Dante Exum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Waive Dante Exum

October 16th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have placed guard Dante Exum on waivers in order to set their roster for the regular season, the team announced today in a press release.

Exum signed a three-year deal with the Rockets last month that had a base value of $8.1MM and included another $8MM+ in likely and unlikely incentives. There were conflicting reports on Exum’s salary details, but Hoops Rumors can confirm that his $2.5MM base salary for the 2021/22 salary was non-guaranteed, so Houston won’t be on the hook for any dead money.

The fact that Exum’s deal was fully non-guaranteed made it a fairly straightforward decision to release him in advance of the regular season, since the Rockets have 15 other players with guaranteed salaries. The team also has both its two-way contract slots filled.

Exum, the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, finished last season with Houston after coming over in the four-team James Harden trade, but he didn’t play at all during his time with the Rockets. The former Jazz and Cavs guard will clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Monday.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Exum, Grizzlies, Terry

October 2nd, 2021 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans star Zion Williamson continued his effort to quell speculation that he’s unhappy in New Orleans during an interview Friday with SiriusXM NBA Radio (Twitter link). Williamson expressed his fondness for the city and indicated that he sees a long-term future with the team.

“I love it here,” he said. “Anybody that knows me … they know that I love New Orleans. This is the city for me.”

The comments echoed a statement that Williamson made on media day in the wake of reports that some family members are urging him to seek a more successful team in a larger market and that he might have a shaky relationship with head of basketball operations David Griffin. Williamson will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

During the same interview, Williamson discussed improvements that he made to his game during the offseason, including an expanded use of floaters and midrange shots (hat tip to Oleh Kosel of TheBirdWrites.com). He also expressed a determination to reach the playoffs after missing them in his first two NBA seasons.

“It was a sickening feeling,” Williamson said. “We weren’t in the playoffs — and I’m watching the playoffs — I’m like, man, we can be there. Like I know we can be there this year. Man, something just took over me and I was like, yeah, it’s not happening again. It’s not happening no more. When I started training, everything, from every rep, everything just felt personal. Everything was like, nah, nothing this year is going to stop us from getting into the playoffs. Like, we’re going to do this. I’m going to make sure I do my part and more, to make sure my teammates see me working.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Rockets guard Dante Exum had an impressive showing in the Olympics and wants to carry it over to the NBA, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Injuries have hampered Exum’s career over the past six years and he played only six games last season, all with Cleveland before being traded in January. However, Exum is only 26 and is determined to show the league what he can do. “I feel great,” he said. “I feel probably the best I felt since I’ve gotten into the league. I feel strong, healthy, ready to take on 82 games.”
The Grizzlies have made moves over the past two offseasons to upgrade at the wing, but Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian contends the position is already in good hands with Dillon Brooks and Kyle Anderson.
Mavericks guard Tyrell Terry is away from the team temporarily to attend to a family matter, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. There’s not a set time for Terry to return.

Contract Details: Pangos, Exum, Heat, Robinson

September 23rd, 2021 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Although new Cavaliers guard Kevin Pangos has no years of NBA service under his belt, he’s not receiving the rookie minimum on his new two-year deal with the team. As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, Pangos’ guaranteed first-year salary is $1,669,178, while his non-guaranteed second-year salary is $1,752,637.

Interestingly, while they don’t align with the rookie minimum, those two figures do show up on our minimum-salary chart for this season. Pangos’ first-year salary is the equivalent of the minimum salary for a player with two years of NBA experience. His second-year salary is the equivalent of the second-year minimum salary for a player who currently has one year of NBA experience.

Here are a few more contract details from around the league:

Dante Exum‘s new three-year deal with the Rockets is even more complicated than initially reported. Exum’s base salaries increase by 8% annually ($2.5MM, $2.7MM, and $2.9MM), while his likely bonuses decrease by 8% per year ($2.5MM, $2.3MM, and $2.1MM). Exum also has some unlikely incentives which increase by 8% annually ($375K, $405K, and $435K). In total, his three-year deal could be worth as much as $16.215MM, but only his first-year base salary ($2.5MM) is guaranteed.
As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes, several of the Heat‘s newly-signed contracts include up-front payments. For instance, Kyle Lowry can get $21.25MM of his $26.98MM salary for 2021/22 by opening night, rather than receiving it in equal installments all season. Jimmy Butler‘s extension also features a substantial advance payment, while Duncan Robinson and P.J. Tucker are entitled to more modest ones.
Speaking of Robinson, the final year of his new five-year contract with the Heat isn’t just an early termination option — it’s also only partially guaranteed. That means even if he opts into his fifth year, the Heat could save $10MM of his $19.888MM salary by waiving him. However, Robinson’s fifth-year salary would become fully guaranteed if Miami wins a title by that point and he meets certain minutes and games-played thresholds.

Texas Notes: Exum, Ntlikina, Rockets, Mavericks

September 21st, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Rory Maher

In a tweet and Instagram video, Bobby Marks of ESPN breaks down the creative structure the Rockets employed for Dante Exum‘s contract, which was initially reported to be worth a fully non-guaranteed $15MM over three years.

The base salary for the first year is $2.5MM non-guaranteed, with $2.5MM in likely incentives. As Marks states in the video, Exum can earn $1MM for averaging 15.8 minutes per game and another $1.5MM for playing 15.8 MPG and recording a net rating of at least +2.7. Both incentives – which apply to all three seasons of the deal – are considered “likely” because Exum averaged 19.3 MPG with a +3.6 net rating in 2020/21.

The leaguewide salary guarantee date is January 10, so if Exum is still on the Rockets by that date his salary would be guaranteed and would be considered $5MM for trade purposes.

There’s more from Texas:

In the same tweet, Marks states that the first year of Frank Ntilikina‘s contract with the Mavericks will be guaranteed.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic breaks down what he thinks the Rockets‘ depth chart should look like, not necessarily what it actually will. Iko projects a starting lineup of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Danuel House, Jae’Sean Tate, and Christian Wood. He also expects that rookie Josh Christopher and second-year forward Kenyon Martin Jr. might force the coaches to play them extended minutes because of their hard work.
The Mavericks have a similar group as last season’s squad, essentially replacing wings Josh Richardson and the recently retired J.J. Redick with free agent acquisitions Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown. Zach Harper of The Athletic gave the team a B-minus for its offseason moves. He states that the team’s main improvement will have to come from internal development if it wants to climb the standings in the West.
The Rockets have had one of the best overall team records over the past 15-plus years, so selling a rebuilding team to a fan base used to success will be a challenge. Jonathan Feigen of the Houson Chronicle explores what that might entail.

Rockets Sign Dante Exum, Waive Tyler Bey

September 18th, 2021 at 8:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets have officially re-signed guard Dante Exum and waived Tyler Bey to create a roster space for him, according to the NBA’s transactions log. Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw was the first to report the Bey transaction (Twitter link).

The deal is expected to be for three years and could be worth up to $15MM, but it will be non-guaranteed and will be heavy on incentives, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). We’ll have to wait for more details on the agreement to get a sense of how much Exum will realistically earn if he makes the regular season roster.

With John Wall not expected to play for the team this season as it seeks to trade him, the Rockets were in the market for another point guard. The Rockets’ interest in Exum surfaced on Tuesday.

Exum’s career has been marred by major injuries since he was selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Jazz in 2014. He was dealt to Cleveland in December 2019.

Exum ended up with the Rockets this past winter as part of the four-team James Harden trade, though injuries kept him on the bench for the entirety of his 2020/21 Houston tenure. He appeared in just six games for Cleveland last season.

Exum played a prominent role on Australia’s bronze medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics, averaging 9.0 PPG and 2.8 APG.

Bey, a 6’7” forward, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Houston on Aug. 25.

