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Member: Canadian Elite Basketball League

The Guelph Nighthawks

https://www.thenighthawks.ca

Shelby Vilneff Director,
Marketing, Communications & Events
svilneff​@thenighthawks.ca

1005 - 2/3/2021 2:52:00 PM  

Guelph Nighthawks Sign Former LA Clippers Centre Diamond
 

For Immediate Release - February 3, 2021

The Guelph Nighthawks formally announced their first free agent acquisition today, signing former Los Angeles Clippers Centre Diamond Stone to a standard player contract for the 2021 Canadian Elite Basketball League season. 

Stone, an American citizen and internationally designated player, becomes the Nighthawks first signing for the 2021 season since the free agency window opened at Noon ET on February 1st. At 6’11” and 255 lbs. the 23-year-old will be a sizable interior presence on the Nighthawks roster and marks the first player in team history that has both been drafted into the NBA and previously played in regular season NBA games. 

In 2015, prior to selecting the University of Maryland for his lone year of college basketball, Stone was a consensus top-10 national high school recruit and a McDonald’s All-American prospect. At Maryland, Stone averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, including a Terrapins freshman team record 39 points against Penn State on 12/30/15, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Following his freshman season, Diamond Stone declared for the 2016 NBA Draft where he was selected 40th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night.

As a 19-year-old rookie, Stone played seven games with the NBA’s LA Clippers during the 2016/17 season, spending most of the season with their G-League affiliates Santa Cruz Warriors and Salt Lake City Stars. It was with the Warriors, in his first career NBA G-League game, that Diamond put up a career-high 31 points against the South Bay Lakers. Over three seasons, Stone has played a total of 77 NBA G-League regular season games, averaging 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while registering 11 double-doubles. In 2019, as a member of Rio Grande Valley, Stone helped lead the Vipers to the NBA G-League Championship in a 3-game series over the Long Island Nets.

Stone stated, “I’m excited to have this opportunity with the Nighthawks, especially since there are so many players not able to play right now. I’ve never been to Guelph, but look forward to spending time in the community and helping to bring a Championship to the city.”

Kissi commented, “We are excited about having Diamond Stone join our organization.  We feel it’s a great opportunity for growth on both sides.  He is such a unique talent for the league and we believe a major piece of our championship puzzle.”

Restricted free agency remains open until March 1st, where CEBL teams can sign players previously under contract by their respective club during the 2020 season, and players who were not under a CEBL contract during the 2020 season. On March 1st unrestricted free agency opens where all remaining unsigned players, including those previously under contract in 2020 with other CEBL teams, become available for signing by any team.


For the latest updates on the Nighthawks 2021 season please visit www.thenighthawks.ca.


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The Guelph Nighthawk is a nocturnal species, taking off at the crest of nightfall from its nest in the conservation lands, gliding smoothly and gracefully through the air before swooping in upon its prey at the Sleeman Centre.
       

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