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Trail Blazers sign Nik Stauskas

The Portland Trail Blazers signed free agent guard Nik Stauskas today.

Stauskas, 24, holds career averages of 7.0 points (38.6% FG, 34.9% 3-PT, 80.1% FT), 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 21.1 minutes in 267 games (63 starts) over four seasons with Sacramento, Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

“Nik is a versatile and talented perimeter player that will seamlessly fit into our style of play,” said Olshey.

Selected by the Kings with the eighth overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft out of Michigan, Stauskas (6-6, 205) spent one season in Sacramento before playing his next two years in Philadelphia. He split the 2017-18 season with Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

A native of Mississauga, Canada, Stauskas averaged a career-best 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists during the 2016-17 season with the 76ers.

Rockets sign rookies Gary Clark and Vincent Edwards and waive Aaron Jackson

The Houston Rockets have signed rookie forwards Gary Clark and Vincent Edwards. And in a related move, the team has waived guard Aaron Jackson.

Clark (6-8, 225) was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his senior season at Cincinnati. He started a school record 137 games while averaging 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks. Clark led the Bearcats in rebounding in each of his four seasons.

As a senior, Clark was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year while picking up AP Honorable Mention All-American distinction. He also earned his second straight AAC Defensive Player of the Year award.

According to Basketball-Reference, which tracks NCAA statistics back to 1992-93, Clark joined David West as the only Division I players with career totals of at least 1,400 points, 1,100 rebounds, 200 assists, 150 steals, and 180 blocks.

Edwards (6-8, 225) spent all four seasons at Purdue, where he started 127 of his 138 games played. As a senior, he averaged 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while earning All-Big Ten Second team honors.

Over his final three seasons, Edwards averaged 1.4 3-pointers made on 40.9% shooting. Dating back to 1992-93, he is one of three Division I players with career totals of at least 1,600 points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists, and 170 3-pointers made.

Edwards finished his career at Middleton High School in Ohio as the school’s all-time leading rebounder and ranked second in scoring behind Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas.

Clippers sign rookies Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson

The L.A. Clippers signed guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson to their rookie contracts today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA draft are guaranteed to receive an NBA contract, assuming they wish to begin their careers in the league right away. So, these signings were expected and are standard.

Selected 11th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Gilgeous-Alexander played one collegiate season at Kentucky, where he appeared in 37 games (24 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes. The 6’6”, 180-pound guard shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point range as a Wildcat. A native of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), the 19-year old was named to the Second-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team, and was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament.

Selected 13th overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Robinson played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where he appeared in 90 career games (all starts), averaging 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.6 minutes. The 6’5”, 188-pound guard shot 45.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range in his Boston College career. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, the 21-year old was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

Cavs sign rookie Collin Sexton

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Collin Sexton to his rookie contract.

Sexton (6-3, 190) was selected by the Cavaliers with the eighth overall pick last month. In 33 games (32 starts) at Alabama in 2017-18, he averaged 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and a 3.6 assists in 29.9 minutes. The 2017-18 SEC Newcomer of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year totaled the most points ever by a Tide freshman and the third-most in school history with 632 points, and was a 2017-18 AP Honorable Mention All-America selection.

Sexton will wear jersey number 2 with the Cavs.

Nuggets sign rookie Michael Porter Jr

The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Michael Porter Jr. to his rookie contract.

All players selected in the first round of the draft, as Porter Jr was, are guaranteed to receive a contract. Therefore, this signing is standard and was expected.

Porter Jr., 6-10, 215, was selected by the Nuggets with the 14th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of the University of Missouri. He began his collegiate career as the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit as a high school senior out of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington. Porter Jr. averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior while leading Nathan Hale to a perfect 29-0 record en route to the Washington Class 3A State Championship, the first-ever state title for the school.

The native of Indianapolis was named the MVP of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game as well as winning both the Naismith and Gatorade National Player of the Year awards, joining Dwight Howard (2004), LeBron James (2003), Chris Webber (1991) and Alonzo Mourning (1988) as the only players to ever accomplish the feat. Porter Jr. was named a 2017-18 consensus preseason All-American, the 2017-18 preseason ESPN National Freshman of the Year and the 2017-18 preseason SEC Co-Player of the Year.

Kings sign rookie Marvin Bagley III

The Sacramento Kings a day ago signed Marvin Bagley III to his rookie contract.

Selected second overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Bagley III was just one of four freshman in the nation to average a point-rebound double-double en route to posting 21.0 points (.614 FG%, .397 3pt%, .627 FT%), 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 33.9 minutes per game in 33 contests (32 starts), culminating in ACC Player and Freshman of the Year accolades in addition to consensus First Team All-American honors and NABC National Freshman and Pete Newell Big Man of the Year awards. He finished his lone collegiate campaign by joining Clemson’s Horace Grant (1986-87) and Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan (1996-97) as the only players in ACC history to lead the conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

A 6-11, 234-pound forward, Bagley III concluded this season ranked atop the Blue Devils’ all-time freshman annals in total points (948), scoring average, rebounds (366), double-doubles (22) and 30-point-10-rebound outputs (seven). He snared 15 rebounds to accompany a career-high 34 points (12-19 FG, 1-2 3pt, 9-13 FT) against Texas (Nov. 24), piggybacked by 30 points (10-20 FG, 1-2 3pt, 9-10 FT) and 15 rebounds versus Florida (Nov. 26). He collected a career-high 21 rebounds to complement 32 points (13-17 FG, 1-2 3pt, 5-11 FT) against Florida State (Dec. 30) starting a spate of three 30-point performances in the span of four games, punctuated by 30 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals versus Wake Forest (Jan. 13).

The Arizona native accrued averages of 20.5 points (.689 FG%, 3-4 3pt, .680 FT%), 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 37.5 minutes per contest in four games during Duke’s Elite Eight run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. His 30 combined rebounds in the ACC Tournament ranked second-most for a two-game span in tournament history. In the quarterfinals versus Notre Dame (Mar. 8), his 33 points rank third all-time for points by a freshman in ACC Tournament annals while his 17 rebounds were one shy of the Tournament mark for freshmen set by Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1980.

Sixers sign rookie Zhaire Smith

The Philadelphia 76ers yesterday signed NBA Draft 2018 first-round pick Zhaire Smith.

Smith, whose rights were acquired in a draft-night trade with Phoenix, was selected No. 16 overall after one collegiate season at Texas Tech. Smith averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 28.4 minutes per game. The 6-foot-5 guard-forward helped lead the Red Raiders to the school’s first Elite Eight appearance in program history, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in four NCAA Tournament games.

Over the course of the 2017-18 season, Smith totaled 417 points, a Texas Tech single-season freshman record. He also led the team in rebounds (185) and blocks (42), which ranked top 10 in Big 12 play. The Garland, Texas native became the first freshman in program history to secure All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Smith also received All-Big 12 Defensive Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team selections.

Celtics sign Brad Wanamaker

The Boston Celtics yesterday signed guard Brad Wanamaker.

Wanamaker (6-4, 209 lbs.) officially joins the Celtics after spending the last seven years competing professionally in Europe. The Philadelphia, PA native played in 69 games (45 starts) with Fenerbahce Ulker of the Euroleague in 2017-18, averaging 11.5 points (45.6% FG, 35.0% 3-PT, 83.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.14 steals in 24.0 minutes.

Wanamaker excelled during a 2018 postseason run that ended with Fenerbahce’s third straight BSL title. He averaged 16.2 points on 76.3% shooting (9-16 3-PT) and 4.2 assists throughout the championship-clinching series against Tofas en route to being named the Turkish League Finals Most Valuable Player.

Named Second Team All-Euroleague as recently as 2016-17, Wanamaker produced 16.7 points (44.8% FG, 38.6% 3-PT, 86.4% FT) and 4.7 assists in 34 games (33 starts) during his lone season with Darussafaka Basketbol Istanbul.

In joining the Celtics, Wanamaker reunites with second-year forward Daniel Theis, who previously served as his teammate with Brose Baskets Bamberg for two seasons from 2014-15 to 2015-16. Both Wanamaker and Theis were named German Beko BBL All-Star starters during the second year of their pairing in 2015-16, with Wanamaker eventually ending the season as the league’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.

A four-year product at the University of Pittsburgh from 2007-08 to 2010-11, Wanamaker averaged 7.9 points on 43.7% shooting in his collegiate career with the Panthers.

Wanamaker will wear No. 9 with Boston.

Wizards add Thomas Bryant off waivers

The Washington Wizards yesterday claimed Thomas Bryant off of waivers from the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Thomas is an intriguing young prospect with size and athleticism who showed he has three-point range during his time in the G League last season,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “He will be able to continue his development process as he gains experience and works with our staff.”

Bryant (6-10, 245 lbs.) appeared in 37 games while on assignment with the South Bay Lakers of the G League last season, averaging 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks while shooting .597 (284-476) from the floor and .364 (67-184) from three-point range. The 20-year old center, who has a 7’6” wingspan, also appeared in 15 games with the Los Angeles Lakers.

A native of Rochester, NY, Bryant was originally drafted 42nd overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2017 NBA Draft. Bryant was acquired by the Lakers from the Jazz along with the draft rights to Josh Hart in exchange for the draft rights to Tony Bradley on June 22, 2017.

Bryant played collegiately for two seasons at Indiana (2015-17) and averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting .592 from the field and .373 from three-point range. He was named Third Team All-Big 10 as a sophomore after earning Big 10 All-Freshman honors following his first campaign.

Jazz sign rookie Grayson Allen

The Utah Jazz yesterday signed guard Grayson Allen to his rookie contract.

Selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Utah, Allen was a four-year player at Duke University where he averaged 15.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 37 contests (all starts) during the 2017-18 campaign. As a senior, the 22-year-old guard was named to the 2018 All-ACC Third Team and during the 2015-16 season, he earned AP All-America Third Team honors and an All-ACC First Team selection. He played in 15 career NCAA Tournament games, helping Duke win its fifth NCAA Title in 2015.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., the 6-5, 198-pound guard appeared in 142 career games (97 starts) finishing 12th on Duke’s all-time scoring list with 1,996 points. Allen is one of just five Blue Devils in history to record 1,900-or-more points, 400-or-more rebounds and 400-or-more assists, joining Grant Hill, Jon Scheyer, Danny Ferry and Johnny Dawkins.