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Spurs Re-Sign David Duke Jr. On Two-Way Deal

July 26th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: The Spurs have officially re-signed Duke to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.

1:54pm: Free agent guard David Duke Jr. will return to San Antonio, having agreed to sign a new two-way contract with the Spurs, agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Duke, 24, signed a two-way deal with the Spurs last December and spent the rest of the season on that contract. He appeared in just four games at the NBA level for San Antonio, with all of those appearances coming during the final week of the regular season.

Up until that point, Duke had been playing for the Austin Spurs in the G League. He appeared in 34 regular season contests for the NBAGL club, averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 33.3 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .449/.377/.788.

The Spurs didn’t issue Duke a qualifying offer at the end of the season, but apparently retained interest in bringing him back nonetheless. Since the 6’5″ guard spent two seasons in Brooklyn from 2021-23 to start his career, his two-way contract will only cover the 2024/25 season — he wouldn’t be eligible for a two-way deal in ’25/26 once he has four years of NBA service under his belt.

Duke will join Jamaree Bouyea as the Spurs’ two-way players for now. Second-round pick Harrison Ingram is considered the favorite to fill the third open two-way slot.

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DeRozan Trade Notes: Contract, Draft Picks, Spurs’ Moves, CP3

July 9th, 2024 at 7:35am CST by Luke Adams

DeMar DeRozan‘s new three-year contract with the Kings is worth $73.7MM, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who says the third year is partially guaranteed for $10MM.

If we assume the contract has a standard ascending structure with 5% annual raises, that would work out to about $48MM in guaranteed money for DeRozan across the first two seasons, with $58MM guaranteed in total.

Here’s more on the three-team sign-and-trade deal sending DeRozan to Sacramento that was officially finalized on Monday:

  • The two second-round picks the Kings sent to the Bulls in the trade are Sacramento’s own 2025 and 2028 second-rounders, per RealGM. The Kings have also traded away their own 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and recently dealt Portland’s 2025 second-rounder to Toronto, so they currently don’t control any selections in next year’s draft.
  • The fact that the Spurs only had to make one roster move (waiving Charles Bassey) to finalize the trade suggests that Harrison Barnes gave up his $3.7MM trade kicker in order to make the math work, as LJ Ellis of SpursTalk writes. Even with Barnes waiving that trade bonus, the numbers still don’t quite add up unless Chris Paul‘s cap hit comes in a little lower than the $11MM figure initially reported — Paul’s deal may include unlikely incentives that wouldn’t count against the cap but could push the value of his deal to $11MM (or higher), as cap expert Yossi Gozlan speculates (via Twitter).
  • Prior to completing the deal, the Spurs renounced their rights to a handful of free agents, including two players to whom they previously issued qualifying offers: Sandro Mamukelashvili and David Duke (Twitter link via Keith Smith of Spotrac). That doesn’t preclude bringing back either player, but Mamukelashvili and Duke are now unrestricted free agents, so San Antonio wouldn’t have the right to match an offer they get from another team.
  • The inclusion of RaiQuan Gray, who is on a two-way contract, was necessary in order for the Spurs and Bulls to “touch” in the three-team trade (ie. each club has to send or receive an asset from the other two teams in the deal). However, Gray – who was sent from San Antonio to Chicago – will be waived by the Bulls, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported (via Twitter). The Spurs now have two open two-way slots, while Chicago will have one once Gray is officially cut.
  • Barnes, who had been a King since 2019, published a pair of tweets thanking the franchise, city, and fans for the experience. “To Kings fans and all of SAC, this city will always hold a special place in my heart,” Barnes wrote as part of a longer statement. “Thank you for embracing me and making this city feel like home. Your passion and love for the game are unmatched. Grateful for the memories we made together!”
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QO Decisions: Jazz, Okeke, Pacers, Krejci, Celtics, More

June 29th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz declined to issue qualifying offers to guard Kira Lewis or center Micah Potter ahead of Saturday’s deadline, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter links). As a result, both players will be unrestricted free agents this summer rather than restricted.

Lewis, the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft, didn’t establish himself as a rotation player during three-and-a-half seasons in New Orleans. He was traded from the Pelicans to the Pacers to the Raptors to the Jazz during the 2023/24 season, and played a limited role in Utah after arriving from Toronto as a salary-matching piece in the deal involving Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji. His qualifying offer would have been worth $7.74MM, so it comes as no surprise that it wasn’t tendered.

Potter also played sparingly for the Jazz last season while on a two-way contract, though he has shown some promise in the G League and is part of the U.S. Select Team that will scrimmage with Team USA ahead of the Olympics. His qualifying offer would’ve been for a partially guaranteed minimum-salary deal. According to Jones, a return to Utah is possible, though Potter may receive interest from other teams.

The only Jazz player eligible for restricted free agency who received a qualifying offer is guard Johnny Juzang, Jones reports (Twitter link). Since he has finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with Utah, Juzang wasn’t eligible for another two-way qualifying offer, so his QO is for a partially guaranteed one-year minimum deal.

Here are more qualifying offer updates from around the NBA:

  • Former Magic first-round pick Chuma Okeke didn’t receive a qualifying offer that would’ve been worth about $7.4MM and will become an unrestricted free agent, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Okeke, 25, has played good defense since entering the league in 2020, but hasn’t contributed much offensively, averaging 6.3 points per game on .383/.318/.789 shooting in 189 career contests (20.3 MPG).
  • The Pacers have tendered qualifying offers to Obi Toppin ($7.74MM), Oscar Tshiebwe (two-way), and Quenton Jackson (two-way), according to a pair of stories from Tony East of SI.com. All three players will now be restricted free agents.
  • The Hawks have issued a two-way qualifying offer to guard Vit Krejci, making him a restricted free agent, a league source tells Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Krejci is a candidate to negotiate a standard contract with Atlanta after finishing the 2023/24 season as a rotation player. He could also sign an offer sheet with another team, but the Hawks would have the right to match it.
  • After declining Neemias Queta‘s team option for 2023/24, the Celtics tendered him a qualifying offer, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Two-way player Drew Peterson also got a qualifying offer from Boston, but JD Davison didn’t, Smith adds. Queta’s QO will be worth approximately $2.37MM, while Peterson’s will be for another two-way contract.
  • The following players also received two-way qualifying offers, according to Smith: Lakers big man Colin Castleton (Twitter link), Bulls forward Adama Sanogo (Twitter link), Spurs wing David Duke (Twitter link), and former Warriors guard Nico Mannion (Twitter link), whose RFA rights continue to held by Golden State as he continues his career overseas. San Antonio issued a $2.7MM qualifying offer to big man Sandro Mamukelashvili too, making him a restricted free agent, tweets Smith.
  • The Clippers opted not to extend qualifying offers to two-way players Xavier Moon and Moussa Diabate, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). The door isn’t closed on a new deal for either player, but it sounds like they’ll explore their options as unrestricted free agents, per Murray. The qualifying offers for Moon and Diabate would have been partially guaranteed minimum-salary offers, since they were ineligible for another two-way QO.
  • Neither Nate Hinton nor Jermaine Samuels received a two-way qualifying offer from the Rockets, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Both players will be unrestricted free agents.
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Spurs Waive Rice, Sign Duke To Two-Way Deal

December 14th, 2023 at 7:20pm CST by Rory Maher

8:20pm: The Spurs have officially signed Duke and waived Rice, according to a press release from the team.

3:43pm: The Spurs plan to sign David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract, agent Todd Ramasar tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

San Antonio is waiving Sir’Jabari Rice to make room for Duke, reports ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (via Twitter). That move is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Duke spent the past two seasons with the Nets on two-way deals prior to being converted to a standard contract in April. The former Providence guard averaged 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 45 games with Brooklyn from 2021-23, shooting 40.3% from the floor in 12.6 minutes per contest.

Duke, 24, inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers for training camp and was waived before the ’23/24 season began. He’s been playing for their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Rice, who went undrafted in June’s draft, spent four college seasons at New Mexico State before transferring to Texas for his super-senior year in 2022/23. The 6’4″ guard appeared in 38 games for the Longhorns last season, averaging 13.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.0 APG on .464/.371/.863 shooting.

Rice has yet to appear in an NBA game. He’s been playing for San Antonio’s G League affiliate in Austin to open his rookie season.

