Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Sixers sign Tyler Johnson to a 10-day contract

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Tyler Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson spent parts of the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, appearing in 47 games. While with Brooklyn, he posted averages of 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.7 minutes per contest.

For his career, Johnson has appeared in 348 career games (78 starts) between Brooklyn, Phoenix and Miami. Coming into this season, he holds career averages of 9.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 24.8 minutes per contest, while shooting .427 percent from the field and .360 percent from three-point range.

For three consecutive seasons (2016-19), Johnson averaged double figures in points, with his highest averages in points (13.7), rebounds (4.0), assists (3.2) and steals (1.2) coming in 2016-17 with Miami.

A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Johnson went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft before beginning his professional career with the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. He appeared in 15 games (all starts) with the Skyforce before signing two 10-day contracts, followed by a multi-year deal with Miami in 2015.

Collegiately, Johnson spent four years (2010-14) at Fresno State, earning All-Mountain West Conference Second Team honors as a senior with averages of 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Johnson will wear No. 8 with Philadelphia.

Kings sign Emmanuel Mudiay to a 10-day contract

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

Selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Mudiay has accrued career averages of 11.0 points (.401 FG%, .323 3pt%, .744 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 23.9 minutes per game in 300 games (165 starts) with three teams: Denver (2015-18), New York (2017-18) and Utah (2019-20).

Nets sign Wenyen Gabriel to a 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Wenyen Gabriel to a 10-day contract.

Gabriel (6’9”, 205) has appeared in 51 career games (one start) across two seasons with New Orleans (2020-21), Portland (2020) and Sacramento (2019-20), recording averages of 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per contest while shooting 41.7 percent from the field. Most recently, Gabriel has appeared in 12 games (10 starts) for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League this season, averaging 13.8 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent shooting from 3-point range, 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks in 25.8 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).

Timberwolves sign Chris Silva and Rayjon Tucker to 10-day contracts

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Chris Silva and guard Rayjon Tucker to 10-day contracts.

Silva was originally signed to Minnesota’s training camp roster on September 20, 2021 where he saw action in one preseason matchup with the Timberwolves, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds in 6:18 minutes of action. In 12 games with the Iowa Wolves, he is averaging 15.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He leads the Wolves in rebounds per game (9.6) and blocks per game (0.8).

Prior to his time with Minnesota and Iowa, he saw action in 15 total games during the 2020-21 season for the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings where he averaged 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. During the 2019-20 season, the 6-8 forward split time between the Heat and the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League where he saw action in 44 games for Miami, averaging 3.0 points on 61.5% shooting and 2.9 rebounds.

Tucker has appeared in 13 games for the Wisconsin Herd this season, averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 32.2 minutes per game.

Before his time with the Herd, he saw NBA action with the Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers. During the 2020-21 season in 14 games with the 76ers, he averaged 2.4 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists. In 20 games with the Utah Jazz during the 2019-20 season, he held averages of 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists.

Lakers sign Jemerrio Jones to a 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Jemerrio Jones to a 10-day contract, pursuant to the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Jones has appeared in 11 games for the Wisconsin Herd this season, averaging 6.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. Jones returns to Los Angeles after averaging 4.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.8 minutes in six games (two starts) for the Lakers during the 2018-19 season

Lakers sign Mason Jones, waive Chaundee Brown Jr.

The Los Angeles Lakers requested waivers on guard Chaundee Brown Jr. and have signed guard Mason Jones to a two-way contract.

In 12 games with the South Bay Lakers this season, Jones has averaged 18.2 points (.518 FG%, .420 3FG%), 6.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.2 minutes per game. Jones has appeared in 32 career NBA games (one start) for the 76ers and Rockets, averaging 5.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10.4 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss to a 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks have signed forward Marquese Chriss to a 10-day contract under the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Chriss (6-9, 240) holds career averages of 8.0 points (45.5% FG, 28.9% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 19.3 minutes in 258 games (147 starts) with Phoenix, Houston, Cleveland and Golden State. He averaged 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in two games for Golden State in 2020-21 before suffering a season-ending injury to his right leg.

Chriss was selected by Sacramento with the eighth overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Phoenix, where he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in his first season. Chriss played collegiately for one season at Washington.

Chriss will wear #32 for the Mavericks.

Pelicans sign Jared Harper, waive Daulton Hommes

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Jared Harper from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, to a two-way contract.

And in a related move, the Pelicans waived two-way player Daulton Hommes.

Harper, 6-0, 175, becomes the first Squadron player to receive a GATORADE Call-Up. In 14 games for the Squadron this season, Harper averaged 21.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 32.7 minutes per game. The Atlanta, Ga., native has appeared in 11 NBA contests with New York and Phoenix over the last two seasons.

Harper previously played in the G League with the Northern Arizona Suns and Westchester Knicks, holding career G League averages of 20.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 60 contests.

Harper appeared in 106 career games (104 starts) in three seasons at Auburn (2016-19), averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 assists while shooting .384 in 29.5 minutes per game. The two-time All-SEC Second Team selection led the Tigers to the school’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2018-19 and ranks fifth in Auburn school history with 511 assists.

Harper will wear #2 for the Pelicans.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign Justin Anderson and Luke Kornet to 10-day contracts

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Justin Anderson and center Luke Kornet to 10-day contracts via the NBA’s hardship exception, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Anderson (6-6, 230) has appeared in 11 games (all starts) this season for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, averaging 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per contest. Anderson, who was an All-NBA G League Third Team selection in 2020, has also played five NBA seasons from 2015-2020 with Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Brooklyn. Over 226 career NBA games (24 starts), he holds career averages of 5.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.1 minutes. Additionally, Anderson has played in 15 career postseason contests and was drafted No. 21 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Mavericks.

Kornet (7-2, 250) has appeared in 10 games (all starts) this season for the Maine Celtics, the NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, averaging 11.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 blocks in 27.4 minutes per contest. Kornet, who was an All-NBA G League Third Team selection in 2018, has also played four NBA seasons from 2017-2021 with New York, Chicago and Boston, including last season (2020-21), appearing in 31 games with the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. Over 133 career NBA games (35 starts), he holds career averages of 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.2 minutes. Additionally, Kornet played in two postseason contests for Boston last season.

Orlando Magic sign Tim Frazier and Freddie Gillespie to 10-day contracts

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Tim Frazier and free agent forward Freddie Gillespie to 10-day contracts, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Both players were signed via hardship exceptions by the NBA.

Orlando currently has five players (Mo Bamba, Ignas Brazdeikis, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross and Moritz Wagner) placed in the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

Frazier (6’1”, 170, 11/1/90) played in five games last season (2020-21) with Memphis, averaging 1.6 ppg., 3.2 apg. and 1.6 rpg. in 12.4 minpg.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Frazier has played in 277 career NBA regular season games (81 starts) with Philadelphia, Portland, New Orleans, Washington, Milwaukee, Detroit and Memphis, averaging 5.0 ppg., 4.0 apg. and 2.3 rpg. in 17.6 minpg. He has also appeared in 49 career NBA G League regular season games (47 starts), all with Maine, averaging 15.9 ppg., 9.5 apg., 7.4 rpg. and 1.61 stlpg. in 34.7 minpg., while shooting .370 (51-138) from three-point range and .803 (191-238) from the free throw line. Frazier was named the 2014-15 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and NBA G League Rookie of the Year.

Frazier played in 135 career games (113 starts) at Penn State University from 2009-14, averaging 11.4 ppg., 4.7 apg., 3.9 rpg. and 1.45 stlpg. in 30.6 minpg. He finished his collegiate career as the Nittany Lions’ all-time leader in assists with 641. Frazier was named to both the All-Big Ten First Team in Big Ten All-Defensive Team in 2011-12, while leading the conference in assists during both the 2011-12 and 2013-14 campaigns.

Frazier will wear #8 with the Orlando Magic.

Gillespie (6’9”, 245, 6/14/97) has played in all 12 games (11 starts) this season with Memphis of the NBA G League, averaging 11.4 ppg., 12.2 rpg., 1.0 apg., 2.75 blkpg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 33.2 minpg. At the time of his signing, he leads the team in rebounding (T-2nd in NBA G League) and leads the entire NBA G League in blocked shots.

Last season, Gillespie played in 20 games (two starts) during his rookie campaign with Toronto, averaging 5.6 ppg., 4.9 rpg. and 1.00 blkpg. in 19.6 minpg., while shooting .524 (44-84) from the floor. He has also appeared in 27 career NBA G League regular season games (26 starts), all with Memphis, averaging 10.9 ppg., 11.3 rpg., 1.4 apg., 2.48 blkpg. and 1.22 stlpg. in 30.2 minpg., while shooting .563 (130-231) from the floor.

Gillespie played in 56 career games (41 starts) during two seasons (2018-20) at Baylor University, averaging 7.6 ppg., 6.9 rpg. and 1.68 blkpg. in 23.7 minpg., while shooting .582 (171-294) from the field. He was named Big 12 Most Improved Player in 2019-20, as well as earning All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors. Gillespie began his collegiate career at Carleton College, a NCAA Division III school located in Northfield, Minnesota.

Gillespie will wear #44 with the Orlando Magic.