Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Heat re-sign Chris Silva to fourth 10-day contract

The Miami Heat have re-signed forward Chris Silva to a 10-day contract, using the COVID-Related Hardship Allowance.

Silva, who has previously signed three 10-day contracts with the HEAT using the hardship allowance, has appeared in seven games with Miami this season averaging 3.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 9.0 minutes of action while shooting 61.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from the foul line.

Per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “each of Silva’s 10-day contracts has been worth $95,930, bringing his earnings on the four such Heat contracts now to $383,720. He also previously had played under one such emergency contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, after starting the season with their G League affiliate. To put the $479,650 in earnings on Silva’s five 10-day deals into perspective, the Heat’s Caleb Martin ahead of the season signed a two-way contract worth $462,629.”

Earlier this season he appeared in one game with the Minnesota Timberwolves and 12 G League games with the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 15.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.00 steals and 26.1 minutes while shooting 57.3 percent from the field, leading the team in blocks and free throws made while finishing second in rebounds and field goals made.

Suns coach Monty Williams will coach Team LeBron in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.

Phoenix (40-9, .816) defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 tonight to clinch the best record in the Western Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6. As a result, Williams has earned a spot as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. He will be the Suns’ first NBA All-Star Game head coach since Mike D’Antoni in the 2006-07 season.

Under Williams, the Suns have the best record in the NBA this season and are off to their best start in franchise history through the first 49 games of a season. Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2 and has a current 10-game winning streak. Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October/November.

Williams is in his third season as Phoenix’s head coach. Last season, he guided the Suns to a 51-21 record and their first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Each head coach in the NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Williams will coach the All-Star team captained by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

The eligible head coach of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Feb. 6 will coach the All-Star team captained by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is ineligible because he served as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game last season.

LeBron James dealing with swelling in knee

LeBron James’ knee needs to be checked out. Via ESPN.com:

Lakers star LeBron James flew back to Los Angeles on Saturday for treatment on his ailing left knee and will not be with the team for the end of its six-game road trip against the Hawks on Sunday, according to Lakers coach Frank Vogel.

James underwent an MRI that revealed “general swelling,” Vogel said. Sunday is the third straight game that James, 37, has missed because of the knee.

“As long as the swelling is there, he’s going to be out and we’ll get him back as soon as we can,” Vogel said.

Pelicans sign Wenyen Gabriel to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Wenyen Gabriel to a 10-day contract via the COVID hardship exception.

Gabriel, 6’9”, 205, has appeared in 58 career games (one start) across three seasons with the LA Clippers, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Portland, and Sacramento, recording averages of 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per contest while shooting .413 from the field. Gabriel has appeared in seven games this season with the Clippers and Nets, averaging 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.

Most recently, Gabriel has appeared in 14 games (12 starts) for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League this season, averaging 14.1 points on .464 percent shooting from the field and .350 percent shooting from three-point range, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per contest. He also spent two seasons (2018-20) with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League.

A native of South Sudan, Gabriel went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft after playing two collegiate seasons (2016-18) at the University of Kentucky. In his final season as a sophomore, Gabriel averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game while leading the Wildcats in total rejections (40).

Gabriel will wear #32 with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 18 players, including two two-way players.

Utah Jazz sign Danuel House Jr. to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Danuel House Jr. to a 10-day contract.

House Jr. (6-6, 215, Texas A&M) is in his sixth NBA season and previously signed two 10-day contracts with Utah on Jan. 6 and Jan. 18 and has played in six games (one start) with the Jazz, averaging 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists. In his NBA career, he has also played with Washington (2016-17), Phoenix (2017-18), Houston (2018-22) and New York (2021-22) owning career averages of 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per game.

The Houston-native has additional NBA G League experience, competing for Delaware (2016-17), Northern Arizona (2017-18) and Rio Grande Valley (2017-19), playing in 60 total games (42 starts), averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.0 minutes per contest.

Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little suffers shoulder injury

An MRI taken January 26 revealed Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little with a left shoulder labral tear.

The injury occurred with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter of Portland’s game against Minnesota on January 25.

An update on his status will be provided as available. This sort of injury can often be season-ending.

In 42 games this season (23 starts), Little is averaging career highs of 9.8 points (46.0% FG, 33.1% 3-PT, 73.4% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.86 blocks and 25.9 minutes.

Lakers sign Stanley Johnson

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

Johnson has averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.2 minutes through 14 games (six starts) with Los Angeles this season.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “Johnson, who has played through three 10-day contracts with the Lakers, originally joined them as hardship a exemption during the Lakers’ coronavirus outbreak. He quickly earned two more 10-day deals because of his defensive versatility, starting six times. The Lakers won five of those games, including Tuesday against the Nets in Brooklyn.”

Initially called up from the South Bay Lakers on December 24, the Fullerton native is shooting a career-high 51.6 percent from the field and a career-best 34.4 percent from three-point range.

Rockets forward Usman Garuba undergoes wrist surgery

Houston Rockets forward Usman Garuba has undergone surgery to repair his fractured left wrist.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Matthew Koepplinger, Assistant Professor, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and affiliated Memorial Hermann orthopedic surgeon.

The injury occurred while Garuba was on assignment with the Rockets NBA G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley.

He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks for rehabilitation.

Kings guard Terence Davis out with wrist injury

Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis underwent an MRI in Atlanta this morning that confirmed a right wrist ECU tendon injury, which will require Davis to miss an indefinite period of time.

The injury was sustained at the 6:28 mark of the second quarter during Tuesday’s game at Boston.

Additionally, an X-ray conducted in Boston was negative for a right wrist fracture.

Davis also received five stitches to repair a laceration above his right eye.