NBA Teams – Page 675 – NBA Blog

Warriors sign Scott Wood

The Warriors have signed free agent forward Scott Wood, the team announced today. We assume the deal merely brings Wood to training camp.

Wood, 26, spent the last three seasons playing overseas with UCAM Murcia in Spain’s top league, Liga ACB, posting averages of 9.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 21.1 minutes over 103 games. Prior to joining UCAM Murcia, Wood enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at North Carolina State, where he posted averages of 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.7 minutes over 138 career games from 2009-13. The 6’6” forward led the ACC in three-point field goals and three-point percentage as both a junior and senior, finishing his career as the Wolf Pack’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made (334) while hitting 41.3 percent from long distance.

Wood will wear uniform #10.

Golden State’s training camp roster currently stands at 20 players.

Warriors Run TMC jerseys making partial comeback

Our favorite Warriors jerseys are coming back. Not full-time. But for occasional games next season.

The Warriors will wear Crossover alternate uniforms for select Sunday games during the 2016-17 season as a nod to the Warriors “Run TMC” era of the early 90’s.

They’ll first wear the Crossover alternate uniforms on the road on Sunday, October 30 when the team plays the Suns in Phoenix.

The new Crossover alternate uniform harkens back to the “Run TMC” era Warriors of the early 90’s and features the very same diagonal lettering worn by the team then, mixed with the color scheme and design of the jerseys the team wears on the road now. The diagonal lettering used on the Crossover alternate uniforms was used during the 1988-89 to 1996-97 seasons. This Crossover jersey not only symbolizes a crossover of eras, but also a nod to Run TMC’s Tim Hardaway, who was known for his “Killer Crossover.”

The Warriors will wear the Crossover alternate uniform for the following games:

· Sunday, October 30th at Phoenix
· Sunday, November 13th vs. Phoenix
· Sunday, January 22nd at Orlando
· Sunday, March 5th at New York
· Sunday, March 26th vs. Memphis
· Sunday, April 2nd vs. Washington

Hornets sign Perry Ellis

Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today the team’s 2016 training camp roster and signing of Perry Ellis.

Ellis, a 2016 Consensus All-America Second Team member and two-time All-Big 12 First Team (2016, 2015) standout, appeared in 38 games for Kansas during his senior campaign, averaging 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. For his four-year career, the Wichita, Kan., native appeared in 144 total games, averaging 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, leaving Kansas as the eighth all-time leading scorer (1,798).

The training camp roster now stands at 19.

Raptors hire Patrick Mutombo and Jim Sann as assistant coaches

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have hired Patrick Mutombo and Jim Sann as assistant coaches on Head Coach Dwane Casey’s staff. In addition, assistant coach Jama Mahlalela (JAM-ah MAH-la-LAY-la) has been promoted and will move to the front of the bench for the upcoming season.

Kalamian enters his second season with the Raptors, while Nurse returns for his fourth campaign with the club.

“I am pleased to add Patrick and Jim to our coaching staff,” said Casey. “Both possess a tremendous work ethic and a wealth of basketball experience that with help our players improve.

“Jama has done a great job for us in the area of player development and game preparation the last several seasons and is deserving of this recognition.”

Mutombo joins the Raptors after one season as an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League. Prior to joining the Spurs, Mutombo spent four seasons with the Denver Nuggets (2011-15), including the last three as an assistant coach.

A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutombo played professionally in Europe for six seasons (2003-09), before signing with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA D-League. He appeared in 29 games for the Jam, averaging 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 22.0 minutes.
Mutombo played collegiately at Metropolitan State University (1999-2003), helping the Roadrunners win the NCAA Division II championship in 2000 and 2002.

Sann rejoins the Raptors where he served as an assistant coach on Kevin O’Neill’s staff during the 2003-04 season. He spent the last three seasons as assistant coach/advance scout with the Brooklyn Nets. Sann was also with the Nets organization for five seasons (2005-10) as an assistant coach/coaching associate.
From 2010-12, Sann was a member of the Chicago Bulls staff, serving as an assistant coach/video coordinator. He was also an assistant coach/advance scout for the Houston Rockets during the 2004-05 season. Sann began his professional basketball career with the New York Knicks, holding various positions over 11 seasons, eventually rising to director of basketball administration.

Sann graduated from the University of Colorado in 1991.

Mahlalela enters his fourth season as an assistant coach. He moved to the bench following two seasons working in the Raptors’ front office as director of player development.

Mahlalela started with the Raptors in 2006 as a member of the community development staff, leading the Raptors Basketball Academy and various clinics throughout Canada. He was named director of basketball operations for NBA Asia in 2009 and oversaw the League’s clinics, youth programs and elite-level development from his base in Hong Kong.

Mahlalela played collegiately at the University of British Columbia and served as assistant coach at the University of Toronto for four seasons.

Heat sign Keith Benson

The Heat have signed center Keith Benson. We assume it’s a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Benson to Heat training camp.

Benson spent last season with the HEAT’s NBA Development League affiliate, the 2016 champion Sioux Falls Skyforce, appearing in 49 games (23 starts) and averaged 13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.57 blocks and 23.8 minutes while shooting 57.3 percent from the field. The 2016 NBA D-League All-Star appeared in all seven postseason games on the Skyforce’s path to the title averaging 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.14 blocks and 17.8 minutes while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.

Benson has now played in 93 career NBA Development League games (60 starts) and averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.58 blocks and 24.9 minutes while shooting 52.9 percent from the field. He was previously signed by the HEAT on August 25, 2015, appearing in five preseason games averaging 5.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 11.8 minutes before being waived on October 24, 2015. Additionally, Benson has appeared in three career NBA regular season games, all with Golden State, totaling three rebounds in nine minutes of action and has spent time playing professionally in Belarus, China, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy and the Philippines.

Benson was originally drafted in the second round (48th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Grizzlies sign Chris Crawford to training camp roster

The Grizzlies have signed guard Chris Crawford. The move finalizes the team’s 2016 training camp roster.

Crawford (6-4, 222) spent last season in the NBA Development League with the Canton Charge and overseas with SPO Rouen Basket in the French LNB Pro A league. The 23-year-old has appeared in 64 games (19 starts) for the Charge over two D-League seasons and has averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25.8 minutes, helping lead the team to the D-League Playoffs twice.

The Memphis native went unselected in the 2014 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at the University of Memphis, where he was named to the 2012 Conference USA All-Conference Third Team as a sophomore and honored as the 2013 C-USA Sixth Man of the Year as a junior.

Thunder sign Alex Caruso, Kaleb Tarczewski, Chris Wright

The Thunder today signed guard Alex Caruso, center Kaleb Tarczewski and forward Chris Wright. These were likely all non-guaranteed deals that merely bring the three players to training camp.

Caruso (6-5, 186), enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Texas A&M where he finished as the school’s all-time leader in assists (649) and steals (276). As a senior, Caruso was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in addition to receiving Second-Team All SEC honors. During his Aggie career, Caruso appeared in a total of 137 games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.02 steals.

Tarczewski (7-0, 250), concluded his four seasons at the University of Arizona with 110 victories, tied for the most in school history. After his senior campaign, Tarczewski was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference 2nd Team and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Tarczewski concluded his Wildcat career having appeared in 135 games and registering averages of 8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.87 blocks.

Wright (6-9, 226), spent the 2015-16 season playing overseas in Israel with Maccabi Rishon LeZion where he helped lead his club to the Israeli National Championship. Wright had previously appeared in 32 NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per contest. Additionally, Wright has appeared is 93 career D-League games where he holds career averages of 18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.45 blocks.

Warriors name David Kelly General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Management & Strategy

The Warriors announced today that David Kelly, who had served as the club’s General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Legal Affairs for the last two years, has been named General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Management & Strategy.

In this role, Kelly will serve as the team’s chief legal officer, manage matters related to the salary cap and luxury tax, and assist in the long-term financial planning in those areas. He will also continue to be actively engaged in many of the company’s key projects and initiatives on both the business and basketball sides of the organization, including the Warriors’ new sports and entertainment venue, Chase Center, in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.

Kelly reports to both President and COO Rick Welts and President, Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers.

Kelly, who joined the organization in 2011, is currently in his sixth year with the Warriors and has been recognized for his outstanding work on multiple occasions, including last March, when he received The Recorder Magazine’s 2016 In-House Impact Award, recognizing California litigation practices that delivered exceptional results on critical and challenging matters for their companies.

Heat do not clear Chris Bosh for return to basketball activities

According to the Heat, the team and forward Chris Bosh, in consultation with team doctors and other physicians, have been working together for many months with the mutual goal of having Chris return to the court as soon as possible. Chris has now taken his pre-season physical. And according to the team, they remain unable to clear Chris to return to basketball activities.

The Heat say they are “not able to comment further in light of Article XXII, Section 3(e) of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which precludes a team from releasing certain medical information without a player’s consent.”

According to the Miami Herald, “Doctors found more evidence of blood clotting in Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, derailing his attempted comeback, according to a source. The complication, believed to be in his lung, involved evidence of some continued clotting and is believed to be related to one of two previous blood clot episodes. Those episodes sidelined Bosh after the All-Star break each of the past two seasons. Though the complication is not considered life-threatening if treated, it requires medication and playing with it is considered unrealistic.”

Rockets sign Bobby Brown, Gary Payton II, Isaiah Taylor and Kyle Wiltjer

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed four players — Bobby Brown, Gary Payton II, Isaiah Taylor and Kyle Wiltjer — in advance of training camp, which takes place at Toyota Center Saturday, Sept. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 1.

Houston’s preseason opener is home against the Shanghai Sharks on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The Sharks play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and are owned by Rockets legend Yao Ming, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this month. It is the first time a professional team from China is facing an NBA team in the United States.

Bobby Brown finished his career as Cal-State Fullerton’s all-time leading scorer. He appeared in a total of 113 NBA games across two seasons in 2008-09 and 200-10 and spent the past two years playing in the CBA. In 2015-16, Brown averaged 29.2 points, 6.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds for the Shenzhen Leopards.

Gary Payton II was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft and played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League. As a senior at Oregon State, Payton II averaged team highs of 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals. According to Stats, Inc., he was the first Division I player to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in a single season dating back to 1996-97, which is as far back as their data tracks.

Isaiah Taylor was an early entry candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft following his junior season at Texas. He started all 92 of his games played during his career with the Longhorns and was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior after earning Third Team honors as a freshman and sophomore. Taylor also played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League.

Kyle Wiltjer was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft following his senior season at Gonzaga and was a member of the Rockets entry in the Samsung NBA Summer League. He began his collegiate career at Kentucky and was a member of the Wildcats championship team in 2012. Wiltjer was named All-West Coast Conference First Team in both of his seasons with the Bulldogs, averaging 18.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.