NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
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The Orlando Magic have waived guard C.J. Watson, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.
Watson (6’2”, 175, 4/17/84) appeared in 62 games (nine starts) last season with Orlando, averaging 4.5 ppg., 1.8 apg. and 1.4 rpg. in 16.3 minpg. He was signed as a free agent by the Magic on July 9, 2015 and played in 95 games (11 starts) during the last two seasons (2015-17) with Orlando, averaging 4.5 ppg., 2.1 apg. and 1.6 rpg. in 17.6 minpg.
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Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Mike Scott.
“Mike’s toughness and ability to stretch the floor make him a good addition to our frontcourt reserves,” Grunfeld said. “His skillset fits in well with our offensive system and his tenacity fits in well with our overall team dynamic.”
Scott played four-and-a-half seasons with the Atlanta Hawks after being drafted by the team with the 43rd pick (second round) of the 2012 NBA Draft. During a three-year stretch (2013-14 to 2015-16, 223 games), Scott averaged 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting .346 from three-point range as a key contributor off the Hawks’ bench. He averaged a career-high 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 80 games for the Hawks during the 2013-14 season and shot a career-high .392 from three-point range over 75 games during the 2015-16 season.
The 6-8, 237-pound forward has appeared in 281 total games, averaging 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds, over his NBA career. He has also appeared in 32 career playoff games, averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
A native of Chesapeake, VA, Scott was named to the All-ACC First Team as a senior at the University of Virginia after averaging 18.0 points and 8.3 rebounds. He finished third in Cavaliers history in rebounds and double-doubles and 16th overall in points.
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The Toronto Raptors have signed guard-forward Malcolm Miller to a two-way contract and forward Alfonzo McKinnie to a multi-year contract.
Miller, 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, averaged 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 18.7 minutes in 29 games last season for Alba Berlin of the German Bundesliga. In 2015-16, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 31.9 minutes in 47 games for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League and was second on the team with 84 made three-pointers.
A native of Laytonsville, Maryland, Miller played four seasons at Holy Cross and was named Second-Team All-Patriot League during his senior year.
McKinnie, 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, averaged 14.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 30.5 minutes in 50 games last season for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. He reached double-figure scoring 41 times, including a season-high 29 points March 4 versus Sioux Falls. The Chicago, Illinois native was named to the 2017 NBA G League All-Star Game in New Orleans and scored 16 points in 22 minutes of action.
McKinnie won a silver medal for USA Basketball at the 2016 FIBA 3×3 World Championship in Guangzhou, China. He split the 2015-16 season between the East Side Pirates (Luxembourg) and Heromsillo (Mexico), where he averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 26.0 minutes in 24 games.
McKinnie played two collegiate seasons with Wisconsin-Green Bay (2013-15) and two seasons at Eastern Illinois (2010-12).
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The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed forward OG Anunoby (O G Ann-uh-no-bee) to a rookie scale contract. Anunoby is under contract through the 2018-19 season, with two team option years to follow.
The Raptors selected Anunoby with the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Anunoby, 6-foot-8, 232 pounds, played two seasons at Indiana (2015-17), averaging 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 17.4 minutes. He totaled 48 steals and 47 blocks in 50 career games (10 starts).
Anunoby averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 25.1 minutes this past season. He recorded at least one block or one steal in all 16 of his games played. Anunoby set career highs of 21 points November 27 versus Mississippi Valley State and seven steals January 15 versus Rutgers. He sustained a season-ending injury to his right knee January 18 at Penn State.
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Sixers guard Markelle Fultz was evaluated following an injury to his left ankle, which was suffered in the third quarter of a Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, July 8 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Fultz underwent X-rays, which were negative, and the injury was determined to be a lateral ankle sprain. He will miss the remainder of Summer League and is expected to return to normal basketball activities in 1-2 weeks.
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The Milwaukee Bucks have signed rookie Sterling Brown to a contract.
Additionally, the Bucks signed undrafted rookie Jalen Moore to a Two-Way contract.
Brown, the 46th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Bucks on July 6 from Philadelphia for cash considerations. A 6-foot-6 guard from SMU, Brown played four seasons with the Mustangs, appearing in a program-record 136 games with 106 starts. As a senior in 2016-17, he was named to the All-AAC Second Team after averaging 13.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting a conference-high 44.9 percent from 3-point range. In his four seasons at SMU, Brown set the school record for career wins (109) and is second all-time with a 45.1 3-point shooting percentage for his career. Brown is a native of Maywood, Ill., and is the brother of Shannon Brown, who spent nine seasons in the NBA from 2006-2015.
Moore was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team after averaging 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31 games (all starts) for Utah State as a senior. A 6-8 forward, he is one of only three players in program annals to lead the Aggies in scoring and rebounds for three seasons. Moore started in 91 of 92 games over his last three seasons. Over his four years at Utah State, he shot 47.4 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
NBA rules permit teams to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A Two-Way player for the Bucks will provide services primarily for the team’s NBA G League affiliate – the Wisconsin Herd – but can spend up to 45 days with Milwaukee, not including any time prior to the start of the Herd’s training camp and at the conclusion of his season.
Brown and Moore are currently competing with the Bucks entry in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
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Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo announced today that the team has signed guard JJ Redick and forward Amir Johnson.
A 6-foot-4 guard, Redick finished 2016-17 with the Los Angeles Clippers averaging 15 points and two assists in 28 minutes per game while shooting 43 percent from three-point range and 89 percent from the free-throw line over 78 appearances (all starts).
“We are really excited to add one of the game’s truly elite shooters in JJ Redick, who should fit perfectly with our pace-and-space offense. JJ works as hard as anyone in the league to get open looks, but his job will be made easier with the playmaking and facilitating mindset of players like Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said.
Entering his 11th season, the 33-year-old holds the league’s 14th-highest all-time three-point percentage at 42 percent. He has finished in the top five in three-point percentage the last three seasons, including first in 2015-16, shooting a career-best 48 percent clip from beyond the arc. The Duke product was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic after he was named 2006 Associated Press Collegiate Player of the Year.
All told, he’s played in 690 career games (319 starts) with the Clippers, Milwaukee and Orlando and holds averages of 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes per game. He’s shot 45 percent from the field, 42 percent from three-point range and 89 percent from the free-throw line (10th all-time).
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A 6-foot-9 forward, Johnson has appeared in 745 career games (461 starts) with Boston, Toronto and Detroit. He holds career averages of eight points, six rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes per game while shooting 57 percent from the field and 67 percent from the free-throw line. His 57.4 percent field-goal percentage ranks seventh-best in NBA history and fourth among active players. This past season with Boston, Johnson posted seven points, five rebounds and a career-high two assists per contest.
“Amir Johnson is an ideal veteran addition for our young basketball team. Amir is that iron horse type of producer who impacts a team in so many positive ways on the court, but his value will also be felt in the locker room and in our community,” Colangelo said.
A 12-year NBA veteran, Johnson averaged 10 points per game in back-to-back seasons from 2012-14 with Toronto. He was originally selected in the second round (56th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft by Detroit out of Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California. He was a 2005 McDonald’s All-American.
Redick will wear No. 17 with Philadelphia, while Johnson will don No. 5. The duo will be introduced at a press conference today at 6 p.m. PT in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center in the Strip View Pavilion Room. More information relating to the press conference will be disseminated later this afternoon.
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Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo announced today that the team has signed guard Markelle Fultz to his rookie contract. This was a mere formality, as first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to begin their NBA career right away.
“Markelle Fultz possesses elite basketball skills, instincts and talent which prompted us to move up to No. 1 and add him to our talented young core of players. At only 19 years of age, the sky is the limit for Markelle and we could not be happier to have him join our Sixers family,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said.
A 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard, Fultz played one collegiate season at Washington prior to being chosen first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by Philadelphia. He averaged team-highs of 23 points (sixth in NCAA) and six assists to go along with six rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes per game. He was just the second NCAA freshman to average 23 points, five rebounds and five assists per game since 1992-93.
Fultz was a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award, which has been presented annually to the outstanding collegiate basketball Player of the Year since 1976. He was selected First Team All-Pac-12 and was named an Associated Press Third Team All-American.
Fultz was a member of the 2016 Team USA Under-18 team that won the FIBA Americas World Championships last July. He was named MVP of the FIBA Americas Championships after averaging 14 points, five assists and three steals per game on 55 percent shooting from the floor.
Fultz is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School where he was a 2016 McDonald’s All-American. In his senior season, he led DeMatha to the Maryland Private School League Championship, while setting the school’s single-season record for assists with 278.
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed rookie free agent Cameron Oliver.
Oliver (6-8, 239) was an early entry candidate for the 2017 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Nevada, during which he averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. In addition to being named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Oliver was voted All-Conference First Team by media and was a Second Team selection by coaches. He was awarded Mountain West Freshman of the Years honors by media in 2015-16.
In only two seasons with the Wolf Pack, Oliver recorded the third-most blocks in school history. At 6’8”, he ranked 13th in the nation in blocks per game as both a freshman and a sophomore.
This past season, Oliver hit 66 3-pointers on 38.4% shooting, up from 20 3FGM on 32.8% shooting as a freshman. He also more than doubled his assist total from his freshman season in nearly the identical number of minutes played.
Oliver is currently playing for the Rockets in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Golden State Warriors have signed rookie forward Jordan Bell to a contract. The Warriors acquired the draft rights to Bell, the 38th overall selection in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft, from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for cash considerations on June 22.
Bell, 22, posted career highs of 10.9 points and 8.8 rebounds to go with 2.3 blocks (second in the Pac-12) as a junior in 2016-17, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Bell (6’9”, 224) compiled career averages of 7.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.3 blocks and 24.9 minutes in 104 games over three seasons at Oregon, garnering Second Team All-Pac-12 accolades last season. Oregon’s career leader in blocked shots (235) and field goal percentage (.610), Bell helped the Ducks advance to the 2017 Final Four with an 11-point, 13-rebound, eight-block performance in a win over Kansas in the Elite Eight. In a Final Four matchup with North Carolina, he scored 13 points to go with a career-high 16 rebounds against the eventual champion Tar Heels.
A native of Long Beach, Calif., Bell is currently with the Warriors Summer League team in Las Vegas.