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Nets sign guard Mike James to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Mike James to a 10-day contract.

James (6’1”, 195) joins the Nets after playing nine professional seasons (2012-21) overseas in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain and Russia and in the NBA with Phoenix and New Orleans. In 36 games (10 starts) split between the Suns and Pelicans during the 2017-18 season, James holds career NBA averages of 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 19.1 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old most recently spent two seasons (2019-21) with CSKA Moscow in Russia and appeared in 41 games (23 starts) during the 2020-21 season in VTB United League and EuroLeague play, recording averages of 17.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. James spent the 2018-19 season in Italy with Olimpia Milano, leading the team to the Italian SuperCup title and winning the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy for averaging a league-best 19.8 points to go with 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 34.0 minutes per contest in Milan’s 30 EuroLeague games (all starts). He previously won consecutive Greek League titles in 2017 and 2018 and the 2017 Greek Cup title with Panathinaikos B.C. in Athens and helped lead Spain’s Baskonia to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2016.

The Portland, Ore., native played two collegiate seasons (2010-12) at Lamar University, appearing in 56 games and averaging 15.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.7 minutes per contest. As a senior in 2012, James earned First Team All-Southland honors and was named the Southland Conference Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also spent two seasons (2008-10) at Eastern Arizona College prior to transferring to Lamar.

Magic sign Donta Hall to another 10-day contract

The Orlando Magic have signed forward Donta Hall to a second 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Hall (6’10”, 232, 8/7/97) originally signed a 10-day contract with Orlando on Apr. 13. He has played in four games with the Magic, averaging 4.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 1.5 apg. and 1.50 blkpg in 14.0 minpg.

Hall also played in 12 games this season (11 starts) with both Ignite and Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, averaging 10.2 ppg., 8.3 rpg., 1.5 apg. and 2.08 blkpg. in 24.8 minpg., while shooting .625 (50-80) from the floor.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Hall appeared in nine combined games with both Detroit and Brooklyn, averaging 4.3 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. in 14.8 minpg. He played in four games with the Pistons, averaging 1.5 ppg. and 3.8 rpg. in 12.0 minpg. Later in the season, Hall played five games with the Nets, averaging 6.6 ppg., 4.6 rpg. and 1.00 blkpg. in 17.0 minpg. He also appeared in 38 games (37 starts) with Grand Rapids of the NBA G League, averaging 15.4 ppg., 10.6 rpg., 1.0 apg., 1.45 blkpg. and 1.03 stlpg. in 28.6 minpg., while shooting .669 (230-344) from the floor. Hall was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team, the NBA G League All-Rookie Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team in 2019-20.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Hall played in 135 career games (85 starts) during four seasons at the University of Alabama, averaging 7.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg. and 1.69 blkpg. in 20.8 minpg., while shooting .661 (400-605) from the floor. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as both a junior (2017-18) and a senior (2018-19).

Hall wears #45 with the Orlando Magic.

Magic sign forward Robert Franks to second 10-day contract

The Orlando Magic have signed forward Robert Franks to a second 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Franks (6’7”, 255, 12/18/96) originally signed a 10-day contract with Orlando on Apr. 12. He has played in four games with the Magic, averaging 5.0 ppg. and 1.8 rpg in 11.8 minpg.

Franks appeared in 14 games this season (12 starts) with Lakeland of the NBA G League, averaging 12.1 ppg., 6.6 rpg. and 1.5 apg. in 24.5 minpg., while shooting .508 (60-118) from the floor and .356 (21-59) from three-point range. He played and started in all three playoff outings, averaging 16.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg. and 1.0 apg. in 29.7 minpg., while shooting .581 (18-31) from the field and .563 (9-16) from three-point range. Franks helped Lakeland capture the 2020-21 NBA G League championship.

Prior to joining Lakeland, Franks signed as a free agent with Orlando on Nov. 27 and appeared in two preseason games with the Magic, recording five points and one steal in 10 minutes. He was waived on Dec. 19. During the 2019-20 campaign, Franks played in 36 games for both the Greensboro Swarm and Stockton Kings of the NBA G League, averaging 17.3 ppg. and 6.4 rpg. in 32.2 minpg.

Franks played in 110 career games (56 starts) during four seasons at Washington State University, averaging 12.2 ppg. and 4.7 rpg. in 23.7 minpg. As a senior in 2018-19, he averaged 21.6 ppg. and 7.2 rpg., while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor, 40.5 percent from three-point range and 84.8 percent from the free throw line, earning First Team All-Pac-12 honors.

Undrafted, Franks originally signed a two-way contract with Charlotte and their NBA G League affiliate Greensboro before being acquired by Stockton, the Sacramento Kings G League affiliate.

Franks will wear #0 with the Orlando Magic.

Hawks guard Trae Young out with sprained ankle

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, who left last night’s game at New York due to a sprained left ankle, had an X-ray taken at Madison Square Garden, which came back negative.

Following an MRI today at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, he was diagnosed with a lateral left ankle sprain.

Young will be listed as out for tomorrow’s game vs. Miami and Sunday vs. Milwaukee.

Wizards rookie Deni Avdija injured, out for remainder of season

Wizards forward Deni Avdija has been diagnosed with a right fibular hairline fracture following MRI testing conducted earlier today.

There will be no surgery required and the team thinks he’ll be able to make a full recovery in approximately 12 weeks.

Avdija sustained the injury during Wednesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

The rookie from Israel averaged 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.3 minutes per game. He played in 54 games, including 32 starts.

Although his role was limited, Avdija showed solid flashes of potential, and certainly should be a part of the Wizards rotation next season.

Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson suspended, Spurs guard Patty Mills and forward Rudy Gay fined

Indiana Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, and Mills and Spurs forward Rudy Gay have each been fined for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident began when Sampson and Mills were battling for rebounding position. It continued to the next possession when Mills made contact with Sampson and Sampson shoved Mills. Sampson then furthered the altercation by aggressively confronting and headbutting Mills. Sampson’s actions resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 and an automatic ejection.

Mills received a technical foul and has been fined $25,000 for his role in the altercation. Gay also received a technical foul and has been fined $20,000 for escalating the incident by shoving Sampson.

The incident occurred with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ 109-94 win over the Pacers on April 19 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Sampson will serve his suspension tonight when Indiana faces the Oklahoma City Thunder at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray undergoes ACL reconstruction surgery

Jamal Murray has undergone surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.

Murray will be out for the rest of the season.

This is a major loss for the Nuggets, who are 37-20 this season, good for 4th in the Western conference. After a slow start to the the season, the team has been on a serious roll lately. Losing Murray is brutal.

The team’s leading scorers this season are Nikola Jokic at 26.4 points per game, Murray at 21.2 ppg, Michael Porter Jr. at 17.7 ppg, Will Barton at 12.9 ppg, and new addition Aaron Gordon at 10.7 ppg.

Cavs sign Mfiondu Kabengele to second 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward/center Mfiondu Kabengele to a second 10-day contract, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Kabengele (6-9, 250) has played in three games with the Cavaliers after signing his first 10-day contract with the team on April 10. He also appeared in 23 games for the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being traded to the Sacramento Kings on March 22. Kabengele, who was waived by the Kings on March 25, owns career averages of 1.9 points in 4.7 minutes over 38 games during his two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Cavaliers. The 23-year-old also played in 27 contests (all starts) for the Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBA G League in 2019-20, averaging 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks in 31.2 minutes.

Selected with the 27th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Brooklyn, Kabengele played two collegiate seasons at Florida State, earning the 2018-19 ACC Sixth Man of the Year award and 2019 All-ACC Tournament First Team honors. He is the nephew of NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.

Pacers sign forward Oshae Brissett

The Indiana Pacers have signed forward Oshae Brissett to a standard NBA contract.

Brissett originally signed with the Pacers on a 10-day contact on April 1, followed by a second 10-day contract on April 11.

Previously this season, Brissett played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G-League bubble, where he was named to the 2020-21 All-NBA G League Second Team.

Brissett spent his rookie season in 2019-20 on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.

Nuggets sign Austin Rivers to 10-day contract

The Denver Nuggets yesterday (Tuesday, April 20) signed veteran guard Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced.

Rivers, 6-4, 200, appeared in 21 games (two starts) this season with the New York Knicks, averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field and 36.4% from three in 21.0 minutes per game. The nine-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 9.1 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 41.8% from the field and 34.9% from long distance in 573 career games (151 starts) with New Orleans, L.A. Clippers, Washington, Houston and New York.

The 28-year-old provides valuable postseason experience, playing in a total of 45 playoff games (six starts), averaging 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 40.3% from the field in 20.2 minutes with Houston and the L.A. Clippers. Rivers has a total of 16 career postseason games scoring 10-or-more points.

Rivers was drafted 10th overall by New Orleans in 2012 after spending one season at Duke University. In his lone season, he averaged a team-high 15.5 points on 43.3% shooting in 34 games, becoming the third freshman ever to lead Duke in scoring.