NBA Teams – Page 152 – NBA Blog

Pacers exercise contract options on Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson

The Indiana Pacers have picked up the fourth-year option on guards Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith, and the third-year option on guard Chris Duarte and forward Isaiah Jackson.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “the moves keep all four under contract through 2023-24, the fourth years of Haliburton and Nesmith’s respective careers and the third for Duarte and Jackson.”

More from the Star: “The Pacers acquired Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings last season in a trade involving Domantas Sabonis. He averaged 17 points and 10 assists per game in 26 games after the deal. At 22 years old and entering his third season, he’s now among the Pacers most experienced players as they rebuild.”

Jazz sign Micah Potter, waive Jeenathan Williams

The Utah Jazz have signed center Micah Potter to a two-way contract.

The team has also waived guard/forward Jeenathan Williams.

Potter (6-10, 248, Wisconsin) appeared in 33 games (all starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League in 2021-22, owning averages of 17.0 points on 53.6 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from three, 9.9 boards, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game. Following his first professional season, he garnered 2021-22 All-G League Rookie Team honors.

A four-year collegiate player, the Mentor, Ohio native competed for Ohio State (2016-18) and Wisconsin (2019-21), owning career averages of 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per contest. As a Badger, he owned averages of 11.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.3 minutes per game.

Williams (6-5, 205, Buffalo) was signed by the Jazz on Oct. 11, 2022.

G League: Salt Lake City Stars name Scott Morrison as head coach, Marquis Newman as GM

The Salt Lake City Stars announced today the new appointments of Scott Morrison as the team’s head coach and Marquis Newman as the general manager of the official NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz among its basketball operations staff for the 2022-23 season.

Morrison, a former Boston Celtics assistant coach, served as the head coach of the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League last season. Morrison becomes the Stars’ fourth head coach since the team relocated to Salt Lake City in 2016.

Morrison served as an assistant coach with the Celtics from 2017-21 under Brad Stevens. Previously, he was head coach of the Celtics’ NBA G League affiliate the Maine Red Claws from 2014-17, leading Maine to a 35-15 record and winning the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award in his first season. A native of Prince Edward Island, Canada, Morrison originally joined the Celtics organization as a player development coach for the Red Claws in 2013.

“This is an exciting time for the Stars and our organization as a whole,” Zanik said. “Scott is a terrific basketball mind with an outstanding track record of player development and someone who understands the importance of establishing culture. He is a perfect fit for what we are trying to accomplish with our G League program.”

Newman served as the Stars’ assistant general manager last season. He enters his ninth season as part of the Jazz organization and also holds the role of Jazz director of scouting. A native of New Orleans, La., Newman locally attended Cyprus High School as a two-sport athlete in football and basketball, and then graduated from the University of Utah. As Stars GM, Newman succeeds Bart Taylor who is now Jazz vice president of player personnel.

“Marquis is someone who has been with our club for several years and has grown immensely in every role due to his work ethic, basketball acumen and commitment to the team. It’s a testament to the importance of internal growth within our organization,” said Jazz general manager Justin Zanik. “He has a tremendous eye for talent, and we have the utmost confidence in his ability to locate the kind of players the Jazz want to bring in and develop. We are thrilled to have Marquis take on this new role.”

Pistons’ Marvin Bagley III out 3-4 weeks with knee injury

An MRI performed earlier today on Detroit Pistons forward/center Marvin Bagley III revealed a bone bruise and sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in the right knee that was injured during last night’s game vs. Oklahoma City. The injury took place at the 11:04 mark of the first quarter.

The injury will require rest and rehabilitation and Bagley III is expected to miss the next three to four weeks.

Pistons forward Marvin Bagley hurts knee

A Pistons update, via the Detroit News:

Searching for their first victory of the preseason, the Pistons hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and not only lost their third consecutive game, but they lost their starting power forward in the process.

Marvin Bagley III suffered a right knee injury less than one minute into the game and did not return, leaving the team with two healthy active big men in Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren.

Despite the injury, the Pistons remained competitive against the Thunder until they fell into an offensive drought in the third quarter. The dry spell ultimately led to a 115-99 loss, dropping them to an 0-3 record.

Hopefully Bagley’s injury is minor.

Rockets add Darius Days and Trhae Mitchell, waive Maurice Harkless and Theo Maledon

The Houston Rockets have claimed forward Darius Days off waivers from Miami in addition to signing free agent forward Trhae Mitchell.

And in related moves, the Rockets have waived forward Maurice Harkless and guard Théo Maledon.

Per the Houston Chronicle, “neither Maledon nor Harkless was in the team’s plans after the eight-player trade with the Thunder the Rockets made to acquire a second-round pick. The Rockets had previously waived guard Ty Jerome.”

Days (6-7, 240) was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft following his senior season at LSU, during which he was teammates with Rockets forward Tari Eason. He was one of two Division I players to have averaged at least 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.50 steals and 2.0 3-pointers made in 2021-22. Days averaged 13.7 ppg and 10.0 rpg while shooting 55.6% from the floor and 37.5% from 3-point range for San Antonio at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Mitchell (6-6, 195) was eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft following his senior season at South Alabama. He spent the past two seasons with the Rockets G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley, and played for Houston at the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. From 2018-19 through 2019-20, Mitchell was the only Division I player to have recorded at least 800 points, 400 rebounds, 160 assists, 70 steals and 100 blocks.

Heat guard Marcus Garrett out with wrist injury

Miami Heat guard Marcus Garrett suffered a fractured scaphoid bone in his right wrist.

He will be casted for four weeks and re-evaluated at that time.

Garrett signed a two-way contract with the Heat on July 16.

Per the Miami Herald, “Garrett, who was named the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year as a junior at Kansas before going undrafted in 2021, averaged 3.3 points while shooting 6 of 23 (26.1 percent) from the field and missing each of his eight attempts from three-point range in four appearances this preseason. He played 10 minutes in Monday’s preseason win over the Houston Rockets, finishing scoreless but with two rebounds, two assists and one steal.”

Jazz sign Jeenathan Williams, waive Darryl Morsell

The Utah Jazz have signed guard/forward Jeenathan Williams.

And in a related move, the team has waived guard Darryl Morsell.

Williams (6-5, 205, Buffalo) was a four-year collegiate player at Buffalo, appearing in 122 career games (84 starts), owning averages of 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 23.5 minutes per contest. As a senior in 2021-22, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29 games (all starts), earning 2021-22 All-MAC First Team honors.

The Rochester, N.Y. native played with the Utah Jazz entries at the Salt Lake City Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In Salt Lake City, he averaged 6.0 points and 5.5 boards in two appearances and in three games (one start) in Las Vegas, posted averages of 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 10.6 minutes per contest.

Morsell (6-5, 205, Marquette) was signed by the Jazz on Oct. 9, 2022.

Hawks exercise contract options on Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the fourth-year (2023-24) contract option on Onyeka Okongwu along with the third-year (2023-24) option on Jalen Johnson.

Entering his third season with the Hawks, Okongwu averaged 8.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists in 20.7 minutes in 2021-22 (.690 FG%, .727 FT%), appearing in 48 games (six starts). He scored in double figures 17 times, pulled down 10-or-more rebounds twice and led the team in rebounding five times.

Okongwu’s 1.3 blocks per game marked the fourth-highest average by a second-year Hawks player since at least the 1973-74 season. He recorded at least one block in seven straight games three times, tying Clint Capela (twice) for the longest streak by a Hawk last season. In five games (one start) during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, he put in 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 21.6 minutes (.563 FG%, .800 FT%).

As a rookie in 2020-21, Okongwu averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes, appearing in 50 games (four starts). He scored in double digits seven times, compiled 10-or-more rebounds twice and recorded two double-doubles. In 18 games off the bench during Atlanta’s postseason run to the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes (.548 FG%, .667 FT%).

Okongwu was selected by the Hawks sixth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

In his rookie campaign in 2021-22, Johnson played in 22 games off the bench for Atlanta, averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.5 minutes (.537 FG%, .714 FT%), scoring in double figures twice.

He also made 21 starts last season with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League and averaged 21.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 36.2 minutes (.470 FG%, .368 3FG%). He registered 13 double-doubles for the Skyhawks, including a 21-point, 23-rebound performance on 11/21 vs. Delaware. Johnson scored 10-or-more points in 19 of his 21 games with College Park, including two 30-plus point performances.

Johnson was selected 20th overall by Atlanta in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Mavericks exercise contract option on Josh Green

The Dallas Mavericks have exercised the fourth-year team option on guard/forward Josh Green.

Green (6-5, 200) was a first-round selection (18th overall) by the Mavericks in 2020, and in his first two seasons with the club has averaged 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 14.0 minutes in 106 career games (8 starts) while shooting 49.4% from the field. He has also seen time in 17 career postseason games with averages of 1.4 points and 7.4 minutes.

In his second season in 2021-22, Green averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 15.5 minutes, and his field goal percentage (.508, 130-256 FG) was the second-highest on the team among players with 100 or more field goals attempted. The Mavericks were 14-2 when Green scored at least eight points. Additionally, he became the third-youngest Maverick to dish at least 10 assists when he did so at Portland on Dec. 27, 2021, at 21 years, 41 days old.

The Sydney native competed with the Australian national team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and won a bronze medal. He attended college at Arizona for one season (2019-20) and averaged 12.0 points 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 30 games (all starts).

In two preseason games this year (1 start), Green has averaged 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 18.7 minutes.