Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Jazz sign Omer Yurtseven

The Utah Jazz, two days ago, signed center Omer Yurtseven.

Yurtseven (7-0, 255, Georgetown) is entering his third NBA season, having spent two campaigns (2021-23) with the Miami Heat, owning averages of 5.2 points on 53.3 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds per contest in 65 career games (12 starts). During the 2021-22 campaign, the 25-year-old totaled 11 double-figure scoring outings, including two 20-plus point outings and eight double-doubles. He’s appeared in 17 postseason contests in two seasons.

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Yurtseven was a three-year collegiate player at NC State (2016-18) and Georgetown (2019-2), appearing in 81 games (61 starts) with career averages of 12.1 points on 53.9 percent from the field, along with 7.1 boards, and 1.4 blocks in 23.6 minutes per contest. Following his sophomore season, he was selected to the 2017-18 All-ACC Third Team.

Yurtseven began his professional career with the Fenerbahçe SK U18 squad in 2013-14 and, in 2014-15, appeared in six games for the Fenerbahçe senior squad. He competed in 19 games (one start) for Fenerbahçe in 2015-16 before opting to go to college.

Thunder sign Vasilije Micic

The Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, July 17 signed guard Vasilije Micić to a multi-year contract.

Micić (6-5, 203) joins the Thunder after a decorated Euroleague career where he won league MVP honors in 2021 and helped lead Anadolu Efes to a pair of Euroleague championships in 2021 and 2022. In 31 Euroleague games this past season, Micić averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 31.3 minutes before receiving Euroleague Final Four MVP honors.

In 2017 Micić helped lead the Serbian national team to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2017 after starting his involvement with the national team in 2011 where he also won a silver medal at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

Oklahoma City acquired the draft rights to Micić from the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 8, 2020. Micić was originally selected by Philadelphia with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Suns trade Cameron Payne to Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs, in a trade two days ago (Monday), acquired guard Cameron Payne, a 2025 second round pick (via New Orleans) and cash considerations from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a protected second round pick in 2024.

Payne, 6-1/180, appeared in 48 games (15 starts) for the Suns last season, averaging 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 20.2 minutes per game. An eight-year veteran in the NBA, Payne has appeared in 327 total regular season games with Oklahoma City, Chicago, Cleveland and Phoenix, holding career averages of 8.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 36.3% from three-point range.

Spurs waive Lamar Stevens

The San Antonio Spurs two days ago (Monday) waived forward Lamar Stevens.

Stevens was acquired from Cleveland as part of a three-team trade with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat on July 6, when the Spurs also received Cedi Osman, two future second round picks and cash considerations in exchange for a future second round pick.

Suns trade draft picks to Magic

The Orlando Magic, in a trade two days ago (Monday), acquired the unprotected swap rights to a 2026 first round draft pick from Phoenix or Washington in exchange for three future second round draft picks – the 2024 pick from Denver, the 2026 least-favorable pick between Orlando, Milwaukee or Detroit (via the L.A. Clippers) and the 2028 pick from Boston (protected 31-45), President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced.

During the next seven NBA drafts (2024-30), Orlando has eight first round picks and 12 second round picks.

Sixers sign Filip Petrusev

The Philadelphia 76ers two days ago signed Filip Petrušev.

During the 2022-23 season, Petrušev played in 72 games (34 Euroleague, 33 Liga ABA, five tournament play) for Serbian club Crvena zvezda, averaging 11.0 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 57.3% from the field. Petrušev helped lead the team to its 23rd Basketball League of Serbia title, the most in league history. In Euroleague play, Petrušev earned Week 17 MVP honors.

This summer, with Philadelphia in the 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas, Petrušev averaged 12.5 points on 61.1% shooting and 4.5 rebounds in two appearances.

A native of Serbia, Petrušev was originally selected by the 76ers with the No. 50 selection in the 2021 NBA Draft after he spent the 2020-21 season with KK Mega Basket. He earned league MVP honors, as well as the league’s Rising Star award as the top player under the age of 22.

Prior to playing professionally overseas, Petrušev spent two collegiate seasons at Gonzaga (2018-20). As a Bulldog, he was named the 2019-20 West Coast Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore when he averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 56.2% from the floor.

Mavericks sign rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday signed first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Dallas acquired the draft rights to Prosper, the 24th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, along with center Richaun Holmes from Sacramento in exchange for cash considerations on July 6.

“O-Max was considered one of the best wing defenders in college basketball last year and plays with tremendous energy,” said Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison. “We are excited to put pen to paper and officially sign him.”

Prosper, who turned 21 years old on July 3, averaged 12.6 points (.439 FG%, .821 FT%), 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 25.2 minutes per game in five games (all starts) for the Mavericks’ NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 team that finished 4-1 in Las Vegas.

The 6-8 forward recorded a 40.5-inch max vertical jump and measured with a 7-1 wingspan at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine this past summer.

Prosper spent two seasons at Marquette, where he averaged 12.5 points (.512 FG%), 4.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game in 36 games (all starts) as a junior last season. He played his freshman year at Clemson before transferring to Marquette.

Both growing up in Montréal, Prosper played alongside Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin in AAU and eventually at the NBA’s Latin American Academy in Mexico City. He is one of three Canadians on the Mavericks’ roster (along with AJ Lawson and Dwight Powell) and helped the Canadian national team to third-place finish at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.

Prosper will wear No. 18 for the Mavericks.

Sixers sign Azuolas Tubelis to two-way contract

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed Azuolas Tubelis to a two-way contract.

Tubelis was a consensus 2022-23 Second Team All-American as a junior at the University of Arizona, averaging 19.8 points on 57.0% shooting and 9.1 rebounds in 35 regular-season games (34 starts). These numbers made Tubelis the seventh player in Pac-12 history, and first since the 2005-06 season, to lead the conference in points (19.8) and rebounds (9.1).

During Arizona’s Pac-12 Tournament championship run last season, Tubelis averaged 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds en route to being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

During his three seasons as a Wildcat, he averaged 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, finishing 15th in school history with 1,510 total points. Arizona compiled a 78-20 (.796) record in Tubelis’ three seasons with the program, including back-to-back seasons with a win percentage of at least .800 (2021-22; 2022-23), Arizona’s first such stretch since 2013-15.

Originally from Lithuania, Tubelis represented his home country in international play in 2016, 2018 and 2019

Bulls sign forward Torrey Craig

The Chicago Bulls have signed forward Torrey Craig.

Craig, 6-7, 221, recorded career-high averages in points (7.4), rebounds (5.4), assists (1.5), blocks (0.8) and minutes (24.7) while appearing in 79 games (60 starts) with the Phoenix Suns in 2022-23. Craig shot a career-best .395 from three-point range and made 100 three-pointers (100-253 3FG) on the season. He was the only Suns player to total at least 50 steals (50) and 50 blocks (62) in 2022-23.

Celtics sign guard Dalano Banton

The Boston Celtics have signed guard Dalano Banton.

Banton, 6-9, 204 lbs., appeared in 31 games with the Toronto Raptors last season and averaged 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 9.0 minutes per game. In 64 games as a rookie, he averaged 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 10.9 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season. He also appeared in seven regular season games (all starts) with Raptors 905 where he averaged 24.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.6 minutes.

In his sophomore season at Nebraska, he averaged 9.6 points, team highs of 5.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists, and 27.2 minutes in 27 games, becoming the first player since 1974 to lead the Huskers in both rebounding and assists. A native of Toronto, Banton was selected with the 46th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, becoming the first Canadian selected by the Raptors in the draft.