Author: Inside Hoops

InsideHoops.com has been a world leader in NBA basketball coverage for over 20 years. Read our blog, but also be sure to read our main website on www.insidehoops.com

Wizards sign Jaylen Martin to two-way contract

The Washington Wizards have signed forward Jaylen Martin to a two-way contract.

Martin (6-6, 216) is a 21-year-old forward in his second season out of Overtime Elite. He was previously on a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets this season, appearing in three games for Brooklyn and 12 games for the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate. Martin has also played 10 games for the Delaware Blue Coats, and in his 22 total NBA G League appearances this season, is averaging 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

The Tallahassee, Fla. native also played in 28 NBA G League games last season with Long Island and the Westchester Knicks, averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

Hornets sign Moussa Diabate to multi-year contract

The Charlotte Hornets have signed forward Moussa Diabate to a multi-year deal.

Diabate has appeared in 42 games (five starts) this season and is averaging career highs in points (4.7), rebounds (7.1), field goal percentage (.594) and minutes (19.0). He ranks third in the NBA in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes (5.9).

Diabate was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft out of the University of Michigan, and he played his first two professional campaigns with L.A. before signing a two-way contract with the Hornets on July 31. Diabate holds career averages of 3.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game across 75 outings (six starts) in three seasons.

Nets waive Ben Simmons after buyout agreement

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on guard/forward Ben Simmons. It was a contract buyout agreement.

Per the New York Post, “Simmons is playing on the final season of a five-year, $177.2 million deal that he originally signed with the 76ers in July 2019, and that the Nets acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to Philadelphia at the 2022 deadline… In Simmons’ first two-plus seasons with the Nets, he played in just 57 of the team’s 191 games after the blockbuster became official. The Nets paid him approximately $86.3 million during that time, meaning he earned approximately $1.5 million per game played. (He also missed all eight of the Nets’ playoff games, though that’s not included here.)”

Simmons originally joined the Nets on Feb. 10, 2022, via trade from Philadelphia. In 33 appearances (24 starts) with Brooklyn this season, Simmons averaged 6.2 points on 54.7 percent shooting from the field, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 25.0 minutes per game. In 365 career games (344 starts) with the Nets and Sixers, the native of Australia holds career averages of 13.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals across 31.8 minutes per contest.

Brooklyn’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Celtics sign Torrey Craig

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Torrey Craig.

Following the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Celtics roster stands at 17 players.

The NBA veteran has appeared in 441 career games (168 starts) spanning eight seasons with stints in Denver, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Indiana, and Chicago. Craig owns career averages of 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. This season, Craig averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in nine games for the Chicago Bulls.

During the 2022-23 season, Craig averaged career-highs across the board with 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 24.7 minutes per game in 79 outings (60 starts) with the Suns. Craig has posted 14 double-doubles during his professional tenure and scored 20-plus points six times.

Craig spent four seasons in the Australian NBL before making his NBA debut with Denver during the 2017-18 season. In 2017, he was named the Australian NBL Defensive Player of the Year, earned Australian NBL Most Improved Player honors, and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team. The South Carolina native played four collegiate seasons at the University of South Carolina Upstate and averaged 16.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 31.0 minutes per game over 131 appearances (124 starts).

Magic sign Ethan Thompson to two-way contract

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Ethan Thompson to a two-way contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has announced.

Thompson (6’5”, 195, 5/4/99) has played and started in 14 games during the regular season with Osceola of the NBA G League, averaging 17.7 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 3.1 apg. and 1.07 stlpg. in 34.1 minpg. He also appeared in 16 games (15 starts) with Osceola during the NBA G League Tip-off Tournament, averaging 16.8 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 2.3 apg. and 1.44 stlpg. in 32.1 minpg.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Thompson has appeared in 110 career NBA G League regular season games (101 starts) with Windy City, Mexico City and Osceola, averaging 17.0 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.6 apg. and 1.25 stlpg. in 32.9 minpg., while shooting .850 (300-353) from the free throw line. He was named to the 2023-24 All-NBA G League Third Team after averaging 22.8 ppg., 5.1 apg., 4.5 rpg. and 1.45 stlpg. in 37.2 minpg. in 33 games (all starts) with Mexico City.

Raptors give Jamison Battle a standard contract

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have converted forward Jamison Battle’s deal to a standard NBA contract.

In a corresponding move, the Raptors have signed center Orlando Robinson to a two-way contract.

Battle, 6-foot-6, 228 pounds, has appeared in 35 games in his rookie season with the Raptors averaging 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 12.6 minutes. He is shooting .458 (66-144) from the field, including .417 (45-108) from three-point range.

In 15 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games (all starts) with Raptors 905, the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, Battle averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 29.0 minutes. He scored 10+ points 11 times and 20-or-more twice while shooting .496 (68-137) from the field and .460 (40-87) from beyond the arc.

A native of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, Battle signed as an undrafted free agent last July and was converted to a two-way contract in October. Prior to the NBA, he averaged 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 31.4 minutes in 35 games (all starts) as a fifth-year senior at Ohio State last season. He shot .469 (179-382) from the field and a career-best .433 (91-210) from beyond the arc, which ranked second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.

76ers sign Chuma Okeke to 10-day contract

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Chuma Okeke to a 10-day contract.

Originally selected by Orlando in the first round (16th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft, Okeke has averaged 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 20.3 minutes played in 189 games (55 starts) with the Magic.

Okeke has played in 16 games (all starts) with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League in 2024-25, averaging 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocked shots. He has reached the 15-point mark in 12 of his 16 contests, including a G League career-high 30 points (7-17 3FG) to go along with 11 rebounds, and eight assists against Raptors 905 on Jan. 22.

Prior to his professional career, Okeke competed in two collegiate seasons at Auburn from 2017-19, earning SEC All-Tournament Team honors after leading the Tigers to the conference crown in 2019. He was later selected to the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks en route to an Elite Eight appearance.

Okeke will wear No. 18 for the 76ers.

Hawks trade Bogdan Bogdanovic to Clippers

The LA Clippers yesterday acquired Bogdan Bogdanović and three second-round draft picks in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, it was announced by Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations.

“Bogdan is a smart, competitive guard who brings shooting, passing and a high basketball IQ,” said Frank. “He has proven, both in the NBA and international play, that he is a terrific connector and a big shot maker.”

Bogdanović, 32, has played in 24 games for the Hawks this season, averaging 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.9 minutes. The 6-foot-5 guard has appeared in 473 games across eight NBA seasons with Sacramento and the Hawks, averaging 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 28.6 minutes. Originally selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Bogdanović was named to the 2017-18 All-Rookie Second Team. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Bogdanović has been a member of the Serbian National Team since 2013, winning silver medals at the 2016 Olympics, 2014 and 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2017 FIBA EuroBasket, as well as a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics.

“I can’t say enough good things about what T Mann has accomplished over the past six years, and what he’s meant to our organization,” said Frank. “We drafted him in 2019 and he became everything we hoped: a selfless, dependable pro who excels on both ends of the court and does whatever it takes to win. Everybody remembers the 39 points he scored against Utah to clinch our first conference finals berth. We’ll also remember his day-to-day consistency and competitiveness. He set a standard for our young players and left an imprint on our team that will live on. We are grateful to him and to Bones, an electric scorer who had some great moments here. Bones wants to play regularly and we’re hoping he gets the opportunity.”

Mann, 28, appeared in 37 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes. The 6-foot-5 guard has played in 382 games across six NBA seasons since being selected by the Clippers with the 48th overall pick in ‘19. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 49.8% from the field. Mann also appeared in the sixth-most playoff games in franchise history (43), averaging 6.0 points while shooting 50% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc.

Hyland, 24, appeared in 20 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 7.2 points, 1.4 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 11.1 minutes. The 6-foot-2 guard has played in 182 games across four NBA seasons with Denver and the Clippers, averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 17.3 minutes. Originally selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Hyland was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team.