Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball undergoes wrist surgery

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball underwent successful surgery to address a fracture in his right wrist. The surgery was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City by Dr. Michelle Carlson.

Ball’s wrist will be immobilized and he will be reevaluated in four weeks.

The injury was sustained during the Hornets loss to 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 starting on Feb. 1 in 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 back-to-back Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Awards in January and February.

Clippers trade Mfiondu Kabengele to Kings

The LA Clippers have traded forward/center Mfiondu Kabengele, a conditional future second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a conditional future second-round draft pick, announced Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations.

Kabengele, 23, has appeared in 23 games for the Clippers this season and averaged 1.2 points in 4.1 minutes.

Kabengele, listed at 6-foot-9, made 35 career appearances across two NBA seasons with the Clippers and holds career averages of 2.0 points in 4.5 minutes.

The 27th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, 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.

The Kings roster now stands at 17 players.

Lakers legend Elgin Baylor has passed away at age 86

Former Lakers player and Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor passed away peacefully of natural causes today in Los Angeles at the age of 86. Baylor was surrounded by his wife, Elaine, and his daughter, Krystal.

“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” said Elaine. “And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans. At this time we ask that I and our family be allowed to mourn his passing in privacy.”

Born on Sept. 16, 1934, in Washington, D.C., Baylor played one season at the College of Idaho before transferring to Seattle University, where he led the team to their first NCAA championship game before being drafted first overall by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958. Baylor averaged 24.9 points, 15.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a rookie en route to Rookie of the Year honors. Baylor would go on to play 14 seasons for the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers, earning NBA All-Star honors 11 times with 10 First Team All-NBA appearances. After retiring from basketball in 1971, Baylor went on to serve as a coach for the New Orleans Jazz and Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Clippers.

“Elgin was THE superstar of his era – his many accolades speak to that,” said Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss. “He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly he was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass. He is one of the all-time Lakers greats with his No. 22 jersey retired in the rafters and his statue standing guard in front of STAPLES Center. He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family.”

Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977, Baylor’s No. 22 jersey was retired by the Lakers on Nov. 3, 1983, and a statue honoring Baylor was unveiled on April 6, 2018, at STAPLES Center.

Elgin is survived by his wife Elaine, a daughter (Krystal), a son and daughter (Alan and Alison) from a previous marriage, and a sister (Gladys Baylor Barrett).

Funeral arrangements are pending.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Elgin Baylor:

“Elgin Baylor set the course for the modern NBA as one of the league’s first superstar players. An 11-time All-Star during his Hall of Fame career with the Lakers, Elgin produced remarkable results with his athleticism and groundbreaking style of play, including setting an NBA Finals record with 61 points in Game 5 of the 1962 championship series – a performance made all the more extraordinary by the fact that he had spent part of that season away from his team while on active duty in the Army.

“In addition to his legendary playing career, Elgin was a man of principle. He was a leading activist during the height of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s and an influential voice among his fellow players. After his retirement, Elgin remained a part of the NBA family as both a coach and an executive, imparting his wisdom to generations of NBA talent. Elgin will be deeply missed, and we send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Elaine, his family and friends.”

National Basketball Players Association Statement on the Passing of Elgin Baylor

“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the recent passing of Hall Famer Elgin Baylor. Elgin’s success as a player, coach and executive in this league was unparalleled. He had a profound impact on the game of basketball and the generations of players that followed him.

During his playing career, Elgin was a strong voice for the collective group, standing up to push for guaranteed benefits and improved working conditions for all players. Elgin’s early advocacy played a vital role in the formation of our union and we are forever grateful for his courage and contributions.

We send our prayers and condolences to his wife Elaine, his family and the entire Lakers organization.”

Nets will be without Kyrie Irving for upcoming road trip

A Nets team playing at full strength continues to be an elusive endeavor. Via the NY Daily News:

Kyrie Irving will not accompany the Nets on their three-game road trip and instead will tend to a family matter, the team announced on Monday. He will miss the team’s back-to-back games in Portland against the Trail Blazers and in Utah against the league-best Jazz. He will also miss Friday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, a team that has proven difficult for Brooklyn to overcome.

The nature of the family matter is not immediately clear, and his absence is precisely why the Nets should fortify their back court and add another point guard to the roster.

Irving has been electric for the Nets at the shooting guard position, averaging a career-high 28 points on shooting percentages that could land him in the vaunted 50-40-90 club. But if the best ability is availability, Irving has not been at his best in his two seasons in Brooklyn.

The Nets are 29-14 this season, which is the second best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Kevin Durant at 29.0 points per game (in just 19 games played), Irving at 28.1 ppg (in 31 games played), and James Harden at 25.4 ppg (in 29 games since being traded from the Rockets to the Nets).

Nets sign forward Alize Johnson to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson (6’7”, 212) joins the Nets after most recently playing for the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. In 15 games (all starts) for the 905 during the 2021 NBA G League season, the 24-year-old averaged a double-double with 16.6 points and 13.3 rebounds to go along with 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. Johnson, who ranked second overall in the NBA G League in rebounds per game, helped lead the Raptors 905 to the top seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs with a 12-3 regular season record. Johnson was originally selected with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. In 31 career games over two seasons (2018-20) with the Pacers, Johnson averaged 1.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 5.9 minutes per contest. He also spent time with Indiana’s NBA G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, over the two seasons and averaged 19.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.7 minutes in 50 total games (all starts).

The Pennsylvania native spent his junior and senior seasons (2016-18) playing collegiately at Missouri State, appearing in 66 total games (all starts) and averaging 14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. Johnson was named All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team after both campaigns. He began his collegiate career at Frank Phillips College in Texas before transferring to MSU.

Cavs sign Quinn Cook to another 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Quinn Cook to a second 10-day contract.

Cook (6-1, 179) has averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.8 minutes through four games with the Cavaliers after signing his first 10-day contract with the team on March 12. He also played in 16 games for the Los Angeles Lakers this season before being waived on February 24.

A two-time NBA champion (2018, 2020), Cook has played in 185 regular season games (29 starts) over five NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Lakers and Cavaliers, holding career averages of 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 14.1 minutes. He has also appeared in 40 postseason games, including six contests in last year’s title run with the Lakers.

Center Mitchell Robinson set to return for Knicks

The Knicks are set to welcome center Mitchell Robinson back to action. Via the New York Daily News:

The Knicks center, who has missed 15 straight games with a broken hand, was cleared to play ahead of Sunday against the Sixers at the Garden. Robinson was officially listed as questionable because the team wanted to see how he responded to Saturday’s afternoon practice, but then the center tweeted, “I feel toooooo gooooodddd bro I’m ready.”

Coach Tom Thibodeau said the plan is to eventually integrate Robinson back into the starting lineup, even though Nerlens Noel has performed well in his extended absence.

The Knicks are 21-21 this season, which ties them with the Hornets for the 6th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Julius Randle at 22.9 points per game, and RJ Barrett at 17.2 ppg.

Rockets trade P.J. Tucker, Rodions Kurucs to Bucks for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, draft pick

The Houston Rockets have traded forwards P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard D.J. Augustin, forward D.J. Wilson, and the Bucks first round pick in 2023.

The Rockets also received the right to swap their 2021 second round pick for Milwaukee’s 2021 first round pick (Top 9 protected), while the Bucks re-acquired their 2022 first round pick which Houston obtained from Cleveland as part of a four-team trade earlier this season.

Augustin (6-0, 183) was originally the ninth overall pick by Charlotte in the 2008 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Texas. In 901 career games with 326 starts, he has averaged 9.7 points, 4.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range.

Over the past three seasons, Augustin was one of five players to have averaged at least 10.0 ppg and 4.0 apg while playing fewer than 26.0 minutes per game. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas was an assistant coach with Charlotte during Augustin’s final two seasons with the Bobcats from 2010-11 through 2011-12.

Wilson (6-10, 224) was originally the 17th overall pick by Milwaukee in the 2017 NBA Draft following his junior season at Michigan. He appeared in 119 career games for the Bucks while averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.

While on assignment in the G League the past three seasons, Wilson averaged 16.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 3-pointers made on 38.2% shooting. He was the recipient of Michigan’s Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player Award in his final collegiate season.

Tucker spent the past three and a half seasons with the Rockets while averaging 6.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.18 steals in 268 games with 220 starts. Since the start of 2012-13, he has played the most games of any player in the league.

Kurucs was acquired by Houston from Brooklyn earlier this season as part of a four-team trade with Cleveland and Indiana. He appeared in 11 games as a Rocket.

Kings forward Marvin Bagley III out at least four weeks with hand injury

Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (left fourth metacarpal fracture) consulted with a hand specialist and it has been determined that surgery is not required.

The Kings say there should be an update on Bagley’s status in around four weeks.

Bagley in 37 games played (all starts) this season is averaging 13.9 points (.502 FG%, .354 3pt%, .560 FT%), 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 25.7 minutes per game.

LaVar Ball says he hopes Pelicans trade Lonzo Ball

LaVar Ball hasn’t been heard from much this season, but with the NBA trade deadline approaching he has come out with his latest headline-snatching quotes. Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The NBA trade deadline is exactly one week away, and the New Orleans Pelicans have a difficult decision to make about the future of their backcourt.

Lonzo Ball is in the final season of his rookie deal. New Orleans must decide if it wants to cut bait on the improving but inconsistent 23-year-old, or hold onto him and enter restricted free agency, where it would have to reward him with a new deal or risk losing him for nothing.

In an appearance on ESPN radio in Los Angeles on Thursday, LaVar Ball, the outspoken patriarch of one of America’s most well-known basketball-playing families, said he hopes his oldest son gets moved.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” LaVar said. “I hope he gets traded, though. Here’s the thing. I don’t like watching him play like he plays.”

The Pelicans are 17-23 this season, which ties them with the rebuilding Thunder for the 11th best record in the Western conference. A disappointing season so far.

They’re being led in scoring by Zion Williamson at 25.6 points per game, Brandon Ingram at 23.9 ppg, then Ball at 14.2 ppg.

For the season, Ball is averaging 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 42.6% FG and 38.9% from three-point range.