February 2017 – Page 3 – NBA Blog

Hornets sign Johnny O`Bryant to 10-day contract

The Charlotte Hornets have signed forward Johnny O’Bryant to a 10-day contract. O’Bryant joins the Hornets from the NBA Development League’s Northern Arizona Suns, becoming the D-League’s 23rd Gatorade Call-Up this season. The Hornets roster now stands at 14 players.

This marks O’Bryant’s second Gatorade Call-Up of the year, after signing two consecutive 10-day contracts with the Nuggets on Jan. 26 and Feb. 6. The 6-9 O’Bryant saw action in seven games with Denver, averaging 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.6 minutes per contest. He has also appeared in 25 games (all starts) for the D-League’s Northern Arizona Suns this season, owning averages of 18.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists, and was selected as a 2017 NBA D-League All-Star‎.

Originally selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, O’Bryant has appeared in 107 NBA games (19 starts) over three seasons with Milwaukee and Denver, with career averages of 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.

A native of Cleveland, Miss., O’Bryant was a three-year collegiate player at Louisiana State (2011-14) and posted career averages of 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He earned All-SEC First Team accolades following the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

Omri Casspi out 4-6 weeks with thumb injury

New Orleans Pelicans forward Omri Casspi has been diagnosed with a right thumb fracture and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks. The injury occurred in the second half of New Orleans’ game against Houston last night at the Smoothie King Center.

Casspi, 6-9, 225, was acquired from Sacramento along with DeMarcus Cousins on February 20. In his Pelicans debut, Casspi recorded 12 points and two rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. Casspi has appeared in 23 total games this season, averaging 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.3 minutes per contest.

Hawks suspend Dennis Schroder for one game

Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schröder has been suspended by the organization for one game without pay for failure to report to the team on time after the all-star break. He will serve his one-game suspension tonight when the Hawks host the Miami Heat.

“Dennis has played an important role for our team and been a significant contributor to our success this season,” President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We are disappointed that he did not return to the team on time and we have discussed this with him. We look forward to him rejoining the team in Orlando tomorrow night.”

Hawks sign Ryan Kelly and Lamar Patterson to multi-year contracts

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Ryan Kelly and guard/forward Lamar Patterson to multi-year contracts, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Kelly played in nine games earlier this season with the Hawks after signing on Oct. 31, 2016.

Patterson was signed to consecutive 10-day contracts on Jan. 29, 2017 and Feb. 8. He has appeared in four games with the Hawks this season.

Sixers trade Nerlens Noel to Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, pick

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired forward-center Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Justin Anderson, center Andrew Bogut and a 2017 protected first-round pick.

Noel (6-11, 220) holds career averages of 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.6 blocks and 28.3 minutes per game in 171 games (140 starts) with Philadelphia.

The third-year man out of Kentucky is averaging 8.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 19.4 minutes per game in 29 games (seven starts) this season. He is shooting 61.1 percent (107-of-175) from the field this year.

A native of Malden, Mass., Noel was originally selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rights were later traded to Philadelphia along with a future first-round pick in exchange for Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson.

In his lone season at Kentucky (2012-13), Noel averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.1 steals, 4.4 blocks and 31.9 minutes per game en route to earning First Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year honors. On Jan. 29, 2013, Noel set the UK single-game record with 12 blocked shots in a victory over No. 16 Ole Miss.

Noel suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Florida Gators on Feb. 12, 2013, ending his 2012-13 season. Despite the injury, Noel declared for the 2013 NBA Draft following his freshman year. He missed the entire 2013-14 NBA season recovering from knee surgery.

As a rookie in 2014-15, Noel averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.9 blocks and 30.8 minutes per game in 75 games (71 starts) while garnering NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

The 22-year-old Noel was the top-rated player by both ESPNU recruiting and Scout.com coming out of high school and was rated the second-best prospect by Rivals.com. He will wear No. 3 with the Mavericks.

Anderson (6-6, 228) was drafted by Dallas with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In 106 games (11 starts) with the Mavericks, he averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

Bogut (7-0, 260) was acquired by Dallas along with a future second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors on July 7, 2016 in exchange for a future conditional second-round pick. He averaged 3.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 block and 22.4 minutes per game in 26 games (21 starts) with the Mavericks this season.

Thunder, Bulls trade Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow, Joffrey Lauvergne

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has acquired guards Cameron Payne and Anthony Morrow (MORE-roe), and center/forward Joffrey Lauvergne (LA-vern) from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forwards Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round draft pick.

In his second year in the NBA, Payne (6-3, 185) is averaging 5.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 20 games played after missing 35 due to a right foot fracture and two to a D-League assignment with the Oklahoma City Blue. He has scored in double figures twice this season. In 77 career contests (one start), Payne holds averages of 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 13.2 minutes played. He has career shooting averages of .385 from the field, .319 from long range and .821 from the foul line.

In his ninth NBA season, Morrow (6-5, 210) has appeared in 40 games (seven starts) and is posting averages of 5.8 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. He is shooting .387 from the field, .294 from three and .885 from the line for the year. He has eight games with double-digit scoring, and a season high of 21 points vs. Detroit on Nov. 26. In 555 career contests (142 starts), Morrow is averaging 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 22.0 minutes. For his career, Morrow is shooting .447 overall, .417 from distance (5th among active players) and .878 from the stripe. In 2008-09, his three-point percentage of .467 ranked first in the league, and he has had five total seasons where his three-point percentage has ranked in the top 10.

