NBA News Blog – Page 1156 – NBA Blog

Raptors sign Gary Forbes to offer sheet. Nuggets can match.

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have signed restricted free-agent forward Gary Forbes to an offer sheet. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

The Denver Nuggets are expected to receive the offer sheet today. Under the terms of the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Sunday the Nuggets will have three days to match the Raptors’ offer.

Forbes averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes during his rookie campaign last season with the Nuggets. He started 11 contests, where he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 22.8 minutes.

Forbes scored in double figures on 12 occasions, with a career-best 19 points at Phoenix on November 15, 2010. He also grabbed a season-best nine boards in the contest against the Suns. He had 15 points, six rebounds and two steals in a career high-tying 24 minutes on December 10 in Toronto.

Forbes played his junior and senior seasons at the University of Massachusetts. He averaged 16.3 points per game in his two campaigns with the Minutemen, joining Julius Erving as the only players in school history to score more than 1,000 points over two seasons.

A native of Panama, Forbes scored 39 points to lead his country to a victory over Canada in this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship tournament.

Indiana Pacers re-sign center Jeff Foster

The Indiana Pacers announced Saturday the re-signing of veteran forward/center Jeff Foster to a contract. The Pacers also announced the signing of free agent forward/center Jeff Pendergraph to a contract along with four NBA Development League players, Jarrid Famous, Tyren Johnson, Darnell Lazare and Matt Rogers. Per club policy no terms of the contracts.

The 6-11, 250-pound Foster, a free agent, has been with the Pacers his entire career. He has career averages of 4.9 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. Foster is among the Pacers’ top 10 in 11 different statistical categories.

“Jeff Foster has been and is the kind of player we want in our uniform,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “His work ethic, his competitiveness, his hustle, the spark he brings to a game and his locker room presence set an example for every player. We are elated to have him back.”

“This has been my home and I’m glad to be staying home,” said Foster. “Very few modern-day athletes have the opportunity to play their entire career in one city. I’m honored to have such a great opportunity in such a great city.”

Pendergraph, 6-9, 240 pounds out of Arizona State, was a second-round draft pick of the Sacramento Kings in the 2009 NBA Draft, but traded on draft night to Portland. As a rookie with the Blazers, he played 39 games with averages of 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. During the 2010 preseason, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and was waived by the Blazers.

“We’re very happy to have Jeff on our team,” said Bird. “He’s got size, power and a competitiveness we’re looking for. After being out last season, he’s healthy, fit and ready to help us achieve our goals.”

Lazare comes from the Pacers’ D-League affiliate in Fort Wayne. The 6-8, 240-pound forward from Louisiana State has played in four games with averages of 19.2 points and 8 rebounds. Johnson, 6-8, 224, from Louisiana-Lafayette, appeared in seven games for Rio Grande with averages of 18.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. Famous is a 6-11, 240-center from South Florida, who played in six games for Iowa and was ninth in league scoring at 21 ppg and fourth in rebounding at 12.2. Rogers is a 6-11, 225-pound center who was in four games with Texas with averages of 9.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg.

Bucks sign Mike Dunleavy Jr

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent forward/guard Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (6-9, 220) to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Dunleavy appeared in 61 games for the Pacers last season, his fourth in Indiana, and averaged 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest. He scored in double figures 38 times, with Indiana posting a 10-6 mark when he tallied 15+ points. His 102 three-pointers on the season marked the third time in his career that he eclipsed the century mark.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Dunleavy has appeared in 627 games over his career while averaging 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He’s averaged 10+ points per game in seven of his nine NBA seasons, including a career-best 19.1 scoring average during the 2007-08 campaign in which he appeared in all 82 games and shot a career-high 42.4 percent from behind the arc (12th in the NBA). For his career, Dunleavy is a 36.1 percent shooter from long distance.

Selected by Golden State with the 3rd overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Dunleavy played four-plus seasons with the Warriors before a mid-season trade sent him and three teammates to Indiana in exchange for a package highlighted by new Bucks teammate Stephen Jackson.

