The Houston Rockets have traded forward Ryan Anderson and guard De’Anthony Melton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward Marquese Chriss and guard Brandon Knight.

“We are excited to welcome Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to Phoenix,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “Ryan has established himself as one of the league’s best shooters and we think he’ll be a great fit in our offensive system. De’Anthony is a talented young guard who stood out for us throughout the pre-Draft process and at the NBA Summer League.”

“We’d like to thank Brandon and Marquese for their contributions to the Suns franchise over the past few seasons. We wish them the best of luck as they begin the next chapter of their careers with the Rockets.”

Knight (6-3, 195) was originally the eighth overall pick by Detroit in the 2011 NBA Draft. In six seasons played, he has averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Knight also hit at least 100 3-pointers in five of those six seasons.

Over a three-season span from 2013-14 through 2015-16, Knight was one of 11 players to have averaged at least 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.00 steals. James Harden and Chris Paul were two of the other players on that list.

Chriss (6-10, 240) was the eighth overall pick by Sacramento in the 2016 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games with 75 starts in 2016-17 and earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

In two seasons with the Suns, Chriss averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game. He joined Kevin Durant and LeBron James as the only players under the age of 21 by February 1st of their second season to have totaled at least 1,300 points, 700 rebounds, 100 blocks, 100 steals, and 100 3-pointers made within their first two seasons.

Anderson, a 6-10, 240-pound forward, is a 10-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds while making 2.1 three-pointers per game on 38.2 percent shooting from long range. He has played in 622 career games with New Jersey (2008-09), Orlando (2009-2012), New Orleans (2012-2016) and Houston (2016-2018), in addition to 46 career playoff appearances. One of the most productive “stretch fours” in NBA history, Anderson’s 1,315 career three-pointers are the third-most ever by a player 6-10 or taller, trailing only Dirk Nowitzki and Rashard Lewis.

The 2011-12 NBA Most Improved Player Award winner, Anderson is one of just two players to average at least two three-point makes per game in each of the last eight seasons, joined only by Golden State’s Stephen Curry. Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while making 2.0 three-pointers on 38.6 percent three-point shooting in 66 games (50 starts) to help the Rockets to a franchise record 65 wins and a berth in the Western Conference Finals.

Anderson entered the NBA after being selected by New Jersey with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The Sacramento native played two seasons collegiately at the University of California, earning First Team All-Pac-10 honors in 2007-08 after leading the conference with 21.1 points per game.

​Melton, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, was selected by the Rockets with the 46th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old tied for the lead at NBA Summer League 2018 with 3.0 steals per game, in addition to averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the only rookie, and one of just three players overall, to average at least 15 points, seven boards and four assists at NBA Summer League 2018. Melton’s best performance came on July 9 against the LA Clippers when he posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while making 5-of-10 three-point attempts.

Melton played one season at the University of Southern California before entering the NBA. As a freshman in 2016-17, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks while leading the Pac-12 and tying a USC freshman record with 69 steals. Melton became the first freshman in all of Division I basketball to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 60 steals and 35 blocks since Dwyane Wade did so for Marquette in 2001-02.

A native of North Hollywood, California, Melton led Crespi High School in Encino, California to back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016.

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived forward Kyle Singler today.

Singler appeared in 138 games (22 starts) over four years with the Thunder, recording averages of 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per contest.

Entering the 2018-19 NBA season, the Thunder are still built around Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams. George could have left in free agency this summer but chose to re-sign for big money. Carmelo Anthony is gone. Defensive-minded Andre Roberson returns from injury in the backcourt. And Dennis Schroder is on board, definitely making the bench better.

Singler wasn’t going to receive many minutes. He could latch onto another NBA roster, at least for training camp.

The New Orleans Pelicans waived guard DeAndre Liggins today.

Liggins, 6-6, 209, appeared in 27 games (three starts) for New Orleans last season after being originally signed on January 10, averaging 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 9.0 minutes.

The Pelicans had an interesting offseason. Their biggest change is losing DeMarcus Cousins, who is still healing from injury, and adding power forward Julius Randle, who could do big things alongside superstar Anthony Davis. Other roster changes took place as well, but that’s the big one.

As for Liggins, he was a longshot to make the regular season roster, but could latch on with another team.

The Memphis Grizzlies waived center Dakari Johnson today.

Johnson (7-0, 255) appeared in 31 games (six starts) last season as a rookie for the Oklahoma City Thunder and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.2 minutes. He was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Orlando Magic on July 23, 2018.

The 22-year-old New York native was selected the Thunder with the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at the University of Kentucky. He has played three seasons in the NBA G League for the Oklahoma City Blue.

The Sixers still need a new general manager. The search has gone on for quite a while now, but the search has reportedly been narrowed down to a select handful of candidates. Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune with more:

Utah Jazz assistant general manager Justin Zanik is getting another shot at one of the NBA’s 30 top jobs.

Zanik has been named one of three candidates in the Philadelphia 76ers’ general manager search, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Besides Zanik, the Sixers are also interviewing Houston’s Gersson Rojas and Golden State’s Larry Harris.

Full article

Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers and Head Coach Steve Kerr have released the following statements on David West, who announced his retirement yesterday morning:

BOB MYERS

“There should be a picture in the dictionary of David under ‘pro’s pro’. He’s one of the most decent people I’ve ever met. His depth of character is unmatched. We are all better for having spent the last two years with him. There is no doubt the best is ahead of him.”

STEVE KERR

“David was a consummate professional throughout his entire career and was a huge presence in our locker room the last two years. The respect that he commanded was palpable every single day he walked in the door and the leadership that he provided to our team was critical to our success. He had the unique ability to connect with both the veteran and young players and the mentoring he provided our younger group was invaluable. The consistency that he displayed at a high level on the court for 15 years was amazing and a testament to his hard work and dedication. He is a true champion in every sense of the word.”

DAVID WEST CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

· 15-year NBA career with the New Orleans Hornets (2003-11), Indiana Pacers (2011-15), San Antonio Spurs (2015-16) & Golden State Warriors (2016-18)

· Two-time NBA champion (2017 & 2018)

· Two-time NBA All-Star (2008 & 2009)

· One of 129 players in NBA history to appear in at least 1,000 regular-season games (1,034)

· Posted career averages of 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists

· Averaged double figures in scoring in 10-straight seasons (2005-06 to 2014-15), including back-to-back campaigns in which he averaged more than 20 points per game (20.6 in 2007-08 & 21.0 in 2008-09)

· Tallied 173 career double-doubles, and one triple-double on Jan. 12, 2013 vs. Charlotte

The Chicago Bulls have promoted Brian Hagen to Associate General Manager, Steve Weinman to Assistant General Manager, Jim Paxson to Director of Pro Personnel and Miles Abbett to Manager of Minor League Scouting and Analytics.

Hagen is entering his seventh season with the Bulls, as he spent the last six seasons as Assistant General Manager and third as General Manager of the Windy City Bulls. Before joining the Bulls, he spent nine seasons in basketball operations with the New Orleans Hornets, most recently as the team’s Director of Player Personnel. In that role, he was responsible for coordinating the team’s amateur and professional scouting operations and assisted in the evaluation of free agents and prospective trade acquisitions. While with the Hornets, he also spent time as the team’s video coordinator, Director of Basketball Operations, Director of Scouting and Assistant to the General Manager.

Weinman, set to begin his seventh year with the Bulls, was previously the team’s Manager of Basketball Operations and Analytics, after spending two years working for the NBA. In his new role, Weinman will continue to manage the team’s salary cap and oversee the organization’s planning for future initiatives, while remaining the team’s lead for all basketball analytics efforts. Weinman will also shift his focus toward pro scouting and draft personnel.

Paxson will begin his 13th season with the Bulls and has spent the last 12 seasons serving as the Director of Basketball Operations. Prior to Chicago, he spent seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, first as Vice President of Basketball Operations (1998-99), and then as President and General Manager of the club (1999-2005). Paxson also served as Assistant General Manager of the Portland Trail Blazers for three seasons (1995-98), as well as Offensive Skills Coach during the 1993-94 season. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 1984.

Abbett, about to embark on his fifth season with the Bulls, formerly served as the team’s Basketball Operations Coordinator. He will now build upon his analytical contributions for the organization, while also focusing on scouting the G League and international professional leagues.

The Atlanta Hawks signed forward Thomas Robinson today.

Robinson has played in 313 career games (12 starts) with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.4 minutes (.470 FG%).

He spent last season with Khimki (Russia), where he averaged 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes in 28 games (.487 FG%).

Originally selected fifth overall by Sacramento in the 2012 NBA Draft, Robinson was a consensus First Team All-American and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year following his junior season at Kansas, where he played three seasons. He is a native of Washington, DC.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed center Doral Moore to their training camp roster today.

Moore (7-1, 280) appeared in 31 games (30 starts) last season as a junior at Wake Forest University and averaged 11.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.97 blocks in 25.5 minutes while shooting 68.9 percent from the field.

The 21-year-old native of Locust Grove, Georgia saw action in 92 games (31 starts) over his three-year collegiate career and averaged 5.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.22 blocks in 13.7 minutes before going unselected in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday signed guard-forward Anthony Brown.

Brown spent last season on a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in one NBA contest. In 45 games (43 starts) with Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, Brown posted averages of 18.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 37.7 minutes per game. He shot .459 from the field, .404 from three-point range (5.4 attempts per game) and .794 from the free-throw line.

Originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Brown has appeared in 41 career NBA games (11 starts) with the Lakers, New Orleans, Orlando and Minnesota. Across 76 contests (69 starts) at the G League level, Brown has compiled averages of 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 37.3 minutes per game with Los Angeles, Erie and Iowa. Erie chose the California native with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA G League Draft.

Brown starred at Stanford, where he played his college basketball, from 2010-15. As a fifth-year senior in 2014-15, he posted career highs across the board, with 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. The season prior, he helped lead the Cardinal, a No. 10 seed, to a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

The San Antonio Spurs signed forward Quincy Pondexter today.

Pondexter, 6-7/230, spent last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.5 minutes in 23 games.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Pondexter holds career averages of 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes over 302 total games played. After being drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft (26th overall) he was sent to the New Orleans later that summer. Prior to the start of the 2011-12 campaign, Pondexter was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies where he played the next three-plus seasons. On Jan. 12, 2015 he was traded back to the Pelicans where he posted a career-best 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.8 minutes over 45 games.

Pondexter played collegiately at the University of Washington, earning All-Pac-10 First Team honors as a senior in 2010. In four seasons with Huskies he averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 136 games. He is the school’s all-time leader in games played and finished his career ranked third in scoring with 1,786 points.

The Sacramento Kings made many additions and promotions within the team’s basketball operations department today.

The new additions include Teena Murray as Senior Director of Athlete Health and Performance, where she will lead the Kings sports medicine, athletic training and strength and conditioning disciplines.

Additional hires to the Athlete Performance staff include Mike Roncarati as Head of Prevention and Rehabilitation, Joe Resendez as Head Athletic Trainer and Jesse Green as Performance Analyst.

Recent hires and promotions in the scouting department include Elizabeth Ramsey, who joined the organization in May as Director of Basketball Operations and Intelligence. Gene Cross has been promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting, Chris Alpert and Acie Law join the team as regional scouts and Robbie Lemons was promoted to Scouting Coordinator.

Staffing updates to the team’s Athletic Performance and Scouting departments are accompanied by additions to the organization’s Player Development group, including Bobby Jackson as Sacramento Kings Player Development Coach and several key roles filled for the NBA G League Stockton Kings: Tyrone Ellis as Head Coach, Rico Hines as Assistant Coach and Drake U’u as Assistant General Manager.

Additionally, Melanie Stocking was promoted to Senior Manager, Team Travel and Logistics and Matthew Baron was named Performance Chef’s Assistant.

Murray arrives in Sacramento after spending the previous 14 years as the Director of Sports Performance at the University of Louisville, where she built a high-performance model spanning 21 sports and served as head performance coach for the women’s basketball and softball teams, both perennial NCAA Tournament squads. In addition, she served as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate program of Exercise Science and has published research papers in the areas of functional movement and physiological profiling.

Over the course of two decades in the sports performance industry, Murray has extensive experience with professional, Olympic and collegiate athletes, having worked as a consultant with USA Hockey, the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack. Her experience includes roles at Cornell University as Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning and a similar position at the University of Connecticut. As the strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Women’s National and Olympic ice hockey teams from 2006-2010, she shared in two World Championship gold medals and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A native of Shawville, Quebec (Canada), she is a Master Coach with the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches’ Association and is one of less than 100 certified strength and conditioning coaches by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Murray received the Guiding Woman in Sport Award for her leadership in the strength and conditioning field from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

Most recently with the Atlanta Hawks for three seasons as Director of Rehabilitation, Roncarati brings a wealth of experience at the NBA and collegiate levels to his new role with Sacramento. Before his tenure in Atlanta, he served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Golden State Warriors from 2013-15, where his stint in Oakland culminated in an NBA championship. Before making the transition to professional basketball, Roncarati served as Physical Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach at South County Orthopedics, a sports medicine provider at that time for the University of Rhode Island. A graduate of Northeastern University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy, he worked with the athletic training and strength and conditioning staffs for the school’s basketball and baseball teams and co-authored a published paper regarding off-season medical screening for Division 1 Men’s Basketball players. In addition to his work in team athletics, the native of Cumberland, Rhode Island spent three years as a personal rehabilitation expert working with collegiate and professional athletes and members of the general population. Roncarati is a credentialed Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Resendez joins the Kings having spent the previous seven seasons as assistant athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to his work at the NBA level, Resendez spent four seasons as the athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, where he contributed to a pair of NBA D-League Finals Appearances (2010 & 2011). His tenure with the Vipers commenced before the club’s inaugural season after the Brownsville, Texas native served a two-year stint as head trainer for the Men’s Basketball team at Louisiana Tech, where he earned his Master’s Degree of Science in exercise physiology in 2006. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Medicine from the University of Texas-Pan American in 2003, Resendez spent one season as the assistant athletic trainer at the University of Texas-San Antonio. A certified athletic trainer through the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and a licensed athletic trainer (LAT), Resendez specializes in joint and soft tissue manipulation/mobilization and restorative therapies.

Also relocating from the University of Louisville, Green served as an Athletic Performance Fellow and Analyst for the Cardinals after four years with the Brisbane Lions Australian Rules Football Club, where he worked as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. He holds a Masters Degree in Performance Sport from Australian Catholic University and earned a Bachelor of Sports Science at Bond University.

Hired in May after 11 years with the NCAA, Ramsey most recently served four seasons as Associate Director of Enforcement and Basketball Development managing cases regarding NCAA violations in men’s and women’s basketball while working closely as a liaison between coaches, athletes, conferences and other third-party entities. In her new role, she will assist with the day-to-day functioning of the basketball operations and scouting departments. A graduate of the University of Indianapolis, Ramsey also earned a masters of Sports Administration from Canisius College and law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law. As a collegiate athlete, she ranks first Hounds history in points, field goals, scoring average, rebounds, rebounding average and double-doubles—earning induction into the University of Indianapolis Hall of Fame in 2017.

Cross begins his third season with the Kings organization and first as Director of Amateur Scouting. He previously served as a regional scout after spending the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach with the Reno Bighorns. Cross adds more than two decades of basketball experience to his new role, including stops as a head coach for the University of Toledo (2008-10), Erie Bayhawks (2012-14) and Rayos de Hermosillo (Sonora, Mexico). Cross’ tenure in the coaching ranks also features assistant duties at the Universities of Notre Dame, Illinois-Chicago, DePaul and Virginia in addition to stints with D-League franchises Utah Flash, Iowa Energy and Los Angeles Defenders. A Chicago native, he played collegiate basketball at the University of Illinois from 1989 to 1994.

Alpert joins the Kings scouting department after 20 years working around professional basketball in a variety of capacities. Before serving as COO of Up2Us Sports, he spent 14 seasons in several roles within the NBA Development League, leaving in 2015 as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.

Selected No. 11 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Law played seven seasons in the league and three internationally, winning Greek (Olympiacos) and EuroLeague Championships before retiring in 2017. Known as “Captain Clutch” during his time at Texas A&M, he earned the 2007 Bob Cousy Award bestowed upon the nation’s top point guard. Most recently, Law was chosen for the NBA Basketball Operations Associate Program, spending last season working across various areas of league operations.

Lemons begins his third season with the organization and first as Scouting Coordinator after serving in a Basketball Operations role during the previous two campaigns. A Sacramento native, the 2015 Stanford graduate earned First-Team PAC-12 All-Academic honors as a member of the Cardinal basketball team (2010-2014). Lemons secured his public policy MA in Palo Alto and MSC in banking and finance from Newcastle University.

A mainstay in Sacramento on and off the court during his playing tenure, Jackson will join head coach Dave Joerger’s staff this season as a player development coach after spending the previous three seasons as a collegiate scout for the organization. His coaching experience includes two seasons on the Kings bench (2010-12) and another in Minnesota (2013). The Salisbury, North Carolina native played 12 seasons in the NBA, accruing averages of 9.7 points (.417 FG%, .354 3pt%, .793 FT%), 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.98 steals and 22.2 minutes per contest in 755 games (started 143), punctuated by an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2003 as a member of the Kings after registering a career-best 15.2 points (.464 FG%, .379 3pt%, .846 FT%), 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.53 steals and 28.4 minutes per game.

Ellis arrives in Stockton having spent the previous 20 years involved in basketball as a collegiate and professional player and coach at the NBA G League, USA Basketball and NBA levels. He takes the helm ahead of the Kings 2018-19 debut season in California’s central valley after relocating from Reno, Nevada where the club played for 10 seasons. The opportunity marks Ellis’ second instance as a head coach for an inaugural NBA G League campaign after being tapped to lead the Northern Arizona Suns (Prescott Valley, AZ) in 2016. Following his retirement from the court in 2012, Ellis accepted his first coaching position with the Tulsa 66ers (NBA D-League), where he served as an assistant for one year before taking similar roles with the Reno Bighorns (2013-14), Grand Rapids Drive (2014-15) and Bakersfield Jam (2015-16). He spent last season as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.

Hines joins the Stockton Kings bench as an assistant coach for Tyrone Ellis after serving the last two seasons in a similar role with the Reno Bighorns. His coaching experience includes five years as an assistant under Steve Lavin at St. John’s University (2010-15) and four seasons in Golden State working under Don Nelson as a player development assistant (2006-10). Hines is a 2002 graduate of UCLA.

U’u enters his fourth season with the organization and first as Assistant General Manager of the Stockton Kings after serving in a variety of roles, most recently as Pro Personnel Scout. Before joining the Kings, U’u played professionally for two seasons in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) for the Perth Wildcats, where he won a championship in 2014. The Sacramento native played collegiately for the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Stocking begins her 13th season with the Kings after being named Senior Manager, Team Travel and Logistics. Prior to her new role, she served as Manager of Basketball Operations and in various other capacities during her tenure with the organization. A native of Winters, California, Stocking is a Sonoma State University graduate.

Baron enters his third season with the Kings after being named Performance Chef’s Assistant. Previously, Baron served as the Sports Nutrition Intern after receiving his BA in Nutrition from California State University, Sacramento.

The Utah Jazz signed guard Trey Lewis today.

Lewis (6-2, 185, Louisville) competed for the Jazz entry squads at the 2018 Utah Jazz Summer League and 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, Lewis appeared in four games (one start), averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 18.6 minutes per contest.

During the 2017-18 season, he played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse of the LNB Pro A in France and Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany. With JL Bourg-en-Bresse, he saw action in 14 games (all starts), owning averages of 17.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 30.6 minutes. As a member of Ratiopharm Ulm, he played in 19 regular season games (six starts) with averages of 11.6 points, 2.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds, also appearing in 10 EuroCup contests and two German Cup games.

The Garfield Heights, Ohio native began his collegiate career at Penn State, before transferring to Cleveland State for two seasons and finishing at Louisville during 2015-16. As a senior, Lewis posted averages of 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game, helping the Cardinals to a 23-8 record.

The Miami Heat yesterday (Monday, August 27) signed forward Jarnell Stokes.

Last season, Stokes played with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association, appearing in 28 games. He averaged 25.0 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.11 steals and 1.04 blocks in 33.5 minutes per game.

Stokes started all 28 games in which he appeared with the HEAT’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, during the 2015-16 season, helping the team to the 2016 G League Championship and earning the 2016 G League MVP award after averaging 20.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.11 steals and 30.7 minutes while shooting 66.5 percent from the field. He was originally drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round (35th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft and was previously acquired by the HEAT in a trade with Memphis on November 10, 2015 before being traded by Miami to New Orleans on February 18, 2016.

Stokes has appeared in 28 career NBA games (two starts) between Miami, Memphis, New Orleans and Denver averaging 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 5.4 minutes of action while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. He appeared in five games with the HEAT during the 2015-16 season, totaling seven points, two rebounds, one assist and a steal in 14 minutes of action.

He appeared in 87 games while at the University of Tennessee (84 starts) where he was a teammate of current HEAT guard Josh Richardson and averaged 13.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.08 blocks and 29.7 minutes while shooting 62.8 percent. He finished his collegiate career first in offensive rebounds, fourth in double-doubles, eighth in total rebounds and 14th in blocks on the school’s all-time list.

The Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday waived guard Kobi Simmons.

Simmons (6-4, 170) saw action in 32 games (12 starts) for the Grizzlies last season and averaged 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.1 minutes during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old also started all 26 of his appearances for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle and averaged 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.04 steals in 30.9 minutes.

The Alpharetta, Georgia native, who played his lone collegiate season at the University of Arizona, signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on July 1, 2017 after going unselected in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers today promoted several key members of its basketball operations department.

Elton Brand will continue to serve as General Manager of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League and has added the title of Vice President of Basketball Operations for the 76ers. In addition to his work in Delaware, the former No. 1 overall pick will contribute extensively to all areas of the 76ers’ basketball operations department.

Ned Cohen, who joined the team in 2016 after a successful 12-year run in the NBA league office, has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. In his expanded role, Cohen will oversee all facets of roster and salary cap management, among other leadership duties. He previously served as 76ers Vice President of Basketball Operations and Chief of Staff.

Marc Eversley, promoted to Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, will expand his duties in his third season with the team. In addition to his role overseeing player personnel and talent evaluation, Eversley will leverage his nearly two decades of experience in the industry to amplify the team’s recruiting and strategic decision-making processes. This includes an increased focus on all areas of pro personnel, as well as efforts to attract, acquire and retain elite NBA talent.

Alex Rucker has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Analytics and Strategy. Rucker, who also joined the team in 2016, will continue to lead the NBA’s largest analytics and strategy team as it supports, elevates and helps grow the 76ers’ innovative basketball operations efforts. He previously served as 76ers Vice President of Analytics and Strategy.

Additionally, the team has announced that Kevin Young has been promoted and will join fellow Assistant Coaches Monty Williams and Billy Lange on the front of the bench this season. Meanwhile, respected coaching veteran Jim O’Brien will now serve as Senior Advisor to the Head Coach.

“We believe we have one of the NBA’s most talented and innovative front offices and we’re thrilled to announce these promotions as we approach the 2018-19 season,” Harris said. “Thanks to the leadership of executives like Elton, Ned, Marc and Alex, as well as Head Coach Brett Brown, our team is incredibly well-positioned for not only this season, but for seasons to come. We’re focused on continuing to build a team with championship DNA and the talent and drive of our front office reflects that.”

“Our team has made tremendous strides in recent seasons and is now one of the most promising and exciting teams in the NBA,” Blitzer said. “A lot of the progress and growth we’ve experienced can be attributed to the work our front office and coaching staff have done to strengthen and solidify a culture and infrastructure of winning. We’re pleased to announce these promotions for a group of smart, strategic and motivated leaders.”

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting on new Hawk Vince Carter, whose jersey number will look familiar to any Hawks fans who enjoyed the work Al Horford did during his impressive stretch in Atlanta:

There is no No. 15 controversy for the Hawks.

Vince Carter will wear the uniform number after he signed a one-year contract with the team on Friday. The free-agent deal was agreed upon last month and the veteran is scheduled to play a record-tying 21st NBA season.

The number was last worn by Al Horford. The franchise staple spent nine seasons with the Hawks after he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. The four-time all-star was allowed to leave for the Celtics in free agency in 2016 after helping the Hawks to the postseason each of his seasons in Atlanta, the first nine of the franchise’s 10-year run.

Many consider Horford a player deserving to have his number retired by the Hawks. Joe Johnson’s No. 2 or Horford’s No. 15 could be the next so honored.

Full article

As his NBA career winds down, Vince Carter isn’t ring-chasing. In fact, he’s doing pretty close to the opposite, joining what should be one of the league’s weakest teams in the 2018-19 NBA season.

Carter on Friday (yesterday) signed with the Atlanta Hawks, who are completely rebuilding their roster from the ground up.

According to ESPN.com, it’s just a one-year deal. Which isn’t surprising, as he could retire any season now.

Carter clearly loves to play basketball. On a roster like Atlanta’s, he has a legit chance to get some pretty decent minutes. Though the best thing for the Hawks to do is focus on developing their young players. But Carter is a great teacher and should make the kids on the squad better, both in practice and actual season games.

Carter played in 58 games (four starts) last season with Sacramento, where he averaged 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.7 minutes (.403 FG%, .345 3FG%, .757 FT%).

In 20 NBA seasons with Toronto, New Jersey, Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Memphis and Sacramento, Carter possesses career averages of 17.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 31.4 minutes (.437 FG%, .373 3FG%, .799 FT%), appearing in 1405 regular season games (973 starts). In 88 playoff contests (66 starts), he’s averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes (.416 FG%, .338 3FG%, .796 FT%).

Carter was the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been named All-NBA twice (second team in 2001 and third team in 2000), is an eight-time All-Star and finished in the Top 10 in scoring six times. He won the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest in 2000, also taking home a gold medal that same year as part of the United States Men’s Basketball team in Sydney, Australia.

Jayson Tatum is one of the key reasons why the Celtics should be a top team for years to come. He also is clearly worthy of continuing his role as a starter, yet could very well come off the bench in 2018-19. Here’s Boston.com touching on the situation:

Currently in Los Angeles, Tatum will continue working out before training camp begins in September. He said he is not concerned about forthcoming decisions regarding playing time, expressing the utmost faith in Stevens to do what’s right for the team. He also trusts his teammates to handle the situation in stride.

“Everybody has a job to do,” he said. “Our job is to be the best versions of ourselves and come together for a bigger goal, which is winning a championship. Brad’s job is to manage playing time and manage all sorts of stuff. That’s why he’s the coach. We got a bunch of selfless guys on the team that just want to win. We’ll figure it out.”

Tatum said it does not matter to him whether he starts or comes off the bench.

“I understand how deep our team is,” he said. “I just care about winning and doing what I can while I’m on the floor.”

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Every player has to predict positive things about their team going into a new season. It goes with the territory and is only natural. But in the case of the Boston Celtics, there is every reason to genuinely believe that they’re a squad quite capable of representing the Eastern conference in the 2019 NBA Finals. Here’s ESPN.com reporting on what Celtics guard Terry Rozier speaking on his team:

Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier doesn’t want to make any grand predictions about what his team will accomplish during the 2018-19 season, but he’s quite bullish on their potential to be a title contender.

“We can be special. Truly special,” Rozier said Saturday during a break from his youth basketball camp in suburban Boston. “I think you know that. I think everybody knows that. Obviously, we [are] good on paper, we just gotta get it together and make sure everybody comes in and has that same mindset. But I feel like it’s going to be a special group.” …

“We look good on paper. The same team back from last year adding two main guys, two main pieces, with a lot of the guys we added from this draft and re-signed,” Rozier said. “It’s special. It’s special. Like I said, I don’t want to talk too much about [what the team can accomplish], but it’s going to be special.”

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