Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Exercise 2018/19 Option On Turner

August 21st, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have exercised their team option on center Myles Turner for the 2018/19 season, Keith Smith of RealGM.com tweets. Turner, who is locked into a salary of $2,569,920 for the upcoming season, will make $3,410,284 that season.

The team option was a mere formality for a player that has become the face of the franchise in the aftermath of the Paul George trade to the Thunder. Turner, 21, turned out to be a steal with the 11th overall pick of the 2015 draft. He started half of the 60 games he appeared in during his rookie campaign, averaging 10.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG.

Last season, Turner started 81 games and posted averages of 14.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 2.1 BPG. His shotblocking average ranked third in the league. His scoring totals should increase with the continued development of his offensive game and the departure of George.

Turner will be eligible to sign a contract extension next offseason. Indiana will likely offer a max extension, barring a major injury to Turner.

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has compiled a list of all rookie scale team options for the 2018/19 season. You can find it here.

Magic Sign Adreian Payne To Two-Way Contract

August 21st, 2017 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed power forward Adreian Payne to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

Payne, 26, recently declined an offer from Guangdong in the Chinese Basketball Association worth $900K.

The former Michigan State standout has been a disappointment since he was selected by the Hawks with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He played just three games for Atlanta before he was shipped to the Timberwolves during his rookie year. Payne made 22 starts with Minnesota as a first-year player, then saw action in 52 games (including two starts) the following season.

He appeared in just 18 games last season, averaging 3.5 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 7.5 MPG. Payne also spent time with the G-League’s Erie BayHawks.

Payne is the first player to sign a two-way deal with Orlando. The Magic are eligible to sign one more player to such a contract.

Rockets Sign Demetrius Jackson To Two-Way Deal

August 21st, 2017 at 4:22pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 21, 4:22PM: The signing is official, the team tweets.

JULY 28, 11:08PM: Two weeks after being waived by the Celtics, Demetrius Jackson has found a new home. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), Jackson has agreed to terms on a two-way contract with the Rockets.

Jackson, who will turn 23 in September, was the 45th overall pick in the 2016 draft and signed an NBA contract with the Celtics. However, given the crowded depth chart in Boston, the Notre Dame product didn’t see much action for the C’s, briefly appearing in just five games. He did play in 32 games for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 14.8 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 5.1 RPG in the G League.

With the Celtics adding several new players to the roster this offseason, there wasn’t room for Jackson, whose salary was partially guaranteed. His new two-way contract with the Rockets will have a modest starting salary, but taking into account the money he’s still earning from the Celtics, Jackson could end up earning close to the NBA minimum if he spends a portion of the season with Houston’s NBA team.

Jackson worked out earlier this week for the Hornets, who were on the lookout for a possible third point guard.

For more details on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our FAQ.

Mavericks Sign Jeff Withey

August 21st, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

AUGUST 21: The Mavericks have officially signed Withey, the team announced today in a press release. Dallas now has 19 players under contract, with the final spot on the Mavs’ offseason roster likely reserved for Noel.

AUGUST 18: The Mavericks have agreed to a deal with Jeff Withey, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The scribe adds that the pact will be for one season.

Withey spent the last two seasons backing up Rudy Gobert on the Jazz and Utah renounced the rights to the Kansas product last month after agreeing to terms with Jonas Jerebko.

Withey was accused of domestic violence this past spring, though authorities said that despite the presence of physical contact between him and his ex-fiancee, he was innocent of wrongdoing since they determined that he was simply defending himself. It’s possible that Withey is handed some sort of suspension for the incident. However, no word of any punishment has been reported.

Withey was selected with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Blazers before being dealt to the Pelicans later that offseason. After two years in New Orleans, where he played just 9.9 minutes per game, he became a free agent and signed with the Jazz.

Dallas currently has a void at the center position, though it’s likely that Nerlens Noel fills that void once the RFA comes to terms with the teams. Withey will likely compete with Salah Mejri for the back-up five spot behind Noel.

Knicks Sign Nigel Hayes

August 21st, 2017 at 1:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 21: Hayes has officially signed with the Knicks, according to the team. It’s a one-year, partially guaranteed deal.

AUGUST 17: The Knicks have reached an agreement with Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes on a partially guaranteed contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN.

The senior averaged 14.0 points and 6.6 rebounds last season for the Badgers. He was invited to New York’s mini-camp in July and played for the Knicks’ summer league team, averaging 5.2 points, and 5.0 rebounds in five games in Orlando.

New York has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, so Hayes will have the opportunity to win a roster spot in training camp.

Hayes’ deal with the Knicks was first reported in June by ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Knicks Sign Jamel Artis To Partially Guaranteed Deal

August 21st, 2017 at 1:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 21: The Knicks have officially signed Artis, the team announced in a press release. It’ll be a one-year deal, and will likely end up with Artis joining the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

JUNE 24: The Knicks have agreed to a partially guaranteed contract with undrafted free agent Jamel Artis out of Pitt, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.

The 6’7″ senior swingman will be part of the Knicks’ summer league team and will be given a chance to earn a place on the roster in training camp. He averaged 18.2 points per game with the Panthers this year and had a season-high 43 against Louisville.

New York has already promised training camp deals to Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes and Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet, so the competition for the final roster spots will be intense. In addition, Florida’s Canyon Barry will be auditioned during summer league for a possible training camp invitation.

Magic Sign Troy Caupain

August 21st, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have added an undrafted free agent to their offseason roster, formally inking former Cincinnati point guard Troy Caupain to an NBA contract. According to RealGM’s official transactions log, the deal was finalized last week. Caupain posted an Instagram message over the weekend thanking the Magic for the opportunity.

Caupain, 21, worked out for a number of NBA teams in the weeks leading up to the draft this spring, but wasn’t one of the 60 players selected in June. The former Bearcat played for the Raptors in the Las Vegas Summer League in July, appearing in five games for the club and averaging 4.8 PPG in 16.0 minutes per contest.

A 6’4″ guard, Caupain is coming off a senior year at Cincinnati in which he averaged 10.5 PPG with 4.6 RPG and 4.4 APG. His shooting line was also fairly modest, at .453/.325/.687.

Orlando doesn’t yet have 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but I’d still be surprised if Caupain ended up on the team’s regular season roster. He appears to be a good candidate to end up with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League squad, as an affiliate player.

With Caupain officially locked up, the Magic now have 16 players on their roster, and will have 17 if and when they finalize a deal with veteran free agent Adreian Payne. Orlando has yet to sign a player to a two-way contract.

Heat Sign Jordan Mickey

August 20th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have officially signed former Celtics forward Jordan Mickey, the team announced on its website. The contract has been reported as a two-year deal with a $1.5MM veteran’s minimum guaranteed for the first season and a team option on the second.

The 33rd pick in the 2015 draft, Mickey spent two years with Boston, but played most of that time in the G League. He appeared in 25 games for the Celtics last season, averaging 1.5 points in 5.6 minutes per contest.

The signing gives the Heat 17 players for training camp, three under the maximum. Miami now has 13 players with guaranteed money for the 2017/18 season, along with one on a two-way contract.

Celtics Agree To Sign Daniel Dixon

August 19th, 2017 at 11:45am CST by marksuleymanov

The Celtics have agreed to a contract with College of William and Mary product Daniel Dixon, as first reported by Nicola Lupo of Sportando (via Twitter). Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders later tweeted confirmation that both sides reached an agreement. The signing of Dixon will bring the Celtics’ roster count to 20 players, the maximum entering training camp.

Dixon had a strong senior season at William and Mary as he averaged 19.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG while shooting nearly 38% from beyond the arc. The 6’6″ guard will give Boston another capable shooter who could impress in camp but as it stands, he remains as a longshot to make the roster.

With signings of Andrew White and Jabari Bird earlier this week, Boston has filled out its roster and provided possible depth for its G-League affiliate in Maine.

Knicks Ink Xavier Rathan-Mayes To One-Year Deal

August 18th, 2017 at 6:15pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks have signed Xavier Rathan-Mayes to a one-year deal, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Scotto adds that the pact will be partially guaranteed.

Rathan-Mayes entered the 2017 draft out of Florida State University but was not selected. In three seasons at the school, he averaged 12.4 points per game while making 52.1% of his shots from the field.

After signing the combo guard, the Knicks have 15 players under contract. New York appears to be embarking on a genuine rebuild for the first time in over a decade, so it could mean the team will opt to keep young talent over borderline-rotation level veterans. If the Knicks go that route, Rathan-Mayes, who turned 23 in April, may have a decent chance to make the team.