NBA Teams – Page 673 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves add Rasual Butler, John Lucas III and Toure` Murry to training camp

The Timberwolves finalized the team’s 2016-17 Training Camp roster today by signing forward Rasual Butler and guards John Lucas III and Toure’ Murry.

Butler, 37, has appeared in 809 games over his 13-year NBA career, averaging 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds. In 2015-16, he played in 46 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game. Butler, the 53rd overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft by Miami, has played with the Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Spurs. Butler played six games under current Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago during the 2010-11 NBA season.

In his eight-year NBA career, Lucas III, 33, has averaged 4.8 points, 1.5 assists and 12.3 minutes in 237 games. The 5-11 guard most recently played in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons in 2014-15, averaging 4.7 points and 2.9 assists in 21 games. Lucas has enjoyed NBA stints with the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Pistons. Lucas III played under Thibodeau from 2010-12 in Chicago. He is the son of former NBA player John Lucas Jr., who played 14 years in the NBA from 1976-90.

Murry, 26, has played in 56 games with three teams between two NBA seasons, including appearing in 51 contests with the Knicks in 2013-14 where he averaged 2.7 points. Originally undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Wichita State, the 6-5 guard spent 2015-16 in the NBA D-League, starting the season with the Texas Legends before being acquired in a trade by the Sioux Falls Skyforce late in the season. Murry played in 45 games between the two stops, averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game. Murry played for the Timberwolves entry in the 2016 Summer League, averaging 6.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in eight games.

Butler will wear No. 12, Lucas III will wear No. 11 and Murry will don No. 23.

Spurs add Joel Anthony, Nicolas Laprovittola, Ryan Richards to training camp

The Spurs training camp roster stands at 20 players, and includes the additions of center Joel Anthony, guard Nicolás Laprovíttola and forward-center Ryan Richards.

Anthony (6-9, 245), a nine-year NBA veteran, spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The UNLV product has also played for the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, where he spent his first six-plus seasons and won back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. Anthony has appeared in 471 career games, averaging 2.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.11 blocks in 14.7 minutes.

Laprovíttola (6-4, 180) is a native of Argentina and has played professionally since 2007, most recently splitting last season between Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania) and Movil Estudiantes (Spain). In 20 games with Lietuvos, he averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds before making the move to Movil. In 20 games with Estudiantes, he posted averages of 13.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds. Laprovíttola is also a member of the Argentinian National Team and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he averaged 8.2 points, 2.7 assist and 2.2 rebounds in six games.

Richards (6-11, 265) was originally drafted by the Spurs with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He split last season between Iran-Super League’s Shahdary Gorgan and Lebanon-Pepsi LBL’s Sagesse-Al Kekmeh Beirut. In 26 games with Shadary, he averaged 20.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 37.6 minutes. After transferring to Sagasse-Al Kekmeh Beruit midway through the season, he averaged 15.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in six games.

Pistons sign Nikola Jovanovic and Trey Freeman to training camp

The Pistons today signed Nikola Jovanovic and Trey Freeman to contracts that bring those two players to training camp.

Jovanovic, a 6-11, 235 played three years at the University of Southern California and averaged 10.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 98 games for the Trojans. He averaged 12-plus points and 7.0 rebounds in both his sophomore and junior years and shot better than 50% from the field in all three of his collegiate years. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Jovanovic became the 36th player in USC history to record 1,000-plus points.

Freeman averaged 22.1 points as a senior at Old Dominion University last season. In 135 career collegiate games, he’s averaged 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists at Campbell University (2011-13) and Old Dominion (2014-16). A 6-2 guard from Virginia Beach, VA, Freeman earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors in both his junior and senior years.

Nets sign Chase Budinger and Jorge Gutierrez

The Nets today signed free agent forward Chase Budinger and guard Jorge Gutierrez.

Budinger (6-7, 215) has appeared in 407 career NBA games (50 starts) with Phoenix (2015-16), Indiana (2015-16), Minnesota (2012-15) and Houston (2009-12) and holds averages of 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.7 minutes per contest. The California native was selected 44th overall out of the University of Arizona in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons before being traded on draft night to the Rockets.

Gutierrez (6-3, 195) most recently suited up for the Charlotte Hornets during the 2015-16 season, and has also had NBA stints with the Milwaukee Bucks (2014-15) and the Nets (2013-15). In 47 total NBA games, the Mexico native holds averages of 2.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 10.3 minutes per contest.

Gutierrez, who began his professional career playing for Pioneros de Quintana Roo in Mexico (2012-13), has had four stints in the NBA D-League over the past four seasons, all with the Canton Charge. In 2014 he was named to the All-NBA D-League Second Team and was twice named to the league’s all-defensive team (2013, 2014).

Bulls add J.J. Avila, Vince Hunter, D`Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Thomas Walkup to training camp

The Bulls have signed free agents J.J. Avila, Vince Hunter, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Thomas Walkup to round out their 2016-17 training camp roster.

Avila (6-8, 250) played two seasons (2010-11, 2011-12) at Navy before transferring to Colorado State for his final two seasons (2013-14, 2014-15). He saw action in 115 games (103 starts) in his four-year career and posted 15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.60 spg in 31.5 mpg. As a senior in 2014-15, he was the only player in NCAA Division I to average better than 16.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.5 apg and 2.00 spg while shooting better than .550 from the floor.

