Author: Inside Hoops

InsideHoops.com has been a world leader in NBA basketball coverage for over 20 years. Read our blog, but also be sure to read our main website on www.insidehoops.com

Pelicans sign Jose Alvarado, release Tyrone Wallace

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Jose Alvarado to a multi-year contract.

And in a related move, the Pelicans have released Tyrone Wallace, who signed a second 10-day contract with the team on March 21, 2022.

Alvarado, 6-0, 179, has appeared in 47 games (one start) for the Pelicans this season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 15.3 minutes per contest.

Undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native leads all rookies in assist/turnover ratio (3.88), steal/turnover ratio (1.79), and plus/minus (+163) while ranking second among all rookies with 1.3 steals per game.

Over his four-year career at Georgia Tech, Alvarado appeared in 106 career games (104 starts), averaging 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.1 steals in 34.9 minutes played. In his 2020-21 senior campaign, Alvarado was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-ACC Second Team honors after averaging 15.2 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.8 steals.

Wallace, 6-5, 198, appeared in six games with the Pelicans, averaging 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per contest.

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

Boston Celtics sign forward Juwan Morgan to 10-day contract

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Juwan Morgan to a 10-day contract.

Morgan (6-7, 232), 24, has played in 51 games over three NBA seasons with Utah and Toronto, averaging 1.5 points on 31-of-59 shooting (52.5% FG), and 1.2 rebounds in 6.0 minutes. The Missouri native participated in Boston’s training camp earlier this season and has played in 33 games for the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League in 2021-22, producing 12.3 points on 53.1% shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 28.2 minutes.

Morgan has reached the 20-point mark six times with Maine this season, two of which have occurred over the last three games.

Pacers center Myles Turner will miss remainder of 2021-22 NBA season

The Indiana Pacers announced today that center Myles Turner will miss the final two weeks of the 2021-22 season while he continues to progress through the team’s return to play protocols.

“After numerous conversations with our medical team, Myles, and his representatives, it became clear to everyone that despite Myles’ continued progress and positive diagnosis, there simply is not enough time remaining in the season to properly and safely prepare him for the demanding workload associated with an NBA game,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “We will continue to work closely with Myles and we’re looking forward to his return to the court at full strength next season.”

Per ESPN.com, “Turner, 25, has made good progress in his recovery, sources said, but both the organization and Turner’s representatives decided that it didn’t make sense to push for a ramp up and return with only seven games left in the Pacers’ season.”

Raptors sign guard Armoni Brooks to multi-year contract

The Toronto Raptors on Saturday, March 26 signed guard Armoni Brooks to a multi-year contract.

Brooks, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, had signed two 10-day contracts with the Raptors, averaging 2.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 11.1 minutes in eight games. He has scored six or more points in each of the last three games and recorded three points, four rebounds and two assists in his lone start March 12 at Denver. In 49 games (nine starts) this season with Houston and Toronto, Brooks is averaging 5.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 15.9 minutes.

A native of Waco, Texas, Brooks holds career averages of 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 18.8 minutes in 69 games (14 starts) with Houston and Toronto. He signed a two-way contract with the Rockets in April 2021 following two seasons in the G League with Rio Grande Valley (2020-21) and College Park (2019-20). Brooks played collegiately at Houston (2016-19) where he was named All-AAC Second Team as a junior.

Phoenix Suns through 73 games are having their best season in franchise history

PHOENIX SUNS NOTES

The Suns stand at a league-best 58-14 on the season, 9 games ahead of MEM for the best record in the NBA, and the team’s best start through 73 games of a season in franchise history.

The Suns won the Pacific Division title for the second-straight season and the 8th time in franchise history.

Phoenix has scored 125+ points in six-straight games entering tonight, a franchise record and the longest such streak in the league this season (would be 1st team with seven-straight such games since the 1988-89 Nuggets, who did so in seven-straight games).

With his 23rd point last night, Devin Booker became the fourth-yongest player in NBA history to 11,000 career points (25 years, 144 days), trailing only LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant.

The Suns hold a .829 (29-6) win percentage in road games this season, better than every team’s home win percentage.

DEVIN BOOKER totaled 28 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the Suns’ win at Minnesota last night, to go along with 7 assists and 3 rebounds. Booker attempted a season-high 16 free throws, knocking down 13 of them, which matched a season high (has now done so three times). Over the last eight games, Booker is averaging 28.1 points on 53.6 FG%, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

ON THIS DAY IN SUNS HISTORY: On this day five years ago (March 24, 2017), DEVIN BOOKER scored a career and franchise record 70 points at Boston. Booker shot 52.5 FG% (21-of-40) in the game and added 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Booker became the sixth player in NBA history to score 70+ points in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlin (six times), Kobe Bryant, David Robinson, David Thompson and Elgin Baylor, and was the youngest to do so at 20 years, 145 days.

DEANDRE AYTON scored a game and career-high 35 points last night on 15-of-24 shooting and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Ayton scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and 19 in the second half, both of which marked personal season highs for fourthquarter and second-half scoring. The game marked Ayton’s 26th double-double of the season, his fourth-straight and seventh in the last nine games. Additionally, the game was Ayton’s second-career game with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds (33 points, 14 rebounds on Dec. 29, 2018 vs. DEN). Improving his career field goal percentage to 60.1 FG% over the last couple of games, Ayton joins Mark West and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in francbhise history with a career FG% above 60.0 (min. 500 field goal makes) while in a Suns jersey.

MIKAL BRIDGES totaled 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 6 rebounds and 3 steals last night in Minnesota. The game marked Bridges’ 13th-straight game scoring in double figures, his longest streak with 10+ points this season (previous was 12-straight spanning Jan. 28-Feb. 24).

Warriors center James Wiseman remains out until 2022-23 NBA season

Per the Golden State Warriors, center James Wiseman, who has missed the first 73 games of the 2021-22 season after undergoing surgery on April 15, 2021 to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, including the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Wiseman appeared in three games with the Santa Cruz Warriors earlier this month, averaging 17.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, but recently experienced swelling in his right knee.

“We’ve maintained throughout his entire rehabilitation process that we’re going to be patient and look out for James’ best interests in what we anticipate to be a long and successful career,” said Warriors President of Basketball Operations / General Manager Bob Myers. “As a 20 year-old, his entire career is ahead of him. For us, as an organization, our focus is on James’ long-term health and we’re confident—and our doctors are confident—that this long-term approach will help James become the player we believe he will evolve into when he returns to the court.”

Jazz center Udoka Azubuike undergoes season-ending surgery

The following is a medical update on Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike:

Azubuike underwent successful surgery today to repair multiple ankle and foot ligaments in his right foot to stabilize the Subtalar joint. The surgery was performed in Indianapolis by foot and ankle specialist Dr. David Porter in consultation with Jazz team physician Dr. Travis Maak. Azubuike will be out for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Azubuike (7-0, 270, Kansas) is in his second season with the Jazz, owning averages of 4.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game.

Trail Blazers re-sign Kris Dunn and Drew Eubanks to 10-day contracts

The Trail Blazers have signed guard Kris Dunn to a second 10-day contract and center Drew Eubanks to a fourth 10-day contract, the team announced today. Both contracts are via the NBA’s hardship exception.

Dunn, 28, signed his first 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers on March 14. In six appearances (one start) for Portland, he has averaged 7.3 points (44.2% FG, 100% FT), 3.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.00 steals and 24.8 minutes.

A native of New London, Connecticut, Dunn (6-3, 205) was selected by Minnesota with the fifth overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft after four collegiate seasons at Providence. He holds career averages of 8.2 points (42.0% FG, 30.4% 3-PT, 73.1% FT), 3.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.54 steals and 24.1 minutes in 237 games (127 starts) with Minnesota, Chicago, Atlanta and Portland.

Eubanks, 25, previously signed 10-day contracts with Portland on February 22, March 4 and March 14. In 13 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers, Eubanks has averaged 12.3 points (62.4% FG, 88.0% FT), 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 28.1 minutes. For the season, he is averaging 6.3 points (56.7% FG, 77.9% FT), 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 15.5 minutes in 62 games (22 starts) with San Antonio and Portland.

A product of Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon, Eubanks (6-9, 245) played three seasons at Oregon State from 2015-18 before going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 5.3 points (57.6% FG, 75.9% FT), 4.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 161 games (28 starts) for the Spurs and Trail Blazers.