>>Knicks Sign Draft Picks Porzingis, Grant

The New York Knicks have signed first-round draft picks Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant.
The team announced the signings Thursday, along with the re-signing of forward Lou Amundson.

The 7-foot-3 Porzingis was the fourth overall selection in the recent draft and played professionally for
Cajasol Seville in Spain the past three seasons. At the NBA summer league in Las Vegas this month,
the 19-year-old averaged 10.5 points in four games.

Grant, a 6-4 guard, was the 19th overall pick after averaging 14.6 points and 5.8 assists in four
seasons with Notre Dame. In his senior season, he averaged 16.5 points and 5.8 assists in 38 games.
In five summer league games, Grant averaged 11.8 points and 4.8 assists in five games.

Amundson averaged 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 41 games after signing with the Knicks in
January.

Also Thursday, New York waived guard Ricky Ledo. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists
and 19.4 minutes in 12 games for the Knicks last season.

>>NBA Considering Games in Africa

The NBA is in Africa for an exhibition, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expects more important
games to come.

"Stay tuned," Silver said Thursday as 20 NBA stars, including Chris Paul and Luol Deng, prepare to
play at a small arena in downtown Johannesburg - the first NBA game of any kind in Africa. "This is an
experiment of sorts."

Although he didn't give an exact time frame, Silver said a pre-season game and then a regular-season
game on the continent was the logical progression for the NBA, which is on a "fast track" to build a
brand in soccer-crazy Africa.

Having already explored possibilities in China and Europe, Africa's next for the NBA, which has
brought some big names - coaches as well as players - to Johannesburg for Saturday's exhibition
game at Ellis Park Arena.

There's Paul, an eight-time All Star, who will captain Team World. Deng, a two-time All Star, will lead a
Team Africa. Pau and Marc Gasol have also made the trip, as has San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich and coach of the year Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks. Also on the rosters are Al-
Farouq Aminu and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who both have parents from Nigeria.

This game's the next step in the league's links to Africa that began with the first-round draft of
Hakeem Olajuwon by the Houston Rockets in 1984, Silver said. Olajuwon, who is from Nigeria and is
part of this trip to South Africa as an NBA ambassador, went on to become a two-time NBA champion
and 12-time All Star.

The NBA's presence in Africa, and particularly southern Africa, is still comparatively small. On
Saturday, the stars will play at an old, 4,000-seat arena, tiny for NBA standards. But it's sold out and
it's a start, Silver told a small group of reporters at his hotel.