Month: August 2014

Doc Rivers, Clippers agree to long-term contract

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers has agreed to a contract that will keep him with the team through the end of the 2019 season.

“This is an important day for this organization,” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said. “I am excited to work with Doc for a long time as we build a championship culture that will deliver results both on and off the court. Not only is Doc one of the best coaches and executives in the game, but he continually embodies the hard core, committed and resilient character and winning culture that the Clippers represent. It was one of my top priorities to ensure that he was firmly in place as the long-term leader of this team.”

According to the Orange County Register, “the deal will pay Rivers more than $50 million, a figure first reported by Yahoo! Sports. At more than $10 million per year, Rivers is believed to be the highest-paid coach in American professional sports, though he’s also the team’s primary basketball decision maker.”

Rivers took over as head coach of the Clippers in June 2013 and led Los Angeles to the best record in franchise history (57-25, .695) and a second straight Pacific Division title. He became President of Basketball Operations on June 16, 2014.

“Steve has shown a clear and determined desire to make the Clippers one of the most elite, first-class and championship organizations in all of professional sports,” Rivers said. “We know we have work to do to get there, but I am motivated by the challenge and thankful for the opportunity to stand together with Steve as we continue to move toward our goal of winning an NBA title.”

Entering his 16th season as a head coach, Rivers is one of just three active coaches (Gregg Popovich, Flip Saunders) to win at least 600 games and his 644 career regular season wins is second among active coaches in victories. The 1999-2000 NBA Coach of the Year, Rivers led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship. A former Clippers point guard (1991-92), Rivers coached in Boston from 2004-2013 and prior to that led the Orlando Magic from 1999-2003.

Bucks sign second-round pick Damien Inglis

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed the 31st selection of the 2014 NBA Draft, Damien Inglis, to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

A native of Cayenne in French Guiana, Inglis played last season with Roanne as a rookie in France’s top league, Pro A, where he averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 games. Inglis grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds vs. Strasbourg and scored in double figures in three straight games in December. He began his career at INSEP in France and averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists over three seasons from 2010-13.

Inglis competed in the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit and has played for France in the U18, U17 and U16 European Championships.

Pelicans sign John Salmons

Pelicans sign John Salmons

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed forward John Salmons.

Salmons, the 26th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, has appeared in 874 games (429 starts) over his 12-year NBA career for Philadelphia, Sacramento, Chicago, Milwaukee and Toronto. The University of Miami product holds career averages of 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.

Clippers trade Jared Dudley to Bucks

Clippers trade Jared Dudley to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Jared Dudley and a 2017 conditional first round draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for forward Carlos Delfino, center Miroslav Raduljica and a 2015 second round draft pick (previously received from the L.A. Clippers), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

“Jared is a great teammate, I thank him for all his hard work on and off the floor on our behalf,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “Jared is a true professional and we wish him all the best in Milwaukee.”

A seven-year NBA veteran from Boston College, Dudley, 29, holds career averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Originally selected by Charlotte with the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Dudley has shot 46.9 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from the 3-point arc and 73.7 percent from the free throw line in 523 career games (190 starts) with the Bobcats, Suns and Clippers. His best statistical season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor.

Delfino, 31, missed the entire 2013-14 season while recovering from a foot injury suffered during the 2013 NBA playoffs. The nine-year NBA veteran from Santa Fe, Argentina, has averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 507 career NBA games (170 starts) for Milwaukee, Houston, Toronto and Detroit. He was originally selected by the Pistons with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Raduljica, 26, signed with the Bucks as a free agent prior to the 2013-14 campaign. In 48 games for Milwaukee, he averaged 3.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in his rookie campaign. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Raduljica first represented his country in international competition at the European U16 Championships in 2004.

Westchester Knicks tryouts on Sept. 20, 2014

The Westchester Knicks, the official NBA Development League affiliate of the New York Knicks, announced today that the team will hold a local open tryout in preparation for the 2014-15 NBA Development League season. Aspiring professional basketball players will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of Westchester Knicks coaches and staff on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at the House of Sports in the Village of Ardsley in southern Westchester County.

“It’s an exciting time for the Westchester Knicks as we begin to assemble a team for our inaugural season,” said Westchester Knicks General Manager & New York Knicks Legend Allan Houston. “This event gives us a chance to look for new talent to help us compete in the NBA D-League, and, for the players, makes an impact on their professional careers moving forward.”

“The House of Sports is very excited to host the Westchester Knicks open tryout,” said House of Sports Vice President of Programing Frank Lombardy. “It is a great event where local basketball standouts can have a shot at making a professional roster, and we are happy to be a part of it.”

The Westchester tryout will be limited to 75 participants, who must all meet NBA Development League eligibility requirements. The players will be competing for an invitation to the Westchester Knicks’ training camp in November. Tryouts are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. and conclude by 5:00 p.m.; with doors opening at 10:00 a.m. Registration packets are available online at www.westchesterknicks.com or at the House of Sports. The fee to secure a tryout spot is $150. All participants must register in advance.

The House of Sports is an Olympic-style athletic training facility located in the southern Westchester village of Ardsley. The 120,000 square-foot indoor sports complex is the largest in the New York metropolitan area and is home to the region’s leading basketball, lacrosse, and baseball academies where over 2,000 athletes train on a weekly basis.

Orlando Magic name Bill Peterson head coach of Erie BayHawks

The Orlando Magic have named Bill Peterson as head coach of its D-League team, the Erie BayHawks, Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

“We are excited to welcome Bill (Peterson) and his family,” said Hennigan. “Bill’s passion for teaching and development fit seamlessly into our vision of creating a culture of collaboration and synergy between the Orlando Magic and Erie Bayhawks. His wealth of knowledge and experience will help our players fulfill their ultimate basketball potential.”

“When speaking with Bill, it’s clear that he’s committed to developing our players and has a strong desire to win,” said BayHawks majority owner Steve Demetriou. “We’re looking forward to him becoming a part of the Erie community and leading our team as we begin our new affiliation with the Orlando Magic.”

Peterson spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks from 2007-13. Before joining the Bucks, he served as associate head coach at Colorado State University for seven seasons (2000-07).

Prior to his stint with CSU, Peterson served as a player development coach and scout for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks (1998-2000), where he worked to develop younger players like Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Michael Finley and Greg Buckner. He also served as a special assistant with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors to work with Sarunas Marciulionis, one of the first international players to compete in the NBA.

Peterson’s collegiate experience also includes head coaching positions at the University of Alabama-Huntsville (1994-97) and Union (KY) College (1983-87), where the Bulldogs averaged 18 wins per year and made three consecutive postseason tournament appearances. He worked as the assistant head coach at McNeese State from 1987-94 and at Bossier Parish Community College (LA) from 1997-99. Peterson began coaching in 1978-79 as a student assistant at St. Petersburg (FL) Junior College and went on to serve as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech, where he coached Hall-of-Famer Karl Malone from 1980-83.

Peterson is a graduate of Eckerd College (FL) and holds a master’s degree in physical education and human relations from Louisiana Tech University. He and his wife, Diane, are the parents of three daughters: Kati (26), Ginny (21) and Hailey, who was called to be with the Lord in the summer of 2000.

The Orlando Magic and the Erie BayHawks have a three-year single affiliation partnership beginning with the 2014-15 NBA D-League season. Orlando became the 16th NBA team to have a one-to-one affiliation with an NBA D-League team. The partnership, also referred to as a “hybrid affiliation,” is the eighth of its kind in the NBA D-League and allows an NBA team to control the NBA D-League team’s basketball operations, while the existing local ownership maintains primary responsibility for the team’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives.

Utah Jazz sign forward Brock Motum

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent forward Brock Motum.

Motum (6-10, 245, Washington State) spent the 2013-14 season with Granarolo Bologna of the Italian SerieA League, averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. He also participated in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the Jazz in Las Vegas, where he appeared in five games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.

The 23-year-old forward played collegiately at Washington State (2009-13), where he ranks fifth on the Cougars all-time list in both career points (1,530) and field goal percentage (.567). As a senior he led the Pac 12 in scoring average with 18.7 points per game, scoring at least 10 points in all 31 contests, and was selected All-Pac 12 Second Team. Following his junior season, Motum was named to the 2012 All-Pac 12 First Team and earned the league’s Most Improved Player award.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Motum competed for the Australian Institute of Sport in both 2008 and 2009, and is currently playing for the Australian National Team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.