Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 77 – NBA Blog

Allen Iverson needs a job

Super-scoring guard Allen Iverson needs a job and at this point it’s tough to say which teams he’s going to sign with.

There had been rumors that the Memphis Grizzlies had interest, but considering the young guards they already have it’s possible that adding Iverson would merely stunt the growth of talented shooting guard O.J. Mayo and possibly point guard Mike Conley as well.

Iverson’s time on the Denver Nuggets was OK at best. Chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and others wasn’t great, and the team got better once they traded him to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Chauncey Billups.

On the Pistons things didn’t work out at all. Detroit was happy to say goodbye.

Now 34 years old, Iverson’s best role would be as a team’s prime bench scorer. Like a Leandro Barbosa for the Phoenix Suns (of a few years ago when they were really good).

The question is if he’d accept such a job, and which team would go for him.

At this point, I’d love to now tell you who the favorites are to land him. But so far there aren’t any.

Could he reunite with Larry Brown and join the Charlotte Bobcats? Or head back to the Philadelphia 76ers now that Andre Miller is gone and the best point guard they have is Lou Williams?

Or, will rumors of an overseas team offering him a relatively fat contract come true? Only Iverson knows if he’d consider crossing over the pond.

We’re over a month into free agency and Iverson’s future seems wide open.

Someone will sign him, right?

Detroit Pistons sign Chris Wilcox

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent forward Chris Wilcox to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

“We are excited to add a young, athletic big man in Chris Wilcox,” said Dumars. “Chris provides our team with some added depth in the front court and we look forward to watching his continued development while here with the Pistons.”

Wilcox, 26, has appeared in 448 career NBA games (2 11 starts) averaging 9.3 points (52.7% from the field), 5.3 rebounds and 21.7 minutes per game. Since joining the league as the eighth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, he has played for three franchises including Los Angeles, Seattle/Oklahoma City and New York.

In 62 games with Oklahoma City and New York last season, Wilcox averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 49.7% from the field in 16.9 minutes per game.

His best two seasons came in 2006-07 and 2007-08 with Seattle where he averaged 13.5 points and 13.4 points, respectively. Wilcox started 81 of 82 games during the 2006-07 season where he averaged career-highs in points (13.5) and rebounds (7.7) and ranked 16th among NBA league leaders in field goal percentage (.529).

He earned NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors during the 2005-06 season by tallying averages of 23.0 points (.750 FG) and 15.3 rebounds during a 3-0 week for the Sonics (4/3-9). Wilcox scored 26 points and grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds vs. Houston that week, becoming the first player since Shawn Kemp to record a 20-point/20-rebound game for Seattle. The Raleigh, North Carolina native played two seasons collegiately at Maryland, helping the Terrapins win the NCAA Championship in 2002.

Walter Herrmann signs in Spain

EuroLeague.net reports: Tau Ceramica agreed to terms of a contract with small forward Walter Herrmann, who inked a two-year deal with the Euroleague powerhouse on Friday. Herrmann (206, 30) arrives from the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 60 NBA games last season. He has previously played three Euroleague seasons with Unicaja, averaging 7.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15 games in the 2005-06 season.

InsideHoops.com editor says: More long-haired, blond basketball players will need to step up and fill the void.

Pistons trade Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe to Nuggets

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has acquired a future second round draft choice from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Arron Afflalo, forward Walter Sharpe and cash considerations. The move clears approximately $1.8 million in additional salary cap space for the Pistons.

Afflalo appeared in 74 games (eight starts) last season, averaging 4.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 16.7 minutes per game. In eight starts he averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 33.1 minutes per game. The former UCLA product scored 10-plus points 12 times and led the team in scoring once, recording a career-high 24 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6-6 FT) in 45 minutes at Houston (3/18). He averaged 6.7 points in 13 games during the month of March, his best scoring month of the season, and won the Haier Shooting Stars competition at NBA All-Star 2009 while teaming with Bill Laimbeer and Katie Smith from the Detroit Shock.

Sharpe appeared in nine games a year ago, averaging 1.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 2.4 minutes per game. He made one NBA Development League assignment with the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants from 1/2-1/7, averaging 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games. The 6-foot-9 forward was on the inactive list 48 times during last season and did not player – coaches decision 23 times.

InsideHoops.com editor says: These are bench players who will probably receive extremely limited minutes on the Nuggets.

San Antonio Spurs sign Antonio McDyess

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have signed forward/center Antonio McDyess. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

McDyess, 6-9, 245 lbs., has spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Last year he appeared in 62 games (30 starts), averaging 9.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30.1 minutes while shooting .510 (268-525) from the field and .698 (60-86) from the foul line. As a starter McDyess averaged 12.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.17 blocks in 34.9 minutes compared to 7.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 0.47 blocks in 25.6 minutes in 32 games off the bench. For the season he posted a team-high 16 double-doubles and pulled down 10-or-more rebounds in 31 games.

In the playoffs, he averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in 34.0 minutes in the Pistons first round series with Cleveland. At the beginning of the season McDyess was traded to Denver as part of the Allen Iverson/Chauncey Billups deal on Nov. 3, but re-signed with Pistons on Dec. 9 after being waived by the Nuggets. During that stretch he missed 17 games.

Originally selected by the L.A. Clippers with the second overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft (draft rights were traded to Denver), McDyess has played for four different teams over his 14-year career (Denver, Phoenix, New York and Detroit). He was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 1999 (Denver) and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in 1996 (Denver). In 2001 he was named an NBA All-Star (Denver). McDyess was also a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics.

For his career, McDyess has appeared in 865 games, averaging 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists 29.4 minutes. He averaged double-figure scoring in his first seven seasons, highlighted by a career-high 21.2 points per game in 1999 with the Nuggets. During the 2000-01 season he averaged 20.8 points and a career-high 12.1 rebounds in 70 games with Denver. McDyess has scored in double figures in 554 of his 865 career games (64.1%), including 90 consecutive from 4/19/98-1/28/00. The former University of Alabama standout has posted 40-plus points in three games, including a career-high 46 vs. Vancouver on 2/28/99, nine 20-plus rebound games and five 20-20 games.

Detroit Pistons hire John Kuester as head coach

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the team has named John Kuester as head coach, signing him to a multi-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to name John Kuester as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons,” said Dumars. “John brings a wealth of NBA knowledge as a long-time assistant coach, including championship experience as an assistant coach with our club in 2004. He is a coach that our veteran players know well, and I feel he has the teaching ability to allow our younger players to grow and develop.”

Kuester, 54, has spent over 13 years in the NBA as an assistant coach with six different franchises (Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, New Jersey, Orlando and Cleveland). During his tenure as an assistant coach, Kuester has helped guide two teams to the NBA Finals [Philadelphia (2001); Detroit (2004)] and played a major role in helping Cleveland reach the Eastern Conference Finals this past season.

For seven seasons (1990-1997), the Richmond, Virginia native was a member of the Boston Celtics organization, serving as assistant coach his final two years. He joined Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown in 1997 and helped guide the Philadelphia 76ers to the playoffs in five of his six seasons with the club, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2001. The North Carolina graduate followed Brown to Detroit where the organization won its third NBA Championship, and then joined the New Jersey Nets staff in 2004-05. Kuester returned to Philadelphia for the 2005-06 season, landed in Orlando in 2006-07 and has helped mold the offensive philosophies for the Cleveland Cavaliers since August of 2007.

Prior to joining the NBA ranks, Kuester served five seasons as head coach at George Washington University from 1985-1990. He became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball in 1983 when he succeeded Rick Pitino at Boston University. He was an assistant coach for the Terriers for two seasons prior to his head coaching appointment.

As a collegiate player for four seasons at North Carolina (1973-77) under legendary coach Dean Smith, he helped the Tar Hells win two ACC Championships, make three NCAA Tournament berths and one NIT berth. As a senior, he was voted as the team’s best defensive player for the second straight season and was named Most Valuable Player of the ACC Tournament and NCAA East Regionals. That 1977 squad went on to the NCAA Final Four and an appearance in the championship game.

Kuester was selected in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings. He played three seasons in the NBA, one each with Kansas City, Denver and Indiana.

San Antonio Spurs to sign Antonio McDyess

It’s been rumored that the San Antonio Spurs were the favorites to land veteran power forward Antonio McDyess, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Wednesday evening, Adrian Wojnarowski (Yahoo) reported that the 34-year-old McDyess will join the Spurs, possibly signing a three-year deal for $15 million.

The Spurs are adding some nice pieces this summer. They already gained a terrific starting small forward in Richard Jefferson. The center spot is still weak, but McDyess handle that position for stretches.

Boston Celtics sign Rasheed Wallace

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent center/forward Rasheed Wallace. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Multiple media outlets had reported that the deal would be for two years and the mid-level exception (around $5.7 million per year).

“We are ecstatic to be able to add a player the caliber of Rasheed Wallace to our team,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge. “It is not every day that you can add a four-time All-Star and a player with championship experience.”

Wallace, a 6’11”, 230lbs center/forward, has averaged 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 33.9 minutes per game over his 14-year career. The former UNC Tar Heel has recorded 14 straight seasons of averaging 10 or more points, a tie for second most among active players along with new teammate Kevin Garnett and behind only Shaquille O’Neal. Wallace is one of 13 players in NBA history to make 13 consecutive appearances in the playoffs along with the likes of Kevin McHale, Bob Cousy, Robert Parish and Bill Russell. Wallace also is one of only three players in NBA history to have recorded 150 three-point field goals, 150 blocks and 100 steals in his postseason career joining Scottie Pippen and Robert Horry.

The fourth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft has made four All-Star teams in his career (2000, 2001, 2006, 2008). Wallace has made two trips to the NBA Finals with the Detroit Pistons (2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons) winning the NBA Championship in the 2003-04 season. Wallace joins Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan as the only four active players that have posted 15,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 1,500 assists and 1,000 blocks in their careers.

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Allen Iverson likes Grizzlies

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Several NBA sources have confirmed to me that controversial and wildly popular guard Allen Iverson – through representatives – has made the Grizzlies aware that he would like to play in Memphis. The veteran, prolific scorer is a free agent for the first time in his professional career. While no deal is imminent and conversations have been only cursory, Griz brass are said to be internally weighing the pros and cons of possibly adding Iverson to the team’s youth movement. Iverson would certainly have to take a major pay cut from the $21 million he earned last season with Detroit. The Griz would only entertain Iverson with what they’d deem a reasonable price, and if the 34-year-old agreed to play off the bench.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Adding Iverson would spark some team interest, ticket sales and maybe a few wins for the Grizzlies, but not really accomplish much more than that. It would probably wouldn’t help the development of the young players Memphis is actually building around. Adding Iverson would be a small temporary boost.

Detroit Pistons to sign Charlie Villanueva

The AP reports: A person with the knowledge of the negotiations says the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to contracts with free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva… Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by Toronto in 2005 who has played the last three of his NBA season with the Milwaukee Bucks, also agreed to a five-year deal. His contract is worth at least $35 million. Villanueva averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season for the Bucks.

InsideHoops.com editor says: The Pistons have a hole at the power forward position, and Villanueva should fill it as a starter, probably immediately.