The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired centre David Andersen and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a 2015 protected second-round pick obtained from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Hassan Adams trade January 7, 2009.

Andersen, a 6-foot-11 native of Carlton, Australia, appeared in 63 games last season for the Rockets, averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds during his rookie NBA campaign. He posted a career-high 19 points November 15, 2009 against the Los Angeles Lakers and reached double figures in scoring 12 times.

“David is a skilled big that gives us some insurance at the backup centre position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “He will also bring a veteran presence and savvy to a relatively young team.”

Andersen was selected 37th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2002 NBA Draft. He remained overseas to claim three Euroleague titles with Virtus Bolonga (2001) and CSKA Moscow (2006 and 2008). During the 2004-05 season he was named first-team All-Euroleague after averaging 12.4 points and a career-best 7.0 rebounds playing for CSKA Moscow. In 2007-08 he averaged a career-best 12.8 points during CSKA’s Euroleague championship run. Anderson posted strong numbers again in 2008-09 with Regal FC Barcelona, averaging 11.1 points and shooting .554 from the field in 23 games. He helped FC Barcelona win the ACB Spanish National Championship and a berth in the Euroleague Final Four.

In nine seasons abroad Anderson won four Russian National Championships, two Italian League Championships and an ACB Spanish National title. He also competed twice in the Summer Olympics (2004 and 2008) for the Australian National Team. Andersen’s draft rights were traded to Houston on July 14, 2009.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Andersen is a good backup center.

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed forward Linas Kleiza (LYNN-as CLAY-za) to a multi-year contract as all required paperwork has now been officially filed with the League Office. Kleiza’s rights technically became property of the Raptors on July 17 when an offer sheet was not matched by the Denver Nuggets. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

“We are very happy to add a tough-minded, hard-nosed forward who will certainly get a chance to contribute given the departure of Hedo Turkoglu,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Linas has that unique inside/outside game that makes him a tough cover at a couple of different positions.”

Kleiza played last season in Greece with Olympiakos after four seasons (2005-09) with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 31 regular season games with Olympiakos. He shot .596 from the field, .374 from three-point range and .800 from the foul line.

In 22 Euroleague outings, Kleiza contributed 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. In the regular season he finished second in the Euroleague in scoring at 19.7 points per contest. He led Olympiakos to the Euroleague Championship game in Paris.

Kleiza averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 301 career games with Denver. He saw action in 26 postseason games, where he averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Kleiza, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, was born in Lithuanian, attended high school in Maryland and played collegiately at the University of Missouri. He was selected 27th overall by Portland in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

The AP reports:

Free-agent forward Matt Barnes says he is headed for Toronto.

Barnes wrote on his Twitter page Monday that he has decided to play for the Raptors next season. He also thanked fans in Orlando, where he played last season.

Yahoo reports:

Even after Matt Barnes announced himself as a Toronto Raptor on his Twitter account, the sign-and-trade deal that would’ve sent him to the team with a two-year, $9 million contract has fallen apart, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

“The sign-and-trade is dead,” the source flatly said.

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports:

The Raptors gained a player and lost a coach as the Summer of Change continues.

On the day the Denver Nuggets didn’t match an offer sheet extended to restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza, assistant coach Marc Iavaroni is leaving Jay Triano’s staff to join new head coach Vinny Del Negro with the Los Angeles Clippers…

The news on Kleiza, who has a four-year, $18.8 million deal with the Raptors, is hardly surprising; the Nuggets were never expected to match the offer.

But the departure of Iavaroni, hired a year ago as ostensibly Toronto’s defensive guru, is mildly surprising.

Even after the addition of P.J. Carlesimo to Triano’s staff in May, there were no other staff changes planned until the 53-year-old former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies decided to leave for Los Angeles.

The Phoenix Suns today acquired forward Hedo Turkoglu (TURK-oh-lue) from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard Leandro Barbosa and forward/center Dwayne Jones, the club has announced.  The trade is pending the completion of physicals.

“Hedo is a versatile player and somebody who we always thought would fit into our system,” said Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry.  “He is a good ball handler who can create plays for other people and who can play three different positions.  He’ll fit well into what we’re trying to do here.”

In the 6-10, 220-pound Turkoglu, the Suns acquire a multi-dimensional player who is both a premier long-range shooter and a top passer at his position.  Turkoglu owns career averages of 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28.2 minutes in 752 games (443 starts) with the Sacramento Kings (2000-03), San Antonio Spurs (2003-04), Orlando Magic (2004-09) and Toronto Raptors (2009-10).

