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Hawks sign rookie John Collins

Hawks sign rookie John Collins

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has signed rookie forward John Collins to his rookie contract, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Collins, the 19th overall pick by the Hawks in the 2017 NBA Draft, averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26.6 minutes (.622 FG%, .745 FT%) in 33 games (all starts) as a sophomore at Wake Forest last season on his way to garnering All-ACC First Team and ACC Most Improved Player honors, as well as Second Team All-America recognition by the Basketball Times. He led the conference in FG% and 20-point/10-rebound games (10), while ranking second in rebounding and third in scoring in helping the Demon Deacons to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.

For his career, Collins tallied 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.7 minutes (.601 FG%, .729 FT%) in 64 games (34 starts). As a freshman, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14.4 minutes (.547 FG% – tops on the team) in 31 contests (one starting assignment).

Magic sign rookie Jonathan Isaac

Magic sign rookie Jonathan Isaac

The Orlando Magic have signed rookie forward Jonathan Isaac to his NBA rookie contract, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced today.

Isaac (6’10”, 210, 10/3/97) was selected in the first round (sixth overall) of NBA Draft 2017. He played and started in 32 games last season (2016-17) as a freshman at Florida State University, averaging 12.0 ppg., 7.8 rpg., 1.2 apg., 1.53 blkpg. and 1.16 stlpg. in 26.2 minpg., while shooting .508 (130-256) from the floor, .348 (31-89) from three-point range and .780 (92-118) from the free throw line.

Isaac led the Seminoles in rebounding and blocked shots, while finishing second in scoring and steals. He was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. Isaac’s 7.8 rebounds per game set a school record for a freshman and were the most among all freshmen in the ACC in 2016-17. He was named the ACC Rookie of the Week twice (Nov. 21, Jan. 23) and helped Florida State notch 26 wins, one shy of the school record, including 12 in conference play, which tied the school record for most ACC wins in a season.

In 2015-16, Isaac played for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., averaging 17.6 ppg. and 10.0 rpg., while shooting .510 from the floor. He competed in the Jordan Brand All-American Game (eight points, six rebounds and one block in 18 minutes) and was also a member of the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team that faced the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit (seven points and four rebounds). Isaac also attended the International School in Hollywood, Fla., for two seasons (2013-15). He averaged 29.5 ppg. and 9.0 rpg. in 2014-15.

Heat: Bam Adebayo NBA rookie bio

Heat: Bam Adebayo rookie bio

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center/forward Bam Adebayo to his NBA rookie contract.

Adebayo appeared in 38 games (all starts) as a freshman at Kentucky and averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.50 blocks and 30.1 minutes while shooting 59.9 percent from the field. He was selected to the All-SEC Second Team and the All-SEC All-Tournament Team after helping the Wildcats win the SEC Championship. He led the team in rebounds (304), blocks (57) and double-doubles (8) and finished second on the team in free throws made (154) and minutes (1,145) and third in points (494). He recorded 101 dunks, the most for a single-season by any Kentucky player under head coach John Calipari, surpassing Anthony Davis’ 92 in 2011-12 as it also ranked as the second-most in the NCAA last season. He tallied back-to-back 15-rebound games after posting a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double at Missouri on February 21 and then a 18-point, 15-rebound double-double vs. then #13 Florida on February 25, becoming the first Wildcat since Jared Prickett in 1994 to post consecutive 15-rebound games and the first time it was done during SEC games since Sam Bowie in 1984. Additionally, he grabbed 18 rebounds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Northern Kentucky, the third-most ever by a Kentucky player during March Madness, helping the Wildcats advance to the Elite Eight.

Adebayo was selected in the first round (14th overall) by the HEAT in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Blake Griffin to re-sign with Clippers

Chris Paul is gone, but Blake Griffin is sticking around. The Clippers are without their floor general, but their versatile power forward will re-sign with the squad. Here’s the LA Times reporting:

Blake Griffin to re-sign with Clippers

Blake Griffin walked into Staples Center on Friday afternoon, his eyes quickly diverting to a video of the Clippers starting lineup that included him. A few seconds later, the video shifted to a museum in which it walked through different parts of his life during the seven years he wore No. 32 for the Clippers.

As soon as a smile crossed Griffin’s face upon entering the arena, one team executive who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said the sense was that the power forward would return to the Clippers.

And Griffin will, agreeing to sign a maximum contract with the Clippers for five years and $175.74 million, according to an NBA official…

Griffin technically couldn’t agree to the deal until the NBA’s free-agency period opened at 9:01 PT Friday night, but the Clippers were allowed to talk with the power forward earlier in the day because he had spent the past seven years on the team.

Report: Jeff Teague to Timberwolves

Report: Jeff Teague to Timberwolves

Minnesota and Jeff Teague agreed to a 3-year, $57-million deal, with a player-option for the third year, on Friday night, a source confirmed. The deal was reported by the Associated Press just minutes after free agency’s official 11 p.m. central start time.

ASM Sports, Teague’s agency, tweeted just after 11 p.m. that Teague committed to signing with the Wolves. Teague can’t sign a deal with Minnesota until Thursday because of NBA rules.

The Timberwolves had to find a starting floor general after sending Ricky Rubio to Utah in exchange for a first-round pick Friday afternoon. Teague will make roughly $19 million a year over the three years. Rubio was set to make $14.2 million next season.

— St Paul Pioneer Press

Bulls waive Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan

Bulls waive Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guards Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan.

During his time with Chicago, Rondo appeared in 69 games (42 starts) and averaged 7.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.7 apg in 26.7 mpg. He shot .408 from the field, .376 from three and .600 from the free throw line. Rondo originally signed with the Bulls as a free agent on July 7, 2016.

In his lone season with the Bulls, Canaan (6-0, 201) appeared in 39 games and averaged 4.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.56 spg in 15.2 mpg. He shot .364 from the field, .266 from long range and .909 from the charity stripe. Canaan made his first career postseason appearance on April 23 vs. Boston and logged his first career playoff start on April 26. Canaan originally signed with Chicago as a free agent on July 20, 2016.

Sixers waive Gerald Henderson

Sixers waive Gerald Henderson

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has waived guard Gerald Henderson.

“We want to thank Gerald for being the consummate pro that he is and for adding so much to our growing basketball program and culture,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said. “Gerald’s professionalism, leadership and basketball contributions were a big part of our organization’s development this past year.”

Henderson signed with the Sixers on July 9, 2016 and appeared in 72 games (41 starts) with the team in 2016-17. He averaged nine points, three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes per game while shooting 42 percent from the field, a career-high 35 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Originally selected by Charlotte with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Henderson spent his first six seasons with the Bobcats/Hornets. He spent one season in Portland prior to joining the Sixers this past season. All told, over the course of eight NBA seasons, he holds averages of 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes per game.

Timberwolves trade Ricky Rubio to Jazz

Timberwolves trade Ricky Rubio to Jazz

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has acquired point guard Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a protected future first-round pick from Oklahoma City, pending the outcome of a successful physical.

“We’d like to thank Ricky for his time in Minnesota over the course of the last six-plus years,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau. “Ricky has been a consummate professional over my time in Minnesota and has done tremendous things in the community. We appreciate all he’s done for the organization and wish him the best of luck in Utah.”

Rubio (6-4, 190, Spain) appeared in 75 games (all starts) for the Timberwolves this season, averaging career highs of 11.1 points and 9.1 assists while adding 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 32.9 minutes of action. The point guard finished the season ranked fourth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5), fifth in assists per game, ninth in steals and 11th in free throw percentage (.891), and also graded second in pure point rating (PPR) at 10.7 (trailing only Chris Paul). Rubio also registered 25 point/assist double-doubles, including 14 of them in 24 games post All-Star Break, when he increased his averages to 16.0 points, 10.5 assists with 1.5 steals while shooting .353 from three-point range.

Originally selected in the first round (fifth overall selection) of the 2009 NBA Draft by Minnesota, the 26-year-old Spaniard appeared in 353 career games (333 starts) over six seasons with the Timberwolves, and owns career averages of 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists in 31.8 minutes. He leaves the Wolves as the franchise’s all-time leader in both assists (8.5) and steals per game (2.1) as well as point/assist double-doubles (83), while ranking behind only Kevin Garnett in total assists (2991) and steals (747).

Over his first six NBA seasons, Rubio has ranked in the top five in the league in assists per game three times (five times in top 10), and in the top 10 in steals four times. He earned 2011-12 All-Rookie First Team honors while finishing second to Kyrie Irving in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Prior to joining the NBA, Rubio played six seasons (2005-11) professionally in the Spanish ACB League for Joventus (2005-09) and FC Barcelona (2009-11) after making his debut at the age of 14, the youngest player ever to compete in the ACB to that point.

A native of El Masnou, Spain, Rubio has represented his home country at both the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where at age 17 he became the youngest player ever to participate in a men’s gold medal game. He began his international career in 2005 on Spain’s U16 team, and in 2006 was named MVP the 2006 FIBA Europe U16 championships after leading Spain to the gold medal.

Rubio joins what was the most international team in the NBA in 2016-17, featuring seven players born outside of the United States representing five other countries. In addition to the U.S., players on the current Jazz roster now hail from Australia (two), France (two), Brazil, Spain and the Ukraine.