Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Rockets sign Daishen Nix, waive Marcus Foster

The Houston Rockets have signed guard Daishen Nix to a two-way contract.

Also today, the team waived guard Marcus Foster.

Nix (6-5, 224) was eligible for the 2021 NBA Draft and originally signed with Houston on Aug. 25. He spent last season with the G League Ignite, where he was teammates with fellow Rockets rookie Jalen Green. Nix, who turns 20 years old in February, joined Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. and Kobi Simmons as the only G League players to have averaged at least 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 2020-21.

Atlanta Hawks exercise contract options on De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Onyeka Okongwu

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the fourth-year (2022-23) contract options on De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish along with the third-year (2022-23) option on Onyeka Okongwu.

Also today, the team requested waivers on center Johnny Hamilton and guards DaQuan Jeffries and Ibi Watson.

Entering his third season with the Hawks, Hunter averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.5 minutes last season (.484 FG%, .326 3FG%, .859 FT%), appearing in 23 games (19 starts). He put in 10-19 points 11 times, 20-29 six times and 30-39 once, leading the club in scoring four times. He was selected to the 2021 NBA Rising Stars roster, comprised of 10 first- and second-year premier young players selected by the league’s assistant coaches. During the Hawks’ first round NBA Playoffs series win over New York, he compiled 10.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 30.4 minutes, playing in and starting five games (.400 FG%, .375 3FG%, .750 FT%). In 86 career regular season games (81 starting assignments), the 6’7 forward is averaging 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.3 minutes (.430 FG%, .348 3FG%, .799 FT%). He was selected fourth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Also going into his third season, Reddish played in 26 games (21 starts) for Atlanta in 2020-21. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.8 minutes. The 6’8 forward put in 10-19 points 11 times and 20-29 points four times. After missing the final 42 games of the regular season and the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs due to injury, he returned during the Eastern Conference Finals against Milwaukee, when he tallied 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 23.0 minutes (.528 FG%, .643 3FG%, .800 FT%) in four contests. In 84 career regular season games, including 55 starts, Reddish is averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.4 minutes. He was selected 10th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

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). The 6’9 big man scored 10-19 points six times and 20-29 once, pulling down 10-or-more rebounds twice and recording two double-doubles. In 18 games off the bench during Atlanta’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes (.548 FG%, .667 FT%). He was selected sixth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves waive Brian Bowen II, Chris Silva, Matt Lewis and Isaiah Miller

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived forward Brian Bowen II, guard Matt Lewis, guard Isaiah Miller and forward Chris Silva.

Bowen II, 22, appeared in two games this preseason, totaling five points and two rebounds. He started all five games for the Timberwolves in the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game. In two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, he saw action in 12 total games. He played in 44 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants over two seasons, averaging 14.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. After withdrawing from the 2018 NBA draft during the final entry deadline, Bowen made the decision to forgo college and pursue a professional contract. On August 7, 2018, Bowen signed with the Sydney Kings of the Australian NBL. During the 2018–19 NBL season, he played in 30 games while averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Lewis, 22, wrapped up a four-year career at James Madison University where he ranked among the career leaders in several categories, including third in points (1,928) and eighth in assists (341). Last year during his senior season, he was named CAA Player of the Year after leading the Dukes in points, field goals, three pointers, free throws, defensive rebounds. assists, and minutes. Lewis became the first James Madison player ever to be named to the All-CAA team in three different seasons.

Miller, 22, played in two games this preseason for Minnesota where he totaled three points, two rebounds and one assist. He appeared in all five games for the 2021 Timberwolves Summer League team, averaging 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals in 16.2 minutes per game. Miller averaged 14.9 points on 47.4% shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game during his four-year career at UNC Greensboro. In Miller’s final season with the Spartans, he was named SoCon Player of the Year and SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the only men’s basketball player in SoCon history to be named both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. The Covington, Ga. native ranks second in school history with 314 steals and third in scoring with 1,965 points.

