Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Timberwolves sign Jaden McDaniels to contract extension

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday signed forward Jaden McDaniels to a multi-year contract extension.

McDaniels’ deal is reportedly a five-year, $136 million extension.

McDaniels, 23, has played all three of his NBA seasons with Minnesota, appearing in 212 games (137 starts), holding averages of 9.6 points on 48.2% shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.0 minutes per game. Last season, McDaniels established himself as one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league, appearing in 79 games (all starts), averaging career-highs of 12.1 points and a 51.7% field goal percentage to go along with 3.9 rebounds per game and led all qualified wing players in block percentage (1.5%). He totaled 76 blocks and 74 steals during the 2022-23 season, the only player in the NBA last year to tally 75+ blocks and 70+ steals.

The Federal Way, Wash. native has appeared in six playoff games for the Wolves, averaging 9.3 points on 52.9% shooting, including 50.0% from three-point range. In 33:27 minutes of action off the bench during Game 6 vs. Memphis on April 29, 2022, McDaniels ended the game with a playoff career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including a playoff career-high 5-of-6 from deep, the most points off the bench in a playoff game in franchise history.

The Wolves originally acquired McDaniels’ draft rights as the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Detroit Pistons injury updates on Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Isaiah Livers

Some Detroit Pistons injury updates were announced today, on the opening night of the 2023-24 NBA regular season:

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic is out with a right calf strain. He will be reevaluated in four weeks.

Pistons guard Monte Morris suffered a right quad strain during a recent rehab session that ramped up basketball activities after missing time with lower back soreness. He will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Isaiah Livers (Grade III left ankle sprain) is making progress towards returning to basketball activities. He will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

Mavericks sign Josh Green to contract extension

The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with guard Josh Green.

Green’s deal is reportedly a three-year, $41 million extension.

Green (6-6, 210) enters his fourth season having increased his averages in each one prior. In 2022-23, he posted career-high averages of 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 25.7 minutes. Green also shot 53.7% from the field (205-382 FG), 40.2% from three (68-169 3FG) and 72.3% (68-94 FT) from the free throw line. When called upon to be a starter last season, he averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.3 minutes in 21 games.

“We have seen Josh work extremely hard over his time with the Mavs to become an impactful player on both ends of the floor,” said Mavericks GM and VP of Basketball Operations Nico Harrison. “His energy is contagious for our group, and when he’s in the game he pushes his teammates to play at a different speed. Josh is a high-level person and teammate, and we are happy to have him with our program for the long term.”

The Australian native played one year of college basketball at Arizona before being selected 18th overall by Dallas in the 2020 NBA Draft. Green owns career averages of 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18.2 minutes over 166 games (29 starts) in his three seasons, and he has 17 games of playoff experience.

Green produced six games with at least 20 points in 2022-23 after not scoring 20 or more points in any game his first two seasons. He tallied a career-high 29 points, including 12 in the third quarter, in 37 minutes at Utah on Feb. 6, and was a +39 on the night. During the month of February, he scored in double figures in a career-best six consecutive games. In March, Green posted three consecutive games with 20-or-more points.

Representing his national team, Green has played for Australia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he won a bronze medal – the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball.

Trail Blazers sign Duop Reath, waive Ibou Badji

The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday signed center Duop Reath to a two-way contract.

The team have also requested waivers on center Ibou Badji.

During the 2023 Preseason, Reath appeared in four games and averaged 7.8 points (47.6% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 72.7% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 16.2 minutes per game for the Trail Blazers. Reath participated in 2023 Las Vegas Summer League with the Portland Trail Blazers where he averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in five games.

In April of 2023, the LSU alum signed with Al Riyadi Beirut of Lebanon and in 10 games, he posted 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.5 blocks in 32 minutes per game. Reath was also a member of the 2020 Australian National Team along with fellow Trail Blazers teammate Matisse Thybulle as they earned a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Pistons convert Stanley Umude deal to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have converted Stanley Umude’s contract to a two-way contract.

Umude signed an Exhibit 10 deal on August 7.

Umude (6-6, 210) appeared in 43 games for the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, last season and averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. Umude signed a 10-day contract with Detroit on Feb. 10, 2022, and appeared in one game for the Pistons during the 2022-23 season.

A native of Portland, Ore., Umude appeared in 138 collegiate games with South Dakota and Arkansas. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.7 steals, while shooting 46.8% from the field, during his college career and helped Arkansas to the 2022 NCAA Elite Eight during his one season with the Razorbacks.

Pacers sign Aaron Nesmith to contract extension

The Indiana Pacers have signed forward Aaron Nesmith to a contract extension.

Nesmith’s deal is reportedly a three-year, $33 million extension.

“Since Aaron Nesmith’s arrival a year and a half ago, he has continually and consistently grown to become a respected teammate and an important part of what we’re building here,” said President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Monday was the last day rookie scale contracts could be extended for players in the 2020 draft class heading into the final year of their four-year deals. The Pacers extended All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton’s deal, as soon as possible when the clock struck midnight on July 1 when he signed a five-year deal that could pay him up to $260 million.”

“Aaron continues to selflessly accept and succeed in every role that has been asked of him, all for the overall benefit of our team’s success, and given his trajectory to this point, we’re looking forward to a bright future with him.”

Pelicans waive Izaiah Brockington, Jalen Crutcher, Malcolm Hill, Trey Jemison and Tevian Jones

The New Orleans Pelicans yesterday waived Izaiah Brockington, Jalen Crutcher, Malcolm Hill, Trey Jemison and Tevian Jones.

Additionally, the Pelicans have been awarded the two-way contract of forward Matt Ryan off waivers.

Ryan, 6-7, has appeared in 35 career games with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga product owns career averages of 3.6 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game while shooting .371 from deep.

The New Orleans roster now stands at 17, including three two-way players.

Kings exercise contract options on Keegan Murray, Chris Duarte and Davion Mitchell

The Sacramento Kings yesterday exercised the third-year option on Keegan Murray and fourth-year options on Chris Duarte and Davion Mitchell, according to Kings General Manager Monte McNair.

The Kings acquired Duarte in July from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick. Originally selected as the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Duarte averaged 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in two seasons with the Pacers.

Mitchell averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 assists shooting 42.9% from the field in his first two seasons in Sacramento. Selected by the Kings with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mitchell was named to the 2021-22 NBA Rising Stars team.

Selected fourth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray played 80 games (78 starts) during his rookie season with the Kings, averaging 12.2 points per game, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 29.8 minutes. Murray became the NBA’s All-Time Rookie 3-Point Leader with 206 3-pointers made.

Hawks exercise contract options on Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin

The Atlanta Hawks yesterday exercised the fourth-year (2024-25) contract option on forward Jalen Johnson and the third-year (2024-25) option on guard AJ Griffin.

Johnson, the 20th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Hawks, has appeared in 92 career games (six starts) tallying 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.6 minutes (.496 FG%, .635 FT%). He has also appeared in eight playoff contests across two postseason runs with Atlanta, recording 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 8.1 minutes.

He saw action in 70 games (six starts) during the 2022-23 season, registering 5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.9 minutes of play (.491 FG%, .628 FT%).

In his first career start on Dec. 2, 2022, against the Denver Nuggets, Johnson recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points on 5-9 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, four assists and one block in 33 minutes. He became the first Hawk to notch a point/rebound double-double in his first start with the club since John Collins did so on Nov. 22, 2017.

Griffin was selected by the Hawks with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The second-year guard saw action in 72 games (12 starts) during his rookie campaign, notching 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.5 minutes (.465 FG%, .390 3FG%, .894 FT%). Griffin’s .390 mark from three-point range marked the second-highest clip amongst his rookie class (using same qualifiers for regular season leaders).

Named a 2023 Jordan Rising Star, Griffin connected on 101 total three-pointers during the 2022-23 season, the fifth-most by a member of his rookie class and the fourth-most by a Hawks rookie since the adoption of the three-point line. Griffin knocked down his 100th career triple in a win against Washington on April 5, 2023. At 19 years, 223 days, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to bury 100 three-pointers, trailing only Kobe Bryant (19 years, 176 days) and Kevin Knox II (19 years, 218 days).

Griffin knocked down two buzzer-beating, game-winning shots during the 2022-23 campaign: Nov. 19 vs. Toronto and Dec. 11 vs. Chicago. Per Elias Sports, the 6-6 guard became the first Hawk over the last 25 seasons to have multiple buzzer-beating, game-winning shots in the same season.