Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Pacers sign Keifer Sykes, waive Brad Wanamaker

The Indiana Pacers have signed guard Keifer Sykes.

Also today, the team waived guard Brad Wanamaker.

Sykes appeared in two preseason games for the Pacers prior to the start of the 2021-22 regular season. He started 13 games this year for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ affiliate in the NBA G League. Sykes is in his seventh professional season after competing in the NBA G League as well as leagues in South Korea, Turkey, Italy, China, Greece and Australia.

Wanamaker appeared in 22 games and made one start for the Pacers after he was signed Oct. 6.

Grizzlies sign Xavier Sneed to a 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Xavier Sneed to a 10-day contract, under the NBA’s COVID-related hardship exception.

Sneed (6-5, 215) has appeared in 27 games (24 starts) in his first two seasons with the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm following a four-year collegiate career at Kansas State University. Unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 24-year-old has appeared in 14 games for the Swarm this season and has averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.86 steals in 26.3 minutes while shooting 50.5% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.

Nets sign Langston Galloway to a second 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Langston Galloway to a second 10-day contract.

Galloway (6’1”, 200) signed his first 10-day contract with Brooklyn on Dec. 16 and has appeared in three games with the Nets, registering averages of 3.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. Galloway has seen action in 448 career games (62 starts) across eight seasons with Brooklyn (2021-22), Phoenix (2020-21), Detroit (2017-20), Sacramento (2017), New Orleans (2016-17) and New York (2014-16), recording averages of 8.1 points on 39.8 percent shooting from the field, 36.9 percent shooting from 3-point range and 81.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.8 minutes per contest. The 30-year-old native of Baton Rouge, La., appeared in 40 games last season with the NBA Finals-bound Suns, averaging 4.8 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field, 42.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and 95.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line and 1.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game. Prior to signing with Brooklyn, Galloway played in one game with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League this season.

Galloway went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft after spending four years (2010-14) at Saint Joseph’s, where he earned All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors as a senior. He finished his collegiate career as the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (343), free-throw percentage (82.1 percent) and minutes played (4,720), while ranking second in career points (1,991) and 3-point percentage (42.6 percent).

Timberwolves sign Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed center Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract.

Monroe, 31, played in 12 games (one start) this season for the Capital City Go-Go, the G League affiliate of the Washington Wizards, averaging 10.4 points on 51.6% shooting and 8.8 rebounds per game.

The 6-10 center from Georgetown has played in 632 career games (417 starts) with the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 13.2 points on 51.4% shooting and 8.3 rebounds. His best season in the NBA came during the 2012-13 season with the Pistons where he appeared in 81 games (all starts) and averaged career-highs in scoring (16.0 ppg), assists (3.5 apg), steals (1.3 spg) and minutes (33.2 mpg). In that same year, Monroe tallied his first of two career triple-doubles on Nov. 7, 2012 at Sacramento when he finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He has appeared in 27 playoff games (one start), posting averages of 6.4 points on 48.1% shooting and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Monroe will wear uniform #55.

Wizards sign Jordan Goodwin to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jordan Goodwin to a 10-day contract, via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Goodwin, a 6-3, 200-pound guard from Saint Louis, has played in 14 games (11 starts) with the Capital City Go-Go this season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Goodwin has led the Go-Go in scoring four times this season, including a 30-point performance against the Westchester Knicks on November 5 and is coming off a triple-double performance at the NBA G League Showcase in Las Vegas, where he tallied 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Iowa Wolves.

A native of Centreville, Ill., Goodwin left Saint Louis as the school’s all-time leader in steals, while also finishing in the top five in rebounds and assists. Prior to college, Goodwin played for Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal on his Saint Louis-based AAU team, Bradley Beal Elite, from his eighth grade through his senior year of high school.

Hawks sign Chaundee Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Chaundee Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract.

Earlier this season, Brown was with the Los Angeles Lakers where he appeared in two games on a two-way contract. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 6-5 guard saw action in five Summer League contests with the Lakers and five preseason games. In those five preseason outings, he averaged 7.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes (.467 FG%, .455 3FG%, .714 FT%).

The Orlando, Fla., native has appeared in six games (all starts) with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League this season, averaging 17.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 33.3 minutes (.446 FG%, .333 3FG%, .800 FT%).

Brown played collegiately at Wake Forest (2017-20) before transferring to Michigan (2020-21). During his senior season at Michigan, he helped lead the Wolverines to their fourth consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 and an appearance in the Elite Eight, en route to being named to the All-East Regional Team. Over his four-year collegiate career, Brown saw action in 112 games (77 starts), registering 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.6 minutes (.435 FG%, .352 3FG%, .812 FT%).

Brown, whose first name is pronounced shawn-dee, will wear No. 45.

Pelicans sign Anthony Tolliver and Justin James to 10-day contracts

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forwards Anthony Tolliver and Justin James to 10-day contracts, via the COVID hardship exception.

Tolliver, 6-8, 240, holds career averages of 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 730 career regular season games (105 starts) over 13 NBA seasons with San Antonio, Portland, Golden State, Minnesota, Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix, Detroit, Sacramento, Memphis, and Philadelphia.

Undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at Creighton, Tolliver began his professional career with Cleveland during the 2007-08 preseason. In addition to his time in the NBA and NBA G League, Tolliver has played professionally in Germany and Turkey. As a senior at Creighton, he captured First Team All-MVC honors, averaging 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 31.6 minutes per contest. Tolliver helped lead the Bluejays to a 22-11 record and an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

James, 6-7, 190, appeared in 72 games with Sacramento over the past two seasons, averaging 3.2 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 7.5 minutes per contest. James most recently appeared in the G League with the Cleveland Charge, averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 14 games this season.

Drafted 40th overall by Sacramento in the 2019 NBA Draft out of the University of Wyoming, James averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 38.2 minutes per game in 32 starts during his senior season in 2018-19. James totaled the second most points in a single season in program history (706) and led the Mountain West Conference in points per game, ranking his scoring average 19th in the nation. James earned All-Mountain West First Team honors as selected by the media and was chosen by the coaches to the All-Mountain West Second Team. James finished third in career points (2,061) in Wyoming Men’s Basketball history and fourth in career points in Mountain West Conference history.

Tolliver will wear #43 and James will wear #21 for the Pelicans. New Orleans’ roster now stands at 20 players.

Pistons sign Deividas Sirvydis to a 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed Deividas Sirvydis to a 10-day contract, using the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Sirvydis, 6-8, 190, has appeared in 14 games this season with the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate. He posted averages of 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.7 minutes per game.

The Lithuania native has one year of NBA experience, posting clips of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.7 minutes over 20 NBA games last season with the Pistons. Sirvydis was the 37th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks and his draft rights were acquired by the Pistons as part of a draft day trade.

Sirvydis will wear No. 91 for the Pistons.

Mavericks waive Eugene Omoruyi

The Dallas Mavericks have requested waivers on forward Eugene Omoruyi.

Omoruyi (6-6, 235) signed a two-way contract with Dallas on Aug. 13 after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in four games with the Mavericks. Omoruyi recently underwent surgery on his right big toe after suffering an injury in a Texas Legends game on Dec. 15. He is expected to make a full recovery and return to basketball activities in four to six months.

Omoruyi finished his collegiate career at Oregon, where he earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors, after playing three seasons at Rutgers. In his four-year collegiate career, Omoruyi averaged 9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 22.8 minutes in 121 games (72 starts).

Trail Blazers sign Jarron Cumberland, Cameron McGriff and Brandon Williams to 10-day contracts

The Trail Blazers have signed guard Jarron Cumberland, forward Cameron McGriff and guard Brandon Williams to 10-day contracts, via the NBA’s Hardship Exception.

Cumberland, 24, arrives in Portland after averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists and earning MVP honors at the 2021 NBA G League Winter Showcase. In 13 total games (three starts) for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, Cumberland (6-5, 205) has averaged 9.4 points (43.2% FG, 34.1% 3-PT, 85.7% FT), 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.08 steals and 21.1 minutes. A four-year player at Cincinnati (2016-20), he went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft before playing eight games for the Rio Grande Vipers and Raptors 905 of the NBA G League in 2020-21. Cumberland will wear No. 34 for the Trail Blazers.

McGriff, 24, joins the Trail Blazers from the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. In 14 games (one start) this season, McGriff (6-7, 220) has averaged 10.2 points (45.5% FG, 36.4% 3-PT, 84.6% FT), 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 22.4 minutes. After a four-year career at Oklahoma State (2016-20), he went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft and played the 2020-21 season for Okapi Aalstar in Belgium. He will wear No. 8 for Portland.

Williams, 22, has appeared in 10 games (six starts) for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League this season, averaging 17.7 points (36.4% FG, 28.3% 3-PT, 83.3% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.00 steals and 31.1 minutes. The Arizona product earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention honors during the 2018-19 season before redshirting his sophomore campaign and going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. Williams (6-2, 190) will wear No. 5 for the Trail Blazers.