Nuggets To Sign Curtis Jones
Iowa State guard Curtis Jones will sign with the Nuggets, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s likely to be an Exhibit 10 contract, but Givony doesn’t specify the terms.
Jones, 23, spent two years with the Cyclones after playing his first two seasons at Buffalo. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this year and won the conference’s Sixth Man Award. Jones averaged 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 34 games as a senior. He’s an effective three-point shooter, connecting at 37.4% this season, and has shown he can provide instant offense off the bench.
Jones conducted more than a dozen interviews and workouts during the pre-draft process, according to Eugene Rapay of The Des Moines Register. He also participated in the G League Elite Camp in May.
Jones was ranked as the No. 90 prospect in the draft by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and was listed as the 19th-best remaining player on ESPN’s big board.
Jones joins Missouri guard Tamar Bates, who agreed to a two-way contract with Denver shortly after the draft’s second round ended Thursday night. The Nuggets didn’t have any picks in either round this year.
Wizards, Kadary Richmond Agree To Deal
After going undrafted this week, St. John’s guard Kadary Richmond has agreed to sign with the Wizards, agent Daniel Hazan tells NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Richmond spent a year at Syracuse and three seasons with Seton Hall before joining St. John’s ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. As a “super senior,” he filled up the box score by averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals in 32.3 minutes per game across 36 outings (35 starts).
Richmond was named to the All-Big East second team in 2025 after making the first team with Seton Hall in 2024. He was the No. 86 prospect on ESPN’s big board prior to the draft and ranked 29th among the players who went undrafted.
The exact details of Richmond’s contract are unclear. Typically, when the agent for an undrafted rookie doesn’t specify the terms, it’s an Exhibit 10 agreement, which is essentially a non-guaranteed training camp contract. But St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino sent out a tweet today congratulating Richmond and his Red Storm teammate RJ Luis Jr. for their “two-way” deals.
The Wizards won’t be able to officially sign Richmond until after the new league year begins in July, so we should get clarity on his contract details at that point, if not earlier.
Rockets’ Cam Whitmore Involved In Trade Talks
The Rockets have been engaged in trade discussions this week involving Cam Whitmore, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), who describes the situation as “fluid.”
The 20-year-old small forward has seen limited playing time during his first two NBA seasons and has been unable to claim a regular role amidst Houston’s collection of young talent. He appeared in 51 games this season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.2 minutes per night with .444/.355/.750 shooting numbers. He was out of the rotation completely in the playoffs, making just three brief appearances.
The Rockets were surprised to land Whitmore with their second pick in the 2023 draft when he slipped to 20th after once being considered a top-five prospect. Concerns about his defense and focus caused several teams to pass on him, and those questions have persisted during his time in the NBA.
Iko reported earlier this month that the Rockets had received trade inquiries about Whitmore, but added that management remains optimistic about his future and that neither he or his representatives have asked to be moved. However, that was before the team agreed to the Kevin Durant trade, which may create fewer developmental opportunities for Whitmore as Houston looks to take another step toward title contention.
Appearing Thursday on Get Up, ESPN’s Shams Charania speculated that Whitmore could have significant value as a trade asset (YouTube link; hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire).
“Cam Whitmore is a young player with talent that has gotten interest around the league,” Charania said. “That’s someone that if you’re the Rockets, you could potentially move him for draft capital or a player that can help you now. If they are going to go into free agency or look into trades, I think a player that’s kind of the ilk of a Dillon Brooks, a wing-type player that can shore up that spot, that could be of interest for the Rockets.”
Whitmore may see an expanded opportunity for playing time if he doesn’t get dealt, depending on what the Rockets do in free agency. They’re sending two wing players to Phoenix in Brooks and Jalen Green, and Whitmore has already played two years in coach Ime Udoka’s system.
Whitmore has a $5.5MM option for 2026/27 that Houston or his new team will have to pick up before the start of next season. He will be eligible for an extension on his rookie-scale contract next summer.
Rockets Sign Cameron Matthews
JULY 13: Houston officially announced its signing of Matthews in a press release.
JUNE 27: Former Mississippi State forward Cameron Matthews is signing with the Rockets, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), who says the defensive standout will be given a chance to compete for a two-way contract in training camp after he went undrafted last night. That reporting implies Matthews has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal.
Matthews spent all five of his college seasons with the Bulldogs, averaging 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals in 29.4 minutes per game across 34 appearances in 2024/25. While he isn’t a great scorer or shooter (.533/.200/.556 career splits), he does contribute in multiple areas and earned All-Defensive honors in the SEC each of the past two seasons.
The 23-year-old was not ranked on ESPN’s big board, but he came in at No. 83 on Sam Vecenie of The Athletic‘s top-100 guide.
The Exhibit 10 language in Matthews’ contract means that he could earn a bonus worth up to $85K if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBA G League affiliate. As Scotto noted, Exhibit 10s can also be converted into two-way deals.
Thunder To Sign Payton Sandfort To Exhibit 10 Deal
JULY 1: Sandfort is signing an Exhibit 10 contract, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman confirms (via Twitter).
JUNE 27: The defending champion Thunder have agreed to a deal with former Iowa standout Payton Sandfort, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
While Givony doesn’t specify the terms of the agreement, it will likely be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 deal would put Sandfort on track to either become an affiliate player for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team, or to be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season.
Sandfort, a 6’7″ wing who spent his entire four-year college career with the Hawkeyes, gradually emerged as a featured player for the team, becoming a full-time starter as a junior after being named the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore.
In his senior year in 2024/25, Sandfort started all 33 games he played, averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 31.9 minutes per contest, with a .407/.340/.891 shooting line. That three-point percentage was his worst single-season mark — he was at 36.5% in his first three college seasons.
Sandfort is the first undrafted free agent deal reported for the Thunder, who selected Thomas Sorber in the first round of the 2025 draft and Brooks Barnhizer in the second.
Tyson Degenhart Joins Raptors On Exhibit 10 Deal
SEPTEMBER 22: Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter) reports that Degenhart’s deal is now official.
JUNE 27: A pair of undrafted free agents are signing non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Raptors for training camp in the fall.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link), Alabama big man Clifford Omoruyi will be joining Toronto. Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com confirms (via Twitter) that Omoruyi is signing an Exhibit 10 deal.
Former Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart tells B.J. Rains of Bronco Nation News that he has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors as well (Twitter link).
A Nigerian center, Omoruyi spent his first four college seasons at Rutgers, earning Big Ten All-Defensive honors in back-to-back years (2023 and 2024) prior to transferring to Alabama. As fifth-year senior in 2024/25, he averaged 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 19.2 minutes per game across 37 appearances for the Crimson Tide.
Omoruyi was No. 66 on ESPN’s big board entering the draft, but was not ranked on Sam Vecenie of The Athletic‘s top-100 guide.
As for Degenhart, he spent four years with the Broncos, averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG on .526/.349/.797 shooting in 37 games last season as a senior (33.6 MPG). He was unranked by both ESPN and The Athletic.
Exhibit 10 deals enable players to receive a bonus worth up to $85K if they’re waived before the season begins and spend at least 60 days with their team’s G League affiliate (Raptors 905). E10s can also be converted into two-way contracts.
Warriors Reach Deals With LJ Cryer, Chance McMillian
In the wake of the 2025 draft, the Warriors have agreed to terms with a pair of guards who weren’t selected this week.
Golden State intends to sign Houston’s LJ Cryer to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston (Twitter link), and have also reached an agreement on a deal with Texas Tech’s Chance McMillian, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).
Cryer, who won an NCAA title with Baylor back in 2021, spent his first three college seasons with the Bears before transferring to Houston for his final two years of NCAA eligibility. One of the NCAA’s very best shooters, the 6’1″ guard has a career 41.3% success rate on 6.3 three-point attempts per game.
The 23-year-old had his best individual season in 2024/25 for a Houston team that advanced to the championship game. He averaged 15.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .424 3PT%, earning a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and being named a third-team All-American. Among this year’s draft-eligible prospects who weren’t taken on Wednesday or Thursday, Cryer ranked 37th on ESPN’s board.
McMillian placed just behind Cryer on that list, at No. 39. The 6’2″ guard was also a five-year college player, with three seasons at Grand Canyon followed by two with the Red Raiders.
After coming off the bench for Texas Tech in 2023/24, McMillian emerged as a full-time starter in his final season, averaging 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 32.8 minutes per night. He’s another marksman, having knocked down 40.8% of his shots from beyond the arc across five seasons, including 43.3% in ’24/25.
While Cryer’s deal is reported to be an Exhibit 10, Givony doesn’t provide any specifics on McMillian’s agreement. It seems safe to assume at this point that it’s also an Exhibit 10.
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed deals that essentially serve as training camp invites. They can be converted to two-way contracts prior to the regular season or put a player in line to earn a bonus worth up to $85K if he’s waived before the season and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.
Raptors Part Ways With Team President Masai Ujiri
9:05 am: The Raptors have put out a press release officially confirming that they’ve parted ways with Ujiri.
“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA Championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best. As we plan for the franchise’s future, and its return to the NBA Playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately.”
According to the announcement, the Raptors’ other top executives, including Webster, remain in place and have received contract extensions.
“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley continued. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel. We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship.”
8:11 am: Longtime Raptors president and vice chairman Masai Ujiri is leaving the franchise, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links), who reports that the two sides have decided to part ways with Ujiri entering the final year of his contract.
There were some warning sides that Ujiri and the Raptors might be headed toward a split at some point, but it’s a little surprising that it’s happening right before free agency begins next week and the morning after the two-day NBA draft, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
Last fall, Rogers Communications bought out BCE (Bell)’s stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Raptors. Previously, Rogers and Bell had each owned 37.5% of the company, but that deal gave Rogers majority control.
Reporting in the wake of that move noted that Ujiri and Rogers chairman Edward Rogers III have had a “strained relationship” in the past. The Rogers chairman reportedly opposed the terms of the contract extension that Ujiri signed with the club in 2021.
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), rival teams have speculated for months that the ownership change might eventually lead to Ujiri exiting the franchise. Some rival executives had described Ujiri as “hard to deal with,” citing his ego, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). The 54-year-old is reportedly making $15MM per year, Begley adds.
Marc Stein reported in May that the Hawks were interested in having Toronto’s longtime president of basketball operations run their front office. It’s unclear if he actually interviewed, but the fact that Ujiri was cited as a potential candidate was certainly noteworthy.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Raptors have largely struggled over the past half-decade, missing the playoffs in four out of the past five years. Ujiri acknowledged the team was in rebuilding mode last fall, but after going 30-52 in 2024/25 and making a major trade for Brandon Ingram in February, he said in April he was determined to bring Toronto another championship.
After starting his career as a scout, Ujiri worked his way up to assistant general manager with the Raptors in 2008 before leaving to become the GM in Denver in 2010. He was named Executive of the Year with the Nuggets in 2013, then returned to Toronto as executive vice president.
Ujiri bolstered his reputation as one of the NBA’s top executives when he built the Raptors team that captured the franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2019. Toronto won between 51 and 59 games each season from 2015/16 through 2019/20, advancing to at least the semifinals of the Eastern Conference in each of those five years. The final piece of the puzzle was a bold move to trade for San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, who was entering the final year of his contract and only spent one season in Toronto.
Ujiri was promoted to president and vice chairman in 2021, with Bobby Webster, Toronto’s general manger since 2017, having focused more on running the team’s day-to-day operations in recent years. Webster will likely lead the basketball operations department for now.
As for Ujiri’s next move, it’s unclear whether or not he’ll seek a new position with an NBA franchise in the short term. Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) notes that an executive from another team told him Ujiri has aspirations beyond running a team, including focusing on charity and political work.
Izan Almansa To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Sixers
Undrafted free agent Izan Almansa has agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Sixers, reports Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Almansa just turned 20 earlier this month but has already put together an impressive basketball résumé, having spent time with Overtime Elite, the G League Ignite, and – most recently – the Perth Wildcats in Australia. In 29 games for Perth this past season, he averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per contest, making 51.1% of his field goal attempts but just 53.4% of his free throws.
The 6’10” forward/center has also represented the Spanish national team in several competitions, including at the 2023 U19 World Cup, where the Spaniards won gold and he earned MVP honors.
Almansas was the only one of 12 prospects in the green room for Thursday’s second round who didn’t get drafted, but it didn’t take him long to catch on with an NBA team.
His non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract could be converted to a two-way deal before the season or would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $85K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate.
Hawks To Sign Lamont Butler To Two-Way Contract
After going undrafted this week, Kentucky guard Lamont Butler is headed to the Hawks on a two-way contract, according to reports from Bill O’Rear (Twitter link) and Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
Butler, known for his defensive acumen, played for San Diego State for four seasons before transferring to Kentucky in 2024. He earned a spot on the Mountain West All-Defensive team for three straight years from 2022-24 and won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024.
In 2024/25, as a “super senior,” Butler started all 27 games he played for the Wildcats, averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 26.0 minutes per game, with a solid shooting line of .498/.391/.735. Those shooting percentages were all well above his previous career rates.
A two-way contract would pay Butler roughly $636K if he remains on the roster long enough for it to become fully guaranteed and would make him eligible to play in up to 50 NBA regular season games.
The Hawks previously agreed to terms on a two-way deal with Eli John Ndiaye and are carrying over Daeqwon Plowden on a two-year, two-way contract, so they’ve tentatively filled all three of their two-way slots. However, those spots often remain in flux up until the start of the regular season, since they don’t count against the cap.