Month: February 2017

Pelicans sign Hollis Thompson to 10-day contract

Pelicans sign Hollis Thompson to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans signed free agent guard/forward Hollis Thompson to a 10-day contract today.

Thompson, 6-8, 206, most recently played for the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League. In eight games (five starts) with Austin, Thompson has averaged 17.0 points on .500 shooting from the floor, including .484 from deep, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.9 minutes per contest.

Undrafted in 2012 out of Georgetown University, Thompson has appeared in 256 regular season games (82 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers between 2013-17, averaging 7.9 points while shooting .389 from three-point range, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.3 minutes per game.

Thompson will wear #32 for the Pelicans. New Orleans’ roster now stands at 14.

Pelicans waive Terrence Jones

Pelicans waive Terrence Jones

The New Orleans Pelicans waived forward Terrence Jones today.

Jones, 6-9, 252, appeared in 51 games this season for the Pelicans (12 starts), averaging 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 24.8 minutes per contest. The University of Kentucky product was originally signed by New Orleans on July 22, 2016.

Selected 18th overall in 2012, Jones has appeared in 229 career regular season games, averaging 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 blocks with New Orleans and Houston.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 13.

Mavericks waive Deron Williams

Mavericks waive Deron Williams

The Dallas Mavericks waived guard Deron Williams today.

Williams (6-3, 200) is a 12-year veteran who re-signed with the Mavericks on July 8, 2016. This season, he averaged 13.1 points, 6.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 29.3 minutes in 40 games (all starts). Among qualifiers, Williams ranks 10th in the NBA in assists per game.

Last season with Dallas, Williams averaged 14.1 points, a team-high 5.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 32.4 minutes in 65 games (63 starts). He shot .414 from the field (321-775 FGs), .344 (97-282 3FGs) from three-point range and a career-high .869 (179-206 FTs) from the free throw line. Among league leaders, he ranked 19th in assists and 15th in free throw percentage.

Bucks trade Roy Hibbert to Nuggets

Bucks trade Roy Hibbert to Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have acquired center Roy Hibbert from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a protected 2019 second round draft pick, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Hibbert, 7-2, 270, was acquired by Milwaukee from Charlotte in a trade on Feb. 2, 2017, and had yet to appear in a game for the Bucks. He played in 42 games (13 starts) for the Hornets this season, averaging 5.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.10 blocks in 16.0 minutes per game. Overall, the big man has appeared in 656 career games (586 starts) over nine seasons with Indiana, L.A. Lakers and Charlotte, averaging 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.75 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game.

Hibbert, 30, is a two-time former Eastern Conference All-Star, having been named as a reserve for the Pacers in both 2012 and 2014. He was also named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team in 2014. The Georgetown University product was originally selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors before being traded to Indiana on July 9, 2008.

He will wear #34 and the Nuggets roster currently stands at 15 players.

Grizzlies sign Toney Douglas for rest of season

Grizzlies sign Toney Douglas for rest of season

The Memphis Grizzlies today signed guard Toney Douglas for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

Douglas (6-2, 195) has appeared in 14 games as a reserve for the Grizzlies this season and averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.2 minutes. The 30-year-old originally signed with Memphis as a free agent on Dec. 5 pursuant to the NBA’s hardship rule and was waived on Dec. 15. He then was re-signed by the Grizzlies to consecutive 10-day contracts on Jan. 31 and Feb. 9. Memphis has gone 11-3 in games where Douglas has played.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round (29th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft following his senior season at Florida State University, the Jonesboro, Ga. native has appeared in 384 regular season games (65 starts) and averaged 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 19.2 minutes during his eight-year NBA career with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.

Lakers trade Lou Williams to Rockets

Lakers trade Lou Williams to Rockets

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired guard Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for guard/forward Corey Brewer and the Rockets first round pick in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft.

“This trade allows us to continue on the path of building something special, while maintaining future flexibility within the organization,” President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson said. “Additionally, Corey is a proven veteran that will make a positive impact on our team right away.”

