Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Grizzlies sign Jay Huff to a multi-year contract

The Memphis Grizzlies recently signed center Jay Huff to a multi-year contract.

Huff (7-1, 240) has appeared in three games as a reserve this season and has averaged 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes while shooting 63.6 percent overall and 57.1 percent from 3-point range after signing a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on July 24.

Unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft, Huff has competed in 34 games off the bench and has averaged 3.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.5 minutes for the Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers following a four-year collegiate career at Virginia, where he was a member of the Cavaliers’ 2019 NCAA championship team.

The 27-year-old also has played 100 NBA G League Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Grand Rapids Gold, Capital City Go-Go and South Bay Lakers. During the 2022-23 season, he was named the NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-NBA G League First Team and NBA G League All-Defensive First Team with Capital City.

Wizards exercise contract option on Bilal Coulibaly

The Washington Wizards yesterday exercised the third-year rookie scale team option for guard/forward Bilal Coulibaly.

Through three games this season, the second-year pro is averaging 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on .500 shooting from the field. Coulibaly notched a career-high 23 points against Cleveland on Oct. 26, also tying his career high with four made threes.

The Courbevoie, France native played for his home country during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, appearing in six games and contributing to a silver medal-winning French team.

In his rookie campaign, Coulibaly ranked sixth among rookies in total steals and blocks and was in the top 10 for points (ninth) and rebounds (eighth) at the time of his season-ending injury. He was the second-youngest player to appear in a game last season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of .435 from the field and .346 from three-point range.

Hawks injury update on four players

Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic underwent a non-surgical procedure yesterday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Guard Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation) has begun treatment and rehabilitation. He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Guard Dyson Daniels sustained a right hip flexor strain during last night’s game vs. Washington. He will be listed as out for tomorrow’s game at Washington and will continue to receive treatment. His status is day-to-day.

Forward Vit Krejci sustained a right adductor strain during last night’s game vs. Washington. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Raptors exercise contract options on Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick

The Toronto Raptors have exercised the fourth-year team option on the rookie scale contract of guard-forward Ochai Agbaji and third-year team option on the rookie scale contract of guard-forward Gradey Dick.

Both players are now signed through the 2025-26 season.

Agbaji, 6-foot-5, 219 pounds, is averaging 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 27.7 minutes through four games (three starts) this season. He is shooting .588 (20-34) from the field, including .455 (5-11) from three-point range, and has scored in double figures three times. Agbaji was acquired from Utah at the trade deadline last season.

A native of Milwaukee, Agbaji was picked 14th overall by Cleveland in the 2022 NBA Draft. He is averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 21.0 minutes in 141 career NBA games (53 starts) with Utah and Toronto. Prior to being drafted by the Cavaliers, Agbaji played four seasons (2018-22) at Kansas where he was a three-time All-Big 12 selection, and helped the Jayhawks capture the NCAA National Championship in 2022. For his efforts, he was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

Dick, 6-foot-7, 208 pounds, is averaging 16.0 points, 1.8 assists and 29.9 minutes in four games (all starts) this season. He is shooting .431 (22-51) from the floor, .346 (9-26) from beyond the arc and a perfect 11-for-11 at the free throw line. Dick has scored 10+ points three times, including a career-high 25 points Oct. 26 at Minnesota.

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Dick was selected 13th overall by the Raptors in the 2023 NBA Draft. He owns career averages of 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 21.7 minutes in 64 games (21 starts). Dick entered the draft following one season at Kansas where he was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, All-Newcomer Team and All-Freshman Team, and set the Jayhawks freshman record for three-point field goals made (83).

Wizards waive Jared Butler

The Washington Wizards yesterday requested waivers on guard Jared Butler.

Butler saw action in 40 games for Washington during the 2023-24 season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. The Baylor product also appeared in 16 games for the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, last season.

He most recently appeared in five preseason games for Washington.

The Wizards roster currently stands at 18, including three two-way players.

Grizzlies convert contract of Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract

The Memphis Grizzlies yesterday promoted the contract of guard Yuki Kawamura to a two-way contract.

Kawamura (5-8, 159) appeared in all five preseason games as a reserve for the Grizzlies and averaged 3.4 points and 4.2 assists in 15.1 minutes after initially signing with Memphis on September 6.