Three-team trade brings center Tyson Chandler to Knicks

New York Knickerbockers Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Interim General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has acquired center Tyson Chandler via sign-and-trade as part of a three-team trade. Ronny Turiaf, cash considerations and a 2013 second-round draft choice has been sent to the Washington Wizards and Andy Rautins has been sent to Dallas; Dallas sent a 2012 second-round draft choice to Washington and the draft rights to Ahmad Nivins and Giorgos Printezis to New York; Washington sent a conditional future second-round draft choice to Dallas.

“This is an important day for the New York Knicks,” Grunwald said. “Signing a player of Tyson’s caliber, with championship experience, to this roster, is an opportunity we could not pass up. His stellar play last season earned him league-wide recognition and helped lead his team to an NBA Championship.”

Chandler, 7-1, 225-pounds, holds career averages of 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.35 blocks and 27.6 minutes in 662 games (465 starts) over 10 NBA seasons with Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte and Dallas. He played a pivotal role in leading the Mavericks to the franchise’s first ever NBA title last season, averaging 8.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 0.90 blocks in 21 postseason contests. In 74 regular season games (all starts), he averaged 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.08 blocks over 74 games (74 starts) en route to NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.

“Tyson will be the anchor to our defense,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “The trio of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson makes one of the most formidable frontlines in the entire league.”

The Hanford, CA-native was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (second overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft prior to having his draft rights traded to Chicago with Brian Skinner in exchange for Elton Brand. He appeared in 53 postseason games (37 starts) and holds averages of 7.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.10 blocks over 28.7 minutes. He also represented Team USA in both the 2007 and 2010 FIBA World Championships, winning Gold medals with both squads.

Rautins, 6-4, 205-pounds, averaged 1.6 points 4.8 minutes in five games during his rookie campaign. He was selected by New York in the second round (38th overall) of 2010 NBA Draft.

Nivins, 6-9, 242-pounds, was selected by Dallas out of Saint Joseph’s University in the second round (56th overall) of 2009 NBA Draft. He spent the past three seasons playing overseas with Assignia Manresa (Spain) and Dexia Mons-Hainaut (Belgium).

Printezis, 6-7, 202-pounds, was selected by San Antonio in the second round (58th overall) of 2007 NBA Draft. His draft rights were traded to Toronto before he was sent to Dallas in exchange for Alexis Ajinca, a second-round draft pick and cash considerations on Jan. 24, 2011.

“Ronny brings us a tough, inside presence and we’re looking forward to adding his defense and tenacity to our frontline,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “This trade brings another solid veteran to our team along with additional assets in the form of draft picks and allows us to maintain our financial flexibility moving forward.”

Turiaf comes to the Wizards with career averages of 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting .528 from the floor over 358 games in six seasons with the Lakers, Warriors and Knicks. Originally selected by the Lakers with the 37th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Turiaf had his best overall statistical season when he averaged 5.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks (ranking him fourth in the NBA) for the Warriors in 2008-09. He has finished in the top 30 in the NBA in blocked shots in three of the last four seasons. The 6-10 native of Martinique finished his collegiate career at Gonzaga as the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

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Knicks waive Chauncey Billups via NBA amnesty clause

New York Knickerbockers Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Interim General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has waived guard Chauncey Billups, designating him as the club’s amnesty player.

Billups, 6-3, 210-pounds, averaged 16.8 points on .427 shooting, 5.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds over 32.1 minutes in 72 games (72 starts) with Denver and New York last season. Acquired by the Knicks on Feb. 22, 2011, Billups he averaged 17.5 points on .403 shooting, 5.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds over 31.6 minutes in New York.

The Knicks liked Billups, but felt they needed to do this for salary cap reasons, as they are going to acquire center Tyson Chandler today.

Detroit Pistons sign Damien Wilkins

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they have signed guard-forward Damien Wilkins. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Wilkins, 31, appeared in 52 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. He appeared in eight postseason contests with the Hawks, averaging 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in 4.9 minutes per game. The seven-year NBA pro has career averages of 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 20.0 minutes in 442 games with Seattle, Oklahoma City, Minnesota and Atlanta.

Undrafted out of the University of Georgia, Wilkins enjoyed his best season a pro with Seattle in 2007-08 when he averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 76 games (31 starts). He scored a career-high 41 points with a season-high nine rebounds at Atlanta (11/16) that season in addition to notching his 2,000th career point vs. Phoenix (3/19/08).

