NBA News Blog – Page 843 – NBA Blog

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Ronny Turiaf

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed free-agent center Ronny Turiaf. According to the Associated Press, it is a two-year deal with $3.2 million.

“We’re excited to welcome Ronny to our team,” said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Ronny is a physical, aggessive defender and a good passer. He’s a solid pro who will help us with his experience and veteran leadership.”

In 2012-13, Turiaf, a 6-10 center, averaged 1.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.5 minutes in 65 games for the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in five playoffs contests, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.

Turiaf, 30, is a native of France and played collegiately at Gonzaga. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round (37th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft. Turiaf played three seasons with the Lakers, posting his best numbers in the 2007-08 campaign with a career–high 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He signed as a free agent with Golden State prior to the 2008-09 season and averaged 5.9 points, and career-highs of 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game that year. After two years with the Warriors, Turiaf was traded to New York where he played one season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. He was traded to Washington prior to the 2011-12 season and dealt to Denver on March 15, 2012. The Nuggets waived Turiaf and he signed with Miami on March 21, 2012. Turiaf appeared in 12 games during the Heat’s run to the championship in 2012, posting averages of 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.

Golden State Warriors sign Toney Douglas

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard Toney Douglas to a contract, the team announced today.

Douglas, 27, split last season between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings, appearing in 71 games and posting averages of 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.00 steals in 18.1 minutes per contest. The 6’2” guard scored in double-figures 26 times, including a season-high 22-point effort in 28 minutes off the bench for Houston versus the Los Angeles Lakers on December 4, 2012. Additionally, Douglas averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.41 steals in the 29 games in which he logged 20-or-more minutes.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 29th pick 2009 NBA Draft, Douglas owns career averages of 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 20.3 minutes in 246 career regular-season games with the New York Knicks (2009-12), Houston Rockets (2012-13) and Sacramento Kings (2012-13). The Florida State product had his finest NBA season in 2010-11 with the Knicks, appearing in a career-high 81 games and posting career-best averages of 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest. That season Douglas led the Knicks in three-pointers made (143), including a franchise-record-tying nine three-pointers (in 12 attempts) against Memphis on March 17, 2011.

Douglas will wear uniform #0.

Orlando Magic sign Jason Maxiell

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward-center Jason Maxiell, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

According to Yahoo Sports, it is a two-year, $5 million deal, with a team option on Maxiell’s $2.5 million for the 2014-15 season.

“We’re excited to welcome Jason (Maxiell) and his family to the Magic organization,” said Hennigan. “Jason brings an element of experience, toughness and resolve to our roster that we feel will benefit our team.”

Maxiell (6’7”, 260, 2/18/83) played in 72 games last season with Detroit, averaging 6.9 ppg., 5.7 rpg. and 1.32 blkpg. in 24.8 minpg. He has also appeared in 35 career playoff outings. He’s mostly a power forward but can also fill in at center.

Originally selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft by Detroit, Maxiell has appeared in 523 career games (175 starts), all with the Pistons, during his eight-year NBA career, averaging 6.1 ppg. and 4.4 rpg. in 19.1 minpg. Collegiately, he averaged 12.1 ppg., 7.0 rpg. and 1.9 bpg. in 129 games for Cincinnati. While with the Bearcats, he earned All-Conference USA Second Team honors (2004 and 2005), Conference USA All-Tournament honors (2004), was named Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year (2002) and earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors (2002). Maxiell played in 129 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Bearcats’ history, and started the last 77 contests he played.

Nets waive forward D.J. White

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward D.J. White, General Manager Billy King announced today. White was acquired from the Boston Celtics on July 12th in a trade that also netted Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry.

Over his five-year NBA career with Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Boston, White holds averages of 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 136 games (11 starts). Originally selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 29th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, White averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12 games with the Celtics last season.

Jordan Farmar has returned to the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Jordan Farmar, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

“Jordan was a fan favorite and a key contributor to our championship teams in 2009 and 2010,” said Kupchak. “We’re pleased to have him back with the Lakers and look forward to him once again making a positive impact on our team.”

Although Farmar was popular, he was and still is a bench-level player who provides depth at the guard spot. The Lakers, although still armed with some big weapons, are in transition, and focused on 2014 free agency, when several top names are expected to be available.

Farmar, originally selected by the Lakers with the 26th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, spent his first four NBA seasons with Los Angeles and helped the team to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2008-10) and back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010. A participant in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in both 2007 and 2008, Farmar averaged 6.9 points and 2.1 assists in 18.1 minutes over a span of 301 career games during his first stint with the Lakers.

Signed by New Jersey (now Brooklyn) in July of 2010, Farmar spent two seasons with the Nets, averaging 9.6 points and a career-high 5.0 assists in 2010-11 and a career-best 10.4 points during a 2011-12 season in which he ranked eighth league-wide in three-point field goal percentage (.440).

After briefly playing abroad with Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv during the NBA lockout in 2011 before rejoining the Nets, Farmar signed with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Turkey for the entire 2012-13 season. In 29 Euroleague games with Anadolu Efes, he averaged 13.8 points on .397 shooting from behind the arc, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.4 minutes. In 22 Turkish league games, Farmar posted similar averages of 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 26.1 minutes.

A Los Angeles native, Farmar, named to the 2003-04 McDonald’s High School All-American team after leading Taft High School to its first ever Los Angeles City title, played two seasons at UCLA where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, helped lead the Bruins to the 2006 NCAA championship game as a sophomore and concluded his two-year collegiate career averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 assists in 66 games.

Milwaukee Bucks sign Zaza Pachulia

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent center Zaza Pachulia (6-11, 240), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Pachulia, 29, returns for his second stint with the Bucks after also spending the 2004-05 season in Milwaukee. A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Pachulia was selected by Orlando with the 42nd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. After appearing in 59 games for the Magic during his rookie season, Pachulia was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 Expansion Draft before being traded to the Bucks for a future second round pick. Pachulia appeared in 74 games (four starts) in a Bucks uniform, averaging 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Following the 2004-05 season, Pachulia signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks, where he has spent each of the last eight NBA seasons – including the last three under Bucks head coach Larry Drew. A 10-year veteran in the NBA, Pachulia owns career averages of 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 689 career games. Pachulia’s teams have advanced to the postseason six times, where he has appeared in 40 games and averaged 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

Milwaukee Bucks sign Carlos Delfino

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent guard/forward Carlos Delfino (6-6, 230), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Delfino, 30, returns to the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 10.6 points while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc in 67 games. Prior to signing with Houston last offseason, Delfino wore a Bucks uniform for three seasons from 2009 through 2012, and averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from three in 178 games with Milwaukee. Delfino connected on 325 threes during his time as a Buck, which places him seventh on Milwaukee’s all-time 3-pointers made list.

Originally selected by Detroit with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Delfino is entering his ninth NBA season and has seen action with the Pistons and Toronto Raptors in addition to the Bucks and Rockets. The Argentine owns career averages of 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 507 games and is a career 36.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Delfino has advanced to the postseason at each stop in his NBA career, appearing in 41 playoff games with averages of 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. He is also a decorated Olympian, having participated in three Summer Olympics for his native Argentina (2004, 2008 and 2012). The squad earned a gold medal in 2004 and bronze in 2008.

Raptors and Marcus Camby quickly part ways

As expected, Marcus Camby’s second tenure as a Toronto Raptors was a short one. On Wednesday, the team announced that it has agreed to terms on a buyout of Camby’s contract, waiving the veteran centre.

Camby, now 39, was scheduled to make US$3.38-million this season and US$4.18-million in 2014-15. Details of the buyout were not immediately known, but it will surely save the Raptors at least a little money in the short-term.

Camby was acquired along with Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson and three draft picks in exchange for Andrea Bargnani earlier this month. The Raptors will likely also find a way to move Richardson before he ever plays for Toronto, too. He was only added to the deal after it could not be finalized before July 1.

From the start, it was clear Camby did not want to be in Toronto.

Reported by Eric Koreen of the National Post

Larry Jordan, brother of Michael Jordan, named Bobcats director of player personnel

Larry Jordan, older brother of Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, is being promoted to the team’s director of player personnel, a team spokesman confirmed Tuesday night.

The promotion of Larry Jordan, previously holding the title of director of special projects, was first reported by Yahoo Sports.

Jordan, who would report to team president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho, is in Las Vegas this week for the Bobcats’ participation in summer league. He’ll be doing various scouting assignments in this new job.

Reported by the Charlotte Observer

Carl Landry signs four-year deal for $26 million to return to Kings

Kings principal owner Vivek Ranadive was pleased with the team’s first free-agent signing since his group took over in May.

It also helps that Ranadive knows Carl Landry well. He signed a four-year, $26 million contract Monday.

Ranadive saw Landry up close as a minority owner with the Warriors last season and spoke highly of Landry as a player and person.

“(Landry) is symbolic of the new era of the Kings – Kings 3.0,” Ranadive said. “Excellence on the court, excellence off the court. To me, the power forward position is a 21st-century position. It’s a big man with skills, and Carl is really the personification of everything that is good about our sport.”

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee