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Nets Sign Malachi Smith

October 14th, 2025 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have signed free agent guard Malachi Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).

Smith, 25, has been playing in the G League since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023. He was with the Rip City Remix and Wisconsin Herd during his rookie year and spent the 2024/25 campaign with the Memphis Hustle, appearing in 46 total games for the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.

Smith averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 25.3 minutes per game for the Hustle last season, making 50.1% of his shots from the field, including 34.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The Long Island Nets acquired Smith’s returning rights from Memphis last month, so it’s a pretty safe bet that the plan is for him to be waived in the coming days and then report to Long Island for the G League season. He’ll likely receive a small partial guarantee as part of the arrangement.

While most players who are ticketed for their teams’ NBAGL affiliates sign Exhibit 10 contracts, the Nets have been structuring their deals a little differently this fall since they don’t mind having the bonuses they pay those players count against their cap as they look to reach the NBA’s minimum salary floor. Exhibit 10 bonuses don’t carry a cap hit, but partial guarantees do.

For instance, as Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, when signing with the Nets on Monday, Tre Scott received a standard contract with a $45K partial guarantee, while Terry Roberts got a $25K partial guarantee on his standard deal. Both Scott and Roberts were waived today, per Lewis, but those partial guarantees will continue to count against Brooklyn’s cap.

Jazz, Pedro Bradshaw Agree To Exhibit 10 Deal

October 14th, 2025 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz and free agent swingman Pedro Bradshaw have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal, agent Darrell Comer tells NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Bradshaw, who went undrafted out of Bellarmine University in 2021, actually began his career with Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, as a rookie in 2021/22. He has since played for several other NBAGL teams and spent part of the 2024/25 season in Australia with the Cairns Taipans before finishing the year with the Rostock Seawolves in Germany.

A solid rebounder and shooter, the 6’7″ forward averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game with a 40.2% three-point mark across 45 appearances for Indiana’s G League team in 2023/24. Last season for the Taipans, he registered averages of 10.7 PPG and 5.7 RPG with a .371 3PT%.

Salt Lake City acquired Bradshaw’s returning rights in a trade with the Noblesville Boom this summer, signaling that the Jazz expect to have him suit up for their G League affiliate this fall. If he spends at least 60 days with the Stars, Bradshaw will earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300.

Utah currently has a full 21-man preseason roster, so someone will have to be waived to temporarily open up a spot for Bradshaw.

Thunder Sign Buddy Boeheim, Waive Payton Sandfort

October 14th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder continue to move players on and off the back of their 21-man roster as they prepare for the season. According to the team, guard/forward Buddy Boeheim is the latest player to sign with Oklahoma City. He replaces wing Payton Sandfort, who has been waived after spending roughly 24 hours on the roster.

A former Syracuse standout, Boeheim appeared in 20 NBA regular season games for the Pistons from 2022-24 while on two-way contracts. He spent last season with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League and averaged 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.3 minutes per game across 40 outings. Known as a floor-spacer, the 25-year-old knocked down 37.7% of 9.2 three-point attempts per game for the Blue in 2024/25.

Boeheim will almost certainly rejoin OKC’s G League team as a returning-rights player. Signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Thunder will put him in line to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of his standard NBAGL salary as long as he spends at least 60 days with the Blue.

The G League is likely the next stop for Sandfort as well. The undrafted rookie will qualify as an affiliate player for the Thunder, meaning the Blue will have his rights if and when he signs an NBAGL contract.

Oklahoma City continues to carry 21 players on its preseason roster — 15 on guaranteed standard contracts, four on Exhibit 10 deals, and a pair on two-way pacts.

Nuggets Sign James Akinjo To Exhibit 10 Contract

October 14th, 2025 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have made an addition to their preseason roster, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who tweets that free agent point guard James Akinjo has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team.

Akinjo, 24, has been playing in the G League since going undrafted in 2022, spending time with the Westchester Knicks, Stockton Kings, and Wisconsin Herd. In 41 games last season for the Herd, Milwaukee’s NBAGL affiliate, the former Baylor standout averaged 14.6 points, 7.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 33.6 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .403/.361/.844.

Denver’s affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, made a trade with Wisconsin in August to acquire Akinjo’s returning rights. As we noted at the time, it was a strong signal that the Nuggets would sign the 6’1″ guard to an Exhibit 10 deal at some point in order to ensure he receives a bonus for playing with the Gold.

