Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Sign Stefhon Hannah

October 1st, 2015 at 11:11am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have signed former University of Missouri point guard Stefhon Hannah, the team announced. He played in the D-League this past season and was with the Warriors for training camp in 2012. Chicago only had 18 players, two under the preseason roster limit, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary. The terms of Hannah’s deal aren’t immediately clear, but most signees at this time of year receive minimum-salary deals with little or no guaranteed money.

Hannah, 30, will give the Bulls some depth at the point while Derrick Rose recovers from his fractured orbital bone, which the team says should keep the former MVP from basketball activities for two weeks. The 6’1″ Hannah averaged 5.9 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game in 22 D-League appearances last season, when he split time between the affiliates of the Kings and the Pistons. The Pedro Power client’s strength is on the defensive side of the ball, as he won back-to-back D-League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.

The Bulls have Aaron Brooks, Kirk Hinrich, E’Twaun Moore and fellow camp invitees Jordan Crawford and Jake Anderson available to play point guard in Rose’s stead, though Hinrich, Moore and Crawford also play on the wing, which perhaps created the team’s desire to add Hannah. Chicago has 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts, plus a 50% partial guarantee to Cameron Bairstow, and with the team’s history of carrying fewer than 15 players on opening night, Hannah’s odds of sticking for the regular season appear low.

Nuggets Sign Mike Miller

September 30th, 2015 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:05pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

4:51pm: Miller and the Nuggets have agreed to a one-year deal, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reports (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 3:55pm: Miller is already in Denver in anticipation of signing a deal once he clears waivers today, Stein tweets.

MONDAY, 8:22pm: The Nuggets have emerged as the strong favorites to sign veteran guard Mike Miller when he clears waivers on Wednesday, league sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Miller, who was waived Monday by the Trail Blazers, is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Nuggets barring any late snags, Stein adds.

Miller was scheduled to make $2.8MM in the final year of his contract before he reached the buyout agreement with Portland. The move was expected when Miller was acquired by the Blazers from the Cavaliers in July.

How much playing time Miller can carve out with the Nuggets is a major question mark. Denver has four other shooting guards on its current roster — Randy Foye, Gary Harris, Will Barton and Nick Johnson. The Nuggets are also loaded at small forward, with Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler sharing minutes at that spot. However, Miller’s veteran leadership could be a bonus on a team striving to make the playoffs in the deep Western Conference.

Blazers Opt In With McCollum, Plumlee, Vonleh

September 30th, 2015 at 12:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Trail Blazers have exercised their rookie scale team options for the 2016/17 season with C.J. McCollum, Mason Plumlee and Noah Vonleh, the team announced (Twitter link). The moves keep all three under contract for that season at a combined cost of nearly $8.3MM.

McCollum, 24, is enthusiastic about the expanded role he’s poised to take on this season after playing mostly on the fringe of Portland’s rotation his first two NBA seasons. The former 10th overall pick showed plenty of potential during the playoffs, when he averaged 17.0 points in 33.2 minutes per game for the injury-riddled Blazers. He’ll be eligible for an extension next summer, since 2016/17 is the last on his rookie scale contract. The exercised option means the Blazers will pay him $3,219,579 for that 2016/17 season.

The 25-year-old Plumlee arrived via trade this summer from Brooklyn, where he went in an out of favor with the Nets, who reportedly resisted trading him in a deal that would have sent Deron Williams to the Kings last winter before burying him on the bench for the playoffs and ultimately dealing him to Portland. The 22nd overall pick in 2013 had a breakout performance for Team USA in the 2014 offseason, and he figures to have the opportunity to shine on a largely depleted Blazers roster. Like McCollum, he’ll be extension-eligible next summer in advance of the final year on his deal, one in which he’ll make $2,328,530.

