July 11, 2012 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Utah Jazz re-sign forward Jeremy Evans

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has re-signed forward Jeremy Evans. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

The 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Evans (6-9, 194, Western Kentucky) has appeared in 78 games (three starts) over his first two NBA seasons with the Jazz, averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting .656 from the field. A 2010 second-round draft pick (55th overall) by the Jazz, 74 of Evans’ 103 made shots over his first two years have been dunks, 32 of those on alley-oops. His dunk percentage of 71.8 percent is the highest in the NBA over the last two seasons. On February 25, 2012 during NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Fla., Evans became the first player in Jazz franchise history to win the league’s slam dunk contest.

The 24-year-old native of Crossett, Ark., is the only Jazz draft pick ever from Western Kentucky, where he played four seasons (2006-10) and finished as the Hilltoppers’ all-time leader in blocked shots and field goal percentage.

Knicks re-sign J.R. Smith

New York Knicks Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has re-signed guard J.R. Smith. We’ll post contract details later today on this page.

Smith, 6-6, 220-pounds, averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.54 steals over 27.6 minutes in 35 regular-season games (one start) with the Knicks last season. In five postseason games, he averaged 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.20 steals over 35.0 minutes. He originally signed with New York as a free agent on Feb. 17. The Freehold, NJ-native holds career averages of 12.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 24.2 minutes in 538 games (130 starts) over eight seasons with New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Denver and New York. He was selected out of high school by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round (18th overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft.

OKC Thunder sign forward Hollis Thompson

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed forward Hollis Thompson to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

During his three season collegiate career at Georgetown, Thompson recorded averages of 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.6 minutes while setting a school record with .440 percent three-point field goal shooting.

The 6-8, 212-pound forward earned All-Big East Honorable Mention honors this past season after scoring in double figures on 25 occasions.

Thompson will undergo a minor procedure this week on his left groin, and is expected to return to off-season activities in 3-4 weeks.

Trail Blazers sign forward Victor Claver

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Victor Claver, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A native of Valencia, Spain, Claver joins the Trail Blazers three years after the team selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

“Victor is a player with a high basketball IQ who will come in as a good complement to our roster,” said Olshey. “He defends well for his size, has a nice shooting touch, and we look forward to having him on board.”

A member of the Spanish national basketball team that will compete in the 2012 London Olympics this summer, Claver (6-10, 235) joins the Trail Blazers from Valencia in the Spanish ACB League, where he averaged 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.22 steals and 25.8 minutes in 37 ACB and Eurocup games. In six seasons with Valencia, Claver posted averages of 7.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.99 steals and 22.2 minutes.

Claver, 23, won the 2010 Eurocup Rising Star Award, an honor given to the most outstanding young player in the competition.

He will wear No. 18 with the Trail Blazers.

Sixers re-sign forward Lavoy Allen

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have re-signed forward Lavoy Allen. We’ll post contract details on this page later today.

Allen (6-9, 225) was the 50th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2011 NBA Draft. In 41 games with 15 starts last season, he averaged 4.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game while shooting 47.3% from the floor and 78.6% from the line.

The Temple product scored 10-plus points four times in the playoffs after doing so four times during the regular season. Allen had 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting in Game 5 at Boston during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Detroit Pistons sign Kyle Singler

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the club has signed their 2011 second round draft selection Kyle Singler to a multi-year contract. We’ll post contract details on this page later today.

“We are pleased to have Kyle Singler join our organization knowing he brings great character and skill to our team,” said Joe Dumars, President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. “We watched him grow as a player throughout his season in Spain last year and we feel he’s going to be a great addition to our roster going forward.”

Singler spent the 2011-12 season playing overseas in Spain for both Lucentum Alicante and Real Madrid. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 31.1 minutes in 10 games (all starts) for Lucentum Alicante. Singler then moved to one of the Euroleague’s top teams, Real Madrid, where he averaged 7.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in 46 games (38 starts). He helped Real Madrid reach the ACB finals before losing to Barcelona. Singler shot 50.4% from the field while playing for Real Madrid and shot over 40% from three-point range while playing for both teams.

Singler was selected by Detroit with the 33rd pick in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward played four seasons at Duke University where he averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 148 career games (tying a school record). A native of Medford, Oregon, Singler tied a career-high 30 points (5-5 3FG) in a homecoming game against Oregon at the Rose Garden in Portland on 11/27/10. As a junior, he led the Blue Devils to a NCAA Championship by averaging 16.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 37 games. He recorded 19 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the 2010 NCAA Championship game vs. Butler and tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists vs. West Virginia in the semifinals to earn Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four.

Denver Nuggets sign first-round draft pick Evan Fournier

The Denver Nuggets have signed first-round draft pick Evan Fournier to a multiyear contract, team Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Fournier, 6-7, 205, was selected by the Nuggets 20th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft after playing two seasons for Poitiers of France’s Pro A League.

The 19-year-old native of France averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 29 games for Poitiers in 2011-12.

In his first year with the team, he became the youngest player in French League history to score more than 20 points when he scored 21 against SLUC Nancy on Feb. 5, 2011.

Fournier also competed for France’s under-20 national team at the 2011 U20 European Championship, averaging 16.9 points and 3.3 assists.

Fournier will join the Nuggets at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Denver opens its five-game schedule Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

New York Knicks sign James White

New York Knicks Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward James White to a contract. We’ll post contract details on this page later today.

