Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Celtics Trim Roster With Four Cuts

October 12th, 2017 at 4:43pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have waived Daniel Dixon, Jonathan Holmes, L.J. Peak and Andrew White, the team announced on Twitter.

Dixon, initially reported to be joining the team in August, didn’t officially sign on with the C’s until this week. The shooting guard went undrafted out of William & Mary back in June.

Holmes, on the other hand, a big man out of Texas, went undrafted back in 2015 and has struggled with injuries since.

Peak, a familiar face from his time at Georgetown also went undrafted this summer after declaring as an early entrant.

Finally, White, a sharp-shooting swingman inked back in August has also been let go.

Dixon, Peak and White could all end up as affiliate players with with the club’s G League squad while Holmes could end up in Maine as well, with returning rights.

Spurs Waive Amida Brimah, London Perrantes

October 12th, 2017 at 4:39pm CST by Austin Kent

The Spurs have waived guard London Perrantes and big man Amida Brimah, the team announced in a press release. The cuts drop San Antonio’s roster down to 17.

The club had initially signed Perrantes back in August after he went undrafted in June. The University of Virginia product had played and performed well for the Heat during the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues.

Brimah, also undrafted this past June, was initially picked up in late September.

Gary Harris Signs Four-Year Extension

October 12th, 2017 at 2:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Oct. 12: The Nuggets have officially signed Harris to the reported four-year contract extension, the team announced on its website.

Oct. 7: Nuggets guard Gary Harris will sign a four-year, $84MM extension with the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Wojnarowski reports that the deal will feature $74MM in guaranteed money, with an additional $10MM available in incentives and bonuses.

Harris had an October 16 deadline to reach an agreement on the extension or he would have been a restricted free agent next summer. The 23-year-old shooting guard will make a little more than $2.5MM this year, so he is looking at a nice raise when the extension kicks in for 2018/19. He will rank among the 10 highest-paid shooting guards in the league, posts Bobby Marks on ESPN Now.

The extension could give Denver as much as $113MM in guaranteed salary for next season, Marks tweets, raising potential tax concerns if Wilson Chandler ($12.8MM) and Darrell Arthur ($7.46MM) both opt in.

The 19th player taken in the 2014 draft, Harris won a starting job in his second season and has developed into a valuable member of a young Denver team. He averaged a career-best 14.9 points per game last year and shot 42% from 3-point range, although early-season injuries limited him to 57 games.

The Nuggets are also hoping to reach an extension with reserve guard Will Barton, but his deadline isn’t until next summer because he isn’t on a rookie contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.