Recent imaging showed improved bone healing of the fifth metatarsal in New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson’s right foot. He will gradually progress to full weight-bearing exercise and basketball activities. He remains out indefinitely.
Author: Inside Hoops
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Charlotte Hornets sign guard Isaiah Thomas to 10-day contract
The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract.
Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks earlier this season, appearing in five games and averaging 8.6 points and 2.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game in his 11th season in the NBA. He also appeared in four games for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League, accruing averages of 41.8 points and 6.5 assists per contest. Thomas scored 46 points at Greensboro on Feb. 26, the most points in a game in the G League at that time, as well as 45 points against the Windy City Bulls on Feb. 23.
New Orleans Pelicans sign forward Alize Johnson to 10-day contract
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract.
Johnson, 6’7”, 212, has appeared in 68 career games (one start) across four seasons with Indiana, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington, recording averages of 2.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest while shooting .493 from the field. Johnson has appeared in 19 games this season with the Bulls and Wizards, averaging 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game.
A native of Williamsport, Pa., Johnson was selected 50th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Missouri State where he averaged 14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across two seasons.
Johnson will wear #24 with the Pelicans.
New Orleans’s roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players.
Lakers sign D.J. Augustin and Wenyen Gabriel, waive DeAndre Jordan and Sekou Doumbouya
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard D.J. Augustin and signed forward Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way contract, it was announced today. In related moves, the Lakers requested waivers on DeAndre Jordan and Sekou Doumbouya.
Augustin appeared in 34 games (two starts) for Houston this season, averaging 5.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 15.0 minutes per game. In 955 career games (334 starts) for Charlotte, Indiana, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Denver, Orlando, Milwaukee and Houston, Augustin has averaged 9.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Across his 14-year career, Augustin has shot 38 percent from three-point range and has shot above 40 percent from three in six separate seasons.
Gabriel appeared in seven games for the Clippers and Nets this season, averaging 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes. He has appeared in 58 career NBA games (one start) for the Clippers, Nets, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Kings, averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes.
Lakers reportedly might waive DeAndre Jordan
The Lakers reportedly plan to thin their center depth a bit in order to add to their backcourt. Via the Los Angeles Times:
The Lakers intend to sign veteran guard D.J. Augustin, waiving center DeAndre Jordan to clear the necessary roster spot, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly told the The Times.
Augustin, 34, last played for Houston, which waived him Feb. 10. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in 34 games with the Rockets.
Houston Rockets weekly notes: Feb. 28, 2022
ROCKETS TEAM NOTES
Jae’Sean Tate is the only player averaging at least 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.00 steals while playing fewer than 31.0 minutes per game this season… over the past four games, he is averaging 17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.5 spg while shooting 63.4% from the floor.
Dennis Schröder recorded his first double-double of 2021-22 against the Clippers on Sunday with 11 points, a season-best 10 assists and a season-high tying 8 rebounds… in three starts as a Rocket, he is averaging 14.3 ppg, 9.3 apg and 5.7 rpg.
The Rockets have hit 14+ 3-pointers in consecutive games for the first time since 1/31 and 2/2… all but one of Houston’s wins this season have come when hitting at least 14 3FGM this season… the Rockets rank tied for sixth in 3-pointers made this season (13.3 per).
Houston has recorded 25+ assists in seven of the past 12 games after doing so four times the 17 games prior… the Rockets recorded an assist on 61.7% of their field goals made over the past 12 games, up from 55.5% the previous 17 games.
Washington Wizards sign guard Tomas Satoransky
The Washington Wizards have signed guard Tomas Satoransky.
He had just recently been waived by the San Antonio Spurs on February 26.
Satoransky (6-7, 210) returns to the Wizards, where he spent the first three seasons of his NBA career (2016-19) and was originally drafted by the team in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. In his three seasons in Washington, Satoransky played in 210 games (87 starts), averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Satoransky notched his only career triple-double as a member of the Wizards on Jan. 11, 2019, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He also appeared in all 16 of his career playoff games during his time in Washington.
After his time with the Wizards, Satoransky spent two years in Chicago (where he averaged career-highs of 9.9 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals during the 2019-20 season) and spent the first half of this season in New Orleans before being traded to Portland and then San Antonio. In total, he owns career averages of 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in 365 career games. Satoransky played three seasons in Spain after being drafted in 2012, including the final two with Barcelona, before transitioning to the NBA in 2016-17.
A native of the Czech Republic, Satoransky has represented his national team at several FIBA events including the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where he became the first Czech basketball player to serve as the country’s flag bearer.
Satoransky’s signing brings the Wizards’ roster to 17, including two-way players.
Wizards create new team award named after Dr. Edwin Bancroft (E.B.) Henderson
The Washington Wizards announced today that a new team award will be named after Dr. Edwin Bancroft (E.B.) Henderson. The annual award will go to the Wizards player most philanthropically active in the Washington, D.C. community.
FROM THE WIZARDS:
Known as the “Grandfather of Black Basketball” in Washington, D.C., Dr. Henderson was a sports historian, educator, administrator, coach, athlete, and civil rights activist. He wrote over 3,000 letters to the editor for The Washington Post and other newspapers on civil rights and race relations.
The University of the District of Columbia recently honored Dr. Henderson by renaming its athletics facility as the Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson Sports Complex. To help kickstart the public fundraising efforts, Ted Leonsis, through the Leonsis Foundation, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Washington Wizards, donated $200,000 to the fund which will support capital upgrades to the sports complex, student scholarships and sports camps for youth.
Celtics sign forward Matt Ryan to two-way contract
The Boston Celtics have signed forward Matt Ryan to a two-way contract.
Ryan, 24, has played in 28 games (seven starts) for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League in 2021-22, averaging 15.8 points on 42.7% shooting (38.5% 3-PT, 95.2% FT), 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.7 minutes. He has scored in double figures in 19 of 28 games this season, including a season-high 39-point performance on 12-of-23 shooting against Delaware on Jan. 16 (one of three 30-point games).
A 6-7 forward, Ryan has connected on at least five 3-point field goals eight times this season, shooting over 40.0% from beyond the arc in five of those contests. He made a season-best nine 3-point field goals and tallied 34 points against Cleveland on Jan. 8.
Ryan played in two games for Team USA at the most recent FIBA World Cup Qualifiers from Feb. 24-27, ranking second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points while shooting 9-of-18 from beyond the arc in 18.0 minutes.
A New York native, Ryan competed collegiately in four seasons over five years with Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Chattanooga, averaging 7.9 points (40.4% FG, 36.3% 3-PT, 84.2% FT), 2.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 18.9 minutes over 134 NCAA games (62 starts). He concluded his collegiate career at Chattanooga in 2019-20, producing 15.4 points (42.3% FG, 35.9% 3-PT, 87.9% FT), 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 30.6 minutes in 33 games (all starts).
Raptors sign forward D.J. Wilson to third 10-day contract
The Toronto Raptors have signed forward D.J. Wilson to a third 10-day contract.
The Raptors originally signed Wilson to a 10-day contract Dec. 23, then a second 10-day deal Jan. 7 – both via the COVID hardship exception.
Wilson, 6-foot-10, 231 pounds, averaged 8.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 16.0 minutes in three games during his first two stints with the Raptors. He recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals Dec. 26 at Cleveland.
A native of Mount Shasta, California, Wilson has also appeared in 31 games (23 starts) with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G League this season. He is averaging 17.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 27.8 minutes. Wilson is shooting .530 (214-404) from the field, has scored 20+ points 12 times and recorded 17 double-doubles with the Blue. He set career highs with 37 points Jan. 29 at Agua Caliente and 17 rebounds Feb. 9 vs. Sioux Falls.
Wilson was picked 17th overall by Milwaukee in the 2017 NBA Draft after three collegiate seasons at Michigan (2014-17). He holds career averages of 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 12.4 minutes in 145 games (six starts) with Milwaukee, Houston, and Toronto.