Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Cavs sign Lamar Stevens, waive Rayjon Tucker

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Lamar Stevens from Penn State University to a two-way contract.

In a separate move, the Cavaliers have waived forward Rayjon Tucker, who was acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz on Nov. 27.

Stevens (6-8, 225) played four years collegiately at Penn State from 2016-20, averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32.2 minutes over 135 career contests (all starts). As a senior in 2019-20, he appeared in 31 games (all starts) and averaged 17.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks in 31.1 minutes. Stevens, who led Penn State and finished fourth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.6) his senior year, was named to the 2019-20 All-Big Ten First Team as well as the 2019-20 Senior CLASS All-America Second Team for his achievements on and off the court.

Stevens averaged double figures in scoring in each of his four collegiate seasons and ranks second on Penn State’s career scoring list (2,207). He holds program records for field goals made (801) and starts (135), and finished his collegiate career as part of the winningest class in Penn State’s Big Ten era (76 wins). Stevens was named to the 2018-19 All-Big Ten First Team by media and 2018-19 Second Team by coaches. During his time at Penn State, he was a two-time NABC and USBWA All-District selection, and was named the 2018 NIT Most Outstanding Player.

Nets re-sign guard Tyler Johnson

The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed free agent guard Tyler Johnson.

Johnson (6’4”, 190) most recently signed with Brooklyn on June 24, appearing in eight seeding games (four starts) for the Nets in the NBA’s restart in Orlando and recording averages of 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 24.2 minutes per contest. In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the six-year NBA veteran appeared in four games (two starts) for Brooklyn, averaging 13.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.2 minutes per contest.

Prior to signing with the Nets last summer, Johnson appeared in 31 games (three starts) during the 2019-20 season with the Phoenix Suns, recording averages of 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.6 minutes per game.

The Grand Forks, N.D., native went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, beginning his first professional season with the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. Johnson played in 15 games with the Skyforce before signing two 10-day contracts and a multi-year deal with Miami in early 2015.

Prior to beginning his professional career, Johnson spent four years (2010-14) at Fresno State, earning All-Mountain West Conference Second Team honors as a senior.

Lakers re-sign Kostas Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday re-signed Kostas Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract.

Antetokounmpo appeared in 38 games (37 starts) for the South Bay Lakers last season, averaging 14.1 points (.623 FG%), 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes. He tallied 10 double-doubles with South Bay and scored in double figures 33 times, including eight games with 20+ points. In five games with Los Angeles, Antetokounmpo averaged 1.4 points in 4.0 minutes.

Clippers re-sign Patrick Patterson

The LA Clippers have re-signed free agent Patrick Patterson.

Patterson, 31, appeared in 59 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds while connecting on 39.0 percent of his three-point attempts.

The 6-foot-8 forward holds career averages of 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 44.8 percent in 10 NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers.

A native of Huntington, W.V., Patterson played three collegiate seasons at the University of Kentucky, before being selected by the Houston Rockets with the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. At Kentucky, he was a three-time All-SEC honoree, the 2008 SEC Rookie of the Year and a member of the 2010 All-SEC Defensive Team.

Clippers re-sign Marcus Morris

The LA Clippers have re-signed free agent Marcus Morris Sr.

The Clippers acquired Morris, 31, during the 2019-20 season from the New York Knicks. He appeared in 19 games as a Clipper, averaging 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes. In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Morris shot a playoff career-high 47.5 percent from behind the arc and averaged 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29.8 minutes.

“We are delighted that Marcus has chosen to continue his career with the Clippers,” said Frank. “We obviously depend on his scoring, shooting ability, and defensive versatility. With his experience, toughness, and team-first approach, we will look to him as a leader as well.”

Before joining the Clippers, Morris appeared in 43 games for the Knicks and averaged career-highs in points (19.6), three-pointers made (2.7) and three-point field goal percentage (43.9).

The Philadelphia, Pa., native holds career averages of 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Knicks and Clippers.

The 6-foot-8 forward played three collegiate seasons at the University of Kansas, where he was named Big 12 Player of the Year as a Junior in 2011, before being selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Kansas retired his No. 22 jersey in 2020.

Rockets sign Bruno Caboclo, Sterling Brown, Jae’Sean Tate and Mason Jones

The Houston Rockets have re-signed forward Bruno Caboclo in addition to signing a trio of free agents in guard Sterling Brown, guard Mason Jones, and forward Jae’Sean Tate. Jones was signed to a two-way contract.

Caboclo (6-9, 218) was originally acquired by Houston via trade from Memphis on Feb. 6, 2020 and appeared in eight games for the Rockets over the remainder of the season. The Brazilian native was the 20th overall pick by Toronto in the 2014 NBA Draft and has appeared in 99 career games. In 2018-19, Caboclo averaged career-highs of 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for the Grizzlies.

Brown (6-5, 219) was the 46th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2017 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Milwaukee. He played 20-plus minutes (rounded) 40 times over the past two seasons while averaging 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 3-pointers made in those games. Brown finished his collegiate career with the most wins of any player in SMU history and spent his first two and a half seasons playing for Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown.

Jones (6-5, 200) was an early entry candidate for the 2020 NBA Draft following his junior season at Arkansas. He was named the 2019-20 SEC Co-Player of the Year by media and led the nation in both free throws made (233) and attempted (282) while finishing eighth in scoring (22.0 ppg). His brother, Matt, played at Duke and in the G League while his sister, Jordan, played at Texas A&M and was selected in the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Tate (6-4, 230) was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his senior season at Ohio State. He spent last season with the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League and helped the team reach the Finals while earning All-NBL First Team honors. In 2018-19, Tate played for the Antwerp Giants in the Belgian Pro Basketball League and was selected as one of the five best offensive players.

Three-team NBA trade sends Trevor Ariza to Thunder, James Johnson to Mavericks

In a three-team trade today, the Dallas Mavericks have acquired forward James Johnson from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the deal, the Mavericks sent guard Delon Wright to the Detroit Pistons and forward Justin Jackson to the Thunder. The Pistons dealt forward Trevor Ariza to Oklahoma City. The Thunder acquired a 2023 second round pick (best from either Dallas or Miami) and a 2026 second round draft pick from Dallas.

Ariza (6-8, 215) has appeared in 1,064 career games (731 starts) with New York, Orlando, L.A. Lakers, Houston, New Orleans, Washington, Phoenix, Sacramento and Portland, registering averages of 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.49 steals in 29.7 minutes per contest. Last season the former NBA champion split the season between Sacramento and Portland. In his time with Portland, the Miami native appeared in 21 games (all starts) and averaged 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.62 steals in 33.4 minutes per game, shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range.

Jackson (6-7, 220) has seen action in 214 career games (58 starts) with Sacramento and Dallas, recording averages of 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.5 minutes per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the floor. Last season with Dallas, the North Carolina product appeared in 65 games (three starts), averaging 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest, shooting 84.0 percent from the free throw line.

Johnson has appeared in 634 career games (220 starts) with Chicago, Toronto, Sacramento, Memphis, Miami and Minnesota, averaging 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.6 minutes per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field. He was originally acquired from Minnesota on Nov. 20.

Celtics sign Jayson Tatum to contract extension

The Boston Celtics on Wednesday, November 25 signed All-Star forward Jayson Tatum to a contract extension.

According to the Boston Globe, “Tatum and the Celtics have agreed to a five-year, $195 million designated rookie max extension. The contract will begin during the 2021-22 season and it includes a player option in the fifth and final year.”

“Jayson has emerged as one of the best two-way players in the NBA through his first three seasons, and will continue to get better and better as a player and a leader,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “He possesses unique scoring and playmaking abilities, and has displayed exceptional poise and maturity in how he approaches the game. He’s someone who, at 22 years of age, will be a central figure to this organization’s championship aspirations for many years to come.”

“I am incredibly grateful to the Celtics organization, and the city of Boston for this opportunity,” said Tatum. “I love this city, this organization, and the best fans in the NBA. I plan on being here for a very long time.”

More from the Globe: “Tatum’s extension includes about $163 million in guaranteed salary as well as escalator clauses that will vault the figure to about $195 million if Tatum meets incentives. Rookie extensions can be for up to 25 percent of the salary cap, but Tatum will be eligible for 30 percent if he receives All-NBA honors or is named defensive player of the year this season.”

A first-time NBA All-Star in 2019-20, Tatum, 22, produced a team-high 23.4 points on 45.0% shooting (40.3% 3-PT) in just his third NBA season. The St. Louis, MO native added 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals in 66 games (all starts) to become the first Celtics player to register 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in a single season since Paul Pierce in 2003.

Tatum’s All-Star season resulted in his selection to the 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team, making him the second Celtics player in franchise history to receive All-NBA honors prior to his 23rd birthday.

Originally drafted by the Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Tatum has averaged 17.3 points (45.7% FG, 40.1% 3-PT, 82.9% FT), 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocked shots, and 31.8 minutes played in 225 career games (all starts) over three NBA seasons. The 22-year-old has improved his marks in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals in each season since joining the professional ranks, and is the only player in NBA history to accumulate 3,900 points, 1,300 rebounds, and 400 3-point field goals through his first three seasons.

After surgery, Klay Thompson to miss another full NBA season

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson on Wednesday, November 25 underwent surgery to fix a torn right Achilles.

The surgery will likely keep Thompson sidelined for the entire 2020-21 NBA season. Which means he’ll have been out of the NBA for an entire two seasons before he returns to action.

The 30-year-old sharpshooter suffered the injury while working out in the Los Angeles area on November 18.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “though the additions of Kelly Oubre Jr., Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore should bolster Golden State’s wing depth, the Warriors know there is no way to truly replace Thompson. His shooting range, defense and selflessness were a driving force behind the team’s recent dynasty.”

A three-time NBA Champion and five-time NBA All-Star, Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season after suffering a torn left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals (June 13, 2019). He has appeared in 615 regular season games during his nine-year NBA career, averaging 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33.1 minutes per game.

Atlanta Hawks sign forward Solomon Hill

The Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, November 25 signed free agent forward Solomon Hill.

“Solomon is a player who has been on four playoff teams and has competed on the highest level,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Travis Schlenk. “We are fortunate to add his veteran presence to our group.”

Hill has played in 364 regular season NBA games (172 starts) over the course of seven NBA seasons with Indiana, New Orleans, Memphis and Miami. The Los Angeles native holds career averages of 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.0 minutes per matchup (.395 FG%, .336 3FG%, .801 FT%). Hill has appeared in 24 playoff contests with the Pacers, Pelicans and Heat, shooting .463 (19-41) from beyond-the-arc and .923 (24-26) from the free-throw line in postseason play. The 6’7 forward played in four NBA Finals games in 2020 for the Heat.

The 23rd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Indiana, Hill was a four-year player at the University of Arizona and left tied for the most games played (139) in Wildcats history.

He will wear jersey No. 18.