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Nets trade Tyler Zeller to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded guard Rashad Vaughn and a second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Tyler Zeller. Milwaukee will convey its 2018 second round pick provided that the pick falls between No. 31-47. If the pick is not conveyed in 2018, it will become an unprotected 2020 second round pick.

Vaughn (6’6”, 210) has played in 22 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.7 points in 7.9 minutes per game. Selected by Milwaukee with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 draft, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas product holds career averages of 3.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest in 133 games.

According to the New York Daily News, “Zeller has started 33 games for the Nets this season, averaging 7.1 points on 54.6% shooting from the field to go along with 4.6 rebounds. The 28-year-old big man is on a team-friendly two-year, $3.6 million contract with the second year non-guaranteed.”

Zeller, 28, is in his sixth season in the NBA and holds career averages of 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. This season with the Nets, Zeller appeared in 42 games (33 starts) and averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game while shooting 54.6 percent overall. Zeller was in his first season with Brooklyn after spending three seasons (2014-17) with the Boston Celtics, and his first two seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-14). The North Carolina product was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but was traded the following day to the Cavaliers where he began his NBA career.

Bucks center John Henson and Zeller were teammates at North Carolina from 2009-12 where they advanced to the Elite Eight in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012.

Report: Nets trading Tyler Zeller to Bucks

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks will be acquiring center Tyler Zeller from the Brooklyn Nets.

In return, the Nets will reportedly receive a protected 2018 second round pick along with Rashad Vaughn, a former first-round draft pick.

Zeller adds frontcourt depth for Milwaukee. The Nets did start Zeller for 33 of the 42 games he played for them this season, but he was still averaging just 16.7 minutes per outing.

The Bucks, through Sunday’s games, are 29-23, which is the fifth best record in the Eastern Conference. And are trying to improve right now. The Nets, at 19-35, are 12th best in the conference and focused more on the future.

Darren Collison to undergo surgery

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Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison on Tuesday will undergo left knee arthroscopic surgery.

His return date is fairly soon: the team says he should be back in two to three weeks.

The Pacers are 30-24 this season, which is the 6th best record in the Eastern conference. The Bucks are 5th and the Heat are 7th. Only a half-game separates the three teams.

Indiana is led in scoring this season by Victor Oladipo at 24.0 ppg. Then they have five players averaging between 12.0 and 13.7 points per game.

Collison for the season has played 52 games, starting all 52 at point guard, averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 assists per outing, on excellent shooting.

Donovan Mitchell to replace Aaron Gordon in Slam Dunk contest

Aaron Gordon, our favorite to win the upcoming 2018 Slam Dunk contest at All-Star weekend, will miss the event due to a hip injury. Young talented Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will reportedly be his replacement. Here’s the Deseret News:

As the Utah Jazz wrapped up shootaround at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center on Monday morning, the news broke of Aaron Gordon withdrawing from the NBA Slam Dunk contest due to a strained left hip flexor.

All eyes then turned to Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell. Would he be open to do it?

“Hopefully, I get invited,” Mitchell said smirking. “I’d be excited. Like I said before, I would love to do it.”

Then moments later, as he wrapped up his interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story of Mitchell being expected to replace Gordon.

Full article

Pelicans sign DeAndre Liggins

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard DeAndre Liggins.

Liggins, 6-6, 209, who was signed to two 10-day contracts by the Pelicans in January, has appeared in four games this season for New Orleans, averaging 4.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 12.8 minutes per contest.

Liggins will be available for the Pelicans’ game tonight against Utah at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans’ roster currently stands at 17, including two two-way players (Charles Cooke and Mike James).

Kevin Love injury update: out around 8 weeks

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The Cavaliers are 30-20 this season, and have been struggling a lot in recent weeks. And then they lost power forward Kevin Love to injury: a non-displaced fracture of his left hand fifth metacarpal.

Today, team provided an update on how much time he’s expected to miss.

The examination and consultation process, including the Cavaliers medical team, Head Team Physician Dr. James Rosneck and Dr. Steven Maschke of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery, is now complete. Love will undergo a non-surgical treatment and rehabilitation process to repair the injury.

Love is expected to miss approximately eight weeks.

The team needs a better effort from a lot of players. New point guard Isaiah Thomas is still recovering from injury and hasn’t looked great just yet. He’s scoring 15.4 points and dishing 4.2 assists per game, shooting just 36.3% from the field and just 25.0% from three-point range. Shooting guard J.R. Smith has also fired bricks this season, averaging just 7.8 points in 29.8 minutes per outing, shooting 37.7% FG.

The team’s overall issue, however, is their collective defense, which has been among the league’s worst this season.

Suns sign Josh Gray to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed guard Josh Gray to a 10-day contract, calling him up from the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League.

Gray, a 6-1, 180-pound guard, has yet to make his NBA debut. In 31 games with the NAZ Suns this season he averaged 17.9 points, shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals (4th in G League). The NBA G League Player of the Week for games played Jan. 1-7, Gray has four games scoring 30-plus points this season including a career-high 32 points in a win over the Agua Caliente Clippers on Jan. 26.

The 29th GATORADE Call-Up in the NBA this season and sixth in NAZ Suns history, Gray is Northern Arizona’s all-time leader in points (1,228), assists (410), field goals made (474), field goals attempted (1,065), steals (148), games (81) and minutes (2,250). Overall in 81 career NBA G League games, all with Northern Arizona over the past two seasons, Gray has averaged 15.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals. On Nov. 27, 2016, he recorded the only triple-double in NAZ Suns history with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 11 steals and five steals against Sioux Falls.

The 24-year-old went unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Louisiana State University. Gray tried out for the NAZ Suns prior to their inaugural season in 2016-17, earning an invite to training camp where he made the team and went on to have one of the better seasons by a local tryout in G League history.

A native of Lake Charles, La., Gray began his collegiate career at Texas Tech University in 2012-13 before transferring to Odessa College for the 2013-14 season then completing his career with two seasons at LSU from 2014-2016.

Gray will wear uniform No. 14.

Phoenix’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Malcolm Brogdon injured, out 6-8 weeks

Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon suffered a left quadricep tendon injury during the second quarter of last night’s game at Minnesota. This morning, he underwent an MRI and subsequent examination by team physician Dr. William Raasch at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. The exam revealed a partially torn left quadricep tendon that is expected to sideline Brogdon for 6-to-8 weeks.

This season, Brogdon, 25, has played in 46 games (20 starts) and averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, Brogdon joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-70) as the only players in team history to win the award. He is the first player not drafted in the first round to win Rookie of the Year since 1966.

Quinn Cook rejoins Warriors

Golden State Warriors two-way guard Quinn Cook has re-joined the team prior to its game in Sacramento, the team announced today.

Cook has appeared in 24 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors this season, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 35.9 minutes. In 10 games with Golden State this season Cook is averaging 3.2 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 10.3 minutes.