Malcolm Hill Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Malcolm Hill Re-Signs With Bulls On Two-Way Deal

September 7th, 2022 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Malcolm Hill has re-signed with the Bulls on a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to NBA.com’s transactions log, the deal is already official.

The Bulls extended Hill a two-way qualifying offer at the end of June, so he likely just decided to sign the QO to stick with Chicago.

The 26-year-old Hill was an unusual rookie last year. He went undrafted in 2017 out of Illinois and played internationally in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel prior to returning stateside.

Hill initially signed a training camp deal with the Pelicans prior to the 2021/22 season, but was waived before the season started and spent time with the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. In December of last year, he signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Hawks, appearing in three games.

After Hill’s 10-day deal with Atlanta expired, he caught on with Chicago, initially signing a 10-day hardship deal before inking a two-way contract. Hill appeared in 16 games (10.4 MPG) with the Bulls, averaging 3.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .432/.323/.700 shooting.

The 6’6″ wing had a bigger role and put up better stats for Chicago’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, averaging 18.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 3.1 APG on a stellar .500/.396/.875 shooting line in eight games (33.1 MPG). Hill most recently suited up for the Bulls’ Summer League squad, averaging 13.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG on .465/.474/.889 shooting in five games (25.0 MPG), per RealGM.

The Bulls have 15 players signed to guaranteed standard contracts and both two-way spots now filled, so their roster is already full heading into training camp. Any future signings will likely be Exhibit 10 deals with the option of being converted to two-way contracts — Justin Lewis‘ two-way spot might be vulnerable after he unfortunately suffered a torn ACL last month.

QO Decisions: M. Brown, Coffey, Pinson, Two-Way FAs

June 29th, 2022 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers won’t be issuing a qualifying offer to free agent big man Moses Brown, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). A qualifying offer for Brown would have been worth $2,076,674, but Cleveland will instead let him become an unrestricted free agent.

Brown has bounced around the league since debuting in 2019, appearing in games for Portland, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Cleveland. He has flashed some potential, averaging 6.0 PPG and 5.8 RPG in just 14.1 MPG in 92 career appearances, and could catch on with a new team this summer.

Here are a few more updates on qualifying offer decisions from around the NBA:

Clippers wing Amir Coffey has received a qualifying offer after earning a promotion to the team’s standard roster in 2021/22, per RealGM’s official NBA transactions log. Coffey’s QO projects to be worth $2,076,674 based on a $122MM salary cap and makes him a restricted free agent.
The Mavericks have issued two-way player Theo Pinson a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Because Pinson is ineligible to sign another two-way contract, his QO will be worth his minimum salary (projected to be $1,941,833), including a small partial guarantee of $86,946. Dallas reportedly wants to have him on its 15-man roster this season.
The following players coming off two-way contracts have received qualifying offers and are now restricted free agents, according to RealGM’s transactions log: Hawks guard Sharife Cooper, Bulls forward Malcolm Hill, and Kings big man Neemias Queta. Those QOs would all be for new two-way deals, with partial guarantees worth $50K.
The Warriors extended a qualifying offer to former guard Nico Mannion, per RealGM. Mannion played for Virtus Bologna in Italy in 2021/22 after leaving the NBA last summer, but Golden State continues to hold his rights in the event that he returns stateside. He received a two-way qualifying offer with a $50K partial guarantee.

Bulls Sign Malcolm Hill To Two-Way Deal, Waive Devon Dotson

January 19th, 2022 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 19: Hill has officially signed his two-way contract, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The move ensures he’ll be active for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland.

JANUARY 17: The Bulls have released guard Devon Dotson, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dotson had been on a two-way contract with the club.

An undrafted free agent out of Kansas, Dotson spent his rookie season in 2020/21 on a two-way deal with the Bulls, then signed a new contract for the ’21/22 campaign. Across two seasons in Chicago, the 22-year-old averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.0 APG in 22 NBA games (6.1 MPG). He played a larger role in the G League, especially this season, when he averaged 20.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, and 2.2 SPG in 10 contests (36.9 MPG) for the Windy City Bulls.

Dotson will clear waivers on Wednesday, assuming he goes unclaimed, and will be free to sign with any team at that time.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will fill their newly-opened roster slot by signing forward Malcolm Hill to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As we detailed over the weekend, Hill – who is currently on a 10-day hardship contract – played 18 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Boston and was on the court in the closing minutes as the game was being decided. That’s the only game he has played so far for the Bulls, but he apparently impressed head coach Billy Donovan and the front office enough to earn a rest-of-season commitment.

Hill’s 10-day contract runs through Sunday night. However, the Bulls will have no players left in the health and safety protocols with Alex Caruso on the verge of returning, so they wouldn’t be able to activate Hill as long as he remains on that hardship deal. Immediately converting him to a two-way contract would ensure he remains available this week.

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Hill, Trade Targets, Caruso

January 16th, 2022 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The shorthanded Bulls have a three-game losing streak for the first time this season, but rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu has emerged as a bright spot, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Making his third start, Dosunmu posted his first career double-double Saturday night with 21 points and 10 assists in a narrow loss to the Celtics.

Dosunmu made nine of 10 shots from the field, committed just one turnover and harassed Jayson Tatum into a poor shooting game. His outstanding performance came one night after going scoreless in 32 minutes against the Warriors.

“Coming from college to the NBA, there’s a lot of adjustments that I knew I had to make,” Dosunmu said. “And I knew that one of the adjustments was going from night to night and understanding that it’s a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league. And it’s so many games that you can’t get too high and never get too low. That was my challenge. (Friday), I had a tough night. I didn’t play to my standards. But I knew we had another chance today to get better. So I just wanted to come out there and try to establish that mentality.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Saturday’s game also featured a surprising contribution from hardship addition Malcolm Hill, notes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Hill, who signed with the team on Friday, played 18 minutes and was on the court as the game was being decided in the closing minutes. He shot just 1-of-5 from the field, but made enough plays to impress coach Billy Donovan. “He’s been here for a day-and-a-half,” Donovan said, “and he did a good job defensively.”
In a separate story, Schaefer identifies three potential trades to fix the hole at power forward created by the loss of Patrick Williams, Javonte Green and Derrick Jones. Jerami Grant of the Pistons might be an option, Schaefer states, but only if Chicago is willing to part with Williams. Schaefer sees Grant as an ideal fit with the starting lineup and points out that he has prior experience with Donovan in Oklahoma City and executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas in Denver. The Kings‘ Harrison Barnes and the Clippers‘ Nicolas Batum may also be options, according to Schaefer.
Chicago guard Alex Caruso, who is the only Bulls player currently in health and safety protocols, isn’t expected to return until Wednesday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Bulls Sign Malcolm Hill To 10-Day Deal

January 14th, 2022 at 10:12am CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 14: Hill’s 10-day contract with the Bulls is now official, according to a press release. The team confirmed that the deal was completed using a COVID-related hardship exception.

JANUARY 13: The Bulls plan to sign Malcolm Hill to a 10-day contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Hill signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Hawks last month that expired on December 31, making him an unrestricted free agent. In three games with Atlanta, Hill averaged 5.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.3 SPG in 15.3 MPG.

Hill went undrafted in 2017 out of Illinois and has since played in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel. The 6’6″ wing returned stateside this year and had been playing for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, prior to his 10-day hardship contract with Atlanta.

In 14 NBAGL games (31.6 MPG) for the Squadron, Hill averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.6 SPG on .509/.402/.810 shooting. Hill also spent time in the health and safety protocols at the end of his contract with the Hawks.

Alex Caruso is currently in the protocols for the Bulls, so they should qualify for a hardship exception to sign Hill.

COVID-19 Updates: McGee, Buchanan, Hill, Wanamaker, More

December 31st, 2021 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

JaVale McGee is the latest Suns player to enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. McGee joined Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, and Abdel Nader in the protocols on Thursday evening.

On the plus side, the Suns did get Elfrid Payton out of the protocols for the second time this week — Payton was placed in the protocols on Sunday and Wednesday, but quickly cleared both times, so it’s possible he has registered multiple false positive tests in recent days.

Here are a few more protocol-related updates from around the league:

Shaq Buchanan, signed by the Grizzlies as a hardship replacement player, has now entered the health and safety protocols himself, according to the team (Twitter link). Buchanan’s 10-day deal runs through Tuesday night, so it may expire before he clears the protocols.
The Hawks‘ COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread, as Malcolm Hill – a 10-day hardship addition – has entered the protocols, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Hill, who had appeared in three games since signing with the team last Wednesday, is one of a dozen Atlanta players in the protocols.
Brad Wanamaker signed a 10-day deal with the Wizards on Wednesday, recorded seven points and seven assists in his first game with the club on Thursday, and has now entered the health and safety protocols on Friday, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He’s one of seven Wizards players affected.
Kenyon Martin Jr. exited the COVID-19 protocols and practiced with the Rockets on Thursday, says Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
We continue to update our health and safety protocols tracker several times per day. It can be found right here.

Hawks Sign Malcolm Hill To 10-Day Deal

December 22nd, 2021 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 22: Hill has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Hawks, according to the team. It’ll run through December 31.

DECEMBER 21: Former Illinois forward Malcolm Hill has agreed to sign a 10-day contract with the Hawks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta will sign Hill using a hardship exception.

The Hawks entered Tuesday with just one player – Trae Young – in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but two other Atlanta players are set to join Young in those protocols, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Three of the team’s “tier one” staffers are also being placed in the protocols, as the team canceled its Tuesday practice, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

Having already agreed to sign Lance Stephenson, the Hawks have now lined up a deal with Hill, who went undrafted in 2017 and has since played in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel. The 6’6″ wing returned stateside this year and has been playing for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate.

In 14 NBAGL games (31.6 MPG) for the Squadron, Hill has averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.6 SPG on .509/.402/.810 shooting.

Pelicans Waive Wenyen Gabriel, Malcolm Hill, James Banks

October 12th, 2021 at 5:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans have waived three players, per a team press release. New Orleans has cut training camp players James Banks and Malcolm Hill, plus the non-guaranteed contract of power forward Wenyen Gabriel. As Andrew Lopez of ESPN notes (Twitter link), this move reduces the team’s current roster to 15 players, plus two players on two-way contracts.

The Pelicans announced the additions of Banks and Hill over the weekend. Gabriel saw action in 21 games during the 2021/22 season.

It was generally considered an uphill battle for either Banks, a 6’10” center out of Georgia Tech, or Hill, a 6’6″ wing out of Illinois, to make the opening night roster for New Orleans. Both players had been inked to Exhibit 10 training camp contracts, and will now mostly likely join the Pelicans’ NBAGL affiliate club, the Birmingham Squadron.

After going undrafted in 2018 out of Kentucky, the 6’9″ Gabriel joined the Kings on a two-way deal for the 2018/19 season. His contract was converted to a standard deal ahead of the 2019/20, and he was eventually dealt to the Trail Blazers. He signed with the Pelicans as a free agent during the 2020 offseason. In his 21 games with the club, he averaged 3.4 PPG and 2.6 RPG across 11.5 MPG.

Pelicans Sign James Banks, Malcolm Hill; Waive Zylan Cheatham, Jared Harper

October 9th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have signed James Banks and Malcolm Hill, the team announced in a press release. In order to create the roster space to sign both players, the team waived Zylan Cheatham and Jared Harper.

Both of the signings were previously reported, and are now official.

Banks, a 6’10” center, went undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2020 after making the ACC All-Defensive Team in both his junior and senior seasons. He spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Be’er Sheva, playing 13 games while averaging 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. He most recently played for the Cavaliers at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Hill, a 6’6″ wing, is a well-traveled international veteran. He’s played for teams in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan and Israel over the past four seasons. During the 2020/21 season, Hill played for Hapoel Jerusalem.

Harper, a 5’10” point guard, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Suns in 2019/20, then spent most of last season on a two-way pact with the Knicks. Harper rarely saw NBA action, but he played well in the G League, averaging 20.5 PPG and 5.9 APG in 30 MPG across 46 games the past two seasons.

Cheatham spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with Pelicans. He played very well at the G League level, but only saw action in four NBA games. He received a full minimum salary last season as part of the Steven Adams sign-and-trade, but was waived by OKC before he ever played a game for the team. After being waived, Cheatham briefly spent time with Minnesota on an Exhibit 10 contract, then appeared in 15 G League games for the Iowa Wolves.

The Pelicans have 15 players with guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots are filled, so Banks and Hill are probably long shots to make the regular season roster. However, because both players are on Exhibit 10 deals, if they’re waived before the start of the regular season and spend at least 60 days with New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, they’d be eligible for bonuses worth up to $50K in addition to their G League salaries.

Pelicans To Sign Malcolm Hill To Camp Deal

September 8th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing for the Pelicans’ team at the Las Vegas Summer League last month, small forward Malcolm Hill will attend training camp with New Orleans, reports ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link).

Hill has spent the last several years playing in international leagues after going undrafted out of Illinois in 2017. The 25-year-old was a member of teams in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel before returning stateside this year. He averaged 17.2 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .434/.355/.784 shooting in 35 games (33.3 MPG) in his last college season, back in 2016/17.

The Pelicans are currently carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Wenyen Gabriel on a non-guaranteed deal and Jose Alvarado and Daulton Hommes on two-way deals. Barring additional moves, it doesn’t look like the team will have any open roster spots for the regular season, so Hill could be on track to eventually join the Birmingham Squad, New Orleans’ new G League affiliate.