Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Sign Jordan Miller To Four-Year Deal, Waive MarJon Beauchamp

March 1st, 2025 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

4:29pm: The Clippers have officially announced Miller’s new contract and placed Beauchamp on waivers.

12:17pm: The Clippers have agreed to a four-year deal with second-year wing Jordan Miller and will promote him from his two-way contract to the standard 15-man roster, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). According to Charania, Los Angeles will waive forward MarJon Beauchamp to open up a roster spot to complete the move.

The 48th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Miller played just 28 total minutes in eight NBA appearances for the Clippers as a rookie, but has seen more action at the NBA level in 2024/25, averaging 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 12.4 minutes per game across 30 outings.

Miller had been active for 49 NBA games, just one shy of the 50-game limit for two-way players, which explains the timing of the move. Promoting him now will also allow the Clippers to fill their newly opened two-way slot before the March 4 deadline.

While Miller’s contributions at the NBA level have been modest, he has thrived at the G League level with the San Diego Clippers (known as the Ontario Clippers last season). He averaged 20.9 PPG on .491/.355/.829 shooting in 39 NBAGL games last season and has bumped those averages to 23.9 PPG on .509/.350/.844 shooting in seven games in ’24/25.

Charania pegs the value of Miller’s new four-year deal at $8.3MM, but that would require a rest-of-season salary that would push the Clippers’ team salary slightly beyond the tax line.

Charania suggests that Miller will actually earn $1MM for the rest of the season, which would result in a four-year total closer to $8.1MM. That $1MM salary for the final six weeks of this season is well beyond Miller’s prorated minimum, so I’d expect the final three years of the contract to include little to no guaranteed money, giving the club plenty of flexibility to either move on from the 25-year-old or hang onto him at a team-friendly rate in future seasons.

The Clippers will use a portion of their mid-level exception to complete the signing.

Beauchamp, the 24th overall pick in 2022, is actually younger than Miller, having turned 24 just before the start of this season. But he has struggled to establish himself as a reliable NBA rotation player, averaging 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 129 career contests (11.2 MPG).

Beauchamp, who spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Bucks, was traded from Milwaukee to Los Angeles at the deadline in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr. That was a salary-motivated move for the Clippers, who didn’t want to be on the hook for Porter’s 2025/26 player option and won’t carry any dead money beyond this season for Beauchamp.

Sixers Sign Jalen Hood-Schifino To Two-Way Deal, Cut David Roddy

March 1st, 2025 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

March 1: The Sixers have officially signed Hood-Schifino to a two-way contract and waived Roddy, the team announced today in a press release.

February 28: Free agent guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Sixers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Hood-Schifino was included in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis blockbuster earlier this month, having been sent from the Lakers to the Jazz in that deal for salary purposes. He was subsequently waived by Utah after the trade deadline passed.

Still only 21 years old, Hood-Schifino was selected No. 17 overall in the 2023 draft. He spent his first season-and-a-half with the Lakers, who decided not to pick up their 2025/26 team option on his rookie scale contract last fall after the former Indiana standout appeared in just 21 NBA games during his rookie campaign.

Hood-Schifino only made two appearances this season with Los Angeles, playing a total of 14 minutes. He missed a significant chunk of the season due to a left hamstring strain.

While his NBA role in L.A. was extremely limited, Hood-Schifino did put up some solid numbers in the G League last season, averaging 22.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game across 15 outings for the South Bay Lakers. He had a shooting line of .473/.432/.800.

The 76ers recently had a pair of two-way openings alongside guard Jeff Dowtin, but filled them by signing forwards David Roddy and Alex Reese within the past week.

Philadelphia will have to waive one of those players in order to make room for Hood-Schifino — according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com (Twitter link), Roddy will be the odd man out and will be cut to open up a two-way slot.

Hornets Sign Malachi Flynn To 10-Day Deal

March 1st, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Arthur Hill

March 1: Flynn’s 10-day deal with the Hornets is now official, according to the team (Twitter link).

February 28: Malachi Flynn will join the Hornets on a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 26-year-old point guard was in training camp with San Antonio after signing an Exhibit 10 deal in August. He was waived before the start of the season and has been playing for the Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin, where he’s averaging 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 18 regular season games.

Flynn will take the place of Elfrid Payton, whose second 10-day contract expired on Thursday, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Payton was signed with a hardship exception that remains in effect due to long-term injuries affecting Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and Josh Okogie.

Payton appeared in six games for the Hornets, making two starts and posting 1.0 point, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 20.5 minutes per night.

Charlotte will be Flynn’s fourth team in the past two seasons once his contract becomes official. He was selected by Toronto with the 29th pick in the 2020 draft and spent three and a half years with the Raptors before being sent to New York as part of the OG Anunoby deal. The Knicks shipped him to Detroit at last February’s trade deadline.

Flynn has appeared in 213 games through his first four NBA seasons, averaging 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 14.2 minutes per night. His standout moment came last April when he scored 50 points off the bench for Detroit.

Assuming he’s signed before Saturday’s meeting with Washington, Flynn will be available for five games during the 10-day contract. He will be eligible to sign one more 10-day deal with Charlotte once this one expires.

Warriors Sign Kevin Knox To Second 10-Day Contract

March 1st, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

March 1: Knox’s second 10-day deal with the Warriors is official, according to a team release (Twitter link).

February 28: The Warriors intend to sign forward Kevin Knox to a second 10-day contract once his initial deal expires, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Knox’s current 10-day contract will expire tonight, so he’ll need to be re-signed on Saturday in order to be active for Golden State’s game in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Knox has been in the Warriors’ organization since last July, having played for Golden State in Summer League and during the preseason before spending the majority of the 2024/25 campaign with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.

Although he played a modest role off the bench on his 10-day contract, Knox impressed the team with his contributions in limited action, according to Slater. The former ninth overall pick scored 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting in 29 minutes across four games while also contributing eight rebounds, three assists, and a pair of blocks.

Knox will earn $150,179 on his second 10-day contract, with the Warriors taking on a cap hit of $119,972.

Since Golden State is navigating a hard cap, it will be interesting to see whether the team signs a second player to a 10-day contract alongside Knox in order to remain at 14 on standard deals. With Yuri Collins‘ 10-day contract also set to expire on Friday night, the Warriors will temporarily dip down to 12 players before re-signing Knox to get to 13.

Golden State can only carry fewer than 14 players for up to 14 more days this season, so that clock would begin to tick again starting Saturday if the club doesn’t sign a second player, whether that’s Collins or someone else.

Lakers’ Reaves To Undergo MRI, Team Optimistic Hachimura Injury Isn’t Serious

March 1st, 2025 at 8:14am CST by Earnest Marshall

Lakers guard Austin Reaves exited Friday’s game against the Clippers and did not return due to right calf soreness, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. He subbed out with just under three minutes left in the first quarter and will receive an MRI on Saturday.

“He was experiencing some tightness in the calf, some soreness,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Was held out as a precaution.”

Forward Rui Hachimura missed Friday’s game entirely after he was ruled out due to a left knee strain he suffered on Thursday against the Timberwolves. Hachimura received an MRI on Friday, and while there’s no timetable for his return yet, Redick expressed optimism that the injury isn’t serious.

“It’s still not quite clear on when he will be available to play,” Redick said. “But we’re optimistic.”

The Lakers’ head coach later clarified that Hachimura has been diagnosed with left patellar tendinopathy and will be reassessed in one week, according to McMenamin (Twitter links).

In Reaves’ place, Gabe Vincent received an uptick in minutes and started the second half. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith took over a starting role with Hachimura out.

The surging Lakers will feel the absence of Reaves and/or Hachimura if either has to miss much time. Reaves has recorded multiple 30-point games since New Year’s Eve and is averaging 23.5 PPG in his last 11. Hachimura is a full-time starter when healthy, averaging 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest this season.

The Lakers have won 15 of their last 18 games to move up the standings and now sit just a game back of the second seed in the West.

Players Waived After Saturday Won’t Be Playoff-Eligible

February 28th, 2025 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

In order to retain his postseason eligibility for a new NBA team, a player must be waived on or before March 1. That means that any player who remains on an NBA roster after Saturday won’t be eligible to suit up in the playoffs for a new team, though there’s at least one key exception to that general rule.

A player who is currently on a 10-day contract – or a current free agent who signs one after March 1 – will retain his playoff eligibility going forward. For instance, once Lamar Stevens‘s 10-day deal with the Grizzlies expires on Sunday night, he’d still be able to re-sign with Memphis or join a new team and be eligible to play in the postseason, since he’s not being placed on waivers after March 1.

That rule applies even if a player has his 10-day contract terminated early, since that player becomes a free agent immediately without being required to pass through waivers.

Here’s the list of players on 10-day contracts that run through at least March 1 who will retain their playoff eligibility when their current deals expire:

Moses Brown, Mavericks (runs through 3/1)
Killian Hayes, Nets (3/1)
Jaden Springer, Jazz (3/1)
Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers (3/1)
Bismack Biyombo, Spurs (3/2)
Lamar Stevens, Grizzlies (3/2)
Jalen McDaniels, Wizards (3/3)

Kevin Knox (Warriors), Kevon Harris (Hawks), and Malachi Flynn (Hornets) are also reportedly set to sign 10-day contracts this weekend. They’re all playoff-eligible too.

Since it’s often a point of confusion, it’s worth clarifying that a player doesn’t have to sign with a new team by March 1 to be playoff-eligible — he simply can’t be placed on waivers after 11:59 pm Eastern time on Saturday.

For example, P.J. Tucker was waived by Toronto on Friday. As long as he signs with a new team by the final day of the regular season (April 13), he can play in the postseason (including play-in games). If he had been cut two days later, on Sunday, Tucker would have lost his postseason eligibility.

The buyout market in 2025 hasn’t been all that active, with Ben Simmons, Javonte Green, Torrey Craig, and Alex Len among the only veterans of note who have been waived and found new NBA teams in February.

All of those players – and those who have been waived but haven’t yet signed with new teams, such as Josh Richardson, Reggie Jackson, and Mohamed Bamba – will be playoff-eligible for their new clubs, but anyone on a standard or two-way contract who is waived after Saturday won’t be. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the NBA’s transaction wire over the next 24 hours to see who else might land on waivers before that deadline passes.

Mitchell Robinson Making Season Debut On Friday

February 28th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Earnest Marshall

February 28: Robinson will make his season debut on Friday vs. Memphis, Charania confirms (via Twitter).

February 27: Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been upgraded to questionable and is on track to make his season debut as early as Friday against the Grizzlies, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter link).

Robinson hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pacers last spring, having been sidelined for all of 2024/25 so far while he recovered from ankle surgery.

It’s unclear exactly which game Robinson will return for, as Charania’s report says he’ll play “as early as” Friday. He’ll travel for the team’s upcoming two-game road trip that includes a matchup in Miami on Sunday and is expected to play in at least one of those two games.

It was previously reported that Robinson was “inching” toward a return and that the Knicks were optimistic about having him back this weekend. Robinson may be brought along slowly after not playing at all this season so far. However, when he’s at full strength, he’s an obvious boost to a Knicks frontcourt with depleted depth.

With Robinson out and Karl-Anthony Towns missing the team’s last game due to a lower body injury, New York turned to rookie Ariel Hukporti to make his first career start on Wednesday night. However, the rookie center is now out for at least four-to-six weeks with a significant knee injury he suffered in that game.

Not counting Robinson, Hukporti’s injury left the Knicks with only Precious Achiuwa as a big-man option behind Towns.

Robinson is a force on the boards for the Knicks, averaging 7.9 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game over the course of his career. Last season, he averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks, establishing himself as a defensive anchor for the team and ranking second in the league with 4.6 offensive rebounds per night. However, he was only available for 31 regular season contests and missed the final six games of the playoffs due to his ankle issues.

While Robinson is expected to come off the bench behind Towns upon returning to action, the Knicks figure to utilize the two big men together at times, with Towns stretching the floor on offense and Robinson protecting the rim on defense.

Raptors Waive P.J. Tucker

February 28th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:36 pm: The Raptors officially placed Tucker on waivers on Friday, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:28 pm: Veteran forward P.J. Tucker is being waived by the Raptors, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Tucker, 39, hasn’t played this season, but he was traded twice before the deadline. The Clippers sent him to the Jazz in a February 1 deal, then Utah moved him to Toronto five days later as part of the complex five-team trade involving Jimmy Butler.

Tucker has been mentioned as a buyout candidate, but there’s no indication from Charania that he agreed to give up a portion of his $11.54MM salary to be released. Because he’ll be waived by the March 1 deadline, Tucker will be eligible for the postseason if he joins another team.

Because Tucker’s salary is below the $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, he will be free to sign with anyone once he clears waivers. The only exception is Utah because he’s not permitted to return to the last team that traded him for at least a year.

While he hasn’t seen much on-court action over the past two years, Tucker has served as a valuable three-and-D contributor for several playoff teams throughout his career. His postseason experience and defensive prowess could be attractive to contenders now that he’s a free agent.

Tucker was in the final season of a three-year, $33MM contract the Sixers gave him in free agency in 2022. He was sent to L.A. as part of the James Harden trade in 2023, but never really had a consistent role with the Clippers, appearing in just 28 games after the deal.

Knicks’ Hukporti To Miss At Least 4-6 Weeks Following Knee Surgery

February 28th, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Rory Maher

February 28: Hukporti underwent surgery on Friday to address his left meniscus tear and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, according to the Knicks (Twitter link).

February 27: Knicks center Ariel Hukporti made his first career start in Wednesday’s victory over Philadelphia, recording eight points, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. Unfortunately, the German big man also sustained a significant injury during the game.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), the 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Steve Popper of Newsday confirms (via Twitter) that Hukporti will be out for an extended period, though he hears the team is still evaluating the test results and it’s not yet certain that Hukporti sustained a meniscus injury.

The 58th and final pick of the 2024 draft, Hukporti has received sporadic playing time during his rookie season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game across 25 appearances.

It’s a tough blow for Hukporti, who was initially signed to a two-way contract but was converted to a standard deal in early November in part to navigate New York’s salary cap situation. The Knicks hold a minimum-salary team option on his contract for 2025/26.

If Hukporti is able to return at the conservative end of the timeline Charania reported — six weeks — he would back just in time for the end of the regular season in mid-April. Returning sooner would obviously give him more time to prepare as the Knicks prepare for a playoff push — they’re currently the No. 3 seed in the East, with a record of 38-20.

On a more positive note, Mitchell Robinson is reportedly on track to make his season debut this weekend, so he should help fortify the Knicks’ frontcourt depth, which will be a little more thin with Hukporti out. Precious Achiuwa is another candidate for more minutes at backup center.

The Knicks also have an open roster spot and will be able to squeeze in a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract for a 15th man below their hard cap as of Friday.

Magic’s Jalen Suggs Out Indefinitely Due To Knee Injury

February 28th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has missed the past 14 games due to what the team referred to as a left quad contusion, has been ruled out indefinitely after undergoing additional testing and being diagnosed with a trochlea injury in his left knee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The team has confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).

Suggs was experiencing discomfort during his return-to-play activities, according to Beede, which prompted the Magic to reevaluate the fourth-year guard and conduct an MRI. Those additional tests revealed the trochlea injury.

As Beede explains, the trochlea is “a groove in the lower end of the femur that guides the kneecap during knee movements.” When it’s damaged, it can cause pain, instability, and additional knee issues.

According to the team, a treatment plan is still being developed for Suggs, but the expectation is that he’ll make a full recovery.

Suggs has now missed 24 of the Magic’s past 25 games after also sitting out for 10 consecutive contests in January due to a low back strain. He has been limited to just 35 total outings this season and had averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 28.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .410/.314/.882.

Although Suggs’ shooting numbers are underwhelming, the Magic have clearly missed having him in the backcourt. Besides being one of the team’s offensive engines, the 23-year-old is a major part of Orlando’s defense. He earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team last season, but won’t get a chance to repeat that feat this season, since he’ll fall short of the required 65-game minimum.

The Magic are 20-15 in games Suggs has played this season and just 9-17 without him. The club, which held a top-four spot in the East for most of the season through mid-January, has fallen to 29-32 as a result of its recent swoon and currently ranks seventh in the conference, which is in play-in territory.

Orlando is typically pretty vague about injury recovery timelines, so it may be a little while before we get a clear sense of when Suggs could return. He signed a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension with the team last fall that will go into effect in 2025/26, so it’s safe to assume the Magic will take a cautious approach to his recovery process.