Wilkins is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Gerald Wilkins and nephew of Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins.

Raptors sign forward Rasual Butler

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have signed veteran free-agent forward Rasual Butler. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Butler is a veteran of nine NBA campaigns where he has averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 23.9 minutes in 604 regular season outings. He has shot at a .361 per cent clip from three-point range (758-2097). Butler has also made 30 appearances in the playoffs, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 13.4 minutes. He has connected on 25 of 59 three-pointers (.424) in postseason play.

Butler, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds split last season between the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. His best statistical season came in 2009-10 with the Clippers when he averaged career bests of 11.9 points and 33.0 minutes in 82 games (64 starts). He set a club record for made three-pointers in a season with 145. He tallied 20-plus points five times, including two games with 30 or more points. In 2008-09 with New Orleans, he averaged 11.2 points and 31.9 minutes in 82 games, with a career-best 74 starts. He also averaged a career playoff-best 10.6 points and 31.6 minutes in five postseason outings with the Hornets. In 2005, he helped Miami reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

A second-round selection by Miami (53rd overall) in the 2002 NBA Draft, Butler has seen action with the Heat, Hornets, Clippers and Bulls. He has scored a career-high 33 points on two occasions (last: vs. Cleveland, 1/16/10) and grabbed a personal-best 11 rebounds twice (last: vs. Orlando, 1/16/07).

Butler saw action in 110 games with LaSalle University, averaging 19.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in his four years with the Explorers. He was a two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection, as well as a two-time first-team All-Big Five choice.

Bobcats sign forward Derrick Brown

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed forward Derrick Brown. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6-8 Brown was initially drafted by the Bobcats with the 40th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and played in 98 games for the team before being waived on February 24, 2011. He finished last season with the New York Knicks after being picked up from waivers. In two NBA seasons, he has played in 108 total games and holds career averages of 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds, while shooting .511 from the field (142-278).

Bobcats Sports & Entertainment owns the Charlotte Bobcats and operates Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.

Heat sign center Eddy Curry

— via the Heat

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent center Eddy Curry. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Curry, a nine-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 511 games (410 starts) and averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 25.4 minutes while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 64.2 percent from the foul line. He last played for the New York Knicks appearing in 222 games (208 starts) and averaged 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 28.5 minutes while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. He is currently New York’s all-time franchise leader in field goal percentage (1,228-of-2,180). Additionally, his 57.6 percent shooting from the field during the 2006-07 campaign stands as the second-best single-season mark in Knickerbockers history.

He has ranked among the NBA’s Top 5 players in field goal percentage four times over his career. He finished first in 2002-03 (.585), second in 2005-06 (.563), fourth in 2006-07 (.576) and fifth in 2004-05 (.538). After leading the NBA in field goal percentage during the 2002-03 season, he became the first Chicago Bull to lead the NBA in a major stat category since Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (scoring, 28.7) and the first Chicago player to pace the league in field goal percentage since Artis Gilmore in 1981-82 (.652).

Curry was originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (4th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft, the youngest draft choice in their franchise’s history.

InsideHoops.com hears that Curry has lost 50-70 pounds and is in good shape right now.

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Spurs sign guard T.J. Ford

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that the team has signed guard T.J. Ford. Per club policy details of the contract were not released.

The 28-year-old Texas native has posted career averages of 11.4 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 415 regular season games in seven NBA seasons. Prior to signing with San Antonio the 6-0, 165-pound point guard enjoyed stints with Milwaukee, Toronto and Indiana. Ford was selected by Milwaukee in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, with the eighth overall pick, after playing two seasons at the University of Texas. He enjoyed his best NBA season during the 2008-09 campaign, averaging 14.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 74 games with the Indiana Pacers.

Ford enjoyed an outstanding high school and collegiate career in the state of Texas. In his final two seasons at Willowridge High School, his teams posted a 75-1 record, capturing back-to-back Texas 5A State Championships. In two seasons at the University of Texas, Ford averaged 12.9 points and 8.8 assists. During his sophomore year he was named both the Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year Award winner and earned 2003 First Team All-American honors.