NBA News Blog – Page 854 – NBA Blog

Houston Rockets waive Aaron Brooks and Carlos Delfino

With NBA free agent negotiations starting tomorrow, the Houston Rockets are parting ways with a pair of players.

Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived guard Aaron Brooks and guard/forward Carlos Delfino.

Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) returned for his fifth season with the Rockets in 2012-13, averaging 1.4 points and 0.9 assists in seven games with Houston.

Delfino (6-6, 230, Argentina) averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.01 steals in 67 games (five starts) in his lone season with the Rockets.

Boston Celtics waive Terrence Williams

The Boston Celtics are rebuilding, and are saying goodbye to some older players with big contracts as well as some young guys that don’t cost very much but aren’t considered part of the future.

The team announced today that they have waived guard/forward Terrence Williams.

Williams, a 6’6” guard/forward, appeared in 24 games for the Celtics during the 2012-13 season and averaged 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in five games for the Celtics during the playoffs and averaged 1.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 9.6 minutes per game.

Bulls cut ties with lead assistant coach Ron Adams

In a surprising move, the Bulls will not renew the contract of lead assistant coach Ron Adams.

Adams, in his second stint with the Bulls, came to Chicago following a successful run as Scott Brooks’ lead assistant in Oklahoma City. A longtime friend of Tom Thibodeau’s, Adams left the Thunder to be closer to his family, who remained in the Chicago area for school reasons following Adams’ first stint with the Bulls under Scott Skiles.

According to sources, general manager Gar Forman made the decision, not Thibodeau. Forman informed Adams on Friday.

Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Kirilenko opts out of final year of Wolves deal

Andrei Kirilenko has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will become a free agent.

Kirilenko informed the Timberwolves of his decision on Saturday, the deadline that was written into the two-year deal he signed last summer. Kirilenko is declining the one year and $10 million left on his deal in an effort to get one last longer-term deal in his career.

Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game for the Wolves last year, his best season in the league since 2005-06.

Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Bobcats extend qualifying offer to Gerald Henderson

One of the few bright spots of the Charlotte Bobcats last season was solid production from their backcourt. And today, the team is making a move to hold on to a key contributor at the guard spot.

Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has extended a qualifying offer to guard Gerald Henderson, making him a restricted free agent. The qualifying offer allows the Bobcats to match any offer he receives from another team.

Henderson was initially selected by the Bobcats with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played in 68 games during the 2012-13 season, averaging a career-high 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, a career-high 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 31.4 minutes per game. In his four NBA seasons, Henderson has played in 234 career games, averaging 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.6 minutes.

Ray Allen exercises option to stay with Miami Heat next season

The Miami HEAT announced today that guard Ray Allen has exercised his player option for the 2013-14 season.

Allen, a 17-year NBA veteran, appeared in 79 games with the HEAT this season, averaging 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. He led the team in free throw percentage (.886) and both three-point field goals made (139) and attempted (332). He ranked second on the team in games played and three-point field goal percentage (.419). During the HEAT’s successful playoff run, he averaged 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 24.9 minutes over 23 games.

Allen has appeared in 1,227 games (1,140 starts) throughout his NBA career, and has averaged 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.14 steals and 36.2 minutes, while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, 40.1 percent from three-point range and 89.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Timberwolves exercise contract option on Dante Cunningham

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has exercised the one-year option on forward Dante Cunningham’s contract for the 2013-14 NBA season.

“It was important for us to bring Dante back,” said Wolves President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders. “We all saw last year how he fits in really well with Coach Adelman’s style and system. His versatility, energy and ability to knock down the open jumper are all reasons we feel he is an invaluable piece to our team. We are excited to have Dante back for next season.”

Cunningham, 26, enjoyed a career-best season the Wolves in 2012-13, averaging career highs in scoring (8.7 ppg), rebounds (5.1 rpg), assists (0.8 apg) and minutes (25.1 mpg) in a career-high 80 games, including nine starts. He reached double figures on 32 occasions, including 10 of his final 16 contests, and shot a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor on Feb. 2 vs. New Orleans to set a single-game for accuracy. Cunningham also swiped 84 steals (1.05 spg) and ranked fourth in the NBA in steal/turnover ratio (1.50-to-1). The Wolves originally acquired the fourth-year forward from the Memphis Grizzlies on July 24, 2012 in exchange for guard Wayne Ellington.

