Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Make Roster Cuts

October 7th, 2017 at 2:20pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Raptors have waived Kennedy Meeks, Andy Rautins, and Kyle Wiltjer, according to a team press release. Toronto’s roster now sits at 17.

Meeks went undrafted out of the University of North Carolina and signed a partially guaranteed deal with the franchise this summer. He was only able to make one preseason appearance for the club before the team waived him.

Rautins and Wiltjer each made three preseason appearances for the Raptors. Rautins was never expected to make the opening night roster, while Wiltjer was in a better position to earn a spot.

Hawks Waive John Jenkins, Jordan Mathews

October 6th, 2017 at 10:23pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hawks have requested waivers on John Jenkins and Jordan Mathews, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. The moves will bring Atlanta’s current roster count down to 18.

Neither player got a particularly long look with the franchise but they had their work cut out for them navigating the club’s backcourt depth chart either way.

While Jenkins has bounced around in the NBA over the past few seasons, Mathews was auditioning for the club as an undrafted rookie out of Gonzaga.

The brief tenure with the Hawks was actually Jenkins’ second, the guard having been drafted by Atlanta back in 2012. Unfortunately for the Tennessee native, he won’t stick with the squad this time around. In 145 career games in the NBA, Jenkins has averaged 5.1 points per game.

Grizz Sign Durand Scott, Waive Jeremy Morgan

October 5th, 2017 at 7:50pm CST by Austin Kent

The Grizzlies have signed guard Durand Scott, the club announced in a press release on Thursday night. They’ve also waived guard Jeremy Morgan, who they originally signed back in July.

Scott went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft and has been playing international ball ever since. Just last year, the 27-year-old posted 14.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for Enel Brindisi of the Italian League.

Morgan, an undrafted signee from the 2017 NBA Draft class, exits having been used sparingly in Memphis’ two preseason games thus far.

Celtics Waive Devin Williams

October 5th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Austin Kent

The Celtics have waived power forward Devin Williams, Jay King of Mass Live tweets.

The big man out of West Virginia signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the club in late September. With Williams out of the picture, the C’s drop down to 19 total players, 14 of whom remain on guaranteed deals.

Williams split time with the Hornets’ G League affiliate and Melbourne United of the Australian Basketball League last season.

Bucks Sign Xavier Munford

October 5th, 2017 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

12:31pm: The Bucks have officially signed Munford, the team announced today in a press release. The club’s roster is now full once again.

10:54am: After clearing a spot on their 20-man preseason roster, the Bucks are expected to sign free agent shooting guard Xavier Munford, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link).

Munford, 25, made his NBA debut in 2015/16, appearing in 14 games for the Grizzlies. He hasn’t seen NBA action since then, having spent time last season in the G League and with a team in Spain.

Although Munford, who received a camp invite from the Clippers last fall, had yet to catch on with an NBA team this year, he had an eventful summer. The University of Rhode Island alum was part of the USA Basketball squad that won a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup tournament last month.

The Bucks created an opening on their roster by waiving James Young on Wednesday night. Still, the timing of their deal with Munford is somewhat unusual. At this point, Munford is unlikely to earn a spot on the Bucks’ regular season roster, with players like Brandon Rush, Gerald Green, and Gary Payton II likely ahead of him in the pecking order, and the Bucks don’t hold his G League rights.

Milwaukee may envision Munford as a player whose contract can be converted to a two-way deal later this month. Currently, the Bucks don’t have any players on two-way contracts, so both of those spots are up for grabs.

Bucks Waive James Young

October 4th, 2017 at 10:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

10:29pm: The Bucks have officially requested waivers on Young, the team announced in a tweet.

9:35pm: Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters he expects James Young to be released tonight, tweets Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kidd said Young will likely join the Bucks’ G League affiliate if he clears waivers.

