July 15, 2009 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Denver Nuggets sign 2009 first round draft pick Ty Lawson

The Denver Nuggets have signed rookie G Ty Lawson to a contract, Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

All NBA first round draft picks are guaranteed a contract, assuming they want one right away, so this is standard and an expected signing.

Lawson, the 18th overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft out of North Carolina, was acquired by the Nuggets from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a draft-night trade on June 25. Named the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, Lawson was a key member of the Tar Heels’ 2009 NCAA Championship team.

Lawson, 5-11, 195, made his Nuggets debut last night in the team’s first game of the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He finished with eight points and three assists in 29 minutes of action during Denver’s 78-76 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets continue their summer league schedule tonight, taking on the Washington Wizards at 8:30 PM (Mountain Time).

Chicago Bulls re-sign Lindsey Hunter

The Chicago Bulls today re-signed guard Lindsey Hunter. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Hunter, a 6-2, 195-pound guard, originally signed with the Bulls on Nov. 13, 2008. The 16-year NBA veteran appeared in 28 games with Chicago and averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.3 apg in 9.5 mpg.

For his career, he has posted averages of 8.6 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 rpg and 1.21 spg in 25.0 mpg. He owns career shooting averages of .388 from the field, .361 from downtown and .746 from the line.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Hunter is about 73 years old and can barely tie his shoes at this point. He first entered the NBA before electricity existed. He’s basically an assistant coach on the floor. Somewhere, right now, his great-grandchild just hit a winning shot in a pickup basketball game.

Anthony Randolph scores 42 in summer league game

The San Jose Mercury News reports on Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Randolph: Randolph has been perhaps the most dominant player in this year’s summer league. He put together his best performance Tuesday as the Warriors defeated the Chicago Bulls 95-83 at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion. Randolph scored 42 points, tying the record for a Las Vegas summer league game. (Marcus Banks and Von Wafer each scored 42 in 2007.) Randolph also had four steals, three blocked shots and no turnovers. In four games, Randolph is averaging 26.7 points on 60.9 percent shooting with 8.5 rebounds. “He’s very unique,” said Warriors assistant coach Keith Smart, who’s coaching Golden State’s summer league team. “That’s why it’s hard for us to tell him, ‘Don’t do this and don’t do that,’ because his window is so big. We never thought he’d be able to post up and make a play, pass it out or shoot it. We never thought he could face a guy up and shoot a jumper.”

No NBA expansion team coming

The Las Vegas Review-Journal (Steve Carp) reports: For now, Las Vegas will have to be content with its lone tie to the NBA, as the host city for the annual Summer League. Commissioner David Stern said the league is not in a position to add members, and relocation is not an option because there is no NBA-quality arena in Las Vegas. “It’s more about the economy than the arena,” Stern said. “The idea of expansion, of building arenas, it’s waiting to see if the economy has bottomed out, what it’s going to do.”