Clippers Sign Tyrone Wallace

August 16th, 2017 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have signed free agent guard Tyrone Wallace to a contract, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. It appears to be just a one-year deal, and it likely won’t be fully guaranteed, though exact details aren’t yet known.

Wallace, 23, was the final player selected in the 2016 draft, going to Utah with the 60th overall pick. The Jazz didn’t have room for him on their NBA roster last season, so he signed a G League contract and joined the Salt Lake City Stars – Utah’s G League affiliate – as a draft rights player.

In 38 games for the Stars last season, Wallace averaged 14.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG. He struggled somewhat with his scoring efficiency, compiling a modest shooting line of .452/.242/.697. After playing for the Jazz again in the Utah and Las Vegas Summer Leagues last month, Wallace had his rights renounced by the club, freeing him up to sign with any NBA team.

While it’s possible the Clippers will give Wallace a chance to earn a spot on their regular season roster, it’s more likely they view him as a potential affiliate player for their new G League team, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. However, despite his NBA rights being renounced by the Jazz, Wallace’s G League rights still belong to Salt Lake City — L.A.’s G League team would have to acquire those rights via trade to make him an affiliate player, as Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days confirms to Hoops Rumors.

With Wallace under contract, the Clippers now have a total of 17 players on their offseason roster.

Warriors Sign Antonius Cleveland

August 16th, 2017 at 8:28am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 16: The Warriors recently made their deal with Cleveland official, per RealGM’s transactions log. It’s a one-year contract, though the rookie guard appears likely to end up with the Santa Cruz Warriors as a G League affiliate player.

JULY 27: Antonius Cleveland has agreed to sign with the Warriors, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Details of the agreement aren’t known, but it’s unlikely to be a fully guaranteed deal.

The 6’6″ guard went undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State after averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a senior. He was ranked 85th on the DraftExpress list of 2017’s top 100 prospects.

Cleveland played for the Trail Blazers’ team in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 5.8 points in six games and shooting 41% from the field.

Warriors Sign Georges Niang

August 16th, 2017 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have added another player to their training camp roster, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that former Pacer Georges Niang has inked a partially guaranteed deal with the defending champs. It’s a one-year pact.

Golden State already has 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so barring something unexpected happening in camp, Niang won’t make the club’s regular season roster. As Wojnarowski notes, the 24-year-old power forward will likely end up playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate.

Niang, the 50th overall pick in the 2016 draft, spent his rookie season with the Pacers last season, playing sparingly in 23 NBA games for the club. The Iowa State alum saw a bigger role during his G League stints at Fort Wayne, though he played in just six games for the Mad Ants, averaging 19.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.3 APG.

With Niang and Antonius Cleveland on camp deals and Chris Boucher on a two-way contract, the Warriors now have 18 total players on their offseason roster, leaving two open slots.

Raptors Sign Kyle Wiltjer

August 15th, 2017 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

2:37pm: The Raptors have officially signed Wiltjer, the team announced today. His deal will include a partial guarantee, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link).

9:10am: A month after being waived by the Clippers, Kyle Wiltjer has landed with a new team, according to Oliver Maroney and Robby Kalland of Dime, who report that the free agent forward has agreed to a one-year contract with the Raptors. It’ll be a non-guaranteed training camp deal.

“I’m just really excited to be back in Toronto and Canada,” Wiltjer said, per Maroney and Kalland. “I’ve been working really hard all summer long to get better in all facets of my game and I’m just happy that I’ll be in my home nation.”

Wiltjer, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, spent his rookie season with the Rockets in 2016/17, though he appeared in just 14 games for the club, playing very limited minutes. The 6’10” forward saw more action in the G League, averaging 20.5 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .377 3PT% in 22 contests for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Because his contract with Houston included a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18, Wiltjer was one of the pieces included in the Rockets’ Chris Paul deal for salary-matching purposes. The Clippers subsequently waived Wiltjer last month before his contract became guaranteed.

As our breakdown of offseason roster counts shows, the Raptors only have 13 guaranteed contracts on their roster at this point, so Wiltjer should have a chance to compete for one of those last two regular-season roster slots. He’ll battle the likes of Kennedy Meeks and Alfonzo McKinnie as he looks to earn a spot on Toronto’s 15-man squad.

Pacers Sign Damien Wilkins

August 15th, 2017 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 15: The Pacers have officially signed Wilkins, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 20: Veteran swingman Damien Wilkins is making an NBA comeback, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, who reports (via Twitter) that Wilkins and the Pacers have agreed to a one-year deal. It will be a veteran’s minimum contract, per Scotto.

Wilkins, 37, has 563 career regular season games on his NBA résumé, but hasn’t played in the league since he spent the 2012/13 campaign with the Sixers. Since then, Wilkins has bounced around various international and G League clubs, most recently spending the 2016/17 campaign with the Greensboro Swarm.

In 48 games last season for Charlotte’s G League affiliate, Wilkins averaged 14.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.8 APG, with a shooting line of .486/.358/.844.

While I wouldn’t expect Wilkins to have a substantial role for the Pacers in 2017/18, he’ll provide some veteran stability on a roster that has undergone significant changes this offseason, assuming he earns a spot on the 15-man regular season roster. However, Wilkins’ deal will be non-guaranteed, tweets Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star — that suggests the 37-year-old won’t be assured of a regular season roster spot.

Having lost Paul George, Jeff Teague, and C.J. Miles, Indiana has added Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Cory Joseph, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Domantas Sabonis this summer.

Pacers Sign Ben Moore To Camp Deal

August 15th, 2017 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 15: Nearly two full months after Moore’s agreement with the Pacers was initially reported, the team has announced the deal, making it official. According to the Pacers, Moore isn’t expected to break camp with the club — he’ll be an affiliate player for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate.

JUNE 23: The Pacers have reached an agreement on a free agent deal with former SMU power forward Ben Moore, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). Woo reports that Moore’s contract with Indiana will feature a partial guarantee.

International basketball journalist David Pick had initially reported that Moore would be joining the Grizzlies on a partially guaranteed deal, but later tweeted an update, confirming that the 22-year-old had opted for Indiana over Memphis.

Moore, ranked as 2017’s No. 38 senior prospect by DraftExpress, averaged 11.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.1 BPG during his final year at SMU. When he finalizes his partially guaranteed deal with the Pacers, he figures to be part of the team’s 20-man roster in training camp, and could have a chance to compete for a regular season roster spot.

Moore is the third SMU prospect to find a new NBA home this week, joining teammates Semi Ojeleye and Sterling Brown, who were both second-round picks on Thursday.

Point Guard Norris Cole Headed To Israel

August 14th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard Norris Cole will sign a one-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Euroleague, international journalist David Pick tweets via a source.

Cole, 28, appeared in 13 games with the Thunder last season after finally landing an NBA job in March. He averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.1 APG in 9.6 MPG and shot just 30.8% from the field. The previous season, he started 23 of 45 games with the Pelicans and averaged a career-high 10.6 PPG and 3.7 APG in 26.6 MPG. He spent his first 3 1/2 seasons with the Heat.

According to earlier tweet from Pick, the contract is worth $700K.

Cole didn’t generate much buzz on the free agent market, though he did work out with the Hornets last month.

Lakers Sign Briante Weber

August 14th, 2017 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 14: The Lakers have officially signed Weber, the team announced today in a press release. L.A. now has 18 players on NBA contracts and one on a two-way deal, leaving one spot open on the club’s offseason roster.

AUGUST 8: The Lakers are adding a little more backcourt depth to their roster, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has reached an agreement with free agent point guard Briante Weber on a partially guaranteed deal.

Weber, 24, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Hornets after the All-Star break last season, then earned a rest-of-season deal from the team. In 13 games in Charlotte, Weber played limited minutes, averaging 3.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.2 APG. His contract included a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18, but the Hornets opted to waive him last month, making him a free agent.

Although Weber’s NBA production has been modest, he filled up the stat sheet in 31 G League games last season, averaging 16.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, and 3.3 SPG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He also posted a shooting line of .455/.356/.778 for the club.

While I wouldn’t necessarily expect Weber to break camp with the Lakers this fall, the team currently only has 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so there may be an opportunity for the young guard to earn the final spot on L.A.’s 15-man roster.

Nets Sign Jacob Wiley To Two-Way Contract

August 14th, 2017 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a deal that was reportedly in place back in June, the Nets have officially signed undrafted rookie Jacob Wiley to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. Brooklyn has now filled both of its two-way slots, having previously signed Yakuba Ouattara on such a deal.

Wiley’s agreement with the Nets was first reported shortly after the conclusion of this year’s draft by Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who confirmed Norlander’s report, said at the time that the 6’7″ forward out of Eastern Washington impressed teams in pre-draft workouts with his “intensity and relentless motor.”

Wiley, who was ranked as 2017’s 63rd-best prospect by DraftExpress, averaged 21.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG in his senior year in 2016/17. He was also an extremely efficient shot-maker, converting 64.2% of his attempts from the field and 82.8% of his free throws. He only attempted seven 3-point shots all season, though he made five of them.

For a breakdown of how two-way contracts work and who is eligible to sign them, be sure to check out our FAQ. You can also consult our two-way contract tracker to keep tabs on which players have received the NBA’s first two-way deals this offseason.

Jordan McRae To Play In Spain

August 14th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

12:05pm: McRae will earn more than $700K on his new deal with Baskonia, according to Pick (Twitter link).

11:49am: Former Cavaliers guard Jordan McRae will play in Spain in 2017/18, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that McRae has signed with Baskonia.

McRae, 26, spent most of the 2016/17 season in Cleveland after joining the Cavaliers down the stretch in 2015/16. In 37 games last season, the 6’6″ guard averaged 4.4 PPG and 1.1 RPG with a shooting line of .387/.353/.794. The club waived McRae shortly after the All-Star break in order to create room on the roster to sign Andrew Bogut, whose time in Cleveland was short-lived.

McRae is the second NBA free agent landed by Baskonia this offseason, as the team also signed point guard Marcelo Huertas. McRae and Huertas will help fill the backcourt void created when Shane Larkin departed to sign with the Celtics — Larkin was one of the Euroleague’s top point guards last season, and was Baskonia’s leading scorer in both Euroleague and Spanish League play.

According to Pick, McRae turned down offers from Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv before reaching an agreement with Baskonia. Maccabi continues to scour the NBA free agent market for backcourt help, having reportedly extended an offer to veteran guard Norris Cole, as we detailed earlier today.