NBA News Blog – Page 853 – NBA Blog

Boston Celtics name Brad Stevens as next head coach

In a fairly shocking move, the Boston Celtics announced today that they have come to an agreement with Brad Stevens to be the 17th head coach of the team.

Stevens, age 36, has served for the past six years as the head coach of Butler University men’s basketball team, never winning fewer than 22 games and leading the Bulldogs to two national championship games against Duke and Connecticut. His career win percentage is .772, including a 33-5 season in 2009-10. He was also the youngest coach to reach the Final Four since Bob Knight in 1973.

A native of Zionsville, Indiana, Stevens was a three-time academic All-America nominee while earning four varsity letters at DePauw University, before graduating with a degree in economics. He later joined the Butler University program as the coordinator of basketball operations under then-coach Thad Matta, before being named head coach in 2007.

“Brad and I share a lot of the same values,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “Though he is young, I see Brad as a great leader who leads with impeccable character and a strong work ethic. His teams always play hard and execute on both ends of the court. Brad is a coach who has already enjoyed lots of success, and I look forward to working with him towards Banner 18.”

Stevens and his wife Tracy, along with their children Brady and Kinsley, will be introduced to the media at 11:00am on Friday at the Celtics Training Center at Healthpoint.

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David West will stick with Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers wanted David West to stick around and lead a championship run. The 32-year-old power forward never planned on leaving town.

West agreed to a three-year contract with Indiana on the second day of free agency, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. The person requested anonymity because NBA rules prohibit teams from announcing signings until July 10. The deal is reportedly worth $36 million.

For the Pacers, Tuesday’s announcement may turn out to be their biggest move of the entire offseason.

”Obviously, our No. 1 priority is to get David West signed,” president of basketball operations Larry Bird said Monday, reiterating the point his predecessor Donnie Walsh and general manager Kevin Pritchard made two weeks earlier at an end-of-the-season news conference.

Reported by Michael Marot of the Associated Press

Tony Allen will stay with Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed Tony Allen to a four-year contract worth $20 million, a person familiar with the agreement said Tuesday.

Allen is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders and a key to the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference finals last season. He drew interest from other teams but decided to stick with a Memphis team coming off the best season in franchise history.

”Memphis stand up!!!!” Allen wrote on his Twitter page.

”Thank you Lord for all that you’ve done and all that (you’re) doing in my life. I am so grateful and humbled.”

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Timberwolves adding Kevin Martin, keeping Chase Budinger

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered unrestricted free agency with two priorities at the top of their list – add a shooting guard with range and bringing back Chase Budinger.

Within the matter of a couple of hours on Tuesday, new team president Flip Saunders accomplished both of those goals.

The Timberwolves agreed to a four-year, $30 million deal with shooting guard Kevin Martin and a three-year, $16 million with Budinger, according to two people with knowledge of the deals. Budinger’s deal includes a player option for the final season. The people requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made.

The agreements, which can’t become official until July 10, were two strong moves to address the team’s woeful outside shooting last season. The Wolves ranked dead last in 3-point shooting percentage last year, and Saunders made it a point to get more shooters to complement point guard Ricky Rubio’s slick passing.

Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Nets re-sign Andray Blatche for $1.4 million

One of the first agreements in the 2013 NBA free agency period is in Brooklyn, where the Nets will keep a big-man that can score points in a hurry.

The Nets continued their busy offseason on the opening day of free agency, coming to an agreement to re-sign Andray Blatche to a one-year, $1.4 million deal Monday night.

Retaining Blatche, which won’t be official until July 10, was crucial for the Nets, who need to retain as much depth as possible up and down their roster, and particularly behind newly acquired Kevin Garnett.

After the Nets signed Blatche after he’d been amnestied by the Wizards last summer, the 6-foot-11 big man – who is capable of playing both power forward and center – had a terrific season for the Nets, proving to be one of the biggest bargain signings in the entire league last year. Blatche averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds coming off the bench for much of the season and pairing with Brook Lopez to give the Nets the best 1-2 combination at center in the NBA.”

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Blog)

Bobcats name Patrick Ewing, Bob Beyer, Stephen Silas, Bob Weiss, Mark Price as assistant coaches

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has named Patrick Ewing Associate Head Coach and Bob Beyer, Stephen Silas, Bob Weiss and Mark Price Assistant Coaches on the staff of new Head Coach Steve Clifford.

“I am extremely pleased with the staff we’ve put together,” said Clifford. “These are all guys that I have a comfort level with and that I feel share my philosophies about the NBA and the game of basketball. This group has tremendous experience in this league, both as coaches and players, and has great knowledge of all aspects of the game. I’ve worked with Patrick, Bob Beyer and Mark before and have seen first-hand what they are capable of, and I look forward to adding Stephen and Bob Weiss to that group as we work together to build this team.”

Clifford, Ewing and Beyer worked together as assistant coaches with the Orlando Magic from 2007-12, where they were joined by Price in 2011-12. During five seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s staff, the trio helped the Magic to a 259-135 record (.657) and five straight playoff appearances, advancing to the 2009 NBA Finals.

A 17-year NBA veteran and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, Ewing brings eight years of NBA assistant coaching experience to the Bobcats. He has previously been an assistant coach with the Wizards (2003-04), Rockets (2004-06) and Magic, serving alongside Clifford in both Houston and Orlando. Ewing was the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. His achievements as a player include the 1985-86 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 11 NBA All-Star Game appearances, First Team All-NBA honors in 1989-90 and Second Team All-NBA honors six additional times, and three All-Defensive Second Team selections. Ewing also owns two Olympic gold medals, having played for the U.S. men’s national team in 1984 and 1992.

Beyer, who spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant with the Warriors, brings 27 years of coaching experience at the NBA and college levels. Along with the Warriors and Magic, he also spent two years with the Raptors, serving as an assistant coach in 2003-04 and an advance scout in 2004-05. Beyer spent three years as head coach at Siena College from 1994-97. His college career also includes assistant coaching stints at Albany (1985-89), Siena (1989-93), Wisconsin (1993-94), Northwestern (1997-2000), Texas Tech (2001-03) and Dayton (2005-07).

Silas remains with the Bobcats, having spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the team. His 12 years of coaching experience also includes three seasons with the Hornets (2000-03), two seasons with the Cavaliers (2003-05) and four and a half seasons with the Warriors (2006-10). Silas also served as an advance and college scout for the Hornets in 1999-2000 and an advance scout for the Wizards in 2005-06. When he was hired as an assistant coach with the Hornets in 2000, he was the youngest assistant in the NBA at the age of 27.

Weiss has spent 29 of his 32 years as a coach in the NBA, including seven seasons as a head coach for the Spurs (1986-88), Hawks (1990-93), Clippers (1993-94) and SuperSonics (2005-06). His tenure as an assistant coach includes stops with the Clippers (1977-80), Mavericks (1980-86), Magic (1989-90), SuperSonics (1994-2005) and Hawks (2012-13). Weiss was also the first former NBA head coach to be a head coach in China, leading the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons from 2008-10 and the Shandong Lions in 2010-11. The 22nd overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft, Weiss played in the NBA for 12 seasons, averaging 7.6 points and 3.7 assists in 783 career games and winning the 1967 NBA Championship with the 76ers.

One of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Price has previously served as a player development coach for the Magic in 2011-12, a shooting coach with the Warriors in 2010-11 and a shooting consultant for the Grizzlies (2007-08) and Hawks (2008-10). The four-time NBA All-Star ranks second in league history in career free-throw percentage (.904) and 29th in career three-point percentage (.402). He was named First Team All-NBA in 1992-93 and earned Third Team All-NBA honors three more times during his 12-year career. Price, who was the 25th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists in 722 career games played.

Indiana Pacers hire Nate McMillan as associate head coach

The Indiana Pacers announced Monday that Nate McMillan has been hired as an associate head coach.

McMillan replaces Brian Shaw, who became head coach at Denver.

McMillan comes to the Pacers with a vast basketball background as a player and as a coach. After playing collegiately at North Carolina State, McMillan was drafted by Seattle (30th overall) in the 1986 NBA Draft. He played his entire 12-year career with the Sonics, had his number (10) retired and became their coach in 2000 and remained in Seattle until after the 2005 season. He then went to Portland that year and coached the Trail Blazers until he was let go in March, 2012. McMillan also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Team in the 2006 FIBA World Championships, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

“We are extremely thrilled to have Nate join our staff,” said Pacers head coach Frank Vogel. “To get someone with his experience as a player and a coach will be extremely valuable to our players, to our staff and to our franchise.”

“To be able to join a respected franchise like this is a great opportunity,” said McMillan. “It’s obvious the potential this team has to compete for a championship and to come on board at a time like this is great timing for me. I really look forward to working with this coaching staff and the players. I have heard nothing but good things about everyone involved and that made this a very easy decision to make.”

Chris Paul will re-sign with Clippers

NBA free agent negotiations begin tomorrow, and the biggest name on the market is a little point guard. And as expected, even before his team managed to land coach Doc Rivers, CP3 is expected to stick with his squad and re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul got off the NBA’s free-agent board about as quickly as he gets down the lane for the L.A. Clippers.

To no one’s surprise, Paul has decided to stay with the Clippers, where he’s running the show and can sign on July 10 for a maximum contract worth $107.3 million over five seasons.

Once the Clippers had obtained Doc Rivers in a trade with the Celtics last week, Paul’s future in Los Angeles was cemented. Paul’s representatives sent out word on Saturday night, more 24 hours before the start of free agency, that he would not entertain any offers from other teams.

With Paul off the board, the biggest name to hit the open market will be Dwight Howard, who was scheduled to meet with the Houston Rockets at 12:01 Monday morning. Howard doesn’t want to stay in L.A. and is expected to become a Rocket. He will meet over the next few days with the Mavs, Hawks, Warriors and Lakers.

Reported by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News

Jerryd Bayless exercises option to stay with Memphis Grizzlies

Grizzlies guard Jerryd Bayless has exercised his player option and will return to Memphis for the 2013-14 season, the team announced today.

The scoring guard is able to provide explosiveness and points off the bench.

Bayless (6-3, 210) recorded 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists on .419 shooting in 22.1 minutes, playing in a career-high 80 contests (four starts) for Memphis last season. The 24-year-old averaged 9.3 points in 15 appearances during the 2013 NBA Playoffs, scoring a postseason career-high 19 points on April 20 at LA Clippers in Game 1 of the first round.

The five-year veteran owns career averages of 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .414 shooting in 19.2 minutes in 309 games (40 starts) with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. After his freshman season at the University of Arizona, the Phoenix native was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the first round (11th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft and traded to Portland on draft night. He signed with Memphis as a free agent on July 13, 2012.

Marreese Speights declines player option with Cavaliers

Marreese Speights has decided that diving into free agency is a better option for him than playing out his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speights today declined his player option on the final year of his contract with the Cavs, the team announced today. Speights had until June 29th to exercise the option. The five-year NBA veteran is now an unrestricted free agent.

Speights was acquired by the Cavaliers via trade with the Memphis Grizzlies on January 22nd, 2013. The 6-10, 255-pound forward/center appeared in 39 games (one start) for the Cavs where he averaged 10.2 points on .457 shooting, and 5.1 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. Speights has played in 344 games (61 starts) over his NBA career with averages of 7.8 points, on .472 shooting, and 4.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes.