Inside Hoops – Page 1307 – NBA Blog

Indiana Pacers re-sign David West

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday they have re-signed veteran free agent and two-time NBA All-Star David West to a contract.

According to the Associated Press, “the contract is for three years and $36.6 million, according to his agent. The third year is a player option.”

West, 6-9, 240, is a 10-year veteran who has played the last two seasons with the Pacers, averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 139 games. Prior to his time with the Pacers, West had played his entire NBA career with the New Orleans Hornets. He has career averages of 16.1 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game.

“We said when the season ended, bringing David back was our No. 1 priority and we are very pleased to have him back,” said Larry Bird, Pacers President of Basketball Operations. “He is a leader, he is a professional, he is a great competitor and he is the type of player and person you want on your team if you hope to be successful.”

West played in two All-Star games in 2008 and ’09. Those two seasons, he averaged 20.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg and 21 ppg and 8.5 rpg, respectively.

“You can watch David play and appreciate him, but to coach him and see what he brings to our team on a daily basis really enhances that appreciation,” said Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel. “There aren’t many players like him in the NBA and to have him back on our team is very important for what we hope to accomplish.”

Chicago Bulls waive Rip Hamilton

The Chicago Bulls announced today that they have waived guard Richard Hamilton.

In two seasons with the Bulls, Hamilton appeared in 78 games (73 starts) and averaged 10.5 ppg, 2.6 apg and 1.9 rpg in 22.9 mpg. During his time with Chicago, he shot .438 from the field, .337 from behind the arc and .833 from the line.

Hamilton signed with the Bulls as a free agent on Dec. 14, 2011.

Detroit Pistons sign Josh Smith

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent forward Josh Smith to a multi-year contract.

“We’re pleased to welcome Josh Smith to the Pistons organization,” Dumars said. “Josh is a two-way player and we look forward to blending his talents with our young core.”

Smith joins the Pistons after spending the last nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks where he averaged 15.3 points (.465 FG%, .283 3FG%, .654 FT%), 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 blocks , 1.3 steals and 34.1 minutes in 676 career games (654 starts). He’s the 24th player in NBA history (seventh active player) to tally 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocked shots. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Smith is the only player in NBA history to boast career averages of at least 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.

The 27-year-old Atlanta native has appeared in 52 playoff games (all starts) during six trips to the NBA Playoffs averaging 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.2 steals and 36.0 minutes per game. Smith holds playoff career highs of 28 points (4/28/08 vs. Boston), 18 rebounds (4/29/12 vs. Boston), nine assists (four times) and seven blocks – a Hawks’ franchise record previously shared by Tree Rollins and Dikembe Mutombo.

The 6-9, 225-pound forward tallied 29 double-doubles last season, ranked ninth in the NBA in blocks (1.8 bpg) and was one of two players to average at least 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists (LeBron James). In 2010-11, Smith finished second in the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year voting and scored a season-best 34 points on a season-high 14-of-16 from the field (2-2 3FG) vs. New Jersey (12/7). According to Elias Sports Bureau, he was the first Hawks player to score that many points on that high of a field goal percentage (87.5%) in over 55 years – since Hall-of-Famer Bob Pettit scored 34 (12-13 FG) on 3/14/55. In 2005-06 Smith became only the fourth Hawks player – and first non-center – to post 200 blocks in one season, joining Mutombo, Rollins and Theo Ratliff. Finally, in 2004-05, he won the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Denver and rejected an NBA season-high 10 shots at Dallas (12/18), becoming the youngest player in league history to record 10 blocks in a game since the stat began being recorded in 1973-74.

Smith finishes his time in Atlanta among Hawks’ top-10 franchise leaders in 10 categories including points (10,371 – eighth), rebounds (5.407 – seventh), blocks (1,440 – second), steals (857 – fifth), offensive rebounds (1,409 – sixth), defensive rebounds (3,998 – third), double-doubles (207, fourth), field goals made (4,030 – seventh), free throws made (2,044 – ninth) and games played (676 – ninth).

Lakers re-sign center Robert Sacre

The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed Robert Sacre, it was announced today.

Sacre, a 7-foot center out of Gonzaga University who serves as a backup off the bench, was selected by the Lakers in the second round (60th overall) of the 2012 NBA draft. In 32 games (three starts) with the Lakers last season, he averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.3 minutes. Sacre also spent time with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development league during his rookie campaign, appearing in eight games and posting averages of 11.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.33 blocks in 32.8 minutes.

At Gonzaga, Sacre finished his career with the Bulldogs ranked second in school history with 186 blocked shots while averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.38 blocks in 135 games. As a senior, Sacre was named the 2012 WCC Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-WCC First-Team honoree while averaging 11.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.42 blocks in 26.3 minutes.

Wizards re-sign guard Garrett Temple

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed guard Garrett Temple.

“Garrett was a good addition to our backcourt rotation last season and we are happy to have him back to give us depth at both guard positions,” said Grunfeld. “His defensive ability, toughness and team-first attitude make him an excellent fit in our system and provide a great example of the culture we are building.”

Temple averaged career-highs of 5.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 51 games, including 36 starts, for the Wizards last season. The undrafted LSU product played 22.7 minutes per game while shooting .407 from the field and .703 from the line. He recorded nine games of 10+ points, including four consecutive double-digit outings from March 13-18. Temple tallied a career-high tying 17 points March 18 at Charlotte and posted eight points, a career-high 11 assists and seven rebounds January 4 vs. Brooklyn. He was originally signed by the Wizards as a free agent on December 25, 2012.

In 102 games (40 starts) with Houston, Sacramento, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Washington, Temple holds career averages of 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.9 minutes. He has shot .396 from the field and .654 from the line.

Charlotte Bobcats sign Al Jefferson

It took a while, but the Charlotte Bobcats finally have a big guy that can play some basketball.

Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed free agent center Al Jefferson.

“We are ecstatic to add Al to our roster,” Higgins said. “He gives us a low post presence that we have not had on our roster and brings a skill set that does not become available very often. He is a veteran leader who helps his teammates get better, but at the same time he is only 28 years old so he can be part of the core of this franchise for several years to come.”

The 15th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, the 6-10 Jefferson has played in 628 games for the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz during his nine-year career. He has career averages of 16.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 blocks in 30.6 minutes, while shooting .500 from the field.

Jefferson is one of only two players in the NBA to have averaged at least 17.0 points and at least 9.0 rebounds in each of the last six seasons, joining Dwight Howard in doing so. No other player has posted those averages in more than four of the last six campaigns.

Over his last three seasons, all with Utah, Jefferson missed just nine regular season games, playing in 221 of a possible 230 contests. During that span, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 blocks in 34.4 minutes, while shooting .494 from the field and .767 from the free-throw line. He has finished the season in the NBA’s top 10 in defensive rebounds in each of the three seasons and has been among the league’s top eight in field goals in each of the last two years.

Last season with the Jazz, Jefferson averaged 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steal in 33.1 minutes played. He led all NBA centers in field goals, ranked second among NBA centers in scoring average and ranked fourth among NBA centers in defensive rebounds, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Wizards sign guard Eric Maynor

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Eric Maynor. He is backup material and should come off the bench to play behind John Wall.

“Eric is a solid player who has thrived playing behind some of the league’s best point guards,” said Grunfeld. “He will bring stability and experience in that role and add leadership and character off the floor.”

Maynor averaged 4.5 points and 2.8 assists in 64 overall games with Oklahoma City and Portland last season, including 6.9 points and 4.0 assists in 27 game after being traded to the Trail Blazers. The former VCU standout shot .377 from the field, .354 from behind the arc and .726 from the line in 15.0 minutes per contest. Maynor scored in double figures 10 times, including a season-high 20 points on March 8 at San Antonio and he dished out a season-high 12 assists on March 2 vs. Minnesota. The 6-3 guard was traded from Oklahoma City to Portland on February 21 in exchange for the rights to Georgios Printezis and a trade exception.

In four seasons with Utah, Oklahoma City and Portland, Maynor holds career averages of 4.5 points and 3.0 assists in 15.1 minutes per contest. While playing in 236 career games, he has shot .400 from the field, .354 from behind the arc and .731 from the line. Maynor was originally drafted by Utah with the 20th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. On December 22, 2009, he was traded from Utah, along with Matt Harpring, to Oklahoma City for the rights to Peter Fehse.

Rockets trade Thomas Robinson to Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired forward Thomas Robinson from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the NBA rights to Kostas Papnikolaou and Marko Todorovic along with two future second round picks, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Robinson, 22, is entering his second NBA season after averaging 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in 70 games with Sacramento (51 games) and Houston (19 games) in 2012-13.

“Thomas is a dynamic young big man with tremendous upside,” said Olshey. “He is an elite athlete and brings a unique set of physical tools to our roster. He has the potential to be one of the best young power forwards in the league and his development will be a priority for us.”

Drafted by Sacramento with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Robinson (6-10, 237) played three seasons at Kansas, where he averaged 17.1 points (50.5%), 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.08 steals and 31.8 minutes in 39 games his junior year. A consensus First Team All-American in 2011-12, he earned the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year Award as a junior.

Indiana Pacer sign guard C.J. Watson

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday they have signed free agent C.J. Watson to a contract.

Watson, a 6-2, 180 lb. guard, is a six-year veteran of the NBA, having played for Golden State, Chicago and Brooklyn with career averages of 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He spent the 2012-13 season with Brooklyn and averaged 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 80 games.

“C.J. Watson is exactly the type of player we were looking for when we said we needed to address our bench,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He’s experienced and he has been with winning teams, so he knows what it takes.”

“We’ve looked at a lot of things since the season ended and upgrading our bench was one of those things,” said Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel. “I feel the addition of C.J. Watson will help us accomplish that goal.”

Undrafted out of the University of Tennessee, Watson played briefly in Europe before returning to the United States and playing in the NBA Developmental League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he averaged 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.38 steals over 16 games in the 2007-08 season. He signed with the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 8, 2008.

“I’m excited to join the Pacers,” said Watson. “It’s a good young team with a bright future and a shot to compete for a championship and I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Trail Blazers sign Dorell Wright

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Dorell Wright, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Wright, 27, holds career NBA averages of 9.3 points (43.1% FG, 36.7% 3-PT, 81.1% FT), 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in nine seasons with Miami, Golden State and Philadelphia.

“Dorell brings a versatile skill set on both sides of the ball,” said Olshey. “He gives us the ability to stretch defenses on the offensive end while guarding multiple positions defensively.”

Wright’s 434 3-pointers made over the past three seasons rank fourth in the NBA during that span. He led the league with 194 3-pointers in 2010-11.

Selected by Miami with the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of South Kent Prep, Wright (6-9, 205) averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 79 games (eight starts) last season with Philadelphia.

Wright will wear No. 1 for the Trail Blazers.