Tag: NBA
Official: Cavs extend Dean Wade
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Dean Wade to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced on Tuesday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a three-year, $18.5 million contract. The team picked up his fourth-year option in June, and now he’s locked up for the next few seasons.
“The Cavs gave me a real opportunity; I think that’s the biggest thing,” Wade said after practice today. “I’m thankful for the organization, coaching staff, everything. They gave me a real opportunity to show what I can do. I got lucky, and they kept me. It’s been a crazy journey. I’m just thankful for it.”
Wade appeared in 51 games (career-high 28 starts) for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per contest. The 6-9 forward also scored in double-figures on 11 occasions and registered one double-double.
The 25-year-old, who signed a two-way contract with the Cavs after he went undrafted in 2019 out of Kansas State, has spent his entire three-year NBA career with the Cavaliers, appearing in 126 regular season games (47 starts) with averages of 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game.
The Cavs have a hole at the 3-spot after trading Lauri Markkanen, and with his length and defensive ability, Wade could easily be a starter for this team in 2022-23.
Suns’ Crowder will not be with team during training camp, expected to be traded
The Phoenix Suns and forward Jae Crowder have mutually agreed that he will not be with the club for training camp, the team announced Sunday.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the two sides will work on a trade.
Last season, Crowder, whose role was expected to change with Cam Johnson being inserted in the starting lineup, started 67 games for the Suns and averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.
ONE MUST SEEK WORK WHERE HE IS WANTED.. WHERE HE IS NEEDED.! I AM THANKFUL FOR WHAT THESE PAST 2 YRS HAVE TAUGHT ME.! NOW I MUST TAKE ON ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH CONTINUED HARDWORK & DEDICATION.! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CLOSED THE DOOR ON ME…. THANK YOU! 99 BACK SOON.! 🥷🏾🤫🤐
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) September 25, 2022
The 32-year-old is scheduled to make $10.1 million in the final year of his contract and has helped Phoenix have a lot of success during his two seasons with the team, including a vital role on the team that made the NBA Finals in the 2020-21 season.
Crowder can help a team and is a winning player. The 10-year veteran has been to the Finals in two of the last three seasons(Heat, Suns).
Spurs’ Johnson injures shoulder
San Antonio forward Keldon Johnson suffered a right shoulder posterior dislocation, the team announced Saturday.
Johnson. 22, injured the shoulder during the team’s open gym and has started actively rehabbing.
According to the Spurs, he will miss the start of the preseason schedule, but Johnson is expected to be available for the start of the regular season.
Last season, Johnson averaged a career-high 17.0 points per contest and is one the team’s best players. During the offseason, the Spurs awarded Johnson as he signed a four-year, $80 million rookie scale contract extension.
In addition, San Antonio announced their training camp roster. which currently stands at 20 players. The Silver and Black return 11 players from last season and features six of San Antonio’s first round draft picks from the last four years, as well as six offseason additions.
Head coach Gregg Popovich returns to lead the Spurs for the 27th straight season. San Antonio’s training camp wil:l run Sept. 27 – Oct. 2 before kicking off the 2022-23 campaign with a preseason matchup at Houston on Sunday, Oct. 2.
The Spurs will open the regular season at home on Wednesday, Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets.
