Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Cavaliers sign Lamar Stevens to standard NBA contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Lamar Stevens to a multi-year contract, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Stevens (6-8, 225), who signed a Two-Way contract with Cleveland on November 28, 2020, has appeared in 37 games for the Cavaliers this season with averages of 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.1 minutes. The rookie forward has scored in double figures on three occasions. Against San Antonio on March 19, Stevens posted his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in 17 minutes, becoming the first player in Cavaliers history to record those totals in under 18 minutes of play. He also made the game-winning basket with 4.1 seconds remaining in Cleveland’s 112-111 victory over Atlanta on February 23.

Stevens went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft after playing four years collegiately at Penn State. He remains second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 2,207 points, and holds the record for field goals made (801) and starts (135). Additionally, he was named All-Big Ten First Team twice (2018-19, 2019-20), and was named the 2018 NIT Most Outstanding Player. He also finished his collegiate career as part of the winningest class in Penn State’s Big Ten era (76 wins).

Wizards sign Jordan Bell to 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed Jordan Bell to a 10-day contract.

Bell will begin his second stint of the season with the Wizards after appearing in the three games with the team in January, where he averaged 3.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. He averaged 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in seven games for the Erie BayHawks this season during the NBA G League bubble.

Bell was acquired by the Capital City Go-Go prior to the suspension of the NBA G League season in March of 2020 before being signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in June. Bell has played in 157 games (17 starts) in his four-year NBA career with Golden State, Minnesota Memphis, and Washington, averaging 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He was originally selected with the 38th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Oregon by the Chicago Bulls before being traded to Golden State on draft night.

Grizzlies sign Tim Frazier to 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract.

Frazier (6-1, 170) appeared in three games for the Grizzlies earlier this season, totaling four points, four rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes. The 30-year-old has competed in 275 regular season games (81 starts) over seven NBA seasons and holds career averages of 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 17.6 minutes for seven different teams.

Unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft, Frazier was named the 2014-15 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and NBA G League Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Star Game as a member of the Maine Red Claws. The Houston native finished his collegiate career at Penn State University as the program’s all-time leader in assists.

Frazier will wear jersey #10 for the Grizzlies.

Trail Blazers sign TJ Leaf to two-way contract

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free-agent forward TJ Leaf to a two-way contract, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Leaf, 23, holds career averages of 3.3 points (49.1% FG, 34.1% 3-PT, 57.1% FT), 2.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 8.7 minutes in 139 games (two starts), all with Indiana. A three-year veteran, Leaf (6-10, 222) was selected with the 18th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Pacers following his freshman season at UCLA.

Traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City ahead of the 2020-21 season, Leaf was waived by the Thunder on December 18.

Leaf will wear No. 18 for the Trail Blazers.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray suffers major injury: torn ACL

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee.

Via the Denver Post:

When Jamal Murray crashed to the floor with less than a minute remaining in Monday’s loss to Golden State, his reaction suggested he knew something devastating had just happened.

Murray suffered a torn left ACL, The Denver Post first reported and was later anounced by the team early Tuesday morning, ending his season and compromising the Nuggets’ title hopes barely a month out from the postseason.

His recovery, according to a league source, is expected to be anywhere from 9 to 12 months.

Not only is Murray’s injury devastating to the Nuggets this season, but his recovery is expected to come near the end of next year’s regular season, when the NBA is back on its normal schedule.

Horrible news.

Magic sign Donta Hall, release Devin Cannady

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Donta Hall to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

In addition, guard Devin Cannady has been released from his 10-day contract.

Hall (6’10”, 232, 8/7/97) played in 12 games this season (11 starts) with both Ignite and Raptors 905 of the NBA G League, averaging 10.2 ppg., 8.3 rpg., 1.5 apg. and 2.08 blkpg. in 24.8 minpg., while shooting .625 (50-80) from the floor.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Hall appeared in nine combined games with both Detroit and Brooklyn, averaging 4.3 ppg. and 4.2 rpg. in 14.8 minpg. He played in four games with the Pistons, averaging 1.5 ppg. and 3.8 rpg. in 12.0 minpg. Later in the season, Hall played five games with the Nets, averaging 6.6 ppg., 4.6 rpg. and 1.00 blkpg. in 17.0 minpg. He also appeared in 38 games (37 starts) with Grand Rapids of the NBA G League, averaging 15.4 ppg., 10.6 rpg., 1.0 apg., 1.45 blkpg. and 1.03 stlpg. in 28.6 minpg., while shooting .669 (230-344) from the floor. Hall was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team, the NBA G League All-Rookie Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team in 2019-20.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Hall played in 135 career games (85 starts) during four seasons at the University of Alabama, averaging 7.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg. and 1.69 blkpg. in 20.8 minpg., while shooting .661 (400-605) from the floor. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as both a junior (2017-18) and a senior (2018-19).

Hall will wear #45 with the Orlando Magic.

Cannady (6’2”, 183, 5/21/96) played in three games with Orlando, averaging 4.7 ppg. in 4.5 minpg. He originally was signed to a 10-day contract by Orlando on Apr. 6.

De’Aaron Fox scores 43, but Kings lose to Pelicans

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox lit up the scoreboard Monday, but in a losing effort. Via the Sacramento Bee:

De’Aaron Fox scored 43 points against the New Orleans Pelicans for the second time this season, but again he left the floor in defeat as the Kings suffered another crushing blow to their fading playoff hopes.

Brandon Ingram had 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds, leading the Pelicans to a 117-110 victory over the Kings on Monday night at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Sacramento stormed back from a 26-point deficit to get within four in the final minute, but the Pelicans held on to hand the Kings their seventh consecutive loss.

Zion Williamson had 30 points with six rebounds and four assists for the Pelicans (25-29), who moved within a half-game of the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans also padded its lead over the Kings (22-32), who now trail the Warriors by 3 ½ games with 18 games remaining.

The Kings are 22-32 this season, which is the 12th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Fox at 24.7 points per game, Buddy Hield at 16.5 ppg, Harrison Barnes at 15.5 ppg, and Richaun Holmes at 14.4 ppg.

Stephen Curry passes Wilt Chamberlain to become all-time Warriors points leader

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored his 17,784 career point in the first quarter of tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets, passing Wilt Chamberlain (17,783) to become the franchise’s all-time points leader.

Curry entered tonight’s game with averages of 29.9 points (second in the NBA), 6.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.33 steals in 33.9 minutes over 45 games (all starts) this season. A three-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Curry has spent his entire 12-year career with the Warriors.

Curry scored his first career point in his NBA debut on October 28, 2009 vs. Houston on a 19-foot jumper and broke the franchise record tonight on a three-foot driving layup with 1:40 remaining in the first quarter.

Thunder sign forward Gabriel Deck

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward Gabriel Deck to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Per multiple reports, Deck’s contract with the Thunder is a four-year, $14.5 million deal.

Deck (6-8, 232) spent the last three seasons with Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB. During the 2020-21 season, he appeared in 58 games (41 starts) and averaged 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.9 minutes per game, shooting 52.1 percent from the field.

Prior to his time with Real Madrid, the Argentinian native played two seasons with San Lorenzo de Almagro of Liga A in Argentina where he appeared in 113 games (106 starts) and registered averages of 18.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.2 minutes, shooting 54.9 percent. Deck spent five years from 2011-16 with Liga A’s Quimsa prior to representing Argentina in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro.

NBA postpones tonight’s Nets vs. Timberwolves game in Minnesota

STATEMENT FROM THE NBA

The National Basketball Association announced today that in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area yesterday, tonight’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed. The decision to postpone was made by the NBA after consultation with the Timberwolves organization and local and state officials.

Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Daunte Wright during this difficult time.