Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Hornets exercise contract options on LaMelo Ball and PJ Washington

The Charlotte Hornets have exercised their third-year option on guard LaMelo Ball and their fourth-year option on forward PJ Washington.

Ball is in his second season with the Hornets and is averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game through Charlotte’s first four games of the season. The reigning Rookie of the Year, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 51 games, including 31 starts during the 2020-21 season to become just the 12th rookie in NBA history to average 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. A Chino Hills, California native, he was selected third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft after spending the 2019-20 season with the Illawarra Hawks.

In 125 career games, including 118 starts, Washington is averaging 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting .444% from the field and .377% from 3-point range. The 2019-20 All-Rookie Second Team selection begins his third season in Charlotte and has accrued averages of 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in three games. Last season, Washington became the youngest player in franchise history to score 40 points in a game on Feb. 28, 2021, after he scored 42 points in a win at Sacramento.

Sixers exercise contract options for Matisse Thybulle and Tyrese Maxey

The Philadelphia 76ers have exercised the fourth-year contract option for Matisse Thybulle and the third-year contract option for Tyrese Maxey, both set to take effect for the 2022-23 season.

Thybulle, who is in his third NBA season, was selected by Boston with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft before Philadelphia acquired his rights in a trade. For his career, Thybulle has appeared in 135 games (22 starts), tallying 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 19.9 minutes per game. Thybulle’s 209 career steals rank sixth in the NBA since his rookie season. Over his two-plus NBA seasons, Thybulle has 31 games with at least three steals, a mark that is tied for the third-most in the league during that span. Last season, he was the only player in the NBA to have at least 100 steals and 70 blocks in less than 1,300 minutes played.

A four-year player out of the University of Washington in his home state, Thybulle capped his collegiate career by securing the 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award and earning his second consecutive Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honor. He tallied 331 total steals in his four seasons with the Huskies, breaking the Pac-12 record previously held by Hall of Famer Gary Payton.

Maxey, now in his second season, holds career averages of 8.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 16.7 minutes per contest in 63 games (13 starts). Maxey posted a career-high 39 points, along with seven rebounds and eight assists against Denver last season. At the time, Maxey was the first rookie since 2019 to post a 35-5-5 performance in a single game and became just the second 76er rookie to post such numbers in a game.

The 76ers selected Maxey with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the University of Kentucky where he appeared in 31 games (28 starts) and tallied 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in a team-high 34.5 minutes per contest. During his lone collegiate season, he held shooting percentages of .427 from the field and .833 from the free-throw line. These numbers led to Maxey being named to the 2019-20 All-SEC Second Team as well as the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Orlando Magic sign Mychal Mulder to two-way contract

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Mychal Mulder to a two-way contract.

Mulder (6’3”, 185, 6/12/94) appeared in 60 games (six starts) last season with Golden State, averaging 5.6 ppg. and 1.0 rpg. in 12.8 minpg., while shooting .397 (85-214) from three-point range. He scored in double figures 13 times and 20+ points three times, including a career-high 28 points on May 14 vs. New Orleans. Mulder was named to the 2021 NBA Rising Starts World Team.

Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Mulder has played in 67 career NBA regular season games (nine starts), all with Golden State, averaging 5.6 ppg. and 1.2 rpg. in 14.5 minpg., while shooting .380 (101-266) from three-point range. He has also played in 134 career NBA G League games (112 starts) with Windy City and Sioux Falls, averaging 13.1 ppg., 4.3 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 32.3 minpg., while shooting .386 (365-946) from three-point range.

Mulder played in 56 career games (two starts) during two seasons at the University of Kentucky (2015-17), averaging 2.9 ppg. and 1.3 rpg. in 7.6 minpg.

Mulder will wear #2 with the Orlando Magic.

Orlando’s roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way contracts.

Thunder exercise contract options on Darius Bazley, Aleksej Pokusevski and Ty Jerome

The Oklahoma City Thunder has exercised contract options for the 2022-23 season for forwards Darius Bazley and Aleksej Pokuševski and guard Ty Jerome.

