Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Magic forward Paolo Banchero had an outstanding rookie season

Via the Orlando Sentinel:

As the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero faced a plethora of expectations — internally and externally.

He met his own exceptions as a rookie while exceeding others.

“I wouldn’t say I exceeded them but I definitely met them,” Banchero said. “I did everything I wanted to do in my first year. It’s definitely time to take it to another level this next year. That’s what I’m excited about.”

While shifting his focus to his offseason work, Banchero also took time to reflect on the season that led to him being the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year.

With averages of 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists, he became the 12th rookie in the league’s history to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for a season.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo dealing with a back contusion

Via the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

It might not have appeared that way Sunday, but the Milwaukee Bucks have already shown this season they can have their way with the Miami Heat even when Giannis Antetokounmpo is not fully healthy.

That is especially meaningful at the moment with the Bucks All-Star forward dealing with a back contusion and Milwaukee down 1-0 to Heat in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening round NBA playoff series that continues Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Fiserv Forum.

On March 24, despite Antetokounmpo being lost 6:28 into the game due to a knee injury, the Bucks throttled the Heat 128-99.

Orlando Magic relocating their G League team to Kissimmee, rebranding them as the Osceola Magic

The Orlando Magic will relocate its NBA G League affiliate to Kissimmee, FL, and it will be rebranded as the Osceola Magic. Their new home will be in Osceola Heritage Park, beginning play at Silver Spurs Arena in November 2023, CEO and Managing Partner Alex Martins announced today.

“We are excited to bring the Magic and NBA G League basketball to Osceola County, Kissimmee and Osceola Heritage Park,” said Martins. “We would like to thank Osceola County Chairwoman Viviana Janer, County Manager Don Fisher and Osceola Heritage Park General Manager Robb Larson in assisting us in making this move a reality. We look forward to being an invested community partner in Kissimmee and Osceola County.”

“Osceola County’s strategic planning continues to attract top tier organizations that share in our vision for the community,” said Janer. “We are honored to have the Osceola Magic make their new home at OHP. When it comes to sports and entertainment, we already host many premium events and organizations. Today, I’m proud that the Orlando Magic organization is joining the list of marquee partners that call Osceola County and Osceola Heritage Park their home. We look forward to cheering on our new team and welcoming fans from all over to experience the magic of Osceola County.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Osceola Magic to our community and to Osceola Heritage Park,” said Larson. “This partnership will not only bring exciting professional basketball games to Osceola County, but also provide opportunities to local businesses and tourism. We look forward to working closely with the team to create a memorable experience for fans and players alike.”

Lakers sign Shaquille Harrison and Tristan Thompson, waive Davon Reed

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Shaquille Harrison and center Tristan Thompson.

And in a related move, the Lakers requested waivers on forward Davon Reed.

Harrison (6’4”, 195) most recently played for the Portland Trail Blazers after signing a 10-day contract with the team on March 30. In five appearances with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.2 steals in 24.0 minutes. In 180 career games (23 starts) across six NBA seasons with the Trail Blazers (2022-23), Nets (2021-22), Nuggets (2020-21), Jazz (2020-21), Bulls (2018-20) and Suns (2017-18), Harrison has averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 15.4 minutes per game. The 29-year-old has played in nine career playoff games with the Nuggets (2020-21), averaging 1.0 points in 4.5 minutes. The 2021-22 NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year appeared in 32 regular season games (all starts) for the South Bay Lakers this season, averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.1 steals in 32.5 minutes per game and was the only player in the NBA G League this season to be in the top five in both assists and steals per game.

Thompson (6’9”, 254) has appeared in 730 career games (478 starts) across 11 seasons with the Bulls (2021-22), Pacers (2021-22), Kings (2021-22), Celtics (2020-21) and Cavaliers (2011-20), averaging 9.0 points (.519 FG%), 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 26.8 minutes. The 2016 NBA Champion has played in 88 career playoff games (70 starts) with the Bulls (2021-22), Celtics (2020-21) and Cavaliers (2014-18), averaging 7.4 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 56.4 percent from the field. Thompson most recently appeared in 57 games (six starts) for Chicago, Indiana and Sacramento during the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. Thompson has recorded 185 double-doubles throughout his career and has shot over 50 percent from the field in his previous eight seasons.

Reed appeared in eight games for the Lakers this season, averaging 1.0 points in 3.4 minutes per game. The 27-year-old was acquired by Los Angeles on Feb. 9.

Pelicans sign Dereon Seabron to two-way contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Dereon Seabron to a two-way contract.

Seabron, 6-7, 180, appeared in five games off the bench this season with New Orleans. Originally signed to a two-way contract on September 9, Seabron appeared in 28 games (25 starts) with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. Seabron averaged 17.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per contest.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players.

Rockets sign Willie Cauley-Stein

The Houston Rockets have signed free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein.

Cauley-Stein (7-0, 240) was briefly with the Rockets during the preseason before joining their NBA G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley. He signed a 10-day contract with Houston on Feb. 27 and rejoined the Vipers following that stint. Rio Grande Valley advanced to the G League Finals, which concluded on Thursday.

In 422 career NBA games with 256 starts, Cauley-Stein has averaged 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.0 minutes per game. He is shooting 54.4% from the floor for his career, including 59.0% over the past three seasons.

Utah Jazz sign Vernon Carey Jr.

The Utah Jazz have signed forward/center Vernon Carey Jr.

Carey Jr. (6-9, 270, Duke) spent the 2022-23 season with the Washington Wizards and the Wizards’ G League affiliate, Capital City Go-Go, seeing action with the Wizards in 11 contests. With Capital City, the 22-year-old played in 14 games (all starts), averaging 20.7 points on 61.9 percent from the field, along with 8.3 boards, and 1.9 assists in 27.6 minutes per game.

Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft (32nd overall), the Miami, Fla., native has three years of NBA experience with Charlotte (2020-21) and Washington (2021-23), having appeared in 37 games (five starts), owning career averages of 1.9 points and 1.4 boards in 5.1 minutes per contest.

Carey Jr. played one collegiate season at Duke (2019-20), where he averaged 17.8 points on 57.7 percent from the field, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 31 games, earning 2019-20 Consensus All-America Second Team Honors, the NABC Freshman of the Year Award, ACC Rookie and Freshman of the Year honors, and was named to the All-ACC First Team.

Grizzlies sign Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Jacob Gilyard, and waive Kennedy Chandler

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward/center Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a multi-year contract.

In related moves, the Grizzlies signed guard Jacob Gilyard to a two-way contract and waived guard Kennedy Chandler.

Lofton Jr. (6-8, 275) was named the 2022-23 NBA G League Rookie of the Year after averaging 20.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 28.5 minutes in 17 regular season games (15 starts) for the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate. The 20-year-old, who originally signed a two-way contract on July 1 following his sophomore year at Louisiana Tech, has made 23 appearances as a reserve for the Grizzlies and has averaged 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.

Gilyard (5-9, 160) competed in 31 regular season games (25 starts) for the Memphis Hustle this season and averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, a league-leading 9.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 30.4 minutes. The 24-year-old, who set an NCAA Division I record for steals during his collegiate career at Richmond, recorded double-digit assists 22 times and posted eight double-doubles for the Hustle.

Chandler (6-0, 171) made 36 appearances as a reserve for the Grizzlies this season. The 20-year-old was selected 38th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Tennessee.

Nets sign RaiQuan Gray to two-way contract

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward RaiQuan Gray to a two-way contract.

Gray (6’7″, 260) was selected by Brooklyn with the 59th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and has spent his first two professional seasons with Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. In 44 games (22 starts), he holds career averages of 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.8 minutes per contest while shooting 52.1 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from 3-point range and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. This season, the 23-year-old appeared in 18 regular season games (all starts) with Long Island and averaged 15.4 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the floor and 38.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc to go with 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.6 minutes per game. Gray also played in 12 NBA G League Showcase Cup games (11 starts) and averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals over 28.8 minutes per contest. He appeared in both of Long Island’s playoff games this season and posted a team-leading 25 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native played three collegiate seasons (2018-21) at Florida State University, where he appeared in 90 games (52 starts) and averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 18.7 minutes per contest. Gray earned Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and All-ACC Third Team honors as a junior and helped lead the Seminoles to their first ever regular season ACC Championship in 2020 as a sophomore.

Brooklyn’s roster now stands at 17 players.