NBA News Blog – Page 609 – NBA Blog

Clippers sign Raymond Felton

The Clippers have added another backup for Chris Paul and signed veteran guard Raymond Felton.

The Clippers start Paul and J.J. Redick in the backcourt, and have Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford as reserves. Felton adds additional depth to that mix.

Felton, 32, joins L.A. after spending last season with the Mavericks, where he averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 80 games (31 starts). The South Carolina native appeared in five playoff games (four starts) for the Mavericks last season, averaging 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

The 11-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 776 games (646 starts) with the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Mavericks. He was named NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2006.

Felton was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats with the 5th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft from the University of North Carolina, where he became the first player in Tar Heels history to total 1,000 points, 600 assists, 300 rebounds, 150 steals and 100 3-pointers. In three years at UNC, Felton averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

Hornets sign center Mike Tobey

The Hornets have signed center Mike Tobey. Until we hear otherwise, we will assume this is a non-guaranteed contract.

“We really liked what we saw in Mike during mini-camp and he continued to impress throughout Summer League,” Hornets General Manager Rich Cho said. “He is a talented young big man with a lot of potential and we look forward to seeing what he can do moving forward.”

Tobey, a four-year player at Virginia, saw action in 138 games during his career, posting averages of 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game. His .622 two-point field goal percentage ranked third in the ACC during the 2015-16 season. The 7-0 center tallied 11 outings of double-digit scoring and 15 games of five-or-more rebounds, including one double-double in his final collegiate campaign. He was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year following the 2014-15 season.

The Monroe, N.Y. native, went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft and played in all five games for the Hornets at the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League. He averaged 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals in 20.8 minutes per game, tallying three games of ten-or-more points including one double-double.

Thunder sign guard Alex Abrines

The Thunder have signed guard Alex Abrines to a multi-year contract.

Abrines was originally selected by the Thunder with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and this past season, Abrines appeared in 37 games with FC Barcelona where he averaged 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. During EuroLeague competition Abrines shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range.

“We are pleased to welcome Alex to the Thunder organization,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “He brings a unique blend of international experience and skill for his age. He will continue to add depth and versatility to our core of perimeter players.”

At the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, Abrines was named the EuroLeague’s Rising Star, as voted on by the league’s coaches. Additionally, Abrines received All-Spanish Liga Endesa Honorable Mention honors this past year after helping lead FC Barcelona to the Supercup and a spot in the League Finals.

“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to join an organization like the Oklahoma City Thunder,” said Abrines. “I look forward to meeting my teammates and contributing any way that I can as a member of the team.”

A member of the Spanish National Team, Abrines previously won a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship and a bronze medal at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.

Pelicans sign rookie Cheick Diallo and re-sign Alonzo Gee

The Pelicans have signed 2016 second round draft pick Cheick Diallo and re-signed guard/forward Alonzo Gee.

Many second round draft picks never get signed to NBA contracts. It’s always worth noting the one that do.

Diallo, 6-9, 220, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of Kansas. His rights were acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in a draft night transaction where New Orleans sent the 39th (David Michineau, 6-3, 175, France) and 40th (Diamond Stone, 6-11, 255, Maryland) overall selections to the Clippers. In his lone season at Kansas, Diallo, averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game.

“We targeted Cheick early in the draft process and believe he will become a good NBA player,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “Cheick is a self-driven, relentless worker that is determined to succeed. He showed us flashes in Summer League and we feel like he will develop into a player that will impact winning.”

Diallo appeared in five games for the Pelicans during the 2016 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 10.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Gee, 6-6, 225, who was originally signed by New Orleans on July 16, 2015, appeared in 73 games (38 starts) for the Pelicans during the 2015-16 season, averaging 4.5 points while shooting .518 from the field, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 22.4 minutes per game.

“Alonzo is someone that comes to work every day and gives you all that he has every time he steps on the floor,” stated Demps. “He’s a tough, competitive basketball player that can defend multiple positions. We’re really happy to welcome him back to the Pelicans.”

Undrafted in 2009, the University of Alabama product has appeared in 404 career regular season games with Washington, San Antonio, Cleveland, Denver, Portland and New Orleans, holding averages of 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 22.2 minutes per contest.

Cavaliers sign Chris Andersen

The Birdman has flown to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers have signed center Chris Andersen, the team announced today.

Andersen (6-10, 245) split time between Memphis and Miami last season, appearing in 27 games (15 starts) with averages of 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Over his 14-year NBA career, he holds averages of 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.8 minutes over 683 games (45 starts) with Denver, New Orleans, Miami and Memphis. Andersen has a career field goal percentage of .533, having hit at least .500 from the field in each of the last eight seasons.

A native of Long Beach, Calif., Andersen won an NBA Championship with Miami in 2013 and set an NBA playoff record by shooting .807 (46-57) from the field over 20 games during the Heat’s title run (minimum 20 FGA). Overall, he has appeared in 73 career postseason games (two starts), averaging 5.3 points on .631 shooting from the field, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17.1 minutes.

Andersen will wear jersey number 00 for the Cavaliers.

Pelicans sign Terrence Jones, re-sign Tim Frazier

The Pelicans have signed unrestricted free agent forward Terrence Jones, and re-signed guard Tim Frazier.

Jones, 6-9, 252, has spent his entire professional career with the Houston Rockets after being selected 18th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky. In 178 career regular season games (106 starts) with the Rockets, Jones has averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 24.1 minutes per contest. Jones has appeared in 25 playoff games (11 starts) in which he averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per contest.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Terrence Jones to the Pelicans’ family,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “Terrence is a versatile player that possesses a diverse skill set that can help us win games. He will be a great addition to our program.”

Frazier, 6-1, 170, was originally signed by New Orleans on March 16, 2016 after receiving a GATORADE Call-Up from the NBA Development League’s Maine Red Claws. In 16 games (one start) last season with New Orleans, Frazier averaged 13.1 points, 7.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 29.3 minutes per game.

“We were really impressed with how well Tim performed last season,” added Demps. “He stepped into our rotation late in the season and immediately made a positive impact. Tim is a player our coaches want to coach, and our players want to play with him. We are happy to have him back.”

Undrafted in 2014 out of Penn State, Frazier has appeared in 62 career regular season games with Philadelphia, Portland and New Orleans, averaging 5.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds.

Pelicans sign rookie Buddy Hield

The Pelicans have signed 2016 first round draft pick Buddy Hield.

All players selected in the first round of the draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to begin their NBA career right away. This signing was expected.

Hield, 6-4, 214, comes off his senior season at the University of Oklahoma, where he claimed the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, as well as Consensus First Team All-America, Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 honors. Hield helped lead the Sooners to the 2016 Final Four on his 25.0 points per game, ranked second in the nation, and his top ranked 3.97 three-point field goals per game, while registering twelve 30-point performances during the course of his senior campaign. Over his four-year career, Hield averaged a career 17.4 points, finishing as the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer (2,661).

“We could not be more excited to add a player and person like Buddy Hield to the New Orleans Pelicans,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “He embodies all the traits we care about in our organization. His work ethic, energy and confidence have been on full display since he stepped foot in New Orleans. We look forward to helping him grow as a player as he will help us become a better team.”

Hield appeared in five games for New Orleans during the 2016 Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest.

Spurs sign Livio Jean-Charles

The Spurs have signed forward Livio Jean-Charles.

Jean-Charles, 6-9/225, was originally drafted by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old has spent the last four seasons with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne of the French Pro-A League. Last season he saw action in 25 games, averaging 5.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes while shooting .552 (64-116) from the field and .655 (19-29) from the foul line. In the playoffs he appeared in 11 games, upping his averages to 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 25.9 minutes helping lead ASVEL to the French League championship. Jean-Charles also made eight FIBA Europe Cup appearances, averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.9 minutes.

Prior to joining Lyon-Villeurbanne, Jean-Charles spent two seasons with Centre Federal du Basket-Ball in the French-NM1 League.

Jean-Charles represented France on the U-20 National Team at the 2012 and 2013 U-20 European Championships. At the 2013 U-20 Championships, he averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

In April 2013, Jean-Charles participated in the Nike Hoop Summit where he was named the Most Outstanding Player after a 27-point, 13-rebound effort, leading the World Team to a 112-98 win over the USA Junior Select Team that included current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker.

Wizards sign Tomas Satoransky

The Wizards have signed guard Tomas Satoransky.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring Tomas to the organization after monitoring his development overseas for the last several years,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “He will provide energy and athleticism at both guard positions, giving us more depth and versatility in the backcourt.”

Satoransky (6-7, 210) was originally selected by the Wizards with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft as an international prospect. Washington has held his rights over the last four seasons.

Last season, he averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 assists while shooting .439 from three-point range in 43 games for Barcelona in the ACB League (Spain) and tallied 9.0 points and 4.2 assists in 29 games of Euroleague action. In 2014-15, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists while shooting .432 from three-point range in 68 combined games between ACB and Euroleague play for Barcelona.

After being drafted by the Wizards, the Prague native played two seasons for Sevilla in Spain (2012-14). Prior to being drafted by Washington, he played three pro seasons (2009-10 through 2011-12) in Spain (for Qalat Caja Sol Sevilla and Cajasol Sevilla) and two pro seasons (2007-08 & 2008-09) in his native Czech Republic (for USK Prague). Satoransky is a member of the Czech Republic National Team.

Pelicans sign Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill, E`Twaun Moore

The Pelicans have signed unrestricted free agents Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore.

“Today is an exciting day for the Pelicans,” said Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Dell Demps. “We entered the free agency period determined to add high character, talented, defensive-minded, gritty yet smart players that compete and play hard. We are headed in the right direction with the signings of Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill and E’Twaun Moore.”

Demps added, “These guys are two-way players that have been on our radar for quite some time. We wanted to stick with the theme of adding young veterans that can enhance our program while growing with our team. We are thrilled to welcome Langston, Solomon, E’Twaun and their families to the Pelicans’ family.”

Galloway, 6-2, 200, most recently played for the New York Knicks, appearing in all 82 games during the 2015-16 season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Undrafted out of Saint Joseph’s, Galloway began his professional career with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA Development League, before signing with New York on January 5, 2015. The Baton Rouge native appeared in 45 games for the Knicks during his rookie campaign, averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals on his way to being named to the 2015 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In 127 career regular season games, Galloway holds averages of 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.

Hill, 6-7, 225, has spent his entire professional career with the Indiana Pacers after being selected 23rd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of Arizona. In 169 career regular season games with the Pacers, Hill has averaged 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.6 minutes per contest. His best statistical season came in 2014-15, when Hill appeared in all 82 games (78 starts), averaging 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Moore, 6-4, 191, most recently played for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 7.5 points on .481 shooting from the field, including .452 from three-point range, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 59 games during the 2015-16 season. Selected by the Boston Celtics with the 55th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at Purdue University, Moore has appeared in 307 career regular season games with Boston, Orlando and Chicago, while averaging 5.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.2 minutes per game.