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Michael Scotto: Seven players had rookie team options declined for the 2027-28 season, making them unrestricted free agents in 2027: Tidjane Salaun (Hornets), Nikola Topic (Thunder), Isaiah Collier (Jazz), DaRon Holmes (Nuggets), Cody Williams (Wolves), Pacome Dadiet (Knicks), AJ Johnson (Pelicans).
Michael Scotto: The New Orleans Pelicans exercised team options on Jeremiah Fears ($8.27M), Derik Queen ($5.67M) and Yves Missi ($5.60M) for the 2027-28 season. New Orleans will decline their team option on AJ Johnson ($5.49M) for the 2027-28 season. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2027
Clemente Almanza: Ajay Mitchell was almost on the Bucks: “My agent was like, ‘There’s a chance you get picked late first.’ Milwaukee had the 23rd pick. I went in there, they really liked me. My sister lived in Wisconsin.” Instead, the Bucks chose AJ Johnson
Will Guillory: Per a league source, the Pels plan to waive veteran Taj Gibson. They'll still owe him $100K. AJ Johnson will stick with the team for now. They'd like to get a good look at him in training camp and see how he fits.
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Yossi Gozlan: AJ Johnson comes up just short of a straight up salary match for Jordan Hawkins. To avoid absorbing Hawkins with their $29 million trade exception, they include Taj Gibson. Johnson, like most players traded in early July, just had his trade aggregation restriction expire. Taj Gibson has a $3.8 million salary that is non-guaranteed. His guarantee will increase from $0 to at least $149k to fulfill the salary match for Hawkins. The Grizzlies can then absorb Micah Peavy with one of their smaller exceptions.
Keith Smith: Trade Mechanics: 🏀Taj Gibson will have $200K of his contract guaranteed. That way he and AJ Johnson's contracts match salary for Jordan Hawkins. 🏀MEM will bring Micah Peavy in via the $4.3M Ja Morant TPE.
Marc Stein: Reported July 23 below that New Orleans was working to trade Jordan Hawkins to Memphis. Now that AJ Johnson’s contract can be aggregated that trade finally happens today and will provide the Pels nearly $6 million in savings to proceed with the addition of Bennedict Mathurin.
Thus, New Orleans has explored the trade market on Jordan Hawkins, including discussions with the Memphis Grizzlies involving AJ Johnson, league sources told HoopsHype. Shedding Hawkins’ $7.02 million salary from their books would keep New Orleans below the luxury tax while using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to make a run at Mathurin.
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Guards D’Angelo Russell and AJ Johnson are not expected to remain with Memphis by the start of the upcoming season, league sources told HoopsHype. As noted above, Johnson has been mentioned in trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans among other teams.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward Tarik Biberovic (TAH-rick bee-BEHR-oh-vitch). Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Dallas acquired the rights to Biberović along with forward Santi Aldama from Memphis as part of a six-team trade that was announced on Wednesday. The Mavericks sent guard AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2029 second-round pick (via Houston) to the Grizzlies as part of the deal.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today their participation in a six-team trade involving the Detroit Pistons, L.A. Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards. Dallas acquired forward Santi Aldama and the rights to forward Tarik Biberović from Memphis along with guard Marcus Sasser from Detroit. Dallas traded guard AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2029 second-round pick (via Houston) to Memphis. The Mavericks also sent forward Khris Middleton and a 2033 second-round pick to Washington as part of a sign-and-trade deal.
