Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Knicks sign second round draft pick Miles McBride

The New York Knicks have signed guard Miles McBride, the 36th overall pick (second round) of the 2021 NBA Draft, to a contract

McBride, 6-2, 200-pounds, averaged 15.9 points on 41.4-percent shooting from downtown, 4.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals over 34.2 minutes in 29 games as a sophomore at West Virginia University last season. He was one of 30 players selected to the 2020-21 Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America team and was the only player in the Big 12 last season with multiple 30-point games (two). The Cincinnati, OH-native averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds in his two seasons with the Mountaineers earning him 2019-20 Big 12 All-Freshman and 2020-21 All-Big 12 second team honors.

McBride is currently competing for New York’s NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas, NV.

Atlanta Hawks re-sign Lou Williams

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed scoring guard Lou Williams.

“Lou proved invaluable to our team after we acquired him last season, providing scoring, ballhandling and leadership off our bench,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Travis Schlenk. “He’s a respected veteran who our guys really look up to and enjoy playing with, and we’re certainly pleased that he’s continuing his career in an Atlanta uniform.”

In 66 games last season (24 with the Hawks and 42 with the Clippers), the 6’1 guard averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 21.6 minutes (.410 FG%, .399 3FG%, .867 FT%).

In 1,067 career games (122 starts) with Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto, the LA Lakers, Houston and the LA Clippers, the 17th-year veteran has career averages of 14.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 24.7 minutes (.420 FG%, .351 3FG%, .841 FT%). He has played in 89 career postseason games (two starts), averaging 11.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 23.3 minutes (.400 FG%, .820 FT%).

Originally selected in the second round (45th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft by the 76ers, Williams is a three-time winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man Award (2015, 2018, 2019, tied with Jamal Crawford for the most in league history) and the NBA’s all-time leading bench scorer (13,042 points as a bench player). Among all active players, he ranks seventh in points (15,239), third in games played (1,067), 12th in three-pointers made (1,420) and assists (3,684), fifth in free throws made (3,975) and 15th in free-throw percentage (.841). Williams is the only player since 1970-71 (when starters were first tracked) to have at least 15,000 career points with less than 400 games as a starter.

Williams starred at South Gwinnett High School in Snellville, where he was named Georgia’s Mr. Basketball in 2005, in addition to First-Team Parade All-American and Naismith Prep Player of the Year honors.

Miami Heat re-sign Max Strus

The Miami Heat have re-signed guard/forward Max Strus.

“As one of our young developing players, Max proved he can be very productive for us,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He stepped up when needed last season and produced. His shooting and overall game is going to help our team immensely.”

Strus came off the bench in all 39 games in which he appeared for the HEAT last season and averaged 6.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. He topped the HEAT in plus/minus four times, steals twice and blocks once and was Miami’s leading scorer off the bench eight times. He also led the HEAT reserves in plus/minus 13 times, steals six times, minutes four times, assists three times and rebounds and blocks once each. He scored in double figures six times, including a pair of 20-point games, handed out double-figure assists once and recorded one double-double.

Originally signed by the HEAT on November 30, 2020, he had the two-way conversion option in his contract exercised on December 18, 2020. In 41 NBA regular season games over his two-year career, he has averaged 5.9 points, 1.0 rebounds and 12.5 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor, 33.6 percent from three-point range and 68 percent from the foul line.

Lakers re-sign Talen Horton-Tucker

The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed guard Talen Horton-Tucker, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

In 65 games (four starts) last season, Horton-Tucker averaged 9.0 points (.458 FG%), 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 20.1 minutes per game. Horton-Tucker scored in double figures 27 times last season and tallied four double-doubles.

Knicks sign Quentin Grimes to his rookie contract

The New York Knicks announced today that the team has signed guard Quentin Grimes, the 25th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, to his rookie contract.

Grimes, 6-5, 205-pounds, earned third team All-America honors at the University of Houston last season, after averaging 17.8 points on 40.3-percent shooting from downtown, with 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals over 32.7 minutes in 30 games. The Houston, TX-native played two seasons (2019-21) for the Cougars after beginning his collegiate career at Kansas University (2018-19). He was named MVP of the 2018 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship after helping lead Team USA to a gold medal.

Grimes is currently competing for New York’s NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas, NV.

Brooklyn Nets sign James Johnson

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward James Johnson.

Johnson has appeared in 685 games (232 starts) across 12 seasons with New Orleans (2021), Dallas (2020-21), Minnesota (2020), Miami (2016-20), Toronto (2014-16 and 2011-12), Memphis (2013-14), Sacramento (2012-13) and Chicago (2009-11), recording averages of 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.6 minutes per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. The 34-year-old split the 2020-21 campaign between New Orleans and Dallas, appearing in 51 games and averaging 7.2 points on 44.6 percent shooting from the field, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. Johnson has made five postseason appearances in his career, including helping lead the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. The Cheyenne, Wyo., native was originally selected with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft by Chicago after spending two seasons (2007-09) at Wake Forest, where he was a two-time All-ACC Third Team selection.

Dallas Mavericks sign Reggie Bullock

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard/forward Reggie Bullock.

Bullock (6-6, 206) holds career averages of 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.5 minutes in 366 games (202 starts) with the L.A. Clippers, Phoenix, Detroit, the L.A. Lakers and New York. The eight-season veteran shoots 43.3% (1,014-2,342 FG) from the field, 39.2% (560-1,428 3FG) from 3-point range and 84.4% (211-250 FT) from the line.

Bullock most recently spent two years as a member of the New York Knicks. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points, a career-high 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 30.0 minutes in 65 games (64 starts). The Knicks returned to the NBA playoffs in 2021 following a seven-season layoff. Bullock averaged playoff career highs of 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 32.4 minutes in five first round starts against the Atlanta Hawks.

Early in his career, Bullock had two brief stints in the NBA G League, averaging 24.8 points in five games with Bakersfield (four games in 2014-15) and Grand Rapids (one game in 2015-16).

Bullock, who hails from Kinston, North Carolina, played three years for the University of North Carolina before becoming an early-entry candidate for the 2013 NBA Draft when he was drafted 25th overall by the Clippers.

In three years with UNC, Bullock averaged 9.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 24.6 minutes in 100 games (53 starts). He finished his collegiate career ranked eighth in school history with 188 3-pointers made.

Following his junior season, Bullock was named All-ACC Second Team, averaging collegiate career highs of 13.9 points (third on team), 6.5 rebounds (second) and 2.9 assists in 35 games (all starts). He also earned First Team ACC All-Tournament honors, helping the Tar Heels to the championship game, where they fell to Miami.

Bullock will wear #25.

Timberwolves sign Nathan Knight and McKinley Wright IV to two-way contracts

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced the team has signed forward Nathan Knight and guard McKinley Wright IV to two-way contracts.

Knight, 23, most recently played for the Atlanta Hawks last season where he saw action in 33 games while averaging 3.8 points on 37.0% shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game. He appeared in six playoff games with Atlanta in 2020-21, totaling four points and six rebounds. His best game of the season came on Dec. 26 at Memphis, when he scored 14 points in nine minutes of action, becoming the first rookie in Hawks franchise history to total at least 14 points in nine minutes or less. He is the third NBA player from William & Mary, where in four years, he averaged 17.1 points on 56.0% shooting and 7.7 rebounds. Knight became just the second player in league history to be named both the CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in 2020.

Wright IV, 22, averaged 14.2 points on 46.7% shooting, 4.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game during his four-year career at the University of Colorado Boulder. He finished his college career as Colorado’s all-time leader in assists with 683 and owns school career records for double-figure scoring games (109), double-figure assists games (10) and points-assists double-doubles (10). The North Robbinsdale, Minn. native became the only men’s basketball player in Pac-12 Conference history with 1,800 points, 600 assists and 600 rebounds and one of just seven to reach that mark in NCAA Division I (since 1985-86). He was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team for the third-straight year his senior season, becoming the first Buffalo in the Pac-12 era to garner three all-conference first team honors.

Lakers sign Malik Monk

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Malik Monk, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Monk appeared in 42 games for the Hornets last season, averaging a career-high 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.9 minutes, while shooting a career-best 40.1 percent (85-212 3FG) from three-point range. Last season, Monk was just one of four reserves to have multiple games with at least 30 points.

In four seasons with Charlotte, Monk played in 233 games (one start) with career averages of 9.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17.8 minutes. In one season at Kentucky, Monk was named the SEC Player of the Year and received All-SEC First Team honors after averaging 19.8 points (.450 FG%, .397 3P%), 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his lone collegiate season.

Miami Heat re-sign center Dewayne Dedmon

The Miami Heat have re-signed center Dewayne Dedmon.

Per multiple reports, it’s a one-year minimum deal.

“We love Dewayne and his aggressive attitude at the center position,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He’s a great screener, rebounder and can stretch the floor. He came in after missing most of the season and had a tremendous impact for us. His veteran presence and physicality are going to help anchor our defense and with a whole year under his belt, he will be even better.”

After being signed as a free agent on April 8, 2021, Dedmon played in 16 games for the HEAT last season, averaging 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game. He was third on the team in plus/minus (+68) and topped the HEAT in blocks four times. Additionally, he was Miami’s leading scorer off the bench twice and also led the HEAT reserves in rebounds 12 times, steals and plus/minus seven times each, blocks four times and assists twice.

In his eight NBA seasons, Dedmon has appeared in 410 regular season games (194 starts) and has averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game.