Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Grizzlies waive Kenneth Lofton Jr.

The Memphis Grizzlies yesterday (Monday) waived forward/center Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Lofton Jr. (6-8, 275) appeared in 39 games (one start) and averaged 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.1 minutes in two seasons with the Grizzlies. The 21-year-old averaged 2.6 points in 6.6 minutes in 15 games as a reserve this season.

Unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Louisiana Tech, Lofton Jr. initially signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies on July 1, 2022, before signing a standard NBA contract on April 8, 2023. The Port Arthur, Texas, native also played 32 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Memphis Hustle, where he was named the 2022-23 NBA G League Rookie of the Year.

76ers sign President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey to contract extension

The Philadelphia 76ers yesterday announced a multi-year contract extension for President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, extending him through the 2027-28 season.

“Daryl is one of the best front office executives in sports and I greatly value his leadership,” Josh Harris, 76ers Managing Partner, said. “I’m thrilled to have reached an agreement to extend his contract and look forward to working together to maximize our chances of competing for an NBA title.”

Hired as the team’s President of Basketball Operations on Nov. 2, 2020, Morey’s .653 winning percentage through his first three seasons represents the best mark in franchise history. The 76ers are off to a 16-7 start in 2023-24, tied for the fourth-best record in the NBA.

Morey oversees all areas of the 76ers basketball operations department, most recently orchestrating a three-team, seven-player deal on Nov. 1, 2023, which netted a multitude of future draft capital, including two first-round draft picks and a first-round pick swap, in addition to Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, and Marcus Morris Sr. This past offseason, Morey hired NBA champion and Coach of the Year Nick Nurse as the franchise’s 26th head coach.

“I want to express my appreciation to Josh Harris and David Blitzer for their unwavering support and confidence. Together, we are committed to bringing a championship to Philadelphia,” said Morey. “I love this franchise and the relationship my family and I have built with our fans and this city. There’s no place I’d rather continue this journey than here.”

In 2022-23, the 76ers advanced in the NBA Playoffs for the third consecutive season, making them one of two teams to reach the Conference Semifinals each year since Morey’s arrival. On the season, Morey’s 76ers compiled a 54-28 regular-season record, the team’s best mark since 2000-01.

Taj Gibson is back on the Knicks

Per the NY Post:

Their latest reunion skipped the emotions and went right into the brass tacks, in the Tom Thibodeau way.

“Thibs just gave me that look like, ‘Yo, you in shape?’ ” said Taj Gibson, officially signed by the Knicks on Friday to a one-year, nonguaranteed deal. “‘You know I can’t rock with you if you’re not in shape.’”

Gibson affirmed to his coach Friday that he’s well conditioned — a product of training by himself at the NBPA gym in Manhattan — but Thibodeau couldn’t resist busting chops, telling his 38-year-old center to run sprints with the guards.

“Then he says, ‘I’m joking with you,’” Gibson said. “He knows how to ruffle feathers.”

FULL ARTICLE

Pacers sign James Johnson

The Indiana Pacers announced on Friday the team has signed forward James Johnson.

Johnson will wear number 16 with the Pacers.

And per the Indy Star:

James Johnson Jr. never gave up on the idea that he was going to play this season. Not in July when the Pacers filled their roster without re-signing him and not when the season began and he wasn’t on a roster.

“I was still working out,” Johnson said Friday. “It was never over in my mind for me. I was just working out and staying patient.”

The patience was finally rewarded Thursday when news broke that the Pacers would re-sign him and allow the 36-year-old to play his 15th year in the league. His signing was formally announced on Friday and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference that Johnson will be dressed and available for their 7 p.m. game against the Wizards.

Cavaliers injury updates on Darius Garland and Evan Mobley

The Cleveland Cavaliers released today status updates on the following players:

Cavaliers Guard Darius Garland sustained a fractured jaw during the third quarter of last night’s road game at Boston. A CT scan administered this morning at Cleveland Clinic confirmed the injury. Garland will have a procedure to heal the affected area and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

Cavaliers Forward/Center Evan Mobley will have arthroscopic left knee surgery at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health on Monday, December 18 to remove a loose body. Recent imaging and a series of treatment and rehabilitation confirmed that surgery was the best option to alleviate the discomfort in the knee. Mobley has missed the Cavaliers previous four games and is expected to be out approximately six to eight weeks.

Celtics sign Drew Peterson to two-way contract

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Drew Peterson to a two-way contract.

Peterson (6-9, 205) appeared in 13 games (eight starts) this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat, and averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per game. The rookie ranked second on the team in made three-pointers (24-59 3FG) and total assists (54), while his 4.2 assists per game ranks 10th in the G League.

The Libertyville, Ill., native played two seasons at Rice before transferring to USC where he averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in his three seasons with the Trojans. During the 2022-23 season, Peterson was second on the team with a 13.9 scoring average, while leading the team in rebounds per game (6.2) and total assists (143).

Peterson was named All-Pac-12 first team for the second consecutive season and was one of three NCAA Power 6 conference players to average at least 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists during the 2022-23 season. He served as one of USC’s team captains and was named USC’s co-MVP after helping the Trojans advance to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season. The fifth-year senior finished his collegiate career with 1,721 points, 897 rebounds, and 505 assists in 164 games.

Lakers beat Pacers in 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament championship game

OC Register: Lakers coach Darvin Ham said ahead of Saturday’s In-Season Tournament championship game between his team and the Indiana Pacers that he didn’t want to reveal too much of their strategy. But the way the Lakers attacked the Pacers’ defense said everything that needed to be known about their gameplan: constantly attack the paint against an Indiana team that allows points in the paint at a league-worst rate (62.5 points per game).

OC Register: And the strategy worked, with the Lakers beating the Pacers 123-109 at T-Mobile Arena to win the inaugural Tournament and NBA Cup – and roughly $7.75 million spread throughout the Lakers roster and additional monetary compensation for the coaching staff. The Lakers attacked the heart of the Pacers’ defense repeatedly, scoring 86 points in the paint – more than they have in any other game this season – to make up for their lack of perimeter shooting (2 of 13 on 3-pointers).

ESPN.com: The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most championships in NBA history. But after Saturday night, they are the only team in NBA history to have won the NBA Cup. Behind a masterful performance from Anthony Davis, who had 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. LeBron James, who added 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, was named tournament MVP.

ESPN.com: The NBA Cup may be new, but the lesson it taught was as old as the league itself. To win anything of value, and the in-season tournament seems to have quickly established itself as such an event, you’re going to need superstars. In a way, that future Hall of Famers and champions LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ brilliant play proved to be the deciding factor in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers to claim the first-ever edition of the event verified its consequence. Playing on a neutral floor in December in a single game, it was hard to truly compare Saturday night it to any sort of playoff setting. But one thing was for certain, it was treated like an elimination game. There were aggressive game plans, heavy minutes and intensity. Situations where James has thrived for a long time.

Medical update on Nets guard Ben Simmons

Per the NY Post:

Nets point guard Ben Simmons has started feeling positive effects from the epidural he had in his back and has moved to the next phase of his rehab.

“He’s looking at, I think, in the matter of days to weeks, as opposed to weeks to months,” Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, told The Post.

Simmons, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 and got the shot a little over a week ago, is doing aqua jogging — running in water. He’s working toward on-court activity.

FULL ARTICLE

Wizards sign Jules Bernard to two-way contract, waive John Butler Jr.

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jules Bernard to a two-way contract.

And in a corresponding move, the team waived John Butler Jr.

Bernard has played in 39 games with the Capital City Go-Go over the past two seasons after being acquired via trade from the Motor City Cruise on December 23, 2022. Bernard finished the 2022-23 campaign appearing in 32 games for Capital City, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Bernard next appeared in the 2023 NBA Summer League and 2023 training camp with the Wizards before starting the season with the Go-Go. In eight games with Capital City this season, Bernard is averaging 21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, with shooting splits of .475 from the field, .422 from three and .914 from the free throw line.

The UCLA product spent four years with the Bruins, averaging 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 130 career games. He went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft before signing with the Detroit Pistons and eventually joining the Motor City Cruise to begin the 2022-23 season.