NBA News Blog – Page 593 – NBA Blog

Cavs and J.R. Smith finally have deal

J.R. Smith was a key member of the Cavs last season. And it took a while, but he and the team have finally come to an agreement. Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting:

The Cavs and J.R. Smith agreed to a four-year deal Friday that could be worth $57 million, according to a league source, returning the shooting guard to where he always wanted to be.

Smith, 31, was an unrestricted free agent who earned about $5 million with the Cavs last season. He made a career-high 204 3-pointers last season and emerged as a top two-way player. The agreement came as the Cavs were in Chicago to face the Bulls in a preseason game.

Smith’s first game with the Cavs could come Tuesday in the preseason finale against the Washington Wizards at Ohio State. Coach Tyronn Lue already said he was going to treat Tuesday’s game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

Jazz waive Eric Dawson, Quincy Ford and Marcus Paige

The Jazz waived forward Eric Dawson, forward/guard Quincy Ford and guard Marcus Paige today.

Eric Dawson (6-9, 255, Mideastern State) appeared in one preseason game, scoring two points in 13 minutes of action vs. Phoenix on Oct. 12. He signed as a free agent on Sept. 21.

Quincy Ford (6-8, 225, Northeastern) scored two points in 12 minutes vs. the Suns on Oct. 12. He signed as a free agent on Sept. 6 after competing for the Jazz entries in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Paige (6-2, 175, North Carolina) averaged 5.5 points and 1.5 assists in two preseason games for Utah. He also competed at the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League for the Jazz entries.

The Jazz roster now stands at 17 players.

Lakers waive Julian Jacobs, Zach Auguste and Travis Wear

The Lakers waived guard Julian Jacobs and forwards Zach Auguste and Travis Wear today.

Auguste was signed on August 29 and did not appear in any of the four preseason games for the Lakers. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15:41 minutes per game in four games (one start) for the Lakers’ entry in the 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Jacobs was signed September 1 and appeared in two preseason games for Los Angeles, scoring three points with two assists in 11 minutes.

Wear was also signed September 1, and saw action in two preseason games for the Lakers, scoring three points in addition to two rebounds in 11 minutes.

The Lakers training camp roster stands at 17.

Clippers waive Dorell Wright and Xavier Munford

The Clippers today waived guard Xavier Munford and forward Dorell Wright.

Munford played in just two games for the Clippers this preseason, scoring four points. A 2016 D-League All-Star, he spent last season with the Bakersfield Jam and the Memphis Grizzlies. In 14 games for the Grizzlies to end the 2015-16 season, Munford averaged 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.4 minutes.

Wright, appeared in two games for the Clippers in the preseason. The 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, has spent 12 seasons in the NBA with Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia and Portland. In 549 career games (222 starts), the Los Angeles native has averages of 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Wright spent last season in the Chinese Basketball Association playing for the Beikong Fly Dragons before signing with the Heat to close the season. In 37 games for the Dragons, he averaged 24.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

The roster now stands at 15 players for the Clippers.

Tiago Splitter out with hamstring injury

Hawks center Tiago Splitter has been diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain, which he sustained in a recent practice. An MRI taken yesterday at the Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center revealed the injury.

Splitter will be out at least four weeks, which means he’ll miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season.

The Hawks will likely start Paul Millsap at power foward and new addition Dwight Howard at center. Splitter will likely come off the bench once he’s healthy.

Reggie Jackson injury update: out 6-8 weeks

Pistons guard Reggie Jackson will be out of action for the next 6-8 weeks after treatment today. The point guard received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections on this morning to treat left knee tendinosis and an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain of his right thumb.

The team says his recovery will be monitored throughout the rehabilitation process.

The six to eight week recovery period is an estimate. If it changes, of course we’ll post about it.

Jackson played 79 games last season and averaged 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 30.7 minutes per game.

Suns waive Shaquille Harrison, Derek Cooke Jr and Gracin Bakumanya

The Suns waived guard Shaquille Harrison, forward Derek Cooke Jr. and center Gracin Bakumanya today. Their roster now stands at 16 players.

Bakumanya, Cooke and Harrison originally signed with the Suns on Sept. 25. The three players did not appear in any of the team’s first three preseason games. It’s no surprise that they were waived.

All teams must trim their rosters to 15 or fewer players before the start of the regular season, which begins October 25.

The Suns are built around guards Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Brandon Knight. Up front they have veteran center Tyson Chandler, and mostly either young players who still need improvement or role-playing veterans.

Warriors waive Elgin Cook and Scott Wood

The Warriors waived forwards Elgin Cook and Scott Wood today.

Cook was originally signed by the Warriors on September 16 and appeared in two preseason games, scoring four points in 18 minutes.

Wood was originally signed by the Warriors on September 23 and scored three points in 12 minutes over two preseason contests.

All NBA teams must trim their rosters to 15 or fewer players by the end of preseason, before the regular season begins. Expect many player cuts around the league in the coming weeks.

Grizzlies sign Vince Hunter

The Grizzlies signed forward Vince Hunter today. It is probably a non-guaranteed contract that won’t keep Hunter on the team beyond preseason.

Hunter (6-10, 208) was a member of the Grizzlies’ 2016 NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas, where he appeared in five games (one start) and averaged 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.80 steals in 21.8 minutes while shooting 57.1 percent from the field.

The 22-year-old Detroit native began his professional career last season, joining the Sacramento Kings for training camp and splitting the season with the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns and Panathinaikos in Greece. In Reno, he started all 32 of his games with the Bighorns and averaged 21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.00 steals and 1.53 blocks in 31.9 minutes while shooting 58.9 percent from the field. He represented the West in the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game and recorded 12 points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.

Hunter went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft following two seasons at the University of Texas-El Paso, where he was named 2014-15 First Team All-Conference USA as a sophomore and the 2013-14 C-USA Freshman of the Year.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 20 players.

Reggie Jackson will receive plasma injection for injured knee

Here’s Michigan Live reporting on Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, who is dealing with a lingering knee issue:

Reggie Jackson has decided on a course of action to help with the pain in his left knee, and it’s a familiar one.

The Detroit Pistons point guard will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Monday in New York, coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed, the same non-surgical procedure he underwent while dealing with knee tendinitis in 2011.

The procedure culls blood from the body, spins it and injects it into the affected area to help relieve pain. There is no word yet on a timetable for Jackon’s return, but Van Gundy said last week it could be up to six to eight weeks…

Jackson made his final decision on Friday after consulting team doctors, his agent and getting a second opinion, Van Gundy said. He will be on crutches for up to a week after and will not travel with the Pistons next week for preseason games at Atlanta and Philadelphia.