International Basketball Blog – Page 67 – NBA Blog

Rockets trade David Andersen to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired centre David Andersen and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a 2015 protected second-round pick obtained from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Hassan Adams trade January 7, 2009.

Andersen, a 6-foot-11 native of Carlton, Australia, appeared in 63 games last season for the Rockets, averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds during his rookie NBA campaign. He posted a career-high 19 points November 15, 2009 against the Los Angeles Lakers and reached double figures in scoring 12 times.

“David is a skilled big that gives us some insurance at the backup centre position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “He will also bring a veteran presence and savvy to a relatively young team.”

Andersen was selected 37th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2002 NBA Draft. He remained overseas to claim three Euroleague titles with Virtus Bolonga (2001) and CSKA Moscow (2006 and 2008). During the 2004-05 season he was named first-team All-Euroleague after averaging 12.4 points and a career-best 7.0 rebounds playing for CSKA Moscow. In 2007-08 he averaged a career-best 12.8 points during CSKA’s Euroleague championship run. Anderson posted strong numbers again in 2008-09 with Regal FC Barcelona, averaging 11.1 points and shooting .554 from the field in 23 games. He helped FC Barcelona win the ACB Spanish National Championship and a berth in the Euroleague Final Four.

In nine seasons abroad Anderson won four Russian National Championships, two Italian League Championships and an ACB Spanish National title. He also competed twice in the Summer Olympics (2004 and 2008) for the Australian National Team. Andersen’s draft rights were traded to Houston on July 14, 2009.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Andersen is a good backup center.

Timberwolves sign Nikola Pekovic

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed center Nikola Pekovic. Per team policy, terms of the contract offer were not disclosed.

“We are excited to have Nikola join the Minnesota Timberwolves,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Nikola has been regarded as the best center in Europe for the past few seasons and will be a tremendous addition to our club. He is a tough, hard-nosed player who brings an added dimension of physicality to our team. We look forward to him bringing his talents to the United States and the NBA.”

Pekovic, 24, has played for Panathinaikos Athens for the past two seasons. This past year, the 6-11 center from Serbia averaged 14.8 points on 60.7% shooting from the field, 3.5 rebounds and 16.8 minutes in 13 games in the Euroleague. In 26 games for Panathinaikos in the Greek League in 2009-10, Pekovic averaged 12.9 points on 72.5% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 21.9 minutes. He helped lead Panathinaikos to the Euroleague championship in 2009, the Greek League championship in 2009 and 2010 and the Greek Basketball Cup in 2009. Pekovic was named to the All-Euroleague First Team in 2009.

The 31st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by Minnesota, Pekovic has played professionally overseas for five seasons. Prior to playing for Panathinaikos, he was with Partizan Belgrade from 2005-08. Pekovic helped lead Partizan to three Serbian League championships (2006, 2007, 2008), two Adriatic League championships (2007, 2008) and the Serbian Cup in 2008. He was the Adriatic League Final Four MVP in 2008.

Cavaliers sign Christian Eyenga

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward Christian Eyenga to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Mar. 14, 2010 - Badalona, Spain - BADALONA (SPAIN), 14/03/2010.- Ayuda en Accion Fuenlabrada winger Matias Sandes (R) fights for the ball with Congolese winger Christian Eyenga (L) of DKV Joventut during their ACB Basketball League match played at Local Sports Palace in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain on 14 March 2010.

Eyenga, 21, was the Cavaliers’ first round selection (30th overall) in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 3.9 points on .561 shooting and 2.0 rebounds in 12.0 minutes in 29 regular season games during the 2009-10 season with DKV Joventut Badalona of the Spanish League. The Spanish League is widely regarded as the second-best domestic league in the world behind the NBA. In 11 EuroCup games, the 6-foot-5 guard/forward posted averages of 3.4 points on .444 shooting and 1.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game.

“We’re looking forward to having Christian continue his development on the court here with Coach Scott and our team,” said Cavs General Manager Chris Grant. “He has worked hard and we were very encouraged by his recent performance in summer league.”

A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eyenga most recently played in all five games of the 2010 NBA Summer League with the Cavaliers, reaching double figures in each of the games. In five games (all starts), he averaged 11.4 points on .435 shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block in 29.2 minutes per game.

“I am happy to be here in Cleveland and excited to play with the Cavaliers this season,” Eyenga said. “This is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to playing for Coach Scott and learning from him, our coaches and my teammates.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: Statistically, Eyenga has not done much yet, both overseas and in recent summer play. But he’s only 21 and presumably still improving.

CJ Bruton retires from international basketball

Dual Olympian C.J. Bruton has announced his immediate retirement from international basketball, ending his hopes of a berth for the upcoming World Championships and bringing to a close a remarkable career as a member of the Golden Star Australian Boomers men’s national basketball team.

Basketball Australia today confirmed reports of Bruton’s decision to retire effective immediately, with BA Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock praising the 34-year-old for his immense contribution to the continued success of the Boomers program.

“It was with great sadness that we heard the news that CJ had decided to end his international basketball career, but we respect his decision and thank him for all he has contributed to the Boomers and Australian basketball,” said Sengstock. “He is a major part of the reason why the Australian men’s program has consistently ranked in the top ten countries in the world and he will be sorely missed.”

Boomers’ head coach Brett Brown explained that some niggling injuries had convinced Bruton that it was time to step back from the national team program.

“He just felt that after coming into camp and giving it his best effort, he physically would be a liability to the group,” Brown told AAP from the Gold Coast, where the Boomers are undergoing a six-day training camp in preparation for the upcoming World Championships.

“He feels with the short preparation he wouldn’t be able to get to 100 per cent and he wanted to declare that to us early so we could make plans in a reasonable time-frame.

“It’s a hell of a thing to admit you can’t play a world championships and it highlights the class he’s handled himself with from day one.”

Bruton made his debut for the Boomers back in 1998 and went on to represent Australia at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He was Co-captain of the Boomers team that defeated New Zealand to win the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. He also represented Australia at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. He played 104 senior international games in the green and gold.

The son of legendary National Basketball League guard Cal Bruton, CJ has compiled his own remarkable career in the NBL and will continue to play for the New Zealand Breakers when the 2010/11 NBL season tips-off on October 15.

The Boomers will now continue their preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championships, which will be held be held in Turkey from 28 August to 12 September, without Bruton.

Mavericks re-sign Dirk Nowitzki

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have re-signed forward Dirk Nowitzki. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Nowitzki (7-0, 245) remains with the Mavericks, the team that acquired his draft rights on June 28, 1998. While in Dallas, Nowitzki has been a nine-time All-Star (starting twice), named to the All-NBA Team each of the past nine seasons and was honored as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2006-07 season when he led the Mavericks to a franchise-high 67 wins.

The Wurzburg, Germany native became the Mavericks’ all-time scoring leader on March 8, 2008 when he scored his 16,644th point to surpass Rolando Blackman. Nowitzki also holds the franchise’s top-spot in several other categories, including rebounds (7,802), field goals (7,348), 3-point field goals (7,348), free throws (5,284), free throw percentage (.876), starts (895), games (920) and minutes (33,732).

On January 13, 2010, Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history to hit the 20,000-point plateau and currently ranks 27th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He has been named Western Conference Player of the Month six times and Player of the Week 14 times, including four times during the 2009-10 season. Nowitzki has competed in All-Star Saturday Night’s three-point contest four times, winning the shootout in 2006, and won the 2010 Haier Shooting Star contest along with former Houston Rocket Kenny Smith and San Antonio Silver Star Becky Hammon.

Nowitzki, a 12-year pro, holds career averages of 22.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 blocks and 36.7 minutes in 920 career games with the Mavericks. Additionally, Nowitzki has played in 97 postseason contests and averages 25.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in Playoff games.

Mavericks sign Ian Mahinmi

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed center Ian Mahinmi (pronounced Yan mah-HEEN-me). Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mahinmi (6-11, 230) joins the Mavericks as a free agent from the San Antonio Spurs where he spent two NBA seasons. He holds career averages of 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.8 minutes in 32 career games.

Originally a first round draft pick (28th overall) of San Antonio in 2005, Mahinmi played in 26 games for the Spurs last season averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game and shooting .636 from the field. He also saw the first postseason action of his career in the series against the Mavericks when he played in two games averaging 4.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per contest.

The Rouen, France native played in only six games during his rookie season (2007-08) and spent the majority of the year with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. While in Austin, he averaged 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks en route to being named All-NBA Development First Team in 2008. He missed the entire 2008-09 season with an ankle injury.

