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Pelicans Sign Brandon Boston To Standard Contract, Jalen Crutcher To Two-Way

February 26th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Dana Gauruder

February 26: Boston’s standard contract and Crutcher’s two-way deal are now official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.

February 25: The Pelicans are converting Brandon Boston Jr.‘s two-way deal into a two-year standard contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. They’ll fill their newly opened two-way slot by signing Jalen Crutcher, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

New Orleans needed to fill a roster spot after buying out Javonte Green. That dropped the team’s roster count to 13 players, one below the limit. It came as no surprise that Boston received a standard deal.

Boston has already appeared in 42 games, eight shy of the limit for a two-way player, including 10 starts. He’s averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23.6 minutes per night.

Boston, who missed Tuesday’s game against San Antonio due to a left ankle sprain and non-COVID illness, has only appeared in one game this month as he recovers from that ankle injury. He spent his first three seasons with the Clippers after being a late second-round pick in 2021. New Orleans claimed Boston during the preseason after the Spurs waived him.

Crutcher has averaged 18.1 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate.

Since going undrafted out of Dayton in 2021, Crutcher has spent pro career in the G League, including two with the Greensboro Swarm as well as last season with the Squadron.

Crutcher had a 10-day contract with the Pelicans last February. He appeared in one game for the team, making his NBA debut last Feb. 27.

Nets Sign Kendall Brown To Two-Way Deal

February 25th, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Luke Adams

8:22 pm: The two-way deal is official, the Nets confirmed in a press release.

2:38 pm: The Nets have reached an agreement with guard/forward Kendall Brown on a two-way deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Brown spent his first two professional seasons with the Pacers, first on a two-way contract and then on a standard deal. However, the 6’7″ swingman was waived by Indiana in October and then had his G League rights acquired by the Long Island Nets later that month.

Brown has thrived this season in 34 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per game. His shooting line at the NBAGL level is an excellent .565/.410/.750.

Brooklyn is the only team in the NBA that currently has an open two-way slot available, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to make room for Brown. The Nets created that opening when they promoted Tyrese Martin to their standard roster last week.

Once the signing is official, Reece Beekman, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Brown will occupy the Nets’ two-way slots.

Warriors Sign Taran Armstrong To Two-Way Contract

February 25th, 2025 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

February 25: Armstrong’s one-year, two-way deal with the Warriors is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. He’ll be eligible to play in up to 14 NBA games for the rest of the season.

February 23: The Warriors have reached an agreement to sign Australian guard Taran Armstrong to a two-way contract, agent Daniel Moldovan tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Armstrong, 23, has players for the Cairns Taipans in Australia’s National Basketball League for the past two seasons. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2024/25, averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 29.8 minutes per game across 19 outings, with a shooting line of .461/.351/.691.

The 6’6″ point guard also spent two years from 2021-23 playing college ball at California Baptist, earning WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2022 and claiming a spot on the All-WAC second team in 2023.

After going undrafted last June, Armstrong saw his ’24/25 NBL season come to an end earlier this month when the 8-21 Taipans missed the playoffs, paving the way for him to return stateside prior to the two-way signing deadline of March 4 and to finish the season with Golden State.

The Warriors have an open two-way slot alongside Pat Spencer and Jackson Rowe after having promoted Quinten Post to their 15-man roster earlier this month, so no corresponding roster move will be necessary to make room for Armstrong.

Cavaliers Sign Javonte Green

February 23rd, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have officially signed free agent swingman Javonte Green, the team announced today in a press release.

Green agreed to a buyout last week with the Pelicans and was placed on waivers on Thursday, allowing him to clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday. Reporting at the time of his buyout agreement indicated that he planned to sign with Cleveland once he reached the open market.

Green had been a solid contributor in New Orleans this season, stepping into a larger role than expected due to the myriad injuries affecting Pelicans regulars. In 50 games (18 starts) for New Orleans, the 31-year-old averaged 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 21.8 minutes per night, with a .446/.352/.758 shooting line.

