Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Heat re-sign Udonis Haslem

Heat re-sign Udonis Haslem

The Miami Heat have re-signed forward Udonis Haslem.

“It is a great, great, day to have Udonis Haslem sign a contract for his 15th season with the Miami HEAT,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He isn’t just Mr. 305, he is a true patriarch of the team. Today we are proud to announce that he is back to lead the HEAT again.”

Haslem, a three-time NBA Champion, has played his entire 14-year NBA career with the HEAT and currently holds the fourth-longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league. He has appeared in 830 career regular season games (498 starts) averaging 7.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 25.7 minutes while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 75.6 percent from the foul line. Last season he came off the bench in all 16 regular season games in which he saw action and averaged 1.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 8.1 minutes. The Miami native is the franchise all-time leader in offensive, defensive and total rebounds and also ranks among the HEAT’s all-time leaders in games played (2nd), starts (2nd), minutes (2nd), double-doubles (3rd), field goals made (5th), field goals attempted (6th), points (7th), field goal percentage (7th), free throws made (8th), free throws attempted (8th), double-figure scoring efforts (8th), blocks (9th), steals (10th), assists (16th) and free throw percentage (18th). Additionally, he is the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds.

Haslem has also seen action in 147 postseason games (84 starts) as a member of the HEAT and has averaged 5.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 21.7 minutes while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 71.3 percent from the foul line. In addition to being the HEAT’s all-time leader in offensive rebounds in postseason play he also ranks among Miami’s all-time postseason leaders in games played (2nd), total rebounds (2nd), games started (3rd), minutes (3rd), defensive rebounds (3rd), double-doubles (4th), field goals made (5th), field goals attempted (5th), free throws made (5th), steals (5th), dunks (5th), points (6th), free throws attempted (6th), double-figure scoring efforts (tied-6th), blocked shots (7th) and assists (10th).

Haslem has served as captain of the HEAT each of the past 10 seasons, the longest tenure in franchise history, and enters the 2017-18 season just 25 games short from tying the all-time franchise record for games played.

Nets sign Jarrett Allen

Nets sign Jarrett Allen

The Brooklyn Nets have signed Jarrett Allen, the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, to a multi-year contract.

Allen (6’11”, 234) spent one season (2016-17) at the University of Texas, appearing in 33 games and recording averages of 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 32.1 minutes per contest. He led his team in rebounding, blocked shots and minutes played while ranking second in scoring. Allen shot 56.6 percent (179-of-316) overall from the field, reaching double figures in scoring 25 times and in rebounding on 14 occasions.

The Round Rock, Texas, native recorded 12 double-doubles on the year (tied for third-most by a freshman in UT history), including eight in Big 12 Conference play. He ranked fourth on the school’s all-time chart in total rebounds (278) and rebounding average (8.4) by a freshman. Following the season, Allen was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and to the league’s all-newcomer list.

Celtics sign Daniel Theis

The Boston Celtics have signed rookie center Daniel Theis.

Theis (6-9, 243 lbs) has played professionally in Germany since 2010-11, most recently with Brose Bamberg which he joined at the start of the 2014-15 season. The Saltzgitter, Germany native played in 74 games across the Basketball Bundesliga League (BBL), Euroleague and German Cup in 2016-17. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.24 blocks and 18.9 minutes in 41 BBL games, and was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Theis, who was eligible for the 2013 NBA Draft but went undrafted, also appeared in 30 games for Brose Bamberg during the 2016-17 Euroleague campaign where he averaged 9.6 points (41.0% 3-pt) and 4.6 rebounds in 19.7 minutes.

A three-time Beko BBL All-Star, Theis is the first German-born player to have signed a contract with the Celtics. Theis has appeared in 12 games for for the German National Team.

Celtics sign Guerschon Yabusele

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed 2016 first round draft pick Guerschon Yabusele.

Yabusele, selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, spent last season with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. The native of Dreux, France started the season with Shanghai and appeared in 43 games where he averaged 20.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.35 steals and 1.05 blocks in 30.3 minutes per game. He also shot 52.7 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from three. After he appeared in 43 games for Shanghai he moved to the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League on March 29 and appeared in a total of seven games for the Red Claws including their playoff run. During the five games of the 2017 G League Playoffs he averaged 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot 49.0 percent from the floor in 27.3 minutes per game.

Celtics sign Kadeem Allen to two-way contract

The Celtics have signed rookie guard Kadeem Allen to a two-way contract.

Selected in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft, Allen averaged 9.8 points (45.3% FG, 42.7% 3-PT, 74.1% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.0 minutes over 34 games (33 starts) as a redshirt senior at the University of Arizona. The Wildcats guard spent his first two collegiate seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, KA

The Second Team All-Pacific 12 Conference selection led the Wildcats with 53 steals, paving his way to a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Allen, 24, demonstrated his offensive abilities throughout the season as well, scoring a collegiate career-high 18 points in back-to-back games against Colorado (Jan. 7) and Arizona State (Jan. 12).

Since being drafted last month, Allen participated on the Celtics summer league team in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and the MGM Resorts Summer League in Las Vegas.

Nuggets sign Torrey Craig to a two-way contract

The Denver Nuggets have signed rookie Torrey Craig to a two-way contract, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Craig, 6-6, 215, appeared in six games (two starts) for the Nuggets’ 2017 Las Vegas Summer League entry, averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22.2 minutes per game.

The Rock Hill, South Carolina native went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft and has spent the past three seasons starring in the Australian National Basketball League. He played for the Brisbane Bullets during the 2016-17 season where he was named both the Australian NBL Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player while earning All-NBL Second Team honors. He played collegiately at the University of South Carolina-Upstate for four years, earning NABC All-District First Team honors three times and also being named the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Grizzlies sign Mario Chalmers

Grizzlies sign Mario Chalmers

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace today announced that the team signed guard Mario Chalmers.

Chalmers (6-2, 190) has appeared in 580 games (390 starts) and averaged 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.50 steals in 27.3 minutes over his eight-year NBA career with the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies. The 31-year-old was the starting point guard for back-to-back NBA Championship teams in Miami, where he played for current Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale who was then an assistant coach for the Heat.

The Anchorage, Alaska native last played during the 2015-16 season, appearing in 55 games (seven starts) and averaging 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.45 steals in 22.8 minutes for the Grizzlies before sustaining a ruptured right Achilles tendon on March 7, 2016.

Chalmers was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round (34th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft following his junior season at the University of Kansas where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA Championship and was named the 2008 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He is one of 44 players who have won both an NCAA Championship and an NBA title.

Rockets sign Luc Mbah a Moute

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute (BAH-ah-MOO-tay).

Mbah a Moute (6-8, 230) was originally the 37th overall pick by Milwaukee in the 2008 NBA Draft. In nine seasons, he has appeared in 621 games with 438 starts, including a career-high 76 for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2016-17.

This past season, Mbah a Moute shot 50.5% from the floor, including a career-best 39.1% from 3-point range. He would have ranked tied for fourth in the NBA in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.76) had he qualified, and has more steals (236) than turnovers (219) over the past four seasons.

Mbah a Moute has received votes for NBA All-Defensive team in each of the past two seasons. In 2016-17, he was fourth in defensive rating (102.0) among forwards who played at least 70 games while averaging 20+ minutes played.

Utah Jazz sign Royce O`Neale

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Royce O’Neale.

O’Neale (6-6, 226, Baylor) played for Gran Canaria in Spain during the 2016-17 season, averaging 8.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.6 minutes in 52 games (32 starts). He was the second-highest rated defender among all small forwards in the ACB, and also ranked second in rebound percentage (16.3) and fifth in assist percentage (17.1).

Additionally, O’Neale participated in the 2016 Utah Jazz Mini-Camp held at Zions Bank Basketball Center.

The 24-year-old played his first professional season in Germany for MHP Risen Ludwigburg in 2015-16, where he averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 46 games (28 starts).

A four-year college player, O’Neale spent two years at the University of Denver (2011-13) before finishing his collegiate career at Baylor (2013-15). He averaged 10.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals as a senior for the Bears. Over his two seasons at Baylor, O’Neale shot 48.3 percent, including 44.8 percent from beyond arc. As a senior in 2014-15, he shot over 50 percent from three in 16 games and was also selected to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Born in Killeen, Texas, the 6-6 forward played his high school basketball at Harker Heights High School in Harker Heights, Texas, where he set several school scoring and rebounding records.

He will wear jersey #23 for the Jazz.