Inside Hoops – Page 1060 – NBA Blog

Atlanta Hawks sign Thabo Sefolosha

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent guard/forward Thabo Sefolosha, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry. According to multiple reports, it is a three-year deal for a total of $12 million.

“Thabo is an unselfish, competitive and playoff-tested player, and does many things well on both sides of the ball,” Ferry said. “He also fills a need, giving us more size and depth at the wing position. He’s been a part of winning programs and will fit our culture well.”

Sefolosha, 30, played and started in 61 games last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes (.415 FG%, .768 FT%). In his eight-year career, Sefolosha has appeared in 551 games with the Thunder and Bulls (407 starting assignments) and has averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 23.4 minutes (.442 FG%, .348 3FG%, .746 FT%). He was selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team in 2009-10.

He has also played in 78 playoff games, starting 67, averaging 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.9 minutes.

Sefolosha was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 13th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, and was traded to Chicago in exchange for the draft right to Rodney Carney, a second-round pick and cash considerations. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Bulls before going to the Thunder on February 19, 2009 in exchange for a first-round pick.

The native of Vevey, Switzerland has also played for Tege Riviera Basket (Switzerland), Elan Chalon (France) and Angelico Biella (Italy). He also played briefly for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey in 2011.

Phil Jackson still waiting to hear from Carmelo Anthony

Here’s the New York Post with a Thursday evening update on Knicks free agent Carmelo Anthony:

Knicks president Phil Jackson spoke with bravado in saying he expects a positive outcome will be reached with Carmelo Anthony, though he still has not heard officially from the superstar free agent.

Jackson said he expected an answer Thursday — but also expected one the previous two days and didn’t get a commitment. Jackson added he also has been in conversations with free-agent power forward Pau Gasol, selling him on New York.

“I felt really good about my conversation with Carmelo,’’ Jackson said during the Knicks summer league practice. “We really struck a chord the two of us and feel overly passionately about what we’re trying to get accomplished. It’s his ability to stay, be patient, lead and watch us develop a winner. There’s no instantaneous winner that we think is going to happen to the Knicks right now, but we’re going to be a lot better.’’

Mavs, Rockets discussing a possible Chandler Parsons sign-and-trade

Here’s the Dallas Morning News with a report on the Chandler Parsons situation:

The Dallas Mavericks have not yet submitted their signed offer sheet to the Houston Rockets as both teams have been talking about the possibility of a sign-and-trade that would land Chandler Parsons in Dallas.

The Mavericks have until midnight to submit the deal to the Rockets, who then would have 72 hours to decide whether to match the three-year, $46-million offer for the restricted free agent.

It makes sense for the Mavericks to see if a sign-and-trade that might be equitable for both sides and eliminate the possibility of Houston matching the deal for Parsons. Once an offer sheet is submitted, sign and trades are not allowed.

“There’s communication because there’s sign-and-trade possibilities,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Thursday morning.

Trail Blazers sign Steve Blake

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Steve Blake, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. Reports say the contract is for two years and between $4 and $4.2 million total.

Blake, 34, has averaged 6.9 points (40.3% FG, 38.8% 3-PT, 78.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers and Golden State.

“Steve is the consummate gamer,” said Olshey. “His natural leadership skills, ability to run a team and offensive skill set are a natural fit for our roster composition and style of play.”

Blake returns to the Trail Blazers for a third time during his NBA career after playing in Portland during the 2005-06 season and again from 2007-10. He signed with Portland as a free agent on each occasion, and was last traded from Portland on Feb. 16, 2010, in a deal that also sent Travis Outlaw to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Camby.

In 269 games (232 starts) over four seasons with the Trail Blazers, Blake holds averages of 8.9 points (42.0% FG, 40.8% 3-PT, 79.4% FT), 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He notched career highs of 11.0 points per game and a 42.7 percent mark from 3-point range in 2008-09, his last full season with Portland.

“Steve is the perfect fit for our team,” said Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts. “He brings experience, toughness, leadership, shooting and consistent defense. Steve will be a complement to our backcourt and provide mentorship for our young players.”

Blake (6-3, 172) played four years at the University of Maryland and was selected by the Wizards with the ninth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

Cavs sign Kyrie Irving to contract extension

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced today that the team and Kyrie Irving have agreed upon and signed a contract extension. Per multiple reports, the deal is a maximum-level extension for five years and approximately $90 million.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Kyrie firmly at the core of our Cavaliers team and family for years to come,” said Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin. “He’s already proven he’s among the best in the NBA and we’re excited to watch his continued growth and success. To know that he is all in and shares our high expectations and championship goals is something we’re extremely proud of. It is a clear reflection of how we all view our future together, with Kyrie fully vested in this franchise and the city of Cleveland.”

Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Cavaliers and has career averages of 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.7 minutes through 181 games with the team. An NBA All-Star in each of the past two seasons, Irving was MVP of the 2014 All-Star Game where he became the second-youngest player to win the award. Since Irving, the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year, entered the league, he has the third highest scoring average among all NBA point guards. In 2013-14, he led all Eastern Conference point guards with 20.8 points, while also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.2 minutes per game. He was one of only six players in the NBA with averages of at least 20 points and six assists per game last season.

“We are excited that Kyrie has officially committed to be here long-term with the Cleveland Cavaliers,” said Cavs Majority Owner Dan Gilbert. “The future has never been brighter as we are building the team and franchise for sustainable success. Kyrie is obviously a very big piece of our plan.”

Trail Blazers sign Chris Kaman

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent center Chris Kaman, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. According to the Oregonian newspaper, the deal is for $9.5 million over two years. Other reports had the deal at $9.8 million.

Kaman, 32, holds career averages of 11.7 points (48.7% FG, 74.5% FT), 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.

“We targeted Chris early in the process believing his offensive versatility and defensive presence would make for a quality addition to our front court,” said Olshey. “His skill set complements our returning roster players and we expect him to have an immediate impact.”

An NBA All-Star in 2010, Kaman averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks for the Lakers last season.

“I am extremely pleased to add Chris to our roster,” said Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts. “He is a proven NBA talent and will both bolster and complement our front court at both ends of the floor.”

Kaman (7-0, 265) played collegiately at Central Michigan University and was selected by the Clippers with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft.

He will wear No. 35 for the Trail Blazers.

Video: Top plays from Orlando Day 5

Here are video highlights of top plays from summer league Day 5 (Wednesday, July 9) in Orlando:

Raptors trade Steve Novak to Jazz

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has acquired forward Steve Novak and the rights to New York’s 2017 second round draft pick from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard Diante Garrett.

Novak (6-10, 235, Marquette), the sixth-most accurate three-pointer shooter in NBA history (min. 250 made), is an eight-year veteran who owns averages of 5.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in 13.0 minutes over 414 career games with Houston, L.A. Clippers, Dallas, San Antonio, New York and Toronto. His career .432 (548-1,268) three-point percentage is second only to Golden State’s Stephen Curry (.440) among all active players, while his career .892 free throw percentage would rank fourth if he had enough attempts to qualify.

Originally selected in the second round (32nd overall selection) of the 2006 NBA Draft by Houston, Novak led the NBA in three-point accuracy (.472) during the 2011-12 season, ranking third that season in three-point makes (133). Novak averaged 3.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.0 minutes in 54 games last season with Toronto.

Prior to the NBA, Novak played four seasons at Marquette University from 2002-06, averaging 12.4 points and 4.2 rebounds over his four-year collegiate career. He still ranks as the Golden Eagles’ all-time career leader with 354 three-pointers (.461, 354-768), after finishing his college career as Marquette’s all-time free-throw percentage leader (.931, 243-261) and ranking 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,567).

Garrett (6-4, 190, Iowa State) averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 14.8 minutes in 71 games last season with Utah. The Jazz signed Garrett from the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy on November 13, 2013, making him the first NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2013-14 season.

Marcin Gortat re-signs with Wizards

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed center Marcin Gortat. According to multiple reports, the contract is for $60 million over five years. That’s a pretty sizable investment, and more than Gortat was expected to receive.

“Re-signing Marcin was a top priority for us this summer so that we could maintain continuity and improve on what we accomplished last season,” said Grunfeld. “His scoring ability, rebounding and defensive presence are matched only by his work ethic, leadership and personality, which all combine to make him an excellent fit in what we are trying to build moving forward.”

Gortat averaged 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 33 minutes per game last season with the Wizards. He shot .542 from the field while appearing in a career-high-tying 81 games. The Polish native led the team with 37 double-doubles and was second in the NBA in double-doubles (20) after the All-Star break. He finished in the top 10 among centers in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, assists, blocks and double-doubles. Gortat had five games of 20+ points (including a career-high 31 at Toronto on 3/31) and 22 games of 12+ rebounds (including a career-high-tying 18 at Miami on 3/10).

In 11 playoff games last season, Gortat averaged 13.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting .492 from the field. He raised those averages to 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting .578 from the field in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and notched new playoff career highs with 31 points and 16 rebounds in the Wizards’ Game Five win at Indiana.

In seven seasons with Orlando, Phoenix and Washington, Gortat holds career averages of 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 438 career games. He has shot .545 from the field while playing 24.2 minutes per game. He was acquired by the Wizards along with Shannon Brown, Malcom Lee and Kendall Marshall from Phoenix in exchange for Emeka Okafor and a protected 2014 first round pick on October 25, 2013. Gortat was originally selected with the 57th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by Phoenix, who then traded his rights to Orlando for future considerations.

Charlotte Hornets hire Chad Buchanan as Assistant General Manager

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has named Chad Buchanan Assistant General Manager.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Chad to our organization,” Cho said. “He is extremely organized and well prepared and will add another dimension to our basketball operations department with his extensive scouting and player evaluation experience. Chad is well respected throughout the NBA and I look forward to working closely with him as we look to continue to build and improve our basketball team.”

Buchanan comes to the Hornets after spending the last 10 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, including the last seven seasons as director of college scouting. In that role, he focused on all college, international and high school scouting, while also managing the development of the team’s scouting database, organizing pre-draft workouts and assisting in NBA player evaluation. Buchanan also served as the team’s acting general manager from 2011-12, where he was responsible for all player transactions, including the 2011 NBA Draft and free agency. He initially joined the Trail Blazers in 2004 as a scout before becoming director of college scouting in 2007.

Prior to the Trail Blazers, Buchanan spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Simpson College, his alma mater, from 1997-2002 and one season as an assistant coach at Drake University in 2003-04. In between, he served as assistant coach and assistant director of player personnel for the ABA’s Kansas City Knights in 2002-03.