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The Minnesota Timberwolves released the below statement on the City of Minneapolis’ mask mandate:
Beginning with tonight’s game against Memphis, effective immediately, Timberwolves fans attending games at Target Center will not be required to wear a mask while inside the arena. This immediate action follows the City’s lifting of the mask mandate announced this morning.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Joe Ingles underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery on his left knee this morning.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Brian Cole at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Munster, Indiana. Ingles will begin rehabilitation this week and is expected to make a full recovery.
Portland acquired Ingles from Utah on February 9.
In his eighth NBA season, Ingles averaged 7.2 points (40.4% FG, 34.7% 3-PT, 77.3% FT), 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 45 games (15 starts) for the Jazz before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee at Minnesota on January 30.
Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic will be out at least four weeks with left foot plantar fasciitis, the team announced today.
Nurkic has played through symptoms of plantar fasciitis since September. He will continue his treatment and recovery program and will be reevaluated in four weeks.
In 56 games (all starts) this season, Nurkic has averaged 15.0 points (53.5% FG, 26.8% 3-PT, 69.0% FT), 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.11 steals. His field goal percentage and rebounding average are career highs. Nurkic has recorded 30 double-doubles this season, which ranks eighth in the NBA.
The Boston Celtics have signed forwards Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin to 10-day contracts.
Fitts, 24, has competed in 10 NBA games over the past two seasons with the LA Clippers and Utah, averaging 0.9 points, and 1.3 rebounds in 4.6 minutes. The California native has played in seven games with the Jazz in 2021-22 and produced career highs of six points and seven rebounds in his most recent contest at Toronto on Jan. 7.
Martin, 26, has played in 93 games over parts of three NBA seasons with Minnesota and Indiana, averaging 5.6 points on 41.7% shooting (30.9% 3-PT, 88.9% FT), 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 13.6 minutes. The Kentucky native produced 6.3 points (41.7% FG), 2.0 rebounds, and 16.4 minutes in 27 games (one start) for the Pacers this season, reaching double figures in scoring on three occasions.
Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, announced today that Mike Gansey has been elevated to General Manager, having recently served as Assistant General Manager since being appointed in July of 2017.
Gansey will continue assisting Altman in scouting and personnel decisions, while increasing his role in the Cavaliers draft preparations and logistics.
“Mike has been an incredible resource to me and this organization and his work behind the scenes gives me great confidence that he is ready to take on more of a leadership role,” said Altman. “His community roots provides a unique perspective when evaluating players and the type of commitment needed to make a positive impact in Cleveland. I could not think of a better person to work alongside as we continue building this team toward sustainable success.”
Gansey, 39, has been part of the Cavaliers organization since 2011. Prior to his role as assistant GM, he was previously General Manager for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively-owned NBA G League team, where he earned the 2016-17 NBA G League Executive of the Year award. Gansey held a leadership role in the Charge’s front office for five seasons (2012-2017), including two seasons as the general manager and three as Director of G-League operations. During that span, his teams reached the playoffs in each of his five seasons.
A native of Olmsted Falls (OH), Gansey was a three-time All-State player at Olmsted Falls High School, where he remains the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,909 points) and was named the state’s Division II Player of the Year as a senior, finishing second in Mr. Ohio Basketball voting behind LeBron James.
Gansey played collegiately at West Virginia, where he led his team to the Elite Eight as a junior and helped the Mountaineers reach the Sweet 16 as a senior. He was also named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Award, the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy and won a gold medal with Team USA in the 2005 World University Games. Additionally, Gansey was a First-Team All Big-East selection and an AP Honorable Mention All-American, and finished his collegiate career ranked third in school history in three-point percentage (39.4%), seventh in steals per game (1.75), ninth in field goal percentage (52.6%), 12th in minutes per game (32.12) and 18th in scoring average (14.35). Following his college career, he played professionally overseas for three seasons and in the NBA G League for two.
In addition to Gansey, Altman also announced the promotions of Brandon Weems to Assistant General Manager from his previous title as Sr. Director of Player Personnel; Jason Hillman to Vice President of Basketball Operations from his previous title as Basketball Chief of Staff/Team Counsel; and Jon Nichols to Vice President of Basketball Strategy and Personnel from his previous title of Sr. Director of Strategy & Research.
The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Goran Dragić.
And in a related transaction, Brooklyn has requested waivers on guard Jevon Carter.
Dragić (6’3”, 190) has appeared in 872 career games (524 starts) across 14 seasons with Phoenix (2008-11, 2012-15), Houston (2011-12), Miami (2015-21) and Toronto (2021-22), recording averages of 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.9 minutes per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line. Dragić played in five games this season with the Raptors, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.0 minutes per game. The 35-year-old native of Slovenia was named an All-Star in the 2017-18 season with the Heat, and he secured All-NBA Third Team honors, as well as the NBA Most Improved Player Award with the Suns in the 2013-14 campaign. Dragić has also seen action in 56 playoff games (37 starts) in five postseason appearances, registering averages of 14.9 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from long distance and 76.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per contest while helping lead the Heat to an NBA Finals appearance in 2020 and the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 2010. Dragić was originally selected with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft by San Antonio, and his draft rights were traded to Phoenix. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Dragić played professionally for four years (2004-08) in Europe. Dragić has also competed on the international stage, with his final appearance coming in 2017, when he led Slovenia to its first-ever FIBA European Championship at the 2017 EuroBasket. Dragić was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and earned Slovenia’s Sportsman of the Year award.
Carter saw action in 46 games (one start) with Brooklyn this season, posting averages of 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.0 minutes per game. The 26-year-old was originally acquired by the Nets in a trade with the Suns on Aug. 6, 2021.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Drew Eubanks to a 10-day contract and guard Brandon Williams to a two-way contract.
Eubanks, 25, played in 49 games (nine starts) for San Antonio to start the 2021-22 season, posting averages of 4.7 points (52.8% FG, 74.7% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 0.61 blocks. The fourth-year center was traded from San Antonio to Toronto on February 10 and subsequently waived. A product of Reynolds High school in Troutdale, Eubanks (6-9, 245) holds career averages of 4.6 points (56.5% FG, 74.6% FT), 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.68 blocks in 148 games (15 starts) for the Spurs. He played three seasons at Oregon State from 2015-18 before going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Williams, 22, played in two games for the Trail Blazers earlier this season after being signed to a 10-day contract on December 26. In those outings, Williams (6-2, 190) averaged 4.0 points (66.7% FG, 57.1% FT), 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist. The rookie out of Arizona appeared in 23 games (17 starts) for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League this season, averaging 20.5 points (42.2% FG, 32.8% 3-PT, 84.5% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.30 steals in 32.2 minutes.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward Olivier Sarr to a two-way contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Sarr (6-11, 238) has appeared in 23 games (two starts) for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this season and averaged 7.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Thunder per the NBA’s COVID-Related Hardship Allowance and played in two games where he averaged 2.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 7.0 minutes per game.
Per the Oklahoman, “Sarr will fill the two-way slot previously occupied by rookie wing Aaron Wiggins, who recently signed a standard contract with the Thunder.”
The Niort, France native played three seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to Kentucky and collected Third Team All-ACC honors and was named a runner-up for ACC Most Improved Player. He appeared in 110 career games and averaged 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 22.0 minutes per game.
The Trail Blazers have signed forward Trendon Watford to a standard NBA contract.
In a related move, Portland has waived guard Dennis Smith Jr.
Watford, 21, has appeared in 33 games for the Trail Blazers this season, averaging 4.5 points (59.0% FG, 68.6% FT), 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.45 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game.
A rookie out of LSU, Watford leads all first-year players that have taken at least 100 shots in field goal percentage.
Originally signed to a two-way contract by Portland after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Watford ranked second among all players on two-way contracts this season in blocks (15), third in total rebounds (106), fourth in games played (33), fifth in points (149), and seventh in assists (35).
Smith played in 37 games (four starts) for Portland this season, posting averages of 5.6 points (41.8% FG, 22.2% 3-PT, 65.6% FT), 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.22 steals.
The Nets, per multiple reports, will be signing a veteran point guard who can help maintain backcourt order while the team waits for Ben Simmons to become available while dealing with Kyrie Irving only being allowed to play road games due to coronavirus safety restrictions in New York. And one who is already quite familiar with Nets head coach Steve Nash: Goran Dragic. Via Bleacher Report:
Ahead of the trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors sent Dragic to the San Antonio Spurs in a deal for Thaddeus Young. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported his time in San Antonio wasn’t expected to be long, with the Spurs likely to buy out the final year of his contract.
Dragic originally landed with the Raptors as part of the Miami Heat’s sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry. Many believed his time with Toronto would be a marriage of convenience, with the team moving him on at a later date.
Per the New York Daily News, “adding Dragic to the Nets backcourt addresses several needs. He is no superstar, but he has played at a high level — both in the NBA and internationally — for decades. He was a 2018 NBA All-Star and has averaged 14 points and five assists per game entering his 14th NBA season. And he is set to play inspired basketball after landing in Toronto as part of the Kyle Lowry trade to the Miami Heat, only to be benched and dealt to the Spurs at the trade deadline.”
The Nets are just 31-28 this season, which is the 8th best record in the Eastern conference. Their season has been more about missed games than stars being available to play together. Adding Dragic is a solid move for the sake of stability.