Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Magic draft Mohamed Bamba 6th overall

The Orlando Magic on Thursday selected center Mohamed Bamba in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Bamba (7’0”, 225, 5/12/98) played in 30 games (29 starts) last season (2017-18) as a freshman at the University of Texas, averaging 12.9 ppg., 10.5 rpg. and 3.70 blkpg. in 30.2 minpg., while shooting .541 (146-270) from the floor. He led the Big 12 in rebounding, blocked shots (also ranked second in the nation) and double-doubles (15). Bamba was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, the All-Big 12 Second Team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team.

Bamba scored in double figures 23 times and had 20+ points four times, including a career-high 25 points on Jan. 27 vs. Mississippi. He pulled down 10+ rebounds 19 times. Bamba blocked three-or-more shots 22 times, including a career-high eight blocks on Dec. 29 vs. Kansas.

While at Westtown High School in West Chester, Pa., Bamba captured back-to-back Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state championships as both a junior (2015-16) and a senior (2016-17). As a senior, he averaged 12.8 ppg., 9.3 rpg. and 3.4 blkpg., and earned both McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American honors. Bamba was one of five finalists for the Naismith National High School Player of the Year.

Hawks trade for draft rights to No. 5 overall pick Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks acquired the draft rights to Oklahoma guard Trae Young, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, as well as a protected 2019 first round draft pick from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Luka Doncic (the third overall selection). Atlanta also selected Maryland guard Kevin Huerter 19th overall and Villanova forward Omari Spellman 30th overall in the first round.

An early-entry candidate, the 6’2 Young was a consensus First Team All-American as a freshman after becoming the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring (27.4 ppg) and assists (8.7 apg), while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 35.4 minutes (.422 FG%, .360 3FG%, .861 FT%) in 32 games (all starts). His scoring average was the highest in Big 12 history and his assists per game rank second on the all-time list. The Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year award winner, Young was also a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection and named the conference’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year.

“We love his (Young) ability to pass the ball, to make other players better with his court vision,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “Obviously, he gets a lot of notoriety for his long-range shooting, but I think his ability to pass the ball is what we really liked about him.”

A former McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American in high school, Young recorded four 40-point games at Oklahoma and became the first major conference player in NCAA history to tally 800 points and 250 assists in a single season.

Huerter, also an early-entry candidate, averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.4 minutes (.503 FG%, .417 3FG%, .758 FT%) as a sophomore while starting 32 games, garnering All-Big 10 Honorable Mention and All-Academic Big 10 honors. He ranked fourth in the conference in minutes per game and ninth in 3FG%. For his career, the 6’7 Huerter posted 12.0 points, 5.0 rebound and 3.0 assists in 31.9 minutes (.466 FG%, .394 3FG%, .748 FT%) in 65 games (all starts).

Huerter won a Gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2016 U18 FIBA Americas and a Bronze medal at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup.

“Kevin is a versatile player with the ability to really shoot the ball, and we’re thrilled he was available at 19,” Schlenk said. “With his size and athleticism, he’ll be a great fit with our club.”

Spellman entered the draft after a redshirt freshman season at Villanova that saw him named the Big East Freshman of the Year while helping the Wildcats to the 2018 National Championship. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 28.1 minutes (.476 FG%, .433 3FG%, .700 FT%) in 40 games (39 starting assignments).

The 6’9 Spellman ranked second in the Big East in blocks and fourth in both rebounding and 3FG%.

“Omari is a proven winner with great work ethic and I believe he’ll be able to help our team in a number of areas,” Schlenk said. “His skills and range for a player his size are impressive and we’re excited about what he’ll bring to the team.”

Additionally, the Hawks acquired two future second round picks from Charlotte in exchange for the draft rights to Atlanta’s second round pick (34th overall) Devonte’ Graham.

Grizzlies select Jaren Jackson Jr 4th overall in 2018 NBA Draft

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace last night during the 2018 NBA Draft announced that the Grizzlies selected Michigan State University freshman forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the first round and West Virginia University senior guard Jevon Carter with the 32nd overall pick in the second round.

Jackson (6-11, 242) became the second player in Big Ten history to win both Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season after leading the conference and ranking seventh in the nation in blocks per game (3.03) in 2017-18. The 18-year-old set an MSU single-season record with 106 blocks, and he tied the program’s single-game record with eight rejections in a win on Dec. 5, 2017 over Rutgers.

An All-Big Ten Third-Team and All-Freshman Team selection, Jackson started 34 of his 35 games with the Spartans and averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.8 minutes while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from three-point range and 79.7 percent from the free throw line.

The Carmel, Indiana native, who was named a 2017 McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American at La Lumiere High School, is the highest-drafted Michigan State product since 1979, when Magic Johnson was selected first overall and Greg Kelser was taken fourth. Jackson’s father, Jaren Sr., enjoyed a 12-year NBA career with nine different teams, winning the 1999 NBA Championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

Carter (6-2, 205) was named the 2017-18 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and selected the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season after starting all 37 games and averaging 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.03 steals in 35.5 minutes for the Mountaineers. A 2017-18 Associated Press Second Team All-American, Carter ranked second in the nation in steals per game and was the only Division I player to average at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.00 steals.

A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Carter is the fourth Big 12 player and first guard to win conference Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. The 22-year-old is West Virginia’s career steals leader (330) and set single-season school records last year for assists (246) and steals (112).

In addition, Carter was named the 2017-18 Arthur Ashe Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and the Division I Senior CLASS Award winner.

Hawks trade No. 3 pick Luka Doncic to Mavs for No. 5 pick Trae Young

The Dallas Mavericks on Thursday acquired the draft rights to third overall pick Luka Doncic (LOO-kuh DON-chitch) from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to fifth overall pick Trae Young and a protected 2019 first round draft pick.

Doncic (6-7, 218) is the reigning EuroLeague Most Valuable Player and EuroLeague Final 4 Most Valuable Player after leading Real Madrid to the 2017-18 EuroLeague title. He was the youngest player ever to garner both awards. In 33 games with Real Madrid last season, he averaged 16.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting .443 from the field, .329 from behind-the-arc and .816 from the foul line.

The versatile guard was the youngest ever to debut with Real Madrid in 2014 when he was 16 years and 61 days old. He was twice awarded the EuroLeague Rising Star and was named the Spanish ACB Best Young Player in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

The Ljubljana, Slovenia native is a member of the Slovenian National Team that went undefeated on its way to winning the country’s first gold medal at EuroBasket 2017. In that tournament, Doncic was named to the All-Tournament Team and won EuroBasket 2017 Most Valuable Player.

Kings select Marvin Bagley III second overall in 2018 NBA Draft

The Sacramento Kings on Thursday selected Duke freshman Marvin Bagley III with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

A 6-11, 234-pound forward, 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.

Bagley 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.

Suns select Deandre Ayton with first pick in 2018 NBA Draft

Selecting No. 1 overall for the first time in franchise history, the Phoenix Suns today selected University of Arizona center Deandre Ayton with the first pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft in New York.

“This is a historic day for the Phoenix Suns franchise,” said General Manager Ryan McDonough. “Deandre is a special player and we are thrilled to welcome him home to Phoenix. It is extremely rare for a player with his size, length and athleticism to be able to not only finish around the rim but also step away from the basket and make shots. At 7-1 and exceptionally strong, he is uniquely gifted with his hand-eye coordination and footwork. In addition, he has strong ties to this area and we can’t wait to see him in a Suns uniform.”

“It means a lot to me because you know the fans out there are amazing—they’re the best fans in the world,” said Ayton, shortly after being selected on ESPN’s broadcast of the Draft. “I’m really happy to be a part of the Phoenix Suns now and we can really start a winning legacy with Devin Booker and Josh Jackson and all those other guys. We’re a young team and we’re ready. I’m just happy to be a Phoenix Sun.”

Having played collegiately at Arizona and in high school at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep, Ayton is the first No. 1 overall pick in NBA history to be selected by a team in the same state where he played in both college and high school. He is the first Arizona Wildcat to be taken with the No. 1 pick of the NBA Draft and is also the first No. 1 pick to have played high school ball in Arizona. Ayton is the 13th player born outside the United States to be drafted first overall and the second from the Bahamas, joining Mychal Thompson by Portland in 1978.

A rare combination of size and skill, the 7-1, 250-pound center possesses uncommon athleticism, footwork and shooting touch for a player with his length and strength. During his one season in Tucson, the 19-year-old was a Consensus First Team All-America selection and won the 2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Ayton averaged 20.1 points on 61.2 percent shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for Arizona, becoming the first to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in the same season.

He set a Wildcats record and Pac-12 freshman record with 24 double-doubles, and became just the sixth freshman nationally in the past 25 years to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (two of the others were Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony). Ayton set Arizona freshman season records in points (704), rebounds (405), blocks (66) and field goal percentage (.612) while also being named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

Ayton played the final two seasons of his high school career at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep. As a senior in 2016-17, he led the Bruins to a 33-6 record and The Grind Session National Championship, averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. Among his many honors, he was a McDonald’s All-American, Naismith Trophy High School All-American, USA TODAY ALL-USA First Team selection, and played in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.

Born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, Ayton began seriously pursing basketball at age 12 after attending the Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp, the Bahamas’ premier summer basketball program. Ayton flashed his immense potential and later that summer moved to San Diego to attend Balboa City School. He would later transfer to Hillcrest Prep and move to Phoenix to live with his family.

The Suns, drafting for the 51st time this year, had never before picked higher than second overall, most recently selecting Armen Gilliam with the No. 2 pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. The Suns also used the second overall pick to select Neal Walk in 1969, given the No. 2 pick on March 19, 1969, after losing a coin flip with Milwaukee to determine which team received the No. 1 pick and, eventually, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The list of players selected first overall features some of the most legendary names in NBA history, including Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. All-time, 11 first overall picks have become NBA MVP award winners and 17 are Hall of Famers, not counting several more who are certain to be inducted once eligible. In the Lottery Era (since 1985), nearly half of the players to be selected No. 1 have gone on to win NBA Rookie of the Year and 22 have become All-Stars at some point in their careers with a combined 136 All-Star appearances.

In Arizona professional sports history, the Phoenix Mercury have drafted first overall on three occasions and those three No. 1 picks have directly contributed to the team’s three WNBA Championships: Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, was taken first overall in 2004 and has won three titles with the Mercury; the first pick in 2007 was used to acquire Tangela Smith who helped the Mercury win titles in 2007 and 2009; and Brittney Griner was taken first overall in 2013, helping the Mercury to the title in 2014. The Arizona Diamondbacks have twice selected first overall in MLB’s draft, taking Justin Upton in 2005 and Dansby Swanson in 2015. Neither the Arizona Cardinals nor Arizona Coyotes have selected first overall in the NFL Draft nor NHL Draft since the franchises moved to the state.

The Suns were awarded the No. 1 overall pick for the first time in franchise history after winning the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery on May 15 in Chicago. The Suns had a 25.0 percent probability of winning the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, highest of any team participating in the Lottery.

The Suns’ draft night continues as the team owns three more selections in the 2018 NBA Draft. In addition to the No. 1 overall pick, the Suns possess the No. 16 (via Miami), No. 31 and No. 59 (via Toronto) selections.

Game-used Stephen Curry mouthpiece in auction

Know those Stephen Curry mouthpieces that you see on TV more often than you’d probably like? Well, here’s a golden opportunity to look at one all the time, from the comfort of your own home, with the TV turned off. You can even wear it. Maybe it’ll make you shoot like Steph. It won’t. But maybe it will. It will not. But it could. Anyway, here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Another Stephen Curry game-used mouthguard is going up for sale.

This particular one was used by Curry in Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals as the Golden State Warriors completed their sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It will hit the auction block in California-based firm SCP Auctions’ next sale that begins July 26 and concludes Aug. 11.

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Raptors 905 hire Jama Mahlalela as head coach

Jama Mahlalela has been named head coach of Raptors 905, who are the Toronto Raptors’ G League affiliate. Mahlalela becomes the third head coach in team history and joins the club following five seasons as an assistant coach at the NBA level.

“We are very excited to add Jama as our new head coach,” said Raptors 905 General Manager, Dan Tolzman. “After proving himself as an assistant on the Raptors staff, having an opportunity to run his own team is a major step in his development as a coach. Jama has played a big part in developing our young Raptors core, and we look forward to him continuing to do so from the Raptors 905 sideline. He is an example of what homegrown talent can achieve in this growing global game.”

A native of Mbabane, Swaziland, Mahlalela grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and played collegiately for five years at the University of British Columbia. He served as an assistant coach at the University of Toronto and worked at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as a member of the community development staff, organizing Raptors Basketball Academy and various clinics throughout Canada. Mahlalela was later named director of basketball operations for NBA Asia and oversaw the League’s clinics, youth programs and elite-level development from his base in Hong Kong.

In 2011 Mahlalela joined the Raptors front office as director of player development, where he served for two seasons. He moved to the bench in 2013-14 helping with the team’s practice and game planning, individual player skill development and off-season programs. During the summers Mahlalela has been an active member in Masai Ujiri’s Giants of Africa camps and the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.

“I am excited and grateful for the wonderful opportunity to coach the Raptors 905 team,” said Mahlalela. “I am eager to share my passion for the development of this sport with our young players and hope to use my previous experience as a Raptors assistant coach to reinforce and strengthen the connection between the two programs. My family and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster, Dan Tolzman, Larry Tanenbaum and the entire ownership group.”

Mahlalela takes over a Raptors 905 team that has appeared in the NBA G League Finals in back-to-back seasons. He will be a part of the Raptors coaching squad for the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League next month.

Orlando Magic add to basketball operations department

The Orlando Magic have named Ernest Eugene head athletic trainer, Luke Storey head strength and conditioning coach, Sameer Mehta physical therapist and Nathan Spencer performance and rehabilitation coach, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

In addition, Christian Espinoza, who served as an intern last season, has been promoted to full-time as assistant athletic trainer. Chad Gerhard (applied sports scientist) and Aki Tajima (athletic trainer/manual therapist) will remain on the staff.

Eugene joins Orlando after spending four seasons (2014-18) as assistant athletics director for sports medicine at Virginia Tech. He came to Virginia Tech following six seasons (2008-14) as the athletics trainer for the men’s basketball program at Marquette University, where he was promoted to director of sports medicine during his final year.

Storey comes to Orlando after spending more than five years (2013-18) at Peak Performance Project (P3), a sports performance facility that utilizes advanced sports science technologies to assess and train professional athletes.

Mehta comes to Orlando after spending 12 years at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He joined MedStar in March 2006 as a physical therapist, then spent the last six years as clinical supervisor/outpatient physical therapy.

Spencer joins Orlando after spending three seasons (2015-18) as head strength and conditioning coach with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia. Prior to his time with Illawarra, he was a strength and conditioning coach in professional rugby.

Kawhi Leonard reportedly seeks a trade

Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard is one of the most talented players in the NBA. When healthy. Here’s the LA Times reporting on Leonard’s apparent desire to take his talents away from San Antonio:

Add Kawhi Leonard to the list of NBA stars with an interest in playing in Los Angeles.

That interest is mutual from the city’s two NBA teams — with some conditions.

The star forward’s desire to leave the San Antonio Spurs became clear on Friday morning, when the San Antonio Express News first reported he wanted to be traded. According to sources not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers have long been Leonard’s preferred destination, though the Clippers are among the teams he would consider.

Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers have had trade discussions with the Spurs yet, but both teams have concerns about the severity of Leonard’s quadriceps injury. That injury sidelined Leonard for most of last season. He spent several months away from the team while rehabbing, which led to public barbs from Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich about Leonard’s absence — an unusual move for the Spurs.

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