Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson suspended, Spurs guard Patty Mills and forward Rudy Gay fined

Indiana Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, and Mills and Spurs forward Rudy Gay have each been fined for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident began when Sampson and Mills were battling for rebounding position. It continued to the next possession when Mills made contact with Sampson and Sampson shoved Mills. Sampson then furthered the altercation by aggressively confronting and headbutting Mills. Sampson’s actions resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 and an automatic ejection.

Mills received a technical foul and has been fined $25,000 for his role in the altercation. Gay also received a technical foul and has been fined $20,000 for escalating the incident by shoving Sampson.

The incident occurred with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ 109-94 win over the Pacers on April 19 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Sampson will serve his suspension tonight when Indiana faces the Oklahoma City Thunder at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray undergoes ACL reconstruction surgery

Jamal Murray has undergone surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.

Murray will be out for the rest of the season.

This is a major loss for the Nuggets, who are 37-20 this season, good for 4th in the Western conference. After a slow start to the the season, the team has been on a serious roll lately. Losing Murray is brutal.

The team’s leading scorers this season are Nikola Jokic at 26.4 points per game, Murray at 21.2 ppg, Michael Porter Jr. at 17.7 ppg, Will Barton at 12.9 ppg, and new addition Aaron Gordon at 10.7 ppg.

Cavs sign Mfiondu Kabengele to second 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward/center Mfiondu Kabengele to a second 10-day contract, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Kabengele (6-9, 250) has played in three games with the Cavaliers after signing his first 10-day contract with the team on April 10. He also appeared in 23 games for the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being traded to the Sacramento Kings on March 22. Kabengele, who was waived by the Kings on March 25, owns career averages of 1.9 points in 4.7 minutes over 38 games during his two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Cavaliers. The 23-year-old also played in 27 contests (all starts) for the Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBA G League in 2019-20, averaging 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks in 31.2 minutes.

Selected with the 27th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Brooklyn, Kabengele played two collegiate seasons at Florida State, earning the 2018-19 ACC Sixth Man of the Year award and 2019 All-ACC Tournament First Team honors. He is the nephew of NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo.

Pacers sign forward Oshae Brissett

The Indiana Pacers have signed forward Oshae Brissett to a standard NBA contract.

Brissett originally signed with the Pacers on a 10-day contact on April 1, followed by a second 10-day contract on April 11.

Previously this season, Brissett played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G-League bubble, where he was named to the 2020-21 All-NBA G League Second Team.

Brissett spent his rookie season in 2019-20 on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.

Nuggets sign Austin Rivers to 10-day contract

The Denver Nuggets yesterday (Tuesday, April 20) signed veteran guard Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced.

Rivers, 6-4, 200, appeared in 21 games (two starts) this season with the New York Knicks, averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field and 36.4% from three in 21.0 minutes per game. The nine-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 9.1 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 41.8% from the field and 34.9% from long distance in 573 career games (151 starts) with New Orleans, L.A. Clippers, Washington, Houston and New York.

The 28-year-old provides valuable postseason experience, playing in a total of 45 playoff games (six starts), averaging 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 40.3% from the field in 20.2 minutes with Houston and the L.A. Clippers. Rivers has a total of 16 career postseason games scoring 10-or-more points.

Rivers was drafted 10th overall by New Orleans in 2012 after spending one season at Duke University. In his lone season, he averaged a team-high 15.5 points on 43.3% shooting in 34 games, becoming the third freshman ever to lead Duke in scoring.

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball making progress in recovery from wrist injury

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball underwent further evaluation on his right wrist today by Dr. Michelle Carlson of The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Ball’s cast was removed and a CT scan confirmed the wrist has healed. He has been cleared to return to individual basketball activity.

Ball sustained a fractured right wrist during the Hornets game against the LA Clippers on March 20.

Ball, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.59 steals (7th in the NBA) per game in 41 contests. Among rookie leaders, Ball ranks first in assists and steals, second in scoring and is tied for second in rebounds. Since entering the starting lineup on Feb. 1 at Miami, he is averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.7 steals in his 21 starts while shooting .464% from the field and .426% from three-point range. Ball is the only player over the last 60 years to lead all rookies in total points, rebounds, assists and steals at the All-Star Break. Ball won three consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Awards to open the season in January, February and March.

Clippers sign Yogi Ferrell to 10-day contract

The LA Clippers have signed Yogi Ferrell to a 10-day contract.

Ferrell, 27, appeared in two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, averaging 9.5 points. 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. The 6-foot-0 guard also appeared in 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League this season.

Ferrell holds NBA career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 251 career appearances with the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Cavaliers. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Ferrell earned a spot on the 2016-17 All-Rookie Second Team, and in February 2017, became just the second undrafted rookie to win Rookie of the Month honors in his first professional season.

Prior to the NBA, Ferrell was a four-year starter at Indiana, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team member and a Wooden Award Finalist for the 2015-16 season.

Start dates for 2021 NBA free agency period are set

NBA free agency start dates for the summer of 2021 have been announced.

NBA free agent negotiations will begin Monday, August 2 at 6PM ET.

NBA free agent signings will begin Friday, August 6 at 12:01PM ET.

In past years, before the coronavirus pandemic shook, free agent negotiations and signings usually began in early July. So, this is only one month behind the usual timing. One more welcome return to normalcy.

Raptors sign Yuta Watanabe to standard NBA contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Yuta Watanabe to a standard NBA contract. He had been on a two-way deal.

Watanabe, 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, is averaging 4.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 13.4 minutes in 39 games (one start) as a two-way player with the Raptors this season. He is shooting .448 (56-125) from the field, including .400 (24-40) from three-point range, and has scored in double figures six times. Watanabe recorded a career-high 21 points Apr. 16 vs. Orlando.

A native of Japan, Watanabe spent the last two seasons (2018-20) as a two-way player with Memphis. He played collegiately at George Washington (2014-18) where he was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

The Knicks are on a six-game winning streak

The Knicks beat the Pelicans 122-112 in overtime Sunday. Via New York Newsday:

Derrick Rose, who finished the game with 23 points and five assists, took over at the end of regulation to push the Knicks to the win. With his team trailing by six points with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter, Rose hit a three-pointer, found a wide-open Reggie Bullock for the game-tying three and then blocked what would have been a game-winning 17-footer by Eric Bledsoe at the buzzer.

Rose then scored the first bucket in overtime and the Knicks went on to outscore the Pelicans 19-9 in the overtime period.

In the win, Julius Randle had 33 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals, D-Rose had his 23, RJ Barrett scored 18, while Reggie Bullock added 15.

In the loss, Zion Williamson had 34 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Eric Bledsoe scored 22 with 4 assists, and Brandon Ingram had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.