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Trail Blazers announce multiple basketball operations staff additions and promotions

The Portland Trail Blazers have announced basketball operations additions and promotions for the 2023-24 season.

Dr. Evan Ellis will begin his first season in Portland as the Director of Health and Performance. Dr. Ellis has served as the team’s co-physician since 2014 and has served as an orthopedic surgeon at Rebound in Portland. As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ellis specializes in knee and shoulder injuries, sports medicine, cartilage repair, and ACL reconstruction.

Dr. Ellis performed his undergraduate training at the Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was an Academic All-American basketball player. After obtaining his medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Ellis completed his internship and residency training at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He then finished his training as a Sports Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. During fellowship, Dr. Ellis was on the medical staff for the St. Louis Rams and St. Louis Blues of the NFL and NHL respectively.

Dr. Courtney Watson comes to the Portland Trail Blazers and will serve as the Head Athletic Trainer after spending the previous 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and most recently as the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer.

Along with her long-time WNBA experience, Dr. Watson also became the first female athletic trainer in the sport of boxing as the trainer for welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather. In the Spring of 2022, the Los Angeles native also served as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Women’s USA National Team at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, where the United States brought home a gold medal, making it the third of her career.

Geoff Clark has assumed the role of Scouting Medical Director and will assist General Manager Joe Cronin in evaluating prospective players from a medical perspective as well as assessing injury trends and health best practices around the league. Clark will enter his 26th season with the Trail Blazers.

Dale Boyd has been promoted to the team’s Head Strength Coach. Boyd joined Portland in 2022 as the Assistant Strength Coach and previously holding the same title for Overtime Elite during the 2021-22 season. Boyd has also served as Head Strength and Conditioning coach for the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League.

Jeff Kraayeveld joins the Trail Blazers as an Assistant Team Therapist after serving as an athletic trainer at Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery. Prior to Rebound, Kraayeveld previously did his internship with the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL, and was the athletic trainer for the Portland Lumberjax, a professional lacrosse team.

This season, the Trail Blazers are instituting a Nutrition Department in a brand-new state of the art kitchen led by Hali Foreman, Director of Nutrition/Executive Chef, at the Trail Blazers Practice Facility opening in October. Alongside Foreman, CJ Jackson, Danielle Julifs and longtime team dietician Michelle Tegenkamp will serve the team from a culinary and dietary aspect.

Foreman was hired in May of 2023 to lead the construction of the new kitchen and will oversee the food and nutrition program. Prior to joining the Trail Blazers, Foreman was the Associate Director of Performance Nutrition/Performance Chef at the Utah Jazz. In her nearly ten-year career, Foreman has also worked to fuel multiple championship winning NCAA football teams including The University of Alabama, The University of Georgia and finally Clemson University where she served as the Executive Performance Chef for five seasons.

Jackson will serve as the Chef de Cuisine and will help run the new Culinary Nutrition operation for the Trail Blazers. A native of Detroit and former educator, Jackson has conquered cities such as Atlanta, and Memphis through multiple different culinary ventures. Julifs joins the Portland Trail Blazers in her first season as the Nutrition Logistics Coordinator. Julifs most recently served as the Performance Nutrition Intern with the Cleveland Browns during the 2022-2023 season.

Mark Tyndale has been promoted to Assistant Coach after serving the previous two seasons as Player Development Assistant. Prior to arriving in Portland, Tyndale entered the league as a player development coach with the Toronto Raptors.

The Trail Blazers have also added Pooh Jeter, Gilbert Abraham and Ryan Gomes as Player Development Coaches. In addition to his role on Billups’ staff, Jeter will serve as Assistant General Manager of Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate. Jeter spent the past two seasons playing with the G League Ignite, averaging 7.4 points (44.2% FG, 44.9% 3-PT, 92.9% FT), 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 17.3 minutes per game in 28 contests for the Ignite during the 2022-23 season. His playing career also included a stint with the Sacramento Kings in 2010-11 as well as international experience in Spain, Israel, China, France, Turkey and Ukraine.

