Cavaliers sign Derrick Rose

Cavaliers sign Derrick Rose

Whether the Cleveland Cavaliers will keep Kyrie Irving or trade him remains to be seen, but today they added some scoring punch to the point guard spot, signing former league MVP Derrick Rose to a report one-year, $2.1 million contract.

Injuries have taken their toll on Rose, who is not the player he used to be. But if the Cavs are able to work things out with Irving and wind up keeping him, then having Rose add scoring punch off the bench would be a very nice luxury.

“We are very excited to be able to add a player of Derrick’s caliber and experience to the team,” said Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman. “Derrick could have gone to a number of other teams, but his specific mindset, goals and total focus and commitment to winning are what resulted in him signing with the Cavaliers. We are confident he will be a very good fit with our organization and we look forward to the many ways he will contribute to the team.”

Rose (6-3, 190) played in 64 games (all starts) for the New York Knicks in 2016-17 and averaged 18.0 points on .471 shooting from the field, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 32.5 minutes. He scored in double figures on 61 occasions, including 24 contests with 20 points or more, and registered two double-doubles. The 6-3 guard also shot .874 (221-253) from the free throw line, which ranked 16th in the NBA, and was one of just six players in the league to average at least 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting .870 or better from the charity stripe.

“I have a single focus and purpose of wanting to play to win,” said Rose. “Being part of a roster and organization that shares that type of commitment and being able to play with the Cavaliers and compete for a championship is the only thing that matters for me. I am very happy to be in Cleveland and look forward to getting to work.”

Over his eight-year NBA career, the 28-year-old Chicago native has averaged 19.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 34.7 minutes through 470 games (469 starts) with the Chicago Bulls and Knicks. He earned league MVP honors in 2010-11 after posting career highs with 25.0 points and 4.1 rebounds while adding 7.7 assists in 37.4 minutes per game and leading the Bulls to the best record in the NBA (62-20). He also won the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year award and has three NBA All-Star selections (2010, 2011, 2012).
Rose was originally selected out of the University of Memphis as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He has gone on to appear in 41 career playoff games (all starts) with averages of 23.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 40.6 minutes. He was also a member of the United States men’s national basketball teams that won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Hawks re-sign Mike Muscala

Hawks re-sign Mike Muscala

The Hawks have re-signed forward Mike Muscala.

Last season in 70 games (three starts) with the Hawks, Muscala averaged career-highs of 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17.7 minutes (.504 FG%, .418 3FG%, .766 FT%). He scored in double figures 20 times, ranking second on the club in FG% and fifth in rpg.

“Mike is a valuable player for us and a great fit both on and off the floor,” Schlenk said. “He’s worked hard and improved each year, and we’re very happy he’ll continue his career with the Hawks.”

In 190 career contests (11 starting assignments) in four years with Atlanta, the 6’11 forward/center is averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes (.505 FG%, .385 3FG%, .817 FT%), also appearing in 27 postseason games.

Muscala was the recipient of the 2016 Jason Collier Memorial Trophy, presented to the player who best exemplifies the characteristics that Collier displayed off the court as a community ambassador.

Originally acquired by the Hawks on June 28, 2013, along with the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira and Jared Cunningham from Dallas, in exchange for the draft rights to Shane Larkin, Muscala was the 44th overall pick by the Mavericks in the 2013 NBA Draft. After playing in 20 games with Blusens Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish ACB League in 2013-14, he signed with Atlanta on February 27, 2014. The Hawks exercised his 2016-17 contract option on June 29, 2016.

Magic sign rookie Wesley Iwundu

Magic sign rookie Wesley Iwundu

The Orlando Magic have signed rookie forward Wesley Iwundu (pronunciation: ih-WON-doo).

Iwundu (6’7”, 193, 12/20/94) was selected in the second round (33rd overall) of NBA Draft 2017. He played in 132 career games (124 starts) during four years at Kansas State University, averaging 9.5 ppg., 4.7 rpg. and 2.8 apg. in 28.2 minpg. Iwundu is the first player in school history to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals during his career. He is one of only six Kansas State players during the Big 12 era to earn All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Team honors twice during his career, being named All-Big 12 Third Team as a junior (2015-16) and a senior (2016-17).

As a senior (2016-17), Iwundu played and started in all 35 games, averaging 13.0 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 3.5 apg. and 1.00 stlpg. in 31.4 minpg., while shooting .481 (151-314) from the floor and .376 (32-85) from three-point range. He led the team in scoring and rebounding and was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team by the league’s coaches. Iwundu joined Mitch Richmond (1987-88) as the only Wildcats to record at least 400 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists in a season.

During his junior campaign (2015-16), Iwundu played and started all 33 games, averaging 11.9 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 3.7 apg. and 1.33 stlpg. in 32.4 minpg. He was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team by the league’s coaches, after leading the team in assists and minutes played, while ranking second in scoring and steals. Iwundu was the only player to start all 33 games for the Wildcats.

As a sophomore (2014-15), Iwundu appeared in 31 games (24 starts), averaging 5.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg. and 2.0 apg. in 25.2 minpg. During his freshman season (2013-14), he played in 33 outings (32 starts), averaging 6.7 ppg., 4.2 rpg. and 1.8 apg. in 23.6 minpg.

Raptors sign Lorenzo Brown to two-way contract

Raptors sign  Lorenzo Brown to two-way contract

The Raptors have signed guard Lorenzo Brown to a two-way contract. Which means he will likely spend most of the season playing in the G League.

Brown, 6-foot-5, 189 pounds, is averaging 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 63 career NBA games with Philadelphia (2013-14), Minnesota (2014-15) and Phoenix (2015-16). He has also appeared in games for the Delaware 87ers (2013-14), Springfield Armor (2013-14) and Grand Rapids Drive (2014-17) of the NBA G League.

Brown split the 2016-17 season between the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and Grand Rapids. He averaged 24.0 points, while shooting .301 (37-for-123) from three-point range during 20 games with Zhejiang. Brown finished the season averaging 23.6 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting .353 (18-for-51) from three-point territory in 11 appearances for the Drive.

Brown, a native of Roswell, Georgia, was selected 52nd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by Minnesota. He played three seasons at North Carolina State and was named Second Team All-ACC his junior year.

Jazz re-sign Joe Ingles

Jazz re-sign Joe Ingles

The Jazz have re-signed forward Joe Ingles to a multi-year contract.

Per multiple reports, the contract is a big one: four years, $52 million.

The 29-year-old Ingles (6-8, 226, Australia) is entering his fourth NBA campaign, all with the Jazz. He finished the 2016-17 averaging career-highs of 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while ranking third in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (.441), in 24.1 minutes per game.

Ingles finished last season as the only Jazz player to appear in all 82 regular season games. He recorded the best three-point percentage (.441) by a Jazzman since Kyle Korver set an NBA record (.536) in 2009-10, and became the first Jazz player in franchise history to shoot at least .441 from beyond the arc with at least 270 attempts. The Jazz were 13-5 record when he made at least three three-pointers.

The versatile lefty also recorded a team-best 1.17 steals per game and led the team in assists 20 times, while recording 15 games with five-plus assists. Ingles concluded the season ranked in the top-20 in the NBA in defensive rating (104.7) and steal percentage (2.6), and among all NBA small forwards, he rated fourth in steal percentage, sixth in effective field goal percentage (.589) and 10th in assist percentage (17.2).

Ingles has appeared in a team-high 242 of a possible 246 career NBA games (60 starts) over his three seasons and owns career averages of 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.2 minutes. His career .399 three-point percentage ranks seventh in Jazz franchise history (min. 100 games and 50 attempts), and 44th in NBA history for all players with at least 250 makes.

The affable Aussie originally joined the Jazz after being claimed off waivers from the LA Clippers on Oct. 27, 2014, later signing a two-year deal to remain with the Jazz in July of 2015.

The native of Happy Valley, South Australia, has also been a member of the Australian National Team since 2008, representing the Boomers in three Olympic Games – 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio).

He has played professionally since the age of 18, beginning his career with the South Dragons of Australia’s National Basketball League (2006-09). He has also played for CB Granada in Spain (2009-10), three seasons for FC Barcelona (2010-13) of the Liga ACB, and spent the 2013-14 season with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League, where he helped Maccabi to win the Euroleague Championship.

Pelicans waive Quinn Cook and Axel Toupane

Pelicans waive Quinn Cook and Axel Toupane

The Pelicans have waived guard Quinn Cook and guard/forward Axel Toupane.

Cook, 6-2, 184, who was signed on March 19 after spending the 2016 training camp with the Pelicans, appeared in nine games last season with New Orleans, averaging 5.8 points and 1.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per game.

Toupane, 6-7, 210, was originally signed by New Orleans on April 10, appearing in two games at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season for the Pelicans, averaging 5.5 points in 20.5 minutes.

Hawks name Josh Longstaff head coach of Erie BayHawks

The Hawks have named Josh Longstaff as Head Coach of the Erie BayHawks, the organization’s NBA G League affiliate, it was announced today by BayHawks General Manager Malik Rose.

“Josh is a tremendous communicator and has shown the ability to build productive relationships with young players. His passion and knowledge of player development fits in perfectly with the program we are building in Erie as well as Atlanta,” Rose said. “We’re excited to be able to add a young coach of his caliber to the organization.”

Longstaff, 34, spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks after beginning his NBA coaching career with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2010-14), first serving as Player Personnel and Video Coordinator for one year before being promoted to Video Analyst and Player Development Coach. While a member of the Thunder staff, he helped Oklahoma City to four straight playoff appearances, including the 2011-12 Western Conference title as well as two conference finals appearances.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of such a great organization,” Longstaff said. “I’m thrilled and humbled to be able to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a head coach on the professional level.”

A native of Portland, Maine, Longstaff was a four-year letterman at Bryant University in Rhode Island, graduating in 2005 with a degree in marketing. Following graduation, he coached high school basketball in his home state for five years.

Blazers trade Allen Crabbe to Nets

Blazers trade Allen Crabbe to Nets

The Nets on Tuesday acquired guard/forward Allen Crabbe from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for forward Andrew Nicholson.

Crabbe joins the Nets after spending the first four seasons of his NBA career with Portland. In 226 games (24 starts), the 25-year-old Crabbe has registered averages of 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 22.8 minutes per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 41.1 percent from 3-point range and 84.8 percent from the free-throw line. This past season, the Los Angeles native saw action in 79 games (seven starts), averaging a career-best 10.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per contest while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range, good for the second-highest 3-point field goal percentage in the league among qualifying players. Crabbe has also appeared in the postseason with the Blazers in each of the last three seasons, averaging 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.5 minutes per game through 17 playoff contests.

Crabbe was originally selected with the 31st overall pick (second round) in the 2013 NBA Draft by Cleveland before being traded to Portland on draft night. Prior to beginning his NBA career, he spent three years (2010-13) at the University of California, where he was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team as a sophomore and junior and Pac-12 Player of the Year in his third and final collegiate season.

Nicholson, 27, has averages of 6.0 points (46.7% FG, 32.1% 3-PT, 77.3% FT), 3.0 rebounds and 0.4 rebounds in 285 games (36 starts) over five seasons with Orlando, Washington and Brooklyn.

Selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of St. Bonaventure, Nicholson (6-9, 250) split the 2016-17 season with Washington and Brooklyn, posting averages of 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 9.0 minutes in 38 games.