NBA News Blog – Page 435 – NBA Blog

Clippers re-sign Montrezl Harrell

The L.A. Clippers re-signed free-agent forward Montrezl Harrell today.

“Montrezl is a tough, hard-playing, gritty competitor who is committed to winning,” said Frank. “We love his passion and energy, and are very excited to have Trezz back in a Clippers uniform.”

According to ESPN.com, the deal is a two-year, $12 million contract.

Harrell, 24, appeared in 76 games for the Clippers last season, averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, while shooting 63.5 percent from the field in 17.0 minutes. Initially acquired by L.A. on June 28, 2017 via trade, the 6’8”, 240-pound forward holds career averages of 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds across 173 appearances spanning three NBA seasons with the Clippers and the Houston Rockets.

A native of Tarboro, North Carolina, Harrell was selected 32nd overall by Houston in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played three collegiate seasons at the University of Louisville, where he was a member of the 2013 NCAA Championship team as a freshman, earned First Team All-AAC honors as a sophomore in 2014 and received the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward as a junior in 2015.

Lakers sign Travis Wear to two-way contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Travis Wear to a two-way contract, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Wear played in 17 games for the Lakers in 2017-18, averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game. Signed mid-season from the South Bay Lakers, Wear notched 16.7 points (.445 FG%, .419 3P%), 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 33 G League games (29 starts) last season.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have up to two players under two-way contracts on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster.

Knicks sign Noah Vonleh, who played last season with Blazers and Bulls

The New York Knicks signed free agent forward Noah Vonleh today.

Vonleh, 6-9, 245 pounds, spent last season with Portland and Chicago, averaging 4.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 16.2 minutes over 54 total games (16 starts). The 22-year-old was selected by Charlotte with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Vonleh started last season with Portland where he averaged 3.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes over 33 games (12 starts). He was traded mid-season to the Bulls and appeared in 21 contests (four starts), recording 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds over 19.0 minutes.

The Haverhill, MA-native holds career averages of 4.1 points and 4.7 rebounds over 15.5 minutes in 231 total games (113 starts) played with Charlotte, Portland and Chicago. He was traded from Charlotte to Portland on June 24, 2015.

Vonleh played one season for Indiana University where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third team All-Big Ten. In 30 games (29 starts) he averaged 11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Cavs sign Kevin Love to contract extension

Kyrie Irving is long gone. LeBron James is recently gone. But the Cleveland Cavaliers are keeping Kevin Love for years to come

The Cavs and Love signed a new multi-year contract extension today. Per multiple reports, the deal is for four years and $120 million.

“We are very excited to announce Kevin’s long-term commitment to the Cavaliers and Cleveland. This quickly became a partnership the second we began these discussions. Collaboration and winning matter greatly to Kevin and that was reflected in this extension,” said Cavs General Manager Koby Altman. “Kevin’s talent and character are both at a very high level and he has earned his role at the center of what we want to do moving forward. As a five-time All-Star and NBA Champion, Kevin has a special understanding of exactly what success and winning require.”

“When I first came to Cleveland, I came with a long-term mindset,” said Love. “I came here to win. We developed a culture here that reflects that. I’m super excited and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a big commitment for me and it’s a big commitment from the Cavaliers, so I want to thank Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman and the entire organization. I enjoy playing here, I’m excited about the team that we have and look forward to our future together. Cleveland fans have been special from day one and I’m also looking forward to continuing to be a part of this great community.”

According to USA Today, “Extending Love signals Cleveland’s decision to avoid a rebuild in the post-LeBron era. Instead of trading Love for younger players and draft picks, the Cavs made it clear – at least in the short term – they want to see if they can remain competitive in the East without James, who signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month.”

And according to CBS Sports, “From Love’s perspective, this is easy to understand. It’s a hell of a lot of money, and it gives him the opportunity to be the No. 1 option for the first time since the 2013-14 season. His last four seasons with LeBron James have had wild ups and downs, and while he learned how to function as a complementary player — and quietly had the most efficient season of his career last year — he never fully got to be himself. Now, whether or not he finishes this contract in Cleveland, he will at least get to prove that he can still carry an offense … while being compensated handsomely.”

Love (6-10, 251) was an NBA All-Star this past season, appearing in 59 games (all starts) for Cleveland and averaging 17.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds in 28.0 minutes per game. He also shot .415 from beyond the arc and a career-high .880 from the foul line. Love was one of just four NBA players to make at least 100 three-pointers while averaging at least 9.0 rebounds in 2017-18 (Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, DeMarcus Cousins). In addition, he recorded 31 double-doubles and scored 20 points or more on 26 occasions, including a season-high 38 points in just 25 minutes versus Miami on Nov. 28. He posted 17 outings of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The 6-10 forward was originally acquired by the Cavs in a three-team trade with Minnesota and Philadelphia on August 23, 2014. Over the past four seasons, Love has appeared in 271 games (all starts) with Cleveland, while averaging a double-double with 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per contest. Since the 2014-15 season, he leads the team in total rebounds (2,705), double-doubles (145) and three-pointers (584). In Cavaliers history, Love already ranks fourth in three-pointers made, 10th in defensive rebounds (2,165) and 12th in total rebounds. He has also helped the Cavs reach the postseason in all four years, which includes winning an NBA Championship in 2016. Over his 63 career playoff games (62 starts) with Cleveland, Love has averaged 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game, while recording 27 double-doubles and shooting .404 from beyond the arc and .854 from the charity stripe.

Love, who is a 10-year NBA veteran, is one of only eight players in NBA history to accumulate 11,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 three-pointers (Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Rasheed Wallace, Antawn Jamison), as well as the only player to ever hold a career average at least 10.0 rebounds and knock down 1,000 three-pointers or more. In 635 regular season games (553 starts) with Minnesota and Cleveland, Love has averaged 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. Since entering the league in 2008-09, he has registered the second-most double-doubles with 401 (Dwight Howard-498) and has gone on to average at least 9.0 rebounds in all 10 of his NBA seasons. The UCLA product has also earned five NBA All-Star selections (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018), two All-NBA Second Team honors (2012, 2014), an Olympic gold medal (2012) and was winner of the league’s Most Improved Player award (2011) and Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in Orlando (2012).

Mavs sign Ding Yanyuhang, who has played professionally in China for years

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday signed guard-forward Ding Yanyuhang (pronounced yin-you-hong).

Ding (6-7, 205) has spent the last seven seasons playing professionally for China’s Shandong Golden Stars. In 45 games for Shandong in 2017-18, he averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game en route to winning his second consecutive Chinese Basketball Association Domestic MVP award.

Ding played on the Mavericks’ Orlando and Las Vegas summer league teams in 2017.

The Xinjiang, China native has represented the Chinese national team in international competition, including the 2016 Olympic Games.

Kings sign Yogi Ferrell, who had been with Mavs

The Sacramento Kings yesterday signed free agent guard Yogi Ferrell.

Ferrell joins the Kings after spending most of the last two seasons with Dallas, posting 10.2 points (.426 FG%, .373 3pt%, .796 FT%), 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 27.8 minutes per game en route to appearing in all 82 contests last season for the Mavericks. He concluded the campaign having scored 10-plus points on 40 occasions and 20 or more in five games, including a season-high 24 points (9-11 FG, 6-11 3pt) to accompany four rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block in 38 minutes versus Denver (3/6).

Undrafted out of Indiana University, the 6-0, 180-pound guard spent time between the Brooklyn and Long Island Nets as an affiliate player following summer league, making his NBA debut on Nov. 30, 2016. He totaled 10 NBA appearances with Brooklyn between G-League assignments, registering 5.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 15.1 minutes per game before earning a 10-day contract from the Mavericks in late January. In 36 contests to conclude the 2016-17 season, Farrell increased his scoring average by nearly six points a game and made 29 starts, averaging 11.3 points (.412 FG%, .403 3pt%, .877 FT%), 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.14 steals and 29.1 minutes per game, highlighted by a career-best 32 points on 9-of-11 three pointers made (becoming the third undrafted rookie in league annals to post a 30-point effort within his first 15 games). For his efforts in contests played during February of 2017, Ferrell was named the Western Conference Player of the Month and ultimately a nod on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team by season’s end.

Ferrell enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Indiana, earning Second-Team All American, First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive team accolades following his senior season (2015-16). His name peppers the IU record book, where he ranks first in school history with 633 career assists and holds the Hoosiers all-time mark of 68 consecutive games with a three-pointer made.

Nets sign Ed Davis, who had been with Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets yesterday signed forward/center Ed Davis.

Davis is considered a better player than his stats suggest. By many, including us. He’s a role player, but a good one.

Davis (6’10”, 225) joins the Nets after spending the last three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. In the 2017-18 campaign, Davis saw action in 78 games, posting averages of 5.3 points (58.2 percent from the field) and 7.4 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game while finishing fifth in the league in offensive rebound percentage (13.9 percent) and sixth in total rebound percentage (21.4 percent). The 6’10, 245-pound Davis registered more rebounds off the bench (575) than any other player in the NBA, and his six double-doubles off the bench were tied for the fourth-most in the league.

In 559 career games (94 starts) split between the Trail Blazers (2015-18), Lakers (2014-15), Grizzlies (2012-14) and Raptors (2010-13), the eight-year veteran has recorded averages of 6.6 points (56.4 percent from the field) and 6.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per contest. The Richmond, Va., native was originally selected by Toronto with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after spending two years at the University of North Carolina, helping to lead the Tar Heels to the 2009 NCAA Championship.

Nets re-sign Joe Harris

The Brooklyn Nets re-signed guard/forward Joe Harris today.

Harris, who originally signed with Brooklyn on July 19, 2016, returns to the Nets after spending the last two seasons in Brooklyn. The 2017-18 campaign saw Harris average 10.8 points (49.1 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from 3-point range and 82.7 percent from the free-throw line), 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.3 minutes per contest in 78 games (14 starts), all of which represented career highs. The Chelan, Wash., native finished 17th in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, including shooting 46.7 percent from distance from Jan. 1 through the end of the season, which was the second-best mark in the league in that timeframe. He also set the Nets record for 3-pointers made off the bench in a season with 118, finished seventh in the franchise’s single-season history in 3-pointers made with 150 and now ranks 11th in Nets history in career 3-pointers made with 235.

Among the other highlights of Harris’ most recent season in Brooklyn, he led the league in field goal percentage on drives and finished sixth among all players in effective field goal percentage and 11th in true shooting percentage. The four-year veteran also finished the season on a high note, recording averages of 11.9 points (54.3 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from 3-point range) and 2.0 assists in 25.7 minutes per game after the All-Star break.

Harris was originally selected with the 33rd overall pick (second round) in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and spent his first two NBA seasons with Cleveland. In 186 career games split between Brooklyn and Cleveland, the University of Virginia alum has registered averages of 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.5 minutes per contest.

Lakers sign Michael Beasley

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Michael Beasley.

The agreement had been reported earlier in July, but the signing became an official transaction today. According to the Los Angeles Times, the deal is for one year, $3.5 million.

Beasley played in 74 games (30 starts) for the Knicks last season, averaging 13.2 points (.507 FG%), 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. Named to the 2008-09 All-Rookie First Team, Beasley has appeared in 583 career games (236 starts) for the HEAT, Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets, Bucks and Knicks, with averages of 12.7 points (.464 FG%), 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.4 minutes.

“Michael adds another component of versatility to our deep roster,” said Pelinka. “His length and ability to guard multiple positions, stretch the floor, play-make and create his own shot are all essential characteristics for us. Coming off one of the finest years of his career, we think Michael is poised to have a very exciting and strong season for us.”

More from the Los Angeles Times: “Beasley joins a rebuilt roster headlined by LeBron James, along with three other veteran additions the Lakers signed to one-year deals: guards Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson and center JaVale McGee. The Lakers also brought back guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a second one-year deal. They’ll join a young group led by second-year players Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, and third-year forward Brandon Ingram.”

A native of Prince George’s County, MD, Beasley went on to play one season collegiately at Kansas State, earning consensus First Team All-America honors in 2007-08. The Big 12 Player of the year started all 33 games, tallying 26.2 points (.532 FG%), an NCAA-leading 12.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per game.

Celtics, Thunder trade Abdel Nader, Rodney Purvis

The Boston Celtics have traded forward Abdel Nader and cash considerations to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guard Rodney Purvis.

Nader (6-6, 220) appeared in 48 games (one start) for Boston and averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game. Drafted 58th overall by the Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft, the Iowa State product was named the 2016-17 NBA G League Rookie of the Year, after playing in 40 games (all starts) with the Maine Red Claws and averaging 21.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 33.5 minutes per game.

Purvis, acquired last week by Oklahoma City, played in 16 games (two starts) last season with the Orlando Magic and averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per game.