Jazz sign Marques Bolden and Malik Fitts

The Utah Jazz have signed forwards Marques Bolden and Malik Fitts.

The deals are likely non-guaranteed, and for training camp purposes.

Bolden (6-10, 249, Duke) has played in seven games with the Cleveland Cavaliers over two seasons (2019-21) during his professional career. Prior to that, he spent three seasons at Duke, appearing in 88 games (24 starts), averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 13.6 minutes per game. In his final season at Duke in 2018-19, he averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 boards and 1.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game.

Fitts (6-8, 230, St. Mary’s) played in three NBA games with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2020-21 season and also appeared in 14 games (six starts) with the Agua Caliente Clippers of the NBA G League, averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 boards and 1.5 assists. Collegiately, Fitts spent two seasons at St. Mary’s (2018-20), where he averaged 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 68 career games (66 starts). At St. Mary’s, he earned 2019-20 All-WCC First Team and 2018-19 All-WCC Second Team honors. Fitts began his collegiate career playing one season at South Florida.

Sixers hire Jamie Young as assistant coach, and promote Dwayne Jones

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that Jamie Young has joined Head Coach Doc Rivers’ staff as an assistant coach and Dwayne Jones, who previously served under Rivers as a skill development coach, has been promoted to assistant coach/skill development.

And the Delaware Blue Coats, NBA G League Affiliate of the 76ers, also announced today that Coby Karl has been named the team’s head coach and that J.P. Clark and Isaiah Fox have joined his staff as assistant coaches.

“I’m excited to add even more talent to what I consider to be the best coaching staff in the NBA,” Rivers said. “Having the opportunity to create synergy between the 76ers and Blue Coats is important for our program’s success and the talented coaches on our staff make our players and this organization better.”

Young joins the 76ers after spending the last 20 seasons with the Boston Celtics organization, including the last 10 as an assistant coach. During his tenure in Boston, Young also spent time in the scouting and video departments. Rivers and Young worked together with the Celtics while Rivers served as the team’s head coach from 2004-13. He graduated from Blackburn College (Carlinville, IL) in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, where he played both basketball and football. Originally from Indiana, Young is married to his wife Jaynene and the couple has a son, Jamieson.

Jones enters his sixth season with Philadelphia, and his first as an assistant coach/skill development. He spent the previous five seasons working in the team’s skill development department after joining the 76ers staff in December 2016. Jones enjoyed a 12-year professional career, including six NBA seasons with five NBA teams and international stops in China, Philippines, Qatar, Venezuela and Argentina. He also competed in the NBA G League and is the league’s all-time leading rebounder with a total of 1,770. A 2005 graduate of Philadelphia’s Saint Joseph’s University, Jones holds a degree in sociology. He and his wife Jessica have two sons, Dwayne III and Dylan.

Karl most recently served as head coach of the South Bay Lakers (NBA G League/Lakers) from 2016-21, where he compiled a 102-92 record and collected a division championship and conference semifinals appearance. During his tenure in South Bay, five players were called up to Los Angeles, including Jemerrio Jones, Johnathan Williams, Scott Machado, Andre Ingram, and Travis Wear. Prior to joining the Lakers, Karl spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Westchester Knicks (NBA G League/Knicks). Before shifting to the sidelines, Karl enjoyed an eight-year professional basketball career including stops with the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors, as well as significant time in the NBA G League with Los Angeles, Idaho and Reno.

During the 2008 Playoff series between the Lakers and Denver Nuggets, Karl and his father, NBA coaching legend George Karl, became the first father-son duo to oppose one-another in the NBA postseason. Undrafted after a standout career at Boise State, including First-Team All-WAC honors his senior season, Karl also saw success playing oversees in the Liga ACB, EuroLeague, LBA and others. He’s been married to his wife Kristen for nine years and the couple has two daughters, Kennedy and Payton.

Clark, a Florida native, brings over a decade’s worth of coaching experience to Delaware including eight seasons in the NBA/G League. Clark spent seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers starting in player development and finishing as an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Clippers, Clark spent one season in a dual role with the Boston Celtics/Maine Red Claws. Before joining the NBA ranks, Clark began his coaching career at Colgate University as the director of basketball operations for one season before a two-year stint at the University of Central Florida in the same role. Clark played Division II basketball at Flagler College and later earned a master’s degree from UCF.

Fox returns to Delaware for his second stint as an assistant coach for the Blue Coats, having served in the role from 2019-2020. He previously served as an assistant coach with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. Prior to joining the Lakers, Fox coached at Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California, where he also served as a sports program coordinator at a local YMCA chapter. A former McDonald’s All-America nominee, the 6-foot-9 Fox was a four-year letter winner for the University of Arizona basketball team from 2002-06 under Naismith Hall of Fame Head Coach Lute Olson. Fox was selected in the 2008 NBA G League Draft and his professional playing experience included stints in Australia, Mexico and Japan.

Sixers sign Shaquille Harrison

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Shaquille Harrison.

Harrison joins Philadelphia after splitting the 2020-21 season with Utah and Denver. In total, he saw action in 34 games last season, with averages of 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 9.8 minutes per contest.

For his career, Harrison has appeared in 173 games (23 starts) over four NBA seasons with Denver, Utah, Chicago and Phoenix and holds career averages of 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 15.2 minutes per game.

During his first two professional seasons, Harrison also spent time in the G League with the Northern Arizona Suns, appearing in 84 games (24 starts) and averaging 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. For his G League career, he’s shot .458 from the field.

Following a standout four-year career at Tulsa, Harrison signed with the Phoenix Suns prior to the start of the 2016-17 season.

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Harrison played four seasons for the Golden Hurricane where he started all 133 games of his collegiate career. As a senior, he averaged 15.1 points per game, along with team-best averages of 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists and was named the 2015-16 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Harrison will wear No. 8 for the 76ers.

Hornets name Marlon Garnett, Nick Friedman and Norman Richardson as assistant coaches

The Charlotte Hornets have named Marlon Garnett, Nick Friedman and Norman Richardson as assistant coaches under head coach James Borrego.

The team has also promoted Jackson Simmons to Head Video Coordinator while Klint Carlson. And Daniel Dixon have been named Assistant Video Coordinators.

“I am excited to add Marlon and Norman to our staff, who both bring high-level professional experience as players and coaches. I’m also thrilled for Coach Friedman in his ascension to becoming an assistant coach on our staff after his work as a player development coach.” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego. “We are looking forward to what they can bring to our group and are excited about what they will contribute to the development of our program here in Charlotte.”

Garnett is heading into his sixth season as an assistant coach after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-21. Prior to his tenure with Atlanta, he was an assistant coach/player development coordinator with the Phoenix Suns from 2016-18. During the 2015-16 season, Garnett was a player development and quality assurance assistant with the San Antonio Spurs as he served as the head coach at Union Academy in Monroe, NC, in 2014-15.

A long-time professional player, Garnett appeared in 24 games during the 1998-99 season with the Boston Celtics and played internationally in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Iran, Puerto Rico and Slovakia. A Los Angeles native, he played collegiately at Santa Clara and was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year as a senior during the 1996-97 season.

Friedman receives a promotion after spending the last two seasons with the Hornets as a Player Development Coach where he served in a hybrid role with both the Hornets and Greensboro Swarm’s coaching staff. He previously worked for three years as a coach in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Main Red Claws and Norther Arizona Suns. Prior to his time in the G League, Friedman worked under the coaching staff at the University of Miami. The Massachusetts native attended Bates College where he was a member of the basketball team.

Richardson joins the Hornets after spending the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach for Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. Previously, he was an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, for three seasons (2017-20). Prior to Fort Wayne, he broke into the NBA G League as an assistant coach with the former affiliate of the Orlando Magic, the Erie BayHawks, in 2016-17. His coaching background includes being a skills development coach for Findley Prep School in Henderson, Nevada, and an assistant coach at Agassi Prep High School in Las Vegas. Richardson’s coaching career began in Germany where he served as the head coach for TSV/Bietigheim from 2012-14.

Richardson was a four-year player for Hofstra (1997-01) and played professionally for the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls in 2001-02. The Brooklyn native played professionally until 2010, including stops with former NBA Development League franchises (North Charleston Lowgators in 2003, Fayetteville Patriots in 2006) and overseas.

Simmons is promoted to Head Video Coordinator after serving as the team’s Assistant Video Coordinator for the last three seasons. He was the Director of Basketball Operations for Western Carolina during the 2017-18 season. A Webster, NC native, Simmons played four seasons at North Carolina from 2011-15.

Carlson and Dixon are both elevated to Assistant Video Coordinators after spending the 2020-21 season with the Hornets as Basketball Operations interns. An Iowa native, Carlson played basketball collegiately at Northern Iowa from 2013-18. Dixon spent three seasons in the G League as a player from 2017-20 after playing at William & Mary from 2013-17.

Lakers sign Austin Reaves to a standard NBA contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Austin Reaves to a standard NBA contract.

Reaves originally signed a two-way contract with Los Angeles on August 3, 2021 and appeared in five games for the Lakers at the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, averaging 6.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 22.2 minutes. In two games at the California Classic, Reaves averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in 26.5 minutes.

Reaves appeared in 25 games (all starts) for Oklahoma last season, averaging 18.3 points (.443 FG%, .305 3P%), 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 34.5 minutes. The 2020-21 All-Big 12 First Team selection led the conference in free throws made (147) and ranked fifth in true shooting percentage (.579) last season. In four years at Oklahoma and Wichita State, Reaves averaged 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 34.7 percent (156-449 3FG) from three-point range.

Indiana Pacers home arena renamed as Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) has announced that Indianapolis-based Gainbridge is the new naming partner for the NBA’s most iconic arena, and the home of the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, and hundreds of events throughout the year has been renamed Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“Just as the Fieldhouse is so much more than simply a basketball arena, the chance to partner with a bold, forward-thinking company like Gainbridge means so much more than just putting a name on a building,” said PS&E President & Chief Operating Officer Rick Fuson. “Our organizations share a vision for engaging new generations of consumers, strengthening our city and state economies, and investing in our community with intentionality. We could not have asked for a better aligned partner, and we look forward to growing together for years to come.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to join the Pacers and Fever at the new Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It really is the ‘Fieldhouse of the Future,’ where we’ll be hosting a wide range of exciting sports and entertainment events with new and improved space, infrastructure and technology,’’ said Group 1001 President & Chief Executive Officer Dan Towriss. “This unveiling is such a critical moment for us as we join in experiencing this amazing venue with a bold new Gainbridge Fieldhouse brand. This partnership goes farther than just this new venue because together, we can make an even bigger impact with our aligned commitment to improving communities through sports and education.’’

Cavaliers sign Tacko Fall, Mitch Ballock, Kyle Guy and R.J. Nembhard to training camp roster

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed center Tacko Fall and guards Mitch Ballock, Kyle Guy and R.J. Nembhard to their 2021 training camp roster.

Fall (7-6, 310) played in 18 games for the Boston Celtics last season, averaging 2.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.11 blocks in 7.6 minutes. The third-year center went undrafted in 2019 after a four-year collegiate career at the University of Central Florida (2015-2019).

Ballock (6-5, 205), who spent four years at Creighton University (2017-2021), recently played in four games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Guy (6-1, 170) played in 31 games for the Sacramento Kings in 2020-21. The third-year guard spent most of his rookie campaign in 2019-20 with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League, appearing in 37 games (29 starts) while averaging 21.5 points (seventh-best in G League), 3.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.9 minutes.

Nembhard (6-5, 200), an undrafted guard out of Texas Christian University, competed in four contests for the Miami Heat in the 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 15.7 minutes.

Thunder add Rob Edwards and DJ Wilson to training camp

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guard Rob Edwards and forward DJ Wilson.

The deals are for training camp purposes.

Edwards (6-5, 205) spent last season with the Oklahoma City Blue and in 15 games (3 starts), averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.3 minutes per game on 44.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Wilson (6-10, 231) split the 2020-21 season between the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets and appeared in 35 games (one start) and averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. In 142 career NBA games (five starts), he has averaged 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.

Thunder add Mamadi Diakite, waive Charlie Brown Jr.

The Oklahoma City Thunder yesterday claimed forward Mamadi Diakite off waivers from the Milwaukee Bucks.

And in a separate transaction, the Thunder waived guard Charlie Brown Jr.

Diakite (6-9, 218) appeared in 14 games (one start) last season with the Bucks and averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.1 minutes. Additionally, Diakite saw action in 12 G League games (three starts) during the 2020-21 season as a member of the Lakeland Magic where he registered averages of 18.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.08 blocks in 27.7 minutes.

A native of Guinea, Diakite played alongside Thunder guard Ty Jerome on the 2019 Virginia Cavaliers’ NCAA National Championship team.

Knicks sign Wayne Selden Jr.

The New York Knicks have signed guard/forward Wayne Selden Jr.

The signing is probably a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Selden Jr. to Knicks training camp.

Selden, 6-5, 230-pounds, holds career averages of 7.3 points, two rebounds, 1.5 assists over 19.1 minutes in 124 career games (27 starts) with New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago. He played in six games in August for the Knicks Summer League entry in Las Vegas, NV, averaging 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 16.4 minutes.

The Roxbury, MA-native last played in the NBA in 2018-19 for Memphis and Chicago, averaging 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds over 19.2 minutes in 75 games. He went unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft after playing three years collegiately at the University of Kansas. As a Jayhawk, he was named to the 2016 All-Big 12 Second Team following his junior season after averaging 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists over 29.9 minutes in 38 games.

The Knicks roster currently stands at 20 players.