Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Timberwolves sign A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract.

Lawson, 22, most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022 NBA Summer League where he averaged a team-high 15.6 points on 51.9% from the field including 50.0% from three and 6.0 rebounds per game. The 6-6 guard played 10 games (all starts) this past summer for the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Basketball League (CBL) and averaged 16.5 points on 44.3% shooting and 5.4 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game.

The Toronto native saw action in 33 games (26 starts) for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League last season and averaged 11.8 points on 48.1% shooting and 6.3 rebounds. Lawson played three seasons at the University of South Carolina where he totaled 1,153 points, 325 rebounds and 167 assists in 81 games (80 starts).

Utah Jazz sign Simone Fontecchio

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Simone Fontecchio.

Fontecchio (6-7, 200, Italy) joins the Jazz after most recently playing for Baskonia of the Liga ACB in Spain in 2021-22. He appeared in 70 games (53 starts) in the ACB and EuroLeague last season, owning averages of 11.8 points on 45.2 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three, along with 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.0 minutes per contest.

A native of Pescara, Italy, Fontecchio began his professional career in 2012-13 with Virtus Bologna of the Lega A in Italy. He was with Virtus Bologna from 2012-17, going on to play with Milan of the Lega A from 2016-19, with stints with Vanoli Cremona in 2017-18, along with experience with Reggio Emilia in 2019-20 and ALBA Berlin of the German Bundesliga in 2020-21. He was named the Italian Lega A Best Under-22 Player following the 2014-15 season with Virtus Bologna.

The 26-year-old has represented the Senior Italian National Team in multiple events, including the 2017 European World Cup Qualifiers, the 2020 EuroBasket Qualifiers, the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers, the 2021 Olympic Games and the 2021 European World Cup Qualifiers. During the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he saw action in four contests, averaging 19.3 points on 52.7 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 30.2 minutes per game.

Houston Rockets re-sign Bruno Fernando

The Houston Rockets have re-signed center Bruno Fernando.

The Rockets 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 last season, 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 originally the 34th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at the University of Maryland and spent his first two seasons with Atlanta

Washington Wizards hire James Posey as an assistant coach

The Washington Wizards have hired James Posey as an assistant coach.

“We are excited to add James to our staff, as he brings championship experience both as a player and coach,” said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. “As one of the toughest defenders in the league and a clutch shooter during his NBA tenure, we will be able to lean on his playing and coaching experiences to help the development of our players.”

Posey comes to Washington after spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach for the University of Virginia Women’s Basketball team under Hall of Famer Tina Thompson. Prior to his time at Virginia, Posey spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers where he was apart of the staff that captured the 2016 NBA title while becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. During his tenure with the Cavaliers, the team made four consecutive Finals appearances from 2015-18.

A two-time NBA Champion as a player, Posey appeared in 864 games (479 starts) and averaged 8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game with Nuggets, the New Orleans Hornets, Heat, Grizzlies, Celtics, Rockets and Pacers. Posey was a key contributor for the 2006 Heat and 2008 Celtics championship teams. He averaged a career-high 13.7 points per game during the 03-04 season with the Grizzlies.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Posey played collegiately at Xavier University where he was named 1998 Atlantic-10 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player and 1999 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Atlanta Hawks waive Sharife Cooper

The Atlanta Hawks have requested waivers on guard Sharife Cooper.

He appeared in 13 games for the Hawks last season after signing a two-way contract on August 5, 2021. In 34 games (31 starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League, he averaged 17.4 points, 6.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 29.9 minutes (.436 FG%, .353 3FG%, .852 FT%).

Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the Powder Springs native had a tough time during this month’s Summer League, opening the tournament 1-of-14 from the floor and 0-of-5 from long range. By the Hawks’ fourth game, though, Cooper found his rhythm. He had 15 points, two rebounds and four assists in the Hawks’ 87-86 win over the Spurs.”

Cooper was selected by the Hawks in the second round (48th overall) of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves re-sign Nathan Knight

The Minnesota Timberwolves have re-signed forward Nathan Knight.

Knight, 24, wrapped up his second NBA season, where he saw action in 37 games for the Timberwolves (two starts) and averaged 3.7 points on 51.1% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game during the 2021-22 season. In his first career start on Dec. 27 vs Boston, he notched a career-high 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, accounting for his second career double-double. On Mar. 4 after scoring a game-high 33 points along with 12 rebounds earlier in the day with the Iowa Wolves, Knight was transferred to the Timberwolves and grabbed three rebounds in 5:04 minutes of action against the Oklahoma City Thunder later in the evening. Per Elias Sports, it marked the first time since the inception of a Timberwolves NBA G League team, that a player played in a G League game and an NBA game in the same day.

He is the third NBA player from William & Mary, where in four years, he averaged 17.1 points on 56.0% shooting and 7.7 rebounds. Knight became just the second player in league history to be named both the CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in 2020.

The 6-10 forward holds career averages of 3.7 points on 43.6% shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game with the Atlanta Hawks and the Wolves.

Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “the Wolves’ 15-man roster includes a likely starting lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels. The bench includes returning players from last season like Jaylen Nowell, Naz Reid, Jordan McLaughlin, Taurean Prince and Knight. Newcomers on the bench include Kyle Anderson, Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, Lawson and two of the Wolves’ draft picks, first-rounder Wendell Moore Jr. and second-rounder Josh Minott, who signed an NBA deal last week after a strong showing at Summer League in Las Vegas.”

Orlando Magic sign Kevon Harris to a two-way contract

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Kevon Harris to a two-way contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Per the Orlando Sentinel, “Harris will occupy the Magic’s second two-way roster spot, along with [Admiral] Schofield, and will also be eligible to play for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate.”

Harris (6’6”, 216, 6/24/97) played in 24 games (23 starts) last season with Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, averaging 15.1 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 3.6 apg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 30.2 minpg. Most recently, he played and started in all five games with Minnesota during the NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, averaging 15.8 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 2.0 apg. and 1.00 stlpg. in 27.1 minpg.

Not drafted by an NBA franchise, Harris has played in 31 career NBA G League regular season games (23 starts), all with Raptors 905, averaging 12.4 ppg., 4.7 rpg. and 2.9 apg. in 25.5 minpg.

Harris played in 127 career games (104 starts) during four seasons at Stephen F. Austin (2016-20), averaging 14.4 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.6 apg. and 1.05 stlpg. in 28.0 minpg., while shooting .397 (188-474) from three-point range. As a senior (2019-20), he played and started in 31 games, averaging 17.5 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 2.1 apg. and 1.52 stlpg. in 29.3 minpg., while shooting .413 (59-143) from three-point range. Harris was named First Team All-Southland Conference and the 2019-20 Southland Conference Player of the Year. He also earned Second Team All-Southland Conference twice (2017-18, 2018-19).

Harris will wear #7 with the Orlando Magic.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have a maximum of two players under two-way contracts in addition to the players under standard NBA contracts. A two-way player is also eligible to provide services to Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.

Timberwolves sign rookie Josh Minott

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie forward Josh Minott.

Minott, 6-8, was acquired by the Wolves during the 2022 NBA Draft, and recently appeared in all five games (four starts) for Minnesota during the 2022 NBA Summer League where he averaged 12.2 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds. He appeared in all 33 games (five starts) for the University of Memphis as a freshman last season where he averaged 6.6 points on 52.2% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game last season. The 20-year-old recorded two double-doubles last season on his way to earning 2021-22 AAC All-Freshman Team honors and was named AAC Freshman of the Week twice throughout the season.

Lakers sign Javante McCoy and Fabian White Jr.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Javante McCoy and Fabian White Jr.

McCoy appeared in five games for the Lakers at 2022 Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 10.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.4 minutes per game. The 2021-22 All-Patriot First Team selection appeared in 147 career games (138 starts) across five seasons at Boston University, where he averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.7 percent from three-point range.

White Jr. played three games for Los Angeles at Summer League, averaging 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.1 minutes. In five seasons at Houston, White Jr. appeared in 149 games (90 starts), averaging 8.3 points (.364 3P%) and 4.7 rebounds and was named to the 2021-22 All-ACC First Team.

Mavericks sign Tyler Dorsey to a two-way contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Tyler Dorsey to a two-way contract.

Per the Dallas Morning News, “Dorsey joins Christian Wood, JaVale McGee and second-round draft pick Jaden Hardy as Mavericks’ 2022 offseason roster additions.”

Dorsey (6-5, 183) joins Dallas after spending last season with the Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus. In 32 Greek League games for Olympiacos in 2021-22, he averaged 10.7 points (.477 FG%, .404 3FG%, .833 FT%), 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while helping the club to the Greek League title and garnering Greek Cup MVP honors. In EuroLeague action, Dorsey averaged 12.8 points (.517 FG%, .374 3FG%, .781 FT%), 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 38 games for an Olympiacos team that reached the EuroLeague Final Four.

The Pasadena, California, native was selected by Atlanta in the second round (41st overall pick) of the 2017 NBA Draft. After spending his rookie season with the Hawks, Dorsey was traded to Memphis in exchange for Shelvin Mack on Feb. 7, 2019. In 104 career NBA games (16 starts) with the Hawks and Grizzlies, he has averaged 6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16.1 minutes.

Following his stints with Atlanta and Memphis, Dorsey joined Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2019-20 and won two Israeli League championships with the club (2020, 2021).

Dorsey spent two seasons at the University of Oregon, where he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in 2016 and helped the school reach the NCAA Final Four in 2017. He totaled 1,055 points in his two seasons for the Ducks, joining Dillon Brooks as the only players in school history to reach 1,000 career points as a sophomore.

The former Gatorade California Player of the Year holds dual citizenship and has represented the Greek national team in international competition.