NBA rumors

Free agent guard Zach Norvell has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, agents Reggie Brown and Andy Shiffman of Priority Sports told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Norvell averaged 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in the G League last season with the South Bay Lakers and Santa Cruz Warriors.

The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a one-year deal with free agent guard Derrick Walton Jr., per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal is non-guaranteed, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Walton will be in training camp with a chance to make the final roster.

The Sacramento Kings have re-signed DeQuan Jeffries on a two-year, $3 million minimum deal that includes a team option in year two, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The Kings have also agreed to a deal with former Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky.

Free agent guard Kelan Martin has agreed to a two-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports Management told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Martin played 31 games on a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

There are at least five teams behind free agent Glenn Robinson III: Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Rockets and Jazz, as reported by Mike Scotto of Hoopshype.

Per Hoopshype, In Los Angeles, the Clippers can offer as much as the $3.6 million bi-annual exception while the Lakers can offer the veteran’s minimum. The Rockets have around $8 million remaining with their mid-level exception, while the Nets have the $5.7 million mid-level exception. The Jazz has the $3.6 million bi-annual exception remaining.

Dwight Howard was introduced as new player of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The big man left the Lakers where he won his first NBA title to join Philadelphia.

Per ESPN, “Winning the championship was everything, and it made me realize I could have the best stats in the world and it don’t mean nothing,” Howard said in his introductory video call after signing a one-year deal for the minimum with Philadelphia in free agency. “Because here it was, I won a championship and there was games where I didn’t score a bucket, or get a field goal, or get minutes in a game. What really matters is just holding up that trophy.

“That would be my message to everybody on the team: What are you willing to give up to get that trophy? Sometimes you got to give up everything. Sometimes your role and what’s required of you [is] to give up the things you want to do the most. For me, I would have loved to be the guy to score all the points and rebounds, but my team needed me for a specific purpose, and that was to provide the spirit and energy on and off the court.

“I think I did a pretty good job at it, and whatever this team asks me to do, I’m willing to do it.”

Howard, who turns 35 next month, said that ultimately was what pushed him to join the team.

“The reason why I was super locked in on being here in Philly is that Doc was the only coach that called me during this free-agency process,” Howard said. “He was the first one to call me and he said we want you. We want you on our team. And then Daryl called. I said this is where I need to be right now. This is where my journey is calling me. To Philly. I’m super happy that Doc called me, that he gave me the opportunity, and I told him yes. I told him I would come.”

“There’s a lot of things,” Howard said when asked why he thinks the Sixers can win a title. “You have two great young stars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, I’m going to start there.

“Then you look at the rest of the guys on our team, they’ve all been hungry, they just never knew how to win. And I think by adding a guy like Danny Green and myself, we just fresh off of winning a championship, and I think we all know what it takes to really get to the next level. And I think this is a really great opportunity. You have a coach always talking about winning, how important it is to win, and you have some players who just want it. I think this year with the focus this team will have and the drive that we have to be successful, this will be our year.”

The NBA denied Los Angeles Lakers’ application to exclude Luol Deng’s salary from team salary book.

Lakers owe Deng money through 2022.

The news was reported by Shams Charania.

Hassan Whiteside has reached a single-season deal with the Sacramento Kings.
The big man will pen a deal for the minimum.

The Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets have been discussing a sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward that would create a trade exception for the Celtics.
Charlotte tried to find a third team ready to get Nicolas Batum’s $27 million contract but it won’t be easy.

Hayward will sign a four-year, $120 million deal with the Hornets.

Sources: Boston and Charlotte have worked on a sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward that would land Celtics a trade exception, but Hornets have first been trying to find a third team for Nic Batum's $27M contract to see if there's a way to avoid waiving-and-stretching his money.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 25, 2020

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached an agreement with Frank Jackson.
The player spent the past two seasons with the Pelicans.