Nuggets re-sign Mason Plumlee

Nuggets re-sign Mason Plumlee

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed center Mason Plumlee, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Acquired in a trade with Portland on February 13th, Plumlee, 6-11, 245, appeared in 27 games for Denver in 2016-17, averaging 9.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.10 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game.

Over four seasons, Plumlee has appeared in 315 career games (213 starts) for Brooklyn, Portland and Denver, averaging 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.0 minutes per game.

The Duke University product also won a Gold Medal alongside Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried at the FIBA World Cup with Team USA in 2014. The Indiana native was drafted by Brooklyn with the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Bucks sign Brandon Rush to training camp contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent guard/forward Brandon Rush to a training camp contract.

Rush, 32, appeared in 47 games (33 starts) last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves and averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.9 minutes per contest.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Rush was the 13th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He sports career averages of 6.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 481 games (163 starts) with Indiana, Golden State, Utah and Minnesota. Rush won an NBA Championship with Golden State in 2015.

Lakers sign Andrew Bogut

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Andrew Bogut, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Bogut played 26 games (21 starts) with Dallas and one game with Cleveland last season, tallying 2.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.6 minutes. The seven-footer has played in 671 career games (651 starts) for Milwaukee, Golden State, Dallas and Cleveland, with averages of 10.0 points (.534 FG%), 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks in 29.1 minutes.

A member of the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, Bogut earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors for the 2014-15 season. Drafted first overall by the Bucks in 2005, Bogut was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2005-06 and earned Third Team All-NBA honors in 2009-10. The University of Utah product and native Australian led the NBA in blocks in 2010-11, with 2.6 blocks per game.

Nets hire Olivier Sedra as public address announcer

The Brooklyn Nets will have a new arena voice this season. Olivier Sedra has been hired as the public address announcer for Nets games at Barclays Center and will represent the team at community clinics and special events.

Sedra joins the Nets’ game presentation team after serving as PA announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers for 11 NBA seasons. Sedra, a Canadian from Montreal who is fluent in French and English, also represented the Cavs internationally at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and the 2015 NBA Africa game in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as the 2016 and 2017 NBA All-Star events.

“I’m really excited to get started with the Nets and Barclays Center,” said Sedra. “Brooklyn is building something special and I’m honored to be a part of it. With Barclays Center’s expansive programming, there is also tremendous opportunity to get involved in other events.”

“Olivier’s booming voice, impeccable timing, and high basketball IQ will be a great addition to the game experience at Barclays Center,” said Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “His knowledge and passion will also help us elevate our other programming, including college basketball, boxing, and special events.”

Heat exercise contract option on Justise Winslow

The Miami Heat have exercised their fourth-year team option on Justise Winslow.

Winslow, who was originally selected by the HEAT in the first round (10th overall) in the 2015 NBA Draft, has appeared in 96 career games (23 starts) with Miami averaging 7.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 29.8 minutes while shooting 40 percent from the field. He was one of eight HEAT players to average double-figures in points (10.9) last season, marking the most for any team in the NBA. The former NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection appeared in 78 games in 2015-16, becoming just the fifth rookie to lead the HEAT in games played during a single-season. The former NCAA champion at Duke paired with Josh Richardson to become just the fourth set of Miami rookies to connect on at least 25 three-point field goals (32) and block at least 25 shots (26) during their rookie seasons. Additionally, Winslow was the third-youngest player in the league to start on Opening Night during the 2015-16 season at just 20 years, 216 days.

Bulls hire Doug Collins as advisor

The Chicago Bulls have hired Doug Collins as a Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations. In his new role with the club, Collins will report to Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson.

One of the most respected figures in all of basketball, Collins returns to the Bulls with more than 40 years of experience in the NBA. In this capacity, he will serve as an expert resource for the front office and coaching staff.

“Doug will be great in this capacity for our organization. The position of ‘senior advisor’ has proven to work well around the NBA in recent years, and I am confident the same will hold true with the Bulls,” said Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “The fact that our relationship goes back more than 30 years certainly helps, but he is especially qualified to assist our leadership in rebuilding the Bulls.”

“People who know me know the respect that I have for Jerry, Michael, and the Chicago Bulls organization. I am looking forward to getting started and helping everyone,” said Collins. “To be able to stay involved in the NBA and work with John, Gar, Fred and their respective staffs, while not having to leave my family and continuing to live in one of the greatest cities in the world—the fit couldn’t be any better for me at this point in my life.”

Following a standout collegiate career at Illinois State, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Collins with the first overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft. He played eight seasons with the Sixers and was a four-time NBA All-Star before his career was cut short due to injuries. In 1986, Collins was named head coach of the Bulls, a position he held for three seasons. He also has been head coach for the Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and 76ers.

“We are pleased to have Doug return to the Bulls and have him join our front office. As our organization transitions into this next phase, we feel like Doug will bring valuable perspective with his vast knowledge of the NBA and the game of basketball,” said Paxson. “His enthusiasm and expertise make this a great fit for the Bulls. As an advisor, he will regularly contribute observations, insights and suggestions, and he will be part of conversations throughout this building. I know from talking to Doug he is excited to join us at this time, and we look forward to tapping into his experience to help improve this team.”

Trail Blazers sign Anthony Morrow

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Anthony Morrow to a training camp contract.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Morrow (6-5, 210) has played for seven franchises, most recently suiting up for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls during the 2016-17 season. For his career, Morrow has averaged 9.4 points (44.7% FG, 41.7% 3-PT, 88.0% FT), 2.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 21.8 minutes in 564 career games (142 starts).

He will wear No. 24 for the Trail Blazers.

Bucks re-sign Jason Terry

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed free agent guard Jason Terry.

Terry, 40, is an 18-year NBA veteran who played in 74 games with the Bucks last season and averaged 4.1 points, 1.3 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. He was one of five Bucks players to shoot more than 40 percent from three-point distance, connecting on 42.7 percent of his attempts (2nd on the team).

“’Jet’ is a true professional who knows what it takes to be successful in the NBA,” said General Manager Jon Horst. “He’s a terrific resource for our young group as we continue to develop into a championship-caliber team. We’re excited to have him back in Milwaukee.”

The 6-2 guard was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 10th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft and spent the first five seasons of his career with the Hawks. Terry then moved to Dallas where he played with the Mavericks for eight seasons, including the Mavs’ 2011 NBA Championship team. He has also played with Boston, Brooklyn and Houston prior to signing with the Bucks last season.

Terry has appeared in 1,359 NBA games (675 starts) in his career with averages of 13.8 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds per contest, while shooting 44.4 percent overall and 38.0 percent from 3-point range. The University of Arizona product was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2008-09 and is currently first among active players, and third all-time, in 3-pointers made (2,242).

Heat sign forward Erik McCree

The Miami Heat yesterday signed forward Erik McCree.

The deal is likely non-guaranteed and just for training camp.

McCree played three seasons at Louisiana Tech appearing in 99 games (98 starts) and averaged 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 29.1 minutes while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 73.5 percent from the foul line. He became just the sixth player in school history to record at least 1,400 points and 700 rebounds in just three seasons.

During his senior season, he led the team in points (585), rebounds (295), field goals made (202), free throws made (127) and minutes (1,047) as he earned All-Conference USA First Team honors. McCree registered 13 double-doubles, the second-most in the conference and the fifth-most by a Bulldog during a single-season over the last 25 years, including a streak of five-straight, becoming the first La. Tech player to accomplish the feat since Paul Millsap in 2005.

Additionally, he finished last season as one of only four forwards in the country to connect on at least 200 field goals, 50 three-point field goals and 125 free throws.

Before transferring to Louisiana Tech, McCree appeared in 24 games as a freshman at Murray State.

Lakers announce staff additions and promotions

The Los Angeles Lakers have promoted Jordan Wilkes to Director of Player Development and Josh Wright to Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, and have hired Kristen Andrews as Manager of Nutrition and Wellness, and Adi Vase as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, it was announced today.

With the team since the 2013-14 season, Wilkes is responsible for assisting General Manager Rob Pelinka in the day-to-day operations of the team, focusing on the personal growth of the players on the roster, while providing resources and assisting in the development of life skills off the court and outside of basketball. The L.A. native and University of California, Berkeley graduate spent the last three seasons as a basketball operations assistant with the Lakers, managing player databases, scouting local college and NBA games, scheduling draft workouts and offseason activities, as well as directing Camp Lakers in the summers of 2015 and 2016.

Andrews joins the Lakers staff after spending the 2016-17 MLS season as the Sports Performance Dietitian for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Responsible for the team’s nutrition and wellness program, Andrews creates and implements nutrition support strategies to maximize player fitness, performance and recovery. A graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Master’s of Science from Cal State-Long Beach, Andrews also arranges all team meals throughout the season, both at home and on the road.

Vase and Wright round out Gunnar Peterson’s strength and conditioning staff. Most recently an Athletic Development Quality Assurance Assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, Vase also has prior experience with the Universities of Kentucky and Oregon. Wright has been promoted to his new position after joining the staff last year as a coaching assistant and was responsible for coaching-staff wellness throughout the year.