Inside Hoops – Page 1283 – NBA Blog

OKC Thunder hire Robert Pack and Mike Terpstra as assistant coaches

The Oklahoma City Thunder has named Robert Pack and Mike Terpstra as assistant coaches, it was announced Wednesday by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. They join Rex Kalamian, Mark Bryant and Brian Keefe on Head Coach Scott Brooks’ bench.

“We’re excited to add Robert and Mike to our coaching staff for the upcoming season,” said Head Coach Scott Brooks. “These additions bring diverse backgrounds to our group that will help the further development of our players.”

Pack joins the Thunder after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers where he served as the head coach for the Clippers’ entry in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Prior to that, he spent one season on the New Orleans Hornets bench.

A 13-year NBA veteran, Pack owns career averages of 8.9 points, 4.6 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 552 with games with the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets, New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards. He also played one season overseas with BC Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania.

He enjoyed a standout collegiate career at USC, ranking fourth on the Trojans all-time assists list (319) in just two seasons, while becoming just the fourth player in school history to record back-to-back 100 assist seasons. In two seasons, he averaged 13.4 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Terpstra brings over 20 years of experience to Oklahoma City after working in various capacities at the college, junior college and high school levels, with additional experience in the NBA Development League and the CBA. After spending the 2005-06 season as an assistant coach/director of player development with the Idaho Stampede of the CBA, he spent one season working with the coaching staff of the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League.

Prior to his time with the Stampede and 14ers, Terpstra served as head coach at his alma mater, Northwest Nazarene University, in Nampa, Idaho during the 2004-05 season. He also served as the head coach of California State Stanislaus from 2000-03. During a three-year stint as the head coach of Modesto Junior College from 1997-00, Terpstra compiled a 60-36 record.

Following his college playing career at Northwest Nazarene where he was named team MVP in his junior and senior seasons, Terpstra played professionally in Turkey, England and Australia.

Boston Celtics waive Shavlik Randolph

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived forward Shavlik Randolph.

Randolph, a 6’10” forward, played in 16 games for the Celtics during the 2012-13 season averaging 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. He also appeared in one game for the Celtics during the playoffs recording three rebounds in three minutes of action. Randolph recorded a career-high of 16 points against Cleveland on April 5 and tied a career-high with 13 rebounds against Atlanta on March 29.

Toronto Raptors sign Austin Daye

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed free-agent forward Austin Daye.

Daye, 6-foot-11, 200 pounds, has appeared in 237 regular-season games (24 starts) with Detroit and Memphis averaging 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.4 minutes. He is shooting .356 (152-427) from three-point range. Daye posted career bests of 28 points versus Miami on January 25, 2012 and 11 rebounds at Atlanta on December 26, 2012.

In 55 outings last season, Daye contributed 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting .418 (41-98) from beyond the arc. He appeared in four postseason contests with the Grizzlies, totaling seven points in 20 minutes.

A first-round pick (15th overall) by Detroit in the 2009 NBA Draft, Daye was dealt by the Pistons to the Grizzlies on January 30, 2013, as part of the three-team deal that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto.

A native of Mission Viejo, California, Daye played two seasons at Gonzaga and was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference as a freshman and sophomore.

Former NBA player Craig Ehlo arrested

Local basketball star Craig Ehlo, who starred in the NBA and most recently coached at Eastern Washington University, was arrested early Thursday on a domestic violence charge.

Spokane County sheriff’s deputies arrested Ehlo, 51, on charges of first-degree reckless burning, domestic violence, according to the sheriff’s office. He was booked into Spokane county jail at 7:36 a.m.

The charge is a Class C felony.

Reported by the Spokesman-Review

Milwaukee Bucks sign second round draft pick Nate Wolters

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second round draft pick Nate Wolters, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The Bucks acquired the draft rights to Wolters (6-4, 190) from the Philadelphia 76ers. The guard was originally selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rights were subsequently acquired by Philadelphia before being moved to Milwaukee. In exchange for the draft rights to Wolters, the Bucks sent the draft rights to Ricky Ledo, the 43rd overall pick in the draft, and a future second round pick to the Sixers.

Wolters played four years of college basketball at South Dakota State University (2009-13) and left holding school records for scoring (2,353 points), assists (663) and free throws made (644). He is one of only four players in Division I history to leave school with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists, and the only player in South Dakota State history to surpass the 2,000-point mark.

As a senior in 2012-13, Wolters averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. He became the first Summit League player ever to earn AP All-American honors when he was named to the Third Team. Wolters also earned First Team All-Summit League honors in addition to being named the 2013 Summit League Player of the Year. He was selected First Team All-Summit League following his sophomore and junior seasons as well. Wolters scored in double figures in 72 consecutive games and in all but 13 of his 128 games as a Jackrabbit – 11 of which were in his freshman year and two in his sophomore season.

Knicks interested in Beno Udrih, Bobby Brown

The desperate-for-a-point-guard Knicks have until Aug. 15 to make a move on intriguing Euroleague point guard Bobby Brown, and he hopes they do.

Brown signed a tentative agreement Wednesday to play for Donguam of the Chinese Basketball Association, but can break the deal before that date, according to a league source. The league source said Brown’s top choice is to play for the Knicks and take less money than his roughly $1 million-plus Chinese pact.

Brown is squarely on the Knicks board but they are first hoping veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who made $7 million last season, will come to New York for the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum. The Knicks have been outbid on players all summer, so it could leave Brown as the Knicks’ likelier signing.

