July 2014 – Page 6 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Timberwolves re-sign forward Robbie Hummel

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has re-signed forward Robbie Hummel.

“We are excited to have Robbie back with us this season,” said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “He proved that he can be a key contributor off the bench and finished the season strong. Robbie’s ability to stretch the floor with his shooting range is a valuable asset for our team.”

Hummel, 25, played in 53 games (five starts) in his rookie season for the Wolves last year, averaging 3.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest. The 6-8 forward shot 36.0 percent (36-for-89) from three-point range for the season, including connecting on 17 of his final 32 attempts (53.1%). Hummel scored in double-digits four times last year, netting a season-high 12 points at Orlando on April 5. He grabbed a season-high nine rebounds in the season finale vs. Utah on April 16.

Hummel was the 58th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Timberwolves. He spent the 2012-13 season with Obradoiro CAB in the Spanish League where he averaged 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 30 games. Hummel averaged 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 127 games over his four-year collegiate career for the Purdue Boilermakers.

Knicks waive Shannon Brown

New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced today that the team has waived guard Shannon Brown.

Brown, 6-4, 205-pounds, appeared in 19 games for the Knicks this past season, averaging 2.1 points and 7.8 minutes. On Feb. 27, the Maywood, IL native signed the first of two 10-day contracts and then signed for the remainder of the season on Mar. 20.

Hornets sign guard Brian Roberts

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Brian Roberts.

“Brian is a quality point guard who we believe will play a key role for us,” Cho said. “We look forward to having him as part of our team.”

The 6-1 Roberts has spent the last two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 8.2 points, 3.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 19.9 minutes in 150 total games. For his career, he has shot .418 from the field (457-1092), .372 from beyond the three-point line (123-331) and .929 from the free-throw line (195-210).

In 72 games last season, including 42 starts, Roberts averaged 9.4 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 23.2 minutes. Roberts shot .420 from the field (244-581), .360 from beyond the three-point line (64-178) and an NBA-best .940 from the free-throw line (125-133).

The 6-1 Roberts was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Dayton in which he was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 as a senior and Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as a sophomore and junior. He spent the 2008-09 season with Galil Gilboa in Israel’s Winner League. He then played for Brose Baskets in Germany’s BBL from 2009-12, helping the team to three-straight league championships, before signing with the Pelicans in August 2012.

Nets sign rookies Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Markel Brown and forward Cory Jefferson to multi-year contracts, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Brown, the 44th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night in exchange for cash considerations. He recently completed his senior season at Oklahoma State, averaging 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35.3 minutes per game and earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second consecutive season. During his junior season, Brown averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.1 minutes per game.

Over the course of four seasons, the 6’3” guard played in 134 games, averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.00 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. He became the only player in Oklahoma State history to record 300 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in his career and his 969 career points in Big 12 games are an Oklahoma State record. Brown was named Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2010 after a standout career at Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Jefferson, the 60th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night in exchange for cash considerations. He recently completed his fifth and final season at Baylor University (he redshirted during the 2010-11 season), averaging 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.30 steals and 1.30 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game en route to All-Big 12 Third Team honors. During his junior season, the 6’9” forward was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.90 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game. He also earned NIT All-Tournament team honors after helping lead Baylor to the NIT championship.

Over the course of his four seasons, Jefferson played in 130 games, averaging 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.30 blocks in 19.9 minutes per game. He became the first player in Baylor history to make three NCAA Tournament appearances and won a program-record 107 games during his four active seasons.

Maverick Carter says inner circle did not push LeBron back to Cavs

Here’s ESPN.com sharing insight on LeBron James leaving the Miami Heat to return to the Cavs:

Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner, says he didn’t push James to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, nor did anyone else in the NBA superstar’s inner circle.

“This was a decision that LeBron made in his heart,” Carter told ESPN.com’s Jason Whitlock on the Real Talk podcast. “We didn’t push him to do it. We don’t push him to do anything. If he asks our opinion or what did we think about the pros and the cons, we help him think through it. We don’t push him.”

James decided to return to the Cavaliers on July 11 after spending four years with the Miami Heat. He opted out of his contract with Miami and signed a two-year deal to return to Cleveland, where he spent his first seven seasons in the NBA.

Jazz trade John Lucas III, Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy to Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard John Lucas III and forwards Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Carrick Felix, Cleveland’s 2015 second round draft pick and cash considerations, General Manager David Griffin announced tonight from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Lucas appeared in 42 games (six starts) for the Jazz in 2013-14 with averages of 3.8 points and 1.0 assist in 14.1 minutes per game. Over his six-year NBA career, the 5-11 guard out of Oklahoma State has played in 216 games (eight starts) with Houston, Chicago, Toronto and Utah, averaging 4.8 points and 1.4 assists in 12.2 minutes per game.

Thomas, a 6-9 forward from San Diego State, played in eight contests for Utah and San Antonio last season and averaged 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game, while Murphy, a 6-10 forward out of Florida, appeared in 24 games for Chicago with averages of 0.3 points and 0.3 rebounds in 2.6 minutes per game in 2013-14.

Felix was selected by the Cavaliers in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft. He appeared in seven games and averaged 2.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 5.4 minutes. He also appeared in nine games with the Cavaliers D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, where he averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes.

Bulls sign Doug McDermott

The Chicago Bulls announced today the signing of forward Doug McDermott.

“We’re very excited about the addition of Doug. We love the versatility of his game and his ability to shoot,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He’s a fit for our team and organization on many different levels.”

The 22-year old McDermott enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Creighton that culminated with his selection as the consensus National Player of the Year in 2014. As a senior, the 6-8 forward led the nation in scoring at a clip of 26.7 ppg (.550 from the field, .449 from downtown, .861 from the line) and posted 7.5 rpg and 1.3 apg in 33.7 mpg. He left Omaha as one of eight players in NCAA history to score more than 3,000 points (ranking fifth in Division I history with 3,150) and he is one of just three players to surpass 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. He is also one of just 11 players to earn First Team AP All-America three straight seasons.

McDermott most recently played with Chicago’s summer league team in the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He earned Samsung All-NBA Summer League First Team honors, as he averaged 18.0 ppg (.442 from the floor, .444 from behind the arc and .957 from the line), 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.80 bpg and 28.8 mpg in four games with the Bulls.

The Bulls acquired McDermott, the 11th overall selection in this year’s Draft, along with Anthony Randolph, in a draft-night deal with the Denver Nuggets that saw Denver receive Chicago’s 16th and 19th selections and the lesser of the Bulls’ two second-round picks (Chicago’s and Portland’s) in 2015.

Nets sign forward Bojan Bogdanovic

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward Bojan Bogdanović to a multi-year contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“Having drafted Bojan in 2011, it is rewarding to finally welcome him to the Nets,” said King. “We obviously have a high regard for his game, and we are glad he will now bring that talent to Brooklyn.”

The 6’8” Bogdanović has played the last three seasons with Fenerbahçe Ülker in the Turkish Basketball League, earning All-Star honors in 2013 and Turkish Basketball League and Turkish Supercup championships in 2014. In 24 Euroleague games (21 starts) during the 2013-14 season, Bogdanović averaged 14.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30.6 minutes per game. In 87 career Euroleague games (57 starts) split between Fenerbahçe Ülker, Cibona Zagreb in Croatia (2009-11) and Real Madrid in Spain (2007-08), Bogdanović has posted averages of 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. He also captured an A-1 Liga championship and earned A-1 Liga All-Star recognition with Cibona Zagreb in 2010. Bogdanović has been playing professionally since 2004, when he joined his hometown team, Zrinjski Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, Bogdanović’s rights were traded by Miami to Minnesota, and then by the Timberwolves to the Nets.

Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bogdanović has appeared in international competition at the U-16, U-18 and U-20 levels for Croatia. He also joined the Croatian national team for the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Chicago Bulls sign Aaron Brooks

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard Aaron Brooks.

“We’re excited to add a player as experienced and talented as Aaron to our group,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman.

Brooks (6-0, 161), a six-year NBA veteran, comes to the Bulls after spending last season with both the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. Drafted out of Oregon in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft (26th overall) by the Houston Rockets, Brooks has held stints with the Rockets (2007-11, 2012-13, 2013-14), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Sacramento Kings (2012-13) and the Denver Nuggets (2013-14).

Last season with the Rockets and Nuggets, Brooks appeared in 72 games (12 starts) and averaged 9.0 ppg, 3.2 apg and 1.9 rpg in 21.6 mpg. He shot .401 from the field, .387 from downtown and .874 from the line.

A native of Seattle, the 29-year old Brooks has played in 397 regular season games (161 starts) and posted averages of 11.1 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 rpg, 0.61 spg, 23.6 mpg, .413 field goal shooting, .368 three-point shooting and .847 from the line. During the 2009-10 campaign with the Rockets, he posted career highs in points per game (19.6), assists per game (5.3), rebounds per game (2.6), steals per game (0.84), three-point field goal percentage (.398) and games played (82) en route to being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. In 25 playoff appearances, he has averaged 10.9 ppg, 2.3 apg, 2.0 rpg, 22.4 mpg, shot .428 from the field, .337 from downtown and .790 from the line.

Warriors sign Brandon Rush

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard/forward Brandon Rush to a contract, the team announced today.

According to the Bay Area News Group, Rush “agreed to a $2.5 million contract with a player option for the second year.”

Rush, 29, returns for a second stint with the Warriors, where he previously appeared in 67 games over two seasons (2011-13) and averaged 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three-point range in 26.0 minutes per contest.

The University of Kansas product enjoyed his best NBA season in 2011-12 with Golden State, finishing with career highs in scoring (9.8 ppg), field goal percentage (50.1%), three-point percentage (45.2% – sixth in the NBA) and free throw percentage (79.3%) in 26.4 minutes per contest over 65 games. In 2012-13, Rush suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in the second game of the season, on November 2, 2012, versus the Memphis Grizzlies, sidelining him for the remainder of the campaign.

The 6’6” swingman was traded to the Utah Jazz, on July 10, 2013, in the three-team deal that brought Andre Iguodala to the Warriors. With Utah last season, Rush appeared in 38 games, averaging 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per contest.

A native of Kansas City, MO, Rush owns career averages of 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest while shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range over 329 games with the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz. In 105 career starts, he owns averages of 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.2 percent from distance. Originally selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 13th selection of the 2008 NBA Draft, Rush was acquired by the Pacers in a draft-day deal. He was traded to the Warriors on December 19, 2011 after three seasons in Indiana.