Nuggets Sign David Roddy To Two-Way, Waive Tamar Bates
6:00 pm: Both moves are now official, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.
1:51 pm: The Nuggets are making a change to one of their two-way contract slots ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that current two-way player Tamar Bates is being waived in order to create space for the team to sign forward David Roddy.
Roddy, who will turn 25 later this month, has played for five NBA teams since being selected 23rd overall in the 2022 draft, making 168 appearances in total for Memphis, Phoenix, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Houston. However, the former Colorado State star hasn’t been on a roster at all this season since spending training camp with the Raptors and being waived at the end of the preseason.
Outside of a brief recent stint with USA Basketball for a pair of World Cup qualifying games, Roddy has spent the 2025/26 season with the Raptors 905 in the G League. In 34 total outings for Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate, he has averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per game while making 47.5% of his shots from the floor, including 39.2% from beyond the arc.
Roddy played well for Team USA in those recent qualifiers vs. the Dominican Republic and Mexico, totaling 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He led the team with 20 points in Sunday’s blowout victory over Mexico.
Bates, meanwhile, quickly caught on with the Nuggets on a two-way deal last summer after going undrafted out of Missouri, but his rookie season was derailed in December when he underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot. The 6’4″ guard hasn’t played at all since then and was limited to 12 appearances in the G League before that point. Although he has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, he averaged 19.6 PPG on .550/.442/.900 shooting for the Grand Rapids Gold before getting hurt.
Roddy can be active for up to 11 games for the Nuggets for the rest of the regular season and won’t be eligible to play in the postseason. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca points out (via Twitter), Roddy is the third Raptors 905 regular to be called up to a new NBA team this week, joining Julian Reese and Olivier Sarr, who were signed to two-way deals by the Wizards and Cavaliers, respectively.
Northwest Notes: Hyland, Dort, Nuggets, Blazers
In an excellent profile, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explores the journey Bones Hyland has taken to end up with the Timberwolves, detailing the tragic 2018 fire that burned down Hyland’s childhood home and took the lives of his grandmother and 11-month-old cousin. Hyland, who jumped out of a second-floor window to safety, tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and was initially told by doctors that they didn’t think he’d play basketball again, Krawcyznski writes.
“I cried my eyes out,” Hyland said. “But I knew it wasn’t the end for me. God always got the last say-so.”
Grieving the loss of two family members and recovering from his own injuries with the overwhelming support of a Wilmington community that made sure he was never alone in his hospital room, Hyland began rehabbing his knee and eventually made it back onto the basketball court, earning a scholarship to VCU and then becoming a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Although earlier stints with the Nuggets and Clippers didn’t end the way he hoped, Hyland has found a new NBA home in Minnesota, where he has settled into a second-unit role for the Wolves this season, averaging 7.1 points and 2.5 assists in 14.7 minutes per game, with a 38.8% three-point mark.
“I love having him on the team,” head coach Chris Finch said, per Krawczynski. “He’s the same every day. He’s a super happy guy. He’s one of these guys who brings joy to the game in the way that he plays it.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Four days after being ejected from a showdown with the Nuggets after tripping Nikola Jokic on his way up the court, Thunder forward Luguentz Dort expressed some regret for the play that was ruled a flagrant 2 foul, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done,” Dort said. “… That’s a physical game and there’s limits to it. And I went over the limit.” Informed of Dort’s comments, Nuggets coaches and players were unmoved, with David Adelman, Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas each responding with a “no” when asked by Troy Renck of The Denver Post if Dort’s acknowledgement meant anything to them (Twitter video links).
- Efforts to secure public funding for the Trail Blazers‘ arena renovation took a step forward on Wednesday as the Oregon state senate passed Senate Bill 1501, which would allow the state to issue up to $360MM in bonds toward the renovation plan (Twitter links via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). The bill, which will be sent to the state’s house of representatives for a vote, is just one piece of the overall puzzle, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required), who notes that the project will also require funding from the city and the county. Additionally, the Blazers still need to negotiate a new Moda Center lease once new owner Tom Dundon takes control of the franchise.
- The two-way deals recently signed by guard Chris Youngblood and forward Jayson Kent with the Trail Blazers will each cover two seasons, running through 2026/27, Hoops Rumors has learned.
Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon Aiming To Return Friday
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has Friday’s game vs. New York circled as a target date for his return from a hamstring injury, a source close to the player tells Sam Amick of The Athletic.
While Gordon hopes to be back on the floor for that contest, Amick cautions that he’ll need to get clearance from the Nuggets, who are being “understandably cautious,” given that the veteran forward has dealt with repeated hamstring issues this season.
Gordon initially sustained a Grade 2 right hamstring strain in November and missed 19 games as a result of the injury before returning in early January. After a few weeks back in Denver’s lineup, he aggravated the strain on January 23 and was once again ruled out for at least four-to-six weeks. He has been out for the team’s past 16 contests.
While Gordon isn’t an All-Star like Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray, he’s a crucial role player for the Nuggets, who have badly missed him in his absence, Amick notes. The Nuggets are 17-6 in games Gordon has played and have a +14.0 net rating in his 642 minutes of action this season. By contrast, the club is 21-18 without him and has a modest +1.9 net rating when he’s not on the court.
Head coach David Adelman expressed optimism last week that injured players like Gordon and Peyton Watson – who is recovering from a hamstring strain of his own – would be able to return with roughly 20 games left in the Nuggets’ season. The club played its 62nd game on Monday in Utah, and a report on Sunday indicated that both Gordon and Watson were ramping up their activities and would be reevaluated this week.
The Nuggets, who have held a top-three spot in the Western Conference for most of the season, have slipped to fifth in recent days, having been surpassed by Houston and Minnesota, so they’ll be eager to get Gordon and Watson back in the rotation and try to move back up the standings.
Northwest Notes: Sandfort, Harkless, Nuggets, Wallace, Avdija
Payton Sandfort, signed on Monday by the Thunder on a two-way contract, will “fit in well,” coach Mark Daigneault told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Twitter link) and other media members.
“He’s a great professional and he’s a really good guy,” Daigneault said. “He hasn’t played a lot this year. He’s been injured, but he’s a guy our scouts really liked coming out of college. He can really shoot the ball with some size, and he’s a great kid. Just a really, really good dude.”
Sandfort, who has been playing for the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, signed a two-year contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Another two-way player, the Jazz‘s Elijah Harkless, played rugged defense on Denver star Nikola Jokic on Monday. Jokic only scored two points with Harkless guarding him. Afterward, coach Will Hardy paid Harkless a strong compliment. “I think Elijah is our best defender,” Hardy said, per Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake City Tribune. “It’s about trying to build a sense of fatigue as the game goes on, because every catch is hard to get. That’s Elijah’s identity. That’s who he is. That’s who we need him to be. And I think when Elijah plays like that, it raises the level of the group.”
- Prior to defeating the Jazz, the Nuggets were defeated by Oklahoma City and Minnesota. The time that Jokic was off the floor was key, as the Nuggets were outscored in both games when the big man rested. Coach David Adelman hinted at rotation changes, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reports. “It’s just something that we have to learn from,” Adelman said. “I have to find a unit that will actually do it, compete at a higher level. Because to me, that was the game. Then I had to extend minutes, and I’m playing guys into the ground. I can’t do that. Especially with the way the schedule has been very dense.”
- Taking advantage of extended playing time due to injuries, Thunder guard Cason Wallace averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game last month. Wallace is extension-eligible this summer and his recent play enhanced his résumé. “You never know when a guy’s gonna pop,” Daigneault told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, “but he’s had a week and a half now of offense that’s been really, really good and intriguing.”
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who hasn’t played since departing in the opening minute on Feb. 22 due to a lower back injury, has been upgraded to questionable for the team’s game against Memphis on Wednesday, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweets.
Cunningham, Wembanyama Earn Player Of The Month Honors
Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham has become the first player to be named Player of the Month twice this season, earning the Eastern Conference award for February after also having done so in October/November, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Cunningham’s Pistons maintained their comfortable lead atop the Eastern Conference standings by going 9-2 in March. The former No. 1 overall pick led the way, averaging 25.4 points, 9.9 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 33.5 minutes per contest, with a .472/.373/.769 shooting line.
Cunningham’s biggest game of the month came after the All-Star break when he racked up 42 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds in a victory over the Knicks in New York. That was one of six double-doubles he recorded in February.
Cunningham beat out fellow nominees Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Brandon Miller (Hornets), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) to claim the monthly award in the Eastern Conference, according to the league (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – another former first overall pick – was recognized for the second time this afternoon, earning Player of the Month recognition in the Western Conference after also having won the Defensive Player of the Month award.
In addition to anchoring the West’s best defense in February, Wembanyama put up big offensive numbers, contributing 22.5 points and 3.5 assists to go along with his 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. It was enough to earn the 22-year-old the first Player of the Month award of his career.
San Antonio has dominated the Western Conference’s monthly awards after enjoying an 11-0 February — while Wembanyama took home Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month, his teammate Dylan Harper was named Rookie of the Month.
The other nominees for Player of the Month in the West were Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, Lakers guard Luka Doncic, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
Nuggets Notes: Johnson, Gordon, Watson, Adelman
Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson was forced out of Sunday’s loss to Minnesota with a lingering right ankle injury and doesn’t expect to be available for Monday’s game at Utah, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Johnson struggled through a frustrating afternoon against the Wolves, going scoreless in 23 minutes and missing all six of his shots. Benedetto notes that he’s shooting just 31.4% from the field and 26.7% from three-point range in six games since the All-Star break.
“One (part) is understanding that you’ve been through it before,” Johnson said. “(It’s) understanding that every time that you’ve felt down that you don’t really feel like you’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel — you just feel like you keep letting yourself down, letting your teammates down — every time that’s happened, I’ve been able to turn it around and get back on track some way somehow.”
Johnson was expected to be a seamless replacement for Michael Porter Jr. when he was acquired in a trade with Brooklyn last summer. After a slow start to the season, he found his outside shot in November and December before suffering a bone bruise shortly before Christmas that sidelined him for six weeks.
The first priority is fixing the ankle issue that Johnson said has bothered him throughout the season. He plans to try different shoes or orthotics to help ease the pain.
“It hasn’t knocked me out of the game completely yet. It hasn’t forced me to hang it up. It hasn’t forced me to miss every shot for the rest of my career,” Johnson said. “I just got to continue on with that trust, continue to work and forget about it.”
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Coach David Adelman adjusted his substitution pattern after watching a nine-point lead slip away while Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were both resting early in the second quarter, Benedetto states in a separate story. Murray remained on the court the next time Jokic went to the bench early in the fourth quarter. “It’s not what I want to do,” Adelman admitted. “I like them to play together. I don’t like when I’m taking minutes away from them not being on the court together. If we have to do it, we’ll do it, because this can’t happen. It’s happened two games in a row. It’s cost us big time.”
- The Nuggets haven’t been able to able to add any wing help in the buyout market, so that heightens the need for Johnson to get healthy, observes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. They missed out on two potential targets when Khris Middleton opted to stay in Dallas rather than seeking a buyout and Kyle Anderson decided to return to Minnesota after being let go by Memphis.
- Reinforcements could be coming soon as Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson are close to returning from hamstring injuries, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link). Sources tell Siegel that both players are ramping up their activities and will be reexamined this week.
- Meeting with reporters before Sunday’s game, Adelman had some harsh words about Friday’s incident that saw the Thunder‘s Luguentz Dort get ejected for tripping Jokic, relays Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “There’s a point where we play these games and what he deals with nightly, anybody would react that way,” Adelman said of Jokic. “And then for Dort to take that shot — and then I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal from their standpoint, how they looked at it — is ridiculous. That was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lu Dort’s a great player, and that’s not what I’ve seen him do before. But at some point, you have to stand up for yourself.”
Northwest Notes: Jokic, Dort, SGA, Avdija, K. George
Thunder wing Luguentz Dort was ejected in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma City’s overtime victory over Denver on Friday for sticking out his right leg and tripping Nikola Jokic (Twitter video link via ESPN). The Nuggets‘ superstar big man angrily confronted and chest-bumped Dort, who backed away as his teammate Jaylin Williams intervened.
“Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction,” Jokic said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “There is no such thing — I think there’s not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary move (by Dort) and a necessary reaction by me.”
As Durando writes, Dort was initially called for a common foul, but it was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2 upon review. Jokic and Williams both received offsetting unsportsmanlike technicals for their part in the altercation.
“Lu Dort was assessed a flagrant foul penalty (level) two because we deemed his contact on Jokic to be unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury,” crew chief James Williams said in a pool report. “And also because the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve.”
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault noted it was a physical game between the Northwest Division rivals, who faced off in the Western Conference semifinals last year. Oklahoma City won that series in seven games en route to the championship.
“If you were watching the game, I think you could see very clearly, very early that it was a chippy game,” Daigneault said, according to Durando. “These are two teams that played each other in a seven-game series. We’re in the same division. We’ve played each other 100 times. They know our playbook. We know their playbook. It just is what it is. … I know Lu. I know Jokic. I know J-Will. I don’t think anybody was trying to hurt anybody. They’re just great competitors. It just boiled over. I think it was nothing more than that.
“I will say this. If a player (for us), if J-Will is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a flagrant two from this point forward. That’s all. If that’s the precedent, if that becomes a malicious play and flagrant two is the line in the sand on that, we would expect that if it’s J-Will. We would expect that if it’s anybody.”
When asked if he was suggesting that Dort was only ejected because Jokic — a three-time MVP — was the player fouled, Daigneault demurred.
“I’m not going to answer the question like that. I said what I needed to say about it,” Daigneault replied.
On Sunday, Nuggets head coach David Adelman addressed the incident, as Durando relays (via Twitter).
“For Dort to take that shot — and then I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal from their standpoint, how they looked at it — is ridiculous,” Adelman said as part of a larger quote. “That was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lu Dort’s a great player, and that’s not what I’ve seen him do before. But at some point, you have to stand up for yourself, and the team does as well.”
We have more from around the Northwest:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned to action on Friday after missing nine games with an abdominal strain, recording 36 points, nine assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 34 minutes. However, the Thunder superstar couldn’t play in overtime due to a minutes restriction, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). Daigneault let the Canadian guard know it advance that it was possible he might be forced to miss a potential extra period. “They kind of had no choice because if they tried that on the fly, I wasn’t gonna go,” Gilgeous-Alexander said with a laugh. “They had to get ahead of it, for sure. But with that being said, it is the right decision to make. If I re-injure this injury, all of it and everything that we’ve done up to this point doesn’t matter. So that’s first and foremost.”
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday in Atlanta because of low back injury management (Twitter link). The first-time All-Star first experienced the back issue in early January and aggravated the injury just 59 seconds into a February 22 game at Phoenix.
- Third-year guard Keyonte George was back in the Jazz‘s starting lineup for Saturday’s loss to New Orleans, writes Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune. George, who had missed the last six games because of a right ankle sprain, said he felt good in his return but will be on a restriction of approximately 20-to-24 minutes for the time being. “Feet are the most precious thing for any athlete. So I want to make sure I feel good, not feeling off balance or nothing like that,” said George, who also dealt with a left ankle sprain last month. “Just want to be cautious with the ankle injuries and stuff like that.”
Buyout Market Rumors: Anthony, Middleton, Ball, D-Lo, Boucher
Veteran guard Cole Anthony has remained in limbo since being acquired by the Suns at this month’s trade deadline, having continued to hold a spot on Phoenix’s 15-man roster despite being away from the team. Reporting prior to the All-Star break indicated Anthony would likely be waived, but that still hasn’t happened. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, head coach Jordan Ott suggested on Thursday that the delay may be related to depth concerns in the Suns’ backcourt.
“It’s still the same,” Ott said of Anthony’s situation. “There hasn’t been much change, but we have had injuries and that’s kind of where it’s at. That’s why there hasn’t been much change, but that’s why it’s not completely out. We’ll continue to just stay in touch with his people and move this thing forward.”
Friday is the first of four days off for the Suns, and Devin Booker (hip strain) appears likely to return after that break, either on Tuesday in Sacramento or Thursday vs. Chicago, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. If Phoenix is confident in where Booker’s at in his recovery, it’s possible we could see Anthony let go on or before Sunday, which is the final day a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for a new team.
[UPDATE: Anthony has been waived.]
If Anthony is cut, it would open up a spot for the Suns to promote two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to the standard roster. The club could then back-fill Bouyea’s two-way slot before next Wednesday’s deadline for two-way signings.
Here are a few more rumors related to the NBA’s buyout market:
- In addition to Denver, the Spurs are among the teams with interest in Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas has reportedly given Middleton the option of negotiating a buyout or sticking with the Mavs for the rest of the season — he figures to make that decision within the next 48 hours or so.
- Although the Warriors, Nuggets, and other teams has some interest in Lonzo Ball after he was waived earlier this month, concerns about the guard’s knee dissuaded those potential suitors from moving forward on a deal with the veteran point guard, Siegel reports, adding that nothing is imminent on that front.
- Although D’Angelo Russell wasn’t required to report to the Wizards after being included in the Anthony Davis trade and has been viewed as a potential buyout candidate, there has been little interest around the league in the point guard, per Siegel. Russell’s contract includes a $5.97MM player option for 2026/27 that Washington would probably want to eliminate – or at least significantly reduce – as part of any buyout agreement, whereas D-Lo presumably wouldn’t want to give up that guaranteed money without a favorable deal lined up elsewhere. According to Siegel, Russell could end up simply finishing the season with the Wizards.
- Many league personnel believe Chris Boucher would like to reunite with the Raptors after being waived by Utah earlier this month, but it’s unclear whether Toronto reciprocates that interest, says Siegel.
Northwest Notes: S. Jones, Jay. Williams, Anderson, Henderson
The Nuggets would have liked to sign two-way standout Spencer Jones to a team-friendly multiyear deal when they promoted him to the standard roster from his two-way contract earlier this month, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).
However, Denver’s ability to make it worth Jones’ while was limited due to the team’s proximity to the tax line, and the second-year forward decided to bet on himself by not settling for a below-market offer. The Nuggets ended up doing a straight conversion of the 24-year-old two-way deal, which means he’ll earn the veteran’s minimum for the rest of the season but will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
“It was preferred (this way). I kind of wanted the optionality,” Jones said, per Durando. “And I love Denver. But I just wanted to keep the optionality open. I was happy they were able to let me do that. I’m really happy with the decision. Like I said, I love it here. Definitely want to stay here.”
While Jones’ rest-of-season minimum salary is modest by NBA standards ($623,967), it’s about the same amount he would’ve received if he had spent the entire season on his two-way contract ($636,435). And now he’ll no longer be restricted by a 50-game regular season limit and playoff ineligibility.
“It’s great to not have that little asterisk with the two-way anymore,” he said. “To fully feel like you’re part of the team. Obviously, everybody had embraced me (before), but it’s nice to get that contractually.”
Here are a few more notes from around the Northwest:
- With six regulars, including big men Chet Holmgren (low back spasms) and Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus injury management) inactive on Wednesday, the Thunder still made the East-leading Pistons work hard to earn an eight-point win. As Rylan Stiles of SI.com notes, that was in large part due to the efforts of fill-in center Jaylin Williams, who had a career night with 30 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Head coach Mark Daigneault described Williams’ performance as “unreal” and praised a few other role players, including Kenrich Williams and Brooks Barnhizer, adding, “It’s a game we can feel really good about despite the loss.”
- Timberwolves players are “elated” that Kyle Anderson will be rejoining the team after he clears waivers, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who tweets that Anthony Edwards was FaceTiming with his former teammate on the way to the arena on Thursday. Anderson, who agreed to a buyout with Memphis and was placed on waivers, was a Timberwolf for two seasons from 2022-24.
- With leading scorer Deni Avdija in and out of the lineup due to a back issue and Shaedon Sharpe possibly done for the season, the Trail Blazers will be relying heavily on Scoot Henderson during the home stretch as they try to secure a playoff berth, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link). Henderson has shown little rust since returning from a hamstring tear on February 6, Highkin notes, scoring double-digit points in each of his first eight games back. The former No. 3 overall pick could set himself up well in rookie scale extension talks this offseason with a strong finish to the season.
Nuggets Among Teams Interested In Mavs’ Khris Middleton
Veteran small forward Khris Middleton tells Marc Stein of The Stein Line he’s still evaluating his options ahead of Sunday’s deadline to be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another club (Twitter links).
According to Stein, Middleton’s is considering whether he wants to stay with the Mavericks for the rest of the season or reach a buyout agreement with Dallas in order to sign with a playoff team. The Nuggets are among the teams with interest in the 34-year-old, league sources tell Stein.
Middleton stressed to Stein that he’s “grateful for the warm welcome he’s received in Dallas.” As Stein reported on Tuesday, the Mavs have essentially left the buyout decision up to Middleton and his camp and would happily retain him for the remainder of the season if he opts to go that route.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post confirms (via Twitter) that the Nuggets are intrigued by Middleton, adding that Denver also showed interest in Kyle Anderson, who will sign with the Timberwolves after a buyout with Memphis. The Nuggets are searching for size on the wing and ball-handling, Durando reports.
Middleton, who has dealt with injuries in recent years, is no longer the same player who earned All-Star berths three times in four years from 2019-22, but he has performed pretty well since he arrived in Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade. In 39 total games this season, Middleton has averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 24.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .441/.336/.851.
In the event of a buyout, Middleton would be ineligible to sign with Cleveland, Golden State, or New York, since clubs operating over either tax apron aren’t permitted to sign a player waived during the season who had been earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM). Middleton’s $33.3MM expiring salary far exceeds that figure.
It’s also worth noting that Middleton would forfeit his Bird rights if he agrees to a buyout. While he’ll certainly have to take a pay cut this summer either way, retaining those Bird rights would likely put him in a better position to avoid settling for the veteran’s minimum or something close to it.