Akinjo, who figures to be waived in the coming days, will be able to earn that bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Nuggets’ G League team. It can be worth up to $85,300.

Denver had a pair of open spots on its 21-man preseason roster after waiving Terrence Hargrove Jr. and Coleman Hawkins last week, so no corresponding move was necessary to make room for Akinjo. The club now has 20 players under contract.

Clippers, Cavaliers Make Changes To Preseason Rosters

October 13th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers have officially re-signed TyTy Washington Jr. and waived John Poulakidas, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links).

It’s unclear why Los Angeles brought back Washington — perhaps the team wants to give him an opportunity to play in preseason. The former first-round pick was signed in August and waived in late September, so he was already eligible for his Exhibit 10 bonus, which is worth $85,300, the maximum allowable.

Former Yale sharpshooter Poulakidas was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal as well. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 19.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on .451/.408/.897 shooting in 27 games (31.6 minutes per contest) as a senior with the Bulldogs last season. He went undrafted in June.

The Cavaliers also made a change their preseason roster on Monday, waiving forwards Miller Kopp and Chaney Johnson, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Cleveland signed Kopp and Johnson to Exhibit 10 contracts on September 26. Both players spent training camp with the Cavaliers — Kopp appeared in two preseason contests, while Johnson played one.

Kopp, 26, went undrafted out of Indiana in 2023. He has spent the past two seasons in the G League with the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. In 48 games (29.6 MPG) with the Blue in 2024/25, Kopp averaged 12.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.1 SPG while shooting 41.8% from three-point range.

As for Johnson, his Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavs was first reported shortly after he went undrafted earlier this year. The 6’7″ wing was a key reserve for an Auburn team that reached the Final Four last season, averaging 9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 38 games (23.5 MPG).

Pelicans Sign, Waive Chase Hunter, Josh Oduro

October 13th, 2025 at 9:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

October 13: Both Hunter and Oduro have been released, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

October 9: The Pelicans have signed Chase Hunter and Josh Oduro to Exhibit 10 contracts, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

New Orleans’ intent to sign Hunter, an undrafted rookie guard, was reported just after this year’s draft.

Hunter had a lengthy college career with Clemson, which spanned six years from 2019-25. He was awarded a medical redshirt after a foot injury limited him to nine appearances in his freshman year, then was granted another extra year of extra eligibility due to COVID-19.

Hunter ended up appearing in 167 games across those six years, making 123 starts. As a super-senior in 2024/25, he averaged a career-best 16.5 points per game on .470/.407/.866 shooting while also contributing 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.5 minutes per contest. Hunter earned first-team All-ACC honors this year and left Clemson as the school’s third all-time leading scorer.

Oduro was signed and waived by the Pelicans during last season’s training camp. The 6’9” forward, who went undrafted in 2024, played four collegiate seasons at George Mason before transferring to Providence for his final year. He averaged 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds across 148 college games (128 starts).

Oduro played 44 games last season for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, averaging 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 29.4 minutes per game.

Both players are likely to be waived and join the Squadron. They’ll be eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they stay with that club for at least 60 days.

Nets Sign Terry Roberts, Tre Scott

October 13th, 2025 at 9:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have signed free agents Terry Roberts and Tre Scott, the team announced (Twitter link via Keith Smith of Spotrac).

A 6’3″ guard who went undrafted out of Georgia in 2023, Roberts caught on with Long Island in his first post-college season in 2023/24. However, his life was derailed in February 2024 after being shot in the upper chest by a stray bullet.

Roberts, who was temporarily placed on a ventilator as a result of the incident, eventually made a full recovery and returned to Long Island last season. In 31 games in ’24/25, he averaged 6.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 25.7 minutes per contest.

Scott, a 6’8″ forward, has played professionally since 2020. He has spent time in Puerto Rico, France, and Canada but has primarily competed in the G League in recent years. He also had a two-game stint with the Cavaliers in ’21/22.

After playing a modest role with the Osceola Magic during the Tip-Off Tournament last fall, Scott joined Brooklyn’s NBAGL affiliate for the ’24/25 regular season. In 34 games (32.0 MPG) with Long Island, the 28-year-old averaged 11.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.4 SPG.

The terms of the contracts were not disclosed, but both may have signed Exhibit 10 deals, which would make each player eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived in the coming days and then spends at least 60 days in the G League with the Long Island Nets.

It’s worth noting that Brooklyn, which has operated below the NBA’s minimum salary floor for most of the offseason, has also been signing future Long Island players to standard contracts that include a partial guarantee of $85,300. The difference between those contracts and Exhibit 10 deals is that the 60-day requirement is waived and the $85,300 counts against the Nets’ cap. It’s possible Roberts’ and Scott’s contracts are structured that way.

Brooklyn is now back at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract. The Nets opened up a pair of roster spots earlier on Monday when they waived Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme.

Magic Sign Javonte Smart, Phillip Wheeler To Exhibit 10 Deals

October 13th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic have signed Javonte Smart and Phillip Wheeler, per a team press release. To complete the signings, Orlando waived Jalen Crutcher and Alex Morales.

Both Smart and Wheeler received Exhibit 10 contracts, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).

Smart holds two years of NBA experience, appearing in a total of 18 games with Milwaukee, Miami and Philadelphia while on two-way contracts with those clubs. He spent all of last season with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Osceola after signing an Exhibit 10 deal last fall.

The 26-year-old guard, who played for Team USA during the FIBA AmeriCup tournament this summer (the Americans finished in third place, winning a bronze medal), appeared in 44 games (27.1 MPG) for Osceola in 2024/25, averaging 14.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .459/.359/.737 shooting.

Wheeler’s Exhibit 10 agreement with the Magic was first reported in early September. The 6’9″ forward, who went undrafted in 2022, has spent the majority of the past three seasons playing in the NBAGL and the Puerto Rican league. He made his NBA debut in ’24/25, appearing in five games with the Sixers while on a 10-day hardship contract.

Crutcher and Morales were on Exhibit 10 deals as well. Both players are now eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with Osceola in ’25/26.

Orlando’s roster is still at the offseason maximum of 21 players.

Hawks Sign Lamont Butler, Deivon Smith, M.J. Walker

October 13th, 2025 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hawks have made three additions to their preseason roster, announcing in a press release that they have signed guards Lamont Butler, Deivon Smith and M.J. Walker.

While the terms of the contracts were not disclosed, all three players likely signed non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals, which would put them in line for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived before the season begins and spend at least 60 days with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

It’s unclear why Atlanta brought back Butler — the former San Diego State and Kentucky guard already signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Hawks in late September. He was cut a couple days later.

Smith, a Georgia native has spent the past five years playing at four different colleges, suiting up for Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Utah and St. John’s. In 30 games last season for the Red Storm (27.1 minutes), the 6’1″ guard averaged 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals, with a shooting line of .380/.352/.667.

Both Butler and Smith played for the Hawks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Walker, another Georgia native, went undrafted in 2021 and has spent the past four seasons in the G League with the Westchester Knicks and the Greensboro Swarm (the Hornets’ affiliate). The 27-year-old also had a brief 10-day hardship stint with the Suns in 2021/22, playing eight NBA minutes in two appearances.

Atlanta now has 21 players under contract, which is the offseason limit.

Nets Waive Dariq Whitehead, Drew Timme

October 13th, 2025 at 3:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have released Dariq Whitehead and Drew Timme, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).

Whitehead being cut is significant because his $3,262,560 salary for 2025/26 is fully guaranteed, meaning the Nets will now carry a dead-money cap hit. Assuming he clears waivers, Whitehead’s $5,366,912 team option for 2026/27 will be declined as part of the transaction.

A 6’7″ wing, Whitehead was a highly touted high school recruit who has dealt with several injuries over the past few years. Brooklyn selected Whitehead 22nd overall in the 2023 draft after he spent one season at Duke, but the 21-year-old has only played in 22 NBA games over the past two seasons, averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest.

Timme, who had a decorated college career at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 and spent most of the past two seasons in the G League. He was promoted to a two-year standard contract in late March after a strong ’24/25 regular season with the Nets’ affiliate team in Long Island.

The Nets picked up their $1,955,377 option on Timme in late June, but his salary was fully non-guaranteed, so they won’t incur a cap hit by waiving him. The 25-year-old forward/center averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 2.2 APG in nine games (28.2 MPG) with Brooklyn down the stretch last season. His shooting line was .441/.257/.625.

Since he only has one year of NBA experience, Timme could theoretically return to the Nets on a two-way deal if he goes unclaimed, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links). However, the team has yet to determine if Timme will get that final two-way spot, Lewis reports.

Waiving Whitehead and Timme likely means the Nets are deciding between Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin for their 15th standard roster spot. Wilson has a $88K partial guarantee which will increase to about $382K if he makes the regular season roster, while Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed.