Inside Hoops – Page 117 – NBA Blog

Former Spurs guard Dejounte Murray receives warm reception in San Antonio

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray said he appreciated the warm reception he received in his first game back at the AT&T Center.

Murray spent his first six NBA seasons with the Spurs before being dealt to Atlanta last summer.

“I felt like it was what it should be,” said Murray, who tallied 22 points in the Hawks’ defeat. “It showed nothing but love, both sides.”

The team began the afternoon’s festivities with a video thanking Murray for his time in San Antonio.

“I’m thankful, grateful,” Murray said. “It’s family forever.”

Warriors convert Anthony Lamb’s contract into a standard NBA contract

The Golden State Warriors yesterday converted forward Anthony Lamb’s contract into a standard NBA contract.

Lamb was originally signed by Golden State on October 5 and converted to a two-way contract on October 14.

Lamb, 25, has appeared in 50 games (three starts) with Golden State this season, averaging 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 20.1 minutes while shooting 47.5% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range. He owns career averages of 6.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 18.8 minutes in 76 games (six starts) over three seasons with the Warriors, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.

Lamb has appeared in five games this season with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.20 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game. Unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 6’6 forward was named the 2020-21 G League Most Improved Player as a member of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Warriors sign Lester Quinones to two-way contract

The Golden State Warriors yesterday signed guard Lester Quinones to a two-way contract.

Quinones, 22, has appeared in 44 games this season for Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 19.8 points on 46.7% shooting from the field and 38.2% shooting from beyond the arc to go along with 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 31.2 minutes per game.

Quinones scored a season-high 46 points to go with 12 rebounds, four assists and one steal in Santa Cruz’s 132-129 win vs. the Salt Lake City Stars on March 15. The 6’4” guard has 10 double-doubles on the season and was named the NBA G League Player of the Week for games played from February 13 to February 26.

Unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft out of the University of Memphis, Quinones signed a 10-day contract with Golden State on March 2.

Utah Jazz sign Jarrell Brantley to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Jarrell Brantley to a 10-day contract.

Brantley (6-7, 250, Charleston) joins the Jazz most recently having played the 2022-23 season with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL in Australia, where he appeared in 39 games (all starts), averaging 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 28.7 minutes per contest. The native of Charleston, S.C. has additional international experience playing with UNICS Kazan of the VTB United league in Russia and Leones de Ponce of the BSN in Puerto Rico during the 2021-22 campaign.

This marks Brantley’s second stint with the Jazz, having played with the club as a two-way player during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, appearing in 37 total games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 boards in 6.3 minutes per contest. With the Salt Lake City Stars in 2019-20, Brantley averaged 18.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest, earning All-NBA G League First Team honors.

Drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft (50th overall) by the Pacers from the College of Charleston, Brantley was acquired via trade by the Jazz on draft night. He was a four-year collegiate player (2015-19), earning four-time All-CAA conference honors.

Kings guard Kevin Huerter day-to-day

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter underwent MRI imaging on Friday, March 17. MRI imaging revealed a mild strain of the popliteus muscle and no hamstring injury.

The injury was sustained during the first quarter of Thursday’s game versus the Brooklyn Nets.

Huerter is expected to be day-to-day and will be listed as questionable for Saturday’s game versus the Wizards.

Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow out with ankle injury

Portland Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow sustained a left ankle sprain Dec. 21 at Oklahoma City.

Post All-Star break, Winslow received a second opinion, and a subsequent bone morrow aspirate concentrate procedure was performed in March to address continued left ankle discomfort.

He will continue his rehab regimen and be re-evaluated in the coming weeks.

Wizards sign Xavier Cooks to multi-year contract

The Washington Wizards have signed Xavier Cooks to a multi-year contract.

“We welcome Xavier to the Wizards organization as a very intelligent, high-energy player that will add athleticism to our squad while being a great teammate,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “He left a lasting legacy in the NBL to pursue his dream to play in the NBA and we feel he will be an excellent addition now and in the future.”

Cooks, a 6-8, 183-pound forward from Wollongong, Australia, has played five professional seasons overseas since graduating from Winthrop in 2018. Cooks began his international career in Germany with s.Oliver Baskets before transitioning to the National Basketball League of Australia, where he has played for the Sydney Kings each of the last four seasons. Cooks was named the 2022 Grand Final MVP, as well as the 2023 NBL MVP, where he has averaged 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 36 games, leading Sydney to its second-straight NBL title.

Cooks played his collegiate basketball at Winthrop from 2014-18, leaving as the school’s all-time leading rebounder and third all-time leading scorer after competing in 127 games. He also led Winthrop to a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 and was named the 2017-18 Big South Conference Player of the Year.

Nets sign Moses Brown to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Moses Brown to a 10-day contract.

Brown (7’2″, 245) began the 2022-23 season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he appeared in 34 games (one start) and averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game. The fourth-year pro has previously played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Dallas. In 126 career games (39 starts), Brown holds averages of 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per contest on 57.1 percent shooting from the field. The 23-year-old has also played in 50 career games (19 starts) across four seasons in the NBA G League, including five total games (four starts) this season for the Ontario Clippers and Westchester Knicks. Brown holds career NBA G League averages of 15.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 22.0 minutes per game.

A Queens, N.Y., native, Brown attended Archbishop Molloy High School and became the first player from the school to be named a McDonald’s All-American since Kenny Anderson in 1989. He played one collegiate season (2018-19) at UCLA, where he was named a PAC-12 All-Defensive Team honorable mention and a semifinalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Brown went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and later signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will undergo wrist surgery

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will undergo surgery next week for a fractured left wrist.

Iguodala suffered the injury during Monday’s win over the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center.

More should be known about a possible return date following the surgery.

The Warriors are 36-33 this season, which tied them with the Clippers for the 5th best record in the Western conference.

Iguodala has played in just eight games this season, averaging 2.1 points in 14.1 minutes per game.

Spurs center Charles Bassey injured, out for remainder of season

San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey underwent additional testing today in San Antonio that confirmed a non-displaced fracture in his left patella. The injury occurred during the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Magic game at the AT&T Center.

Bassey will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season.

The Spurs are 18-50 this season, which is the second worst record in the Western conference. They will officially miss the 2023 playoffs.

Bassey was averaging 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.