Transactions Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trail Blazers Sign Phil Pressey

July 24th, 2015 at 6:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

6:05pm: The deal is official, the team announced.

5:21pm: The Trail Blazers have agreed to sign unrestricted free agent Phil Pressey, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the deal are unknown at this time.

Pressey was waived by the Celtics last week, though the team reportedly was reluctant to do so. “Phil may be my favorite player I’ve ever been around in the NBA, as a player, a coach or as an executive,” Celtics executive Danny Ainge said. “It was a very difficult morning for me today. He’s a player I’d want on my team all the time. Unfortunately, we just have an abundance of small guards already. It’s unfortunate. He’s helped us a lot in the last two years, and he’s a classy and hardworking player.”

The 24-year-old will compete to become the primary backup to Damian Lillard in Portland. Pressey made 50 appearances for Boston during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 12.0 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .368/.246/.673.

Mavs Sign John Jenkins

July 24th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Will Joseph

FRIDAY, 2:33pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

MONDAY, 7:03pm: Unrestricted free agent guard John Jenkins has reached agreement on a three-year deal with the Mavs, reports RealGM’s Shams Charania (on Twitter). The contract is partially guaranteed in the final two seasons and is at minimum salaries, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com tweets.

The Hawks renounced their rights to Jenkins to clear cap space earlier this month. Jenkins was previously tied to the Spurs and Timberwolves. With Jenkins, the Mavs add a solid wing defender.

Jenkins, 24, a former first round pick, struggled for playing time in each of his three seasons in Atlanta, never averaging more than the 14.8 minutes per game he saw as a rookie in 2012/13. The Hawks declined their fourth-year option on his rookie scale contract this past fall, setting him up for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Mavs Sign Jarrid Famous

July 24th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 2:32pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.

10:17pm: It’s now a three-year deal instead of just one, Charania tweets. That means the Mavs are using cap space.

MONDAY, 9:46am: The Mavericks and center Jarrid Famous have agreed to a one-year deal that carries a partial guarantee, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. Just how much money he’ll see is unclear, and while Mavs have cap flexibility, it seems likely that it’s a minimum-salary arrangement. It’ll be the first official NBA contract for the four-year pro since the fall of 2012, when he was on the Grizzlies preseason roster. He was with the Pacers in preseason the year before.

Famous looked strong in summer league with the Wizards this month, putting up 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game. He saw action this past season for the D-League affiliates of the Grizzlies and Mavs and overseas in the Philippines.

The now 27-year-old has played in numerous locales since going undrafted out of South Florida in 2011, but he made the pursuit of an NBA deal a priority in the past year, as he detailed recently to Zach Links of Hoops Rumors. The 6’11” Daniel Hazan client will attempt to prove in camp that he’s worthy of a regular season roster spot in which he could help the Mavs fill their vacancy at center, where the departure of DeAndre Jordan left a major hole.

Hawks Sign Patterson, Petteway For Camp

July 24th, 2015 at 10:09am CST by Chuck Myron

10:09am: The deals are official, the team announced.

FRIDAY, 9:29am: The Hawks still haven’t made an announcement, but the signings have taken place, according to the RealGM transactions log. Patterson signed Wednesday and Petteway on Thursday, the log shows.

10:02am: The deals for Patterson and Petteway each cover two seasons, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Vivlamore also deems Muscala a “lock” to make the opening-night roster, leaving no more than one spot open for Patterson, Petteway or anyone else the Hawks take to camp.

THURSDAY, 8:51am: The Hawks will have draft-and-stash shooting guard Lamar Patterson and undrafted swingman Terran Petteway in training camp, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (All Twitter links). Vivlamore indicates that they’ve already signed their partially guaranteed minimum-salary contracts, though the team has yet to make an annoucement. Patterson’s deal will carry a partial guarantee while Petteway’s will be non-guaranteed, Vivlamore indicates (on Twitter).

Atlanta has held Patterson’s NBA rights since acquiring them from the Bucks shortly after Milwaukee drafted him 48th overall last year. The Hawks will lose those rights if they cut him. He spent last season with Tofas Bursa of Turkey, averaging 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game. Patterson, who turns 24 next month, led the Hawks in scoring at the Las Vegas Summer League with 13.1 PPG to go along with 5.1 RPG in 25.8 MPG.

Petteway was a surprise entrant for this year’s draft after his junior season at Nebraska, and though he didn’t hear his name called on draft night, he also played a prominent role on Atlanta’s summer league team, averaging 10.9 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 26.0 MPG. He nonetheless struggles to shoot from the outside, having canned just 31.7% of his three-pointers in college. Patterson was better, though not a standout marksman, at 36.9% for his college career.

The Hawks have 13 fully guaranteed contracts and Mike Muscala on a partially guaranteed deal, so it would seem that Patterson, Petteway and Muscala are competing for no more than two spots. Atlanta also has its $2.814MM room exception available, and that would likely go for another guaranteed contract if the Hawks are to use it.

Who do you think has a better shot to make the team, Patterson or Petteway? Leave a comment to let us know.

Sixers Sign Scottie Wilbekin

July 24th, 2015 at 9:04am CST by Eddie Scarito

JULY 24TH, 9:04am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

2:39pm: The first season includes a partial salary guarantee, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets.

JULY 18TH, 11:56am: The Sixers have reached a contract agreement with unrestricted free agent Scottie Wilbekin, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The deal is for four years, Charania notes, though the exact amount of the pact, and if any guaranteed money is included, is unknown at this time.

Wilbekin will opt out of his current deal with the Cairns Taipans of Australia’s National Basketball League to join the NBA. The 22-year-old played for the Magic in this year’s Orlando Summer League before suiting up for the Sixers in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The 6’2″ point guard will likely have a solid shot to stick in Philly since the team is sorely in need of additional backcourt depth. In four seasons with the Florida Gators before going undrafted in 2014, Wilbekin notched career averages of 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists to go along with a slash line of .422/.389/.787.

Kings Sign Caron Butler

July 23rd, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:00pm: The signing is official, the Kings announced.

JULY 23RD, 3:09pm: Butler has already visited the Kings to sign his contract, and a formal announcement should come soon, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.

2:25pm: The deal is worth a total of $3MM, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, though it appears he’s rounding down. The least he could make over two years would be $3,050,846. In any case, the deal is ostensibly for the minimum.

2:19pm: Year two is a player option, Wojnarowski writes.

JULY 10TH, 1:56pm: The Kings and Caron Butler have agreed on a two-year deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Butler recently became a free agent after the Bucks, who had just acquired him via trade from the Pistons, waived him rather than guarantee what would have been a $4.5MM salary.

The Thunder, Bulls, Clippers, Spurs, Lakers and Knicks were all reportedly eyeing him as July neared, and the Cavaliers apparently made consistent contact. Instead, Butler appears headed to Sacramento, which used the cap flexibility it’s secured in its trade with the Sixers to come to agreements with a handful of players already.

The Raymond Brothers client figures to provide depth behind Rudy Gay at small forward, and perhaps play alongside Gay in small-ball configurations. Butler, 35, has mostly been a reserve the past two seasons with the Bucks, Thunder and Pistons, though he started 21 games this year for Detroit.

Mavericks Sign Maurice Ndour

July 23rd, 2015 at 3:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Mavericks have signed undrafted forward Maurice Ndour, the team announced via a press release. The length and terms of the arrangement are not yet known, but it’s most likely a training camp deal, though that is merely my speculation.

Ndour comes off of a successful run at the Las Vegas Summer League where he played for the Knicks’ squad. The 6’9″ forward averaged 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal in 28.3 minutes per contest. The Knicks were reportedly impressed with Ndour, but a dwindling amount of open roster slots kept New York from signing him. “Maurice was solid, he brought energy and activity to our game,’’ Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “He showed ability to shoot fairly well and defend, block shots, rebound. He represented himself well. We may not be able to keep him. Our roster’s filling up pretty fast.’’

The 23-year-old native of Senegal spent the last two seasons playing for Ohio University, and his career NCAA numbers are 14.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 APG. Ndour’s slash line was .498/.388/.757.

Pistons Sign Adonis Thomas For Camp

July 23rd, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 23RD, 2:29pm: The deal is official, the Pistons announced via press release.

JULY 16TH, 2:35pm: The Pistons will bring former Magic and Sixers power forward Adonis Thomas to training camp this fall, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (All Twitter links). Thomas played for Detroit’s summer league team this month. Most camp invitees end up on minimum-salary contracts with little or no guaranteed money, and Ellis indicates that he’ll be fighting for a spot on the opening night roster.

