Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Hornets give Joe Chealey a two-way contract, waive Zach Smith

The Charlotte Hornets have exercised the two-way player conversion option on guard Joe Chealey.

Also, the team announced they have waived forward Zach Smith.

Chealey, a College of Charleston product, was originally signed by the Hornets on July 27 as an undrafted free agent. He has appeared in three preseason contests with Charlotte and has averaged 4.3 points and 1.0 assists per game. The 6-3 guard participated in the 2018 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League with the Hornets. In four games, he averaged 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 17.4 minutes per game.

The Orlando, Fla. native played in 129 collegiate games over four years (2014-18) for the Cougars, finishing his career with averages of 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 31.1 minutes per game. Chealey left Charleston as the school’s all-time leader in free throws (582), ranked fourth in scoring (1,825) and eighth in assists (395). As a senior in 2017-18, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34 games played, earning both All-CAA First Team and All-Tournament Team honors for a second consecutive season.

Chealey joins JP Macura as the two-way players under contract with the Charlotte Hornets for the 2018-19 season. The 2018-19 season is the second year NBA teams can utilize two-way contracts, in which teams will be permitted to carry two such players on their roster in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. Charlotte’s two-way players will spend time with the team’s NBA G League squad, the Greensboro Swarm, as well as the main club, but are allowed no more than 45 days in the NBA, not including any time prior to the start of the Swarm’s training camp and at the end of the Swarm season.

Smith, originally signed by the Hornets on July 26 as an undrafted free agent, appeared in one preseason game for Charlotte. The 6-8 forward spent four seasons at Texas Tech University where he helped the Red Raiders to two NCAA Tournament appearances. Smith played in 117 career games for the Red Raiders and was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2016 and 2017.

Jazz waive center Isaac Haas

The Utah Jazz have waived center Isaac Haas.

Signed by the Jazz on Aug. 16, Haas (7-2, 290, Purdue) appeared in 139 games as a collegian (75 starts), averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.0 minutes. In his senior season, Haas was selected to the 2018 All-Big Ten Third Team, while being a finalist for the 2018 Kareem Abdul Jabbar Award.

Rockets waive Bruno Caboclo, Angel Rodriguez, Tim Bond and Brandon Sampson

The Houston Rockets have waived forward Bruno Caboclo, and guards Angel Rodriguez, Tim Bond and Brandon Sampson.

Bond was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following a four-year career at Eastern Michigan. As a senior, he was named Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and broke Earl Boykins school record for career steals.

Caboclo was originally the 20th overall pick by Toronto in the 2014 NBA Draft. He spent his first three and a half seasons with the Raptors before finishing 2017-18 with Sacramento.

Rodríguez was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft following his senior season at the University of Miami. Last season he played for Maccabi Haifa B.C. in the Israeli league, averaging 13.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Sampson was eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft following his junior season at Louisiana State. Following his senior year of high school in 2015, Sampson was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Louisiana.

Timberwolves waive Darius Johnson-Odom, Canyon Barry, Jonathan Stark and William Lee

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived Darius Johnson-Odom, Canyon Barry, Jonathan Stark and William Lee.

Johnson-Odom, 28, appeared in two preseason games for Minnesota after signing on September 24, 2018. He totaled four points, three rebounds and three assists over his two appearances.

Stark, 23, made one preseason appearance for Minnesota, registering three points and one block. Stark was signed by the Wolves on September 24, 2018 after playing with the Wolves’ entry in the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League.

With today’s moves the team’s training camp roster stands at 16 players.

Jazz waive Isaiah Cousins, Stephaun Branch and Jairus Lyles

The Utah Jazz have waived Isaiah Cousins, Stephaun Branch and Jairus Lyles.

Branch (6-5, 208, West Georgia) played last season with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League, owning averages of 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 50 games (seven starts). The Upland, Calif. native totaled five games with 20-plus points and three double-doubles in his first professional season.

Cousins (6-4, 191, Oklahoma) saw action in three preseason games with Utah, averaging 1.3 points and 1.7 boards. He played with the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, last season and averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 36 games played (25 starts).

Lyles (6-2, 175, UMBC) played in five games for Utah this preseason, also competing for the Jazz entries at the 2018 Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He finished his last collegiate season at UMBC following 2017-18, appearing in 33 games, owning averages of 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 34.9 minutes per game.

The roster now stands at 17 players.

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Stephaun Branch.

Branch (6-5, 208, West Georgia) played last season with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League, owning averages of 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 50 games (seven starts). The Upland, Calif. native totaled five games with 20-plus points and three double-doubles in his first professional season.

Branch played two seasons at West Georgia (2015-17), appearing in 59 games with averages of 16.4 points, 7.3 boards, 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals. A two-time All-Gulf South Second Team selection (2016, 2017), Branch began his collegiate career at Mt. San Antonio College (2013-15) in Walnut, Calif.

Heat sign Justise Winslow to contract extension

The Miami HEAT have signed forward Justise Winslow to a multi-year contract extension.

Winslow, who was originally selected by the HEAT in the first round (10thoverall) in the 2015 NBA Draft, appeared in 68 games (25 starts) last season with Miami and averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 24.7 minutes while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. He set new career highs last season in points, assists, blocks, field goals made, field goal percentage, three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage. He also connected on a career-high four three-point field goals against Brooklyn on December 9, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from downtown and posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double against Philadelphia during the playoffs on April 19, marking as just the ninth double-double off the bench in HEAT postseason history. Additionally, he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2015-16, after appearing in 78 games with the HEAT to become just the fifth rookie to lead the team in games played during a single-season.

Nets sign Drew Gordon, waive Mitch Creek

Nets sign Drew Gordon, waive Mitch Creek

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Drew Gordon.

And in a related move, the Nets have requested waivers on forward Mitch Creek.

Gordon (6’9”, 245) joins the Nets after spending the 2017-18 season with BC Zenit Saint Petersburg. In 21 games (13 starts) in Russia’s VTB United League last season, he averaged 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per contest. Over six professional seasons, Gordon has played five seasons overseas in Serbia, Italy, France, Lithuania and Russia and spent the 2014-15 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers and their NBA G League affiliate, then the Delaware 87ers. In nine games with Philadelphia, Gordon posted averages of 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per contest. The San Jose, Calif., native played two collegiate seasons (2008-10) at UCLA before transferring to New Mexico for his final two seasons (2010-12). While playing for the Lobos, Gordon was named to the All-Mountain West first team as a senior and earned second-team honors as a junior, along with being named the conference’s newcomer of the year.

Creek originally signed with Brooklyn as a free agent on Aug. 20 and saw action in the Nets’ preseason contest against the Toronto Raptors in Montreal on Oct. 10.

Clippers sign guard Jamel Artis

Clippers sign guard Jamel Artis

The L.A. Clippers have signed guard Jamel Artis.

Artis, 25, spent last season on a two-way contract with the Orlando Magic, appearing in 15 games and averaging 5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.6 minutes. The 6’7”, 213-pound guard appeared in 46 games (all starts) for the Lakeland Magic, averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while shooting 46.3 percent from the field in 37.5 minutes. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Artis received an All-ACC honorable mention in his final collegiate season.