Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Sign Ian Clark

August 3rd, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

August 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

August 1: The Pelicans have agreed to a one-year, $1.6MM with free agent guard Ian Clark, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Clark’s deal is the standard minimum pact for a player with four years of experience.

Clark, 26, has been a key piece of the Warriors’ reserve unit the past two seasons, including the team’s championship-winning 2016/17 campaign. The Pelicans feel Clark’s postseason experience and ability to mesh well with most of the roster makes him an ideal fit, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.

In 77 games off the bench last season, Clark averaged 6.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.6 APG in 14.8 minutes. The former undrafted guard’s strong suit has been his outside shooting; after shooting almost 36% from beyond the arc in 2015/16, the Belmont University product shot a career-best 37% from three last season.

The Warriors essentially replaced one sharpshooter with another as the team signed Nick Young earlier this offseason. With the Pelicans, Clark figures to see significant playing time for a team that is already excited for 2017/18 with the addition of Rajon Rondo, re-signing of Jrue Holiday, and a full season of DeMarcus Cousins looming.

Clark will likely fight for playing time alongside Jordan Crawford and E’Twaun Moore as wings for the Pelicans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Thunder Sign Daniel Hamilton To Two-Way Deal

August 3rd, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder have signed Daniel Hamilton to a two-way contract, according to a team press release. It will be the organization’s first two-way deal.

Hamilton spent last season with the OKC Blue, the franchise’s G-League affiliate. He appeared in 49 games and averaged 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. He accumulated 15 double-doubles during the season.

Oklahoma City selected the swingman in the second round of the 2016 draft with the No. 56 pick. Prior to being drafted, he spent two seasons at the University of Connecticut.

Hornets Sign Isaiah Hicks, T.J. Williams

August 2nd, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have added a pair of players to their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that Isaiah Hicks and T.J. Williams have signed with the club. Terms of the deals weren’t disclosed, but they sound unlikely to be fully guaranteed contracts.

Hicks, 23, went undrafted this June following the conclusion of his senior year at North Carolina. The 6’8″ power forward, who was 60th on DraftExpress’ prospect rankings, averaged 11.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG in his last season at UNC. He also played for the Clippers’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month.

As for Williams, the 6’3″ guard out of Northeastern also earned a spot on DraftExpress’ top-100 list, coming in at No. 98. But like Hicks, he went undrafted. Williams averaged 21.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.7 RPG in his senior year at Northeastern, then recorded 12.2 PPG for the Cavaliers’ Summer League team in Vegas.

Charlotte’s press release indicates that the team’s roster count is now at 17 players, though that total includes the two youngsters who officially signed two-way contracts with the club earlier today. Assuming Hicks and Williams receive non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, the Hornets still only have 12 players on fully guaranteed NBA contracts.

Hornets Sign Paige, Mathiang To Two-Way Deals

August 2nd, 2017 at 10:32am CST by marksuleymanov

AUGUST 2: The two-way deals for Paige and Mathiang are now official, the Hornets announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 1: The Hornets will sign Marcus Paige and Mangok Mathiang to two-way contracts, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).

Paige, 23, spent four seasons at UNC, where he averaged 13.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 2.8 RPG in 141 games. The Nets drafted Paige with the 55th overall pick in last year’s draft but traded him to the Jazz as part of the deal that sent Isaiah Whitehead to his native Brooklyn squad.

After he was waived in early October 2016, Paige latched on with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. In 46 games, he averaged 12.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.2 APG in 32.7 minutes. Most recently, Paige was part of the Timberwolves‘ summer league team in Las Vegas.

As for Mathiang, the Lousiville product averaged 7.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 1.1 BPG in his senior year at the college. The 24-year-old appeared for Charlotte in five games during the summer league where posted 4.4 PPG, five boards and 53.3% from the field.

As a side note, the Hornets also guaranteed forward Johnny O’Bryant‘s $1.5MM salary for the 2017/18 season, per Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter). Today was the deadline for Charlotte to fully guarantee O’Bryant’s contract.

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

Pelicans Sign Charles Cooke To Two-Way Deal

August 2nd, 2017 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 2: Shortly after confirming Jones’ two-way contract with the club, the Pelicans have done the same with Cooke’s, issuing a press release to confirm his new two-way deal.

JULY 31: The Pelicans have reached an agreement with undrafted Dayton guard Charles Cooke, and will sign him to a two-way contract, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Cooke, 23, averaged 15.7 PPG and 5.3 RPG during his senior year at Dayton, recording a shooting line of .485/.398/.694. The young shooting guard wasn’t viewed as an elite prospect, but was ranked 32nd among this year’s seniors by DraftExpress.

Shortly after the draft ended last month, a report indicated that Cooke had agreed to a deal with the Timberwolves. However, that agreement only spanned Summer League play — the 6’5″ guard averaged 10.0 PPG and 3.0 RPG in five games for the Wolves in Vegas. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News had reported last week (via Twitter) that Cooke wasn’t open to a two-way contract with Minnesota.

For the Pelicans, Cooke appears to be their second two-way player. Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days reported this weekend (via Twitter) that Jalen Jones‘ agreement with the Pelicans is a two-way deal. That signing isn’t official yet, but is expected to be finalized soon.

Pelicans Sign Jalen Jones To Two-Way Contract

August 2nd, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 2: The Pelicans have officially signed Jones to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. The club recently reached an agreement with Charles Cooke for its other two-way spot.

JULY 25: The Pelicans are expected to sign former Texas A&M forward Jalen Jones, a source tells Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Details of Jones’ potential deal aren’t known, but it would likely be a training camp invite without a full guarantee, assuming it’s not a two-way contract.

Jones, 24, went undrafted in 2016 but signed a training camp deal with the Celtics. Although the 6’7″ small forward didn’t earn a spot on Boston’s regular season roster, he became an affiliate player for the club after being waived, joining the G League’s Maine Red Claws.

Jones enjoyed an impressive 2016/17 campaign in Maine, averaging 21.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG — he was named to the All NBA G League Third Team. Jones further impressed the Pelicans in Summer League play this month, recording 13.3 PPG and 6.2 RPG in six games for the club.

Assuming he gets a camp deal from the Pelicans, Jones would join Jrue Holiday, Rajon Rondo, and Darius Miller as the free agents to sign NBA contracts with the franchise so far this offseason. New Orleans also added Frank Jackson in the draft.

Brandon Jennings To Play In China

August 2nd, 2017 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 2: Having previously indicated that Jennings would earn $1.5MM on his new deal with Shanxi, Spears has updated his report, tweeting that the veteran guard’s one-year contract is worth $2.2MM. However, international basketball reporter David Pick maintains that it’s a $1.5MM agreement.

The difference between those numbers isn’t huge, but it’s notable for Jennings, who would have been eligible for a minimum salary worth about $2.1MM in the NBA.

JULY 28: Free agent guard Brandon Jennings is headed overseas for the coming season, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Jennings tells Spears that he has agreed to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in China with Shanxi. Spears adds that the veteran hopes to return to the NBA once the Chinese season ends next year.

Jennings, who will turn 28 in September, was a reliable backcourt scoring option during his first six NBA seasons, but has seen his role and impact decline over the last couple years. After playing for the Pistons and Magic in 2015/16, Jennings played for the Knicks and Wizards in 2016/17, signing with Washington in March after being waived by New York.

Acquired in the hopes that he could provide steady, productive minutes behind John Wall at the point, Jennings struggled immensely in D.C., averaging just 3.5 PPG and 4.7 APG, with a shooting line of .274/.212/.706 in 23 games for the Wizards.

Assuming that Jennings’ new team in China is the Shanxi Brave Dragons, as Spears indicates, that news could have an impact on another free agent point guard. Last week, Ty Lawson said that he may be poised to join Shanxi, but his agent denied that anything was done, suggesting that his client remained in discussions with multiple international and NBA teams. If Jennings signs with Shanxi, Lawson figures to look elsewhere for work.

Magic Waive Patricio Garino

August 1st, 2017 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after waiving Marcus Georges-Hunt, the Magic have reduced their roster count again, announcing today in a press release that they’ve also parted ways with Argentinian swingman Patricio Garino. Garino will become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday, assuming he clears waivers.

Like Georges-Hunt, Garino inked a multiyear deal with the Magic near the end of the 2016/17 season with a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18. That gave Orlando the opportunity to keep those players through the summer and decide in camp whether either would have a role on the regular season roster. However, the Magic’s new management group opted to waive both Garino and Georges-Hunt early.

After going undrafted out of George Washington a year ago, Garino played for the Magic in Summer League last July, then joined the Spurs for training camp. The 24-year-old didn’t earn a spot on San Antonio’s regular season squad, but spent most of the year with the club’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. He averaged 11.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG in Austin, with a .430 3PT%.

Because Garino’s full $1,312,611 salary was non-guaranteed, Orlando won’t be on the hook for any of that money.

Warriors Re-Sign JaVale McGee

August 1st, 2017 at 2:12pm CST by ChrisCrouse

AUGUST 1: The Warriors have issued a press release officially announcing their new deal with McGee.

JULY 27: The Warriors have reached an agreement with JaVale McGee to bring the center back to Golden State, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. The deal will be for one season, though the salary details have not yet trickled out.

Retaining McGee will likely be the franchise’s last significant move after it was able to bring back nearly every piece of its latest championship team. Golden State now has 15 players with guaranteed deals on the books.

McGee excelled as a role player for the Warriors last season, shooting a career-best 65.2% from the field and sporting an electric 25.2 player efficiency rating. In addition to Golden State, the center spent time in Denver, Philadelphia, and Dallas since being selected by Washington with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2008 draft.

While McGee could earn up to 120% of the minimum salary via his Non-Bird rights, another minimum deal appears likely. It won’t come cheap for the Warriors, who are deep into tax territory and will pay at least $2.50 per dollar in tax penalties on McGee’s new deal.

Mavericks Sign Gian Clavell

August 1st, 2017 at 1:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 1: The Mavs have officially signed Clavell, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 22: The Mavericks have reached an agreement with undrafted guard Gian Clavell, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He will receive a minimum deal with a partial guarantee.

Clavell will sign an exhibit 10 deal, which can be converted to a two-way contract if the Mavericks desire, according to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). Clavell can also be designated as an affiliate player, which means he would spend the entire season in the G-League.

Clavell, 23, was named Mountain West Player of the Year this season at Colorado State, averaging 20.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with the Rams. Clavell also has extensive international experience with the Puerto Rican National Team.

He played for Miami during the summer league.