Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Waive Isaiah Canaan

October 28th, 2017 at 4:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets have waived Isaiah Canaan just four days after he signed with the team, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

The 26-year-old guard got into just one game and saw four minutes of action before being let go. Although the Rockets are short-handed because of injuries, Canaan didn’t play in Friday’s game at Charlotte, Feigen notes, with Bobby Brown being used as the backup point guard.

Houston will incur a $53K cap hit for Canaan, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The move brings the Rockets’ roster back down to 14 players.

This is the second time Canaan has been waived in the past two weeks. He spent the preseason with the Thunder, but didn’t survive the final roster cut.

Bulls Exercise Options On Bobby Portis, Four Others

October 27th, 2017 at 4:26pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bulls have exercised options on all five of their eligible players, the team announced in a press release. That was the plan all along, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets.

Returning on third-year options in 2018/19 will be Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine while all of Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne and Bobby Portis will be back on fourth-year options.

While it makes sense for a rebuilding team to retain young players with promise, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago tweeted on October 18 that the club hadn’t, at that point, made a decision about Portis.

Portis infamously hospitalized Nikola Mirotic in a team practice on October 17 and several stories have emerged in the last few days about internal doubts that the two will ever be able to co-exist in a Bulls locker room again.

As far as asset management goes, however, it makes sense for the Bulls to pick up the options on all of the capable young players as doing so doesn’t preclude them from making any moves with Mirotic, of Portis for that matter, in the future.

The exercised options of Dunn and Valentine are obvious choices. Both players, highly regarded entering their rookie campaigns in 2016/17, have shown flashes of why they were so revered in college. The raw but malleable assets are exactly the type of building blocks that a team in Chicago’s current position ought to be collecting.

In contrast, Grant, the club’s starting point guard thus far in 2018/19, is the most heavily utilized player of the bunch. Grant has posted averages of 10.8 points and an impressive 7.3 assists per game in a full starter’s workload through four games. He may end up ceding time and opportunity to Dunn, who is expected to return in a reserve role soon, but has done a fine job establishing himself in his third season.

The decision to exercise Payne’s fourth-year option seems natural considering that the team marketed him as a potential point guard of the future last season.

As the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson noted in a separate tweet, there remains internal belief that Payne could have an impact on the rebuilding team if he’s able to maintain his health. Payne has played just 88 games throughout the first three years of his career.

Damjan Rudez To Play In Spain

October 26th, 2017 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Damjan Rudez will make his next stop in Spain, having officially signed a contract with Valencia, the team announced today (via Twitter). The deal has been confirmed by Rudez’ agency, Octagon Basketball Europe (Twitter link). According to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, it’s a three-month pact for Rudez.

Rudez, 31, began his professional career in Europe, playing for a variety of clubs in Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, and his home country of Croatia before making the jump to the NBA in 2014. The 6’8″ forward appeared in 68 games for the Pacers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 4.8 PPG and shooting 40.6% on three-pointers in a part-time role for the club.

However, following his single season in Indiana, Rudez struggled to find regular minutes for the Timberwolves in 2015/16 and for the Magic last season. After being invited to camp with Orlando again this season, the veteran forward was cut from the club’s preseason roster, prompting him to head back to Croatia to train and stay in shape as he sought out his next opportunity.

Rudez will be joining a Valencia squad that also features former NBA players Tibor Pleiss and Erick Green, who have been the team’s leading scorers early in the 2017/18 season.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/25/17

October 25th, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

5:35pm:

Bryant’s stint with the South Bay Lakers (noted below) was a brief one. He has already been recalled by the Lakers (Twitter link).

5:17pm:

As we detailed earlier today, the Spurs have officially assigned Tony Parker to the G League as part of his rehab process. According to the club, Parker practiced with the Austin Spurs today and will do so again on Friday. The veteran point guard is recovering from surgery on his left quadriceps.
After sending him to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers earlier this week, the Rockets have recalled Troy Williams, the team announced today (Twitter link). Williams may help provide some small forward depth for Houston with Trevor Ariza expected to miss at least the next three games.
The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the team. Bryant, who will join the South Bay Lakers, has yet to make his regular season NBA debut after being drafted 42nd overall this year.

