NBA News Blog – Page 865 – NBA Blog

Memphis Grizzlies assign Keyon Dooling to D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies have assigned guard Keyon Dooling and re-assigned guard Tony Wroten to the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, the team announced today. This marks the first D-League assignment for Dooling and the fourth for Wroten this season.

Both players will be available for the Bighorns’ regular season finale tonight against the Canton Charge.

Dooling (6-3, 196) logged two minutes in his Grizzlies debut on April 3 at Portland after signing with Memphis as a free agent the same day. The 32-year-old owns career averages of 7.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists on .415 shooting in 19.5 minutes in 722 games (86 starts) over 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.

Wroten (6-6, 208) holds D-League averages of 15.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.50 steals on .410 shooting in 25.4 minutes in 10 games (two starts) over three assignments with Reno this season. The 19-year-old recorded 24.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals on .410 shooting in 29.0 minutes in two games during his most recent assignment from Jan. 11-14.

Drafted by Memphis in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Washington, the Seattle native has averaged 2.7 points and 1.3 assists in 8.0 minutes in 33 games for the Grizzlies during his rookie season.

Memphis will finish its three-game West Coast road trip tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena.

Utah Jazz sign Jerel McNeal for rest of season

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed guard Jerel McNeal for the remainder of the season.

McNeal (6-3, 200, Marquette), whose first name is pronounced Jah-rell, was originally signed by the Jazz to a 10-day contract on March 27 from the NBA Development League’s Bakersfield Jam but has not yet appeared in a game. He was the NBA’s 30th overall D-League Call-Up of the 2012-13 season and 26th different player called up.

A 25-year-old two-time NBA D-League All-Star selection, McNeal averaged 18.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 44 games (36 starts) in 2012-13 for the Jam, who acquired him in a trade with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers prior to the season. McNeal also tallied 13 points and seven assists for the Prospects team during the 2013 D-League All-Star Game on February 14 as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. In addition, McNeal was a D-League All-Star selection in 2011 while a member of the Vipers.

Undrafted in 2009, this marks McNeal’s second career NBA regular-season stint, having previously spent 10 days with the New Orleans Hornets from March 9-19, 2011, although he did not appear in a game. McNeal attended 2012 training camp with the Toronto Raptors but was waived prior to the 2012-13 season, and has also participated in NBA training camps with the Los Angeles Clippers (2009) and Houston Rockets (2010). He has also played with Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium (2009-10) and Sutor Montegranaro of the Italian League (2011-12), in addition to D-League seasons with Rio Grande Valley (2010-11) and Bakersfield (2012-13).

Following the move, the Jazz roster remains at 15 players.

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari out for season with ACL tear

With the NBA Playoffs mere weeks away, the Denver Nuggets just lost a crucial part of their team to major injury.

An MRI exam today revealed that Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Fortunately, the MRI showed no signs of other ligament or meniscus damage. He will miss the remainder of the 2012-13 season.

“We’re extremely disappointed for Gallo. He was having a career year in scoring and rebounding and was a huge reason for our success,” Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said. “We will obviously support him and be there for him throughout his recovery.

“Knowing his work ethic and commitment to getting back on the floor, we are confident he will come back stronger than ever next season.”

Gallinari, 24, averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 71 games this season.

Surgery will be scheduled at a later date, and a prognosis for a full recovery is excellent.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, they have a deep roster, and should certainly remain very competitive during the 2013 postseason. But this is still a large blow to their squad.

Clippers sign DaJuan Summers for rest of season

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed forward DaJuan Summers for the rest of the season.

Summers has appeared in two games for the Clippers, averaging 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 3.5 minutes of action.

The 26th D-League to NBA “Call-Up” of the 2012-13 season, Summers averaged 18.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in 33.1 minutes of action for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League this season over 29 games (16 starts).

The 6’8” Georgetown product was the 35th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft as an early entrant candidate. He appeared in 81 games (7 starts) for the Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Hornets from 2009-2012, averaging 3.4 points and 1.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes of action.

Bobcats sign Jannero Pargo for rest of season

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Jannero Pargo for the remainder of the season.

The 6-1 Pargo has appeared in 10 games for the Bobcats, averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 assists, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 17.4 minutes. He has scored in double figures five times, while shooting .407 from the field (35-86), .380 from beyond the three-point line (19-50) and .833 from the free-throw line (5-6).

Prior to signing with the Bobcats, Pargo had played in 14 total games this season, seven each with the Wizards and Hawks, with overall averages of 4.0 points and 2.4 assists in 15.4 minutes.

Hawks center Zaza Pachulia out six months after surgery

Atlanta Hawks forward/center Zaza Pachulia had surgery today to repair his sore right Achilles at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, NC. The surgery was performed by surgeon Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina with Hawks Team Physician Dr. Michael Bernot of Peachtree Orthopaedic Clinic attending.

Pachulia will now undergo a period of rest, treatment and rehabilitation. The expected recovery time is approximately six months and his status will be updated as appropriate throughout his recovery.

Dallas Mavericks sign guard Josh Akognon to 10-day contract

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Josh Akognon to a 10-day contract.

Akognon (5-11, 185) spent the 2012 preseason with the Mavericks before signing with the Liaoning Jiebao Hunters of the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2012-13 season. In 36 games with the Hunters, he averaged 29.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 34.9 minutes per game.

After going undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft, Akognon played for BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn of the Estonian League in 2009-10. He played two seasons for the DongGuan New Century Leopards of the CBA from 2010-12, followed by a brief stint with the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League in 2011-12. Akognon spent the 2012 NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings.

A native of Petaluma, Calif., Akognon started his collegiate career at Washington State University before transferring to California State University, Fullerton. As a junior, he led the Titans to a Big West regular season title, Big West Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in 30 years. As a senior, Akognon was named Big West Conference Player of the Year after averaging 23.9 points per game.

Akognon is expected to join the team in Denver and be available for the game against the Nuggets on April 4. He will wear No. 10 for the Mavericks.

Akognon will replace Justin Dentmon on the Mavericks’ 15-man roster. Dentmon was released from his 10-day contract after appearing in two games for Dallas and logging 4 total minutes.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal to miss rest of season

The Washington Wizards announced today that guard Bradley Beal will miss the remainder of the season with a stress injury in his right fibula. He is expected to resume basketball-related activities in approximately six weeks.

Beal, who was selected with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has averaged 13.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting .386 from three-point range in 56 games (46 starts) this season and currently ranks third among all rookies in scoring and three-point percentage and second in minutes per game (31.2 mpg). He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December and January and set the Wizards rookie franchise record for three-pointers made in a season with 91.

Beal previously missed a total of 18 games on the season (11 due to a sprained left ankle, five due to a sprained right wrist and two due to a sore back).

Memphis Grizzlies sign Keyon Dooling

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed free agent guard Keyon Dooling, the team announced today.

Dooling (6-3, 196) joins Memphis with career averages of 7.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists on .415 shooting in 19.5 minutes in 721 games (86 starts) over 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

The 32-year-old recorded 4.0 points and 1.1 assists on .405 shooting in 14.4 minutes in 46 appearances (two starts) for Boston last season. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native re-signed with the Celtics on July 31, 2012 for the 2012-13 season but announced his retirement on Sept. 20, 2012.

Drafted by Orlando in the first round (10th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft, the Missouri product has made the NBA Playoffs in four different seasons, posting 5.3 points and 1.0 assists on .454 shooting in 14.1 minutes in 49 postseason games with Miami, Orlando and Boston.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 14 players.

Basketball world awaits school decision from Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins is used to facing full-court presses on the court, but, this week, he’s being blitzed off of it as well.

Wiggins, the 18-year-old Vaughan native who is, by all accounts the best non-NBA player in the world, has not yet picked a college destination.

Only Wiggins and one other player — out of 25 at the McDonald’s All-American game — remain undecided, which is why just about all of the other future stars on hand in Chicago this week are trying to get Wiggins to join forces with them next fall.

Florida State, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina are the four schools still in the running.

— Reported by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun