NBA News Blog – Page 437 – NBA Blog

Clippers waive C.J. Williams

The L.A. Clippers waived guard C.J. Williams today.

Williams, 28, appeared in 38 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.6 minutes. He appeared in 16 games for L.A.’s G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario as part of his two-way contract, averaging 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.5 minutes. A four-year letterman at North Carolina State, the 6’5”, 230-pound guard spent time playing internationally with teams in France, Greece and Italy, and in the NBA G League, before signing with the Clippers in October 2017.

Pelicans sign forward Troy Williams

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent forward Troy Williams.

Williams, 6-7, 220, was a member of the New York Knicks’ 2018 Summer League team, appearing in five contests and averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.6 minutes per game.

During the 2017-18 season, Williams appeared in 21 contests for the Knicks and the Houston Rockets, averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. He also played in 19 games (17 starts) last season for Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points while shooting 46.4% from the field, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.1 minutes per game.

Originally undrafted in 2016 out of Indiana University, Williams has appeared in 51 career regular season games for Memphis, Houston and New York, holding averages of 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 16.9 minutes per game.

Hornets sign Jaylen Barford, Zach Smith and Isaiah Wilkins to training camp roster

The Charlotte Hornets have signed guard Jaylen Barford and forwards Zach Smith and Isaiah Wilkins to the team’s training camp roster.

In two years at Arkansas, the 6-3 Barford averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per game in 71 contests. An undrafted free agent, Barford recorded averages of 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 35 games as a senior in 2017-18. The Jackson, Tennessee, native finished the season amongst the SEC leaders in the following categories: field goals made (first, 224), points scored (third, 628), points per game (third, 17.9), three-point field goals (fourth, 87) and field goal percentage (sixth, .470). As a junior, he averaged 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Smith, an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech University, appeared in 117 career games over four years (2014-18). In 117 contests, he finished his collegiate career with averages of 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. The Plano, Texas native averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 23 games as a senior in 2017-18. Smith received All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for both of his final two seasons.

Wilkins was a four-year collegiate player at Virginia (2014-18) where he appeared in 132 career games, posting averages of 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.7 minutes per game. Wilkins recorded averages of 6.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks as a senior in 2017-18. The Lilburn, Georgia, native was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-ACC Defensive Team.

With the addition of Barford, Smith and Wilkins the Hornets roster stands at 18 players.

Celtics sign Walt Lemon Jr. to a two-way contract

The Boston Celtics have signed guard Walt Lemon Jr. to a two-way deal.

Lemon Jr., 25, made his NBA debut on Feb. 23 of last season after signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 3.4 points (43.8% FG) and 7.0 minutes in five games played. The Chicago, IL native spent the majority of his season competing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League, where he produced 22.4 points (49.4% FG, 31.3% 3-PT, 76.8% FT), 4.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.03 steals and 36.6 minutes in 40 games (all starts).

A four-year product of Bradley University from 2010-11 to 2013-14, Lemon Jr. has also competed professionally for multiple teams in Europe.

Jimmy Butler undergoes procedure on hand

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Jimmy Butler underwent an elective right hand procedure on Tuesday, July 24.

The team says that Butler has already returned to offseason activities.

It’s unknown if those offseason activities include playing basketball at regular intensity right away, but the team is clearly suggesting that it was a minor procedure.

Sixers sign Shake Milton to two-way contract

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Shake Milton to a two-way contract.

The 76ers acquired the draft rights to Milton (No. 54 overall) from Dallas in a draft-night trade in exchange for the draft rights to the No. 56 overall pick, Ray Spalding from Louisville, and the No. 60 overall pick, Kostas Antetokounmpo from Dayton.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Milton averaged 18.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 2017-18, his junior season at SMU and he improved his scoring and rebounding averages in each of his three seasons with the Mustangs. For his collegiate career, he appeared in 87 games (80 starts) and posted 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.7 minutes per contest.

Over his first two seasons with SMU, the team compiled a 55-10 record, earning a No. 6 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Owasso, Oklahoma native was twice named Second Team All-AAC (2017 and 2018) and, as a freshman, was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team (2016).

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man NBA regular-season roster. A two-way player for the 76ers will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Delaware Blue Coats – but can spend up to 45 days with the 76ers, not including any time spent with Philadelphia prior to the start of Blue Coats’ training camp or following the conclusion of Delaware’s regular season.

Celtics sign Jabari Bird

Bird is back in Boston!

Alright, fine, it’s a different Bird.

The Boston Celtics today signed guard Jabari Bird, who spent his rookie season with the Celtics on a two-way deal in 2017-18

The 6-foot-6, 198-pound guard averaged 3.0 points (57.7% FG, 42.9% 3-PT), 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 8.8 minutes in 13 games (one start) that season. He scored a career-high 15 points and shot 7-of-10 from the field against Chicago on April 6.

Selected in the second round (56th overall) by Boston in the 2017 NBA Draft, Bird, 24, also produced 19.3 points (51.7% FG, 32.5% 3-PT), 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.35 steals in 20 games (all starts) for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League.

In four games played with the Celtics during the 2018 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Bird recorded team highs in points (16.8 ppg) and rebounds (6.0 rpg), while shooting a team-best 57.0% from the field.

Rockets sign Isaiah Hartenstein

The Houston Rockets have signed rookie forward/center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Hartenstein (7-0, 249) was the 43rd overall pick by Houston in the 2017 NBA Draft. He spent last season playing for the Rockets single-affiliation NBA G League partner, Rio Grande Valley. In 38 games with 11 starts for the Vipers, Hartenstein averaged 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.11 blocks in 18.7 minutes per game while shooting 57.1% from the floor.

The 20-year-old started four games for the Rockets at NBA Summer League 2018, averaging 10.3 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds, and 2.25 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game while shooting 52.2% from the floor.

When he was 11 years old, Hartenstein moved with his family from Oregon to Germany, where his father, Florian, was playing professional basketball. Isaiah holds dual citizenship and has represented Germany in four FIBA events as well as playing for the World Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoops Summit. He has played professionally in both Lithuania and Germany.

According to the Houston Chronicle, “the Rockets hope to sign starting center Clint Capela, who remains a restricted free agent and also have Nene, Zhou Qi and Chinanu Onuaku under contract at center. Tarik Black, the Rockets’ third center last season, is a free agent.”

Sixers sign Jonah Bolden

The Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday signed forward Jonah Bolden.

It’s not yet known if this contract will definitely carry into the regular season or if it’s a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Bolden to training camp.

“We have been following Jonah Bolden for a while and are very excited to bring him into our program as a young, up-and-coming prospect,” Brown said. “He experienced positive growth and development last season at Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team led by Neven Spahija, who is a friend of our program and an excellent coach. Jonah’s style of play is that of a modern-day player and we’re thrilled to grow our team with him.”

The 76ers selected Bolden with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old spent the 2017-18 season with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, helping the team win the Israeli Basketball Super League title. In 26 BSL games (24 starts), the 6-foot-10 Bolden posted 7.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes per game, as the team compiled a 28-11 record.

In 29 EuroLeague games (28 starts), Bolden averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 21.1 minutes per contest and was named a finalist for the EuroLeague Rising Star Award. The Australia native posted double-figure points on nine occasions as he shot .487 from the field in EuroLeague play, connecting on 77 of his 158 attempts. Bolden ranked fourth in the league in defensive rebounds (125), seventh in steals (34) and eighth in blocks (27).

Bolden has appeared in three summer leagues as a member of the 76ers, most recently appearing in six games with Philadelphia at MGM Resorts Summer League 2018, where he posted 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Last summer, the Australia native participated in both the 2017 Utah Jazz Summer League and MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2017.

Prior to the 2017 NBA Draft, Bolden played for Serbia’s KK FMP, averaging 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds across Basketball League of Serbia and Adriatic League play. He earned the Adriatic League’s Top Prospect Award in 2017, joining teammate Dario Šarić, Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Cleveland’s Ante Zizic as recent award recipients. Bolden spent the 2015-16 season at UCLA, where he appeared in 31 games (11 starts) for the Bruins and tallied 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per contest.

A native of Sydney, Australia, Bolden was a member of the Australian U-19 National Team, representing his home country in the 2013 FIBA U-19 World Championship. His father, Bruce, played 17 seasons in Australia’s National Basketball League, competing against Ben Simmons’ father, Dave, and Brown, who was a coach in the league.

