July 2015 – Page 16 – NBA Blog

Bucks trade Zaza Pachulia to Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that they acquired center Zaza Pachulia from the Milwaukee Bucks for a future second round pick.

Pachulia (6-11, 270) was originally drafted 42nd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2003 NBA Draft. The 12-year veteran has played a total of 815 games (317 starts) for three teams (Orlando, Milwaukee and Atlanta). He has career averages of 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.0 minutes.

In 2014-15, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 23.7 minutes in 73 games (45 starts) in his second stint with Milwaukee.

A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Pachulia has played with the Georgian National Team seven times. He left Georgia in 1998 for Turkey to pursue his basketball career when he was 15 years old. He appeared in 73 games during parts of four seasons for Ulker of Istanbul, the top level of Turkey, and averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game (1999-2003). He helped Ulker win the Turkish National Championship in 2001.

Nets sign Willie Reed

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward/center Willie Reed, Nets General Manager Billy King announced yesterday. He’ll add depth to the frontcourt as a reserve.

Reed (6’10”, 235) joins the Nets after spending the 2014-15 season in the NBA Development League with the Grand Rapids Drive and Iowa Energy. He posted averages of 16.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 33.7 minutes per game, earning All-NBA D-League First Team honors and All-Defensive First Team honors. The 25-year-old Reed, who has also spent time with the D-League’s Reno Bighorns and Springfield Armor, has appeared in 144 career D-League games (101 starts) in three seasons, recording averages of 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game. Reed has also earned call-ups to the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, but has yet to appear in an NBA game.

A native of Kansas City, MO, Reed spent two seasons at Saint Louis University, appearing in 67 games with career averages of 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In his second and final season, Reed averaged 12.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Warriors re-sign Draymond Green

The hustle is back in Oakland.

The Golden State Warriors yesterday re-signed restricted free agent forward Draymond Green to a multi-year contract, the team announced today.

According to the Associated Press, it’s a $82 million, five-year contract. A massive increase for Green from his previous salaries.

“You cannot overstate how important Draymond Green was to helping our team win an NBA Championship last season,” said General Manager Bob Myers, “and we are thrilled that he has decided to re-sign with us. Our ownership group, led by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, has once again demonstrated the commitment necessary to build and maintain a championship caliber team.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Green said: “This is home for me… I came here three years ago not knowing what to expect. … At no point did I feel I was ready to leave this organization. I know what the future can possibly hold. Everything’s run the right way, there are endless possibilities. I want to be a part of it… We have a young group of guys committed to each other. You should see our group chats. … The feeling that you get from that I’m not sure you can get with any other team in the NBA. It’s something I wanted to continue to be a part of.”

Green, 25, appeared in 79 regular-season games (all starts) last season, establishing career-high averages in nearly every major statistical category, including 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.56 steals, 1.25 blocks and 31.5 minutes per contest. The 6’7” forward led the team in rebounding, ranked second in assists, steals and blocks, and ranked third in scoring. Green became just the third player in Warriors history to earn NBA All-Defensive First Team honors (joining Nate Thurmond and Andre Iguodala), and also finished second in both the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player Award voting. Among NBA leaders, the Michigan State product ranked second in plus/minus (+10.6), third in net rating (16.5) and tied for fourth in defensive rating (96.0).

In 21 postseason games en route to the Warriors first NBA title in 40 years, Green averaged 13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.81 steals, 1.19 blocks and 37.3 minutes per contest. He posted 12 double-doubles during the postseason, including a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the series-clinching victory in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Cleveland, marking the first Finals triple-double in franchise history.

“This is truly an unbelievable and blessed day for me and my family,” said Green. “I’d like to thank Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, Bob Myers, Rick Welts, all of my teammates and coaches, and everyone in DubNation for believing in me and helping me become the player and person that I am today. In three short years I have gone from a second round pick that many doubted could play in this league to an NBA Champion, and I look forward to getting better – both individually and as a team – as we face the challenges that lie ahead of us.”

Originally selected by the Warriors with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Green has appeared in 240 regular-season games (92 starts) during his three-year career, averaging 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.11 steals in 22.3 minutes per contest. Having made the playoffs in all three of his professional campaigns, the Saginaw, MI, native has already appeared in 40 postseason games (26 starts) with Golden State, averaging 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.40 steals and 1.18 blocks per contest. Among franchise postseason leaders, Green currently ranks third in steals (56), fourth in blocks (47), fourth in three-pointer field goals (41), eighth in assists (148) and ninth in rebounds (321).

