Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Grizzlies exercise contract options on Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Grayson Allen

The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised their 2021-22 contract options on guard Ja Morant, forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr., forward Brandon Clarke and guard Grayson Allen.

For in the 2021-22 season, Morant will reportedly make around $9.6 million, Jackson around $9.18 million, Clarke around $2.73 million, and Allen around $4 million.

Morant was named the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and received 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team honors after averaging 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 31.0 minutes in 67 games (all starts) last season. Selected by the Grizzlies with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 21-year-old was chosen for the 2020 NBA Rising Stars as part of NBA All-Star Weekend 2020 alongside Jackson Jr. and Clarke.

Jackson Jr. has averaged 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.51 blocks in 27.3 minutes in 115 games (113 starts) over two seasons since he was selected by Memphis with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 21-year-old, who received 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team accolades, averaged 17.4 points and 1.61 blocks (10th in the NBA) during the 2019-20 campaign, scoring a career-high 43 points on Dec. 13, 2019, against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Clarke appeared in 58 games (four starts) as a rookie last season and averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.4 minutes while shooting an NBA rookie-record 61.8 percent from the field (fourth in the NBA). Clarke, who was selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, was named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie First Team alongside Morant and finished fourth in the 2019-20 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year voting.

Allen has competed in 76 games (two starts) and has averaged 7.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.9 minutes for the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies. Selected by Utah with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Allen appeared in 38 games as a reserve and averaged 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.9 minutes while shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range last season, his first with the Grizzlies.

Nets sign Elie Okobo and Kaiser Gates

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Elie Okobo and forward Kaiser Gates.

Okobo (6’3”, 190) joins the Nets after spending the first two seasons (2018-20) of his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns. In 108 games (19 starts), Okobo recorded averages of 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. This past season, the 22-year-old saw action in 55 games (three starts), averaging 4.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 13.1 minutes per contest. The Bordeaux, France, native was originally selected with the 31st overall pick (second round) in the 2018 NBA Draft by Phoenix. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Okobo spent three years (2015-18) with Élan Béarnais of France’s Pro A league. He has also represented France in international competition, earning a bronze medal in 2017 in the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.

Gates (6’7”, 225) joins Brooklyn after spending the 2019-20 season in the NBA G League with the Maine Red Claws, where he averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32.6 minutes per contest in 36 games (all starts). In 86 career NBA G League games (45 starts) with Maine and the Windy City Bulls (2018-19), Gates has recorded averages of 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.7 minutes per contest. The Alpharetta, Ga., native was also named to USA Basketball Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Team in November 2020 and played three collegiate seasons (2015-18) at Xavier.

Heat waive Breein Tyree and Paul Eboua

The Miami Heat waived guard Breein Tyree and forward Paul Eboua today.

Both players were signed on November 25.

Tyree played a few minutes in one preseason game. Eboua didn’t get any preseason minutes.

There are just a few days left to preseason, then the regular season tips off on Tuesday. Teams around the league will steadily be releasing players and trimming their rosters down in the coming days.

Rockets notes after 112-98 preseason game win over Spurs

Win the win tonight, the Rockets improve to 2-1 this preseason with their final game also hosting the Spurs on Thursday. Since going 3-5 in the 2015 preseason, Houston has posted a 19-6 preseason mark.

The Rockets scored 112 points tonight after having just 91 at Chicago on 12/13. Houston was 40-13 when scoring 110+ points last season and 4-15 when scoring below.

Houston held San Antonio to 98 points. The Rockets have not allowed more than 104 points in a game this preseason. Houston was 21-3 when holding opponents below 110 points last season.

The Rockets outshot the Spurs 44.9% to 42.9%. Houston was 25-3 when outshooting its opponent last season and 20-5 when holding the opposition below 45.0% shooting.

Houston outrebounded San Antonio 51-43 tonight after being outrebounded by an average of 9.5 rpg in the two games vs. Chicago. The Rockets were 20-6 when outrebounding their opponent last season.

John Wall had a team-high tying 15 points with 3 steals tonight. He has scored a total of 49 points in 69 minutes of play this preseason. Wall led the NBA in total steals with 157 in 2016-17 and has ranked top-10 in that category four times.

Ben McLemore led all reserves with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He is averaging 11.7 ppg in 20.6 mpg while shooting 52.2% this preseason. McLemore has hit 2 3-pointers in all three games this preseason while shooting 40.0% from behind-the-arc. He averaged 2.5 3FGM on 40.0% shooting in 2019-20.

James Harden and P.J. Tucker both made their preseason debuts tonight. Harden had 12 points and 4 assists in 21 minutes of play while Tucker also played 21 minutes, scoring 8 points with two 3-pointers made. Harden led the league in scoring in each of the past three seasons. The Rockets were 21-8 when Tucker had 2+ 3FGM in 2019-20.

DeMarcus Cousins had game-highs of 11 rebounds, 4 steals and a block tonight. He is averaging 7.3 rpg, 2.0 spg and 1.7 bpg in just 17.7 mpg this preseason. Cousins averaged 8.2 rpg, 1.3 spg and 1.5 bpg in just 25.7 mpg in his last season played which was for Golden State in 2018-19.

Rookie Jae’Sean Tate had 11 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes of play off the bench. He is second on the team in rebounding with 17 boards this preseason. Tate was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his senior season at Ohio State and spent the past two seasons playing overseas.

Lonnie Walker IV had a game-high 17 points for the Spurs. He averaged 11.3 ppg in eight games for San Antonio during the seeding games in Orlando after averaging 5.6 ppg in his first 53 games played in 2019-20.

For now, Toronto Raptors will allow partial fan attendance at games

As the Toronto Raptors prepare to play home games for the opening of the 2020-21 NBA season at Tampa’s Amalie Arena, the team announced plans to host a limited number of fans beginning with its pre-season game against the Miami Heat on Friday, December 18.

Tickets for the pre-season game, and the first 11 regular-season games, will go on sale Thursday morning, Dec. 17.

Fan attendance protocols will involve extensive health and safety measures, including socially distanced seat availability. There will be fewer than 3,200 seats available for the pre-season game, and 3,800 seats for regular-season games. There will be no floor seats, and no seats sold within 30 feet of the court.

Additional measures include: all fans two years of age or older being required to wear a mask for the duration of their time within the venue; enhanced surface and air disinfection systems; physical distancing in the stands and while navigating the venue; a health survey screening for all guests as they enter the facility; cashless payments in the parking lot and for food and beverage services; and bags are prohibited for all Raptors games at the arena.

“In these unique and challenging times, the Raptors are grateful to be able to work closely with the NBA, the Lightning organization and local public health officials to create a safe opportunity for a limited number of fans to take in games,” said Tom McDonald, Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service for MLSE. “As the Raptors call Tampa home for the start of the NBA season, the team looks forward to the opportunity to thank the community for their support while continually emphasizing the important steps required of all of us for a full return of fans when it is safe to do so.”

Jazz waive guard Nigel Williams-Goss

The Utah Jazz have waived guard Nigel Williams-Goss.

NBA preseason ends Saturday, and the regular season starts Tuesday. Teams around the league will steadily trim their rosters.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 188 lbs, Willliams-Goss played 10 games with the Jazz in 2019-20, averaging 1.4 points per game.

In the G League, he played in 17 games with the Salt Lake City Stars, and averaged 15.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 29.6 minutes per game.

He played college hoops at Gonzaga.

Grizzlies sign Zhaire Smith and Bennie Boatwright, waive Jahlil Tripp and Marko Guduric

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Zhaire Smith and forward Bennie Boatwright.

At the same time, the team waived guards Jahlil Tripp and Marko Guduric.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 lbs,. Smith over the course of two NBA seasons has appeared in 13 games (two starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game.

He’s also played in the G League, where for the Delaware Blue Coats he averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 28.2 minutes per outing.

The 21-year-old was traded by the 76ers to the Pistons on November 23, and was waived by the Pistons on Dec. 2.

he played college hoops at Texas Tech University, and is from Garland, Texas.

Boatwright (6-10, 235) spent the 2019-20 season with the Memphis Hustle but did not play due to injury. The 24-year-old played four seasons at the University of Southern California, where he was selected 2018-19 All-Pac 12 First Team after appearing in 31 games (28 starts) and averaging 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.5 minutes while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range (90-210 3P) during his senior year.

A native of California, Boatwright went unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Tripp (6-5, 215) appeared in two preseason games and averaged 3.0 points in 3.6 minutes after signing with the Grizzlies on Nov. 28. Undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 23-year-old Brooklyn native was named the 2019-20 West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and selected All-WCC First Team as a senior at Pacific University.

Guduric (6-6, 201) appeared in 44 games as a rookie last season and averaged 3.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.0 minutes. The 25-year-old Serbia native played for KK Crvena Zvezda before going unselected in the 2017 NBA Draft and competed with Fenerbahçe in Turkey before joining the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo agrees to Bucks contract extension

The Milwaukee Bucks will be retaining the services of Giannis Antetokounmpo for years to come.

On Tuesday, the superstar forward tweeted that he has agreed to sign the Bucks’ contract extension offer.

Per multiple reports, it’s a super-max deal for five years, $228 million.

Many NBA teams whose future plans were to target Giannis in free agency must now sigh in dispair, and focus their attention elsewhere.

This is a major win for Milwaukee. It will also make their free agent signing efforts easier.

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In G League, Long Island Nets name Bret Brielmaier as head coach

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have named Bret Brielmaier as the team’s head coach. Brielmaier becomes the fourth head coach in Long Island history after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets.

“Bret has been an integral part of the Nets family for the past four seasons, and we are thrilled that he’ll be coaching the Long Island Nets,” said Long Island Nets General Manager Matt Riccardi. “His experience and vision are a perfect fit for leading the development of emerging players on Long Island, and we are eager to see the growth he inspires in our next generation of Nets talent.”

Prior to joining the Nets organization in 2016, Brielmaier spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the coaching staff when Cleveland won its 2016 NBA championship. The Mankato, Minn., native also spent four seasons (2009-13) with the San Antonio Spurs, beginning his career as a player development assistant before becoming the team’s video coordinator for his final three seasons.

Brielmaier played four collegiate seasons (2004-08) at the University of Arizona under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Lute Olson. He was a member of four NCAA Tournament teams before earning his first coaching job as an undergraduate assistant coach under Arizona interim head coach Russ Pennell during the 2008-09 season.

Chris Paul to make Suns debut tonight in preseason

Chris Paul will reportedly make his debut in a Phoenix Suns uniform tonight in preseason. Via Arizona Sports:

After not playing in the Phoenix Suns’ preseason opener on Saturday against the Jazz, Chris Paul said he’s playing Monday night in Utah.

The point guard was listed as questionable on the injury report with right ankle soreness, the same ailment that had him out on Saturday, but the 35-year-old said after shootaround he will make his debut.

Phoenix stayed in Utah and will play the Jazz again on Monday, a new twist in the NBA schedule for the 2020-21 season during the COVID-19 pandemic that will see teams playing the same matchup in the same arena in back-to-back games.