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Contract Details: Dunn, Merrill, Leonard, Keels

March 16th, 2023 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz dipped into their mid-level exception in order to sign Kris Dunn to his new contract, Hoops Rumors has learned. If Dunn had signed for the veteran’s minimum, he would’ve made $356,646 for the rest of the season, but he instead received more than double that amount ($735,819) via Utah’s MLE.

Dunn’s two-year deal also includes a minimum salary ($2,586,665) for 2023/24, but that figure is entirely non-guaranteed. The veteran Jazz guard would get his full guarantee if he isn’t waived on or before October 23.

Here are more details on contracts recently signed around the NBA:

  • The Cavaliers‘ new contract agreement with Sam Merrill covers three seasons, Hoops Rumors has learned. Cleveland used a portion of its mid-level exception to give Merrill a third year and to pay him $850K for the rest of this season, well above the minimum. The Cavs will control Merrill at the veteran’s minimum rate in 2023/24 and ’24/25, with both of those years non-guaranteed.
  • As expected, Meyers Leonard‘s new deal with the Bucks is worth the veteran’s minimum and covers only the rest of this season, so he’ll return to unrestricted free agency again this summer. As we noted on Wednesday, Leonard’s rest-of-season contract will pay him $409,916, while the Bucks will take on a cap hit of $284,911 (though the actual cost of the signing will exceed $1MM due to tax penalties).
  • Trevor Keels‘ new two-way contract with the Knicks is just a rest-of-season deal, so he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency if he finishes the season with the club.
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Cavaliers Sign Sam Merrill To Multiyear Contract

March 14th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

11:55am: Merrill’s multiyear contract is now official, the Cavs confirmed in a press release.

10:14am: The Cavaliers will bring back swingman Sam Merrill following the expiration of his 10-day contract, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). According to Fedor, the Cavs and Merrill have agreed to a new multiyear deal.

Merrill, 26, signed a 10-day pact with Cleveland earlier in the month and only appeared in one game with the team before that contract expired on Sunday night. He scored two points in four minutes in garbage time vs. Detroit on March 4.

While Merrill didn’t appear in any of his last four games with the Cavaliers, the club must have liked what it saw from the former No. 60 overall pick, who has also spent time in Milwaukee, Memphis, and Sacramento since entering the NBA in 2020.

The Cavs’ organization has gotten a chance to take a look at Merrill in the G League for much of the 2022/23 campaign, as he was playing with the Cleveland Charge before he received a promotion to the NBA level. He averaged 17.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.3 SPG on an excellent .469/.437/.852 shooting line in 18 NBAGL regular season games (33.8 MPG) for the Charge.

While the full details of Merrill’s contract aren’t yet known, it will almost certainly only be fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2022/23 season, with next year’s salary mostly or entirely non-guaranteed. A two-year deal is the likeliest outcome, but the Cavs could technically offer three or four years using a remaining portion of their mid-level exception.

Officially signing Merrill will give Cleveland a full 17-man roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.

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Central Notes: Pacers, R. Lopez, Merrill, Livers, Omoruyi

March 14th, 2023 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers‘ decision to hold Tyrese Haliburton (left knee bruise), Myles Turner (sore lower back), and T.J. McConnell (sore back) out of games on Saturday and Monday signaled that the team isn’t exactly going all-out for a spot in the play-in tournament, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

While Bennedict Mathurin‘s ankle sprain would have sidelined him in any situation, the other Pacers regulars who sat out those two contests in Detroit likely would’ve been active if Indiana was in win-now mode instead of focusing on player development. As Dopirak notes, the absences of the team’s regulars resulted in big minutes for young players like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Oshae Brissett, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson, and Jordan Nwora.

“It’s just valuable for our young guys to get this kind of experience,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Drew Nembhard needs this kind of work at the point position. He needs to play 35 minutes a game a few games playing the point position. He played 36 (on Monday). He did a lot of good things in both games. There’s a different rhythm to that position, a different flow.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Robin Lopez hasn’t had much of a role this season after signing with the Cavaliers as a free agent last summer, but his nine minutes in Sunday’s win over Charlotte with Jarrett Allen out were the most he has played in a game since January. “Just trying to put some size out there,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained (Twitter link via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com). “With Jarrett being out, we are limited with size. I thought RoLo was good, played hard. Everybody is going to be called upon.”
  • Within his Cleveland.com story on the Cavaliers‘ new multiyear deal for Sam Merrill, Fedor notes that the club views the swingman as more than just a “one-dimensional” sharpshooter. “I think he was leading or near the top of the G League in taking charges, so he’s got a willingness to scrap, a willingness to help on the defensive end of the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “Can create shots and make shots.”
  • After being limited to 19 games as a rookie for health reasons, Pistons forward Isaiah Livers is trying to establish himself as part of the team’s future plans with his play this season. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a look at how those efforts are going and explores the strides Livers is making in his second NBA season.
  • Eugene Omoruyi, who signed a second 10-day contract with the Pistons on Monday, is making a strong case to earn a rest-of-season deal once those 10 days are up, Edwards writes in another story for The Athletic. “I always say, a guy who has his Ph.D. — poor, hungry, driven — they’re going to make it in this league,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s hungry.”
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Cavaliers Sign Sam Merrill To 10-Day Deal

March 3rd, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 3: Merrill’s 10-day contract is now official, the Cavs have confirmed. The deal will cover Cleveland’s next five games, running through the club’s March 12 contest in Charlotte.

MARCH 1: The Cavaliers intend to sign guard Sam Merrill to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Merrill, 26, was the 60th and final pick of the 2020 draft after four years at Utah State. He spent his rookie season with Milwaukee, winning a championship with the Bucks in a very minor role.

He was traded to the Grizzlies in the 2021 offseason, but unfortunately suffered a major ankle sprain in November 2021 which later required surgery. Memphis waived him last January, and he didn’t join another NBA team until signing a partially guaranteed deal with the Kings this past summer.

He spent training camp with Sacramento, but ultimately didn’t make the roster. Merrill’s $150K partial guarantee made him ineligible to join the Kings’ G League affiliate, and the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ affiliate, selected him first overall in October’s G League draft.

The sharpshooter hasn’t played much at the NBA level, logging just 8.1 minutes per game in 36 career games with Milwaukee and Memphis. However, he has put up strong numbers for the Charge in ’22/23, averaging 17.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.3 SPG on an excellent .469/.437/.852 shooting line in 18 regular season games (33.8 MPG).

The Cavs have an opening on their standard roster, so a corresponding move will not be required in order to sign Merrill.

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2022/23 NBA G League Draft Results

October 22nd, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2022/23 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 28 G League teams affiliated with NBA franchises participated in the event, as did – for the first time – the Mexico City Capitanes. The G League Ignite, which is made up of top prospects and veteran mentors, doesn’t take part in the draft.

[RELATED: NBA G League Announces Schedule, Format For 2022/23 Season]

The first player selected in today’s G League draft was 2020 second-round pick Sam Merrill, a swingman who was in camp with the Kings this fall but missed out on earning a regular season roster spot.

Merrill’s contract with Sacramento included a partial guarantee of $150K, making him ineligible to suit up for the Kings’ G League affiliate in Stockton this season. The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers‘ affiliate, snared him with the No. 1 overall pick.

The No. 2 pick was another player who was under contract with an NBA team up until last week. Joe Wieskamp was the odd man out in San Antonio, having been waived by the Spurs (despite having a guaranteed 2022/23 salary) to help the team get down to 15 players for the start of the season. The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ affiliate, grabbed him with the second overall selection today.

Among the other notable picks was No. 4 overall Jared Rhoden, who was selected by the Hawks‘ affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. Atlanta claimed Rhoden off waivers near the end of the preseason in the hopes of securing his affiliate rights, but it appears he didn’t meet the criteria — the Skyhawks instead secured his G League rights in today’s draft.

The player with the most NBA experience selected in today’s draft was Norris Cole. The veteran guard, with 360 NBA regular season appearances under his belt, went 48th overall to the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ affiliate. Cole, who turned 34 this month, will be looking to take the same path Isaiah Thomas and Lance Stephenson did last season, making an NBA comeback after impressing in Grand Rapids.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that today’s No. 10 overall pick, Amauri Hardy, is the older brother of Mavericks rookie Jaden Hardy. Dallas’ affiliate, the Texas Legends, picked him.

Here are the full 2022/23 G League draft results:

Round One:

  1. Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Sam Merrill
  2. Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Joe Wieskamp
  3. Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Aaron Wheeler
  4. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Jared Rhoden
  5. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Jericole Hellems
  6. Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Kadeem Jack
  7. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Terrell Brown Jr.
  8. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Michael Weathers
  9. Texas Legends (Mavericks): Taze Moore
  10. Texas Legends (Mavericks): Amauri Hardy
  11. Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Ty Gordon
  12. Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Mamoudou Diarra
  13. Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Abu Kigab
  14. Ontario Clippers (Clippers): Warith Alatishe
  15. Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Mayan Kiir
  16. Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Theo John
  17. South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Nate Roberts
  18. Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Keith Williams
  19. Long Island Nets (Nets): Taz Sherman
  20. Raptors 905 (Raptors): Devon Daniels
  21. Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Jai Smith (Overtime Elite)
  22. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Adrian Delph
  23. Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Tyrn Flowers
  24. Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Nick King
  25. Ontario Clippers (Clippers): David Collins
  26. Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Derek Culver
  27. Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ryan Turell (Yeshiva — Division III)
  28. Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Tom Digbeu
  29. Maine Celtics (Celtics): Kendall Smith

Round Two:

  1. Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Rashad Vaughn
  2. Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): Jassel Perez (Dominican Republic)
  3. Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Tyson Jolly
  4. Raptors 905 (Raptors): Hasahn French
  5. Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): No pick
  6. Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Landon Kirkwood
  7. Austin Spurs (Spurs): Justin Kier
  8. Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): No pick
  9. Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jayce Johnson
  10. Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
  11. Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Remy Martin
  12. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Noah Starkey (Southern Nazarene – Division II)
  13. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Philip Flory
  14. Maine Celtics (Celtics): Zak Irvin
  15. Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jahvon Blair
  16. Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon McCoy
  17. South Bay Lakers (Lakers): John Meeks
  18. Stockton Kings (Kings): Seth Allen
  19. Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Norris Cole
  20. Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): No pick
  21. Stockton Kings (Kings): Austin Trice
  22. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): No pick
  23. Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): No pick
  24. Stockton Kings (Kings): Isaac Johnson
  25. Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Elijah Lufile
  26. Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
  27. Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Eron Gordon
  28. Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jack Nolan (Washington University in St. Louis – Division III)
  29. Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Armon Fletcher

Round Three:

  1. Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): J.J. Moore
  2. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): No pick
  3. Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): No pick
  4. Lakeland Magic (Magic): Jachai Taylor
  5. Lakeland Magic (Magic): No pick
  6. Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Trey McGowens
  7. Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
  8. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Kevin Kangu
  9. Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Wayne Stewart Jr. (Texas A&M-Commerce – Division II)
  10. Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): No pick
  11. Maine Celtics (Celtics): No pick
  12. Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): No pick
  13. Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): No pick
  14. Maine Celtics (Celtics): No pick
  15. Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Dazon Ingram
  16. Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
  17. Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): No pick
  18. Windy City Bulls (Bulls): No pick
  19. Long Island Nets (Nets): Alan Griffin
  20. Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
  21. Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
  22. College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): No pick
  23. Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
  24. Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
  25. Ontario Clippers (Clippers): No pick
  26. Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
  27. Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): No pick
  28. Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Nick Hornsby
  29. Raptors 905 (Raptors): No pick

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning-rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 4.

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Central Notes: Merrill, Stewart, Duren, Williams, Jones

October 22nd, 2022 at 11:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, hold the top pick in the upcoming NBA G League draft and guard Sam Merrill could be the top pick, Marc Stein tweets. Merrill was waived late in training camp by the Kings. He played six games for Memphis last season and 30 for Milwaukee the previous year.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart is only 21, but he’s become a mentor to the youngest player in the league, Jalen Duren, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. It doesn’t bother Stewart that Duren might cut into his playing time. “I know this is a league where you’re fighting for positions and minutes, but that’s not something I’m worried about,” Stewart said. “I know what’s most important is being there for the young fella. I’m there for him, whatever he needs. Sometimes I’ll just start talking to him just because. I know you’re a rook, first year.’ I want him to feel and know that I’m here for him on a positive note.”
  • After missing most of last season due to injury, Bulls forward Patrick Williams is struggling through the early portion of this season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. Williams is trying to determine how he can make the biggest impact for his teammates. “I’ve been talking to them about it and trying to figure it out,” he said. “I’m totally confident we will. Specifically, because of the player I know I am.”
  • The Bulls waived guard Carlik Jones last week but they still want him in the organization. Their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, acquired his returning player rights in a three-team trade, according to a press release.
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Cole, Wieskamp Headline G League Draft Pool

October 22nd, 2022 at 8:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

Norris Cole and Joe Wieskamp are among 128 players who are eligible for the annual NBA G League draft, which will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Cole, 34, played for Miami, New Orleans and Oklahoma City during his NBA career, which spanned 2011-17. He’s played for a variety of European teams since, most recently JL Bourg in France. He also played for Team USA this summer.

Wieskamp was waived by the Spurs on Monday. Wieskamp, 23, was drafted 41st overall in 2021 by the Spurs and spent most of his rookie season on a two-way contract with the team. He was converted to a rest-of-season standard contract in March, then re-signed with San Antonio in August on a two-year deal that includes a guaranteed $2.175MM salary for 2022/23.

