Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Chris Johnson Among Four Rockets Cuts

October 13th, 2017 at 3:47pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have waived Chris Johnson, Isaiah Taylor, Tim Quarterman and George de Paula, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The four cuts slash Houston’s roster down to 15 players in time for the 2017/18 season.

Johnson, the 27-year-old veteran out of Dayton, last suited up for the Jazz back in 2015/16 while point guard Taylor spent time with Houston in 2016/17.

Quarterman on the other hand was acquired by the Rockets in the flurry of trades leading up to the Chris Paul deal and de Paula, the undrafted rookie out of Brazil, has yet to make his NBA debut.

Timberwolves Sign Shawne Williams

October 13th, 2017 at 3:42pm CST by Austin Kent

The Timberwolves have signed veteran free agent Shawne Williams, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press writes. The forward has suited up for seven different teams since the 2006/07. Williams’ most recent taste of NBA action came in 2014/15 with the Pistons.

The plan, Krawczynski writes, is for Minnesota to waive the 31-year-old so that he can join their G League affiliate in Iowa.

Williams has never made much of an impact at the NBA level but there’s something to said about a player who has managed to catch on with so many teams over the course of a journeyman career.

Magic Waive Troy Caupain, Rodney Purvis

October 13th, 2017 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have begun to make cuts to their roster in advance of the regular season, announcing today that they’ve waived Troy Caupain and Rodney Purvis. The team is now carrying 18 players.

Caupain is coming off a senior year at Cincinnati in which he averaged 10.5 PPG with 4.6 RPG and 4.4 APG, with a modest shooting line of .453/.325/.687. As for Purvis, he went undrafted after recording 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG in his senior year at UConn. Both players are 6’4″ guards.

Caupain and Purvis are good bets to land with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate. Assuming both players signed contracts with Exhibit 10 clauses, they’ll receive bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with Lakeland.

With one player on a two-way contract and 17 on NBA deals, Orlando will need to make at least two more roster moves before opening night.

Pacers Pick Up Domantas Sabonis’ 2018/19 Option

October 13th, 2017 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers have picked up the third-year option on Domantas Sabonis‘ rookie contract, locking him up for the 2018/19 season, the team announced today in a press release. The Pacers also belatedly confirmed that they’ve exercised Myles Turner‘s option, a transaction we noted back in August.

Sabonis, the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has been part of two trades since entering the league. On draft night in 2016, the Magic sent his rights to Oklahoma City as part of a package for Serge Ibaka, and a little over a year later, the Thunder dealt him to Indiana along with Victor Oladipo in exchange for Paul George.

In his rookie season with the Thunder, Sabonis was a regular part of the club’s rotation, starting 66 of his 81 games. The 21-year-old power forward averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 20.1 minutes per contest.

By exercising Sabonis’ third-year team option, the Pacers ensure that the Gonzaga product will count against their cap for $2,659,800 in 2018/19. Indiana will have to decide on Sabonis’ 2019/20 option during next year’s offseason. Assuming that option is exercised as well, the big man would become extension-eligible during the summer of 2019, and would be on track for restricted free agency in 2020.

Suns Sign Tidjan Keita

October 13th, 2017 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns have made an addition to their preseason roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed undrafted rookie Tidjan Keita. The club’s roster is now back up to 19 players.

Keita, a 6’10” forward/center, played for the Raptors in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League after going undrafted in June. The 20-year-old Frenchman spent last season at the Thetford Academy in Quebec, Canada. His lone mention in the Hoops Rumors archives prior to today was related to a pre-draft workout with Phoenix back in May, so the Suns must have liked what they saw from him during that session.

Details of Keita’s agreement aren’t known, but it’s likely a non-guaranteed deal, perhaps with an Exhibit 10 clause. I’d expect the Suns intend to have the youngster join their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.

Celtics Sign Daniel Ochefu

October 13th, 2017 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have signed free agent center Daniel Ochefu to their NBA roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Ochefu recently cleared waivers after being cut by the Wizards.

Ochefu, who played his college ball at Villanova, signed with the Wizards last year as an undrafted free agent. The 6’11” rookie was an unexpected addition to the club’s 15-man regular season roster and spent the year with the franchise, appearing in 19 games. Ochefu played sparingly in those contests, averaging 1.3 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 3.9 minutes per game.

With only $50K of his minimum salary for 2017/18 guaranteed, Ochefu was a roster casualty for Washington earlier this week, but it didn’t take him long to find a new home.

It will be interesting to see whether the Celtics view Ochefu as a keeper when they set their 15-man regular season roster next week, or whether the C’s hope to eventually get him on their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws. Boston currently has just 14 players on guaranteed salaries, leaving the 15th spot available for Ochefu if the team wants to retain him.

Warriors Sign Center Trevor Thompson

October 13th, 2017 at 12:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors have signed free agent center Trevor Thompson, Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News tweets. Thompson is likely ticketed for the team’s G League affiliate, Santa Cruz, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets.

The addition of Thompson puts the Warriors’ roster at 19 players. Coach Steve Kerr said cuts will be made after the preseason finale, Medina adds. Golden State plays the Kings Friday night.

Thompson played for Virginia Tech and Ohio State, then went undrafted in June. The 7-footer averaged 10.6 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 23.0 MPG last season. The 23-year-old Thompson played for the Celtics’ Summer League teams and saw spot duty in six games, averaging 1.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 7.5 MPG.

Mavs Waive Ashley, Sign Jameel Warney

October 13th, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have waived power forward Brandon Ashley and signed another forward, Jameel Warney, according to a team press release that was relayed by Earl K. Sneed (Twitter link).

The 6’8” Warney was on the team’s training camp roster last season but was waived midway through camp. He then played 44 games for the Texas Legends of the G League and averaged 17.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 29.2 MPG. Warney went undrafted in 2016 after playing four seasons for Stony Brook University.

The 6’9” Ashley signed with Dallas in August after playing for its Summer League teams. The former University of Arizona product appeared in five games this preseason and averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 13.9 MPG.

Nets Exercise Options On Three Players

October 12th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Austin Kent

The Nets have exercised team options on three players that make up a substantial part of their young core. The team announced on its website that the 2018/19 options for all of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert have been exercised.

Both Hollis-Jefferson and Russell will be under team control through their fourth seasons, the former having spent the past two years with the squad, the latter arriving in Brooklyn after an offseason trade with the Lakers.

In LeVert’s case, fresh off of his rookie season in Brooklyn, it was his third-year option exercised.

Expect all to see significant time on the court for the Nets in 2017/18 as the franchise claws its way out from a dark chapter in franchise history.

Russell will suit up for the squad having posted 14.2 points per game through two years in Los Angeles. Hollis-Jefferson and LeVert averaged 8.7 and 8.2 points per game in 2016/17, respectively.

Bucks Waive Xavier Munford

October 12th, 2017 at 5:27pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bucks have waived Xavier Munford, the team announced on Twitter. The guard had been signed earlier this month after bouncing around NBA circles over the course of the past two seasons.

Munford played 15 games for the Grizzlies in 2015/16 but hadn’t played a game of big league action since.

The news brings Milwaukee’s roster down to 18 players.