Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Wizards trade Marcin Gortat to Clippers for Austin Rivers

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired guard Austin Rivers from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for center Marcin Gortat.

“Acquiring Austin gives us another versatile, experienced player who provides scoring and playmaking,” said Grunfeld. “He is coming off a career year and his ability to create offense for himself and others will help our second unit and allow us to play a variety of lineups throughout the season.”

“We are excited to welcome Marcin Gortat to the Clippers, a respected player that brings years of NBA experience and additional toughness to this team. We’ve been a fan of Marcin’s for some time and this decision will help rebalance the roster by adding another proven big man to the front court,” said Lawrence Frank, Clippers’ President of Basketball Operations. “Austin’s development as a player is a testament to his work ethic and desire to improve. We experienced a lot of success with Austin and are grateful for his contributions during his four seasons with the club. The Clippers wish Brittany and Austin all the best in Washington.”

Rivers (6-5, 200) averaged career highs of 15.1 points, 4.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals this season while shooting a career-high .378 (136-360) from three-point range in 61 games (59 starts). The 25-year-old guard posted 12 games of 20+ points, three games of 30+ points and set a new career high with 38 points at Memphis on Dec. 22 (one night after scoring 36 at Houston).

He holds career averages of 9.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 408 career games (130 starts) while shooting .355 from three-point range in five seasons with the Clippers and New Orleans. The 10th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Rivers has appeared in 23 career playoff games (six starts), all with the Clippers. He entered the NBA after one season at Duke, where he earned First Team All-ACC honors.

Gortat, who was originally acquired prior to the 2013-14 season, posted 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting .555 from the field in 402 (out of a possible 410) games over his five seasons in Washington. The team posted an .543 (223-187) overall record and made four playoff appearances during his tenure.

“We appreciate Marcin’s contributions during his time with us and wish him the best moving forward,” said Grunfeld. “He is a very durable professional who helped the team in many ways to become a perennial playoff contender and set an example with his work in the community both in D.C. and in his native country of Poland.”

Orlando Magic waive Shelvin Mack

The Orlando Magic have waived guard Shelvin Mack.

Mack played in 69 games (three starts) last season with the Magic, and averaged 6.9 ppg., 3.9 apg. and 2.4 rpg. in 19.8 minutes per outing. His assists-to-turnover ratio of 3.06 (272/89) ranked 11th in the NBA.

Originally drafted in the second round (34th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by Washington, Mack has appeared in 399 regular season games (53 starts) during his NBA career with Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Utah and Orlando, averaging 6.4 ppg., 3.1 apg. and 2.0 rpg. in 17.9 minpg.

Grizzlies waive Omari Johnson

The Memphis Grizzlies have waived forward Omari Johnson.

Johnson (6-9, 220) came off the bench in four games with the Grizzlies as a rookie last season and averaged 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.8 minutes after signing with the team on April 6. The 28-year-old Kingston, Jamaica native started the season with the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, where he appeared in 44 games (38 starts) and averaged 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 27.9 minutes.

Spurs draft Lonnie Walker with 18th pick

The San Antonio Spurs selected Lonnie Walker IV with the 18th overall pick in the first round and Chimezie Metu with the 49th overall selection in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, which took place last night in Brooklyn, NY.

Walker, 6-5/205, played last season at Miami University, leading the Hurricanes in scoring by averaging 11.5 points to go along with 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.8 minutes in his 32 appearances. The Reading, Pa. native was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team in his lone season at Miami. Walker also became the first freshman in school history to earn all-league honors, receiving Honorable Mention All-ACC, while helping the Hurricanes finish 22-10.

Metu, 6-11/225, spent last year at the University of Southern California earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors. The Lawndale, Calif. native averaged 15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.74 blocks in 31.0 minutes in 34 appearances last year during his junior season for the Trojans. Metu played in a total of 104 games and averaged 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.62 blocks in his three seasons at USC, finishing his career third in school history with 168 blocks.

Bucks draft Donte DiVincenzo with 17th pick

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

A 6-foot-5, 205-pound sophomore, DiVincenzo was named the 2017-18 BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year after he averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from 3-point range. DiVincenzo was selected as the 2018 Final Four Most Outstanding Player after he averaged 23.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the Final Four, including scoring 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the Wildcats’ win over Michigan in the national championship game.

DiVincenzo emerged as a redshirt freshman in 2016-17 as he was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman team after averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3-point range. The Newark, Delaware, native appeared in 84 games over three seasons (2015-18) with Villanova, and holds career averages of 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. He finished his career as a 46.9 percent shooter with a 37.8 shooting percentage from 3-point range.

Sixers trade for draft rights to No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith

The Philadelphia 76ers acquired the draft rights to the 16th overall pick, guard-forward Zhaire Smith from Texas Tech, and the Miami Heat’s unprotected 2021 first-round pick via the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the draft rights to the 10th overall pick, guard-forward Mikal Bridges from Villanova. Then, with the 26th overall pick, the 76ers drafted guard Landry Shamet from Wichita State.

In his lone 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.

Shamet, a product of Kansas City, Missouri, averaged 14.9 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game in his junior season at Wichita State. The 6-foot-4 guard led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in both three-point percentage (.442) and assists (166), while his .825 free-throw percentage ranked third in the conference.

Philadelphia traded the draft rights to the 38th overall pick, Khryi Thomas from Creighton, to Detroit in exchange for two future second-round picks. In addition, the team drafted Isaac Bonga from Skyliners Frankfurt with the 39th overall pick.

The 76ers acquired the draft rights to the 54th overall pick, Shake Milton from SMU, via Dallas in exchange for the draft rights to the 56th overall pick, Ray Spalding from Louisville, and the 60th overall pick, Kostas Antetokounmpo from Dayton.

Milton, a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged 18.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his junior season at SMU.

Wizards draft Troy Brown with first round pick No. 15

The Washington Wizards selected Troy Brown Jr. out of Oregon and Issuf Sanon out of Slovenia in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Brown Jr., a 6-7, 215-pound swingman, was selected with the 15th overall pick. In his lone season at Oregon, he averaged 11.3 points, a team-high 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. In addition, he recorded a team-best 55 steals and finished just one assist shy of a triple double against Portland State on Dec. 13 when he recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine assists.

“Troy is a very versatile player with a high basketball IQ, great work ethic and outstanding character,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “He will be able to play and defend three positions and his playmaking abilities will allow him to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.”

A native of Las Vegas, NV, Brown was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit in 2017 at Centennial High School. He was also a member of the gold medal-winning 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship team.

“I was impressed with Troy both on and off the court throughout the draft process and I’m excited to have him work with our coaches throughout the summer,” said Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks. “His size, toughness and all-around game make him a good fit for our roster and will give him the opportunity to earn minutes as a young player.”

Sanon, a 6-4, 177-pound guard, was selected 44th overall by the Wizards. He averaged 22.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over the last two seasons in Ukraine’s 2nd Division before moving to Olimpija in Slovenia in January.

“Issuf is a young player who will be able to continue to play at a high level overseas and develop his game as we monitor him, much like we did with Tomas Satoransky,” said Grunfeld. “His athleticism, size and competitive nature were all very intriguing and we feel he can be a player who will help us in the future after gaining more experience.”

A native of Ukraine, Sanon averaged 19.3 points (second in the division), 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.7 assists with Ukraine’s U18 National Team at the 2017 U18 Euros.

Nuggets take Michael Porter Jr. with 14th pick in NBA Draft

The Denver Nuggets selected forward Michael Porter Jr. with the 14th overall pick in tonight’s 2018 NBA Draft. Denver also acquired the draft rights to forward Jarred Vanderbilt at 41st overall from Orlando in exchange for the 43rd pick and a future second round pick and also selected center Thomas Welsh with the 58th pick.

Porter Jr., 6-10, 215, signed with the University of Missouri 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 19-year-old 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 before a back injury limited him to just three games during his debut campaign.

Vanderbilt, 6-9, 214, appeared in 14 games as a freshman for Kentucky, averaging 5.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.0 minutes per game. The 19-year-old from Houston averaged 28.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists as a senior at Victory Prep School. Vanderbilt played for the USA Junior National Select Team at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit and was also a member of the U.S. U16 National Team that won Gold at the 2015 FIBA U16 Americas.

Welsh, 7-0, 255, played four seasons at UCLA where he averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 53.7% from the field. He was one of five finalists for the 2017-18 Kareem Abdul-Jabar award, given to the nation’s top center, and finished his Bruins career ranked third in career rebounds (1,035), third in blocks (143) and sixth in career double-doubles (37). As a senior the California native posted averages of 12.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.7% from three (45-of-112 3FG) and 82.8% from the free throw line. His 10.8 rebounds per game was UCLA’s highest per game average since David Greenwood in 1977-78.

Clippers draft Jerome Robinson with 13th pick in first round

The L.A. Clippers have selected Boston College guard Jerome Robinson with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, held last night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Jerome is someone that we targeted early on in this process. [He’s] one of the more gifted guys in this draft,” said President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank. “If you study the DNA, he just grinds and he works harder than most. He is very impressive as a young man and he is now a Clipper”

“Going to the Clippers is a dream come true,” said Robinson. “It’s exciting to be in L.A., being drafted by the Clippers, and having the chance to learn from a coach like Doc Rivers.”

Robinson, 21, 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, Robinson was named All-ACC First Team as a Junior.

Hornets trade for draft rights to No. 12 pick Miles Bridges

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired the draft rights to forward Miles Bridges (12th overall pick) from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th overall pick) and two future second-round draft picks during tonight’s 2018 NBA Draft.

Bridges, a 6-7 forward from Michigan State, was a unanimous 2017-18 All-Big Ten First Team selection and he also earned 2017-18 consensus Second Team All-American honors. He led Michigan State in scoring in scoring (17.0 ppg), ranked second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and third in assists (2.7 apg) during the 2017-18 campaign. Following his sophomore campaign, he was a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, given to the top men’s collegiate small forward, and a top-10 finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year. He was the first Michigan State freshman or sophomore player to average at least 17.0 points per game since Shawn Respert in 1992-93.

As a freshman in 2016-17, the Flint, Mich. native was the Big Ten Freshman of the year after averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28 contests. He was the only Division-I freshman in the nation in the last 25 years to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists and return for his sophomore season.