NBA News Blog – Page 994 – NBA Blog

Wizards sign guard A.J. Price

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard A.J. Price.

“A.J. is an experienced and dependable player who fits in well with the mix of proven veterans and young players we have on our roster,” said Grunfeld. “Adding him will help to bring depth to our backcourt rotation.”

Price (6-1, 185) holds career averages of 6.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 150 games over three seasons with Indiana. He was originally selected by the Pacers in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Connecticut. Price averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 assists in 44 games last season. He has appeared in nine career playoff games, averaging 4.9 points (including 8.4 points over five games during the 2011 NBA Playoffs).

Knicks sign guard Pablo Prigioni

New York Knickerbockers Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Pablo Prigioni.

Prigioni, 6-3, 180-pounds, is a veteran of the Argentine and Spanish leagues, having played professionally since 1995. The 35-year-old has played for Ramallo (1995-96), Belgrano (1996-98) and Obras Sanitarias (1998-99) of the Argentine League and for Fuenlabrada (1999-01), Alicante (2001-03), Caja Laboral (2003-09, 2011) and Real Madrid (2009-11) of the Spanish ACB and LEB Leagues. He won the Spanish National Championship in 2007-08, the King’s Cup three times (2004, 06, 09) and Spanish Super Cup three times (2005, 06, 08) and is also a two-time All-Euroleague second team selection (2006, 07).

In addition, Prigioni is a key member of the Argentinean National team, winning the gold medal at the 2011 Americas Championship, the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the bronze medal at the 2009 Americas Championship. He represented his country in the 2006 and 2010 World Championships and is scheduled to play in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

Rockets sign center Omer Asik after Bulls decline to match offer

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has added center Omer Asik (pronounced O-mair AH-shick) after the Chicago Bulls chose not to match Houston’s offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Bulls had three days to match the offer from the Rockets.

Multiple reports said the deal is for three years, $25 million.

“We are excited to add Omer to our roster,” said Morey. “Omer has proven to be a defensive force at every stop in his career – in the Turkish league, in FIBA’s World Championships and EuroBasket competitions, and of course for the past two years for the Chicago Bulls. We are excited to add his rim protection, his rebounding, and the defensive mentality Omer brings to each play.”

Asik (7-0, 255, Turkey) has not missed a game in two seasons with the Bulls and has played in 148 consecutive regular season contests. In those two campaigns with Chicago, Asik has averaged 2.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.84 blocks in 13.2 minutes. Considered one of the best defensive centers in the league, Asik grew up playing for Fenerbahçe S.K. Istanbul (2005-10) in his native Turkey. He was loaned to Kadikoy Belediyesi in the Turkish League’s second division for the majority of the 2005-06 season. He also played with the silver-medal-winning Turkish National Team in the U-20 European Championships in Izmir, Turkey. Asik was again a member of the silver-medal-winning Turkish squad at the 2010 FIBA World Championships held in Istanbul. In nine FIBA World Championship matches, he averaged 8.9 points, 6.9 boards, 1.22 blocks and 19.0 minutes per outing. Asik was originally drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers (36th overall) in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft. He had his draft rights traded to Chicago in exchange for three second-round picks.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Omer,” said Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale. “I’ve admired his physical style of play over the past two seasons as he’s made the transition to the NBA. In his limited minutes, he has proved himself to be an exceptional defensive post player and we will be working with him to continue his progress. Omer has a great understanding of how to play defense and how to move without the ball and I know he will fit in very well with our needs in the low post.”

In a non-related move, the Rockets also announced that the team has waived guard E’Twaun Moore.

Chicago Bulls sign guard Marco Belinelli

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard Marco Belinelli (pronounciation: mark-o bell-ee-nell-ee).

Belinelli (6-5, 195), comes to the Bulls having played the last two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets. He broke into the league with the Golden State Warriors in 2007, where he played for two seasons after being drafted in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft (18th overall). He also spent the 2009-10 season with the Toronto Raptors.

Last season with the Hornets, the Bologna, Italy, native appeared in 66 games (55 starts) and averaged career highs in points (11.8 ppg), rebounds (2.6 rpg) and minutes (29.8 mpg). He shot .417 from the field, .377 from behind the arc and .783 from the line.

For his career, the 26-year old Belinelli has played in 287 regular season games (148 starts) and posted averages of 8.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 21.5 mpg, .424 field goal shooting, .393 three-point shooting and .796 from the line. In six playoff games, he has averaged 9.7 ppg in 28.7 mpg and shot .365 from the field, .308 from three-point range and 1.000 from the free throw line.

Patrick Beverley still seeking NBA job

Point guard Patrick Beverley has worked out for three NBA teams, including the Chicago Bulls, and is still examining his options for next season, his agent said on Monday.

The 24-year Beverley, a Chicago native, played for Spartak Saint Petersburg in Russia last season and was named the EuroCup MVP. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and played for the Miami Heat in the 2010 summer league, but he has yet to play in the NBA. He’s played overseas since leaving Arkansas after his sophomore season in 2008.

Beverley, a 6-foot-1 point guard, has worked out this offseason for the Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets.

— Reported by Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago

Suns will sign forward P.J. Tucker

Over the five years since he last was in the NBA, P.J. Tucker has seen players come into leagues in six other countries with an expectation for success before struggling to find their roles and departing with a myopic view of their failures.

Tucker knows it all too well because that was his 2006-07 experience with Toronto, which included 17 appearances, D-League duty and a March waiver that started his circuitous path back to the NBA.

The time and experiences gave Tucker a greater maturity that led to a return to the NBA with the Suns, who will sign the burly, versatile forward to a two-year contract with partial guarantees on the first year.

To realize his dream of returning to the NBA, Tucker is taking less than half of the salary he would have made overseas to join the Suns at potentially $762,195 for the first season.

— Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

Bulls will not match Rockets offer to Omer Asik

The Bulls on Tuesday officially will announce they have declined to match Omer Asik’s three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet from the Rockets, sources said, paving the way for multiple signings that began Monday with Kirk Hinrich.

The Tribune reported on July 8 that Hinrich verbally agreed to a two-year deal, but it’s closer to $8 million in value, sources said. Hinrich, who will be reintroduced at a 2 p.m. Berto Center news conference on Tuesday, turned down slightly more money from the Bucks, sources said…

The Bulls will add another shooting guard as well, with the imminent signing of Marco Belinelli for the biannual exception of $1.9 million. Belinelli flew to Chicago on Monday for a physical, sources said, and La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Belinelli’s deal will be two years for $3.8 million, with the second year a team option.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Champion Miami Heat now even stronger

With the pressure of winning his first NBA title off his back, LeBron James and the Miami Heat are looking to repeat next season and they wasted no time in the off-season adding more talent to the fold to strengthen their roster. With the signings of sharp-shooter Ray Allen and former Wizards forward Rashard Lewis, the Heat brought on veteran scorers who can spread the floor with their ability to shoot the ball, especially from three-point range.

Allen, the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point shots made, still has a lot of game left in his 37-year old legs, coming off a season in which he averaged 14 points a game in Boston. When in a zone, Allen is one of the most feared jump shooters in the game. Allen has shot an impressive 40 percent from beyond the arc for his career and he would likely come off the bench as the Heat’s sixth man next season. James, last season’s MVP of the league, and guard Dwyane Wade are two of the best in the league at breaking down defenders — and with Allen perched on the wing waiting to stroke a three, the Heat’s offense is vastly improved.

— Reported by CSN Washington

Brooklyn Nets sign guard C.J. Watson

As expected due to reports from last week, the Brooklyn Nets have signed guard C.J. Watson, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Watson played in 49 games for Chicago in 2011-12, making 25 starts. The 6-2 guard averaged 9.7 points and a career-high 4.1 assists in 23.7 minutes per game for the Bulls. As a starter, Watson posted averages of 11.3 points and 4.6 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. In the 2012 postseason, Watson started five of the Bulls’ six playoff games and averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 assists in 27.3 minutes per game.

After going undrafted out of the University of Tennessee in 2006, Watson was signed by the Golden State Warriors as a free agent call-up from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League in January of 2008. After two and a half seasons with the Warriors, Watson was traded to Chicago prior to the 2010-11 season. Over five NBA seasons, Watson holds career averages of 7.8 points and 2.6 assists in 305 games. Watson has made postseason appearances in each of his two seasons with the Bulls. In 22 career playoff games, he has averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 assists in 13.6 minutes per game.

Chicago Bulls sign guard Kirk Hinrich

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard Kirk Hinrich.

“We are pleased to be able to bring Kirk back to Chicago. His ability to play both spots in the backcourt will help us immensely this season,” said Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “Kirk’s tenacity and passion for the game complement our style of play, and we look forward to seeing him back in a Bulls uniform.”

Hinrich (6-4, 190), originally drafted by Chicago in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft, played the first seven seasons of his career with the Bulls. After being traded to the Washington Wizards on July 8, 2010, he spent the last two seasons with the Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks. Last year with the Hawks, he played in 48 games (31 starts) and averaged 6.6 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.1 rpg, 0.80 spg, 25.8 mpg, .414 from the field, .346 from behind the arc and .781 from the line.

“I’m very excited to be back in Chicago and to wear a Bulls uniform once again,” said Hinrich. “I look forward to getting back out on the court as a Bull, and contributing to the team in any way I can.”

In nine seasons in the NBA, the 31-year old Hinrich has played in 634 games (515 starts) and owns career averages of 12.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.2 rpg, 1.21 spg, 33.0 mpg, .417 from the floor, .378 from behind the three-point line and .811 from the free throw line. He also has played in 46 playoff games (37 starts), where he has averaged 13.4 ppg, 4.7 apg, 2.9 rpg, 1.28 spg, 33.3 mpg, .430 field goal shooting, .404 three-point shooting and .763 free throw shooting.

Hinrich returns to Chicago as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made (812) and three-point field goals attempted (2,144). He also ranks fourth in assists (3,004), fourth in steals (655), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.379), eighth in mpg (17,499), eighth in field goal attempts (6,053), 10th in scoring (6,902) and 11th in field goals made (2,510).