NBA Teams – Page 255 – NBA Blog

Spurs hire Manu Ginobili as Special Advisor to Basketball Operations

The San Antonio Spurs today announced additions and promotions within the team’s basketball operations staff.

In the Spurs medical and performance group, Xavi Schelling has been named Director of Player Performance & Wellness, while Marilyn Adams is now Director of Performance Therapy. Logan Sullivan joins the Spurs as Senior Performance Therapist, while Brendan Bowman is now Assistant Athletic Trainer & Recovery Coordinator. Hillary Cauthen comes to San Antonio as Performance Psychologist, while Ryan Curtis has been named Sports Science Coordinator, Jesse Wang becomes Assistant Performance Coach and Chasity Chov is now Medical Assistant II.

In the Spurs front office, Manu Ginobili has been named Special Advisor to Basketball Operations and Josh Ryan is now Senior Front End Developer.

San Antonio’s coaching staff now includes Willis Hall as Player Development Assistant, Sean Sheldon as Head Video Coordinator and Josh Brannon as Assistant Video Coordinator.

In Spurs operations, Cory Johnson has been named Director of Team Operations and Ricki Dean joins San Antonio as Player Engagement & Family Services Manager.

Schelling moves to Director of Player Performance & Wellness after spending the last five seasons as the team’s Director of Sports Science and Athletic Performance. He enters his eighth season with the Spurs overall since starting as Applied Sports Scientist in 2014. Prior to joining San Antonio, he served as the Director of Athletic Performance from 2006-14 for Bàsquet Manresa, a Spanish team in the 1st Division of the ACB Spanish League. He has also worked as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Spanish National Basketball Team at the 2014 U20 European Championship.

Adams has been elevated to Director of Performance Therapy after joining the Spurs in 2014 as Director of Rehabilitation. Prior to arriving in San Antonio, she worked independently with various elite athletes and served as the Team Physiotherapist for Triathlon Canada at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. In addition, the University of Alberta graduate spent 2009-14 on the FIS Snowboard World Cup Tour with the Canada Snowboard Team.

Sullivan comes to San Antonio after spending the last four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as the team’s Physical Therapist. Prior to entering the NBA, he spent three years at EXOS, a human performance company in Phoenix, where he worked individually with professional athletes from the four U.S. major sports leagues, the PGA Tour and Olympians. A former football player at Butler, Sullivan graduated from BU with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2011 before earning a doctorate in physical therapy from Northern Arizona in 2015.

Bowman moves to Assistant Athletic Trainer & Recovery Coordinator after spending the last four seasons with San Antonio, most recently as Assistant Athletic Trainer last year. Prior to last year, he spent his first three seasons in Silver and Black as a Medical Systems Assistant and Medical Quality Assurance Assistant. Bowman also spent a season as the Athletic Trainer for the Birmingham Squadron, formerly the Erie BayHawks, of the NBA G League in 2016-17. Bowman earned a master’s degree from Minot State in 2016 after graduating from Washington State in 2014.

Cauthen joins the Spurs with 13 years of experience applying mental skills training. She co-founded Blu Chip Analytics in 2017 and Living Mental Wellness in 2018 in Austin. Cauthen has served as Director of Performance Services at Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services since 2015 and was elected to the executive board of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology in 2018. A former Division I track and field athlete at the University of New Hampshire and Miami of Ohio, Cauthen earned both a master’s and PsyD in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles.

Curtis transitions to Sports Science Coordinator after spending the last two seasons as Athletic Performance Data Manager for the Spurs. He was the Director of Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute (University of Connecticut) after working as a strength coach and athletic trainer for the US Marine Corps, US Tennis Association and privately for professional tennis players on the ATP/WTA World Tour. Curtis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Culver-Stockton College in 2006, finished a master’s degree in kinesiology from Kansas State in 2009 and earned a PhD in exercise science from UConn in 2019.

Wang elevates to Assistant Performance Coach after spending the last two seasons as Sports Science Quality Assurance Assistant for San Antonio. He started with the organization in 2018 as Athletic Performance Quality Assurance Assistant for the Austin Spurs. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, Wang spent a season with the Cincinnati Bengals as Strength and Conditioning Fellow after earning a bachelor’s degree in human physiology from Oregon and working as a Sports Science Assistant with the Ducks football team.

Chov becomes San Antonio’s Medical Assistant II after spending last season as the Austin Spurs Assistant Athletic Trainer. Prior to joining the Spurs in 2020, she served as the University of Nevada’s Associate Director of Sports Medicine in 2019-20, working with the men’s basketball team. Chov earned a master’s degree from Michigan State in 2019 while working with the Spartans football and men’s basketball teams and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017.

Ginobili returns to the Spurs following a 16-year playing career with San Antonio where he helped the Silver and Black capture four NBA championships. The Spurs all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,495) and steals (1,392), his career winning percentage of .721 is the best in NBA history (min. 1,000 games). A native of Argentina and 23-year professional, Ginobili is one of only two players in the history of basketball to win a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Ryan becomes Senior Front End Developer after spending the last four seasons as Front End Developer. Prior to joining San Antonio, he served as Web Developer for Axis Maps from 2013-17 while earning a master’s degree in geographic information systems from Penn State. After graduating from Wheaton College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 2007, Ryan worked with the Free Burma Rangers doing humanitarian relief work in Thailand, later providing cartographic and IT support to various relief agencies throughout Southeast Asia.

Hall becomes the Spurs Player Development Assistant after spending the last three seasons as Video Coordinator. He enters his sixth season in San Antonio after starting with the team as a Quality Assurance Assistant in the video department in 2016. Prior to joining San Antonio, Hall played professionally for two seasons in Portugal and Luxembourg. The Charlotte native played four seasons at the College of Charleston, appearing in 137 games in his career from 2009-14.

Brannon becomes the Spurs Assistant Video Coordinator after spending the last two seasons as a Quality Assurance Assistant in the video department. Prior to joining the Spurs in 2019, he coached at Shawnee Mission East High School from 2016-18. The Houston native played at Southwestern Community College and Panola Junior College before spending his final three seasons at Rockhurst University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business communication in 2016. Brannon also worked in basketball camps for the Spurs Sports Academy since 2010, serving as a Camp Director from 2016-19.

Sheldon moves into the Head Video Coordinator position after spending last season as Assistant Video Coordinator for the Spurs. He enters his fourth season in San Antonio following his start in 2018 as a Quality Assurance Assistant in the video department. Sheldon joined the Silver and Black after serving as a graduate assistant at Michigan State while earning his master’s degree in 2017-18. Prior to entering coaching, he played professionally in Switzerland in 2016-17 after a four-year career at William and Mary, where he appeared in 111 games for the Tribe from 2012-16.

Johnson is now the Spurs Director of Team Operations after spending the last three seasons as Team Equipment and Travel Manger. Prior to joining San Antonio, he spent six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves as assistant equipment manager from 2012-18. Prior to entering the NBA, he served as an assistant coach for one season at University of Mary after earning a master’s degree in sports management from Western Illinois University in 2011.

Dean joins San Antonio as the team’s Player Engagement & Family Services Manager after spending the last six years at the National Basketball Players Association as Associate Manager of Strategic Engagement & Development. At the NBPA, she was responsible for player engagement, crisis management and managing the ICONic Program, a transitional support program for players drafted under the age of 21. Dean received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 and a master’s from Georgetown University in 2012.

Hawks sign Johnny Hamilton, A.J. Lawson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jahlil Okafor

The Atlanta Hawks have signed Johnny Hamilton, A.J. Lawson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jahlil Okafor.

It’s assumed that these deals are non-guaranteed contracts that merely bring the players to Hawks training camp.

Hamilton, a 7’0 center, played in 13 games last season with Fenerbahce in Turkey before being loaned to Mornar Bar (Montenegro) for the remainder of the season. He finished his college career at UT-Arlington in 2017-18 after two seasons at Jacksonville College and two at Virginia Tech. As a graduate student at UTA, Hamilton averaged 11.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 23.4 minutes (.629 FG%, .664 FT%) in 34 contests (31 starts). Hamilton has also spent time with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA G League and Darussafaka in Turkey.

Lawson, a 6’6 guard who participated for the Hawks in the 2021 NBA Summer League, played three seasons at South Carolina. As a junior in 2020-21, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 assists in 31.3 minutes, earning second team All-SEC honors. Over his three-year career at USC, the 6’6 guard put in 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes in 81 contests (80 starts). The native of Brampton, Ontario has competed for Canada’s men’s national under-19 team.

Luwawu-Cabarrot, a 6’7 guard/forward, played in 58 games (seven starts) for the Brooklyn Nets last season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.1 minutes. He has appeared in 276 career contests (42 starts) in five seasons with Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Brooklyn, putting up 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16.6 minutes. The native of Cannes, France has also played in 11 career postseason contests with averages of 6.5 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14.2 minutes. He was originally selected by the 76ers in the first round (24th overall) of the 2016 NBA Draft. He also has played internationally with Antibes (France) and Mega Leks (Serbia). Luwawu-Cabarrot won a silver medal as part of the French Olympic team last month. His name is pronounced TEAM-oh-tay loo-WA-woo cab-uh-RO.

Okafor, a 6’11 center, played in 27 games (two starts) for the Detroit Pistons last season and averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.9 minutes (.618 FG%, .708 FT%). In 247 career regular season contests (116 starts) with Philadelphia, New Orleans, Brooklyn and Detroit, he has compiled 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.5 minutes (.542 FG%, .676 FT%). He was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection in 2016. The third overall pick by the 76ers in 2015, Okafor helped Duke to a 35-4 mark and the 2015 national championship, averaging 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks, finishing second in the nation in FG% (.664). He was a consensus First Team All-American and ACC Player of the Year following his freshman season.

Timberwolves part ways with President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas

Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor released the following statement:

“Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. As an organization, we remain committed to building a winning team that our fans and city can be proud of.”

Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Sachin Gupta will assume day-to-day operations on the basketball side while keeping his title as executive vice president of basketball operations. The team, which gave no reason for the sudden dismissal, will hold a search for a permanent replacement for Rosas.”

And more from the Star Tribune: “Taylor made the call to fire Rosas, sources close to the team said, in conjunction with new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are on a path to become controlling owners in 2023.”

Cavaliers sign Denzel Valentine

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Denzel Valentine.

Valentine (6-5, 218) appeared in 62 games (three starts) for the Chicago Bulls this past season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16.7 minutes. He scored in double figures on 21 occasions, including a career-best seven straight double-digit scoring performances from Feb. 3-15. Over four NBA seasons, all with the Bulls, Valentine has played in 232 regular season games (45 starts) with career averages of 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19.8 minutes. His 342 three-pointers rank 13th all-time in Bulls franchise history. Additionally, Valentine played in four postseason games for Chicago in the 2017 NBA Playoffs.

The 27-year-old guard was originally drafted by Chicago with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after a four-year career at Michigan State, where he became the first player in school history to be named Player of the Year by the Associated Press during his senior year. Valentine also earned college player of the year awards from the NABC, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, and Basketball Times while garnering a unanimous First-Team All-American selection in 2016.

G League: Cleveland Charge name Dan Geriot new head coach

The Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, downtown Cleveland’s newest professional sports team playing home games at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center, announced today that Dan Geriot has been promoted to become the fifth Head Coach in Charge team history.

Coach Geriot joins the Charge after spending the last six seasons in various roles on the staff for our own Cleveland Cavaliers.

“This is a very exciting day for the Cleveland Charge and I’m looking forward to having someone of Dan’s experience and innovative approach step in as head coach of this team,” said Charge General Manager Brendon Yu. “During his tenure with the Cavaliers, Dan displayed a unique ability to build strong relationships with players and assisted with their overall development both on and off the court. I’m confident that he will be able to bring that same passion and commitment to the Charge.”

“Dan has been an integral part of my coaching staff for a little over two years and I’m extremely happy for the opportunity presented to him to lead the Charge,” said Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “His work ethic and commitment to the organization confirms his desire to coach the game at the highest levels of competition. The continuity this move provides also creates a seamless transition across the entirety of our player development program here in Cleveland between the Charge and the Cavaliers. I’m looking forward to watching Dan help those young men achieve their basketball goals.”

Geriot has been a Cavaliers Assistant Coach since the 2019-20 season, where he was responsible for assisting and reporting directly to Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff along with scouting upcoming opponents and presenting game plans, as well as the individual development for the frontcourt players. Geriot was previously an assistant video coordinator/coaching assistant with the Cavs from 2016-18 and was a seasonal video coordinator with the team for the 2015-16 championship season. Prior to joining the Cavs, Geriot was with Campbell University as an assistant coach from 2013-15 and was with Princeton University as an assistant coach from 2011-13. The Springfield, Pennsylvania native has a degree in political science and history from the University of Richmond, where he played four collegiate seasons and led the Spiders to two NCAA tournaments in 2010 (First Round) and 2011 (Sweet 16).

All four previous Charge Head Coaches have ended their tenure with NBA call-ups: Alex Jensen (Utah), Jordi Fernandez (Denver), Steve Hetzel (Charlotte), and Nate Reinking (Cleveland).

