Bucks sign Wesley Matthews, waive Georgios Kalaitzakis

The Milwaukee Bucks signed free agent swingman Wesley Matthews today.

And in a related transaction, the team waived rookie guard Georgios Kalaitzakis.

A 6-5 guard, Matthews averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes over 58 games (10 starts) for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

“Wesley is a proven veteran whose shooting, defense and experience will help us,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “He is familiar with Coach Bud’s system and our team. We’re excited to have him back with us.”

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Matthews would provide some additional depth in the back court for the Bucks behind starters Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen. Backup point guard George Hill, also 35 years old, has been averaging over 27 minutes per game. Pat Connaughton (28 minutes per game) has also been logging heavy minutes early in the season.”

A 12-year NBA veteran, Matthews has appeared in 849 games (739 starts) over his 12 seasons with Utah, Portland, Dallas, New York, Indiana, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles, and holds career averages of 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game. The former Marquette standout who attended high school in Madison, Wis., has also played in 52 playoff games in his career and is averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in postseason action.

Matthews will wear No. 23 with the Bucks.

Pelicans sign forward Gary Clark

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Gary Clark.

Clark, 6-6, 225, has appeared in 132 NBA contests (18 starts) with Houston, Orlando, Denver, and Philadelphia, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.

The Smithfield, NC., native most recently played for the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, appearing in eight games (four starts) and averaging 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest. Clark is the first player in Capitanes history to receive an NBA Call Up and becomes the third G League player this season to earn a promotion. Clark previously played in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and holds career G League averages of 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 19 contests.

Clark appeared in 139 career games (137 starts) during four seasons at the University of Cincinnati (2014-18), averaging 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 28.8 minutes per game, while shooting .525 from the floor and .383 from three-point range. In his 2017-18 senior campaign, he averaged 12.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 28.5 minutes per game. Clark was named the 2017-18 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was a two-time American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2016-17, 2017-18).

Clark will wear #12 with the Pelicans. New Orleans’s roster now stands at 18 players, including two two-way players.

A Drazen Petrovic biopic film is being produced

We’re looking forward to this one. Via Variety.com:

Legendary Croatian-born NBA player Dražen Petrović will be portrayed in Danilo Šerbedžija’s upcoming biopic film “Higher Force – The Drazen Petrovic Story” (working title).

The film was penned by Ivan Turkovic Krnjak (“Lovebox”) and is being produced by Ljubo Zdjelarević and Ivor Šiber at Zagreb-based Kinoteka. The film will shoot next year in Croatia, Germany, and in the U.S. across Portland and New Jersey. It will be released in 2023 on the 30th anniversary of Petrović’ death.

Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little out with ankle sprain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirms Portland Trail Blazers forward Nassir Little with a left ankle sprain, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

The injury occurred at the 2:24 mark of the third quarter in Portland’s game at Utah on Monday, November 29.

Little will continue his recovery protocol and be re-evaluated in one week.

In 21 games (two starts) this season, Little is averaging career highs of 8.3 points (47.8% FG, 31.7% 3-PT, 82.8% FT), 5.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures seven times and recorded one double-double.

G League: Long Island Nets waive Isaiah Wright

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have requested waivers on guard Isaiah Wright.

Wright was acquired from the available player pool on Nov. 16 to replace Long Island guard Josh Gray while he played for USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Games. In two appearances with the Nets, Wright recorded five points, two rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes total.

Heat center Bam Adebayo out with thumb injury, will undergo surgery

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo suffered a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his right thumb against Denver on November 29 and will undergo surgery this weekend.

A timetable on his return will be provided post-surgery.

Adebayo has started in all 18 games he has appeared in this season and averaged 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.11 steals and 32.9 minutes while shooting 51.9 percent from the field.

Per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “the most versatile element of the Miami Heat lineup, the player the defense is designed around and a fulcrum for the offense, is expected to be sidelined for six weeks…. The other two centers on the Heat roster are veteran Dewayne Dedmon, who is expected to start in place of Adebayo, and rookie Omer Yurtseven, who has received only nominal playing time to this stage.”

Bucks sign Javonte Smart, waive Justin Robinson

The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday signed guard Javonte Smart to a Two-Way contract.

And in a related transaction, the Bucks waived two-way guard Justin Robinson.

Smart (6-4, 205), appeared in five games (all starts) with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League this season and averaged 22.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 35.5 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 39.6% from three. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft out of LSU, the 22-year-old played in six NBA Summer League games with the Heat before appearing in five of Miami’s preseason contests where he averaged 8.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.1 minutes per game.

A 2021 Second Team All-SEC selection, Smart averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and led the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (.402) in his final season with the Tigers. In three seasons at LSU, the Baton Rouge native appeared in 93 games, making 76 starts, and averaged double figures in scoring each season.

Smart will wear No. 6 with the Bucks.

Originally signed to a Two-Way contract on Sept. 15, Robinson appeared in 17 games with the Bucks this season and averaged 2.8 points and 1.2 assists in 11.6 minutes per game.

Bucks sign DeMarcus Cousins

The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday signed free agent center DeMarcus Cousins.

“DeMarcus is incredibly talented and his size, toughness and experience will help us,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “He will provide added depth to our front court rotation and we look forward to working him into our system.”

Cousins, 31, is a 10-year NBA veteran whose recent seasons have been a struggle. His career averages are excellent: 20.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocked shots in 606 career regular season games for the Kings, Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets and Clippers.

The fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Cousins most recently played in 41 games (11 starts) last season with Houston (25 games, 11 starts) and the Los Angeles Clippers (16 games), combining to average 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.4 minutes per game.

Cousins was selected to four All-Star games while a member of the Sacramento Kings (2015-17) and New Orleans Pelicans (2018) and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2015 and 2016. He was a gold medal winner for the United States in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, as well as the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He reached the playoffs twice (2019, Golden State, and 2021, LA Clippers) during his career, but did not play in the 2019-20 season due to injury.

Cousins will wear No. 15 with the Bucks.

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard out with lower abdominal tendinopathy

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirms Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard with lower abdominal tendinopathy, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Lillard will continue his recovery protocol and be re-evaluated in 10 days.

Through 20 games (all starts) this season, Lillard is averaging 21.5 points (39.7% FG, 30.2% 3-PT, 91.1% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 35.7 minutes for the Trail Blazers.

LeBron James enters NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols

The Lakers, who are still finding their way this season, will be without LeBron James for hopefully just a very brief while. Via the Los Angeles Times:

LeBron James has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and will miss the Lakers’ game tonight against the Sacramento Kings, the team announced.

According to NBA rules, vaccinated players, like James, enter the protocols either after a positive test result or after inconclusive test results. According to the protocols, a vaccinated player can return if he tests negative for the virus on consecutive tests 24 hours apart or if it’s been 10 days without symptoms.

And from the Orange County Register:

While the Lakers did not officially say what triggered the action, ESPN reported that James is expected to miss multiple games, implying that the Lakers star has tested positive for COVID-19. Players and staffers can also enter protocols for a close encounter with someone who has tested positive.

At the very least, it means that James missed Tuesday night’s game at the Sacramento Kings – and will perhaps miss much more time.

“Obviously it’s a huge loss. It’s disappointing,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “We just want the best for him right now. That’s where our thoughts are. And we have a next-man-up mindset.”