Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Lakers sign Christian Wood

The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward/center Christian Wood, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Wood (6’10”, 223) most recently appeared in 67 games (17 starts) with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022-23 season, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from 3-point range. Last season, the California native notched 12 double-doubles and scored in double figures in 54 games, including 25 contests scoring 20 or more points. Wood blocked at least one shot in 42 games last season, including 17 games with multiple rejections and two games in which he swatted a season-best five shots.

Per the LA Times, it’s “a two-year deal with a player option for the second year. Wood will make the veteran’s minimum, which for him is $2.7 million this season. In terms of talent versus cost, it’s an absolute bargain. The 6-foot-10, soon-to-be 28-year-old Wood is one of only a handful of players in the NBA with his size and skills. Last season, only six players 6-10 or taller made at least 37% of their three-points shots while taking more than 250 attempts. Wood was one of them — along with Lauri Markkanen, Brook Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis, Bobby Portis and Michael Porter Jr.”

Across seven NBA seasons with Dallas, Houston (2020-22), Detroit (2019-20), New Orleans (2018-19), Milwaukee (2018-19), Charlotte (2016-17) and Philadelphia (2015-16), the 27-year-old has appeared in 289 career games (139 starts), posting averages of 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.2 minutes per contest, while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Wood played two collegiate seasons (2013-15) at UNLV, appearing in 63 total games (34 starts) and averaging 10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game.

Nets sign Harry Giles III

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward/center Harry Giles III.

Giles III (6’10”, 229) has logged 142 career games (17 starts) over three NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings (2018-20) and Portland Trail Blazers (2020-21). He holds career averages of 5.9 points on 51.1 percent shooting from the floor, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists across 12.9 minutes per contest. He also made his lone career playoff appearance in 2021 with Portland during a first round series against Denver. The 25-year-old most recently played in three NBA G League Showcase Cup games in 2021 for the Ontario Clippers, averaging 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game. Giles III was originally selected by the Trail Blazers with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft before being traded to the Kings on draft night. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native played in 26 games (six starts) during one season (2016-17) at Duke University, where he averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per contest and helped lead the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament Championship.

Sixers announce coaching staff for 2023-24 NBA season

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced the team’s coaching staff under Head Coach Nick Nurse. Bryan Gates, Bobby Jackson, Rico Hines, Matt Brase, Coby Karl, Mike Longabardi and Doug West will serve as assistant coaches.

John Corbacio (Assistant Coach/Head Video Coordinator), Fabulous Flournoy (Assistant Coach/Player Development) and Jason Love (Assistant Coach/Player Development) also join Nurse’s staff, while TJ DiLeo, Terrel Harris, Toure’ Murry and Reggie Redding will serve as player development associate coaches. Kareem Thawer is the team’s assistant video coordinator.

In addition to his duties as a 76ers assistant coach, Mike Longabardi will serve as the head coach of Philadelphia’s NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. Delaware captured the 2022-23 G League championship and 2021 G League Showcase Cup championship under Karl, who joins the 76ers’ bench this season.

“Assembling a great staff with a rich collection of experience was paramount on my to-do list this summer,” Nurse said. “I’m proud to have built many relationships in our league that have led me to feel as confident as I am in every member of this group. I can’t wait to get to work as we embark on our journey toward an NBA title.”

Grizzlies sign Shaquille Harrison

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Shaquille Harrison.

Harrison (6-4, 195), who signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies during the 2021-22 season, has competed in 180 regular season games (23 starts) over six NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers and has averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 15.4 minutes. Last season, he averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 24.0 minutes in five regular season games for the Trail Blazers before appearing in eight playoff games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 29-year-old Kansas City, Mo., native also started all 50 of his NBA G League appearances with the South Bay Lakers during the 2022-23 regular season and G League Showcase and averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33.1 minutes. He was named the 2021-22 NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year as a member of the Delaware Blue Coats.

Harrison went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at the University of Tulsa.

Grizzlies sign GG Jackson II to Two-Way contract

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward GG Jackson II to a Two-Way contract.

Jackson II (6-9, 215), the No. 45 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was named to the 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team after appearing in 32 games (29 starts) and averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31.9 minutes for the University of South Carolina.

The 18-year-old South Carolina native averaged 10.6 points, including 1.9 3-pointers made per game and 4.8 rebounds in 20.9 minutes in eight games (two starts) during the 2023 Salt Lake City Summer League and NBA2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.

Celtics sign Svi Mykhailiuk

The Boston Celtics have signed forward Svi Mykhailiuk.

Mykhailiuk, 6-7/205, split time between the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks last season where he appeared in 32 games (eight starts) and averaged 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 14.6 minutes per game while shooting a career-high 42.4 percent from three.

The Cherkasy, Ukraine native has played in 252 career games (54 starts) and has also suited up for the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Toronto Raptors during his five-year career. He owns career averages of 6.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from the field. Mykhailiuk was selected with the 47th overall pick by the Lakers in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Kansas product appeared in 136 collegiate games (70 starts) in four seasons with the Jayhawks, averaging 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. Mykhailiuk set the KU single-season three-point field goals made record with 115 threes and earned All-Big 12 honors his senior year.

Dallas Mavericks will play preseason game against Real Madrid at WiZink Center in Madrid October 10, 2023

The NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks will play a preseason game against reigning EuroLeague champion Real Madrid at the WiZink Center in Madrid on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at 8:45 p.m. CET, marking 35 years since the first NBA games in Spain in 1988. The matchup will be the NBA’s eighth game in the Spanish capital and 20th game in Spain overall.

The Mavericks currently feature four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić, who joined Real Madrid at the age of 13 and became the youngest-ever EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP when he led Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title at age 19. The Mavericks also feature 2016 NBA champion and eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving.

Real Madrid features Spanish legend and former NBA draftee Sergio Llull as well as several former NBA players, including Rudy Fernández, Mario Hezonja, Džanan Musa, and Sergio Rodríguez. Real Madrid has won a record 36 La Liga ACB championships and is the winningest team in EuroLeague history with 11 titles.

The matchup marks the first preseason NBA game in Madrid since 2016, when Dončić and Real Madrid hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 1988, the Boston Celtics played two games in Madrid against the then Yugoslavian Men’s National Team and Real Madrid.

Prior to the game in Madrid, the Mavericks will play two preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 5 and 7 as part of The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023.

“Bringing the live NBA experience directly to our passionate international fans is an important part of our year-round efforts to grow basketball and the NBA around the world,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We’re excited for the Mavericks to play Real Madrid and look forward to engaging with fans from Spain and across Europe around this historic matchup.”

“Following our preseason games in Abu Dhabi, we are thrilled to play the game we love for the MFFLs in Madrid,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “Our team is lucky to have one of the greatest international NBA ambassadors in Luka, and we look forward to connecting with Real Madrid and their fans.”

“Facing an NBA team is always special, but on this occasion even more so, as it will give us the opportunity to once again enjoy a Real Madrid legend and NBA star like Luka Dončić, who proudly carries the name of our club and presumes of being a Madridista wherever he goes,” said Real Madrid Ambassador Felipe Reyes. “It will be a great spectacle and a very exciting moment for all madridistas and basketball lovers.”

Bucks sign TyTy Washington Jr. to Two-Way contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed TyTy Washington Jr. to a Two-Way contract.

A 6-3 guard, Washington Jr. appeared in 31 games (2 starts) as a rookie with the Houston Rockets last season and averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 14.0 minutes per game. The 21-year-old also played in 18 games (all starts) with the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, last season and averaged 23.1 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 34.7 minutes per game.

Originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 29th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Washington Jr. earned Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors following his lone season with the Wildcats in 2021-22. As a freshman, the Phoenix native saw action in 31 games, making 29 starts, and averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

NBA G League Ignite adds five veteran players to roster for 2023-24 NBA G League season

NBA G League Ignite today announced the addition of five veteran players to its roster for the 2023-24 NBA G League season. The signees include 2022-23 Ignite players John Jenkins and Eric Mika, NBA G League veterans Jeremy Pargo and David Stockton, and newcomer Admon Gilder.

“We have a great group of veterans who can help accelerate the growth and development of our young players both on and off the court,” said Ignite head coach Jason Hart. “Bringing back John Jenkins and Eric Mika was vital for us. Their production and professionalism had a tremendous impact on our team as a whole last season.”

A full breakdown of Ignite’s veteran signees is below.

Admon Gilder | Guard

Gilder joins Ignite after one season with the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. In his lone season with the Surge, he averaged 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23 games. His international experience also includes stints in Israel, Poland, and Finland. Gilder played collegiately at Texas A&M and Gonzaga.

John Jenkins | Guard

Jenkins returns for his second season with Ignite after averaging a team-high 17.9 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 2022-23. Last season, Jenkins set several Ignite records, including the most points in a game (37), most 20-point games in a single season (14) and most three-pointers in a game (11). Jenkins, who was originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 23rd pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged 5.0 points in 171 games over six NBA seasons.

Eric Mika | Center

Mika returns for his second season with Ignite after appearing in 40 games and averaging 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the 2022-23 campaign. Mika ranked second on the team in both total rebounds (342) and assists (161), and third in blocks (28). He recorded the only triple-double in franchise history with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 12 assists against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Jan. 21, 2023, and posted the second most double-doubles in single season Ignite history (13).

Jeremy Pargo | Guard

Pargo averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 assists in 26 games with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League during the 2022-23 season. Over the past decade, Pargo has appeared in 86 NBA games with the Memphis Grizzles, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors. Pargo has played internationally in China, Israel, Italy, Russia and Spain.

David Stockton | Guard

Stockton, an eight-year NBA G League veteran, has appeared in 220 NBA G League games and owns career averages of 16.5 points, 7.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Last season, Stockton averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 assists with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. He was eighth in the league in total assists (199) and set an NBA G League record for assists in a single game (19).