Brewer, 30, has appeared in 58 games (eight starts) for the Rockets this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.9 minutes per game. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Brewer has averaged 9.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 687 career NBA games. The former Florida standout was a two-time NCAA champion before winning an NBA Championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Williams was originally the 45th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2005 NBA Draft out of South Gwinnett High School near Atlanta. In 12 NBA seasons, he is averaging 12.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 759 career games with 90 starts. Williams was Sixth Man of the Year while playing for Toronto in 2014-15.

This season, Williams is averaging a career-high 18.6 points in just 24.2 minutes per game. In NBA history, the only player to average at least 18.0 points in 25.0 or fewer minutes played was Freeman Williams (19.3 ppg in 24.1 mpg) for San Diego in 1980-81. Williams also ranks fifth in the NBA in fourth quarter scoring this season with 7.7 ppg. He scored a total of 137 points off the bench over a four-game stretch from Dec. 3 through Dec. 9, marking the highest four-game total by a reserve since starts were tracked by the NBA in 1970-71.

Williams is shooting 44.4% from the floor this season, which would be his highest percentage since shooting a career-best 47.0% in 2009-10. He is averaging over two 3-pointers made for this first time in his career on a career-high 38.6% shooting. Williams is also shooting a career-best 88.4% from the line this season and 82.5% for his career.

Of reserves with more than one appearance this season, Williams has the highest scoring average at 18.7 points per game. Houston’s Eric Gordon is second with 17.5 ppg. Dating back to 2007-08, Williams has the highest point total (7,918) of any reserve in the NBA. Over that 10 season span, he also has made 348 more free throws than any reserve has attempted.

Knicks stand pat at NBA trade deadline

There were plenty of Knicks-related rumors, but as the NBA trade deadline passed today the team kept their roster in tact. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting:

Derrick Rose was shopped by the Knicks to Minnesota for much of Thursday heading into the 3 p.m. deadline, but the swap for Ricky Rubio never materialized and Phil Jackson stuck with a roster that went 23-34 into the All-Star break.

Negotiations involving Carmelo Anthony had no traction, as the small forward with the power of a no-trade clause said he’d be spending the afternoon napping ahead of Thursday’s game against the Cavs.

But for Rose, the possibility of a relocation — and a reunion with Timberwolves coach/president Tom Thibodeau — was a real possibility. According to sources, the Knicks were eager to land other pieces in the deal — including forward Nemanja Bjelica — but Minnesota ultimately declined and pulled out.

Report: Rockets trading K.J. McDaniels to Nets

The 40-18 Rockets are reportedly sending little-used shooting guard K.J. McDaniels to the Nets.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, via Twitter, “Houston has traded K.J. McDaniels to the Brooklyn Nets, league sources tell @TheVertical. Unloading McDaniels to the Nets frees $3M in cap space to use on the buyout market for Houston.”

McDaniels, a 6-6, 205-pound guard who played college ball at Clemson and is in his third NBA season, is averaging 2.8 points in 7.3 minutes per game this season.

Mavs and Andrew Bogut never got to mesh

Here’s the Dallas Morning News discussing center Andrew Bogut, who never made his mark as a member of the Mavericks and is now set to be traded to the Sixers. Bogut played in 26 games for the Mavs, averaging 3.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg in 22.4 minutes per outing:

Mavs and Andrew Bogut never got to mesh

Andrew Bogut, we hardly knew ya.

The big Aussie with the bigger sense of humor blew through the Mavericks for two-thirds of a season, never quite fit on the court with Dirk Nowitzki and now is heading elsewhere, although nobody’s sure quite where.

It was a virtual guarantee that Philadelphia, to whom the Mavericks will trade Bogut as soon as the conference call with the NBA office takes place, will never put the 7-footer in a uniform. They will waive him if they can’t move him along. It’s likely the Mavericks are paying a chunk (if not all) of his remaining salary.
Bogut still has some tread on his tires, but it’s getting pretty well worn. The question is whether he can land in a place that can utilize him for 20 minutes a game and get the most of his skills.