NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
As teams around league trim rosters to 15 players, Milwaukee Bucks waive Michael Eric
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The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on Michael Eric, General Manager John Hammond announced today.
Eric, 26, was signed to Milwaukee’s training camp roster on Sept. 27. He appeared in four games this preseason for the Bucks and averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game.
Phoenix Suns exercise contract options on Archie Goodwin, Alex Len, Miles Plumlee
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The Phoenix Suns have exercised their 2015-16 options on guard Archie Goodwin, center Alex Len and center Miles Plumlee.
According to the Arizona Republic, the contract values for the 2015-16 season are: Alex Len ($3.81M), Miles Plumlee ($2.11M) and Archie Goodwin ($1.16M).
As a rookie with the Suns last season, Goodwin averaged 3.7 points and 10.2 minutes in 52 games. The 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Goodwin scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the Suns’ 2013-14 season finale at Sacramento.
Len was selected by the Suns with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and, among NBA rookies to play at least 300 minutes, ranked fifth in rebounds per 48 minutes and sixth in blocks per 48 minutes last season. The native of Ukraine averaged 2.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 8.6 minutes in 42 appearances, including three starts.
Plumlee enjoyed a breakthrough season in his first with the Suns and second in the NBA in 2013-14, averaging team-highs of 7.8 rebounds and 1.13 blocks in addition to 8.1 points in 80 games (79 starts). Acquired by the Suns in a trade from Indiana prior to last season, Plumlee had a team-high 23 double-digit rebounding games and tied for the team-lead with 11 double-doubles.
We’re here! The 2014-15 NBA regular season begins Tuesday night.
Today, all 30 NBA teams trimmed their rosters to 15 or fewer players.
Here they are, official NBA opening night rosters for every team in the league.
Chicago Bulls exercise contract option on Tony Snell
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The Chicago Bulls have exercised their third-year contract option for the 2015-16 season for guard Tony Snell.
This move means Snell will be under contract with Chicago for the 2015-16 season.
Snell (6-7, 200), appeared in 77 games (12 starts) during his rookie campaign and posted averages of 4.5 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 16.0 mpg. He also shot .384 from the floor, .320 from behind the arc and .756 from the line. This past summer at the 2014 NBA Summer League, Snell was named to the Samsung All-NBA Summer League First Team. In five summer league games, he posted averages of 20.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.8 apg in 30.2 mpg. He also shot .466 from the floor, .500 from three-point range and .833 from the free-throw line. Snell was selected by the Bulls in the first round (20th overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Utah Jazz add Jordan Hamilton and Joe Ingles off waivers
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The Utah Jazz have claimed fourth-year forward/guard Jordan Hamilton and rookie forward Joe Ingles off waivers.
The move gives the Jazz extra depth off the bench.
The 24-year-old Hamilton (6-7, 220, Texas) was waived by the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 25 after appearing in six preseason games with the Raptors, averaging 9.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes. He was signed by the Raptors on Aug. 18.
Hamilton has appeared in 126 career NBA games (15 starts) over three seasons with Denver and Houston, averaging 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes while shooting .358 (114-318) from three-point range. He started the 2013-14 season with Denver before being traded to Houston on February 20 in exchange for Aaron Brooks. For the season, he appeared in 60 games (12 starts) and averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.0 minutes, scoring in double figures 20 times. He was originally drafted by Dallas in the first round (26th overall selection) of the 2011 NBA Draft.
A Los Angeles native, Hamilton played two seasons at the University of Texas (2009-11) and led the Longhorns in scoring (18.6) and ranked second in rebounding (7.7) and minutes played (32.2) during his sophomore campaign. He was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Ingles (6-8, 216, Australia) was waived by the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 25 after playing 37 minutes in five preseason games (one start) and totaling six points, five rebounds and five assists. He was originally signed by the Clippers on Sept. 22.
Ingles, 27, played for the Australian National Team in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and averaged 11.4 points and 3.4 assists. Ingles spent the 2013-14 season with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League, where he played for current Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt and helped Maccabi to win the Euroleague Championship. Ingles played three seasons for FC Barcelona (2010-13) of the Liga ACB, and played for Australia in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
A native of Australia, Ingles started his professional career with the South Dragons of the National Basketball League (NBL), where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2007. He played for the Dragons for three seasons, earning All-NBL Third Team in 2009 as the team captured the NBL Championship. He spent the 2009-10 season with CB Granada in Spain averaging 11.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 34 games. Ingles has also participated in the NBA Summer League for the Golden State Warriors in 2009 and 2010.
With these additions, Utah’s roster is now 15 players.
Utah Jazz waive Jazz waive Carrick Felix, who was not going to receive much playing time
The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has waived guard/forward Carrick Felix.
Felix (6-6, 201, Arizona State) was acquired by Utah in a trade with Cleveland on July 22 and was scoreless in 27 minutes during four preseason appearances.
Maintaining bench depth, Trail Blazers exercise options on Meyers Leonard, CJ McCollum
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The Portland Trail Blazers today exercised team options on the contracts of center Meyers Leonard and guard CJ McCollum, according to General Manager Neil Olshey.
According to the Oregonian, the team “declined doing the same for Thomas Robinson. The moves, which will impact next season’s roster, guarantee that McCollum and Leonard will be with the team through the 2015-16 season and make Robinson a free agent next summer.
The Blazers exercised their fourth-year team option on Leonard, who holds averages of 4.4 points (52.2% FG), 3.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 14.3 minutes in 109 games over two seasons with the Trail Blazers. The team selected Leonard with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft out of Illinois.
And Portland picked up the third-year team option on McCollum. The 10th overall selection in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft out of Lehigh, McCollum averaged 5.3 points (37.5% 3-PT), 1.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 12.5 minutes in 38 games during his rookie 2013-14 season.
Knicks trade Travis Outlaw to 76ers for Arnett Moultrie
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The New York Knicks have traded forward Travis Outlaw to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Arnett Moultrie, according to team president Phil Jackson. In addition, Philadelphia received a 2019 second-round draft selection and the option to exchange 2018 second-round draft selections.
And in the same breath, Moultrie was immediately waived by New York. So, yes, this was basically a move for New York to part ways with Outlaw’s contract.
The Sixers acquired the right to swap the Los Angeles Clippers’ second-round pick (which the Sixers currently own) in 2018 with the Knicks’ own second-round pick in that draft.
Outlaw, 6-9, 220-pounds, was acquired on Aug. 6, 2014 from Sacramento in a multi-team deal and appeared in one preseason game for the Knicks.
The still-very-rebuilding 76ers sign Malcolm Thomas
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The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed free agent forward Malcolm Thomas.
Thomas is entering his fourth NBA season, having been named an NBA Development League All-Star last season, while averaging 18.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.33 blocks in 12 combined games for Los Angeles and Austin. In 2011-12, Thomas earned All-NBA D-League First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors.
Rockets waive Jeff Adrien, Earl Clark, Robert Covington, Akeem Richmond, Ish Smith
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The Houston Rockets have waived Jeff Adrien, Earl Clark, Robert Covington, Akeem Richmond and guard Ish Smith, according to general manager Daryl Morey.
Adrien (6-7, 245, Connecticut), who spent last season with Charlotte and Milwaukee, averaged 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 53 games played in the 2013-14 season. Over his four year NBA career, Adrien has averaged 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game. In seven preseason games with the Rockets, he averaged 4.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. Adrien was signed by the Rockets on July 18, 2014.
Clark (6-10, 234, Louisville), a sixth year forward appeared in 54 games during the 2013-14 season with Cleveland (45 games) and New York (nine games) averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.2 minutes. Over the course of his career, Clark has appeared in 251 games, including 54 starts, with the Cavaliers, Knicks, Magic and Suns. He holds career averages of 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 14.1 minutes. Clark was claimed off waivers by the Rockets on October 24, 2014 and did not appear in any preseason games with the Rockets.
Covington (6-9, 215, Tennessee State), a second year forward appeared in seven games for the Rockets last season averaging 2.3 points and 0.7 assists in 4.8 minutes per game. During the 2013-14 season, Covington also appeared in 42 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League, averaging 23.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game. Covington appeared in one preseason game with the Rockets, scoring three points in four minutes played versus Memphis on October 9th. He was originally signed by the Rockets on July 13, 2013.
Richmond (6-0, 180, East Carolina), an undrafted free agent in the 2014 NBA Draft spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons at East Carolina after transferring from Rhode Island following his sophomore year. Richmond appeared in 139 contests over the course of his NCAA career (61 starts) averaging 11.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in 25.3 minutes played. Richmond was signed by the Rockets on October 24, 2014 and did not appear in any preseason games with the Rockets.
Smith (6-0, 174, Wake Forest), who spent last season with Phoenix, averaged 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 70 games played in the 2013-14 season. Over his four year NBA career, Smith has averaged 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. He was originally undrafted out of Wake Forest in the 2010 NBA Draft. He appeared in seven preseason games with the Rockets, averaging 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 17.5 minutes per game. Smith was signed by the Rockets on July 18, 2014.
The Rockets roster now stands at 15.