While Green isn’t much of an offensive threat, he’s a versatile defender who can hold his own against a wide range of players. The 6’5″ veteran has spent time at shooting guard and both forward positions in recent years.

As we detailed on Saturday, Green gave up $696,955 in his buyout agreement with the Pelicans. Assuming he signed a prorated minimum-salary contract with Cleveland, which is likely, that’s the exact amount he’ll make with the Cavs for the rest of the season. Cleveland would carry a cap hit of $599,862 on a one-year, rest-of-season minimum deal.

Although Green had lined up a deal with the Cavs before clearing waivers, it’s worth noting that nearly every NBA team had the ability to block his move to Cleveland by placing a waiver claim on him, since he was on a one-year, minimum-salary contract that would’ve fit into the minimum salary exception. Only teams right up against a hard cap without the ability to fit Green’s previous $2.09MM cap hit on their books would have been ineligible to place a claim.

However, rival clubs are generally reluctant to submit waiver claims in that situation, not wanting to create bad blood with a player, his agent, and another front office. Some of the Cavs’ rivals are also operating deep in luxury tax territory or without open roster spots. As expected, Green passed through waivers without incident and the East’s top seed was able to fill its open 15th roster spot with a reliable depth option capable of playing rotation minutes if needed.

Meanwhile, Green’s old team in New Orleans dropped to 13 players on standard contracts after buying him out on Thursday. Teams can’t carry fewer than 14 players on their standard roster for more than 14 days at a time, so the Pelicans will have until March 6 to add a new 14th man.

Wizards Sign Jalen McDaniels To 10-Day Contract

February 22nd, 2025 at 11:36am CST by Earnest Marshall

11:36 am: McDaniels’ 10-day contract is official, according to a release from the Wizards. As expected, the team terminated Stevenson’s 10-day deal early in order to open up a roster spot.

8:20 am: The Wizards are signing Jalen McDaniels to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

In order to make room for McDaniels on the 15-man roster, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets Washington will release Erik Stevenson from his own 10-day deal.

McDaniels, the older brother of the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, is a five-year NBA veteran. He hasn’t played in the league yet this season, having last suited up for Toronto in 2023/24. He has been playing for Washington’s G League affiliate, averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 29 outings (26 starts) for the Capital City Go-Go.

The elder McDaniels was the 52nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, spending the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Hornets. He was then moved to the Sixers at the 2023 deadline in the multi-team trade that saw Josh Hart land with the Knicks and Matisse Thybulle go to Portland.

After that season, McDaniels signed with the Raptors. He played in 50 games for Toronto last year before being traded twice this offseason. In June, the Raptors sent him to Sacramento in a move that netted them Jamal Shead and Davion Mitchell, and the Kings flipped him in October to the Spurs, who waived him.

In 248 NBA appearances (45 starts), McDaniels holds averages of 6.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.2 APG while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.2% from three.

The Wizards have been cycling through 10-day contracts since the deadline. They signed Jaylen Nowell on Feb. 8 before ending his 10-day deal early to sign Stevenson on Feb. 17. Now, five days later, they’re set to make another change. Neither Nowell nor Stevenson made an appearance for Washington. Stevenson is averaging 17.1 PPG with a .388 3PT% in the G League this season.

After the moves are official, the Wizards will remain at a full roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way pacts.

Sixers Sign Alex Reese To Two-Way Deal

February 21st, 2025 at 7:32pm CST by Rory Maher

February 21: Reese’s two-way contract is now official, the Sixers announced in a press release. Having also completed two other signings today, Philadelphia now has a full roster (15 players on standard contracts, three on two-way deals).

February 20: The Sixers plan to sign free agent forward Alex Reese to a two-way contract, agent Billy Davis tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 25-year-old played four seasons of college basketball for Alabama from 2017-21 prior to going undrafted. He initially spent a year away from the sport, then signed in Luxembourg during the 2022/23 campaign. He spent last season with Portland’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.

Reese signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder for training camp, was waived, and then re-signed to a standard, non-guaranteed contract just before the season began after Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a hand fracture. Reese’s second stint with Oklahoma City was short-lived, however, as he was waived on October 31, about a week into the ’24/25 season.

Reese made one cameo appearance with the Thunder at the NBA level, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound in two minutes of action.

While his role with OKC was limited, Reese has been a standout performer for the Remix, who reacquired him after he was released by the Thunder. In 26 combined games this season with Rip City, Reese has averaged 17.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks in just 26.9 minutes per contest, with an impressive shooting slash line of .487/.429/.882. 63 percent of his field goal attempts have come from long distance.

As our tracker shows, Philadelphia currently has a pair of two-way openings, so no corresponding move will be necessary to add Reese.

Bismack Biyombo Re-Signs With Spurs On Second 10-Day Deal

February 21st, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Rory Maher

After his first 10-day contract expired following Thursday’s victory over Phoenix, veteran center Bismack Biyombo has returned to the Spurs, officially signing a second 10-day deal, the team announced today.

Biyombo, a former lottery pick who is playing for his seventh team in his 14th NBA season, signed his first 10-day deal with San Antonio on February 9. Because the Spurs only had two games before the All-Star break and 10-day contracts must cover a minimum of three games, Biyombo’s deal ran through Feb. 20 — that means it was technically a 12-day contract.

The 32-year-old big man didn’t get any playing in his first game with the Spurs and only played 25 seconds in a loss to Boston just before the break. However, in the wake of Victor Wembanyama‘s season-ending blood clot, Biyombo got the starting nod last night against the Suns, recording eight points (on 4-of-4 shooting), three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes during the 11-point victory.

Although Biyombo is on the short end for a center at 6’8″, he has an enormous wingspan, typically listed at 7’6″ or 7’7″. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the court Biyombo is known for his strength, toughness, athleticism, rebounding and shot blocking.

Biyombo is also known for his humanitarian work off the court, having donated his entire salary in 2021/22 to build a hospital in his home country. He has built schools and basketball academies through his foundation as well.

Before signing his first deal with San Antonio, Biyombo had been a free agent for all of ’24/25 after spending last season with Memphis and Oklahoma City. But he seems to be above Sandro Mamukelashvili on the frontcourt depth chart, and fellow big man Charles Bassey is currently day-to-day, having missed the past six games with a knee issue.

If the Spurs want to retain Biyombo beyond his second 10-day contract, they’ll have to give him a rest-of-season deal, since players are only eligible to sign two 10-day contracts with the same team in a season.

Biyombo has played in 841 regular season games over the course of his career, starting 352 of those contests. He has averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game in those appearances.

Grizzlies Sign Lamar Stevens To 10-Day Contract, Waive Johnny Davis

February 21st, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Earnest Marshall

FEBRUARY 21: The moves are official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 20: The Grizzlies are planning to sign forward Lamar Stevens to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. With a full roster and needing to make room, the Grizzlies are waiving Johnny Davis to complete the transaction (Twitter links).

Stevens is a four-year NBA veteran who last suited up for Memphis in 2023/24. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics in September 2023 before ultimately earning a spot on the roster. At the 2024 trade deadline, Boston sent him to Memphis in exchange for Xavier Tillman.

The 27-year-old forward played in 19 games with the Grizzlies last year, making two starts. During that time, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest. However, the Grizzlies didn’t re-sign Stevens last summer and he hasn’t been on an NBA roster during the ’24/25 regular season until now.

Stevens did spend training camp with the Pistons in the fall, but was waived at the end of the preseason. He has played 29 games this season with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate. In the G League, Stevens has averaged 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

The Penn State product went undrafted in 2020, signing on with the Cavaliers on a two-way contract. He impressed in Cleveland, earning a promotion to a standard deal by the end of his rookie season, then went on to spend three years with the Cavs before being traded to San Antonio in the transaction that brought Max Strus to Cleveland.

As for Davis, the Grizzlies acquired the Wisconsin alum alongside Marvin Bagley III at this month’s deadline in the trade that sent Marcus Smart to Washington. The No. 10 overall pick in 2022, Davis played 112 games with Washington, averaging 3.5 points per game, but didn’t play at all for the Grizzlies before being waived.

According to Charania, Davis is expected to receive some attention as a free agent. The 22-year-old was a high-profile draft prospect in the 2022 class but never broke through in Washington.

Once the pair of moves are completed, the Grizzlies will be back up to a full roster, with 15 players on standard contracts (including Stevens’ 10-day deal) and three players on two-way pacts.

If Stevens’ deal is completed by Friday, he would be eligible for five games with Memphis before his 10-day contract would expire. At that point, he would need to be re-signed to another 10-day deal or the Grizzlies could move on. If he impresses enough to stick around through his maximum of two 10-day deals, the Grizzlies would need to sign him for the rest of the season.

David Roddy Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers

February 21st, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers have signed David Roddy to a two-way contract, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 6’4″ power forward just completed a 10-day contract with the team that he signed on February 11. He got into only one game during that deal, finishing with four points, five rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes in Thursday night’s loss to Boston.

Roddy fills the two-way slot that opened up when Philadelphia promoted Jared Butler to the 15-man roster last week.

Roddy began the season with Atlanta, but was placed on waivers so the Hawks could complete a two-for-one deal with the Clippers at the trade deadline. Before being released, he appeared in 27 games, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.8 minutes per night.

The Sixers selected Roddy with the 23rd pick in 2022, but traded him to Memphis on draft night. He was sent to Phoenix in a three-team deal at the 2024 deadline and then shipped to Atlanta in an offseason trade.

Alex Reese is also expected to sign a two-way contract with Philadelphia, which will have a full roster once that deal is finalized. Jeff Dowtin holds the team’s other two-way slot.

Lonnie Walker Signs Two-Year Deal With Sixers

February 21st, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

February 21: The signing is official, the Sixers announced in a press release.

February 18, 2:46 pm: Walker will exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with Zalgiris Kaunas after all, Langberg tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, the veteran guard has agree to a two-year contract with the Sixers.

While Charania describes it as a $3MM deal, it should be worth a little more than that. Philadelphia only has the ability to offer a minimum-salary contract, but the second year of a minimum offer would come in around $2.94MM.

The amount of Walker’s prorated minimum salary for the rest of this season will depend on when he officially signs. As of today, it would be about $826K, but it will likely take him a little time to gain FIBA clearance.

The second year of Walker’s new contract will be a team option, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

The 76ers currently have a full 15-man standard roster, but their 15th man is David Roddy, whose 10-day contract expires on Thursday night, so Walker figures to take Roddy’s spot on the roster.

Philadelphia will be looking to strike gold in the international market again after signing big man Guerschon Yabusele last summer following his five-year stint in Asia and Europe.

According to Stein (Twitter link), the Sixers’ offer to Walker came in today, just in time for him to take advantage of his Feb. 18 opt-out deadline. The team sought shooting guard insurance with Eric Gordon‘s return from a wrist injury up in the air, Stein adds.

February 18, 10:27 am: The contract that shooting guard Lonnie Walker signed with Zalgiris Kaunas in the fall included a clause that allowed him to opt out up until February 18 in order to return to the NBA.

However, Walker won’t take advantage of that opt-out, agent George S. Langberg tells Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The plan, Stein says, is for Walker to finish the current season in Lithuania and return to the NBA for the 2025/26 season.

Walker has 322 career regular season NBA games under his belt, having spent time with the Spurs, Lakers, and Nets from 2018-24. Last season, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per game across 58 appearances for Brooklyn, with a shooting line of .423/.384/.763.

The 26-year-old was in camp with the Celtics in October before being cut ahead of the team’s regular season opener.

Multiple reports in recent months have suggested that Walker was drawing interest from NBA teams, including a handful of playoff-caliber clubs. However, it’s unclear whether or not any of those teams made a serious pitch to bring him back stateside.

Walker has averaged 13.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 19 EuroLeague games (22.3 MPG) for Zalgiris this season, though his shooting percentages are just 38.7% from the field and 33.1% on three-pointers.