Inside Hoops – Page 884 – NBA Blog

Bucks re-sign Khris Middleton

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed restricted free agent forward Khris Middleton, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 1, “after playing for $915,000 last season, Middleton and the Bucks agreed on the parameters of a five-year, $70 million contract, averaging $14 million a season.”

“Khris played a huge role in our turnaround last season and has become a leader on our young team,” Bucks General Manager John Hammond said. “Keeping Khris in a Bucks uniform was a huge priority for us this offseason, and we’re thrilled that he’ll continue to grow with our young core as we work towards building a championship-caliber team in Wisconsin.”

Middleton, 23, has spent the last two seasons in Milwaukee after being acquired through a trade with Detroit in July of 2013, the summer after his rookie year. In a breakout season with the Bucks in 2014-15, Middleton posted career highs in points per game (13.4), rebounds per game (4.4) and assists per game (2.3). He tied for ninth in the NBA for steals per turnover ratio (122:113, 1.08), and his 3-point percentage of 40.7 tied for 10th in the league. Middleton became the first player to have multiple game-winning 3-pointers in the same season (at Phoenix on Dec. 15 and vs. Miami on March 24) since Kobe Bryant in 2009-10. He posted a career-high 30 points two times last season out of 59 total double-digit scoring games. Middleton saw his first playoff action in 2015 and led the Bucks in scoring in the postseason with 15.8 points through the six games (all starts).

The six-foot-nine-inch forward out of Texas A&M was selected 39th overall by the Pistons in the 2012 NBA Draft. Middleton owns career averages of 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He has a career field goal percentage of 45.3 and 3-point percentage of 40.3. His 3-point percentage through two seasons with Milwaukee, 41.0, ranks third on the Bucks’ all-time list.

Bucks sign Greg Monroe

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent center/forward Greg Monroe, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “deal will be worth an estimated $50 millon over three years, with the third year a player option.”

“The entire Bucks organization is thrilled to welcome Greg to Milwaukee,” Bucks General Manager John Hammond said. “Greg will be a fantastic complement to the talented young roster we’re assembling. The fact that he chose Milwaukee speaks volumes about the culture we’re developing and the bright future we envision for the Bucks.”

“Greg is a skilled low-post scorer and rebounder, and will add a whole new dimension to our young roster,” Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd added. “He’s just 25 years old and still scratching the surface of his potential. I’m looking forward to helping him develop along with our other talented young players.”

Monroe, 25, was selected by the Pistons with the seventh-overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and has spent the last five seasons with Detroit. In 2014-15, he averaged a double-double for the first time in his career with 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds, along with 2.1 assists. Monroe was one of only 12 players in the NBA last season to average a points/rebounds double-double, and his 10.2 rebounds per game tied for eighth in the league. On Feb. 6 vs. Denver, Monroe recorded his first career 20-point/20-rebound game with 21 points and a career-high 21 rebounds.

In each of the last four seasons Monroe has recorded at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds, making him one of just two NBA players (DeMarcus Cousins) to accomplish that feat. In his career, Monroe has notched 158 double-doubles, which is 10th-most among all NBA players during that time span. The 6-foot-11-inch center/forward has career averages of 14.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 378 games (334 starts).

Monroe was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2011. He played at Georgetown for two years from 2008 through 2010 and earned NCAA AP All-America Third Team and First Team All-Big East honors after his sophomore season in 2010. As a high school senior at Helen Cox (Louisiana) in 2008, he was named a McDonald’s All American. Monroe will wear No. 15 for the Bucks.

Raptors sign DeMarre Carroll

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed free-agent forward DeMarre (Deh-MAHR-ay) Carroll to a multi-year contract. According to various reports, the deal is worth $60 million over four years.

“We are thrilled with not only the skills but the intangibles DeMarre will bring to our team,” said Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri. “He is a hard-nosed player who plays with passion and commitment on both ends of the floor.”

Carroll, 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, averaged a career-high 12.6 points, with 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 31.3 minutes in 70 contests (69 starts) last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He also posted career bests in field goal percentage (.487), three-point field goal percentage (.395), field goals made (318), three-point field goals made (120) and free throws made (127). He finished third in the NBA in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.25) and fourth in both two-point field goal percentage (.567, 198-349) and effective field goal percentage (.579).

Carroll, along with the four other starters on the Hawks, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 31.5 minutes in 14 games. The Hawks posted the best calendar month in NBA history with a 17-0 record.

Carroll scored in double figures 55 times with a career-high 26 points (9-13 FG, 2-3 3FG, 6-6 FT) February 9 at Minnesota. He had 23 games with seven-or-more rebounds, including a career high-tying 12 rebounds March 18 at Golden State. He registered four steals on four occasions.

In the 2015 postseason, Carroll averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 34.9 minutes in 16 outings (16 starts). He shot .403 (29-72) from three-point range. He scored 20-or-more points in seven contests, including a stretch of six consecutive games (April 25 – May 5). He recorded a career postseason high of 25 points (9-14 FG, 3-5 3FG, 4-5 FT) in Game 6 at Washington.

In 316 career regular season games (164 starts), Carroll has averaged 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 21.6 minutes. He has played with Memphis (2009-11), Houston (2010-11), Denver (2011-12), Utah (2011-13) and the Hawks (2013-15).

Carroll was drafted 27th overall by Memphis in the first-round of the 2009 NBA Draft. He split his college career between Vanderbilt and Missouri. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 38 games during his senior season at Missouri.

Spurs trade Tiago Splitter to Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has acquired forward/center Tiago Splitter from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Printezis and a future second round pick, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“We’re excited to bring Tiago to Atlanta. He’s played an important role in a winning environment, has a great understanding of our system and will add to our core character,” Budenholzer said. “Tiago also brings championship experience and we look forward to adding his interior presence to our team.”

Splitter, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound forward/center, spent his first five NBA seasons with the Spurs, averaging 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.8 minutes (.560 FG%, .690 FT%) in 311 games (151 starts). Last season, he averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.8 minutes (.558 FG%, .750 FT%).

In 65 career postseason contests (40 starts), he has put up 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.2 minutes (.572 FG%). He won an NBA championship ring with San Antonio in 2014.

Splitter was originally selected in the first round (28th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Spurs. The native of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil played eight years in Spain (Basket Bilbao Berri, Tau Ceramica, Caja Laboral Vitoria) prior to his arrival in San Antonio.

Splitter will wear uniform No. 11.

Printezis, 6-9/240, currently plays for Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece. Last season, he appeared in 20 games and averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 25.3 minutes. In his 12 seasons as a professional, the forward has appeared in 173 contests, averaging 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.0 minutes.

Suns trade Marcus Morris, Danny Granger and Reggie Bullock to Pistons

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has acquired forward Marcus Morris, guard Reggie Bullock and forward-guard Danny Granger from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a 2020 second round draft selection.

Morris, 25, appeared in 81 games (35 starts) with Phoenix last season averaging career highs in points (10.4 ppg), rebounds (4.8 rpg), assists (1.6 apg) and minutes (25.2 mpg). He scored in double-figures 39 times, including five games with 20-plus points and one 30-plus point game. Morris recorded a career-high 34 points (11-17 FG, 5-7 3FG, 7-8 FT) and 12 rebounds vs. Utah (2/6), his first career 30-point game and his first career double-double. He became the first Suns player to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds off the bench since Danny Manning during the 1997-98 season. Morris finished the season with five double-doubles and led the Suns in scoring six times, rebounds nine times, assists twice, steals 12 times and blocks seven times. He also tied a career-long streak with seven straight games scoring in double-figures from March 21-April 2. Morris grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds (12 defensive) vs. New Orleans (3/19). He also set a career-high and tied a Suns season-high with six made three-pointers at Sacramento (12/26). The four-year NBA pro was selected 14th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He owns career averages of 8.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 257 games (59 starts), including 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 186 games (45 starts) with Phoenix.

