Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Draftee Nigel Williams-Goss To Play In Serbia

August 28th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz second-round pick Nigel Williams-Goss will begin his professional career overseas. Serbian team KK Partizan Belgrade announced in a press release that it has signed the rookie guard to a two-year contract (English link via Sportando).

With 15 players already on guaranteed contracts, the Jazz didn’t have room on their regular-season NBA roster for Williams-Goss, who was the 55th overall pick in this year’s draft. Many players drafted in that neighborhood have agreed to two-way contracts with their new NBA clubs, and Williams-Goss was said to be a candidate for a two-way opening in Utah. However, it appears either he or the Jazz decided to go in another direction.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

According to international basketball reporter David Pick (via Twitter), KK Partizan will pay Williams-Goss $130K, which is a significantly higher salary than he would have earned on a standard G League contract — if he had signed a two-way deal, the base value would have been $75K, though he could have exceeded that figure with NBA call-ups. Williams-Goss’ new contract in Serbia will include a $500K buyout for the 2018 offseason if the Jazz want to bring him stateside at that point, according to Pick.

Williams-Goss, who left Gonzaga after his junior year, was a key contributor for a squad that appeared in the Final Four for the first time this spring, falling to UNC in the championship game. The young point guard averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.7 SPG in 2016/17 for the Zags.

Forward Ben Bentil Signs With French Team

August 28th, 2017 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Ben Bentil has signed overseas with Champagne Chalons-Reims, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets via a press release from the French club.

Bentil had a brief stay in the NBA last season. The 6’9” Bentil appeared in three games with the Mavericks after signing a 10-day contract in February, but didn’t score a point in 10 minutes of action. He wasn’t offered another 10-day deal.

The Pistons brought him in for a June mini-camp but didn’t sign him.

Bentil played a couple of months in China last season before rejoining the G-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He played 22 games for the Pacers’ affiliate last season, averaging 12.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG.

Bentil was an early entrant to the 2016 draft, exiting Providence after his sophomore season. He was drafted in the second round with the 51st overall pick by the Celtics. Bentil received a partially guaranteed contract but was cut during training camp. The Pacers briefly picked him up in October and gave him $50K before waiving him.

Nerlens Noel Signs Qualifying Offer, Returning to Mavs

August 26th, 2017 at 12:20pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Nerlens Noel has signed a one-year, $4.2MM qualifying offer to return to the Mavericks, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. Having failed to find a long-term off he liked in restricted free agency, the big man is now on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Noel turned down a Mavs offer in the range of $17.5MM per year. Haynes suggests that Noel’s reported $17MM+ offer was non-existent in any form, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that, according to sources, the RFA did turn down a four-year, $70MM offer made on July 1. Tim McMahon of ESPN clarifies (link via Twitter) that Noel asked the Mavs for a max contract and then the four-year offer was pulled soon thereafter.

Noel appeared in 22 games for the Mavs after being traded from the 76ers, starting 12 of them and playing 22.0 MPG. In his three-season NBA career, the Kentucky product is averaging 10.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.5 BPG. Although he’s mainly known for his defensive prowess, Noel’s career FG% is 51.1%.

While Noel accepting a one-year deal worth $4.188MM is somewhat surprising, there simply weren’t many teams left with cap room this year that could have given him a realistic offer sheet — currently, no club has more cap room than the Sixers, who weren’t about to make a bid to bring back the former lottery pick.

Earlier this week, on August 21, Noel switched agents from Happy Walters to Rich Paul. Paul didn’t have much to do for Noel this summer, but he’ll be tasked with negotiating the young center’s next deal in 2018.

Noel will have more freedom when he reaches the open market next season, though he won’t necessarily be guaranteed a massive payday — cap space isn’t expected to be quite as abundant around the NBA in 2018 as it has been the last two summers.

Having accepted his qualifying offer, Noel now must consent to any trade if the Mavs look to deal him this year. If he agrees to be traded, he would surrender his Bird rights, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (link via Twitter).

