Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Charlotte Hornets sign Ish Smith

The Charlotte Hornets have signed free agent guard Ish Smith.

A former Wake Forest product, Smith joins the Hornets after he averaged 6.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 21.0 minutes per game in 44 appearances with the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 season. In his two seasons with the Wizards, Smith averaged 9.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 24.2 minutes per game, appearing in 112 games.

Over his 11-year career, Smith has averaged 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 20.2 minutes per game in 654 career games for 11 different teams. Smith has also appeared in 19 career postseason games, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 assists in 11.5 minutes per game with Memphis, Orlando, Milwaukee, Detroit and Washington.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Smith ranks second all-time in career assists at Wake Forest and attended Central Cabarrus High School, located in nearby Concord, North Carolina.

Pistons trade Mason Plumlee to Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to JT Thor in a trade with the Detroit Pistons. In exchange, Charlotte sent the draft rights of Balsa Koprivica to the Pistons.

An eight-year veteran, Plumlee averaged 10.4 points, a career-high 9.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 26.8 minutes per game in 56 games during the 2020-21 season. Last season, Plumlee recorded a triple-double vs. New Orleans on Feb. 14 and at Toronto on Mar. 3 as he was just one of four centers to post multiple triple-doubles.

The former Duke product has appeared in 588 career regular season games, averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22.1 minutes per game with Brooklyn, Portland, Denver and Detroit. During his career, Plumlee has also played in 60 career postseason contests, accruing averages of 3.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 14.9 minutes per game.

Thor, the 37th pick out of Auburn in the 2021 NBA draft, averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in minutes per game, making 27 appearances during his lone season with the Tigers. He recorded 37 blocks during the 2020-21 season, which ranked eighth in the SEC and second among all SEC freshmen as he averaged 9.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game in 18 conference games.

Koprivica, the 57th pick out of Florida State, averaged 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game in his sophomore season with the Seminoles. The 7-1 center played two seasons at Florida State and is a native of Belgrade, Serbia.

Miami Heat sign Markieff Morris

The Miami Heat have signed forward Markieff Morris.

“Markieff Morris has been a player that we’ve followed closely for a number of years,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He can play multiple positions, shoot the three, defend and post-up. To be able to add him to our nucleus was a big move. I want to thank Markieff for coming to Miami.”

The contract is reportedly a one-year, league minimum deal.

Morris spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 61 games (27 starts) and averaging 6.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 19.7 minutes. As a starter, he averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 26.1 minutes. He scored in double figures on 19 occasions and pulled in double-figure boards twice, both of which were good for double-doubles.

Per the Miami Herald, the “commitment from Morris helps bolster the Heat’s frontcourt, which wasn’t a strength last season. Miami was outrebounded 236-169 and outscored in the paint 188-148 during its first-round sweep from the playoffs at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.”

A 10-year NBA veteran, Morris has appeared in 698 games (375 starts) for the Suns, Wizards, Thunder, Pistons and Lakers and averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 25.0 minutes while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from three-point range and 77.6 percent from the foul line. The one-time Western Conference Player of the Week has scored in double figures 392 times, including 78 games with at least 20 points and four games with at least 30 points. He has also tallied double-figure rebounds 53 times and posted 48 double-doubles. A 2020 NBA Champion, Morris has appeared in 49 career postseason games (22 starts) and averaged 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.2 minutes while reaching double figures in points 12 times, rebounds five times and registering nine double-doubles.

Warriors trade Eric Paschall to Jazz

The Utah Jazz have acquired forward Eric Paschall (PASS-cull) in a trade with the Golden State Warriors for a future second-round draft pick.

Paschall (6-6, 264, Villanova) played in 40 games (two starts) for the Warriors in 2020-21, averaging 9.5 points on 49.7 percent from the field, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes per contest.

He was drafted by Golden State with the 41st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and following his rookie season in 2019-20, he earned 2019-20 All-NBA Rookie First Team honors, also competing in the 2020 All-Star Rising Stars Game. During his first season, he owned averages of 14.0 points on 49.7 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 60 games (26 starts).

The Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., native finished his collegiate career at Villanova (2016-19) where in 2018, he helped the squad to a 2018 NCAA Championship, also earning 2018-19 All-Big East First Team honors as a senior.

Miami Heat re-sign Duncan Robinson

The Miami Heat have re-signed forward Duncan Robinson.

“Duncan is the epitome of everybody who’s ever had a dream about being a great NBA player,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “I have never been around a player who worked as hard, fastidiously working on what he needed to do in order to improve his game. Not just his shooting, but his overall game. Having Duncan back was very critical for us.”

Per the Miami Herald, “Robinson got what he wanted, agreeing to a five-year deal worth $90 million to return to the Heat early in free agency on Monday. The total value of the contract is the largest ever for an undrafted player.”

Robinson was the lone HEAT player to play in all 72 games (all starts) last season with the HEAT, averaging 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He ranked among the NBA leaders in three-point field goals made (4th) and attempted (4th), three-point field goal percentage (38th) and minutes played (15th). He also led the HEAT in three-point field goals made and attempted, three-point field goal percentage, four-point plays (6), charges taken (13), games played, starts and minutes.

Last season, Robinson connected on his 300th career three-point field goal vs. Boston on January 6 in just his 95th career game, recorded his 400th career three-point field goal vs. Orlando on March 11 in his 125th career game and hit his 500th career three-pointer at Cleveland on May 1 in his 152nd career game, needing the fewest number of games in NBA history to reach each milestone. He also hit multiple treys in a team-record 25 consecutive games and hit at least one three-pointer in 71 of the 72 games. He closed the season by hitting a trey in each of the final 48 games; the third longest streak in franchise history.

More from the Herald: “So far in free agency, the Heat has added Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, and retained Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon, Victor Oladipo, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.”

Robinson has appeared in 160 NBA regular season games (141 starts) during his three-year NBA career (all with Miami) and has averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 28.7 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 42.3 percent from three-point range and 86.9 percent from the foul line. He owns the top two HEAT single-season marks for three-point field goals made (270 in 2019-20 and 250 in 2020-21) and holds the franchise records for treys in a quarter and a half. He also owns the NBA single-season record for three-pointers by an undrafted player. In his short time with the HEAT, Robinson ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in three-point field goal percentage (4th) and three-point field goals made (6th) and attempted (7th).

OKC Thunder sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to contract extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a multi-year contract extension.

“We are excited to have Shai representing our organization for many years to come and couldn’t be happier for him and his family,” said Presti. “He is a tremendous basketball player, but is also a leader that infuses optimism, confidence and collaboration into all of his interactions professionally and personally. We are looking forward to watching his individual growth and the collective development of our team as we continue on our path toward sustainable success in Oklahoma City.”

According to the Oklahoman, it’s a “five-year deal worth $172 million in base salary — an average of $34.4 million per season.”

In three NBA seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander has appeared in 187 games (178 starts) and registered averages of 16.3 points 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 30.9 minutes.

During the 2020-21 season, Gilgeous-Alexander became the second player in NBA history (Larry Bird) to average at least 23.7 points and 5.9 assists on 50.8 percent shooting and 41.8 percent 3-point shooting. He is one of four third-year players in the last 20 years to average 22+ points on 50+ percent shooting (A. Stoudemire, C. Bosh and A. Davis). He finished the 2020-21 season with 25 20-point performances and 10 30-point efforts during his 35 appearances.

Dating back to 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander increased his scoring averages from 10.8 ppg as a rookie to 19.0 ppg during his sophomore season before leading the Thunder in scoring with 23.7 ppg this past year. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 12.9 point per game scoring increase during the first three years of his career is the second largest in the NBA (CJ McCollum) during the past decade.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Gilgeous-Alexander was selected No. 11 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Kentucky. He was later named to the NBA’s Rising Stars teams in both 2019 and 2020.

Oklahoma City originally acquired Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers on July 10, 2019.

Utah Jazz re-sign Mike Conley

The Utah Jazz have re-signed guard Mike Conley.

“We’re excited to be bringing Mike back to our team after his past two stellar seasons with us,” said Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik. “He has had a profound impact both on and off the court and has made our team more competitive and our community better.”

Conley (6-1, 180, Ohio State) averaged 16.2 points, knocking down a career-best 2.7 threes per game on a career-high 41.2 percent from three, along with 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 2020-21, earning his first All-Star selection. He became the most veteran player in NBA history, at 14 years of experience, to make a first All-Star team. He saw action in six games (all starts) during Utah’s 2021 NBA Playoff run, where he averaged 15.3 points on 48.6 percent from beyond the arc, 7.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per contest.

Entering his 15th NBA season, Conley has appeared in 886 games (850) with Memphis (2007-19) and Utah (2019 – pres.), owning averages of 14.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3,0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.3 minutes per game. He’s currently one of only seven active NBA players to have accrued over 13,000 points, 5,000 assists, 2,500 rebounds and 1,200 steals (J. Harden, A. Iguodala, L. James, K. Lowry, C. Paul and R. Westbrook).

Sacramento Kings re-sign Richaun Holmes

The Sacramento Kings have re-signed center Richaun Holmes to a contract, according to General Manager Monte McNair.

“This is a great day for Richaun and the entire Kings organization,” said McNair. “Richaun brings toughness, skill and versatility to the court. His energy is the perfect fit for our style of play and he represents the values of this organization. I’m excited to see what the future holds for him and this tremendously talented team we’re building.”

According to the Sacramento Bee, “a league source told The Sacramento Bee that Holmes agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $55 million with a fourth-year player option and a trade kicker.”

The 37th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft achieved career-high averages of 14.2 points (.637 FG%, .794 FT%), 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 29.2 minutes per game through 61 games (all starts) during the 2020-21 season. Entering his seventh season in the NBA, Holmes has averaged 9.5 points (.597 FG%, .741 FT%), 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 20.7 minutes per game in 331 games (123 starts) with Philadelphia (2015-16 – 2017-18), Phoenix (2018-19) and Sacramento (2019-20 – 2020-21).

“I am thankful to Vivek and Monte for this opportunity to continue my career in Sacramento. I’ve played some of my best basketball in Sacramento but the best is yet to come. I look forward to continuing to push towards the playoffs and beyond.”

Last season, Holmes finished the year ranking second in the NBA in field goal percentage with .637 percent. The mark placed Holmes first in Kings franchise history for field goal percentage in a season for a player with at least 500 field goal attempts.

Also during the 2020-21 campaign, Holmes recorded a career-high six blocks in a game on three occasions: Jan. 11 vs. Indiana, Jan. 22 vs. New York and Feb. 1 at New Orleans. Holmes ranked eighth in the NBA in blocks per game with 1.6 upon season’s end.

Trail Blazers re-sign Norman Powell

The Portland Trail Blazers have re-signed free agent guard/forward Norman Powell, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Powell, 28, returns to Portland after being acquired by the Trail Blazers from Toronto in exchange for Rodney Hood and Gary Trent Jr. on March 25, 2021.

“Re-signing Norm was a priority this offseason and we are pleased that he chose to make a long-term commitment to Portland,” said Olshey. “We look forward to him building off his career year and are confident he will play an integral role in the future success of our franchise.”

Per the Oregonian, “the Blazers entered free agency with limited cap flexibility, given that they were over the league’s $112.4 million salary cap with four starters, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington set to make roughly $98 million combined. Because the Blazers traded for Powell, they inherited his “Bird rights,” which allowed Portland to sign him to a five-year deal and exceed the salary cap while doing so. Losing Powell, who became an unrestricted free agent, would have been a big blow to the team’s offseason plans.”

During the 2020-21 season, Powell averaged 18.6 points (47.7% FG, 41.1% 3-PT, 87.1% FT), 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.19 steals and 32.0 minutes in 69 games (58 starts) with Toronto and Portland. His averages for points, assists, steals and minutes were all career highs, as were his shooting splits from the three-point line and the foul stripe. He was one of 14 players in the league to average at least 18.0 points while shooting better than 40.0% from the three-point line during the 2020-21 season.

An NBA Champion with Toronto in 2019, Powell has reached the playoffs in every season of his career. In 73 postseason games (14 starts), he has averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist. His averages of 17.0 points and 2.0 assists for Portland during the 2021 NBA Playoffs were both career bests.

Powell was originally selected out of UCLA by Milwaukee with the 46th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft and dealt to Toronto in a draft-night trade. In six NBA seasons with Toronto and Portland, he holds career averages of 10.4 points (46.3% FG, 37.7% 3-PT, 83.7% FT), 2.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 21.2 minutes in 376 games (147 starts).

Lakers sign head coach Frank Vogel to contract extension

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed head coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Vogel, the 27th head coach in Lakers franchise history and the 23rd in the Los Angeles era, has amassed a 94-49 regular season record in two seasons with the team. He has tallied a record of 18-9 in the postseason, while leading the franchise to it’s 17th NBA Championship in 2020.

In the shortened 71-game 2019-2020 season, Vogel’s team finished first in the conference with a 52-19 record, earning the franchise it’s 24th Pacific Division title. He earned Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for October/November after a franchise record-tying 17-2 start to the season. The team shot a league-leading 48.0 percent from the field and tallied 13 consecutive road victories, tied for the third-best road streak all-time.

Los Angeles went on to set an NBA record by defeating 18 consecutive conference opponents on the road. Vogel guided the team to a birth in the NBA Finals by winning the first three playoff series in five games apiece. In game six of the NBA Finals, the Lakers became the third team in the last 50 seasons to clinch an NBA title in a wire-to-wire win, leading the HEAT by as many as 36 points in the contest.

Vogel also led the Lakers to the league’s No. 1 ranked defense last season, which is the third time in Vogel’s career that he has led his team to the No. 1 ranking.