Pelicans Sign, Waive Jalon Moore
September 17: Moore has been waived, according to the NBA transactions log. That opens up a training camp roster spot for New Orleans.
September 16: The Pelicans have signed rookie free agent Jalon Moore to a training camp deal, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions.
A 6’7″ forward, Moore spent two seasons at Georgia Tech from 2021-23 and then two years at Oklahoma from 2023-25 before going undrafted in June. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per game across 34 outings (all starts) for the Sooners, posting a solid shooting line of .471/.381/.840.
Moore had been projected as a possible second-round pick before he suffered an Achilles tear during a workout with the Spurs this spring, which prompted his agent Mike Silverman to call for changes to how the pre-draft process works.
“We’re truly heartbroken for Jalon,” Silverman told ESPN at the time. “It’s time to revamp the NBA pre-draft process. Flying around the country to perform intense competitive workouts exposes players to risk of major injuries. No other pro sports league puts their draft prospects in this position.”
While Moore seems likely to miss the entire 2025/26 season, the Pelicans may be planning to sign-and-waive him in order to gain his G League rights, with an eye toward keeping him in their system for ’26/27.
The transaction gives New Orleans a full 21-man offseason roster, including 14 players on guaranteed contracts, four (including Moore) on Exhibit 9/Exhibit 10 deals, and three on two-way pacts.
And-Ones: Sengun, Giannis, Future Rankings, G League Swap, Drell
Rockets center Alperen Sengun made an eye-opening statement regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo after Turkey defeated Greece for the EuroBasket semifinals.
“He’s not a great passer. He’s an amazing player, you know, but he’s not a great passer. So we just tried to help and jump to close the paint,” Sengun said, per Edvinas Jablonskis of BasketNews.com.
When asked about Sengun’s comments on Sunday, according to BasketNews, the Bucks superstar replied, “I’m not the guy that will talk back to coaches or players or people that say bad things about me. It doesn’t really matter because at the end of the day, you won’t remember what they say. You’ll remember how I respond. So, I keep everything to myself. You can go see my clips on YouTube. And then come back and ask me if I’m a good passer. There you go. That’s it.”
The disagreement continued on social media but both players later issued apologies for comments they made on Instagram, according to Eurohoops.net.
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- ESPN’s Insiders updated their three-year future rankings of every NBA franchise based on a variety of factors. Not surprisingly, the defending champion Thunder received the top ranking. The Rockets, Knicks, Cavaliers and Clippers rounded out the top five, with the Suns occupying the bottom of the totem pole.
- The Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder‘s NBA G League team, has acquired a 2026 first-round pick and the returning player rights to Steven Richardson from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for the returning player rights to Cormac Ryan, Thunder beat reporter Rylan Stiles tweets. Ryan joined the Bucks‘ camp roster on an Exhibit 10 deal last week, so this clears the way for him to receive a bonus up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends 60 days or more with the Herd.
- Spanish club Joventut Badalona and former Bulls forward Henri Drell have reached an agreement for the next two months with an option to extend until the end of the season, according to Penya.com. Drell played in the EuroBasket tournament with the Estonian national team. Last year, he played 15 games with La Laguna Tenerife. Drell appeared in four games with Chicago during the 2023/24 season.
Los Angeles Notes: Jones Jr., Clippers, Silver, Doncic
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t provide his former agent written notice of 15 days prior to firing him before he signed a free agent contract last year. That was a key reason why an arbitrator ruled that Jones’ former agent, Aaron Turner, was entitled to his full 4% commission of $1.2MM on the three-year, $30MM contract that Jones inked, Michael McCann of Sportico reports.
Jones stated he directly negotiated with the Clippers last year. Prior to Turner’s dismissal, the Mavericks offered Jones a three-year, $27MM contract. Jones testified he was “furious” by the offer, which was much less than he expected.
