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The Toronto Raptors have waived forward Patrick McCaw.
In five games this season, McCaw totaled five points, three rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes.
McCaw signed as a free agent Jan. 10, 2019 and re-signed with Raptors the following offseason. In 68 games with Toronto, he averaged 3.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 18.9 minutes and helped the Raptors capture their first NBA championship in 2019.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free-agent forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to a 10-day contract.
Hollis-Jefferson, 26, spent the 2019-20 season with Toronto, posting averages of 7.0 points (47.1% FG, 73.4% FT), 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 18.7 minutes in 60 games (six starts). He signed a training camp contract with Minnesota on December 3, 2020 prior to being waived on December 19.
A five-year veteran, Hollis-Jefferson (6-6, 217) holds career averages of 9.3 points (44.8% FG, 21.3% 3-PT, 73.8% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.94 steals and 22.6 minutes in 294 games (153 starts) with the Nets and Toronto. After two seasons at Arizona, he was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 23rd overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft and then dealt to Brooklyn in a draft-night trade.
Hollis-Jefferson will wear No. 2 for the Trail Blazers.
The Miami Heat have signed center Dewayne Dedmon.
Dedmon, a seven-year NBA veteran, appeared in 44 games (18 starts) last season between the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks averaging 5.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 17.6 minutes while shooting 40 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the foul line. He scored in double-figures 10 times, including a season-high 18 points at Philadelphia on November 27, 2019. He grabbed double-figure rebounds seven times while posting three double-doubles. Additionally, he posted 11 multi-block games and five multi-steal games.
Dedmon has appeared in 394 career NBA games (194 starts) and averaged 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 18.3 minutes while shooting 51.6 percent from the field. He holds single game career highs of 24 points (done twice), 17 rebounds (2/10/17), seven assists (1/11/19), four steals (done six times) and six blocks (done twice).
He will wear number 21.
The Golden State Warriors have signed guard Gary Payton II to a 10-day contract.
Payton II, 28, appeared in 13 games (three starts) with Raptors 905 of the NBA G League this season, averaging 10.8 points on 55.5 percent shooting from the field, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.54 steals in 21.9 minutes per game. Unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft, Payton II has played in 61 games (23 starts) over four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards. The Oregon State product owns career NBA averages of 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.6 minutes per game.
Payton II will wear #0 for the Warriors.
The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Freddie Gillespie to a 10-day contract.
Gillespie, 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, averaged 10.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 27.8 minutes in 15 games (all starts) with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League bubble. He shot .570 (73-128) from the field and recorded six double-doubles. Gillespie went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft but was picked second overall by the Hustle in the 2020-21 NBA G League Draft.
A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Gillespie played two seasons at Division lll Carleton College before transferring to Baylor (2018-20). He averaged 7.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 23.7 minutes in 56 career games (41 starts) with the Bears. As a senior, Gillespie was voted the Big 12 Most Improved Player and earned All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Defensive Team honours.
The Orlando Magic have waived center Khem Birch, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.
Birch (6’9”, 230, 9/28/92) has played in 48 games this season (five starts) with Orlando, averaging 5.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 19.8 minpg. He has appeared in 188 career NBA regular season games (30 starts) from 2017-21, all with the Magic, averaging 4.7 ppg. and 4.4 rpg. in 16.5 minpg., while shooting .518 (326-629) from the floor.
STATEMENT FROM THE WARRIORS
The Golden State Warriors announced today that Chase Center has been approved to host fans for the team’s remaining nine regular season home games, beginning April 23, when the Warriors face the Denver Nuggets.
Per California State Department of Public Health guidelines that were announced on April 2, Chase Center can accommodate up to 35% capacity based on the venue’s plan to require all fans and personnel to produce either proof of a full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. The 35% capacity allowance is subject to the State’s physical distancing requirements, and the actual percentage of fan capacity that will be permitted on a per game basis may vary based on local health approval and subsequent guidance issued by the State and the County.
Every person entering Chase Center must produce either proof of a full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test that was administered within 48 hours prior to the game. Fans who purchase their tickets more than seven days in advance of the game will be eligible to receive, at no cost to the fan, an at-home Lucira Health molecular COVID-19 test to be self-administered within 48 hours of the game, making the Warriors the first sports team to provide fans with an at-home testing solution. Fans will then enroll in CLEAR’s Health Pass where they can securely link their test result and complete a health survey to generate a Health Pass, which they will be required to show for entry to Chase Center.
Additionally, fans who can provide proof of vaccination do not need to produce a negative COVID-19 test, unless they are seated within 30 feet of the court. Fully-vaccinated fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in designated sections of the arena bowl.
Chase Center will enforce strict health and safety protocols that have been established in coordination with the California State Department of Health, San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Toronto Raptors guards DeAndre’ Bembry and Fred VanVleet and Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker have each been suspended one game without pay and Raptors forward OG Anunoby and Lakers forward-center Montrezl Harrell have each been fined for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
Bembry, VanVleet and Horton-Tucker have each been suspended for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation.
Anunoby, who received a technical foul and was ejected, has been fined $30,000 for initiating the incident by grabbing Schröder by the leg and recklessly flipping him to the ground after the two became entangled following a common foul committed by Schröder.
Harrell, who received a technical foul and was ejected, has been fined $20,000 for aggressively entering the altercation and shoving Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr.
The incident occurred with 2:24 remaining in the first quarter in the Lakers’ 110-101 win over the Raptors on April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Bembry will serve his suspension tonight when the Raptors play host to the Chicago Bulls at Amalie Arena. VanVleet, who has missed the past two games with an injury, will serve his suspension in the next regular season game for which he is eligible and physically able to play.
Horton-Tucker will serve his suspension tonight when the Lakers face the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Washington Wizards have waived Jerome Robinson.
The guard played in 17 games for the Wizards this season, averaging 4.9 points per contest.
Robinson was originally acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on February 6, 2020, as a part of a three-team trade with the New York Knicks.
The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Tyler Cook to a multi-year contract.
Per the Detroit Free Press, “his stint with the Pistons will now last until the end of the season, at least, as the franchise signed him to a standard NBA contract with an option for 2021-22. The contract is non-guaranteed for next season, but will become guaranteed five days after the yet-to-be-announced free agency moratorium period, a league source told the Detroit Free Press.”
Cook, 6-8, 255, signed a 10-day contract with the Pistons on March 18, followed by a second 10-day deal on March 28. He has appeared in 11 games with the Pistons averaging 4.0 points (63% FG), and 2.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. Overall, Cook has seen action in 28 career NBA games with Detroit, Cleveland, Denver and Brooklyn and averaged 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Cook, 23, averaged 20.8 points (60% FG), 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season in eight games with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA’s G League. Overall, he’s averaged 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 37 career G League games (18 starts).
The St. Louis, MO native played collegiately at the University of Iowa where he averaged 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in three seasons with the Hawkeyes.