Bazley has appeared in 119 career games (67 starts) with Oklahoma City and averaged 9.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.6 minutes per game. Last season, the Ohio native was fourth on the team in scoring (13.7 points) and second in rebounding (7.2 rebounds) while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor.

Jerome has seen action in 65 games (one start) with the Thunder and the Suns and averaged 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc in 17.4 minutes per game. In his 33 games with the Thunder last season, he averaged career highs in points (10.7), assists (3.6) and field goal percentage (44.6).

In 48 games (28 starts) with Oklahoma City, Pokuševski holds averages of 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per game. After his assignment to the G League last season, the Serbian native increased his scoring average (11.1 points), rebounds (5.4) and assists (2.7).

Shaq’s Central Florida mansion has finally been sold

All of you who were thinking of buying Shaq’s house are too late and must seek out a different property. Via the Orlando Sentinel:

After more than three years on the market, Shaquille O’Neal’s Isleworth mansion has finally sold for $11 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a home in Central Florida.

The basketball legend, who bought the estate for $3.95 million in 1993, didn’t get anywhere near what he initially hoped for, however.

The house at 9927 Giffin Court near Windermere was put on the market in 2018, priced at $28 million. Over the years, that was slashed repeatedly. Most recently, it was listed for $16.5 million.

Warriors bench off to good start this season

On opening night Tuesday, the Warriors bench did big things in the team’s win over the Lakers. This may be a sign of things to come. Via the San Jose Mercury News:

There’s something special happening at the end of the Warriors roster, or at least Steve Kerr believes so. Just look at the box score from Tuesday night.

Two key numbers: 12 and 55. As in 12 Warriors saw the court, and the ones who didn’t start contributed 55 points. That kind of bench play allowed the Warriors to skirt by the Lakers on a cold shooting night from Steph Curry. It also conjured in Kerr’s mind memories of, we all can agree, pretty good times.

“It just feels like five or six years ago,” Kerr said following the opening night win, “when we just had guys up and down the roster who could play. … We’ve got vets coming off the bench who just know how to play (and) know how to win.”

It starts with Andre Iguodala, the sixth man extraordinaire back anchoring the second unit after two years in Memphis and Miami.

But he’s surrounded by a new supporting cast, one that the Warriors believe is a significant upgrade from a year ago in their fit within the team’s style and philosophy.

The Warriors are still awaiting a return from injury of two very key players: veteran star shooting guard Klay Thompson and young center James Wiseman.

Knicks forward Julius Randle speaks on 2OT win over Celtics

The 2021-22 NBA regular season began Tuesday, and Wednesday in Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks came away with a 138-134 double overtime win over the Boston Celtics. Knicks forward Julius Randle did big things, putting up 35 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals, while new Knick Evan Fournier impressed with 32 points and six rebounds. Here’s what Randle had to say in post-game interviews:

Julius Randle on the team’s performance: “We made some mental mistakes, errors, but at the end of the day, we found a way to win the game. A lot of emotion, a lot of adrenaline, two overtimes. Everybody stepped up and made big plays and that’s the most important thing to end games and win games.”

On battling through double overtime: “Just find a way to win. Just find a way to win. Down the stretch, we can still be better, I can be better, but we made plays. Everybody made plays – defensive plays, we got stops. From the beginning I said we have to lock in on the defensive end and as long as we do that, we’re going to be a problem.”

On Obi Toppin’s progression: “He’s [Obi Toppin] confident. He’s just playing. Playing to his strengths, his athleticism, his speed, getting out. He’s just taking the game easy. Close outs, he drives, makes a play at the rim, shoots threes with confidence. All of that is just repetition and work. He comes to work every day and works extremely hard.”

On Evan Fournier’s performance: “Evan’s [Fournier] great. He came up super clutch in the overtime’s and made some big shots. We talked after the game and there’s things that we feel like we can do better and work on. He has an extremely high IQ.”