July 2017 – Page 9 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Knicks interested in executive Scott Perry

With Phil Jackson gone from New York in body, mind and spirit, the Knicks seek a new executive to add to the front office. Here’s the New York Post with the latest:

Scott Perry, the Sacramento Kings’ VP of basketball operations, reportedly has interviewed for the Knicks GM job, a No. 2 position in the front office under acting president Steve Mills.

Mills met with Perry on Thursday, according to an NBA source. As The Post reported, the Knicks have their successor to ousted president Phil Jackson in Mills, who served as general manager during the three-year, three-month stint of the Zen Master. The Knicks have not made it official, but have proceeded with a search centering on assistant general-manager types.

Lakers sign guard Alex Caruso

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Alex Caruso to a two-way contract, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Caruso spent the 2016-17 season with the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League, notching 11.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 50 games (46 starts). The College Station, TX, native played four seasons at Texas A&M (2012-16), earning All-SEC Second Team honors and was an SEC All-Defensive Team selection in 2015-16.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have up to two players under two-way contracts on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. As a two-way player, Caruso can spend up to 45 days with the Los Angeles Lakers, not including any time prior to the start of the South Bay Lakers’ training camp or after the conclusion of their G League season.

The 2017-18 season marks the first year NBA two-way contracts will be implemented, in which two-way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four or fewer years of NBA experience are eligible to sign two-way contracts, which can be a maximum of two seasons in length.

Kings sign Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Sacramento Kings have signed guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, General Manager Vlade Divac announced today.

Originally chosen 27th overall by Phoenix in the 2014 NBA Draft, the 6-6 shooting guard was acquired alongside the 13th and 28th picks (Georgios Papagiannis and Skal Labissiere) and a future second-round choice by Sacramento in exchange for the eighth selection in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Bogdanovic joins the Kings after playing the last three seasons in Turkey, where he led Fenerbahce to both the Euro and Turkish League Championships in 2016-17. In 27 games, the 24-year-old amassed averages of 14.6 points (.500 FG%, .430 3pt%, .855 FT%), 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.12 steals in 27.9 minutes per contest, earning All-Euro League First-Team and Turkish Finals MVP honors.

In addition to professional experience with Fenerbahce, Bogdanovic spent parts of four seasons with Partizan Belgrade, averaging 14.8 points (.401 FG%, .370 3pt%, .754 FT%), 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.67 steals per game in route to 2013-14 Euro League Rising Star accolades. Then only 21 years of age, he guided Partizan past rival Red Star Belgrade in the league’s championship series in route to posting 30.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest during the best-of-five series.

A member of the silver-medal winning Serbian national team in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bogdanovic averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in eight contests, including a game-high 18 points (7-11 FG, 3-4 3pt, 1-1 FT) to accompany one rebound, five assists and three steals in a quarterfinal victory over Croatia. He helped guide Serbia into the Games with averages of 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists during the 2016 FIBA Qualifying Tournament, punctuated by 26 points (9-14 FG, 6-10 3pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and eight assists in the championship game victory against Puerto Rico.

Kings sign rookie Frank Mason III

The Sacramento Kings announced Wednesday that the team has signed 2017 second-round draft selection Frank Mason III to a contract, according to General Manager Vlade Divac.

Mason, a 6-0 guard, averaged 20.9 points (.490 FG%, .471 3pt%, .794 FT%), 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals during the Jayhawks’ 31-5 record and Elite Eight campaign—becoming the first player in both Big 12 and Kansas history to average 20.0 points and 5.0 assists for a season. For his efforts, the four-year collegian swept the National Player of the Year awards as a senior, earning honors from the AP, Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA), NABC, Sporting News, CBS Sports, USA Today, NBC Sports and BleacherReport, becoming the first consensus National Player of the Year in Kansas history and just the second Jayhawks player to win the Wooden Award (Danny Manning, 1988). Additionally, Mason was bestowed the Bob Cousy Point Guard and Big 12 Player of the Year Awards. He concluded his career ranked sixth in KU history in scoring (1,885) and assists (576)—the only player to rank as high in both categories.

The first Kansas player to lead the Big 12 in scoring since 2004-05, Mason finished the season ranked 22nd in the nation in scoring while finishing first in the league in three-point percentage and fourth in assists. He posted 23 games of 20 or more points, including 10 of KU’s last 11 outings.

Mavericks sign Maxi Kleber

The Dallas Mavericks have signed free agent forward Maxi Kleber.

Kleber (6-11, 220) spent the last eight seasons playing professionally in Germany and Spain, including the most recent two with Germany’s FC Bayern Munich. In 37 Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) games for Bayern Munich last year, he averaged 8.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks en route to being named a BBL All-Star, All-BBL Second Team and BBL Most Effective Player.

In 17 EuroCup games for Bayern Munich in 2016-17, Kleber averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists while being named All-EuroCup Second Team.

Kleber hails from Wurzburg, Germany, the same hometown as Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. He has played for the German national team in international competition, including the 2014 Eurobasket qualification rounds.

Nuggets sign Paul Millsap

The Denver Nuggets have signed free agent forward Paul Millsap to a multi-year contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

According to multiple reports, the deal is a three-year, $90 million contract.

Millsap, 6-8, 246, has spent the last four seasons in Atlanta where he averaged 17.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.67 steals and 1.17 blocks in 297 games (294 starts). He was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team in each of his four years with the Hawks and he helped lead them to the #1 seed in the East during the 2014-15 season. He was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2016, earned Co-Player of the Month honors for January 2015 and Player of the Week honors twice (Jan. 27, 2014 and Apr. 11, 2016).

The 11-year NBA veteran spent the first seven years of his career as a member of the Utah Jazz after being selected with the 47th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. Millsap averaged 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.10 steals in 540 games (265 starts) with the Jazz. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2006-07 and appeared in all 82 games three times with Utah. Overall, Millsap has appeared in 837 career games (559 starts) for Atlanta and Utah, averaging 14.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.30 steals in 29.5 minutes per game.

Millsap has reached the playoffs in nine of his 11 years in the NBA, advancing to the Conference Semifinals or farther on five occasions. He has appeared in 87 career playoff games (42 starts), posting averages of 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.06 steals and 1.24 blocks per game. He most recently averaged 24.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.70 steals in six games during the 2017 Playoffs.

The Monroe, Louisiana native spent 12 years of his childhood as a member of the Montbello, Denver community before returning to the State of Louisiana for high school and college. Millsap attended Louisiana Tech University where he played three seasons, averaging 18.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.32 steals and 1.99 blocks while shooting .576 from the field in 92 total games (91 starts). He was named WAC All-Conference First Team as a junior and sophomore and was named All-Conference Second Team as a freshman. He also earned WAC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior.

Millsap will wear #4 for the Nuggets.

Raptors trade DeMarre Carroll to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired DeMarre Carroll and 2018 first and second round draft picks from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Justin Hamilton.

Carroll joins Brooklyn after spending the previous two seasons in Toronto. This past season, the 30-year-old native of Birmingham, Ala., appeared in and started 72 games, registering averages of 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.1 minutes per game. Prior to his time with the Raptors, Carroll put together his two best professional seasons (2013-15) with the Atlanta Hawks while Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson served as an Atlanta assistant. In those two seasons, Carroll saw action in 143 games, averaging 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 31.7 minutes per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3-point range.

In 414 career games (258 starts) split between Memphis, Houston, Denver, Utah, Atlanta and Toronto, the eight-year veteran has recorded averages of 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 22.9 minutes per game. Carroll has also appeared in the postseason in five of the last six seasons, including each of the last four, and owns career playoff averages of 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.6 minutes per contest. Carroll was originally selected by Memphis with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Missouri. After spending two years (2004-06) at Vanderbilt, Carroll transferred and spent his junior and senior seasons (2007-09) at Missouri, helping to lead the Tigers to an Elite Eight appearance as a senior while garnering All-Big 12 First Team honors.

Hamilton, who originally signed as a free agent with Brooklyn on July 11, 2016, saw action in 64 games in his lone season with the Nets, averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. In 113 career games with Brooklyn, Minnesota, Miami and Charlotte, the three-year NBA veteran has posted averages of 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per contest.

Lakers sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Per multiple reports, Caldwell-Pope’s contract is a short one: a one-year, $18 million contract. That’s a nice payday for one season, but it also means he’ll have to have an excellent season in the hope of landing a multi-year monster deal next year.

Caldwell-Pope joins Los Angeles following four seasons with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 314 contests (274 starts). Last season, the 24-year-old averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 76 games (75 starts) with the Pistons.

Selected by Detroit with the eighth overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Caldwell-Pope averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 64 career games (60 starts) at Georgia before winning SEC Player of the Year honors in 2013.

The Lakers will hold an introductory press conference with Caldwell-Pope, General Manager Rob Pelinka and President of Basketball Operations Earvin “Magic” Johnson at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18, at the Toyota Sports Center.

Wizards retain Otto Porter Jr

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has retained its right of first refusal and matched the offer sheet extended to forward Otto Porter Jr. by the Brooklyn Nets.

Porter Jr’s contract is a huge one: four years, $106.5 million, according to multiple media outlets.

“Otto has developed into a vital part of our young core, which is why we made it clear that our priority was to keep him here to maintain continuity and build on the success of this group heading into next season and beyond,” Grunfeld said. “His versatility, basketball IQ and three-point shooting combine to make him a great fit for us on the floor while his character and work in the community show why we’re so pleased to have him as a cornerstone of our franchise.”

Porter is coming off a career year with the Wizards where he averaged career highs in points (13.4), field-goal percentage (.516), three-point percentage (.434), rebounds (6.4) and steals (1.5). His long-range shooting ranked fourth in the NBA and second in the Eastern Conference (Korver). He posted 14 games of 20+ points after having 10 total over the first three seasons of his career, hit 148 three-pointers after having 137 total over the first three seasons of his career and became the first player in franchise history to record back-to-back games with six three-pointers.

“After two years at Georgetown and four years with the Wizards here in Washington, D.C., I’m excited to be staying home,” said Porter. “I want our great fans to know that I will continue to work hard to improve my game in all areas and I hope to make an even bigger contribution to the Wizards’ success in the future.”
Porter was originally selected by the Wizards with the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Georgetown and has developed into one of the NBA’s most efficient players. He finished this season first among non-centers in effective field goal percentage at .608 (fifth among all players) and seventh among all players in true shooting percentage at .628. His two-point field goal percentage (.576) was third among non-centers (trailing only James and Durant) while his overall field goal percentage ranked fourth among guards and small forwards (trailing only James, Durant and Antetokounmpo) and his overall offensive rating ranked second in the NBA (Jordan). Porter’s offensive output translated to team success as well, with the Wizards ranking third in offensive efficiency, fourth in effective field goal percentage and fourth in fast break points with him on the floor. Defensively, the team was first in forcing turnovers with Porter on the floor.

The four-year pro was one of only two players (Aldridge) to average at least 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and shoot .400 from three-point range last season and become just the fourth player in team history to record those numbers in a season (Ariza, Ballard, Webber). Porter is one of only two players (McCollum) to see their field goal percentage, three-point percentage, scoring and rebounding averages increase every year since the 2013-14 season and is one of only five players in league history to shoot .500 from the field, .400 from three-point range and .800 from the free throw line in their fourth season (Petrovic, Hornacek, Dumars, Hodges)

For his career, Porter has averaged 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting .389 from three-point range in 266 games. He has averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 23 playoff games during the Wizards’ last two postseason outings.

Warriors sign Omri Casspi

The 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Omri Casspi (OME-ree), the team announced Wednesday.

Casspi, 29, split the 2016-17 season between the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in 36 games (two starts) and averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.9 minutes per game. The 6’9” forward owns career averages of 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 499 career games (138 starts) over eight seasons with the Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Pelicans and Timberwolves.

Originally selected by the Kings with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Casspi averaged career highs of 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds with the Kings in 2015-16, posting career marks in three-pointers made (112) and three-point percentage (.409). He set single-game career highs with 36 points and nine three-pointers (9-of-12) on December 28, 2015 at Golden State, hitting 7-of-9 from long distance in the first half at Oracle Arena.

A native of Holon, Israel, Casspi played professionally in Israel for four seasons prior to becoming the first Israeli-born player to appear in an NBA game.

Casspi will wear #18 for the Warriors.