NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury update on guard Rob Dillingham, who has been sidelined the past eight games due to a Grade 2 right lateral ankle sprain:
Dillingham has been cleared for full-contact, 5-on-5 basketball activities, and subsequently has been assigned to the Iowa Wolves, the team’s G League Affiliate, for a rehab assignment.
Per NBC Sports Bay Area:
If there’s one player outside of Steph Curry and Draymond Green who can help the struggling Warriors right the ship, it’s Andrew Wiggins.
Golden State (19-19), losers of 10 of its past 15 games, is missing a few key players due to injuries as it continues to slide further and further down the Western Conference standings. Perhaps none more important than fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is sidelined for the next three weeks due to a “significant” right ankle sprain.
The Brooklyn Nets last week (on January 1) signed forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a two-way contract.
In a related transaction, the Nets have requested waivers on two-way guard/forward Jaylen Martin.
Evbuomwan (6’7″, 217) appeared in 16 Tip-Off Tournament games (all starts) for the San Diego Clippers in the NBA G League this season, averaging 18.4 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32.6 minutes per game. The Newcastle, England, native saw action in 17 games (eight starts) with the Pistons and Grizzlies last season during his rookie campaign, averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds over 21.6 minutes per contest. He also played in 18 regular season games (16 starts) last season with the Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, posting averages of 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 34.5 minutes per game. Evbuomwan went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft after playing three seasons (2019-20, 2021-23) at Princeton, where he earned Ivy League Player of the Year as a junior and helped lead the Tigers to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a senior.
Martin signed a two-way contract with the Nets on Feb. 21, 2024. He appeared in three games for Brooklyn this season.
The Utah Jazz last week (on January 1) signed guard Elijah Harkless to a two-way contract.
Harkless (6-3, 195, UNLV) has appeared in 18 games (eight starts) for the San Diego Clippers, the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers, this season, averaging 16.4 points on 43.8 percent from the field, along with 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals in 27.1 minutes per contest.
The San Bernadino, Calif., native had a five-year collegiate career with Cal State Northridge (2018-20), Oklahoma (2020-22), and UNLV (2022-23) appearing in 131 career NCAA games (97 starts), owning averages of 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals in 27.5 minutes per contest. As a fifth-year senior for UNLV in 2022-23, he saw action in 32 games (all starts), averaging 19.1 points, adding 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes per game, garnering All-MWC Second Team honors.
The Minnesota Timberwolves last week (on January 3) claimed guard Tristen Newton off waivers.
In a related move, the Timberwolves have waived two-way guard Daishen Nix.
Newton, 6-5, has appeared in five games with the Indiana Pacers this season. He has also spent time with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League where in 10 games this year, he averaged 17.0 points on 42.4% shooting, including 41.4% from deep, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.1 minutes per game.
The El Paso, Texas native played five years collegiately between Eastern Carolina University and the University of Connecticut, including winning two NCAA championships at UConn. In his final season at Connecticut, Newton was named the 2024 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2024 Associated Press BIG EAST Player of the Year, 2024 Bob Cousy Award winner and was selected as a 2024 Consensus First Team All-American and 2024 Unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST. In five collegiate season, he averaged 12.8 points on 40.2% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.
Newton was originally drafted by the Pacers with the 49th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Detroit Pistons recently (January 6) signed forward Ron Harper Jr. and forward/center Tolu Smith to two-way contracts.
In a related move, the Pistons waived forward Cole Swider and guard Alondes Williams.
Harper Jr., 6-4, 233, appeared in 15 games this season for the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League while averaging 13.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.0 minutes per game. Undrafted in 2022, Harper Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, appearing in 10 games from 2022 to 2024 while averaging 2.0 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 5.2 minutes per game. A native of Paterson, NJ., Harper Jr. played four seasons collegiately at Rutgers and averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.1 minutes in 121 career games. Harper Jr. was named Third Team All-Big 10 in 2021 and Second Team All-Big 10 in 2022.
Smith, 6-11, 245, has competed in nine games this season for the Motor City Cruise, NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, while averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game while shooting 68.5% from the floor. Undrafted in 2024, Smith signed a training camp contract with the Detroit Pistons before joining the Motor City Cruise. A native of Bay St. Louis, Miss., Smith finished his college career at Mississippi State University, averaging 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.6 blocks in 108 games over four seasons. Smith was named First Team All-SEC in both 2023 and 2024.
Swider played in 18 games with the Motor City Cruise this season, averaging 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 33.6 minutes per game.
Williams, 6-4, 210, appeared in 18 games this season for the Cruise while averaging 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32.1 minutes per game.
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday, January 7 that they have waived center Bruno Fernando.
Fernando averaged 3.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 8.6 minutes in 17 games (two starts) this season. He grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds Nov. 12 at Milwaukee. Fernando signed with the Raptors as a free agent this past summer.
Toronto’s roster now stands at 14 players, with three two-way players.
Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced several days ago that the team has waived Pete Nance.
Nance appeared in one game for the 76ers after signing a two-way contract on Dec. 3.
The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday, January 8 that they have signed forward Eugene Omoruyi to a 10-day contract.
Omoruyi, 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 28.1 minutes in 14 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games with Raptors 905 in the NBA G League this season. He is shooting .577 (109-189) from the field and .354 (17-48) from three-point range. Omoruyi has scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 34 points Dec. 15 at Maine, and recorded two double-doubles.
After going undrafted in 2021, Omoruyi signed a two-way contract with Dallas. He holds NBA career averages of 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 12.1 minutes in 87 games (six starts) with the Mavericks, Oklahoma City, Detroit and Washington. Prior to the NBA, he played three collegiate seasons at Rutgers (2016-19) before transferring to Oregon for his senior year (2020-21) where he earned All-Pac 12 first team honours.
A native of Benin City, Nigeria, Omoruyi and his family moved to Canada when he was a toddler. He attended Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain was reviewed today by the surgeon who performed surgery on his left knee on Dec. 17.
Per the Sixers, he is progressing well and will be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
McCain was having a standout first season in the league. Per CBS Sports, “Prior to the injury, McCain was the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists, while shooting 38% from 3-point range in 23 games. McCain’s scoring average still leads all rookies. McCain saw an increase in his role after Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey went out with an injury early in the season, which pushed him into the starting lineup. Injuries to both Joel Embiid and Paul George also meant McCain got the offensive freedom to score at will, which he took full advantage of on a nightly basis.”