NBA News Blog – Page 775 – NBA Blog

Houston Rockets sign forward Tarik Black

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Tarik Black, a participant on the team’s Orlando and Las Vegas Summer League squads.

Black (6-8, 253, Kansas), appeared in 135 contests and held career averages of 8.4 points on 61.4% FG shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over the course of his four-year NCAA career. In his lone season at Kansas, he was named Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and went on to average 15.0 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. In three years at Memphis, Black was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team.

In five contests at the 2014 Orlando Summer League with the Houston Rockets, Black averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-leading 1.0 blocks in 20.0 minutes per game. Black also appeared in eight games for the Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League as the team reached the Samsung NBA Summer League Championship.

Pelicans sign John Salmons

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed forward John Salmons.

Salmons, the 26th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, has appeared in 874 games (429 starts) over his 12-year NBA career for Philadelphia, Sacramento, Chicago, Milwaukee and Toronto. The University of Miami product holds career averages of 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game.

Clippers trade Jared Dudley to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Jared Dudley and a 2017 conditional first round draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for forward Carlos Delfino, center Miroslav Raduljica and a 2015 second round draft pick (previously received from the L.A. Clippers), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

“Jared is a great teammate, I thank him for all his hard work on and off the floor on our behalf,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “Jared is a true professional and we wish him all the best in Milwaukee.”

A seven-year NBA veteran from Boston College, Dudley, 29, holds career averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Originally selected by Charlotte with the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Dudley has shot 46.9 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from the 3-point arc and 73.7 percent from the free throw line in 523 career games (190 starts) with the Bobcats, Suns and Clippers. His best statistical season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 12.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor.

Delfino, 31, missed the entire 2013-14 season while recovering from a foot injury suffered during the 2013 NBA playoffs. The nine-year NBA veteran from Santa Fe, Argentina, has averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 507 career NBA games (170 starts) for Milwaukee, Houston, Toronto and Detroit. He was originally selected by the Pistons with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Raduljica, 26, signed with the Bucks as a free agent prior to the 2013-14 campaign. In 48 games for Milwaukee, he averaged 3.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in his rookie campaign. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Raduljica first represented his country in international competition at the European U16 Championships in 2004.

Utah Jazz sign forward Brock Motum

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent forward Brock Motum.

Motum (6-10, 245, Washington State) spent the 2013-14 season with Granarolo Bologna of the Italian SerieA League, averaging 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. He also participated in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the Jazz in Las Vegas, where he appeared in five games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.

The 23-year-old forward played collegiately at Washington State (2009-13), where he ranks fifth on the Cougars all-time list in both career points (1,530) and field goal percentage (.567). As a senior he led the Pac 12 in scoring average with 18.7 points per game, scoring at least 10 points in all 31 contests, and was selected All-Pac 12 Second Team. Following his junior season, Motum was named to the 2012 All-Pac 12 First Team and earned the league’s Most Improved Player award.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Motum competed for the Australian Institute of Sport in both 2008 and 2009, and is currently playing for the Australian National Team at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign rookie forward Dwight Powell

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Dwight Powell, the 45th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Powell played four years at Stanford, appearing in 136 games (105 starts) with averages of 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. The 6-11, 240-pound forward from Ontario, Canada is a two-time First Team All-Pac 12 selection. He averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals during his senior season and was the Pac 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Powell also played for Canada in the World University Games in the summer of 2013.

During the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer in Las Vegas, Powell appeared in three games (one start) for the Cavaliers and averaged 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game. He was originally acquired along with center Brendan Haywood in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Scotty Hopson and cash considerations on July 12, 2014.

Utah Jazz announce staff additions

The Utah Jazz today announced that the team has hired Patrick Beilein and Lamar Skeeter as player development/video analysts, and named Taylor Snarr as coordinator of analytics.

For the past two seasons, Beilein served as the head coach at West Virginia Wesleyan, a Division II school location in Buckhannon, W.V. He took the team to a 20-12 record during the 2013-14 season, an eight-win improvement over his inaugural campaign. Prior to his first head coaching job, Beilein served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Bradley University for one season (2011-12) and as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire during the 2010-11 campaign. From 2008-10, he served as a graduate assistant at the University of Michigan under his father, John Beilein.

Beilein also played for his father at West Virginia University, helping to lead the Mountaineers to appearances in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. He finished his four-year career with 1,001 points and ranks second in school history in career three-point field goals with 241, just the third player to surpass 200 in a career.

Skeeter spent the past season with the Atlanta Hawks, serving as the basketball operations intern in the summer of 2013 before transitioning to the player development/video intern for the 2013-14 campaign. Prior to his stint in Atlanta, he spent one season (2012-13) as the basketball operations intern for the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League then former head coach and current Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen. Skeeter also spent one season as a graduate assistant at Walsh University, his alma mater, in North Canton, Ohio.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Skeeter graduated from Walsh with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business management. He also competed for the school’s Division III basketball team from 2007-11.

Snarr spent the 2013-14 campaign as the basketball analytics intern for the Jazz, working directly with SportVU’s player tracking system. A graduate of BYU-Hawaii, Snarr has over five years of professional experience with data and research analysis. Most recently, Snarr worked with the Utah Department of Corrections as a research consultant from 2011 through June 2014.

Rockets re-sign Francisco Garcia

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced that the team has re-signed unrestricted free agent guard/forward Francisco Garcia.

Garcia (6-7, 195, Louisville) has averaged 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 535 career games (137 starts) with Sacramento and Houston. Last season with the Rockets, Garcia averaged 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.7 minutes. Acquired by the Rockets in a trade with the Kings on Feb. 20, 2013, Garcia averaged 6.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.78 steals in 18 games (five starts) during his first season with Houston. He was also a big contributor in Houston’s 2013 playoff series with Oklahoma City, averaging 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in six games (three starts) against the Thunder. Garcia, who was the longest tenured King when acquired by the Rockets, averaged 5.2 points, 1.7 boards and 1.1 assists in 17.8 minutes per outing over 40 games (15 starts) with Sacramento in 2012-13. Entering his ninth NBA season, Garcia was originally selected by the Kings as an early entry candidate out of Louisville with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Atlanta Hawks add Charles Lee and Ben Sullivan to coaching staff

The Atlanta Hawks have added Charles Lee and Ben Sullivan to the coaching staff, it was announced today by Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“Charles and Ben bring unique skills and abilities to our staff. Both have strong backgrounds in player development that will complement our emphasis on internal team improvement,” Budenholzer said. “We feel very fortunate to add them and are excited to see how they positively impact our group.”

Lee, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Bucknell, was the 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year for the Bisons and ranks 22nd on the school’s all-time scoring list. After graduating with a degree in business management, the Gaithersburg, MD native played professionally in Israel, Belgium and Germany.

Sullivan most recently worked in basketball development and as an assistant video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs. He played collegiately at Cal-State Northridge and University of Portland, competing professionally in China, Germany and Chile following graduation. Sullivan joined University of Portland’s coaching staff in 2009, then was an assistant coach at Lewis & Clark College in Portland before joining the Spurs.

Lee and Sullivan join Kenny Atkinson, Darvin Ham, Taylor Jenkins and Neven Spahija on Budenholzer’s staff. Additionally, Jim Thomas, a member of the coaching staff in 2013-14, has been moved into a front office role as a scout, a position he previously served in with Oklahoma City, New York and Toronto.

Jazz sign forward Jack Cooley

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent forward Jack Cooley.

Cooley (6-9, 246, Notre Dame) played for Trabzonspor in the Turkish Basketball League during the 2013-14 season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 22.9 minutes in 28 games (19 starts).

The 23-year-old forward played four years at Notre Dame (2009-13), averaging 13.1 points and 10.1 rebounds during his senior season. He also led the team with 41 blocked shots and earned 2013 All-Big East First Team honors. Cooley totaled 32 double-doubles throughout his career with the Fighting Irish, including 19 his senior campaign. He also earned the 2012 Big East Most Improved Player award and was named to the 2012 All-Big East Second Team. Cooley became the 53rd player in Notre Dame history to reach the 1,000-point mark and finished with 1,017 career points and grabbed 792 career rebounds. He was not selected in the 2013 NBA Draft.

A native of Evanston, Ill., Cooley played high school basketball at Glenbrook South in Glenview, Ill. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Notre Dame.

Cavs hire Jim Boylan, Bret Brielmaier, Larry Drew, James Posey as assistant coaches

The Cavaliers have finalized their coaching staff and named Jim Boylan, Bret Brielmaier, Larry Drew and James Posey as assistant coaches on head coach David Blatt’s staff, Cavs General Manager David Griffin and Blatt announced today. They join Tyronn Lue, who was named associate head coach earlier this summer. Phil Handy will also serve as Director of Player Development and Assistant Coach, along with Vitaly Potapenko, who has been tabbed to continue as the team’s Assistant Director of Player Development.

Boylan joins Blatt’s staff after serving as an assistant for the Cavaliers during their 2013-14 campaign. Prior to joining the Cavaliers, he spent five seasons as the lead assistant coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, with the last 50 games of the 2012-13 season as the interim head coach. Boylan began his NBA coaching career with the Cavaliers as an assistant in 1992 under Lenny Wilkins and has since worked as an assistant with Chicago, Vancouver, Phoenix and Atlanta.

Brielmaier returns for his second season in Cleveland, having joined the team last July for the 2013-14 campaign. Prior to last year, Brielmaier spent four seasons in San Antonio, most recently as the team’s video coordinator. A graduate of the University of Arizona, he played four years for the Wildcats before starting his coaching career as the undergraduate assistant in 2008. In 2009, he joined the staff of the Spurs as a player development assistant and later promoted to video coordinator.

Drew joins the staff after one season as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. Prior to his stint with the Bucks, he spent three seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, leading them to postseason appearances in each of those seasons. A first round selection by Detroit in the 1980 NBA Draft, Drew appeared in 714 career NBA games with averages of 11.4 points and 5.2 assists with the Pistons, Kansas City/Sacramento, L.A. Clipper and L.A. Lakers. The Kansas City native began his coaching career in 1992 and has served as an assistant coach with the Lakers, Pistons, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets and Hawks.

Posey joins the coaching staff after a successful first season as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Posey, a 12-year NBA veteran, appeared in 864 career games with averages of 8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals with the Nuggets, Houston, Memphis, Miami, Boston, New Orleans and Indiana. The Twinsburg, OH native also won two NBA Championships as a player with Miami (2005-06) and Boston (2007-08).

Handy returns to the staff after holding a similar role with the team last season. He joined the Cavaliers in 2013 after a two-year stint with the Lakers (2011-13). Prior to that, Handy spent five years as an AAU coach in Northern California. Over a 13-year period, he operated his own professional basketball training business, servicing NBA, European, college and many of the top-ranked high school players in the state. A former University of Hawaii basketball standout, Handy spent time in the NBA with Golden State and Portland, along with eight-years of playing experience overseas in Israel, France, England, Germany, Italy and Australia.

Potapenko returns to the staff as the Assistant Director of Player Development. Prior to joining the Cavs in July 2013, he spent the previous year as an assistant coach with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D- League. That season, his team posted a 32-18 record en-route to their first NBADL Finals appearance. Potapenko was selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Draft and spent his first three seasons with the team. Potapenko went on to have an 11-year NBA career with the Cavaliers, Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Kings, with averages of 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.