Raptors hire Adrian Griffin, Phil Handy, Sergio Scariolo and Nate Bjorkgren as assistant coaches

The Toronto Raptors have hired Adrian Griffin, Sergio Scariolo, Nate Bjorkgren and Phil Handy as assistant coaches. The group will join Patrick Mutumbo, Jim Sann and Eric Khoury to form head coach Nick Nurse’s staff for the 2018-19 season.

“Adrian, Sergio, Nate and Phil each bring something different to our staff and our team. They have a blend of experiences that will give our team a unique perspective,” Nurse said. “We’ve already had substantive conversations about where Raptors basketball is and where we intend to go, and we can’t wait to get to work in earnest.”

The big Raptors change this offseason was the recent trade of DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard. It is presumed that Leonard actually will play for the Raptors, but speculation looms that there’s a chance he could be traded again before the start of the 2018-19 regular season. But for now, Leonard is a Raptor. He joins guard Kyle Lowry as the team’s main stars, with a supporting cast that includes center Jonas Valanciunas, power forward Serge Ibaka and shooting guard Danny Green, who was part of that same Spurs-Raptors trade.

As for the team’s new assistant coaches, Griffin joins the Raptors following two seasons as an assistant coach with Oklahoma City (2016-18). In addition to the Thunder, Griffin has previous assistant coaching stints with Orlando (2015-16), Chicago (2010-15) and Milwaukee (2008-10). He began his coaching career as assistant coach/player development with the Bucks. During the summer of 2014, Griffin also worked with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Griffin played nine NBA seasons with Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Seattle. He averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 16.8 minutes in 477 regular-season appearances. Griffin also played in 48 playoff games and was part of the 2006 Dallas team that reached the NBA Finals. Prior to the NBA, Griffin played for the Atlantic City Seagulls (USBL), Connecticut Pride (CBA), Roseto (Italy) and Long Island Surf (USBL). In 1998-99, he was named CBA Most Valuable Player and Finals MVP while leading Connecticut to the championship. Griffin played collegiately for four seasons at Seton Hall (1992-94) and was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

Scariolo joins the Raptors following a successful coaching career in Europe that spans 20 years. Since 2009, he has led the Spanish National Team as head coach and guided the program to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio. Spain has also won the FIBA Eurobasket tournament three times (2009, 2011 and 2015) under his watch.

A native of Brescia, Italy, Scariolo got his first head coaching job in 1989 with Vuelle Pesaro and led the club to the 1990 Italian League championship. He was also named Italian League Coach of the Year in 1994 with Fortitudo Bologna. In 1997, Scariolo moved to Spain and led Tau Ceramica to the 1999 Spanish Cup before joining Real Madrid later that year. He went on to claim the Spanish Cup and the Spanish League title during his first season at Real Madrid and was named Spanish League AEEB Coach of the Year in 2000. In 2003, Scariolo joined Unicaja and led the club to the 2005 Spanish Cup, 2006 Spanish League title and an appearance in the 2007 EuroLeague Final Four. Scariolo has also coached Khimki Moscow (2008-10), Olimpia Milano (2011-13) and Saski Baskonia (2013-14).

Bjorkgren joined the Raptors as an advance scout during the 2017-18 season following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns (2015-17). Prior to joining the Suns, he had a successful tenure as a head coach in the NBA G League, amassing a 126-74 (.630) record in four seasons with the Bakersfield Jam (2014-15), Iowa Energy (2013-14), Santa Cruz Warriors (2012-13) and Dakota Wizards (2011-12). Bjorkgren was as an assistant coach on Nurse’s staff in Iowa from 2007-11, helping the Energy win the 2010-11 NBA G League Championship.

A native of Storm Lake, Iowa, Bjorkgren played collegiately at Buena Vista University and the University of South Dakota. At Buena Vista, he led the Beavers to their first conference title in 21 years in 1997

Handy joins the Raptors following five seasons (2013-18) with the Cleveland Cavaliers as director, player development/assistant coach, and two seasons (2011-13) as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers.

A native of San Leandro, California, Handy has strong ties to the Bay Area where he spent five years (2006-11) coaching young talent with the AAU Club Team 94 and training NBA players during the off-season. He ran his own basketball training business for over 13 years, working with top level talent in the from NBA, Europe and the collegiate ranks.

Handy was a standout at the University of Hawaii, earning WAC All-Defensive Player of the Year and All-Newcomer honours. He had two NBA stints as a player with Golden State and Portland.

His professional playing career also included stops in Israel, France, England, Germany, Italy and Australia.