Vonleh is another offseason trade acquisition for the Blazers, who brought the 20-year-old in after his quiet rookie season for the Hornets. He saw action in only 25 games last year, notching 10.4 minutes per night, after becoming the ninth overall pick in 2014. He’ll compete with Plumlee and others for playing time in the frontcourt. The Blazers, who are now in line to pay him $2,751,360 in 2016/17, will again have a decision to make on a rookie scale option for him next summer, and he won’t be eligible for an extension until 2017.

Today’s moves give Portland nearly $44.5MM against a projected $89MM cap for next summer. That’s only slightly less than the almost $47.9MM the team has in guaranteed salary for this season, so the Blazers continue to have a wealth of flexibility.

Which of McCollum, Plumlee and Vonleh do you see having the best career? Leave a comment to tell us.

Wizards Pick Up 2016/17 Option On Otto Porter

September 30th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards have exercised their $5,893,981 team option on Otto Porter‘s rookie scale deal for 2016/17, according to the RealGM transactions log. That’ll keep the former No. 3 overall pick under contract through that season, the last on his rookie scale pact. The team has yet to make an official announcement, but it appears as though Washington has made the move well in advance of the November 2nd deadline.

It’s no surprise to see the Wizards pick up the option, even though it adds to their books for next summer, when they’ll surely be chasing Washington native Kevin Durant in free agency. Porter took strides last season after a disappointing rookie year, and he made a strong impression in the playoffs this past spring, when he averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game across 10 postseason appearances. The 22-year-old small forward figures to see more minutes this season in the wake of Paul Pierce‘s departure.

Adding Porter’s option gives Washington more than $39MM in guaranteed salary for 2016/17, roughly $50MM less than the projected $89MM cap. Durant’s maximum salary is a projected $24.9MM, and the Wizards are also considering an extension for Bradley Beal that could add up to $20.4MM to the ledger, based on Beal’s projected max. A max contract for Durant and a max extension for Beal, plus the cap holds the team would be required to carry for open roster spots, would probably leave the Wizards without the flexibility necessary to build a credible bench for next season, as I explained when I looked at Beal’s extension candidacy. Letting Beal hit restricted free agency next summer would allow the Wizards about $6.2MM more in cap flexibility while still affording them an opportunity to sign him for the max after they use up their cap space on others, since Washington would have Beal’s Bird rights.

Porter looms as a potential sign-and-trade candidate if the Wizards ink Beal to a max extension this fall and if Porter continues to blossom. Still, that would require the Thunder to play along, and Oklahoma City might not want to assist another team even if Durant makes it clear he’d like to play elsewhere.

What do you think Porter’s ceiling is? Leave a comment to tell us.

Raptors Pick Up Options On Caboclo, Nogueira

September 29th, 2015 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors have exercised their team options for 2016/17 on the rookie scale contracts of Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira, the team announced (Twitter link). That means the team locked in their salaries of $1,589,640 and $1,921,320, respectively, for that season. The moves are no surprise, since most clubs pick up rookie scale team options, even though Toronto didn’t give much playing time to either last season. Each of them saw just 23 minutes of action all year at the NBA level, with a couple of D-League assignments sprinkled in.

Neither seems poised to grab a spot in the Raptors rotation this season, but they’ll likely see much more time in the D-League, since the establishment of Raptors 905 gives Toronto a one-to-one affiliate. Nogueira, now 23 years old, was more productive in the D-League last season than Caboclo was, though the three-year age difference between the two likely played into it. The younger Caboclo was a surprise selection at No. 20 overall in the 2014 draft. Nogueira was the 16th pick in the 2013 draft, but he remained overseas for a year with Estudiantes of Spain before the Raptors acquired his rights from the Hawks in the Lou Williams trade.

Toronto’s commitments for 2016/17 rise to almost $60MM against a projected $89MM cap with today’s moves. That includes the extension that Jonas Valanciunas signed this summer, but no money for DeMar DeRozan, who has a $10.05MM player option, or Terrence Ross, who’s also extension eligible. Agent Rich Paul reportedly believes he can get the Raptors to make a max offer next summer to Toronto native Tristan Thompson, who can hit unrestricted free agency in July if he signs his qualifying offer from the Cavs this week. The Raptors would have to pass on Ross and DeRozan would have to opt in or re-sign at a discount for the team to have the flexibility for Thompson’s max starting salary of a projected $20.4MM. Preliminary indications are DeRozan will opt out, a strong bet given his level of performance and the rising salaries around the league.

Which of Caboclo and Nogueira do you believe has the greatest chance to make an impact in the NBA? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Thunder Sign Michael Qualls

September 29th, 2015 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

SEPTEMBER 29TH, 11:12am: The deal is finally official, the team announced via press release. The idea is for him to spend the season with Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate while he recovers from the ACL injury, tweets Royce Young of ESPN.com. That would indicate that the Thunder will cut him at the end of camp and retain his D-League rights, as they’re allowed to do with as many as four players they waive. Qualls will join 18 others on the camp roster, 15 of whom have fully guaranteed contracts.

JUNE 30TH, 11:52pm: The Thunder have reached agreement on a one-year deal with former Arkansas Razorbacks star Michael Qualls, according to a source who spoke with Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). Qualls has suffered tears in both of his knees but OKC has been monitoring his progress through rehab. Apparently, the Thunder are comfortable with what they’ve seen.

Qualls was considered a second round hopeful before tearing his ACL in the weeks leading up to the draft. He is not expected to be ready in time for summer league or training camp, according to The Shreveport Times. Prior to his injury, Qualls, a shooting guard, was listed as the 40th best prospect in the draft by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and the 48th best one by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

Hawks Sign Arsalan Kazemi

September 29th, 2015 at 9:37am CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks have signed former Sixers draft-and-stash prospect Arsalan Kazemi, the team announced (hat tip to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Vivlamore reported late Monday that the sides were working toward a deal after Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed the Sixers had relinquished his rights so he could try out for the Hawks. The 25-year-old power forward goes into the roster spot vacated when Atlanta waived Jason Richardson, who’s retiring, bringing Atlanta to the 20-man preseason roster limit.

Kazemi, a native of Iran, played last season for ChongQing AoLong of China in his second year as a pro after he became the 54th overall pick of the 2013 draft. He spent most of his college career at Rice before transferring to Oregon for his senior season, one in which averaged 9.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per game. The 6’8″ Kazemi again showed a knack for rebounding for the Sixers summer league team in July, notching 3.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG in 27.4 MPG, though it would be a stretch to say he looked particularly strong against a level of competition much weaker than he’ll see in standard NBA action.

He’s with the Hawks for the start of camp today, Vivlamore notes (Twitter link), though he’ll face a stiff challenge to remain with the team beyond the next month. Atlanta has 13 fully guaranteed contracts, and Vivlamore has referred to Mike Muscala, who possesses a partially guaranteed deal, as a “lock” to make the regular season roster. That means Kazemi would have to overcome Lamar Patterson, Terran Petteway, Earl Barron, DeQuan Jones and Edgar Sosa to win a spot on the regular season roster, assuming the Hawks even carry a 15th man on opening night.

Hawks Close To Signing Arsalan Kazemi

September 28th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:45pm: The Hawks are negotiating with Kazemi on a training camp deal, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter links). The deal is likely to be finalized Tuesday, giving the Hawks 20 players on their camp roster.

4:40pm: Philly let go of Kazemi’s rights so he can try out for the Hawks in training camp, Pompey says in another tweet, so it appears that audition is still to come. The Hawks have one open space on their roster if they decide to add Kazemi.

4:30pm: The Sixers have forfeited their draft rights to Iranian power forward Arsalan Kazemi so that the 54th pick from the 2013 draft can audition for the Hawks, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirier. The team made its required tender by the September 10th deadline to do so, which allowed the team to retain his rights, but it appears as though Philadelphia has backtracked on that. It’s unclear whether Kazemi has already tried out for the Hawks or if that audition is still to come. Atlanta is one shy of the preseason roster maximum.

Philly originally wound up with the rights to Kazemi the same night that the Wizards drafted him, sending the rights to Glen Rice Jr. to Washington in return. The Sixers also received the rights to Nate Wolters in the deal, flipping them soon after to the Bucks. Kazemi, who played collegiately at Rice and Oregon, has appeared in summer league for the Sixers each of the past three years, but he’s otherwise remained out of the NBA. Last year he averaged 15.0 points in 38.9 minutes per game for ChongQing AoLong of China.

The Sixers have a full preseason roster of their own, with 20 players, so the team had no room for Kazemi. He could have signed the tender, but Philadelphia would have had the right to simply waive him if he did that.

Blazers Waive Mike Miller In Buyout Deal

September 28th, 2015 at 4:07pm CST by Will Joseph

MONDAY, 4:07pm: Portland has officially waived Miller, the team announced (on Twitter). The Nuggets are reportedly interested and have offered him a one-year deal should he clear waivers, as expected.

SUNDAY, 3:30pm: The Blazers and Mike Miller have reached an agreement on a contract buyout, which would make the small forward a free agent, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Miller is expected to become an option for several contenders once he clears waivers, Charania writes in a full story, though it is not clear which teams will make a play toward him.

Miller, was owed $2.8MM in the final year of his contract. The move was expected when Miller was acquired by the Blazers. Miller was traded to Portland from the Cavs in July in a deal that helped Cleveland save money, add two exceptions and expand their trade options.

The Grizzlies, Thunder and Mavs were thought to be interested in Miller when he was acquired by the Blazers and was reportedly seeking the buyout. Miller is coming off his worst season and only played 13.5 minutes per game in 52 appearances.

Cavs Sign Michael Dunigan, Quinn Cook, Five Others

September 28th, 2015 at 2:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers have signed center Michael Dunigan, the team revealed on its training camp roster, one that also officially confirmed earlier reports of deals with Jared Cunningham, Austin Daye, Chris Johnson, Nick Minnerath and D.J. Stephens. Quinn Cook also appears on the roster, so it looks like he and the team have worked out a deal, as expected. Cleveland has 20 players, 13 of whom have fully guaranteed contracts, though those totals don’t include Tristan Thompson, who remains in restricted free agency with Thursday looming as the final day for him to sign his qualifying offer before it expires. The Cavs would have to waive a player before signing Thompson, since they’re at the preseason roster limit.

Dunigan, 26, was in camp with the Grizzlies in 2012, but he’s chiefly played overseas since going undrafted in 2011. The Mike Naiditch client came stateside to spend part of last season with Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, putting up 11.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game across 24 regular season appearances, so the Cavs are familiar with him. It’s unclear exactly what sort of terms he’s getting, though Cleveland is limited to paying the minimum salary, just as with all the rest of the deals the team confirmed today.

Cook, 22, went undrafted out of Duke this year. Conflicting reports had clouded the matter of whether he and the team had agreed to a deal, but Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the point guard would be on a non-guaranteed pact.

Cunningham and Daye are former first-round picks. Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported Cunningham’s deal with the team, with Haynes noting that the 24-year-old shooting guard would be on a non-guaranteed contract. Charania also first reported Daye’s deal, and international journalist David Pick added that the pact for the 27-year-old small forward would be non-guaranteed.

Johnson, a 30-year-old center from LSU, is not to be confused with the swingman by the same name. Haynes reported his deal, which is for one year at the minimum salary and non-guaranteed. Haynes also had the story of Minnerath’s one-year deal. The 26-year-old combo forward is on a non-guaranteed pact.

Zach Links of Hoops Rumors first reported the Stephens deal. The terms of the contract for the 24-year-old high-flying swingman are unclear, beyond the fact that he’ll be making the minimum.