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The San Antonio Spurs have waived center Khem Birch.
Birch was acquired on Feb. 9, along with a 2024 Toronto first round pick and second round picks in 2023 and 2025 in a trade with the Raptors last season. In 282 career games, he holds career averages of 5.0 points, 4.4 rebounds in 17.1 minutes while shooting 52.0% from the floor.
The Spurs roster now stands at 18 players.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the fourth-year (2024-25) contract option on Evan Mobley, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Mobley (7-0, 215), played in a team-best 79 games (all starts) last season and averaged career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (9.0), assists (2.8), minutes (34.4) and field goal percentage (.554, 17th-best in NBA), to go along with 1.51 blocks (ninth-best in NBA) and 0.76 steals. Mobley was also named to the 2022-23 NBA All-Defensive First Team, ranking first in the league in defensive win shares (4.8), tied for first in contested three-pointers per game (3.6) and fourth in the NBA in total contested shots per game (11.4). Additionally, he recorded at least one block in 59 games (fourth-most in NBA) and his 119 total blocks were the sixth-most in the NBA. Mobley also helped the Cavaliers rank No. 1 in defensive rating (109.9) and No. 1 in opponent points per game (106.9). He finished third in the NBA in Defensive Player of the Year voting and became the seventh player in Cavaliers history to earn Defensive Team honors joining Jim Brewer, Jim Cleamons, Larry Nance Sr., Bobby Phills, LeBron James and Anderson Varejao. Mobley also registered a career-high 24 double-doubles and was one of only three NBA players this past season averaging at least 15.0 points on .500 shooting or better, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks (Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis). The No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2021-22 season, Mobley owns career averages of 15.6 points on .533 shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.58 blocks in 34.1 minutes over 148 games (all starts) in two NBA seasons with Cleveland.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard D.J. Carton.
In a subsequent move, the team announced it has waived guard Vít Krejčí.
Carton spent the 2022-23 season with the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Timberwolves, where he saw action in 41 games (23 starts). He averaged 14.5 points on 55.9% shooting from the field, including 34.0% from deep, 4.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 32.5 minutes per contest. The Pineville, NC native was a member of the Timberwolves entry in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 where he appeared in five games (two starts) and averaged 9.0 points on 45.5% shooting and a team-high 6.8 assists.
Krejčí, 6-8, spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks where he totaled 36 points and 26 rebounds in 29 games. Prior to the Hawks, he played his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder averaging 6.2 points on 40.7% shooting, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30 appearances (eight starts). He was originally signed by the Timberwolves on Sept. 14.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed wing Adonis Arms and guard David Johnson.
In addition, the Grizzlies waived guard Jason Preston and wing Timmy Allen.
Arms (6-6, 205) competed in 46 games (28 starts) for the Memphis Hustle and Grand Rapids Gold during the 2022-23 NBA G League Showcase and regular season and averaged 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 25.1 minutes. The 25-year-old Milwaukee native went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft following his senior year at Texas Tech, where he was named 2021-22 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
Johnson (6-4, 205) appeared in 41 games (17 starts) for Raptors 905 during the 2022-23 NBA G League Showcase and regular season and averaged 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20.1 minutes. The 22-year-old also played 32 games for Raptors 905 and two games for the Toronto Raptors during the 2021-22 season. A native of Louisville, Johnson played two years collegiately with the Cardinals before going unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Preston (6-3, 181), who signed with Memphis on Oct. 16, appeared in 37 NBA G League games for the Ontario Clippers and 14 NBA games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. The 24-year-old Orlando native was selected 33rd overall in the 2021 NBA Draft following his junior year at Ohio.
Allen (6-6, 210), who also signed with Memphis on Oct. 16, started all of his 35 appearances last season as a redshirt senior at Texas. The 23-year-old Arizona native, who was a member of the Grizzlies’ 2023 summer league team, went unselected in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard-forward Daeqwon Plowden.
In addition, Orlando has waived guard/forward Miye Oni. He did not appear in any preseason games with the Magic.
Plowden (6’6”, 216, 8/29/98) played in 24 games last season with Birmingham of the NBA G League, averaging 8.3 ppg., 3.5 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 20.4 minpg., while shooting .368 (25-68) from three-point range and .862 (25-29) from the free throw line.
Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Plowden played in 154 career games (113 starts) during five seasons at Bowling Green State University (2017-22), averaging 10.5 ppg. and 6.1 rpg. in 25.5 minpg. He was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team in 2019-20 and was named to the All-MAC Third Team in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. Plowden was also selected to the 2021-22 MAC All-Defensive team. He is BGSU’s all-time leader in games played (154) and is the only player in program history to record at least 1,200 points, 800 rebounds and 100 blocked shots.
Plowden will wear #29 with the Orlando Magic.
Orlando’s roster remains at 21 players
The Houston Rockets have traded guard Kevin Porter Jr. and two future second round picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
Per the Thunder, Porter Jr. will be “waived immediately.”
Oladipo (6-4, 213) is entering his 11th NBA season with career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.60 steals and 1.6 3-pointers made in 504 games with 397 starts. He appeared in 20 games for the Rockets during 2020-21 prior to being acquired by Miami, where he spent the past two seasons.
The two-time All-Star is one of eight players in NBA history with career averages of at least 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.50 spg and 1.50 3FGM joining LaMelo Ball, Stephen Curry, Paul George, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Oladipo was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2017-18 while also earning All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors.
Robinson-Earl (6-9, 240) was the 32nd overall pick by New York in the 2021 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Oklahoma City. In two seasons for the Thunder, he appeared in 92 games with 56 starts while averaging 7.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 20.7 mpg.
Over the past two seasons, Robinson-Earl was one of eight players who averaged at least 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.0 3FGM in fewer than 21.0 mpg. In 20 games as a starter in 2022-23, he averaged 8.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.2 apg along with 1.4 3FGM on 39.7% shooting.
In a related move, the Rockets have waived forward Matthew Mayer.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Jason Preston and wing Timmy Allen.
In addition, the Grizzlies waived forward Matthew Hurt and guard Mychal Mulder.
Preston (6-3, 181) appeared in 37 games (33 starts) for the Ontario Clippers last season during the NBA G League Showcase and regular season and averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 32.8 minutes. The Orlando native also saw action in 14 games during his NBA rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 8.8 minutes. Selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 24-year-old was named to the 2020-21 All-MAC First Team as a junior at Ohio.
Allen (6-6, 210) started all 35 games and averaged 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 28.4 minutes last season as a redshirt senior at Texas. The Arizona native was named to the 2021-22 All-Big 12 Second Team and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team the previous season with the Longhorns following three years at Utah, where he was selected to the 2020-21 All-Pac 12 First Team. Undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, the 23-year-old competed for the Grizzlies during the 2023 Salt Lake Summer League and NBA Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.
Hurt (6-9, 235), who signed with Memphis on Sept. 30, appeared in two preseason games and totaled three points, three rebounds and one assist. The 23-year-old Minnesota native appeared in 45 games (13 starts) for the Memphis Hustle last season and averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.0 minutes during the NBA G League Showcase and regular season.
Mulder (6-3, 184), who also signed with Memphis on Sept. 30, competed in two preseason games and recorded three points and two rebounds. The 29-year-old native of Canada has played three NBA seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat and five NBA G League seasons with the Windy City Bulls and Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Izaiah Brockington.
And in a related move, New Orleans waived Landers Nolley II.
With the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, Brockington, 6-4, 200, participated in two games last year. Brockington was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2021–2022 after averaging 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals during his senior year at Iowa State University. Brockington played in 125 games for St. Bonaventure, Penn State, and Iowa State during the course of his four-year collegiate career, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Taze Moore.
Moore (6-5, 195) played in 39 games for Dallas’ G League club Texas Legends in 2022–23, averaging 10.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Moore was not selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Moore also participated in 2023 Summer League for the Mavericks, where he averaged 7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists over the course of five games while shooting 60.0% (15-25 FG).
Moore spent four years of collegiate basketball at Cal State Bakersfield before moving to Houston for his final two years of eligibility in 2021–2022. He played in 36 games (31 starts) with the Cougars, averaging 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals, and was named the Great Clips Slam Dunk Champion.
Per NBC Sports Bay Area:
It doesn’t appear as if Klay Thompson and the Warriors will be working out a contract extension any time soon.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski joined “NBA Countdown” prior to Golden State’s preseason matchup with the Sacramento Kings and reported that the two sides have not made progress toward an extension and it’s becoming increasingly likely the Warriors star could enter free agency after the 2023-24 NBA season.
“I’m told that there has been absolutely no progress on a Klay Thompson extension in Golden State and that they are both still apart on years and money and there’s a very real possibility that Klay Thompson goes into free agency next summer without a deal and I think that’s where it gets complicated for Golden State,” Wojnarowski said.