Inside Hoops – Page 179 – NBA Blog

Celtics sign Danilo Gallinari

The Boston Celtics have signed free agent forward Danilo Gallinari.

“We are thrilled to welcome Danilo to Boston”, said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Brad Stevens. “With his elite shooting abilities, he has long been established as of the league’s best scorers with size.”

Gallinari, a 6’11” forward, appeared in 66 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season averaging 11.7 ponts, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from the field. Born in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, he was tied for fourth in the NBA last season in free throw percentage at 90.4 percent. Gallinari was originally drafted by the New York Knicks with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and has appeared in 728 games averaging 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from the field.

Gallinari will wear #8 for the Celtics.

Atlanta Hawks sign Frank Kaminsky

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent center Frank Kaminsky.

Kaminsky joins the Hawks from the Phoenix Suns, where he saw action in nine games during the 2021-22 campaign, tallying 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.1 minutes (.545 FG%, .333 3FG%, .900 FT%). In a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 10, the 7-0 center poured in a career-high 31 points on 12-18 shooting from the floor, in addition to seven rebounds, three assists and one block in 32 minutes. It was announced on Nov. 21, 2021, that Kaminsky would miss the remainder of the season due to a stress reaction in his right knee.

Drafted with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, Kaminsky has appeared in 377 games (49 starts) throughout his career, notching 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.0 minutes (.429 FG%, .348 3FG%, .743 FT%). He has also seen action in 17 postseason contests (five starts), including 10 appearances in the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals, averaging 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.2 minutes.

The seven-year NBA veteran has suited up for the Charlotte Hornets (2015-19) and Phoenix Suns (2019-22), posting 171 double digit scoring outings. Kaminsky played for Team USA in the 2017 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, netting a team-high 33 points on 12-16 shooting from the floor, including a 9-13 clip from three-point territory, in 20 minutes as a reserve.

The Lisle, Illinois native enjoyed a four-year career at Wisconsin, becoming the first player in Wisconsin history to win National Player of the Year (Wooden, Naismith, Oscar Robertson) and the 18th consensus All-American in UW history. He appeared in 144 games (79 starts) as a Badger, averaging 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 20.4 minutes (.522 FG%, .369 3FG%, .763 FT%). Kaminsky left Wisconsin as just the second player in program history to post 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks, setting the UW career blocks record with 153 rejections.

San Antonio Spurs sign Dominick Barlow to two-way contract

The San Antonio Spurs have signed forward Dominick Barlow to a two-way contract.

Barlow, 6-10/220, spent the 2021-22 season playing in the Overtime Elite League with Team Overtime, averaging 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.08 steals over 25.2 minutes per game. Originally from Dumont, New Jersey, Barlow logged 371 total points after scoring double figures in 22 of 25 games, including a season-high 27 points (5-6 3PT) against DME Academy, ranking him third in the league. In OTE’s inaugural season, the forward shot 53.0% from the field, 33.9% from three and 76.4% from the foul line.

During his senior year at Dumont High school, he was named the 2020-21 North Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 27.6 points, 17.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.6 blocks.

Currently playing for the Spurs Summer League team, Barlow is averaging 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23.1 minutes over two games in the NBA 2K23 Summer League.

Barlow will wear No. 26 for the Spurs.

Trade sends Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel from Knicks to Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have acquired Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, a 2023 second-round draft pick, originally belonging to Detroit, a 2026 second-round draft pick, via Minnesota or New York, dependent on draft position, and cash considerations in a trade with the New York Knicks for the draft rights to Nikola Radicevic and a protected second-round pick in 2025.

Burks, 6-6, 214, recorded clips of 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes through 81 games (44 starts) with the Knicks in 2021-22. He scored at least 20 points in nine contests, including a season-best 34 points against the Pistons on Dec. 29, 2021. Burks had 43 games with multiple 3-pointers and made at least four triples 14 times a year ago.

The Grandview, Mo. native has 11 years of NBA experience after he was drafted 12th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft. Burks has suited up for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks with career marks of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals in 625 NBA games (135 starts).

A former standout at Colorado, Burks played two seasons collegiately for the Buffaloes while garnering Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors and All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore.

Noel, 6-11, 220, tallied 3.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 22.5 minutes over 25 games (11 starts) with the Knicks last season. He pulled down double-digit rebounds twice and had multiple blocks in nine games in 2021-22. Noel spent two seasons with New York, appearing in 89 games (52 starts) since 2020-21.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Noel has played eight seasons in the league for the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie First Team and has ranked in the top-15 in the NBA in steals twice and blocks three times, including ranking third (2.2 bpg) in 2020-21.

Hailing from Malden, Mass., Noel played collegiately for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2012-13. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and was selected to the SEC All-Defense and SEC All-Freshman teams. Noel also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year in his lone season with the Wildcats.

Radicevic, 6-6, 200, was acquired by Detroit via trade from the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 22, 2020. He was drafted 57th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Orlando Magic sign rookie Caleb Houstan

The Orlando Magic have signed forward Caleb Houstan, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Houstan was selected by Orlando in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Houstan (6’8”, 205, 1/9/03) played and started in all 34 games last season as a freshman at the University of Michigan, averaging 10.1 ppg., 4.0 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 32.1 minpg., while shooting .355 (60-169) from three-point range. He led the Wolverines in three-point field goals made. Houstan scored in double figures 17 times and had 20+ points twice. He had ten games with 3+ three-pointers made and four games with 4+ three-pointers. Houstan was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the period ending Jan. 24 and helped Michigan reach the Sweet Sixteen during the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive time.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Houstan played three seasons at Montverde Academy in Montverde, FL. During his sophomore (2019-20) and junior (2020-21) seasons, he helped Montverde to a No. 1 prep ranking in the nation and back-to-back Geico Prep National titles. As a junior (2020-21), Houstan was named Florida’s Gatorade Player of the Year, while also being named a 2021 McDonald’s All-American, a Naismith Second Team All-American and to the Sports Illustrated All-American Third Team. He reclassified from the Class of 2022 to 2021, foregoing his senior season to head to Michigan. Houstan was also a member of the Canadian National Team during the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, helping Canada to the bronze medal (only its second medal in World Cup history), the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship and the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup (as a 15-year-old).

Sixers sign rookie Michael Foster Jr.

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed forward Michael Foster Jr.

Foster Jr. joined the 76ers’ Salt Lake City Summer League roster and appeared in each of the team’s games at Vivint Arena, including one start. He is currently participating in the NBA 2022 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Prior to signing with the 76ers, Foster Jr. played for G League Ignite, where last season he averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 25 appearances.

Before joining Ignite, Foster Jr. averaged 32.2 points, 18.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his senior season for Hillcrest Prep, leading the team to a 37-1 record and earning him the No. 7 spot in the 2021 ESPN 100 rankings of top high school prospects. The Milwaukee native was also named a 2021 McDonald’s All-American.

Cavaliers sign Ricky Rubio, Robin Lopez and Raul Neto

The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, July 8 signed guard Ricky Rubio, center Robin Lopez and guard Raul Neto, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced.

“Our focus during this offseason has been centered around making this team better and finding the best talent to help strengthen this roster,” said Altman. “When you think about the impact Ricky had on our team last season, his addition became a priority to bring back to Cleveland. We also feel Robin and Raul are both high character guys who have played a great amount of meaningful basketball and will bring the right balance of seasoned experience and depth to our emerging young core. We are excited for Ricky’s return and welcome Robin and Raul to the Cavaliers family.”

Rubio (6-3, 190) has appeared in 665 games (601 starts) with Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland, holding career averages of 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.80 steals in 30.3 minutes. He played in 34 games (eight starts) for Cleveland last season, averaging a career-high tying 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.44 steals in 28.5 minutes before missing the final 48 games with a season-ending ACL tear. On Dec. 13, 2021 vs. Miami, Rubio became one of 12 active NBA players to record 5,000 career assists. Rubio also recorded a career-high 37 points, shooting 8-9 (.889) from the three-point line, 10 assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench on Nov. 7 at New York, becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 30 points, 10 assists and eight three-pointers in a game off the bench. He also became the first player in Cavs team history to make his first eight three-point attempts of a game [via Elias Sports Bureau]. Rubio was traded to Indiana after his injury in a deal that brought Caris LeVert to Cleveland but did not appear in a game for the Pacers.

Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the 11-year NBA veteran was a 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Rubio currently has the 12th-most assists among active NBA players (5,045) and has averaged more than 6.0 assists in 10 of 11 NBA seasons. He has also made two playoff appearances with Utah in 2018 and 2019, averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.82 steals in 33.6 minutes. A longtime member of the Spanish National Team, Rubio has played in three Olympics (2020, 2016, 2008), winning silver 2008 and bronze in 2016. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he scored 38 points against the United States, breaking the record for most points scored against USA during Olympic competition. He also led Spain to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Lopez (7-0, 281) has played in 939 games (603 starts) over his 14-year NBA career with Phoenix, New Orleans, Portland, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington and Orlando. Last season in Orlando, Lopez appeared in 36 games (nine starts), averaging 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.0 minutes. Lopez has appeared in 36 postseason games (28 starts) with Portland (22 games), Chicago (six games), Milwaukee (three games) and Washington (five games), averaging 8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in 23.4 minutes for his postseason career. The Stanford product was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Since 2008, Lopez is one of seven NBA players to shoot .530+ FG% and .700+ FT% over that span, joining Jonas Valanciunas, Enes Freedom, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis and Amar’e Stoudemire (min. 400 games played).

Neto (6-2, 180) appeared in 70 games (19 starts) last season for the Washington Wizards, averaging 7.5 points, a career-best 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 19.6 minutes. As a starter last season, Neto shot 16-39 (.410) from beyond the arc and scored in double figures on nine occasions. Selected with the 47th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Neto has played seven NBA seasons with Utah, Philadelphia and Washington, appearing in 387 games (98 starts) in his career, as well as 27 postseason games (three starts). Prior to coming to the NBA, he played professionally in Brazil and Spain from 2008-15. A native of Brazil, Neto competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as a member of the Brazilian National Team.

Trail Blazers sign Damian Lillard to huge contract extension

The Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night, July 9, signed guard Damian Lillard to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced by General Manager Joe Cronin.

The two-year extension keeps Lillard under contract with the Trail Blazers through the 2026-27 season.

Per the Oregonian, “the extension, which is worth a total of $122 million and runs through the 2026-27 season, ups Lillard’s current contract with the Blazers to five years and almost $270 million. That puts him among one of the top earners in NBA history at an estimated $451 million in total salary.”

“Damian Lillard is the greatest player in franchise history and an all-time NBA talent,” said Cronin. “In signing this contract extension, Damian continues his commitment to the city of Portland and the organization. We look forward to his continued excellence here with the Trail Blazers for many years to come.”

Selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history ahead of the 2021-22 season, Lillard is the only player in franchise history with six All-NBA honors and one of three players to be named All-NBA First Team while with the Trail Blazers (2017-18). Lillard is a six-time NBA All-Star, a 2021 Olympic Gold Medalist and the unanimous 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Winner of the 2018-19 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the 2019-20 Magic Johnson Award and the 2020-21 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, Lillard holds career averages of 24.6 points (43.7% FG, 37.3% 3-PT, 89.3% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 0.96 steals in 711 games (all starts) over 10 seasons with the Trail Blazers.

More from the Oregonian: “Lillard, 31, is coming off the first injured-plagued season of his NBA career, playing in a career-low 29 games. He underwent abdominal surgery Jan. 13 and last played for the Blazers on Dec. 31. ”

The sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft out of Weber State, Lillard has led the Trail Blazers to eight postseason appearances. He holds career playoff averages of 25.7 points (41.2% FG, 36.9% 3-PT, 88.7% FT), 4.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.18 steals in 61 games (all starts).

Lillard is the all-time franchise leader in scoring average, three-pointers made (2,143) and free throws made (3,917). Additionally, he ranks second in Trail Blazers history in points (17,510), second in field goals (5,725), second in minutes (25,835), third in assists (4,726), fourth in games played (711) and seventh in steals (682).

Clippers sign John Wall

The LA Clippers on Friday, July 8 signed free agent and five-time All-Star John Wall, it was announced by President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.

“John is one of the great downhill drivers and shot creators of his era,” said Frank. “He will add depth to our backcourt with his initiating, passing and point-of-attack defense.”

Wall, 31, has appeared in 613 career games with averages of 19.1 points, 9.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds over 10 seasons with the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets. The 6-foot-3 guard started 40 games for the Rockets during the 2020-21 season, posting averages of 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds. He has also appeared in 37 playoff games, averaging 21.9 points, 9.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks.

The first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Wall was named to the 2010-11 All-Rookie First Team after averaging 16.4 points. In 2014-15, he was named to the All-Defensive Second Team, and in 2016-17, he was an All-NBA Third Team selection after averaging career-highs in points (23.1) and assists (10.7). The Raleigh, N.C., native was a McDonald’s All-American in High School and attended the University of Kentucky, where he was named the SEC Player of the Year and a consensus First-Team All-American during his freshman year. In 2017, Wall was inducted into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.

Cavaliers sign Darius Garland to huge contract extension

The Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday signed guard Darius Garland to a multi-year contract extension, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced.

“Darius has proven to be a tremendous basketball player and someone who embodies everything a franchise would want in a young player,” said Altman. “We’ve quickly seen Darius grow into an NBA All-Star and an integral core piece in our pursuit of sustainable success. Both on and off the court, Darius has demonstrated a strong commitment to this organization and the community. We look forward to our future and what we can accomplish here in Cleveland.”

Per Cleveland.com, “Garland officially signed the richest contract in franchise history — a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension that could be worth as much as $231 million and does not contain a player option.”

Garland, a first-time NBA All-Star this past season, appeared in 68 games (all starts) and registered career highs in points (21.7), rebounds (3.3), assists (8.6, sixth-best in NBA), steals (1.31), minutes (35.7), field goal percentage (.462) and free throw percentage (.892, seventh-best in NBA). He also had more double-doubles (29), 20-point games (42) and 30-point games (seven) this season than his first two NBA campaigns combined. The third-year guard joined LeBron James as the only players in franchise history to finish a season averaging at least 20.0 points and 8.0 assists and was just one of only five NBA players to do so this season (Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Luka Dončić, James Harden). Garland helped lead the Cavaliers to a 44-38 record, their best mark since 2017-18, and finished third place in the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year voting.

More from Cleveland.com: “Garland — the No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft whose career got off to a terrible start while he was still working his way back from a college meniscus injury — has developed into one of the league’s premier point guards. Using a summer with Team USA as a catapult for his third-year leap, Garland averaged a career-high 21.7 points and 8.6 assists while igniting a franchise transformation.”

The 6-1 guard was one of only two NBA players to average at least 20.0 points and 8.0 assists while shooting .450 or better from the field and .850 from the foul line (Trae Young). Garland also recorded 29 point-assist double-doubles and 19 games of at least 20 points and 10 assists, both were the fourth-most in the entire NBA. He earned NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the week of Jan. 10-16 and had a stretch of five straight games with at least 10 assists in January (Jan. 15-24), becoming just the second Cavs player to accomplish that feat since 2003 (LeBron James). Additionally, Garland became the fourth-youngest player in Cavaliers history to notch a triple-double in a win at Utah on Jan. 12 (LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, Kyrie Irving) and just the third player in NBA history to have a game of at least 27 points, 18 assists and five rebounds before age 22 during Cleveland’s victory at Oklahoma City on Jan. 15 (Trae Young, Luka Dončić).

At 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Garland helped Team Cavs capture the championship at Taco Bell Skills Challenge and followed that up with 13 points in Team LeBron’s victory in the All-Star Game. After the break, Garland averaged 24.8 points and 10.0 assists over the final 21 games. During that span, he dished out a career-high 19 assists on March 4 at Philadelphia, which was tied for the most assists by any player in the NBA this season (Chris Paul, twice). Garland also recorded a career-high 41 points, to go along with 13 assists, five rebounds and two steals in a win at Indiana on March 8, becoming one of just six players in NBA history at age 22 or younger to tally at least 40 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and two steals in a single game (Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Isiah Thomas, Chris Webber, Luka Dončić).

Garland, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Cleveland, has appeared in 181 career games (177 starts) with averages of 17.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.09 steals in 33.4 minutes over three NBA seasons. He is also the fastest Cavaliers player to make 300 career three-pointers, doing so in his 147th game (Jan. 9 at Golden State), and already ranks 11th in team history in threes made (384).