White, 6-7, 200-pounds, spent the past three seasons playing overseas for St. Petersburg (Russia), Sassari (Italy) and Pesaro (Italy). He posted 17.4 points, on 52.1-percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 33.6 minutes in 30 games with Pesaro of the Italian A League during 2011-12, and averaged 21.0 points, on 54.1-percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 35.8 minutes in 30 regular season games with Sassari in 2010-11.

As an NBA professional, White appeared in 10 games (two starts) with San Antonio (2006-07) and Houston (2008-09). He has also played for Austin (2006-07) and Anaheim (2008-09) of the NBA Development League.

The Kensington, MD-native, was originally selected by Portland in the second round (31st overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft. He played three seasons at the University of Cincinnati, after transferring from the University of Florida. In his senior season for the Bearcats, White averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 33.5 minutes in 33 games.

Miami Heat sign Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Ray Allen and free agent forward Rashard Lewis. We’ll post contract details here later today.

Allen, a 16-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 1,148 regular season games (1,140 starts) averaging 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.16 steals and 36.9 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 89.4 percent from the foul line. Among all-time NBA leaders, he ranks first in three-point field goals made (2,718), first in three-point field goals attempts (6,788), fifth in free throw percentage, 18th in minutes played (42,373), 22nd in field goal attempts (17,761), 24th in points (22,941) and 32nd in field goals made (8,035). Last season, Allen appeared in 46 games (42 starts) with Boston and averaged 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.07 steals and 34.0 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 45.3 percent from three-point range and 91.5 percent from the foul line while helping the Celtics capture the Atlantic Division title.

A 10-time NBA All-Star, Allen has appeared in 128 postseason games (120 starts) averaging 18.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.08 steals and 38.8 minutes while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 40.2 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the foul line. During the 2012 NBA Playoffs, he helped lead Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals while appearing in 18 games (10 starts) and averaged 10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 34.2 minutes while shooting 39.5 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three-point range and 71.1 percent from the foul line.

In addition to his many contributions on the court, the former 2008 NBA Champion was honored with the NBA Community Award in February of 2011 and was named The Sporting News “Good Guy” in 2000, 2001 and 2005. He initiated the “Ray of Hope” Foundation that currently assists charities in several communities and served as NBA Spokesperson for the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA youth basketball support program.

Allen was originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round (5th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft.

Lewis, a 14-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 934 regular season games (827 starts) averaging 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.11 steals and 34.0 minutes while shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 80.8 percent from the foul line. Among Seattle/Oklahoma City all-time franchise leaders, he ranks first in three-point field goals made (973), second in three-point field goals attempted (2,519), fourth in points (10,251), fourth in defensive rebounds (2,576), fourth in minutes played (20,921), fifth in field goals made (3,762), fifth in field goals attempted (8,162), sixth in games played (617), seventh in total rebounds (3,595), seventh in offensive rebounds (1,019), eighth in steals (708), eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.387), ninth in blocks (362) and 10th in free throws made (1,754). Last season, Lewis appeared in 28 games (15 starts) with Washington and averaged 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 26.0 minutes while shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 83.8 percent from the foul line.

Lewis, a two-time NBA All-Star, has appeared in 64 postseason games (63 starts) averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 38.5 minutes while shooting 43.9 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line. During the 2009 NBA Playoffs, he helped Orlando advance to the NBA Finals and scored a playoff career-high 34 points in Game Two on June 7 at the Los Angeles Lakers while also dishing out a postseason career-best seven assists. Additionally, earlier in that postseason he hit a game-winning three-point basket with only 14.7 seconds remaining in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals at Cleveland on May 20 to help Orlando capture the 107-106 victory.

Lewis was originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft.

Rockets trade Kyle Lowry to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for forward Gary Forbes and a protected future first-round draft choice.

The 26-year-old Lowry averaged career bests of 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals during the 2011-12 season. He also contributed team highs of 6.6 assists and 32.1 minutes in 47 games (38 starts). As a starter, he upped his averages to 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 35.5 minutes.

Lowry scored 20-plus points 11 times last season, including two 30-point outings. He had 10 or more assists five times, with at least eight assists in 18 contests. Lowry led the Rockets in assists 33 times and paced the club in scoring on 12 occasions. He had a season-best 32 points versus Utah on February 19, a career high-tying 18 assists versus Atlanta on December 31 and a career high-tying 11 rebounds January 10 at Charlotte. He recorded his second career triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists at Minnesota on January 23.

Lowry, 6-foot, 205 pounds, was a first-round draft choice (24th overall) by Memphis in 2006. He was dealt by the Grizzlies to the Rockets on February 19, 2009. A native of Philadelphia, Lowry played two collegiate seasons at Philadelphia’s Villanova University before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The six-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.14 steals and 26.9 minutes in 359 games. He has appeared in 13 postseason contests, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 19.5 minutes.

Forbes (6-7, 220, Massachusetts) has averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 111 career NBA games (13 starts) with Denver and Toronto. In 2011-12 with the Raptors, Forbes averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 14.9 minutes in 48 games. He made two starts with Toronto, posting his first career double-double with 12 points (6-16 FG) and a career-high 13 rebounds at Chicago (3/24/12). The native of Colon, Panama, then started a second consecutive game and poured in 21 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3FG) vs. Orlando (3/26/12). Forbes appeared in 63 outings (11 starts) as a rookie with the Nuggets in 2010-11, averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. Prior to the NBA, Forbes saw action in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Venezuela-LPB, Italy-SerieA and the Israel Premier League. He was also the fourth overall pick by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft. Forbes averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 52 total games (33 starts) with the Skyforce (22 games) and Tulsa 66ers (30 games) in 2008-09.