Extension Rumors: Nets, Hyland, Mitchell
Three Nets players — Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams — are eligible for rookie scale extensions until Monday at 5:00 pm CT. Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link) that none of the three are expected to reach agreements, which means the trio will hit restricted free agency next summer if they receive qualifying offers.
Thomas, who turned 23 years old last week, led Brooklyn in scoring last season (22.5 PPG) and could see his role expand further after the Nets traded Mikal Bridges in the offseason. Sharpe has spent most of the past three seasons as Brooklyn’s backup center, while former lottery pick Williams was acquired in an offseason trade with Memphis (it was a salary dump for the Grizzlies).
The Nets project to be one of the few teams with significant cap room in 2025 free agency, so Lewis’ report isn’t exactly surprising, but it’s certainly noteworthy that they seem to be aiming to preserve as much financial flexibility as possible heading into the 2025/26 league year.
Here are a couple more rookie scale extension rumors heading into today’s deadline:
- Fourth-year guard Bones Hyland will not be signing an extension with the Clippers, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Hyland only appeared in 37 games last season, posting career lows in most major statistics, and was reportedly unhappy with his limited role. He’ll earn $4.16MM in ’24/25 ahead of possible restricted free agency next summer.
- The Raptors and point guard Davion Mitchell are not expected to reach an agreement on an extension, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Mitchell was sent to Toronto from Sacramento in a salary-dump deal over the offseason. As Grange observes, holding off on a new contract makes some sense for both parties — Mitchell will get a chance to prove his value, while the Raptors will get a full season to evaluate whether the former Baylor star should be in their plans going forward. Like the other players mentioned, Mitchell will be a RFA in 2025 if he’s tendered a qualifying offer.
Mavericks Sign, Waive Jamir Chaplin, Jarod Lucas
OCTOBER 19: Chaplin and Lucas have both been waived, the team announced. The Mavericks 18-man roster to begin the season appears set, barring last-minute moves.
OCTOBER 18: The Mavericks have added free agents Jamir Chaplin and Jarod Lucas to their offseason roster, the team announced (via Twitter).
While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, both players almost certainly signed Exhibit 10 deals and will be waived in the next 24 hours or so. If that comes to fruition, each would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBA G League affiliate.
Chaplin, who went undrafted in June, spent his first four college seasons at South Florida before finishing his career at Little Rock. The 6’5″ guard averaged 14.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .584/.361/.714 shooting in 34 games with the Trojans last season (33.9 MPG), earning a spot on the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team.
Lucas, a 6’3″ guard, also went undrafted in June. He played three seasons at Oregon State before transferring to Nevada for his final two collegiate seasons. In 34 games with the Wolf Pack last season, Lucas averaged 17.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .421/.394/.899 shooting (32.6 MPG).
The Mavs now have 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit. They’ll need to get down to 18 players ahead of the regular season.
Bulls Convert E.J. Liddell To Two-Way Deal
OCTOBER 19: Liddell’s conversion to a two-way contract is now official, the Bulls announced in a press release.
OCTOBER 18: The Bulls are converting E.J. Liddell‘s Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Chicago currently has an open two-way spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Liddell.
An Illinois native who starred in college at Ohio State, Liddell was selected with the 41st pick of the 2022 draft. Unfortunately, he missed his entire first season with the Pelicans after tearing his ACL in Summer League, but the team kept him on a two-way deal for the 2022/23 campaign.
Liddell, a 6’7″ forward, was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in July 2023. He spent most of last season in the G League, only making eight NBA appearances for 23 total minutes with New Orleans in ’23/24.
Liddell was traded twice during the offseason, first to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray deal, then to Phoenix in a salary dump by the Suns (former first-rounder David Roddy was sent to Atlanta). Phoenix subsequently waived Liddell, making him a free agent until he signed a training camp deal with Chicago.
Since the Bulls didn’t release anyone, they still have 18 players under contract, which is the regular season limit.
As we previously relayed, it seems like the team plans to keep Talen Horton-Tucker into the regular season after waiving Onuralp Bitim and Kenneth Lofton, though that could change before Monday’s final cut-down deadline. Horton-Tucker, who has been a standout in preseason, was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal but is ineligible for a two-way contract due to having five years of NBA experience.
And-Ones: Role Players, Mays, JTA, Dekker, Breakout Candidates
Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is an example of a solid role player on a reasonable contract who has risen in prominence due to the roster building restrictions of the new CBA, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic details. McConnell signed a four-year, $45MM extension this offseason, though only the first two years are fully guaranteed.
“I’ve played the same way, I feel like, since I’ve gotten into the league,” he said. “The people that are best at adapting and changing, especially as role players, are the ones that last. And that’s what I’ve tried to do, play my game, but also adapt and change to what my team needs me to do.”
With stars frequently earning anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap, and the league’s top spenders dealing with the ramifications of the tax aprons, finding role players who outperform their contracts has become even more important than it was previously, Thompson writes.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Skylar Mays has officially signed a one-year deal with Turkish EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. The move was expected, with reports out of Europe stating Mays was expected to be an injury replacement for veteran guard Scottie Wilbekin, who sustained a torn ACL. Mays, 27, split last season with the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Minnesota released him from his Exhibit 10 deal to give him the opportunity to sign with Fenerbahce.
- Free agent forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has re-signed with the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, the team announced (via Twitter). A five-year veteran, Toscano-Anderson spent a little over a month with the Kings last season, appearing in 11 games for 53 total minutes. He spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Capitanes.
- In an interesting interview with Marc Stein (Substack link), veteran forward Sam Dekker discussed how he’s reinvented his game playing for the London Lions and why the implementation of a new salary cap system has complicated his situation in the British Basketball League. A former first-round pick (18th overall in 2015), the 30-year-old last played in the NBA in 2021 but he hasn’t given up on making it back — he worked out for the Warriors, Sixers and Bucks in June, though none of those sessions led to a contract offer.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists five breakout candidates for the 2024/25 season, including Hornets wing Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s draft.
Clippers Signing Tosan Evbuomwan
The Clippers are signing free agent forward Tosan Evbuomwan, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Evbuomwan, 23, went undrafted in 2023 after starring in college at Princeton. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Detroit last fall, was waived, and started his rookie campaign in the NBA G League with the Motor City Cruise before receiving a 10-day hardship contract from Memphis in late January.
After his 10-day deal with the Grizzlies expired, the Pistons signed him to a 10-day contract and then eventually gave him a two-way deal covering two seasons. However, he was waived two days ago, making him an unrestricted free agent.
A 6’8″ forward, Evbuomwan averaged 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game in 17 total NBA appearances (eight starts) with Memphis and Detroit, posting a shooting line of .507/.375/.680. In 34 G League outings with the Cruise, he put up averages of 15.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .554/.361/.754 shooting in 34.2 MPG.
As with many eleventh-hour signings, Evbuomwan likely agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clips to give him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and spends at least 60 days with their G League affiliate in San Diego. San Diego will need to acquire his returning player rights from the Cruise for that to happen.
The Clippers’ 21-man offseason roster is currently full, so they’ll have to release someone to add Evbuomwan.
Rockets Sign Matt Bradley
The Rockets have signed free agent guard Matt Bradley, the team announced (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Bradley has a strong, stocky build for a backcourt player. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .427/.391/.814 shooting over five college seasons at California and San Diego State prior to going undrafted in 2023. He helped the Aztecs reach the NCAA championship game last year, ultimately falling to UConn.
Bradley spent his first professional overseas, having played for the Rostock Seawolves of Germany’s top basketball league, the BBL. In 25 games with Rostock during the 2023/24 campaign, he averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 17.2 minutes per contest.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Bradley almost certainly signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Rockets and will be waived in the coming hours. That would ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate.
Bradley is the 20th player under contract with the Rockets. They’ll need to get down to 18 players to set their regular season roster.
Mavericks Cut Lawson, Miller, Sharp; Convert Gortman To Two-Way
7:03pm: Gortman’s conversion to a two-way contract is official, the Mavericks have confirmed (via Twitter).
12:01pm: Gortman, who was drawing interest from rival clubs, will be promoted to Dallas’ final two-way spot, a source tells MacMahon (Twitter link).
11:35am: The Mavericks announced in a press release (Twitter link) that they have waived guard A.J. Lawson, forward Emanuel Miller and center Jamarion Sharp.
Lawson being cut comes as something of a surprise. Dallas waived Lawson and his non-guaranteed standard contract 10 days ago, but brought him back on a two-way deal after he cleared waivers. Just a week later, he has been released for a second time this preseason.
Lawson signed a two-year, two-way contract with Dallas back in December 2022, shortly after being waived by Minnesota. He remained on that deal until March 2024, when he was promoted to the standard roster on a new four-year contract that was only guaranteed for the remainder of the 2023/24 season.
The 24-year-old appeared in a total of 56 NBA games for the Mavericks during his two seasons with the team, including 42 in 2023/24. Lawson averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest and posted a shooting line of .457/.307/.548 at the NBA level. The former South Carolina standout also played seven times for the Texas Legends in the G League last season, averaging 20.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG with a .530 FG%.
Former Overtime Elite guard Jazian Gortman — who has continued to impress during preseason action, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) — seems like the frontrunner to land the two-way vacancy created by waiving Lawson, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN and Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com (Twitter links). Gortman could have his Exhibit 10 deal converted to a two-way deal.
Miller and Sharp went undrafted this year out of TCU and Mississippi, respectively. Both players were on Exhibit 10 deals and will likely be headed to the Texas Legends — Dallas’ G League affiliate — to begin their pro careers. They could each earn a bonus worth $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with the Legends.
Dallas now has 18 players under contract, though they’ll need to convert Gortman to a two-way deal to make their roster legal for the regular season. The Mavs’ other two-way spots are occupied by guard Brandon Williams and forward Kessler Edwards.
Kings Waive Terry Taylor, Brodric Thomas
The Kings have waived forward Terry Taylor and wing Brodric Thomas, sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento (Twitter link).
Taylor was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp. Assuming he clears waivers, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the G League’s Stockton Kings. Thomas’ deal didn’t include Exhibit 10 language, so he wouldn’t be eligible for the same bonus.
Taylor is a three-year veteran who has previously played for the Pacers and Bulls. In 93 regular season games, he holds career averages of 4.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.
Thomas, 27, has appeared in 44 NBA games with Houston, Cleveland and Boston over two seasons from 2020-22. He spent last season in the G League with the Clippers’ affiliate.
After waiving Boogie Ellis earlier in the day and releasing Taylor and Thomas, the Kings now have 18 players under contract, with all three two-way spots filled.
Bulls Notes: Ball, Future, Vucevic, Smith, Reinsdorf
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball made his long-awaited return to the court on Wednesday and received a standing ovation from the United Center crowd when he checked in, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Wednesday’s preseason victory over Minnesota marked Ball’s first official NBA game since January 14, 2022 — nearly three years ago (33 months).
“Felt a lot better playing than watching,” Ball said after the game. “I couldn’t even put it into words how it felt being out there. … It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”
Ball, who has battled chronic left knee soreness and underwent three surgeries since his last game, made an immediate impact in his return, recording 10 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block in 15 minutes. He said he didn’t think about his knee “at all” during the game and he plans to suit up again in Friday’s preseason finale vs. Cleveland.
“My game is pretty simple,” Ball said, per Darnell Mayberry and Jenna West of The Athletic. “I know what I can do out there. It’s not too complicated. I’m going to go in, give good minutes and hopefully contribute to winning. All the instinctive plays, that’s not going to go anywhere. It’s more about the on-ball and getting over screens like I used to; getting that back. But off the ball, I feel comfortable.”
While it was a very encouraging return, Ball will be closely monitored throughout the season. He’ll likely be given regular rest days and will be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future.
“We have a good handle right now, but I think it’s going to change throughout the year,” Ball said, according to Collier. “Every day is going to be a different challenge we just have to overcome.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- If Ball can stay healthy and steadily increase his minutes, the former No. 2 overall pick could become a valuable trade target for a contending team, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times contends. Ball, who turns 27 years old later this month, is on an expiring $21.4MM contract, and the Bulls have a glut of guards on their roster, making his return somewhat awkward from a rotation standpoint, Cowley observes.
- The Bulls have been playing at a much faster pace in the preseason compared to the past few seasons. Veteran center Nikola Vucevic isn’t known for his mobility, but he will remain in the starting lineup, with free agent addition Jalen Smith serving as his primary backup, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. “We’ve done stuff in practice where we’ve mixed and matched teams,” head coach Billy Donovan said Wednesday. “We’ve moved guys around. We have done that. But I would envision Vooch starting and [Smith] backing him up. And then [Smith] gives us a little different dynamic in terms of the small-ball five.” Donovan added that the two big men could share the court together at times, as both are capable of stretching the floor.
- The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling MLB’s White Sox and is in active discussions with a prospective ownership group. Would a potential White Sox sale impact the Bulls? According to Cowley, the answer is a resounding no — Reinsdorf and his son Michael view the Bulls as a long-term family investment that will continue to grow in value over time.
Hawks Waive Kevon Harris, Daeqon Plowden
The Hawks have waived Kevon Harris and Daeqwon Plowden, the team announced in a press release.
Both Harris and Plowden were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts and will likely be headed to the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBA G League affiliate, to open the 2024/25 season. Each player could earn a bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with College Park.
Harris, a 6’5″ guard, went undrafted out of Stephen F. Austin in 2020. He has spent the past two seasons on a two-way deal with the Magic, appearing in 36 total NBA games. The Georgia native is a G League veteran, having previously suited up for the Raptors 905 in addition to the Osceola Magic.
Plowden caught on with Atlanta after he was waived by the Warriors in September. He spent about two months on a two-way deal with Golden State after impressing during Summer League action.
A 6’6″ wing who went undrafted out of Bowling Green in 2022, Plowden has spent his first two professional seasons in the NBAGL, suiting up for the Birmingham Squadron and Osceola, the affiliate teams of New Orleans and Orlando, respectively.
Atlanta’s roster is down to 18 players, which is the regular season limit. The Hawks have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with all three two-way spots filled.