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Pelicans sign Jordan Crawford for rest of season

The New Orleans Pelicans signed guard Jordan Crawford for the remainder of the 2016-17 season today.

Crawford, 6-5, 195, has appeared in five games with New Orleans since originally being signed on March 6, scoring in double figures in all five appearances off the bench, including a season-high 19 points twice. The Xavier (Ohio) product is averaging 14.2 points on .509 shooting from the field, including .519 from three-point range, to go with 3.2 assists in 23.4 minutes per contest.

Drafted 27th in 2010 by New Jersey, Crawford has appeared in 262 career regular season games with Atlanta, Washington, Boston ,Golden State and New Orleans, averaging 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 24.7 minutes per contest.

Joel Embiid health update

Here is the Philadelphia Daily News with an update on the Joel Embiid health saga. Embiid remains out for the year, but his recovery is worth tracking:

When the 76ers recently embarked on a four-game West Coast trip, injured center Joel Embiid joined them in Los Angeles after a loss in Portland. Embiid made the trip, the team said, to see some of the team of doctors that is overseeing his recovery from a slight meniscus tear in his left knee.

The team returned to practice Thursday, but Embiid remained on the West Coast. It was announced that he is in San Diego with Dr. David Martin to see more specialists about the knee. Apparently, a convention of orthopedic surgeons is happening this week in San Diego and the team decided it would be beneficial for Embiid and Martin to be there.

Isaiah Thomas out with bruised knee

The Celtics (43-25, second best record in Eastern conference through Wednesday’s games), will be without star guard Isaiah Thomas for a few games. Here’s the Boston Herald reporting:

Isaiah Thomas is not on the Celtics flight to New York today after the team announced a right knee bone bruise will keep him out of games against Brooklyn and Philadelphia tomorrow and Sunday.

A Celtics spokesman said he is staying back for treatment and rest, while a team source characterized the injury and his potential return as “day to day.”

Hornets sign Johnny O`Bryant to multi-year contract

The Hornets signed forward Johnny O’Bryant to a multi-year contract today.

The 6-9 Louisiana State product signed consecutive 10-day contracts with Charlotte on Feb. 24 and March 6 after becoming the D-League’s 23rd Gatorade Call-Up this season.

O’Bryant has played in four games with the Hornets, averaging 4.5 points on .533 percent from the field and 2.0 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per contest. The third-year pro scored a career-high 15 points on 7-of-9 field goals in a win against Denver on March 4. He has also appeared in 25 games (all starts) for the D-League’s Northern Arizona Suns this season, owning averages of 18.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He was also selected as a 2017 NBA D-League All-Star‎.

Originally selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, O’Bryant has now appeared in 111 NBA games (19 starts) over three seasons with Milwaukee, Denver and Charlotte with career averages of 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game.

A native of Cleveland, Miss., O’Bryant was a three-year collegiate player at Louisiana State (2011-14) and posted career averages of 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He earned All-SEC First Team accolades following the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

Dwyane Wade suffers season-ending elbow injuries

Dwyane Wade season-ending elbow injuries

The Bulls are in 10th place in the Eastern conference, behind the 9th-place Miami Heat, and their season will continue without the services of veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade.

This morning, Wade underwent an MRI for a right elbow injury suffered in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The results of the MRI showed a sprain and a small fracture in the elbow.

The Bulls say Wade will be out the remainder of the regular season. This leaves open the possibility that he might return for the playoffs, should Chicago actually rally and reach the postseason.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “in the 57 games Wade played in his first year as a member of his hometown team, he not only played Robin to Butler’s Batman in the scoring department, but was also grabbing 4.5 rebounds, handing out 3.9 assists and nabbing 1.5 steals per game, as well as emerging as a big-time leader in a relatively young locker room. Butler has been the team’s No. 1 option late in games, but Wade was definitely 1B. Now, coach Fred Hoiberg will have to figure out which one of his young players can step up, with the likes of Denzel Valentine, Nikola Mirotic, Paul Zipser and Michael Carter-Williams each possibilities to replace Wade’s 30.2 minutes per game.”

Sixers sign Shawn Long

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that the team has signed forward-center Shawn Long.

Long first signed a 10-day contract with the Sixers on March 6 after being called up from the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers’ NBA Development League affiliate. He has appeared in four NBA games, averaging five points and three rebounds in eight minutes per game.

In 39 games with Delaware, he led the team with averages of 20 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes per game, while shooting 54 percent from the field. He was named a 2017 NBA D-League All-Star. Long originally signed with the Sixers on July 8, 2016 before being waived on October 24 and joining the Sevens.

Long played four collegiate seasons (2013-16) at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes per game. As a senior, he was named 2016 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.

Nets sign Archie Goodwin to 10-day contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent Archie Goodwin to a 10-day contract.

Goodwin (6’5”, 205) has appeared in 153 games in parts of four NBA seasons with Phoenix (2013-16) and New Orleans (2016-17), recording averages of 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.5 minutes per game. He saw action in three games with the Pelicans earlier this season, averaging 5.0 points in 10.0 minutes per game. Most recently, the 22-year-old Goodwin appeared in 34 games with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA D-League, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.7 minutes per game.

Goodwin was originally selected with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder before being traded to the Suns via Golden State on draft night. He spent one year at the University of Kentucky, earning SEC All-Freshman team honors.

Brooklyn’s roster now stands at 15 players.

LaMarcus Aldridge back for Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been cleared to resume all basketball-related activities. After Aldridge had an occurrence of a minor heart arrhythmia in Oklahoma City on March 9, the Spurs medical staff led a process that included multiple tests and examinations as well as consultation with numerous experts in the field.

“We are thankful that LaMarcus will be able to rejoin the team,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “All of us have been impressed with the professionalism and grace he has shown in dealing with this difficult situation.”

Aldridge is available to play in tonight’s Spurs-Blazers game with no restrictions.

Kevin Love and Kyle Korver should return soon for Cavs

Kevin Love and Kyle Korver should return to action for the Cavaliers sometime in the very near future. Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting the latest:

The time that Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has long awaited, and with it the decisions that he’s been agonizing over, are nearly upon him.

Barring something unforeseen, the Cavs’ roster will soon be whole.

Kevin Love and Kyle Korver both participated in Wednesday’s 20-minute practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts and Love put himself through a sweat-drenching 30-minute workout with the coaching staff afterward.
Neither Love nor Korver have been cleared to play, but both seem likely to return soon.

Love has been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Feb. 14. Korver missed his fourth consecutive game Tuesday with an inflamed tendon in his left foot.

Goran Dragic set to return for Heat

Good news for the Heat as guard Goran Dragic is returning quickly after taking a hard elbow to the face. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting:

The veteran point guard is back in the mix for the Miami Heat after missing Sunday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers with a right orbital contusion.

“I mean, it’s a little bit blurry, but that’s normal,” Dragic said Wednesday, in advance of facing the New Orleans Pelicans at AmericanAirlines Arena. “Doc said it’s going to take time to clear the fluids, the swelling, but it’s much better.”

Dragic was injured on an inadvertent elbow from Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph in a Saturday victory, before sitting out the loss to the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.