July 2010 – Page 19 – NBA Blog

Raptors sign second-round rookie Solomon Alabi

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed centre Solomon Alabi (all-AH-bee). Per team policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. The Raptors acquired the draft rights to Alabi (50th overall selection) from the Dallas Mavericks on June 24 for a 2013 conditional second-round pick and cash considerations.

Alabi, 7-foot-1, 250 pounds, was named All-ACC Defensive Team in his two full seasons at FSU. He started all 67 games, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament twice and the ACC Tournament Championship Game as a redshirt freshman. He averaged a school record 2.1 blocked shots per game for his career. He also shot .534 per cent from the field in his two-plus seasons with the Seminoles.

A native of Nigeria, Alabi averaged a team-best 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 32 games in 2009-10 campaign. He scored in double figures 18 times, including a career-high 22 points twice, in back-to-back games against Georgia State and Auburn. He also blocked a career-best seven shots against Boston College.

As a redshirt freshman in 2008-09, Alabi averaged 8.4 points and team bests of 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He had a season-best 17 points with nine rebounds versus Clemson and rejected a season-high six shots against Charleston Southern.

Alabi played nine games as a freshman in 2007-08 before being sidelined with a stress fracture in his leg.

Knicks acquire rights to Jerome Jordan from Bucks

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has acquired the draft rights to center Jerome Jordan from Milwaukee in exchange for cash considerations. Jordan was selected by Milwaukee in the second round (44th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. He is expected to play for the team’s entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV. Per team policy, the financial terms were not disclosed.

Jordan, 7-0, 253-pounds, played four seasons at the University of Tulsa, averaging 11.3 points on .567 shooting from the field, and 7.4 rebounds and 2.50 blocks in 133 games (119 starts). He was selected to the Conference USA All-Defensive Team each of the last three seasons and earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors as a senior after averaging 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.34 blocks in 35 games (all starts). He is the only player in Conference USA history to record at least 800 rebounds and 300 blocks, and is the all-time Conference USA and Tulsa leader in blocked shots. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the United States as a high school junior.

Kings sign second-round rookie Hassan Whiteside

The Sacramento Kings today signed rookie center-forward Hassan Whiteside to a contract, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Whiteside was Sacramento’s second round selection (33rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft out of Marshall University as an undergraduate.

Whiteside, an early entry candidate, was the 2010 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and a Division I leading 5.35 blocks per game in 34 contests for Marshall. The 7-0, 235-pound center set school records for most blocks in a season and career with 182, the fourth highest season total in Division I history and the second most by a freshman. He led the nation in triple-doubles with three.

Whiteside also garnered the following honors: AP Honorable Mention All-American, Sporting News Second Team freshman All-American, Second Team All Conference USA, Conference USA All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team, Second Team NABC All-District 11.

Whiteside becomes just the second player from Marshall drafted by the Kings. Current New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni was selected by the Kings in the second round of the 1973 NBA Draft.

Hornets trade Cole Aldrich, Morris Peterson to Thunder for Craig Brackins, Quincy Pondexter

The New Orleans Hornets finalized a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder this morning that sent the rights to Cole Aldrich and guard Morris Peterson in exchange for the rights to Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter.

“The concept that we liked was the idea of being able to add two young players in the draft,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “By getting two picks, we had the opportunity to add two different types of players like Craig and Quincy. It continues our pursuit to strengthen our team and gives us two experienced college players who had great careers at their respected school.”

Brackins, the 21st overall pick in the draft, averaged a team-high 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a junior last season for Iowa State. Craig was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as a sophomore and the All-Big 12 Second Team as a junior. The 6-10, 230 pound forward started every game during his three-year career for the Cyclones.

Pondexter, the 26th overall pick in the draft, finished third in the Pac-10 in scoring (19.3 ppg) and rebounds (7.4 rpg) for Washington his senior season. Quincy was named All-Pac-10 First Team and Pac-10 All-Tournament Team his senior season and set a Pac-10 record with five player-of-the-week honors his final season for the Huskies. The 6-6, 225 pound guard/forward finished his career as Washington’s all-time career leader in games played (136) and finished third in scoring (1,786 points).

New Orleans originally selected Kansas’ Aldrich at the 11th slot. An early entry candidate for the 2010 Draft, Aldrich averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior, registering 15 double-doubles for the Jayhawks.

