NBA News Blog – Page 852 – NBA Blog

Carlos Delfino returning to Milwaukee Bucks

Carlos Delfino is coming back to the Bucks.

Delfino and the Bucks agreed Sunday night on a two-year, $6.5 million contract with a third non-guaranteed year that could bring the total to $9.75 million, according to a league source.

The Houston Rockets released the 6-foot-6 Delfino last week as part of their salary-shedding moves to clear the way for an agreement with center Dwight Howard, who chose to sign with the Rockets on Friday.

Delfino played for Milwaukee for three seasons from 2009 to 2012 and appeared in 178 games, starting 159. He was a reliable performer under former Bucks coach Scott Skiles, who used him at both the small forward and shooting guard positions.

Delfino has guarded some of the elite wing players in the league, including Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Boston Celtics sign first round draft pick Kelly Olynyk

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed 2013 first round draft pick, forward Kelly Olynyk. Since he was a first-rounder, Olynyk was guaranteed to receive a contract, so this signing is standard and was expected.

Olynyk, a 7’0” forward, was a consensus All-American and the West Coast Conference Player of the Year during the 2012-13 season. He averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game, while finishing third in the nation in field goal shooting (62.9 percent).

Olynyk, the 13th pick in this year’s draft, is a native of Toronto, Ontario. He helped guide Gonzaga to a 32-3 overall record during the 2012-13 season and was named a top-five finalist for the John R. Wooden Award given to the top player in the nation.

Olynyk’s draft rights were acquired from Dallas on June 27, 2013 in exchange for the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira and two future second round draft picks.

Timberwolves Waive Greg Stiemsma and Mickael Gelabale

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived center Greg Stiemsma and forward Mickael Gelabale.

Stiemsma played in 76 games for the Wolves last season, averaging 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game. Minnesota originally signed the 6-11 center as a free agent on Aug. 2, 2012. In 131 contests over two seasons with Boston and Minnesota, Stiemsma owns career NBA averages of 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game.

Gelabale appeared in 36 games a year ago for Minnesota, posting averages of 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per contest. After signing him to a pair of 10-day contracts in January, the Wolves signed Gelabale for the remainder of the 2012-13 season on Feb. 8, 2013. In 145 career NBA games with Seattle and Minnesota, the 6-7 forward has registered career averages of 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per contest.

Kings, Carl Landry agree to four-year deal

Carl Landry knows the “new” Kings better than most players.

Landry played for coach Michael Malone while he was an assistant coach in his previous two jobs at New Orleans and Golden State.

Landry also is familiar with principal owner Vivek Ranadive, a former Warriors minority owner. And point guard Greivis Vasquez was a teammate of Landry’s in New Orleans.

So when Sacramento reached out to the 29-year-old free-agent forward, Landry jumped at the chance to return, agreeing to a four-year, $26 million contract Saturday.

The six-year veteran officially can sign Wednesday, when the league moratorium on transactions is lifted.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Jarrett Jack is signing with Cleveland Cavaliers

Jarrett Jack still sounded a little surprised Saturday that he was no longer a member of the Golden State Warriors. But the veteran guard knows the NBA life leads to sudden changes, and so, he’s ready to move on to his next gig, in Cleveland, as a member of the Cavaliers.

The Cavs agreed to terms with the eight-year veteran, one of the top free agents on the market, on a four-year, $26 million deal that will be consummated after the NBA’s moratorium on signing contracts ends July 10.

Jack became available after the Warriors reached agreement Friday with free agent Andre Iguodala on a four-year, $48 million deal, forcing them to have to renounce their rights to Jack and forward Carl Landry (who agreed to a deal in Sacramento Saturday) when the moratorium ends.

The Contra Costa Times first reported the agreement between Cleveland and Jack.

Reported by David Aldridge of TNT/NBA.com

Detroit Pistons will sign Josh Smith

The Josh Smith era in Atlanta is over.

The Hawks forward has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Pistons according to WSB.

Smith played all nine seasons with his hometown Hawks, who selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He is ranked in the top 10 in most of the Hawks’ all-time statistical categories, including games, points and rebounds.

Smith could have received a maximum deal of five years and $94 million from the Hawks.

Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Detroit Pistons jumped into free-agency feet first after testing the waters, striking a deal with Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith to a four-year, $54 million deal, sources tell the Detroit News.

The deal could rise to $56 million if Smith reaches performance incentives but for the moment, he’ll be making $13.5 million per season to play both forward spots for the Pistons, immediately turning them into a more athletic and dynamic team.

The Pistons were first at Smith’s door in Los Angeles at the dawn of free agency, at 12:01 AM Monday morning, making clear their intentions to be a real player in free agency with over $20 million in cap space.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News

Clippers and Matt Barnes agree to three-year, $11-million deal

The Clippers continue to shape up their roster, this time agreeing to bring back one of their own free agents.

Free-agent Matt Barnes agreed Friday to a deal allowing the small forward to return to the team.

This caps a busy week for the Clippers after getting Chris Paul to agree to re-sign on Tuesday and doing a trade on Wednesday to acquire J.J. Redick from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns.

Barnes will sign a three-year deal worth about $11 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the negotiations. The first two years of the contract will be guaranteed, the executives said…

The Clippers used part of the $5.1-million mid-level exception on Barnes, and it probably means they won’t be able to sign free-agent power forward Carl Landry, who walked away from a $4-million contract next season from the Golden State Warriors and was seeking at least that much in a new deal.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Andre Iguodala will join Golden State Warriors

The Nuggets are in Plan B mode.

Their top target this offseason was their own free agent, Andre Iguodala. But the swingman decided Friday to play for the Golden State Warriors, two NBA sources confirmed.

Iguodala accepted a four-year contract that will pay him $48 million. He can’t officially sign with Golden State until Wednesday.

The Nuggets are left without their most versatile player and best perimeter defender. It’s been a difficult couple of months for the franchise, which has suffered significant losses in the front office and now on the court…

Iguodala has been enamored with the Warriors for a while. When the Nuggets weren’t able to secure his services for days after the Sacramento Kings offered, then rescinded, a four-year contract worth $14 million annually, his exit from Denver seemed inevitable.

According to one source, the Nuggets offered Iguodala a five-year contract worth $60 million — with $52 million guaranteed. That’s right, the Nuggets presented a more lucrative offer than did Golden State. Yet the Warriors beat the Nuggets again.

Reported by Christopher Dempsey and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Warriors will land Andre Iguodala

The Warriors have been informed by Dwight Howard he will not be joining Golden State, according to a team source.

According to USA Today, Howard has chosen to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to become a Houston Rocket.

The Warriors emerged from long shot to viable option after meeting with Howard on Monday. But despite adding swingman Andre Iguodala, Howard chose to pair up with All-NBA guard James Harden to become the next great center for the Rockets. Houston can offer the same four-year, $88 million contract the Warriors could offer but Texas doesn’t have state taxes, which means Howard can keep more of his money.

That means Golden State will keep starting center Andrew Bogut.

About an hour before this news, the Warriors have reached a four-year deal worth $48 million with Iguodala, multiple sources confirmed.

The Warriors cleared the cap space needed by trading the expiring contracts of Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson and Brandon Rush to Utah. The deal also included multiple picks, including the Warriors’ 2014 first-rounder.

Reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group

Kyle Korver agrees to multiyear deal with Atlanta Hawks

Every team that actually wants to win — and that’s most of them — needs shooters. Guys that don’t necessarily create their own shot, but can stretch the floor, catch a pass, fire it up and hit nothing but net. Kyle Korver is one such player. And therefore was in demand. But despite being pursued by multiple teams, Korver will be staying where he was last season.

The Hawks landed their first free agent Wednesday night — and it was one of their own.

Kyle Korver reached an agreement to re-sign with the Hawks on a multiyear deal, according to a person familiar with the situation. Per NBA rules, the contract cannot be signed until July 10.

The sharp-shooting Korver was a hot commodity during free agency and sought by several teams. The Hawks met with Korver this week in California, where he makes his offseason home, while in Los Angeles to speak to free-agent center Dwight Howard.

Even with Korver’s contract, the Hawks still have enough room to sign Howard to a maximum deal.

Reported by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution