Inside Hoops – Page 155 – NBA Blog

Wizards convert Jordan Goodwin’s contract, waive Devon Dotson, Quenton Jackson, Craig Sword and Jaime Echenique

The Washington Wizards have converted guard Jordan Goodwin to a two-way contract, while waiving Devon Dotson, Quenton Jackson, Craig Sword and Jaime Echenique – who was signed earlier today – to set the roster at 17.

Goodwin played in 46 games for the Capital City Go-Go last season, averaging 16.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. The Saint Louis product earned a call-up with the Wizards in December, appearing in two games. Goodwin led the Go-Go in scoring and set the franchise mark with 94 steals on the season, good for the fourth-most in the NBA G League.

Timberwolves waive Matt Lewis, Emmanuel Mudiay and Phillip Wheeler

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived guard Matt Lewis, guard Emmanuel Mudiay and forward Phillip Wheeler.

Lewis, 6-3, spent last season with the Iowa Wolves where he appeared in 32 regular season games (all starts) while averaging 11.1 points on 42.7% shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He most recently played for the Timberwolves’ entry in the 2022 2K23 NBA Summer League where he saw action in five games (one start) and averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Lewis ranks among the career leaders in several categories at James Madison, including third in points (1,928) and eighth in assists (341).

Mudiay (MOO-dee-ay), 6-3, played in two games for the Sacramento Kings last season. In seven seasons in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and Kings, Mudiay has tallied 3,299 points, 884 rebounds and 1,143 assists throughout 302 games (165 starts). The Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo native was named to the 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after appearing in 68 games (66 starts) while averaging 12.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game for the Nuggets. Mudiay spent part of the 2021-22 season playing for Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania.

Wheeler, 6-6, spent time last season in the NBA G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Mexico City Capitanes where he saw action in eight games (two starts) and combined to average 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. The Rumson, N.J. native spent the rest of the 2021-22 season with the Quebradillas Pirates in Puerto Rico, averaging 16.9 points on 51.3% shooting, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Jazz waive Stanley Johnson, Jared Butler and Cody Zeller

The Utah Jazz have waived forward Stanley Johnson, guard Jared Butler, and center Cody Zeller.

Johnson (6-6, 242, Arizona) saw action in one 2022-23 preseason contest with Utah, averaging 5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 14.8 minutes per game.

Butler (6-3, 195, Baylor) appeared in 42 games (one start) with the Jazz in 2021-22, averaging 3.8 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game.

Zeller (6-11, 240, Indiana) competed in three games during the 2022-23 preseason for the Jazz, averaging 2.7 points and 4.3 boards in 6.9 minutes per contest.

Thunder exercise contract options on Josh Giddey, Tre Mann and Aleksej Pokusevski

The Oklahoma City Thunder exercised its third-year contract options on guards Josh Giddey and Tre Mann and its fourth-year contract option on forward Aleksej Pokuševski.

Giddey earned All-Rookie Second Team honors last season after appearing in 54 games (all starts) and recording averages of 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists (first on team) in 31.5 minutes per game. The Australian native was one of only eight players to record those averages during the 2021-22 season. Giddey became the ninth player since 2000 to earn the first four Rookie of the Month honors and is the 13th player all-time to accomplish the feat since the award’s inception in the 1981-82 season.

Mann appeared in 60 games (26 starts) this past year and averaged 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. Among official rookie league leaders, he ranked eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.360), ninth in free throw percentage (.793) and 10th in points. The Florida product posted the third-best scoring average by a Thunder rookie with at least 20 games played in Oklahoma City history.

Pokuševski has appeared in 106 career games (40 starts) with the Thunder and owns averages of 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21.9 minutes per game since being selected with 17th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He became the 12th youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double (20 years, 98 days) when he registered 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists on April. 3, 2022.

Grizzlies waive Killian Tillie and Dakota Mathias

The Memphis Grizzlies have waived forward/center Killian Tillie and wing Dakota Mathias to finalize their opening night roster for the 2022-23 regular season.

The Grizzlies will tip-off the 2022-23 regular season against the New York Knicks at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at FedExForum. The regular season opener will be televised regionally on Bally Sports Southeast and nationally on ESPN.

Tillie (6-10, 220) appeared in 54 games (four starts) in two seasons with the Grizzlies and averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes. Unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga University, the 24-year-old native of France originally was signed by the Grizzlies on a two-way contract and was converted to a standard NBA contract on Jan. 1, 2022.

Mathias (6-4, 200), signed by Memphis on Oct. 14, has appeared in 14 games (six starts) in two seasons with the Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers and has averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 assists in 9.9 minutes. Undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Purdue University, the 27-year-old Ohio native also has competed professionally for the NBA G League’s Texas Legends and in Spain for the ACB’s Joventut Badalona.

Grizzlies exercise contract options on Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama

The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised 2023-24 rookie scale contract options on wings Desmond Bane and Ziaire Williams and forward Santi Aldama.

Bane (6-6, 215) has appeared in 144 games (93 starts) and has averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26.3 minutes since he was acquired by Memphis with the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of TCU. Last season, the 23-year-old Indiana native increased his scoring average to 18.2 points per game in his second NBA campaign and set single-season franchise records for 3-point field goals made (228) and free throw percentage (.903). He ranked second in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (.436) last season after placing 11th as a rookie in 2020-21 (.432).

Williams (6-8 ¼, 185) competed in 62 games (31 starts) as a rookie last season and averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.7 minutes after he was drafted 10th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft following his freshman year at Stanford University. The 21-year-old shot 49.8 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point range over his final 29 regular season games last season and saw action in 10 postseason games (one start) to help the Grizzlies advance to the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals.

Aldama (6-11, 224) appeared in 32 games off the bench as a rookie last season and averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.3 minutes after he was selected 30th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Loyola University Maryland. The 21-year-old native of Spain averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.20 blocks in 25.2 minutes while shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range while starting all five games during the 2022 preseason.

Lakers waive Jay Huff, Shaquille Harrison and Nate Pierre-Louis

The Los Angeles Lakers have requested waivers on guards Shaquille Harrison and Nate Pierre-Louis and center Jay Huff, it was announced today.

Harrison, who was signed by the Lakers on Oct. 8, appeared in two preseason games and averaged 1.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 12.0 minutes per game.

Huff appeared in three games for the Lakers this preseason, recording averages of 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 9.5 minutes per contest. He was signed by the purple and gold on July 27.

Pierre-Louis was signed by Los Angeles on Oct. 11. He saw action in one preseason contest, posting three points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in eight minutes on Oct. 14 at Sacramento.

Cavaliers waive Sharife Cooper, Mamadi Diakite, Nate Hinton, R.J. Nembhard and Jamorko Pickett

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Sharife Cooper, forward Mamadi Diakite, forward Nate Hinton, guard R.J. Nembhard, and forward Jamorko Pickett, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Nembhard (6-4, 200), who originally signed a Two-Way contract with Cleveland on Oct. 16, 2021, appeared in 14 games for the Cavaliers last season. He was converted to a standard NBA contract on March 31 and waived on April 7 before signing additional Two-Way contracts with the Cavaliers on April 10 and July 3. Nembhard also played in 15 games (14 starts) for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League team in 2021-22, averaging 24.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 38.4 minutes per contest.

Diakite saw action in four preseason games, Cooper and Hinton both played in three preseason games and Pickett appeared in one preseason game for the Cavs.

Cleveland’s roster now stands at 15 players, including one Two-Way player.

Timberwolves sign Matt Lewis, Emmanuel Mudiay and Phillip Wheeler

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Matt Lewis, guard Emmanuel Mudiay and forward Phillip Wheeler.

Pelicans waive Zylan Cheatham, Kelan Martin, Daeqwon Plowden and Javonte Smart

The New Orleans Pelicans have waived Zylan Cheatham, Kelan Martin, Daeqwon Plowden, and Javonte Smart.

Cheatham, 6-5, 220, averaged 1.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in four preseason games with New Orleans. Cheatham has appeared in five NBA games with New Orleans and Utah, holding averages of 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.

Martin, 6-5, 230, averaged 1.0 point and 1.5 rebounds in two preseason games with New Orleans. Martin holds career averages of 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 96 NBA games with Minnesota, Indiana and Boston.

Plowden, 6-6, 215, averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in five preseason games with New Orleans. Plowden most recently played five seasons at Bowling Green State (2017-22), averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per contest.

Smart, 6-4, 205, tallied two rebounds and one assist in two preseason games with New Orleans. Smart appeared in 17 games with Milwaukee and Miami during the 2021-22 season, averaging 3.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 16 players, including one two-way player.