Category: NBA News Blog

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Milwaukee Bucks sign Carlos Delfino

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

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

Carl Landry

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

Milwaukee Bucks waive Drew Gooden via amnesty provision

mMilwaukee Bucks waive Drew Gooden via amnesty provision

The Milwaukee Bucks have waived forward Drew Gooden and designated him as the team’s amnesty player as allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Gooden originally signed with the Bucks as a free agent prior to the 2010-11 season. The 11-year NBA veteran appeared in 107 games over three seasons with the Bucks, averaging 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.

Houston Rockets sign Omri Casspi

Houston Rockets sign Omri Casspi

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed unrestricted free agent forward Omri Casspi from the Cleveland Cavaliers to a multi-year deal.

Casspi (6-9, 225, Israel), who was the NBA’s first Israeli-born first-round pick, has averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 256 career games (94 starts) with Sacramento and Cleveland. Originally selected by the Kings in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, Casspi was acquired by the Cavaliers in a trade on June 30, 2011. He had his best season in 2009-10, averaging 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.1 minutes per game over 77 outings (31 starts) with the Kings.

As a starter during his rookie campaign, Casspi posted averages of 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 30.6 minutes per contest.

Prior to the NBA, Casspi played with Hapoel Galil Elyon and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League. He actually finished fourth in voting for the 2008-09 FIBA European Young Men’s Player of the Year Award (Ricky Rubio, Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos).

Dallas Mavericks rookie Shane Larkin out 3 months after ankle surgery

Dallas Mavericks 2013 first-round draft pick Shane Larkin underwent surgery today to repair a fractured right ankle. The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. T.O. Souryal and Dr. Richard Levy at Texas Sports Medicine. The recovery time is approximately three months.

Dallas acquired the draft rights to Larkin, the18th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, from Atlanta in a draft night deal that sent Jared Cunningham and the draft rights to the 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira to the Hawks.

Larkin (5-11, 176) led the Miami Hurricanes to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and postseason championships last season en route to being named the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, Lute Olsen National Player of the Year and Second Team All-American by Associated Press.

The 5-11 point guard averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 36 games as a sophomore in 2012-13. He led his team in points, assists and steals while placing in the ACC’s Top 10 in assists, steals, minutes and three-point field goals.

George Hill, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marcus Smart added to USA Basketball Las Vegas mini-camp

USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo today announced the addition of George Hill (Indiana Pacers), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte Bobcats) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State University) to the roster of players who will be attending the July 22-25 USA Men’s National Team mini-camp in Las Vegas, Nev., and also announced that Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs) is unable to participate while rehabbing after a long season.

USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp roster now numbers 29.

The invited players will assemble in Las Vegas on July 21, and will conduct daily training sessions July 22-24 (12:00-2:00 p.m. PDT) and will close out the mini-camp with the 2013 USA Basketball Showcase, a blue-white intra-squad game on Thursday, July 25, 6 p.m. PDT at the Thomas & Mack Arena on the campus of UNLV.

Hill, who in 2012-13 completed his fifth year in the NBA, started in 76 games for the Indiana Pacers and averaged career highs of 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals a game, while shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from 3-point and 81.7 percent from the foul line.

Charlotte’s Kidd-Gilchrist boasts of prior USA Basketball experience as a member of the 2011 USA Junior Select Team that won the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit and as a member of the 2010 USA U17 World Championship Team that finished 8-0 and captured the gold medal. A 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie second team choice, Kidd-Gilchrist started in 77 of the 78 games he appeared in for the Bobcats and averaged 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists a game, and shot 45.8 percent from the field.

Smart will arrive at the mini-camp having just helped lead the USA U19 World Championship Team to a 9-0 mark and the FIBA U19 World Championship crown in Czech Republic.  Selected team captain, Smart averaged 9.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg., a U.S. second best 2.2 apg., a team high 2.4 spg., while shooting 50.0 percent from the field overall.  As a freshman in 2012-13 at Oklahoma State, Smart was named by The Sporting News and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Year, while also collecting Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, and also earning All-Big 12 first team, All-Rookie and All-Defensive team honors.

Chauncey Billups is back on the Detroit Pistons

Chauncey Billups is back on the Detroit Pistons

Apparently you can go home again, sometimes.

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Chauncey Billups.

“We are pleased to announce Chauncey Billups’ return to the Pistons organization,” said Dumars.  “Chauncey played an integral part in the success of the franchise from 2002-2008.  His playmaking ability and experience will provide depth in the back court while his leadership and commitment to winning will help our club.”

Billups is at the end of his career, but would still be able to provide deep bench depth for a championship-contending team. But on the Pistons — who are nowhere near even thinking about winning an NBA championship, Billups can act as a player-coach and provide leadership and help various young players improve their games.

Billups, 36, has NBA career averages of 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 31.9 minutes in 1,024 games (930 starts) with the L.A. Clippers, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.  The 15-year veteran is a five-time NBA All-Star, ranks fourth in NBA history for three-pointers made (1,816) and is the seventh active NBA player to reach 5,000 assists.  He is one of only 31 players (four active) in NBA history to score over 14,000 points and distribute more than 5,000 assists.  Billups has played in 146 career playoff games (143 starts) during 12 trips to the NBA playoffs and averaged 17.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 36.4 minutes per game.  He won the NBA’s inaugural Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award this past June, which recognizes the NBA player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to his team.

Billups’ six-year career in Detroit is highlighted by back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships and two NBA Finals appearances in 2004 and 2005.  He was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player during the Pistons NBA Championship season in 2003-04 when he averaged 21.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists in five games vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Denver, CO native was named an NBA All-Star three times with Detroit, All-NBA Second Team (2006), All-NBA Third Team (2007) and All-NBA Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006).  In 463 games with the Pistons, Billups averaged 17.0 points, 6.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game.