Bullock, 24, completed his second NBA season with averages of 1.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 9.4 minutes in 36 games (two starts) with Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns acquired Bullock on January 15 in a midseason three-team trade. Bullock recorded two double-figure scoring games last season, both while with the Clippers, including a season-high 12 points vs. Utah (11/3). Drafted by the Clippers with the 25th overall selection in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Bullock owns career averages of 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 9.3 minutes in 79 games.

Granger, 32, appeared in 30 games (six starts) with the Miami HEAT last season before being acquired by the Suns, averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 20.4 minutes per game. He did not see playing time with the Suns as he was working with the training staff to improve his health. The 10-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 586 regular season games (431 starts) with the Indiana Pacers (2005-14), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-14) and Miami HEAT (2014-15), owns averages of 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 31.5 minutes per game.

Hornets sign Jeremy Lin

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Jeremy Lin.

“We are excited to add Jeremy Lin to our lineup,” Cho said. “He is a talented player who we feel can make significant contributions to our basketball team.”

With Kemba Walker already established as the Hornets’ starting point guard, it is assumed Jeremy Lin will come off the bench as a backup.

A five-year NBA veteran, the 6-3 Lin has played in 291 NBA games for the Warriors, Knicks, Rockets and Lakers, with career averages of 11.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 26.9 minutes. For his career, Lin has shot .437 from the field (1167-2668), .349 from beyond the three-point line (259-742) and .799 from the free-throw line (812-1016). He has also played in 10 playoff games, all with Houston, averaging 8.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 16.1 minutes. Lin was not selected in the 2010 NBA Draft following four seasons at Harvard.

Lin spent the 2014-15 season with the Lakers, where he saw action in 70 games and averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.8 minutes. He shot a career-high .369 from beyond the three-point line (65-176), to go with .424 from the field (277-654) and .795 from the free-throw line (213-268).

The first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, Lin was named by Chinese magazine Vivid as one of its eight most influential Chinese-Americans in July 2011 and by Time Magazine as one of its “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World” in April 2012. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in two consecutive weeks in February 2012, becoming just the third NBA player to do so in the magazine’s history, and also appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in the second week. He also received the ESPY Award for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year in July 2012.

In addition to his NBA experience, Lin also played in 20 games in the NBA D-League with the Reno Bighorns in 2010-11 and one game with the Erie BayHawks in 2011-12. In 21 total D-League games, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 32.4 minutes, while shooting .480 from the field (135-281), .359 from beyond the three-point line (14-39) and .732 from the free-throw line (104-142).

Raptors sign Cory Joseph

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have signed free-agent guard Cory Joseph to a multi-year contract. He will add depth to the backcourt as a reserve.

“We have watched Cory grow as a player and see him as a great fit in our system,” said Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri. “He is another player with a defensive skill-set that will be an asset to our team.”

The 6-foot-3, 185 pound native of Pickering, Ontario is the second Canadian-born player to join the Raptors (Jamaal Magloire, 2011-12).

Joseph averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 18.3 minutes in a career-best 79 games (14 starts) with the San Antonio Spurs last season. He shot .504 (207-411) from the floor, .364 (16-44) from beyond the arc and .734 (105-143) from the foul line. He posted career bests in every statistical category.
In his 14 starts in the 2014-15 campaign, Joseph contributed 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 34.6 minutes. His career-high 20 points (8-9 FG, 1-1 3FG, 3-4 FT) came in a start at New Orleans on December 26.

Joseph has appeared in 204 career regular season games, all with the Spurs. He has averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 14.9 minutes. He has seen action in 37 career playoff outings, averaging 2.9 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 7.5 minutes. He was a member of the Spurs’ 2014 NBA Championship team.

Joseph attended Pickering High School before moving to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada for his junior and senior seasons. After one year at the University of Texas he was selected 29th overall by the Spurs in the 2011 NBA Draft. At Texas, he was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and earned All-Big 12 Honourable Mention.

Wizards sign guard Gary Neal

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Gary Neal.

“Gary is a proven veteran who will bring us perimeter shooting and experience,” said Grunfeld. “Adding him to our rotation makes our backcourt rotation deeper and more versatile.”

Neal (6-4, 210) holds career averages of 9.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting .381 from three-point range over 310 career games (including 29 starts), with San Antonio, Milwaukee, Charlotte and Minnesota. In 54 games with the Hornets and Timberwolves last season, he averaged 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting .305 from downtown. After being traded to Minnesota, Neal averaged 11.8 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting .355 from long distance. The Baltimore native has shot .355 or better from three-point range in four of his five NBA seasons.

After going undrafted out of Towson, Neal played internationally in Spain, Italy and Turkey before making his NBA debut with San Antonio in 2010. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2011 after averaging 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting .419 from three-point range in 80 games with the Spurs. In 45 career playoff games with San Antonio and Charlotte, he has averaged 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting .345 from behind the arc. During San Antonio’s 2013 NBA Finals run, Neal averaged 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting .348 from downtown in 21 games.

Trail Blazers sign guard Pat Connaughton

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

“Pat’s character, competitive nature and ability to make shots will be a welcomed addition to our team,” said Olshey. “He is an excellent fit for our basketball system and our culture.”

Acquired in a draft day trade with Brooklyn, Connaughton (6-5, 215) was selected with the 41st overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft.

Connaughton, 22, averaged 10.5 points (45.0% FG, 38.6% 3-PT, 77.7% FT), 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four seasons at Notre Dame.

An All-ACC Third Team selection in 2015, Connaughton posted averages of 12.5 points (42.3% 3-PT) and 7.4 rebounds his senior year for the Irish, who made an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight.

Connaughton will make his Trail Blazers debut at the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Portland tips off its schedule on Saturday, July 11 vs. Boston at 5 p.m. (Pacific).

He will wear No. 5 for the Trail Blazers.

Nets sign Shane Larkin and Thomas Robinson

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Shane Larkin and forward Thomas Robinson to multi-year contracts, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are excited to add both Thomas and Shane to our roster,” said King. “Thomas is an aggressive rebounder who will add a physical presence to our frontcourt, while Shane provides athleticism at the point. Both are good young players who reaffirm our commitment to add youth to our roster for the 2015-16 campaign.”

Larkin (5’11”, 176) joins the Nets after spending the 2014-15 season with the New York Knicks. In 76 games (22 starts) with New York, Larkin recorded averages of 6.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 24.5 minutes per game. The 22-year-old was previously acquired by the Knicks after playing for the Dallas Mavericks during his rookie season. Larkin saw action in 48 games in his lone season in Dallas, averaging 2.8 points and 1.5 assists in 10.2 minutes per game. Originally selected with the 18th pick of the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Larkin was traded on draft night to the Mavericks. Larkin spent two years at the University of Miami prior to entering the NBA. He was selected to the All-ACC Rookie team as a freshman and earned All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Defensive Team honors as a sophomore, helping to lead the Hurricanes to their first-ever regular season ACC championship and their first berth in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 in 13 years.

Robinson (6’10”, 237) has posted averages of 5.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game in 194 career games split between Sacramento, Houston, Portland and Philadelphia. During the 2014-15 season, Robinson appeared in 54 games with the Trail Blazers and 76ers, averaging 5.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game. In his final 22 games of the season with Philadelphia, the 24-year-old Robinson increased his averages to 8.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game, registering seven double digit rebound games and three double-doubles. Robinson was originally selected with the fifth pick of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Kings after spending three years at Kansas. In his final season with the Jayhawks in 2011-12, the Washington D.C. native earned Associated Press First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year honors.