2022-23 SAN ANTONIO SPURS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER:
| No. |
Player |
Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | DOB | Prior to NBA/Home Country | Yrs. | ||
| 3 | Keldon Johnson | G/F | 6-6 | 210 | 10/11/99 | Kentucky/USA | 3 | ||
| 7 | Josh Richardson | G | 6-5 | 200 | 09/15/93 | Tennessee/USA | 7 | ||
| 10 | Jeremy Sochan | F | 6-8 | 225 | 05/20/03 | Baylor/Poland-England | R | ||
| 11 | Josh Primo | G | 6-5 | 190 | 12/24/02 | Alabama/Canada | 1 | ||
| 14 | Blake Wesley | G | 6-5 | 185 | 03/16/03 | Notre Dame/USA | R | ||
| 15 | Joe Wieskamp | G/F | 6-6 | 210 | 08/03/99 | Iowa/USA | 1 | ||
| 17 | Doug McDermott | F | 6-8 | 225 | 01/03/92 | Creighton/USA | 8 | ||
| 18 | Isaiah Roby | F | 6-8 | 230 | 02/03/98 | Nebraska/USA | 3 | ||
| 19 | Alize Johnson | F | 6-7 | 210 | 04/22/96 | Missouri State/USA | 4 | ||
| 22 | Malaki Branham | G | 6-5 | 195 | 05/12/03 | Ohio State/USA | R | ||
| 23 | Zach Collins | F/C | 6-11 | 250 | 11/19/97 | Gonzaga/USA | 4 | ||
| 24 | Devin Vassell | G | 6-6 | 195 | 08/23/00 | Florida State/USA | 2 | ||
| 25 | Jakob Poeltl | C | 7-0 | 240 | 10/15/95 | Utah/Austria | 6 | ||
| 26 | Dominick Barlow* | F | 6-10 | 220 | 05/26/03 | Overtime Elite/USA | R | ||
| 27 | Tommy Kuhse | G | 6-2 | 185 | 10/21/96 | Saint Mary’s (CA)/USA | R | ||
| 31 | Keita Bates-Diop | F | 6-8 | 230 | 01/23/96 | Ohio State/USA | 4 | ||
| 33 | Tre Jones | G | 6-2 | 185 | 01/08/00 | Duke/USA | 2 | ||
| 35 | Romeo Langford | G/F | 6-5 | 215 | 10/25/99 | Nebraska/USA | 3 | ||
| 41 | Gorgui Dieng | F/C | 6-10 | 250 | 01/18/90 | Louisville/Senegal | 9 | ||
| 55 | Jordan Hall* | G | 6-8 | 220 | 01/14/02 | St. Joseph’s (PA)/USA | R | ||
| *Two-way Contract | |||||||||
| Head Coach: | Gregg Popovich (Air Force) | ||||||||
| Assistant Coaches: | Brett Brown (Boston University) | ||||||||
| Mitch Johnson (Stanford) | |||||||||
| Matt Nielsen (Australia) | |||||||||
| Darius Songaila (Wake Forest) | |||||||||
Robert Sarver plans to sell Suns/Mercury
Phoenix Suns/Mercury owner Robert Sarver will sell the teams, he announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The 60-year-old has decided it’s in the best interest to sell the Suns and Mercury(WNBA) after the league suspended him for one year and fined him $10 million following the findings of an independent investigation of Sarver, which concluded he used the N-word on five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.
In addition, the report stated that Sarver engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including yelling and cursing at them.
In his statement, Sarver felt today’s society would not allow him to make amends for his past actions.
“As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness,” Sarver said in his statement. “I expected that the commissioner’s one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.
“But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible — that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes it is best for Sarver to sell the team and said the following in a statement discussing Sarver’s decision.
“I fully support the decision by Robert Sarver to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury,” Silver said. “This is the right next step for the organization and community.”
The entity that owns the Suns, Suns Legacy Partners, LLC, also agrees with Sarver’s choice to sell the team.
“We agree that Robert Sarver’s decision to sell the Suns and Mercury is in the best interest of the organization and community,” the statement read.
“We also know that today’s news does not change the work that remains in front of us to create, maintain and protect a best-in-class experience for our staff, players, fans, partners, and community.
“As we’ve shared with our employees, we acknowledge the courage of the people who came forward in this process to tell their stories and apologize to those hurt.
“We are on a journey that began before last November, one that has included changes to leadership, staff, and accountability measures. While we are proud of our progress and the culture of respect and integrity we are building, we know there remains work to do and relationships to rebuild. We are committed to doing so for our staff, players, fans, partners, and this community.”
Cavs’ Mitchell: ‘On paper, we look scary’
On Wednesday, the Cavs’ newest guard Donovan Mitchell was introduced to the Cleveland media at a press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland recently acquired the 26-year-old from the Utah Jazz In exchange for Collin Sexton (via sign and trade), Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three future unprotected first-round draft picks (2025, 2027, 2029), and also agreeing to swap picks in 2026 and 2028.
It was rumored for weeks that the three-time All-Star was going to get moved, and many, including Mitchell, who is a New York native, thought it was going to be the Knicks, but things broke down, the Cavs swooped in, and he’s happy to be in Cleveland.
“I thought for sure I was going back home,” he said. I’m not gonna lie about that, but when I found out where I was headed, who I was playing with; the group, the team, the coaching staff. I couldn’t be more happier to be here.”
On paper, with the addition of Mitchell, to go along with what they have with All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen and an ascending player in Evan Mobley, some believe the Cavs are championship contenders. Mitchell thinks the Cavs look scary, but they still have to prove it in the end.
“On paper, we look scary,” he said. “But at the end of the day it comes down to what we do in the gym. We had a good run today and we’ve got to continue to have good work, so I can’t sit here and tell you, ‘Yes, we’re a championship team.’ We have to go out there and prove it every night.”
Despite all the championship talk in Cleveland, Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman says it’s not contention or bust for the Cavs.
“We’re super young,” Altman said. “And the timeline fits to bring in this caliber of player with this group, and let’s rock; let’s rock out. I’m excited to see what it looks like, but there’s a runway here, and I don’t want everyone to think that this year we have to be contention or bust. That’s not what this is.”
It’s too early to say whether or not the Cavs are championship contenders, but it’s probably safe to say they are one of the better teams in the East. However, to Altman’s point, this is a young team, and some of these players are not finished products, so a championship in this upcoming season might be too lofty, but in my Kevin Garnett voice,
“Anything is possible!!!”
Featured
Listen to Go4i! Guest: Cavs F Dean Wade
Listen to Go4it! Guest: Cavs F Dean Wade on Wednesday at 7 pm ET.
We discussed many topics, including:
-The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell
-Upcoming season
-Wade’s role in Cleveland
-Being title contenders
-Evan Mobley
-Kevin Love
According to Wade, the Cavs are one of the top teams in the NBA.
Follow on Twitter: @goforitradiocom
Like on Facebook: Facebook.com/goforitradio
Subscribe on Youtube: Youtube.com/goforitradio
Listen here:
Pelicans sign Seabron(tw0-way deal), Petty Jr., Plowden
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Dereon Seabron to a two-way contract, the team announced Friday.
Additionally, the Pelicans have also signed guard John Petty Jr. and guard/forward Daeqwon Plowden. According to reports, Petty and Plowden signed Exhibit 10 deals.
Seabron, 6-7, 180, played collegiate seasons at North Carolina State, where he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 56 games. Seabron is coming off of a redshirt sophomore season in which he started 32 games, averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists en route to being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player and earning All-ACC Second Team honors.
Petty Jr., 6-5, 184, appeared in 31 games for the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, in 2021-22 in which he averaged 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.2 minutes per game. Prior to turning pro, Petty Jr. played four seasons at Alabama in which he averaged 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 131 games (105 starts), finishing his career with a school-record 311 made three-pointers. In his senior campaign, Petty Jr. averaged 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists en route to First Team All-SEC honors. Petty Jr. led the SEC with 77 made threes during the 2020-21 season.
Plowden, 6-6, 215, played five seasons at Bowling Green State (2017-22), averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per contest. Plowden finished his college career as BGSU’s all-time leader in games played (154), and is the only player in program history to log at least 1,200 career points, 800 rebounds, and 100 blocks.
Mavs extend Maxi Kleber
The Dallas Mavericks have extended the contract of forward Maxi Kleber, the team announced Thursday.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, it’s a three-year, $33 million contract extension. Kleber, who was entering the final year of his deal, is now under contract through 2025-26.
Last season, the 6-11 Kleber averaged 7..0 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest.
The Wurzburg, Germany native most recently helped lead the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals, playing in all 18 games and averaging 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 25.4 minutes per contest. His eight 3-pointers in Game 2 vs. Utah are tied for the second-most by a Maverick in a postseason game (Jason Terry, 9 3FGs, 5/8/11).
Kleber, 30, was originally signed with Dallas on July 13, 2017, and in five seasons as a Maverick, he has averaged 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 22.7 minutes in 326 games (136 starts).
Prior to the NBA, Kleber spent eight seasons playing professionally in Germany and Spain.
Pistons unveil Statement Edition uniforms for 2022-23 season
On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons unveiled their Statement Edition uniforms for the 2022-23 NBA season.
The black uniforms feature “DET” across the chest in white lettering, with a blue and red stripe across the jersey. The stripes pay homage to the warmup tops the Pistons wore during the late 80’s and early 90’s.
The uniform also features blue trim and the Pistons 313 logo on the shorts. United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the Pistons official jersey patch and exclusive mortgage partner, is featured prominently on the jersey’s left front strap.
The Statement Edition jerseys will be worn during every “In It For My City” promotional game throughout the season.
Here’s a sneak peek:
