NBA News Blog – Page 155 – NBA Blog

Trail Blazers sign Isaiah Miller, Olivier Sarr, Jared Rhoden and Devontae Cacok

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Devontae Cacok, guard Isaiah Miller, guard Jared Rhoden and center Olivier Sarr to contracts, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.

The signings are likely for Blazers training camp purposes.

An NBA veteran of three seasons, Cacok has appeared in 36 career games with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, posting averages of 2.5 points (62.1% FG, 50.0% FT) and 2.2 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. While playing for San Antonio during the 2021-22 campaign, the UNC Wilmington product also appeared in 23 games (22 starts) for the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League, averaging 17.4 points (52.8% FG, 35.1% 3-PT, 63.2% FT), 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 28.7 minutes per game.

Miller joins the Trail Blazers after spending the 2021-22 season with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League where he appeared in 32 games (three starts) and accrued averages of 12.7 points (48.5% FG, 51.0% FT), 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.72 steals in 24.2 minutes per game. The UNC Greensboro alum posted a season-high of 30 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals against the Texas Legends on Jan. 23.

Rhoden, an undrafted rookie out of Seton Hall, appeared in 122 career games (72 starts) over four seasons for the Pirates, posting averages of 10.4 points (40.7% FG, 31.2% 3-PT, 75.4% FT), 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.00 steal in 26.1 minutes per game. A 2022 All-Big East First Team honoree after averaging 15.5 points and 6.7 rebounds, Rhoden left Seton Hall as one of 12 players in program history to log more than 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in a career.

A French native and Kentucky alum, Sarr appeared in 22 games (two starts) and averaged 7.0 points (57.4% FG, 44.8% 3-PT, 82.8 FT%), 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 19.1 minutes per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder during his rookie campaign in the 2021-22 season.

Mojave King and Leonard Miller sign with NBA G League Ignite

Australia’s Mojave King, a graduate of the NBA Global Academy, and Canadian forward Leonard Miller have signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.

The duo will be part of an Ignite roster that features potential top prospect for the 2023 NBA Draft Scoot Henderson, French U18 National Team star Sidy Cissoko and Nigeria’s Efe Abogidi.

Nets sign Markieff Morris

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Markieff Morris.

Morris (6’9”, 245) has appeared in 715 games (376 starts) across 11 seasons with Miami (2021-22), L.A. Lakers (2020-21), Detroit (2019-20), Oklahoma City (2019), Washington (2016-19) and Phoenix (2011-16), recording averages of 10.9 points on 44.6 percent shooting from the field, 34.1 percent shooting from 3-point range and 77.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.8 minutes per contest.

Per the New York Post, “the Nets now have four of their maximum 20 training camp spots left open: All three Exhibit 10 deals, as well as one of their two-way contracts (undrafted rookie Alondes Williams got the other). Restricted free agent David Duke Jr. had initially rejected their two-way offer in hopes of landing a standard deal, but the signing of Morris to the final standard spot ended that possibility.”

Morris, who is 33 years old, was limited to just 17 games played last season with the Heat due to injury, posting averages of 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17.6 minutes per game. Prior to his injury-shortened campaign in 2021-22, Morris was 10th in the league in games played (698) from his rookie season in 2011-12 through the 2020-21 season.

Morris has made six playoff appearances in his career, including helping to lead the Lakers to the 2020 NBA Championship.

The Philadelphia native has seen action in 51 playoff games (22 starts), registering averages of 7.2 points on 42.1 percent shooting from the field, 36.9 percent shooting from distance and 80.0 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.4 minutes per game.

Morris was selected with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Suns after spending three years (2008-11) at the University of Kansas, where he was named All-Big 12 Second Team as a junior.

Indiana Pacers and Bally Sports Indiana extend media rights agreement

Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced yesterday a multi-year media rights extension with Bally Sports Indiana, the longtime television home of the Pacers and Fever.

Under the agreement, Bally Sports Indiana will continue to televise and stream all available regular season Pacers games, two pre-season games, and available first-round post-season games each season. The regional sports network will also carry up to 10 Fever games per season. Bally Sports Indiana is entering its 27th season as the Pacers’ media partner.

“The partnership renewal with Bally Sports Indiana allows Pacers and Fever fans to access the basketball content they love however they choose to consume it,” said PS&E Chief Executive Officer Rick Fuson. “The upcoming launch of Bally Sports+ complements the traditional content distribution model by delivering our games and other programming directly to the consumer. This ensures a direct connection to anyone in the region, a major priority for us as we finalized this deal.”

“We’re extremely proud of our 27-year partnership with the Pacers and thrilled to announce an extension of our media rights,” said Jack Donovan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Bally Sports Indiana. “Pacers Sports & Entertainment is one of the most-respected organizations in sports, and the Pacers consistently generate some of the highest local-market TV ratings in the NBA. We look forward to continuing to deliver high-quality productions of Pacers basketball to as many fans as possible, on cable, satellite, streaming TV and now via a new way to watch: Bally Sports+, our direct-to-consumer streaming service.”

Trail Blazers waive Norvel Pelle

The Portland Trail Blazers have waived center Norvel Pelle, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.

Pelle was originally signed to a contract on August 3, 2022.

Per the Oregonian, “Pelle, 29, has played in 40 NBA games over the past three seasons with zero starts. He went undrafted in 2014 and has spent several years in the G League. He played three games last season with Utah while on a 10-day contract.”

Jazz trade Donovan Mitchell to Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired NBA All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

In exchange, Cleveland has sent guard Collin Sexton (via sign and trade), forward Lauri Markkanen, guard Ochai Agbaji and three future unprotected first round draft picks (2025, 2027, 2029) to Utah, while also agreeing to swap picks in 2026 and 2028.

“The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell presented us with an incredible opportunity to bring one of the NBA’s most dynamic young All-Stars to Cleveland,” said Altman. “Already a special and proven talent at just 25-years-old, Donovan brings a competitive mentality that organically fits with the core group of this team. We are excited to see the impact that someone of Donovan’s caliber can bring to the Cavaliers with his ability to score the basketball, but also make plays for his teammates. We welcome Donovan and his entire family to Northeast Ohio. I also want to thank Collin and Lauri for their contributions to our team as well as Ochai, who has a very promising future in this league. The Cavaliers have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for all three players and wish them and their families all the best in Utah.”

Mitchell (6-3, 215), who was a 2022 NBA All-Star, played in 67 games (all starts) for the Jazz last season while averaging 25.9 points (9th-best in NBA), 4.2 rebounds, a career-high 5.3 assists, and a career-best 1.5 steals in 33.8 minutes. He also made 3.6 three-pointers per contest, which was the fourth-highest in the league, and scored at least 20 points on 52 occasions and 30-plus points in 23 outings. Mitchell earned Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in December 2021, the first Jazz player to earn the accolade since Deron Williams in November 2010, and was the Western Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2021. Additionally, he averaged 12.4 points as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll plays (2nd-best in NBA) and had the highest effective field goal percentage (.538) of the top five players in that category. Mitchell’s 232 three-pointers were tied for seventh in the NBA and was the fifth straight season he had knocked down over 170 threes. On March 16 versus Chicago, he connected on a career-best nine three-pointers and scored 37 points, including 25 points in the third quarter, tying the Jazz franchise record for a single period.

A three-time NBA All-Star (2020-22), Mitchell owns career averages of 23.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.7 minutes over 345 games (337 starts) in five NBA seasons, all with Utah. He leaves the Jazz ranking second in their team’s history in three-pointers made (958) and eighth in points scored (8,234). Mitchell is also just the sixth player in NBA history to total over 8,000 points, 1,500 assists and 1,400 rebounds through their first career 345 contests, joining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Michael Jordan, Pete Maravich and Oscar Robertson. The 6-3 guard has also reached the playoffs in all five of his NBA seasons, appearing in 39 total postseason games (all starts) with averages of 28.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.18 steals in 37.0 minutes per contest. An NBA All-Rookie First Team selection (2018) and NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2018), Mitchell was originally selected by Denver as the No. 13 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft before being traded to the Jazz on draft night.

Sexton (6-1, 192), who appeared in 11 games (all starts) with the Cavaliers last season before missing the final 71 contests due to a left knee meniscus tear, finished the 2021-22 campaign with averages of 16.0 points, a career-high 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.91 steals in 28.7 minutes. Selected as the No. 8 overall pick by Cleveland in the 2018 NBA Draft, Sexton owns career averages of 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in four NBA seasons with the Cavaliers.

Markkanen (7-0, 238) was acquired by Cleveland in a sign and trade agreement from the Chicago Bulls on August 28, 2021. In his lone season with the Cavaliers (2021-22), Markkanen played in 61 games (all starts), averaging 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.74 steals in 30.8 minutes. Markkanen owns career averages of 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in 29.7 minutes during his five NBA seasons (four with Chicago and one with Cleveland).

Agbaji (6-5, 215) was selected by the Cavaliers with the 14th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Agbaji started in all 39 games this past season as a senior at Kansas, averaging a Big-12 leading 18.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in a team-high 35.0 minutes. Agbaji was named the 2022 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and also finished as a 2021-22 consensus All-American First Team selection, the 2021-22 Big-12 Player of the Year and Big-12 Male Athlete of the Year.

Key info on the 2022-23 NBA G League season

The NBA G League has released its complete 2022-23 game schedule, which begins on Friday, November 4.

For the second consecutive season, the schedule will be split into two parts: the 18-game Showcase Cup followed by a 32-game regular season.

Beginning in 2022-23, games that advance to overtime will be determined by a Final Target Score. The winner of an overtime game during the season will be the first team to reach or surpass the Final Target Score, which will be the tied score after four quarters plus seven. For example, if the teams are tied at 100-100, the Final Target Score would be 107. Overtime will be untimed and games will end when a team makes a basket or free throw to reach or surpass the Final Target Score.

Additionally, all 31 games at the 2022 G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas will utilize a 25-point Final Target Score during an untimed fourth quarter. Under this model, the Final Target Score will be the leading team’s score after three quarters plus 25.

The Showcase Cup begins on Friday, Nov. 4 and culminates with a single-elimination tournament to crown a champion at the 2022 G League Winter Showcase from Dec. 19-22. During the Showcase Cup, teams are separated into four regional pods and play 16 games against one another in NBA G League markets. The teams with the best winning percentage in each regional pod, along with the next four teams across the league with the best win-percentages, will advance to compete for the Showcase Cup during Winter Showcase.

Following the Showcase Cup, team records will reset in advance of the 32-game regular season, which tips off on Dec. 27. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top six teams in each conference will qualify for the NBA G League Playoffs, followed by the NBA G League Finals in April 2023.

The 2021 Showcase Cup champion Delaware Blue Coats open their Showcase Cup defense on Friday, Nov. 4 against the Greensboro Swarm at the Greensboro Coliseum. The 2021-22 NBA G League Champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers will receive their championship rings on Friday, Nov. 11 when they host the Birmingham Squadron at the Bert Ogden Arena.

All 30 NBA G League teams, including NBA G League Ignite and the México City Capitanes, will compete in a total of 50 games during the 2022-23 season. NBA G League Ignite will debut its new home, The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., on Friday, Nov. 4 against the Oklahoma City Blue. Capitanes will host the first-ever NBA G League regular season game played in México at the Arena Ciudad de México when it takes on the defending champion Vipers on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari injured, suffers torn ACL in left knee

Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Gallinari sustained the injury while playing for his home nation of Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier against Georgia on August 27.

And via Boston.com:

The Celtics agreed to a two-year deal with Gallinari in July, hoping that the 6-foot-10 veteran could add some shooting and offensive depth. In his 14 NBA seasons, Gallinari has averaged 38.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.

This also isn’t the first time that Gallinari has torn his left ACL, having originally done so in April of 2013. Then a member of the Denver Nuggets, the injury required multiple surgeries and kept him from making his return until the 2014-2015 season.

Magic guard Gary Harris undergoes knee surgery

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris has undergone arthroscopic surgery to perform a meniscectomy in his left knee.

His return date will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.

Harris (6’4”, 210, 9/14/94) played in 61 games (30 starts) last season with Orlando, averaging 11.1 ppg., 2.0 rpg. and 1.8 apg. in 28.4 minpg., while shooting .384 (116-302) from three-point range and .874 (83-95) from the free throw line.

Per the Orlando Sentinel, “Harris, who was on an expiring contract for 2021-22 that paid him $20.5 million, signed a 2-year, $26 million extension to return to Orlando before free agency officially started July 1. He has a $13 million, fully-guaranteed salary for the 2022-23 season and a $13 million non-guaranteed salary for 2023-24. His 2023-24 salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30, 2023.”

Originally selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft by Chicago, Harris has appeared in 468 career NBA regular season games (374 starts) with Denver and Orlando, averaging 11.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 1.9 apg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 28.8 minpg., while shooting.363 (705-1,944) from three-point range and .812 (719-885) from the free throw line. He has also played in 28 career playoff games (26 starts), averaging 10.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 2.0 apg. and 1.00 stlpg. in 32.0 minpg.

Harris was acquired by Orlando from Denver, along with R.J. Hampton and a future first round draft pick, in exchange for Gary Clark and Aaron Gordon on Mar. 25, 2021. He has played in 81 games (49 starts) with the Magic, averaging 10.9 ppg., 1.9 rpg. and 1.9 apg. in 27.5 minpg., while shooting .380 (140-368) from three-point range and .874 (125-143) from the free throw line.

Knicks sign RJ Barrett to huge contract extension

The New York Knicks have signed guard/forward RJ Barrett to a contract extension.

Per the New York Post, “while his new contract extension is a less-than-the-maximum extension afforded to studs like Ja Morant, it still will pay him $108 million guaranteed over four years ($120 million if he reaches incentives such as All-Star/All-NBA/All-Defense selections). He stands to make $28 million in 2023-24 after his rookie deal ends after the upcoming season.”

Per the New York Daily News, “Barrett’s extension includes a “poison pill” provision, which is in place until next summer and makes it difficult to match salaries. According to ESPN, Knicks president Leon Rose set a Monday deadline of completing a deal for [Donovan] Mitchell before extending Barrett.”

“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation,” said Knicks president Leon Rose. “At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”

Barrett, 6-6, 226-pounds, is coming off a career year, in which he averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds and three assists over 34.5 minutes in 70 games (all starts) last season. He holds career averages of 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 33.5 minutes in 198 games (197 starts) over three seasons with New York. He is one of only five players in NBA history to eclipse 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 three-pointers before turning 22 years old, joining Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

Last season, RJ became the youngest player in franchise history to average at least 20 points for a season. His scoring average ranked second on the team (Julius Randle, 20.1 points), third among players 21 years or younger and 27th in the NBA. On Feb. 25, 2022, Barrett recorded a career-high 46 points against Miami, becoming the second player in franchise history to score 45 or more points at the age of 21 or younger (Carl Braun, 47 points, 1947).

The Toronto, Ontario-native, has increased his points per game production from 14.3 to 17.6 to 20.0 points over his three NBA seasons. He helped lead the Knicks to a 41-31 (.569) record in 2020-21, earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, the most wins by a Knicks team since 2012-13, and first trip to the postseason since that season.

He was originally selected by New York third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, following one season at Duke University. He started all 38 games, averaging an ACC and team high 22.6 points to go along with 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 35.3 minutes en route to being awarded Consensus All-America First Team honors and 2018-19 National Player of the Year by USA Today. He set an ACC freshman record with 26 20-point games. The Jerry West Award winner, given annually to the nation’s best shooting guard, broke the ACC freshman scoring record, previously held by Georgia Tech’s Kenny Anderson (721) in 1989-90.