Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Lakers exercise contract option on Julius Randle

Lakers exercise contract option on Julius Randle

The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their team option for the 2016-17 season on forward Julius Randle, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

This was a widely-expected move, as the team hopes Randle will emerge as a serious building block for the future.

Randle, the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, only appeared in one game as a rookie, scoring two points in his professional debut on October 28th against Houston before suffering a fractured tibia in his right leg. The second-year player out of Kentucky has started in all five Lakers preseason contests in 2015, averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.20 steals in 24.5 minutes.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed guard Bo McCalebb.

McCalebb, 6-0, 183, most recently played for Bayern Munich of the BBL in Germany. Undrafted in 2008, McCalebb is a seven-year veteran in Europe, playing in Turkey, Serbia and Italy, in addition to Germany. McCalebb’s professional highlights include five league championships, two All-Euroleague Second Team selections (2010, 2012), two Italian League Finals MVP awards (2011, 2012), the 2010 Serbian League Finals MVP, the 2012 Italian League MVP and the 2012 Alphonso Ford Trophy – awarded to the Euroleague’s scoring champion.

A New Orleans native, McCalebb played his high school basketball at O. Perry Walker before going on to star at the University of New Orleans. While at UNO, McCalebb held career averages of 20.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. McCalebb earned a handful of individual awards while at UNO, including the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year (2004), Player of the Year (2007) and defensive player of the year (2008) in addition to being named to the All-Sun Belt Conference 3rd Team in 2004 and 1st Team in 2005, 2007 and 2008. His 2,679 points ranks first all-time at UNO and 24th all-time in NCAA Division I history.

New Orleans’ roster stands at 20.

Jazz waive Grant Jerrett

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived forward Grant Jerrett. Following the move, Utah’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Jerrett (6-10, 233, Arizona) appeared in three games as a reserve for the Jazz last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game. He has not seen action in the preseason.

Pelicans waive Corey Webster

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived guard Corey Webster.

Webster, 6-2, 190, is a native of Aukland, New Zealand, who most recently played for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League. In 32 games for the Breakers last season, Webster averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Webster was signed by New Orleans on Sept. 23 and appeared in three preseason games, averaging 1.3 points and 2.0 assists per game.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 19.

Spurs reveal new black alternate jersey

The San Antonio Spurs unveiled today their Black Signature Spur jerseys that will be worn during the 2015-16 NBA season. The new black alternate uniform’s efficient jersey design simply features the iconic Spurs logo prominently over the heart, while the player numbers rest on the right breast. The uniforms feature silver panels with silver, black and white trim and the accompanying shorts also include the Spur logo on each side.

The Spurs will debut the new uniforms at the home opener vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 30 and will be worn multiple times this season. The Black Signature Spur uniforms will join the lineup of traditional home white and away black uniforms, along with the camouflage military and silver alternate versions. The Spurs debuted the silver version of the Signature Spur uniforms in 2012 and they were the first-ever NBA jersey logo without any writing or peripheral design.

Photo here.

Thabo Sefolosha finally back on NBA court

Thabo Sefolosha, now healed after the NYPD LITERALLY BROKE HIS LEG (and DAMAGED A LIGAMENT — while it remains unclear what Thabo actually did wrong), is finally back in action as NBA preseason continues. Here’s the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting:

Thabo Sefolosha finally back on NBA court

Thabo Sefolosha was back – even if it was just for eight minutes.

Sefolosha played his first game since April 7 following a broken right leg and ligament damage suffered in an arrest outside a New York nightclub later that night. He missed the Hawks first two exhibition games during the trial where he was fully acquitted last week.

“It felt good,” Sefolosha said following the Hawks’ 100-86 exhibition win over the Spurs at Philips Arena. “I didn’t play heavy minutes but at the same time it was good just to have a feel for it and be out there. …

“It’s great to be back. That’s what I love doing. This group is special and it’s like being around family.”

Jahlil Okafor dealing with sore knee

Here’s CSN Philly reporting on the future of the 76ers franchise, the big rookie, the hopes and dreams of Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor:

Jahlil Okafor dealing with sore knee

When the Sixers open the season in Boston on Oct. 28, don’t expect Jahlil Okafor to be 100 percent, says coach Brett Brown.

The rookie is going to need some time to get into top NBA playing shape, according to the coach.

“He has been tremendously set back now,” Brown said after Wednesday’s practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Okafor has been dealing with a sore knee that kept him out of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and forced him to sit out of Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden. However, Okafor said he isn’t injured and is simply “doing what I’m told.”

Too many pump-fakes from Nikola Mirotic

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on a key member of the Bulls; a talented, well-bearded player who loves to pump-fake perhaps a tad too much:

Nikola Mirotic needs to cool it with the pump-fakes

As he made his way through an up-and-down rookie season a year ago, one piece of advice seemed to stick with Nikola Mirotic more than most. Tired of seeing the talented big man pump-fake his way out of shots, his teammates continued to pepper him with the same message.

“Niko, don’t think,” Mirotic said in April, recounting the advice. “Just shoot the ball because you’re wide open. Don’t pump fake.”

Six months later, Mirotic is trying to keep that same mentality in mind as he finds his way in coach Fred Hoiberg’s new system. When the topic of playing the 3 or playing the 4 came up recently, Mirotic responded with the most straightforward answer he could.

“The most important [thing] for me is to play,” he said.

Jarrett Jack ejected after foul on Jonas Jerebko

Here’s the New York Post reporting on Nets point guard Jarrett Jack, who needs to remember that it’s just preseason right now and in preseason everyone can just stretch and relax and just loosen up for the regular season and there’s no need to hard-foul anybody:

Jarrett Jack ejected after foul on Jonas Jerebko

Not only did the Nets lose a game Wednesday night, but they may have lost their starting point guard for the regular-season opener, as well.

Jarrett Jack picked up a flagrant foul penalty 2 when he clobbered Boston forward Jonas Jerebko on a fast break with 9:56 to go in the second quarter of the 109-105 loss to the Celtics at Barclays Center, earning an automatic ejection and possible further discipline from the league office.

“I hope not,” Jack said, when asked if he was worried about getting hit with a suspension. “But I didn’t mean to do that, actually.”

NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe will review the play and has the authority to hand down additional penalties — including a fine and/or a suspension.