Hunter (6-8, 200) appeared in 32 games for the Reno Bighorns during his rookie season and averaged 21.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.00 spg in 31.9 mpg. During his college career at UTEP, he played in 67 games and averaged 13.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.00 spg in 27.1 mpg.

Smith-Rivera (6-3, 215) appeared in 120 games with Georgetown and posted averages of 14.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.27 spg in 32.7 mpg. In his final season, he scored in double digits 28 times, 20-plus points eight times and 30-plus points twice, and was named Second Team All-Big East.

Walkup (6-4, 195) appeared in 135 games with Stephen F. Austin and posted 12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.30 spg in 26.2 mpg. In his senior season, he averaged 18.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.09 spg en route to being named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 19.

Celtics add Marcus Georges-Hunt, Damion Lee, Jalen Jones to training camp

The Celtics have signed guards Marcus Georges-Hunt and Damion Lee, as well as forward Jalen Jones to their training camp roster.

Georges-Hunt played in four contests for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2016 Las Vegas Summer League and averaged 2.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 13.3 minutes per game. As a senior at Georgia Tech, the 6’5” guard averaged 16.7 points while shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 3.4 rebounds and a team-high 3.3 assists per game. Georges-Hunt rose to No. 11 on Tech’s all-time scoring list (1,728 points) during the 2015-16 season after beginning the year as 35th.

Lee appeared in six games for the Miami Heat during the Las Vegas Summer League and averaged 10.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. The 6’6” guard played for the Louisville Cardinals during the 2015-16 season, where he averaged 15.9 points on 42.8 percent shooting from the field, 1.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. Prior to playing at Louisville, Lee attended Drexel University and was the nation’s fourth-leading scorer as a junior while averaging 21.4 points per game.

Jones played in five contests for the Toronto Raptors during the Las Vegas Summer League and averaged 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game. During his senior year at Texas A&M, the 6’7” forward averaged 15.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting from the field and 7.2 rebounds. Jones earned first-team All-SEC honors from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press for the 2015-16 season.

A glance at the Grizzlies

Here’s the Memphis Commercial Appeal with the big picture on the 2016-17 Grizzlies, who as usual enter the season looking like a squad who should continue to make the playoffs, but not compete for a championship:

This week, the Grizzlies’ longtime “core four” of Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen will embark upon their seventh season together, during which they’ve never missed the playoffs, an active post-season streak that only the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks can top.

That continuity could be due for some disruption this season. Versatile, sweet-shooting forward Chandler Parsons, whom the Grizzlies lured over the summer with a four-year max contract, is the biggest free agent signing in franchise history and will immediately challenge the team’s pecking order. When he plays, that is.

Parsons will partner with Conley and Gasol in what the Grizzlies hope will be a new kind of core going forward, one predicated on more shooting, versatility and offensive skill level than that to which the “grit and grind” Grizzlies have grown accustomed.

This shifting style will be led by a new coach in David Fizdale, the former Miami Heat lead assistant, whom the team tapped after dismissing Dave Joerger, a successful coach who was never quite on the same page with the team’s front office.

Josh Richardson making progress in recovery

Here’s the Palm Beach Post Blog with an update on a key young member of the Heat:

Josh Richardson is making progress.

The 23-year-old guard suffered a partially torn MCL in his right knee in a voluntary workout on Sept. 9 and said he expected the injury to keep him out for six to eight weeks. Richardson is now entering the next phase of his recovery, as he had his knee brace removed Friday just in time to travel to Knoxville to watch Tennessee, his alma mater, defeat the Gators on Saturday.

“The update is his brace was removed on Friday and he was able to go to the Tennessee-Florida game on Saturday,” coach Erik Spoelstra said at media day on Monday. “After that win, I immediately texted him saying you better not even think about charging that field. But he was able to move around. He’s excited to get the brace off.”

Clippers sign Xavier Munford and Dorell Wright to training camp roster

The Clippers announced their 2016-17 training camp roster today. The team signed free agents Dorell Wright and Xavier Munford to complete the roster with 17 players.

Munford, a 2016 D-League All-Star, spent last season with the Bakersfield Jam and the Memphis Grizzlies. Undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Rhode Island, Munford appeared in 51 games for Bakersfield in 2014-15, averaging 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

Wright, the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, has spent 12 seasons in the NBA with Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia and Portland. In 549 career games (222 starts), the Los Angeles native has averages of 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Wright spent last season in the Chinese Basketball Association playing for the Beikong Fly Dragons before signing with the Heat to close the season. In 37 games for the Dragons, he averaged 24.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Wright’s best statistical NBA season was in 2010-11 as a member of the Warriors when he averaged career-highs of 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds. 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 82 games (all starts).

The Clippers’ training camp roster currently stands at 17 players.

Pistons enter season with very young roster

The Pistons are built around Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Stanley Johnson, Tobias Harris and Andre Drummond. A good, fun group. And a very young squad. Here’s Michigan Live reporting:

The Detroit Pistons enter training camp Tuesday one of two NBA teams with everyone on the roster under the age of 30.

Now, there are benefits to that, like team-friendly contracts and getting players on the upswing of their careers. When it’s difficult to land a big-name free agent, like it is for Detroit, you go with youth.

But it also leaves a void in the locker room, one the Pistons are trying to figure out, president-coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday during a media luncheon at the Palace.

“We don’t have a guy that has ever been in that situation in the league, a guy that people look to,” Van Gundy said. “We don’t have the old, grizzled veterans.”