Inside Hoops – Page 709 – NBA Blog

Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo agree to contract extension

The Bucks today reached an agreement with Giannis Antetokounmpo on a contract extension, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The team is betting their future on Giannis. According to multiple reports, the deal is for four years for a total of $100 million.

The contract will be finalized tomorrow afternoon at a press conference to be held at the recently-launched Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center (WESC) Preview Center.

Antetokounmpo, 21, appeared in 80 games (79 starts) last season and averaged career highs in points (16.9), rebounds (7.7), assists (4.3), blocks (1.4) and minutes (35.3). He became the first player in franchise history to record five triple-doubles in a season, and now ranks third on the Bucks’ all-time list for career triple-doubles.

Selected by the Bucks with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Antetokounmpo has career averages of 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 238 games (173 starts). He has improved his averages in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes over each season he has played in the NBA.

Mavericks sign guard C.J. Williams

The Mavericks have signed free agent guard C.J. Williams.

We will assume this is a non-guaranteed contract that brings Williams to training camp.

Williams (6-5, 225) spent the 2015-16 season with JDA Dijon Bourgogne in France, where he averaged 11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game in 34 games. Williams also played for the San Antonio Spurs’ 2016 summer league teams that competed in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Before joining Dijon in 2015-16, Williams played for Michelin Etha Engomis Nicosia in Cyprus (2012-13), the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders (2013-14) and Giorgio Tesi Group Pistoia in Italy (2014-15).

A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Williams played four years at North Carolina State (2008-12), where he helped the Wolfpack reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 as a senior in 2011-12. In 37 games as a senior, Williams averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.1 minutes. He went undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft.

The Mavericks’ 2016-17 training camp roster is now set at 20 players.

Knicks re-sign Lou Amundson

The Knicks have re-signed forward Lou Amundson.

He provides bench depth and is not expected to receive much playing time.

Amundson, 6-9, 220-pounds, appeared in 70 games over the last two seasons with New York – including 29 games in 2016-17, averaging 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds over 15.2 minutes. He holds career averages of 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds over 12.9 minutes in 428 games over 10 seasons with Utah, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Golden State, Indiana, Minnesota, Chicago, New Orleans, Cleveland and New York.

He was originally acquired from Cleveland as part of a three-team deal on Jan. 5, 2015.

Thunder renounce rights to Tomislav Zubcic

You probably don’t know forward Tomislav Zubcic, and if you’re a Thunder fan, you still won’t know him. OKC gave up the rights to him today, according to the Oklahoman:

The Thunder has renounced the rights to Tomislav Zubcic on Sunday, making the 6-foot-10 forward a free agent.

In June 2015, Zubcic, 26, was acquired along with a $2.85 million trade exception by the Thunder from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Luke Ridnour and cash.

Sixers coach says Joel Embiid should be defensive centerpiece

We’ve all been waiting to see Sixers center Joel Embiid finally make his NBA debut for what feels like an eternity now. But you can now hold your breath. Then, go ahead and breathe. Hold it again. Breathe again. Do this a lot. Even if you aren’t waiting for Embiid.

Back to the topic at hand: Embiid will finally make his 76ers debut, and his most important contributions should be on the defensive end, according to the team’s head coach. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Sixers coach says Joel Embiid should be defensive centerpiece

Joel Embiid has yet to make his NBA debut, but after two years of watching him rehab from foot injuries and develop on the court, Brett Brown has a clear picture of the big man’s role on the Sixers.

“He needs to be the crown jewel, the centerpiece to our defense,” Brown said Thursday at his annual preseason luncheon with the media.

Over the course of his rehab, Embiid has been wowing with videos knocking down three-point shots. Brown, though, envisions him making an impact on the other end. He believes Embiid’s 7-foot-2, 276-pound presence is best utilized at the basket. Last season, the Sixers ranked last in the league in rebounds (41.2), opponents’ rebounds (47.6) and rebound differential (minus-6.4) per game.

“I think he’s a rim protector,” Brown said.

P.J. Tucker out 6-8 weeks after back surgery

Suns forward P.J. Tucker underwent lower back microdiscectomy procedure today. He is expected to be out approximately six to eight weeks.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Dennis Crandall.

Preparing for his sixth NBA season and fifth with the Suns, Tucker is a four-time winner of the team’s Majerle Hustle Award. In 2015-16, he averaged 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, a career-high 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals while playing all 82 games (80 starts).

Nuggets sign Robbie Hummel, D.J. Kennedy, Jarnell Stokes and Nate Wolters

The Nuggets have signed F Robbie Hummel, G/F D.J. Kennedy, F Jarnell Stokes and G Nate Wolters to contracts.

Until we hear otherwise, we will assume these are non-guaranteed deals that merely bring these players to Nuggets training camp.

Hummel, 6-8, 220, spent the 2015-16 season playing for EA7 Olimpia Milano in both the Italian League and Euroleague. He appeared in 11 games (four starts) in the Italian League, averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game. He played in nine games (one start) in Euroleague play, averaging 7.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. The Purdue University alum was selected with the 58th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

Kennedy, 6-6, 215, went undrafted out of St. John’s in the 2011 NBA Draft and spent the majority of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons playing for Erie and Rio Grande Valley of the NBA D-League. He also appeared in two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011-12, averaging 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. The 26-year-old has spent the last three years overseas, most recently appearing in 40 games (38 starts) for Enisey Krasnoyarsk of the VTB United League (Russia), averaging 14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Stokes, 6-9, 263, joins Denver after being named MVP of the D-League and leading the Sioux Falls Skyforce to a championship in the 2015-16 season. He appeared in 28 games (all starts), averaging 20.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.11 steals per game. He also spent the majority of the 2014-15 season in the D-League, appearing in 23 games (14 starts) for the Iowa Energy and averaging 15.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. The Memphis, Tenn. native was drafted by Utah with the 35th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft and he has appeared in a total of 26 NBA games (two starts) with Memphis and Miami, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game.

Wolters, 6-4, 190, was selected out of South Dakota State with the 38th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. His draft rights were then traded to Philadelphia and then Milwaukee. Wolters appeared in 58 games (31 starts) as a rookie for the Bucks in 2013-14, averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 22.6 minutes. During the 2014-15 season, he appeared in 21 total games for both Milwaukee and New Orleans, as well as 12 games (eight starts) with the Grand Rapids Drive of the D-League. The Minnesota native most recently spent the 2015-16 season with Besiktas Sompo Japan of the Turkish league, appearing in 31 total games (28 starts) and averaging 12.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.06 steals in 30.5 minutes per game.

The Denver Nuggets training camp roster now stands at 20 players.

2016 Cavs free Wine & Gold Scrimmage is October 2

The Cavaliers will prelude the 2016-17 season with their annual FREE “Wine & Gold Scrimmage” on Sunday, October 2nd at 3:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena. The intrasquad scrimmage will give fans a chance to see the Cavs players take the court at The Q for the first time since the conclusion of the historic 2016 NBA Finals.

FREE tickets will be available starting Tuesday, September 20th at NOON at any Discount Drug Mart’s northeast Ohio location, or online at Cavs.com. Fans 17 years of age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Seating will be general admission and there is a limit of six (6) tickets per transaction. Doors to the arena will open at 2:30 p.m., one hour prior to tipoff.

In addition to getting a first look at this year’s squad, fans will be treated to a sample of the Cavs award-winning game presentation, featuring lights-out player introductions and Humongotron flames, performances from the Cavalier Girls dance team, Scream Team hip-hop troupe, the always-entertaining antics from mascots Moondog and Sir C.C, and more.

Windy City Bulls name Nate Loenser head coach

The Windy City Bulls, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls, have announced Nate Loenser as the organization’s first head coach.

The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native brings over 15 years of coaching experience at the professional and collegiate levels, including stints with the Chicago Bulls, the University of Southern Mississippi and Iowa State University.

In 2015-16 with Chicago, Loenser served as the Video Coordinator for the Bulls. In that position, Loenser assisted and led on-floor skill development sessions with Bulls players and worked with Head Coach Fred Hoiberg and his staff to organize and present all scouting breakdowns for opponents and edits of practice and game video. He also updated and maintained the Bulls’ offensive and defensive playbooks.

While with Iowa State, he served as Director of Player Development and was a part of the coaching staff for two seasons in which the Cyclones won back-to-back Big 12 Conference Championships and made the NCAA Tournament twice, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2014. As Assistant Coach for six seasons at Southern Mississippi, which was coached by former National Coach of the Year Larry Eustachy, Loenser was responsible for all aspects of the basketball program, including recruiting, opponent scouting and on-court coaching.

“Nate’s work ethic and knowledge of our player development program make him a great fit to be the head coach of the Windy City Bulls. He has been involved in every aspect of basketball operations at both the collegiate and professional levels,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “The timing is perfect to apply his experience and skills in this new role.”

Loenser graduated from Iowa State and lives with his wife, Jackie, and daughter, Delaney.

Windy City also announced that Chicago Bulls Assistant General Manager Brian Hagen will serve as the NBADL franchise’s General Manager. Hagen will continue to serve as Chicago’s Assistant General Manager, a role he has maintained for the last four seasons. Prior to his time with the Bulls, he worked nine seasons for the New Orleans Hornets in multiple roles with the team’s Basketball Operations department. As General Manager of the Windy City Bulls, Hagen will oversee the team’s Basketball Operations department, including personnel, player development and D-League scouting.

Jeff Feld, a Denver native, has joined the organization as Windy City’s Manager of Basketball Operations after spending the previous four years with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a member of the basketball operations department, including serving as the Assistant General Manager for the Cavaliers’ NBADL team, the Canton Charge. The University of Arizona graduate began his career working under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson and Sean Miller at Arizona.

The Windy City Bulls are preparing for their inaugural season in the heart of Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Beginning in November, the team will play 24 home games at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. The NBADL, which is entering its 16th season, will expand to 22 teams for the 2016-17 season with the additions of the Windy City Bulls, Greensboro Swarm and Long Island Nets. Last season saw 32 D-League players called up to the NBA a total of 42 times.

Rockets, Donatas Motiejunas apart in negotiations

Donatas Motiejunas is a 7-foot, 222-pound power forward averaged 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game for the Rockets two seasons ago, but just 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game, in just 37 games played, for the Rockets last season. Here’s ESPN.com with the latest:

The agent for Houston Rockets restricted free-agent power forward Donatas Motiejunas expressed some concern with the team about a lack of progress on a new contract.

“They haven’t made us a serious offer,” Motiejunas’ agent, BJ Armstong, told ESPN on Wednesday. “Our moment of truth will be Oct. 1. We’ll make a decision on that day.”

The Rockets, who don’t comment publicly regarding pending player contracts, made a $3.4 million qualifying offer this summer.