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Sixers Waive Ricky Council, David Duke Jr.

October 20th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers have waived Ricky Council and David Duke Jr., the team announced on Friday night.

Council being cut is somewhat of a surprise. He was one of the top prospects who went undrafted this year following his junior season at Arkansas and quickly reached an agreement on a two-way contract with Philadelphia.

A two-way deal signed before the regular season begins can be partially guaranteed for up to the maximum Exhibit 10 bonus amount for that year. In 2023/24, that amount – also known as the maximum two-way protection amount – is $75K. Council received that partial guarantee.

Two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap, and evidently the Sixers have other plans for the spot that Council held. The 6’6″ guard averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games (24.6 minutes) with the Sixers in Las Vegas Summer League action, though he didn’t shoot the ball well (.361/.100/.769 slash line). He also appeared in three preseason games, but didn’t play much (8.3 minutes per night).

As for Duke, who spent the past two seasons with the Nets, he’ll likely be headed to the Delaware Blue Coats — Philadelphia’s G league affiliate — to open ’23/24. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers, so he could receive a $75K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Delaware.

The Sixers now have 19 players under contract, with one open two-way spot.

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Sixers Sign David Duke To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 11th, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 11: Duke’s Exhibit 10 contract is now official, the 76ers announced.

SEPTEMBER 5: Free agent guard David Duke is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Sixers, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

Duke became an unrestricted free agent this summer when the Nets declined to give him a qualifying offer.

The Sixers had 18 players on their roster, so even with Duke joining them in camp they can still add two more players. They have just 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, so it’s conceivable Duke could earn a spot on the 15-man roster.

Duke first joined Brooklyn on a two-way deal after going undrafted out of Providence in 2021. He returned to the Nets on another two-way contract for the 2022/23 season, then received a standard deal in April.

Duke averaged 3.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 0.9 APG in 23 games with the Nets last season. In 22 games for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, Duke averaged 22.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.9 SPG and was named to the All-NBA G League First Team.

Under the terms of an Exhibit 10 contract, if Duke is waived and then spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, he’d be in line for a bonus worth up to $75K.

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Mikal Bridges Doesn’t Expect Any Major Moves From Nets

July 24th, 2023 at 7:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have been rumored as a potential participant in a Damian Lillard trade — either acquiring him directly or helping to facilitate a deal between Portland and Miami — but Mikal Bridges believes the team is done with major offseason moves, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Speaking at his youth camp, Bridges said the opening night roster is probably more or less set and he’s looking forward to seeing how the team can benefit from stability and what Jacque Vaughn can implement in his first full season as head coach.

“Just excited for him to have a preseason, have his guys he wants around and pretty much have it his way,” Bridges said. “And I’m excited for us to all be together and have these schemes from jump, (instead of) being thrown out there with three different teams in one lineup and just trying to go figure it out. So I’m definitely excited.”

Brooklyn still has some minor decisions to make before training camp, Lewis adds. The team has a two-way slot to fill and it has to decide whether to keep guard David Duke, who is an unrestricted free agent after not receiving a qualifying offer. Lewis notes that the Nets have also received trade interest involving Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Bridges is relieved that Brooklyn was able to re-sign forward Cameron Johnson, who has been his close friend since they both entered the league in Phoenix. The Pistons in particular were viewed as a potential destination for Johnson before he agreed to a four-year, $94.5MM deal early in free agency.

“I think Detroit was in talks a lot, and I know (former Suns coach Monty Williams) is over there, so I’m just like, ‘All right now, calm down. Don’t take Twin away,’” Bridges said. “So definitely very, very for the team — outside my selfish reasons, but for the team — big-time. We need Cam. And for him to get paid and kind of get that baby weight off his shoulders, I think it’s great for the team and great for him.”

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Atlantic Notes: Beverley, Harden, J. Brown, Duke, Knicks

July 11th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Patrick Beverley played with James Harden in Houston for five seasons from 2012-17 and is hoping to get the opportunity to reunite with his old backcourt mate in Philadelphia. Acknowledging that the decision on how to handle Harden’s trade request is “above my pay grade,” Beverley said during his introductory press conference on Monday that he’d love it if Harden is still with the Sixers when the season begins.

“One of my decisions coming here was because James Harden was here,” Beverley said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “So I hope he stays. Hope that everybody can kind of work something out and put that behind us and kind of move forward. I think it’s important.

“… I love him. James, I love you, bro. Stay. … I’m very familiar with James. And I’m excited. I’m excited to get it going. He knows I’m here. So we’ll see.”

Beverley officially signed his one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers over the weekend. Harden’s future – or lack thereof – in Philadelphia will be one of the factors that determines what Beverley’s role looks like in 2023/24.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Extension discussions between Jaylen Brown and the Celtics have progressed as expected so far, and the two sides appear to be moving closer to an agreement, potentially within the next week, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss adds that the three teams involved in the Grant Williams sign-and-trade – Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio – are still finalizing the details on all the draft picks involved in that complex deal, which should become official soon.
  • Although he didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Nets in June, David Duke has been playing for their Summer League team and remains hopeful about returning to Brooklyn, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Duke, who finished the season on a standard contract with the Nets after being promoted from his two-way deal, admitted that he was a little surprised not to be given a QO. “You know, things don’t always happen as you really expect it. So yeah, I can say that I was expecting (a qualifying offer),” he said. “But my whole career I feel like there’s been things that have kind of been thrown at me that I didn’t expect, so it’s not really something that shook me or anything like that. … I think if I take care of the stuff on the court, everything will fall into place.”
  • In a story for The Athletic, Fred Katz examines the impact Donte DiVincenzo could have on the Knicks‘ defense, outlines the unlikely incentives in DiVincenzo’s new contract, and weighs the value of the second-round picks the team got back in the Obi Toppin trade with Indiana.
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Nets To Make David Duke Jr. Unrestricted Free Agent

June 29th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets combo guard David Duke Jr.. is not going to receive a qualifying offer from Brooklyn and will thus enter unrestricted free agency, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Nets shooting guard Dru Smith, inked to a two-way contract last season, was also not given a qualifying offer by Brooklyn, Lewis adds. He, too, will become an unrestricted free agent.

The 23-year-old Duke first joined Brooklyn on a two-way deal after going undrafted out of Providence in 2021. He returned to the Nets on another two-way contract for the 2022/23 season, but saw his agreement converted to a standard roster deal this past April, ending the year on the club’s 15-man roster.

Across 23 games for Brooklyn in 2023/24, Duke averaged 3.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 0.9 APG. In 22 games for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, Duke averaged 22.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.9 SPG.

Smith, 25, barely played for the Nets during his inaugural NBA season. In 10 games for Brooklyn, he averaged just 3.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.5 RPG across 9.1 MPG. Smith played 14 contests for the Long Island Nets, starting just three. He averaged 14.1 PPG on .500/.426/.667 shooting splits, along with 5.4 RPG.

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NBAGL Announces 2022/23 All-League Awards

April 13th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA G League named the recipients of its All-League, All-Rookie, and All-Defensive teams on Thursday (all Twitter links found here). Many of the honorees are on standard NBA or two-way contracts.

Here’s the full list:

All-NBA G League First Team

All-NBA G League Second Team

All-NBA G League Third Team

NBAGL All-Defensive Team

NBAGL All-Rookie Team

  • Kenneth Lofton
  • Lester Quinones – Santa Cruz Warriors *
    • Note: Quinones placed second in ROY voting.
  • Darius Days
    • Note: Days placed third in ROY voting.
  • Jamaree Bouyea
  • Moussa Diabate

(^ denotes standard NBA contract)

(* denotes two-way contract)

(# Bouyea signed 10-day deals with the Heat and Wizards, but is now an NBA free agent)

Both Dunn and Samanic signed standard contracts with the Jazz, while Harrison signed with the Lakers at the very end of the season after playing with Portland on a 10-day deal. Duke and Lofton recently had their two-way contracts converted into standard deals.

Cooper, Chiozza and Anderson all hold NBA experience as well. Cooper spent 2021/22 — his rookie season — on a two-way deal with the Hawks; Chiozza has played for the Rockets, Nets and Warriors, and recently signed with a Spanish team; Anderson has appeared in 242 NBA games with six teams in as many seasons.

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