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Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2021 to be inducted this weekend
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will officially induct the Class of 2021 on Saturday, September 11th in Springfield, Massachusetts. Among the class are notable former NBA players Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Chris Webber. There are also former NBA coaches being inducted in Rick Adelman and Bill Russell. Rounding out the inductees selected by the North American committee is longtime Villanova head coach Jay Wright.
The Women’s Committee will be inducting Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson. The Veteran’s Committee has only one induction this year in Bob Dandridge. There are also “Contributors” being inducted in Valeria Ackerman, Howard Garfinkel and Cotton Fitzsimmons. Finally, the International Committee will be inducting former Sixer Toni Kukoc, though Kukoc is being recognized for his international contributions, not his NBA play.
The enshrinement ceremony is Saturday September 11th at 7:00 pm and will be broadcast on NBA TV, with a red carpet show beginning at 6:00 pm.
Orlando Magic sign veteran guard E’Twaun Moore
The Orlando Magic have agreed to a deal to bring aboard free agent E’Twaun Moore, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Free agent guard E’Twaun Moore has agreed to a one-year, $2.6M deal with the Orlando Magic, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 8, 2021
The 32-year-old Moore most recently played for the Phoenix Suns during their NBA Finals run, appearing in 27 games during the regular season and seven games during the playoffs. His addition to the Magic marks the second time in his career that Moore has joined the franchise, playing for Orlando from 2012 to 2014. As Woj notes in the tweet above, Moore’s contract is a one-year deal worth $2.6 million.
Los Angeles Clippers sign Harry Giles to non-guaranteed deal
The Los Angeles Clippers and Harry Giles have agreed to a non-guaranteed deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Free agent C/F Harry Giles is signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Giles was the No. 20 pick in 2017 Draft and played for Portland last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 7, 2021
You have to feel for Giles. At one point during his high school career, Giles was ranked as the no. 1 prospect in the nation by ESPN and was as high as no. 2 according to Scout and Rivals. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during his senior year and elected to have surgery during his freshmen season of college at Duke. Despite this, he still managed to be drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft with the Sacramento Kings selecting him 20th overall. So far though, Giles hasn’t been able to show the same level of promise he once did as a high school prospect. Hopefully he’s able to make the most of this opportunity with the Clippers and get his career back on track.
San Antonio Spurs retain Keita Bates-Diop
The San Antonio Spurs have signed Keita Bates-Diop to a two-year contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Forward Keita Bates-Diop is returning to San Antonio on a new two-year contract, sources tell ESPN. He was on a two-way deal with the Spurs last season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 7, 2021
Bates-Diop played on a two-way deal with the Spurs last season. Apparently, they’ve been encouraged by his play. He now enters his fourth NBA season after being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves at 48th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. I remember thinking at the time that the Timberwolves were getting great value with the selection of KBD, but so far, he’s had an underwhelming career. He’ll be 26 years old in January 2022.