Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Timberwolves exercise contract options on Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams

Ricky Rubio

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has exercised its fourth-year options on guard Ricky Rubio and forward Derrick Williams.

Rubio, the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, joined the Wolves in 2011-12 and has played 98 games with the club. He holds career averages of 10.7 points, 7.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game, including setting the franchise single-season steals mark last year (2.40 spg). As a rookie in 2011-12, Rubio was named to NBA’s All-Rookie First Team after averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, has appeared in 144 games (71 starts) with the club, holding career averages of 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Williams started 56 games in 2012-13 and averaged 14.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 40 games (all starts) over the last three months of the season.

Timberwolves waive center Chris Johnson

Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived center Chris Johnson. The Wolves roster now stands at 15 players.

Johnson, 28, played in two preseason games this season and averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He was originally signed by the Wolves to a 10-day contract on January 19, 2013 before being signed to a second 10-day contract on January 29. Johnson was signed for the remainder of the 2012-13 season on February 8. He appeared in 30 games with the Wolves last season and averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per contest.

Orlando Magic exercise contract options on Maurice Harkless, Andrew Nicholson, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic

orlando magic

The Orlando Magic have exercised their third-year team option on the contracts of forward Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson, while also exercising their fourth-year team option on the contracts of Tobias Harris and Nikola Vučević, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

All four players are now under contract through the 2014-15 season.

Harkless (6-9, 220, 5/11/93) played in 76 games (59 starts) during his rookie campaign (2012-13) with Orlando, averaging 8.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg. and 1.16 stlpg. in 26.0 minpg. He ranked sixth in the NBA in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.28, 88/69) and 40th in steals. Harkless also ranked among all NBA rookies in scoring (11th), rebounding (9th), field goal percentage (8th, .461), steals (2nd) and blocked shots (8th, 0.82 blkpg.). He was acquired by Orlando as part of a four-team, 12-player trade on Aug. 10, 2012, along with Vučević. Harkless was originally selected in the first round (15th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by Philadelphia.

Harris (6-9, 235, 7/15/92) was acquired by Orlando in a six-player trade with Milwaukee on Feb. 21, 2013. He appeared in 55 games (34 starts) with both the Magic and the Bucks in 2012-13, averaging 11.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 23.6 minpg. In 27 games with Orlando, Harris averaged 17.3 ppg., 8.5 rpg., 2.1 apg. and 1.37 blkpg. in 36.1 minpg. On Mar. 29 @ Charlotte, he poured in a career-high 30 points, becoming the second-youngest player in Magic history to score 30+ points in a game (20 years, 257 days old). Harris was originally selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by Charlotte.

Nicholson (6-9, 250, 12/8/89) played in 75 games (28 starts) during his rookie season (2012-13) with Orlando, averaging 7.8 ppg. and 3.4 rpg. in 16.7 minpg., while shooting .527 (256-486) from the field. He ranked among all NBA rookies in scoring (14th), rebounding (16th), field goal percentage (4th) and free throw percentage (5th, .798). Nicholson participated in the 2013 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, tallying six points and three rebounds in 10 minutes.

Vučević (7-0, 250, 10/24/90) appeared and started in 77 games in 2012-13 for Orlando, averaging 13.1 ppg., a team-high 11.9 rpg., 1.9 apg. and a team-best 1.03 blkpg. in 33.2 minpg., while shooting .519 (461-889) from the floor. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounding, third in double-doubles (team-high 46), tied for 21st in field goal percentage and tied for 33rd in blocked shots. Vučević finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. On Dec. 31 vs. Miami, he broke the franchise record for most rebounds in a single game, pulling down 29 boards and breaking the mark previously held by Shaquille O’Neal (28, Nov. 20, 1993 @ New Jersey).

Utah Jazz waive Brian Cook, Dominic McGuire, Justin Holiday, Lester Hudson and Scott Machado

utah jazz

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived forwards Brian Cook and Dominic McGuire, and guards Justin Holiday, Lester Hudson and Scott Machado. Following the moves, Utah’s roster now stands at 15 players.

The Jazz will tip off its 40th NBA campaign against Northwest Division rival Oklahoma City Thunder on October 30 at EnergySolutions Arena at 7 p.m. MT (ROOT, 1280 AM/97.5 FM).

Cook (6-9, 251, Illinois) appeared in six preseason games for Utah, averaging 6.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. McGuire (6-9, 231, Fresno State) saw action in five preseason games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.4 minutes. Holiday (6-6, 176, Washington) played in seven preseason contests, averaging 3.4 points in 10.4 minutes. Hudson (6-3, 209, Tennessee-Martin) averaged 4.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 14.8 minutes in five preseason games, while Machado (6-1, 203, Iona) made six preseason appearances, averaging 1.3 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.5 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies waive Andre Barrett, Melvin Ely, Tony Gaffney and Willie Reed

Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies waived Andre Barrett, Melvin Ely, Tony Gaffney and Willie Reed, the team announced today.

Barrett (5-10, 172) logged two minutes in his lone preseason appearance on Oct. 20 at Atlanta. The 31-year-old, who signed with Memphis on Oct. 10, holds career averages of 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12.2 minutes in 67 games (one start) in four seasons for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers.

Ely (6-10, 260) averaged 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds in 6.2 minutes in three preseason games after signing with the Grizzlies on Sept. 29. The 35-year-old holds career averages of 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists on .460 shooting in 16.0 minutes in 373 games (55 starts) over eight seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets.

Gaffney (6-8, 213) registered 2.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.7 minutes in seven preseason games after signing with Memphis on Sept. 29. The 28-year-old has played professionally in Israel (2009-10), Turkey (2010-11), the NBA D-League’s Utah Flash (2010-11), Germany (2011-12) and Spain (2012-13).

Reed (6-10, 220) posted 2.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 6.4 minutes in five preseason games after signing with Memphis on April 17. The 23-year-old averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.77 blocks on .557 shooting in 29.3 minutes in 48 games (30 starts) for the NBA D-League’s Springfield Armor last season before signing with the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 13 players.

Milwaukee Bucks waive Trey McKinney Jones, Olek Czyz and Stephen Graham

Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on guard Trey McKinney Jones and forwards Olek Czyz and Stephen Graham, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Graham (6-6, 215) appeared in five preseason games and averaged 5.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Czyz (6-7, 240) played in four contests during the preseason and averaged 4.8 points and 1.0 rebound, while McKinney Jones (6-5, 216) played in two games and averaged 1.5 points per game. All three players signed as free agents on Sept. 30.

The Bucks roster now stands at 15 players.

Boston Celtics waive Damen Bell-Holter, DeShawn Sims, Chris Babb and Kammron Taylor

boston celtics

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived forwards Damen Bell-Holter and DeShawn Sims and guards Chris Babb and Kammron Taylor. The Celtics roster stands at 14.

Bell-Holter, a 6’9” forward, appeared in three games for the Celtics during the preseason totaling one rebound in five minutes of action.

Sims, a 6’8” forward, averaged 2.3 points in 4.0 minutes per game while appearing in three games during the preseason.

Babb, a 6’5” guard, appeared in five games for the team during preseason while totaling 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes of action.

Taylor, a 6’2” guard, appeared in three games for the Celtics during preseason and scored two points in seven total minutes of action.