Inside Hoops – Page 881 – NBA Blog

Celtics re-sign Jonas Jerebko

The Boston Celtics announced yesterday that they have re-signed forward Jonas Jerebko.

“Jonas’ versatility, non-stop energy and contributions on both ends of the court quickly endeared him to his teammates, coaching staff and our fans,” said President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “We are very excited to welcome him back.”

Jerebko generally plays limited minutes, adding frontcourt depth as a backup.

Jerebko was acquired by the Celtics from the Detroit Pistons on February 19, 2015. He averaged 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 18.2 minutes per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc, in 29 contests with Boston. The 6’10” forward tallied a season-high 20 points on 7-10 (.700) shooting from the field, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 21 minutes of action on February 25 against the New York Knicks.

For the duration of the 2014-15 season, Jerebko appeared in 75 contests and averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game. He was named Second-Team All-Rookie in 2010 and was selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Pistons. Entering his sixth season, Jerebko is averaging 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game.

Pacers trade Roy Hibbert to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday acquired center Roy Hibbert in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. In exchange the Pacers will receive a future second round pick.

In other words, the Pacers basically said, “here, take Hibbert.”

“We’re happy to add a veteran big man to the roster,” said Kupchak. “Roy is a proven All-Star center that will help improve our front line. In addition he is a consummate professional and we look forward to having him on the team.”

Hibbert is very effective on defense. Offensively, he is limited.

“I’d like to thank Roy for all his contributions during his time in Indiana,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He was a two-time NBA All-Star, and we appreciate everything he did for our franchise both on and off the court.”

A seven-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star (2012 and 2014), Hibbert appeared in 76 games (all starts) with the Pacers last season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes.

Originally selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Queens, New York native was acquired by the Pacers shortly before his rookie campaign and has appeared in 533 career games (492 starts) with Indiana, averaging 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes. In 2014, Hibbert was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team after he finished the season ranked fourth in the NBA with 182 blocks (2.25 per game). The 7’2” center out of Georgetown has appeared and started in 54 postseason games averaging 12.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 31.6 minutes.

Hawks sign Edy Tavares

The Atlanta Hawks have signed center Walter “Edy” Tavares, it was announced yesterday by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Tavares, a 7-foot-3, 260-pound center, was selected 43rd overall by the Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old has played professionally in Spain for the past five seasons, most recently with Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB league (2012-15). He averaged 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.1 minutes in 57 total games (.635 FG%, .653 FT%) during the 2014-15 ACB league season and Eurocup competition. Tavares led the ACB league in rebounds (274) and blocks (60) in the 2014-15 season. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Eurocup First Team, as well as being named weekly MVP twice. With Tavares starting at center, Gran Canaria went 22-1 in Eurocup play and reached the Eurocup final for the first time in club history.

“We followed Edy closely the past two seasons with Gran Canaria and are excited to officially have Edy as a member of our team. We would like to thank the coaches and executives of Gran Canaria as they played a significant role in Edy’s development and we look forward to continuing his improvement in our player development program,” Budenholzer said.

Prior to joining Gran Canaria full time, Tavares played for Gran Canaria’s youth team in the Spanish EBA league (2009-11) and Union Baloncesto La Palma of the LEB Silver league (2011-12).

Tavares was born in Maio, Sotovento, Cape Verde on March 22, 1992. He is the first Cape Verdean native to be drafted or sign a contract to play in the NBA.

He is currently participating as a member of the Hawks’ 2015 Las Vegas Summer League team and will wear uniform No. 22.

Mavericks sign Wesley Matthews

The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that they have signed free agent guard Wesley Matthews.

And on this signing, ESPN Dallas reports something very interesting: “Shooting guard Wesley Matthews will make a lot more money from the Dallas Mavericks because of DeAndre Jordan’s decision to back out of his verbal commitment to Dallas and return to the Los Angeles Clippers. Matthews’ financial agreement with the Mavs was flexible based on whether Jordan also joined the Mavs, a league source confirmed. The contract Matthews signed is worth $70 million over four years, a source said. He would have made $57 million over four years if Jordan also signed with Dallas.”

Matthews (6-5, 220) is a six-year veteran with career averages of 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 32.2 minutes in 441 games (381 starts) with Utah and Portland. He has shot 44.3 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from 3-point range and 82.5 percent from the line for his career. Matthews is the Trail Blazers’ career leader in 3-point field goals made with 826.

Last year, Matthews averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 33.7 minutes in 60 games (all starts) with Portland before suffering a torn left Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the remainder of the season.

The San Antonio, Texas, native played four seasons at Marquette where, as a senior, he averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 35 games (35 starts) en route to earning second-team All-Big East honors. He went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft and signed with Utah as a rookie free agent.

Matthews is the son of Wesley Matthews Sr., a former NBA guard and two-time NBA champion with 1987 and 1988 Los Angeles Lakers.

Sixers hire Todd Wright as Assistant Coach, Head of Strength and Conditioning

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that the team has hired Todd Wright as Assistant Coach, Head of Strength and Conditioning. Wright brings with him 21 years of experience and is widely recognized within the field for his ability to develop players using innovative basketball-specific strength and conditioning techniques.

“We feel fortunate to now call Todd Wright a Sixer,” said President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie. “His reputation as a trainer of basketball players is second to none. His values and his ability to form genuine, lasting relationships with athletes to help them achieve their goals are both heavily aligned with our organization and with our player development in Philadelphia. When it became clear that the University of Texas was to make a change in their men’s basketball program, I booked a flight to Austin within 10 minutes.”

Prior to joining the Sixers, Wright was the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team for 14 seasons, during which time he supervised the development of 16 players selected in the NBA Draft, six All-Americans and two recipients of the prestigious Wooden Award as the national player of the year. During his 21 years at the collegiate level with the University of Texas and Clemson University, Wright participated in 19 NCAA tournaments, including 17 consecutive appearances between the two schools.

Wright is also a well-respected speaker in the field of strength and conditioning, having presented on the subject of “Vertical Core Training,” which he developed. Many of Wright’s unique training methodologies have been nationally recognized in numerous publications. He is also a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a Fellow of Applied Functional Science.

“Our additions of Dr. David T. Martin and Todd Wright are further evidence of our desire to be considered world class in the fields of sport science and athletic performance. Our players invest enormous amounts of time into their individual games and their bodies, and we hope to provide them every opportunity to become strong and resilient, to maximize their playing potential, and to lengthen their careers,” Hinkie said.

Jesse Wright, the Sixers previous Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, was integral in the worldwide search and recruitment of Martin and the recruitment of Todd Wright to join the Sixers. Jesse Wright has been elevated to a newly created performance science position. In his new role, he will work closely with Martin and Todd Wright, with a focus on implementing the newest training, fitness, and recovery initiatives.

Lakers sign Brandon Bass

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Brandon Bass to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“I am excited to add a player of Brandon’s skill level and character to our roster,” said Kupchak. “His work ethic, toughness, and selfless play lend themselves well to our team.”

Bass is a solid player and it’ll be interesting to see how he fits alongside newly-acquired Lakers center Roy Hibbert.

The Lakers are still not in a position to be very competitive in a very difficult Western conference.

A 10-year NBA veteran, Bass spent the last four years of his career with Boston, most recently averaging 10.6 points on 50.4% shooting in addition to 4.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game last season. Since 2012-13, Bass has played in 245 of a possible 246 games (185 starts), including playing in all 82 games the last two seasons. For his career, the 30-year-old Bass holds averages of 9.1 points on 49.3% shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game.

The 33rd pick of the 2005 NBA Draft by New Orleans, Bass spent the first two seasons of his career with the then-Hornets before signing as a free agent with Dallas in 2007, where he spent his next two seasons (2007-09). In the summer of 2009, the Baton Rouge native signed a free agent deal with Orlando, where he remained until being traded to Boston on December 12, 2011. Prior to the NBA, the 2005 SEC Player of the Year spent two seasons at LSU before declaring for the Draft following his sophomore season.

Lakers sign Lou Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“I am pleased to welcome Lou to the Laker family,” said Kupchak. “We look forward to his contributions both on-court in bolstering our guard rotation, and also for the veteran leadership he can provide to our young players in the locker room.”

Last season with Toronto, Williams averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game in 80 appearances off the bench, leading to his selection at year’s end as the NBA’s most valuable player in a reserve role. The 10-year veteran also led the Raptors in free throw percentage (86.1%) and made a career-high 152 three-pointers. On March 4, Williams set a Raptors record for points in a quarter with 21 in the fourth period against Cleveland.

Selected by Philadelphia with the 45th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of South Gwinnett High School (GA), the 28-year-old spent his first seven NBA seasons with the 76ers before signing with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2012 offseason, and was traded to the Raptors last summer. For his career, Williams holds averages of 11.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 22.9 minutes per game over 634 contests.

Bucks trade Jared Dudley to Wizards

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced yesterday that the team has acquired forward Jared Dudley from Milwaukee in exchange for a protected future second round pick.

“Jared’s versatility and shooting ability will give us depth at both forward positions and allow us to use him in a variety of lineups,” said Grunfeld. “We are also looking forward to the leadership and veteran presence that he will bring both on the court.”

Dudley (6-7, 225) holds career averages of 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting .468 from the field and .396 from three-point range over eight-plus seasons with Charlotte, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee. He has appeared in 595 career games while earning 212 starts. The 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds with the Bucks last season.

During the 2014-15 campaign, Dudley shot .468 from the field and .385 from downtown in 72 games, including 22 starts, and hit .571 (8-14) from three-point range over six games in Milwaukee’s first round series with Chicago during the 2015 NBA Playoffs. His best season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting a career-high .485 from the floor in 65 games with Phoenix. Dudley was teammates with current Wizards center Marcin Gortat for two-plus seasons in Phoenix. In 29 career playoff games, he has averaged 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting .449 from the floor and .456 from three-point range.

Kings trade Ray McCallum to Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs yesteday acquired guard Ray McCallum from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a 2016 second round pick.

McCallum certainly looks better than the vast majority of players selected in the second round and is a very nick pickup for the Spurs.

McCallum, 6-3/190, started 30 of his 68 appearances with the Kings in 2014-15, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 21.1 minutes while shooting .438 (206-470) from the field and .306 (34-111) three-point range.

Originally selected by Sacramento in the second round (36th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft, the former University of Detroit Mercy Titan has appeared in a total of 113 NBA games in his two-year career, averaging 6.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20.6 minutes.

Lakers sign second round pick Anthony Brown

The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday signed Anthony Brown, the 34th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, to a multi-year contract, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Brown, a 6-7 guard/forward from Stanford, appeared in 37 games (36 starts) for the Cardinal last season, recording 14.8 points, a team-high 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.1% from the field and 44.1% from three-point range. As a senior, Brown helped lead Stanford to the 2015 NIT championship and was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team in addition to earning an All-Pac-12 Honorable mention. The Southern California native finished his career at Stanford averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 144 games (106 starts).