Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Mavericks sign rookie Jaden Hardy

The Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, July 7 signed second-round pick Jaden Hardy.

Dallas acquired the draft rights to Hardy, the 37th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, from Sacramento in exchange for 2024 and 2028 second-round picks.

Hardy (6-4, 198), who turned 20 years old on July 5, spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite and averaged a team-high 19.8 points to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 24 games.

The former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and Las Vegas Review-Journal Boys Athlete of the Year will compete for the Mavericks’ Las Vegas summer league team that tips off against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, July 8 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

Hardy will wear No. 3 for the Mavericks.

Mavericks sign Theo Pinson

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday signed guard/forward Theo Pinson.

Pinson (6-5, 212) returns for his second season with Dallas after he joined the club midway through the 2021-22 campaign. In 19 games for the Mavericks last year, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game. Pinson scored a season-high 16 points (5-5 FG, 4-4 3FG, 2-2 FT) in the team’s regular-season finale against San Antonio on April 10.

The Greensboro, North Carolina, native originally signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Dallas under the COVID-related hardship allowance (12/20/21 and 12/31/21), before signing a two-way contract with the club (1/10/22).

In 87 career games with Brooklyn, New York and Dallas, Pinson has averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 8.7 minutes.

Trail Blazers re-sign Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons

The Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, July 6 re-signed center Jusuf Nurkic and guard Anfernee Simons.

“It was incredibly important to us to bring back both Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons as key pieces of our core,” said Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “Nurk’s physicality, rebounding prowess and defensive acumen make him an integral part of what we do on both sides of the ball.” Cronin continued, “Anfernee is already one of the league’s top shooters and this past season he showed elite ability as a shot creator and distributor. We are excited for him to continue the growth he has shown in his first four seasons in Portland.”

Nurkic, 27, averaged 15.0 points (53.5% FG, 69.0% FT), a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.11 steals in 56 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. One of eight NBA players to average at least 15 points and 11 rebounds last season, Nurkic led the Trail Blazers in rebounds and ranked second in points while his 30 double-doubles marked the second-most of any season during his career.

Originally acquired by the Trail Blazers in a trade from Denver on February 13, 2017, Nurkic (7-0, 285) has averaged 14.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.00 steal and 1.25 blocks in 272 games (271 starts) over five-plus seasons in Portland. The Trail Blazers have a record of 160-112 (.588) with Nurkic in the lineup over that span.

Selected by Chicago with the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, Nurkic holds career averages of 12.2 points (50.0% FG, 67.2% FT), 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.91 steals and 1.19 blocks in 411 games (330 starts) over eight seasons with the Trail Blazers and Nuggets.

Simons, 23, averaged career highs of 17.3 points (44.3% FG, 40.5% 3-PT, 88.8% FT), 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 57 games (30 starts) for the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. His scoring average was a 9.5-point increase over his 2020-21 season average, representing the largest jump in the NBA for players who played a minimum of 50 games in both seasons. In his 27 appearances after becoming a full-time starter on January 3, Simons averaged 23.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

One of the most prolific young shooters in the NBA, Simons (6-3, 195) had 24 games with at least five three-pointers before turning 23, tied for the third-most in league history by a player age 22 or younger. In addition, Simons is the only player in NBA history with multiple games of nine or more three-pointers before turning 23 (three). Simons became the youngest player in franchise history to score 40-plus points in a game when he scored a career-high 43 points against Atlanta on January 3, 2022.

Selected by Portland with the 24th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Simons holds career averages of 10.2 points (42.5% FG, 39.2% 3-PT, 83.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 211 games (35 starts) for the Trail Blazers.

Grizzlies sign Ja Morant to contract extension

The Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, July 6 signed guard Ja Morant to a multi-year contract extension.

Morant (6-2 ½, 174) averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.16 steals in 33.1 minutes in 57 games (all starts) last season and helped guide the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season (56-26), which tied the single-season franchise record, and the Southwest Division championship, the first division title in franchise history.

The 22-year-old was selected to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team and was named the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player following his third NBA season, during which he was voted by fans as a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his first All-Star appearance. He joined Marc Gasol as the only players in franchise history to receive at least All-NBA Second Team honors and Gasol as the only players to be named a starter in the All-Star Game.

Morant, who became the first guard to lead the NBA in points in the paint per game (16.6 points) since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1996-97, became the first player in franchise history to win consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week Awards, earning the first two weekly honors of his NBA career on Jan. 3 and Jan. 10 in the midst of a franchise-record 11-game winning streak (Dec. 26-Jan. 13).

The South Carolina native recorded a single-game franchise record with 52 points on Feb. 28 vs. San Antonio, one of his six performances with at least 40 points last season (a single-season franchise record).

During the 2022 Playoffs, Morant averaged 27.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 37.6 minutes to help lead Memphis to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2015.

Morant was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and was selected to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team after he was selected by Memphis with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has started all of his 187 appearances over three seasons with the Grizzlies and has averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 32.2 minutes. He holds career postseason averages of 28.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 9.2 assists in 38.6 minutes.

Wizards re-sign Bradley Beal

The Washington Wizards on Wednesday, July 6 signed three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal to a five-year contract beginning in 2022-23.

“Bradley has truly established himself among his peers in the NBA, the all-time greats in our team’s history and the leaders who are making a difference in the community over his 10 years with us,” said Chairman and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment Ted Leonsis. “He has set a consistent example of hard work and dedication to develop into our franchise player and we are proud to show our commitment to having him continue to lead us on and off the court as he cements his legacy in Washington.”

The 10-year NBA veteran has spent his entire career in Washington, making him one of six active players to have played 10+ years with the same franchise (Udonis Haslem, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard) and one of only two players (Wes Unseld, 13 seasons) to play 10+ seasons with the Wizards franchise. Beal is the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,434) and is on pace to pass Elvin Hayes as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 season (he is currently second all-time in points scored with 14,321 to Hayes’ 15,551). He ranks third in games played with Washington at 645, trailing only Unseld (984) and Hayes (731). Beal also ranks in the franchise’s top five in minutes played, assists, steals and free throws.

“I have been blessed to call the city of Washington my home and the Wizards organization and our fans my family for the last 10 years, growing as a player, a leader, a husband and a father along the way,” said Beal. “Today represents such a special moment in my life. I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to continue to partner with Ted, Tommy, Wes and the entire organization in moving forward to achieve our dream of bringing championships to D.C. and, just as importantly, to help our community continue to accomplish amazing things together.”

Beal narrowly lost the NBA scoring title to Steph Curry in the 2020-21 season, where he averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game on a career-high .485 shooting percentage from the field, earning an All-NBA Third Team nod. With the effort, Beal became just the sixth player since the NBA-ABA merger to average 30+ points in back-to-back seasons, joining Adrian Dantley, Michael Jordan (seven straight) Allen Iverson (twice), Kobe Bryant, and James Harden (three straight). Beal’s 34 games with 30+ points that season ranked as the fourth-most in franchise history and his 60-point effort on January 6 at Philadelphia was the second-highest scoring game in team history.

“Bradley’s level of talent, character and work ethic combine to make him one of the most remarkable players and people I have been privileged to work with over my career in the NBA,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “We have built our roster to complement his all-around game and couldn’t be more excited to have him make the commitment to keep our franchise moving in the right direction.”

The 29-year-old holds career averages of 22.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Beal is one of six D.C. athletes to be with their respective team 10+ seasons, joining Capitals Nicklas Backstrom (15), John Carlson (13), Dmitry Orlov (10) and Alex Ovechkin (17), and National Stephen Strasburg (13). He is coming off a 2021-22 campaign cut short due to a wrist injury which saw him average a career-high 6.6 assists in 40 games played.

Thunder sign Lu Dort to a multi-year contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, July 6 signed guard Luguentz Dort to a multi-year contract.

In three NBA seasons, Dort has appeared in 139 games (131 starts) and registered averages of 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 29.0 minutes.

This past season, Dort ranked second on the Thunder in scoring with 17.2 points per game. During a 46-game stretch that bridged each of the last two seasons, Dort amassed the second-longest streak of consecutive games with a made 3-point field goal in Thunder history. Dort led the Thunder with 130 3-point field goals (2.5 3FGs per game) during the 2021-22 season.

The Montreal native was named to the NBA’s Rising Stars team in 2021 as he posted a league-leading 57 offensive fouls drawn to go along with averages of 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 29.7 minutes per game during his second NBA season.

After playing one season at Arizona State and going undrafted in 2019, Dort started in 28 of 36 games for the Thunder in his rookie season. During an opening round Game 7 versus the Houston Rockets, Dort set a Thunder playoff rookie record by scoring 30 points on six made 3-point field goals.

Nets sign T.J. Warren

The Brooklyn Nets yesterday signed free agent forward T.J. Warren to a contract.

“T.J. is a proven three-level scorer with the size and versatility to make an impact for us,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “We think T.J. is a great fit on the wing, and we’re excited to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn.”

Warren (6’8”, 215) has appeared in 332 games (236 starts) across seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers (2019-21) and Phoenix Suns (2014-19), registering averages of 15.5 points on 50.7 percent shooting from the field, 35.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 78.0 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.8 minutes per game. The 28-year-old played in just four games in the last two seasons due to injury, but in his last full season in 2019-20 with the Pacers, he appeared in and started a career-high 67 games, while averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game on a career-high 53.6 percent shooting from the field, 40.3 percent shooting from 3-point range and a career-high 81.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.9 minutes per contest. In six seeding games in the Orlando Bubble in the summer of 2020, Warren put together the best stretch of his career, averaging 31.0 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field, 52.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and 88.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.4 minutes per game, trailing only Damian Lillard (38.9 points per game), James Harden (31.7 points per game) and Devin Booker (31.0 points per game) in seeding game Orlando Bubble points per game. The Durham, N.C., native also saw the first playoff action of his career in Orlando in 2020, posting averages of 20.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals in four games in a first round series against the Miami Heat.

Warren was originally selected with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by Phoenix after spending two years (2012-14) at North Carolina State University. At NC State, Warren was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team in his first season and then earned All-ACC First Team, ACC Player of the Year and consensus second-team All-American honors in his second and final collegiate season.

Atlanta Hawks hire Mike Longabardi as an assistant coach

The Atlanta Hawks today announced the hiring of Mike Longabardi as assistant coach. Longabardi, who owns 19 years of NBA coaching experience, and has won two NBA Championships, comes to the Hawks following one season as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings.

Prior to Sacramento, he spent two seasons as a member of the Washington Wizards coaching staff (2019-21). Before his time in Washington, Longabardi, who was hired on Jan. 25, 2016, by the Cleveland Cavaliers, spent three and a half years as an assistant coach for the Cavs, winning one of his two NBA titles in 2016.

The Frostburg State alumnus has also spent time as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns (2012-15) and Boston Celtics (2007-13). While with Boston, Longabardi helped lead the Celtics to three Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals appearances and a 2008 NBA Championship.

In addition, he was an assistant coach/video coordinator for the Houston Rockets under Jeff Van Gundy. In 2003-04, his first year in Houston, Longabardi served as assistant video coordinator before being promoted to lead video coordinator the following season.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, he began his coaching career at the collegiate level for seven seasons, which included coaching stops at Pfeiffer University, Adelphi University, Lafayette College and Townson University.

Lakers sign rookie Max Christie

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Max Christie, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Christie appeared in 35 games (all starts) in his lone season at Michigan State last year, averaging 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 30.8 minutes. The 2021-22 Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection scored in double figures in 13 games last season and was selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves sign rookie Wendell Moore Jr.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie guard Wendell Moore Jr.

Moore Jr., 6-5, was also acquired by Minnesota during the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 13.4 points (ranking second on Duke), 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists (fourth in the ACC) and 1.3 assists per game in his junior season at Duke.

For his collegiate career, Moore Jr. averaged 10.7 points on 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from three, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He recorded the fifth triple-double in Duke history with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Army on Nov. 12, 2021.