Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Heat convert Max Strus’ contract to a two-way contract

The Miami Heat have converted the contract of guard/forward Max Strus to a two-way contract.

Strus appeared in two preseason games with Miami this season averaging a team-leading 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from three-point range. He posted 22 points, all off the bench, last night against Toronto while connecting on 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, helping the HEAT to a, 117-105, win.

Strus split last season between the Chicago Bulls and their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. He appeared in two games with Chicago totaling five points and one rebound in 6:14 minutes of action while shooting 2-of-3 from the field and connecting on his only free throw. He also appeared in 13 games (12 starts) for Windy City, before suffering a season-ending injury, and averaged 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 34.9 minutes while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 96.3 percent from the foul line.

Strus played two seasons at DePaul University after transferring from Lewis University. As a senior at DePaul in 2018-19, he appeared in 35 games (all starts) and averaged 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 37.4 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the foul line. Among DePaul’s all-time leaders, he finished third in three-point field goals made (194), fourth in career scoring average (18.6) and fifth in career free throw percentage (.825). He scored 705 points as a senior, joining Mark Aguirre as the only players in school history to score at least 700 points in a single season. Additionally, Strus recorded eight career 30-point games, joining Aguirre (17), George Mikan (13) and Tom Kleinschmidt (8) as the only players in program history with at least five 30-point games.

Timberwolves sign Jordan McLaughlin to two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Jordan McLaughlin to a two-way contract.

McLaughlin, 24, appeared in 30 games (two starts) with the Timberwolves last season, averaging 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. In his first NBA start on Feb. 8 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, he recorded his first-career double-double notching career highs of 24 points and 11 assists. On Feb. 23 at Denver, he recorded 15 points and 10 assists, becoming the sixth Timberwolves rookie, and first since Zach LaVine in 2015, to have multiple point/assist double-doubles in their rookie season.

While on assignment with the Iowa Wolves, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 23 games with the Timberwolves G-League affiliate.

The Pasadena (CA) native played four seasons at the University of Southern California averaging 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 58 assists and 1.7 steals in 128 games.

Thunder waive TJ Leaf and Admiral Schofield

The Oklahoma City Thunder has waived forwards TJ Leaf and Admiral Schofield.

Leaf appeared in two preseason games with the Thunder, registering eight points and seven rebounds. He was originally acquired from Indiana on Nov. 25.

Schofield appeared in two preseason games with Oklahoma City, grabbing two rebounds and dishing out two assists. He was originally acquired from Washington on Nov. 19.

Nets add forward Paul Eboua off waivers

The Brooklyn Nets have claimed forward Paul Eboua off waivers.

Eboua, listed at 6-foot-8, 214 lbs., had been signed by the Miami Heat on November 25 and was waived on Dec. 16.

In the 2019-20 season, Oboua played overseas in Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A league. For VL Pesaro, he averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game.

In the 2018-19 season, he played in Italy’s second division for the Roseto Sharks. Between 2016-18 he suited up for Italy’s Stella Azzurra U18 team in multiple global tournaments.

Jazz sign Yogi Ferrell and Malcolm Miller, waive four players

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Yogi Ferrell and forward Malcolm Miller.

Also, the Jazz waived guard Trevon Bluiett, center Romaro Gill, forward Tre Scott and guard Jake Toolson.

Ferrell (6-0, 178, Indiana) has four years of NBA experience with the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, owning career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 assists in 20.4 minutes per contest. In 2019-20 he saw action in 50 games for the Kings, averaging 4.4 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per contests.

During the 2016-17 season he appeared in 18 games (all starts) with the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League, averaging 18.7 points, 5.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.7 minutes per contest, being named a 2016-17 G League All-Star.

Miller (6-7, 210, Holy Cross) has played in three NBA seasons with the Toronto Raptors, where he’s averaged 2.0 points on 43.4 percent from the field in 55 career contests (five starts). The Gaithersburg, MD., native has appeared in 97 games (79 starts) in the G League with the Maine Red Claws and Toronto 905, owning career averages of 12.1 points on 46.2 percent from the field, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game.

Bluiett (6-6, 198, Xavier) appeared in 41 games (15 starts) in 2019-20 with the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 14.9 points on 48.7 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three, along with 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 29.3 minutes per contest.

Gill (7-2, 255, Seton Hall) posted averages of 7.8 points on 62.8 percent shooting, to go with 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 30 games during 2019-20. He ranked third in the NCAA and first in the BIG EAST in blocks per game, helping him earn 2019-20 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and BIG EAST Most Improved Player.

Scott (6-8, 225, Cincinnati) was a four-year collegiate player and in 2019-20 posted averages of 11.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. Following his senior season, he was named 2019-20 AAC Defensive Player of the Year, AAC Most Improved Player, First Team All-AAC and earned the AAC’s Sportsmanship Award.

Toolson (6-5, 205, BYU) spent two seasons at BYU (2014-16) before transferring to Utah Valley (2017-19) and then returning to BYU (2019-20) for his final collegiate season. During 2019-20, he posted averages of 15.2 points on 47.2 percent from the field and 47.0 percent from three, along with 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.6 minutes per contest, garnering 2019-20 All-WCC First Team accolades. During his last season at Utah Valley, he was named the 2018-19 WAC Player of the Year.

Utah Jazz officially sold to tech entrepreneur and Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith

The Utah Jazz today announced that tech entrepreneur and Qualtrics founder, Ryan Smith, and his wife Ashley, are the new majority owners of the Utah Jazz and affiliated businesses following a unanimous vote of approval by the NBA Board of Governors.

The transaction included the Utah Jazz, Vivint Arena, the NBA G League Salt Lake City Stars, and management operations of the Triple-A baseball affiliate Salt Lake Bees. A separate agreement and approval process are ongoing for The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM, 1280 AM). These properties will comprise the newly formed Smith Entertainment Group (SEG). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Per the Salt Lake Tribune, “the final sale price — which will see the Miller family retain a minority share — is for $1.66 billion, per multiple media reports.”

Smith, 42, is the co-founder of Qualtrics, the leader in customer experience and creator of the experience management (XM) category. Qualtrics helps organizations design and improve the four core experiences of business — customer, employee, product, and brand — on a single technology platform.

Tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of Atlassian, and venture capitalist, Ryan Sweeney, partner at Accel, have also been announced as minority owners. Cannon-Brookes, based in Sydney, Australia, co-founded Atlassian in 2002 and has grown the company to more than 5,000 employees and 180,000 customers. He will be the first Australian to own a minority interest in an NBA franchise. Sweeney, one of the most successful investors in tech, joined Accel in 2009. Accel was the first investor in both Qualtrics and Atlassian and was an early investor in Facebook, Dropbox, GOAT, Slack, Spotify, and Squarespace, among many others.

Also per the Tribune, “Qualtrics has had a sponsorship deal with the Jazz to put the logo of their cancer charity, 5 For The Fight, on the team’s jerseys — a deal that last year was extended through the 2022-23 season. The partnership has thus far raised more than $26 million for cancer research.”

“Ryan Smith is a forward-thinking, community-minded entrepreneur and business leader who will be a fantastic addition to our league,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “As a life-long fan of the Utah Jazz and more recently as one of their key marketing partners, Ryan has demonstrated his deep commitment to the Jazz and the Utah community and there’s no doubt he will bring that same level of dedication to the operation of the team. We are also extraordinarily appreciative of Gail Miller, Greg Miller and the Miller family for 35 years of outstanding leadership and service and, on behalf of the entire NBA, thank them for always running a first-class organization in every way.”

Smith has been a strong corporate partner of the Jazz and co-founded “5 For The Fight” whose logo has been featured on the Jazz jersey since 2017. 5 For The Fight is the campaign to eradicate cancer by supporting groundbreaking cancer research and has raised more than $26 million. The patch, donated to 5 For The Fight by Qualtrics, is the first philanthropic jersey patch in the history of North American professional sports.

“I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be in Utah. Not only do we have a great team and organization with the Jazz, but the trajectory of the state as a whole is unmatched. There is so much opportunity here and success breeds success,” said Ryan Smith, Qualtrics founder and owner of the Utah Jazz. “I grew up as a big Jazz fan, and that makes this day even more special. The Jazz have a phenomenal leadership team who will continue to guide the organization. We are all committed to building, and to building in Utah.”

Gail Miller and the Miller family announced the agreement on Oct. 28 to sell a majority interest in the Jazz after 35 years of stewardship. The Millers have retained a minority interest in the team.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Gail Miller and her family for placing their trust in Ashley and me to carry forward their amazing legacy. It would be impossible to overstate the far-reaching impact Gail has had blessing countless lives,” said Smith. “In addition, I couldn’t be more excited to have Mike Cannon-Brookes and Ryan Sweeney, two long-time friends and business partners, on this journey with us. They are the best in the world at what they do and are all in on Utah.”

“For us, the Jazz franchise is about love. It’s about coming together to love something bigger than individuals,” said Ashley Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz. “It’s about rallying behind this team. It’s about sharing experiences — sharing victories, losses, lessons learned, hard work and all the ups and downs of any great adventure. We are humbled and honored by Gail and her family’s decision to extend this stewardship to us. We are committed to the Miller’s vision, we are committed to Utah, and we are committed to the Jazz.”

Ryan Smith now serves as the NBA Governor of the Utah Jazz and its affiliates, and he has final decision-making authority for all business and basketball operations related to the team and other assets included in this transaction.

Mavericks waive Freddie Gillespie and Devonte Patterson

The Dallas Mavericks waived forwards Freddie Gillespie and Devonte Patterson today.

Gillespie (6-9, 245) appeared in Dallas’ preseason opener at Milwaukee (Dec. 12) and finished with two points and one rebound in six minutes.

Patterson (6-7, 205) played in two of the Mavericks’ three preseason contests and recorded three points and one assist in six minutes.

With preseason ending Saturday and the regular season starting Tuesday, teams around the NBA will steadily make player cuts in the next few days.

San Antonio Spurs hire Danny Ferry, Samson Kayode and Hao Meng

The San Antonio Spurs basketball operations staff made moves today, hiring Samson Kayode as Director of Player Evaluation/Austin Spurs Assistant GM, Hao Meng as Director of Strategic Analysis and Basketball Insight, and Danny Ferry as Basketball Operations Consultant.

In addition, Brendan Bowman has been promoted to Assistant Athletic Trainer, while Brandon Leibsohn has been elevated to Manager of Basketball Strategy.

Kayode spent the last four years as Assistant Director for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team, where he assisted in all facets but primarily focused on developing the Men’s Junior National Team program. Prior to joining USA Basketball, he spent two seasons from 2014-16 as the Video Coordinator for the Detroit Pistons after serving as a video intern for the Golden State Warriors from 2012-14. Kayode was the men’s basketball video coordinator at New Mexico State from 2010-12 while earning his master’s degree after getting his bachelor’s from Morgan State.

Meng joins the Spurs after spending the last seven-plus years at the NBA league office, most recently as Associate Vice President of Basketball Strategy and Analytics. He started with the NBA as a Manager of Team Finance in 2013 before being named Associate Director of Basketball Strategy in 2016. Prior to joining the league office, Meng worked as an investment banking financial analyst at Goldman Sachs for two years after graduating from Harvard in 2011.

Ferry most recently served as the Interim General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 after first being named a special advisor for New Orleans in 2016. The Duke alum served as General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005-10 and President of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks from 2012-15. Ferry previously worked in San Antonio’s front office from 2010-12 and 2003-05 after he played his last three seasons in the NBA with the Spurs, culminating in an NBA Championship with the Silver and Black in 2003.

Bowman has been with San Antonio for the last three seasons, most recently serving as Medical Systems Assistant. He spent his first two seasons with the Spurs as a medical quality assurance assistant after spending a season as the Athletic Trainer for the Erie Bayhawks, the NBA G League affiliate of the Orlando Magic, in 2016-17. Bowman earned a master’s degree from Minot State in 2016 after graduating from Washington State in 2014.

Leibsohn stays with the Spurs after spending last season as a basketball operations quality assurance assistant. Prior to joining San Antonio, he worked as an associate at Hallier Lawrence law firm from 2015-19. Leibsohn interned in the legal department for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2012 while attending Marquette Law School, where he graduated in 2013 after earning a bachelor’s from Hamilton College (New York) in 2010.

Tim Hardaway Jr. interview after Mavs vs Timberwolves preseaon game

Postgame Tim Hardaway Jr. interview after Thursday’s Dallas Mavericks 129-127 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves:

On playing at home and in an empty arena:

“I mean it was fine. A lot of arenas are different when you are playing in them. LA, MSG, Brooklyn – the stands are dark so you can probably see the basket better. That is probably more similar to the bubble. Here and in Milwaukee the lights were on in the stands, so it was brighter. But it doesn’t matter. I am just happy that we are out here playing ball, and everyone is healthy.”

On his confidence level with this team going into the season:

“Very high. It shouldn’t be any less. We know what we have to do out there on the floor to be a productive playoff-caliber team. And it is on us to just go out there and execute. The coaching staff has done a hell of a job this whole training camp so far of preparing us and making sure we are on track and making sure everyone is focused. From a confidence standpoint it is really high. We have to take that on the road when we start next week.”

On his offensive aggressiveness:

“I feel like tonight I just tried to stay aggressive. You want to get your feet wet while you are at home and get used to the surroundings where there is no one in the arena. I just wanted to make sure I picked and chose my spots wisely and knocked down some shots. But we are not satisfied. We lost and we had the lead going into the fourth. I know that the starters and the rest of the guys weren’t happy with how we were playing the rest of the game. But in this league you just have to take every win. Everyone has to understand you take every win and every loss and learn from it. For me, it wasn’t enough.”

On Josh Richardson:

“J. Rich has been doing a great job from the start – keeping a positive attitude and keeping his mindset all about the team. He wants to win. He has come here with one goal and one goal only and that is to win and be in a playoff-loving team environment. So far he has done a heck of a job and is doing a great job of being a leader and a vocal leader out there.”

On the final three-pointer by Boban Marjanović:

“For Boban, it was a wide-open shot. He makes that shot so we were happy that he got that look. In and out probably says a lot about how the game went for us tonight on that end of the floor. A lot of easy and open ones that we wanted to go in and drop.”

NBA establishing load management rules, for national TV games and beyond

The NBA is reportedly working to minimize the effect load management has on fans. Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Load management, they call it, is a player’s way of offsetting the grind of a grueling NBA season by taking a game off here or a game off there.

It’s good for the player but bad for the fans, which is why the NBA is doing its part this season to cut back on players missing games, particularly road games where fans of the home team get few chances to see visiting players.

The NBA sent a memo to teams this week updating its policy on resting players.

Teams shouldn’t rest multiple healthy players during the same game and teams should not rest healthy players for road games. And even more significant, teams can be fined $100,000 for resting healthy players for nationally televised games.

Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy, whose team plays 19 nationally televised games in the first half of the season, welcomes the league’s plan to appease its consumers.

“I think the thing we can never forget when you are in pro sports is that the people who make our league — I don’t care if it’s the NBA, the NFL, Major League Baseball — is the fans,” Van Gundy said. “Without the fans, we have no league. We have nobody buying TV rights. We have nothing without the fans. We need to respect those fans at all time.”

It makes sense that the league wouldn’t want star players to sit out of national TV games when they don’t have to. Televised games are usually a good matchup, which means that in addition to the TV audience, the game would be a hot ticket to attend.

Whatever the official rules turn out to be on this for 2020-21, there will likely be additional adjustments to load management-related rules in coming seasons.