Milwaukee Bucks Blog – Page 34 – NBA Blog

Milwaukee Bucks sign Carlos Delfino

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent guard/forward Carlos Delfino (6-6, 230), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Delfino, 30, returns to the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 10.6 points while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc in 67 games. Prior to signing with Houston last offseason, Delfino wore a Bucks uniform for three seasons from 2009 through 2012, and averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from three in 178 games with Milwaukee. Delfino connected on 325 threes during his time as a Buck, which places him seventh on Milwaukee’s all-time 3-pointers made list.

Originally selected by Detroit with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Delfino is entering his ninth NBA season and has seen action with the Pistons and Toronto Raptors in addition to the Bucks and Rockets. The Argentine owns career averages of 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 507 games and is a career 36.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc. Delfino has advanced to the postseason at each stop in his NBA career, appearing in 41 playoff games with averages of 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. He is also a decorated Olympian, having participated in three Summer Olympics for his native Argentina (2004, 2008 and 2012). The squad earned a gold medal in 2004 and bronze in 2008.

Milwaukee Bucks waive Drew Gooden via amnesty provision

The Milwaukee Bucks have waived forward Drew Gooden and designated him as the team’s amnesty player as allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Gooden originally signed with the Bucks as a free agent prior to the 2010-11 season. The 11-year NBA veteran appeared in 107 games over three seasons with the Bucks, averaging 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.

Atlanta Hawks match Milwaukee Bucks offer sheet for Jeff Teague

The Atlanta Hawks have matched the offer sheet extended by the Milwaukee Bucks to Jeff Teague, President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry announced today.

According to multiple reports, the offer sheet was for four years and $32 million.

“We are happy to bring Jeff back to our team. He has improved each year of his career and continues to get better,” Ferry said. “At 25, he’s already been a key contributor on a playoff team and we look forward to seeing him develop into even more of a leader on our team.”

Teague increased his scoring and assist averages for the third consecutive year, posting career highs with 14.6 points and 7.2 assists in 32.9 minutes per game in 80 games (78 starts) during the 2012-13 season. His 7.2 assists per game ranked 12th in the NBA last season and he shot .881 from the free throw line, the eighth-highest percentage in the league. He is one of just 10 players in the NBA to increase their scoring average in each of the past three seasons.

The four-year veteran from Wake Forest posted 10 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists, tied for the fourth-most in the league last season with Stephen Curry (Golden State) and behind only LeBron James (Miami, 13), Tony Parker (San Antonio, 12), Chris Paul (LA Clippers, 11) and Deron Williams (Brooklyn, 11) . The Hawks posted an 8-2 record in those games.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to coach Jeff. He has a high level of talent. Keeping him with our group allows us to continue to build and improve going forward,” Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The 19th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Hawks, Teague has career averages of 9.0 points on .451 shooting and 4.0 assists in 22.6 minutes per game in 287 games (154 starts). He has also played in 29 postseason games (18 starts) and has averages of 9.4 points on .409 shooting and 3.0 assists in 25.3 minutes per game.

Milwaukee Bucks sign guard O.J. Mayo

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent guard O.J. Mayo (6-4, 210), General Manager John Hammond announced today. According to the Associated Press, the Bucks agreed to terms on a three-year, $24 million contract with Mayo last week.

With Bucks guard Brandon Jennings exploring free agency and Monta Ellis agreeing to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, a guard like Mayo was a much-needed addition for Milwaukee.

Mayo, 25, spent the 2012-13 season with the Dallas Mavericks, where he averaged 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 35.5 minutes per game. He finished the season shooting 44.9 percent from the field and a career-best 40.7 percent from beyond the arc (26th in the NBA). Mayo scored in double figures on 63 occasions last season, including a career-high-tying 40 points in a win at Houston on Dec. 8.

Originally selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Mayo was dealt to Memphis on draft night and played his first four seasons with the Grizzlies before signing with Dallas as a free agent prior to the 2012-13 campaign. The USC product has appeared in 383 games in his five-year career, averaging 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. Mayo’s 383 games played are the fifth-most in the league since the start of the 2008-09 season, and he’s avoided missing a single game in four of his five seasons thus far.

Bucks trade Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to Kings

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (6-8, 230) to the Sacramento Kings, General Manager John Hammond announced today. The Bucks will receive the more favorable of two 2016 second round draft picks (Sacramento’s own pick or one acquired from New Orleans) and future considerations from the Kings in the transaction.

A five-year NBA veteran, Mbah a Moute appeared in 58 games (45 starts) last season and averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Drafted by Milwaukee in the second round (37th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, the 26-year old native of Cameroon has played in 335 career games for Milwaukee with averages of 6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 67.9 percent from the free throw line.

Dallas Mavericks are signing Monta Ellis

The Dallas Mavericks continued to stack the deck in their backcourt Friday when they agreed to terms with Monta Ellis on a three-year contract worth close to $30 million.

Ellis becomes the fifth guard the Mavs have signed this off-season, joining Jose Calderon, Devin Harris, Gal Mekel and Ricky Ledo. They selected Shane Larkin in the first round of last month’s draft.

After losing out on Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, Ellis is an ideal Plan C for the Mavs. He’s elusive, has a quick jumper and should allow the Mavs to play a more uptempo style.

Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Three-team trade sends Kevin Martin to Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired guard Kevin Martin via a sign-and-trade as part of a three-team deal with Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. As part of the trade, the Wolves send Luke Ridnour and a 2014 second-round pick (from the Los Angeles Lakers via the Phoenix Suns; acquired on July 27, 2012) to the Bucks. Minnesota and Milwaukee also receive cash considerations from Oklahoma City while the Bucks send the draft rights to Szymon Szewczyk to the Thunder.

“We are excited to add a talented veteran in Kevin Martin to our team,” said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Kevin is one of the top shooters and more efficient scorers in the NBA and will help us immensely in those areas. Kevin is familiar with Coach Adelman’s style of play and had success playing for him in Sacramento and Houston. We expect that to continue.”

The Timberwolves were last in three-point shooting in 2012-13 and Martin shot a career-high 42.6 percent from three-point range last season and is 39 percent from that distance for his career. Also, in the last seven years, Martin is the fourth leading scorer at two-guard, behind only Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Monta Ellis.

In his nine seasons in the NBA with Sacramento (2004-10), Houston (2010-12) and Oklahoma City (2012-13), Martin has averaged 17.8 points. 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 552 games (387 starts). The 30-year-old has career shooting averages of .443 from the field, .385 from three-point range and .867 percent from the free throw line. He has averaged over 20.0 ppg and made more than 100 three-pointers in a single season five times in his career. Martin has previously played three-plus seasons for Rick Adelman (2004 – 2006, Sacramento; 2010 – 2011, Houston), averaging 14.9 ppg, including 23.4 ppg in the 2010-11 season which ranked ninth in the NBA.

In 2012-13, Martin, a 6-7 guard, averaged 14.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 77 games for Oklahoma City. He shot .450 from the floor and a career-high .426 from three-point range while making 158 treys, the second-highest single-season total of his career. Martin ranked 4th in the NBA in free throw percentage, shooting .890 from the charity stripe. In 11 playoff games with the Thunder, Martin averaged 14.0 points and 3.1 rebounds, including scoring 25 points in the series-clinching Game 6 at Houston and 25 points in the series opener vs. Memphis.

Martin was originally selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings out of Western Carolina. He was traded to Houston in exchange for Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey on Feb. 18, 2010. Oklahoma City acquired Martin, along with Jeremy Lamb and three future draft picks, on October 27, 2012 in exchange for James Harden, Daequan Cook, Lazar Hayward and Cole Aldrich.

Martin will wear uniform No. 23 for the Wolves.

“We thank Luke for his contributions to the Wolves during his three seasons in Minnesota,” said Saunders. “He is a consummate professional and we wish him the best in Milwaukee.”

In his three seasons in Minnesota, Ridnour averaged 11.7 points and 4.6 assists in 206 games (201 starts). In 2012-13, he averaged 11.5 points and 3.8 assists in 82 contests (all starts). Ridnour returns to Milwaukee where he played from 2008-10.

Three-team trade sends J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley to Clippers, Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler to Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired two future second-round draft picks as part of a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns, General Manager John Hammond announced today. As part of the trade, the Bucks re-signed free-agent guard J.J. Redick and dealt him to the Clippers, with Los Angeles sending Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler to Phoenix in exchange for Jared Dudley. Both the Clippers (2015 or 2016 with protections; 2017 unprotected) and Suns (2014 from Toronto) will send a future second-round pick to the Bucks to complete the deal.

“The addition of a very dynamic young player in Eric Bledsoe and an All-Star veteran in Caron Butler is very exciting for the Suns,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. “At the same time, we thank Jared Dudley, a consummate professional in every respect. He takes our best wishes with him to the Clippers.”

“We are thrilled to add Eric and Caron to the Phoenix Suns,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “They were both key parts of the Clippers team that set a franchise record for wins last season and we are excited to add their athleticism, shooting, and leadership to our organization.”

Widely considered one of the best young guards in the NBA, and one of the league’s most highly sought-after players this offseason, Bledsoe is an athletic, two-way player entering his fourth NBA season. Listed at 6-foot-1, the 23-year-old Bledsoe has a 78-inch wingspan and a 40-inch vertical leap.

Despite playing behind All-NBA First Team guard Chris Paul in 2012-13, Bledsoe averaged career highs scoring (8.5), rebounds (3.0) and steals (1.43) and added 3.1 assists in 76 appearances, 64 of which came in a reserve role. In fact, the box-score-stuffing Bledsoe started 12 games a season ago and in those opportunities averaged 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.50 steals. A high-level ball-handler who can create his own shot, as a starter Bledsoe averaged 4.1 free-throw attempts per game, which would have matched Suns guard Goran Dragic’s team-leading average from 2012-13. Bledsoe is coming off a season in which he shot a career-best from both the field (.445) and three-point range (.397) last season.

Dudley, 28, appeared in 79 games (50 starts) for the Suns last season, averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. A San Diego native who attended Horizon High School, Dudley shot 39 percent from three-point range in 2012-13. He connected on 106 three-pointers last season, the third time in his career he has made 100 or more three-pointers in a season. The six-year NBA veteran brings career averages of 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 449 games (147 starts) for both the Charlotte Bobcats and Suns. He is also a career 41-percent shooter from beyond the arc and 80-percent from the free throw line. The former Boston College star was the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Bobcats after earning Second Team All-American honors as a senior.

Redick, 29, averaged 14.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 78 games (13 starts) last season with the Bucks and Orlando Magic. A veteran of seven NBA seasons, Redick has appeared in 424 career games (54 starts) and owns career averages of 9.4 points, 2.0 assists while shooting 39 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the foul line. Redick was the 11th overall selection of the 2006 Draft by the Magic after a decorated four-year collegiate career at Duke that saw him named the 2005-06 AP, John Wooden and Naismith College Player of the Year.

Butler is a two-time NBA All-Star (2007, 2008) and former 20-point scorer who has averaged double-digit scoring in 10 of his 11 NBA seasons. A 6-7, 217-pound small forward, Butler owns career averages of 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.46 steals in 730 games (697 starts) with Miami (2002-04), the LA Lakers (2004-05), Washington (2005-09), Dallas (2010-11) and the LA Clippers (2011-13).

A former 2003 All-Rookie First Team selection, Butler has made six playoff appearances in 11 career seasons. The UConn product averaged better than 20.0 points in both 2007-08 and 2008-09, including a career-high 20.8 points in the 2008-09 season. Butler is entering the final season of a three-year deal signed with the Clippers on Dec. 9, 2011.

Carlos Delfino returning to Milwaukee Bucks

Carlos Delfino is coming back to the Bucks.

Delfino and the Bucks agreed Sunday night on a two-year, $6.5 million contract with a third non-guaranteed year that could bring the total to $9.75 million, according to a league source.

The Houston Rockets released the 6-foot-6 Delfino last week as part of their salary-shedding moves to clear the way for an agreement with center Dwight Howard, who chose to sign with the Rockets on Friday.

Delfino played for Milwaukee for three seasons from 2009 to 2012 and appeared in 178 games, starting 159. He was a reliable performer under former Bucks coach Scott Skiles, who used him at both the small forward and shooting guard positions.

Delfino has guarded some of the elite wing players in the league, including Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Clippers interested in J.J. Redick

Any player that can make it rain from outside is worth adding to an NBA roster. One such talent is shooting guard J. J. Redick. A guy who can really shoot.

Unrestricted free agent J.J. Redick is being pursued by several teams, according to media reports.

And one of those teams with serious interest, according to ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Times, is the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers have agreed to a maximum contract with starting point guard Chris Paul and are looking for shooters to complement him in the backcourt. Redick, acquired by the Bucks at the trade deadline in February, is one of the top shooters on the free-agent market.

Yahoo Sports reported that Redick met with Clippers coach Doc Rivers on Monday night.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Blog)