July 2016 – Page 4 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Arn Tellem is happy

“Superagent” Arn Tellem is a legend who, after achieving incredible success, decided to take his career in a different direction. Here’s the Detroit Free Press:

Tellem was one of sports’ king-makers. The lead character of the successful HBO series “Arliss” was loosely based on his career. He single-handedly altered the way NBA teams looked at 18-year-old draft prospects when, in the 1996 draft, he craftily steered a gangly teenager named Kobe Bryant to the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers a couple weeks later.

“At the end of the day,” Tellem said this week, “I was at an age where I had a great run and a great career. But I was at a stage of my life where I wanted more, something that could effectuate more change to a larger number of people. The great thing about the agent business was the one-on-one relationships. I was very proud advising them and trying to steer them into making the right decisions in their lives. But I was at the point in my life where I wanted a broader platform.”

One year after accepting Pistons owner Tom Gores’ offer to become vice-chairman of Palace Sports & Entertainment, Tellem says he has never been happier. He said he’s more connected to the greater Detroit community in his first 12 months here than he was in the more than 30 years he lived in Los Angeles.

Pelicans sign rookie Cheick Diallo and re-sign Alonzo Gee

The Pelicans have signed 2016 second round draft pick Cheick Diallo and re-signed guard/forward Alonzo Gee.

Many second round draft picks never get signed to NBA contracts. It’s always worth noting the one that do.

Diallo, 6-9, 220, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of Kansas. His rights were acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in a draft night transaction where New Orleans sent the 39th (David Michineau, 6-3, 175, France) and 40th (Diamond Stone, 6-11, 255, Maryland) overall selections to the Clippers. In his lone season at Kansas, Diallo, averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game.

“We targeted Cheick early in the draft process and believe he will become a good NBA player,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “Cheick is a self-driven, relentless worker that is determined to succeed. He showed us flashes in Summer League and we feel like he will develop into a player that will impact winning.”

Diallo appeared in five games for the Pelicans during the 2016 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 10.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Gee, 6-6, 225, who was originally signed by New Orleans on July 16, 2015, appeared in 73 games (38 starts) for the Pelicans during the 2015-16 season, averaging 4.5 points while shooting .518 from the field, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 22.4 minutes per game.

“Alonzo is someone that comes to work every day and gives you all that he has every time he steps on the floor,” stated Demps. “He’s a tough, competitive basketball player that can defend multiple positions. We’re really happy to welcome him back to the Pelicans.”

Undrafted in 2009, the University of Alabama product has appeared in 404 career regular season games with Washington, San Antonio, Cleveland, Denver, Portland and New Orleans, holding averages of 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 22.2 minutes per contest.

Cavaliers sign Chris Andersen

The Birdman has flown to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers have signed center Chris Andersen, the team announced today.

Andersen (6-10, 245) split time between Memphis and Miami last season, appearing in 27 games (15 starts) with averages of 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Over his 14-year NBA career, he holds averages of 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.8 minutes over 683 games (45 starts) with Denver, New Orleans, Miami and Memphis. Andersen has a career field goal percentage of .533, having hit at least .500 from the field in each of the last eight seasons.

A native of Long Beach, Calif., Andersen won an NBA Championship with Miami in 2013 and set an NBA playoff record by shooting .807 (46-57) from the field over 20 games during the Heat’s title run (minimum 20 FGA). Overall, he has appeared in 73 career postseason games (two starts), averaging 5.3 points on .631 shooting from the field, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17.1 minutes.

Andersen will wear jersey number 00 for the Cavaliers.

Pelicans sign Terrence Jones, re-sign Tim Frazier

The Pelicans have signed unrestricted free agent forward Terrence Jones, and re-signed guard Tim Frazier.

Jones, 6-9, 252, has spent his entire professional career with the Houston Rockets after being selected 18th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky. In 178 career regular season games (106 starts) with the Rockets, Jones has averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.1 minutes per contest. Jones has appeared in 25 playoff games (11 starts) in which he averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per contest.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Terrence Jones to the Pelicans’ family,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “Terrence is a versatile player that possesses a diverse skill set that can help us win games. He will be a great addition to our program.”

Frazier, 6-1, 170, was originally signed by New Orleans on March 16, 2016 after receiving a GATORADE Call-Up from the NBA Development League’s Maine Red Claws. In 16 games (one start) last season with New Orleans, Frazier averaged 13.1 points, 7.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 29.3 minutes per game.

“We were really impressed with how well Tim performed last season,” added Demps. “He stepped into our rotation late in the season and immediately made a positive impact. Tim is a player our coaches want to coach, and our players want to play with him. We are happy to have him back.”

Undrafted in 2014 out of Penn State, Frazier has appeared in 62 career regular season games with Philadelphia, Portland and New Orleans, averaging 5.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds.

Pelicans sign rookie Buddy Hield

The Pelicans have signed 2016 first round draft pick Buddy Hield.

All players selected in the first round of the draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to begin their NBA career right away. This signing was expected.

Hield, 6-4, 214, comes off his senior season at the University of Oklahoma, where he claimed the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, as well as Consensus First Team All-America, Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 honors. Hield helped lead the Sooners to the 2016 Final Four on his 25.0 points per game, ranked second in the nation, and his top ranked 3.97 three-point field goals per game, while registering twelve 30-point performances during the course of his senior campaign. Over his four-year career, Hield averaged a career 17.4 points, finishing as the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer (2,661).

“We could not be more excited to add a player and person like Buddy Hield to the New Orleans Pelicans,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “He embodies all the traits we care about in our organization. His work ethic, energy and confidence have been on full display since he stepped foot in New Orleans. We look forward to helping him grow as a player as he will help us become a better team.”

Hield appeared in five games for New Orleans during the 2016 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest.

Spurs sign Livio Jean-Charles

The Spurs have signed forward Livio Jean-Charles.

Jean-Charles, 6-9/225, was originally drafted by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old has spent the last four seasons with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne of the French Pro-A League. Last season he saw action in 25 games, averaging 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes while shooting .552 (64-116) from the field and .655 (19-29) from the foul line. In the playoffs he appeared in 11 games, upping his averages to 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 25.9 minutes helping lead ASVEL to the French League championship. Jean-Charles also made eight FIBA Europe Cup appearances, averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.9 minutes.

Prior to joining Lyon-Villeurbanne, Jean-Charles spent two seasons with Centre Federal du Basket-Ball in the French-NM1 League.

Jean-Charles represented France on the U-20 National Team at the 2012 and 2013 U-20 European Championships. At the 2013 U-20 Championships, he averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

In April 2013, Jean-Charles participated in the Nike Hoop Summit where he was named the Most Outstanding Player after a 27-point, 13-rebound effort, leading the World Team to a 112-98 win over the USA Junior Select Team that included current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker.

Not likely that Atlanta will get 2017 NBA All-Star game

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting on possible new locations for 2017 All-Star weekend now that it will no longer be held in Charlotte:

Atlanta is an unlikely destination for the 2017 NBA All-Star game after the league announced that the event would be relocated from Charlotte, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Hawks and Atlanta are planning major renovations to Philips Arena, which is the major issue facing a move of the game to the city, according to the person familiar with the situation. Securing the necessary hotel rooms may also be an issue.

The NBA made the announcement Thursday, citing the North Carolina’s controversial transgender bathroom law HB2.

Wizards sign Tomas Satoransky

The Wizards have signed guard Tomas Satoransky.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring Tomas to the organization after monitoring his development overseas for the last several years,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “He will provide energy and athleticism at both guard positions, giving us more depth and versatility in the backcourt.”

Satoransky (6-7, 210) was originally selected by the Wizards with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft as an international prospect. Washington has held his rights over the last four seasons.

Last season, he averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 assists while shooting .439 from three-point range in 43 games for Barcelona in the ACB League (Spain) and tallied 9.0 points and 4.2 assists in 29 games of Euroleague action. In 2014-15, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists while shooting .432 from three-point range in 68 combined games between ACB and Euroleague play for Barcelona.

After being drafted by the Wizards, the Prague native played two seasons for Sevilla in Spain (2012-14). Prior to being drafted by Washington, he played three pro seasons (2009-10 through 2011-12) in Spain (for Qalat Caja Sol Sevilla and Cajasol Sevilla) and two pro seasons (2007-08 & 2008-09) in his native Czech Republic (for USK Prague). Satoransky is a member of the Czech Republic National Team.

Pelicans sign Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill, E`Twaun Moore

The Pelicans have signed unrestricted free agents Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore.

“Today is an exciting day for the Pelicans,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “We entered the free agency period determined to add high character, talented, defensive-minded, gritty yet smart players that compete and play hard. We are headed in the right direction with the signings of Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore.”

Demps added, “These guys are two-way players that have been on our radar for quite some time. We wanted to stick with the theme of adding young veterans that can enhance our program while growing with our team. We are thrilled to welcome Langston, Solomon, E’Twaun and their families to the Pelicans’ family.”

Galloway, 6-2, 200, most recently played for the New York Knicks, appearing in all 82 games during the 2015-16 season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Undrafted out of Saint Joseph’s, Galloway began his professional career with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA Development League, before signing with New York on January 5, 2015. The Baton Rouge native appeared in 45 games for the Knicks during his rookie campaign, averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals on his way to being named to the 2015 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 127 career regular season games, Galloway holds averages of 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.

Hill, 6-7, 225, has spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers after being selected 23rd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of Arizona. In 169 career regular season games with the Pacers, Hill has averaged 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.6 minutes per contest. His best statistical season came in 2014-15, when Hill appeared in all 82 games (78 starts), averaging 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Moore, 6-4, 191, most recently played for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 7.5 points on .481 shooting from the field, including .452 from three-point range, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 59 games during the 2015-16 season. Selected by the Boston Celtics with the 55th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at Purdue University, Moore has appeared in 307 career regular season games with Boston, Orlando and Chicago, while averaging 5.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.2 minutes per game.

Nuggets re-sign Mike Miller

The Nuggets have re-signed forward Mike Miller to a multi-year contract,

Miller, a 16-year NBA veteran, appeared in 47 games (two starts) for Denver during the 2015-16 season and averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Overall he has played in 1,012 career games (570 starts) and posted averages of 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.3 minutes per game for Orlando, Memphis, Minnesota, Washington, Miami, Cleveland and Denver.

“We’re thrilled that Mike will be back with us going forward. He exemplifies what it means to be an ultimate teammate and professional, and his resume certainly speaks for itself,” said General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. “Last season Mike made a major impact on our young core and we look forward to continuing to have his veteran leadership both on the court and in our locker room.”

Miller won two NBA championships with Miami in 2012 and 2013 and has appeared in four NBA Finals, three with Miami (2011-2013) and one with Cleveland (2015). The 6-8 forward was named the 2005-06 Sixth Man of the Year and also earned the 2000-01 Rookie of the Year Award for Orlando after being drafted fifth overall out of the University of Florida in the 2000 NBA Draft.

The South Dakota native is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in NBA history, ranking 20th all-time in made three-pointers (1,582) and 21st all-time in career three-point percentage (.407). He has made at least 70 three-pointers in 12 seasons, has made 100-or-more in eight of those seasons and connected on a career-high 202 threes during the 2006-07 campaign. He has shot at least .400 from beyond the arc in nine separate seasons.