With today’s signing, Noel becomes the first restricted free agent to sign a qualifying offer since 2015 when Norris Cole and Matthew Dellavedova both did so. Greg Monroe is the most notable restricted free agent to sign a qualifying offer in recent years, having done so in 2014. Four 2017 RFAs now remain unsigned: Mason Plumlee (Nuggets), Nikola Mirotic (Bulls), JaMychal Green (Grizzlies), and Alex Len (Suns).

Luke Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Sign Marshall Plumlee

August 25th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 25: Plumlee’s deal with the Clippers is now official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log. It’s a one-year pact.

AUGUST 19: Marshall Plumlee has agreed to join the Clippers on a partially guaranteed contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The 25-year-old center has brief NBA experience, playing 21 games with the Knicks last season and averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in about 8 minutes per night. Undrafted out of Duke in 2016, he signed with New York as a free agent and spent most of the year in the G League.

The Knicks decided to waive him in July to create cap room to sign Tim Hardaway Jr. Plumlee received the $100K that was guaranteed on his contract for next season. New York considered trying to bring him back earlier this month, but Plumlee has opted for L.A.

The signing brings the Clippers up to 18 players in camp, with 14 having guaranteed contracts. Plumlee will try to earn a roster spot as a third center behind DeAndre Jordan and Willie Reed.

Manu Ginobili Signs Two-Year Deal With Spurs

August 24th, 2017 at 4:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Manu Ginobili will return to the Spurs, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The veteran guard has signed a two-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $5MM.

The 40-year-old was a second-round pick by San Antonio way back in 1999. He came to the NBA in 2002 and has been an important part of the Spurs’ rotation ever since. He is a two-time All-Star and has been part of four NBA championship teams.

The Argentinian star has remained productive through his late 30s, averaging 7.5 points in 69 games last season and helping the Spurs reach the Western Conference finals.

The signing brings San Antonio to 17 players, three short of the maximum for training camp. The Spurs have 14 players with guaranteed money and one on a two-way contract.

Hornets Finalize Deal With Julyan Stone

August 24th, 2017 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 24, 8:23am: RealGM’s official transactions log classifies Stone’s new contract as a multiyear agreement, so it appears the Hornets were able to complete a two-year deal as initially planned.

AUGUST 23, 10:17am: The Hornets have officially signed veteran guard Julyan Stone, the team announced today in a press release. The deal had been in the works for some time, as Stone worked to free himself from a commitment to Italian team Umana Reyer Venezia and receive FIBA clearance to return to the NBA.

Stone, who was in camp with the Pacers in 2016, hasn’t appeared in a regular season NBA game since the 2013/14 campaign. For his career, he appeared in 47 total contests for the Nuggets and Raptors, playing limited minutes in those games. In recent years, Stone bounced around to various teams overseas and in the G League, spending time in Italy, Turkey, and with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate.

Stone recently agreed to a two-year extension with defending league champion Umana Reyer, based in Venice. The 28-year-old didn’t have an opt-out clause to leave for the NBA, but asked the team to release him from his deal so he could be closer to his father, who is in a coronary care unit in the United States with severe lung, heart and kidney conditions. The club obliged earlier this month.

While Stone is now a Hornet, we’ll wait to confirm the terms of his deal. Previous reports indicated that Charlotte made a two-year offer to Stone, but one report last week suggested that his Italian team may have only released him from his contract for a single year, which would limit the Hornets’ ability to lock him up for multiple seasons.

The 6’6″ Stone is expected to serve as the Hornets’ third point guard behind Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams.

Spurs Sign London Perrantes

August 23rd, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

4:43pm: Perrantes received a one-year, partially guaranteed deal from the Spurs, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

3:46pm: The Spurs have added an undrafted rookie to their roster, announcing today in a press release that former Virginia guard London Perrantes has signed with the club. Terms of Perrantes’ agreement with San Antonio weren’t announced, but it figures to be a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deal.

Perrantes, a 6’2″ guard, averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.8 APG, and 3.0 RPG in his senior year at Virginia last season, along with a solid shooting line of .453/.374/.813. He worked out for several teams – including the Spurs – in the weeks leading up to the draft, but wasn’t considered likely to be one of the 60 players selected in June.

After going undrafted, Perrantes played for the Heat in Summer League action in both Orlando and Las Vegas. In six total games for Miami, he averaged 10.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 3.2 RPG. However, he’ll be in camp with the Spurs, rather than the Heat.

Perrantes is probably a good bet to eventually join the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League team, as an affiliate player.

Cavs, Celtics Swap Kyrie Irving For Package Including Isaiah Thomas

August 22nd, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

9:39pm: The trade is official, the Cavs confirmed in a press release. The Celtics also issued an announcement confirming the deal.

6:23pm: The Celtics and Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a deal that will send Irving to Boston in exchange for a package headlined by Thomas, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Brian Windhorst of ESPN first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were on the verge of a deal.

According to both Charania and Windhorst, the Cavs will receive Crowder, Zizic, and the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick (unprotected) in addition to Thomas. Charania also tweets that Irving will waive his trade kicker so that the deal can be completed. Here is Charania’s full story.

5:47pm: Boston center Ante Zizic is also expected to be part of a potential deal with Cleveland for Irving, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bobby Marks of ESPN adds (Twitter link) that receiving Thomas, Crowder, and Zizic for Irving would save the Cavs $19MM in taxes. The team’s projected tax bill would lower from $78.4MM to $59.2MM.

5:30pm: The Cavaliers and Celtics are actively discussing trades centered around Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that the two sides are discussing the inclusion of Jae Crowder as well as the addition of future draft picks heading from Boston to Cleveland.

Irving requested a trade from Cleveland last month and included a short list of destination which he would prefer to be dealt to should the team honor his request. Boston was not on that list, but all of the teams—Spurs, Heat, Wolves, and Knicks—with the exception of New York have strong coaching structures in place. The Celtics also have that element with Brad Stevens running the show, so it’s possible Irving would be open to a trade to the New England area.

Of course, Irving does not wield a no-trade clause, meaning the Cavs could ostensibly deal him anywhere they prefer. However, it was previously reported that the team was working with Irving to find a solution that worked for both sides.

Thomas is entering the last season of his contract, one that will pay him just over $6.26MM for the 2017/18 campaign. He should see a massive raise with his next contract, possibly approaching the max, which is something that could negatively impact his trade value.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacers Sign Alex Poythress To Two-Way Contract

August 22nd, 2017 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

A year after bringing Alex Poythress to training camp, the Pacers have re-added the former Kentucky standout to their offseason roster, announcing today in a press release that Poythress has signed a two-way contract with the club.

Poythress, who will turn 24 in September, didn’t earn a spot on Indiana’s regular season roster last season, but the undrafted rookie excelled for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. In 46 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the 6’7″ forward averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.4 BPG, with an impressive shooting line of .528/.403/.783.

Poythress’ performance for Fort Wayne earned him a spot on the All-NBA G League Second Team, and resulted in a late-season call-up to the Sixers. He made his NBA debut for Philadelphia in April and appeared in six games down the stretch, averaging 10.7 PPG and 4.8 RPG.

Previous reports have indicated that Edmond Sumner will be one of the Pacers’ two-way players, so it appears both two-way spots on Indiana’s roster have now been filled. In total, the club now has 17 players under contract, leaving three spots open on the 20-man offseason roster.

For more details on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our FAQ. Our full list of this year’s two-way players can be found right here.

Raptors Sign K.J. McDaniels

August 22nd, 2017 at 11:23am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 22: The Raptors have officially signed McDaniels, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 17: K.J. McDaniels will sign a one-year, partially guaranteed deal with Toronto, tweets Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN.

He will join Alfonzo McKinnie, Kennedy Meeks and Kyle Wiltjer as training camp invitees with some guaranteed money, notes Josh Lewnberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).

McDaniels, 24, finished last season with the Nets, who acquired him from the Rockets at the trade deadline. With expanded playing time in Brooklyn, he averaged 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds over 20 games.

A second-round pick by the Sixers in 2014, McDaniels had a promising start to his career in Philadelphia before being traded to Houston in February of 2015. He was never able to crack the rotation with the Rockets and saw limited minutes before being dealt away.

Before adding McDaniels, Toronto had $116.6M in guaranteed salary committed to 13 players, along with $100K for McKinnie that counts against the cap, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.