Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Jazz announce two assistant general managers, new director of basketball operations

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has named David Morway and Justin Zanik as assistant general managers.

In addition, the organization has promoted Steven Schwartz to director of basketball operations.

Morway, who spent the 2016-17 campaign as a basketball operations consultant with the Jazz, previously served as the assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Prior to his time in Milwaukee, Morway spent 14 years with the Indiana Pacers, his last four, as the organization’s general manager. Preceding his time in the NBA he was the assistant to the president of the San Diego Padres for three years before founding Professional Excellence Sports, Inc. a sports management firm. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego.

Zanik returns to the Jazz after spending the 2016-17 season as the assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Previously he was the assistant general manager of the Jazz from 2013-16, facilitating contract negotiations and managing the team’s salary cap as well as its international scouting efforts. He came to the Jazz from ASM Sports, serving as the agency’s vice president from 2004-2013. At ASM Sports he oversaw all aspects of career management for the group’s basketball clients. A certified agent for the NBAPA since 2003, Zanik graduated with a degree in economics from Northwestern University.

Schwartz, who enters his third year with the Jazz, previously worked as a basketball operations assistant to Head Coach Quin Snyder. In addition, he also assisted General Manager Dennis Lindsey with the league’s collective bargaining agreement and salary cap, responsibilities he will now continue in an expanded role. The native of Fort Worth, Texas received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Texas along with his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law.

Nets sign Tyler Zeller

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent center Tyler Zeller to a multi-year contract.

Zeller has appeared in 340 career games (131 starts) in five NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-14) and Boston Celtics (2014-17), recording averages of 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game. The Washington, Ind., native averaged a career-high 10.2 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.1 minutes per game during the 2014-15 season with Boston. This past season, Zeller saw action in 51 games (five starts), registering averages of 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per contest.

The 27-year-old Zeller was originally selected with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to Cleveland on draft night. He then earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors with averages of 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.4 minutes per game in his inaugural campaign with the Cavaliers. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Zeller spent four years (2008-12) at the University of North Carolina, where was a member of the 2009 national champion Tar Heels. He also garnered ACC Player of the Year and second-team All-America honors by the Associated Press as a senior.

Pistons sign Dwight Buycks to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed guard Dwight Buycks to a two-way contract.

Buycks, 6-3, 190, averaged 25-plus points in each of the last two seasons with the Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 20 career NBA games with the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers, Buycks has averaged 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

A native of Milwaukee, WI, Buycks played collegiately at Marquette University his junior and senior seasons and averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 68 games.

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.

Pistons need Reggie Jackson healthy and productive

For the Pistons to be decent, or even good, they need serious production from guard Reggie Jackson. Here’s the Detroit Free Press with the latest on that front:

Reggie Jackson seeking bounce-back season for Pistons

The technical term for Jackson’s condition is tendinosis, which basically is chronic tendinitis.

He recently completed a 16-week protocol featuring leg strengthening exercises. His basketball activity had been regulated to light shooting and some jumping off one leg.

Although he should be ready, Van Gundy said last week Jackson would not practice twice on the days the Pistons have two sessions.

The tendinitis has bothered Jackson since at least when the Oklahoma City Thunder picked him in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft.

Charles Oakley vs MSG continues

Here’s the NY Post with the latest on the long, drawn-out saga between Charles Oakley and Knicks owner James Dolan/Madison Square Garden:

Charles Oakley vs MSG continues

Charles Oakley’s battle with his former employer and current nemesis is not over yet.

Oakley is preparing to file a civil law suit stemming from the February incident in which he was forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden after an altercation with security, according to an ESPN report.

Oakley’s fight with Madison Square Garden and Knicks owner James Dolan, in particular, has been a long, drawn-out ordeal with both sides behaving badly at times.

Grizzlies sign Vince Hunter

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace today announced that the team has signed forward Vince Hunter.

Hunter (6-8, 208) appeared in 26 games (16 starts) for Avtodor Saratov of Russia’s VTB United League during the 2016-17 season and averaged 14.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.35 steals and 1.31 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game. Hunter competed in four games during the 2016 NBA Preseason with the Grizzlies and recorded 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game and has played for the Grizzlies Summer League team in Las Vegas each of the last two years. Undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, the University of Texas-El Paso product has also played professionally in Greece (Panathinaikos), Romania (BCM U Pitesti) and the NBA G League (Reno Bighorns).

Spurs sign Darrun Hilliard to two-way contract

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Darrun Hilliard to a two-way contract.

Hilliard, 6-6/220, has played the last two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, averaging 3.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in 9.9 minutes in 77 career appearances. Hilliard also appeared in seven games with Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, averaging 24.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.6 minutes.

Originally selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft (38th overall), the third-year guard was traded to the Houston Rockets on June 28, 2017. He was then sent to the Los Angeles Clippers the same day before being waived on June 29. Hilliard spent four seasons at Villanova, averaging 11.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 26.8 minutes in 132 games, earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors in his senior season.

Two-way contracts were added to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and will go into effect for the 2017-18 season. Each team will now be able to have the standard 15 players on their roster, as well as up to two additional players on two-way contracts. Two-way players will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League, which includes San Antonio’s exclusively owned and operated affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

Trail Blazers sign Archie Goodwin

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Archie Goodwin to a training camp contract, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

In four NBA seasons with Phoenix, New Orleans and Brooklyn, Goodwin (6-5, 205) holds averages of 6.3 points (42.9% FG, 23.6% 3-PT, 70.0% FT), 2.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 14.5 minutes in 165 career games (15 starts).

He will wear No. 2 for the Trail Blazers.

Sixers still may use Ben Simmons as PG

The Sixers have all sorts of talent in their backcourt. The distribution of roles and responsibilities will be fascinating to watch. Here’s CSN Philly with more:

Ben Simmons made it clear this summer he wants to be the Sixers’ point guard. Less than a month from training camp, Brett Brown still is on board with that plan.

“We’ve gone on record, I’ve said what I’ve said and I don’t backpedal from any of it,” Brown said Thursday at the Sixers training complex while previewing his upcoming Coaches Clinic. “I’m excited to give him the ball and continue to grow him.”

With that vision comes questions that will be played out over the season as the 6-foot-10 Simmons makes his rookie debut after suffering a Jones fracture last training camp.

The Sixers made significant additions to their backcourt this summer, including point guard Markelle Fultz. How will the Sixers utilize these two No. 1 picks? Part of Fultz’s appeal to the Sixers was his ability to play off the ball and complement Simmons in a one-two combination.