Still, the Knicks would be extremely lucky if they can land Udrih — a 6-foot- 3 point guard from Slovenia who averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 assists in 22.1 minutes per game for Milwaukee and Orlando.

Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Rockets forward Terrence Jones accused of harassing homeless man

Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones was arrested in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday after he was seen stomping on a homeless man’s leg, a police spokesman said.

A police sergeant making sure people remained orderly while they left a downtown club shortly after 2 a.m. saw the 6-foot-9 Jones walk by a doorway where two homeless men were sleeping and yell “Wake Up!” before lifting his foot and stomping on one man’s leg, said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland police spokesman.

Jones, 21, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on a misdemeanor harassment charge. He was later released on his own recognizance.

Reported by the Associated Press

Washington Wizards sign John Wall to contract extension

The Washington Wizards have agreed to a contract extension with guard John Wall, Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today. The Associated Press reports that “two people familiar with the deal say it’s a max deal, worth about $80 million over five years.”

“Since drafting John with the first overall pick, we have been impressed with his maturation, hard work and commitment to our franchise,” said Monumental Sports and Entertainment Founder, Chairman, Majority Owner and CEO Ted Leonsis. “He is the cornerstone of our team, and we have clearly expressed our desire to build around him well before making it official by re-signing him today. We are extremely confident in his leadership abilities and are excited to see the continued improvement of the team.”

According to the Associated Press, “If Wall hadn’t been able to reach an agreement with the Wizards this offseason, he would have become an unrestricted free agent in 2014. With Wall and a pair of players chosen with the No. 3 overall picks in the past two drafts – shooting guard Bradley Beal and small forward Otto Porter – the Wizards are hoping they will be more competitive.”

Wall was originally selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 16.9 points, 8.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.8 minutes per game in 184 career games (172 starts). Those numbers place him with Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Chris Paul as the only players in NBA history who have averaged or are currently averaging at least 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds for their career. He is also one of only four players in NBA history (Johnson, Paul and Damon Stoudamire) to average at least 16.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the first three years of their career.

“I am both proud and humbled by the belief that the Wizards organization, the fans and my teammates have shown in me since I arrived here three years ago,” said Wall. “I can promise all of them that I will repay that belief by representing the city of Washington and doing everything I can to get this team back where it belongs.”

Wall, who recently returned from his second consecutive summer as part of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp, is also the fastest player (134 games) in NBA history to reach 2,200 points, 1,000 assists, 600 rebounds, 200 steals and 90 blocks (since steals and blocks became an official stat) and is the fastest active player to reach 900 career assists (111 games).

“John’s talent, ability and athleticism are unquestioned, but he is also a special player in terms of his will to win, unselfishness and ability to make his teammates better,” said Grunfeld. “The impact he has in all of those areas was evident last season and we look forward to both him and the team reaching new levels of success together.”

Last season, Wall averaged a career-high 18.5 points, a team-leading 7.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 32.7 minutes per game in 49 games (42 starts) after missing the first 33 games of the season due to a stress injury in his left patella. He joined LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the only three players in the NBA last season to average at least 22.0 points, 7.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals from March 1 through the end of the season. Wall was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played March 11-17 after averaging 24.0 points, 11.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting .617 from the field, .800 from three-point range and .857 from the line while leading the Wizards to a 3-1 record. He scored a career-high 47 points vs. Memphis on March 25 and became the first player in NBA history to average at least 24 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, two steals, shoot at least .600 from the field, .800 from three-point range and .850 from the line in a four-game span.

USA Basketball headquarters will relocate to Tempe, Arizona

USA Basketball today officially announced that it has agreed to relocate to Tempe, Arizona, as part of a $350 million development project. USA Place, LLC, has been selected to develop a new national headquarters and training center for USA Basketball on a 10.5-acre site located next to Arizona State University’s Tempe campus on land owned by ASU at the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive.

In addition to the USA Basketball headquarters and training center, USA Place will also include a 4,500-seat event center, as well as a 330-room Omni Hotel and 30,000-square-foot conference center, 500 luxury apartments, 160,000 square feet of retail and up to 200,000 square feet of office space, including the new home for Arizona Interscholastic Association events.

USA Basketball’s Board of Directors approved the relocate at a Board meeting on July 25.The $350 million mixed-use commercial development plan is subject to Tempe City Council and Arizona Board of Regents final approval of development agreements.

“This is an exciting and an incredible opportunity that offers nothing but positives for USA Basketball,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo. “USA Place will offer USA Basketball an excellent site for the development of its office headquarters, a training center and event center that will provide the organization with a first-class site for hosting junior level events and will allow USA Basketball to continue to evolve.

“The new USA Basketball headquarters and training center will be first-class, state of art facilities, something I know we will be very proud of.”

Carmelo Anthony not pondering future just yet

Anthony led the Knicks to 54 wins and their first Atlantic Division title in 19 years last season. But the Knicks were beaten in the second round by Indiana.

The Knicks have made some changes that they hope will provide Anthony help on both ends of the floor and get them deeper into the postseason. They signed Metta World Peace, acquired Andrea Bargnani from Toronto and re-signed J.R. Smith, Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon Martin.

Anthony was asked whether this season will determine his long-term future as a Knick.

“I can’t do that,” Anthony said. “It’s too tough right now.”

Tough is a word that describes the competition in the Eastern Conference.

Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday