Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Kings re-sign Trey Lyles

The Sacramento Kings on Friday, July 7 re-signed Trey Lyles.

Since joining the Kings in February 2022, Lyles, 27, has appeared in 98 games (20 starts) and averaged 8.3 points (46.8 FG%, 36.3 3PT%, 82.7 FT%), 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.3 minutes per game. During the 2022-23 season, Lyles recorded 562 total points, which were the second most points scored off the bench for the Kings.

Originally selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Lyles has appeared in 523 games (126 starts) in his career.

Nets sign Dennis Smith Jr.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. (6’2″, 205) spent the 2022-23 season with the Charlotte Hornets, appearing in 54 games (15 starts) and recording averages of 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a career-high 1.4 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. Smith Jr. ranked third in the league in steals per game among players to play 26.0 or fewer minutes per game, trailing only Washington’s Delon Wright (1.8 steals in 24.4 minutes per game) and Chicago’s Alex Caruso (1.5 steals in 23.5 minutes per game). Charlotte’s defense improved by 10.7 points per 100 possessions with Smith Jr. on the court, and his on/off ‘defensive impact’ ranked as the second-best in the league among players to log at least 1,000 minutes. Smith Jr. also posted a career-best 3.18 assist-to-turnover ratio in his lone season with the Hornets.

In six seasons split between Charlotte, Portland (2021-22), Detroit (2021), New York (2019-21) and Dallas (2017-19), the 25-year-old has registered averages of 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 24.2 minutes per contest across 270 games (150 starts).

He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors with the Mavericks in 2017-18 after averaging 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 29.7 minutes per game over 69 games (all starts).

Smith Jr. was selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by Dallas after spending one year (2016-17) at North Carolina State University, where the Fayetteville, N.C., native secured ACC Freshman of the Year and All-ACC Second Team honors in his lone season with the Wolfpack.

Timberwolves sign rookie Leonard Miller

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie forward Leonard Miller.

Miller, 6-10, averaged 16.9 points and led the NBA G League Ignite with 10.1 rebounds per game last season. In his NBA Summer League debut on July 7 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Miller notched a double-double with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Miller scored a season-high 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds on March 9 vs. the College Park Skyhawks. Miller set an Ignite team-record with 21 rebounds to go along with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting on March 12 vs. the Texas Legends. He tallied 17 double-doubles and improved his averages to 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game following the 2023 All-Star break.

The Toronto native’s draft rights were originally acquired by the Wolves from San Antonio Spurs on June 23.

Timberwolves sign Shake Milton

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Shake Milton.

Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Milton, 6-5, appeared in 76 games (11 starts) and averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and a career-high 3.2 assists in 20.6 minutes per game. He scored 20+ points in six of his 11 starts last season, led by a 29-point effort against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 27. In five seasons in the NBA, all with the 76ers, Milton has tallied 2,368 points, 604 rebounds and 694 assists throughout 254 games (45 starts).

The Owasso, Okla. native, has seen action in 34 postseason (four starts) matchups during four trips to the playoffs. He holds playoff career averages of 5.2 points on 42.5% shooting, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.5 minutes per game. The 76ers originally acquired Milton’s draft rights as the 54th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft from the Dallas Mavericks.

Mavericks sign rookie Dereck Lively II

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday signed 12th overall pick Dereck Lively II.

Lively was acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for the draft rights to 10th overall pick Cason Wallace and forward Dāvis Bertāns.

Lively (7-1, 234) was an early-entry candidate to this year’s draft after spending one season at Duke. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, he averaged 5.2 points (.658 FG%), 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game across 34 appearances. Lively was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the ACC All-Defensive Team.

“We really love Dereck’s combination of size, shot blocking ability and defensive versatility,” General Manager Nico Harrison said. “As one of the youngest players in the draft we are looking forward to Dereck growing with the team and fostering his development.”

In his lone year at Duke, Lively blocked 82 shots – only five shy of the NCAA lead. With a 7-4 wingspan, he led all Division I freshmen in blocks and ranked second in the ACC (eighth nationally).

The Philadelphia native was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2022 as a five-star center out of Westtown School in West Chester, PA. He was named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 after leading Westtown to a 31-7 record and the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship in 2022.

Lively will wear No. 2 for the Mavericks.

Timberwolves sign Troy Brown Jr.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Troy Brown Jr.

Brown Jr., 6-6, spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers where he averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in a career-high 76 games, including a career-best 45 starts. His 7.1 ppg last season marked his most since averaging a career-best 10.4 ppg during the 2019-20 season. In five NBA seasons with the Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, Brown Jr. has tallied 1,949 points, 1,144 rebounds, 448 assists and 211 steals throughout 297 games (84 starts).

The Las Vegas native, has seen action in 15 postseason matchups during two playoff appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals this past season. He holds playoff career averages of 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. Brown Jr. was originally selected by the Wizards with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Lakers sign rookies Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and rookie forward Maxwell Lewis.

Selected by the Lakers with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Hood-Schifino (6’6”, 215) averaged 13.5 points (.417 FG%, .333 3P%), 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32 games (all starts) in his lone season at Indiana University. The 2022-23 Big Ten Freshman of the Year also earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors and ranked ninth in the conference in total assists (117).

Lewis (6’7”, 205) averaged 14.6 points (.453 FG%, .354 3P%), 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 52 career games (33 starts) across two seasons (2021-23) at Pepperdine University. The 2022-23 All-WCC Second Team honoree posted averages of 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his final collegiate season. Lewis, selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Lakers on June 22 as part of a four-team trade.

Jazz trade center Damian Jones to Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Damian Jones in a trade with the Utah Jazz for cash considerations.

Jones (6-11, 245) played in 41 games (one start) for the Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers this past season and averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes. He shot .640 (55-86) from the field and a career-best .588 (10-17) from three-point range. Jones also scored in double figures on three occasions and registered one double-double.

A two-time NBA Champion with Golden State (2017 and 2018), Jones has played in 240 games (75 starts) over his seven-year NBA career with Utah, L.A. Lakers, Sacramento, Phoenix, Atlanta and Golden State with averages of 5.2 points on .662 shooting from the field and 3.4 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. He has also appeared in 12 postseason games (one start) with Golden State. The Vanderbilt University product played under current Cavaliers assistant coach Luke Walton for Sacramento during parts of the 2020-21 season and the entirety of the 2021-22 season. He was originally drafted by the Warriors with the 30th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Thunder sign rookie forward Keyontae Johnson to two-way contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed rookie forward Keyontae Johnson to a Two-Way Contract.

Johnson (6-6, 235) was drafted 50th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Johnson spent three seasons at the University of Florida before finishing his four-year collegiate career at Kansas State University. In 108 career appearances, he averaged 13.1 points on 51.9 percent shooting, including 38.9 percent from 3-point range, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.08 steals per game.

The Norfolk, Va. native was named to the All-SEC First Team following the 2019-20 season and received All-Big 12 First Team honors following the 2022-23 season. Johnson helped lead the Wildcats to an Elite Eight appearance and became one of just 12 players in Kansas State History to score 600 points in a single season.

Hawks trade John Collins to Jazz

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Rudy Gay and a conditional 2026 second-round pick in a trade with the Utah Jazz for forward John Collins.

The transaction creates a $25.3 million trade exception for Atlanta, currently the largest in the NBA. The exception can be used to acquire a player(s) in subsequent trades and will expire in a year. The 2026 conditional second round pick will be sent from Memphis to the Hawks if between 31 and 42.

“Being able to create financial flexibility moving forward was a major priority for us. The added flexibility will give us greater optionality as we look at opportunities to improve our team,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields. “John was a key contributor our team over the past six seasons and played an instrumental role in helping us become a regular playoff contender. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and leadership over the years and we wish him the best in Utah.”

Gay, a 17-year veteran, has career averages of 15.8 points on .452 shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game over 1,120 games (779 starts) with Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, Toronto and Utah. Last season in Utah, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward appeared in 56 games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

His 1,120 games played rank fifth among active players, while his 17,642 points rank ninth. He has appeared in 19 postseason games with averages of 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.

Collins was selected by the Hawks with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. In six seasons in Atlanta, the forward from Wake Forest has career averages of 15.8 points on .551 shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block in 29.2 minutes per game in 364 games (313 starts). During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 13.1 points on .508 shooting, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30.0 minutes in 71 games (all starts).