Thomas averaged 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game for the summer Pistons. I identified him in my chat Wednesday as a summer leaguer to watch. He scored 14 points in 37 total minutes of regular season NBA action across six games split between Orlando and Philadelphia in the 2013/14 season. The Happy Walters client played for Detroit’s D-League affiliate last year. The 22-year-old who went undrafted out of the University of Memphis in 2013 is no stranger to NBA training camps, having joined the Hawks, Nets and Pacers during preseason the past two autumns.

The Pistons have contracts or agreements with 17 players, and No. 8 overall pick Stanley Johnson is in line to become the 18th once he signs his rookie scale contract. All but Thomas appear to have fully guaranteed arrangements, signaling that more movement on the way for Detroit before opening night.

Raptors Sign Axel Toupane

July 23rd, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors have signed swingman Axel Toupane off their summer league squad, the team announced (Twitter link). Toupane, who turns 22 today, went undrafted in 2014. The move, along with the official signing of Michale Kyser, brings Toronto’s roster to 17 players. Toupane’s deal is partially guaranteed, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), and it’s almost certainly for the minimum salary, since that’s all the Raptors can give after using their room exception on Bismack Biyombo.

The 6’7″ Toupane has been a mainstay for France’s Strasbourg IG over the past few seasons, and he averaged 7.0 points in 18.3 minutes per game with 35.4% three-point shooting in 2014/15. He put up 4.3 PPG in 10.9 MPG for the Raptors in summer league, missing all four of his three-point attempts.

Toupane faces long odds to make the opening-night roster, especially since the Raptors already have 14 fully guaranteed contracts. He, Kyser and Ronald Roberts all have partially guaranteed deals, and while they’re presumably battling for the 15th and final regular season spot, teams need only carry 13 players. Thus, it would seem Toupane has a far better shot to wind up with Raptors 905, which is Toronto’s new one-to-one D-League affiliate. NBA teams can retain the D-League rights to as many as four of the players they waive at the end of the preseason.

Stephen Jackson Retires

July 23rd, 2015 at 9:26am CST by Chuck Myron

NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Stephen Jackson has decided to retire from pro basketball, as he revealed via Instagram (hat tip to Manny Randhawa of the Indianapolis Star). The 37-year-old last played during the 2013/14 season for the Clippers. He saw action for eight different NBA teams across 14 seasons, remembered as much for his mercurial demeanor as his potent scoring prowess.

Jackson averaged 15.1 points a game for his career, a remarkable accomplishment given that he was just the 42nd overall pick in 1997. The swingman who came from Butler County Community College in Kansas didn’t appear in his first regular season game until more than three years later, though he jumped in and started 40 games for the Nets as a rookie in 2000/01. He moved on to the Spurs, where he helped them win the 2003 title, and he emerged as a scoring force with the Hawks the next season before a trade to the Pacers. His involvement in the 2004 brawl with the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills marred his tenure in Indiana, but a trade to the Warriors in the 2006/07 season revitalized his career.

Golden State entered the playoffs as the eighth seed and the shocked top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs in Jackson’s first spring with the team, and the next season, he eclipsed 20 PPG for the first time in Don Nelson’s up-tempo offense. He set a career high with 20.7 PPG in 2008/09, but the Warriors traded him early the next season to Charlotte, where he helped the then-Bobcats to their first playoff appearance. He didn’t find as much success at his next stop with the Bucks, and his desire for a contract extension hasted his exit from Milwaukee, which sent him back to Golden State in the Andrew Bogut trade. The Warriors flipped him back to the Spurs two days later, but though he spent more than a year in his second San Antonio stint, he sparred with coach/president Gregg Popovich, and the team released him shortly before the 2013 playoffs as Jackson struggled to adapt to his diminished game. The Clippers signed him to a non-guaranteed deal early in 2013/14 but waived him a few weeks later rather than guarantee it for the season.

Jackson, who switched from Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports to Herb Rudoy of Interperformances before his Clippers stint, raked in more than $68.882MM for his career, according to Basketball-Reference and Basketball Insiders data. Remarkably, he only once made more than $10MM in a single season, and that came in 2012/13 with the Spurs.

What will you remember most about Jackson? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.