Portland Trail Blazers Sign C.J. McCollum to 4-Year $106 Million Extension

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The Portland Trail Blazers and guard C.J. McCollum have reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth $106 million, according to The Vertical and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The deal does not include a player option, and there are no trade kickers in the deal. The contract will begin in the 2017-2018 season. McCollum was set to become a restricted free agent in 2017, but the two sides have now avoided free agency. 

McCollum was the named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after blossoming in first season starting alongside Damian Lillard. The Blazers backcourt was the third-highest scoring tandem in the league behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. 

McCollum was named the starting shooting guard after Wesley Matthews signed with the Dallas Mavericks during free agency in 2015. McCollum saw his scoring average increase by 14 points last year. The 14-point improvement was the biggest improvement since Tony Campbell of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game in 34.8 minutes a game. 

McCollum was also a deadly shooter from beyond the arc, as he shot 41.7% from beyond the three point line. He played a crucial role on a Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Semifinals last season.  McCollum scored in double figures in 79 games. 

McCollum joins a long list of moves that the Trail Blazers have made this offseason. The team has brought back Allen Crabbe and Myers Leonard, while also adding Festus Ezeli, Shabazz Napier, and Evan Turner.

NBA Summer League Playoffs Preview: Semifinals

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns: The Timberwolves come into the game as the 24th and last seed in the tournament. They have come off with wins against the nine seed San Antonio Spurs, the eighth seed Memphis Grizzlies and the top seed Toronto Raptors. 

The Suns come in to this game as the fifth seed. They needed a buzzer beater from Tyler Unis to beat the Denver Nuggets in the quarterfinal. 

While the five seed against the 24 seed seems like a blowout is looking like the outcome, the T-Wolves are showing they are better than a 24th seed by knocking off top 10 seeds all throughout. The Suns should be worried.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls: The Cavaliers, coming off of an NBA championship, is looking to add a Summer League Championship to that resume. Standing in their way is the Chicago Bulls, led by rookie Denzel Valentine.

In their last game against the Washington Wizards, Valentine recorded a double double. The Cavs, meanwhile, shut out the Brooklyn Nets 8-0 in overtime in the quarterfinal. Both teams have shown their power, so this should be a close game to see who will advance to the NBA Summer League Finals.

NBA Summer League Playoffs Preview: Quarterfinals

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The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is down to its final eight teams. The four quarterfinals matchups for Saturday afternoon and evening will be contested in the following order:

4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors

Minnesota has been led by Kris Dunn (24 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals per game) and Tyus Jones (17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, six assists, one steal per game), who entered the tournament bracket as the 24th ranked team but defeated the Spurs and Grizzlies to reach the quarterfinals. Toronto has been led by Norman Powell (20.5 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists per game) and Jakob Poeltl (seven points, seven rebounds, two blocks per game) as they have reached the quarterfinals undefeated.

6 p,m. ET, ESPN2
Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets

The Suns went 2-1 in group play, led by Devin Booker's 26 points, five rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Alan Williams has also been a big contributor, with 13 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Phoenix defeated the Miami Heat to get to the quarterfinals. Denver also went 2-1 in group play, then defeated the Utah Jazz to reach the quarterfinals. Emmanuel Mudiay and Gary Harris each scored over 20 points in their one game played. Jimmer Fredette and Jamal Murray have averaged at least 15 points per game, playing in all of Denver's games so far.

8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls

Washington went 2-1 to reach the second round of the tournament, then defeated the Atlanta Hawks to get to the quarterfinals. Kelly Oubre Jr has averaged 20 points, five rebounds and two steals per game over the four games he's played. Jarrell Eddie, Micheal Eric, and Danuel House have each averaged double-digits in scoring while playing in at least three games. The Bulls went undefeated to reach the quarterfinals, including defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the tournament's second round. Bobby Portis is averaging 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while Christiano Felicio, Spencer Dinwiddie, Denzel Valentine, and Jerian Grant have all averaged at least 11 points per game.

10 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets

Cleveland went 1-2 during group play, but defeated the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the tournament, then took out the then-undefeated Lakers in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals. Jordan McRae has averaged over 25 points per game, and Jay Felder has contributed an additional 15 points per game to lead the way. Brooklyn went into the tournament 2-1, then defeated the Philadelphia 76ers to reach the quarterfinals. They have been led by Sean Kilpatrick's 17 points and 5 rebounds, Chris McCullough's 12 points and seven rebounds, and Rondae Hollis Jefferson's 10 points, seven rebounds, and three steals to get this far.

NBA Summer League Playoffs Preview: Second Round

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The second day of the NBA Las Vegas Summer League playoffs again features eight games, with teams vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The second round will start with the Warriors taking on the top seeded Raptors. Toronto has been led by sophomore guard Norman Powell out of UCLA, who is averaging 21.7 points per game which is eighth in the summer league. Golden State has been led by Keifer Sykes, a sophomore guard out of Green Bay who played mainly for the Austin Spurs D-League team last season.

Next the Timberwolves face the eighth seeded Grizzlies. Minnesota has been led by the fifth pick in the 2016 NBA Draft Kris Dunn, who is averaging 24.0 points per game, third in the league. The Grizzlies, much like their NBA squad, has been focused on team play and distribution of points, with four players averaging between ten and 14 points per game.

In the day's third match-up, the Heat come into their game against the Suns fresh off a victory over the Pelicans. The Suns have been one of the highest scoring teams in the summer league, and have been led by sophomore guard Devin Booker, who finished fourth in the 2016 rookie of the year voting. The Heat have been one of the leagues lowest scoring teams and are led by Rodney McGruder who is averaging 12.8 points per game.

In the fourth game of the second round, the Denver Nuggets are taking on the Utah Jazz. Denver has been led by the combination of Emmanuel Mudiay and Gary harris, who are averaging 23.0 and 22.0 points per game respectively. The Jazz are led by Tyler Lyles, who is leading the Las Vegas league with 29.0 points per game.

The 14th seeded Cavaliers are matched up against the third seeded Lakers, who is led by sophomore guard D'Angello Russell. Then, in a match-up of two of the worst 2015-2016 NBA teams, the 76ers take on the Nets. Neither team has a player who is averaging above 14.0 points per game.

The seventh game of the day consists of the Atlanta Hawks versus the Washington Wizards. The Hawks have six players between 9.5 and 15.5 points per game, while the Wizards are led by Kelly Oubre Jr., a sophomore forward out of Kansas who is averaging 19.0 points per game.

The final matchup of the day has the Mavericks facing off against the second seeded Bulls. The Bulls have been led by sophomore forward Bobby Portis out of Arkansas, who is averaging 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Games start at 4 p.m. ET on NBA TV and 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. 

NBA Summer League Playoffs Preview: First Round

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The First Round of the Las Vegas Summer League Playoffs will begin today, as eight games will be played throughout the day. These teams will be vying for a spot in the Second Round, where they’ll take on teams that have already earned a spot in the Second Round. The first game of the day will feature the Atlanta Hawks, who will be facing off against the Sacramento Kings. Atlanta enters this game with a 2-1 record, while Sacramento has struggled in their first three games, as they enter this first round matchup with a 0-3 record. Atlanta is led by guard Kevin Pangos, who is averaging 12.3 points per game, which leads the team. Edy Tavares is leading the team in rebounds per game (7.0). The 7-3 center is also leading the team in blocks per game (3.3).

The Kings have been led by former Gonzaga guard David Stockton, who is averaging 13.0 points and 4.5 assists per game, which leads the team. The second game of the day has the Miami Heat, going up against the New Orleans Pelicans. After the Heat struggled in their first game against the Dallas Mavericks, they rebounded to win their final two games. New Orleans enters the game with a 1-2 record, and they’ve gotten some fantastic play from rookie Buddy Hield. The seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is averaging 19.0 points per game, which leads the team. Cheick Diallo, the center out of Kansas, leads the team in rebounds per game (8.3), and in blocks per game (2.7). The Heat have been led by guard Rodney McGruder, who leads the team in points per game with 14. Okaro White has led the team in rebounds, as he’s averaged seven per game.

The third game of the First Round will feature the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio enters the game with 2-1 record, while Minnesota has registered a 0-3 record. One bright spot for the T-Wolves has been fifth overall pick Kris Dunn, who is averaging 24.0 points per game, which is the third highest average in the whole summer league. Devin Thomas has led the team in rebounds per game, as he’s averaged eight rebounds over three games. Leading the Spurs has been Kyle Anderson, who is averaging a team-high 18.5 points per game. Anderson has put up 23 meetings two different times during the Las Vegas Summer League. The fourth game of the day will have the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the D-League Select Team.

Philly enters with a 0-3 record, but one bright spot has been number one pick Ben Simmons, who’s dominated the passing lanes. The D-League Select Team enters with a 2-1 record, and they’ve been led by Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Jaron Johnson, whose averaging 12.5 points per game. The next game will have the Boston Celtics (1-2), taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2). Boston has been led by second year guard Terry Rozier, who leads the team in points (19.5), rebounds (5.5), and steals (3.0). The defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers are led by Jordan McRae, who has averaged a team-high 20.3 points per game. The sixth game will feature a battle of two Western Conference teams, as the Portland Trail Blazers (1-2), will battle the Utah Jazz (1-2). Utah has been led by the dominant Trey Lyles, who is averaging a summer league high 29.0 points per game.

Portland is led by Pat Connaughton, who is averaging 14.0 points per game, and Noah Vonleh, who is averaging a team-high 11.0 rebounds per game. The next game will feature the Milwaukee Bucks (1-2) taking on the Dallas Mavericks (1-2). Dallas has been led by the scoring of Jonathan Gibson, who has averaged a team-high 22.0 points per game. Milwaukee is being led by second year guard Rashard Vaughn, who is averaging 16.3 points. The final game of the night features the Golden State Warriors (1-2), taking on the Houston Rockets (1-2). Golden State is led by Keifer Sykes, who is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game. Houston is led by second year forward Sam Dekker, who has averaged 16.0 points per game. All Las Vegas Summer League games can be watched on NBATV and ESPN2. 

NBA Las Vegas Summer League Preview

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The Las Vegas Summer League will kick off action starting tomorrow, July 8^th, and it will run until July 18^th, when the champion of the Las Vegas Summer League will be crowned. The Las Vegas Summer League will host 24 teams, as we’ll get to see some of the top rookies in action. We’ll also see undiscovered prospects and journeymen trying make a name for themselves. There will be as many as eight games going on at a time, as the 24 teams will play each other in two arenas; UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, and the Cox Pavilion. 

Based off of how the team does in non-playoff action, they will be seeded, and then they will play in the playoffs. The final two teams standing will play for the championship, which will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center. Some of the top picks in the NBA Draft will partake in Las Vegas Summer League action. The most recognizable name of them all is number one overall pick Ben Simmons, who will be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons dazzled at the Utah Summer League, and he has a chance to make another good impression when he headlines the Sixers roster in Vegas. The second pick in the NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram, will make his NBA debut for the Lakers.

Another notable name on the Lakers roster, is point guard D’Angelo Russell, who was the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, will get a chance to build chemistry with Ingram, which is probably one of the bigger reasons why he is on the Lakers roster. The third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft will get his second crack at Summer League action, as Jaylen Brown will try to build on his performance in Utah. The fourth and eighth picks in this year’s draft, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, will be lacing up for the Suns, as they’ll be making their NBA debuts. 

The fifth pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Kris Dunn, who was considered the best point guard in the draft, will get his first chance to impress the Timberwolves. The New Orleans Pelicans will debut their new superstar, as shooting guard Buddy Hield, who was selected sixth overall in the 2016 draft, will lace up for the Pelicans. The Denver Nuggets are taking a similar route that the Lakers took, as seventh overall pick Jamal Murray will be playing with new backcourt mate Emmanuel Mudiay, who was a first round pick in the 2015 draft. 

The Miami Heat are using two players that played big roles on last year’s team, as Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson will both play for the team in Las Vegas. Those two just recently enjoyed success in the Orlando Summer League. Two journeymen will be trying to prove themselves, as Michael Beasley will lace up for the Houston Rockets, while Landry Fields will play for the Golden State Warriors. 

NBA Utah Summer League Preview

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The Utah Jazz will be hosting the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs in a three day summer league on July 4, 5 and 7. It will be an opportunity for the young talent from the four teams to get some playing time together and against other similarly experienced players. It will also be a warm-up before all four teams join twenty other teams from the league in Las Vegas from July 8-18.

Boston’s roster will feature the third overall draft selection from this year’s NBA Draft, Jaylen Brown from the University of California. His selection was a surprisingly high according to most analysts (and Celtics fans), as he was expected to be in the number six to nine range. Other draft picks on the Celtics’ summer league roster include Guerschon Yabusele (16th overall, France), Demetrius Jackson (45th, Notre Dame), Ben Bentil (51st, Providence) and Abdel Nader (58th, Iowa State).

The Philadelphia 76ers have not yet released their summer league roster, but it is safe to assume that their number 1 overall draft pick from Louisiana State University, Ben Simmons, will suit up for the team. The 6’10”, 240-pound freshman was the presumed top draft pick for a majority of the NCAA season, and Philadelphia made it so on draft night.

The 76ers’ other two first-round draft picks, Timothe Luwawu from Serbia (24th overall) and Furkan Korkmaz from Turkey (26th overall) will most likely make their first appearances as well. It will be interesting to see if previous draft picks Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel will see playing time considering their lack of experience and playing time in the NBA to this point.

The San Antonio Spurs roster doesn’t yet include their only 2016 draft pick, Dejounte Murray from Washington, but does include a member of 2016 NCAA Champion Villanova: 6’3”, 190-pound guard Ryan Arcidiacono. The Spurs will also show off three players at or near seven feet tall: Tonye Jekiri from the University of Miami; Alex Kirk of the University of New Mexico and most recently playing professionally in Italy; and Erazem Lorbek of Slovenia who, at 32 years old, is the oldest player appearing in the Utah Summer League.

Lastly, the host Utah Jazz boast North Carolina guard Marcus Paige, Cal guard Tyrone Wallace, Weber State forward Joel Bolomboy, and Baylor forward Taurean Prince. They will also have the tallest player on display, 7’3” Tibor Pleiss. Other notable names include former Ohio State guard Aaron Craft, Dionte Christmas of Temple and the Turkish Basketball Super League, and second-year forward from Kentucky Trey Lyles.

The four teams will engage in a round robin series of games. On Mondady, July 4, the Celtics will face the 76ers at 5 p.m. local time, and the Spurs will take on the Jazz at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, July 5, the 76ers will play the Spurs at 3 p.m. and the Celtics will play the Jazz at 5 p.m.

The last day of play will be on Thursday, July 7, when the Celtics face the Spurs at 5 p.m. and the 76ers take on the Jazz at 7 p.m. Tickets to individual games, as well as three-day passes and a Fourth-of-July special are all available online at http://www.nba.com/jazz/summerleague/2016.

NBA Free Agency Recap: Day 1

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The NBA free agency period began today, as we saw a multitude of players get huge contracts. Over $1 billion was spent on free agents today, as many players got career changing contracts. A lot of players re-signed with their teams, while some other players took off to sign with news teams. 

A few hours after the free agency period started, the Toronto Raptors retained one of their best players from last year. The Raptors re-signed shooting guard DeMar DeRozan to a five-year $139 million contract, which is the second largest contract in NBA history. DeRozan was selected by Toronto with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. DeRozan averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game last year, as led the Raptors to their first Eastern Conference Finals last season. The Detroit Pistons also retained one of their best players, as they re-signed center Andre Drummond to a five-year max contract worth $130 million. 

Drummond led the Pistons to the playoffs this year, as he averaged 16.2 points, and 14.8 rebounds per game last season. A few hours after meeting with Dallas and Miami, center Hassan Whiteside decided that he will stay in South Beach. Whiteside, who's been with the Heat since 2014, signed a four-year deal worth $98 million. Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and a league leading 3.7 blocks per game last season. The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing back a big part of their young core, while also adding a center to their front court. 

The Lakers re-signed guard Jordan Clarkson to a four-year contract worth $50 million. In his second season, Clarkson averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists for the Lakers last year. Los Angeles also announced the signing of former Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov. Mozgov signed a four-year contract worth $64 million. Mozgov saw limited playing time with the NBA champions last year, as he averaged 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season. 

The Washington Wizards announced that they have re-signed guard Bradley Beal, who was selected by Washington with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Beal signed a five-year max contract worth $128 million. Last year, Beal averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The Indiana Pacers bolstered their front court as they signed former Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson. Jefferson signed a three-year $30 million deal with the Pacers. Jefferson averaged 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. The Memphis Grizzlies added some much needed offense to their roster, as they signed former Dallas Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons. Parsons signed a four-year contract worth $94 million. 

Parsons averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last year with the Mavs. In the most shocking move of the day, Dwight Howard is going home to Atlanta. Howard and the Hawks agreed to a three-year contract worth $70.5 million. Howard averaged 13.7 points and 11.5 rebounds with the Rockets last year. The Grizzlies also re-signed point guard Mike Conley to a five-year contract worth $153 million, which is the biggest contract in NBA history. Conley averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists per game last year. All free agents can officially sign when the moratorium period ends on July 7.

NBA Orlando Summer League Preview

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The NBA Summer League Series begins tomorrow when the Orlando series kicks off. The Orlando Summer League will last from July 2-8. The Orlando Magic, the team hosting the league, will have two teams, a white team and a blue team.

Other teams include the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. 

The series kicks off at 9 a.m. tomorrow as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks square off. Unfortunately, the event is not open to the public.

A point system will determine the NBA Orlando Summer League standings to decide who will play in the championship game on July 8. 

OJ Mayo Disqualified from NBA

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The NBA announced Friday afternoon that Milwaukee Bucks guard O.J. Mayo has been dismissed and disqualified from the NBA, because he violated the league’s Anti-Drug Program. Mayo is suspended for a minimum of two years, before he can apply for reinstatement to the league. 

This means that Mayo could return for the start of the 2019-2020 NBA season. No further details have been released about what Mayo took, as teams, the NBA, and the Players Association are not allowed to disclose information regarding violations of the Anti-Drug Program. 

As stated in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, substances that are “drugs of abuse” are prohibited. Analogs, cocaine, LSD, opiates, and PCP are all substances that are banned by the Anti-Drug Program. According to the CBA, reinstatement is not guaranteed. Mayo was going to be a free agent this summer, but he now will have to wait at least two years to be a free agent once again. 

This is not the first time that Mayo has been caught with a violation of the Anti-Drug Program. In 2011, Mayo was suspended 10 games for taking dehydroepiandrosterone which is an over-the-counter steroid. However this time around, it seems to be a lot worse than what happened five years ago. Mayo’s dismissal from the league is the first one since 2006, when Memphis Grizzlies center Chris Andersen was suspended for two years. 

Andersen would return in 2008, which is some sort of good news for Mayo. The 28-year-old guard has spent the past three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. Mayo averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 41 games last season. He was taken with the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and he’s averaged 13.8 points and 2.9 assists per game in his career.