In 10 career seasons, Turkoglu has made seven playoff appearances and has won a postseason series in all but one of those appearances, including a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals as a member of the Magic.  The 31-year-old Turkoglu averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in helping to lead Orlando to the franchise’s second berth in the league’s championship series.  Overall, Turkoglu’s teams are 9-7 (.563) in playoff series all-time.

The first Turkish-born player in NBA history, Turkoglu has averaged double-digit scoring in each of his last six seasons, including 15.8 points over his five-year tenure with the Magic.  A willing and capable passer, Turkoglu is one of only three NBA forwards who have averaged at least four assists in each of the last three seasons, joining Miami’s LeBron James and Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala.  Turkoglu has made 100 or more three-pointers in each of the last five seasons, averaged 126 threes in that span (631-of-1644, .384) and is a career 38.3-percent shooter from long range.

Turkoglu’s best career season came in 2007-08 when he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

One of the league’s top clutch shooters, Turkoglu has made six game-winning shots in the final seconds of a game since 2006-07 and game-clinching free throws on two other occasions in that span.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Turkoglu played four seasons for Efes Pilsen of the Turkish Professional League from 1996-2000 before being selected by Sacramento with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.  His NBA signing was a national sports event in his native Turkey that featured a nationally televised press conference.

Marc Stein of ESPN reports:

The Cleveland Cavaliers have no plans to push for an NBA probe into the circumstances that led to LeBron James joining Team USA colleagues Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, according to sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking.

NBA commissioner David Stern said Sunday that the league would investigate the Heat’s signings of James and Bosh for any illegal negotiating or planning before free agency officially started if the Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors make that request.

Reached Sunday by ESPN.com, Stern said: “Whenever a team lodges a tampering charge, it is investigated.”

The Cavaliers declined official comment Sunday, but one source briefed on Cleveland’s intentions told ESPN.com that — in the wake of owner Dan Gilbert’s vitriolic open letter to Cavs fans that slammed James for leaving his home-state team — the organization wants to try to keep the focus from here on its post-James future as much as possible.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have acquired two first-round draft picks and a trade exception from the Miami Heat in exchange for forward Chris Bosh. The Raptors facilitated a sign-and-trade with Bosh.

InsideHoops.com will post details of Bosh’s contract this weekend.

“We all just witnessed an unprecedented moment in professional sports as these three young stars have joined forces in an attempt to completely transform this league. We are certainly sorry to see Chris leave, but we are planning to use these acquired assets to retool our roster and evolve as an organization,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

The Raptors reacquired their own 2011 first-round pick originally sent to the Heat on February 13, 2009 (trade of Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks) and Miami’s 2011 first-round draft choice (lottery protected).

Bosh was selected fourth overall by Toronto in the 2003 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 37.0 minutes in 509 games, including 497 starts. He is the all-time franchise leader in points (10,275), total rebounds (4,776), offensive rebounds (1,369), defensive rebounds (3,407), free throws made (2,997), blocks (600), minutes (19,813), games started (497) and double-doubles (239).

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed centre Solomon Alabi (all-AH-bee). Per team policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. The Raptors acquired the draft rights to Alabi (50th overall selection) from the Dallas Mavericks on June 24 for a 2013 conditional second-round pick and cash considerations.

Alabi, 7-foot-1, 250 pounds, was named All-ACC Defensive Team in his two full seasons at FSU. He started all 67 games, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament twice and the ACC Tournament Championship Game as a redshirt freshman. He averaged a school record 2.1 blocked shots per game for his career. He also shot .534 per cent from the field in his two-plus seasons with the Seminoles.

A native of Nigeria, Alabi averaged a team-best 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 32 games in 2009-10 campaign. He scored in double figures 18 times, including a career-high 22 points twice, in back-to-back games against Georgia State and Auburn. He also blocked a career-best seven shots against Boston College.

As a redshirt freshman in 2008-09, Alabi averaged 8.4 points and team bests of 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He had a season-best 17 points with nine rebounds versus Clemson and rejected a season-high six shots against Charleston Southern.

Alabi played nine games as a freshman in 2007-08 before being sidelined with a stress fracture in his leg.

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed restricted free-agent forward Linas Kleiza (LYNN-as CLAY-za) to an offer sheet. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details tonight.

The Denver Nuggets are expected to receive the offer sheet Friday. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Saturday they will have seven days to match the Raptors’ offer.

