Wizards Sign Tremont Waters
JANUARY 1: Washington has announced the signing of Waters, who inked a 10-day hardship contract with the team.
DECEMBER 31: The Wizards plan to sign Tremont Waters to a 10-day deal via a hardship exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Waters spent the past 10 days on a deal with the Raptors.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter link), Waters is technically under contract for Toronto’s game Friday against the Clippers, but he won’t dress after lining up a new opportunity with the Wizards. He appeared in two games with the Raptors, averaging 4.0 PPG, 2.o RPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 21 MPG.
Waters, who will turn 24 next month, was selected by the Celtics with the 51st overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent his first two professional seasons as a two-way player in Boston. In 37 career games with the Celtics, Waters averaged 3.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 9.6 MPG.
After the C’s opted not to bring him back for the 2021/22 season, he joined the Wisconsin Herd – Milwaukee’s G League affiliate – and has averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 2.7 SPG on .421/.364/.714 shooting in 13 NBAGL games (31.5 MPG) this season.
The Wizards currently have seven players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, including guards Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, Raul Neto, and 10-day replacement player Brad Wanamaker. Waters will serve as a stopgap solution until some of those players return.
Rondo Trade Notes: Grades, Finances, More Details
The Cavaliers are set to acquire Rajon Rondo from the Lakers in exchange for Denzel Valentine, which will mark the first trade of the 2021/22 regular season. Valentine, who’s on a partially guaranteed contract, is expected to be waived by Los Angeles.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter), Rondo is enthusiastic about the opportunity to play more minutes with the young Cavs and was happy to learn of the trade after the Lakers informed him that it was a possibility.
Here are some more details on the transaction, which has yet to be officially completed:
- In an Insider article for ESPN-plus, Kevin Pelton grades the trade for both teams. He likes the Lakers’ side of things more and isn’t optimistic about Rondo’s performance for the remainder of the regular season.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic, however, thinks it’s a deal that makes sense for both the Cavs and the Lakers. Hollinger notes that Cleveland is desperate for another ball-handler after season-ending injuries to Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton, and with Darius Garland and Cedi Osman still in the health and safety protocols. With Rondo as a short-term solution, the Cavs will buy themselves some time to remain in the playoff hunt, but Hollinger thinks they’ll still be active on the trade market in search for more backcourt help. The Lakers, meanwhile, save approximately $3.1MM in luxury tax payments and free up a roster spot, presumably to sign Stanley Johnson.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN provides a video breakdown of his thoughts on the trade. Like Hollinger, Marks thinks the deal is a win-win for both teams, with the Lakers saving money and opening a roster spot, and Rondo providing leadership and high basketball IQ to the Cavs. He views it as a no-risk deal for Cleveland.
Nuggets Sign Rayjon Tucker To 10-Day Deal
December 31: Tucker’s contract with the Nuggets is now official, the team announced.
December 30: The Nuggets plan to sign guard Rayjon Tucker to a 10-day deal via the hardship exception, a league source tells Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The 24-year-old Tucker spent the past 10 days on a deal with the Timberwolves, though he did not appear in a game with the team.
Tucker spent most of the 2019/20 season with the Jazz, then signed a two-way contract with the Sixers in January 2021. He appeared in a total of 34 regular season games in his first two NBA seasons, averaging a modest 2.8 PPG and 0.9 RPG in 6.7 minutes per contest.
He has averaged 17.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.1 APG in 32.2 MPG while appearing in 13 games this season for the NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate.
The Nuggets had three players enter the league’s health and safety protocols on Thursday, so Tucker will be one of their replacements.
Seven Pistons Exit Protocols, Nuggets’ Monte Morris Enters
Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Josh Jackson, Cory Joseph, Saben Lee, Trey Lyles, and Rodney McGruder have all exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols for the Pistons, James Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
All seven players are listed as out for Saturday’s contest against San Antonio due to reconditioning. The Pistons’ next game after Saturday will be Monday against the Bucks, when several of the players could return to action. Second-year big man Isaiah Stewart is now the lone player still in the protocols for Detroit.
In other COVID-related news, Nuggets point guard Monte Morris has become the fourth Denver player to enter the protocols in the past two days, joining Jeff Green, Bones Hyland, and Zeke Nnaji, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). Morris has started all 32 of his games this season (30 MPG), averaging 12.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 4.3 APG on a .479/.380/.783 shooting line.
The Nuggets signed Davon Reed to his third 10-day hardship contract Thursday, and reportedly plan to sign Rayjon Tucker to a deal as well.
Cavaliers To Acquire Rajon Rondo From Lakers
DECEMBER 31, 11:17am: There are no other assets such as draft picks or cash included in the trade, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says it’s a straight swap: Rondo for Valentine.
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) provides some financial details on the deal, noting that each team will generate a small traded player exception.
DECEMBER 31, 10:08am: The Lakers will trade Rondo to the Cavaliers, according to Charania (via Twitter).
Sources tell Wojnarowski that Cleveland will send Denzel Valentine to Los Angeles in the deal. The Lakers are expected to waive Valentine, who has a partially guaranteed contract, Woj adds. That would open up a spot on L.A.’s 15-man roster and could save the team some money, depending on how long that roster spot remains open.
So far, there’s no indication that any other assets are involved in the swap, but it’s not yet official, so more details could trickle in.
DECEMBER 30, 5:30pm: The Cavaliers are in serious discussions with the Lakers to acquire point guard Rajon Rondo, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the deal is expected to be completed as soon as Friday.
Cleveland lost Ricky Rubio to a season-ending torn left ACL on Wednesday and is seeking point depth in the veteran Rondo, who’s currently sidelined due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
In 18 games this season (16.1 MPG), the 35-year-old Rondo is averaging 3.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 3.7 APG. The four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion has seen his minutes and games played reduced in recent years, but he’s known for turning things up a notch in the playoffs. Given the Cavs’ lack of guard depth, acquiring Rondo could be a decent move, as Darius Garland has shown he can play well with other strong passers like Rubio.
Kevin Pangos, the only other point guard on Cleveland’s roster, will get his first career start Thursday against the Wizards, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Garland is currently sidelined in the protocols, leading to a big opportunity for Pangos. He was one of the better players in Europe over the past handful of years, so it will be interesting to monitor how he performs in his first prime-time action.
It’s not yet known what other pieces may be included in a Rondo deal, but a player technically isn’t required in return, since the point guard is on a one-year veteran’s minimum contract, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade and Ed Davis are all on non-guaranteed deals for the Cavaliers, while Denzel Valentine‘s contract is partially guaranteed at $500K (he’s already earned more than that by sticking with the team this long). Of the four players, I believe Valentine or Davis are the most likely to be traded/waived, as Wade and Stevens are both younger players the Cavs have developed over time.
Paris Bass Signs 10-Day Deal With Suns
8:46pm: Bass has signed his 10-day contract with the Suns, agent Daniel Kazan tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Bass will be available for Friday’s contest versus the Celtics, Haynes adds.
6:44pm: The Suns plan to sign forward Paris Bass to a 10-day contract via the hardship exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bass has been playing in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.
Bass was productive in 14 games with South Bay, averaging 17.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 27.5 MPG. The 26-year-old spent two years in college with Detroit, putting up 18.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.4 BPG in 2015/16 (24 games).
Bass spent the past two seasons with Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico, per RealGM.
Phoenix currently has four players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols: Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Elfrid Payton, and Abdel Nader.
COVID-19 Updates: Wizards, Trail Blazers, Heat, Rockets, Sixers, I. Thomas, More
The league continues to be battered by players entering and exiting the health and safety protocols. If any of the players entering the protocols registered a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, they’ll remain sidelined for at least six days or until they can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Here are the latest updates from around the NBA:
- Bradley Beal, Anthony Gill, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have exited the protocols and are active Thursday night for the Wizards, but Spencer Dinwiddie has entered the protocols, as reported by Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (all four Twitter links).
- Anfernee Simons and Brandon Williams have entered the protocols for the Trail Blazers, while Dennis Smith Jr. and Ben McLemore have exited and rejoined the team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
- The Heat‘s outbreak continues, as Duncan Robinson and Marcus Garrett have entered the protocols, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
- DeJon Jarreau has entered the protocols for the Rockets, as reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Shake Milton has exited the protocols and is active Thursday night for the Sixers, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Head coach Doc Rivers isn’t the only coach affected, as “several coaches,” including Sam Cassell and Brian Adams, are also in the protocols, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
- Others entering protocols: Isaiah Thomas, who just signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks Wednesday, Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, and Xavier Tillman of the Grizzlies, per the three teams’ PR departments (all Twitter links).
- Others exiting protocols: Trevor Ariza for the Lakers, Lou Williams for the Hawks, and Ed Davis for the Cavaliers, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter), and Chris Kirschner and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter links). Neemias Queta has cleared the protocols for the Kings, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has also exited the protocols, Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets.
Wizards Sign Jaime Echenique To 10-Day Deal
The Wizards have signed center Jaime Echenique to a 10-day contract via the hardship exception, the team announced.
The 6’11” big man has been playing for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate. In 14 games with the club, Echenique has averaged 12.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He also spent Summer League, preseason and training camp with the Wizards prior to being released.
Echenique spent the 2020/21 season in Spain with Acunsa GBC. In 18 games (20.3 minutes), he averaged 12.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks. He played his last two seasons of college ball with Wichita State.
As Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington details, Echenique is now the first Colombian-born player in NBA history after receiving his first contract. He’s grateful for the opportunity the Wizards have given him. “It’s just been a dream come true to be in this position,” Echenique said. “I’ve been enjoying it. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity.”
Knicks Notes: Walker, McBride, Rose, Barrett, Toppin
Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Kemba Walker‘s banishment from the Knicks‘ rotation may have been a blessing in disguise, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Walker admits he wasn’t aggressive enough at times to start the season.
“I just have a tendency of kind of not wanting to step on toes,” Walker said. “I think that’s what I did early on. I was here and I wasn’t being as aggressive, I think, as I could have been. But I think being out and seeing how the game has been flowing and going put me in a different mindset.”
Walker and the rest of the team’s starters struggled mightily in Wednesday’s 94-85 victory over the depleted Pistons, as the Knicks were carried once again by the bench group, all of whom finished with a plus/minus of at least plus-27. Walker had two points, two rebounds, two assists and three turnovers in 20 minutes.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Prior to Wednesday’s game, Marc Berman of The New York Post suggested that rookie Miles McBride may face a diminished role, given Walker’s strong recent play. However, that wasn’t the case against Detroit — in his first game back from the COVID-19 protocols, McBride logged 25 minutes in the team’s victory, leading the team in plus/minus at plus-39 while Walker struggled.
- Head coach Tom Thibodeau says Derrick Rose is recovering well from ankle surgery and that he’s confident in the Knicks’ guard play, Berman writes in another article for The New York Post.
- RJ Barrett is trying to regain his shooting stroke after a bout with COVID-19, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Barrett is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, and how he finishes the rest of the season could have a major impact on the size of his contract, Bondy opines.
- It’s clear the Knicks need to give Obi Toppin a lot more minutes than he has received so far this season, even if those minutes eat into Julius Randle‘s playing time, Ian O’Connor of The New York Post contends. In Wednesday’s win over Detroit, Toppin was an incredible plus-36 in 22 minutes, while Randle was a minus-27 in 26 minutes.
And-Ones: P. Jones, Mac, Clark, Opportunities, Hardship Deals
Perry Jones and Sheldon Mac are the latest players attempting NBA comebacks, agent Harrison Gaines tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). The two players will be entering the G League player pool.
Jones was the 28th overall pick of the 2012 draft for the Thunder and played three seasons with the team, last appearing in 2014/15. In 143 career games, Jones holds averages of 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes.
The 29-year-old Mac appeared in 30 games for the Wizards in 2016/17, holding modest averages of 3.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per contest.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Veteran forward Earl Clark has joined Miami’s G League squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It was reported last week that Clark had signed a G League deal.
- The opportunities for players caused by COVID-19 absences are no laughing matter, write Jon Krawczynski and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Krawczynski and Weiss note that Timberwolves players who’d been out of the team’s rotation (Jake Layman, Nathan Knight, Jaylen Nowell) or out of the NBA (Greg Monroe) are trying to make the most of their newfound minutes. “I’m not quitting,” Monroe said. “I believe I belong in the NBA. So I’ll just come out and play wherever it is, as hard as I can.”
- Michael Scotto of HoopsHype takes a behind the scenes look at what it’s like for players on hardship deals. Scotto spoke to Brandon Knight, Lance Stephenson and Joe Johnson about their new NBA opportunities.
- There was a slight change to the NBA’s COVID-19 isolation rules for players outside of a team environment, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The change has no bearing on a return to team activities, so players who enter the health and safety protocols will still be required to remain away from the team for six days, unless they return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.