Utah Jazz sign guard Justin James to two-way contract

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Justin James to a two-way contract.

James (6-6, 190, Wyoming) owns career averages of 3.2 points on 44.6 percent from the field in 72 games with the Sacramento Kings. Last season, James averaged 3.9 points on 46.8 percent shooting. He was originally selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Sacramento.

The Port Saint Lucie, Fla., native was a four-year player at Wyoming, where as a senior in 2018-19, he averaged 22.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 38.2 minutes per game. He was named to the 2018-19 All-Mountain West Second Team, 2017-18 All-Mountain West First Team and 2016-17 All-Mountain West Third Team during his collegiate career.

Raptors sign Svi Mykhailiuk

The Toronto Raptors have signed guard-forward Svi Mykhailiuk to a multi-year contract and forward Reggie Perry.

Mykhailiuk, 6-foot-8, 205 pounds, averaged 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 20.1 minutes in 66 games (14 starts) with Detroit and Oklahoma City last season. He shot .411 (208-506) from the field and .334 (105-314) from three-point range. Mykhailiuk scored in double figures 27 times, including 20 or more twice, and had a season-high 22 points March 31 against the Raptors.

A native of Cherkasy, Ukraine, Mykhailiuk was picked in the second round (47th overall) by the LA Lakers in the 2018 NBA Draft. He owns career averages of 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 18.5 minutes in 164 NBA games with Los Angeles, Detroit and Oklahoma City. Mykhailiuk played collegiately at Kansas (2014-18), where he broke the Jayhawks’ single-season record for three-pointers made (115) and earned All-Big 12 Second Team honours as a senior.

Perry, 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, was selected in the second round (57th overall) by the LA Clippers in the 2020 NBA Draft and his rights were traded to Brooklyn in a three-team deal with Detroit. In 26 games as a rookie with the Nets last season, he posted averages of 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 8.1 minutes. Perry scored in double figure three times and recorded his lone double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds Jan. 29 at Oklahoma City. He also appeared in five postseason games for Brooklyn, and averaged 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 28.8 minutes in 15 contests with the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League.

A native of Thomasville, Georgia, Perry played two collegiate seasons (2018-20) at Mississippi State, where he earned consensus All-SEC First Team honours from the coaches and media and was named the SEC’s Co-Player of the Year by the Associated Press as a sophomore.

Orlando Magic sign forward Admiral Schofield

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Admiral Schofield.

The contract is likely a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Schofield to Magic training camp, which begins on Tuesday, September 28 at Amway Center.

Schofield (6’5”, 240, 3/30/97) played in 14 games last season (11 starts) with Greensboro of the NBA G League, averaging 10.1 ppg., 5.7 rpg. and 2.1 apg. in 26.2 minpg.

Originally selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft by Philadelphia, Schofield has played in 33 career NBA regular season games (two starts) with Washington, averaging 3.0 ppg. and 1.4 rpg. in 11.2 minpg. He has also appeared in 47 career NBA G League regular season games (44 starts) with both Capital City and Greensboro, averaging 14.2 ppg., 5.5 rpg. and 2.1 apg. in 29.5 minpg.

Schofield played in 132 career games (94 starts) during four seasons at the University of Tennessee (2015-19), averaging 11.9 ppg., 5.3 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 24.9 minpg., while shooting .387 (184-476) from three-point range. As a senior (2018-19), he played and started in 37 games, averaging 16.5 ppg., 6.1 rpg. and 2.0 apg. in 31.7 minpg., while shooting .418 (74-177) from three-point range. He was named to the All-SEC First Team by the conference coaches, earned All-SEC Tournament Team honors and was also an honorable mention All-American by Associated Press. As a junior (2017-18), Schofield was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the conference coaches and earned All-SEC Tournament Team honors.

Schofield will wear #25 with the Orlando Magic.

Orlando’s roster now stands at 20 players.

Celtics hire Will Hardy, Damon Stoudamire, Ben Sullivan, Joe Mazzulla, Aaron Miles and Tony Dobbins as assistant coaches

The Boston Celtics announced today that Will Hardy, Damon Stoudamire, Ben Sullivan, Joe Mazzulla, Aaron Miles, and Tony Dobbins will serve as assistant coaches on first-year head coach Ime Udoka’s staff.

Evan Bradds, Garrett Jackson, DJ MacLeay, and Steve Tchiengang have been named to the team’s player enhancement staff, while Matt Reynolds will serve as a special assistant to Udoka.

Hardy joins Boston’s coaching staff after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs from 2015-16 to 2020-21. The Williams College graduate has spent each of the last 11 seasons with San Antonio since joining on as a basketball operations intern in 2010, including a two-year stint as the Spurs video coordinator from 2013-15. Hardy served on the coaching staff during Team USA’s gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He was also tabbed as San Antonio’s summer league head coach in Las Vegas in 2017 and 2018, as well as serving as the team’s head coach during the Utah summer league from 2015-18.

Stoudamire spent the last five seasons at the University of Pacific after being named the head coach of the men’s basketball team on March 16, 2016. He led Pacific to a 23-10 finish in 2019-20 – the program’s best mark since 2012-13 – en route to being named both the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year and the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year, given annually to the top minority coach at the Division I level. Stoudamire previously worked as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis (2011-13; 2015-16), the University of Arizona (2013-15), and in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2009-2011.

A 13-year NBA point guard, Stoudamire played in 878 career games (793 starts) with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, and San Antonio Spurs. He was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in 1995-96 after being selected by Toronto with the seventh overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.

Sullivan joins the Celtics after winning an NBA Championship in his third season as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. He has seven seasons of experience as an assistant coach in the NBA, including a four-year stint with the Atlanta Hawks from 2014-15 to 2017-18. Prior to his time in Milwaukee and Atlanta, Sullivan served as an assistant video coordinator with San Antonio while also working in its basketball development department.

Mazzulla returns for his third year as an assistant coach after originally joining the organization prior to the 2019-20 season. The Rhode Island native most recently served as Boston’s head coach throughout the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League, guiding the Celtics to a 4-1 record and an appearance in the championship game. Mazzulla previously spent two seasons as the head coach of the men’s basketball team at Fairmont State University (2017-19), guiding the Falcons to a 43-17 overall record, and an NCAA Tournament bid in his second and final year.

Miles spent the last two seasons as a player development coach with the Golden State Warriors, after serving as the head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s G League affiliate – for two seasons from 2017-18 to 2018-19. The native Oregonian led Santa Cruz to a 57-43 record in his two seasons at the helm, including a 34-16 mark and trip to the G League Western Conference Finals in 2018-19. Miles played 10 seasons of professional basketball, eight of which came overseas, after a decorated collegiate career at Kansas in which he netted two All-Big 12 Third Team selections.

Dobbins begins his second season as an assistant coach with the Celtics after spending the previous two years as the team’s video coordinator. A native of Washington, D.C., Dobbins played a combined 13 years of professional basketball across Europe and the NBA G League. He was named the French Pro A’s Best Defensive Player three times (2009, 2013, 2014), won two French Cup championships (2010, 2015), and a G League title with the Asheville Altitude in 2005.

Lakers announce global marketing partnership with Bibigo

The Los Angeles Lakers have announced a multi-year global marketing partnership with Bibigo, a brand by the No. 1 food company in Korea. The partnership will feature the Bibigo logo on the Lakers jerseys beginning with the 2021-22 season.

The global marketing partnership establishes Bibigo as the first international partner ever for the Lakers and will include a large-scale integrated marketing program, including courtside branding (baseline courtside apron and rotational LED signage), social and digital fan focused campaigns.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “the five-year agreement is worth more than $100 million, according to people familiar with the deal but not authorized to disclose its terms publicly.”

And per SCNG.com, “NBA jersey patch deals have averaged $7 million to $10 million per year, according to The Athletic, though Wish reportedly was paying the Lakers between $12 million to $14 million per year, and this one is likely worth significantly more because of a recent change in NBA rules that allows teams to include their logos in overseas business deals. The Golden State Warriors reportedly have the most lucrative deal at $20 million per year with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten.”

“This partnership is a connection of two ‘global culture icons’ of food and sports, and it is an important opportunity for Bibigo to emerge as a global food brand,” said Wookho Kyeong, CMO of CJ CheilJedang, Bibigo is a global strategic brand of CJ CheilJedang. “We look forward to the opportunities to communicate with consumers and increase the value of the brand through a global common language, sports and the Lakers.”

“The Lakers are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Bibigo as our first ever global marketing partner,” said Tim Harris, President of Business Operations. “As Korea’s leading food brand, Bibigo is always looking for opportunities to innovate and expand their brand, and the Lakers are excited to help them to not only expand their global recognition, but to provide the opportunity to reach new fans.”