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The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed center Greg Smith to a second 10-day contract.
Smith signed his initial 10-day contract with the team on March 2. In a limited role, he has averaged 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game over six contests with Minnesota.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Ray McCallum and center Alex Stepheson to 10-day contracts pursuant to the NBA’s hardship rule.
McCallum (6-3, 190) has appeared in 144 career games (43 starts) with the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs and averaged 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 18.0 minutes during his three-year NBA career. He played 31 games (three starts) for the Spurs this season and recorded 2.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 8.3 minutes before he was waived on Feb. 29.
The 24-year-old has competed in 16 games (all starts) in the NBA Development League with the Reno Bighorns and Austin Spurs and posted 18.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.63 steals in 37.3 minutes. He completed six assignments to Austin this season and averaged 17.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.33 steals in nine contests.
A 2010 McDonald’s All-American, McCallum was drafted by Sacramento in the second round (36th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft following a three-year collegiate career at the University of Detroit Mercy where he played for his father, Titans head coach Ray McCallum, Sr. He was a three-time All-Horizon selection and was named the 2013 Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 18.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.94 steals in 36.6 minutes in 33 games (all starts) as a junior.
Stepheson (6-10, 270) appeared in 31 games (all starts) for the D-League’s Iowa Energy and was named a 2016 D-League All-Star after averaging 15.9 points, a league-high 13.8 rebounds and 1.35 blocks in 34.2 minutes. The D-League leader in double-doubles (26) this season, Stepheson signed with the Los Angeles Clippers to the first of two consecutive 10-day contracts on Feb. 20 and totaled two points, two rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes over three contests.
Since finishing his collegiate career at the University of Southern California, the 28-year-old has played professionally in Greece, Slovenia and Turkey. During the 2014-15 season, he averaged 12.3 points and a league-leading 9.2 rebounds in 26.8 minutes over 29 games (21 starts) for Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi.
Undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles native made three appearances for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and also played three games for the Grizzlies during the 2015 preseason.
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After missing the last three games with left foot soreness, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley received an additional examination yesterday, which revealed Achilles tendonitis. Conley will remain out and will be re-evaluated in 3 to 4 weeks.
Conley has appeared in 56 games (all starts) this season for the Grizzlies and averaged 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, a team-high 6.1 assists and 1.20 steals in 31.4 minutes. He’s a crucial part of the team. This injury is a big blow to the squad.
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that assistant coach Monty Williams will not return to the team this season after the passing of his wife Ingrid last month.
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti:
“The most important thing for Monty during this time is for him to be with his family, and the most important thing for us as an organization is to support him as a person, in any way that we can. Even though Monty will not return to the team this season, his presence will be felt by all of us within the program and we will remain close with him and his family.”
Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Billy Donovan:
“I have really enjoyed my relationship with Monty, and clearly we will miss him, but we value and embrace that it is critical he is there for his family at this time and our focus is on doing whatever we can, in any small way, to help him. He and his family will continue to be in our thoughts.”
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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said after practice today that the team has no current plans to add a player under the NBA’s injury exception rule.
The Bucks are down to just 10 available players but could be back to 11 soon if forward/center John Henson can return. Henson practiced for the second straight day today.
Milwaukee lost another player for the remainder of the season – in strange fashion – when guard O.J. Mayo informed the team he fractured his right ankle in a home accident. Mayo said he tripped on the stairs at his home.
Mayo, guard Michael Carter-Williams and forward Steve Novak are out for the rest of the season. Henson (sore lower back) and Greivis Vasquez (right ankle surgery) also are out but intend to return. Vasquez worked out after practice Friday with assistant coach Joe Prunty and the veteran guard was able to run but not at full speed yet.
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Phoenix Suns center Alex Len’s emergence was so strong that he was one of only three official NBA Player of the Week candidates in the Western Conference last week.
Len did not win because of how great Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard played in an undefeated week but also because he shot just 38 percent from the field. Amid more opportunities, Len’s new experience with being the offense’s focal point will include missing shots that a 22-year-old center is expected to eventually make.
Entering Thursday’s game, Len was converting well when shooting close to the basket, going 13 for 16 on shots of 5 feet or less. Beyond that, he struggled in the paint from the 5- to 9-foot range, going 3 for 15, but his mid-range shooting was good (8 for 19). With his two-for-13 shooting in Thursday’s loss, Len has a 34.1 field goal percentage in the past six games.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Briante Weber to a 10-day contract, as a “Call-Up” from the Sioux Falls Skyforce (D-League).
Weber (6-2, 165) has appeared in 22 games (nine starts) for the Skyforce and averaged 10.6 points (.453 FG/.444 3P/.750 FT), 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.95 steals in 28.5 minutes in his first professional season. The 23-year-old ranks fifth among qualifying D-League players in steals per game and has posted three double-doubles, including a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on Feb. 23 vs. Fort Wayne.
A native of Chesapeake, Va., Weber played four seasons at Virginia Commonwealth, appearing in 127 games (65 starts) and averaging 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.94 steals in 23.4 minutes. He capped his collegiate career as VCU’s all-time steals leader (374) and finished third on the NCAA’s all-time steals list, just 12 shy of becoming the all-time steals leader before missing the final 10 games of his senior season due to injury. Weber became the first player in conference history to be named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons (2013, 2014 and 2015) and set a program record with a recorded 45.5-inch vertical leap.
Undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, Weber spent time on the Miami Heat’s 2015 preseason roster.
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The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Jorge Gutierrez for the rest of the 2015-16 NBA season.
The 6-3 Gutierrez signed consecutive 10-day contracts with Charlotte on Feb. 20 and Mar. 1. He has appeared in three games with the Hornets, averaging 3.0 points, 1.0 assists and 0.3 steals in 4.5 minutes per game.
Gutierrez appeared in 22 games (20 starts) for the Canton Charge in the NBA Development League this season, averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 27.8 minutes per game. Gutierrez scored in double figures in 13 games and handed out 10-or-more assists twice. He recorded his first D-League triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 9 against the Los Angeles D-Fenders at the NBA D-League Showcase.
After a four-year career at the University of California, Gutierrez initially joined the Charge in 2012-13. Since then, he has played in 122 games (103 starts) for the team, with career averages of 12.0 points, 5.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 30.9 minutes per game. In 2013-14, while playing for current Hornets assistant coach Steve Hetzel, he earned First Team All-Defensive and Second Team All-D-League honors after averaging career highs of 13.9 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 32.7 minutes played.
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Milwaukee Bucks guard O.J. Mayo suffered a broken right ankle on Thursday morning and will miss the rest of the 2015-16 NBA season, team GM John Hammond announced today.
This is not your usual basketball injury. According to the Bucks, Mayo accidentally tripped descending his stairs at home.
In 41 games (24 starts) this season, Mayo has averaged 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.17 steals in 26.6 minutes per contest.
Despite the off-season acquisition of Greg Monroe and a young, talented roster, the Bucks are just 27-38 this season. They are already without starting guard Michael Carter-Williams, who suffered a hip injury that requires season-ending surgery.
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As the years go by, issues between the Sacramento Kings and star center DeMarcus Cousins continue to pop up.
The Kings have suspended Cousins for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, according to Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Vlade Divac.
Cousins will serve the suspension in Sacramento’s next contest against the Orlando Magic on Friday.