Abraham comes to the Trail Blazers after spending last season as an assistant coach for the Austin Spurs, the G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs. He also most recently acted as the Director of Performance for Tandem Sports and Entertainment from 2021-23. Gomes joins Billups’ staff having acted as a Head Coach at Overtime Elite during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and an assistant coach with the Long Island Nets, the G league affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, during the 2016-17 season. Prior to coaching, the Waterbury, Connecticut native played eight seasons in the NBA from 2005-2014 and also had brief stints internationally in Spain and Germany.

Additionally, the Trail Blazers have added Eli Kell-Abrams as Head Video Coordinator after spending the previous two seasons as the Head Video Coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Kell-Abrams was an Assistant Video Coordinator (2019-21) and a Video Intern (2018-19) with the Miami Heat.

Celtics sign Wenyen Gabriel

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Wenyen Gabriel.

Gabriel (6-9, 205) has played in 145 career games (eight starts) over four NBA seasons (2019-23) with the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings. Last season, Gabriel made 68 appearances (two starts) with the Lakers and averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game while shooting a career-high 59.6 percent from the field.

Gabriel also played three seasons in the G League and saw action with the Stockton Kings (2018-2020) and the Wisconsin Herd (2021-22), the affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. He played in 57 career games (21 starts) and averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game.

The Khartoum, Sudan native played two collegiate seasons at Kentucky (2016-2018) where he led the Wildcats to back-to-back SEC Tournament Championships. He appeared in 75 career games and averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. During his sophomore season, he led the Wildcats with 40 blocked shots and finished second on the team with 42 made three-pointers before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Gabriel attended Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire and finished his high school career at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.

Trail Blazers sign Skylar Mays to two-way contract

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Skylar Mays to a two-way contract, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.

Originally selected with the 50th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Mays appeared in six games for the Trail Blazers during the 2022-23 season and averaged 15.3 points (50.0% FG, 46.2% 3PT, 92.3% FT), 3.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.0 steals in 32.5 minutes per game with six starts. Mays appeared in 29 games (14 starts) for the Mexico City Capitanes and Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League during the 2022-23 season, accruing averages of 14.1 points (43.1% FG, 88.2% FT), 3.7 rebounds, 5.1 assist, 0.7 steals and 27.6 minutes.

In three seasons, Mays has appeared in 67 career games (11 starts) and averaged 4.4 points (47.8% FG, 37.4% 3PT, 89.4% FT), 1.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 10.1 minutes per game for Atlanta (2020-22) and Portland (2023-24).

Trail Blazers trade Jrue Holiday to Celtics for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and draft picks

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired center Robert Williams III and guard Malcolm Brogdon, Golden State’s 2024 first round pick and a 2029 first round pick in a trade with the Boston Celtics for guard Jrue Holiday, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.

“We are excited to see Jrue in a Celtics uniform. He plays the game with a great competitive character and his impact on and off the court has been felt everywhere throughout his career. We are overjoyed to welcome Jrue, Lauren, and the entire Holiday family to Boston,” said Brad Stevens, Celtics President of Basketball Operations.

Holiday (6’5, 220) has played in 906 career games (825 starts) over 14 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks (2020-23), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-20), and Philadelphia 76ers (2009-2013). Holiday owns career averages of 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from the three-point line. Among all active NBA players, Holiday ranks sixth in total assists (5,868), 11th in steals (1,346), and 18th in points scored (14,876), and also owns the sixth-most rebounds among league guards (3,702).

Last season, Holiday earned his third-consecutive and fifth career NBA All-Defensive team selection after averaging 19.3 points, 7.4 assists (9th in NBA), and a career-high 5.1 rebounds in 67 games (65 starts). He was also named a 2023 NBA All-Star, marking the second All-Star selection of his career after being selected in 2013, which is the longest gap between All-Star selections in NBA history.

Holiday helped lead the Bucks to the 2021 NBA Championship title by averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 23 postseason contests (all starts). Less than a month after winning the 2021 NBA Finals, Holiday won a Gold Medal with Celtics’ guard Jayson Tatum and Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

Holiday has won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in three of the last four NBA seasons. The award recognizes him as the best teammate based on selfless play and dedication to his team, as well as leadership on and off the court as a mentor and role model to other players as voted on by his peers.

In his first season with Milwaukee, Holiday won the 2020-21 NBA Sportsmanship award, which honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, and was a finalist for the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award.

Jrue and his wife Lauren Holiday won the 2023 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award for their community efforts. The Chatsworth, California native earned Pac-10 All-Freshman Team Honors in his one collegiate season at UCLA before being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 17th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

“It’s been our pleasure to have a front row seat to Rob’s career since he joined us on draft night 2018. He has grown into a wonderful basketball player and teammate. We thank him for his many contributions on and off the court in his five years in Boston and we wish him and his family all of the best as they move on,” said Stevens.

Williams, originally drafted by the Celtics with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, appeared in 209 career games for the franchise where he averaged 7.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game.

“Malcolm had a great season last year culminating in the tremendous honor of receiving the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. We wish him and his family nothing but the best moving forward,” said Stevens.

Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from three last season for the Celtics en route to winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

Pelicans sign Kaiser Gates to two-way contract, and add five other players

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Kaiser Gates to a two-way contract.

Additionally, the Pelicans signed guard Malcolm Hill, center Trey Jemison, guard/forward Tevian Jones, guard/forward Landers Nolley II and center Liam Robbins.

Gates, 6-7, 225, appeared in 24 games (13 starts) with the Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, in 2022-23, averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.4 minutes per contest while shooting .554 from three-point range. The Xavier (OH) product holds G League averages of 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 122 games (66 starts) across four seasons with Long Island, the Maine Celtics and Windy City Bulls.

Hill, 6-6, 225, has appeared in 24 NBA games in the past two seasons with Atlanta and Chicago, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest. Last season, Hill played nine games with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, in which he averaged 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Hill holds G League averages of 16.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists with Birmingham and the Windy City Bulls.

Jemison, 7-0, 260, played five collegiate seasons at UAB (2020-23) and Clemson (2018-19) in which he averaged 5.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 152 games (102 starts). In his 2022-23 campaign, Jemison averaged 9.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks en route to Third Team All-CUSA and CUSA All-Defensive honors. Jemison led the CUSA in total rebounds (329) and rebounds per game (8.4), and ranked second in the conference with 67 blocks.

Jones, 6-7, 220, appeared in 126 games (87 starts) over five collegiate seasons at Southern Utah (2020-23) and Illinois (2018-20), averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game. Jones played on the Pelicans’ 2023 Summer League team, averaging 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.4 steals in 14.1 minutes per game while shooting .389 from behind the arc.

Nolley II, 6-7, 220, played in 125 NCAA games (108 starts) across four seasons at Cincinnati (2022-23), Memphis (2020-22), and Virginia Tech (2019-20) in which he averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per contest. Nolley II was named First Team All-AAC in 2022-23, averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting .417 from behind the three-point line.

Robbins, 7-0, 250, appeared in 129 games (84 starts) during his five-year collegiate campaign at Vanderbilt (2021-23), Minnesota (2020-21), and Drake (2018-20), averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 21.0 minutes per contest. Robbins is coming off of a 2022-23 campaign in which he averaged 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 3.2 blocks in 23.0 minutes per game en route to First Team All-SEC, SEC All-Defensive Team, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year.

Hornets re-sign Theo Maledon to two-way contract

The Charlotte Hornets have re-signed guard Theo Maledon to a two-way contract.

Maledon appeared in 44 games for the Hornets during the 2022-23 season and averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and a career-high-tying 3.5 assists per game. He also set personal bests in field goal percentage (.402) and free-throw percentage (.851), and he dished a career-high 14 assists vs. Toronto (April 2).

Prior to the Hornets, Maledon played two seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder, accruing averages of 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game across 116 contests (56 starts). He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (34th overall) of the 2020 NBA Draft following five professional seasons in France.

After signing Maledon, the Hornets roster stands at 19.

Houston Astros and Houston Rockets are acquiring AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery

The Houston Astros and Houston Rockets are acquiring AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery, effective September 30, 2023.

The network will re-launch as Space City Home Network (SCHN) on October 3, 2023.

The change will be a seamless transition for fans as they will be able to continue to access Rockets and Astros games on the same channels they currently utilize.

The network will be owned by the Rockets and Astros going forward and will operate as a joint venture of the two organizations. The teams are committed to delivering great game content and programming, while maintaining and enhancing the award-winning quality that has made the network the premium destination for Rockets and Astros fans to watch live broadcasts, behind-the-scenes content, and much more.

“We are excited to partner with the Rockets, and launch the new home for Astros and Rockets coverage with Space City Home Network,” said Giles Kibbe, Astros Senior Vice President, General Counsel. “Together with the Rockets we’ve worked hard to ensure that Space City Home Network will bring you the same Astros and Rockets sports coverage from the faces and voices you know and love. We look forward to this new chapter and remain committed to delivering great broadcasts for the best fans in baseball.”

“We’ve had a strong relationship with the talent and staff at AT&T SportsNet in broadcasting Rockets games over the years and are excited to have that live on as Space City Home Network,” said Rockets President of Business Operations Gretchen Sheirr. “We’ve worked alongside the Astros and network personnel to ensure this will be a smooth changeover for our fans and look forward to the positive impact this collaboration and local ownership will have on our broadcast.”

“We appreciate the collaboration from the Astros and Rockets as we reach an agreement that is in the best interest of all parties, including the fans we all serve,” said Patrick Crumb, President, Regional Sports Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. “I’d especially like to thank all of our Houston-based colleagues who will continue to passionately showcase both teams through this new venture. We wish the Astros and Rockets much success as they assume ownership of the network.”

Hawks sign Jarkel Joiner and Keaton Wallace

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guards Jarkel Joiner and Keaton Wallace.

Joiner appeared in four games with the Hawks during the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas, registering 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes.

Throughout his six-year collegiate career, Joiner suited up for NC State (2022-23), Ole Miss (2019-22, redshirt in 2019-20) and Cal State Bakersfield (2017-19). He appeared in 148 contests (136 starts), owning averages of 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 31.7 minutes of action (.417 FG%, .330 3FG%, .828 FT%).

During the 2022-23 season, the 6-1 guard saw action in 34 games (all starts) as a member of the Wolfpack, tallying career highs in points per game (17.0), rebounds per game (4.8), assists per game (3.6), steals per game (1.3) and minutes per game (35.9). His 17.0 points per game ranked fourth in the ACC, while his 35.9 minutes per game ranked third. Joiner was named to the ACC All-Second Team, leading NC State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Wallace appeared in 49 total games (48 starts) with the Ontario Clippers during the 2022-23 NBA G League season (regular season and Showcase Cup), notching 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.6 minutes per game (.463 FG%, .382 3FG%, .745 FT%). He put in 30-or-more points three times during the 2022-23 campaign, including a career-best 39 points on 16-22 shooting from the floor and a 7-8 mark from deep in a win over the Motor City Cruise on Jan. 15, 2023.

The 6-3 guard signed a two-way contract with the LA Clippers on Feb. 21, 2023. He did not appear in any games with the Clippers and was waived on March 1. Wallace saw action in three games with the Clippers during the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas, recording 7.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 16.1 minutes (.400 FG%, .300 3FG%, 1.000 FT%).

Wallace has appeared in 93 total games (79 starts) across two NBA G League seasons, owning averages of 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 31.2 minutes (.460 FG%, .382 3FG%, .773 FT%).

The Dallas, Texas, native appeared in 125 games (110 starts) contests throughout a four-year collegiate career at the University of Texas at San Antonio, registering 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes of play (.401 FG%, .351 3FG%, .806 FT%). Wallace earned Second Team All-CUSA in three consecutive seasons (2018-21) and was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team during the 2017-18 campaign.

Pelicans announce staff promotions and additions

The New Orleans Pelicans today announced promotions and additions within the team’s coaching staff and basketball operations department.

The Pelicans have added Associate Head Coach James Borrego and Assistant Coach Aaron Miles to Head Coach Willie Green’s staff. Additionally, the team has hired Dominic Samangy as Basketball Analytics Coordinator and Ed Flynn as Head Video Coordinator. Joining Flynn in the video room are Assistant Video Coordinators Garrius Adams and Jake McGee, and Video/Player Development Assistant Keith Omoerah.

In the front office, New Orleans has named Adam Barnes as General Manager of Basketball Operations for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, and Alex Kaufman has been promoted to Manager of Player Evaluation and Basketball Operations.

Additionally, the Pelicans have hired Amy Atmore as Director of Rehabilitation. Aaron Nelson has assumed the role of Special Advisor to the Medical and Performance Team.