Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Sign PJ Hall To Two-Way Contract, Waive Zyon Pullin

July 20th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

4:00 pm: Hall’s signing is now official, per a Grizzlies press statement (Twitter link). Memphis has announced that Pullin has been waived, meaning the team will still have an open two-way roster slot.

3:52 PM: Free agent center PJ Hall has agreed to sign a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, his ProMondo Sports agent Matt Bollero informs Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

Hall went undrafted out of Clemson in 2024, but inked a two-way deal with Denver for the 2024/25 season. The 6’8″ big man split his minutes between the Nuggets and their NBAGL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

Hall appeared in 19 contests for Denver proper last season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in just 3.5 minutes per game. In 20 total outings for the Gold, however, he posted some impressive numbers, averaging a double-double (18.9 PPG, 11.8 RPG) along with 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game.

Hall has been plying his trade this month for the Hornets’ Summer League team. Across five Summer League contests for Charlotte, the 23-year-old averaged 9.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.0 APG.

He’ll join fellow two-way signings Zyon Pullin and Javon Small in Memphis. As a two-way player, Hall is eligible to suit up for as many as 50 contests with the Grizzlies’ standard roster. He’ll likely be transferred back and forth between the Grizzlies and the team’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

Lakers Waive Shake Milton

July 20th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers are waiving guard Shake Milton, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Milton’s $3MM salary for the 2025/26 season would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through Sunday. Charania notes that L.A. is carving out room below the first tax apron for forthcoming new addition Marcus Smart.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the move now puts Los Angeles $3.9MM below the league’s first luxury tax apron. Another transaction will be necessary in order for the team to sign Smart to a deal worth the full bi-annual exception ($5.1MM).

Los Angeles recently picked up its club option on the $2.3MM contract of young, defense-first guard Jordan Goodwin, but only $25K of Goodwin’s salary is guaranteed as of now. He’s the only other Laker on a non-guaranteed deal, so he would likely be the odd man out unless the club trades or waives-and-stretches a player with a guaranteed salary.

Milton was a minimal contributor to head coach JJ Redick‘s rotation after being acquired as part of L.A.’s midseason trade for Dorian Finney-Smith.

Across 30 contests after being traded to Los Angeles, the 6’5″ SMU alum averaged 3.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 11.5 MPG. The 28-year-old wasn’t in Redick’s rotation in the postseason, appearing in just two games for 2.0 MPG.

Damian Lillard Returns To Trail Blazers On Three-Year Deal

July 19th, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 19: Lillard’s new contract is official, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

JULY 17: Star point guard Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42MM contract to return to the Trail Blazers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports that the deal is expected to feature a player option for the 2027/28 season and a no-trade clause.

Zach Lowe of The Ringer first stated (Twitter link) that the Blazers and Lillard had mutual interest in a reunion, with Bill Oram of The Oregonian reporting shortly thereafter that the two sides were in “deep discussions” about a contract and that Lillard was “strongly considering” a return to Portland.

Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025/26 campaign after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in late April during Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series vs. Indiana. The Bucks waived the 35-year-old guard earlier this month and used the stretch provision on his previous contract in order to create the cap space necessary to sign Myles Turner.

It’s a stunning turn of events considering the contentious way in which Portland’s all-time leading scorer exited the franchise after he requested a trade two years ago.

According to Charania, Lillard met with general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups multiple times in recent weeks to “bond” and hash out a new deal. Lillard’s family and children live in Portland and he considered it to be of the utmost importance to reunite with the organization and city, says Charania.

Lillard drew interest from several teams on the open market and had multiple offers for both the mid-level exception and the veteran’s minimum, sources tell Charania. The Timberwolves were among the teams that checked in on Lillard, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, though it’s unclear how serious those talks were.

NBA insider Chris Haynes hears (Twitter link) that Cronin and Lillard “made amends” at the nine-time All-Star’s house “weeks ago.” The goal is for Lillard to retire as a Trail Blazer, Haynes adds.

As Marc Stein of The Stein Line observes (via Twitter), despite not playing for the Trail Blazers for the past two seasons, Lillard is eligible for a full no-trade clause because he has at least eight years of NBA service time and spent at least four years with Portland. He spent his first 11 NBA seasons as a Blazer after being selected No. 6 overall back in 2012.

Lillard remained highly productive last season when healthy, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 58 regular season contests (36.1 minutes per game). Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf in March, and suffered the major Achilles injury in his third game back after a remarkably fast recovery from the deep vein thrombosis.

Blake Wesley Agrees To Buyout With Wizards

July 19th, 2025 at 5:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Newly acquired Blake Wesley will become a free agent after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Wizards, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The team has confirmed (via Twitter) that the buyout has been finalized.

The 22-year-old shooting guard came to Washington earlier this month along with Malaki Branham in a deal that sent Kelly Olynyk to San Antonio. However, he faced a difficult road to earn regular minutes on a roster filled with young players. There’s no word yet on how money he gave back on his $4,726,328 contract for the upcoming season.

Wesley expects to sign with another team, adds Scotto, who notes that the former first-rounder is an effective perimeter defender and shot 37% from three-point range in the second half of the season.

Wesley was selected with the 25th pick in the 2022 draft and spent his first three years with the Spurs. He appeared in 58 games last season, averaging 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.8 minutes per night with .435/.293/.623 shooting splits.

The agreement with Wesley, along with the buyout of Marcus Smart and the release of Richaun Holmes, have helped to clear up a roster crunch that the Wizards were experiencing. Once the moves become official, they’ll be down to 14 fully guaranteed contracts, plus Justin Champagnie, who has a $2.4MM non-guaranteed deal and Anthony Gill, who is expected to re-sign.

Bulls Sign Yuki Kawamura To Two-Way Deal

July 19th, 2025 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

3:52 pm: The Bulls have officially confirmed their two-way deal with Kawamura, announcing in a press release that Young has been waived to open up a two-way spot for the newcomer.

3:33 pm: The Bulls will be making a change to one of their two-way contract slots, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that free agent point guard Yuki Kawamura has agreed to a two-way deal with the team.

Chicago doesn’t currently have a two-way opening, with Jahmir Young, Emanuel Miller, and second-round pick Lachlan Olbrich occupying those three roster spots, so one of them will need to be waived, promoted, or traded in order to make room for Kawamura.

Kawamura, 24, arrived stateside in 2024 after playing professionally for several seasons in his home country of Japan. The 5’8″ guard signed a two-way contract with Memphis and spent 2024/25 with the Grizzlies, though his playing time at the NBA level was limited — he logged just 93 total minutes across 22 appearances.

Kawamura was more of a featured player for the Memphis Hustle in the G League, averaging 31.6 minutes per game across 31 outings. He put up 12.7 points, 8.5 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per contest, with a shooting line of .383/.365/.761.

After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies, Kawamura became an unrestricted free agent and caught on with the Bulls for Summer League. In five appearances in Las Vegas, he averaged 10.2 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while making 41.7% of his three-point tries, earning himself a two-way offer.

A two-way deal will allow Kawamura to appear in up to 50 regular season games with the Bulls. If he remains under contract through the league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January, he would earn $636,435, which is 50% of this season’s rookie minimum salary.

Keaton Wallace Signs Two-Way Contract With Hawks

July 18th, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Eli Cohen

Keaton Wallace has signed his two-way qualifying offer with the Hawks, reports Lauren Williams for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).

Wallace had been extended a two-way qualifying offer earlier in the summer, which is equivalent to a one-year, two-way deal with $85,300 in guaranteed money.

Wallace, the older brother of the Thunder’s Cason Wallace, played 31 games for Atlanta last season and averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 assists in 16.2 minutes per night. In the five games he started, he averaged 13.8 points, 8.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals, though he shot 29.4% from three in those games and 32.9% from three for the season.

The Hawks have had a productive offseason, bringing in a multitude of contributors, including Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and rookie Asa Newell, but while the team has become very deep on the wing, Wallace provides some needed depth at the point guard spot behind Trae Young and Kobe Bufkin.

Bradley Beal Signs With Clippers

July 18th, 2025 at 5:20pm CST by Eli Cohen

Bradley Beal has officially signed with the Clippers, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter). Beal cleared waivers at 4:00 pm Central time on Friday after having been officially waived by the Suns on Wednesday.

As previously reported, Beal’s deal with L.A. uses the remainder of the team’s mid-level exception. It’s worth $5,354,000 in year one, followed by a $5,621,700 player option for 2026/27.

“Players of this caliber are very rare, and they’re hard to come by,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said in a press release announcing the deal. “You can put him in so many different spots and he’ll find ways to score: out of pick-and-roll, coming off screens, catch-and-shoot. He can create his own or he can play off the ball. He’s a great cutter. He’s also a great playmaker who is going to make everybody else better. I’m excited he’s with us.”

In a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein said, “The Clippers want the most aggressive and dynamic version of Brad. That’s music to his ears.”

Beal averaged 17.0 points and 3.7 assists per game last season for the Suns while splitting time between the starting lineup and a reserve role. The career 37.6% three-point shooter will join a Clippers team that has loaded up its bench with accomplished veterans like John Collins and Brook Lopez as they look to cement themselves as a contender around star Kawhi Leonard.

Hawks Agree To One-Year Deal With Caleb Houstan

July 17th, 2025 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks and Caleb Houstan have agreed to a one-year contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link).

Houstan spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Magic. He appeared in 168 games during that span, including 23 starts, after being selected early in the second round of the 2022 draft.

Last season, Houstan appeared in 58 games (six starts) with Orlando and averaged 4.1 points in 13.6 minutes per game while making 40 percent of his 3-point tries.

Houstan became a free agent when Orlando declines its $2.1MM option on his contract for next season. Terms for his contract with Atlanta have not been revealed, but it’s likely a minimum deal.

Still just 22 years old, Houstan struggled to get steady second-unit minutes with the Magic. At 6’8”, he provides good size at the wing spots and he’ll now try to earn minutes with another Southeast Division squad.

That will be a tall task, considering the Hawks have Dyson Daniels at off-guard and Jalen Johnson at small forward with free agent pickups Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard slated to get steady minutes off the bench. He’ll also have to battle Vit Krejci (43.7 percent from three last season) for playing time.

Hornets Sign Drew Peterson To Two-Way Contract

July 16th, 2025 at 8:33pm CST by Luke Adams

July 16: Peterson’s two-way deal with Charlotte is now official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

July 15: Free agent forward Drew Peterson has agreed to a deal with the Hornets, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who hears from agents Mike Silverman and Troy Payne that their client will sign a two-way contract with Charlotte.

Peterson, who went undrafted out of USC in 2023, initially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami, but has spent most of his two professional seasons on two-way deals with Boston. The 25-year-old first signed with the Celtics in December 2023 and has since appeared in 28 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per night.

While Peterson’s NBA appearances have mostly been limited to garbage time, he has played a far more significant role at the G League level for the Maine Celtics. In 2024/25, across 25 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings, the 6’9″ forward averaged 18.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.8 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .438/.374/.891.

The Celtics opted not to tender Peterson a qualifying offer last month, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, free to sign with any team. He’ll become the third Hornet on a two-way contract, joining KJ Simpson and Damion Baugh, as our tracker shows.

It will be a reunion for Peterson and Hornets head coach Charles Lee, who was an assistant in Boston during the forward’s first year with the Celtics.

Bucks Re-Sign Chris Livingston

July 16th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

3:55 pm: Livingston’s deal with the Bucks is now official, per a press release from the team.

1:40 pm: After being waived by the Bucks two weeks ago, former second-round pick Chris Livingston has reached an agreement to return to Milwaukee, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Agents Rich Paul and Brandon Cavanaugh of Klutch Sports tell Charania that Livingston is signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bucks that will be fully guaranteed.

The 58th overall pick in 2023 out of Kentucky, Livingston struggled to earn minutes over the course of two seasons in Milwaukee, making just 42 total appearances and averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.7 minutes per game.

The 21-year-old showed some promise at the G League level. In 18 outings for the Wisconsin Herd in 2024/25, he averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .485/.301/.828.

As Charania observes (via Twitter), Livingston also made a strong case in Summer League for a new deal after being waived early this month to help maximize Milwaukee’s cap space. In three games for the Bucks in Las Vegas, the 6’6″ forward has averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 50.0% from the floor and 37.5% on three-pointers.

Once the Bucks’ reported deals with Livingston and Cole Anthony are complete, the club will have 14 players with guaranteed salaries, plus Andre Jackson on a partially guaranteed contract.