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Jazz sign Danuel House Jr. to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Danuel House Jr. to a 10-day contract.

House Jr. (6-6, 215, Texas A&M) is in his sixth NBA season and previously signed a 10-day contract with Utah on Jan. 6, seeing action in three games, averaging 5.3 points on 44.4 percent from three-point range, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He has also played with Washington (2016-17), Phoenix (2017-18), Houston (2018-22) and New York (2021-22) owning career averages of 8.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.9 minutes per game.

The Houston-native has additional NBA G League experience, competing for Delaware (2016-17), Northern Arizona (2017-18) and Rio Grande Valley (2017-19), playing in 60 total games (42 starts), averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.0 minutes per contest.

Myles Turner out with stress reaction in left foot

Indiana Pacers forward/center Myles Turner – who missed yesterday’s game against the Clippers due to a sore left ankle/foot – has been examined by multiple specialists, who have determined the injury to be a stress reaction in his left foot.

Turner will continue to receive treatment and will be re-examined in two weeks, at which time the Pacers’ medical team will re-assess his status.

Miami Heat sign Kyle Guy to two-way contract

The Miami Heat have signed Kyle Guy to a two-way contract.

Guy, who was originally signed to a 10-day contract by the HEAT on December 30 and re-signed to a second 10-day on January 10, has appeared in six games with Miami averaging 8.2 points, 2.3 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 17.1 minutes while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the foul line. Prior to joining Miami, Guy appeared in 11 G League games (10 starts) earlier this season with the Cleveland Charge and averaged 21.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.00 steals and 35.0 minutes.

Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss to multi-year contract, and waive Willie Cauley-Stein

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward Marquese Chriss to a multi-year contract.

And in an additional move, Dallas has requested waivers on center Willie Cauley-Stein.

Chriss (6-9, 240) was in the midst of his third 10-day contract under the COVID-related hardship allowance and has averaged 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 11.9 minutes in 12 games with Dallas. Chriss has scored in double figures in three games with the Mavericks.

Chriss was selected by Sacramento with the eighth overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Phoenix, where he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in his first season. Chriss played collegiately for one season at Washington.

Cleveland Cavaliers hire Jose Calderon as Special Advisor to Front Office

The Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday hired José Calderón as Special Advisor to the Front Office, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has announced.

Calderón joins the Cavaliers from the National Basketball Players Association where he served as the Special Assistant to the Executive Director, working closely with NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and the NBPA’s senior management team on union strategy and specific issues relevant to current NBA players. In his role with the Cavaliers, Calderón will assist the front office achieve their goals both on and off the court in a variety of engagements.

“We are thrilled to add someone of José Calderón’s background and experience to our front office,” said Altman. “His accomplishments as a basketball player and familiarity with our organization will be invaluable. We look forward to his insights and perspective on how we can continue moving this team forward and enhancing our efforts towards sustainable and long-term success here in Cleveland.”

Calderón spent 14 seasons in the NBA, playing for seven different teams, including the Cavaliers’ NBA Finals run during the 2017-18 season. He posted career averages of 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 26.4 minutes over 895 career games. A native of Villanueva de la Serena, Spain, Calderón played six seasons in the Spanish professional leagues before beginning his NBA career in 2005 with the Toronto Raptors. Calderón also represented his home country at four Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016), earning silver medals in 2008 and 2012 and a bronze medal in 2016.

Grizzlies sign Dakota Mathias to second 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed wing Dakota Mathias to a second 10-day contract under the NBA’s COVID-related hardship exception.

Mathias (6-4, 200) signed his first 10-day contract with the Grizzlies on Dec. 29 and totaled six points and two rebounds in four minutes over four games.

Undrafted in 2018 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at Purdue, the 26-year-old has appeared in 12 career games (two starts) for the Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers and has averaged 4.5 points and 1.1 assists in 10.9 minutes. He also played 42 games for the NBA G League’s Texas Legends during the 2019-20 season and averaged 18.1 points while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range.

Knicks trade Kevin Knox to Hawks for Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Kevin Knox II and a conditional future first-round pick (Charlotte’s protected first-round pick) in a trade with the New York Knicks for forwards Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill as well as a 2025 second-round pick and cash considerations.

In addition, New York has waived guard Ryan Arcidiacono.

Knox, 22, has played in 194 career games with the Knicks (61 starts), averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes and scoring in double-figures 69 times. This season in 12 contests, he’s put in 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.2 minutes.

Drafted with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Knicks, the 6’9 Knox was First-Team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2018 at Kentucky. The former Florida Mr. Basketball attended Tampa Catholic High School in Tampa, FL.

Reddish, 6-8, 218 pounds, holds career averages of 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals over 118 games (62 starts) over three seasons with Atlanta. He is currently averaging career bests of 11.9 points, 90-percent shooting from the free throw line and 37.9-percent shooting from downtown over 23.4 minutes in 34 games (seven starts) for the Hawks this season. He recorded a career high 34 points on Dec. 22 against Orlando and then followed that up with his second career 30-point effort, with 33 points against Chicago on Dec. 27.

The 22-year-old was selected by Atlanta 10th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, following one season at Duke University, where he was teammates with RJ Barrett. The Norristown, PA-native, averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 29.7 minutes as a Blue Devil.

Hill played in 84 games (17 starts) in two seasons with the Hawks, averaging 3.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.7 minutes.

Orlando Magic sign front office execs Jeff Weltman and John Hammond to contract extensions

Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman and General Manager John Hammond have both received contract extensions, CEO Alex Martins announced today.

“Jeff (Weltman) and John (Hammond) have done a tremendous job of building our basketball operations infrastructure, while putting us in position to reach our ultimate goal,” said CEO Alex Martins. “We certainly look forward to exciting days ahead.”

Said Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos, “Our commitment to winning a championship is stronger than ever, while being an invested community partner. We look forward to Jeff and John continuing to lead our basketball operations and assembling teams our fans can be proud of, both on and off the floor.”

Weltman, who brings more than 30 years of experience in basketball operations in the NBA, was named president of basketball operations of the Orlando Magic on May 23, 2017. He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the team’s basketball operations department.

Since joining Orlando, the Magic advanced to postseason play in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20 for the first time in eight years (since 2010-11 and 2011-12). During his second season in Orlando (2018-19), the Magic clinched a berth into the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2012 and captured the Southeast Division title, their first since 2009-10.

Hammond was named general manager of the Orlando Magic on May 23, 2017. He begins his fifth season with the Magic, bringing more than 39 years of coaching and administrative experience to Orlando. Hammond came to the Magic after spending nine seasons (2008-17) as general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks.

During Hammond’s 30 years in the NBA, his teams have made 17 postseason appearances, including two seasons with Orlando (2018-19, 2019-20). During the 2018-19 season, the Magic clinched a berth into the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2012 and captured the Southeast Division title. After reaching the playoffs again in 2019-20, it marked the first time in eight years (since 2010-11 and 2011-12) that Orlando advanced to postseason play in back-to-back seasons. President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman served as assistant general manager under Hammond for five seasons (2008-13) and also worked with him in Detroit (2007-08).

Hammond was named general manager of Milwaukee on April 11, 2008 and promptly generated an eight-win improvement in his first season and another 12 during his second, earning the 2009-10 NBA Executive of the Year Award.