The San Antonio Spurs waived guard Brandon Paul today.

Paul, who was signed as a free agent on July 14, 2017, appeared in 64 games for the Spurs last season, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes.

According to the San Antonio Express News, “faced with the decision to keep guard Brandon Paul and guarantee his salary for the upcoming season, the Spurs opted to let him go. The team waived Paul on Tuesday, a day before the deadline that would have locked in his $1.38 million salary for next season in its entirety.”

The Dallas Mavericks signed forward Terry Larrier today.

Larrier (6-8, 195) went undrafted as an early-entry candidate in the 2018 NBA Draft. He competed in six total summer league games for the Memphis Grizzlies (4 games) and the Mavericks (2 games) and averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest.

The Bronx, N.Y., native began his career at Virginia Commonwealth University before transferring to the University of Connecticut as a sophomore. Before declaring for the draft, Larrier averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 34.0 minutes in 29 games (28 starts) as a junior.

The Sacramento Kings signed Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way contract today.

A 6-9, 213-pound forward, Gabriel joined the Kings roster for the inaugural California Classic in Sacramento and the 2018 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, posting 6.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game over five appearances in the desert after playing in all three Cal Classic contests.

Undrafted in 2018 out of Kentucky, the Sudanese-born product registered 6.8 points (.495 FG%, .396 3pt%, .625 FT%), 5.4 rebounds, 0.84 steals, 1.12 blocks and 23.1 minutes per game as a sophomore last season, making seven starts. He notched a career-high tying 23 points (7-8 FG, 7-7 3pt, 2-2 FT) to complement two rebounds and three blocks versus Alabama (3/10/18) and contributed 16 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3pt, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds and two blocks in a 95-75 triumph against Buffalo (3/17/18) in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament a week later. Gabriel parlayed successful performances in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit prep showcases out of Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Massachusetts), debuting at Kentucky in 2015. In 38 contests as a freshman (started 23), he accrued averages of 4.6 points (.471 FG%, .317 3pt%, .617 FT%), 4.8 rebounds, 0.93 blocks and 17.7 minutes per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard C.J. Williams to a two-way contract.

Williams appeared in 38 games (17 starts) as a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 18.6 minutes per game. He appeared in 16 games with the Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBA G League, averaging 16.5 points in 29.5 minutes per game. He was named the recipient of the 2017-18 NBA G League Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award on Apr. 11, which is given to the player who best represents the ideals of character and conduct on and off the court.

The Fayetteville, N.C. native played four years at North Carolina State, leading the Wolfpack to the NCAA Sweet 16 as a senior in 2012. Since turning pro, he has spent parts of three seasons in the NBA G League, averaging 14.0 points on 46.3% shooting (40.2% from three-point range) over 115 G League games.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, “The 6-foot-5 guard can spend up to 45 days with the Timberwolves next season, and will spend the rest of his time with the Iowa Wolves. Rookie guard Jared Terrell is the Timberwolves’ other two-way signing.”

Two-way contracts allow teams to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man regular-season roster. Players signed to a two-way contract can accrue no more than 45 days of service with their respective NBA club during the regular season and will spend the remainder of their time with the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Jaylen Morris to a Two-Way contract.

The team also signed free agent center Brandon McCoy and guard Travis Trice to training camp contracts.

Morris, 22, appeared in six games with the Atlanta Hawks last season and averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. He was called up to the Hawks from their G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, after he played and started 39 games for the BayHawks and averaged 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.4 minutes per contest while shooting 51.7 percent from the field.

The Amherst, New York-native originally went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft after four seasons at Division II Molloy College.

McCoy, 20, played one season at UNLV and was named the 2017-18 Mountain West Freshman of the Year after setting conference freshman records in both points (16.9) and rebounds (10.3) per game. McCoy also averaged 1.8 blocks per game for the Runnin’ Rebels, which ranked second in the Mountain West Conference, and shot 54.5 percent from the field, which was third-best in the conference. He was a finalist for the 2017-18 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award and made the 2017-18 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list for Player of the Year. The 6-11 center appeared in two games for the Bucks 2018 Summer League entry in Las Vegas.

Trice, 25, averaged 8.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds in the five Bucks 2018 Summer League games. He played the last two seasons in the NBL (Australia and New Zealand) with the Cairns Taipans (2016-17) and Brisbane Bullets (2017-18). He has also played with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League in 2015-16 and 2017. The Springfield, Ohio, native played collegiately at Michigan State (2011-2015).

The Chicago Bulls re-signed free agent Ryan Arcidiacono today.

In his rookie season, Arcidiacono, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound guard, appeared in 25 games for Chicago and averaged 2.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 12.7 minutes per contest, and shot .415 from the field and .833 from the foul line. In G League action, he appeared in 37 games (all starts) for the Windy City Bulls and averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.73 steals in 39.5 minutes per game, and shot .457 from the field, .451 from three and .833 from the foul line.

Arcidiacono was a member of the 2018 Chicago Bulls MGM Resorts Summer League squad, and he averaged 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds 4.0 assists and 1.20 steals in 30.8 minutes per game. He shot .394 from the field and .476 from three.

Arcidiacono played four seasons at Villanova and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in the Wildcats’ championship run in 2016. He went undrafted in 2016, and appeared in three preseason games for the San Antonio Spurs and eight games for the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League that season.

The Brooklyn Nets signed free agent forward Treveon Graham today.

The 6-foot-5, 219-pound, 24-year-old spent the last two seasons on Charlotte Hornets. In the 2017-18 season, he played in 63 games, averaging 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game.

Before starting his NBA career, the Washington, D.C., area native spent his first professional season with the Idaho Stampede in the G League.

Graham went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a standout four-year career at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors twice (2014 and 2015) and second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors once (2013).

Graham will surely come off the bench for Brooklyn, probably behind Caris LeVert and Joe Harris, among others. He’ll have to work hard to get any real minutes.

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Daryl Macon to a two-way contract.

Undrafted in 2018, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard played a four-year collegiate career at the University of Arkansas.

This summer, Macon played in seven summer league games for the Miami Heat, averaging 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 22.4 minutes per outing.

The Little Rock, Ark., native began his career at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss., where he twice earned Region XXIII Player of the Year and National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honors.

Macon transferred to Arkansas after his sophomore season at Holmes and averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 28.0 minutes in 71 games (51 starts) in two seasons as a Razorback. As a senior, Macon improved his averages to 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting .447 from the field, .421 from behind-the-arc and .875 from the foul line on his way to being named Second Team All-Southeastern Conference.

The 2018-19 season will mark the second year NBA two-way contracts will be implemented. NBA teams are allowed to have up to two players under two-way contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team.

Two-way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four-or-fewer years of NBA experience are able to sign two-way contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.

The Miami Heat have signed forward Yante Maten to a two-way contract.

Maten appeared in seven Summer League games (one start) with the HEAT in both Sacramento and Las Vegas and averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 76.9 percent from the foul line. He posted five double-figure scoring games, including 19 points off the bench on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the foul line while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots in a, 110-106, win against New Orleans in the first round of the Las Vegas tournament.

Maten, the 2018 SEC Player of the Year, played four seasons at the University of Georgia appearing in 128 career collegiate games (97 starts). Among the school’s all-time lists, he finished second in points (1,886), third in blocks (198), fourth in rebounds (889) and free throws made (518), sixth in field goals made (655), 13th in free throw percentage (.755) and 15th in field goal percentage (.483). He scored the most points during a single season by a senior (636), including the fifth-most overall, in school history while appearing in 33 games (all starts) and averaging 19.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.48 blocks and 34.3 minutes while shooting 46.4 percent from the field last season. He also led the conference in scoring average, becoming just the fifth player in school history to accomplish the feat. Additionally, Maten became the first Bulldog in 25 years to earn three All-SEC honors in his career and just the sixth player in program history to achieve the feat.

It really happened. LeBron James took his talents to Hollywood. Well, near Hollywood. Staples Center is in downtown Los Angeles, not Hollywood. But whatever. Close enough. Here’s ESPN.com rounding up some commentary and reactions to the signing, made official earlier this month, becoming a reality:

“He wanted to come to L.A.,” one Western Conference player said. “They just had to not f— it up. Jerry West just said it, and I was like, ‘Finally.’ He’s not coming to the Lakers. He came to L.A.”

West, now an adviser for the LA Clippers, told Sports Illustrated that, “LeBron was not a tough free-agent signing.” While the player’s swipe — like West’s — was aimed more at the Lakers than at James, the four-time MVP also had his motives for the move questioned.

“My thought was, ‘Good luck. You must really want to live in L.A.’” one prominent agent said. “Playing Western Conference teams night in and night out is not going to be the same. You don’t get a ‘night off.’ I would not want to end my career just making the playoffs.”

James’ streak of eight straight NBA Finals appearances would seem to be on life support with his switch from the East to the West. The Lakers’ success, or lack thereof, will largely depend on how quickly L.A.’s young core — some combination of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart — develops around James.

Full article

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed guard Hamidou Diallo today.

Diallo (6-5, 198) was acquired by the Thunder earlier this month. Originally selected on June 22 by the Brooklyn Nets with the 45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Kentucky product started all 37 games as a redshirt freshman and averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.8 minutes per game and scored in double figures in 16 games.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Diallo represented the U.S. in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup where in seven games he averaged 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 18.2 minutes per contest. He also won gold at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.


The best-remaining free agent is off the market, and back where he likely belongs.

The Houston Rockets re-signed restricted free agent center Clint Capela today.

Capela has been an excellent fit on the Rockets, and the team re-sign the defensive-minded, undersized yet highly effective center if they wanted to continue as one of the very best teams in the league.

According to ESPN.com, it’s a a five-year, $90 million. And per ESPN, “had he instead signed a $4.3 million qualifying offer, he would have entered 2019 as an unrestricted free agent.”

Capela was selected by Houston with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He was runner-up for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this past season after averaging career-highs of 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.85 blocks. Capela led the league in field goal percentage (.652) while ranking eighth in rebounding and second in blocks.

According to the Houston Chronicle, “Capela had been seeking a deal similar to the contracts received by Rudy Gobert (four years, $102 million) and Steven Adams (four years, $100 million). But those deals were in 2016 when the NBA cap spike sent contracts for free agents that summer skyrocketing. His deal exceeds those for other centers this summer.”

The 24-year-old recorded 42 double-doubles in 74 games played in 2017-18 after having a total of 25 in 154 games played across his first three seasons. The Rockets were 25-2 when he scored at least 15 points, including 11-0 when he scored 20 or more. Houston was also 36-5 when Capela had at least two blocks, including 21-0 when he had three or more.

During the regular season, Capela was the first player in NBA history to have averaged at least 13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, and 1.80 bpg in fewer than 28.0 mpg. He was also the first player to have averaged at least 12.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, and 2.00 bpg in fewer than 31.0 mpg in a single postseason.

The L.A. Clippers waived guard C.J. Williams today.

Williams, 28, appeared in 38 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.6 minutes. He appeared in 16 games for L.A.’s G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario as part of his two-way contract, averaging 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.5 minutes. A four-year letterman at North Carolina State, the 6’5”, 230-pound guard spent time playing internationally with teams in France, Greece and Italy, and in the NBA G League, before signing with the Clippers in October 2017.

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent forward Troy Williams.

Williams, 6-7, 220, was a member of the New York Knicks’ 2018 Summer League team, appearing in five contests and averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.6 minutes per game.

During the 2017-18 season, Williams appeared in 21 contests for the Knicks and the Houston Rockets, averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. He also played in 19 games (17 starts) last season for Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points while shooting 46.4% from the field, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.1 minutes per game.

Originally undrafted in 2016 out of Indiana University, Williams has appeared in 51 career regular season games for Memphis, Houston and New York, holding averages of 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 16.9 minutes per game.

The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Jaylen Barford and forwards Zach Smith and Isaiah Wilkins to the team’s training camp roster.

In two years at Arkansas, the 6-3 Barford averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per game in 71 contests. An undrafted free agent, Barford recorded averages of 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 35 games as a senior in 2017-18. The Jackson, Tennessee, native finished the season amongst the SEC leaders in the following categories: field goals made (first, 224), points scored (third, 628), points per game (third, 17.9), three-point field goals (fourth, 87) and field goal percentage (sixth, .470). As a junior, he averaged 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Smith, an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech University, appeared in 117 career games over four years (2014-18). In 117 contests, he finished his collegiate career with averages of 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. The Plano, Texas native averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 23 games as a senior in 2017-18. Smith received All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for both of his final two seasons.

Wilkins was a four-year collegiate player at Virginia (2014-18) where he appeared in 132 career games, posting averages of 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game. Wilkins recorded averages of 6.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks as a senior in 2017-18. The Lilburn, Georgia, native was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-ACC Defensive Team.

With the addition of Barford, Smith and Wilkins the Hornets roster stands at 18 players.

The Boston Celtics have signed guard Walt Lemon Jr. to a two-way deal.

Lemon Jr., 25, made his NBA debut on Feb. 23 of last season after signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 3.4 points (43.8% FG) and 7.0 minutes in five games played. The Chicago, IL native spent the majority of his season competing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League, where he produced 22.4 points (49.4% FG, 31.3% 3-PT, 76.8% FT), 4.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.03 steals and 36.6 minutes in 40 games (all starts).

A four-year product of Bradley University from 2010-11 to 2013-14, Lemon Jr. has also competed professionally for multiple teams in Europe.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Jimmy Butler underwent an elective right hand procedure on Tuesday, July 24.

The team says that Butler has already returned to offseason activities.

It’s unknown if those offseason activities include playing basketball at regular intensity right away, but the team is clearly suggesting that it was a minor procedure.

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Shake Milton to a two-way contract.

The 76ers acquired the draft rights to Milton (No. 54 overall) from Dallas in a draft-night trade in exchange for the draft rights to the No. 56 overall pick, Ray Spalding from Louisville, and the No. 60 overall pick, Kostas Antetokounmpo from Dayton.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Milton averaged 18.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 2017-18, his junior season at SMU and he improved his scoring and rebounding averages in each of his three seasons with the Mustangs. For his collegiate career, he appeared in 87 games (80 starts) and posted 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest.

Over his first two seasons with SMU, the team compiled a 55-10 record, earning a No. 6 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Owasso, Oklahoma native was twice named Second Team All-AAC (2017 and 2018) and, as a freshman, was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team (2016).

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man NBA regular-season roster. A two-way player for the 76ers will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Delaware Blue Coats – but can spend up to 45 days with the 76ers, not including any time spent with Philadelphia prior to the start of Blue Coats’ training camp or following the conclusion of Delaware’s regular season.

Bird is back in Boston!

Alright, fine, it’s a different Bird.

The Boston Celtics today signed guard Jabari Bird, who spent his rookie season with the Celtics on a two-way deal in 2017-18

The 6-foot-6, 198-pound guard averaged 3.0 points (57.7% FG, 42.9% 3-PT), 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 8.8 minutes in 13 games (one start) that season. He scored a career-high 15 points and shot 7-of-10 from the field against Chicago on April 6.

Selected in the second round (56th overall) by Boston in the 2017 NBA Draft, Bird, 24, also produced 19.3 points (51.7% FG, 32.5% 3-PT), 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.35 steals in 20 games (all starts) for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League.

In four games played with the Celtics during the 2018 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Bird recorded team highs in points (16.8 ppg) and rebounds (6.0 rpg), while shooting a team-best 57.0% from the field.

The Houston Rockets have signed rookie forward/center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein (7-0, 249) was the 43rd overall pick by Houston in the 2017 NBA Draft. He spent last season playing for the Rockets single-affiliation NBA G League partner, Rio Grande Valley. In 38 games with 11 starts for the Vipers, Hartenstein averaged 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.11 blocks in 18.7 minutes per game while shooting 57.1% from the floor.

The 20-year-old started four games for the Rockets at NBA Summer League 2018, averaging 10.3 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds, and 2.25 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game while shooting 52.2% from the floor.

When he was 11 years old, Hartenstein moved with his family from Oregon to Germany, where his father, Florian, was playing professional basketball. Isaiah holds dual citizenship and has represented Germany in four FIBA events as well as playing for the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoops Summit. He has played professionally in both Lithuania and Germany.

According to the Houston Chronicle, “the Rockets hope to sign starting center Clint Capela, who remains a restricted free agent and also have Nene, Zhou Qi and Chinanu Onuaku under contract at center. Tarik Black, the Rockets’ third center last season, is a free agent.”