NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
NBA teams blog
The Dallas Mavericks announced that they have selected center Satnam Singh with the 52nd overall selection of the 2015 NBA Draft.
Singh (7-2, 290) last played for IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), where he averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game during the 2014-15 season.
A native of Chawke, India, Singh has represented the India national basketball team at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.
The Toronto Raptors selected University of Utah guard Delon Wright with the 20th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The club also acquired a protected future first-round draft choice (originally belonging to the Los Angeles Clippers) and the draft rights to the 46th overall selection, UCLA guard Norman Powell, from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard Greivis Vasquez.
Wright, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, was named the 2015 recipient of the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard. A first-team All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team selection, Wright averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals in 35 games last season. As a junior, he contributed 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 33 contests earning first-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honours.
Wright is the brother of Portland Trail Blazers forward Dorell Wright.
According to Raptors.com, “we’re excited to get him,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s one of the guys that has tremendous upside as a point guard in the NBA. [He] reminds me a lot of Nate McMillan, as far as big and long point guard we had in Seattle. [He] can defend multiple positions so he really fits well in what we’re trying to do. It goes right into the plan with our young group to grow.” “He’s grown up around the NBA,” Casey said. “He’s been to numerous NBA games, worked out with NBA players. He’s not going to come in shellshocked to go against guys in practice.”
Powell, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 36 games in 2014-15. He was named first-team All-Pac-12 and an Honourable Mention selection on the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team.
Vasquez averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 assists and 23.1 minutes in 143 games (34 starts) with the Raptors. He was acquired from Sacramento on December 9, 2013 and re-signed July 17, 2014.
The German Basketball Federation announced today that Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen will join the coaching staff of the German men’s national team this summer. He will join Head Coach Chris Fleming during the preparation heading into the European Championship, also known as EuroBasket 2015, from Sept. 5 – 20. The preliminary round featuring Germany, Spain, Serbia, Turkey, Italy and Iceland will be played in Berlin, Germany. The best four teams will advance to the final round in Lille, France.
“Alex is a big asset for our national team,” said Head Coach Fleming. “He has proven at multiple places to be a coach who can develop young players. The dynamic improved performance of Rudy Gobert at the Jazz has a lot to do with the excellent work of Alex. He played for several years in Europe and is very well versed in international basketball.”
Jensen is entering his third season as a member of the Jazz coaching staff. Before joining the Jazz, Jensen spent two seasons (57-43, .557) as the first-ever head coach of the Canton Charge of the D-League from 2011-13, advancing the Cleveland Cavaliers-owned team to the playoffs in both seasons. He was named the 2013 Dennis Johnson NBA D-League Coach of the Year after leading the Charge to a franchise-best 30 victories and an East Division title. Jensen then coached the D-League Select Team in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, leading his squad to a 4-1 record against NBA team entries and advancing them to the quarterfinals of the inaugural summer league tournament. Jensen began his coaching career as an assistant under Rick Majerus at Saint Louis University from 2007-11.
A native of Bountiful, Utah, Jensen attended Viewmont High School there, leading the Vikings to a state basketball title as a junior and was named Utah’s Mr. Basketball in 1994. Jensen played four seasons at the University of Utah (1994-95, 1997-00) under Majerus and helped the Utes to the NCAA Championship game in 1998. Following his collegiate career, Jensen played seven professional seasons in Turkey and one season with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA. While playing in Europe, Jensen was named All-FIBA Europe Cup Defender of the Year in 2004, along with being named to the All-FIBA Europe Cup First Team.
Nets trade Mason Plumlee to Trail Blazers for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake
The Brooklyn Nets acquired the draft rights to forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and guard Steve Blake from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for center Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to guard/forward Pat Connaughton, Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday.
“We are very excited to add Rondae to our roster,” said King. “He is the type of athletic wing we were looking for, and we felt he was the best defensive player in the draft.”
“I also wanted to thank Mason for his time with the Nets and wish him the best with his new team. Mason worked extremely hard from the first time he stepped on the court in training camp last year, and I am sure he will have a long and successful career.”
Hollis-Jefferson (6’8”, 220) was selected with the 23rd pick in tonight’s draft by the Trail Blazers before being dealt to the Nets. He played two seasons at Arizona and helped lead the Wildcats to two Elite Eight appearances and a 66-9 regular season record. As a freshman, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game in 38 games (six starts) en route to Pac 12 All-Freshman Team honors. In his second and final season at Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson posted averages of 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game in 38 games (25 starts). He was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and garnered Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.
Blake (6’3”, 172) is a 12-year veteran who has appeared in 812 career games (345 starts) with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State. He holds career averages of 6.7 points and 4.0 assists. Last season in Portland, Blake recorded averages of 4.3 points and 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes per game in 81 games off the Trail Blazers’ bench.
Plumlee was originally drafted by the Nets with the 22nd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. In 152 games (67 starts), he posted averages of 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game. Plumlee earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2014.
The Orlando Magic selected guard/forward Mario Hezonja (HEH-zone-yuh) in the first round (fifth overall) of NBA Draft 2015.
Hezonja (6’8”, 218, 2/25/95) has spent the last two seasons playing in the Spanish ACB league with FC Barcelona. Last season (2014-15), he appeared in 31 regular season games, averaging 4.7 ppg., 1.9 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 14.7 minpg., while shooting .392 (29-74) from three-point range. Hezonja also played in 22 Euroleague contests, averaging 7.7 ppg. and 2.0 rpg. in 16.5 minpg., while shooting .382 (29-76) from three-point range.
Before joining FC Barcelona in 2012-13, Hezonja spent four seasons playing in Croatia. He was a member of the Croatian Senior National Team that participated in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. While with the Junior Team, Hezonja helped Croatia win the gold medal at the 2012 U17 Worlds and bronze at both the 2011 U16 Euros and 2011 U19 Worlds. He was named MVP at the 2011 U16 Euros, averaging 20.0 ppg. and 8.2 rpg.
New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced today that with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, the team has drafted forward Kristaps Porzingis from Latvia.
Porzingis, 7-3, 233 pounds, was an early entry candidate who had played professionally for Cajasol Seville in Spain over the past three seasons. In 75 career ACB games, the 19-year-old averaged 8.1 points, and also added a 9.9 points-per-game average in Eurocup play.
“We could not pass on Kristaps,” Jackson said. “He has eye-opening talent and is ready for the challenge to play in New York City. He can contribute for us this season.”
The Atlanta Hawks acquired guard Tim Hardaway Jr. from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, the 19th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Earlier in the draft, Atlanta selected Kansas forward Kelly Oubre with the 15th pick in the first round before dealing his draft rights to Washington for Grant’s draft rights and the Wizards’ second round selections in 2016 and 2019.
“(Tim) is a young two-guard who has shown the ability to make shots and be an effective player,” said Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. “When we get him into our player development program, working with our coaches and around our players, we think he’s going to grow and prosper here.”
A two-year veteran, Hardaway has career averages of 10.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.5 minutes in 151 games (31 starts). He was originally selected by the Knicks 24th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft after playing collegiately at Michigan.
In the second round, Atlanta took guard Marcus Eriksson with the 50th pick and forward Dimitrios Agravanis with the 59th selection.
The 6’7 Eriksson has played four seasons in the Spanish ACB league with Barcelona and Manresa. He played one game for Barcelona in 2014-15 and in 33 contests with Manresa in the previous season, when he averaged 11.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes. Eriksson was born on Dec. 5, 1993 in Sweden.
Agravanis, a 6’10 forward from Greece, has played professionally for five years in his home country with Olympiacos, Panionios and Maroussi. In 2014-15 with Olympiacos, he averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes. Agravanis was born on Dec. 20, 1994 in Athens.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has traded the draft rights to Branden Dawson to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for cash considerations.
Dawson, 6-6, 225, was the 56th overall selection by New Orleans in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Michigan State product was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Second-Team All-Big Ten as a Senior, averaging 11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds during the campaign.
The Miami HEAT announced today that they have selected Justise Winslow in the first round (10th overall) and Josh Richardson in the second round (40th overall) in the 2015 NBA Draft.
“Today was a great day for the Miami HEAT as we move forward in retooling the team and being able to draft Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “They are two very young gifted players. They can play multiple positions and we feel very fortunate to have them. It’s not only a great day for us, but also for HEAT Nation.”
Winslow, who helped Duke to the 2015 NCAA Championship as a freshman, appeared in 39 games (all starts) for the Blue Devils and averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.33 steals and 29.1 minutes while shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from three-point range and 64.1 percent from the foul line. He was selected to the All-ACC Freshman Team and the USBWA All-District II Team. He was the third-highest scoring freshman in the ACC and capped the season with the second-most double-figure scoring efforts (31) and the second-highest rebound average by a freshman in the conference. He posted seven double-doubles and finished second on the team in rebounds (252), steals (52), blocks (34) and free throws made (100) while placing third in points (492), assists (82) and three-point field goals made (46). Additionally, during the NCAA tournament, he outperformed each of his statistical categories from the regular season as he started all six games and averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.67 blocks and 1.50 steals while shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from three-point range and 75.9 percent from the foul line.
Richardson, who played all four seasons at Tennessee, appeared in 136 career games (110 starts) for the Volunteers and averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.08 steals and 28.2 minutes while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 75.8 percent from the foul line. Finished his career ranking third in school history in games played, ninth in minutes (3,802), ninth in starts, 10th in steals (147), 16th in blocks (88) and 28th in points (1,252). As a senior, he appeared in 32 games (all starts) and averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.09 steals and 36.3 minutes while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 79.8 percent from the foul line. Among the accolades he collected during his senior season, Johnson was named to the Associated Press and Coaches All-SEC First Teams, the SEC All-Defensive Team and the Defensive All-American Team. He was also selected to the SEC Community Service Team.
The Brooklyn Nets acquired the draft rights to forward Juan Pablo Vaulet from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for a 2018 second round pick, the Nets’ 2019 second round pick and cash considerations, Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday night.
Vaulet (6’6”, 200) is a native of Cordoba, Argentina who has been playing for Weber Bahia Estudiantes of the Liga Nacional de Basquet in Argentina. The 19-year-old averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game in 34 games this past season.