In 285 career games with Minnesota, Memphis, Charlotte and Portland, Cunningham owns career averages of 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per contest. Cunningham was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Brooklyn Nets assistant coaches will be Lawrence Frank, Roy Rogers, Eric Hughes, Doug Overton

The Brooklyn Nets have reached an agreement in principle with Lawrence Frank, Roy Rogers and Eric Hughes to serve as assistant coaches on Head Coach Jason Kidd’s staff, General Manager Billy King announced today.

In addition, Doug Overton will remain on the staff as an assistant coach.

“I am very pleased to add Lawrence, Roy, Eric and Doug to my staff,” said Nets Head Coach Jason Kidd. “They collectively bring a wealth of NBA experience to our bench, both from a coach and player perspective. This combination will not only prove beneficial to me, but will be an invaluable asset to our players as well.”

Lawrence Frank, the franchise’s all-time leader in NBA coaching victories, coached the Nets for parts of seven seasons (2004-2009) over which time he amassed a regular season mark of 225-241 (.483). Under Frank’s direction, New Jersey made four consecutive postseason appearances (2004-07) and won two Atlantic Division titles (2004, 2006). Frank holds an 18-20 (.474) record in the playoffs, advancing the Nets to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Frank took over the Nets’ head coaching helm midway through the 2003-04 season, where he proceeded to lead the Nets to 13 straight victories, setting the NBA mark for the most consecutive wins by a head coach to begin a career. Frank’s NBA coaching career began in Vancouver, where he spent three seasons as an assistant under Brian Hill. Following his stint with the Grizzlies, Frank joined the Nets as an assistant coach. Serving under Head Coach Byron Scott, Frank helped lead the Nets to two Easter Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003, marking the first NBA Finals appearances in franchise history. After three and a half seasons as an assistant, Frank was named interim head coach of the Nets on Jan. 26, 2004, and took over on a permanent basis on June 21, 2004. Following his term with the Nets, Frank served as an assistant coach in Boston in 2010-11 before being named head coach of the Detroit Pistons on August 3, 2011. In two seasons with Detroit, Frank guided the Pistons to a 54-94 (.365) overall record. In 614 games, Frank holds a career coaching record of 279-335 (.454).

Roy Rogers began his NBA coaching career with the Nets, serving as an assistant coach from 2008-2010. Most recently, Rogers worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons for two seasons (2011-2013) under head coach Lawrence Frank. Rogers also served as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics as part of Doc Rivers’ staff in 2010-11. Prior to his first stint with the Nets, he coached in the NBA Development League with the Austin Toros (2007-08), Tulsa 66ers (2005-07) and Huntsville Flight (2004-05). Selected 22nd overall in the 1996 NBA Draft out of the University of Alabama, Rogers spent three years in the NBA. Rogers averaged 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in his NBA career split between four teams (Vancouver, Boston, Toronto and Denver). He also played four seasons (2000-04) of professional basketball internationally with stops in Russia, Italy, Greece and Poland.

Eric Hughes joins the Nets after spending the past six seasons with the Toronto Raptors. Originally hired by Toronto in 2007-08 as a basketball development consultant, Hughes was promoted to assistant coach/basketball development on July 1, 2009. Prior to his stint with the Raptors, Hughes worked as the director of summer player development for Goodwin Sports Management in Seattle for five years (2002-2007), creating workout programs and training NBA players Jamal Crawford, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Dwight Howard, Gary Payton, Nate Robinson and Rodney Stuckey. He had also been the head coach at Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington during that time. Hughes compiled an 88-61 (.590) mark in his five seasons, leading the Bigfoot’s to the Eastern Region championship in 2005 and 2006, and was named Eastern Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Hughes also served as an assistant coach under Bob Bender at the University of Washington from 1993-2002, as an assistant at the University of California from 1991-93, when Jason Kidd played there, and as a graduate assistant at Illinois State from 1989-91.

Doug Overton will enter his sixth season with the Nets and fourth as an assistant coach. Overton began his coaching career as an assistant coach for Phil Martelli at Saint Joseph’s during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns. Prior to his position at Saint Joseph’s, the Philadelphia native spent the 2005-06 season as the director of player development for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he assisted the coaching and scouting staffs and worked with the team’s community outreach programs. An 11-year NBA veteran, Overton spent three different stints with the Nets (1998-99, 2000-01 and 2003-04), averaging 6.0 points and 2.8 assists in 26 games. In 499 career games with seven teams (Washington, Denver, Orlando, New Jersey, Boston, Charlotte and Philadelphia), the former point guard averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 assists.

Timberwolves extend qualifying offer to Nikola Pekovic

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has extended a qualifying offer to Nikola Pekovic, making him a restricted free agent.

Pekovic, 27, concluded the 2012-13 season, his third in the NBA, with career highs in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg) and minutes (31.6 mpg). In 62 games, all starts, the 6-11 center finished 20th in the NBA in field goal accuracy at 52.0%, while shooting 74.4% from the free throw line. Pekovic collected a team-high 26 points/rebound double-doubles last season, including 11 games with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds. He became the first Wolves player in over four years to be named Western Conference Player of the Week when he averaged 25.0 points, on 58.9% shooting, and 8.5 rebounds in four contests from April 1 – 7.

In 174 NBA games, 108 starts, Pekovic owns career averages of 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per contest. The Wolves originally selected the Montenegro native with the 31st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Memphis Grizzlies name David Joerger head coach

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that the team has hired David Joerger (YAY-ger) as the team’s next head coach.

“We are thrilled to announce we have hired Dave Joerger as the next head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies,” said CEO & Managing Partner Jason Levien. “Not only do we think Dave will continue to grow the team’s league-best defensive identity, but we believe we have one of the league’s budding coaching talents to lead our team. We are happy the Joerger family will continue to call Memphis home for years to come.”

One of the most successful minor league basketball coaches in history, Joerger recently completed his sixth season as an assistant on the Grizzlies’ bench and his second as lead assistant.

With Joerger on the sidelines, the Grizzlies have steadily become one of the league’s most tenacious defenses, leading the NBA in points allowed (89.3) and ranking second in overall defensive rating. Memphis has improved its defensive rating every season with Joerger on the bench.

The Grizzlies have generated 2,105 steals over the past three seasons, 180 more than any other NBA team in that time span, and paced the league in both steals per game and forced turnovers during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. Memphis also was represented on the 2012-13 NBA All-Defensive Teams by three starters, including Tony Allen (First Team), 2012-13 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol (Second Team) and Mike Conley (Second Team). Allen has made the All-Defensive Team in each of the past three seasons, including two consecutive First Team selections.

Before earning his first NBA assistant coaching job with the Grizzlies, Joerger gained fame as head coach of the 2007 NBA D-League Champion Dakota Wizards. Dakota’s 2007 championship was Joerger’s fifth as a head coach. With one International Basketball Association (IBA) title and three in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), Joerger also owns two CBA Coach of the Year Awards and a head coaching record of 232-117 (.665).

After finishing his playing career at Moorhead State, Joerger got his start as the Dakota Wizards’ general manager when the franchise was a member of the IBA. He received his first opportunity on the sidelines as an assistant coach during the 1997-98 season. After three years as an assistant, Joerger replaced head coach Duane Ticknor and led the Wizards to their first championship during the 2000-01 season. Prior to the 2001-02 season, the Wizards moved into the CBA where Joerger led the team to another title. Continuing his success, Joerger captured his third title in four years after the Wizards defeated the Idaho Stampede to win the 2004 CBA Championship.

During the summer of 2004, Joerger moved to Sioux Falls to become the head coach of the Skyforce and proceeded to win his fourth CBA Championship, giving him more minor league championships than other notable minor-league-turned-NBA head coaches Phil Jackson, George Karl, Flip Saunders and Eric Musselman combined.