Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

No firm timetable yet for return of Bulls guard Coby White

The Bulls are an interesting squad this season. Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times with the latest on one of their talented young prospects:

Coby White had more than his share of left-out moments this summer, rehabbing his surgically repaired left shoulder while his teammates were working out and preparing for the season.

While White didn’t make the trip for the opener, Donovan did say that it was important to keep him engaged as much as possible when there are drills he can participate in.

“When we’re doing 5-on-0 stuff or we’re scripting or running up and down where there’s no contact, we have him involved,’’ Donovan said. “For the summer, it was a very isolating experience for him. Us putting our arms around him and keeping him involved in things he can actually do physically is important for him.’’

White is expected to be re-evaluated in mid-to-late November, then a better timetable for his return should be known.

Deandre Ayton speaks on lack of Suns extension agreement

Here’s the latest on the Phoenix Suns and talented young center Deandre Ayton, via the Arizona Sports:

Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns tipped off their 2021-22 NBA season with a rocky start, a 110-98 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Footprint Center.

The rough stretch on the court mirrors a similar situation between the team and big man after failing to reach a contract extension before the deadline earlier this week.

Following Wednesday night’s contest, Ayton spoke to reporters for the first time since the deadline passed.

“Really one thing about me throughout my whole life I’ve always learned to control what I can control,” Ayton said postgame. “At the same time, obviously I’m disappointed but I’m still trying to get us back to the Finals.

“I still have to represent the team and myself as well. And I’m just a competitor, man. I just like to compete to the best and every time I’m between them lines that’s what you’re gonna see outta me, nothing else.”

G League: Raptors 905 coaching staff announced

Raptors 905, NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, announced Thursday its coaching staff for the 2021-22 season.

Joining Head Coach Patrick Mutombo’s staff are Travon Bryant, Chris Thomas, Ashton Smith, and Alex Beene. Assistant coaches John Bennett and Arsalan Jamil return to the bench for their second and fourth seasons, respectively.

Bryant joins the 905 after spending the last season as a player development coach with the Detroit Pistons. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue (NBAG) where he spent two seasons, helping lead the Blue to a first-place finish in the Midwest division before joining the Brooklyn Nets as a player development coach. From 2000-04, Bryant attended Missouri (NCAA) before competing professionally overseas for 11 seasons, playing in Greece, Italy, Germany, Ukraine, France, and Japan.

Thomas brings over 15 years of basketball experience to Raptors 905, including coaching and scouting roles in the NBA and overseas. Thomas has served as a head coach for the last six seasons in top leagues across the world including stops in Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Slovenia. Thomas has also served as an advanced scout for the Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls.

Smith transitioned to coaching last season with the Hamilton Honey Badgers (CEBL) after a 10-year professional career nationally and overseas. Smith most notably played 24 games for the 905 in its inaugural season. The Scarborough native played four seasons (2008-12) for Indiana University of Pennsylvania earning NCAA DII All-American honours and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science.

Beene joins Raptors 905 after serving as the Director of Analytics for the University of Memphis the last two seasons. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of RaYnge, a company that is committed to effecting positive change in sports analytics by providing comprehensive analytical reporting presented in a way that is simple, readable, and actionable. Beene broke into the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, as a Business Intelligence analyst, a role he held for two seasons before stops with Indiana and Sacramento in Basketball Analytics.

Raptors 905 now prepare for the 2021-22 NBA G League Draft Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, before opening training camp Oct. 25, 2021. The team tips off its regular season Nov. 11, 2021, when the team welcomes the Westchester Knicks to Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas agree to contract extension

Pelicans big man Jonas Valanciunas will be sticking around for a while. Via the New Orleans Times Picayune:

For the second consecutive season, the Pelicans signed their starting center to a contract extension without ever watching him play a regular-season game in a New Orleans uniform.

Wednesday, the Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a two-year, $30.1 million extension, which will keep the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Lithuanian big man under contract through the 2023-24 season, a source said…

Only 11 months earlier, the Pelicans signed Steven Adams to a two-year extension worth $35 million. Adams averaged 7.6 points last season, the fewest since his rookie season, and was traded in July.

The Pelicans sent Adams and Eric Bledsoe to the Memphis Grizzlies in a salary shedding maneuver. They got back Valanciunas in the trade and were forced to move down seven spots in last summer’s draft.

Jaylen Brown had some breathing issues due to COVID-19

The NBA season started yesterday, and the Celtics have their first game of the new year tonight. Fortunately for them, young star Jaylen Brown will be in action. Here’s ESPN.com on what Brown just went through:

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 8, will be in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s opener against the New York Knicks, coach Ime Udoka said.

Brown, who had been listed as questionable on Tuesday afternoon, said he had “some mild symptoms for the most part,” including some breathing issues that he used meditation to navigate through.

“The most concerning was my breathing,” Brown said. “I had to really focus to get my breathing kind of back to normal. … But the more I focused on it, the better I was able to gain more efficiency in it.”

Jim Boylen named head coach of November 2021 USA Basketball World Cup Qualifying Team

Former college and NBA head coach Jim Boylen has been selected head coach of the November 2021 USA Basketball World Cup Qualifying Team, and assisting him on the bench will be experienced USA Basketball coaches Ty Ellis and Othella Harrington.

The USA squad will train Nov. 20-25 in Houston and will participate in the first competition window of 2021-23 FIBA World Cup Qualifying games that will be played in a bubble format in Chihuahua, Mexico. The Americans will face Cuba on Nov. 28 and will meet host Mexico on Nov. 29.

Players selected to represent the USA in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying games are expected to primarily be from the NBA G League.

“I am excited, honored and thankful to take on the responsibilities of head coach for USA Basketball’s World Cup Qualifying Team. To have this opportunity to represent my country in the November FIBA World Cup Qualifying games is truly humbling,” said Boylen. “I have previous coaching experience with both Othella Harrington and Ty Ellis. They’re really good coaches and they have international experience, so, their basketball knowledge and advice will be invaluable. I’m really looking forward to this amazing opportunity.”

This will be Boylen’s first experience with USA Basketball.

DeMar DeRozan buys new Chicago mansion

DeMar DeRozan reportedly has himself a new house that has an interesting former owner. Via the Chicago Tribune:

The Chicago Bulls’ newly acquired star forward DeMar DeRozan has been revealed as the $4.5 million buyer of a River North mansion sold earlier this month by the ex-wife of Bulls great Michael Jordan.

Juanita Vanoy Jordan bought the six-bedroom, 10,179-square-foot Georgian-style mansion in 2007, a year after she and His Airness divorced. The mansion is in a neighborhood with several ties to past Chicago Bulls stars. Former Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler owned a six-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot mansion on the block until selling it for $4.2 million in 2017.

Celtics re-sign Jabari Parker

After recently waiving him, the Boston Celtics have re-signed forward Jabari Parker.

Signed by the Celtics on April 16 of last season, Parker, 26, averaged 6.4 points (54.2% FG, 76.9% FT), 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 13.8 minutes over 10 games played with Boston in 2020-21. He played in four postseason games during Boston’s First Round series against Brooklyn, producing 8.5 points on 61.9% shooting, and 3.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes.

Selected with the second overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2014 NBA Draft, Parker has averaged 14.5 points (49.4% FG, 32.1% 3-PT, 74.1% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 28.3 minutes in 298 career games (190 starts) over seven NBA seasons with Milwaukee, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, Sacramento, and Boston. He has averaged at least 14.0 points in four of his seven NBA seasons, including two straight years from 2018-19 to 2019-20.

Timberwolves exercise contract options on Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels

The Minnesota Timberwolves have exercised their third-year options on guard Anthony Edwards and forward Jaden McDaniels.

Edwards, 20, enters his second season in the NBA after finishing up his rookie season where he started 55 games while playing in all 72 games, the only NBA rookie to play in all 72. He averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. The Atlanta native shot 41.7% from the floor, 32.9% from beyond the arc and 76.6% from the free throw line. Edwards’ 19.3 points per game marked the most by any rookie in Timberwolves history and his 171 total three-pointers are the second-most in a single-season by a Wolves player, behind Kevin Love (190 in 2013-14). He finished the season ranked in the top 10 among rookies in multiple statistical categories, including first among rookies in points per game (19.3), tied for fifth in steals (1.1) and ninth in assists per game (2.9). Edwards was drafted by Minnesota in the first round (first overall) of the 2020 NBA Draft.

McDaniels, 21, wrapped up his rookie season last year averaging 6.8 points on 44.7% shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 63 games played. Among all rookies, the Federal Way, Wash. native ranked second in total blocks (60) and 10th in total three-pointers (72). The Wolves originally acquired the draft rights to the 6-9 forward from the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 20, 2020. He was drafted in the first round (28th overall) by the Los Angeles Lakers of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Raptors exercise contract options on Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn

The Toronto Raptors have exercised the third-year team option on the rookie scale contracts of forward Precious Achiuwa (ah-CHEW-uh) and guard Malachi Flynn.

Both players are now signed through the 2022-23 season.

Achiuwa, 6-foot-8, 244 pounds, was acquired from the Miami Heat along with Goran Dragic as part of a sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry. He averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 61 games (four starts) as a rookie last season. For his efforts, Achiuwa was named to the World Team roster for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars. He was picked 20th overall by Miami in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Flynn, 6-foot-1, 176 pounds, was selected 29th overall by the Raptors in the 2020 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.5 points, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 19.7 minutes in 47 games (14 starts) during his rookie campaign. Flynn scored in double figures in 17 contests, including 20 or more on four times. He earned Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honours for April; posting averages of 12.7 points, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 28.3 minutes in 15 games.