Tyler Johnson – and are eligible to add more if they so choose.
By our count, there are now 96 NBA players in the league’s health and safety protocols, though that number is constantly fluctuating.
Pacific Notes: Jackson, Holmes, Evans, Lakers, Suns
Clippers point guard Reggie Jackson has entered the health and safety protocols, the team announced today in the latest update to its injury report. Jackson is the second Clipper to enter the protocols, joining forward Marcus Morris. Los Angeles already signed Moses Wright to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception and could theoretically add a second player on a 10-day deal now that two players are in the protocols.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The Kings are optimistic that center Richaun Holmes will be available on Wednesday night for their game against the Clippers, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Holmes, currently listed as questionable, has missed Sacramento’s last seven games due to a laceration to his right eye. Given how many players the Kings are currently missing, the big man’s return would be a boon.
- Given how many players are getting a chance to sign 10-day contracts this week, the idea of the Kings bringing back Tyreke Evans is an intriguing one. However, as Anderson explains in a separate article for The Sacramento Bee, Evans hasn’t yet been cleared following his ban from the NBA and faces a lengthy reinstatement process. We reported earlier in the month that Evans is seeking reinstatement after being disqualified and dismissed by the league in 2019.
- After the Lakers fell back to .500 (16-16) with a loss on Tuesday night, star forward LeBron James said he still has “no idea what this team can be,” as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “How can we really fully assess what we have when we haven’t been whole? I can’t remember the last time we played the same starting lineup and had the same rotation coming off the bench,” James said. “It’s been a long time. So, it’s hard to assess that.”
- ESPN’s Zach Lowe published an interesting feature on the Suns this week, exploring the team’s ascent that began in the 2020 bubble and sharing a handful of behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
COVID-19 Notes: Trade Market, G League, Postponements
NBA teams have been so busy dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks and scrambling to find available replacement players that the trade talks which typically occur at this time of year have been put on the back burner, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Given how many teams are shorthanded, it has also been hard to get a clear sense of whether certain clubs will end up as buyers or sellers, a high-ranking Western Conference executive told Fischer.
“There have been so many injuries, so many players in health and safety protocols, and there are so many teams that are holding out hope they can make a run to that next goal, whether it be making the play-in, making the playoffs, or competing for a championship,” the executive said. “I don’t expect there to be any trade action anytime soon.”
Here are a few more COVID-related notes:
- Within his look at the recent impact of the health and safety protocols, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report notes that the exodus of G League talent to the NBA has opened the door for more former NBA players to sign NBAGL contracts in the hopes of getting back into the league. Thon Maker, Marcus Thornton, and Jordan Crawford are among the players who have recently been offered G League deals, says Fischer.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) offers some additional details on why the Raptors‘ Wednesday game and the Nets‘ Thursday contest were postponed. As Grange explains, while the minimum number of players required for a team to play a game is eight, the NBA’s new rules say that at least five of those players must be from the club’s initial 17-man roster. It sounds as if Toronto and Brooklyn both may have dipped below five available players, not counting hardship signees.
- Vaccinated players signed via hardship exceptions can play for their new teams immediately after testing negative for COVID-19, but must continue to return negative tests during each of their first five days with the club in order to enter facilities and remain active, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks (Twitter links).
Luka Doncic, Trey Burke, Nerlens Noel Enter Protocols
Two more Mavericks players have entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to the team (Twitter link). Luka Doncic and Trey Burke are the fifth and sixth Dallas players in the protocols.
It’s especially tough timing for Doncic, who appeared to be on the verge of returning to action after missing the Mavs’ last five games due to a left ankle ailment. Assuming he has tested positive, he’ll now be out for the next 10 days or until he can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
We suspected that two more Mavericks may have entered the protocols today, since the club has now signed or reached agreements with six replacement players in the last week. The NBA’s new roster rules allow clubs to sign a replacement for each player in the protocols.
Meanwhile, a former Mav has also been placed in the COVID-19 protocols today, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who tweets that center Nerlens Noel is the latest Knicks player to be affected by the virus.
New York now has seven players in the protocols, though a couple of those players – Obi Toppin and RJ Barrett – have reached the 10-day mark and should hopefully be cleared soon.
Heat Sign Zylan Cheatham To 10-Day Deal
DECEMBER 22: The Heat have signed Cheatham, the club formally announced today (via Twitter). His 10-day deal will run through December 31, covering Miami’s next five scheduled games.
DECEMBER 21: The Heat plan to sign free agent wing Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Cheatham won’t count against the team’s roster limit, so no corresponding move is required.
Cheatham, who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Pelicans. However, he appeared in just four NBA games for the club and was sent to Oklahoma City in a sign-and-trade for salary-matching purposes during the 2020 offseason.
The 26-year-old has played in the G League since then and has spent the current season with the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ affiliate. In 13 NBAGL games (30.5 MPG), he has averaged a double-double (14.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG) with a solid .491/.429/.806 shooting line.
Miami only has one player – Caleb Martin – in the health and safety protocols, but has been hit hard by injuries as of late. Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Markieff Morris, P.J. Tucker, and Victor Oladipo are all sidelined due to various ailments, rendering a hardship signing necessary.
Sixers Sign Tyler Johnson To 10-Day Contract
DECEMBER 22: The Sixers have officially signed Johnson to a 10-day deal, according to a press release from the team. He should be available for Philadelphia’s next four games before his contract expires on December 31.
DECEMBER 20: The Sixers have reached an agreement to sign free agent guard Tyler Johnson, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’ll be a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms (via Twitter).
Johnson, 29, has plenty of NBA experience, having appeared in a total of 348 games for the Heat, Suns, and Nets since 2014. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.0 RPG on .393/.364/.857 shooting in 39 games (17.5 MPG) for Brooklyn last season, but didn’t catch on with a new team during the offseason after his deal with the Nets expired.
Johnson will add some depth to a Sixers backcourt that is currently missing Shake Milton (health and safety protocols), Furkan Korkmaz (non-COVID illness), Jaden Springer (concussion), and, of course, Ben Simmons (personal). Tyrese Maxey is also listed as questionable for Monday’s game due to a left quad contusion.
Johnson’s 10-day contract will pay him $128,709, but it won’t count against the Sixers’ team salary for cap or tax purposes.
Mavericks Sign George King To 10-Day Deal
DECEMBER 22: King’s 10-day contract is now official, the Mavericks announced today (via Twitter). It’ll run through December 31.
DECEMBER 21: The Mavericks are signing forward George King to a 10-day contract via a hardship exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 59th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Colorado, King spent his rookie season with Phoenix on a two-way contract, but appeared in just one NBA game and then was out of the league for two years. He played in Italy and Poland during the 2019/20 season, then spent the ’20/21 campaign in Germany with the Niners Chemnitz.
King joined the Clippers this fall on an Exhibit 10 deal and landed with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario – the team’s G League affiliate – after failing to earn a spot on the regular season roster. In 11 NBAGL games this season, he has averaged 13.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.7 SPG with an impressive .534/.466/.818 shooting line in 31.3 minutes per contest.
Wizards Sign Jordan Schakel To 10-Day Deal
DECEMBER 22: Schakel’s 10-day deal is now official, the Wizards announced in a press release. It’ll run through December 31.
DECEMBER 21: The Wizards are calling up rookie wing Jordan Schakel from their G League affiliate, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Schakel will sign a 10-day contract via a hardship exception.
Schakel, who went undrafted earlier this year out of San Diego State, joined the Wizards for training camp, but didn’t make the team’s regular season roster. The 23-year-old joined the Capital City Go-Go and has averaged 14.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG in his first 14 games (32.1 MPG) in the G League, knocking down an impressive 39.6% of his 7.9 three-point attempts per game.
The Wizards haven’t had major issues this month with COVID-19, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tested positive on Monday night and was placed in the protocols today, making the team eligible for a hardship exception.
Schakel’s 10-day deal won’t count against team salary for cap or tax purposes.