Inside Hoops – Page 280 – NBA Blog

Sixers sign forward Georges Niang

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced yesterday that the team has signed forward Georges Niang.

“Georges is a talented player who can stretch the floor and he immediately bolsters our frontcourt depth,” Morey said. “He has shot over 40-percent from three for his career and has steadily improved his overall game each season he’s been in the NBA. We’re excited to welcome him to Philadelphia.”

Niang spent the last four seasons with Utah after spending his rookie year with Indiana, which selected him in the 2016 NBA Draft with the No. 50 overall pick out of Iowa State. For his career, he has appeared in 229 games, with averages of 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per contest.

During each year of his professional career, Niang has increased his averages in points, rebounds and assists, including last season when he posted career highs of 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He also was the only player last season to appear in at least 70 games while shooting at least 40-percent from both the field and three-point range, while knocking down at least 95-percent of his attempts from the foul line.

For his career, he is a .404 three-point shooter, a mark that ranks 13th among active NBA players with 600-or-more attempts. This past season, Niang shot nearly 43-percent from three on a career-high 4.1 attempts per game.

Over his four collegiate seasons at Iowa State, Niang earned multiple accolades, including selections to the Associated Press All-America Third Team in 2014-15 and the Consensus All-America Second Team in 2015-16. As a Cyclone, he was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team as a senior, when he earned the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top collegiate power forward. The 2015-16 season, Niang’s last in college, saw him average 20.5 points per game (second in the Big 12) as he led the conference in field-goal percentage at .546. The fourth-seeded Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Niang will wear No. 20 for the 76ers.

Lakers sign Dwight Howard

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday signed center Dwight Howard.

Entering his 18th NBA season, Howard owns career averages of 16.2 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks through 1,182 games (1,051 starts) with Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Philadelphia and the Lakers. He currently ranks eighth in all-time field goal percentage, converting 58.6 percent of his shots from the field (minimum 2,000 FGM).

An eight-time NBA All-Star and the 2004 first overall draft pick, Howard appeared in 69 games (six starts) with the 76ers last season, where he averaged 7.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 17.3 minutes. He returns to Los Angeles after averaging 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 2019-20, helping the team win the 2020 NBA Championship.

Howard is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year – winning the award in consecutive seasons from 2009-11 – and has led the league in rebounds five times (2007-10, ’11-13), blocks twice (2008-10) and field goal percentage once (2009-10). He enters the season ranking first among active players in career rebounds (14, 271) and blocks (2,192).

Miami Heat re-sign Gabe Vincent

The Miami Heat yesterday re-signed guard Gabe Vincent.

“Gabe has proven to us that he is more than just a point guard,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He’s a two-way guard that can run the offense, make threes and pretty much defend any guard in this league. It’s good to have him as part of our young core of players that we feel blend perfectly with our veterans.”

Vincent appeared in 50 games (seven starts) for the HEAT last season and averaged 4.8 points, 1.3 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. He ranked second on the team in charges drawn (12) and topped the HEAT in steals six times, plus/minus four times and assists twice. He was Miami’s leading scorer off the bench three times and also led the HEAT reserves in steals and plus/minus six times each, assists four times, minutes three times and blocks once. He scored in double figures six times, including a pair of 20-point games, handed out double-figure assists once and recorded one double-double.

Originally signed by the HEAT to a two-way contract on January 8, 2020, Vincent has appeared in 59 NBA regular season games (seven starts) during his two-year NBA career in Miami and has averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 12.5 minutes. He has appeared as a reserve in four playoff games and averaged 1.3 points in 4.8 minutes. Additionally, he recently competed in the Tokyo Olympics as a member of the Nigerian National Team and averaged 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.33 steals and 24.7 minutes.

Lakers sign Carmelo Anthony

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday signed forward Carmelo Anthony.

Entering his 19th NBA season, Anthony owns career averages of 23.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal through 1,191 games (1,117 starts) with Denver, New York, Oklahoma City, Houston and Portland. He currently ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 27,370 career points.

A 10-time NBA All-Star and the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion in 2021, Anthony appeared in 69 games (three starts), with the Trail Blazers last season, where he averaged 13.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 40.9 percent (133-235 3FG) from three-point range in 24.5 minutes per game.

He has appeared in 83 career playoff games (77 starts) for the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder and Trail Blazers, averaging 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 37.3 minutes.

Anthony is a six-time All-NBA selection, including two Second Team selections (2009-10 & 2012-13) and four Third Team selections (2005-07, 2008-09, 2011-12) and led the league in scoring during the 2012-13 season. He is a four-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, helping the United States capture gold in 2016, 2012 and 2008.

Nets sign rookie Day’Ron Sharpe

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Day’Ron Sharpe, the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, to a multi-year contract.

Sharpe (6’11”, 265) spent one year at the University of North Carolina, appearing in 29 games (four starts), while averaging 9.5 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.1 minutes per game en route to ACC All-Freshman team honors. The ACC’s leading offensive rebounder (3.4 per game) and the nation’s leader in offensive rebound percentage (18.3 percent), Sharpe finished second in voting for both ACC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. He registered six double-doubles, scored in double figures 12 times and grabbed double digit rebounds in eight games. The 19-year-old native of Greenville, N.C., tied for the team lead in blocked shots (26), ranked second on the Tar Heels in rebounds per game and finished third in steals (23).

Charlotte Hornets waive Caleb Martin

The Charlotte Hornets have waived forward Caleb Martin.

In his second season with the Hornets, Martin averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.4 minutes per game, appearing in 53 games. Over his two seasons with Charlotte from 2019-21, Martin posted averages of 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16.0 minutes per game in 71 career games.

Undrafted out of Nevada in the 2019 NBA Draft, Martin originally signed with the Hornets on July 31, 2019.

Washington Wizards re-sign Raul Neto

The Washington Wizards have re-signed free agent guard Raul Neto.

Neto averaged a career-high 8.7 points, to go along with a career-high 2.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a career-high 1.1 steals per game while shooting .468 from the field in 64 games (22 starts) during the 2020-21 season. As a starter last season, he averaged 11.4 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting .495 from the field and .403 from three-point range. He scored a season-high 25 points (7-of-11 from the field, 5-of-7 from three-point range) in the Wizards’ 131-129 win over the Raptors in Tampa on May 6.

“We are very pleased to bring Raul back after the career year he had for us last season,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “He was one of our most consistent players with a toughness and tenacity on both ends of the floor that allowed him to lead our second unit and step in when called upon as a starter.”

Neto was originally signed as a free agent by the Wizards on November 21, 2020. During the 2019-20 season, he averaged 5.1 points and 1.9 assists per game in 54 games (three starts) with Philadelphia. Before signing with the 76ers, Neto spent his first four seasons in the NBA with the Utah Jazz (2015-19). Neto averaged 4.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 14.2 minutes per game with Utah. As a rookie in 2015, he appeared in 81 games (53 starts) and averaged a career-high 5.9 points and 2.1 assists per game.

Neto was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (47th overall pick) of the 2013 NBA Draft, and his rights were traded by the Hawks to the Jazz in a draft-night trade in exchange for a 2015 second round pick (from Brooklyn) on June 27, 2013. Prior to coming to the NBA, he played professionally in Brazil and Spain from 2008-15. During the 2014-15 season, he appeared in 34 games (23 starts) for Universidad Catolica De Murcia (UCAM) of the Liga ACP in Spain, averaging 8.9 points, 3.9 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 22.4 mpg.

A native of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Neto competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as a member of the Brazilian National Team.

Charlotte Hornets sign Ish Smith

The Charlotte Hornets have signed free agent guard Ish Smith.

A former Wake Forest product, Smith joins the Hornets after he averaged 6.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 21.0 minutes per game in 44 appearances with the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 season. In his two seasons with the Wizards, Smith averaged 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 24.2 minutes per game, appearing in 112 games.

Over his 11-year career, Smith has averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 20.2 minutes per game in 654 career games for 11 different teams. Smith has also appeared in 19 career postseason games, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 assists in 11.5 minutes per game with Memphis, Orlando, Milwaukee, Detroit and Washington.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Smith ranks second all-time in career assists at Wake Forest and attended Central Cabarrus High School, located in nearby Concord, North Carolina.

Pistons trade Mason Plumlee to Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to JT Thor in a trade with the Detroit Pistons. In exchange, Charlotte sent the draft rights of Balsa Koprivica to the Pistons.

An eight-year veteran, Plumlee averaged 10.4 points, a career-high 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 26.8 minutes per game in 56 games during the 2020-21 season. Last season, Plumlee recorded a triple-double vs. New Orleans on Feb. 14 and at Toronto on Mar. 3 as he was just one of four centers to post multiple triple-doubles.

The former Duke product has appeared in 588 career regular season games, averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22.1 minutes per game with Brooklyn, Portland, Denver and Detroit. During his career, Plumlee has also played in 60 career postseason contests, accruing averages of 3.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 14.9 minutes per game.

Thor, the 37th pick out of Auburn in the 2021 NBA draft, averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in minutes per game, making 27 appearances during his lone season with the Tigers. He recorded 37 blocks during the 2020-21 season, which ranked eighth in the SEC and second among all SEC freshmen as he averaged 9.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game in 18 conference games.

Koprivica, the 57th pick out of Florida State, averaged 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game in his sophomore season with the Seminoles. The 7-1 center played two seasons at Florida State and is a native of Belgrade, Serbia.

Miami Heat sign Markieff Morris

The Miami Heat have signed forward Markieff Morris.

“Markieff Morris has been a player that we’ve followed closely for a number of years,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He can play multiple positions, shoot the three, defend and post-up. To be able to add him to our nucleus was a big move. I want to thank Markieff for coming to Miami.”

The contract is reportedly a one-year, league minimum deal.

Morris spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 61 games (27 starts) and averaging 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 19.7 minutes. As a starter, he averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 26.1 minutes. He scored in double figures on 19 occasions and pulled in double-figure boards twice, both of which were good for double-doubles.

Per the Miami Herald, the “commitment from Morris helps bolster the Heat’s frontcourt, which wasn’t a strength last season. Miami was outrebounded 236-169 and outscored in the paint 188-148 during its first-round sweep from the playoffs at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.”

A 10-year NBA veteran, Morris has appeared in 698 games (375 starts) for the Suns, Wizards, Thunder, Pistons and Lakers and averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 25.0 minutes while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from three-point range and 77.6 percent from the foul line. The one-time Western Conference Player of the Week has scored in double figures 392 times, including 78 games with at least 20 points and four games with at least 30 points. He has also tallied double-figure rebounds 53 times and posted 48 double-doubles. A 2020 NBA Champion, Morris has appeared in 49 career postseason games (22 starts) and averaged 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.2 minutes while reaching double figures in points 12 times, rebounds five times and registering nine double-doubles.