Signed in Egypt - Signed with Al Ahly
- Birthdate: 10/13/1988
- Drafted (NBA): 28th pick, 2011
- Pre-draft team: Cleveland State
- Country: USA
- Hand: Right
- Agent: Joel Bell (Bell Management International)
| Date | League | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 NBA Draft | NBA | Drafted 28th overall by Chicago. |
| 24th June, 2011 | NBA | Draft rights traded by Chicago, along with the draft rights to Malcolm Lee (#43, 2011), to Minnesota in exchange for the draft rights to Nikola Mirotic (#23, 2011). |
| 24th June, 2011 | NBA | Draft rights traded by Minnesota to Miami in exchange for the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic (#31, 2011), a 2014 second round pick (#44, Markel Brown) and cash. |
| 9th December, 2011 | NBA | Signed four year, $5,284,926 rookie scale contract with Miami. Included team options for 2013/14 and 2014/15. |
| 2nd October, 2012 | NBA | Miami exercised 2013/14 team option. |
| 8th October, 2013 | NBA | Miami exercised 2014/15 team option. |
| 19th February, 2015 | NBA | As a part of a three team deal, traded by Miami to New Orleans, along with Justin Hamilton and Shawne Williams, and with Danny Granger, a protected 2017 first round pick (deferred to 2018) and a 2021 first round pick to Phoenix, in exchange for Goran Dragic and Zoran Dragic from Phoenix. |
| 15th September, 2015 | NBA | Re-signed by New Orleans to a one year, $3,036,928 contract. |
| 5th October, 2016 | China | Signed a one year contract with Shandong Flaming Bulls. |
| 1st December, 2016 | China | Released by Shandong. |
| 1st March, 2017 | NBA | Signed a guaranteed minimum salary contract for the remainder of the season with Oklahoma City. |
| 15th August, 2017 | Israel | Signed a one year contract with Maccabi Tel-Aviv. |
| 2007 - 2011 | Cleveland State (NCAA) |
| June 2011 - February 2015 | Miami Heat (NBA) |
| February 2015 - June 2016 | New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) |
| October 2016 - December 2016 | Shandong (China) |
| March 2017 - June 2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) |
| August 2017 - present | Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel) |
June 29, 2017
Norris Cole
PG, 6’2, 175lbs, 28 years old, 6 years of experience
Cole was brought in on a roster spot opened up by trade to be a comparatively veteran hand at point guard in light of Christon’s struggles. But Cole struggled just as much. Never a shooter or scorer, Cole tried to prove he was this in his short minutes on the floor, and while it is true to say that Westbrook’s team is built around offence from the point guard spot, that never meant it was built around offence from Norris Cole. There were far too many two-point pull-ups, which is about par for his career. Not a playmaker either, Cole is not sufficiently good of a passer to get players open without them realising they were open, and although his decent speed makes him an occasionally useful defender, he does not excel on that end enough to offset the offensive limitations. Wanting a steady hand, the Thunder did not find it here.
Player Plan: Expiring minimum salary contract and not worthy of another one.
June 25, 2011
Pick 28: The internet takes an insurmountable 14 stories to 0 lead over ESPN with the announcement that the number 28 pick is going to be traded yet again, this time from Minnesota to Miami, in exchange for the #31 pick, a future second round pick and cash. Miami instructs Minnesota to pick Norris Cole for them, a man who more than likely would have fallen anyway. Presumably, they got word that he wouldn't.
It doesn't take long to mention that Cole had a 41 point, 20 rebound game last season, against the damp squib that was Youngstown State. This is easy enough to default to, and certainly beats the alternative of making "yet another point guard goes to Minnesota!" jokes. Stu Scott does this anyway.
In a bitter irony, Cole is from Cleveland [State]. Miami just couldn't help themselves.
He doesn't have it any more, sadly, but Norris Cole used to rock a very hi-top fade.
June 22, 2011
Norris Cole - Cleveland State guard Cole put up the best individual game stat line in college basketball - 41 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists versus an admittedly forgettable Youngstown State team. It was the first collegiate 40/20 game since Blake Griffin, and Blake Griffin is not a 6'1 point guard. Cole's season averages are just as nice - 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, with a solid 2:1 assist/turnover ratio, solid defense and good transition play. Cole is not the best outside shooter, isn't the quickest, and is not especially big, but he wants it more than most. Grit, heart, hustle, intangibles, selflessness, etc. He's better than Cedric Jackson, who made the NBA with a few different teams. It needn't be an insurmountable obstacle that Jackson is bigger.
I'd make a Coronation Street reference here, but it would fall flat on its face.