Bulls set for new season

Via the Chicago Sun-Times:

There will be no easing into the 2022-23 schedule for the Bulls. Besides dealing with the Heat right off the tip, the home opener is against the up-and-arrived Cavaliers, there’s two games against Boston, Toronto, and New Orleans within the first 15 games, as well as meetings with Philadelphia and Brooklyn…

Right or wrong, the starting core of this Bulls team feels they should also be in that conversation of elite teams. A core that also included Patrick Williams, after he was officially named the starting power forward on Tuesday…

The good news for DeRozan & Co., they start the season relatively healthy. Sure, Lonzo Ball — arguably the best two-way player on the team — will be absent indefinitely after a second left knee surgery at the start of camp, but the coaching staff and front office knew this scenario was likely and had an entire camp to prepare for it.

The NBA season starts tonight with a pair of games. Then things get serious tomorrow with 24 teams, including the Bulls and Heat, seeing action.

Mavericks sign Facundo Campazzo

The Dallas Mavericks have signed free agent guard Facundo Campazzo.

Campazzo (5-11, 165) holds career averages of 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 20.1 minutes per game in 130 games (23 starts) across the last two seasons with Denver.

The 31-year-old spent most of his career playing in Argentina and Spain, where he played alongside current Mavericks guard Luka Dončić at Real Madrid. In his native Argentina, Campazzo started his professional career at the age of 17 with Peñarol de Mar del Plata, where he helped the club win four Argentine League Championships in five years (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014), winning the Argentine League Finals MVP in 2012 and 2014. Campazzo was also named the Argentine League Revelation of the Year and won the Argentine Cup MVP in 2010.

He then enjoyed a decorated career overseas, where he helped Real Madrid to two EuroLeague championships (2015, 2018) and three titles in the top Spanish league (2015, 2018, 2019). In 113 EuroLeague games with Real Madrid, Campazzo held averages of 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in 113 games.

Campazzo, the current captain of the Argentine National Team, averaged 12.3 points in the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup as he helped guide the team to a Gold Medal in early September. Campazzo has also represented Argentina in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Campazzo will wear No. 2 for the Mavericks. The roster is now set at 17 players, including two Two-Way players.

Jazz sign GM Justin Zanik to a contract extension

The Utah Jazz have signed General Manager Justin Zanik to a multi-year contract extension.

“My family and I have fallen in love with this great city and the state of Utah, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue this journey with the Utah Jazz,” said Zanik. “I have a deep appreciation for my partnership with Ryan and Danny and am excited about our path forward with Coach Hardy. We look forward to building towards winning the championship our fans deserve.”

“Justin’s basketball acumen, ability to create meaningful relationships throughout the league, and management of our front office are invaluable assets,” said Jazz CEO of Basketball Danny Ainge. “We’re thrilled that he’ll continue to lead the team.”

Zanik is entering his fourth season as general manager of the Utah Jazz, overseeing the day-to-day management of basketball operations. Zanik originally joined the Jazz as assistant general manager in September 2013 and held the role for three seasons, before moving to take on the role of assistant general manager for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016-17. He returned to Utah in the same role from 2017-19.

He was a certified agent for the National Basketball Players Association from 2003-13 and served as vice president at ASM Sports for more than a decade, overseeing all aspects of management for ASM’s basketball clients.

Zanik graduated from Northwestern University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Hawks sign De’Andre Hunter to contract extension

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward De’Andre Hunter to a contract extension, which begins with the 2023-24 season.

Hunter’s Hawks extension is reportedly a four-year, $95 million deal.

In 53 games (52 starts) last season, the 6’7 forward averaged 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.8 minutes (.442 FG%, .379 3FG%, .765 FT%). He scored 10-or-more points in 41 of his 53 games, including 11 outings of 20-or-more. Hunter hit double digits in 14 straight games from 3/3-3/20, the second-longest such streak of his career.

In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Miami, Hunter poured in a career-best 35 points on 11-21 FGs, adding 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists in 43 minutes. He became the sixth Hawk in playoff history to finish with at least 35 points and 11 rebounds in a postseason contest.

On 11/3 vs. Brooklyn, he recorded 26 points on 10-11 FGs (6-6 3FGs) in 33 minutes, becoming one of seven players in the NBA last season to shoot perfect from deep while connecting on six-or-more triples and one of only five players in franchise history to do so.

During the 2020-21 campaign, Hunter posted 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.5 minutes (.484 FG%, .326 3FG%, .859 FT%) in 23 games (19 starts) and was selected to the NBA Rising Stars roster. He scored in double digits 18 times, including seven games with 20-or-more points.

In 63 appearances (62 starts) as a rookie in 2019-20, he posted 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 32.0 minutes (.410 FG%, .355 3FG%, .764 FT%). Among qualifying NBA rookies, Hunter ranked first in mpg and total minutes (2,018), fifth in FT%, t5th in 3FG%, 6th in rpg, 7th in FG%, t7th in ppg and 12th in apg.

Acquired by the Hawks on July 7, 2019 from the New Orleans Pelicans, Hunter was originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft.

Cavs sign Mamadi Diakite to a two-way contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Mamadi Diakite to a Two-Way contract, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Diakite (6-9, 224) appeared in all four preseason games for the Cavaliers, averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.25 steals and 1.25 blocks in 16.8 minutes. On Oct. 12 versus Atlanta, Diakite posted a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Cavs preseason win over the Hawks. Last season, Diakite appeared in 13 games (three starts) with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 14.5 minutes.

The third-year forward went undrafted in 2020 after a four-year collegiate career at the University of Virginia (2016-2020), where he was part of the Cavaliers National Championship team in 2019. Diakite signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the 2020-21 season and later signed an multi-year deal with the team. In his rookie season, Diakite was part of the Bucks NBA Championship team, appearing in 14 regular season games (one start) and seven playoff games. The Guinea native also saw action in 12 G League games (three starts) that season as a member of the Lakeland Magic, where he recorded averages of 18.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.08 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game, winning a G League Championship with Lakeland.

Pistons waive Kemba Walker

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has requested waivers on guard Kemba Walker.

Per the Detroit News, “Walker, a 6-foot guard, was acquired by the Pistons in a trade on July 6 that brought No. 13 overall pick Jalen Duren to Detroit in exchange for a 2025 first-round draft pick (via the Milwaukee Bucks). The team revealed that Walker would not be with the team on September 26, the day before the start of training camp.”

Spurs waive Joe Wieskamp

The San Antonio Spurs have waived guard Joe Wieskamp to finalize their opening night roster for the 2022-23 season.

Wieskamp appeared in 29 games for the Spurs, averaging 2.1 points in 7.1 minutes per game after being drafted by San Antonio with the 41st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He also played and started in 28 games for the Austin Spurs where he averaged 15.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 32.4 minutes.

The Silver and Black tipoff the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets at the AT&T Center.

Trail Blazers sign Nassir Little to contract extension

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Nassir Little to a multi-year contract extension.

Little’s Blazers extension is reportedly a four-year, $28 million deal.

“Nassir is a talented player who has grown every year and has a very bright future,” said Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “We are very excited that he chose to extend with us, and we look forward to continuing to see him shine on and off the court.”

Per the Oregonian, “Little, a first-round pick in 2019, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him just under $4.2 million this season. The extension could keep Little in Portland through the 2026-27 season at a relatively low annual salary, given that he entered training camp in competition for the starting small forward position.”

Little, 22, posted a career-best 9.8 points (46.0 FG%, 33.1 3-PT%, 73.4 FT%), 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes in 42 games (23 starts) for Portland during the 2021-22 season. The University of North Carolina product scored in double figures in 20 games and registered three double-doubles.

Originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Little has accrued career averages of 5.8 points (45.5 FG%, 31.7 3-PT%, 72.7 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 blocks and 16.7 minutes in 138 career games (30 starts) for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Rockets sign Kevin Porter Jr. to contract extension

The Houston Rockets have signed guard Kevin Porter Jr. to a multi-year contract extension.

Porter Jr.’s Rockets extension is reportedly a a four-year, $82.5 million deal.

“We value the player and the person that Scoot is becoming and are eager to invest in him and his journey,” said General Manager Rafael Stone. “He’s expressed how happy he is to be with this organization and has shown his commitment to putting in the work both on and off the court. We are excited for the opportunity to continue to build something special with him.”

Per the Houston Chronicle, “the contract is fully guaranteed through the first season, another individual familiar with the deal said. In subsequent seasons, there are triggers in which those seasons would become guaranteed, allowing Porter to earn the rich contract after his rocky start in the NBA with the Cavaliers while providing the Rockets with protection.”

Porter was acquired by Houston via trade with Cleveland on Jan. 22, 2021 and has since appeared in 87 games with 84 starts as a Rocket while averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.01 steals, and 2.4 3-pointers made. Over the past two seasons, he was one of eight players to have averaged at least 15.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 rpg, 1.00 spg, and 2.0 3FGM, joining LaMelo Ball, Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, James Harden, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet.

The Seattle native did not turn 22 years old until after last season ended. Over his 35 games played in 2021-22, Porter averaged 3.1 3FGM on 40.4% shooting and was one of five players with at least six games played over that span to have averaged at least 3.0 3FGM while shooting 40.0% or better. He also had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.54 over his final 32 games played last season, up from a 1.65 ratio his first 55 games as a Rocket.

Porter recorded 50 points and 11 assists vs. Milwaukee on April 29, 2021, becoming the fifth-youngest player to have scored 50-plus points in NBA history and he eclipsed LeBron James as the youngest to have done so while recording 10-plus assists. Porter had 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists vs. Sacramento on March 30, 2022, becoming the youngest Rocket to have recorded a triple-double in franchise history. He became the fourth player in NBA history under the age of 22 to have recorded both a 50-point game and a triple-double, joining LeBron James, Brandon Jennings, and Trae Young.