Category: General NBA insight

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today they have traded guard Jared Cunningham, the draft rights to Cenk Akyol and cash considerations to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the draft rights to Serhiy Lishchuk.

Cunningham, who signed with the Clippers as a free agent on Sept. 29, 2014 appeared in 19 games this season averaging 1.8 points and 0.5 assists in 4.7 minutes. The 24th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by Cleveland, Cunningham has appeared in 40 career NBA games in three seasons. He holds career averages of 1.9 points and 0.5 assists in 4.9 minutes with four NBA teams (Dallas, Atlanta, Sacramento and Los Angeles).

Akyol, 27, was originally drafted by the Hawks with the 59th overall selection in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. The 6’6” guard from Turkey is a member of Galatasaray Liv Hospital of the Turkish Basketball League and has averages of 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.0 minutes per game.

Lishchuk, 32, was originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 49th overall selection in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft. The 6’11” forward from the Ukraine is a member of Valencia Basket Club of the Spanish League and has averages of 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 15.6 minutes per game in eight games played this season.

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed guard Elliot Williams of the NBA Development League’s Santa Cruz Warriors to a 10-day contract. Williams becomes the NBA’s 13th overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2014-15 season and the 11th different player to be called up. Per team policy, financial terms were not released. Following the move, the Jazz roster now stands at 15 players.

The 25-year-old Williams (6-5, 190, Memphis) appeared in 16 games (all starts) for Santa Cruz this season, averaging 21.3 points (ninth in the D-League), 4.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists (sixth in the D-League) and 1.3 steals in 37.2 minutes per contest. He recorded five double-doubles and scored in double figures in all 16 games. Williams scored 20-plus points in 10 games and 30-or-more points twice. Williams attended 2014 training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games (three starts), before being waived on Oct. 27.

Williams spent the 2013-14 season with the 76ers. He appeared in 67 games (two starts), averaging 6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He recorded 10-plus points on 17 occasions.

Originally selected in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Williams has played in 91 games (two starts) with Portland and Philadelphia, averaging 5.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

A native of Memphis, Tenn. and former McDonald’s All-American, Williams played one season at Duke (2008-09) before transferring to the University of Memphis (2009-10). He averaged 17.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.3 minutes his sophomore season at Memphis. Williams was named the 2010 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year and earned 2010 Conference USA First Team honors before becoming an early entry into the NBA Draft.

Williams becomes the 14th D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, and the third this season.

He will wear uniform #25 for the Jazz.

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived guard/forward Patrick Christopher.  Following the move, the Jazz roster now stands at 14 players.

Christopher (6-5, 219, California) was called up by Utah from the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy on Dec. 10 and appeared in four games (one start) for the Jazz, averaging 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.3 minutes.

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have waived guard Andre Dawkins.

Dawkins appeared in four games with the HEAT this season totaling three points, two rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes of action while shooting 1-of-6 from the field, all from downtown. He was originally signed as a free agent by Miami on September 23, 2014.

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Elijah Millsap of the NBA Development League’s Bakersfield Jam to a 10-day contract.  Millsap becomes the NBA’s 12th overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2014-15 season and the 10th different player to be called up.

Following the move, the Jazz roster now stands at 15 players.

The 27-year-old Millsap (6-6, 215, Alabama-Birmingham) appeared in 19 games (16 starts) for the Jam this season, averaging 20.6 points (12th in the D-League), 8.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals (fifth in the D-League) in 36.6 minutes per contest.  He recorded eight double-doubles, including one triple-double (26 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists vs. Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 18).  He scored in double figures on 18 occasions and recorded 20-plus points in 12 games.

Millsap attended 2014 training camp with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in one preseason game before being waived on Oct. 16.  He has also attended NBA training camps with the Los Angeles Lakers (2011) and Oklahoma City Thunder (2010).

Millsap has spent portions of five seasons in the NBA D-League with the Jam (2014-15), D-Fenders (2011-14) and Tulsa 66ers (2010-11), appearing in 155 career D-League games (130 starts) and owning averages of 17.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.3 minutes while earning 2012 D-League All-Star and All-NBA D-League Second Team honors, as well as being named 2013 NBA D-League All-Defensive Third Team and 2011 NBA D-League All-Rookie Second Team.  He has also played professionally with Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli League (2013-14), the Petron Blaze Boosters of the Philippine Basketball Association (2013) and Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (2012-13).

A native of Monroe, La., Millsap played two seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette (2006-08) before transferring to University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (2008-10). He earned All-Conference USA First Team honors following his junior season at UAB and was named the 2007 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year as a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns.  He was not selected in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Millsap becomes the 13th D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, and the second this season (Patrick Christopher).

He will wear uniform #13 for the Jazz.

Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jabari Parker, who is averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season, hurt his knee Tuesday. Hopefully it’s not serious. The extent of the injury isn’t known yet. Here’s the Journal Sentinel blog reporting:

It was a happy Bucks locker room after a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Khris Middleton lifted Milwaukee to a 96-94 victory Monday night.

But the joy was mixed with sincere concern over rookie Jabari Parker, who suffered a left knee injury early in the third quarter.

Parker’s left knee buckled without contact as he made a drive in transition and he was unable to leave the floor under his own power. He was carried off the court by teammates Zaza Pachulia and Johnny O’Bryant.

“As of right now we don’t know anything. They’ll do all the tests tomorrow and we’ll be able to report something then,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said after the game.

The Miami HEAT announced tonight that they have assigned guard Andre Dawkins to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Dawkins has appeared in three games with the HEAT this season totaling three points and one rebound in 13 minutes of action. He previously appeared in three preseason games with Miami and averaged 10.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 16.7 minutes while shooting 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the field and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from three-point range.

Enjoy these video highlights of NBA bloopers from the month of November, 2014:

The New Orleans Pelicans have waived Darius Miller and Patric Young.

Miller appeared in five games (one start) this season for the Pelicans, averaging 0.4 points and 0.2 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. Selected by New Orleans in the second round (46th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Miller has appeared in 102 career games (10 starts) over the last three seasons and averaged 3.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.

Young, who signed with the Pelicans as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2014-15 season, played in seven preseason games for New Orleans and averaged 1.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.

The Pelicans roster now stands at 13 players.

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center Hassan Whiteside and waived guard Shannon Brown.

Whiteside has appeared in three games for the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League this season averaging 22.0 points, 15.7 rebounds, 5.33 blocks and 28.7 minutes while shooting 85.7 percent from the field, helping them to a perfect 3-0 record. He has appeared in 19 career NBA games averaging 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 5.8 minutes of action while shooting 44.4 percent from the field. Additionally, he has appeared in 64 career NBA Development League games (14 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.30 blocks and 13.5 minutes while shooting 57.9 percent from the field.

Since being drafted in the second round (33rd overall) by Sacramento in the 2010 NBA Draft, Whiteside spent two seasons with the Kings before playing overseas in Lebanon and then in China where his team won the 2013 National Basketball League Championship as he was named the NBL Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Center of the Year and selected to the NBL First Team. The former Marshall product then signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for training camp prior to joining the Iowa Energy.

Whiteside will wear number 21.

Brown, who was originally signed by the HEAT as a free agent on August 27, appeared in five games with Miami this season and averaged 4.0 points and 17.8 minutes.