Inside Hoops – Page 513 – NBA Blog

Hornets trade Hamidou Diallo draft rights to Thunder

The Charlotte Hornets today acquired a 2019 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, the 45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Hornets acquired Diallo’s rights, along with center Timofey Mozgov, a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations, from the Brooklyn Nets earlier today in exchange for Dwight Howard.

Diallo (6-5, 198), was originally selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Kentucky product started all 37 games as a redshirt freshman and averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.8 minutes per game and scored in double figures in 16 games.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Diallo represented the U.S. in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

Utah Jazz re-sign Derrick Favors, Dante Exum and Raul Neto

The Utah Jazz have agreed to terms to re-sign forward/center Derrick Favors, guard Dante Exum and guard Raul Neto.

Favors (6-10, 265, Georgia Tech) returns to Utah as the longest tenured Jazzman on the current roster, last year becoming just the 12th player in franchise history to appear in 500 career games. The 26-year-old enters the 2018-19 season tied for sixth in all-time Jazz offensive rebounds (1,241), sixth in career field goal percentage (.518), seventh in blocks (666), 10th in total rebounds (3,690) and 15th in points (6,070).

The 22-year-old Exum (6-6, 190, Australia) is entering his fourth NBA season, appearing in 14 games last year with averages of 8.1 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per contest. He returned from injury in time to appear in 10 playoff games for the Jazz, helping the team to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second-straight season. In the Second Round against Houston, Exum saw action in four games, averaging 8.3 points on 52.0 percent shooting, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.4 minutes per contest.

Neto (6-1, 179, Brazil) was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (47th overall pick) in the 2013 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Jazz in a draft-night trade. The 26-year-old has spent all three of his NBA seasons with Utah, appearing in 162 games (53 starts) with averages of 4.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.2 boards in 14.5 minutes per contest. In 2017-18, he saw action in 41 games, owning averages of 4.5 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 boards in 12.1 minutes, also playing in eight postseason contests.

The Jazz finished the 2017-18 season at 48-34, earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second-straight year. At 19-28 going into Jan. 24, the team posted a 29-6 record to close out the season, which marked the second-best record in the NBA after that date. Utah became the first team since the 2004-05 New Jersey Nets to end the regular season with a winning record after being nine games below .500 on Jan. 22

Trail Blazers sign Seth Curry

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Seth Curry.

Curry, 27, joins the Trail Blazers from the Dallas Mavericks, where he averaged 12.8 points (48.1% FG, 42.5% 3-PT, 85.0% FT), 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.13 steals and 29.0 minutes in 70 games (42 starts) during the 2016-17 season. He missed the 2017-18 season while recovering from a stress fracture in his lower left leg.

“We expect Seth to be an impactful addition to our backcourt as his skill set will translate immediately,” Olshey said. “He is an elite shooter with the ability to play on or off the ball.”

After going undrafted out of Duke in 2013, Curry (6-2, 185) played in one game each for Memphis and Cleveland during the 2013-14 season, and two games for Phoenix during the 2014-15 season before signing with Sacramento for the 2015-16 season.

For his career, Curry holds averages of 10.2 points (47.3% FG, 43.2% 3-PT, 84.4% FT), 2.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 23.2 minutes in 118 games (51 starts).

He will wear No. 5 for the Trail Blazers.

Hornets trade Dwight Howard to Nets, who waive Howard

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired center Timofey Mozgov, the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft), a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for center Dwight Howard.

According to multiple reports, the Nets will likely buy out Howard’s contract. After that, Howard may sign with the Wizards.

UPDATE: The Nets have waived Howard.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Mozgov has played in 454 career games (273 starts) for the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets with career averages of 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game. The 7-1 center was a member of Cleveland’s NBA Championship team in 2015-16. In his lone season with the Nets in 2017-18, Mozgov appeared in 31 games (13 starts) and averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

Howard originally joined the Hornets on June 20, 2017, in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. He played in and started 81 games in Charlotte, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game.

Suns sign Trevor Ariza

The Phoenix Suns today signed forward Trevor Ariza.

The deal is reportedly a one-year, $15 million contract.

“We are excited to have Trevor join the Suns franchise,” said General Manager Ryan McDonough about the 14-year NBA veteran. “Trevor is a talented two-way player who will bring defensive versatility, shooting and leadership to our organization. He has played a big role on a lot of successful teams and we think he will have a tremendous impact on our club, both on and off of the court.”

Ariza is a veteran leader and proven winner who possesses nine years and 102 games of playoff experience in his 14 NBA seasons, including an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. An ideal ‘3-And-D’ wing known for his shooting ability and defensive versatility, Ariza has averaged at least 2.0 three-point makes and 1.5 steals in each of the last five seasons—the only other NBA players to average these amounts or better in each of the past five seasons are Stephen Curry and James Harden.

The 6-8, 215-pound forward joins the Suns after playing the last four seasons with Houston, where he twice helped the Rockets reach the Western Conference Finals while averaging 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 three-pointers and 1.8 steals in 310 games. In 2017-18, Ariza made a career-high 2.5 three-pointers per game and shot a career-best 85.4 percent from the free throw line to help Houston win a franchise record 65 games.

For his career, the 33-year-old has averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 35.3 percent from three-point range in 942 games with six teams: New York (2004-2006), Orlando (2006-2007), the L.A. Lakers (2007-2009), Houston (2009-10; 2014-2018), New Orleans (2010-2012) and Washington (2012-2014). Ariza ranks 42nd in NBA history with 1,313 career three-pointers made and 52nd with 1,424 career steals.

Pacers sign Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott

The Indiana Pacers have signed free agent guard Tyreke Evans and free agent forward Doug McDermott to contracts.

A 6-6 guard, Evans was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year after the 2009-10 season. He spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 52 games. Through nine NBA seasons with Sacramento, New Orleans and Memphis, Evans has recorded career averages of 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

McDermott, a 6-8 forward, was named Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year his senior season at Creighton University before he was selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2014 NBA Draft. He spent the 2017-18 season with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, and averaged 7.8 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting a career-high 42.6 percent from three-point range over 81 games. Over his four NBA seasons, McDermott has averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and shot 40.3 percent from three-point range over 264 career games for the Bulls, Thunder, Knicks and Mavericks.

“The upside for us with Doug and Tyreke for our team at this time is obvious: they both can score,” said President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “In Doug’s case, we were looking for elite shooting, but we were also impressed with how he moves without the ball and his spot-up shooting. With Tyreke, we thought we needed a secondary ball-handler to not only compliment Victor, but he can turn it downhill and make plays for others. We think both are very solid basketball players. They know the game, they know what they need to work on and based on our conversations with them, they will fit in well with what we established here last year: players who want to win, players who are good teammates, players who will do what it takes to get better, both individually and for the team.”

Trail Blazers sign Gary Trent Jr

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed rookie guard Gary Trent Jr.

Acquired in a draft day trade with Sacramento, Trent Jr. was the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Trent Jr., 19, averaged 14.5 points (41.5% FG, 40.2% 3-PT, 87.6% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.16 steals and 33.8 minutes in 37 games (all starts) as a freshman at Duke during the 2017-18 season.

Trent Jr. (6-6, 209) was one of 10 finalists for the 2017-18 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award and was named to the 2018 NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team. He finished third in the ACC in three-pointers made (97) and was the fourth freshman in Duke history to lead the team in three-point field goal percentage.

He will wear No. 9 for the Trail Blazers

Raptors re-sign Fred VanVleet

The Toronto Raptors have re-signed guard Fred VanVleet to a multi-year contract.

The deal is reportedly a two-year, $18 million contract.

“We all know Fred’s personal motto is ‘Bet on Yourself.’ We know that Fred is no gamble – he’s hardworking, dedicated, and smart, and has been fantastic for us,” Raptors President Masai Ujiri said. “We’re thrilled he’ll be a big part of the Toronto Raptors for seasons to come.”

VanVleet was a finalist for the 2018 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award after a season which saw him average a career-high 20.0 minutes, 8.6 points and 3.2 assists in 76 games.

He was a key contributor to the success of the Raptors’ reserve unit that ranked first in NBA scoring (44.3) after Jan. 1. VanVleet ranked first overall on the team with a .414 three-point shooting percentage and was 12th among reserves in the NBA with 108 three-pointers made. He scored a career-best 25 points on Jan. 28 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning a streak of nine consecutive games in double-figure scoring. He averaged 12.8 points during this stretch. In all, VanVleet has appeared in 113 regular-season games over two seasons with Toronto, averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 assists and shooting .410 (119-for-290) from three-point range.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, VanVleet joined the Raptors as an undrafted free agent in 2016 following a four-year collegiate career at Wichita State University. He appeared in 37 games during his rookie season, averaging 2.9 points and 0.9 assists. VanVleet also appeared in 16 NBA G League games with Raptors 905, averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 assists and shot .407 (22-for-54) from long distance. In a decisive Game 3 of the NBA G League Finals, VanVleet recorded a double-double (28 points and 14 assists) to help Raptors 905 claim its first championship title.

Sixers trade Isaac Bonga to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Isaac Bonga from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a 2019 second round draft pick and cash considerations, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Originally selected by the 76ers with this year’s No. 39 draft pick, Bonga averaged 6.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Fraport Skyliners in Germany last season. Bonga has also competed internationally with the German National Team in qualifying rounds of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Suns sign rookies Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo and George King

The Phoenix Suns signed their 2018 NBA Draft acquisitions today: No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, No. 10 pick Mikal Bridges (pronounced Mick-EL), No. 31 pick Élie Okobo (pronounced EL-ee oh-KO-bo) and No. 59 pick George King.

Ayton is the Suns’ first No. 1 overall selection in franchise history and is the first No. 1 pick in NBA history to be drafted by a team in the same state where he played in both college and high school. The University of Arizona product is a rare combination of size and skill, possessing uncommon athleticism, footwork and shooting touch for a player at 7-1, 250 pounds. The 19-year-old center averaged 20.1 points on 61.2 percent shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his one season with the Wildcats, earning Consensus First Team All-America honors and winning the 2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. A native of the Bahamas, Ayton played in high school at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep where he earned numerous All-America distinctions prior to his collegiate career.

Bridges, a versatile defender and exceptional shooter, helped Villanova University win two NCAA Championships (2016, 2018) in three seasons at the school. The 6-7, 210-pound wing won the 2018 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award after averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 43.5 percent from three-point range (18th best in the nation) and 85.1 percent from the free throw line for the champs. Expanding his role in each of his three seasons with Villanova, Bridges was a co-winner of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016-17 and created havoc defensively for Villanova’s title-winning team in 2015-16. The Philadelphia native was selected by the 76ers with the 10th overall pick before being acquired by the Suns on draft night.

Okobo, a natural scorer who has made strides running the point, had a breakout 2017-18 playing for Pau-Lacq-Orthez of France’s top tier league, LNB Pro A. In 34 games this past season, the 20-year-old led his team with averages of 12.9 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals, keying an 11-5 stretch to close the season and qualify for the playoffs. In the playoffs, Okobo scored 44 points including eight three-pointers in the opening game against top-seeded Monaco, the second-highest scoring game in the history of the French league’s playoffs. The native of Bordeaux, France is a leading contender for LNB Pro A’s Most Improved Player Award and was a 2017-18 All-Star selection, recording 17 points and a game-high 17 assists in the All-Star Game.

King, an active defender and tough rebounder from the wing position, ranks second in University of Colorado history with a career three-point mark of 40.1 percent. The 6-6, 225-pound forward averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds over his final three seasons with the Buffaloes, named to the 2017-18 All-Pac-12 Second Team as a senior and winning the 2015-16 Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award as a sophomore. The 24-year-old ranks fifth in CU history in three-point makes, 14th in rebounds and 18th in scoring. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina before attending high school in San Antonio, King elevated his draft stock following his senior season, being named East MVP at the 2018 NABC College All-Star Game before being named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2018 Portsmouth Invitational.