Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Sign Jarell Eddie, Jaylen Johnson

September 22nd, 2017 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have finalized a pair of signings, inking Jarell Eddie and Jaylen Johnson to contracts, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. While details of those deals aren’t known, I’d anticipate little to no guaranteed money for Eddie and Johnson.

Eddie, who will turn 26 next month, is a 6’7″ swingman who has seen NBA action with the Wizards and Suns over the last two years. Having gone undrafted in 2014, Eddie played for the G League’s Austin Spurs in his rookie season, then made his NBA debut with the Wizards in 2015/16, playing sparingly in 26 games for the club. Last season, Eddie signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Phoenix near the end of the season, appearing in just five games for the Suns.

As for Johnson, the former Louisville power forward entered the draft this spring following his junior year, but wasn’t selected in June. The 21-year-old averaged 8.0 PPG and 5.8 RPG in his final college season, with a .589 FG%.

The two signings bring Chicago’s roster count to 19 players, with restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic the likeliest candidate to fill the final roster spot. If we assume that Mirotic eventually re-signs and that Eddie and Johnson didn’t get guaranteed contracts, the Bulls would have 14 players on fully guaranteed deals. That would leave one roster spot up for grabs, assuming the team enters the season with a full 15-man squad.

While Eddie could compete with Diamond Stone and David Nwaba for that final spot, Johnson seems like a good bet to end up as an affiliate player for the Windy City Bulls.

Timberwolves Sign Aaron Brooks

September 21st, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Austin Kent

8:44pm: The Wolves have signed Brooks, Zgoda confirms, citing a press release from the club.

4:43pm: Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press has tweeted that he believes the deal is done.

3:15pm: The Timberwolves are expected to sign Aaron Brooks before training camp opens on Saturday, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets. The 32-year-old point guard played 65 games for the Pacers last season.

A Brooks deal would reunite the nine-year veteran with former head coach Tom Thibodeau. Brooks played 151 games for the Bulls from 2014-2016, averaging 9.6 points and 2.9 assists per game in the process.

The Wolves currently have 16 players on their roster, only 12 of whom have guaranteed deals, so there’s certainly room for Brooks to carve out a role for himself into the regular season although no details of what a potential contract might look like have been revealed.

Don’t expect the vet to siphon any time or opportunity away from incumbents Jeff Teague or Tyus Jones but he could fill a niche as an aggressive guard familiar with Thibodeau’s style.

Bucks Waive Bronson Koenig

September 21st, 2017 at 4:29pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bucks have requested waivers on guard Bronson Koenig, the team announced on its official website. The 22-year-old former Wisconsin Badger initially signed a two-way deal with the franchise back in July.

Koenig wrapped up his final season with the Badgers this spring as the school’s all-time three-point leader and quickly signed on with Milwaukee when that chapter ended.

Given Milwaukee’s crowded backcourt, it’s not surprising that the team let the 6’3″ guard go. Behind Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova, journeymen Gary Payton II and Kendall Marshall are the current frontrunners to emerge as the club’s third point guard.

Koenig’s release comes less than two weeks after the Bucks waived Jalen Moore – another player they had signed to a two-way deal.

Warriors Sign Alex Hamilton

September 21st, 2017 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have filled out their roster for training camp by signing free agent guard Alex Hamilton to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move increases Golden State’s roster count to 20 players.

Hamilton, who turns 24 next month, played his college ball at Louisiana Tech, averaging 19.9 PPG and 6.2 APG in his senior year in 2015/16. Although his performance earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors, Hamilton went undrafted last year.

After a short stint with a Polish team, Hamilton was selected in the G League draft and spent the 2016/17 season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s affiliate. He averaged 11.4 PPG and 4.5 APG in his first year at Santa Cruz, and is a good bet to head back to the G League following the preseason this year.

Although the Warriors have 20 players under contract, only one of the club’s two-way contract spots has been filled, so Hamilton may be a candidate for the other slot.

Grizzlies Sign Ivan Rabb To Three-Year Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 21, 12:08pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Rabb, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 18, 7:58pm: The Grizzlies and Rabb have agreed to a three-year deal, with the first two seasons fully guaranteed, reports Geoff Calkins of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

5:56pm: The Grizzlies are close to reaching an agreement with rookie forward Ivan Rabb on a three-year contract, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Rabb, the 35th overall pick in this year’s draft, had been one of the last 2017 draftees who remained unsigned.

Many draft experts and NBA observers expected Rabb to declare for the draft a year ago, but he made the surprise decision to stay at Cal for his sophomore season. In his second year with the Golden Bears, Rabb averaged a double-double with 14.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG, though his FG% dipped from .615 in his freshman year to .484 in 2016/17.

Viewed as a probable first-rounder if he had entered the 2016 draft, Rabb slipped to the second round this spring. The Grizzlies sent a 2019 second-round pick to Orlando in order to acquire the No. 35 overall pick, which they used to select Rabb.

While exact terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, the Grizzlies figure to use their mid-level exception to sign Rabb — that exception allows the club to offer slightly more than the minimum and to go beyond a two-year contract. Memphis already used most of its MLE to lock up Ben McLemore, Rade Zagorac, and Dillon Brooks, but still has about $1.44MM left, which is more than enough for Rabb’s starting salary.

Assuming Rabb’s 2017/18 salary is fully guaranteed on his new deal with Memphis, the team will have 16 players on guaranteed contracts. That number would increase to 17 if the Grizzlies work out a new deal with JaMychal Green, who remains a restricted free agent. Teams are only allowed to carry 15 players on their regular season rosters, so the Grizzlies will potentially have to make a trade or two before opening night in order to avoid eating some guaranteed money.

Bucks Sign Kendall Marshall To Camp Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have signed Kendall Marshall to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The club classifies the agreement as a training camp deal, meaning it likely includes little to no guaranteed money.

Marshall, 26, was a lottery pick back in 2012, coming off the board 13th overall to the Suns. However, he has bounced around the NBA and the G League since then, spending time with the Lakers, Bucks, Sixers, and – last season – the Reno Bighorns. Although Marshall’s career NBA numbers are modest – 5.0 PPG and 4.9 APG in 160 games – he played well in the G League in 2016/17, averaging 15.1 PPG and 9.0 APG in 21 contests for Reno.

Most recently, Marshall was selected to be a member of the U.S. team that competed in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament a few weeks ago. Marshall was the club’s starting point guard and helped Team USA win a gold medal.

With Marshall under contract, the Bucks are now carrying the maximum 20 players on their offseason roster, including 14 with fully guaranteed salaries.

Hawks Sign Jordan Mathews

September 21st, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have officially signed Jordan Mathews to their training camp roster, the team announced today in a press release. With Jeremy Evans‘ agreement having been finalized as well, Atlanta’s roster count is now at 19.

Mathews, a 6’4″ shooting guard, spent his first three college seasons at the University of California before transferring to Gonzaga for his senior year. In 2016/17, Mathews averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG for the Zags, with a shooting line of .405/.392/.733. A designated marksman throughout his college career, the 23-year-old attempted more total shots from three-point range than from inside the arc.

While details of Mathews’ contract with the Hawks haven’t been reported, it figures to feature a very modest guarantee, if it includes any guaranteed money at all. The Hawks have their own G League affiliate this season, and Mathews looks like a good bet to become an affiliate player for the Erie BayHawks.

Hawks Sign Jeremy Evans To Camp Deal

September 21st, 2017 at 9:53am CST by ChrisCrouse

SEPTEMBER 21: The Hawks have officially signed Evans, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 13: The Hawks have signed Jeremy Evans to a training camp deal, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). After bringing in Evans, the team has 18 players on the roster.

Evans last played in the NBA for the Mavericks during the 2015/16 season, though a shoulder injury cut his campaign short. He appeared in 30 games for Dallas that season, scoring just 2.4 points per game in 8.4 minutes per contest.

Prior to his Mavericks stint, he spent five seasons in Utah where he saw a career high in minutes (18.4) during the 2013/14 season. The combo forward played in Russia last season with BC Khimki.

Suns’ Alex Len Plans To Sign Qualifying Offer

September 21st, 2017 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

Another restricted free agent is set to come off the board, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that Suns big man Alex Len intends to sign his one-year qualifying offer before training camp gets underway. Signing that qualifying offer will put Len on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Len, the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has spent the first four years of his NBA career in Phoenix, but the Suns remain reluctant to commit to him for the long term. Wojnarowski suggests in his report that the club wants to study the 24-year-old’s progress during the 2017/18 season before offering him a lucrative long-term contract. Of course, by putting a potential extension off for another year, the Suns will lose the right of first refusal that they had this offseason.

While Len and his camp investigated the possibility of signing an offer sheet with a rival suitor, or working out a sign-and-trade arrangement with the Suns, none of those scenarios were as appealing as the prospect of hitting unrestricted free agency next year, says Wojnarowski.

In 2016/17, Len appeared in 77 games for the Suns, starting 34. He averaged 8.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 20.3 MPG, chipping in 1.3 BPG with a .497 FG%. Like Nerlens Noel, the other RFA to sign a qualifying offer this offseason, Len didn’t meet the starter criteria, so his qualifying offer was worth just $4.188MM instead of $6.4MM.

After adding that $4.188MM salary for Len to their books, the Suns will still only be at about $82MM in guaranteed money for the 2017/18 season. That number will increase a little if Phoenix carries a couple non-guaranteed salaries, but the club will remain well below the salary floor.

Unless the Suns intend to make a run at another restricted free agent – JaMychal Green or Nikola Mirotic – that cap room is unlikely to be put toward a major signing, but it could be used to accommodate a salary dump in a trade later this season.

With Len on a one-year deal, the Suns will also retain plenty of cap space for the summer of 2018. Currently, the club has less than $60MM in guaranteed money on its cap for 2018/19, per Basketball Insiders, though that figure will increase once Phoenix exercises options on Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, and a couple other players.

Once Len officially signs his qualifying offer, he’ll gain the ability to veto trades during the 2017/18 league year, since he would lose his Bird rights if he’s dealt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nuggets Sign Josh Childress

September 20th, 2017 at 1:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 20: Childress has officially signed his new contract with the Nuggets, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

SEPTEMBER 12: Josh Childress has reached an agreement with the Nuggets, making him the first BIG3 player to get an NBA deal, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto, it’ll be a one-year, non-guaranteed pact for the veteran forward.

Childress, 34, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he had a four-game stint with the Pelicans. He was the sixth pick in the 2004 draft and had four strong seasons with the Hawks before signing in Greece in 2008. He returned to the United States in 2010, spending two seasons with Phoenix and one with Brooklyn before being waived. He has also played in Australia and the G League and spent last season in Japan.

Childress will be a long shot to make the team in Denver, but there is a potential roster spot open. His signing brings the Nuggets to 17 players in camp, with 14 having guaranteed money. Those totals don’t include restricted free agent center Mason Plumlee, who remains unsigned.