On June 26, 2024, Jones sent Turner an email saying he was terminating their Standard Player Agent Contract. Two days later, Jones asked Turner to waive the 15-day notice period and Turner declined.
Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:
- So what kind of penalties could the league hit the Clippers with regarding Kawhi Leonard‘s alleged no-show endorsement deal if it’s determined the team circumvented the salary cap illegally? John Hollinger of The Athletic notes that the league could fine the Clippers up to $7.5MM, fine Leonard up to $350K, forfeit Clippers draft picks, suspend owner Steve Ballmer or other Clipper personnel up to a year and fine them up to $1MM each; void Leonard’s contract and prohibit him from re-signing with the Clippers; and require Leonard to return the money he received from Aspiration. However, if the investigation ends during the season, voiding Leonard’s contract could lead to unintended consequences, with him becoming a free agent and signing with a contender on a minimum contract, Hollinger notes.
- Regarding the investigation, commissioner Adam Silver promised at the Front Office Sports conference that “we will get to the bottom of it,” according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). Silver added that “I don’t know anything about Kawhi’s deal. Show, no show; we’ll certainly find out.” The league hired a law firm to investigate the matter.
- Luka Doncic admits he was shocked when the Mavericks traded him to the Lakers and wasn’t sure how to process it, he told Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “I didn’t know how to react, how to act, what to say,” Doncic said. “It was a lot of shock. I felt Dallas was my home. I had many friends there. The fans always supported me. I didn’t want to upset Dallas fans. And I didn’t want to upset Laker fans.” Doncic also described his offseason conditioning program, which included one key element. “For the first time, I stopped playing basketball for a month,” he said, replacing that with “pure training and fitness.”
Thunder Rookie Thomas Sorber Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Thunder first-round pick Thomas Sorber underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link via Rylan Stiles of SI.com).
The injury, which was revealed earlier this month, will sideline the big man out of Georgetown for the entire season. Sorber is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the 2026/27 season.
Sorber was the No. 15 pick in the June draft. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.
The big man is the second straight Oklahoma City first-round selection to be sidelined for his rookie year. Last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.
The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what Sorber can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
Sorber signed his rookie scale contract in early July at a four-year total of $22.51MM. His deal is guaranteed for the first two seasons, with team options on years three and four.
Knicks Add Alex Len, Matt Ryan To Camp Roster
The Knicks have added center Alex Len on an Exhibit 9 contract and forward Matt Ryan on an Exhibit 10 deal, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter links).
Additionally, they waived Dink Pate and Bryson Warren, who were signed to Exhibit 10 deals earlier in the day. All these moves were expected as the team rounds out its training camp roster.
New York now has all of its 21 training camp spots filled.
Len worked out with New York this week. He has been in the league since 2013, when the Suns selected him with the No. 5 overall pick. He has also played for Atlanta, Sacramento, Toronto, Washington and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Last season, he appeared in 36 games with the Kings and 10 more with the Lakers. He signed with the Lakers as a free agent after Sacramento traded him in February to the Wizards, who quickly waived him. He averaged a modest 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes during those 46 appearances in 2024/25 and became a free agent after the season.
As reported earlier in the day, Ryan chose to sign a training camp deal with New York, with whom he played for last season.
He was on a non-guaranteed deal and then on a two-way contract before being waived on March 1. He appeared in 19 games for the Knicks but played primarily in garbage time, scoring 28 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 68 total minutes of action.
Ryan, who has played in 82 regular season games since making his NBA debut in April 2022, is known primarily as a three-point marksman, having made 40.2% of his career attempts from beyond the arc.
Len and Ryan will try to buck long odds to secure the team’s lone available veteran’s minimum contract. Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon, and Garrison Mathews are also in the mix for that deal.
Knicks Sign Jemison, McCullar, Evbuomwan To Two-Way Deals
4:30pm: The Knicks have officially signed Jemison and McCullar to two-way deals, the team’s PR department tweets (Twitter links). Additionally, NBA.com’s transaction log lists Evbuomwan’s deal as a two-way contract, despite the Knicks announcing it as an Exhibit 10.
4:00pm: The Knicks have reached two-way contract agreements with big man Trey Jemison and forward Tosan Evbuomwan, SNY’s Ian Begley reports (Twitter links).
The Knicks will enter training camp with all three two-way slots filled, as Kevin McCullar Jr. is expected to return on another two-way deal, Begley adds. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that McCullar will sign his two-way qualifying offer (Twitter link).
New York worked out Jemison on Monday and obviously the front office and coaches liked what they saw. Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January with the Lakers and remained on their roster for the rest of the season, but was waived in July.
The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with Los Angeles, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans during the 2024/25 season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in ’23/24.
Overall, Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience (14 starts), averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. Jemison, 25, went undrafted out of UAB in 2023.
The Knicks have been busy finalizing their camp roster and announced a handful of other contract signings on Monday, including an Exhibit 10 contract with Evbuomwan. They’ve apparently decided to upgrade that move regarding Evbuomwan.
Evbuomwan had been on a two-way deal with the Nets in 2024/25. Brooklyn waived the 6’8″ British combo forward in August.
After going undrafted out of Princeton in 2023, the former Ivy League Player of the Year linked up with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, to start his pro career. Evbuomwan signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, then joined Detroit on a 10-day deal, later agreeing to a two-way contract. He started 2024/25 with the Clippers’ NBAGL club, the San Diego Clippers, before inking a two-way deal with Brooklyn in January.
In 28 games with Brooklyn last season, the 24-year-old averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .427/.312/.753.
NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: Washington Wizards
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Washington Wizards.
Free agent signings
Marvin Bagley III: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.- Anthony Gill: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to Will Riley (No. 21 pick), the No. 43 pick in the 2025 draft, either the Heat’s or Pacers’ 2031 second-round pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Jazz’s 2032 second-round pick from the Jazz in exchange for the draft rights to Walter Clayton (No. 18 pick).
- Acquired Dillon Jones and the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for Colby Jones.
- Acquired CJ McCollum (from Pelicans), Kelly Olynyk (from Pelicans), Cam Whitmore (from Rockets), and the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (from Pelicans) in a three-team trade in exchange for Jordan Poole (to Pelicans), Saddiq Bey (to Pelicans), the draft rights to Micah Peavy (No. 40 pick; to Pelicans), the Bulls’ 2026 second-round pick (to Rockets), and the Kings’ 2029 second-round pick (to Rockets).
- Note: The Wizards already controlled the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick if it landed between 31-50. Now they’ll receive it no matter where it ends up.
- Acquired Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and either the Mavericks’, Thunder’s, or Sixers’ 2026 second-round pick (whichever is least favorable) from the Spurs in exchange for Kelly Olynyk.
- Note: Wesley was subsequently bought out by the Wizards.
Draft picks
- 1-6: Tre Johnson
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $37,439,130).
- 1-21: Will Riley
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $17,220,192).
- 2-43: Jamir Watkins
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
- Tristan Vukcevic
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
- Jamir Watkins
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Malcolm Brogdon (Knicks)
- JT Thor (unsigned)
Other roster moves
- Bought out Marcus Smart (gave up $6,800,001 of $21,586,856 salary).
- Bought out Blake Wesley (gave up $1,378,870 of $4,726,328 salary).
- Waived Richaun Holmes (partially guaranteed for $250,000).
- Waived Jaylen Martin (two-way contract).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
- Carrying approximately $156.1MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $195,945,000.
- Full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14,104,000) available.
- Portion of bi-annual exception ($407,672) available.
- Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $13,445,122).
The offseason so far
After winning 15 games in 2023/24 and 18 last season, the Wizards are in no hurry to take a significant step forward in ’25/26. In fact, a major improvement in the standings might work against the best interests of the organization in the long term, since Washington will owe its 2026 first-round pick to New York if it lands outside the top eight. Assuming that pick is inside the top eight, the Wizards will keep it and would no longer be required to give up a future first-rounder — instead, they’d send the Knicks their second-rounders in 2026 and 2027.
