NBA News Blog – Page 758 – NBA Blog

Pelicans sign Gal Mekel

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Gal Mekel. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mekel, 6-3, 191, appeared in 31 games (one start) last season with the Dallas Mavericks, posting averages of 2.4 points and 2.0 assists. Mekel appeared in all eight of Dallas’ 2014 preseason games (two starts), averaging 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Prior to joining the Mavericks, Mekel spent five years playing professionally in Israel, winning two Israeli Super League championships with Hapoel Gilboa Galil in 2010 and Maccabi Haifa in 2013, as well as being named the 2009 Israeli Super League Rising Star and winning the league MVP award twice (2011, 2013). Before starting his professional career, the Israeli native played two seasons at Wichita State University from 2006-08.

Mekel will wear #24 and will be available for New Orleans’ game tomorrow night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 15.

Pelicans sign Dante Cunningham

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Dante Cunningham.

Cunningham, 6-8, 230, was the 33rd overall pick out of Villanova in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. A five-year veteran, Cunningham has appeared in 366 career NBA games (41 starts) with Portland, Charlotte, Memphis and Minnesota, holding career averages of 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Cunningham will be available for the Pelicans’ game tonight at Golden State. He will wear #44.

New Orleans’ roster stands at 14.

Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins named NBA Rookies of Month for October/November, 2014

Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November.

Parker, the second overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, ranked first among all rookies in scoring (11.9 ppg). Additionally, among first-year players, Parker ranked second in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and steals (1.33 spg). Parker recorded a career-high 23 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19, in a triple-overtime victory. He also recorded double-doubles in two of his first three career games.

Wiggins, the first pick in June’s Draft, ranked second among all first-year players in scoring (11.6 ppg) and first in three-point field goal percentage (.440). Among Western Conference rookies, he ranked first in steals (1.13 spg) and minutes played (28.7 mpg). On Nov. 22 vs. the Sacramento Kings, he led Minnesota with a career-high 29 points during a 113-101 loss.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Brooklyn’s Bojan Bogdanovic, Houston’s Kostas Papanikolaou, Minnesota’s Zach LaVine, Orlando’s Elfrid Payton and Philadelphia’s K.J. McDaniels.

Ersan Ilyasova injury update

$Ersan Ilyasova nasal fracture$

Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova was inadvertently struck in the face/nasal area late in the second quarter of yesterday’s game at Cleveland. After being examined in the locker room at halftime, he was taken to the Cleveland Clinic where he underwent a CT scan that revealed a nasal fracture. He also displayed symptoms of a mild concussion. Ilyasova was held overnight for observation, released this morning, and is returning to Milwaukee.

Ilyasova will not play in tonight’s contest and is not expected to travel on the team’s next trip to Dallas (Dec. 7) and Oklahoma City (Dec. 9). Further updates will be made when appropriate.

In 19 games this season, Ilyasova is averaging 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game. Prior to last night’s game he had scored in double figures in eight straight games, averaging 15.8 points while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.

Cavs add A.J. Price, waive Will Cherry

The Cleveland Cavaliers have received guard A.J. Price by waiver claim (waived by Indiana) and have also waived guard Will Cherry, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Price, a six-year NBA veteran, played in 10 games for the Indiana Pacers this season with averages of 10.5 points on .438 shooting, including .385 from the three-point line, 1.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. Price, who was part of the 2014 Cavs training camp and preseason roster, appeared in six preseason games with Cleveland in October, averaging 7.2 points and 1.5 assists in 13.3 minutes per game. He was inactive for the Cavs first two regular season games before being waived on November 1st.

Cherry, an undrafted rookie out of Montana, played in eight games for the Cavs this season, averaging 1.9 points in 8.6 minutes per game.

The Cavs roster now stands at 15.

Timberwolves sign Jeff Adrien

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Jeff Adrien

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward Jeff Adrien. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out due to injury.

Adrien, 28, averaged 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season in 53 games (12 starts) between Milwaukee and Charlotte. Adrien averaged 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 28 games (12 starts) after being acquired by the Bucks on Feb. 20 in a midseason trade with the Bobcats.

A 6-7 forward, Adrien has averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 136 career games over four seasons between Charlotte, Golden State, Houston and Milwaukee.

Thunder waive Sebastian Telfair

Oklahoma City Thunder waive Sebastian Telfair

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guard Sebastian Telfair, announced Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Telfair appeared in 16 games (one start) with the Thunder this season, and averaged 8.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.

The OKC Thunder roster now stands at 15 players, the league maximum.

Eric Gordon out with left shoulder injury

The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a 7-5 start this season and enjoying the rise of star forward Anthony Davis, and look to be on the rise, but they’ve just suffered an injury to their starting lineup.

The team announced today that guard Eric Gordon will be out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury. An MRI revealed Gordon suffered a torn labrum as a result of the left shoulder subluxation injury that occurred Saturday night at Utah.

Gordon will undergo further evaluation throughout this week by the team’s medical staff to determine the best course of action moving forward.

Gordon, who starts at shooting guard, hasn’t been a standout this season, averaging just 9.5 points and 2.0 assists in 31 minutes per game, and shooting just 39.8% from the field.

More details will be released as they become available.

Hawks recall Adreian Payne from D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have recalled rookie forward/center Adreian Payne from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Payne appeared in two games with the Mad Ants (at Erie on 11/21 and 11/22), averaging 12.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in 31.1 minutes. In last night’s contest, he totaled 17 points, 13 rebounds (five on the offensive glass), two assists and two blocks in 31 minutes (4-9 FGs, 9-11 FTs).

Spurs assign Kyle Anderson to D-League

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have assigned forward Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League.

This will mark Anderson’s first assignment to Austin this season. The former UCLA Bruin has appeared in six games this season for San Antonio, averaging 1.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per contest.

Anderson will be available when Austin hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors this afternoon at 3 p.m. inside the Cedar Park Center.