Day: July 6, 2018

Suns sign rookies Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo and George King

The Phoenix Suns signed their 2018 NBA Draft acquisitions today: No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, No. 10 pick Mikal Bridges (pronounced Mick-EL), No. 31 pick Élie Okobo (pronounced EL-ee oh-KO-bo) and No. 59 pick George King.

Ayton is the Suns’ first No. 1 overall selection in franchise history and is the first No. 1 pick in NBA history to be drafted by a team in the same state where he played in both college and high school. The University of Arizona product is a rare combination of size and skill, possessing uncommon athleticism, footwork and shooting touch for a player at 7-1, 250 pounds. The 19-year-old center averaged 20.1 points on 61.2 percent shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his one season with the Wildcats, earning Consensus First Team All-America honors and winning the 2018 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. A native of the Bahamas, Ayton played in high school at Phoenix’s Hillcrest Prep where he earned numerous All-America distinctions prior to his collegiate career.

Bridges, a versatile defender and exceptional shooter, helped Villanova University win two NCAA Championships (2016, 2018) in three seasons at the school. The 6-7, 210-pound wing won the 2018 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award after averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field, 43.5 percent from three-point range (18th best in the nation) and 85.1 percent from the free throw line for the champs. Expanding his role in each of his three seasons with Villanova, Bridges was a co-winner of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016-17 and created havoc defensively for Villanova’s title-winning team in 2015-16. The Philadelphia native was selected by the 76ers with the 10th overall pick before being acquired by the Suns on draft night.

Okobo, a natural scorer who has made strides running the point, had a breakout 2017-18 playing for Pau-Lacq-Orthez of France’s top tier league, LNB Pro A. In 34 games this past season, the 20-year-old led his team with averages of 12.9 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 steals, keying an 11-5 stretch to close the season and qualify for the playoffs. In the playoffs, Okobo scored 44 points including eight three-pointers in the opening game against top-seeded Monaco, the second-highest scoring game in the history of the French league’s playoffs. The native of Bordeaux, France is a leading contender for LNB Pro A’s Most Improved Player Award and was a 2017-18 All-Star selection, recording 17 points and a game-high 17 assists in the All-Star Game.

King, an active defender and tough rebounder from the wing position, ranks second in University of Colorado history with a career three-point mark of 40.1 percent. The 6-6, 225-pound forward averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds over his final three seasons with the Buffaloes, named to the 2017-18 All-Pac-12 Second Team as a senior and winning the 2015-16 Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award as a sophomore. The 24-year-old ranks fifth in CU history in three-point makes, 14th in rebounds and 18th in scoring. Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina before attending high school in San Antonio, King elevated his draft stock following his senior season, being named East MVP at the 2018 NABC College All-Star Game before being named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2018 Portsmouth Invitational.

Timberwolves re-sign Derrick Rose

The Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday re-signed guard Derrick Rose.

The 6-foot-3 former league MVP, now far removed from those days, originally signed with the Wolves last season on March 8. He played a total of 25 regular season games on two different teams (Minnesota and Cleveland) last season, and averaged 8.4 points on 43.5% shooting.

During the 2018 playoffs, Rose played in all five games of the Timberwolves’ first round series against the Rockets, and performed quite well as a bench contributor, putting up 14.2 points per game on 50.9% shooting.

Rose has made the NBA All-Star team three times. And he won NBA MVP in 2010-11 as a member of the Bulls.

Timberwolves sign Jared Terrell to two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday signed guard Jared Terrell to a two-way contract.

The 23-year-old Terrell averaged 16.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game this past college season at Rhode Island. He hit 42.7% FG from the floor, including 41.4% three-pointers and 82.1% free throws. He was rewarded with Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference Team honors, an was named the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association District I Player of the Year.

Over the course of his four-year college career, Terrell finished seventh on Rhode Island’s all-time scoring list with 1,754 career points, fourth in three-pointers (192) and fifth in steals (170). He helped lead Rhode Island to the NCAA Tournament in both of last two seasons.

Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to sign two players to two-way contracts. This is in addition to the up-to-15-man regular-season roster that each team can have. Players signed to a two-way contract can accrue no more than 45 days of service with their respective NBA club during the regular season and will spend the remainder of their time with the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

Celtics sign rookie Robert Williams

The Boston Celtics yesterday signed center/forward Robert Williams to his rookie contract.

Williams, 20, comes to Boston after having been selected 27th overall with the team’s lone draft pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He averaged 11.1 points on 59.1% shooting and 8.7 rebounds in 61 games (40 starts) over two collegiate seasons at Texas A&M University.

As a sophomore in 2017-18, Williams (6-10, 241 lbs.) led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding with 9.2 boards per game. He was also named Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year after producing a conference-best 78 blocked shots, the second-most by any player in school history.

The Shreveport, LA native burst onto the collegiate scene as a freshman in 2016-17, averaging 11.9 points (55.8% FG), 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots in his first season with the Aggies. He earned Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors, in addition to being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Williams will wear No. 44 for the Celtics.

Knicks sign rookie Kevin Knox

The New York Knicks yesterday signed 2018 first-round draft selection Kevin Knox to his rookie contract.

Knox, 18, was drafted by New York out of the University of Kentucky with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21. The 6-9, 215-pound forward started all 37 games for the Wildcats averaging a team-high 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 32.4 minutes. He was named a 2017-18 AP All-America Honorable Mention and co-freshman of year in the SEC.

The Tampa, Fla. native scored in double figures in all but seven games, including a team-high 10 games with 20 or more. He erupted for a game-high 34 points in a 17-point comeback victory at No. 7 West Virginia on Jan. 27, 2018. He helped lead the Wildcats with 25 points and six rebounds in a victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Knox will wear No. 20 for the Knicks and is currently participating with the team’s entry in the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League.

Bucks add Josh Longstaff, Vin Baker to staff

The Milwaukee Bucks have named Josh Longstaff as an assistant coach on the staff of Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. The team also appointed Vin Baker as basketball operations associate/director of program development.

In addition, the Bucks have made the following hires: Zach Peterson as head video coordinator and Schuyler Rimmer as player development and video assistant.

Longstaff spent last season as the inaugural head coach of the Erie BayHawks, the G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, where he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. He began his NBA career with Oklahoma City in 2010 as player personnel and video coordinator, and then continued as video analyst and player development coach for his final three seasons with the Thunder. In 2014, Longstaff joined the New York Knicks as an assistant coach until becoming head coach of the BayHawks in 2017.

A native of Portland, Maine, Longstaff was a four-year letterman in basketball at Bryant University, graduating in 2005.

Baker remains with the Bucks as basketball operations associate/director of program development after serving in multiple roles including assistant coach and pre- and post-game analyst for team telecasts on FOX Sports Wisconsin.

A 13-year NBA veteran, he was a four-time All-Star who averaged 15.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 791 career games. A graduate of the University of Hartford, he was the eighth overall pick by the Bucks in the 1993 NBA Draft. Along with Milwaukee, Baker also played with Seattle, Boston, New York, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2017, he worked as an assistant coach with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League as part of the NBA’s Assistant Coaches Program.

Peterson was most recently head video coordinator for the Hawks. He joined Atlanta in 2014 and served as a seasonal assistant in basketball operations as well as in the video department. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University where he was a manager for the men’s basketball program.

An Orlando, Florida, native, Rimmer worked as a video/player development seasonal assistant last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He attended Stanford and was a member of the men’s basketball team. He completed his collegiate career at the University of Florida in 2017 with a degree in Political Science.

Eric Glass, from Heat video room to coaching summer league

It’s always interesting to see the journey taken by guys who work their way up in the coaching world. Here’s the Palm Beach Post reporting on Heat summer league coach Eric Glass:

Miami Heat assistant coach Eric Glass has one directive from his boss, head coach Erik Spoelstra, when it comes to summer league.

“He said ‘do whatever you want and don’t be afraid to make a mistake,’” Glass said. “Which was huge for me.

“He gave me incredible trust and leeway.”

Glass is leading Miami through two summer leagues, having just won 2-of-3 games in Sacramento and now moving onto Las Vegas where the Heat will compete in the NBA Summer League starting at 5 p.m. Saturday with a game against New Orleans.

Glass, 34, is next in a line of Heat coaches who got their start in the video room, eventually moved to the bench and started to make their bones in summer league. With thousands of hours in the video room and for the last two years as the Heat’s player development coach, Spoelstra believes Glass is “more than ready” for the challenge.

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And here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel, from June:

Glass, 34, is the Heat’s video coordinator, as well as part of the team’s player-development staff. His coaching experience includes time under former NBA coach Mike Fratello with the Ukrainian national team.

The Heat often have utilized summer league to develop their coaching staff, with assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Juwan Howard and Dan Craig among those to recently coach the team’s summer rosters. Pat Delany, now an Orlando Magic assistant coach, also has coached the Heat during summer league.

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