Souley Boum

Nuggets Sign Brimah, Pickett, Toney; Waive Boum, Franklin, Funk

The Nuggets have waived Souley Boum, Armaan Franklin and Andrew Funk in order to create the roster space to sign Amida Brimah, Jamorko Pickett and Au’Diese Toney, per a team press release.

The terms of the contracts for Brimah, Pickett and Toney were not disclosed. However, Boum, Franklin and Funk were all on Exhibit 10 deals — considering the Nuggets have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts (with all three two-way slots full), the new additions are likely on Exhibit 10 contracts as well.

If Brimah, Pickett and Toney are on Exhibit 10 deals and are waived before the season starts, they’d each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s NBAGL affiliate.

Brimah, a 6’10” center from Ghana, played five games (5.8 MPG) with the Pacers back in 2020/21 while on a two-way deal. He went undrafted out of UConn in 2017 and has multiple seasons of G League experience. The 29-year-old played in France and Belgium the past two seasons.

Pickett, who played college ball at Georgetown, went undrafted in 2021. He signed a two-way deal with the Pistons as a rookie in ’21/22, playing 13 games (13.5 MPG) with Detroit. The 25-year-old forward spent last season with the G League’s Cleveland Charge after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with — and then being waived by — the Cavs.

A 6’6″ wing, Toney played three college seasons at Pitt before transferring to Arkansas in 2021/22. He played for the Lakeland Magic (now the Osceola Magic) in ’22/23, his first professional season. In 28 regular season games (15 starts, 20.9 MPG) with Lakeland, he averaged 8.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG on .558/.380/.786 shooting.

Denver’s preseason roster remains full, with 21 players under contract.

Contract Details: Watford, Ntilikina, Boum

Trendon Watford‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Nets is non-guaranteed for the time being, but the third-year forward could earn partial guarantees if he makes the opening night roster and holds his spot on the team for at least a couple months.

Watford will receive a partial guarantee of $200K if he isn’t waived on or before the first day of the regular season in October, Hoops Rumors has learned. That partial guarantee would increase to $700K if he remains under contract through December 19.

Watford’s full $2.02MM salary would become guaranteed if he isn’t cut on or before January 7. That’s the date that all players on non-guaranteed contracts must be waived by if their teams want to avoid paying their full salaries.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts:

  • The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Frank Ntilikina signed with the Hornets is partially guaranteed for $200K, Hoops Rumors has learned. Ntilikina would have to remain under contract through the league-wide salary guarantee deadline of January 7 in order to earn his full $2.53MM salary.
  • Souley Boum‘s non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Nuggets includes Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Boum would receive a bonus worth $75K if he’s waived before the regular season begins and then spends at least 60 days with the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate.
  • In case you missed it, Anthony Davis‘ three-year, maximum-salary contract with the Lakers includes a third-year player option for the 2027/28 season, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Sunday when the deal was officially finalized.

Souley Boum Signs With Nuggets

The Nuggets have signed free agent guard Souley Boum, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. It’s a training camp contract with no guaranteed money, a source tells Smith. The signing was completed on Thursday, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Boum, 24, went undrafted out of Xavier this year after averaging 16.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a super senior. He began his college basketball career at San Francisco before transferring to UTEP for three seasons.

Boum played for the Kings during Summer League, averaging 7.3 PPG in three games.

The defending champions are now at the summer maximum with 21 players under contract.

Draft Notes: Combine, Draft Traders, Withdrawals

In his article about the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated says that while some rival teams think the Thunder will pick Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 2, he’s heard “quite a few educated theories” that they might favor Duke’s Paolo Banchero instead — assuming the Magic take Auburn’s Jabari Smith No. 1, which isn’t a given.

Banchero is more physically ready for the NBA than Holmgren and has displayed impressive perimeter skills and passing for a power forward, but Oklahoma City plays its cards close to the vest, so don’t expect to know which player the Thunder will wind up picking until draft night, Woo writes.

Within the same piece, Woo says Shaedon Sharpe, who’s considered a wild card in the lottery due to not playing at all for Kentucky, is a near-certainty to be picked in the top five or six, as his “unusual talent and athletic ability has successfully captured the attention of the entire NBA this week.”

Woo also lists a handful of scrimmage standouts from Thursday who may have boosted their draft stocks, including North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith, Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, and Purdue’s Trevion Williams, among others.

Here are some more draft-related notes:

  • Within his aggregate mock draft, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto says rival executives believe the Hornets and Timberwolves are among the teams who might be draft traders. Charlotte controls the 13th, 15th and 45th picks, while Minnesota holds the 19th, 40th, 48th and 50th picks.
  • Three juniors, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dayton’s Toumani Camara and Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins, are withdrawing from the draft and returning to their respective schools, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (All Twitter links). Jackson-Davis had a strong season for the Hoosiers in 2021/22, averaging 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to attend the combine, which may have contributed to his decision. He’s ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s big board, while Camara and Collins are unranked.
  • Souley Boum has also withdrawn from the draft, as Rothstein relays (via Twitter). Boum played for UTEP last season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals, but will transfer to Xavier for his final collegiate season.

Draft Notes: Burton, Mitchell Twins, Beauchamp, Early Entrants

Richmond junior forward Tyler Burton will test the 2022 NBA draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Twitter.

Burton, the No. 90 prospect on ESPN’s big board, was named the Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player in 2022 and made the All-A10 Second Team in 2022. In 37 games (33.0 MPG) this season for the Spiders, he put up 16.1 PPG and 7.7 RPG with a .457/.365/.791 shooting line, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and three-point percentage.

Here are a few more Friday draft notes: