August 2015 – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Nuggets sign Danilo Gallinari to contract extension

After restructuring his deal, the Denver Nuggets have signed forward Danilo Gallinari to a multi-year contract extension, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

According to the Denver Post, “Gallinari’s extension has a total value of three years and $45 million. He will get a bump in pay that starts this season and raises his salary from $11.5 million to $14 million.”

Gallinari, 6-10, 225, appeared in 59 games (27 starts) for Denver last season, averaging 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24.2 minutes per game.

The 26-year-old closed out the 2014-15 season by averaging 19.1 points and 4.9 rebounds over the final 22 games while shooting 45% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the charity stripe. He also eclipsed the 40-point mark two times during this stretch, including a career-high 47 vs. Dallas on Apr. 10, the most points ever scored in the NBA by an Italian-born player.

The six-year veteran was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 6th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Gallinari has appeared in 344 career games (274 starts) with Denver and New York, averaging 14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He has been a member of the Nuggets since being acquired via trade in 2011.

Heat sign Josh Richardson

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed guard Josh Richardson.

Richardson played for the HEAT in both the Orlando Pro Summer League and Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He played a combined 10 games (six starts), and averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.70 steals and 1.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game. He recorded 23 points and four steals in 30:20 minutes in his Summer League finale against the Sacramento Kings.

Richardson, who played four seasons at Tennessee, appeared in 136 career games (110 starts) for the Volunteers and averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.08 steals and 28.2 minutes while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 75.8 percent from the foul line. He finished his career ranking third in school history in games played, ninth in minutes (3,802), ninth in starts, 10th in steals (147), 16th in blocks (88) and 28th in points (1,252). As a senior, he appeared in 32 games (all starts) and averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.09 steals and 36.3 minutes while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from three-point range and 79.8 percent from the foul line. Among the accolades he collected during his senior season, Richardson was named to the Associated Press and Coaches All-SEC First Teams, the SEC All-Defensive Team and the Defensive All-American Team. He was also selected to the SEC Community Service Team.

Richardson was selected in the second round (40th overall) by the HEAT in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves sign Andre Miller

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed veteran guard Andre Miller.

Miller, a 6-2 guard, averaged 4.4 points and 3.5 assists in 15.5 minutes per game over 81 contests between Washington and Sacramento last season. He began the season in Washington, appearing in 51 games before being acquired by Sacramento on Feb. 19 in exchange for Ramon Sessions.

Over his 16-year career, Miller has played for seven organizations (Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, Denver, Philadelphia, Portland, Washington and Sacramento) and averaged 12.8 points and 6.7 assists over 1,265 games. Between 1999-00 and 2012-13, he played in all but six contests over a span of 14 seasons, including playing every single game in 10 different seasons. With Cleveland in 2001-02, he led the NBA in both assists (882) and assists per game (10.9), both franchise records.

Originally selected with the 8th overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1998 NBA Draft, Miller ranks first among active players and ninth in NBA history in assists (8,437). He also ranks T-5th among active players in games played (1,265) and ninth in minutes played (39,807). Miller is one of just eight players in NBA history to tally at least 16,000 points and 8,000 assists in a career.

Video: NBA Cares at Basketball Without Borders in Africa

Enjoy these recent video highlights of NBA Cares at Basketball Without Borders in Africa:

Ray Allen is not retired from NBA yet

Here’s the Hartford Courant with the latest on Ray Allen, who is apparently still open to continuing his NBA career if the opportunity is right:

Yes, Ray Allen cleaned out his closets this summer and gave away some of his shoes, leading fans on an Instagram-driven scavenger hunt around Hartford.

But don’t read into it. He still has lots of shoes, and he’s not yet retired.

“I haven’t said anything about that and I won’t officially retire,” Allen said Saturday during a break in his basketball camp for kids at East Granby High. “Because if something came to the table, contractually and situational-ly, I want to be able to take a strong look at it. I don’t want to be that guy that says he’s retiring and then is coming back.”

Allen, the former UConn star and the most accomplished three-point shooter in NBA history, turned 40 on July 20 and has now been out of the game a full season, though, he said “a quarter to half” the teams in the NBA contacted him about coming back in time for the playoffs last spring.

Andre Drummond free throw shooting still an issue

Here’s the Detroit Free Press reporting on one of the keys to the Pistons’ future:

Andre Drummond turns 22 next Monday.

The other important number for coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy is 50.

He’d like his big center to shoot 50% from the free throw line this upcoming season.

That might be a tall order for the 6-foot-11 man mountain, who has career averages of 12.1 points per game and 11.8 rebounds.

His rookie season Drummond shot 37.1% from the free throw line. In his second year he improved to 41.8%, however last year he took a step back at 38.9%. For his career he’s shooting just 39.7%.

Mother of Stanley Johnson passes away

Here’s Michigan Live reporting some very sad news about a Pistons rookie:

Stanley Johnson’s No. 1 fan won’t be around to watch him make his NBA debut for the Detroit Pistons this fall.

Johnson’s mother, Karen Taylor, was a professional basketball player herself who played a major role in her son becoming the Pistons first-round pick (eighth overall) in this year’s NBA draft.

But Johnson will make his NBA debut with a heavy heart after confirming in a tweet that his mother has died.

Nuggets sign rookie Emmanuel Mudiay

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Emmanuel Mudiay to a multi-year contract, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

All first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to come to the NBA right away. Thereforefore, this is a standard signing, and was expected.

Mudiay, 6-5, 200, was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 7th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Congolese native appeared in four games (all starts) for the Denver Nuggets at the 2015 Samsung Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.25 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. He was named to the Samsung All-NBA Summer League Second Team.

Mudiay, 19, played one season for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2014-15. He appeared in 12 games and averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.58 steals per game.

Mavericks sign first round draft pick Justin Anderson

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed 21st overall pick Justin Anderson.

All first round draft picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to come to the NBA right away. So, this signing was expected.

Anderson (6-6, 228) impressed at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where he started all 6 six games for the Mavericks and averaged 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting .434 from the floor, .385 from three-point range and .900 from the foul line.

The Rockville, Md., native played three years at Virginia leading the Cavaliers to two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and just the second ACC Tournament Championship in school history. As a junior, he averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting .466 from the field, .452 from behind-the-arc and .780 from the foul line.

The versatile guard improved his three-point shooting from .294 (30-102) as a sophomore to an ACC-leading .452 (47-104) as a junior on his way to being named NABC All-America Third Team and All-ACC Second Team.

Clippers waive Jordan Hamilton

The L.A. Clippers announced today the team has waived forward Jordan Hamilton.

Hamilton appeared in 14 games with the Clippers last season, making two starts and averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.7 minutes.

The Los Angeles native originally signed a 10-day contract with the Clippers on Feb. 24, 2015. He has appeared in 140 career regular season games with Denver, Houston and the Clippers.