NBA News Blog – Page 222 – NBA Blog

Toronto Raptors sign Juwan Morgan, D.J. Wilson and Tremont Waters to 10-day contracts

The Toronto Raptors have signed forwards Juwan Morgan and D.J. Wilson, and guard Tremont Waters to 10-day contracts.

All three join the Raptors from the NBA G League via the COVID hardship exception.

Morgan, 6-foot-7, 232 pounds, is averaging 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 29.3 minutes in 13 games with the Maine Celtics. Morgan has scored in double figures 10 times and posted his lone double-double with 18 points and a season-high 10 rebounds Nov. 7 at College Park.

A native of Waynesville, Missouri, Morgan has appeared in 50 career games with Utah (2019-21), averaging 1.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 5.6 minutes. He signed with the Jazz as an undrafted free agent following four collegiate seasons at Indiana (2015-19).

Wilson, 6-foot-10, 231 pounds, has played in 14 games with the Oklahoma City Blue. He is averaging 14.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 26.1 minutes. Wilson is shooting .494 (79-160) from the field and has recorded five double-doubles. He scored career-high 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Dec. 19 vs. Rio Grande Valley.

A native of Mount Shasta, California, Wilson holds career averages of 4.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 12.3 minutes in 142 games during four seasons (2017-21) with Milwaukee and Houston. Wilson was picked 17th overall by the Bucks in the 2017 NBA Draft after three years at Michigan (2014-17).

Waters, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, is averaging 17.5 points, 6.2 assists, 2.7 steals and 31.9 minutes in 13 contests with the Wisconsin Herd. He has scored 20+ points four times, including a season-high 31 points Dec. 3 at Grand Rapids, and owns three double-doubles.

A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Waters was picked 51st overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by Boston. He averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 assists and 9.6 minutes in 37 career contests with the Celtics (2019-21). Waters played collegiately for two seasons at LSU (2017-19).

Detroit Pistons sign Cheick Diallo to a 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons today signed Cheick Diallo to a 10-day contract, using the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Diallo, 6-8, 219, has appeared in 13 games this season with the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ G League affiliate, tallying averages of 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 21.6 minutes. In his last two games in the Showcase Cup Tournament in Las Vegas, Diallo averaged 23.5 points and 16.0 rebounds to help lead the Cruise to the semifinals.

Diallo has four years of NBA experience, posting clips of 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.0 minutes over 180 NBA games (three starts). He most recently suited up for the Phoenix Suns in 2019-20 after spending three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2016-19. The Mali native was drafted 33rd overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the L.A. Clippers following one season playing collegiately at Kansas.

Diallo will wear No. 00 for the Pistons.

Dallas Mavericks sign Charlie Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Charlie Brown Jr. to a 10-day contract under the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Brown Jr. (6-6, 199) appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 2.0 points. He has also been on the rosters of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder since going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.

This season, Brown Jr. is averaging 16.8 points (.457% FG, .400% 3FG, .850% FT), 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 steals in 11 games (all starts) with the G League Delaware Blue Coats. He’s also played stints with the Iowa Wolves (2020-21) and College Park Skyhawks (2019-20) of the G League.

Brown Jr., a native of Philadelphia, played two seasons for Saint Joseph’s, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 34.9 minutes in 63 games (61 starts) before declaring the NBA Draft.

Brown Jr. will wear #44.

Atlanta Hawks sign Lance Stephenson and Malcolm Hill to 10-day contracts

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Lance Stephenson and forward Malcolm Hill to 10-day contracts.

Stephenson, 6-6, comes to Atlanta from the Grand Rapids Gold, NBA G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, where he appeared in 12 games (all starts), averaging 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35.0 minutes per contest this season (.476 FG%, .306 3FG%, .686 FT%). He is one of only three players in the NBA G League this season to be averaging at least 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

The 40th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson has appeared in 508 NBA games (199 starts) over his nine-year career, owning averages of 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 23.4 minutes (.444 FG%, .315 3FG%, .685 FT%).

Throughout his career, Stephenson has played for the Indiana Pacers (2010-14, 2016-17, 2017-18), Charlotte Hornets (2014-15), Los Angeles Clippers (2015-16), Memphis Grizzlies (2015-16), New Orleans Pelicans (2016-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2016-17), and Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19). In his most recent NBA season with the Lakers, Stephenson tallied 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 16.5 minutes of action (.426 FG%, .371 3FG%, .685 FT%).

The Brooklyn, N.Y. native has seen action in 57 postseason games throughout his NBA career (38 starts), recording 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes (.448 FG%, .330 3FG%, .670 FT%).

Stephenson spent the 2019-20 campaign playing for the Liaoning Dinosaurs of the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.8 minutes (.522 FG%, .300 3FG%, .778 FT%). He played collegiately at the University of Cincinnati (2009-10), where he was named the Big East Rookie of the Year.

Hill, 6-6, has appeared in 14 games (12 starts) with the Birmingham Squadron, NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, this season, tallying 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.6 minutes per game (.515 FG%, .398 3FG%, .810 FT%). The 220-pound forward poured in a career-high 32 points on 10-16 shooting from the floor, including an 8-11 clip from three-point territory, in addition to eight rebounds and a career-high tying five steals in 38 minutes against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Nov. 26, 2021. Hill is the only player in the NBA G League this season to have at least eight made three-pointers and five steals in a single game.

Hill has seen action in 13 NBA Summer League contests over the course of three summers, having suited up for Oklahoma City (2017), Utah (2018) and New Orleans (2021), recording 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.1 minutes (.425 FG%, .400 3FG%, 1.000 FT%).

The Belleville, Ill. native brings five years of international basketball experience to the Hawks, having played in 108 games over those five seasons.

Hill played collegiately at the University of Illinois for four years (2013-17), appearing in 137 games (112 starts), owning career averages of 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.2 minutes (.433 FG%, .351 3FG%, .795 FT%). Hill is a two-time All-Big Ten Second Team member (2016, 2017).

Stephenson will wear No. 33, while Hill will wear No. 14.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign Tre Scott to a 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Tre Scott to a 10-day contract via the NBA’s hardship exception, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Scott (6-8, 225) has appeared in 10 games (9 starts) this season for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League affiliate, averaging 14.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.4 minutes per contest. He also appeared in 5 games (2 starts) for the Cavaliers during the 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. During the 2020-21 season, Scott played in 15 games (12 starts) with the Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz. Scott attended the University of Cincinnati from 2016-2020.

Washington Wizards sign Jordan Schakel to a 10-day contract

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

Schakel, who has played in 14 games with the Capital City Go-Go (the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate), originally spent 2021 training camp and preseason with the Wizards, where he appeared in two games. The 6-6, 200-pound guard has averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game with Capital City this season, shooting .396 from three-point range. The former San Diego State Aztec currently leads the NBA G League in made threes this season with 44 through 14 games, having knocked down 34 on a .479 three-point percentage over his last eight games.

Originally from Torrance, California, Schakel graduated from San Diego State with the third-most made threes in school history. He also ranked third nationally in three-point percentage during the 2020-21 season, shooting .461 from deep.

Boston Celtics sign Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract

The Boston Celtics have signed seven-time NBA All Star and 17-year veteran Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract, the team announced today.

Johnson, 40, has played in 1,276 career NBA games over 17 seasons with the Celtics, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Miami, Utah, and Houston from 2001-02 to 2017-18, averaging 16.0 points on 44.1% shooting (37.1% 3-PT, 80.2% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 34.7 minutes. He produced double-digit scoring in 13 consecutive seasons from 2003-04 to 2015-16, five of which were 20+ point campaigns.

Originally selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Johnson rejoins Boston for the first time since his rookie season. The Little Rock, AR native recorded 6.3 points on 43.9% shooting in 48 games (33 starts) with the franchise in 2001-02.

Johnson will wear number 55.

Dallas Mavericks sign George King to a 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed forward/guard George King to a 10-day contract, under the COVID-related hardship allowance.

King (6-6, 225) joins Dallas after beginning the year with the G League’s Agua Caliente Clippers, where he averaged 13.7 points (.534 FG%, .466 3FG%, .818 FT%), 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 31.3 minutes in 11 games (9 starts).

King was selected by Phoenix in the second round (59th overall pick) of the 2018 NBA Draft and appeared in one NBA game for the Suns as a rookie. As a two-way player, he spent the majority of his rookie season with the club’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, before signing to play overseas in 2019-20.

The Fayetteville, North Carolina, native spent the last three seasons playing professionally in Italy, Poland and Germany, before joining Agua Caliente prior to the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

King was a four-year player at the University of Colorado, where he was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player in 2016 and Second Team All-Pac-12 in 2018. He finished his college career ranked in top 20 in school history in points (1,294) and rebounds (681) and in the top 5 in 3-pointers made (181) and 3-point field goal percentage (.401).

King will wear #94 for the Mavericks.

Sacramento Kings sign Ade Murkey to a 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed guard Ade Murkey to a 10-day contract, according to General Manager Monte McNair.

Undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Murkey is averaging 11.8 points (.436 FG%, .475 3pt%, 818 FT%), 3.0 rebounds and 27.0 minutes in 12 games for Sacramento’s NBA G League affiliate, Stockton Kings. He has earned this season’s first GATORADE Call-Up from Stockton. In 2021, Murkey also participated on Sacramento’s California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League rosters.

The 6-5, 225-pound University of Denver product accrued collegiate averages of 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 23.4 minutes per game in 118 games (88 starts) with the Pioneers. As a senior, Murkey was named Second Team All-Summit League and led the league in scoring in league games with an average of 22.1 points per game.

Miami Heat sign Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day contract

The Miami Heat have signed forward Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day contract using the COVID-Related Hardship Allowance.

Cheatham has started in all 13 games he has appeared in the G League with the Birmingham Squadron this season and averaged 14.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.15 steals and 30.6 minutes while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent from the foul line. His team-high 136 boards are currently the fifth-most in the G League as he is only one of two players in the G League averaging double-figure rebounds while shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range. Additionally, he has led Birmingham in rebounds nine times, blocks three times, steals on three occasions and points once.

Cheatham previously signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on July 24, 2019, appearing in four games totaling 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block while shooting 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the field. The Arizona State product has appeared in 49 career G League games (45 starts) and averaged 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 32.0 minutes while shooting 52.6 percent from the field.

Cheatham will wear number 45.