Young, 22, agreed to a training camp contract with Milwaukee four weeks ago. He had been searching for a new team since the Celtics elected not to re-sign him after the end of last season, playing for the Pelicans in the summer league and attending a free agent mini-camp conducted by the Bucks.

A first-round pick by Boston in 2014, Young spent most of his time in the G League, appearing in just 89 NBA games over three seasons. The 6’6″ shooting guard got into 29 games last year and averaged 2.3 points per night.

Milwaukee has the maximum of 20 players in camp, so there will be one opening if Young does get released. The Bucks have just 14 guaranteed contracts, so there’s an opportunity for one of the non-guaranteed players to make the roster.

Knicks Waive Jamel Artis

October 4th, 2017 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have begun trimming their roster in advance of the regular season, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve waived forward Jamel Artis. The club is now carrying 19 players.

Artis, a 6’7″ swingman out of Pitt, signed with the Knicks this summer as an undrafted free agent. He made his debut for the club on Tuesday night against the Nets, and was reasonably productive in limited action, scoring five points in seven minutes.

Assuming Artis clears waivers and doesn’t sign with another NBA team, he’ll be eligible to join the Westchester Knicks, the Knicks’ G League team, as an affiliate player. The Knicks also have an open two-way slot and could sign Artis to a two-way contract. However, if that was the plan, the club likely would’ve kept him on the roster a little longer and simply converted his deal to a two-way pact, rather than waiving him.

With Artis out of the picture, the Knicks are now carrying three players on non-guaranteed contracts — Jarrett Jack, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and Nigel Hayes. With 15 players on fully guaranteed salaries, it will be an uphill battle for any of those camp invitees to make the regular season roster.

Lakers To Add Antawn Jamison For Scouting Role

October 3rd, 2017 at 4:21pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers will hire Antawn Jamison in a scouting role, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports. Charania adds that he will work under president of basketball operations Magic Johnson, GM Rob Pelinka, and assistant GM Jesse Buss.

Jamison played for the Lakers back in the 2012/13 season and he has worked for the organization as a TV analyst since retiring from the league in 2014.

The former no. 4 overall pick spent 16 seasons as a pro where he averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. In addition to playing for the Lakers, he also spent time with the Warriors, Mavericks, Wizards, Cavs, and Clippers.

Warriors Waive Cleveland, Hamilton

October 1st, 2017 at 8:12am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors made a pair of roster moves after Saturday’s preseason opener, waiving Antonius Cleveland and Alex Hamilton, the team announced via Twitter.

Both will be eligible to join the Warriors’ G League team if they are not claimed on waivers. Golden State had the maximum 20 players in camp, so two open spots are now available.

Cleveland is a 6’6″ guard out of Southeast Missouri State. He played for Portland’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, then signed with the Warriors in mid-August. He played five minutes Saturday night and scored eight points.

Hamilton is a 6’4″ guard who completed his senior season at Louisiana Tech in 2016. He played for Golden State’s G League affiliate last season after a brief stay in Poland. He scored two points in two minutes in the season opener.

Martell Webster Abandons Comeback Attempt

September 30th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

After signing with the Pelicans earlier this week, Martell Webster has decided to leave training camp and retire from basketball.

Webster made the announcement on Twitter, writing, “I Thank the amazing organization in New Orleans for the opportunity to play, I’ve made the decision to hang the [shoe icon] and return to the fam.”

Webster was in camp on a non-guaranteed contract, so the Pelicans won’t owe him anything. New Orleans had the maximum 20 players in camp, so Webster’s departure creates an opening.

Now 30, Webster hadn’t played an NBA game since undergoing surgery in November of 2015 to repair labrum and cartilage damage in his right hip. He played 32 games for the Wizards during the 2014/15 season, but the team waived him after the injury, which was believed to be career-threatening.

The Trail Blazers selected Webster with the sixth pick in the 2005 draft, and he spent five years in Portland before being traded to Minnesota. He was with the Wolves for two seasons and the Wizards for three.