Jared Rhoden, who was waived by both the Trail Blazers and Hawks this preseason, is another prominent name on the list.

Here is the full list of players eligible to be drafted, as provided by a G League press release:

Name (Position, School)

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Kings Waive Sam Merrill, Set Roster For Season

October 15th, 2022 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova and forwards KZ Okpala and Chima Moneke have claimed the final three spots on the Kings‘ 15-man roster to open the regular season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Veteran wing Sam Merrill had also been vying for a regular season roster spot, but the Kings have opted to waive him, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee tweets.

The team also cut Jeriah Horne and Alex O’Connell, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento (Twitter link), who says the plan is for both players to join the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate.

Okpala earned some starts at power forward for Sacramento this preseason and always seemed like a safe bet to make the roster. Dellavedova, meanwhile, looked like a logical keeper after the team waived another veteran point guard, Quinn Cook. Moneke has spent the last several years playing in international leagues and will be getting his first shot in the NBA as a 26-year-old rookie.

Okpala and Moneke currently have partial guarantees worth $250K and will earn another $250K if they remain on the roster through Wednesday. Dellavedova is on a non-guaranteed contract and will also get $250K for sticking through Wednesday.

Merrill’s contract included a $150K partial guarantee. The Kings will be on the hook for that amount unless he’s claimed on waivers on Monday.

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California Notes: Kings, Robinson, Warriors, Lakers

September 8th, 2022 at 5:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

While Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is clearly locked in as the team’s starter at that position, the identity of his backcourt cohort is a bit up in the air. James Ham of The Kings Beat takes stock of the team’s options at shooting guard.

Ham identifies 6’7″ sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, acquired in a trade with the Hawks over the summer, as the option that makes the most sense fit-wise, but notes that free agent signing Malik Monk could get significant consideration as well. Inconsistent wing Terence Davis should get some run in the rotation, while Ham also examines the upside of young swingmen Sam Merrill and Keon Ellis.

There’s more out of California:

  • Shooting guard Jerome Robinson faces an uphill battle when it comes to making the Warriors‘ regular season roster. C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle details how the 25-year-old will need to prove his mettle in training camp. In his 2021/22 campaign with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, the former lottery pick recorded averages of 20.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 3.8 APG in 22 games. Holmes writes that the team may be prioritizing a point guard or more size with the final one or two spots on its standard 15-man roster.
  • The Warriors seem fully capable of mounting a solid title defense this season, HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan opines in a fresh season preview. Gozlan posits that Golden State’s excellent two-way play and deep roster of veterans, mixed with some intriguing youth, should make the team a formidable threat in the Western Conference.,
  • On a recent episode of his podcast The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that the Lakers were never involved in three-team trade talks between the Jazz and Knicks in a potential trade to send Donovan Mitchell to New York. The three-time All-Star was eventually dealt to the Cavaliers instead in a two-team deal. Windhorst adds that the Lakers appear to think that there is no deal for $47MM+ point guard Russell Westbrook, even with their tantalizing 2027 and 2029 first-round picks included, that will significantly upgrade their roster.
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Western Notes: Merrill, J. Hall, Micic, Suns

August 15th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Merrill‘s new two-year contract with the Kings is, as expected, worth the veteran’s minimum. Merrill received a $150K partial guarantee for the 2022/23 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Merrill’s full minimum salary for ’22/23 would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through the league-wide guarantee deadline in January. If the Kings forward plays out the full first year of his deal, his second-year minimum salary would become guaranteed on June 29, 2023.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Jordan Hall‘s two-way contract with the Spurs covers two seasons, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Hall is one of four players this offseason to have signed a multiyear two-way deal.
  • While there was a sense the asking price could have been brought down, the Thunder were believed to be seeking a first-round pick for Vasilije Micic‘s NBA rights before he decided to remain with Anadolu Efes, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “I think that was where it was a little too much for teams,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney. “No one wanted to give up a pick plus everything else it would take. The guy can play, I think he’d be good in the NBA. But no one wanted to give up picks and money for him.” Deveney suggests Micic would’ve sought a salary in the $6-7MM range and a sizable rotation role in order to make the move to the NBA.
  • Former Suns head of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo said he’d “love to see” Kevin Durant land in Phoenix, according to Doug Haller of The Athletic, who draws parallels between a possible Durant acquisition and Colangelo’s trade that brought Charles Barkley to the Suns back in 1992.
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