He was a high second-round selection in 2020 out of Colorado, taken with the 36th pick by the Sixers. He was included in the deal that sent Josh Richardson to the Mavericks for Seth Curry. Bey only played 18 games with the Mavs, and averaged just 3.9 minutes a game in those 18 contests, though he recorded 15.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG in the G League.

Rockets Working Towards Re-Signing Dante Exum

September 14th, 2021 at 10:18pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Rockets are nearing a deal to re-sign free agent reserve guard Dante Exum, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania had reported earlier today that Houston was talking to free agent point guards, with John Wall not expected to play for the team this season.

Injuries have hampered Exum’s time in the league thus far. He was drafted by the Jazz with the fifth overall pick in 2014. The club eventually sent him to the Cavaliers in December 2019.

Cleveland, in turn, shipped Exum out to the Rockets as part of the four-team James Harden trade, though injuries kept him on the bench for the entirety of his 2020/21 Houston tenure. He appeared in just six games for Cleveland, and thus overall, during the 72-game 2020/21 NBA season.

All told, Exum has appeared in 245 of a possible 554 games during his eight-season NBA run thus far. The 6’5″ Exum holds career averages of 5.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.1 APG across 18.6 MPG.

On a Houston team not expected to contend for a postseason berth, the 26-year-old could have plenty of opportunity to rebuild his value in the marketplace. Charania observes that Exum averaged 9.0 PPG and 2.8 APG for Team Australia’s bronze medal-winning club this summer during the Olympics in Tokyo.

The Rockets currently have a full 20-man preseason roster, so they’d need to waive someone to make room for Exum. Khyri Thomas, Daishen Nix, Tyler Bey, and Armoni Brooks are on non-guaranteed contracts.

And-Ones: Australian Olympic Team, James, Missia-Dio, Spurs

July 3rd, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Numerous current NBA players were named to the Australian national team’s final 12-man roster for the Olympics, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. The team is headlined by Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Matisse Thybulle, Dante Exum and Josh Green.

Projected lottery pick Josh Giddey is not on the 12-man roster but has been named as one of three replacement players, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Giddey will travel to Las Vegas for Australia’s exhibition games, Givony adds. He’s currently rated No. 9 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more from around the basketball world:

LeBron James passed on the Olympics this year and it’s unlikely he’ll play for Team USA again, managing director Jerry Colangelo said on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill and Zubin radio show (video link). “LeBron made choices these last couple of Olympics not to participate because he’s got a lot of things going on in his life,” Colangelo said. “So he put in his time, he made a contribution that is appreciated, but I think his time is over.” James’ last Olympic appearance came during the 2012 London Games.
Belgian forward Nathan Missia-Dio became the ninth player to sign with Overtime Elite, according to a league press release. The new development league will begin play in September. Missia-Dio, a 6’6” forward, played two seasons for Espoirs Limoges in France’s Elite U21 League. He is ranked 13th by Eurospects.com among international prospects born in 2004.
The Spurs are seeking a new naming-rights sponsor for their arena, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. Longtime sponsor AT&T won’t renew its current deal, which expires in the fall of 2022. AT&T has also sold off its 7.23% share of the team. Front Office Sports first reported the news.

Rockets Notes: Fertitta, T. Brown, Wilson, Exum

April 25th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has watched his team go from among the NBA’s best to the league’s worst record very quickly, and he’s realistic about how long it will take to get back on top, writes Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Houston arrived in training camp with playoff aspirations and a veteran core in place, but after a massive roster overhaul, the Rockets are just 4-35 since February 5.

“It’s really, really hard because I am competitive and I hate to lose,” Fertitta said. “But my people, including (CEO) Tad (Brown) and (general manager Rafael Stone) and even my son Patrick, just (say) the biggest mistake you can make right now is use all these picks to be a .500 club, because you’re never able to be a championship caliber club,” Fertitta said. “But I hate losing so much I’m totally staying out of it, because I’m scared that I can make the wrong decisions. I want to win today. I just have to (stay out of it) because they’re right and they just gave me examples and examples.”