In his third season in the NBA, Lauvergne (6-11, 220) is averaging 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 50 games this year while shooting .455 from the field, .346 from three and .638 from the charity stripe. He’s scored in double figures eight times with a season high of 17 points on Feb. 13 at Washington, which tied Russell Westbrook for the Thunder high in that game. In 133 career appearances (16 starts), Lauvergne is posting averages of 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 15.4 minutes played. He is shooting .480 from the field, .293 from distance and .755 from the line for his career. Lauvergne will be the fourth international player on the Bulls roster.

Gibson was selected by the Bulls with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He is averaging 11.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.91 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game this season and is shooting .521 from the field, .167 from three and .714 from the line.

In 562 career contests (229 starts) with Chicago, Gibson held averages of 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.24 blocks and shot .495 from the field and .694 from the stripe. Gibson ranks in the top-10 of several Bulls franchise leader categories, including games played (10th), offensive rebounds (sixth), defensive rebounds (ninth) and blocks (fifth). Gibson also appeared in 56 playoff games (seven starts) for the Bulls and averaged 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.16 blocks while shooting .499 overall and .691 at the free-throw line.

In his third season, McDermott is averaging 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist and 24.5 minutes in 44 games. McDermott is shooting .445 from the field, .376 from long range and .881 at the line. For his career, McDermott is posting averages of 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists and 20.2 minutes across 161 games (eight starts). He is shooting .445 overall, .399 from three and .849 from the foul line. In three career playoff games for Chicago, McDermott averaged 1.7 points in 3.3 minutes of action.

Rockets trade Tyler Ennis, Brad Newley draft rights to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired guard Tyler Ennis and the draft rights to guard/forward Brad Newley from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Marcelo Huertas, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Ennis has appeared in 31 games for the Rockets this season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 assists in 6.3 minutes per game. Formerly the 18th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, he owns career averages of 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 110 games with Phoenix, Milwaukee and Houston.

Newley was selected by the Rockets with the 54th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft. A two-time representative for Australia’s Olympic team, he currently plays for AEK Athens in Greece.

Huertas averaged 3.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 76 games with the Lakers.

Rockets trade K.J. McDaniels to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired K.J. McDaniels from the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations.

McDaniels has appeared in 128 career games with Houston and Philadelphia, recording averages of 5.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. In 29 games with the Rockets this season, McDaniels has averaged 2.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game. The 24-year-old native of Birmingham, Ala., began his NBA career with the 76ers, averaging 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game in 52 games during his rookie campaign before being traded to the Rockets on February 19, 2015. He signed a multi-year contract with Houston on July 20, 2015. McDaniels was originally selected with the 32nd pick (second round) in the 2014 NBA Draft by Philadelphia after spending three years at Clemson, where he garnered All-ACC First Team honors and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year following his junior season.

Raptors trade Jared Sullinger to Suns for P.J. Tucker

The Phoenix Suns today completed a deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire center/forward Jared Sullinger, Toronto’s second-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, and cash considerations in exchange for forward P.J. Tucker.

“We thank P.J. for his contributions to our franchise over the past five seasons,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “He was well respected by his teammates as someone who pushed them every day in practice, laid his heart on the line on the court and was a leader in the locker room. P.J. was also loved by the fans here in Phoenix for his relentless approach on the court and his work in our community. We appreciate all that he did for the Suns organization and wish him the best as he joins the Raptors.”

Sullinger is in his fifth NBA season, holding career averages of 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 269 games with the Raptors and Boston Celtics. In 11 games with Toronto this season, Sullinger has averaged 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds as he underwent left foot surgery on Oct. 24, delaying his season debut until Jan. 18. Sullinger signed with Toronto this past summer after he had averaged double-digits scoring in each of the three previous seasons with the Celtics, including a career-high 13.3 points in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The 24-year-old posted 10.3 points and a career-best 8.3 rebounds per game in a career-high 81 appearances for Boston last season.

The 21st overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by Boston, Sullinger was a consensus All-American in each of his two seasons at Ohio State University. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a Final Four berth in 2012.

Tucker departs the Suns after averaging 8.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 377 games (286 starts) over five seasons with the team. He initially joined the Suns on Aug. 1, 2012, signing as a free agent to return to the NBA (where he played as a rookie with the Raptors in 2006-07) after five seasons internationally. The 31-year-old is averaging 7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and a career-high 1.5 steals (20th in NBA) in 57 games (17 starts) this season.

The only four-time winner of the Suns’ Majerle Hustle Award, Tucker ranks 14th in Suns history in steals (471), 18th in rebounds (2,228) and 20th in games played (377).

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15.

Hawks trade Mike Scott to Suns

The Atlanta Hawks today acquired the Phoenix Suns’ top-55 protected 2017 second-round pick, in exchange for Mike Scott, the draft rights to Cenk Akyol and cash considerations going to Phoenix, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“On behalf of the Atlanta Hawks, I want to thank Mike for his contributions over the last five years,” Budenholzer said. “He will be missed by his teammates, coaches and the entire Hawks organization. We wish him the best in the future.”

Scott is in his fifth NBA season, holding career averages of 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 281 games, all with Atlanta. The 6-8 forward has averaged 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 18 games with the Hawks this season, scoring a season-high 11 points on Jan. 27 vs. Washington. Originally the 43rd overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of Virginia, Scott averaged career-highs of 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 80 games for Atlanta in 2013-14.

Akyol was selected by the Hawks with 59th overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. The 6-6 guard from Turkey currently plays for Acibadem Universitesi Istanbul of the Turkish Basketball First League and has appeared in 12 games this season, averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20.7 minutes.