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Rockets sign Bobby Brown, Gary Payton II, Isaiah Taylor and Kyle Wiltjer

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed four players — Bobby Brown, Gary Payton II, Isaiah Taylor and Kyle Wiltjer — in advance of training camp, which takes place at Toyota Center Saturday, Sept. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 1.

Houston’s preseason opener is home against the Shanghai Sharks on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The Sharks play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and are owned by Rockets legend Yao Ming, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this month. It is the first time a professional team from China is facing an NBA team in the United States.

Bobby Brown finished his career as Cal-State Fullerton’s all-time leading scorer. He appeared in a total of 113 NBA games across two seasons in 2008-09 and 200-10 and spent the past two years playing in the CBA. In 2015-16, Brown averaged 29.2 points, 6.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds for the Shenzhen Leopards.

Gary Payton II was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft and played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League. As a senior at Oregon State, Payton II averaged team highs of 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals. According to Stats, Inc., he was the first Division I player to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in a single season dating back to 1996-97, which is as far back as their data tracks.

Isaiah Taylor was an early entry candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft following his junior season at Texas. He started all 92 of his games played during his career with the Longhorns and was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior after earning Third Team honors as a freshman and sophomore. Taylor also played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League.

Kyle Wiltjer was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft following his senior season at Gonzaga and was a member of the Rockets entry in the Samsung NBA Summer League. He began his collegiate career at Kentucky and was a member of the Wildcats championship team in 2012. Wiltjer was named All-West Coast Conference First Team in both of his seasons with the Bulldogs, averaging 18.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Pistons front office staff info

The Pistons announced today several promotions and four new additions to the basketball operations staff. Pat Garrity (associate general manager), Adam Glessner (director, player personnel) and J.R. Holden (director, international scouting) have been promoted to senior leadership positions within the department.

“We are pleased to complete our basketball operations staff for the upcoming season and look forward to the contributions of those who have been promoted and those who join our organization,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “Pat Garrity, Adam Glessner and J.R. Holden have been a major part of our staff over the last three seasons and their promotion to senior leadership positions is a natural progression. Their effectiveness and unique skill sets will allow our basketball operations staff to evolve seamlessly moving forward.”

Garrity enters his third season with the Pistons, and first as associate general manager. Previously, he spent two seasons as director of strategic planning and assistant general manager after completing a 10-year NBA career and three-plus years working as a client advisor for a Connecticut-based hedge fund. Drafted 19th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, Garrity spent one season with the Phoenix Suns and was traded to the Orlando Magic where he played from 1999-2008, including one season with Head Coach Stan Van Gundy (2007-08). A four-year player at the University of Notre Dame, he graduated with a BS in Science, Pre-Professional Studies. Following his retirement from the NBA in 2008, earned an MBA with a concentration in investment finance from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Holden, a college and international scout with the Pistons, enters his third season with the club and first as director of international scouting. The Pittsburgh, PA native played college basketball at Bucknell University from 1994-98 and then embarked on a 13-year pro career overseas playing in Latvia, Belgium, Greece and Russia. His time overseas was most notable while playing for CSKA Moscow (Russia) from 2002-11 where he won 12-of-13 league championships, appeared in eight consecutive Euroleague Final Fours and won one European gold medal. He ended his pro career by being named to the 2001-10 All-Decade Team.

Glessner, a pro scout with the Pistons, enters his third season with the club and first as director of player personnel. His prior NBA experience includes a stint with Charlotte as a coaching associate and six years with the Orlando Magic. During his time in Orlando, he worked under Head Coach Stan Van Gundy from 2007-12 as a video coordinator/analyst.

Additional basketball staff promotions include Jorge Costa to director of research and technology, Aaron Gray to assistant coach, Ryan Winters to scout, Jordan Sabourin to head strength coach, T.J. Saint to head video coordinator and Jordan Brink to assistant video coordinator. New hires joining the Pistons staff include Aaron Blackshear as analytics systems coordinator and Louis Thompson as assistant strength and conditioning coach. Quentin Richardson transitions to a pro scout after serving the last two years as director of player development. Staff additions to the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons NBA D-League affiliate, include Courtney Havens-Mitchell as head athletic trainer and Evarist Akujobi as strength and conditioning coach.

Paul Millsap out with knee injury

Hawks forward Paul Millsap recently underwent a preventative procedure to reduce mild swelling in his right knee.

“After reviewing the options with Paul to treat his knee and provide him the best long-term care, we agreed, largely due to the time of year, that this was the best method and time to ensure his complete readiness for the start of the regular season,” President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said.

In an effort to maximize the benefit of the procedure, Millsap will progress through phases of rest and recovery before returning to full basketball activities over the next three weeks.

He will miss the first two preseason games and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Rockets trade Michael Beasley to Bucks for Tyler Ennis

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that the team has acquired forward Michael Beasley from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Tyler Ennis.

“We’re excited to add a player with Michael’s skill set to our team,” said Hammond. “He’s someone that we’ve kept our eye on the last few seasons and we’re looking forward to watching him compete throughout training camp and the season.”

Beasley, 27, appeared in 20 games for the Rockets last season and averaged 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Prior to signing with Houston, Beasley played in China with the Shandong Golden Stars and averaged 31.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, earning the CBA’s Foreign MVP Award for the 2015-16 season. While playing for Shandong, Beasley tallied games of 48 and 49 points and was named MVP of the CBA All-Star Game for the second straight year after recording 63 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists for the South team.

The No. 2 overall pick by Miami in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley has career NBA averages of 13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 453 games (200 starts) for Miami, Minnesota, Phoenix and Houston.

Ennis (6-3, 194) was an early entry candidate for the 2014 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Syracuse and was selected 18th overall by Phoenix. He was acquired by the Bucks midway through his rookie season. Ennis was born in Brampton, Ontario outside of Toronto and is a member of the Canadian National Team.

Last season, Ennis appeared in 46 games with seven starts for the Bucks. Over the final 18 games, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds in just 23.6 minutes per game while shooting 48.3% from the floor. For the season, Ennis ranked fourth in assists per 48 minutes played among players 21 or younger.

Following his freshman season with the Orange, Ennis was named USA Today All-America Second Team. He ranked sixth in the nation, and first among freshman, with a 3.60 assist-to-turnover ratio, and led the ACC in both assists and steals.

“We wish Tyler the best and thank him for his contributions to the Bucks, both on and off the court,” Hammond added.

Jazz sign Henry Sims

The Jazz have signed free agent center Henry Sims.

We will assume this is a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Sims to training camp.

Sims (6-10, 248, Georgetown) has appeared in 135 NBA games over four seasons with New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, owning career averages of 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 18.8 minutes per game. Sims finished the 2015-16 season with the Nets, appearing in 14 games (four starts) and averaging 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 block in 18.8 minutes of action.

He has also spent time in the NBA D-League with the Erie BayHawks, Canton Charge and Grand Rapids Drive. Sims averaged 15.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per game before signing with Brooklyn in March of 2016.

The Baltimore native, played four years at Georgetown (2008-12), averaging 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks as a senior. He played high school basketball at Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore.

He will wear jersey #30 for the Jazz.

Pelicans sign Chris Copeland and Robert Sacre

The Pelicans have signed free agents Chris Copeland and Robert Sacre.

We assume these are non-guaranteed contracts that merely bring Copeland and Sacre to Pelicans training camp.

Copeland, 6-8, 235, appeared in 24 games with Milwaukee last season, posting averages of 2.1 points in 6.5 minutes per game. Undrafted out of Colorado in 2006, Copeland has appeared in 171 career regular season games (26 starts) with New York, Indiana and Milwaukee, posting averages of 5.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.

Sacre, 7-0, 270, appeared in 25 games last season for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. Drafted 60th overall by the Lakers in 2012 out of Gonzaga, Sacre has spent his entire career in Los Angeles, averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds over 189 career regular season games (35 starts).

Khris Middleton suffers hamstring injury, needs surgery

Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton suffered a left hamstring injury in preseason workouts that will require surgery, General Manager John Hammond announced Wednesday. Middleton is expected to be sidelined for approximately six months, with surgery planned in the next week.

“We’re obviously disappointed for Khris and our team, but injuries are an unfortunate part of the game,” said Hammond. “We’ll rely on our overall roster depth to help us while Khris is out for a significant period of the season.”

The Bucks were a disappointment last season, finishing with a 33-49 record and not living up to expectations that came with being a young but talented roster. Losing Middleton for the next six months certainly hurts their quest to rise up in the East.

Middleton, 25, averaged a career-high 18.2 points, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals last season along with 3.8 rebounds in 79 games. Originally selected by Detroit (39th overall) in the 2012 NBA Draft, Middleton has career averages of 13.2 points, 2.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 267 career games (201 starts).

Jazz announce basketball staff promotions and additions

The Jazz have promoted Richard Smith to executive director of international scouting and Bart Taylor to Jazz director of scouting/Salt Lake City Stars vice president of basketball operations.

Additionally, the team has hired Nixon Dorvilien as director of rehabilitation.

Smith is promoted to executive director of international scouting and will now head the Jazz’s global scouting efforts. He is entering his 22nd year with the organization having worked in a variety of capacities within basketball operations. For the past three seasons he served as the Jazz executive director of player services, following prior stints as director of basketball operations, director of scouting services, video coordinator and advance scout. A native of Norwich, Conn., “Smitty” earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Central Connecticut State College.

As Jazz director of scouting/Stars vice president of basketball operations, Taylor will serve the dual role of coordinating the Jazz’s scouting efforts while also directing all basketball-related decisions for the Jazz-owned NBA Development League team, which is set to begin its inaugural season in Utah in November. Now in his fifth season with the Jazz, Taylor had most recently served as the Jazz coordinator of scouting. Born and raised in San Antonio, Taylor served basketball operations internships with both his hometown Spurs and their NBA D-League affiliate the (then) Austin Toros after attending Trinity University in San Antonio, where he played basketball for three years and earned a degree in mathematics.

In his newly created role, Dorvilien will work closely with the Jazz’s medical and sports science staffs on injury prevention, athlete recovery and return to optimal performance after injury.

Dorvilien comes to the Jazz after spending the previous two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks (2014-16), the first as assistant athletic trainer before being promoted to head athletic trainer for his second season. He also spent time with the Brooklyn Nets (2012-14) as assistant athletic trainer. Dorvilien started his career with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 as the team’s equipment manager and assistant athletic trainer. He spent six seasons with the Spurs organization, including the team’s NBA Championship campaign in 2006-07. During his time in San Antonio, Dorvilien also served as the head athletic trainer and strength coach for the Austin Toros (now Austin Spurs) during their 2011-12 D-League Championship season.

A native of the Bahamas, Nixon received a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Park University before earning his master’s degree from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2004. After completing his education, Dorvilien served one year as the Red Raiders’ athletic trainer for track and field, winning the men’s Big 12 championship, before joining the Spurs.

Warriors announce promotions in Basketball Operations department

The Warriors today announced promotions in the team’s Basketball Operations department, highlighted by the promotions of Bob Myers to the role of president of basketball operations/general manager, Travis Schlenk to vice president of basketball operations/assistant general manager, Kirk Lacob to vice president of GSW Sports Ventures/assistant general manager, and Larry Harris to assistant general manager/director of player personnel.

Additional promotions include Nick U’Ren as director of coaching operations/special assistant to the head coach, Jonnie West as director of player programs, Nanea McGuigan as director of basketball administration/player programs, Chelsea Lane as head of physical performance and sports medicine, Drew Yoder as head athletic trainer, Roger Sancho as assistant trainer, James Laughlin as video coordinator, and Sammy Gelfand as manager of basketball analytics.

Myers is entering his fifth season as general manager of the Warriors and adds the title of president of basketball operations. In this role, he reports directly to Owner & CEO Joe Lacob and oversees the entire Basketball Operations department on a day-to-day basis. Myers earned the 2014-15 NBA Executive of the Year for constructing a roster that won a then-franchise-record 67 regular-season games (67-15, .817) and won the 2015 NBA Championship – the fourth title in franchise history.

Schlenk is entering his 13th season with the Warriors, his first as vice president, basketball operations. In this role, Schlenk assists in the management of all day-to-day basketball operations, including all player-related matters. He also continues to serve as assistant general manager, a title he has held for each of the past five seasons. Prior to being named assistant general manager prior to the 2011-12 campaign, Schlenk spent the previous two seasons as the team’s director of player personnel. Before joining the team’s front office, Schlenk spent five years as an assistant coach and video scout for the Warriors, having originally joined the organization prior to the 2004-05 season as a video scout.

Kirk Lacob is in his seventh season with the Warriors, his first as vice president of GSW Sports Ventures. He also continues to serve as assistant general manager, a position he has held for each of the past four seasons. As part of his newly added vice president role, Lacob is in charge of the organization’s new sports ventures, including continued efforts to develop partnerships for basketball operations and leading investments for GSW in sports related areas.

Harris is entering his ninth season with the Warriors, and his first as assistant general manager/director of player personnel. In this role, Harris serves as one of the organization’s key talent evaluators of players at both the professional and collegiate levels, assisting with the team’s year-round preparation for the NBA draft, free agency and trades. Harris originally joined the Warriors in 2008 as an assistant coach under Don Nelson before moving to the front office after one season on the bench.

Raptors sign Brady Heslip

The Raptors have signed Canadian free-agent guard Brady Heslip.

Toronto will open training camp September 27 in Vancouver. The roster stands at 20 players.

Heslip, a native of Burlington, Ontario and a member of the Canadian Men’s Senior National Team, spent the 2015-16 season with Acqua Vitasnella Cantu (Serie-A) in Italy, averaging 12.7 points and shooting .455 from three-point range in 29 games.

He averaged 13.0 points and 1.2 rebounds for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and 10.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City.
Heslip was selected 11th overall by Reno in the 2014 NBA D-League Draft and averaged 24.5 points in 20 games with the Bighorns. He set an NBA D-League record by making 13 three-point field goals November 29, 2014 at Idaho as part of a 45-point performance.