Kleiza played last season in Greece with Olympiakos after four seasons (2005-09) with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 31 regular season games with Olympiakos. He shot .596 from the field, .374 from three-point range and .800 from the foul line.

In 22 Euroleague outings, Kleiza contributed 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. In the regular season he finished second in the Euroleague in scoring at 19.7 points per contest. He led Olympiakos to the Euroleague Championship game in Paris.

Kleiza averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 301 career games with Denver. He saw action in 26 postseason games, where he averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Kleiza, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, was born in Lithuanian, attended high school in Maryland and played collegiately at the University of Missouri. He was selected 27th overall by Portland in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have re-signed free-agent forward Amir Johnson. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Johnson, 6-foot-9, 210 pounds, averaged career highs in points (6.2), rebounds (4.8) and minutes (17.7) while appearing in a career-best 82 games in the 2009-10 season. He upped his averages to 17.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 33.0 minutes during five games in a starting role. He also recorded a franchise single-season record by shooting .623 from the field (min. 200 shots).

Johnson scored in double-figures 21 times and posted double-digit totals on the glass on five occasions in his first season with the Raptors. He set a career high with 26 points April 12 at Detroit and grabbed a season-best 13 rebounds, including a career-high nine defensive boards, April 9 at Atlanta.

Johnson was acquired from Milwaukee with guard-forward Sonny Weems on August 18, 2009 after spending his previous four seasons in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.

In 2008-09, Johnson averaged 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 14.7 minutes in 62 games. In 24 games as a starter, he averaged 4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.04 blocks in 19.6 minutes. He recorded 17 games with two or more blocks shots and led the Pistons in field goal percentage at .595. He had a career-high 14 rebounds versus Sacramento on January 2, 2009.

The 23-year-old was selected out of Westchester (Los Angeles) High School by the Pistons in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports (via blog):

The Raptors have dipped a foot in to the NBA free agent waters but it’s not a move that should cause too many ripples.

As we mentioned here the other day, the chance to get Linas Kleiza in the fold a year after an earlier dalliance was too much to resist and the Raptors have signed the restricted free agent to an offer sheet.

Seeing how my very good spies tell me Kleiza was actually spotted in Toronto last night, I’m sure he’ll stop by the Raptors office and sign the offer sheet today…

The Denver Nuggets have seven days to match the contract – which is four years and $20 million.

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed forward Ed Davis from North Carolina to his rookie scale contract. He is under contract through the 2011-12 season, with two team option years to follow. The Raptors selected Davis with the 13th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Davis, 6-foot-10, 225 pounds averaged 9.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in 61 total outings in his two-year career at North Carolina. He ranked as the third-fastest player in school history to record 100 blocked shots (51 games) behind Rasheed Wallace (47) and Sam Perkins (50). He finished with 129 rejections (2.1 per game).

Davis averaged 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and shot .578 per cent from the field in 23 games last season before sustaining a season-ending injury February 10 with a broken lunate bone in his left wrist. He led the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage and blocked shots (64), was second in rebounding and 15th in scoring. He shot better than 50 percent from the field in 18 of his 23 games. He totaled 20 or more points four times, including a high of 22 against Michigan State. He collected 15 or more rebounds four times, with a best of 16 at College of Charleston and at Maryland. He scored in double figures 17 times and grabbed 10 or more rebounds on 11 occasions.

Davis averaged 6.7 points and 6.6 rebounds as a freshman in 2008-09 helping the Tar Heels to the NCAA Championship. He averaged 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament, making 20-of-35 shots from the floor (.571). He was North Carolina’s defensive player of the game in the team’s first three NCAA tournament wins. He earned ACC All-Freshman Team honours.

Davis’ father, Terry, played 10 seasons (1989-2001) in the NBA with Miami, Dallas, Denver and Washington.

Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports:

The Raptors aren’t waiting around for Chris Bosh.

While their highest-profile free agent meets with prospective suitors, the Raptors have locked up Amir Johnson on the first day of NBA free agency.

Teams are precluded from announcing any signings until July 8 but Johnson’s agent, the well-respected Bill Duffy, confirmed the signing.

Johnson, who broke out in an excellent 2009-10 season, has agreed to a five-year, $34 million contract.

“It was very important to him to get something done,” said Duffy. “He really wanted to be there, he loves the team, the city, the fans. It was a good fit.”

The 23-year-old Johnson, a 6-foot-9 power forward, averaged 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game with the Raptors last season. But it was his nightly effort and athleticism that endeared him to his coaches and teammates and led Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo to make signing him an off-season priority.

Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports:

Dwyane Wade has given the Miami Heat his “wish list” of potential targets he wants team president Pat Riley to pursue when free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Landing the services of LeBron James and either Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh in Miami would be the beginning of the kind of championship makeover Wade seeks this summer.

Wade stopped short of offering names of the marquee players he discussed with Riley in recent weeks. But the Heat’s star guard repeatedly mentioned James and Bosh when he talked about players who instantly could push a team to title contention.

Talk of James and Bosh coming to Miami intensified Monday amid national speculation the two were leaning toward joining Wade, with each taking slightly less money than the maximum they could command.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have traded the draft rights to center Solomon Alabi to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the Raptors’ 2013 second round draft pick and cash.  Alabi was the 50th overall selection of the 2010 NBA Draft.

The AP reports

The Toronto Star is reporting that Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva faces a charge of domestic assault after a May 19 incident in Burlington, Ontario.

The newspaper reported that the 25-year-old Villanueva was released by Halton Regional Police on a promise to appear in court on July 9. The name of complainant and other details about the incident weren’t available Tuesday.

His lawyer, Owen Wigderson, told the Toronto Star that Villanueva, “denies all allegations of wrongdoing and I’m very confident that he’ll be exonerated.”

InsideHoops.com says

Until there is real reason to think otherwise we will automatically assume and hope that Charlie is innocent.

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have added veteran NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo as an assistant to head coach Jay Triano’s staff. Carlesimo brings 35 years of coaching experience to the Raptors, including 13 seasons in the NBA.

This will be the second time that Triano and Carlesimo have worked together. Carlesimo was the head coach and Triano his assistant of the USA Basketball Select Team in 2007 and 2008.

“I got to know P.J. and had the opportunity to watch him work with USA Basketball,” said Triano. “He is highly respected within the NBA coaching fraternity. He possesses experience at all levels of the game which will make him a great addition to our coaching staff.”

Carlesimo spent five seasons (2002-2007) as Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant with the San Antonio Spurs where they captured three NBA titles. He also served as the head coach in Portland (1994-97), Golden State (1996-2000) and Seattle/Oklahoma City (2007-09). Each of Carlesimo’s three teams in Portland finished in the top three in the NBA in rebounding totals. All three teams also held opponents to under 100 points, with each season lower than the previous year. His 1998-99 Golden State squad set franchise records for defensive field goal percentage (.420) and fewest points allowed (90.8).

Prior to joining the NBA in 1994, Carlesimo was the head coach at Seton Hall University for 12 seasons. He led the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament in six of his final seven campaigns. He was named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1989 after his squad finished 31-7, and advanced to the NCAA Championship Game. In addition, he was named Big East Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1989.

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski met with Sam Mitchell in Dallas, TX today regarding the Sixers vacant head coaching position.

Joining Stefanski at the meeting with Mitchell was Sixers Sr. Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo and Sixers consultant Gene Shue.

“Sam has been a successful head coach in the league, having been named Coach of the Year in 2007, and we were very interested in speaking with him,” Stefanski said. “It was good to sit down with him to exchange ideas about our team and this opportunity.”

The AP reports:

The Chicago Bulls clinched the NBA’s last unclaimed playoff spot on Wednesday night, as Derrick Rose scored 27 points and Joakim Noah added 21 points and 13 rebounds in a 98-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Overcoming numerous injuries, internal strife, key trades and a horrible stretch early in the season, the Bulls closed the regular season with a three-game winning streak to beat out Toronto for the right to face Eastern Conference top seed Cleveland.

Needing a win or a Raptors loss to New York to get in, the Bulls quickly took it to the Bobcats, never trailing and leading by as many as 18 points.

Tyrus Thomas had 16 points and nine rebounds against his former team, while Gerald Wallace scored 15 points and Stephen Jackson 14 for the Bobcats, who had already locked up the seventh seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Orlando.

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports:

When Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars signed Charlie Villanueva, 25, last summer to a five-year, $35-million contract as an unrestricted free agent from the Milwaukee Bucks, eyebrows were raised.

Villanueva, a highly skilled power forward with long-distance touch and the ability to score with either hand in the paint, also was known as a defensive liability and uninterested in rebounding.

But “stretch fours,” as Pistons coach John Kuester calls power forwards with three-pointer ability, are rare, and the thinking was Villanueva could be coached up on the grittier aspects of basketball.

However, that hasn’t happened this season. Villanueva is constantly exploited by opponents on defense, and it’s hard to count the number of offensive rebounds he has allowed. He hasn’t been completely healthy all season, either.