Inside Hoops – Page 516 – NBA Blog

LeBron James will sign with the Lakers

The first 24 hours of 2018 free agency have been epic. After a large flurry of reported agreements late Saturday night as the negotiation period kicked off, Sunday evening multiple outlets reported that LeBron James has decided to sign with the Lakers. Here’s the LA Times with more:

After securing a commitment from LeBron James on a four-year deal worth $154 million, the Lakers agreed Sunday to one-year deals with three veterans.

They will pay Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $12 million, Lance Stephenson $4.4 million and JaVale McGee $2.4 million, according to people familiar with the agreements who were not authorized to speak publicly. None of the deals can become official until Friday when the league’s moratorium on signing contracts lifts.

Two contracts did become official. The Lakers signed first-round draft pick Moe Wagner, which means he cannot be traded for at least 30 days. They also signed Malik Newman, a rookie out of Kansas, to a two-way contract.

Caldwell-Pope spent last season with the Lakers on a one-year deal worth $18 million, after spending the first four years of his career with the Detroit Pistons. He hit the market late because the Pistons waited until mid-July to renounce their rights to him after they were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

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Grizzlies sign rookie Jaren Jackson Jr

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace today announced that the team has signed 2018 first round draft pick Jaren Jackson Jr. to his rookie contract.

Selected fourth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Jackson became the second player in Big Ten history to win both Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season after leading the conference and ranking seventh in the nation in blocks per game (3.03) for Michigan State University.

Jackson (6-11, 242) started 34 of his 35 games at Michigan State and averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.8 minutes while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from three-point range and 79.7 percent from the free throw line en route to being selected to the All-Big Ten Third Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team. The 18-year-old set a Spartans single-season record last year with 106 blocks and tied the school’s single-game record with eight rejections on Dec. 5, 2017 vs. Rutgers.

The Indiana native, who was named a 2017 McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American as a high school senior, is the highest-drafted Michigan State product since 1979, when Magic Johnson was selected first overall and Greg Kelser was taken fourth. Jackson’s father, Jaren Sr., enjoyed a 12-year NBA career with nine different teams, winning the 1999 NBA Championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

Lakers sign Malik Newman to two-way contract

The Lakers signed rookie guard Malik Newman to a two-way contract today.

Newman appeared in 39 games (33 starts) for Kansas last season, averaging 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.6 minutes. The 2018 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year averaged a team-high 21.6 points in the NCAA Tournament, leading Kansas to the Final Four and earning NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have up to two players under two-way contracts on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster.

Lakers sign rookie Moritz Wagner

The Los Angeles Lakers signed rookie center Moritz Wagner today, General Manager Rob Pelinka announced.

Wagner, the 25th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, appeared in 107 career games (77 starts) for the Michigan Wolverines from 2015-18, with career averages of 10.4 points (.547 FG%) and 4.5 rebounds per game. In 2017-18, Wagner helped lead the Wolverines to a berth in the NCAA Championship game, earning All-Tournament Team honors with 15.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in six NCAA Tournament games.

The 2018 Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Wagner helped Michigan to the team’s second consecutive Big Ten Tournament championship with four straight double-digit scoring outings. Wagner started every game of his sophomore and junior seasons, averaging career bests of 14.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals last season.

Miami Heat sign Derrick Jones Jr

The Miami Heat signed forward/guard Derrick Jones Jr. today.

Jones Jr., who was originally signed to a two-way contract by the HEAT on December 31, 2017, appeared in 14 games (eight starts) with Miami last season and averaged 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes of action. He spent 13 games with the HEAT’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging 19.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.69 blocks, 1.46 steals and 29.1 minutes while shooting 51.2 percent from the field.

Prior to signing a two-way contract with Miami, Jones Jr. spent time with the Phoenix Suns and their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, earlier in the season where he totaled nine points, four rebounds, four blocks, three assists, a steal in 33 minutes of action during six games with Phoenix and averaged 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.81 blocks, 1.8 assists, 1.13 steals and 28.9 minutes in 16 games with Northern Arizona.

Hawks sign Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Omari Spellman

The Atlanta Hawks have signed rookies Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman.

Drafted 19th overall by the Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft, Huerter averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.4 minutes (.503 FG%, .417 3FG%, .758 FT%) as a sophomore at Maryland while starting 32 games, garnering All-Big 10 Honorable Mention and All-Academic Big 10 honors. He ranked fourth in the conference in minutes per game and ninth in 3FG%. For his career, the 6’7 Huerter posted 12.0 points, 5.0 rebound and 3.0 assists in 31.9 minutes (.466 FG%, .394 3FG%, .748 FT%) in 65 games (all starts).

Spellman, the 30th overall pick by Atlanta in the 2018 NBA Draft, entered the draft after a redshirt freshman season at Villanova that saw him named the Big East Freshman of the Year while helping the Wildcats to the 2018 National Championship. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes (.476 FG%, .433 3FG%, .700 FT%) in 40 games (39 starting assignments). He ranked second in the Big East in blocks and fourth in both rebounding and 3FG% in 2017-18.

An early-entry candidate, the 6’2 Young was a consensus First Team All-American as a freshman at Oklahoma after becoming the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring (27.4 ppg) and assists (8.7 apg), while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 35.4 minutes (.422 FG%, .360 3FG%, .861 FT%) in 32 games (all starts). His scoring average was the highest in Big 12 history and his assists per game rank second on the all-time list. The Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year award winner, Young was also a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection and named the conference’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year. He was selected fifth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft before the Hawks acquired his rights, along with a 2019 first-round draft pick, in exchange for the third overall selection, Luka Doncic.

The three Hawks rookies join second-year players John Collins, Tyler Dorsey, Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris on Atlanta’s summer league team, which will begin competition on Monday in Utah vs. Memphis (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV).

Hawks sign Jaylen Adams to two-way contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed rookie Jaylen Adams to a two-way contract.

Adams, a 6’2” guard, played four years at St. Bonaventure, and as a senior in 2017-18, averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes (.438 FG%, .436 3FG%, .851 FT%). He was the Atlantic 10 Conference Co-Player of the Year and an AP Honorable Mention All-American last season. He was First Team All-Conference in each of his final three collegiate seasons.

Adams attended Mount St. Joseph HS in Baltimore, MD, where he scored over 1,200 career points and led the Gaels to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League championships as a senior in 2013-14.

Only players with three-or-fewer years of NBA experience are permitted to sign two-way contracts. Per league rules, teams are allowed to have up to two two-way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A two-way player for the Hawks will primarily play for the team’s NBA G League Affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, but can spend up to 45 days with Atlanta, not including any time prior to the start of Erie’s training camp and at the conclusion of their season.

Timberwolves waive Cole Aldrich

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived little-used center Cole Aldrich today.

Aldrich played in 21 games for the Timberwolves in the 2017-18 season, and averaged 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds in 2.3 minutes per outing.

In 2016-17, Aldrich appeared in 62 games for the Wolves, averaging 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per outing.

He joined the team as a free agent on July 13, 2016.

Mavs reportedly plan to re-sign Dirk Nowitzki

It seems like a given that the legendary Dirk Nowitzki will spend his entire NBA career as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. With his playing days and effectiveness dramatically winding down, he could retire any season now. It therefore it makes sense that the Mavs sign him to one-year deals. As for this current offseason, here’s the Forth Worth Star Telegram with the latest:

The Dallas Mavericks will decline Dirk Nowitzki’s $5 million option for next season, but intend to re-sign the longtime face of the franchise, according to multiple reports.

It’s more of a paperwork move that was a mutual decision to clear cap space in the Mavs’ pursuit of free agent center DeAndre Jordan. The Mavs and Nowitzki are expected to reach an agreement in July.

Nowitzki, 40, has not said whether next season will be his last. He’s on a year-to-year basis, but is not interested in a farewell tour.

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Pistons add Sidney Lowe, Sean Sweeney and DJ Bakker to coaching staff

The Detroit Pistons yesterday hired Sidney Lowe and Sean Sweeney as assistant coaches.

Additionally, DJ Bakker has been added to the basketball operations staff as a player development coach.

Lowe returns to the Detroit Pistons for the third time during his basketball coaching and playing career. He spent the 2005-06 season as lead assistant to head coach Flip Saunders and played six games for the Pistons as a point guard on the 1984-85 squad. The Washington, DC, native and former NBA point guard has spent eight years as a head coach and 12 years as an assistant coach in the NBA and NCAA, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards the last two seasons. Lowe began his coaching career in 1992, when he became an assistant coach under then-head coach Jimmy Rodgers, eventually being promoted to head coach midway through the 1992-93 season and remaining in the position through the 1993-94 season. In addition, Lowe served three seasons (2011-14) as an assistant with the Utah Jazz after previously serving as head coach at his alma mater, North Carolina State (2006-11). In his first season at NC State, he became the third coach in school history to win 20 games and defeat the three other ACC North Carolina institutions (North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest).

As a player, Lowe was originally selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first pick of the second round (25th overall) in the 1983 NBA Draft and spent time with Indiana, Detroit and Atlanta. He also spent time in the Continental Basketball Association, leading the Albany Patroons and Tampa Bay Thrillers to CBA titles. Lowe played college basketball under the late Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, earning Final Four All-Tournament honors while helping lead the Wolfpack to the 1983 NCAA Championship.

Sweeney enters his first season with the Pistons after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee Bucks squads from 2014-18. The St. Paul native entered the NBA assistant coaching ranks with Kidd as part of this 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets team after serving two season as the Nets’ assistant video coordinator. Before joining the Nets, Sweeney served as video coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa, and previously held the position of director of basketball operations for the University of Evansville. Sweeney played one season at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before transferring to the University of St. Thomas where he was a three-year starter and earned all-conference honors as a senior in 2005-06.

Bakker served as a member of Dwane Casey’s basketball staff in Toronto the last two seasons as assistant video coordinator and will join the Pistons as a player development coach.