Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Knicks trade RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley to Raptors for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday that they have acquired guard Immanuel Quickley, guard-forward RJ Barrett and a 2024 second-round draft pick (via Detroit) from the New York Knicks in exchange for guard-forward OG Anunoby, forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn.

“We’re excited about welcoming Immanuel and RJ to our team. Immanuel is a young, talented playmaker who we believe will provide a spark on both ends of the court. RJ is a versatile wing who is, of course, well-known in his hometown, and seeing him in a Raptors uniform will be a special moment for our fans and for all Canadians,” Toronto vice-chairman and president Masai Ujiri said. “It’s never easy to say goodbye, especially when players like OG and Malachi have spent their careers with our team. We wish Precious, Malachi and OG all the best.”

Quickley, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, is averaging a career-high 15.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 24.0 minutes in 30 contests this season. He is shooting .454 (152-335) from the floor, including .395 (64-162) from beyond the arc, and scored in double figures in 23 games.

In his fourth season, Quickley was a finalist for the 2022-23 KIA NBA Sixth Man of the Year and was named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 253 career games (27 starts) with the Knicks, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 24.1 minutes.

New York acquired Quickley’s draft rights after he was picked 25th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2020 NBA Draft. A native of Havre de Grace, Maryland, Quickley played two seasons at Kentucky (2018-20), earning SEC Player of the Year and All-SEC First Team honours as a sophomore.

Barrett, 6-foot-7, 224 pounds, is averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 29.5 minutes in 26 games (all starts) this season. He is shooting .423 (164-388) from the field, .331 (43-130) from three-point range, and scored 20 or more points 10 times. Barrett had a season-high 27 points Dec. 11 against the Raptors.

A native of Toronto, Barrett is in his fifth NBA season and owns career averages of 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 33.2 minutes in 297 games (296 starts) with New York. He was picked third overall by the Knicks in the 2019 NBA Draft after one season at Duke (2018-19) where he was first-team All-ACC selection.

Anunoby was picked 23rd overall by the Raptors in the 2017 NBA Draft. He averaged 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 28.7 minutes in 395 games (321 starts) over seven seasons with Toronto. Anunoby helped the Raptors capture their first NBA championship in 2019 and was an All-Defensive Second Team selection last season.

Achiuwa averaged 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 21.6 minutes in 153 games (40 starts) with Toronto after he was acquired from Miami in August 2021.

Flynn was picked 29th overall by the Raptors in the 2020 NBA Draft. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 15.0 minutes in 175 career games (21 starts).

Injury update on Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart

Detroit Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart, who suffered a right great toe sprain during the team’s game against Philadelphia on December 15, is expected to be sidelined the next 10-14 days to allow for rest and rehabilitation.

He had been playing to pain tolerance since the injury was originally sustained and missed last night’s game at Boston.

Stewart will be re-evaluated periodically.

Kyle Kuzma wins NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for November, 2023

The NBA today announced Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award November winner for giving back to his hometown of Flint, Michigan and hosting a special event through his foundation (Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation).

“Helping to uplift the communities that are special to me is a privilege, so being recognized for that work is a humbling experience, particularly when it takes place during the season of giving,” said Kuzma. “I’m proud to share this honor with my family and support system as well as my teammates and the entire Wizards organization, as all of us are committed to continuing to make a difference in the lives of others.”

Each month, the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award recognizes a player monthly for their outstanding work in the community.

Pistons losing streak reaches 28 straight games

Per the Detroit Free Press:

It was a familiar ending for the Detroit Pistons. But the path to get there was still one of their better efforts of the season.

They faced the NBA’s best team, the Boston Celtics, on the road and went toe-to-toe with them for most of the game at TD Garden in Boston. But it was another collapse for the Pistons, who led by 21 points in the second quarter and by 19 points at halftime before giving up a massive run that gave the Celtics a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter, and, eventually, a 128-122 victory in overtime.

The loss extends the Pistons’ losing streak to 28 games, an NBA record for a single-season skid. It also ties them with the 2014-15/2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers for the longest skid regardless of season. (Those 76ers lost 10 games to finish the ’14-15 season and 18 to start the ’15-16 campaign.) Detroit can claim the record outright with a loss in its next game, Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

FULL ARTICLE Detroit Free Cruise.

On Kevin Love and his role on the Heat

Per the Sun Sentinel:

Kevin Love arrived prepped for the assignment. Such was an unintended consequence of previously slowly being shuffled out of the mix with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even before arriving to the Miami Heat at last season’s buyout deadline, the veteran big man already had begun the transition from championship starter to mid-career reserve.

Now, after being utilized in a variety of roles by the Heat, Love appears to have found his sweet spot with Erik Spoelstra’s second unit, as Bam Adebayo’s backup.

For 11 seasons, after his first two with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love played all but one game as a starter, including during the Cavaliers’ four runs to the NBA Finals. Then the Cavaliers transitioned in their post-LeBron James era to something new, something young to something that had Love almost solely as a reserve in 2021-22.

FULL ARTICLE

Celtics survive overtime battle with Pistons

Per Boston.com:

The Celtics narrowly avoided a deeply embarrassing loss on Thursday with a 128-122 victory over the Pistons in overtime…

At some point, the Pistons will win a game. When they do, the team they beat will have the ignominy of being the team that broke the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Last year’s perpetually frustrating Celtics would have been a prime candidate to be that team, and for 24 minutes to start the game, this year’s Celtics looked a little like last year’s group that routinely found the most infuriating ways imaginable to lose. They turned the ball over constantly, they let Cade Cunningham get into a nice groove, and after putting up impressive scoring totals throughout their West Coast road trip, they managed just 20 points in the second quarter and 47 by halftime. The Pistons took a 19-point lead into the break.

The Celtics couldn’t play much worse, and they are a much better basketball team than the Pistons, so a rally was somewhat inevitable. They needed just six minutes to get themselves back into the game, and they traded leads with the Pistons into the fourth quarter. Things appeared decided when they went up by six with just under two minutes remaining, but Jaden Ivey dragged the Pistons back equal again, and the game went to overtime.

In overtime, however, the talent gap finally swallowed the Pistons, and the Celtics pulled away.

FULL ARTICLE

Mavericks sign Brandon Williams to two-way contract, and waive Dexter Dennis

The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Brandon Williams to a Two-Way contract.

And in a related move, Dallas has requested waivers on Two-Way guard Dexter Dennis.

Williams (6-1, 190) appeared in 14 games (13 starts) for the G League’s Osceola Magic at the 2023 Showcase Cup and averaged 22.4 points (.479 FG%, .376 3FG%, .833 FT%), 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Williams began his rookie season with the G League’s Westchester Knicks, before signing a 10-day contract and a later a Two-Way deal with Portland. In 24 NBA games (16 starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2021-22, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.7 minutes.

Williams spent the 2022-23 campaign with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks, where he teamed with fellow Mavericks Two-Way guard AJ Lawson. In 40 career regular-season G League games (36 starts) with Westchester and College Park, he has averaged 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes.

The Los Angeles native played one collegiate season at Arizona in 2018-19, where he averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists en route to being named Pac-12 All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention. Williams missed the entire 2019-20 campaign recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Williams will wear No. 00 for the Mavericks.

Dennis (6-5, 210) saw action in four games for the Mavericks as a rookie in 2023-24, averaging 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 7.5 minutes. The former Texas A&M Aggie also appeared in 13 games (all starts) for the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 35.8 minutes.

Several Heat rotation players on the mend

Per the Miami Herald:

The Miami Heat’s depth continues to be tested.

Already without three rotation players, the Heat lost a fourth rotation player early in Monday’s 119-113 Christmas win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Kaseya Center when Caleb Martin sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of the victory.

With Jimmy Butler (strained left calf), Haywood Highsmith (non-COVID illness) and Josh Richardson (low back discomfort) already out, Martin played the first 8:43 of the game before exiting late in the first quarter and heading back to the Heat’s locker room. He was then ruled out for the rest of the night.

FULL ARTICLE