Silva, 24, saw action in 15 total games last season for the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings where he averaged 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. During the 2019-20 season, the 6-8 forward split time between the Heat and the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League where he saw action in 44 games in for Miami, averaging 3.0 points on 61.5% shooting and 2.9 rebounds. Silva played four seasons at South Carolina, appearing in 134 career games (108 starts) and averaged 11.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 21.7 minutes. He became the first player in school history to total at least 700 rebounds and 500 free throws made.

Grizzlies sign David Stockton, waive Ahmad Caver

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard David Stockton.

Also today, the team waived guard Ahmad Caver.

Stockton (5-11, 165) started 15 games for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle last season and averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.00 steals in 29.5 minutes. A six-year veteran of the NBA G League, Stockton holds career averages of 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.59 steals in 29.9 minutes over 184 games (142 starts) for the Reno Bighorns, South Bay Lakers and Hustle. The 30-year-old Gonzaga product also has played six career NBA games with the Sacramento Kings (2014-15) and Utah Jazz (2017-18) and has competed professionally in Croatia, New Zealand, Germany and Puerto Rico since going unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Caver (6-2, 174) has appeared in 54 games (two starts) in two seasons with the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle following a four-year collegiate career at Old Dominion. Unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old competed in 15 games off the bench for the Hustle last season and averaged 16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.93 steals in 29.4 minutes while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3-point range.

Timberwolves sign forward Vince Edwards

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Vince Edwards.

Edwards, 6-8, played in 11 games in the G League for the Oklahoma City Blue last season where he averaged 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game.

The 25-year-old holds career G League averages of 9.2 points on 41.4% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in three seasons with the Blue, Canton Charge and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Edwards was originally drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round (52nd overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Middletown, Ohio native played four seasons for Purdue University, averaging 11.9 points on 47.3% shooting, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 138 games (127 starts).

Pelicans waive John Petty Jr.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived guard John Petty Jr.

Petty Jr., 6-5, 184, most recently played four seasons at Alabama in which he averaged 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 131 games (105 starts), finishing his career with a school-record 311 made three-pointers. Petty Jr. is coming off of a senior campaign where he averaged 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists en route to First Team All-SEC honors. Petty Jr. led the SEC with 77 made threes during the 2020-21 season.

The Pelicans roster now stands at 17.

Utah Jazz sign forward Nino Johnson

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Nino Johnson.

Johnson (6-9, 245, Southeast Missouri State) played in eight games (two starts) for the Hamilton Honey Badgers of the CEBL in 2020-21, averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.9 minutes per game.

The Memphis, Tenn., native spent two seasons with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League (2018-20), where he appeared in 67 games (six starts), owning averages of 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per contest. He also has other professional playing experience with Joensuun Kataja in Finland (2016-17), Energa Czarni Slupsk of the P-TBL (2016-17), Thor AK Akureyri of the Icelandic League (2017-18) and the Alaska Aces of the PBA CC (2018-19).

Utah Jazz waive Derrick Alston Jr., Marques Bolden and MaCio Teague

The Utah Jazz have waived forward Derrick Alston Jr., forward/center Marques Bolden and guard MaCio Teague.

Alston Jr. (6-9, 230, Boise State) saw action in four preseason games for Utah, posting two points against Milwaukee on Oct. 13. A four-year player at Boise State, he saw action in 104 games (79 starts) with career averages of 14.2 points, 3.9 boards and 1.9 assists in 28.9 minutes per contest and left the program ranked 10th in all-time points (1,479).

Bolden (6-10, 249, Duke) averaged 2.0 points in two preseason games with the Jazz. Bolden has played in seven games with the Cleveland Cavaliers over two seasons (2019-21) during his professional career. Prior to that, he spent three seasons at Duke, appearing in 88 games (24 starts), averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 13.6 minutes per game.

Teague (6-4, 195, Baylor) played in four preseason games, posting 3.5 points per contest. During his final collegiate season, he owned averages of 15.9 points on 47.8 percent from the field, along with 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists, helping Baylor to a National Championship. The Cincinnati native garnered 2020-21 All-Big 12 Third Team honors for his final standout collegiate season.