The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed guard-forward Kelenna Azubuike. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Azubuike (6-5, 215) joins the Mavericks as a free agent after spending last season on the New York Knicks roster. Before joining the Knicks, Azubuike spent four seasons with the Golden State Warriors playing in 205 games with 84 starts. He holds career averages of 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 24.4 minutes per game while shooting .459 from the field, .409 from three-point range and .770 from the free throw line. Azubuike had a career-year in 2008-09 when he averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 74 games (51 starts) for the Warriors.
Azubuike played in only nine games to start the 2009-10 season before suffering a torn patella tendon that would sideline him for the remainder of the year. On July 9, 2010, Azubuike was traded to New York, along with Anthony Randolph and Ronny Turiaf and a second round draft pick, in exchange for David Lee. He never logged a game with the Knicks and was waived on Feb. 28,2011.
A standout at the University of Kentucky, Azubuike was originally an early entry candidate into the 2005 NBA Draft and went undrafted. He averaged 14.7 points as a junior led the Wildcats to a Southeastern Conference title and an Elite Eight appearance on his way to being named All-SEC Second Team.
Born in London, England, Azubuike was raised in Tulsa, Okla. He led Victory Christian to the Class 4A State Championship Game as a senior while averaging 39.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He finished his high school career with 3,530 points,just 89 points shy of Oklahoma’s all-time scoring mark.
