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Toronto Raptors add Nick Nurse to coaching staff

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have added Nick Nurse to Dwane Casey’s coaching staff. Nurse joins the Raptors from the NBA D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Nurse, 45, coached the Valley Vipers to a 59-41 mark the past two seasons and the 2012-13 NBA D-League championship. Prior to taking the reins in Rio Grande, Nurse coached the Iowa Energy to an overall regular season mark of 124-76 (.620) and the 2010-11 NBA Development League championship. For his accomplishments, Nurse was named the 2010-11 recipient of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award.

A three-time NBA Development League All-Star head coach, Nurse led the Energy to back-to-back 37-13 finishes in 2009-10 and 2010-11, setting and then tying the league record for wins in a single season. Nurse led the Energy to two Eastern Conference championships and one Central Division championship.

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nurse began his coaching career at the age of 23 when he became the head coach of Grand View College, making him the youngest college basketball coach in the United States. He moved on to an assistant coach position at the University of South Dakota where his teams recorded a 46-14 mark.

Nurse coached in Europe for 11 years starting in 1996, winning nine championships and two Coach of the Year awards while earning six All-Star head coach selections in the British Basketball League. During that time, he also gained coaching experience in Italy, Belgium and the USBL. Additionally, Nurse served as an assistant coach in the 2012 Olympics for the host British National Team.

Nurse holds a career professional coaching record of 459-220 (.676) during the regular season and 76-54 (.585) in the postseason.

Pistons sign Italian League shooter Luigi Datome

The newest member of the Detroit Pistons made the announcement on Facebook.

Italian small forward Luigi Datome wrote: “I made my decision to be a player of the Detroit Pistons. I think that Detroit is the right place to make another step in my career and to realize a dream. I am very excited to play with the Pistons.”

A person familiar with the situation confirmed the signing and told the Free Press the deal is expected to be two years. The source requested anonymity because the deal isn’t final until Wednesday, when the league’s annual free agency moratorium ends. Yahoo! Sports is reporting the agreement is worth $3.75 million.

With the agreement, the Pistons addressed one of their biggest needs — outside shooting.

Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Datome, 25, averaged 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for Virtus Roma last season, shooting 47 percent from the field (41 percent on 3-point attempts) and 92 percent from the free throw line.

The Pistons can’t announce contract agreements with free agents until Wednesday, when the league moritorium on signings is lifted.

Reported by the Associated Press

Clippers waive forward DaJuan Summers

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward DaJuan Summers. The Georgetown product appeared in two games for the Clippers last season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 3.5 minutes of action. Summers will play for the Clippers in the upcoming 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

He was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 15, 2013 and then for the rest of the season on April 4.

Sacramento Kings still seek a small forward

The Kings had a plan at the start of free agency July 1 in their quest for a new small forward: Go after Andre Iguodala, the best available player at the position in this year’s market.

But by the following night, the Kings had moved on.

Iguodala hesitated about accepting the Kings’ offer of $52 million for four years, and the Kings, unwilling to wait for him to commit, pulled the offer and focused on other priorities. Last week, Iguodala agreed to join the Warriors.

Now, a week after free agency began, the Kings’ small forward position looks a lot like it did last season.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Report: Cavs offer Andrew Bynum a 2-year deal

Report: Cavs offer Andrew Bynum a 2-year deal

A person with knowledge of the negotiations says the Cleveland Cavaliers have offered free-agent center Andrew Bynum a two-year contract.

The Cavs made the offer Monday night, a deal that includes a team option for the second year.

The person who spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday did so on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. Yahoo! Sports first reported the offer and said it was worth $24 million.

Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press

Cleveland Cavaliers interested in Andrew Bynum

Cleveland Cavaliers interested in Andrew Bynum

Free agent center Andrew Bynum is in town today visiting the Cavaliers, a league source confirmed. ESPN.com first reported the visit.

Bynum missed all of last season with problems in both knees. He was originally diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee in September and received injections in both September and October. He injured his left knee during a bowling event in November and had surgery in March to clear debris from both knees.

The Cavs have between $12 and $15 million in cap space and are prepared to make a significant one-year offer that would consume most of that cap space. ESPN reported Bynum will also meet this week with the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks before making a decision.

Reported by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal

Brooklyn Nets promote Frank Zanin to assistant general manager

The Brooklyn Nets have promoted Frank Zanin to Assistant General Manager where he will work alongside Assistant General Manager Bobby Marks, General Manager Billy King announced today. The Nets also promoted Matt Riccardi to Basketball Operations Manager, Sean Sweeney to Video Operations Manager, Scott Sereday to Statistical Analyst and Brennan Blair to Video Coordinator.

Zanin begins his fourth year with the Nets, having served last season as the director of player procurement and the prior two seasons as the team’s pro personnel scout. He began his NBA career in 1999 as a video intern with the Philadelphia 76ers, and then was hired as the team’s video coordinator the following season, a position he held until 2003, when he was promoted to advance scout/assistant coach.  In 2006, Zanin began a two-year tenure as the team’s pro personnel scout. Zanin is a 1999 graduate of West Chester University, where he was a three-year starter on the basketball team and received his degree in business management.

Riccardi is in his fifth season with the organization, serving the past two seasons as basketball operations coordinator. He began his NBA career during the 2009-2010 season as a basketball operations intern before being hired as a team assistant for the following season. Riccardi is a 2009 graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler, where he was a member of the basketball team for four seasons and received a masters of business administration and an undergraduate degree in business management.

Sweeney enters his third season with the team, previously working as the team’s video coordinator. Before joining the Nets, Sweeney was the video coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa with prior stops as a coach at the Academy of Art University and the University of Evansville, where he began as director of operations. Sweeney is a graduate of St. Thomas (MN), where he was team captain and a 2006 All-Conference selection.

Sereday enters his third season with the organization, and first as full-time statistical analyst. Prior to the Nets, he worked as an actuary for Buck Consultants, LLC in Secaucus, NJ for over four years. Sereday obtained a masters in statistics from Columbia University in 2012 and a bachelors in statistics from Rutgers University in 2005.

Blair begins his fourth season with the Nets, having most recently served as assistant video coordinator last season. Since 2010-11, he has held various internship positions with the information technology, basketball operations and video departments, before being hired last year. Blair is a 2012 graduate of Seton Hall University, where he received his business degree with a double major in sports management and information technology management.

Rasheed Wallace to become Detroit Pistons assistant coach

Rasheed Wallace to be Detroit Pistons assistant coach

It hasn’t been announced, but former Piston Rasheed Wallace will join the Pistons’ coaching staff this season.

Wallace strolled into the Amway Center wearing a polo shirt with the Pistons’ team logo on Monday, and prompted some light teasing when observers thought he was wearing a Celtics baseball hat. Turns out Wallace is a big fan of Notre Dame football.

Wallace played for the Pistons from 2004-09, being the final piece to a championship puzzle in 2004, and has generally been regarded as one of the smarter players in the game.

In every year but one in Detroit, Wallace helped the Pistons get to the Eastern Conference finals and twice the Pistons advanced to the NBA Finals.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner says: Rasheed can set an NBA record for most technical fouls called on an assistant coach

Pistons players excited about Josh Smith joining team

Josh Smith

The Pistons’ acquisition of Josh Smith sent shock waves through the NBA and it received positive reactions from two of the team’s building blocks.

Smith will make life easier for Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond, the team’s first-round picks in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

“Honestly, he’s a great player,” Drummond said after the Pistons‘ 76-67 Summer League win over the Brooklyn Nets Sunday at the Amway Center. “He creates shots for himself and his teammates. He’s (like) a big guard.”

Knight, who didn’t play with the summer league team but practiced with them this week, approved of the deal — which was to be expected.

“Athletic player, competitor, tough, tough guy,” he said. “If he does decide to come, he’ll be a great player to have.”

Smith agreed to a four-year, $54 million deal with the Pistons Saturday afternoon, which sprouted from the Pistons having interest in the former Atlanta Hawks forward for years on end.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News