There’s more on the Rockets:

Tad Brown has become the latest high-profile figure to leave the organization, announcing Friday that he will step down as CEO at the end of the season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Brown made it clear that he wasn’t being pushed out and said he spent several months considering his future before deciding to leave. “This is something that is going to be a part of my heart and soul for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s very difficult to transition out, but I do believe it’s the right thing to do.”
The Rockets were down to seven healthy players for Saturday’s loss in Denver, which meant extended minutes for some players who aren’t used to a lot of court time, Feigen notes in a separate story. D.J. Wilson played 40 minutes and K.J. Martin was on the court for 42 minutes. “We put the work in behind closed doors,” Wilson said. “When our number is called, we’re definitely going to be ready, each and every one of us. When you’re not getting those minutes on a game-to-game basis, you can’t do much but ask to play. I don’t think anyone was asking for a sub. Everybody was enjoying the minutes. It was just tough we couldn’t get the W.”
Dante Exum, who was acquired in January as part of the James Harden trade, is considered out for the rest of the season, Feigen tweets. Exum only played six games this season because of a calf injury and hasn’t been available since the trade. He has a $9.6MM expiring contract.

Aggregation Restriction Lifted For Players In James Harden Trade

March 7th, 2021 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The trade aggregation restriction has expired for the seven players who were involved in this season’s most significant deal, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. That means everyone who was part of the four-team swap that sent James Harden to the Nets in January can now be combined with other salaries in another trade.

While that may not matter much to the other three teams involved, it’s significant for the Rockets, particularly involving Victor Oladipo, who has an expiring $21MM contract. Oladipo has remained a productive scorer in Houston, averaging 19.9 PPG in 15 games, but he’s shooting just 38.7% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range.

The rebuilding Rockets will have to decide whether they want to make a long-term investment in Oladipo, who will turn 29 before the season ends and is still sitting out one-half of back-to-back sets due to health concerns. He declined a two-year, $45MM extension offer from Houston shortly after the trade, the largest the Rockets could offer at the time, but the team admits that was just a way to show he was wanted. Oladipo will seek a longer deal once free agency arrives.

If Houston decides not to make that investment, its best option is to trade him before the March 25 deadline. The Knicks would be among the teams with interest, according to a report this week.

Owning the league’s third-worst record after 13 straight losses, the Rockets are expected to be among the league’s most active sellers heading into the deadline. They will also be able to aggregate the $9.6MM contract for Dante Exum and the $1.78MM deal for Rodions Kurucs, as both were acquired in the Harden deal.

In addition to Harden, the other players in the trade – who can now be aggregated – were Pacers guard Caris LeVert and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince.

And-Ones: Australia, Evans, Masks, Free Agency

February 2nd, 2021 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons heads the list of players named by Basketball Australia to the country’s preliminary Olympic squad, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Among some of the other NBA notables on the 24-player list are Aron Baynes, Joe Ingles, Dante Exum, Matisse Thybulle, Patty Mills, Josh Green, Thon Maker and Matthew Dellavedova. The squad will have to be pared to 12 players for the Olympic tournament in Tokyo this summer.

We have more from around the basketball world:

The Erie BayHawks waived guard Jacob Evans to make room for forward Jordan Bell, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Bell was released from his 10-day contract with the Wizards over the weekend. Evans played for the Warriors and Timberwolves the past two seasons.
The NBA will soon require players to wear KN95 or KF94 masks on the bench and all other areas where masks are necessary, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. The new rule will go into effect over the next week. Starting with games on Friday, the NBA will more strictly enforce current rules regarding the use of face masks, Bontemps adds.
The Athletic trio of James Edwards III (Pistons), Mike Vorkunov (Knicks) and Chris Kirschner (Hawks) take a closer look at their teams’ free agent moves during the offseason, how well those players have worked out so far, and what those franchises could have done differently.