Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Trade Blake Griffin To Pistons

January 29th, 2018 at 11:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

11:46pm: The trade is now official, according to a press release issued by the Pistons.

“We are serious about winning, and this is a major move to improve our team,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “Blake Griffin is one of the NBA’s elite players, and when you get an opportunity to add that kind of talent, you take it. … He is a great fit for our team and will bring a combination of toughness and athleticism that will elevate our team and excite our fans.”

5:20pm: The Clippers have agreed to trade star power forward Blake Griffin to the Pistons in a multi-player deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Detroit will ship forward Tobias Harris, shooting guard Avery Bradley, center Boban Marjanovic, a first-round pick and a second-round draft pick to the Clippers, Wojnarowski adds, citing league sources.

Forward Brice Johnson and center Willie Reed are also heading to Detroit, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

Detroit’s 2018 first-round pick is protected if it’s a top-four selection, according to Wojnarowski; It has the same protection for the next two drafts, then goes unprotected in 2021. The second-round pick in the trade will come in the 2019 draft (Twitter link).

The Pistons, long rumored to be active on the trade market, have been trying to shake up their team while nosediving down the Eastern Conference standings. They have lost eight in a row and now sit in the ninth spot in the East. Wojnarowski had reported just hours ago that Detroit was shopping Bradley and his expiring contract.

Griffin re-signed with the Clippers on a five-year max deal over the summer, so the Pistons are taking on an enormous salary commitment in order to pair him with current franchise player Andre Drummond. Griffin is making $29.5MM this season and he’ll be due another $141.6MM over the next four years, though the final year of the contract includes a player option.

The longtime Clipper will also receive a $860K trade bonus spread over the next four seasons, salary-cap expert Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The Griffin trade bonus is not voided because his current salary is slightly below the max, Marks adds.

The Clippers are in the playoff hunt at 25-24, so dealing Griffin certainly signals a change in the franchise’s long-term direction. It’s possible that this will be the first of multiple moves for the Clippers, since players like DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams have also been considered potential trade candidates.

Aside from Drummond, who is making approximately $23.8MM this season, Harris and Reggie Jackson are Detroit’s highest-paid players at $16MM this season. Bradley is making $8.8MM and Marjanovic is pulling in $7MM this season. Johnson is earning approximately $1.3MM and Reed has a $1MM contract this season.

Both teams are hard-capped and near the luxury-tax line, as Marks notes in a tweet, so it was crucial that each team sent and received about the same amount of money.

The Clippers will get cap relief in the long run as the contracts of Harris and Marjanovic expire after the 2018/19 season. Once this deal is finalized, Danilo Gallinari‘s contract will represent the only guaranteed money on L.A.’s cap beyond 2019.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers Will Not Re-Sign Nigel Hayes

January 28th, 2018 at 9:49pm CST by Austin Kent

The Lakers will not re-sign forward Nigel Hayes after his 10-day contract expired tonight, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times tweets. The 23-year-old rookie saw action in two games during his stint with the club, seeing a grand total of 11 minutes.

Hayes, an undrafted combo forward out of Wisconsin, will hit the open market while Los Angeles frees up a roster spot with which they can test drive other free agents.

With a glut of forwards already on board in L.A., Hayes’ chances of breaking into the Lakers’ rotation were slim from the start.

Hayes previously went through training camp with the Knicks.

Mavs Sign Kyle Collinsworth To Second 10-Day Deal

January 24th, 2018 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 24: The Mavs have made it official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Collinsworth to a new 10-day contract. Collinsworth’s new deal will run through next Friday.

JANUARY 23: Kyle Collinsworth‘s initial 10-day contract with the Mavericks expired last night following Dallas’ blowout win over the Wizards, but the rookie guard is expected to get a new deal soon from the club. According to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, Collinsworth said after that game that coaches told him he’ll be signed to a second 10-day contract on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Collinsworth, 26, was on a two-way contract with the Mavs earlier this season, but was waived from that deal on January 10. He signed a 10-day pact just three days later, and appeared in a pair of games during that stretch. In Monday night’s win, Collinsworth posted four points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, with a +23 rating in just 19 minutes.

The Mavericks currently have 14 players on fully guaranteed contracts, leaving an open spot to re-add Collinsworth. Once his second deal is finalized, he’ll spend another 10 days on the Mavs’ roster, then Dallas will be forced to decide whether to let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season contract.

Sixers Sign Larry Drew II To 10-Day Contract

January 23rd, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have reunited with veteran guard Larry Drew II, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, who first tweeted that the club was set to sign Drew to a 10-day contract. A formal press release issued by the 76ers has confirmed that the move is official.

Drew, who was in camp with the Heat in the fall, was waived before the regular season began and returned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Drew has been a regular contributor for Miami’s G League affiliate for the last few seasons, and this year is no exception. In 26 games with the 2017/18 Skyforce, he has posted 11.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 5.1 RPG.

Drew’s only NBA experience came back in 2014/15 for the Sixers. That season, he appeared in 12 NBA contests for the team, but struggled with his shot in limited minutes. Drew averaged 3.8 PPG and 3.8 APG with a .345/.154/.667 shooting line in 18.3 minutes per contest.

The timing of the move makes sense, as the Sixers are currently dealing with a number of injuries in their backcourt. In addition to long-term injuries to rookies Markelle Fultz and Furkan Korkmaz, the club also has J.J. Redick on the shelf with a leg ailment, and Jerryd Bayless has been battling a wrist issue. Drew will provide some depth and insurance at guard for Philadelphia.

The Sixers only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, not including two-way players, so they have an open spot on their 15-man roster. As such, no corresponding move is necessary in order to add Drew.

DeAndre Liggins Gets Second 10-Day Deal With Pelicans

January 20th, 2018 at 6:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans have signed guard DeAndre Liggins to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on its website.

Liggins appeared in just one game for New Orleans during the first 10-day deal, scoring four points in 11 minutes. The team needs roster depth with Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Tony Allen and Solomon Hill all sidelined by injuries. The Pelicans were granted a $2.75MM disabled player exception on Wednesday.

Liggins played 31 games for the Bucks, averaging 1.8 points per night, before being waived earlier this month. He has been with seven teams since entering the league in the 2011/12 season.

Once Liggins’ second 10-day contract expires, the Pelicans will either have to release him or sign him for the rest of the season.

Celtics Sign Jarell Eddie To 10-Day Deal

January 20th, 2018 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 20, 11:22am: The Celtics have made the signing official, the team announced in a press release.

JANUARY 19, 10:48am: The Celtics intend to fill their open roster spot by signing free agent swingman Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Boston has been carrying 14 players on its roster (not counting two-way contracts), so no corresponding move will be required to add Eddie.

Eddie, who played his college ball at Virginia Tech, went undrafted in 2014 spent time in camps with the Hawks, Celtics, and Warriors before eventually making his regular season NBA debut with the Wizards in 2015. The 26-year-old has appeared in 31 total games for Washington and Phoenix since then, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.0 RPG in very limited action (6.7 MPG).

After joining Chicago for training camp and the preseason this fall, Eddie headed to the G League to play for the Windy City Bulls. Limited to 10 G League contests due to injuries, he has been productive when he has played, posting 17.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG with an impressive .490/.500/.947 shooting line.

Assuming Eddie doesn’t officially sign his 10-day deal until Saturday or Sunday, he’d be eligible to play in five games for the Celtics before his contract expires. When Eddie’s 10-day deal ends, the Celtics would have the opportunity to sign him to another 10-day pact before deciding whether or not to commit to him for the rest of the season.

Lakers Sign Nigel Hayes To 10-Day Deal

January 19th, 2018 at 12:29pm CST by Austin Kent

JANUARY 19: The Lakers have officially signed Hayes to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Sunday.

JANUARY 18: The Lakers plan to sign forward Nigel Hayes to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The 23-year-old went undrafted out of Wisconsin last summer but did end up briefly catching on with the Knicks in training camp.

Hayes averaged 14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game across three seasons with the Badgers and will slot into a Lakers depth chart that could use depth down low.

In 30 games with the G League’s Westchester Knicks this season, Hayes has averaged 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.

Bucks Sign Marshall Plumlee To Two-Way Deal

January 15th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Luke Adams

10:55pm: The club has confirmed the signing via press release.

3:02pm: The NBA ranks will once again feature three Plumlee brothers, with Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reporting (via Twitter) that the Bucks are poised to sign Marshall Plumlee to a two-way contract. Plumlee’s brothers Mason Plumlee (Nuggets) and Miles Plumlee (Hawks) are currently on standard NBA deals.

Plumlee, 25, saw his first NBA action last season, appearing in 21 games for the Knicks. The seven-footer wasn’t retained by New York and caught on with the Clippers for training camp in the fall, but was waived at the end of the preseason. Since then, Plumlee has been suiting up for the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario in the G League, averaging 8.7 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 27 games for the club.

Once the signing is official, Plumlee will join Xavier Munford to fill the Bucks’ two-way contract slots. Milwaukee had been one of the few teams with an opening for a two-way signing entering the day today, so no corresponding move is required to make room for the new addition.

Based on the two-way moves reported and made official throughout the day, only the Wizards still have one of their two slots open.

Rockets Sign Markel Brown To Two-Way Contract

January 15th, 2018 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:15pm: The Rockets officially signed Brown to a two-way deal and cut Weber, the team announced tonight in a press release.

5:51pm: The Rockets plan to sign Markel Brown to a two-way contract and release guard Briante Weber, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.

Brown has been playing for the Thunder’s G League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, after getting waived by the Thunder during training camp. Brown appeared in 22 games with the Blue, averaging 17.4 PPG in 31.4 MPG. Brown hasn’t played in an NBA game since the 2015/16 season. He saw extensive action for two seasons with the Nets, appearing in 109 games and averaging 5.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.2 APG in 16.2 MPG.

Brown will give Houston a little more depth at the two-guard spot.

Weber had used up a good portion of his 45-day limit of NBA service. Houston decided to bring in another player with NBA experience who could restart the clock in terms of service time. Weber appeared in 13 games with the Rockets, averaging 2.0 PPG in 9.1 MPG. All but four of those appearances came over the last 11 games after James Harden was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Wolves Sign Amile Jefferson To Two-Way Deal

January 15th, 2018 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

5:04pm: The signing is official, per team release.

1:17pm: The Timberwolves will fill their open two-way contract slot by signing forward Amile Jefferson to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charania adds that Jefferson will be a free agent this summer, meaning his new deal will just be a rest-of-season agreement.

Jefferson, 24, went undrafted in 2017 and signed with the Timberwolves for training camp. He was cut at the end of the preseason, joining the Iowa Wolves – Minnesota’s G League team – as an affiliate player in the fall. The former Duke standout has been dominant in his first G League season, averaging 18.0 PPG and 13.1 RPG with a .640 FG%, earning his shot at a two-way deal.

The Timberwolves had been carrying just one two-way player – Anthony Brown – for months, but decided to add a second before today’s deadline. After January 15, teams are no longer permitted to sign players to two-way contracts until the 2018/19 league year begins.

Jefferson may remain with the Iowa Wolves for now, but his two-way deal will allow him to spend up to 22 days in the NBA with the Timberwolves.