That first-round pick, which has landed in its protected range for each of the past three years, was originally sent to Houston as part of the John Wall/Russell Westbrook swap during the 2020 offseason before being rerouted to Oklahoma City and then to New York.
While that Wall/Westbrook trade may feel like ancient history, the traded pick involved in the deal continues to loom large over the franchise. It’s a big reason why the majority of the Wizards’ moves this summer weren’t about adding win-now help, but were instead about creating financial flexibility, taking fliers on former first-round picks, or continuing to accumulate future draft assets. Washington made four trades this offseason and each of them falls into one or more of those three categories.
For instance, the Wizards added three second-round picks to their stockpile by trading back from No. 18 to No. 21 on draft night. They picked up another second-rounder and took a shot on a recent first-round selection when they sent Colby Jones‘ non-guaranteed deal to Oklahoma City in exchange for 2024’s No. 26 overall pick Dillon Jones. And when they dealt Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio, they acquired a future second-round pick and reduced their 2025/26 team salary in the process.
The biggest trade of Washington’s summer was the one initially sending Olynyk to D.C. alongside veteran guard CJ McCollum. The agreement, which saw Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey head to New Orleans as the Wizards and Pelicans swapped second-round picks, looked a little curious on the surface, but made a ton of sense on the cap sheet — while Poole and Bey have two guaranteed years left on their contracts, McCollum and Olynyk (as well as the players whom the Wizards eventually acquired when they flipped Olynyk to the Spurs) are on expiring deals.
That means the Wizards are now in position to create a huge chunk of cap room during the 2026 offseason. Even if they retain all their players with team options and/or non-guaranteed salaries for the 2026/27 season, they’d still only have about $70MM in salary on their books entering next year’s draft. Of course, Washington doesn’t need that cap room to pursue free agents, but the team’s relative lack of multiyear financial commitments gives the front office a ton of flexibility to take on salary in trades, during either the coming season or the summer of 2026.
That trade with the Pelicans turned into a three-team deal when the Wizards folded in a separate agreement with the Rockets — Washington sent a pair of second-round picks to Houston in exchange for 2023 first-rounder Cam Whitmore.
It was the only deal the Wizards made this summer in which they gave up more draft assets than they got back, but the price tag to take a shot on a young scorer who has some untapped potential was relatively modest. Whitmore just turned 21 in July and has averaged 22.3 points per 36 minutes during his first two NBA seasons, but there was no place for him on an increasingly deep Rockets roster. We’ll see if he can find a more permanent home in D.C.
The Wizards added two more notable youngsters to their roster in this year’s draft, using the sixth overall pick on Texas guard Tre Johnson and the 21st pick on Illinois forward Will Riley, a pair of one-and-done college players.
Washington has now made six first-round picks in the past three years, including three top-seven selections, and doesn’t yet have a clear-cut franchise player to show for it. The franchise presumably hoped to address that issue this year with the second-best lottery odds in a class headlined by Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, but ended up with a worst-case outcome, leapfrogged by four teams and dropping to No. 6.
As disappointing a result as that was, there’s still optimism about Johnson’s ability to become a long-term fixture in the Wizards’ backcourt. He was excellent in two Summer League games, scoring 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting in 55 minutes of action, which was a promising first impression.
As the Wizards continue to lean into their youth movement, there are fewer veterans than ever left on the roster. The club brought back Marvin Bagley III and Anthony Gill on minimum-salary contracts, and it looks like McCollum and Khris Middleton will at least start the season in Washington. But Marcus Smart was bought out, Richaun Holmes was waived, Malcolm Brogdon departed in free agency, and it’s likely just a matter of time until McCollum and Middleton (both eligible for free agency in 2026) move on as well. The Wizards’ young core should get plenty of opportunities to sink or swim in 2025/26.
Up next
The Wizards have a minor roster crunch to address for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Justin Champagnie on a non-guaranteed deal. Champagnie was a pretty effective role player last season and doesn’t deserve to be the odd man out, so Washington will likely have to trade or release someone with a guaranteed salary, which shouldn’t be an issue for a team operating way below the luxury tax line.
Malaki Branham, acquired from the Spurs in the Olynyk deal, is one candidate to be waived — he averaged a career-low 9.1 minutes per game in his third NBA season in 2024/25.
It’s also not clear if Jones, who was acquired in that aforementioned trade with the Thunder, is someone Washington actually likes or if the front office just made the deal for the second-round pick that was attached to him. He looks like another potential release candidate.
The Wizards have one open two-way slot alongside second-round pick Jamir Watkins and big man Tristan Vukcevic. After undrafted rookie Kadary Richmond agreed to sign with Washington in June, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino published a social media post congratulating Richmond for his “two-way” deal, but no reporters ever confirmed that the guard was getting a two-way contract and he has yet to officially sign at all, so Pitino may have misspoke. It’s possible Richmond will be one of a few players who have a chance to compete for that two-way slot in training camp.
Setting the 15-man standard roster and filling the final two-way opening will be the main items on the Wizards’ to-do list this fall, since there are no real extension candidates on the roster — Branham is the only player eligible for a rookie scale extension, and extension-eligible veterans like McCollum and Middleton aren’t legitimate candidates for new deals.
Still, the Wizards are worth keeping an eye on as a trade facilitator. The preseason doesn’t typically feature a ton of trade activity, but there are usually at least a couple deals made, and the Wizards’ cap situation makes them a logical partner for teams looking to shed a contract or two. Washington is operating more than $30MM below the luxury tax line and still has the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception and a pair of mid-sized trade exceptions at its disposal to take on salary.
Eastern Notes: Bufkin, NAW, Tanenbaum, Nets, Wiggins
After rebuffing trade interest in former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin earlier in the offseason, the Hawks became more open to the idea of moving him after the Las Vegas Summer League concluded, according to Grant Afseth of RG.org.
While Bufkin posted strong averages of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in four Vegas outings, he struggled to score efficiently, making just 35.5% of his shots from the floor, including 25.9% of his three-point attempts. The Hawks, who are hoping to contend in what looks like a wide-open Eastern Conference, are focused on players who can help them win right now and weren’t sure Bufkin fit that bill, as Afseth explains.
Bufkin was ultimately sent to Brooklyn, though the Pacers also registered some interest, sources tell RG.org.
As for the Hawks, they intend to lean on Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard for ball-handling duties behind star point guard Trae Young, according to Afseth, who says the team envisions Alexander-Walker taking on a more significant offensive role than he had in Minnesota — he has been working closely with Atlanta’s coaching staff to prepare for those increased responsibilities, Afseth adds.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Raptors governor and NBA Board of Governors chairman Larry Tanenbaum is obligated to begin the process of selling his 20% stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (the Raptors’ parent company) to Rogers Communications by July 7, 2026, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. There are “rumblings” that process could begin sooner, Grange says, but either way, it sounds like it’s just a matter of time until Rogers – which already controls 75% of MLSE – owns nearly the entire company. Rogers increased its stake in MLSE from 37.5% to 75% a year ago.
- Which Nets players are the most and least likely to be part of the team’s long-term plans? Brian Lewis of The New York Post explores that question in a subscriber-only article, suggesting that Cam Thomas seems unlikely to remain in Brooklyn beyond 2025/26, whereas Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and whoever the Nets draft with their 2026 lottery pick seem destined to be cornerstones going forward.
- Addressing the recent trade rumors linking Heat forward Andrew Wiggins to the Lakers, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains why he thinks Miami would be better off keeping Wiggins than trading him for a return of Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht.
Hawks Trade Kobe Bufkin To Nets
September 16: The trade is official, according to announcements from both teams. The Nets waived big man David Muoka in order to open up a spot on the 21-man roster for Bufkin.
September 15: The Hawks and Nets have agreed to a trade that will send former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin from Atlanta to Brooklyn in exchange for cash considerations, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The Hawks will acquire $110K in cash, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin has battled injuries since entering the NBA. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery into December 2024, less than two months into his second season.
In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. Bufkin – who will turn 22 on Sunday – has more upside than he’s been able to show so far, so the Nets will take a chance on him in the hopes that he’ll have better health luck going forward.
Brooklyn has more than enough cap room to take on Bufkin’s $4.5MM salary for this season, which will push the team over the minimum salary floor, at least for now. His rookie scale contract also includes a $6.9MM team option for 2026/27 — the Nets will have to make a decision on that option by October 31.
While the Nets are in a good position to roll the dice on Bufkin from a salary cap perspective, adding him to the mix will exacerbate a looming roster crunch. Once the deal is official, Brooklyn will be carrying 15 players on guaranteed salaries and four on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries. The team also intends to add Ricky Council IV to the latter group. A number of those players will have to be waived or traded in order for the Nets to set their 15-man regular season roster next month.
Brooklyn still has roughly $11.6MM in cap room for now, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, though the club could increase that figure by waiving some of those players with non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. The Nets would be in danger of falling back below the minimum salary floor in that scenario and will want to make sure they’re above that threshold by opening night.
The Hawks, meanwhile, will generate a $4.5MM trade exception as a result of the deal, generating a little extra financial flexibility below the luxury tax line and opening up another roster spot for one of their camp invitees to compete for.
With Bufkin no longer in the mix, Atlanta will have just 10 players on fully guaranteed salaries, plus Vit Krejci and N’Faly Dante on partial guarantees, Mouhamed Gueye on a non-guaranteed contract, and Caleb Houstan, Charles Bassey, and Kobe Johnson on Exhibit 10 deals.
Knicks Confirm Several Signings, Plan To Add Alex Len
Having carried just 12 players on their roster since July, the Knicks began officially filling out their 21-man preseason squad on Tuesday.
After signing Dink Pate and Bryson Warren to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team officially announced five more previously reported deals, confirming that Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet have signed their Exhibit 9 contracts (Twitter links), while Mohamed Diawara, Garrison Mathews, Tosan Evbuomwan have finalized Exhibit 10 agreements (all Twitter links).
Reports late last week indicated that Mathews, Shamet, and Brogdon were signing non-guaranteed contracts with the Knicks. Evbuomwan’s deal was reported on Monday, while James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) stated earlier today that Diawara would be getting an Exhibit 10 contract.
The Knicks aren’t done making roster additions. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the team has also reached a training camp agreement with veteran center Alex Len, who was working out for New York this week.
The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Len has been in the NBA for 12 seasons, primarily as a backup big man. In 2024/25, he appeared in 46 total games for the Kings and Lakers and played a very modest role, averaging just 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per night.
There has been no formal announcement yet regarding Len or veteran wing Matt Ryan, who is expected to re-sign with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal. The club also has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Kevin McCullar Jr.
With 19 players now officially under contract, there’s not enough room for New York to sign Len, Ryan, and McCullar without making a cut, but more shuffling of players on and off the roster figures to occur in the coming days and weeks.
Pate and Warren will probably be the first players waived and appear likely to end up with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. Brogdon, Shamet, and Mathews are expected to be competing for a regular season roster spot — it’s possible Ryan and Len could be involved in that competition too, though they look like longer shots to make the team.
Diawara has an inside track for a standard roster spot because of the Knicks’ hard-cap situation, which requires them to carry a drafted rookie on a minimum-salary contract if they don’t shed salary in a trade. Evbuomwan, meanwhile, is a candidate to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal.