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The San Antonio Spurs have waived Chandler Hutchison. Via the San Antonio Express-News:
The Spurs waived the 25-year-old small forward Saturday, a little more than a month after acquiring him as part of the monster five-team trade in July that resulted in Russell Westbrook landing with the Los Angeles Lakers…
With 17 guaranteed contracts — not including two-ways — the Spurs needed to waive or trade at least two players by the start of the season to make the roster legal.
Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac isn’t sure of his exact return date from injury just yet. Via the Orlando Sentinel:
The 6-foot-11, 230-pound Issac has been sidelined since Aug. 2, 2020, missing the entire 2020-21 season, and he continues to rehabilitate from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left leg…
He suffered the injury during the Magic’s second seeding game in the summer of 2020 inside the NBA bubble against the Sacramento Kings at Walt Disney World.
The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Sekou Doumbouya and center Jahlil Okafor from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center DeAndre Jordan, second round draft picks in 2022, 2024 (via Washington), 2025 (via Golden State) and 2027 and cash considerations.
“We appreciate everything DeAndre has contributed to our organization over the past two seasons both on and off the court and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks.
Doumbouya (6’8”, 230) has appeared in 94 games (30 starts) across two seasons (2019-21) with the Pistons, recording averages of 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.
Okafor (6’10”, 270) has seen action in 247 games (116 starts) in six seasons with Detroit (2020-21), New Orleans (2018-20), Brooklyn (2017-18) and Philadelphia (2015-17), posting averages of 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.
Jordan originally signed as a free agent with Brooklyn on July 6, 2019, and appeared in 113 games (49 starts) in two seasons (2019-21) with the Nets, recording averages of 7.9 points on 71.1 percent shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. In the 2020-21 campaign, Jordan averaged 7.5 points on 76.3 percent shooting from the field, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per contest across 57 games (43 starts). The 33-year-old has played in 932 games (756 starts) in 13 seasons with Brooklyn, New York (2019), Dallas (2018-19) and the L.A. Clippers (2008-18), posting averages of 9.4 points on 67.4 percent shooting from the field, 10.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.6 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.
The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed free agent forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
Per ESPN.com, “after retiring with heart concerns five months ago, seven-time All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge is returning to the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year, $2.6 million deal, his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, told ESPN on Friday. Aldridge, 36, has been medically cleared by a number of doctors — including those both independent and Nets-affiliated — to make a return for his 16th season, Schwartz told ESPN.”
Aldridge (6’11”, 265) has appeared in 1,029 career NBA games (985 starts) across 15 seasons with Brooklyn (2021), San Antonio (2015-21) and Portland (2006-15), averaging 19.4 points on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 81.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 34.2 minutes per contest.
A seven-time NBA All-Star (2012-16, 2018-19), Aldridge most recently saw action in 26 contests (23 starts) for the Nets (five games) and Spurs (21 games). In his five games as a Net, Aldridge recorded averages of 12.8 points on 52.1 percent shooting from the field, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game.
The Dallas native is a five-time All-NBA selection, taking home second-team honors twice (2015, 2018) and third-team honors on three occasions (2011, 2014, 2016). Among active players, Aldridge currently ranks fourth in field goals made (8,059), fifth in rebounds (8,478), seventh in points (19,951), eighth in blocks (1,140) and 10th in games played (1,029). Aldridge is one of just two active players to register 19,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 2,000 assists, joining LeBron James. The 36-year-old, who helped lead San Antonio to the conference finals in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, has appeared in the postseason nine times in his career, averaging 20.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 82.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks in 37.1 minutes per game in 72 total contests (all starts).
The second overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Aldridge played collegiately at the University of Texas for two seasons (2004-06), appearing in 53 career games (all starts) for the Longhorns and averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game. Following his final season in Austin, Aldridge was named First-Team All-Big 12 and the conference’s defensive player of the year.
The Dallas Mavericks have signed rookie free agent guard JaQuori McLaughlin to a two-way contract.
And in an additional move, Dallas has requested waivers on center EJ Onu.
McLaughlin (6-4, 190) signs with Dallas after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. He finished his collegiate career at UC Santa Barbara, where he helped the Gauchos win the Big West regular season and tournament titles in his senior year. He averaged 16.0 points (.488 FG%, .408 3FG%), 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game en route to being named the Big West Player of the Year and an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American in his final collegiate season.
In his five-year collegiate career, which included time at Oregon State, McLaughlin averaged 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 32.8 minutes in 126 games (123 starts). McLaughlin is just the third player in UC Santa Barbara history to score 1,000 or more points and dish out 300 or more assists.
The Port Angeles, Washington, native averaged 19.3 points, 9.1 assists and 5.5 steals per game as a senior at Peninsula High School and was named Washington Mr. Basketball, an award that has also recently been awarded to Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
McLaughlin will wear #30 for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks roster now stands at 19 players.
The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward Alize Johnson.
Johnson originally joined the Nets on two 10-day contracts (signed on March 22 and April 1) before signing a multi-year deal with Brooklyn on April 11. In 18 games with the Nets during the 2020-21 season, the 25-year-old recorded averages of 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per contest. Johnson has seen action in 49 games across three seasons with Brooklyn and Indiana (2018-20), registering averages of 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.
The Utah Jazz have added Irv Roland to their coaching staff.
Roland, a seven-year NBA coaching veteran, last worked for the Houston Rockets from 2017-19 where they reached the Western Conference Finals in 2018. He began his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 2004 where he assisted with video analysis. In 2005, he joined the New Orleans Hornets, also in the team’s video department, and worked there until 2010. He continued his journey in coaching, moving to Phoenix and was an assistant coach for the Suns from 2013-17.
Additionally, Roland works throughout the offseason with current and former NBA players.
A native of Midwest City, Okla., Roland played college basketball at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has finalized his coaching staff.
Igor Kokoskov (EEE-gore KO-kosh-kov) joins the Mavericks after having spent the last year as head coach of the Turkish League’s Fenerbache. Kokoskov led Fenerbache to a 20-16 EuroLeague record. The team fell to CSKA Moscow in the EuroLeague playoffs. In Turkish League play, the team tallied a 22-8 record before losing to EuroLeague champion Anadolu Efes in the league finals.
Kokoskov, who owns the distinction of being the first non-American to be a full-time NBA assistant coach, has more than two decades of NBA coaching experience. He joined the L.A. Clippers as an assistant in 2000 before spending five years (2003-08) in Detroit, where he won the 2004 NBA championship. He also served assistant coaching stints with Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando and Utah before being named head coach of the Suns, a post he held for the 2018-19 season. Prior to returning to Europe, Kokoskov spent the 2019-20 season in Sacramento. The University of Missouri hired Kokoskov to their full-time coaching staff in 1999 as he became the first European to hold that position in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
The Serbia native is the head coach of the Serbian National Team. He also coached the national teams of Georgia and Slovenia, coaching Mavericks All-Star Luka Dončić and leading the team to the 2017 EuroBasket title.
Sean Sweeney previously worked with Kidd in Milwaukee and Brooklyn. He most recently spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Pistons and the prior four as an assistant with Milwaukee. Sweeney’s NBA career began with the Nets, where he started as video coordinator before being named assistant coach in advance of the 2013-14 season.
Earlier in his career, Sweeney was the video coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa and the director of basketball operations at the University of Evansville. He also held assistant coaching positions at the Anoka Ramsey Community College (Cambridge, MN) and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. The Saint Paul, Minnesota, native played one season at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before transferring to the University of St. Thomas (Saint Paul) where he was a three-year starter and earned all-conference honors as a senior in 2005-06.
Jared Dudley transitions to an assistant coaching role following a 14-season NBA career. Dudley spent the last two seasons of his playing career with the L.A. Lakers, winning the 2020 NBA title.
Over his career, Dudley played for Charlotte (2007-08), Phoenix (2008-13, 2016-18), the L.A. Clippers (2013-14), Milwaukee (2014-15), Washington (2015-16), Brooklyn (2018-19) and the Lakers (2019-21). Dudley, who grew up in San Diego, owns career averages of 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 22.3 minutes in 904 games (286 starts). He was selected 22nd overall by the Bobcats in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Dudley was a four-year starter at Boston College and averaged 15.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.4 minutes over 130 games for the Eagles. As a senior, he was the ACC Player of the Year, Second Team All-America and All-ACC First Team. Dudley garnered Big East Most Improved Player and All-Big East First Team honors following his sophomore season after being selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team a season earlier.
Greg St. Jean (j-EE-n) comes to Dallas after spending two seasons as a player development coach and advance scout with the L.A. Lakers, helping the organization to the 2020 NBA championship alongside Kidd.
St. Jean was an assistant coach for St. John’s University for four seasons. Prior to his time with the Red Storm, St. Jean spent two years with the Kings as an assistant player development coach and two summers with the Nets. St. Jean recently coached the Mavericks summer league team in Las Vegas.
The Bay Area native was a three-year team captain at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT). His father Garry St. Jean was head coach of the Kings (1992-97) and the general manager of the Golden State Warriors (1998-2004).
Kristi Toliver began her NBA coaching career with the Washington Wizards, where she spent two seasons (2018-20) while concurrently playing for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Toliver, a 12-year WNBA veteran, has played more than 350 games (275+ starts) with Washington, the Chicago Sky and the Los Angeles Sparks. This season, she’s averaging 9.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 18 games (all starts) with the Sparks.
Toliver, who hails from Harrisonburg, Virginia, won two WNBA championships with L.A. (2016) and Washington (2019). She’s garnered several league honors and is a three-time WNBA All-Star (2013, 2018, 2019), 2012 Second Team All-WNBA and the 2012 WNBA Most Improved Player.
Toliver also played professionally in Europe during the WNBA offseason, including stints with Raanana Hertzeliya (Israel), MKB Euroleasing Sopron (Hungary), Samsun Canik Belediyesi (Turkey) and Dynamo Moscow and UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia). She’s been part of six Russian League championships with Dynamo (2013, 2014) and UMMC (2015-18). Toliver was a standout for the University of Maryland, winning the NCAA championship in 2006. Among her many accolades, Toliver finished her career as the 2009 ACC Player of the Year.
Darrell Armstrong, God Shammgod and Peter Patton complete Kidd’s coaching staff. Armstrong will begin his 13th season with the Mavericks, while Shammgod and Patton begin their sixth and fourth seasons, respectively, with the organization.
The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday announced additions to the coaching staff, including Joe Boylan (Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development), Nate Bubes (Quality Control Coach), Chris Hines (Player Development Associate), Ashlee McGee (Video/Player Development Associate), Alex Stepheson (Video/Player Development Associate), Elston Turner (Assistant Coach) and Addison Walters (Video Associate).
“We are thrilled to welcome Joe, Nate, Ashlee, Alex and Elston into the Timberwolves organization, as well as advance Chris and Addison to these new opportunities,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. “The experience and skill set each one brings to the staff will emphasize the steps we are taking to reach our goals for our players and program as a whole. Each is talented in their field and are passionate in assisting Coach Finch in executing the vision for the Timberwolves going forward.”
“Starting with the coaching staff announcement earlier this summer, we have put an emphasis on staff development and rewarding the hard work and dedication our staff make to the organization,” said Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch. “We are now excited to support Chris and Addison in their new roles as they transition from the Iowa Wolves to Minnesota, as well as Ashlee as she takes her experience with the Lynx and applies it to the Timberwolves. I look forward to working with Elston as he joins our coaching staff, as well as Joe, Nate and Alex as they all contribute to shaping our players and supporting the goals we have laid out for the organization.”
Boylan joins the Timberwolves after spending three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, serving as their director of player development for two of those seasons. Prior to joining the Pelicans, he served as a player development coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as the associate head coach of their then G League affiliate, the Iowa Energy. Before joining the Grizzlies organization, Boylan was an assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Drive in the G League during the 2014-15 season. He also spent three seasons with the Golden State Warriors from 2011-14, serving first as the video coordinator, then as video coordinator/player development and finally as assistant coach/player development. Boylan also spent time with the Boston Celtics and the G League’s Maine Red Claws.
Bubes comes to the Timberwolves by way of the Pelicans, where he served as the assistant video coordinator starting in 2019. Prior to his time with New Orleans, he was the coordinator of strategy and analytics for Brigham Young University men’s basketball program. Bubes had his start in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers when he served as the team’s video intern in 2018. A graduate of Boston College, Bubes served as the men’s basketball graduate assistant from 2016-2018 after being the program’s student manager from 2012-2016.
Hines has been elevated into his new role after serving as an assistant head coach for the Timberwolves G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves since 2019. Prior to joining the Timberwolves organization, he spent three seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers (China) as an assistant coach and director of player development. He also served as the director of basketball operations and player development for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers beginning in 2015. Hines played briefly for the Iowa Energy during the 2014-15 season and played one season collegiately at Drake University after graduating from the University of Utah in 2012.
McGee joins the Timberwolves after spending two seasons as the Minnesota Lynx video coordinator. She will serve a dual role where she will continue working for the Lynx during the WNBA season and join the Timberwolves during the NBA season. Prior to her time with the Lynx, McGee served as an advance scout for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2018. She also served as an assistant women’s basketball coach for both James Madison University and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to her time in Milwaukee, McGee served as both a graduate assistant and an assistant coach at Tennessee State University. A graduate of Austin Peay State University and member of the women’s basketball program, she led the Governors to back-to-back appearances in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Stepheson joins the Timberwolves after a 10-year professional playing career that included stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Grizzlies and overseas with Panionios (Greece) and Guangzhou Long Lions of the CBA. In 2015, he was acquired by the Iowa Energy and went on to earn All-NBA D-League First Team honors. Stepheson played collegiately for the University of North Carolina before transferring to USC.
Turner comes to Minnesota with more than two decades of NBA coaching experience, including his last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets as well as a prior four-year stint with the organization from 2007-11. Turner’s coaching career includes stops in Sacramento, Memphis and Portland. The Tennessee native was selected 43rd overall in the 1981 NBA Draft and appeared in over 500 games across eight seasons. Turner played professionally for Dallas, Denver and Chicago throughout his NBA career. Turner hails from the University of Mississippi, where he led Ole Miss to its first ever NCAA Tournament in his senior year.
Walters joins the Timberwolves after spending one season with the Iowa Wolves as a basketball operations associate. The San Francisco native attended Stetson University and Cal State Bakersfield where she was a member of the women’s basketball program at each. Walters was named the ASUN Newcomer of the Week in 2018.
The Detroit Pistons announced today that George David has been named Assistant General Manager.
David rejoins the Pistons after spending six years at Wasserman Media Group as Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations. The Farmington, MI native worked closely with numerous high-profile NBA players represented by Wasserman.
“I’m excited to return to the Detroit Pistons and help Tom Gores, Arn Tellem and Troy Weaver in the restoring effort of the franchise,” said David. “Detroit has always been home for me and I know how passionate the city and region is about their sports teams. Troy’s vision for building the roster aligns with the core values of Detroit Basketball and I look forward to playing a role in the continued rise of the organization.”
David previously served as Assistant General Manager with Detroit from 2012-14, after promotions from Director of Player Personnel (2007-12) and as Director of Scouting (2002-2007). While a member of Joe Dumars’ basketball operations staff, the club enjoyed one of its most successful runs in franchise history, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals six consecutive years, two NBA Finals and the 2004 NBA Championship. David was first hired within the organization as video coordinator during the 1996-97 season.
“We are pleased to have George David make his return to the Pistons organization”, said Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver. “George has seen success at a championship level and understands exactly what we are restoring in Detroit. His knowledge of the franchise and accumulated experience around all facets of the NBA will be invaluable as we continue to move forward.”
David graduated from Indiana University after working as a student assistant for legendary coach Bob Knight from 1992-96.