Unselected in the 2023 NBA Draft, Kawamura has competed the past five seasons (2019-24) in the Japanese B.League, where he was named the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player with the Yokohama B-Corsairs. The 23-year-old started all 56 games for Yokohama last season and averaged 20.9 points and 8.0 assists in 30.6 minutes to earn a second straight selection to the B.League’s Best Five team.

Kawamura has represented Japan at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics, where he totaled 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists to help Japan take France to overtime on July 30.

Thunder sign Alex Reese

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward/center Alex Reese, it was announced yesterday by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Reese (6-9, 230) appeared in three preseason games with the Thunder and averaged 2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 8.7 minutes of action per contest. The Pelham, Alabama native appeared in 43 games for the NBA G League’s Rip City Remix last season and averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while connecting on 40.5 percent from three-point range in 17.3 minutes per game.

Cavaliers waive Pete Nance, Jules Bernard, Zhaire Smith, and Jacob Gilyard

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived Pete Nance, Jules Bernard, Zhaire Smith, and Jacob Gilyard, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced yesterday from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The Cavaliers will open the 2024-25 regular season on Wednesday, October 23 at the Toronto Raptors, followed by the home opener on Friday, October 25 versus the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The current roster stands at 17 players, including three two-ways.

Lakers convert contract of Quincy Olivari to a two-way contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have converted the contract of guard Quincy Olivari to a two-way contract.

Additionally, the team has waived two-way center Colin Castleton and guard Grayson Murphy.

Olivari (6’2”, 201) recently appeared in four preseason games for the Lakers, averaging 8.8 points on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor and 57.1 percent from 3-point range to go with 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.4 minutes. Oct. 18 at Golden State, Olivari recorded 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting from long distance, seven rebounds and two assists in 39 minutes. Sparking a fourth-quarter comeback Oct. 10 at Milwaukee, Olivari posted 11 points as part of a 20-0 Lakers run to steal the victory.

The Georgia native played five collegiate seasons at Xavier (2023-24) and Rice (2019-23). In his lone campaign as a Musketeer, Olivari appeared in 34 games (all starts) and averaged 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes. He finished the season as the Big East’s leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.409) and was voted to the league’s honorable mention team. Olivari played for the Lakers’ 2024 summer league team.

Castleton was signed by the Lakers July 6 and recently appeared in five preseason games. In 16 contests for the Purple and Gold in 2023-24, he averaged 1.5 points in 3.7 minutes.

Murphy was signed by the Lakers Oct. 18.

Magic convert contract of Mac McClung to a two-way contract

The Orlando Magic have converted the contract of guard Mac McClung to a two-way contract.

In addition, Orlando has waived guard-forward Jarrett Culver, guard Alex Morales, forward Jalen Slawson and guard Ethan Thompson.

McClung (6’2”, 185, 1/6/99) was originally signed by Orlando on September 19. He appeared in two preseason games, averaging 4.0 ppg., 1.0 apg. and 1.00 blkppg. in 7.5 minpg. McClung played and started in 27 games last season with Osceola of the NBA G League, averaging a league-best 25.7 ppg., 6.6 apg., 4.7 rpg. and 1.26 stlpg. in 35.4 minpg., while shooting .509 (252-495) from the floor, .396 (72-182) from three-point range and .843 (70-83) from the free throw line. He was named the 2023-24 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and also earned 2023-24 All-NBA G League First Team honors. At NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, McClung won the Slam Dunk contest for the second consecutive year.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, McClung has played in four career NBA regular season games with Chicago, the L.A. Lakers and Philadelphia, averaging 8.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 2.5 apg. in 16.3 minpg. He has also appeared in 86 career NBA G League outings (82 starts) with South Bay, Windy City, Delaware and Osceola, averaging 21.9 ppg., 6.2 apg., 4.6 rpg. and 1.21 stlpg. in 32.1 minpg., while shooting .510 (677-1,327) from the floor, .415 (195-470) from three-point range and .849 (203-239) from the free throw line.

McClung played in 50 career games during two seasons (2018-20) at Georgetown University, averaging 14.2 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 2.2 apg. and 1.06 stlpg. in 26.6 minpg. During the 2018-19 season, he led all Big East freshmen in scoring and was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. McClung also played in 29 games during one season (2020-21) at Texas Tech University, averaging 15.5 ppg., 2.7 rpg. and 2.1 apg. in 30.2 minpg.

Orlando’s roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players (McClung, Trevelin Queen).