Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Lakers sign Gary Payton II to two-way contract

 

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The Lakers signed guard Gary Payton II to a two-way contract today.

Payton II appeared in 12 games (six starts) for the Milwaukee Bucks this season while averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.8 minutes. Signed to a two-way contract with the Bucks, Payton II appeared in three NBA G League games for the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have up to two players under two-way contracts on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. The Lakers roster stands at 16, with Payton II and guard Alex Caruso as two-way players.

Myles Turner out with elbow injuries

Myles Turner out with elbow injuries

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has been diagnosed with a ligament sprain and muscle strain in his right elbow. The injury occurred in the January 8 game against the Bucks.

Turner is currently outfitted with a brace for the elbow. The Pacers say he will miss the four remaining games of the current west coast trip and depending on how quickly the injury heals, he will be listed as week to week.

No surgery is required.

The Pacers are 23-20 so far this season, which puts them as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern conference. The team is led in scoring by shooting guard Victor Oladipo at 24.2 ppg. Turner is second, at 13.9 ppg, along with 6.5 rpg. Other Pacers averaging double-digit scoring are Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, Domantas Sabonis and Thaddeus Young.

Pistons sign Kay Felder and Reggie Hearn, waive Luis Montero

The Detroit Pistons today signed guards Kay Felder and Reggie Hearn to two-way contracts.

And in a related move, the club requested waivers on guard Luis Montero.

Felder, 5-9, 176, played 14 games with the Chicago Bulls this season and averaged 3.9 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 9.6 minutes per game. In 56 career NBA games with the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Felder has averaged 3.9 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

A Detroit native, Felder played collegiately at Oakland University for three seasons and averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 101 games. The former Pershing High School product earned NCAA All-America honors from The Associated Press during his junior season at Oakland (2015-16) where he averaged 24.4 points, and NCAA-leading 9.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 35 games.

Hearn, 6-5, 210, has played in 14 games (10 starts) with the Reno Bighorns of the NBA G League this season and averaged 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30.7 minutes per game. The former Northwestern University product has played in 175 NBA G League games with the Idaho Stampede, Westchester Knicks and Bighorns averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. Two-Way players for the Pistons will provide services primarily for the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s G League affiliate, but can spend up to 45 days with the Pistons, not including any time prior to the start of the Drive’s training camp and at the conclusion of their season.

Grizzlies sign Myke Henry, waive Vince Hunter

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard/forward Myke Henry to a two-way contract, and waived forward Vince Hunter.

Henry (6-6, 238) has played each of the last two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. He has appeared in 26 games (one start) for the Blue this season and averaged 15.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.88 steals while shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent from the free throw line. The 25-year-old Chicago native went unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft after finishing his collegiate career at DePaul University.

Signed to a two-way contract on Sept. 11, 2017, Hunter (6-8, 208) came off the bench in all four appearances for the Grizzlies and averaged 1.5 points in 1.8 minutes. The 23-year-old Detroit native competed in 13 games (nine starts) for the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle and recorded 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.31 blocks in 28.2 minutes.

Pistons sign Dwight Buycks to standard contract

The Detroit Pistons signed Dwight Buycks to a multi-year contract today. He had already been under contract as a two-way player, on a deal signed September 17, 2017.

Two-way contract players spend the majority of the season in the G League. Signing a standard season contract means Buycks, a 6-3, 190-pound guard, is now a regular member of the Bucks.

Since an ankle injury sidelining Reggie Jackson on December 26, Buycks has entered the regular rotation and averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 assists and 19.5 minutes while shooting 50.9% from the field and 46.2% from three-point range.

He also spent time with the Detroit Pistons G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, averaging 22.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 35.6 minutes in 10 games.

Prior to joining Detroit, Buycks averaged 25-plus points in each of the last two seasons with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association. He holds NBA career averages of 5.9 points, 2.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 28 games with the Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons.

Pacers sign Ben Moore to two-way contract

The Indiana Pacers signed 6-8 forward Ben Moore to a two-way contract today. He’ll mostly play with their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Moore, who participated in Pacers’ training camp, has spent this season playing for the Mad Ants. The former SMU player has played in 24 games for the Mad Ants, averaging 11 points per game on 52 percent shooting and averaging 6.6 rebounds.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford medically cleared to return

Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has been medically cleared to return to coaching the team on a full-time basis.

Clifford will officially re-join the team starting with practice on Tuesday, Jan. 16, before returning to the sidelines on Wednesday, Jan. 17, vs. the Washington Wizards.

He has been away from the team since Dec. 6 to address his health. Hornets Associate Head Coach Stephen Silas served as the team’s acting head coach while Clifford was out.

Trey Lyles having nice season for Nuggets

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The Nuggets are 21-20 this season, being led in scoring by SG Garry Harris (16.9 ppg), PG Jamal Murray (16.1 ppg), C Nikola Jokic (15.7 ppg), PF Paul Millsap (15.3 ppg, though he’s been injured and played in just 16 games so far this season, and may return in February), and SG Will Barton (14.5 ppg, mostly off the bench. But right after Barton is young power forward Trey Lyles. Now in his third NBA season, Lyles in just 19.9 minutes per game is putting up 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Solid backup numbers. Here’s the Denver Post with more:

At the start of the season, Trey Lyles was the odd man out amongst Denver’s crowded frontcourt. But since Paul Millsap went down, Lyles has used his versatile inside-outside game and admirable work ethic to thrive as the Nuggets’ first big man off the bench. While playing both forward spots and center, Lyles has compiled 13 consecutive double-figure scoring outings while also averaging 7.5 rebounds per game during that span. His emergence is partially why Kenneth Faried has essentially been pushed out of Denver’s rotation. A tip of the cap here should also go to Torrey Craig, who has parlayed a career in Australia into an NBA two-way contract and, now, a rotation spot as a perimeter defensive stopper.

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Report: Dion Waiters may undergo season-ending surgery

Report: Dion Waiters to undergo season-ending surgery

The Miami Heat are having a very good season. With a 24-17 record, they’re 4th in the East, which is better than most observers expected. But they’re about to lose a key dose of backcourt scoring.

According to a report by Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, guard Dion Waiters, who has been out of action since December 22, “is expected to” undergo season-ending surgery on his injured left ankle.

Waiters’ stats aren’t mind-blowing: 14.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, shooting just 39.8% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range in 30 games played. But he’s provided heart, hustle and a confidence that’s helped the team formulate a winning culture this season.

According to the Palm Beach Post, “The Heat are 7-2 since Waiters was injured (8-2 including the Dallas game in which Waiters played 8:34 before being injured) and have picked it up offensively. In the last 10 games, Miami is averaging 104.3 points and shooting 46.4 percent as opposed to 99.9 points on 45.2 percent shooting the first 31.”