Dallas Mavericks Blog – Page 40 – NBA Blog

Dallas Mavericks sign guard Yuki Togashi

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Yuki Togashi.

Togashi (5-7, 143) was most recently a member of the Mavericks’ NBA Summer League team. In his four games, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting .467 from the field.

A native of Niigata, Japan, Togashi attended high school in the United States at Montrose Christian School which produced NBA players Kevin Durant, Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez. He was part of the 2011 Montrose team that captured the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational title.

Togashi graduated high school in 2012 and returned to Japan to play professionally in the Basketball Japan League. He signed with the Akita Northern Happinets and averaged 16.3 points, a league-high 7.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 58 games during the 2013-14 season.

Mavericks sign Charlie Villanueva

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Charlie Villanueva. It is likely a non-guaranteed contract, giving Villanueva a chance to show that he’s worth holding on to.

Villanueva (6-11, 232) signs with the Mavericks after spending the last five seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He had a breakout year in 2008-09 when he averaged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Villanueva holds career averages of 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 23.1 minutes in 530 career games (158 starts) with Toronto, Milwaukee and Detroit.

The former University of Connecticut standout was originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the 7th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. After two seasons in Storrs, Conn., Villanueva declared for the NBA Draft. He earned Big East All-Rookie Team honors and a NCAA National Championship as a freshman and was the team’s MVP as a sophomore averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game.

Dallas Mavericks sign Doron Lamb

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Doron Lamb.

Lamb (6-4, 200) is a three-year NBA veteran with career averages of 3.5 points, 1.0 rebound and 12.7 minutes in 100 games with Milwaukee and Orlando. Last season, the shooting guard averaged 3.6 points and 13.1 minutes in 53 games with the Magic.

The Queens, N.Y., native was a standout at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the 2012 NCAA Championship squad. Lamb declared for the 2012 NBA Draft after averaging 13.7 points and 31.2 minutes while shooting .474 from the field and .400 from 3-point range during his sophomore season. He was drafted with the 42nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Mavericks re-sign center Bernard James

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have re-signed center Bernard James. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

James (6-10, 230) was originally drafted by the Mavericks with the 33rd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He averages 2.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 7.9 minutes in 76 career games (11 starts) with Dallas.

The Savannah, Ga., native is a former Staff Sergeant who served six years in the Air Force including three tours to Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar. In his senior season at Florida State, James averaged 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Defensive team. James also won the Most Courageous Award by the United States Basketball Writers of America.

Petteri Koponen aims to enter NBA in 2015

Here’s ESPN.com with an update on a talented international player:

Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen hopes to be playing in the NBA by the 2015-16 season.

Here at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Koponen told ESPN.com he intends to make the jump to the NBA after completing the final season on his contract with BC Khimki in Russia.

“I always said my dream is to play in the NBA,” Koponen said. “Every summer we talk a little bit with Dallas to see what the situation is and what they think. I’ve got one more year left on my contract in Russia and then of course I would like to come over. I hope I get some options to go there and show I can play at that level.”

The Mavericks acquired Koponen’s NBA rights in 2011 in a draft-night trade trade with Portland. He was selected by Philadelphia on behalf of the Blazers with the last pick of the first round in 2007, having played in the Nike Hoop Summit that year against a future MVP named Derrick Rose.

Video: Best Dallas Mavericks plays of the 2013-14 season

The Dallas Mavericks finished last season with a 49-33 record. Enjoy these video highlights showcasing some of their best plays:

Mavericks sign Al-Farouq Aminu

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Al-Farouq Aminu.

Aminu (6-9, 215) was the 8th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. After one season in Los Angeles he was traded, along with Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and a first round pick, to New Orleans in the deal that landed Chris Paul with the Clippers. He averages 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 23.2 minutes in 303 career games (171 starts) with Los Angeles and New Orleans.

In 2013-14, Aminu played in 80 games (65 starts) for the Pelicans and averaged 7.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes. The highlight of his season came on Dec. 4 when he registered 16 points and 20 rebounds against the Mavericks in a 100-97 Dallas victory.

Aminu’s parents, Aboubakar and Anjiflic, hail from Nigeria and he competed for the Nigerian National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The Atlanta native was a McDonald’s All-American and one of the nation’s top recruits in 2008. He played collegiately at Wake Forrest where he was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2009. Aminu declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season where he averaged 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Demon Deacons.

Mavericks sign Ivan Johnson

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Ivan Johnson.

Johnson (6-8, 255) started all five games for the Mavericks at the Las Vegas Summer League and averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 20.8 minutes per game.

Johnson spent the 2013-14 season playing for the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls in China, where he averaged 26.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.9 steals and 32.8 minutes per game in 24 games.

The 6-8 forward began his professional career in the NBA Development League in 2007-08 with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Anaheim Aresenal.

Johnson was signed by the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 9, 2011 after impressing the club in a 2011 mini-camp and earning an invite to training camp. He appeared in 56 games for Atlanta in 2011-12 and averaged 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 72.0 percent from the foul line. Johnson was named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April. He ranked third among rookies in field goal percentage.

Johnson re-signed with Atlanta on Sept. 18, 2012. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 15.0 minutes per game in 69 games (five starts) for the Hawks in 2012-13. Johnson holds career averages of 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 15.8 minutes per game in 125 NBA games (five starts).

Johnson finished up his collegiate career at Cal State San Bernardino in 2006-07, where he averaged 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the field. He earned All-California Collegiate Athletic Association First Team honors as a senior, and was named Second Team All-West Region by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Mavs sign Jameer Nelson

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard Jameer Nelson.

Nelson (6-0, 190) is a 10-year veteran and former NBA All-Star (2009) who has spent his entire career with the Orlando Magic. He has career averages of 12.6 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 29.2 minutes in 651 games (556 starts) with the Magic. Nelson stands as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists with 3,501. He also ranks second in games played (651) and field goals attempted (7,033), third in minutes played (19,038), three-pointers made (874) and three-pointers attempted (2,335), fourth in scoring (8,184 points) and field goals made (3,109) and fifth in steals (619).

A native of Chester, Pa., Nelson was originally the 20th overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. His draft rights were traded to the Magic where he spent his career until Orlando waived him on June 30, 2014. Last season, Nelson averaged 12.1 points, 7.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 32.0 minutes in 68 games (68 starts).

Nelson was named to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2009 when he averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 31.2 minutes while shooting .503 from the field, .453 from three-point range and .887 from the foul line.

The former St. Joseph’s standout enjoyed a decorated collegiate career. As a senior, Nelson earned Naismith College Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year and the John Wooden Award while leading St. Joseph’s to an undefeated regular season (27-0) and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Dallas Mavericks sign Richard Jefferson

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson (6-7, 234) is a 13-year veteran with career averages of 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 32.1 minutes in 934 games (772 starts) with New Jersey, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Golden State and Utah. He appeared in two NBA Finals as a New Jersey Net alongside former Mavericks Jason Kidd and Vince Carter and won a bronze medal as a member of Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Last season, Jefferson played in all 82 games (78 starts) for Utah averaging 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 27.0 minutes while shooting .450 from the field, .409 from three-point range and .741 from the foul line.

A standout at the University of Arizona, Jefferson led the Wildcats to the 2001 NCAA Championship Game before being drafted by the Houston Rockets with the 13th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.