Bucks sign rookies Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon

The Bucks have signed 2016 draft picks Thon Maker (10th overall) and Malcolm Brogdon (36th overall).

Maker played two seasons for the Athlete Institute Academy in Mono, Ontario, which plays in the seven-team Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association. Maker was selected League MVP, Finals MVP and First-Team All-Star following the 2015-16 season. He led the Canada Elite AAU team to the title game of the Under Armour 17-and-under league after averaging 16.5 points and 11.8 rebounds during the finals in 2015. The 19-year-old also represented the World Select Team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit.

Originally from South Sudan, Maker emigrated to Australia with his family when he was eight years old before moving to the United States as a teen to play high school basketball for Carlisle High School in Martinsville, Va., where he averaged 21.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game and was named Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2013-14.

In five NBA Summer League games, Maker averaged 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game which earned him All-NBA Summer League Second Team honors.

Brogdon played four years of college basketball at Virginia and averaged 18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a senior in 2015-16. He was named the 2016 ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to earn both honors in the same season. The 23-year-old was also a unanimous First Team All-American selection in 2016. He was also named to the All-ACC First Team as a junior (2015) and sophomore (2014). Brogdon concluded his Virginia career ranked ninth all-time in school history with 1,809 points scored. The Virginia product is a native of Atlanta, Ga., and played high school basketball at Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.).

In five NBA Summer League games, Brogdon averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He was one of 25 players chosen – including teammate Jabari Parker – for the 2016 USA Men’s Select Team that trained with the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its training camp in Las Vegas, Nev.

Cavaliers waive Dahntay Jones

Cavaliers waive Dahntay Jones

The Cavaliers have waived guard/forward Dahntay Jones, it was announced today by Cavs General Manager David Griffin.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, today marked “two days before his $1.5 million contract for this season would have become guaranteed.”

Jones was signed by the Cavaliers on April 13, 2016, He had a very limited role on the team and was mostly an observer, appearing in one regular season game and 15 postseason games this past season.

Rockets sign Pablo Prigioni

Rockets sign Pablo Prigioni

The Rockets are limited at the point guard position, with Patrick Beverley and little else. Today they added depth to the spot with the signing of free agent guard Pablo Prigioni (pronunciation: pri-gee-OH-nee).

The team is still weak at the PG spot, especially with many of the NBA’s elite point guards residing in the Western conference. Though, shooting guard James Harden creates a lot of the team’s offense.

The 6-3, 185-pound Prigioni has appeared in 270 games with 51 starts across four NBA seasons while posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.98. Dating back to 2012-13, he is one of 10 players with at least 270 games played to have more steals than turnovers, joining teammates Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer. Prigioni spent the second half of the 2014-15 season with the Rockets and helped the team advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1996-97.

A native of Argentina, Prigioni has been playing professionally since he was 18 years old.

He will wear #9 for the Rockets.