Peterson holds career averages of 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 27.4 minutes in 707 games (487 starts) with Toronto and New Orleans. Last season he played in 43 games (39 starts) for the Hornets, averaging 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 21.2 minutes per game.

Both players will be part of the Hornets’ entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and are expected to participate in this evening’s practice. The Hornets will play their first summer league game Friday, July 9 vs. Golden State.

Linas Kleiza signs Toronto offer sheet

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed restricted free-agent forward Linas Kleiza (LYNN-as CLAY-za) to an offer sheet. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details tonight.

The Denver Nuggets are expected to receive the offer sheet Friday. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Saturday they will have seven days to match the Raptors’ offer.

Kleiza played last season in Greece with Olympiakos after four seasons (2005-09) with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 31 regular season games with Olympiakos. He shot .596 from the field, .374 from three-point range and .800 from the foul line.

In 22 Euroleague outings, Kleiza contributed 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. In the regular season he finished second in the Euroleague in scoring at 19.7 points per contest. He led Olympiakos to the Euroleague Championship game in Paris.

Kleiza averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 301 career games with Denver. He saw action in 26 postseason games, where he averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Kleiza, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, was born in Lithuanian, attended high school in Maryland and played collegiately at the University of Missouri. He was selected 27th overall by Portland in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Raptors re-sign Amir Johnson

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have re-signed free-agent forward Amir Johnson. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson, 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, averaged career highs in points (6.2), rebounds (4.8) and minutes (17.7) while appearing in a career-best 82 games in the 2009-10 season. He upped his averages to 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 33.0 minutes during five games in a starting role. He also recorded a franchise single-season record by shooting .623 from the field (min. 200 shots).

Johnson scored in double-figures 21 times and posted double-digit totals on the glass on five occasions in his first season with the Raptors. He set a career high with 26 points April 12 at Detroit and grabbed a season-best 13 rebounds, including a career-high nine defensive boards, April 9 at Atlanta.

Johnson was acquired from Milwaukee with guard-forward Sonny Weems on August 18, 2009 after spending his previous four seasons in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.

In 2008-09, Johnson averaged 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 14.7 minutes in 62 games. In 24 games as a starter, he averaged 4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.04 blocks in 19.6 minutes. He recorded 17 games with two or more blocks shots and led the Pistons in field goal percentage at .595. He had a career-high 14 rebounds versus Sacramento on January 2, 2009.

The 23-year-old was selected out of Westchester (Los Angeles) High School by the Pistons in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Suns re-sign Channing Frye

The Phoenix Suns have re-signed center Channing Frye to a five-year contract, the club announced today. We’ll post contract details later today.

“Channing’s ability to shoot and spread the floor was instrumental in our success last season, and it was very important for us to bring him back,” said Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “But more than just what he adds on the court, Channing is a great teammate, a high-character individual, and a willing ambassador in our community. He embodies all the things we look for in a Phoenix Sun.”

Frye’s new contract keeps him in his hometown where last season he added lethal long-range shooting ability to his game and became one of the league’s most improved players. The 27-year-old Frye averaged 11.2 points in his first season with the Suns in 2009-10, his highest scoring average since his rookie campaign in 2005-06 (12.3). The 6-11 center scored 20 or more points 11 times, establishing a new single-season career-high.

A five-year NBA veteran, Frye registered the largest increase in three-point field goals made from one season to the next in NBA history, racking up a team-leading and career-high 172 three-pointers, the fourth-most in the league in 2009-10, a season after making a total of 11 threes in 63 games in 2008-09 (minimum 50 games played). Frye’s 172 threes were the most made by a center in NBA history, and he set the mark while developing into one of the league’s most efficient shooters, making a career-high 43.9 percent from three-point range, sixth-best in the NBA last season.

Originally selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by New York, the University of Arizona product spent his first two career seasons with the Knicks before being acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers along with Steve Francis in exchange for Zach Randolph, Freddy Jones and Dan Dickau in 2007. The Suns became Frye’s third NBA team when he signed as an unrestricted free agent on July 14, 2009.

A graduate of Phoenix St. Mary’s High School, Frye became the first boys’ basketball player in the school’s history to have his jersey retired in a ceremony last January. The Arizona Republic’s high school Player of the Year in 2001, that season Frye led his school to a 5A State Championship, a title won on the Suns’ home floor at US Airways Center.

