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The Charlotte Hornets have waived Anthony Duruji and Jaylen Sims.
Duruji originally signed with the Hornets as a free agent on Sept. 12 and appeared in two preseason games, logging eight total minutes.
Sims originally signed as a free agent on Sept. 12 and appeared in one preseason game, recording three rebounds in four minutes.
After these moves, the Hornets roster stands at 18 players.
The Utah Jazz have promoted several members of its basketball operations staff while also welcoming new additions:
Bart Taylor has been elevated to vice president of player personnel.
Marquis Newman has taken on the role of director of pro personnel/general manager of the Salt Lake City Stars.
Lindsay Twiss was elevated to vice president of player and alumni relations.
Whitli Godderidge was promoted to vice president of family relations and basketball operations.
Ashley Rinehart was promoted to director of team travel and player relations with Lynzie Sorenson serving as manager of family relations.
Shawn James will take on a new role as manager of college scouting.
Additionally, the team has brought on Katie Benzan, Tide Osifeso, and William McNeill as basketball operations generalists.
The Utah Jazz Performance Healthcare staff has brought on Dantren Anderson as its assistant strength & conditioning coach, and added McKennon Powell as assistant equipment manager. Maddie Brower was elevated to serve as a performance health logistics and COVID assistant. Harveaire Berrien and Clarence Mohammed have joined the Jazz’s team security staff.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed wing Dakota Mathias.
Also today, the Grizzlies waived forward/center EJ Onu and forward Romeo Weems.
Mathias (6-4, 200) has appeared in 14 games (two starts) for the Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers and has averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 assists in 10.0 minutes in two seasons (2020-22). Unselected in the 2018 NBA Draft following his collegiate career at Purdue University, the 27-year-old Ohio native also has played for the NBA G League’s Texas Legends and in Spain for the ACB’s Joventut Badalona.
Onu (6-11, 240), who was signed on Oct. 13, competed in 25 games (six starts) for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle last season and averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.20 blocks in 17.4 minutes. Unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Shawnee State University, the 23-year-old Cleveland native also has played for the Legends and the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
Weems (6-7, 210), who also was signed on Oct. 13, appeared in three games for the Hustle during the 2021 NBA G League Showcase Cup. The 21-year-old Detroit native was selected in the 2021 NBA Draft following his sophomore year at DePaul University.
The Philadelphia 76ers yesterday waived Charles Bassey and Isaiah Joe.
Selected by Philadelphia with the No. 53 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Bassey averaged 3.0 points (.638 FG%), 2.7 rebounds, and 7.3 minutes in 23 games played during his rookie campaign in 2021-22. The 6-11 big man scored in double figures twice, including a 13-point, 10-rebound effort at Memphis on Dec. 13, 2021.
Joe has played in 96 career games over two seasons with the 76ers, averaging 3.7 points (.355 FG%, .349 3FG%, .855 FT%), 1.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 10.3 minutes. The 2020 second-round draft pick (No. 49 overall) tallied five double-digit scoring games in his second professional season, including a career-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting (5-8 3FG) against Houston on Jan. 3, 2022.
Philadelphia’s roster stands at 17 (includes two-way players).
The Miami Heat have converted guard Dru Smith to a two-way contract.
In addition, Miami has waived Jamaree Bouyea, Marcus Garrett, Mychal Mulder and Orlando Robinson.
Smith, who originally signed with the HEAT on September 20, appeared in all five preseason games with Miami and averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 15.1 minutes while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range. Last season, he appeared in 10 games (five starts) with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.20 steals and 27.5 minutes. Smith started all 25 games he appeared in as a senior at Missouri in 2020-21, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.04 steals and 33.9 minutes while shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range and 83 percent from the foul line. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and became the first player in school history to be named to the SEC All-Defensive Team after leading the conference in steals for the second consecutive season. He also led the team in points, assists, steals, field goals made, free throws made and minutes and earned Conference Player of the Week three times, the most by any player that season.
Bouyea, who signed with the HEAT on July 14, appeared in four preseason games with Miami and averaged 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.25 steals and 17.2 minutes.
Garrett, who signed a two-way contract with the HEAT on July 16, appeared in four preseason games (one start) with Miami and averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.25 steals and 18.4 minutes.
Mulder, who signed with the HEAT on October 9, appeared in one preseason game with Miami totaling three points and an assist in 9:34 minutes of action.
Robinson, who signed with the HEAT on July 7, appeared in four preseason games (one start) with Miami and averaged 3.3 points, 2.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 11.9 minutes.
The Portland Trail Blazers have converted center Olivier Sarr to a two-way contract.
In three preseason contests for the Trail Blazers, Sarr averaged 4.7 points (50.0% FG, 1-3 3-PT, 83.3 FT%), 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 11.9 minutes per game.
The French native and Kentucky alum appeared in 22 games (two starts) and averaged 7.0 points (57.4% FG, 44.8% 3-PT, 82.8 FT%), 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 19.1 minutes per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder during his rookie campaign in the 2021-22 season.
Sarr left Tuesday night’s game at Golden State with a sprain of the right wrist. A subsequent MRI taken place on Wednesday confirmed a right wrist sprain. A timeline for return will be established after further evaluation in one week.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward/center EJ Onu and forward Romeo Weems.
Also today, the Grizzlies waived forward Matthew Hurt and wing Sean McDermott.
Onu (6-11, 240) appeared in 25 games (six starts) for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle last season and averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.20 blocks in 17.4 minutes. The 23-year-old Cleveland native also played for the NBA G League’s Texas Legends and the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Onu went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft after leading Shawnee State University to the 2021 NAIA national championship.
Weems (6-7, 210) made three appearances for the Hustle during the 2021 NBA G League Showcase Cup. The 21-year-old Detroit native, who played for the Grizzlies last preseason, went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at DePaul University.
Hurt (6-9, 235), who was signed by the Grizzlies on Oct. 10, competed in eight games for the Hustle during the 2021 NBA G League Showcase Cup. The 22-year-old Minnesota native went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft after he was named to the All-ACC First Team as a sophomore at Duke University.
McDermott (6-6, 195), who also was signed by the Grizzlies on Oct. 10, has played 18 games for the Grizzlies and 17 games for the Hustle over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old Indiana native went unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft after a four-year collegiate career at Butler University.
The Sacramento Kings have waived guards Kent Bazemore and Quinn Cook.
Bazemore and Cook appeared in two preseason games for the Kings.
The Kings roster stands at 18.
NBA G League referees Cheryl Flores, Robert Hussey, Matt Kallio and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials for the 2022-23 season, it was announced today by Monty McCutchen, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training.
“Cheryl, Robert, Matt and Dannica have demonstrated the ability and professionalism required to be a fulltime NBA officiating staff member,” said McCutchen. “We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.”
Flores and Mosher join Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Simone Jelks, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Jenna Schroeder and Danielle Scott to bring the total of female full-time officials to eight for the 2022-23 season.
The 2022-23 NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 18 with a doubleheader on TNT as the Philadelphia 76ers visit the reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET) and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward-center Simi Shittu.
Also today, Orlando waived guard Drake Jeffries, who did not appear in any preseason games for the Magic.
Shittu (6’10”, 240, 11/7/99) played in 16 games last season Israel with Ironi Ness Ziona of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, averaging 7.0 ppg. and 4.9 rpg. in 17.2 minpg.
Shittu has appeared in 53 career NBA G League games (28 starts) with Windy City and Westchester, averaging 12.8 ppg., 7.3 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 21.8 minpg., while shooting .566 (282-498) from the field.
A native of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Shittu appeared in 32 games (31 starts) during his freshman season at Vanderbilt University (2018-19), averaging 10.9 ppg., 6.7 rpg. and 1.8 apg. in 26.7 minpg., before declaring for the NBA Draft. He attended the Vermont Academy in Rockingham, Vermont, where he was named a 2018 McDonald’s All-American.
Shittu will wear #15 with the Orlando Magic.
Orlando’s roster stands at 20 players