NBA News Blog – Page 525 – NBA Blog

Celtics sign Aron Baynes

The Celtics have signed free agent center Aron Baynes.

“We are thrilled to have Aron aboard,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “He’s a great teammate, a hard worker and provides us some needed strength and toughness on the interior.”

A five-year NBA veteran with San Antonio and Detroit, Baynes (6-10, 260 lbs) has averaged 5.2 points (51.4% FG, 81.1% FT), 4.1 rebounds and 14.1 minutes in 295 career games (24 starts). He’s averaged at least 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 offensive boards in each of the last three seasons.

In 75 games (two starts) with the Pistons in 2016-17, Baynes, 30, averaged 4.9 points (51.3% FG, 84.0% FT) and 4.4 rebounds in 15.5 minutes. He scored a season-high 20 points (8-13 FG) against Oklahoma City on Nov. 14, and hauled in a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 13 points against Phoenix on March 19. The Washington State University product recorded two double-doubles last season.

Baynes has made four postseason appearances in his five-year NBA career, and was a member of the Spurs team that won an NBA Championship in 2013-14. He played in 14 playoff games that year, including a 10-point performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against Portland.

Clippers re-sign Blake Griffin

The L.A. Clippers announced have re-signed free agent forward Blake Griffin.

“I just want to say how excited I am to be back. Obviously, this has been my home since I have been drafted.” Griffin said. “In the end, I realized this was a no-brainer for me. This was the best place for me, and this is the place where I want to start and finish my career.”

Griffin, 28, averaged 21.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 61 games (all starts) last season for L.A. The five-time All-Star has played his entire career with the Clippers since being drafted first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma. In 471 career games (all starts), he holds averages of 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

On April 1, 2017, Griffin reached 10,000 career points, becoming the first player in team history to tally 10,000+ points exclusively in a Clippers uniform.

Griffin was the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year and has been an All-NBA performer four times throughout his career.

Suns hire James Jones as VP of Basketball Operations

The Phoenix Suns announced today they have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with General Manager Ryan McDonough and added former Suns forward and 14-year NBA veteran James Jones as Vice President of Basketball Operations. Jones will report to McDonough and work alongside him to oversee all basketball-related matters for the Suns, including the draft, free agency and trades.

“I would like to thank [Managing Partner] Robert [Sarver] and his partners for extending my agreement with this great franchise,” said McDonough. “We have laid the foundation for what we hope will become the next championship caliber Suns team. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Phoenix so we are thrilled to add James Jones to our staff.”

“James has a wealth of experiences that will greatly benefit our organization. He is a three-time NBA Champion and has been one of the top executives with the National Basketball Players Association over the past few years. We welcome ‘Champ’ and his family to our Phoenix Suns family.”

McDonough, entering his fifth season as the team’s general manager, has overseen the Suns assemble some of the game’s brightest young stars with five first-round picks made in his tenure currently on the roster. Included in this group are Devin Booker, who became just the sixth player to ever score at least 70 points in a game and has totaled the fourth-most points in NBA history before turning 21 years old, Josh Jackson, the fourth overall pick in 2017 named All-NBA Summer League First Team while making his professional debut in Las Vegas this month, and T.J. Warren, one of the league’s most efficient scoring wings. The team’s 2016 draft haul has already shown its promise with the versatile Marquese Chriss earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors and floor general Tyler Ulis winning Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April, while Dragan Bender has flashed the all-around skill that made him the fourth overall selection.

In addition to his success on draft night, McDonough has orchestrated the acquisitions of one of basketball’s top point guards in Eric Bledsoe, as well as veteran leaders Tyson Chandler, one of the league’s best rebounders, and Jared Dudley, one of the league’s most consistent three-point shooters. The Suns also possess a collection of upcoming first-round draft picks acquired under McDonough’s watch.

Named runner-up for NBA Executive of the Year in 2014 after overseeing the league’s biggest turnaround in 2013-14, McDonough initially joined the Suns as general manager on May 7, 2013. He came to Phoenix following 10 seasons in several levels of basketball operations with the Boston Celtics, serving as assistant general manager for the final three and helping the team to an NBA title in 2008. Throughout his career with two of the NBA’s most historic franchises, McDonough has utilized a tireless work ethic to hone an expertise in player evaluation.

Jones played two seasons with the Suns and they were two of the most successful in franchise history as he was a member of the 2005-06 team that won 54 games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, as well as the 2006-07 team that won 61 games and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals. He contributed to two Pacific Division titles in his two seasons in Phoenix, averaging 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 151 regular-season games with the team while shooting 38.2 percent from behind the arc.

Formerly the Secretary-Treasurer for the National Basketball Players Association, Jones comes to the Suns after most recently appearing in 48 regular-season and eight playoff games for the Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016-17. In each of his final seven seasons as a player, Jones reached the NBA Finals to join his teammate for all seven LeBron James and six Boston Celtics Hall of Famers from the 1950s and 1960s as the only players in NBA history to do so in at least seven consecutive seasons. Jones is a three-time NBA Champion, winning rings with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, and with the Cavaliers in 2016.

Overall, Jones averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes while shooting 40.1 percent from three-point range in 709 career regular-season games over 14 seasons with five NBA teams. He never played for a team that finished below .500 and only once missed the playoffs as he appeared in 148 career playoff games, averaging 3.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.4 minutes for his postseason career.

In addition to his two seasons with the Suns, Jones played two seasons with the Indiana Pacers (2003-05), one season with the Portland Trail Blazers (2007-08), six seasons with the Heat (2008-14) and three seasons with the Cavaliers (2014-17). A native of Miami, Jones is a member of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame as he starred collegiately for the Hurricanes before being selected by the Pacers with the 49th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He and his wife, Destiny, have three children.

Timberwolves sign Jamal Crawford

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Jamal Crawford.

Crawford, 37, played in all 82 regular season games for the Los Angeles Clippers this past season, averaging 12.3 points and 2.6 assists per contest while shooting 36.0% from three-point range. Crawford has won the NBA Sixth Man Award three times (2015-16, 2013-14 and 2009-10). One of his best seasons was 2007-08 with the Knicks when he averaged a career-high 20.6 points and 5.0 assists in 80 games.

The 6-5 guard owns career averages of 15.3 points and 3.5 assists in 1182 games (433 starts) over 17 seasons with the Bulls, Knicks, Warriors, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Clippers. Crawford is a career 35.0% shooter from beyond the arc. He has appeared in the postseason seven times, including the last five seasons with the Clippers, posting career playoff averages of 14.5 points and 2.2 assists

Crawford was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2000 NBA Draft held at Target Center, after playing one season at the University of Michigan. He ranks fifth all-time in the NBA in three-pointers made with 2049 and 43rd in games played. Among NBA active players, Crawford ranks third in three-pointers made, seventh in games played and 10th in minutes.

Raptors guard Malcolm Miller undergoes ankle surgery

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday that guard Malcolm Miller underwent ankle arthroscopy for debridement after sustaining a sprained right ankle July 5 during an NBA Summer League practice in Las Vegas. The procedure was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles. Miller is expected to miss the next 12 weeks.

Miller, 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, signed the team’s first two-way contract July 9 after participating in the Raptors’ free agent camp June 15-16. He averaged 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 18.7 minutes in 29 games last season for Alba Berlin of the German Bundesliga. In 2015-16, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 31.9 minutes in 47 games for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League and was second on the team with 84 made three-pointers.

A native of Laytonsville, Maryland, Miller played four seasons at Holy Cross and was named Second-Team All-Patriot League during his senior year.

Spurs sign Joffrey Lauvergne

The Spurs have signed forward/center Joffrey Lauvergne.

Lauvergne, 6-11/260, has played three seasons in the NBA with career averages of 6.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.0 minutes in 153 total games. Originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft (55th overall) he was part of a draft night trade that sent him to Denver, where he spent his first two seasons in the league and averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 15.8 minutes. On Aug. 30, 2016, Lauvergne was dealt to Oklahoma City, where he averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 14.8 minutes over 50 games before being sent to Chicago on Feb. 23, 2017. In 20 games for the Bulls he averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes.

A native of France, Lauvergne has played alongside Spurs guard Tony Parker for the French Senior National Team since 2013 in events including EuroBasket in 2013 and 2015, as well as the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio where he averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.5 minutes. The Mulhouse native has been a professional since 2011, playing overseas from 2011-14 for Chalon-Sur-Saone, Valencia Basket, KK Partizan and Khimki.

Raptors sign C.J. Miles

The Raptors have signed guard-forward C.J. Miles to a multi-year contract.

“C.J. is an exceptional shooter and adds versatility to our perimeter game,” said Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri. “We are excited to add a player with experience level to our core group.”

Miles, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, holds career averages of 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 715 games through 12 NBA seasons with Indiana, Cleveland and Utah. He is a career .316 (1,008-for-2,795) three-point shooter and has made at least 100 three-point field goals in five of the last seven seasons (2010-17), including each of the last three.

Miles spent the 2016-17 campaign with the Pacers, averaging 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds. He shot a career-best .413 (169-for-409) from three-point range. His 169 three-pointers made in 76 games ranked were a single-season career-high and ranked seventh among Eastern Conference players.

Miles played three seasons (2014-17) for Indiana averaging 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 210 games. He averaged a career-best 13.5 points during the 2014-15 campaign. Prior to joining the Pacers, he averaged 10.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 116 games over two seasons (2012-14) with Cleveland. Miles spent the first seven years of his NBA career (2005-12) with the Jazz, averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 389 appearances.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Miles was selected 34th overall by Utah in the 2005 NBA Draft following a standout career at Skyline High School. He was named All-Dallas Area Player of the Year by the Dallas Morning News and was a 2005 McDonald’s High School All-American.

Raptors sign Kennedy Meeks

The Raptors have signed forward Kennedy Meeks to a contract.

Meeks, 6-foot-10, 277 pounds, recently participated with the Raptors’ entry in NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas, averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 15.5 minutes in four games.

Meeks played four seasons at North Carolina (2013-17), averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 21.3 minutes in 144 games. He ranks fifth all-time in school history in rebounds (1,052). As a senior, Meeks helped the Tar heels win the national championship. He averaged career highs in points (12.5), rebounds (9.5) and minutes (24.3) in 40 games. His 152 offensive rebounds were most by a North Carolina player in a single-season since the school starting recording the stat in 1995-96.

In the NCAA Tournament, Meeks averaged 12.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 26.2 minutes in six games. He earned All-Final Four honours after recording a career high-tying 25 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinals versus Oregon. Meeks finished with 69 rebounds in the tournament, the most in any one NCAA Tournament by a Tar Heel.

Celtics sign Semi Ojeleye

The Celtics have signed rookie forward Semi Ojeleye.

Taken by the Celtics in the second round (37th overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Southern Methodist University, Ojeleye, 22, averaged 18.9 points (48.8% FG, 42.4% 3-PT, 78.5% FT), 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 34.1 minutes in 35 games in his lone season at SMU. The 2016-17 American Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-AAC selection made at least three 3-pointers on 12 occasions this season, shooting at least 50.0% from beyond the arc in 10 of those contests and finishing third in the conference in three-point shooting percentage.

Ojeleye (6-7, 241 lbs), who was also named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press this past season, spent his first two collegiate years at Duke University before transferring to SMU. He averaged 12.2 points (48.0% FG, 41.5% 3-PT, 78.5% FT), 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist in three total seasons at the NCAA level.

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

Home and Away NBA uniform system is changing

Nike News — There’s a big development in the NBA uniform world, starting in 2017-18

Coinciding with the introduction of the new uniforms, the NBA is eliminating its “Home” and “Road” uniform designations. Beginning with the 2017-18 season, home teams will pick which of their uniforms will be worn at all home games and visiting teams will choose a contrasting uniform within their own assortment.

Because of this change, Nike and the NBA worked together to create four core uniforms for each team, classified as “editions,” which draw from the rich heritage of the NBA and its respective franchises.

The first two editions of the NBA uniforms, which will be introduced by teams this summer and will make their on-court debut at the start of the season, are the Association and Icon editions. The two remaining core uniforms, inspired by the mindset of the NBA athlete and the communities that support their teams through thick and thin, respectively, will be revealed in the coming months.

The Association Edition, the traditional home white uniform that all 30 teams will have in their assortment, links them as members of the most exclusive basketball club in the world. It represents an achievement that most athletes have worked their entire lives to reach.

The Icon Edition, previously known as the road uniform, represents the rich heritage and iconic identity that exists within each franchise. This edition utilizes the team’s primary color, a color that dominates the closets of the most diehard fans.

Also this season, eight NBA teams will have a Classic Edition uniform that will be available in the fall. The Classic Edition celebrates some of the most iconic uniforms in league history and can be worn at each team’s discretion.