Grizzlies re-sign Rudy Gay

The Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed forward Rudy Gay to a multi-year contract, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details this afternoon.

“It’s a great day for the Grizzlies franchise to re-sign Rudy Gay,” Wallace said. “Rudy has been a cornerstone of our team for the past four seasons and was one of the top stars in perhaps the greatest free agent class in NBA history. We’re very excited for him to continue his professional career in the city of Memphis.”

Gay, a 6-8, 230-pound forward, ranked second in scoring (19.6 points, T-18th in the NBA) while setting career highs in field goal percentage (.466), steals (1.48) and minutes (39.7, 3rd) for a Grizzlies team that was the second-most improved team in the NBA last season behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Currently Memphis’ longest-tenured player, the four-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.25 steals in 35.3 minutes in 318 career games (282 starts), all with the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies’ third all-time leading scorer (5,538 points), Gay also ranks in the Top 10 in franchise history in rebounds (1,756, 8th), field goals made (2,118, 3rd), three-point field goals made (337, 4th), steals (398, 3rd), minutes (11,223, 6th), games played (8th) and games started (4th).

“I’m grateful to the Grizzlies organization for giving me the opportunity to continue my NBA career in Memphis,” Gay said. “We really got some momentum going last year under Coach (Lionel) Hollins, and I hope our fans are as excited as I am to see us build on that, continue to improve and achieve our goals for seasons to come. I embrace the opportunity to continually evolve in this leadership role – on and off the court.”

A member of the 2010-12 Team USA Men’s National Team Program, Gay has proven to be one of the NBA’s top young scorers over his career. Last season, the 23-year-old ranked fourth in the league in scoring average behind Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans among players age 23 or younger. The Baltimore, Md. native is one of five NBA players including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Andre Iguodala with at least 4,500 total points (4,692) and 300 total steals (327) over the last three seasons.

Memphis acquired Gay’s draft rights (eighth overall in the 2006 NBA Draft) along with Stromile Swift from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Shane Battier on July 12, 2006. In his final season at the University of Connecticut, Gay was named a 2005-06 First-Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and was one of four finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award as a sophomore.

Laker sign Steve Blake

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Steve Blake, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy terms of the contract were not released. We’ll add deal info later today.

Blake, a seven-year NBA veteran, appeared in 80 games (38 starts) last season with the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 27.0 minutes. Coming to the Clippers as part of a February trade involving center Marcus Camby, Blake posted his first career triple-double (23 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) in the team’s regular season finale against the Lakers and finished the season ranked 13th league-wide in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.97).

Originally selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round (38th pick) of the 2003 NBA Draft, Blake has averaged 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 499 games (299 starts) while shooting .393 from behind the arc for his career.

A 6’3” guard, Blake started in the backcourt as a junior on the University of Maryland’s 2002 NCAA Championship team. The first player in ACC history to record at least 1,000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals, Blake finished his collegiate career as the Terrapins’ all-time leader in assists with a total of 972, then the fifth highest total in NCAA history.

Knicks sign Amar`e Stoudemire

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that five-time NBA All-Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire has agreed to terms with the team. As per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

Multiple media outlets reported that the contract is for five years and around $100 million.

“When I arrived here in New York, our goal was to create enough flexibility to sign the elite players in our league that would enable us to build a championship caliber team,” Walsh said. “Signing Amar’e represents the first step in that process. Amar’e gives us one of the premiere frontcourt players in the league whose numerous abilities and familiarity with Mike’s system make him an outstanding fit for us.”

Stoudemire, 6-10, 249-pounds, has career averages of 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.40 blocks and 34.3 minutes in 516 career games (499 starts) in eight NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns. The Lake Wales, FL-native has been named an NBA All-Star five times and holds playoff career averages of 24.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in 52 playoff games (all starts). Selected by Phoenix with the ninth overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft, Stoudemire was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003 and has been named All-NBA four times, including a first team All-NBA selection in 2007.

“Amar’e is one of the most talented players I have ever worked with and I’m excited to welcome him to New York,” Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He has thrived in our system and will be a great addition to our team.”

In 2009-10, Stoudemire started all 82 regular season games and averaged 23.1 points, 8.9 points and 34.6 minutes while shooting 55.7-percent from the floor in earning All-NBA Second Team honors. Stoudemire finished the season ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring and seventh in the league in field goal percentage and led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals.