Inside Hoops – Page 602 – NBA Blog

Pacers sign DeQuan Jones and Trey McKinney-Jones

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have signed 6-8 forward DeQuan Jones and 6-5 guard Trey McKinney-Jones to contracts.

DeQuan Jones was undrafted out of the University of Miami in 2012 and played with the Orlando Magic in 2012-13. He played with Reno in the NBA G League one season and has played internationally the last three seasons.

Trey McKinney-Jones also played at the University of Miami and was undrafted in 2013. He has had three stints with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League while also playing internationally the last three seasons.

Bucks sign James Young

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent guard James Young to a training camp contract.

Young, 22, was the 17th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He played in 89 games over three seasons with Boston and averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest. In two seasons (2014-16) with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League, Young averaged 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.6 percent from three-point distance.

Originally from Flint, Mich., Young played one season at the University of Kentucky and averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Hawks sign Josh Magette and Tyler Cavanaugh

The Atlanta Hawks have signed Josh Magette to a two-way contract, and has also signed Tyler Cavanaugh, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

A 6’1 guard, Magette (ma-JET) spent time during the 2016 preseason with the Hawks and was part of the team’s NBA Summer League roster in 2017.

Last season, Magette started 50 games for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA G League, averaging 15.8 points, 9.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.3 minutes. He led the G League in assists per game for the second straight season, and was named Second Team All-G League.

Magette played in 45 games (all starts) in 2015-16 with D-Fenders, averaging 11.5 points, 9.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.0 minutes, leading the G League in both assists and steals per game.

He also has played professionally with Koroivos (Greece) and Landstede (Netherlands).

A native of Hoover, AL (Spain Park HS), Magette played four years at Alabama-Huntsville, where he was Gulf South Conference co-Player of the Year as a senior in 2012. He will wear jersey No. 11.

The 2017-18 season will mark the first year of two-way contracts in the NBA. Only players with four-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.

Cavanaugh was also a member of the Hawks’ Summer League team, competing in Las Vegas this past July.

He spent his first two college seasons at Wake Forest before transferring to George Washington. As a graduate student at GW last season, he appeared in 35 games (all starts), leading the team in points (18.3), rebounds (8.4), free throws made (173) and attempted (204) in 32.2 minutes (.448 FG%, .409 3FG%, .848 FT%). He was named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team and the All-Academic Team.

The 6’9 Cavanaugh started 38 games in 2015-16 and put in 16.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30.4 minutes (.505 FG%, .417 3FG%, .827 FT%), leading the Colonials to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) title, earning Most Outstanding Player honors. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes in 33 games as a sophomore at Wake Forest, and tallied 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.7 minutes as a freshman in 31 contests. He will wear No. 34.

Hawks sign Quinn Cook

The Atlanta Hawks have signed Quinn Cook, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Cook split time last season, his rookie year in the NBA, between the Dallas Mavericks (five games) and New Orleans Pelicans (nine games), averaging 5.6 points and 1.9 assists in 13.4 minutes (.500 FG%, .423 3FG%).

He appeared in 82 games (75 starts) between 2015-17 with the Canton Charge of the NBA G League, and averaged 22.6 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 36.0 minutes (.371 FG%, .377 3FG%, .882 FT%). The 2016 G League Rookie of the Year, Cook is a two-time G League All-Star, was named First Team All-G League in 2017 and Third Team in 2016. He was also the league’s All-Star Game MVP last season.

The 6’2 guard played four years (2011-15) for Duke University, and as a senior, put in 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.9 minutes, earning Second Team All-America honors from Sporting News in helping lead the Blue Devils to the National Championship.

Cook is a native of Washington, DC and attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, MD before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA. He will wear jersey No. 4.

Miami Heat sign Larry Drew II

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Larry Drew II.

Earlier this month, Drew II won a gold medal as a member of the United States team at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. He appeared in five games and averaged 4.6 points, 5.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 1.00 steals and 19.4 minutes while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor.

During the 2016-17 season, Drew II played in 10 games (one start) as a member of the Sioux Falls Skyforce and averaged 8.1 points, 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 23.5 minutes while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the foul line. He also played internationally in Lithuania with BC Neptūnas during the 2016-17 season and in Puerto Rico with the Pirates de Quebradillas. Drew II saw action in 21 games with BC Neptūnas in Lithuanian Basketball League play and averaged 8.2 points, 5.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.05 steals and 25.2 minutes. In Basketball Champions League play with BC Neptūnas, he appeared in 14 games and averaged 9.2 points, 5.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.00 steals and 23.6 minutes. In six games with the Pirates de Quebradillas of the Puerto Rico-BSN (Baloncesto Superior Nacional) he averaged 7.7 points, 5.2 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 22.7 minutes.

In 96 career NBA G League games, all with Sioux Falls, Drew II has averaged 10.8 points, 7.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.48 steals and 33.6 minutes while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor, 41.6 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the foul line. Drew II, who was a member of the Skyforce’s 2015-16 NBA G League championship team, holds the NBA G League single-game assist record with 23 in a win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Dec. 25, 2014.

Drew II has previously been in training camp with the HEAT in both 2013 and 2014. His lone NBA regular season experience came during the 2014-15 season when he appeared in 12 games (one start) with the Philadelphia 76ers and averaged 3.8 points, 3.7 assists, 1.2 rebounds and 18.3 minutes.

Skyforce G League tryouts postponed

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Miami Heat’s G League affiliate team, who were forced by Mother Nature to postpone their upcoming open tryouts:

Miami Heat’s open tryouts for their developmental-league affiliate, the NBA G League Sioux Falls Skyforce, have been postponed from Sunday until Sept. 24 due to the uncertainly of Hurricane Irma.

The tryouts scheduled for Sept. 16 in Sioux Falls will continue to be held as scheduled.

Both tryout sessions will come in front of Skyforce coaches and Heat officials, with potential invitations to follow to the Skyforce’s training camp in October.

Rockets backcourt expectations

James Harden did it all last season for the Rockets. He was truly two players in one: a great point guard and an amazing shooting guard. If he wasn’t scoring, he was probably setting a teammate up for a good shot in proper position.

Now, Chris Paul enters the mix. That’s a good thing, right?

Well, sure. Probably. He’s CP3. Still plays like himself. Getting up there in age, but not washed up yet.

And common sense says if you add a talent like Paul to any team, they should improve.

Things should work out. But there may be some minor, temporary growing pains. Because as good as Paul is, can he do a better job of creating than Harden did?

There’s no actual real problem here. It’s more of a fascination, in seeing how the chemistry develops. The team, even if they take a temporary half-step back before advancing forward, should certainly be as good as they were last season.

Should be a fun show.

Jazz and Rodney Hood reportedly in negotiations

Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune reporting on the Jazz, who would certainly like Rodney Hood to stick around — but only, of course, if the price is right:

The Utah Jazz and starting shooting guard Rodney Hood have opened contract extension negotiations, the Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

The two sides have had preliminary conversations as the Jazz hope Hood can become their primary perimeter scorer this season after Gordon Hayward left for the Boston Celtics. Another meeting is expected to occur in the next few weeks, according to league sources.

Hood, who will enter his fourth season in the league, is eligible for a rookie scale contract extension, with Oct. 16 the deadline to reach an agreement. Hood is one of two Jazz players eligible for an extension. Former lottery pick Dante Exum is the other.

Pelicans trade Quincy Pondexter to Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have acquired guard/forward Quincy Pondexter, the Pelicans 2018 second-round pick, and cash considerations from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.

The Bulls acquired the rights to Majok (58th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft) from the L.A. Lakers on July 7, 2016.

Pondexter (6-7, 220) is a five-year veteran of the NBA who has seen time with New Orleans (2010-11, 2014-15) and Memphis (2011-15). He has posted career averages of 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds through 279 games (47 starts). Pondexter has a career field goal percentage of .424, with a mark of .365 from the 3-point line. He has 29 postseason games on his resume, and has averaged 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds through those contests with a .473 field goal percentage and .414 3-point percentage.

The University of Washington product missed both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons due to left knee surgery.

Cameron Payne will undergo foot surgery

Chicago Bulls guard Cameron Payne sustained a fracture of his right foot (5th metatarsal) during a workout on July 18. A six-week period of rest in a boot was then prescribed.

A subsequent CT scan and examination by Dr. Johnny Lin of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush on Tuesday revealed the fracture has not healed satisfactorily, and surgery is recommended.

For Payne, this is the same foot that he broke during the 2015-16 season as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He will undergo surgery on Wednesday, Sept. 6, and additional updates will be provided following his surgery.