Lakers Exercise 2018/19 Options On Ingram, Nance

October 24th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

One week ahead of the October 31 deadline, the Lakers have picked up their 2018/19 team options on forwards Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr., the team announced today in a press release. The moves will fully guarantee the two players’ salaries through the ’18/19 season.

Although Ingram has struggled to make a consistent impact on the court for the Lakers since being selected with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, the decision to pick up his 2018/19 option was a no-brainer for the club. It will count against L.A.’s cap for $5,757,120 next season.

As for Nance, he has impressed Lakers decision-makers with his play this fall and usurped Julius Randle as the team’s starting power forward. It’s a small sample, but through three games this season, Nance’s per-minute numbers have soared — he’s averaging 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, compared to 11.2 and 9.2 last year. His fourth-year option for 2018/19 will count for $2,272,391 against the Lakers’ cap.

Nance will be eligible for a contract extension next offseason, and if he’s not extended, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2019. Ingram is under team control for one additional year, so the Lakers will have to decide on his 2019/20 team option a year from now.

Rockets Sign Isaiah Canaan

October 24th, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

12:38pm: Canaan and the Rockets have reached an agreement on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. The signing is now official, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

12:07pm: The lone opening on the Rockets’ 15-man NBA roster is expected to be filled soon, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that free agent point guard Isaiah Canaan intends to sign with Houston.

Canaan, 26, began his NBA career in Houston, joining the Rockets as the 34th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. However, he was traded to the Sixers at the deadline in 2015, then joined the Bulls for the 2016/17 campaign after spending a season and a half in Philadelphia.

Although Canaan inked a two-year contract with the Bulls, he struggled in his first season with the team, averaging just 4.6 PPG and 0.9 APG on .364/.266/.909 shooting in 39 games. Chicago had a crowded depth chart at point guard and Canaan’s 2017/18 salary wasn’t fully guaranteed, so the Bulls cut him during the offseason. The Murray State product spent the preseason with the Thunder, but wasn’t able to crack the team’s regular season roster, heading back to the free agent market earlier this month.

When the Rockets and Canaan finalize their reported agreement, he’ll help provide some depth at the point guard spot while Chris Paul recovers from his knee injury. The Rockets indicated last week that Paul’s injury may be “day-to-day” or “week-to-week,” but if the club feels the need to add another point guard to the roster, it’s likely the latter.

Adding Canaan to the roster may also give the Rockets the flexibility to keep two-way players Demetrius Jackson and Briante Weber in the G League, rather than running their respective 45-day NBA clocks.

Rockets Sign Briante Weber To Two-Way Deal

October 24th, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 24: Weber’s two-way contract with the Rockets is now official, the team announced today (via Twitter). Weber will immediately report to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

OCTOBER 23: The Rockets will fill their second two-way slot by signing Briante Weber, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The deal includes a team option for 2018/19.

The defensive-minded point guard signed with the Lakers for training camp, but was waived just before the start of the regular season. L.A. had a two-way opening at the time, but elected to give it to Vander Blue.

Weber will report to Houston’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley for the start of training camp today. The 24-year-old may get an early opportunity to prove himself with the Rockets as Chris Paul remains sidelined with a sore knee that is expected to keep him out of action for two to three more weeks.

Demetrius Jackson, also on a two-way contract, has been serving as the team’s backup point guard in Paul’s absence. As long as they are on two-way deals, both Weber and Jackson will be limited to 45 days apiece in the NBA, starting today.

The Rockets still have an open roster spot, but they don’t plan to fill it right away, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Weber has received opportunities with several NBA teams since going undrafted out of Virginia Commonwealth in 2015. He excelled in the G League and had brief stints with the Grizzlies, Heat, Warriors and Hornets. His longest stay with one team came in 13 games with Charlotte at the end of last season, when he averaged 3.8 points in about 12 minutes per night.

Pelicans Sign Jameer Nelson To One-Year Deal

October 22nd, 2017 at 6:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Oct. 22: The Pels have officially signed Nelson, the team announced in a press release.

Oct. 21: The Pelicans have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free agent point guard Jameer Nelson, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Nelson was on the open market for less than 24 hours, having cleared waivers on Friday evening after being cut this week by the Nuggets.

Nelson, 35, has 13 years of NBA experience under his belt, with stints in Orlando, Dallas, Boston, and Denver. Most recently, he appeared in 148 games over the last two and a half seasons for the Nuggets, providing some stability at the point guard position as the club looked to incorporate youngsters Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray.

After struggling in 2015/16, Nelson bounced back last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.1 APG in 75 games (39 starts) for the Nuggets. However, with Denver intent on adding Richard Jefferson this week, Nelson was the odd man out when the club needed to open up a roster spot.

Upon clearing waivers, Nelson reportedly drew interest from the Rockets, Nets, and Hornets in addition to the Pelicans. All four of those clubs are dealing with injuries at the point guard spot. In New Orleans’ case, it’s Rajon Rondo on the shelf, recovering from sports hernia surgery.

Rondo is expected to return to the court next month, but Nelson may remain in the Pelicans’ rotation at that point. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported earlier today that the veteran point guard was seeking an opportunity where he’d have a chance to play a significant role, so presumably New Orleans doesn’t just view him as an interim solution.

The Pelicans don’t currently have an open spot on their roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player if they intend to finalize Nelson’s deal right away. If New Orleans waits until after its third game, the team would become eligible for a hardship exception and would be granted a 16th roster spot to sign Nelson without cutting anyone.

Hardship exceptions are awarded to clubs carrying at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games due to injury or illness. Rondo, Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Omer Asik, and Solomon Hill will all fit that bill for the Pelicans.

Meanwhile, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the tax line and the hard cap for the Pelicans. Adding Nelson on a fully guaranteed deal without waiving anyone would take New Orleans into the tax and move the team dangerously close to its hard cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans Waive Jordan Crawford

October 22nd, 2017 at 6:34pm CST by Jeff Kasler

Oct. 22: The Pelicans officially waived Crawford today, the team announced in a press release.

Oct. 21, 4:27pm: The Pelicans asked the NBA to guarantee that their request for an injury exception would be granted before signing Nelson, tweets Adrian Wojanarowski of ESPN. When that appeal was denied, New Orleans had to waive a player before Nelson could be added to the roster.

3:24pm: The Pelicans are waiving guard Jordan Crawford, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Crawford’s contract is only partially guaranteed for $250K, so most of his salary will come off New Orleans’ cap.

Today’s agreement with Jameer Nelson would have pushed the Pelicans into the luxury tax, but letting Crawford go will allow them to sneak back under the tax threshold and will provide some breathing room below the hard cap. New Orleans will actually create a small amount of savings through the two transactions due to Crawford’s $1.7MM cap hit, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details.

New Orleans could have waited until after tomorrow’s game to apply for a hardship exception in order to sign Nelson. Due to mounting injuries, the Pelicans will still be eligible for the exception, which would allow them to add a 16th player, but it’s not clear whether or not take advantage of it.

Crawford, who will turn 29 on Monday, appeared in 21 total games during his stint with New Orleans at the end of last season and the start of this year. In those games, he averaged 13.6 PPG and 3.0 APG in just 22.6 minutes per contest. He’ll reach free agency early next week, assuming he clears waivers.

Raptors Waive K.J. McDaniels

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:35pm: The move is official, according to a tweet from the team.

11:56am: The Raptors plan to waive K.J. McDaniels, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

The fourth-year swingman won a roster spot in Toronto after signing with the team in August. He didn’t play in either of the Raptors’ first two regular season games.

McDaniels only has a $100K guarantee on his $1,524,305 salary, so the Raptors won’t lose much by parting with him. The team, which had a full roster heading into the season, now has one opening.

McDaniels has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Sixers in the second round in 2014. He was traded to the Rockets in 2015, then was dealt to the Nets in February. The 52 games he played with the Sixers as a rookie remain his career high.