Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Raptors guard Malachi Flynn out with cheekbone fracture

Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn has undergone a procedure to correct a fracture to his left cheekbone.

The injury occurred in the third quarter of Sunday’s preseason game in Edmonton vs. Utah. After examination by doctors and clearing concussion protocol, Flynn returned to the game. He underwent additional specialized imagery after his return to Toronto, which revealed a small fracture.

Flynn will wear a face shield upon his return to the court, which is anticipated before the start of the regular season.

Boston Celtics sign Blake Griffin

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Blake Griffin.

Griffin’s Celtics contract is reportedly a one-year deal for the league minimum.

Per the Boston Globe, “Griffin, 33, is no longer the explosive athlete who won the 2011 slam dunk championship, and he is a defensive liability. But he has adjusted his game over the years and become a capable 3-point shooter, despite hitting just 26.2 percent of his tries last year, when he averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Nets.”

Griffin, a 6’9” forward, appeared in 56 games (24 starts) where he averaged 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 17.1 minutes per game for Brooklyn last season. The six-time All-Star has appeared in 724 career games split between the LA Clippers, Detroit Pistons, and Brooklyn Nets and is one of nine current players in the NBA to average at least 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game for their career. The 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year has also made the NBA Playoffs in nine of his 14 seasons.

More from the Globe: “Griffin was one of the more intriguing veteran free agents on the market, partly because of his glorious past. After missing his rookie season with a broken left kneecap, Griffin earned All-Star honors for five consecutive seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was a one-man highlight reel, using his strength and jumping ability to victimize plenty of big men on dunks.”

Rockets sign Bruno Fernando to multi-year contract

The Houston Rockets have signed center Bruno Fernando to a multi-year contract.

Per the Houston Chronicle yesterday, “Fernando’s play in Lake Charles and in Saturday’s workout in Houston did not lead to the new deal after he came to camp on an exhibit 10 contract with the Rockets always hoping to make that sort of move, the person familiar with the team’s thinking said. But Fernando’s play in summer workouts and the first week of the preseason left no questions about making the move. Fernando will sign a four-year, $11.9 million contract with the 2022-23 season guaranteed, a significant boost from not having a standard NBA deal heading into camp or the two-way contract the Rockets moved him to on Friday.”

The Rockets originally acquired Fernando as part of a trade with Boston on Feb. 10, 2022. He appeared in 10 games over the remainder of the season for Houston while averaging 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game. In a combined 30 games for the Rockets and Celtics in 2021-22, Fernando averaged 20.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes played.

Fernando scored in double-figures in four of his 10 games as a Rocket, while recording two double-doubles. He shot 70.7% from the floor for Houston, including 8-of-8 in 23 minutes of play vs. Dallas on March 11.

Fernando was the 34th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2019 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at the University of Maryland. This summer, he averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.3 while playing for Angola in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

Pelicans convert John Butler’s contract into a two-way contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have converted the contract of forward John Butler to a two-way contract.

Butler, 7-2, 174, played one collegiate season at Florida State, where he averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 31 games. During his freshman campaign, Butler led the Seminoles with 33 three-point shots made as he became the first true freshman in school history to lead Florida State in three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage (.393).

In the 2022 NBA 2K Summer League, Butler appeared in four games (two starts) for the Pelicans, averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 12-of-16 (.750) from the floor and 6-of-9 (.667) from three-point range.

New Orleans Pelicans sign Larry Nance Jr. to contract extension

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Larry Nance Jr. to a multi-year contract extension.

Per the New Orleans Times-Picayune a few days ago, “Nance, who was already owed $9.7 million this season, will sign a two-year extension with New Orleans worth $21.6 million. His deal contains no team or player options, a league source said.”

Nance Jr., 6-7, 245, who was acquired by New Orleans in a mid-season trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, appeared in 46 games (11 starts) during the 2021-22 season, averaging 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 22.6 minutes per game. In nine games with New Orleans, Nance Jr. averaged 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 20.2 minutes per game while shooting .551 from the floor and .500 from deep. In the Pelicans’ first round playoff series with Phoenix, Nance Jr. appeared in all six games and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.7 minutes per contest.

Per the Times-Picayune, “Nance, once he was fully healed from right knee surgery, gave the Pelicans important minutes as a backup big man upon returning to the lineup in late March.”

Drafted 27th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft, the seven-year veteran has appeared in 396 games (134 starts) with the L.A. Lakers, Cleveland, Portland and New Orleans, posting career averages of 8.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 24.1 minutes, while converting .529 from the field, .333 from behind the arc and .689 from the free throw line. Nance has also appeared in 26 postseason games for Cleveland and New Orleans, averaging 5.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.8 minutes per contest.

Orlando Magic name Jake Chapman as team’s radio play-by-play announcer

The Orlando Magic have named Jake Chapman as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer.

Chapman enters his tenth season with the Orlando Magic. This marks his 14th season covering the NBA. In addition to his play-by-play duties, Chapman also serves as the radio producer, pregame and postgame radio host for the Magic Radio Network.

You can hear Chapman call all of the action on 96.9 The Game and the Magic Radio Network, beginning tonight (Monday, October 3) with the Magic’s preseason opener at Memphis. Tip-off is 8 p.m. ET.

Chapman began his career with the Magic in 2006 as a radio intern. He became the Magic’s radio producer in 2009 and served in that role until 2014. During Chapman’s first stint as radio producer, he produced Eastern Conference Finals game broadcasts, oversaw the launch of the Magic’s daily radio show, Magic Drive Time hosted by Dante Marchitelli, built up Magic Radio’s social media presence and helped with the digitization process of Magic Radio’s studio operations. He left the Magic in 2014 to become the pre- and postgame host and executive producer of the Detroit Pistons Radio Network. After his stay in Detroit, Chapman worked in his native Cleveland, OH as a producer and host for 92.3 The Fan and the Cleveland Browns Radio Network. He also covered the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2018 trip to the NBA Finals.

When Chapman returned to the Magic in 2019, he worked to expand the Magic’s podcast offerings – the Orlando Magic Audio Network. He continued producing all Magic radio broadcasts while adding pre-and post-game hosting responsibilities for all games. Chapman also re-assumed producing and co-hosting duties for Magic Drive Time hosted by Dante Marchitelli, the Magic’s daily radio show on its flagship station, 96.9 The Game.

A native of Cleveland, Oh., Chapman earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Ohio State University in 2006.

Orlando Magic games can be heard on the Magic Radio Network, with radio affiliates across the state of Florida. FM 96.9 The Game serves as the flagship station in Orlando, where you can also listen on AM 740.

Thunder guard Lu Dort sustains concussion at practice

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort sustained a concussion during yesterday’s team practice and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Dort will now begin the NBA-mandated Return-to-Participation Protocol. This process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities. There is no predetermined timetable to complete the protocol, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

London Johnson signs with NBA G League Ignite team

London Johnson, a top point guard in the class of 2023, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League Ignite General Manager Anthony McClish announced today. Johnson is ranked by ESPN at the No. 32 overall prospect in the class of 2023.

“It’s always been my dream to play in the NBA, and I’m thrilled about this opportunity to take a big step forward and continue the journey in the G League, where I’ll get to learn from great coaches and enhance my skills alongside and against elite talent with Ignite,” Johnson said. “I can’t thank my family, trainers, and AAU and high school coaches enough for their support in helping me along the way.”

Johnson, from Norcross, Ga., led Norcross High to the Georgia High School Association’s 7A state title in March. He was tabbed a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist and named to the Atlanta Tip-Off all-metro team and the Gwinnett Tip-Off all-county team.

A dual citizen of both the U.S. and Jamaica, Johnson represented Jamaica in 2021 FIBA Centrobasket U17 action in Mexico, where he averaged 36 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.0 steals in five games. He shot 56 percent from the field and led the tournament in points and steals. Johnson was named to the 2021 FIBA U17 CentroBasket Championship All Star Five.

Johnson will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft and follows Scoot Henderson (2021-present) as the second Draft-eligible prospect to sign with Ignite for two seasons. Along with Johnson and Henderson, the Ignite roster that includes four other Draft-eligible players in Efe Abogidi, Sidy Cissoko, Mojave King and Leonard Miller. He’ll join the team for two preseason games this week against Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, set for Tuesday, Oct. 4 and Thursday, Oct. 6 at Ignite’s new home at The Dollar Loan Center. The games air live on ESPN2 and the NBA App.