August 2018 – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Cavs waive Okaro White

The Cleveland Cavaliers waived forward Okaro White today.

Per multiple reports, the Cavs will soon trade for forward Sam Dekker from the Clippers.

White (6-8, 204) originally signed with Cleveland on April 7, 2018 after completing a 10-day contract with the team in March of last season. He did not appear in a regular season game with Cleveland but played in all seven games for the Cavs in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 in Las Vegas, averaging 6.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game.

Mavericks re-sign Salah Mejri

The Dallas Mavericks have re-signed Salah Mejri.

Mejri, a 7-foot-2, 235-pound center, was originally signed by the Mavericks as a free agent on July 30, 2015 and spent the last three seasons in Dallas. He holds career averaged of 3.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 12.1 minutes in 168 games (18 starts). He led the Mavericks in both field goal percentage and blocks each of the past two seasons and has five career double-doubles.

Before joining the Mavericks, Mejri played for Real Madrid where he briefly teamed with the 2018 NBA Draft’s third overall pick and Dallas rookie, Luka Doncic. While playing with Real, he won both a Spanish League title and a Euroleague Championship.

The native of Jendouba, Tunisia, Mejri was also a member of the Tunisian National Team that competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The team secured its bid to the London Olympics by winning the 2011 FIBA African Championships where Mejri was named Most Valuable Player.

Sixers sign center Norvel Pelle

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed center Norvel Pelle.

The deal may just be a non-guaranteed contract that merely brings Pelle to training camp.

Pelle, a 6-foot-11 center, played for the 76ers in 2018 Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and a team-leading 1.2 blocks in 13.8 minutes per outing, in five games.

In 2017-18, Pelle played for Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino and Pallacanestro Varese of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Over the course of 29 games (11 starts), he averaged 6.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game combined between the two teams.

Pelle also spent the 2016-17 campaign with Varese after beginning his international player career with Homenetmen Beirut B.C. of the Lebanese Basketball League Division A in 2015-16.

He has also played in Taiwan.

A native of Antigua and Barbuda, Pelle began his professional career with the 76ers G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, which chose him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Development League draft. In two seasons (2013-15) with Delaware he saw action in 39 games (six starts), posting averages of 5.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 12.8 minutes per contest.

Pacers sign C.J. Wilcox to two-way contract

The Indiana Pacers signed C.J. Wilcox to a two-way contract today.

Wilcox, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard, was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 28th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2017-18 season, and averaged 10.4 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League. Wilcox last appeared in the NBA with the Orlando Magic during the 2016-17 season and has averaged 2.0 points per game over three NBA seasons with the Clippers and Magic.

Wilcox appeared in all five games for the Pacers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas in July. He averaged 9.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from three-point range.

Grizzlies reveal new logo, uniforms and look

The Memphis Grizzlies today unveiled an updated logo, icon and wordmark system, plus new uniforms and more.

In addition, the team announced FedEx as the Memphis Grizzlies’ first-ever Jersey Sponsor.

“If you look at Memphis on a map, the river lines one side and the city unfurls from that singular boundary – and in that asymmetry we find inspiration for all those indigenous off-center creative sparks that distinguish the people and City of Memphis,” said Jason Wexler, Grizzlies President of Business Operations. “The asymmetry, the reflection of Memphis as a 4-dimensional city with river, road, rail and runway, the inline of our new wordmark nodding to the neon of Beale Street – all draw from a city that cuts against the grain coalescing into a truly unique NBA identity. Further, we are extraordinarily excited to have FedEx – an organization that strives to connect the heart and soul of Memphis to the global community – join us in our reimagined brand identity as the Jersey Sponsor.”

“As a hometown organization with thousands of proud Memphis-based team members, FedEx is excited to build on our successful relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies,” said David J. Bronczek, president and COO, FedEx Corp. “Placing the iconic FedEx logo on the players’ jerseys provides another unique way for our brand to reach new audiences around the globe while strengthening our connection to the Grizzlies and the Memphis community.”

According to the team, “the uniforms will feature nods to the team’s first seasons in Vancouver and Memphis while drawing focus to core brand elements of blue collars and the reintroduction of the Beale Street neon-inspired inline type to the number. The uniforms feature an asymmetry that represents not only the city’s geography, but also demonstrates the unique and authentic cultural history of Memphis and the Grizzlies.”

Rockets trade Chinanu Onuaku to Mavericks for Maarty Leunen

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a trade. The Dallas Mavericks have acquired center Chinanu Onuaku (Chih-NAH-noo On-ooh-AH-koo) from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the rights to Maarty Leunen. The Mavericks will also receive cash considerations and the right to swap Golden State’s 2020 second round pick (acquired by Dallas on 7/7/16) with Houston.

Onuaku (6-10, 245) was drafted by Houston in the second round (37th overall) of the 2016 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the Rockets, he averaged 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 12.3 minutes in six career games (one start). In four games for Houston in the 2018 MGM Resorts Summer League in Las Vegas, he averaged 5.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 11.8 minutes per game while shooting .500 from the floor and .833 from the line.

The Lanham, Md., native played two years at the University of Louisville before declaring as an early-entry candidate in the 2016 NBA Draft. As a sophomore, Onuaku averaged 9.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 blocks in 24.6 minutes per game for the Cardinals and earned All-ACC Defensive Team and All-ACC Honorable Mention.

Leunen (6-9, 220) was acquired by the Mavericks from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for two-way forward Johnathan Motley and the rights to guard Renaldas Seibutis on July 23, 2018.

Jazz sign Tyler Cavanaugh to two-way contract

The Utah Jazz signed forward Tyler Cavanaugh to a two-way contract today.

Cavanaugh (6-9, 238, George Washington) joins Utah most recently having played with the Atlanta Hawks last season. He appeared in 39 games (one start) last year, posting averages of 4.7 points on 44.1 percent from the field and 3.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per contest. He tallied a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 from the field, six rebounds and two assists at New Orleans on Nov. 13. Cavanaugh also saw action in 11 contests (five starts) with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League, averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 boards in 23.6 minutes.

The Syracuse, N.Y. native spent two seasons at Wake Forest before finishing his collegiate career at George Washington. During his final season at George Washington, Cavanaugh owned averages of 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists, earning 2017 All-Atlantic 10 Second Team honors. He helped George Washington to a 2016 National Invitation Tournament championship, averaging 19.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in the tournament’s five games, also being named the NIT’s Most Outstanding Player.

Mavs sign guard Codi Miller-McIntyre

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Codi Miller-McIntyre.

We will assume that the deal probably just brings Miller-McIntyre to training camp.

Miller-McIntyre (6-3, 191) was a four-year player at Wake Forest and went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft. As a Demon Deacon, he played in 117 collegiate games (112 starts) and averaged 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 30.8 minutes per contest.

The High Point, N.C., native spent his 2017-18 season with Parma Basket Perm in Russia and averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 32.8 minutes in 24 league games (all starts). While with Parma Basket he earned a VTB United League All-Star nod as well as All-VTB League Honorable Mention.