NBA News Blog – Page 732 – NBA Blog

Report: Brandon Knight to re-sign with Suns

With free agent negotiations set to begin Wednesday, reports will start to trickle out regarding decisions various teams and players are making. Here’s a big one, from the Racine Journal Times:

Brandon Knight’s ship is about to come in.

Knight, whom the Milwaukee Bucks traded to the Phoenix Suns in February in a multiple-team deal, appears on the brink of signing a lucrative long-term contract to remain with the Suns.

I’ve been told by an NBA official that Knight, who’ll become a restricted free agent on July 1, will sign a five-year, $70 million contract with the Suns.

Knight, who is 23, was enjoying an All-Star caliber season – 17.8 points and 5.4 assists — before the Bucks surprisingly sent him to the Suns.

He then played 11 games for the Suns, averaging 13.4 and 4.5 assists. After suffering an ankle injury March 9, Knight missed 16 of the Suns’ final 17 games. He underwent minor arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in April.

Magic hire Adrian Griffin, Monte Mathis, Mario Elie and Conner Henry as coaches

The Orlando Magic have named Adrian Griffin, Monte Mathis, Mario Elie and Conner Henry assistant coaches. In addition, Laron Profit and Jay Hernandez will remain as assistant coaches/player development, completing Scott Skiles’ coaching staff.

Griffin has spent the last five seasons (2010-15) as an assistant coach with Chicago. During the summer of 2014, he worked with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Prior to joining the Bulls, he served as assistant coach/player development for two seasons (2008-10) with Milwaukee under Scott Skiles.

As a player, Griffin appeared in 477 career NBA games (179 starts) during nine seasons with Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Seattle, averaging 4.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 16.8 minpg. He also played in 48 career playoff outings, averaging 3.4 ppg. and 3.0 rpg. in 13.2 minpg. and helped Dallas reach the 2006 NBA Finals. Griffin also played one season in Italy and three seasons with Connecticut of the CBA. In 1998-99, he was named CBA Most Valuable Player and also earned CBA Finals MVP, leading Connecticut to the championship.

Born on July 4, 1974 and a native of Wichita, Kansas, Griffin was a three-year starter at Seton Hall University. He and his wife, Audrey, have two daughters, Vanessa and Aubrey, and two sons, Alan and Adrian, Jr.

Mathis has spent the previous five seasons (2010-15) as an assistant coach with Dallas and the last four seasons as the Mavericks’ defensive coordinator, after spending one season as player development coach. As defensive coordinator, his responsibilities included preparing defensive game plans and coordinating scouting reports on upcoming opponents. Prior to that, Mathis served as head video coordinator/scout with Dallas for the previous four seasons (2006-10). He also had served as Dallas’ summer league head coach since 2009.

Prior to joining the Mavericks, Mathis spent 11 years coaching in the collegiate ranks. He came to Dallas after serving as an assistant coach at Xavier (Ohio) University. Before that, Mathis spent four seasons as an assistant coach with Ohio State University (2000-04), helping them win the Big Ten title in 2002. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, Mathis was an assistant coach for four seasons at the University of Toledo. During his tenure, he helped the Rockets to their first postseason appearance in 20 years. He also served as an assistant coach at the University of South Alabama (1995-96) and as a graduate assistant at McNeese State (1994-95). Mathis began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati.

Mathis played for Larry Brown at the University of Kansas before transferring to Toledo, where he was a two-year letter winner in baseball and basketball. After graduating from Toledo in 1991 with a bachelor of arts degree in communications, Mathis played and coached in the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox farm systems for three years. His father, Mike Mathis, was an NBA referee for 25 years, while his brothers, Mick, Marty and Brian, all played college football, with Brian making it to the NFL for four seasons. Born on June 2, 1967 and a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he and his wife, Ayrica, have a daughter, Ava (9) and a son, Mason (6).

Elie has spent nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA, most recently with Brooklyn for two seasons (2011-13). Before joining the Nets, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Sacramento (2009-11). Elie also served as an assistant coach with Dallas (2007-09), Golden State (2004-06) and San Antonio (2003-04).

Originally selected in the seventh round (160th overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, Elie played professionally in Portugal, Argentina, Ireland, the USBL, the WBL and the CBA, before making his NBA debut with Philadelphia in December 1990. After finally breaking through, he enjoyed a successful 11-year career in the NBA. Elie played in 732 career regular season NBA games (395 starts) with Philadelphia, Golden State, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix, averaging 8.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg. and 2.6 apg. in 25.5 minpg., while shooting .365 (574-1,572) from three-point range. He also appeared in 116 career playoff outings (57 starts), averaging 8.5 ppg., 2.9 rpg. and 2.3 apg. in 26.3 minpg., while shooting .367 (90-245) from three-point range.

Elie won three NBA Championships during his career, two with Houston (1993-94, 1994-95) and one with San Antonio (1998-99). During Game #7 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals at Phoenix, he hit a memorable, go-ahead three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left, helping the Rockets overcome a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Suns. Elie started all four games of the 1995 NBA Finals against Orlando, averaging 16.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.3 apg. and 2.00 stlpg. in 40.3 minpg. In 1998, he was named to the Rockets “30-Year Team” as one of the top ten players in club history.

Born on November 26, 1963 and a native of New York City, Elie played collegiately at American International College, a Division II school located in Springfield, Massachusetts. He earned a degree in human relations, speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French. Elie also worked as a pre- and postgame host for the Rockets’ FOX Sports Net telecasts during the 1996-97 campaign. He and his wife, Gina Gaston, are the parents of triplets – sons Gaston and Glenn, and daughter Lauren. Gina is the lead news anchor for KTRK-TV in Houston and has also worked as a national correspondent for MSNBC.

Henry spent the last two seasons (2013-15) as head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, compiling a regular season record of 62-38 (.620). During his first year with the Mad Ants (2013-14), he guided them to a league-best 34-16 regular season record and was named the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year. Fort Wayne would proceed to sweep through the postseason and capture the 2013-14 NBA D-League Championship. Last season (2014-15), the Mad Ants returned to the D-League Finals, but fell to Santa Cruz.

Prior to joining Fort Wayne, Henry served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League for two seasons (2011-13). He spent four years in the Australian Basketball League, serving as an assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats (2006-08), before becoming head coach in 2008-09. Henry then joined the Sydney Kings in 2010-11 as an assistant coach.

Originally selected in the fourth round (89th overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft by Houston, Henry played in 93 career regular season NBA games with Houston, Boston, Milwaukee and Sacramento, averaging 3.3 ppg. and 1.1 apg. in 8.1 minpg. He went on to play with Rapid City and Yakima of the CBA, where he enjoyed tremendous success. Henry was voted the CBA Player of the Year and CBA All-Star Game MVP in 1990. He was named CBA All-Star Game MVP for a second time in 1992. Henry also played professionally in Italy, Spain, France and Greece.

Born on July 21, 1963 and a native of Claremont, California, Henry played collegiately at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he scored 1,236 during his four-year career.

Nets trade Mason Plumlee to Trail Blazers

Nets trade Mason Plumlee to Trail Blazers for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake

The Brooklyn Nets acquired the draft rights to forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and guard Steve Blake from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for center Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to guard/forward Pat Connaughton, Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday.

“We are very excited to add Rondae to our roster,” said King. “He is the type of athletic wing we were looking for, and we felt he was the best defensive player in the draft.”

“I also wanted to thank Mason for his time with the Nets and wish him the best with his new team. Mason worked extremely hard from the first time he stepped on the court in training camp last year, and I am sure he will have a long and successful career.”

Hollis-Jefferson (6’8”, 220) was selected with the 23rd pick in tonight’s draft by the Trail Blazers before being dealt to the Nets. He played two seasons at Arizona and helped lead the Wildcats to two Elite Eight appearances and a 66-9 regular season record. As a freshman, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game in 38 games (six starts) en route to Pac 12 All-Freshman Team honors. In his second and final season at Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson posted averages of 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game in 38 games (25 starts). He was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and garnered Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.

Blake (6’3”, 172) is a 12-year veteran who has appeared in 812 career games (345 starts) with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State. He holds career averages of 6.7 points and 4.0 assists. Last season in Portland, Blake recorded averages of 4.3 points and 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes per game in 81 games off the Trail Blazers’ bench.

Plumlee was originally drafted by the Nets with the 22nd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. In 152 games (67 starts), he posted averages of 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game. Plumlee earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2014.

Tim Hardaway Jr now with Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks acquired guard Tim Hardaway Jr. from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant, the 19th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Earlier in the draft, Atlanta selected Kansas forward Kelly Oubre with the 15th pick in the first round before dealing his draft rights to Washington for Grant’s draft rights and the Wizards’ second round selections in 2016 and 2019.

“(Tim) is a young two-guard who has shown the ability to make shots and be an effective player,” said Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer. “When we get him into our player development program, working with our coaches and around our players, we think he’s going to grow and prosper here.”

A two-year veteran, Hardaway has career averages of 10.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 23.5 minutes in 151 games (31 starts). He was originally selected by the Knicks 24th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft after playing collegiately at Michigan.

In the second round, Atlanta took guard Marcus Eriksson with the 50th pick and forward Dimitrios Agravanis with the 59th selection.

The 6’7 Eriksson has played four seasons in the Spanish ACB league with Barcelona and Manresa. He played one game for Barcelona in 2014-15 and in 33 contests with Manresa in the previous season, when he averaged 11.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes. Eriksson was born on Dec. 5, 1993 in Sweden.

Agravanis, a 6’10 forward from Greece, has played professionally for five years in his home country with Olympiacos, Panionios and Maroussi. In 2014-15 with Olympiacos, he averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes. Agravanis was born on Dec. 20, 1994 in Athens.

Pelicans trade Branden Dawson to Clippers

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has traded the draft rights to Branden Dawson to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for cash considerations.

Dawson, 6-6, 225, was the 56th overall selection by New Orleans in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Michigan State product was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Second-Team All-Big Ten as a Senior, averaging 11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds during the campaign.

Nets acquire rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet

The Brooklyn Nets acquired the draft rights to forward Juan Pablo Vaulet from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for a 2018 second round pick, the Nets’ 2019 second round pick and cash considerations, Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday night.

Vaulet (6’6”, 200) is a native of Cordoba, Argentina who has been playing for Weber Bahia Estudiantes of the Liga Nacional de Basquet in Argentina. The 19-year-old averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game in 34 games this past season.

Nuggets draft Emmanuel Mudiay 7th overall

Nuggets draft Emmanuel Mudiay 7th overall

The Denver Nuggets selected guard Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Mudiay, 6-5, 200, was an early entry candidate and spent the 2014-15 season in China playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 12 games, he posted averages of 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.60 steals in 31.5 minutes per game.

“We couldn’t be happier that Emmanuel was there for us at number seven and we are thrilled to welcome him to Denver as the newest member of the Denver Nuggets” General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said.

Originally from Kinshasa, the capital and largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo and also the city that produced former Nuggets great Dikembe Mutombo.
Mudiay attended Prime Prep Academy in Dallas, Texas where he led the team to a 30-6 record as a high school senior in 2014. After his senior season, Mudiay was ranked the number two overall player by Rivals and Scout and number five by ESPN. He was selected to the Parade and USA Today All-American First teams. He was also selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game, the Jordan Brand Classic All-Star game and played alongside Nuggets 2014 second round draft pick (41st overall) Nikola Jokic at the Nike Hoop Summit.

Grizzlies trade Jon Leuer to Suns for Andrew Harrison

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison, who was selected with the No. 44 overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft, from the Phoenix Suns for forward Jon Leuer, General Manager Chris Wallace announced tonight.

Harrison (6-6, 210) played two seasons (2013-15) at the University of Kentucky, averaging 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 28.6 minutes in 79 games and starting in all but one game in his tenure. His 298 assists rank 16th in the Wildcats’ record books and are the most for a two-year player in program history.

Playing alongside his twin brother Aaron Harrison, the 20-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 25.5 minutes in 39 games (all starts) while shooting .383 from three-point range as a sophomore last season, helping Kentucky become the first team ever to post a 38-0 record before falling to Wisconsin in the 2015 NCAA Final Four. The Wildcats’ win total tied the most in NCAA history.

As a freshman, the San Antonio native recorded 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 31.7 minutes in 40 games (39 starts), ranking third in UK freshman single-season history with 159 assists. He averaged 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists as a senior at Travis High School where he directed the squad to a state title in 2013.

Harrison is one of six Wildcats to be drafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, joining Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 1 overall), Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 6), Trey Lyles (No. 12), Devin Booker (No. 13) and Dakari Johnson (No. 48).

Leuer (6-10, 228) holds career averages of 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.9 minutes in 186 games (18 starts) over four seasons (2011-15) with the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies. The 26-year-old registered 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 11.9 minutes in 131 games (six starts) during his tenure in Memphis.

The Long Lake, Minn. native was selected by Milwaukee in the second round (40th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Wisconsin.

Knicks trade Tim Hardaway Jr to Hawks

Knicks trade Tim Hardaway Jr to Hawks

The shakeup of the New York Knicks continues. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting a trade agreed to during the 2015 NBA Draft:

Phil Jackson’s second move Thursday night probably was more popular than his first.

After drafting Latvian project forward Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick overall, the Knicks’ president picked up another first-round talent by agreeing to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta for No. 19 selection Jerian Grant, the point guard out of Notre Dame.

Grant, 22, was a four-year starter for the Irish, averaging 14.6 points and 5.8 assists over 119 collegiate games.

Several NBA Draft-night Hawks trades

Several NBA Draft-night Hawks trades

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting on some Atlanta Hawks trades agreed to during the 2015 NBA Draft:

The Hawks made two draft-night trades – and ended up with NBA player Tim Hardaway Jr. Thursday night.

The Hawks made their No. 15 overall pick in the first round of Kelly Oubre. The freshman small forward from Kansas won’t play in Atlanta. The Hawks sent Oubre to the Wizards for the No. 19 pick and two future second-round picks.

Twenty minutes later the Wizards picked Jerian Grant for the Hawks, who sent the point guard from Notre Dame to the Knicks for Hardaway.