Mahinmi was born and raised in France by his mother who is from Jamaica and his father who hails from Benin. He spent four seasons in the French A League before making his debut with the Spurs and was a named a French League All-Star in 2006. Mahinmi was also a member of the French National Team that captured bronze at the 2004 European Junior Championship.

Knicks sign Timofey Mozgov

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that center Timofey Mozgov has been signed as a free agent. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mozgov, 7-1, 250-pounds, averaged 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 18.9 minutes in 32 games with BC Khimki (Russia) during the 2009-10 season. The 23-year-old, St. Petersburg, Russia-native has played for Khimki for the last four seasons and averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 23.0 minutes for the Russian National Team during the 2009 European Championships.

Bulls sign Omer Asik

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed center Omer Asik (O-mair A-sheek). In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Asik, 24, is a two-time Turkish League All-Star (2007, 2008), and has spent the last five seasons in the Turkish Basketball League, both with Fenerbahce Ulker (2005-06 & 2007-2010) and Alpella (2006-07).

During the 2009-10 season, Asik appeared in nine Turkish League games and seven Euroleague contests with Fenerbahce Ulker, before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury. In nine Turkish League contests, he averaged 10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.55 bpg in 20.2 mpg, while shooting .613 from the floor. In Euroleague action, he posted 8.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.43 bpg and shot .658 from the field in seven appearances. He currently holds the Euroleague Top 16 record for most blocked shots in a game with 19 rejections.

Originally drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round (36th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Bulls acquired Asik’s draft rights in a draft-night deal. Chicago traded its 39th selection in the Draft, Sonny Weems, to the Denver Nuggets, and also traded to Denver, the New York Knicks’ 2009 regular second-round pick (acquired from New York in a trade on Oct. 4 2005), and Chicago’s 2010 regular second-round pick. Denver, in turn, traded its 2009 regular second round draft choice to Portland, which then traded its 36th pick (Asik) to the Bulls.

The 7-0, 255-pound Asik is a native of Bursa, Turkey and is a member of the Turkish National Team.

Spurs sign Tiago Splitter

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed Tiago Splitter. The 25-year-old Splitter was selected by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not announced. We’ll post contract details tonight.

The 6-11, 235-pound Splitter has played for Caja Laboral Vitoria in the ACB League since the 2003-04 season. In his seven seasons with Caja Laboral he has established himself as one of the dominate big men in Europe. Splitter has lead Caja Laboral to four Spanish League regular season titles (2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2008-09) and two Spanish League championships (2007-08 and 2009-10). In addition the team has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the Euroleague Championship six straight seasons (including four straight semifinal appearances from 2004-08).

During the 2009-10 ACB season Splitter was named the Spanish League regular season MVP and the Spanish League Finals MVP. For the season he averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes in 38 games. He shot .595 (219-368) from the field and .759 (145-191) from the line.

In 2009-10 Euroleague action Splitter averaged 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 26.1 minutes in 16 games. He shot .539 (76-141) from the field and .636 (56-88) from the line. Splitter earned All-Euroleague honors for the third straight season (he was named to the All-Euroleague First Team in 2007-08 and to the All-Euroleague Second Team in 2008-09 and 2009-10).

Originally signed by Caja Laboral in April of 2000, at the age of 15, Splitter played, on loan, with Araba Gorago Alava in 2000-01 and Basket Bilbao Berri in 2001-02 and 2002-03 before joining Caja Laboral for the 2003-04 season. In seven Spanish League seasons with Caja Laboral he averaged 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 233 games while shooting .616 (969-1,573). In seven Euroleague appearances Splitter has played in 137 games averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting .597 (537-900) from the field.

Born and raised in Brazil, Splitter has played for the Brazilian National Team since 2002. In international play Splitter’s Brazilian teams have captured gold medals at the 2003 South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 Americas Championship and the 2009 Americas Championship.

Richard Hendrix signs in Israel

Euroleague.net reports:

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv announced another addition to its roster with the signing of Richard Hendrix for the power forward spot. Hendrix (203, 23) signed a two-year deal with the Israeli powerhouse. He joins Tal Burstein, Elishay Kadir and Jeff Foote, who were signed earlier in the offseason.

Hendrix arrives after a great season with Spanish side CB Granada, where he posted 13.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 26 minutes per game.

InsideHoops.com says:

Hendrix seems like he could still eventually claw his way into the NBA someday. Maybe a 10-day contract, someplace, in a season or two. But for now, his career will obviously be overseas and he gets to enjoy Israel for a while.