Thunder sign Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel is still trying to establish himself in the NBA and live up to his potential. The The Oklahoma City Thunder are giving him a chance to do this, and signed the forward/center today.

According to the Oklahoman, “it’s a two-year deal — the second year is a player option — expected to be at the veteran minimum, which would pay Noel about $1.7 million next season. It’s a surprisingly low price for a 6-foot-11 former lottery pick who last season turned down a reported four-year, $70 million deal with the Mavericks, and that makes the appeal obvious.”

Noel (6-11, 220) has appeared in 223 career games (158 starts), averaging 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.56 steals and 1.41 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game while shooting 51.2 percent (847-1654) from the field with Philadelphia and Dallas. The Malden, Mass. native is one of two players in the league to average 1.5+ steals and 1.4+ blocks over the last four seasons (DeMarcus Cousins).

“We are excited to bring Nerlens to the Thunder,” said Presti. “In addition to being a multi-faceted defender‎, he moves the ball at a high level for a player at his position, which complements our existing core.”

The Kentucky product was originally selected sixth overall by New Orleans in the 2013 NBA Draft and was later named to the All-Rookie First Team.

In one year as a Wildcat, the 2013 SEC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year started in all 24 games he appeared in and averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 4.42 blocks and 2.08 steals in 31.9 minutes per contest. Noel led the conference in total blocks with 106 on the season en route to being named to the All-SEC First Team.

Knicks sign Luke Kornet

The New York Knicks have signed center Luke Kornet, who first joined the team as a two-way player last July and played for the Knicks and Westchester (G-League) last season.

“Luke had a very successful first year playing across Westchester and the Knicks, displaying impressive growth throughout the season,” said Scott Perry, General Manager. “Luke is a versatile player who can play inside and away from the basket. He brings a relentless work ethic and commitment to the team that fits with Coach Fizdale’s system and style.”

Kornet, 7-1, 250-pounds, appeared in 20 games for the Knicks (one start), averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds over 16.3 minutes. He recorded a season high 23 points in the season-finale on April 11 at Cleveland. He played in 36 games (35 starts) for Westchester (G-League), averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds over 32.4 minutes and was named to the 2017-18
All NBA G-League third team.

The 22-year old Lantana, TX-native, was one of two Knicks two-way players last season. He was originally signed by New York as an undrafted free-agent on July 3, 2017. He played collegiately for four seasons at Vanderbilt University.

Sixers re-sign JJ Redick, trade for Wilson Chandler

The Philadelphia 76ers have re-signed guard JJ Redick.

And in a separate move, Philadelphia acquired forward Wilson Chandler, a 2021 second-round pick and the right to swap 2022 second-rounders with the Nuggets.

The 76ers also traded the draft rights to forward Isaac Bonga (No. 39 overall) to the L.A. Lakers in exchange for Chicago’s 2019 second-round pick (via the Lakers) and cash considerations.

“Our ability to retain JJ is big for us and his obvious shooting skills are only a part of his importance to our team,” Brown said. “His leadership and professionalism add to the overall special package that he brings to our team, and all of this makes him incredibly valuable. Our ability to maintain continuity will strengthen the team’s continued growth and certainly puts us in better shape as the season begins.”

“Wilson’s veteran experience in the NBA, along with his inherent skill package, makes him a tremendous acquisition for our young team,” Brown said. He is a modern-day player, takes tremendous pride in playing defense and his ability to shoot from the perimeter is exactly what we are looking for. We are excited to welcome Wilson into our 76ers family.”

Redick, who originally signed with the 76ers in July 2018, averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game this past season as he helped Philadelphia to a 52-30 record, the team’s best since 2000-01. In his 12th NBA season, Redick shot a team-best .420 from three-point range (min. 65 attempts), while his 193 makes rank fourth in single-season franchise history, behind only Kyle Korver (226 in 2004-05), Robert Covington (203 in 2017-18) and Dana Barros (197 in 1994-95)..

“My family and I are thrilled to return to the 76ers,” Redick said. “I’m so grateful to play for this organization and this city. I can’t wait for the season to start and for our team to continue our pursuit of an NBA championship.”

Chandler, who has spent the last six-plus seasons with Denver, appeared in 74 games (71 starts) with the Nuggets this past season, posting 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31.7 minutes per contest. He was one of four Nuggets to average double-figure points while also averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game. Chandler shot .445 from the field, .358 from three-point range and .772 from the free-throw line as he helped lead the Nuggets to a 46-36 regular-season record, the team’s best since 2012-13.

“I’m very excited to join the 76ers,” Chandler said. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the organization from top to bottom. They have a good mix of young talent who’ve shown they can compete on the brightest of stages and some proven veterans who have had a lot of success in this league. This team is built to compete for a ring, and I look forward to helping them achieve that goal. I know how passionate this city is about basketball and I can’t wait to suit up and play for the 76ers and their fans.”

For his career, Redick has played in 760 games (389 starts) with Philadelphia, the L.A. Clippers Milwaukee and Orlando and holds averages of 12.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. He’s shot .449 percent from the field and .415 percent from three-point range. Redick’s .890 career free-throw percentage is ninth in NBA history and second among active players.

Redick ranks within the NBA’s top 15 all-time in career three-point percentage at .415 and has shot no lower than .420 in any of the past four seasons. The Duke product was originally selected by Orlando with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft after he was named 2006 Associated Press Collegiate Player of the Year.

A veteran of 10 NBA seasons, Chandler has played in 590 career games (447 starts) with Denver and New York. He holds lifetime averages of 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.1 minutes per game, while shooting .445 from the field, .341 from three-point range and .769 from the free-throw line.

Chandler also spent the 2011-12 season playing professionally overseas for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. In his first CBA game, he posted 43 points along with 22 rebounds and four assists in 51 minutes in a 118-115 double overtime win over Tianjin Ronggang. In all, he appeared in 32 games (29 starts) for Zhejiang, averaging 26.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.9 minutes per contest.

The Benton Harbor, Michigan native was originally selected No. 23 overall by New York in the 2007 NBA Draft after two seasons at DePaul. In his second season with the Blue Demons, Chandler led the team with averages of 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and was named Second Team All-Big East. He led the team to a 20-14 record, the school’s only 20-win season over the past 13.

Clippers sign Angel Delgado to two-way contract

The L.A. Clippers signed rookie center Angel Delgado to a two-way contract.

Delgado, 23, played four collegiate seasons at Seton Hall University, where he appeared in 132 games, averaging 12.1 points and 11.0 rebounds in 30.6 minutes. The 6’10”, 245-pound center led the country in rebounding and won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation’s best center, as a senior.

He represented his native Dominican Republic in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup, where he appeared in three games, averaging 8.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have two players signed to two-way contracts on the roster at any given time, along with their 15-man regular season roster. A two-way player for the Clippers will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario – and can spend up to 45 days with L.A., in addition to the time prior to the start of G-League training camp and after the G-League season concludes.

Nuggets trade Wilson Chandler to Sixers

The Denver Nuggets have traded forward Wilson Chandler and a future second round draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for cash considerations.

“We want to thank Wilson for seven years in Denver,” said Connelly. “As good as a player as he is, he’s an even better person. He will be a great addition in Philly and we will certainly all be rooting for him.”

Chandler, 31, spent seven seasons with Denver, averaging 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 357 games (267 starts). Overall he has appeared in 590 career games (447 starts) with New York and Denver, averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Lakers re-sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

“We are excited to bring KCP back,” said Pelinka. “He is a true ‘two-way’ player, which is very important for our team DNA. We think he will multiply his successes from last year as we move forward with roster continuity.”

In 74 games (all starts) for the Lakers last season, Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.2 minutes per game, while tallying career highs in field goal percentage (.426) and three-point percentage (.383).

The five-year NBA veteran has appeared in 388 career games (348 starts) for the Lakers and Detroit Pistons, holding career averages of 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes. He is also one of 22 players in league history to convert at least 635 three-pointers in his first five professional seasons (638).

Hornets sign rookie Devonte` Graham

The Charlotte Hornets have signed rookie guard Devonte’ Graham.

The Hornets acquired the rights to Graham, the 34th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, from the Atlanta Hawks in a draft night trade. Graham, a 6-2 guard from Kansas, was the 2017-18 Big 12 Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American after averaging 17.3 points, 7.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 37.8 minutes in 39 games played as a senior at Kansas. He led the Big 12 and ranked ninth nationally in minutes played, ranked second in the Big 12 and sixth nationally in assists, ranked second in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) and ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring. The native of Raleigh, North Carolina, set school single-season records for total assists (282) and minutes played (1,474), and was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.

Graham concluded his four-year career with the Jayhawks ranked second in school history in minutes played (4,498), second in three-point field goals (296), fifth in assists (632), seventh in steals (197), 11th in three-point percentage (.409) and 13th in scoring (1,750). During his four seasons, Kansas won four Big 12 regular-season titles and two Big 12 Tournaments and reached three NCAA Tournament Elite Eights and one Final Four.

Knicks sign Mario Hezonja

The New York Knicks signed free agent guard/forward Mario Hezonja.

According to the New York Post, the deal is a “one-year, $6.5 million contract with a portion of the Knicks’ mid-level exception.”

The 23-year old Croatia native, originally drafted fifth overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2015 NBA Draft, joins the Knicks following a career year where he nearly doubled his scoring average from the previous season (9.6) and averaged personal bests in rebounding (3.7), assists (1.4), steals (1.1), minutes (22.1) and games played (75).

“Mario is an extremely talented, multi-dimensional player who we’re excited to have join the Knicks,” said Scott Perry, General Manager. “With Mario, we’re adding another young, athletic and driven player. We’re confident he will further develop under this coaching staff and excel playing in New York.”

Hezonja is a 6-8, 215-pound guard/forward who appeared in 219 career NBA regular season games (41 starts), all with Orlando, averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.4 minutes. Hezonja recorded a career-high 28 points on Dec. 17, 2017 at Detroit, connecting on 8-of-12 from three-point range, becoming just the ninth player in Magic history to make eight-or-more three-pointers in a game. Internationally, he played in 54 games during two-plus seasons with FC Barcelona of the Spanish ACB League. He also helped lead the Croatia men’s national basketball team to fifth place in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Hornets trade Hamidou Diallo draft rights to Thunder

The Charlotte Hornets today acquired a 2019 second-round draft pick and cash considerations from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, the 45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The Hornets acquired Diallo’s rights, along with center Timofey Mozgov, a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations, from the Brooklyn Nets earlier today in exchange for Dwight Howard.

Diallo (6-5, 198), was originally selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 45th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Kentucky product started all 37 games as a redshirt freshman and averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.8 minutes per game and scored in double figures in 16 games.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Diallo represented the U.S. in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

Utah Jazz re-sign Derrick Favors, Dante Exum and Raul Neto

The Utah Jazz have agreed to terms to re-sign forward/center Derrick Favors, guard Dante Exum and guard Raul Neto.

Favors (6-10, 265, Georgia Tech) returns to Utah as the longest tenured Jazzman on the current roster, last year becoming just the 12th player in franchise history to appear in 500 career games. The 26-year-old enters the 2018-19 season tied for sixth in all-time Jazz offensive rebounds (1,241), sixth in career field goal percentage (.518), seventh in blocks (666), 10th in total rebounds (3,690) and 15th in points (6,070).

The 22-year-old Exum (6-6, 190, Australia) is entering his fourth NBA season, appearing in 14 games last year with averages of 8.1 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per contest. He returned from injury in time to appear in 10 playoff games for the Jazz, helping the team to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second-straight season. In the Second Round against Houston, Exum saw action in four games, averaging 8.3 points on 52.0 percent shooting, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.4 minutes per contest.

Neto (6-1, 179, Brazil) was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (47th overall pick) in the 2013 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Jazz in a draft-night trade. The 26-year-old has spent all three of his NBA seasons with Utah, appearing in 162 games (53 starts) with averages of 4.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.2 boards in 14.5 minutes per contest. In 2017-18, he saw action in 41 games, owning averages of 4.5 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 boards in 12.1 minutes, also playing in eight postseason contests.

The Jazz finished the 2017-18 season at 48-34, earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second-straight year. At 19-28 going into Jan. 24, the team posted a 29-6 record to close out the season, which marked the second-best record in the NBA after that date. Utah became the first team since the 2004-05 New Jersey Nets to end the regular season with a winning record after being nine games below .500 on Jan. 22