July 2012 – Page 28 – NBA Blog

OKC Thunder sign rookie Perry Jones

Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed rookie forward Perry Jones.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing was expected, and is standard.

Jones, the 28th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 33 games while leading Baylor to an Elite Eight appearance during his sophomore season. He was named AP All-American Honorable Mention, while also picking up Second-Team All-Big 12 honors by the media and Third-Team by the coaches.

As a freshman, Jones was named a unanimous Big 12 All-Rookie selection as he became the first player in Baylor history to be named a USBWA Freshman All-American.

Miami Heat hope to sign Marcus Camby

Has center Marcus Camby emerged as the free agent the Heat are going after the hardest?

Sources close to the situation said Friday the free agent will visit Miami on Saturday. One source said the Heat had reached out to Camby’s camp at 12:01 a.m. EDT last Sunday, the very first time teams could contact free agents.

It initially appeared Camby’s priority was to re-sign with Houston. But sources said Camby has changed his tune this week due to a belief the Rockets are rebuilding, and he would be very receptive to signing with Miami.

The Heat on Thursday entertained free-agent guard Ray Allen. On Sunday, they will play host to free-agent forward Rashard Lewis.

— Reported by Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida

Eric Gordon hopes to say goodbye to New Orleans

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon said if the team matches the four-year, $58 million offer sheet he signed this week with the Phoenix Suns, he’ll play in the Crescent City but he won’t be happy about it.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since issuing a statement through his agent that his “heart” was in Phoenix.

“If (the Hornets) were interested, there wouldn’t have been no tour, there wouldn’t have been nothing,” Gordon said. “There’s been no negotiations. I was right there in Indiana. I haven’t received no calls, to me personally, they’ve contacted myagent.

“As for now, I don’t know what’s going on. (If the Hornets match) as of right now, I’d be disappointed.”

Is there anything the Hornets could do to change his mind?

“I don’t think there is,” Gordon said.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Nets sign second round pick Tyshawn Taylor

The Brooklyn Nets have signed second round draft pick Tyshawn Taylor, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Taylor (6-3, 185), whose draft rights were acquired by Brooklyn from Portland in exchange for cash, was selected in the second round (41 st overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. As a four-year starter at Kansas, he amassed 1,580 career points, 14 th most in school history. As a senior, the Hoboken, New Jersey native averaged career-bests with 16.6 points, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals, helping the Jayhawks reach the NCAA title game. He was a 2011-12 AP Third Team All America selection, an All Big 12 First Team pick and a Bob Cousy Award finalist.

Houston Rockets sign Donatas Motiejunas

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed former first-round pick Donatas Motiejunas to a multi-year contract. Selected 20th overall by Minnesota in the 2011 NBA Draft, Houston acquired the draft rights to the Lithuanian forward/center from the Timberwolves on June 24, 2011.

Motiejunas (7-0, 222, Lithuania, pronounced doh-NAH-tahs moe-tee-YOU-nus) played this past season with Polish League champion Asseco Prokom Gdynia, averaging 15.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.35 steals in just over 26 minutes per game during the 2011-12 campaign. In Game Seven of the Polish League Finals, Motiejunas recorded game highs in points (23) and rebounds (11) while leading his club to the title. On December 7, 2011, Motiejunas pulled down a career-high 21 boards against Union Olimpija, as his 18 defensive rebounds were the most in a Euroleague game in the ULEB era (since 2000-01).

An early entry candidate for the 2011 NBA Draft, Motiejunas played with Italy’s Benetton Treviso from 2009-11 and was the winner of the 2010-11 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy for the best U-23 player in the ULEB’s Eurocup competition. In 2008-09, Motiejunas played with Aisciai Kaunas and earned All-Star honors in Lithuania’s top league. He spent 2005-07 playing exclusively for Zalgiris-Sabonio mokykla Kaunas, which is Zalgiris Kaunas’ junior team in Lithuania’s second division. Motiejunas made his debut with the senior team in 2007-08, while splitting time with the junior squad. He also represented Lithuania in Junior National Team competition. His honors included MVP of the 2008 Nike International Junior Tournament and MVP of the 2008 U-18 European Championship. Motiejunas was also a member of the World Select Team at the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit, tallying 21 points (5-15 FG, 10-14 FT), eight rebounds and three assists.

Sixers will say goodbye to Elton Brand and sign Nick Young

The Sixers, not much of a player in free agency, will use the amnesty clause on forward Elton Brand, owed $18.2 million in the final year of his contract, and they reached agreement in principle to sign free-agent guard Nick Young to a one-year, $6 million deal, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

The amnesty clause allows the final year of Brand’s contract to come off of the Sixers’ salary cap. Teams below the salary cap will be permitted to bid for Brand’s services. The Sixers will pick up whatever the difference is that the team that signs Brand reaches an agreement with the player to pay him.

— Reported by John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Blog)

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Tony Parker cleared to play in Olympics

Spurs guard Tony Parker can play for European runner-up France in the Olympic Games after San Antonio’s doctors agreed he has recovered from an eye injury.

Parker scratched his left cornea during a nightclub melee in New York last month.

“The two ophthalmologists (from the Spurs) confirmed the opinion of the French doctor who operated on Tony Parker, and the two Swiss specialists who also examined the player last Thursday, and indicated that he can resume playing,” the French Basketball Federation said on Friday, adding that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also gave his blessing.

Parker is joining the French squad in Orleans and he could play in a tuneup against England on Saturday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Marreese Speights agrees to two-year contract with Grizzlies

Forward Marreese Speights has agreed to a two-year contract with the Grizzlies worth nearly $9 million, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed to The Commercial Appeal.

Though they can be negotiated and agreed to now, free agent contracts can’t be signed until Wednesday.

The second year of Speights’ new contract is a player option.

— Reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Brandon Bass agrees to stay with Celtics

Brandon Bass is happy that he doesn’t have to fill out another change of NBA address card, and he’s even more ecstatic Boston will remain his basketball home.

He and the Celtics agreed on a three-year deal yesterday, with Bass pegging the overall figure at $20 million. As for how that will be broken down, the power forward said, “It’s three years for $20 million. That’s all I know.”

Bass opted out of the $4.25 million final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, and he sifted through the advances from NBA suitors.

“We had interest from some other teams, but Boston is where I wanted to be at the end of the day, so that’s where I’m at,” he said.

— Reported by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald

Rashard Lewis to meet with Miami Heat

The Miami Heat had a 10-time All-Star visit Thursday in free-agent guard Ray Allen. This weekend, they will be playing host to a two-time All-Star.

Colin Bryant, one of the agents for Rashard Lewis, confirmed the free-agent forward will be taking a look at the Heat. He said Lewis is intrigued by the possibility of joining them.

“They’re a championship team and a great organization, and I think he’d fit well with them,’’ Bryant said. “It would definitely be a great overall situation.’’

The Heat on Thursday entertained Allen, who has played the last five seasons with Boston. The most they can offer Allen is the $3.09 million taxpayer exception for next season, which is what they’ve done. The total offer is for $9.53 million over three years.

— Reported by Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida