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The Atlanta Hawks today waived center Jahlil Okafor.
Signed by the Hawks on September 22, 2021, Okafor appeared in two preseason contests with Atlanta. He was on a non-guaranteed contract.
Drafted 3rd overall in the 2015 NBA draft, the 6-foot-10, 270-pound center is just 25 years old, yet has an uncertain future in pro basketball. At this point early in his career, he needs to latch on with any team that might give him minutes and prove that he belongs in the NBA.
The Orlando Magic have promoted Matt Lloyd to vice president of basketball operations and Anthony Parker to assistant general manager, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.
In addition, Adetunji Adedipe has been promoted to general manager of the Lakeland Magic/scout for the Orlando Magic.
Lloyd begins his tenth season with the Orlando Magic. He has served as assistant general manager since being hired on June 29, 2012.
Lloyd is responsible for overseeing the Magic’s professional, college and international scouting departments, as well as assisting with roster management and development. He also served as interim general manager during the 2017 offseason.
Prior to joining the Magic, Lloyd spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, his last five as the team’s director of college scouting. As director of college scouting for Chicago, he oversaw the scouting and information compilation of prospects for the NBA Draft, along with statistical analysis of pro and amateur players. Lloyd implemented and maintained a database which organized scouting information.
Lloyd began with the Bulls in 1994 as a game-day and special projects employee in the video room. He joined the team full-time in 1999 and was the team’s media services coordinator for four seasons. Lloyd then joined the basketball operations department in 2003, and served as senior manager of basketball operations/scout for four seasons.
In addition, Lloyd also worked as a game-day employee with the Chicago White Sox in their video department for five years.
Prior to joining the Bulls full-time, Lloyd spent one year (1998-99) as the assistant director of information services for Conference USA, and a year-and-a-half (1997-98) as director of media services for the Arena Football League. He also completed an internship at ESPN during his senior year of college.
Parker rejoins Orlando after spending the last four seasons (2017-21) as general manager of the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League. Under his leadership, Lakeland recorded 94 regular season victories since beginning play, tied for the most in the NBA G League during that span. They capped off the 2020-21 campaign by winning the NBA G League championship.
Prior to joining Lakeland, Parker spent five seasons (2012-17) as a scout with the Orlando Magic.
Originally selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Parker played in 494 career NBA regular season games (423 starts) during nine seasons (1997-2000, 2006-12) with Philadelphia, Orlando, Toronto and Cleveland, averaging 9.1 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 2.3 apg. in 27.8 minpg., while shooting .404 (596-1,474) from three-point range. He also appeared and started in 22 career NBA playoff contests, averaging 10.9 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 1.00 stlpg. in 34.9 minpg., while shooting .407 (33-81) from three-point range.
Parker also spent six seasons (2000-06) playing professionally in Europe – five seasons in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv and one in Italy with Lottomatica Roma. While with Maccabi, he helped them capture five Israeli Super League national championships, five Israeli National Cups and three European titles (two EuroLeague championships and one FIBA SuproLeague championship). Parker was named EuroLeague MVP in both 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Parker played at Bradley University for four seasons from 1993-97. He completed his collegiate career as one of only two players in school history (joining Hersey Hawkins) to finish in the school’s top 10 all-time lists in scoring (1,683 points, eighth), assists (355, ninth), steals (159, seventh) and blocked shots (78, fifth). Parker was named Most Valuable Player of the Missouri Valley Conference following his junior season (1995-96) and was honored as one of 15 players named to Bradley’s All-Century basketball team in 2003.
Parker also excelled academically while at Bradley. As a chemistry major, Parker was a two-time recipient of the Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Scholarship, given annually to an African-American student who does outstanding work in the field of chemistry. He switched his major during his senior year to liberal arts and science.
Adedipe began his career as a basketball operations assistant for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League during the 2014-15 season. He later joined IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., then served as an intern with the Philadelphia 76ers in the basketball operations department. Adedipe joined the Orlando Magic organization in September of 2015 as a basketball operations associate and was hired as basketball operations coordinator with the Erie BayHawks in 2016-17.
On August 21, 2017, Adedipe was named assistant general manager of the Lakeland Magic. During his tenure with Lakeland, he helped construct teams that have recorded 94 regular season victories since beginning play, tied for the most in the NBA G League during that span, and culminated with the 2021 NBA G League championship.
A native of Cleveland, Oh., Adedipe graduated from Ohio University in 2010 and also received a master’s degree in comparative politics in 2012. He was a three-year letterman and former captain of the Ohio University men’s basketball team. The Bobcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2010 with a win over Georgetown.
The Portland Trail Blazers announced today the addition of Neil Everett to the broadcast team starting in the 2021-22 season.
Everett will be Television Studio Host for pre, half and post-game coverage for most Trail Blazers road games.
Everett, a Portland native, has strong Pacific Northwest ties. After high school in Spokane, he attended Willamette University in Salem before transferring to the University of Oregon where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. Everett joined ESPN in July 2000 as an anchor for ESPNEWS and is a household name on SportsCenter, where he will continue to anchor the late-night edition from Los Angeles.
“To have someone with Neil’s knowledge and experience join the Trail Blazers will take our television broadcast to the next level,” said Chris McGowan, President and CEO of the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. “His personal ties to the Pacific Northwest paired with his expertise will complement the great talent we have on our broadcast team.”
Prior to ESPN, Everett worked for 15 years for various affiliates in Honolulu, most recently KGMB-TV, the CBS affiliate where he was the sports director and weekday anchor. He also served as an assistant athletic director and sports information director at Hawaii Pacific University.
“It’s a delight to be able to join the great broadcast crew of my hometown team,” said Everett. “I look forward to returning to the Pacific Northwest and working hard to provide the best fans in the league in Rip City a great television broadcast.”
The New Orleans Pelicans yesterday waived forward Zylan Cheatham and guard Jared Harper, and signed center James Banks and guard Malcolm Hill.
Banks, 6-10, 250, most recently played for Hapoel Be’er Sheva of the Israeli Super League, appearing in 13 games and averaging 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. Banks appeared in 31 games (29 starts) during the 2019-20 season for Georgia Tech, where he was voted to the ACC’s All-Defensive team after averaging 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.
Hill, 6-6, 225, played four seasons overseas in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan and Israel from 2016-21. During the 2020-21 season, appeared in 19 games (13 starts) averaging 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.3 minutes per game for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Basketball Champions League.
The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on guard Edmond Sumner.
Sumner was acquired by Brooklyn in a trade with the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 6. He’s appeared in 108 games (29 starts) across four seasons (2017-21) with the Pacers, recording averages of 5.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.1 minutes per game. He was originally selected by Indiana with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Charlotte Hornets have signed Jalen Crutcher and Cameron McGriff.
The deals are likely non-guaranteed contracts.
Crutcher played in four games for Milwaukee at the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in Las Vegas. He played four seasons at Dayton from 2017-21 and averaged 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 24 games as a senior.
McGriff was a member of the Hornets Summer League roster that competed in Las Vegas but did not appear in a game. He spent the 2020-21 season playing for Okapi Aalst of the BNXT League in Belgium where he averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in 27 games. McGriff played four seasons at Oklahoma State from 2016-20, averaging 9.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 132 career games with the Cowboys.
The Hornets roster currently stands at 20 players.
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward Romeo Weems.
Also today, the Grizzlies waived guard Shaq Buchanan.
Weems (6-7, 210) appeared in 50 games (47 starts) in two years at DePaul University and averaged 7.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.30 steals in 29.6 minutes for the Blue Demons. The Detroit native was named to the 2019-20 Big East All-Rookie Team. Unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 20-year-old made seven total appearances for the Grizzlies during the 2021 Salt Lake City Summer League and NBA Summer League 2021 in Las Vegas.
Buchanan (6-3, 190), who was signed on Sept. 23, totaled seven points and four rebounds in 12 minutes in his lone preseason appearance on Oct. 7 at Charlotte. Unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 24-year-old has played two seasons with the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle since he was named the 2018-19 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Murray State University.
The Detroit Pistons announced today that Ben Wallace will join the Pistons organization as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor. In this role, Wallace will assist Troy Weaver and the basketball operations staff, Dwane Casey and the coaching staff and serve as a mentor and development asset for players on the Pistons roster and those joining the Motor City Cruise. The former Pistons’ great will also engage on select organizational business initiatives and community efforts.
“Ben is a Hall of Famer and a Pistons legend who has continued to come back home and support our team and our organization,” said team owner Tom Gores. “He embodies everything we are building here and will be a real asset to Dwane, Troy and the rest of our staff. Ben helped set the standard for what it means to be a Piston and will be a tremendous influence for our young players.”
A September Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Wallace played 1,088 career NBA games over 16 seasons with Washington, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland. He was acquired by Detroit from the Orlando Magic in 2000, spent nine seasons with the Pistons collecting NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors four times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and was named an NBA All-Star four times (2003-06). Undrafted out of Virginia Union, Wallace was an All-NBA Second Team selection three times (2003, 2004, 2006), All-NBA Third Team selection twice (2002 and 2005), an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection five times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006), and an All-Defensive Second Team selection once (2007). During his first stint with Detroit (2000-06), the Pistons made the playoffs in five of seven years, winning Eastern Conference Championships in 2004 and 2005 and the NBA Championship in 2004. Wallace is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season and playoff blocks (1,486 and 215, respectively) and ranks first among Pistons’ all-time playoff leaders in rebounds (1,237). He holds franchise single-game records for blocks in a game (10 – twice), defensive rebounds in a quarter (10) and blocks in a quarter (6). In 655 games with the Pistons, Wallace averaged 6.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per game.
Wallace, a native of White Hall, AL, recorded 10,482 rebounds during his career, becoming one of only 40 players, and the only undrafted player (Moses Malone was drafted in the 1974 American Basketball Association Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers in the ABA Dispersal Draft in 1976) in NBA history to record 10,000 rebounds. He is also one of only 11 players in NBA history to record 10,000 rebounds and 2,000 blocks and is the shortest player at 6’9 to record 2,000 career blocks. Overall, Wallace averaged 5.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.3 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Pistons in 2016.
The Charlotte Hornets have waived DJ Carton and Xavier Sneed.
Carton did not appear in a game for the Hornets during the preseason. He averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 assists in four games with Charlotte at the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. An undrafted rookie out of Marquette, Carton averaged 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 27 games during the 2020-21 season.
Sneed was also a member of the Hornets 2021 Summer League Roster in Las Vegas, where he averaged 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in four games. He did not make an appearance for Charlotte during the 2021 preseason. Sneed appeared in 13 games last season with Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, averaging 8.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent center Jeremiah Tilmon.
Also today, the Magic have also waived center Jon Teske.
Tilmon (6’10”, 260, 11/25/98) played in 24 games (23 starts) last season as a senior at the University of Missouri, averaging 12.4 ppg., 7.3 rpg. and 1.42 blkpg. in 27.6 minpg., while shooting .614 (113-184) from the field. He was named to the 2020-21 All-SEC Second Team. Most recently, Tilmon played in one game with Orlando during the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, recording three points, three rebounds and one assist in 5:48 of action.
Tilmon appeared in 105 career games (97 starts) during four seasons (2017-21) at the University of Missouri, averaging 9.7 ppg., 5.4 rpg. and 1.08 blkpg. in 22.8 minpg., while shooting .574 (407-709) from the floor.
Tilmon will wear #23 with the Orlando Magic.
Teske was signed as a free agent by Orlando on September 8 and played in two preseason games, averaging 2.5 ppg. and 2.0 rpg in 5.8 minpg.