Hawks sign Jaylen Morris to multi-year contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed rookie guard Jaylen Morris to a multi-year contract. He was previously signed to consecutive 10-day contracts on February 28 and March 11.

Morris is averaging 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.4 minutes in six games with Atlanta after posting 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.4 minutes in 39 appearances (all starts) earlier this season with Erie, the Hawks’ NBA G League affiliate.

Cavs sign Okaro White to 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday signed forward Okaro White to a 10-day contract.

White (6-8, 204) has played in six games (four starts) with the Miami Heat this season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. The second-year forward from Florida State has appeared in 41 career games (four starts) with the Heat with averages of 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.4 minutes.

Prior to his stint with Miami, White was a NBA G League All-Star in 2016-17 after averaging 18.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 33.0 minutes over his 23 appearances with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He also played professionally with Aris B.C. of the Greek Basketball League where he was the Greek Basketball Player of the Year in 2015-16 and was a member of Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna in Italy in 2014-15.

Trail Blazers sign Georgios Papagiannis through next season

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Georgios Papagiannis to a contract through the 2018-19 season.

Originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 8, Papagiannis holds career averages of 4.2 points (51.0% FG, 85.7% FT), 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 12.4 minutes in 38 games over two seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

Selected by Phoenix with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft out of Greece, Papagiannis, 20, was dealt to Sacramento in a draft day trade.

In 33 games over two seasons with the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, Papagiannis (7-2, 240) posted averages of 13.7 points (51.3% FG, 77.2% FT), 8.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.24 blocked shots and 30.6 minutes.

Magic sign Rodney Purvis to second 10-day contract

The Orlando Magic signed guard Rodney Purvis to a second 10-day contract today.

Purvis (6’4”, 205, 2/14/94) has played in five games with Orlando, averaging 3.8 ppg. in 11.5 minpg. He appeared and started in 37 games this season for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s NBA G League affiliate, averaging 20.5 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 3.5 apg. and 1.35 stlpg. in 38.5 minpg. Purvis led the team in scoring 17 times and in assists 10 times. He scored in double figures 34 times and had 30+ points four times, including a season-high 40 points on Dec. 21 @ Westchester.

Purvis was selected to participate in the USA World Cup Qualifying Team training camp Feb. 15-20 and the G League International Challenge on Feb 18. After camp, Purvis was then selected to the 12-man team for the USA’s World Cup Qualifying first round, second-window games, including Cuba on Feb. 23 and Puerto Rico on Feb. 26 in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he averaged 13 ppg. in 23.0 minpg., while shooting 50 percent from the field. The FIBA World Cup Qualifying games are being used to qualify 31 of the 32 nations that will compete in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Purvis played in 137 career games (100 starts) during four years at both North Carolina State (2012-13) and the University of Connecticut (2014-17), averaging 11.6 ppg., 3.0 rpg. and 1.8 apg. in 29.1 minpg. Last season, he appeared in 33 games (32 starts), averaging 13.8 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 2.5 apg. and 1.03 stlpg. in 36.9 minpg. As a sophomore (2014-15), Purvis led the Huskies in scoring during the postseason, averaging 17.8 ppg., and was named to the 2015 American Athletic Conference’s All-Tournament Team.

Omri Casspi out with ankle sprain

Omri Casspi out with ankle sprain

Warriors forward Omri Casspi is expected to miss roughly a week with a sprained right ankle, according to a Yahoo Sports report.

After draining a seven-foot hook shot early in the second quarter of Friday night’s loss to Sacramento, Casspi came down awkwardly, rolling his right ankle. He was tended to by a team trainer before leaving the floor on his own power, ending his night with six points in six minutes.

SF Chronicle

Jazz sign David Stockton to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz signed guard David Stockton to a 10-day contract today.

Stockton (5-11, 165, Gonzaga) joins the Jazz most recently from the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, where he has appeared in 39 games (15 starts), averaging 16.3 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 28.2 minutes per game this season. He was also selected to the official 12-member 2017 USA Men’s World Qualifying Team, coached by Jeff Van Gundy, where he saw action in two wins against Cuba and Puerto Rico, owning averages of 8.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 18.4 minutes per game.

The Spokane, Wash., native has additional NBA experience, signing a 10-day with the Kings on Feb. 20, 2015 and then to a multi-year contract by Sacramento on April 12, 2015. During his stint with the team, he saw action in three contests with averages of 2.7 points and 3.0 assists in 11.0 minutes.

Stockton has played in the NBA G League the past four seasons with the Reno Bighorns (2014-18), having averaged 18.0 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 142 career games (106 starts). He was named to the 2015 All NBA D-League Rookie Second Team following his first professional season.

He has also competed internationally, having played with the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League (2016-17), appearing in 10 games (six starts), averaging 8.3 points, 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds and Cedevita Zagreb of the Croatian ABA League (2016), where he averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 assists, 2.8 boards and 2.3 steals in league play.

Stockton was a four-year collegiate player at Gonzaga, appearing in 138 career games (39 starts), posting averages of 4.8 points, 3.1 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 19.9 minutes per game. In his senior season, he averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 27.8 minutes per game. He helped Gonzaga to four-straight NCAA Tournaments and earned 2014 All-WCC Tournament Team honors, helping the squad to a 2014 WCC Tournament Championship.

Stockton will wear No. 5 for the Jazz.

Raptors sign Nigel Hayes to second 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Nigel Hayes to a second 10-day contract.

Hayes, 6-foot-8, 254 pounds, has appeared in two games for Toronto, scoring six points (2-2 FG, 2-2 3PT) in six minutes of action. Prior to joining the Raptors, Hayes split the season between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.

Hayes signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers on Jan. 19, recording three points and two assists in 11 minutes in two games. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 35.6 minutes in 38 games with the Knicks. Hayes shot .450 (227-for-505) from the field, .441 (94-for-213) from three-point range and .744 (64-for-86) at the free throw line. He scored 20-or-more points 10 times, including a season-high 37 points Nov. 7 at Delaware.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Hayes played four seasons at Wisconsin (2013-17), averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 29.6 minutes in 150 games. He finished his career ranked third on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,857) and is the only Badger in the top-10 in points, rebounds and assists. Hayes was selected All-Big Ten Third Team as a senior.

Pelicans sign Larry Drew II to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent guard Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract.

Drew, 6-2, 180, has appeared in 35 games this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League, posting averages of 11.8 points while shooting .401 from three-point range, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Drew was also a member of the United States National Team that took home the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.

Undrafted in 2013 out of UCLA, Drew has appeared in 15 career NBA games for Philadelphia, holding averages of 3.2 points, 3.1 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per contest. Additionally, Drew was a member of the Pelicans’ 2015 NBA Summer League Team in Las Vegas, where he earned All-NBA Summer League Second Team honors.

Drew will wear #1 for the Pelicans and be available for their game tonight in San Antonio. New Orleans’ roster currently stands at 16, including on two-way player (Charles Cooke).

Knicks sign Troy Williams

Knicks sign Troy Williams

The New York Knicks yesterday (Tuesday) signed forward Troy Williams. The team had previously signed Williams to consecutive 10-day contracts.

Williams, 6-7 and 220-pounds, is averaging 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds over 13.9 minutes in eight games with the Knicks. He first signed a 10-day contract with the team on Feb. 21, 2018.

Williams previously averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 rebounds over 16.9 minutes in 34 games (16 starts) over two seasons with Memphis and Houston. He appeared in four games for the Rockets this season before being waived on Feb. 14.

The Hampton, Va. native also appeared in 19 games for Rio Grande (G League) during the 2017-18 season, averaging 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals over 29.1 minutes. He won the 2017 D-League Dunk contest and played in 33 games for Rio Grande and Iowa last season. He was originally signed by Memphis as an undrafted rookie free agent in Oct. 2016 after two collegiate seasons at Indiana University.