Javon Freeman-Liberty Signs Two-Way Deal With Raptors
JULY 22: Freeman-Liberty’s two-way contract with the Raptors is now official, the team announced in a press release.
JULY 21: Free agent guard Javon Freeman-Liberty is signing a two-way deal with the Raptors, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Chicago native went undrafted out of DePaul (which is also in Chicago) in 2022, signing an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with his hometown Bulls. Freeman-Liberty, 23, played for Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, in his pro debut this past season, averaging 17.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.4 SPG on .497/.390/.756 shooting in 16 regular season games (29.9 MPG).
A 6’4″ guard, Freeman-Liberty also played for the Bulls’ Summer League squads the past two seasons. In Las Vegas this year, he had a very impressive run, averaging 21.2 PPG in five games while shooting 49.3% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc en route to a spot on the All-Summer League Second Team.
As Blake Murphy of Sporsnet.ca notes (via Twitter), the Raptors have Markquis Nowell and Ron Harper Jr. on two-way deals, so Freeman-Liberty will fill the third and final two-way slot for now. Jeff Dowtin, who finished the season on a two-way deal and was given a qualifying offer, remains a restricted free agent.
The Raptors currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so there’s room on the roster for Exhibit 10 deals to secure G League rights and to possibly have a camp battle for the 15th spot, Murphy adds. NBA team can carry up to 21 players under contract in the offseason, but only 18 during the season (15 standard, three two-way deals).
International Notes: Mirotic, J. Young, Kuzminskas, Poythress
Former NBA forward Nikola Mirotic was reportedly set to join Italian club Olimpia Milano last month after spending the past four seasons with FC Barcelona. The Spanish side recently officially terminated Mirotic’s contract, which still had two guaranteed years remaining.
After his agreement with Milano fell through, Mirotic reached a three-year deal with Serbia’s KK Partizan, but the 32-year-old announced on Instagram that he decided not to sign his new contract. He cited unspecified “threats and insults” after the news broke, as BasketNews.com relays. The Montenegrin also said he would not compete for any other team in Serbia, even though it’s a country he loves.
Partizan issued its own statement on the matter, per BasketNews, saying the team assured Mirotic that he and his family would be safe, including the president of Serbia personally reaching out to the veteran. The club also expressed skepticism at Mirotic’s reasoning for backing out of the agreement.
Mirotic has been the highest-paid player in Europe since he left the NBA in 2019, winning EuroLeague MVP in 2021/22. The former first-round pick averaged 12.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG on .423/.359/.808 shooting across 319 games with the Bulls, Pelicans and Bucks from 2014-19.
Here are few more notes from across the pond:
- Another former first-round pick, James Young, has signed a contract with Italy’s Universo Treviso Basket, according to Sportando. Young appeared in 95 NBA games over four seasons with Boston and Philadelphia, with his last campaign coming in 2017/18. He has played in Israel and Greece over the past three seasons. The swingman was selected 17th overall in 2014 and is still just 27 years old.
- Former Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas is finalizing a deal with AEK Athens, sources tell Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). The 33-year-old has spent 13 seasons in Europe, having spent ’22/23 with Turkish club Karsiyaka Basket. He played 69 games for New York from 2016-17.
- Free agent big man Alex Poythress, who played 52 games with the Sixers, Pacers and Hawks from 2016-19, is finalizing a contract with Olimpia Milano, according to Urbonas of BasketNews. Moses Barda of One first reported the Italian club’s interest in Poythress (via Twitter). The 29-year-old has played for teams in Turkey, Russia and Israel since leaving the NBA, most recently suiting up for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season.
Checking In On Top Remaining Free Agents
While many of the NBA’s top free agents reach agreements on new contracts shortly after they become eligible to on June 30, plenty of interesting names are still available three-plus weeks into free agency, including a handful of players on our top-50 FA list for 2023.
Here are some noteworthy players who have yet to sign new deals (along with the teams they finished last season with):
- P.J. Washington, F, Hornets (No. 11 on top 50)
- Christian Wood, F/C, Mavericks (No. 25)
- Kelly Oubre, G/F, Hornets (No. 27)
- Hamidou Diallo, G/F, Pistons (No. 43)
- Derrick Jones, F, Bulls
- Jaylen Nowell, G, Timberwolves
- Kendrick Nunn, G, Wizards
- Terence Davis, G/F, Kings
- Javonte Green, G/F, Bulls
- Romeo Langford, G/F, Spurs
Washington’s case is unique in that he’s a restricted free agent (all the others are unrestricted), and negotiations with Charlotte reportedly haven’t been very productive so far. However, almost no teams have cap room remaining, so if he were to join a new club this summer, it would almost certainly have to come via sign-and-trade.
Wood has been linked to the Lakers, Bulls, Heat and Cavaliers, while Oubre has drawn some interest from the Mavericks and Cavs. We haven’t seen many rumors about the other players listed above, though Jones has also been linked to the Mavs.
There’s also a group of players who didn’t start the summer as free agents, but saw their non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts waived this offseason and have yet to find new teams:
- Trendon Watford, F/C
- Edmond Sumner, G
- Lamar Stevens, F
- PJ Dozier, G/F
- Daishen Nix, G
- R.J. Hampton, G
- Garrett Temple, G/F
- Marko Simonovic, F/C
- Vernon Carey Jr., F/C
- Joe Wieskamp, G/F
- Tyrese Martin, G/F
- Martin is on waivers until July 23.
Veteran forward Rudy Gay is in his own category, as the Thunder waived his guaranteed $6.48MM contract to create roster space. OKC acquired him in order to add to its draft capital. He’ll clear waivers today.
Lastly, as is the case every summer, there are several longtime veterans who haven’t found new clubs. That group includes players like Blake Griffin, John Wall, Goran Dragic, Danny Green, Terrence Ross, Justise Winslow, T.J. Warren, George Hill, Will Barton, JaMychal Green, Gorgui Dieng, and Bismack Biyombo, among many others.
You can find our lists of current free agents by position and team right here.
McKinley Wright IV Signs With Montenegrin Team
Free agent guard McKinley Wright IV has signed with KK Buducnost, also known as Buducnost Voli, the Montenegrin club announced in a press release (hat tip to Dario Skerletic of Sportando).
After going undrafted in 2022 following four standout seasons at Colorado, Wright signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves, appearing in five NBA games for a total of 19 minutes as a rookie in 2021/22. He didn’t return to Minnesota for his second season, instead signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Dallas last summer which was converted to a two-way contract last fall.
Wright spent all of ’22/23 with the Mavericks on the aforementioned two-way contract, appearing in 27 games while averaging 4.2 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds on .469/.321/.684 shooting in 12.4 minutes per night. The 6’0″ point guard played well at the G League level over the past two seasons for the Iowa Wolves and Texas Legends, the affiliate clubs of the Timberwolves and Mavericks, respectively.
Buducnost has completely dominated the Prva A Liga in Montenegro, winning 15 of 16 domestic championships. The team also competes in the Adriadic (ABA) League, which featured clubs from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina last season. Budocnost made the semifinals of the ABA League First Division playoffs in ’22/23, falling to Crvena zvezda.
Buducnost also competes in the fall EuroCup tournament, which features clubs from all over Europe, and has made it in the past to the EuroLeague, widely considered the top professional league outside of the NBA.
And-Ones: Summer League, McClung, Motiejunas, NBAGL Showcase
The Hornets‘ poor play was one of the worst parts of Las Vegas Summer League, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.
Despite having eight players on the roster attending (and a ninth, James Nnaji, as one of a handful of remaining unsigned draft picks), Charlotte went 1-6 and was minus-55 overall. No one played particularly well, with Hollinger noting that the team may end up regretting not taking Scoot Henderson instead of Brandon Miller, if their brief Summer League performances were any indication.
Of more immediate concern for the Hornets are the fourth-year team option decisions on 2021 first-round picks James Bouknight and Kai Jones, which are due by late October. Neither looks like a sure bet to have his option picked up, as both players struggled in Vegas despite entering their third seasons, Hollinger adds. Bouknight’s option in 2024/25 is worth $6.1MM, while Jones’ is worth $4.7MM — not exactly team-friendly rates given they haven’t contributed much thus far.
Nnaji showed some defensive promise, but may be a draft-and-stash prospect while he develops his offensive game, says Hollinger.
Among the other players who struggled in Summer League were Pistons center James Wiseman (poor screening and defense), Nets first-rounder Noah Clowney (looked overmatched) and Lakers draft picks Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, according to Hollinger.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- On the other end of the spectrum, Hollinger also revealed his under-the-radar Summer League standouts for The Athletic, including Javon Freeman-Liberty, who just agreed to a two-way deal with the Raptors, and Cavaliers guards Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr., the latter of whom went undrafted and signed a two-way contract with Cleveland. Hollinger says he would have given Merrill, whose contract for next season is non-guaranteed, the Summer League MVP award over Cam Whitmore.
- Free agent guard Mac McClung, who finished last season on a two-way deal with the Sixers, tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com he’s focused on making another NBA team, but he’s open to going to Europe if he can’t find a roster spot. “We’ll see,” McClung said. “I am in free agency right now, my agent is talking to some teams, back and forth. We’re just trying to evaluate what is the best situation for me. Hopefully, I will be in the NBA next year and finding my way.”
- Former NBA big man Donatas Motiejunas has signed a two-year extension with AS Monaco Basket, the team announced (via Twitter). Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com had the scoop on Motiejunas’ extension (Twitter link). The 32-year-old spent six seasons in the NBA, ending with a brief stint with San Antonio back in 2018/19. He was productive on a per-minute basis for Monaco, which won France’s LNB Pro A and finished third in the EuroLeague playoffs.
- In 2023/24, the NBA G League’s Winter Showcase event will be held in Orlando instead of Las Vegas, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Showcase has been held Vegas for several years, but will be moving due to the NBA’s new in-season tournament, as the semifinals and final will be held in early December in Vegas.
Central Notes: Dosunmu, Jones, I. Mobley, Pistons
Re-signing restricted free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu to a three-year, $21MM contract was a shrewd business decision by the Bulls, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
The Bulls like Dosunmu’s aggression, competitiveness and work ethic, according to Johnson, and bringing him back at $7MM per year could be valuable if Chicago decides to make moves in the future, as mid-sized deals can come in handy when negotiating trades. That isn’t to imply the team wants to deal away a player it is retaining — it’s just a reality of the business.
With Zach LaVine, Coby White, Alex Caruso, Jevon Carter, Dosunmu, Dalen Terry and the injured Lonzo Ball already in the backcourt, Johnson believes Carlik Jones will likely be released. Jones’ deal is currently non-guaranteed, but becomes partially guaranteed for $250K if he makes the Bulls’ opening night roster. The team’s next free agent addition will “almost certainly” be a frontcourt player, Johnson adds.
Here’s more from the Central:
- He may not be as well-known as his younger brother, but Cavaliers big man Isaiah Mobley, who is on a two-way deal with Cleveland, made his mark during Las Vegas Summer League, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). Mobley hit an overtime game-winner in the team’s fifth game against Brooklyn, with the Cavs going on to finish 6-0 and leaving with a championship. He averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 BPG and 1.0 SPG on 49.3% from the field in 28.3 MPG in Vegas. Mobley is the older brother of Evan Mobley, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season.
- James L. Edwards of The Athletic recently took a stab at projecting the Pistons‘ depth chart entering 2023/24, with a possible 10-man rotation of starters Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, alongside reserves Monte Morris, Alec Burks, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III. Notably, that group does not include James Wiseman, with Edwards writing that Bagley is the superior screener and roller and better at creating his own shot. It also doesn’t include Killian Hayes or Joe Harris. That said, with the obvious caveat that it’s only July, I agree with Edwards.
- In another article for The Athletic, Edwards evaluates trade proposals from readers. One fake trade was a complex four-team deal where the Pistons receive Tobias Harris; the Clippers receive James Harden and a 2029 first-round pick (from Philly); the Sixers receive Bogdanovic, Norman Powell, Marcus Morris, Danilo Gallinari and 2028 and ’29 first-rounders (from the Clips); and the Wizards receive Bagley and a 2024 second-rounder (from L.A.). Edwards thinks the Sixers would decline that proposal, and likely the Wizards too, though the latter might be more interested if another second-round pick or two were added.
Reid, Murphy, Grimes, Pritchard Joining USA Select Team
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy, Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, and Celtics guard Payton Pritchard are among the young players joining the USA Select Team in a couple weeks to practice and scrimmage against the main Team USA roster ahead of the FIBA World Cup.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojanrowski reported that Pritchard, Murphy and Reid would attend the American team’s training camp (Twitter links), while Shams Charania of The Athletic reported (via Twitter) Grimes would be present.
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the Thunder, Rockets guard Jalen Green, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, and Kings forward Keegan Murray will also be part of the Select Team, as The Athletic reported on Thursday.
Reid, who signed a three-year, $42MM extension at the end of June to remain with Minnesota, averaged career bests of 11.5 PPG and 4.9 RPG last season. Murphy had a breakout second season in 2022/23, averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 1.1 SPG on a stellar .484/.406/.905 shooting line.
Grimes started the majority of ’22/23 for New York, averaging 11.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.1 APG on .468/.386/.796 shooting while playing solid defense. Pritchard had the most modest role of the four new players reportedly joining the Select Team, averaging 5.6 PPG on .412/.364/.750 shooting in 13.4 MPG last season.
It’s possible a player or two on the Select Team could be used as an injury replacement for someone on Team USA’s 12-man roster. For example, Keldon Johnson, who was a Select Team member ahead of the Tokyo Olympics a couple years ago, replaced Bradley Beal when the star guard contracted COVID-19.
The Americans will start training camp for the World Cup on August 3 in Las Vegas, with their first game scheduled later that month in the Philippines.
Magic Sign Admiral Schofield To Two-Way Contract
5:46pm: The re-signing of Schofield to a two-way deal is now official, per a Magic press release (Twitter link).
12:15pm: Free agent forward Admiral Schofield is re-signing with the Magic on a two-way contract, agents Mark Bartelstein and George Roussakis tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
A second-round pick in 2019 out of Tennessee, Schofield began his professional career with the Wizards but spent most of the past two seasons with the Magic, providing depth in Orlando’s frontcourt.
In 2022/23, he averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.7 RPG on .451/.324/.913 shooting in 37 games (12.2 MPG).
The 26-year-old had been on a two-way contract for most of his time with Orlando until he was promoted to a standard deal in February. His multiyear contract included a team option for ’23/24, which the Magic declined in late June, making Schofield an unrestricted free agent.
Once Schofield’s new contract is official, the Magic will have 15 players on their standard roster and two of their three two-way spots filled. Guard Kevon Harris occupies the other two-way slot.
NBA teams are permitted to roster 21 players in the offseason as opposed to 18 once the regular season begins(15 on standard deals and three two-way contracts).
Thunder Sign Jack White To Two-Year Deal
JULY 20: The Thunder have announced in a press statement that the team has officially signed White. Oklahoma City waived veteran forward Rudy Gay to open up a roster spot.
JULY 1: The Thunder are signing free agent forward Jack White to a two-year contract, agent Sammy Wloszczowski tells Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link).
White had been a restricted free agent after being issued a qualifying offer by the Nuggets. Based on Charania’s wording, it sounds like the Thunder are confident they won’t face resistance on the deal, whether that means Denver won’t match an offer sheet or the Nuggets are dropping the QO, making White unrestricted.
A 6’7″ forward out of Australia, White played four college seasons at Duke from 2016-20 but didn’t have a significant role. He had a bigger opportunity playing for Melbourne United of the NBL, which he used to garner NBA attention.
White played for Denver’s Summer League team last year and impressed, earning a two-way contract from the Nuggets. While he only made 17 appearances for 66 minutes in 2022/23 as a rookie for the reigning champions, he’ll get his ring and now lands a standard contract with OKC.
The 25-year-old had a strong showing for the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver’s G League affiliate) in the ’22/23 regular season, averaging 19.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 0.9 SPG on a .544/.409/.737 shooting line in 15 games (31.3 MPG). He was even more efficient during the fall Showcase cup, averaging 17.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG on .600/.500/.818 shooting in 12 games (32.5 MPG).
Thunder Waive Rudy Gay
JULY 20: The Thunder have officially released Gay, per a press statement.
JULY 19: The Thunder are waiving forward Rudy Gay, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Gay, who turns 37 next month, has been traded twice this offseason. The Jazz sent him to Atlanta in the John Collins deal, and then the Hawks moved him to Oklahoma City in a salary dump.
As Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets, releasing Gay will open up a roster spot, which the Thunder will use to officially sign Jack White. The two sides agreed to the terms of a contract on July 1, but OKC made some trades to add draft assets, temporarily putting the deal on hold.
Gay has had a long and highly productive NBA career, often popping up on lists of the best players to have never been an All-Star. He averaged at least 17 points and five rebounds per game in 10 consecutive seasons from 2007-2017 with the Grizzlies, Raptors and Kings.
While the 17-year veteran was still a solid performer as recently as 2020/21 with the Spurs, he battled injuries over his two seasons with the Jazz, appearing in just 111 of a possible 164 regular season games. His production slipped as well, with Gay posting career lows in virtually every major statistic over the past two campaigns.
Overall, Gay has appeared in 1120 regular season contests, including 779 starts, with career averages of 15.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.1 SPG and 0.7 BPG on .452/.346/.799 shooting in 30.9 MPG. In ’22/23, he averaged just 5.2 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .380/.254/.857 shooting in 56 games (14.6 MPG).
Gay is virtually certain to go unclaimed on the waiver wire, as he’ll earn a guaranteed $6,479,000 in ’23/24, which is the final year of his contract. The Thunder will be on the hook for that full amount in a couple days if he isn’t claimed, while the former UConn star will become an unrestricted free agent.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic previously identified the Warriors as a team that might be interested in Gay if he were to hit the open market.