Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Thunder sign center Moses Brown to standard NBA contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed center Moses Brown to a multi-year contract.

The UCLA product was originally signed to a Two-Way Contract by the Thunder on Dec. 9, 2020 after spending the 2019-20 season as a two-way player for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Brown has appeared in 16 games (five starts) with the Thunder this season, registering averages of 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.13 blocks in 17.5 minutes per contest, shooting 61.9 percent from the field. The Queens, N.Y. native was also named to the All-NBA G League First Team and the NBA G League All-Defensive Team after he appeared in 14 games (all starts) with the Oklahoma City Blue this year and averaged 18.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 1.71 blocks in 26.4 minutes per contest, shooting 54.9 percent.

Thunder waive Austin Rivers

The Oklahoma City Thunder has waived guard Austin Rivers, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Rivers was originally acquired from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade on March 25.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Rivers has an NBA career average of 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24.4 minutes per game. His career-high scoring season was in 2017-18 when he averaged 15.1 ppg while playing 33.7 minutes per game for the Clippers.

Thunder guard Luguentz Dort diagnosed with concussion

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort sustained a concussion during yesterday’s game against the Boston Celtics and he has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Dort will now begin the NBA-mandated Return-to-Participation Protocol. This process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities.

There is no predetermined timetable to complete the protocol, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

Sixers sign Paul Reed and Mason Jones

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Paul Reed to a standard NBA contract and Mason Jones to a two-way contract.

Reed, who signed a two-way contract with the 76ers on Nov. 28, 2020, was named the 2021 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year earlier this week. He was the only player to average at least 22 points and 11 rebounds per game during the G League season, while leading the Delaware Blue Coats to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Reed led the G League with 12 double-doubles in 15 games and was the first player in Delaware franchise history to earn either MVP or Rookie of the Year honors.

The No. 58 overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by Philadelphia, Reed shot .588 from the field, .444 from three-point range and .789 from the free-throw line for the Blue Coats as he was named to the All-NBA G League First Team, All-Rookie Team and All-Defensive Team. He was the only player among the G League’s top-10 in total rebounds with at least 20 three-pointers made (24). In addition to his time in the G League, Reed has seen action in eight games at the NBA level with the 76ers, scoring a career-high six points on two occasions.

Jones, a rookie from Arkansas, appeared in 26 games for Houston earlier this season while on a two-way contract. With the Rockets, he averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11.8 minutes per game. Jones played his sophomore and junior seasons at Arkansas after beginning his collegiate career at Connors State College. Following the 2019-20 season, he was named SEC Co-Player of the Year after averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, leading the Razorbacks to a 20-12 record. He was also named to the All-SEC First Team and was the only player in the conference to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals.

In both of his collegiate seasons, Jones was teammates with 76ers rookie Isaiah Joe, whom Philadelphia selected with the No. 49 selection in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Grizzlies waive Gorgui Dieng

The Memphis Grizzlies waived center Gorgui Dieng today.

Dieng (6-10, 252) appeared in 39 games (one start) over parts of two seasons in Memphis and averaged 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.7 minutes after he was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 6, 2020.

Selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the 31-year-old has competed in 537 regular season games (205 starts) over his eight-year NBA career and has averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.8 minutes. A native of Senegal, Dieng won the 2013 NCAA Championship as a junior at the University of Louisville.

Cavs trade JaVale McGee to Nuggets

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward/center Isaiah Hartenstein and two second round draft picks in a trade with the Denver Nuggets for center JaVale McGee, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The draft picks acquired by the Cavs are the Nuggets’ 2023 second round pick (31-46 protected) and the Nuggets’ 2027 second round pick.

McGee, 7-0, 270, has appeared in 33 games for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.21 blocks while shooting 52.1% from the field in 15.2 minutes per game. The 13-year NBA veteran returns to Denver after spending four seasons as a Nugget from 2011 to 2015. McGee was drafted with the 18th overall pick by Washington in the 2008 NBA Draft and appeared in a total of 734 career games (318 starts) owning averages of 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.50 blocks on 57.2% shooting from the field.

The Flint, Michigan native is coming off a 2019-20 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw him win his third Championship in four seasons. He started 11 games for the Lakers in the NBA Bubble in Orlando during their Championship run and he played an integral role for the Warriors during their back-to-back Championship seasons in 2017 and 2018. McGee has appeared in a total of 58 playoff games (23 starts).

Hartenstein (7-0, 249) has appeared in 30 games for the Nuggets this season, averaging 3.5 points on .513 shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 9.1 minutes. He has played in 81 games in his three-year NBA career for Denver and Houston, compiling averages of 3.3 points on .559 shooting and 2.7 rebounds in 9.4 minutes. Hartenstein also played in parts of three seasons in the NBA G-League (2017-20) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers where, in 2019, he was named All G-League First Team and G-League Finals MVP while leading his team to the G-League Championship. The 22-year-old Eugene, Oregon native was originally drafted by Houston with the 43rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Raptors trade guard Matt Thomas to Jazz

The Utah Jazz have acquired guard Matt Thomas in a trade with the Toronto Raptors for a future second-round draft pick.

Thomas (6-4, 190, Iowa State) is in his second NBA season, averaging 2.7 points on 41.5 percent from three-point range in 2020-21. For his career, the Onalaska, Wis., native has appeared in 67 games (one start), all with Toronto, with averages of 4.1 points on 45.8 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from beyond the arc and 1.2 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per contest.

The 26-year-old has additional professional experience in Spain’s ACB league, where he played for Monbus Obradoiro in 2017-18 and for Valencia Basket in 2018-19. For Monbus Obradoiro, he owned averages of 15.4 points on 47.2 from the field and 45.9 percent from three, along with 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30 games (26 starts). In 53 games (17 starts) with Valencia, he averaged 11.9 points on 51.5 percent shooting and 48.0 percent from downtown, adding 1.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds per contest.

A four-year collegiate player at Iowa State (2013-17), Thomas appeared in 138 games (77 starts) for the Cyclones. As a senior in 2016-17, he averaged 12.3 points on 47.7 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from three, along with 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists, helping Iowa State to a Big 12 Tournament Championship.

Thomas will wear no. 21 for the Jazz.

Pelicans trade JJ Redick to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired guard JJ Redick and forward/center Nicolò Melli in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for forward James Johnson, forward Wes Iwundu, the club’s 2021 second round pick and cash considerations.

Redick (6-3, 194) is a 15-season veteran with career averages of 12.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 25.7 minutes in 927 games (488 starts) with New Orleans, Philadelphia, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee and Orlando. This season, Redick averages 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18.6 minutes in 31 games off the bench.

A career 41.5% 3-point shooter, Redick ranked second in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season (.453, 180-397 3FG) and ranks 15th all-time in 3-pointers made (1,935). He is also a career 44.7% field goal and 89.2% free throw shooter.

Redick, 36, enjoyed his best statistical season in 2018-19 with Philadelphia when he averaged 18.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 31.3 minutes in 76 games (63 starts).

He reached the NBA playoffs in each of the first 13 seasons, averaging 10.9 points in 110 postseason games (70 starts) with Philadelphia, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee and Orlando.

Melli (6-9, 236) holds averages of 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 15.6 minutes in 82 games (eight starts) over two NBA seasons with the Pelicans after being signed as a free agent in 2019.

A native of Reggio Emilia, Italy, Melli played nine seasons in Europe before starting his NBA career. He appeared in 207 EuroLeague games, averaging 7.4 points (.466% FG, .387% 3FG), 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists with Olimpia Milano (Italy), Brose Bamberg (Germany) and Fenerbahçe İstanbul (Turkey). Melli scored a game-high 28 points in Fenerbahçe’s 80-85 loss to Luka Dončić’s Real Madrid in the 2018 EuroLeague Finals.

He also represented the Italian National Team in two EuroBasket tournaments (2013, 2015).

Redick will wear No. 17 and Melli will wear No. 44.

Johnson, 6-7, 240, has appeared in 29 games this season with the Mavericks, averaging 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Selected 16th overall out of Wake Forest in the 2009 NBA Draft, Johnson has appeared in 663 career regular season games with Chicago, Toronto, Sacramento, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota and Dallas, posting averages of 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks in 20.5 minutes per contest.

Iwundu, 6-6, 195, has appeared in 23 games for Dallas this season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds. Selected 33rd overall out of Kansas State by Orlando in the 2017 NBA Draft, Iwundu has appeared in 205 career regular season games with the Magic and Mavericks, averaging 4.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

Johnson will wear #16 and Iwundu will wear #4 for New Orleans.

Magic trade Evan Fournier to Celtics for Jeff Teague and draft picks

The Orlando Magic have acquired guard Jeff Teague and two future second round draft picks in a trade with the Boston Celtics for guard Evan Fournier, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

The Magic say Teague will not be reporting to the team, which presumably means they plan to waive him.

As a result, Orlando has also acquired a $17 million trade exception.

“We want to thank Evan (Fournier) for all that he has done during the last seven years, both with the organization and in the community,” Weltman added. “Evan has been a true professional and we wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”

Fournier (6’7”, 205, 10/29/92) played and started in 26 games this season with Orlando, averaging 19.7 ppg., 3.7 apg., 2.9 rpg. and 1.04 stlpg. in 29.4 minpg., while shooting .388 (73-188) from three-point range. Originally selected in the first round (20th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by Denver, he has played in 549 career NBA regular season games (407 starts) with Denver and Orlando, averaging 14.4 ppg., 2.7 rpg. and 2.7 apg. in 28.5 minpg., while shooting .376 (1,006-2,673) from three-point range and .806 (1,217-1,510) from the free throw line.

Fournier was acquired by Orlando on June 26, 2014 in a trade with Denver. He has played in 435 regular season games (399 starts) with the Magic, averaging 16.2 ppg., 3.0 apg. and 2.9 rpg. in 31.5 minpg., while shooting .376 (895-2,382) from three-point range and .812 (1,094-1,348) from the free throw line.

Pistons trade Delon Wright to Kings for Cory Joseph and draft picks

The Sacramento Kings today acquired guard Delon Wright in a trade with the Detroit Pistons for guard Cory Joseph, a 2021 second-round draft selection and a 2024 second-round draft selection.

“We are excited to welcome Delon to the Kings family and to add his experience, defensive length, ability to create opportunities in the lane and capacity to finish strong to our backcourt,” said Kings General Manager Monte McNair. “At the same time, we thank Cory for his contributions to the team, veteran leadership and remarkable durability. A consummate professional and respected mentor, we wish Cory and his family all the best moving forward.”

During the 2020-21 season, Wright has averaged 10.4 points (.464 FG%, .348 3pt%, .789 FT%), 4.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 29.2 minutes per game in 36 games (31 starts).

Over six NBA seasons, the University of Utah product has garnered career averages of 7.6 points (.452 FG%, .343 3pt%, .790 FT%), 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 20.9 minutes per game in 307 games (54 starts) with the Toronto Raptors (2015-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2018-19), Dallas Mavericks (2019-20) and Detroit (2020-21).