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Bulls hire Randy Brown and Charlie Henry as assistant coaches

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Randy Brown and Charlie Henry have been hired as assistant coaches, while Mike Wilhelm will be retained as an assistant coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

Brown, 47, has spent the last six seasons with the Bulls as assistant general manager (2013-15), special assistant to the general manager (2010-13) and director of player development (2009-10). Prior to his return to Chicago, Brown spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (31st overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft, Brown played 12 seasons and was a member of three NBA Championship teams with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), including the 1996 team that won an NBA-record 72 games during the regular season.

Henry, 29, spent the last three seasons at Iowa State University as an assistant coach (2014-15), director of player development (2013-14) and graduate assistant (2012-13). A native of Canton, Mich., he spent the 2011-12 campaign with the Indiana Pacers as a video intern and the 2010-11 season as a graduate manager at the University of Utah. Henry graduated from Madonna University in Livonia, Mich., where he was a four-year member of the basketball team.

Wilhelm, 49, returns for his 14th season with the Bulls as an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Bulls, Wilhelm spent the 2001-02 season as a regional advance scout for the Denver Nuggets. He entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1993-94 season as the team’s video coordinator, and in 1999 he became the team’s advance scout.

Brown, Henry and Wilhelm join associate head coach Jim Boylen and assistant coach Pete Myers to round out Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

Mo Williams is headed to the Cavs

You can go home again. Veteran guard Mo Williams sees what’s up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he wants in. Perfectly understandable, since LeBron James is back and he’s got people. Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting:

Mo Williams was “very interested” in a return and he’s officially back.

The 32-year-old veteran point guard has agreed to a two-year, $4.3 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a league source confirmed. He has a player option on the second year.

Northeast Ohio Media Group reported before the free-agency period began that Williams wanted to return to Northeast Ohio.

He played two seasons with the Cavaliers from 2008-10.

Zach LaVine ready to play more shooting guard next season

Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press reporting on a key member of the Minnesota Timberwolves youth movement — Zach LaVine, who averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 assists in 24.7 minutes per game last season, shooting 42.2 percent and may look to score more in 2015-16:

Zach LaVine admits he’s not very good at paintball.

In fact, the second-year Timberwolves guard has a scar on his neck to prove it after an intense introduction to the sport while spending the July 4 weekend with friends.

LaVine has been open to trying new things this summer. That also means playing more shooting guard for the Wolves.

“That’s my thinking; I played a little bit more (shooting guard) today,” he said after the first minicamp practice Monday. “You know I like to score.”

With Minnesota acquiring point guard Tyus Jones from Cleveland in a draft-day trade last month, LaVine’s future as a floor leader appeared to be numbered.

Warriors, Leandro Barbosa will stick together

The Golden State Warriors won 67 games last regular season and went on to win the 2015 NBA championship. Although guard Leandro Barbosa had a limited role on the team, he was part of a winning squad that clearly had nice chemistry beyond their stars, and it’s good news that he’ll be back for 2015-16. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:

Barbosa was a semi-polarizing figure insofar as the team’s front office was divided on his value to the team. The divide was not strident, but it definitely was there. It was easy to see why. The veteran guard was by turns exasperating and electrifying.

Kerr defended Barbosa at every turn. So did Barbosa’s teammates. They loved “LB” as a role model for putting in the extra work, for injecting humor and for his featured role in generating esprit de corps.

That is largely why the Warriors and Barbosa, who is an unrestricted free agent, will reunite next season. General manager Bob Myers issued a statement affirming the team’s intention, which can’t become official before Thursday, at the conclusion of the league’s moratorium period.

Barbosa agreed Monday to play his 13th season on a one-year contract worth a reported $2.5 million.

Kings and Kosta Koufos agree to deal

The Kings will add an underrated talent who has shown solid ability in very limited minutes to their frontcourt. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

The Kings agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract with free-agent center Kosta Koufos, a league source confirmed Saturday night.

The deal has a player option after three seasons.

Koufos, 26, averaged 5.2 points and 5.3 rebounds as a backup with Memphis last season.

The 7-foot, 265-pound Koufos gives Sacramento an experienced backup for DeMarcus Cousins.

Jeremy Evans will sign with Mavericks

Jeremy Evans will sign with Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have had an impressive offseason. And after striking agreements with starter-level talent these past few days, they’re solidifying their bench a bit. Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune reporting on an athletic former member of the Utah Jazz who will take his hops to Texas:

The Utah Jazz have lost their former NBA slam dunk champion.

A free agent forward, Jeremy Evans announced via Twitter on Sunday afternoon that he had reached a deal to join the Mavericks. According to an ESPN report, the deal is for two years at the league minimum.

The 27-year-old Evans was a second-round pick by the Jazz in 2010. But after being a regular rotation player two seasons ago for coach Tyrone Corbin, Evans saw his minutes and role dramatically reduced last season under new coach Quin Snyder.

“If I’m here, I’m going to be so happy,” Evans said during his exit interview in April. “I feel like this is my home. If not, I know it’s still going to be a bright future and wish everybody the best.”

Lakers, Lou Williams agree to deal

It’s been a tough free agency period for the Lakers. They need all the help they can get, at almost every position. And even though they already have a scoring guard by the name of Kobe Bryant, adding another will help, whether that player gets used as a point guard or simply as scoring punch off the bench. They just need players, period. Enter Lou Williams. Here’s the Toronto Star reporting:

Lou Williams has a new home and the Raptors have escaped making another tough decision that might not have resonated well with fans.

Williams, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $21 million (U.S.) contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sparing the Raptors from being anything like a villain in the departure of another free agent.

Along with Amir Johnson (to Boston on a two-year, $24 million deal) Johnson was a key part of last year’s Raptor success, and there were fans who would have liked both to return.

But the Raptors were not going to pay Williams that salary for three years and they weren’t going to go near $12 million a season for Johnson.

Pacers will keep Rodney Stuckey

Here’s the Indianapolis Star with an update on guard Rodney Stuckey:

The Indiana Pacers continued shaping their roster on Sunday by working a deal with in-house free agent Rodney Stuckey.

The team and Stuckey have agreed on a three-year deal worth $21 million with a player option the third year, according to his agent.

Stuckey, 29, had a career year in his first season with the Pacers. Though Stuckey started 36 games, he found his niche as the Pacers’ high-scoring sixth man in averaging 12.6 points on 44 percent from the field, the highest shooting mark of his eight seasons.

Kings, Rajon Rondo agree to short-term deal

The Sacramento Kings have landed some temporary help at the point guard spot. Rajon Rondo’s stock is down these days. He’s never been a good outside shooter, but his overall affect on a team has been questioned lately. Joining the Kings, who have plenty of individual talent that can use some help working together efficiently as a squad, will be a good test, and fun for fans to watch. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

The Kings reached an agreement with point guard Rajon Rondo on a one-year deal worth approximately $10 million, a league source confirmed Friday.

Rondo met with the Kings on Friday and left the facility before deciding to sign with the team.

Best known as a four-time All-Star with Boston, Rondo finished last season with Dallas.

It was Rondo’s first full season since tearing his right ACL in 2013. He averaged 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists in 22 games with the Celtics before he was traded to Dallas last December.

No Tristan Thompson, Cavs agreement yet

No Tristan Thompson, Cavs agreement yet

Here’s the News Herald reporting on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hope to retain the services of rugged role-playing power forward Tristan Thompson but apparently haven’t come to a final free agent contract agreement just yet:

We’re not privy to what caused the interruption in the Cavs’ bliss. All we know is that there was a snag and Thompson has yet to agree to a deal.

It’s undoubtedly not the length of the contract. The five-year deal is the maximum allowed under the NBA’s salary-cap regulations.

Maybe Thompson wants a player’s option in the final year of the contract.

Perhaps it’s coming down to dollars and cents (sense?). The most the Cavs can offer him under the rules is around $90 million. The Cavs were reportedly offering $80 million. That’s the difference of him making $16 million a year as opposed to $18 million.

For as much as I respect Thompson’s lunch-pail game, that’s a lot of money for a 10.1-point career scorer.