Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Clippers re-sign Amir Coffey

The LA Clippers have re-signed free agent Amir Coffey.

“Amir joined our organization as an undrafted free agent and has turned himself into a reliable and versatile two-way wing,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “He is an important part of our present and future, as well as an example to all our young players. He put in the work and is reaping the rewards.”

Coffey, 25, appeared in 69 games (30 starts) and averaged career-highs in points (9.0), rebounds (2.9) and assists (1.8). On April 10 against Oklahoma City, Coffey became the eighth player in franchise history to register at least 35 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a game. The 6-foot-7 forward has appeared in 131 NBA games and owns career averages of 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.2 minutes over the past three seasons with the Clippers.

A native of Hopkins, Minn., Coffey spent three years at the University of Minnesota, where he earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors (2017) and an All-Big Ten Third Team selection (2019).

Trail Blazers sign Gary Payton II

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Gary Payton II, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.

“We are excited to have Gary join us in Portland,” said Cronin. “Gary brings an elite defensive acumen and championship pedigree that will be essential to how we play basketball. His competitiveness and toughness will accent Coach Billups’ style of play.”

Payton’s deal with the Blazers is reportedly a three-year, $28 million contract.

A six-year NBA veteran out of Oregon State, Payton (6-3, 190) averaged 7.1 points (61.6% FG, 35.8% 3PT, 60.3% FT), 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.35 steals and 17.6 minutes in 71 games (16 starts) as a prominent contributor to the 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors during the 2021-22 season. Payton posted career highs in points per game (7.1), rebounds (3.5), steals (1.35) and minutes (17.6) and led the team in steals per game and total steals.

Over the course of six seasons, Payton has garnered career averages of 5.2 points (54.2% FG, 32.0% 3PT, 57.1% FT), 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.04 steals and 14.5 minutes per game in 142 games (39 starts) for Golden State, Washington, Milwaukee and the L.A. Lakers.

Pistons re-sign Marvin Bagley III

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has re-signed Marvin Bagley III.

Bagley’s deal with the Pistons is reportedly a three year, $37.5 million contract.

Bagley, 6-11, 235, posted clips of 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 27.2 minutes through 18 games (eight starts) with the Pistons in 2021-22. He scored in double figures in 15 of his 18 games with Detroit, including four games with at least 20 points. Bagley was acquired via trade from the Sacramento Kings in a four-team deal also involving the Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers on Feb. 10, 2022, after spending three-plus seasons with the Kings.

A native of Tempe, Ariz., Bagley has appeared in 166 games (77 starts) over four seasons with the Kings and Pistons, holding career averages of 13.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 blocks in 25.1 minutes. Bagley was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2018-19.

The former second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft played collegiately at Duke and was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and a consensus All-America First Team selection after recording 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his lone season at Duke in 2017-18.

Clippers re-sign Nicolas Batum

The LA Clippers have re-signed free agent Nicolas Batum, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.

“Nico is a selfless vet and a winning player whose intelligence, versatility and skill have lifted our team for the past two years,” said Frank. “We wanted to keep building with him and are honored he wanted the same.”

Batum, 33, appeared in 59 games (54 starts) for the Clippers last season and averaged 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 40.0% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-8 forward has appeared in 915 career games with averages of 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists over 14 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets and Clippers. Batum is one of eight active NBA players with 10,000 points, 4,500 rebounds and 1,400 three-pointers made.

From Lisieux, France, Batum has been a member of the French National Team since 2009, representing his country in the 2012 and 2021 Olympics, 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2014 FIBA World Cup, and 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 FIBA European Championships. He led France to a gold medal in the 2013 European Championship, silver medals in the 2011 European Championship and the 2021 Olympics, and bronze medals in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2015 European Championship.

Wizards sign Delon Wright

The Washington Wizards have signed seven-year NBA veteran guard Delon Wright.

“Delon’s versatility as a playmaker, scorer and defender will help us solidify our backcourt rotation,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “His size allows him to play and defend both guard positions and will give us flexibility with our lineups.”

Wright’s deal with the Wizards is reportedly a two-year, $16 million contract.

Wright (6-5, 185) holds career averages of 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in seven seasons and 411 games (70 starts) with Toronto, Memphis, Dallas, Detroit, Sacramento and Atlanta. The 30-year-old played in 77 games (eight starts) in 2021-22 with Atlanta, posting averages of 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. In his eight starts in 2021-22, Wright averaged 10.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting .492 from the field and .440 from three. Wright averaged career highs in points (10.2), rebounds (4.3), assists (4.4) and steals (1.6) per game in 2020-21 as a member of the Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings.

Originally from Los Angeles, Wright was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. He played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was twice named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2014 and 2015) and became the first player in men’s basketball history to be named to the first-team All-Pac-12 in consecutive years (2014 and 2015). During the 2014-15 season with the Utes, Wright was teammates with current Wizard Kyle Kuzma. He attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, California, which also produced Russell Westbrook, and is the younger brother of former NBA champion Dorell Wright.

Pelicans sign Zion Williamson to huge contract extension

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Zion Williamson to a multi-year contract extension.

“We are building a foundation of sustained success. We have a wonderful mix of young talent and veteran leadership and adding Zion long-term to this roster is something that I know our fans are very excited to see come together on the floor this season and for many seasons to come,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “Zion’s talents are not only transformative on the court, but his commitment to our community, our city and region will also be transformative. What a wonderful birthday for him and his family.”

Per ESPN.com, “Williamson’s deal is worth $193 million over five years and could jump to $231 million if he hits the escalator clauses in the deal by making an All-NBA team next season. Griffin said during the news conference that followed the signing that Williamson’s deal does not include a player option on the end of it. When Brandon Ingram signed his five-year deal with New Orleans following the 2019-20 season, he also signed a five-year deal with no option.”

Williamson, who was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, has appeared in 85 career games (all starts) with New Orleans, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, while shooting .604 from the floor, .333 from three-point range and .683 from the free throw line. In addition, Williamson has scored in double-figures 84 times, including 49 performances of 20 or more points.

“Zion is an astounding 22-year old talent, who we believe is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of, both on and off the floor,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “We are extremely pleased to take this next step of our collective journey together.”

During the 2020-21 season, Williamson appeared in 61 games (all starts), averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.2 minutes per game. Williamson recorded 20-plus points in 25 straight games during a stretch between February 5 and April 6, marking the longest consecutive game streak in NBA history for a player under 21 years old. The South Carolina native was named to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the 10th player in NBA history to earn All-Star recognition prior to turning 21, and the fourth youngest player in NBA history behind Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

Sacramento Kings sign Malik Monk

The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent guard Malik Monk, according to General Manager Monte McNair.

“Malik Monk is an elite shooter, fierce competitor and tremendous athlete,” said McNair. “We’re thrilled to have him join us in Sacramento.”

Monk’s deal with the Kings is reportedly a two-year, $19 million contract.

During the 2021-22 campaign, Monk competed in 76 games (37 starts) and averaged 13.8 points (.473 FG%, .391 3PT%, .795 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 28.1 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers. Monk posted career-highs in points (41), field-goals made (14), rebounds (10) and blocks (3) during the 2021-22 season.

Per the Sacramento Bee, “Monk is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard who will help the Kings improve their shooting around Fox and center Domantas Sabonis.”

A five-year NBA veteran, Monk has accrued career averages of 10.3 points (.424 FG%, .355 3pt%, .830 FT%), 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 20.4 minutes per game in 309 games (38 starts) for two teams, the Charlotte Hornets (2017-21) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2021-22).

Selected by the Hornets with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Monk spent one season at the University of Kentucky where he helped lead the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 in 2018.

Monk will wear No. 0 for the Kings.

Lakers sign Lonnie Walker IV

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

Walker’s deal with the Lakers is reportedly a one-year, $6.5 million contract.

Walker IV appeared in 70 games (six starts) for San Antonio last season, averaging a career-high 12.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and a career-best 2.2 assists in 23.0 minutes per game. In four seasons with the Spurs, Walker IV appeared in 208 games (56 starts) with career averages of 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.4 minutes, while shooting 34.3 percent from three-point range.

Nets hire Igor Kokoskov, Adam Caporn and Trevor Hendry as assistant coaches

The Brooklyn Nets have named Igor Kokoškov, Adam Caporn and Trevor Hendry as assistant coaches. They join Jacque Vaughn, Brian Keefe, Tiago Splitter, Royal Ivey and Ryan Forehan-Kelly on Head Coach Steve Nash’s staff.

Kokoškov has more than two decades of NBA coaching experience and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2021-22 season, helping lead the team to the Western Conference Finals. The Serbian native began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000-01 season, becoming the first non-American to serve as a full-time NBA assistant coach. Kokoškov spent three seasons (2000-03) with the Clippers before moving on to the Detroit Pistons, spending five seasons (2003-08) in Detroit and helping guide the Pistons to the 2004 NBA Championship. From there, Kokoškov worked as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns (2008-13), Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-14), Orlando Magic (2014-15), Utah Jazz (2015-18) and Sacramento Kings (2019-20), while also leading the Suns as the franchise’s head coach during the 2018-19 season. In addition to his time in the NBA, Kokoškov spent the 2020-21 season as head coach of the Turkish League’s Fenerbahce. Prior to beginning his professional coaching career in the United States, Kokoškov worked as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri (1999-2000), becoming the first European to work as part of a full-time coaching staff in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.

Kokoškov has extensive experience coaching internationally, having served as the head coach of the national teams of Georgia (2008-15), Slovenia (2016-17), where he guided the team to the gold medal at EuroBasket 2017 in Turkey, and Serbia (2019-21).

Caporn joins Brooklyn after serving as head coach of the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, for the 2021-22 season, leading the team to its second playoff berth in franchise history with an 18-15 overall record and earning NBA G League Coach of the Month honors in February after Long Island went 8-2 for the month. The Australian native spent the previous seven seasons (2014-21) as head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, the country’s leading player development program. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Australian National Team, a position he has held since 2017, and helped lead the Boomers to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games last summer. Previously, he served two years (2014-16) as head coach of Australia’s U19 National Team and was an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s College of California for four seasons (2010-14). Caporn also spent one season (2010-11) as a scholarship assistant coach at the Centre of Excellence, one season (2009-10) as head coach of the East Perth Eagles in Australia’s NBL1 and one season (2007-08) as an assistant coach for the Willetton Tigers in Australia’s NBL1 while still in the midst of his playing career.

Prior to pursuing coaching, Caporn played two collegiate seasons (2001-03) at Saint Mary’s and six professional seasons in Australia and New Zealand’s National Basketball League with the Illawarra Hawks (2003-06), Wellington Saints (2004) and Perth Wildcats (2006-09).

Hendry has been named assistant coach after spending the last four seasons as Brooklyn’s head video coordinator. He originally joined the Nets organization in 2014 and served in a variety of basketball operations roles prior to entering the video room. He then spent one season (2016-17) as a video and player development seasonal assistant for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, and one season (2017-18) in the same role for Brooklyn before becoming head video coordinator. Prior to joining the Nets, the Waterford, Conn., native earned both a Bachelor of Arts in business and a Master of Business Administration from Clark University.

Brooklyn Nets re-sign Kessler Edwards

The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed forward Kessler Edwards to a multi-year contract.

Edwards appeared in 48 games (23 starts) in his rookie season with the Nets, registering averages of 5.9 points on 41.2 percent shooting from the field, 35.3 percent shooting from 3-point range and 84.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line and 3.6 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game. He also saw action in two playoff games in Brooklyn’s first round series versus Boston. In addition to his NBA experience, Edwards appeared in and started seven games for Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, during the NBA G League Showcase Cup, posting averages of 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks in 34.0 minutes per contest. The 21-year-old was originally selected with the 44th pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft by Brooklyn and signed a two-way contract with the team on Aug. 16, 2021, before signing a standard NBA contract with the Nets on April 10, 2022. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native’s 23 starts marked the most starts for a rookie selected 44th or lower in Nets history.

Prior to joining the Nets, Edwards played three collegiate seasons (2018-21) at Pepperdine, where he was an All-WCC First Team selection as a junior, an All-WCC Second Team selection as a sophomore and named to the WCC All-Freshman team after his first season.

Edwards will compete for Brooklyn’s NBA 2K23 Summer League team in Las Vegas.