Celtics re-sign Jonas Jerebko

The Boston Celtics announced yesterday that they have re-signed forward Jonas Jerebko.

“Jonas’ versatility, non-stop energy and contributions on both ends of the court quickly endeared him to his teammates, coaching staff and our fans,” said President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “We are very excited to welcome him back.”

Jerebko generally plays limited minutes, adding frontcourt depth as a backup.

Jerebko was acquired by the Celtics from the Detroit Pistons on February 19, 2015. He averaged 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 18.2 minutes per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc, in 29 contests with Boston. The 6’10” forward tallied a season-high 20 points on 7-10 (.700) shooting from the field, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 21 minutes of action on February 25 against the New York Knicks.

For the duration of the 2014-15 season, Jerebko appeared in 75 contests and averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game. He was named Second-Team All-Rookie in 2010 and was selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Pistons. Entering his sixth season, Jerebko is averaging 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game.

Pacers trade Roy Hibbert to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday acquired center Roy Hibbert in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. In exchange the Pacers will receive a future second round pick.

In other words, the Pacers basically said, “here, take Hibbert.”

“We’re happy to add a veteran big man to the roster,” said Kupchak. “Roy is a proven All-Star center that will help improve our front line. In addition he is a consummate professional and we look forward to having him on the team.”

Hibbert is very effective on defense. Offensively, he is limited.

“I’d like to thank Roy for all his contributions during his time in Indiana,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He was a two-time NBA All-Star, and we appreciate everything he did for our franchise both on and off the court.”

A seven-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star (2012 and 2014), Hibbert appeared in 76 games (all starts) with the Pacers last season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes.

Originally selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Queens, New York native was acquired by the Pacers shortly before his rookie campaign and has appeared in 533 career games (492 starts) with Indiana, averaging 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes. In 2014, Hibbert was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team after he finished the season ranked fourth in the NBA with 182 blocks (2.25 per game). The 7’2” center out of Georgetown has appeared and started in 54 postseason games averaging 12.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 31.6 minutes.

Hawks sign Edy Tavares

The Atlanta Hawks have signed center Walter “Edy” Tavares, it was announced yesterday by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Tavares, a 7-foot-3, 260-pound center, was selected 43rd overall by the Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old has played professionally in Spain for the past five seasons, most recently with Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB league (2012-15). He averaged 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.1 minutes in 57 total games (.635 FG%, .653 FT%) during the 2014-15 ACB league season and Eurocup competition. Tavares led the ACB league in rebounds (274) and blocks (60) in the 2014-15 season. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Eurocup First Team, as well as being named weekly MVP twice. With Tavares starting at center, Gran Canaria went 22-1 in Eurocup play and reached the Eurocup final for the first time in club history.

“We followed Edy closely the past two seasons with Gran Canaria and are excited to officially have Edy as a member of our team. We would like to thank the coaches and executives of Gran Canaria as they played a significant role in Edy’s development and we look forward to continuing his improvement in our player development program,” Budenholzer said.

Prior to joining Gran Canaria full time, Tavares played for Gran Canaria’s youth team in the Spanish EBA league (2009-11) and Union Baloncesto La Palma of the LEB Silver league (2011-12).

Tavares was born in Maio, Sotovento, Cape Verde on March 22, 1992. He is the first Cape Verdean native to be drafted or sign a contract to play in the NBA.

He is currently participating as a member of the Hawks’ 2015 Las Vegas Summer League team and will wear uniform No. 22.

Mavericks sign Wesley Matthews

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that they have signed free agent guard Wesley Matthews.

And on this signing, ESPN Dallas reports something very interesting: “Shooting guard Wesley Matthews will make a lot more money from the Dallas Mavericks because of DeAndre Jordan’s decision to back out of his verbal commitment to Dallas and return to the Los Angeles Clippers. Matthews’ financial agreement with the Mavs was flexible based on whether Jordan also joined the Mavs, a league source confirmed. The contract Matthews signed is worth $70 million over four years, a source said. He would have made $57 million over four years if Jordan also signed with Dallas.”

Matthews (6-5, 220) is a six-year veteran with career averages of 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 32.2 minutes in 441 games (381 starts) with Utah and Portland. He has shot 44.3 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from 3-point range and 82.5 percent from the line for his career. Matthews is the Trail Blazers’ career leader in 3-point field goals made with 826.

Last year, Matthews averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 33.7 minutes in 60 games (all starts) with Portland before suffering a torn left Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the remainder of the season.

The San Antonio, Texas, native played four seasons at Marquette where, as a senior, he averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 35 games (35 starts) en route to earning second-team All-Big East honors. He went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft and signed with Utah as a rookie free agent.

Matthews is the son of Wesley Matthews Sr., a former NBA guard and two-time NBA champion with 1987 and 1988 Los Angeles Lakers.

Sixers hire Todd Wright as Assistant Coach, Head of Strength and Conditioning

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that the team has hired Todd Wright as Assistant Coach, Head of Strength and Conditioning. Wright brings with him 21 years of experience and is widely recognized within the field for his ability to develop players using innovative basketball-specific strength and conditioning techniques.

“We feel fortunate to now call Todd Wright a Sixer,” said President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie. “His reputation as a trainer of basketball players is second to none. His values and his ability to form genuine, lasting relationships with athletes to help them achieve their goals are both heavily aligned with our organization and with our player development in Philadelphia. When it became clear that the University of Texas was to make a change in their men’s basketball program, I booked a flight to Austin within 10 minutes.”

Prior to joining the Sixers, Wright was the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team for 14 seasons, during which time he supervised the development of 16 players selected in the NBA Draft, six All-Americans and two recipients of the prestigious Wooden Award as the national player of the year. During his 21 years at the collegiate level with the University of Texas and Clemson University, Wright participated in 19 NCAA tournaments, including 17 consecutive appearances between the two schools.

Wright is also a well-respected speaker in the field of strength and conditioning, having presented on the subject of “Vertical Core Training,” which he developed. Many of Wright’s unique training methodologies have been nationally recognized in numerous publications. He is also a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a Fellow of Applied Functional Science.

“Our additions of Dr. David T. Martin and Todd Wright are further evidence of our desire to be considered world class in the fields of sport science and athletic performance. Our players invest enormous amounts of time into their individual games and their bodies, and we hope to provide them every opportunity to become strong and resilient, to maximize their playing potential, and to lengthen their careers,” Hinkie said.

Jesse Wright, the Sixers previous Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, was integral in the worldwide search and recruitment of Martin and the recruitment of Todd Wright to join the Sixers. Jesse Wright has been elevated to a newly created performance science position. In his new role, he will work closely with Martin and Todd Wright, with a focus on implementing the newest training, fitness, and recovery initiatives.

Lakers sign Brandon Bass

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Brandon Bass to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“I am excited to add a player of Brandon’s skill level and character to our roster,” said Kupchak. “His work ethic, toughness, and selfless play lend themselves well to our team.”

Bass is a solid player and it’ll be interesting to see how he fits alongside newly-acquired Lakers center Roy Hibbert.

The Lakers are still not in a position to be very competitive in a very difficult Western conference.

A 10-year NBA veteran, Bass spent the last four years of his career with Boston, most recently averaging 10.6 points on 50.4% shooting in addition to 4.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game last season. Since 2012-13, Bass has played in 245 of a possible 246 games (185 starts), including playing in all 82 games the last two seasons. For his career, the 30-year-old Bass holds averages of 9.1 points on 49.3% shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game.

The 33rd pick of the 2005 NBA Draft by New Orleans, Bass spent the first two seasons of his career with the then-Hornets before signing as a free agent with Dallas in 2007, where he spent his next two seasons (2007-09). In the summer of 2009, the Baton Rouge native signed a free agent deal with Orlando, where he remained until being traded to Boston on December 12, 2011. Prior to the NBA, the 2005 SEC Player of the Year spent two seasons at LSU before declaring for the Draft following his sophomore season.

Lakers sign Lou Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“I am pleased to welcome Lou to the Laker family,” said Kupchak. “We look forward to his contributions both on-court in bolstering our guard rotation, and also for the veteran leadership he can provide to our young players in the locker room.”

Last season with Toronto, Williams averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game in 80 appearances off the bench, leading to his selection at year’s end as the NBA’s most valuable player in a reserve role. The 10-year veteran also led the Raptors in free throw percentage (86.1%) and made a career-high 152 three-pointers. On March 4, Williams set a Raptors record for points in a quarter with 21 in the fourth period against Cleveland.

Selected by Philadelphia with the 45th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of South Gwinnett High School (GA), the 28-year-old spent his first seven NBA seasons with the 76ers before signing with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2012 offseason, and was traded to the Raptors last summer. For his career, Williams holds averages of 11.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 22.9 minutes per game over 634 contests.