Inside Hoops – Page 880 – NBA Blog

Knicks will reportedly keep Lou Amundson

Here’s the New York Post reporting on the Knicks, who recognize that Lou Amundson is a good value for the money:

In continuing to build their new lunchpail, defense-first identity, the Knicks have finally used the last of their cap space in re-signing center Lou Amundson to a one-year, $1.65 million deal, his agent Mark Bartlestein said.

Amundson, the ponytailed journeyman center who has played for 10 teams, became a surprisingly solid addition last January when he was obtained from Cleveland in the 3-team J.R. Smith/Iman Shumpert firesale.

Amundson’s grinding game earned him starting status when he arrived. He played in 41 games, making 35 starts and averaged 6 points and 6 rebounds. On this team, Amundson will be a depth played and not expected to get steady minutes.

Trail Blazers sign guard Luis Montero

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Luis Montero, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

Montero, 22, worked out for the Trail Blazers prior to the NBA Draft and is on the team’s 2015 NBA Summer League roster.

Playing for Westchester Community College in 2013-14, Montero averaged 15.6 points (52.9% FG, 43.7% 3-PT, 67.2% FT), 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Montero (6-7, 185) played high school basketball at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts.

Knicks re-sign Lance Thomas

New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced yesterday that the team has re-signed forward Lance Thomas to a contract.

Thomas, 6-8, 225-pounds, was acquired this past season as part of a three-way deal with Cleveland and Oklahoma City on Jan. 5, 2015 and signed his first 10-day contract with New York on Jan. 10, 2015. The Brooklyn, NY-native averaged 8.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 40 games for the Knicks this past season. The four-year NBA professional holds career averages of 2.6 points and 4.5 rebounds over 168 games.

Joel Embiid may miss the 2015-16 season

The Philadelphia 76ers are on a pretty in-depth rebuilding plan, to the point of drafting a successful point guard in Michael Carter-Williams, only to trade him away because he was good and often very good but not definitely a great. But now there’s another setback. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer blog reporting:

The 7-footer will have a second surgery after the latest setback in the healing of his right foot, according to several NBA sources. The team will decide whether to have it in North Carolina or at the New York Hospital of Special Surgery

“I would say there’s a great possibility that Embiid won’t play next year,” the source said. “Just think how long they sat him when they thought he was healthy.”

The Sixers are planning as if Embiid won’t play this season, sources say. Another source said the franchise is concerned that this setback could be career-threatening.

Nets sign Wayne Ellington

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Wayne Ellington, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“Wayne is a proven shooter who will give us added depth on the wing,” said King.

Ellington (6’4”, 200) has appeared in 377 career games (71 starts) with Minnesota (2009-12), Memphis (2012-13), Cleveland (2013), Dallas (2013-14) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-15), posting averages of 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game while shooting .416 from the field and .382 from three-point range. In 2014-15 with the Lakers, Ellington appeared in 65 games, averaging 10.0 points per game and recording single-season career-highs for starts (36), rebounds per game (3.2) and assists per game (1.6) in 25.8 minutes per game. He has also seen action in two career postseason games, both with Dallas during the 2013-14 season.

A native of Wynnewood, PA, the 27-year-old Ellington was originally selected with the 28th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft by Minnesota after spending three years at North Carolina. At UNC, Ellington registered career averages of 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 115 games. In his third and final season, Ellington averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game and helped the Tar Heels capture the 2009 National Championship. He was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Grizzlies sign rookie forward Jarell Martin

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace today announced the team has signed rookie forward Jarell Martin.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they want to enter the league right away. This signing was expected, and is standard.

Martin (6-10, 235) was drafted by Memphis with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft after a two-year collegiate career at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he guided the Tigers to the 2014 National Invitation Tournament as a freshman and the 2015 NCAA Tournament as a sophomore. Named All-American Honorable Mention by The Associated Press last season, Martin left LSU with career averages of 13.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30.7 minutes in 65 games (57 starts) for the Tigers.

A consensus First Team All-SEC selection last season, Martin posted 16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 35.1 minutes in 33 games (32 starts) as a sophomore, ranking third in the Southeastern Conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage (.509) and fourth in minutes per game. The 21-year-old recorded 15 double-doubles, including five in the final seven games of the season, and led the Tigers in free throws made (140).

Martin was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 26.2 minutes in 32 games (25 starts) in his first year with the Tigers. The Baton Rouge, La. native was the winner of the 2013 Mr. Basketball award given by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association to the top player in the state of Louisiana after leading Madison Prep to the school’s first state title in Class B in 2013.

Utah Jazz re-sign Joe Ingles

The Utah Jazz announced today the team has re-signed forward Joe Ingles to a multi-year contract.

Ingles (6-8, 216, Australia) appeared in 79 games (32 starts) for the Jazz in 2014-15, averaging 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21.2 minutes in his first NBA season. A veteran of international play, Ingles ranked sixth among qualified rookies in assists with 2.3 per game and fifth in steals with 0.9 per game. He scored in double figures 16 times and handed out five-or-more assists 10 times, leading the team in assists on 11 occasions. Post All-Star break, Ingles connected on 42.7 percent of his three-point shots (38-of-89), marking the third-best percentage among NBA rookies.

The 27-year-old forward has played professionally since the age of 18, beginning his career with the South Dragons of Australia’s National Basketball League (2006-09). He has also played for CB Granada in Spain (2009-10), three seasons for FC Barcelona (2010-13) of the Liga ACB, and spent the 2013-14 season with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League, where he helped Maccabi to win the Euroleague Championship. The native of Happy Valley, South Australia, has also been a member of the Australian National Team since 2008, representing the Boomers in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Ingles originally joined the Jazz after being claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 27, 2014.

Bucks trade Zaza Pachulia to Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that they acquired center Zaza Pachulia from the Milwaukee Bucks for a future second round pick.

Pachulia (6-11, 270) was originally drafted 42nd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2003 NBA Draft. The 12-year veteran has played a total of 815 games (317 starts) for three teams (Orlando, Milwaukee and Atlanta). He has career averages of 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.0 minutes.

In 2014-15, he averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 23.7 minutes in 73 games (45 starts) in his second stint with Milwaukee.

A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Pachulia has played with the Georgian National Team seven times. He left Georgia in 1998 for Turkey to pursue his basketball career when he was 15 years old. He appeared in 73 games during parts of four seasons for Ulker of Istanbul, the top level of Turkey, and averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game (1999-2003). He helped Ulker win the Turkish National Championship in 2001.

Nets sign Willie Reed

The Brooklyn Nets have signed forward/center Willie Reed, Nets General Manager Billy King announced yesterday. He’ll add depth to the frontcourt as a reserve.

Reed (6’10”, 235) joins the Nets after spending the 2014-15 season in the NBA Development League with the Grand Rapids Drive and Iowa Energy. He posted averages of 16.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 33.7 minutes per game, earning All-NBA D-League First Team honors and All-Defensive First Team honors. The 25-year-old Reed, who has also spent time with the D-League’s Reno Bighorns and Springfield Armor, has appeared in 144 career D-League games (101 starts) in three seasons, recording averages of 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 31.4 minutes per game. Reed has also earned call-ups to the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, but has yet to appear in an NBA game.

A native of Kansas City, MO, Reed spent two seasons at Saint Louis University, appearing in 67 games with career averages of 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. In his second and final season, Reed averaged 12.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Warriors re-sign Draymond Green

The hustle is back in Oakland.

The Golden State Warriors yesterday re-signed restricted free agent forward Draymond Green to a multi-year contract, the team announced today.

According to the Associated Press, it’s a $82 million, five-year contract. A massive increase for Green from his previous salaries.

“You cannot overstate how important Draymond Green was to helping our team win an NBA Championship last season,” said General Manager Bob Myers, “and we are thrilled that he has decided to re-sign with us. Our ownership group, led by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, has once again demonstrated the commitment necessary to build and maintain a championship caliber team.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Green said: “This is home for me… I came here three years ago not knowing what to expect. … At no point did I feel I was ready to leave this organization. I know what the future can possibly hold. Everything’s run the right way, there are endless possibilities. I want to be a part of it… We have a young group of guys committed to each other. You should see our group chats. … The feeling that you get from that I’m not sure you can get with any other team in the NBA. It’s something I wanted to continue to be a part of.”

Green, 25, appeared in 79 regular-season games (all starts) last season, establishing career-high averages in nearly every major statistical category, including 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.56 steals, 1.25 blocks and 31.5 minutes per contest. The 6’7” forward led the team in rebounding, ranked second in assists, steals and blocks, and ranked third in scoring. Green became just the third player in Warriors history to earn NBA All-Defensive First Team honors (joining Nate Thurmond and Andre Iguodala), and also finished second in both the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player Award voting. Among NBA leaders, the Michigan State product ranked second in plus/minus (+10.6), third in net rating (16.5) and tied for fourth in defensive rating (96.0).

In 21 postseason games en route to the Warriors first NBA title in 40 years, Green averaged 13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.81 steals, 1.19 blocks and 37.3 minutes per contest. He posted 12 double-doubles during the postseason, including a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the series-clinching victory in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Cleveland, marking the first Finals triple-double in franchise history.

“This is truly an unbelievable and blessed day for me and my family,” said Green. “I’d like to thank Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, Bob Myers, Rick Welts, all of my teammates and coaches, and everyone in DubNation for believing in me and helping me become the player and person that I am today. In three short years I have gone from a second round pick that many doubted could play in this league to an NBA Champion, and I look forward to getting better – both individually and as a team – as we face the challenges that lie ahead of us.”

Originally selected by the Warriors with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Green has appeared in 240 regular-season games (92 starts) during his three-year career, averaging 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.11 steals in 22.3 minutes per contest. Having made the playoffs in all three of his professional campaigns, the Saginaw, MI, native has already appeared in 40 postseason games (26 starts) with Golden State, averaging 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.40 steals and 1.18 blocks per contest. Among franchise postseason leaders, Green currently ranks third in steals (56), fourth in blocks (47), fourth in three-pointer field goals (41), eighth in assists (148) and ninth in rebounds (321).