Inside Hoops – Page 737 – NBA Blog

Warriors officially sign Kevin Durant

Team that won 73 games last regular season just added a superstar

The Golden State Warriors officially signed free agent forward Kevin Durant today. The deal is reportedly a $54 million dollar contract over two years.

A six-time All-NBA Selection (five First Team, one Second Team) and four-time single-season scoring leader, Durant was named the league MVP in 2013-14, tallying a career-best and league-leading 32.0 points per game.

Durant, 27, posted averages of 28.2 points, a career-high 8.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.18 blocks and 35.8 minutes in 72 games in 2015-16, earning his seventh consecutive NBA All-Star nod and becoming the first player to average at least 28 points, eight boards and five assists since Michael Jordan in 1988-89. The 6-9 forward led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, falling to the Warriors in a hard-fought, seven-game series. Durant led all scorers in the postseason with 28.4 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 40.3 minutes over 18 games.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Durant owns averages of 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.21 steals, 1.00 blocks and 37.8 minutes in 641 games (all starts) with the Thunder. Durant ranks as the Thunder franchise’s all-time leader in free throws (4,599) and three-point field goals (1,143) while ranking second in scoring (17,566), third in field goals made (5,912), fourth in rebounds (4,518), fourth in blocks (639), fourth in minutes (24,208), sixth in games played (641), seventh in assists (2,363) and eighth in steals (774).

The Washington, D.C., native has shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the last four seasons and owns career percentages of 48.3 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from three-point range and 88.2 percent from the free throw line. In 2012-13, Durant became the sixth player in NBA history to qualify for the league minimums in the 50/40/90 club (hit at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the line), a group that was joined by Stephen Curry in 2015-16.

Originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the second overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant captured Rookie of the Year honors in Seattle in 2007-08 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. In his lone collegiate season at the University of Texas in 2006-07, Durant was named the National Player of the Year and earned the Adolph Rupp Trophy, Naismith Award and Wooden Award, becoming the first-ever freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards.

Durant will wear #35 for the Warriors.

Magic sign second round draft pick Stephen Zimmerman

The Orlando Magic have signed rookie center Stephen Zimmerman, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

Zimmerman was selected by Orlando in the second round (41st overall) of NBA Draft 2016.

Zimmerman (#33, 7’0”, 240, 9/9/96) played in 26 games (24 starts) with UNLV as a freshman last season, averaging 10.5 ppg., a team-high 8.7 rpg. and a team-high 1.96 blkpg. in 26.2 minpg. He ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots and third in rebounding. Zimmerman scored in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 21 points on Feb. 2 @ New Mexico. He pulled down 10+ rebounds 13 times, including a career-best 16 boards on Jan. 19 @ Utah State.

While at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Zimmerman led the Gaels to four straight state championships, becoming the only player in Nevada history to accomplish the feat at the large-school level. His 114 career wins also made him the winningest player in school history. As a senior (2014-15), Zimmerman was selected as both a McDonald’s All-American and a Jordan Brand All-American, after averaging 14.7 ppg., 10.1 rpg., 4.2 apg., 2.4 blkpg and 1.2 stlpg.

During the summer of 2014, Zimmerman was a member of USA Basketball’s U18 National Team, which won gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships. He averaged 8.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg. and 1.2 blkpg. in five outings. Zimmerman teamed with Myles Turner, Justise Winslow and Stanley Johnson on that squad. He also played for the U.S. team at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.

Chicago Bulls sign Rajon Rondo

Rondo’s new teammates will include Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has signed guard Rajon Rondo. The deal is reportedly a $28 million dollar contract over two years.

“We are very excited to add Rajon to our organization. He is a tremendous competitor and a championship-level player,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He is a battle-tested veteran who has been an All-Star and NBA Champion. He is a terrific distributor and playmaker who we feel be a great addition to our team.”

The new-look Bulls will be one of the NBA’s most fascinating chemistry experiments next season. Point guard Rondo, new shooting guard Dwyane Wade (not yet signed), and Jimmy Butler, who presumably will play undersized small forward, will have a lot of adjusting to do. And none of them prefer to shoot three-pointers, so stretching the court will be a challenge.

However, they are all supremely talented players. So what we’re saying is, yes, there’s a chance.

Rondo (6-1, 186), a 10-year NBA veteran, joins the Bulls after spending last season with the Sacramento Kings. He began his career with the Boston Celtics as a first-round draft pick (21st overall) in 2006 and spent eight full seasons in Boston before being traded to Dallas during the 2014-15 season.

Rondo was a starter on the Celtics’ NBA Championship squad in 2008 and made four consecutive All Star appearances while with Boston in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was Third Team All-NBA in 2011-12 and made four straight NBA All-Defensive teams in 2008-09 (2nd), 2009-10 (1st), 2010-11 (1st) and 2011-12 (2nd). He was also named to the All-Rookie Second-Team in 2006-07. Rondo has led the league in assists per game for a season three times, most recently last year (11.7 apg), and also in 2011-12 (11.7 apg) and 2012-13 (11.1 apg).

In 2015-16, along with the league-leading 11.7 apg, he posted 11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg and a career-best .365 3-point percentage while notching 37 double-doubles (12th-most in the league) and six triple-doubles (third-most in the league). He and Russell Westbrook were the only two players in the NBA last year to average at least 10.0 ppg, 10.0 apg and 5.0 rpg for the season. Rondo’s 839 total assists ranked first in the NBA, his 1.96 spg ranked seventh, his 35.2 mpg ranked 17th, and he had an assist-to-turnover of 3:1.

Over his career, Rondo has played in 645 regular season games (592 starts) with averages of 11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.7 apg and 1.8 spg in 32.9 mpg. He has made it to the postseason six times, posting 14.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 9.1 apg and 1.9 spg in 38.0 mpg through 94 playoff games (94 starts).

Hawks re-sign Kent Bazemore

Big money for a talented player who can still improve

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed guard Kent Bazemore, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. The deal is reportedly a $70 million dollar contract over four years.

Bazemore, 27, set single-season career highs nearly every statistical category last year, his second in Atlanta, after averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 27.8 minutes (.441 FG%, .357 3FG%, .815 FT%) in 75 games (68 starting assignments). He ranked second on the club in steals per game and free throw percentage, and third in rebounds per game and three-pointers made (109). The four-year veteran scored in double-figures 41 times, including 11 20-point outings, and posted his first career double-double (at Detroit on Mar. 16).

“We are excited to re-sign Kent and welcome him back to the Hawks,” Budenholzer said. “His passion for the game is contagious and through his tireless work ethic, he has developed into a dynamic two-way player. We look forward to his continued development with us.”

The 6’5 guard originally signed with the Hawks as free agent on Sept. 23, 2014 after spending parts of his first two years with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season in an Atlanta uniform (2014-15) he posted 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.6 minutes in 75 games (10 starts).

Bazemore owns career averages of 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16.5 minutes, seeing action in 278 games (93 starts).

Orlando Magic re-sign Evan Fournier

The Orlando Magic have re-signed restricted free agent guard/forward Evan Fournier. The deal is reportedly a $85 million dollar contract over five years.

“As soon as the season ended, we said bringing Evan (Fournier) back was a top priority for us,” said Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan. “He made tremendous strides last season and we’re confident he will continue to improve and grow as an integral member of our core. We are extremely happy to have Evan back in an Orlando Magic uniform.”

Fournier (6’7”, 205, 10/29/92) appeared in 79 games (71 starts) with Orlando last season, averaging a career-high 15.4 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 2.7 apg. and 1.22 stlpg. in a career-high 32.5 minpg., while shooting a team-high .400 (156-390) from three-point range and a team-high .836 (199-238) from the free throw line. He was tied for 17th in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage and ranked 35th in free throw percentage. Fournier led (or tied) the team in scoring 19 times, in rebounding once and in assists seven times. He scored in double figures 61 times, had 20+ points 24 times and had 30+ points twice, including a career-high 30 points on Nov. 3 @ New Orleans and Mar. 15 vs. Denver.

Originally selected by Denver in the first round (20th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Fournier has appeared in 251 career NBA regular season games (111 starts) with Denver and Orlando, averaging 11.0 ppg., 2.5 rpg. and 2.0 apg. in 24.5 minpg., while shooting .389 (352-906) from three-point range. He was acquired by the Magic along with the draft rights to Devyn Marble from Denver in exchange for Arron Afflalo on June 26, 2014.

Mavericks trade Jeremy Evans to Pacers

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired the rights to center Stanko Barać from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Jeremy Evans, the rights to guard-forward Emir Preldžić and cash considerations.

The 28-year-old Evans is a six-year veteran who was with Utah his first five seasons and the Mavericks last season. He has career averages of 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds and was the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk champion. The 6-9, 200-pound Evans played collegiately at Western Kentucky and was the 55th overall pick (second round) by Utah in the 2007 NBA Draft.
“Jeremy is big and athletic,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “We’re anxious to get him here to put him through our strength and conditioning program. We know he’ll be a good fit with the players we have.”

Evans (6-9, 200) was signed as a free agent by Dallas on July 31, 2015.

Barać (7-1, 280) is a Croatian center who last played for Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano (Italy), averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17 games. He helped Olimpia win the Italian Cup in 2016. Barać has also played professionally in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Turkey and Croatia.

Preldžić (6-9, 220) last played for Darüşşafaka Spor Kulübü (Turkey) and averaged 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 31 games.

Magic sign D.J. Augustin

This is a bigger and longer deal than Augustin was expected to receive

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard D.J. Augustin (August-teen), General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. The deal is reportedly a $29 million dollar contract over four years.

“D.J. (Augustin) is a proven veteran that will add leadership, toughness and depth to our backcourt,” said Hennigan. “He is a premier perimeter shooter and we are extremely excited to welcome him to the Magic family.”

Augustin (#14, 6’0”, 183, 11/10/87) played in 62 games with both Oklahoma City and Denver last season, averaging 7.5 ppg., 3.2 apg. and 1.5 rpg. in 19.0 minpg., while shooting .405 (68-168) from three-point range and .805 (103-128) from the free throw line. He led (or tied) the Nuggets in scoring five times and in assists 13 times. Augustin scored in double figures 21 times and had 20+ points four times, including a season-high 26 points on Mar. 2 vs. L.A. Lakers.

Originally selected by Charlotte in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, Augustin has appeared in 573 career NBA regular season games (170 starts) with Charlotte, Indiana, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Oklahoma City and Denver, averaging 9.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. and 1.8 rpg. in 24.2 minpg., while shooting .374 (701-1,872) from three-point range and .867 (1,249-1,440) from the free throw line. He has also played in 28 career NBA playoff contests (one start), averaging 6.5 ppg., 1.6 apg. and 1.0 rpg. in 18.9 minpg.

Hornets re-sign Nicolas Batum

Nic Batum has versatile basketball skills

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has re-signed guard/forward Nicolas Batum to a multi-year deal. The deal is reportedly a $120 million dollar contract, over five years.

“Ensuring that Nic remained in Charlotte was a top priority for us this offseason and we are thrilled that he has re-signed with us,” Cho said. “Nic brings versatility, skill and playmaking to our roster that complements all of our players and played a significant role in our playoff berth in 2015-16. We are excited to continue to build on what we’ve accomplished with Nic as a Hornet.”

Batum appeared and started in 70 games with the Hornets in 2015-16, averaging 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 35.0 minutes per game. In his eighth NBA season, he posted career highs in points per game, assists per game and field goals made per game and was one of only six qualified players in the NBA to average at least 14 points, six rebounds and five assists during the season, along with Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, James Harden, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Batum earned his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award last season, earning the accolade for games played from Nov. 9-15.

The guard/forward from Lisieux, France, totaled 1,046 points, 428 rebounds and 403 assists during the 2015-16 NBA season, becoming only the fourth player in Charlotte NBA history to tally 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in a single season (Baron Davis – 2000-01, Jamal Mashburn – 2000-01 and Anthony Mason – 1996-97). In addition, he became the first Charlotte player since Davis in 2000-01 to post multiple triple-doubles in a single season, doing so on Dec. 9 vs. Miami and March 29 vs. Philadelphia.

Charlotte originally acquired Batum from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for guard Gerald Henderson and forward Noah Vonleh on June 24, 2015. The 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Batum has appeared in 551 games (498 starts), averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists over eight NBA seasons. He has seen action in 39 total playoff games (29 starts) with averages of 10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists, including five playoff games with Charlotte in 2015-16.

Batum has been a member of the French National Team since 2009, representing his country in the 2012 Olympics, 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 FIBA European Championships. He led France to a gold medal in the 2013 European Championship, a silver medal in the 2011 European Championship and bronze medals in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2015 European Championship. He is currently competing with the national team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Hornets sign Ramon Sessions

Ramon Sessions will be backup to Kemba Walker

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed guard Ramon Sessions. The deal is reportedly a two-year, $12.5 million dollar contract.

A native of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Sessions returns to Charlotte, where he previously played from 2012-14. In addition to Charlotte, the nine-year NBA veteran has played for Milwaukee, Minnesota, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento and Washington. He has appeared in 613 total games (142 starts) with career averages of 10.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds.

The University of Nevada-Reno product spent the 2015-16 season with the Wizards, where he averaged 9.9 points, 2.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 20.3 minutes and was the only player to appear in every games. Sessions, who led the team in assists seven times and in scoring on four occasions, tallied three double-doubles on the season. He came off the bench in 77 of his 82 games and averaged 9.4 points in those contests, which ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference among qualified reserve players.

During his previous tenure in Charlotte, Sessions played in 116 total games (seven starts), with averages of 12.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game. In 2012-13, he averaged a career-high 14.4 points per game. Sessions, who came off the bench in each of his 61 appearances that season, scored in double figures in 49 of 61 games played before missing the season’s final 21 contests due to a left knee injury.

The 57th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Sessions has seen action in 22 career playoff games with averages of 8.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 27.2 minutes.

Hornets sign Roy Hibbert

Roy Hibbert is tall

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed center Roy Hibbert. The deal is reportedly for one year, $5 million.

Hibbert has appeared in 614 career games (573 starts) for the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers, owning career averages of 10.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. He was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team in both 2012 and 2014, adding NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2014. He finished among the NBA’s top five in both total blocks and blocks per game in three straight seasons from 2011-14 and enters his ninth NBA campaign ranked sixth among active players and 30th all-time in blocks per game.

The Georgetown product was originally chosen by the Toronto Raptors with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, before having his rights traded to Indiana, where he spent the first seven of his eight NBA seasons. A native of Queens, New York, Hibbert has appeared and started in 54 playoff games, averaging 12.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 31.6 minutes per contest, including back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Pacers in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Hibbert played in 81 games (all starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2015-16 season, his first with the club, posting averages of 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game.