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The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent center Brandon McCoy.
It is very likely a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings McCoy to training camp.
McCoy, 7-1, 250, went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Chicago native spent one season at UNLV, appearing in 33 games and averaging 16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
McCoy will wear #12 for the Pelicans. New Orleans’ training camp roster now stands at 20.
The 2018-19 NBA preseason began Friday, with a Hornets victory over the Celtics. Some quotes on the game:
Charlotte Observer: “Jeremy Lamb says his dream growing up was to be an NBA starter. That didn’t look plausible based on most of his pro career to date, but he sure made a case in the Charlotte Hornets’ first exhibition. Lamb, starting at shooting guard, hit three of his five 3-pointers, finishing with 15 points and looking generally impressive in the Hornets’ 104-97 victory over the Boston Celtics at the Smith Center on North Carolina’s campus.”
The Observer on Celtics guard Kyrie Irving: “The Celtics’ point guard looked sharp in his first game back since a knee procedure in March that ended his season.”
Boston Herald: “Gordon Hayward’s first game in roughly a year had predictable rust, and the equally expected self-critique by the Celtics forward when it was all over. But forget about the warts and the Celtics’ 104-97 loss to Charlotte in their exhibition season opener in the Dean Smith Center. He was playing again. “It definitely was (a small victory),” Hayward said after scoring 10 points in 22 front-loaded minutes. “I’ve been through a lot this last year. Just to be out there in front of the fans and playing with my teammates – there were moments last year when I definitely was not able to do that. Definitely a win.”
Legendary former Lakers role player Kurt Rambis is back with the squad. Not as a role player again, which would be fun considering his playing days are long over, but as Senior Basketball Advisor.
Rambis will report to President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, and support the basketball operations and coaching staffs in their day-to-day functions.
“As a member of the Showtime Lakers, Kurt is a champion and knows how to win,” said Johnson. “He has been an integral part of the Lakers organization winning four NBA Championships as a player and an additional four as a part of the staff. His insights and wide range of experiences will be a huge benefit to our operations.”
Rambis has spent the past 16 years (1994-2009, 2013-14) in various coaching and front office roles within the Lakers organization. During that time, the team made six NBA Finals appearances (2000-02, 2004, 2008-09) and won four NBA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2009).
Rambis also served as the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009-11 and for four years from 2014-18 was associate head coach of the New York Knicks, including a brief stint as interim head coach.
“I’m happy to welcome Kurt back to the organization,” said Lakers head coach Luke Walton. “Kurt’s vast NBA experience and knowledge of the game will be a great asset to the team and I look forward to working with him again.”
NBA preseason is generally filled with minor injuries that are the opposite of serious and generally only require a day or two’s worth of rest to heal.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with Lauri Markkanen. The young Bulls power forward sustained a right elbow injury in practice on Thursday, Sept. 27. He underwent an MRI today that showed a high grade lateral elbow sprain.
Markkanen is estimated to be out six-to-eight weeks.
And according to the Chicago Sun-Times, after averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds last season and being named to the NBA All-Rookie first team, Markkanen added 17 pounds of muscle this offseason and was expected to be a focal point of the offense. “Lauri looks great,’’ guard Zach LaVine said just days before Markkanen suffered the injury in practice Thursday. “He got a little bit stronger; jumper still looks pretty as all get-out. Still the funniest dude in the world. He looks good, man.”
Preseason is a warmup period. Many stars play sparingly. Plenty of players suffer very minor bumps and bruises and wind up sitting out more than probably necessary, just to be on the safe side. But personal tragedy, which Marcus Smart recently suffered, as his mother recently passed away, can of course happen at any time. Here’s the Boston Globe:
The Celtics will begin their preseason without guard Marcus Smart, who did not make the trip with his teammates to North Carolina and will miss Friday’s opener because of what the team called personal reasons.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Smart is expected back with the team Saturday or for Sunday’s game against Charlotte and that Smart is physically healthy. Smart, 24, is still grieving following the death of his mother, Camellia, on Sept. 16 and admitted moving on from her passing has been difficult.
Preseason begins tonight, with the Celtics facing the Hornets.
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The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Devin Davis. The team has also waived guard Gabe York.
Davis (6’6”, 225, 3/29/95) played in 55 career games (48 starts) during two seasons (2016-18) at the University of Houston, averaging 9.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg. and 1.2 apg. in 24.1 minpg. As a senior (2017-18), he played and started in all 35 contests, averaging 10.9 ppg., a team-high 6.3 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 26.0 minpg. Davis was the only Cougar to start all 35 outings and ranked seventh in the American Athletic Conference in rebounding.
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The San Antonio Spurs have exercised their fourth-year team option on guard Dejounte Murray and center Jakob Poeltl for the 2019-20 season.
In addition, the Spurs have exercised their third-year option on guard Derrick White for the 2019-20 season.
Murray is entering his third season with the Spurs after being selected by San Antonio in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft (29th overall). Last year, Murray was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to be named to an All-Defensive Team. He ended the season with 459 rebounds, setting the record for most total rebounds in a single season by a point guard in Spurs history passing the previous mark of 378 by Johnny Moore in 1984-85. The former Washington Husky has appeared in 119 career NBA games, averaging 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.4 minutes.
Poeltl is in his first season with the Silver and Black after being acquired from the Toronto Raptors on July 18. Last season, Poeltl averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.22 blocks in 18.6 minutes. Selected by the Raptors with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the 7-0, 230-pound center has appeared in 136 games in his two-year NBA career, averaging 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes. Poeltl holds a career field goal percentage of .641 (320-499), which ranks fifth in the NBA among all players with at least 300 field goals made in the last two seasons.
White appeared in 17 games during his rookie season with the Spurs, averaging 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.2 minutes. The former Colorado Buffalo helped lead the Austin Spurs to the 2018 G League Championship, averaging 24.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.80 steals in 32.8 minutes in the G League Playoffs. He appeared in 24 regular season games for Austin, averaging 20.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.29 steals and 1.17 blocks in 28.2 minutes. White was drafted by the Spurs with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Liron Fanan as Director of G League Player Development. In her role, Liron will work to enrich Canton Charge players off the court through both League and team initiatives.
In addition to her Charge responsibilities, Fanan will also utilize her extensive international basketball background to assist the Cavs scouting department and General Manager Koby Altman.
“We are thrilled to welcome Liron to the Cavaliers organization and for her to become involved in all of our basketball operations initiatives,“ said Altman. “She’s a basketball lifer with incredible experience internationally and has a great basketball acumen we are very fortunate to have.”
Fanan comes to Northeast Ohio after having spent the last nine years co-founding and managing her own agency, 2Talent Sports Management, where she built a roster of athletes to serve their needs through player contracts, individual business interests and community engagement. Prior to venturing on her own, Liron served as Assistant General Manager for Maccabi Tel Aviv from 2005 to 2009, where she oversaw the club’s marketing and ticket sales efforts in addition to her basketball responsibilities. Fanan, a native of Israel, also has spent time on the side involved with NBA Summer League, NBA Basketball Without Borders and the NBA’s Global Camp in Italy.
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The Orlando Magic have exercised their third-year team option on forward Jonathan Isaac.
Isaac is now signed through the 2019-20 season.
Isaac (6’10”, 210, 10/3/97) played in 27 games (ten starts) during his rookie campaign last season with the Magic, averaging 5.4 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 1.22 stlpg. and 1.11 blkpg. in 19.8 minpg. Isaac was originally selected by Orlando in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota. The Timberwolves are looking into making it happen. Here’s the Miami Herald with the latest:
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The Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves continued discussing a trade involving disgruntled guard Jimmy Butler on Wednesday amid a New York Times report that Butler has informed the Timberwolves that he would prefer to be traded Miami.
The Heat, Wolves and other teams have discussed various permutations in the Heat’s aggressive pursuit of a trade for the four-time All-Star, who has asked for a trade and informed the Timberwolves that he would not re-sign with them as a free agent next summer.
An executive with another Eastern Conference team said he believes Miami is the leading contender for Butler but that wasn’t based on anything the Wolves have told him.