Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Orlando Magic reportedly lay off 31 full-time employees

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel reporting that dozens of Magic employees recently lost their jobs:

The Orlando Magic acknowledged Saturday the organization has laid off 31 full-time employees from a staff of about 300 workers.

Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a statement that the franchise, like many organizations across the country, had to take cost-cutting measures due to the adverse financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The layoffs were first reported by The Athletic.

“Our business, as well as many others like us, are significantly impacted due to COVID-19. We have had to make some very difficult business decisions in these unprecedented times. Due to this reality we have had to make the very hard decision to evaluate our overall structure, reorganize and reduce our headcount,” Martins wrote…

In mid-March, the Magic ownership group — the DeVos family — funded a $2 million compensation package to pay 1,800 hourly workers for the Magic, Amway Center, Lakeland Magic and Orlando Solar Bears for remaining regular-season games those part-time employees otherwise would have worked.

Full Article

Nets sign Justin Anderson as Substitute Player for NBA restart

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard/forward Justin Anderson as a Substitute Player for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Nets are incredibly short-handed going into the NBA restart, which tips off July 30 at the single-location NBA campus at Disney Wide World of Sports in Florida, with 22 participating teams.

Anderson (6’5”, 231) was previously signed to a 10-day contract with Brooklyn on Jan. 6 and appeared in three games. He also saw action in 16 games (14 starts) this season with Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, averaging a team-high 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 33.6 minutes per game en route to All-NBA G League Third Team honors.

The Montross, Va., native has appeared in 219 games across five NBA seasons with Dallas (2015-17), Philadelphia (2017-18), Atlanta (2018-19) and Brooklyn (2020), recording averages of 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest. He has also seen action in 38 career NBA G League games, registering averages of 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.5 minutes per game.

With a 30-34 record, the Nets sit 7th in the Eastern conference, above the 8th place Magic and 9th place Wizards. Although Orlando is a healthy squad, the Wizards are without backcourt stars John Wall and Bradley Beal. The Nets face a tough road during the “seeding games” they’ll be playing, but the Wizards, who are 5.5 games out of the 8th spot, face an incredibly difficult task.

Anderson was originally selected by the Mavericks with the 21st pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft following a three-year (2012-15) collegiate career at the University of Virginia. While playing for the Cavaliers, Anderson earned National Basketball Coaches Association All-America Third Team honors and was named to the All-ACC Second Team as a junior. He was also named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as a sophomore.

NBA news: Wizards sign Jarrod Uthoff as Substitute Player

The Washington Wizards today signed forward Jarrod Uthoff (pronounced “YOU-toff”) as a substitute player for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Uthoff (6-9, 221) spent most of the season with the Memphis Hustle (the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate), where he appeared in 34 games (all starts) and averaged 18.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34.9 minutes. The 26-year-old was also named to the Western Conference Midseason All-NBA G League Team in February. Uthoff saw limited action in four games with the Memphis Grizzlies after signing a 10-day contract on Feb. 27.

His previous NBA stop included a nine-game stint with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2016-17 season, where he averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.8 minutes. Uthoff originally went undrafted out of the University of Iowa in 2016, where he was named to the All-Big Ten First Team as a senior.

Zion Williamson leaves NBA Disney restart campus to attend family matter

Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williamson departed Orlando this morning to attend to an urgent family medical matter. He intends to rejoin the team in Orlando for the NBA restart at a later date.

“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Spurs forward Trey Lyles out for remainder of season

San Antonio Spurs forward Trey Lyles underwent an appendectomy earlier today in Orlando, Fla.

In his first year with San Antonio, Lyles averaged 6.4 points to go along with a career-high 5.7 rebounds while shooting a career-best .387 from the three-point line. The fifth-year forward had appeared in all 63 games thus far and made 53 starts.

Lyles will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox out with sprained ankle

An MRI conducted this evening in Orlando, Fla. on Kings guard De’Aaron Fox confirmed that he sustained a left ankle sprain during practice today. He will be reevaluated in 7-10 days and his status will be updated as appropriate.

A third-year guard and fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Fox is averaging 20.4 points (.475 FG%, .307 3pt%, .703 FT%), 4.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 31.7 minutes per game in 45 games (43 starts) for the Kings during the 2019-20 season.

After bout with coronavirus, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic settles in at NBA Disney Campus

Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic has finally made it to the NBA season restart campus at Disney World in Florida. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

No one could’ve blamed Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had he been dispirited in the wake of his weeks-long ordeal following a positive coronavirus test.

Precious practice time with teammates was lost, and for weeks, team officials had to answer for his whereabouts.

Instead, speaking for the first time since his weekend arrival in the NBA’s bubble and since the season shut down in March, Jokic was jovial. He didn’t miss a beat while parrying questions and lobbing jokes at the familiar voices coming through Tuesday’s Zoom call.

“It was not difficult at all, I was home,” Jokic said when asked to describe his last three weeks. “I was quarantined for 14-15 days. We had a little private house. I was with my girlfriend, so it was actually a kind of vacation for us. I work out every day, I enjoy every day. It was actually not that bad.”

The 43-22 Nuggets have the third best record in the Western conference heading into the NBA restart, and Jokic is their centerpiece, both literally and figuratively.

Coach Martin Schiller leaves Salt Lake City Stars for job in Lithuania

Martin Schiller has been named the head coach of Lithuanian basketball club Žalgiris Kaunas, which competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League and EuroLeague, the team announced today.

Schiller, who spent the past three years as head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz), compiled a 73-69 (.514) record and improved his win total each season, twice earning playoff appearances. He led the Stars to the top of the Western Conference last season with a 30-12 (.714) mark and was named the 2019-20 NBA G League Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year.

Under Schiller’s guidance, the Stars won the MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase Tournament in December in the midst of a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA G League last season and tied for second-longest in a single season in league history.

Below are statements from the Jazz and Stars organization on Schiller:

Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz Head Coach): “We are truly excited, as well as proud, that Martin has accepted the opportunity to be the head coach of Žalgiris Kaunas, one of the top programs in the EuroLeague. Additionally, the coaching job he did with the Stars was recognized by his selection as G League Coach of the Year this past season. Not only did the Stars have success, but he also had a significant impact on the Jazz program with his role in the development of the team’s young players. All of us wish Martin and his family the best as he moves forward with this exciting next step.”

Bart Taylor (Utah Jazz Director of Scouting/Salt Lake City Stars Vice President of Basketball Operations): “Martin guided the Stars to marked improvement each season, culminating with his well-deserved Coach of the Year honor last month. He should be proud of what he accomplished during his tenure with the Stars, as he leaves behind a winning culture and a pronounced impact on the Jazz organization through development of players, coaches and staff. We thank him for his dedication to our program. He will be missed.”

Jonathan Rinehart (Salt Lake City Stars President): “I’ve had the privilege to witness firsthand Martin’s passion and drive touch every aspect of our organization over the past three years, from the upward trajectory of our on-court performance and increased connectivity with the Jazz to our efforts in the community. He has been a true asset to the Stars franchise, which has grown immensely during his time with us, and has become a friend to many along the way. He will always be a part of the Jazz and Stars family, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best moving forward.”

Nets sign Lance Thomas as Substitute Player for NBA restart

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Lance Thomas as a Substitute Player for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

Thomas (6’8”, 235) has seen action in 392 career games (124 starts) across eight NBA seasons with New Orleans (2011-13), Oklahoma City (2014-15) and New York (2015-19), recording averages of 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. The 32-year-old last suited up for an NBA team with the Nets in the 2019 preseason, appearing in one game prior to being waived on Oct. 18.

Thomas went undrafted in 2010 after a four-year (2006-10) collegiate career at Duke, where he earned ACC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior while helping the Blue Devils capture the 2010 NCAA National Championship.

Kings center Richaun Holmes put into 10-day quarantine

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on a Kings player who made a mistake that hopefully no player will make again in the coming months:

The Kings will be without a key player over the next several days as they prepare to resume the Western Conference playoff race at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

Kings center Richaun Holmes said he was placed under mandatory 10-day quarantine after leaving the NBA bubble for food. Holmes issued a statement Monday, apologizing for breaking COVID-19 protocols.

“After the initial quarantine period, I briefly and accidentally crossed the NBA campus line to pick up a food delivery,” Holmes said. “I am currently in quarantine and have 8 days left. I apologize for my actions and look forward to rejoining my teammates for our playoff push.”