Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Brooklyn Nets sign Willie Reed

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward/center Willie Reed, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Reed averaged 14.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the NBA Development League last season in 49 games with the Springfield Armor and Reno Bighorns. The Sacramento Kings signed Reed for the remainder of the 2013-14 season on March 28, before assigning the 6’10” forward/center to the D-League’s Bighorns and then recalling him on two separate occasions.

Undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft out of St. Louis University, Reed was selected in the second round (30th overall) of the 2012 NBA Development League Draft by the Springfield Armor. He earned All-NBA D-League Honorable Mention recognition after averaging 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 48 games (30 starts) with Springfield during the 2012-13 season before signing with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In stints with Memphis and Sacramento, Reed has yet to appear in a regular season NBA game.

Wolves hire Mike Penberthy as shooting coach

Wolves hire Mike Penberthy as shooting coach

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the hiring of Mike Penberthy as the team’s shooting coach and Jason Hervey as scout. In addition, Derek Pierce is being promoted from general scout to advance scout.

Penberthy will work on player development, specializing in shooting. Penberthy played collegiate basketball for The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, Calif., from 1993-97 where he was a two-time NAIA All-American and set the school record for most career points. Penberthy held the NAIA record for consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made, with 111, until it was broken in December of 2005. Penberthy played in 53 games with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000-01, averaging 5.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and shooting 39.6 percent (55-for-139) from three-point range as the Lakers won the NBA Championship. He also played in three games for the Lakers in 2001-02 before being waived. Penberthy’ professional playing career spanned from 1997–2008, including numerous stints overseas and in the NBA and ABA.

Hervey will serve as a college and NBA personnel scout for the Wolves. He comes to Minnesota from the Detroit Pistons where he held the title of director of basketball operations for the past two seasons. Prior to that, Hervey held positions of advance scout and video coordinator for the Washington Wizards from 2009-2012. He began his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons where he was the team’s assistant video coordinator from 2005-09.

Pierce will scout Wolves upcoming opponents to assist the coaching staff with game preparation. He served as both a college and NBA personnel scout for the Wolves over the previous five seasons. Before joining Minnesota, Pierce spent three seasons as advance scout with the Washington Wizards and two seasons as advance scout with the Golden State Warriors. Pierce also spent five seasons with the Indiana Pacers as video coordinator.

Lakers sign Ronnie Price

Lakers sign Ronnie Price

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Ronnie Price, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

The nine-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 3.4 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 rebounds over 425 games (35 starts). The 31-year-old Price spent his first two NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings (2005-07), followed by stints with the Utah Jazz (2007-11), Phoenix Suns (2011-12), Portland Trailblazers (2012-13) and most recently with the Orlando Magic last season.

The 6’2’’ Price averaged a career-high 2.1 assists per game in 2013-14 with Orlando, in addition to 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 12.2 minutes over 31 games (two starts). The Friendswood, TX native has appeared in the postseason four times (2006, ’08, ’09, and ’10) in his career.

Kings waive Scotty Hopson

Kings waive Scotty Hopson

The Sacramento Kings today waived guard Scotty Hopson, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Hopson was recently acquired from the Houston Rockets along with Alonzo Gee and a pair of second-round draft picks in exchange for guard Jason Terry and a trade exception.

Undrafted out of the University of Tennessee, Hopson appeared in two contests for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season before being traded to Houston during the offseason.

OKC D-League team name revealed: The Oklahoma City Blue

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that its NBA Development League team will be called the Blue. The team will play the majority of its home games at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City, with four games to be held inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. The season begins on Friday, Nov. 14, when the Blue hosts the Maine Red Claws.

“Blue is one of our primary Thunder colors, but it has become more than just a color for us. It has come to represent the passion, loyalty and unity of our fans and our community in their support for our team. Our players wear it proudly on their uniforms, our fans sport Thunder blue shirts, Thunder blue flags fly across Oklahoma and our statewide Blue Alliance fan groups show their connection to our team and what it stands for,” said Brian Byrnes, Thunder senior vice president of Sales and Marketing.

“It is only fitting that our development team, which is such an integral part of our organization, be called the Blue to represent the cohesion it has with the Thunder. We think this new name accurately reflects the enhanced unity between the two teams, which are now geographically and philosophically aligned in Oklahoma City and focused on development.”

Brook Lopez now playing 5-on-5

Here’s ESPN New York with a Nets update:

Brook Lopez back to playing 5-on-5

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez said Tuesday he participated in his first few games of five-on-five over the past two days and felt just fine afterward. It’s yet another encouraging step for Lopez, who is coming back from offseason foot and ankle surgeries.

“It was great,” Lopez said Tuesday at a community event in Harlem. “I got my second day of five-on-five in today. It’s been going well. It feels good to be back out there with the guys. Everyone’s been out there, and everyone looks good. It’s been good seeing Mase [Mason Plumlee] out there being vocal, doing his thing and seeing how much he learned over the summer [playing with Team USA].”

As Lopez eases his way back into playing form, patience is going to be important. Nets GM Billy King told reporters Monday that the 26-year-old All-Star would likely not be participating in both sessions of two-a-day practices at the start of training camp (Day 1 is Saturday).

Mavericks sign Charlie Villanueva

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.

Spurs announce promotions and additions to basketball operations staff

spurs

The San Antonio Spurs today announced multiple promotions and additions to the basketball operations staff. Sean Marks returns to the front office as an assistant general manager and Brandon James has been promoted to director of basketball administration and legal affairs. Phil Coles has been hired as director of medical services and Marilyn Adams as director of rehabilitation. In addition, Xavi Schelling joins the Spurs as applied sports scientist and Paul West has been named assistant athletic trainer.

Marks makes the move back to the front office after spending last season on the Spurs bench as an assistant coach. The Auckland, New Zealand native completed a 12-year NBA career before joining the Silver and Black in 2011 as a basketball operations assistant. He was then promoted to director of basketball operations in September of 2012 before moving to the sidelines for the 2013-14 season.

James enters his third season in the Spurs front office, having spent the last two years as the manager of basketball administration. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, the University of Georgia graduate spent four years with IMG.

Coles comes to San Antonio from the Newcastle Knights, a professional rugby league team in Australia where he was the head of physiotherapy for the last two seasons. Prior to joining the Knights, the University of Sydney graduate served as the head of physical therapy for Liverpool Football Club from 2010-12 and as the head physiotherapist for the Australia National Soccer Team from 2007-10.

Adams has signed on with the Spurs after working independently with various elite athletes and serving as the team physiotherapist for Triathlon Canada at the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London. In addition, the University of Alberta graduate spent 2009-14 on the FIS Snowboard World Cup Tour with the Canada Snowboard Team.

Schelling previously served as the director of athletic performance for Bàsquet Manresa, a first-division ACB team in Spain from 2006-14. The University of Barcelona grad also spent the summer of 2014 as the strength and conditioning coach for the Spanish National Basketball Team at the U20 European Championships.

West joins the Silver and Black training staff after earning his Master’s degree in Kinesiology in 2014 from San Diego State University. The Maryland native previously interned with the Spurs during the 2012-13 season.

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou

Rockets sign Kostas Papanikolaou

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Kostas Papanikolaou.

Papanikolaou (6-9 225, Greece) was drafted 48th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. On July 16th, 2012 his rights were acquired by Portland in a trade that sent Raymond Felton to New York. Houston later acquired his rights in a trade that sent Thomas Robinson to Portland on July 10, 2013.

The Greek forward spent last season overseas playing for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB, where he won the 2013-14 Spanish National Champiosnhip. Papanikolaou averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game with FC Barcelona during the 2013-14 season. The 24 year old spent the previous four seasons (2009-2013) with Olympiacos BC in his native Greece. In his stint there, Papanikolaou won two Euroleague Championships (2011-12, 2012-13), the Greek League Championship (2012) and two Greek Cup Championships (2010, 2011). He was also named Euroleague Rising Star (2013), Greek League All-Star (2013), two-time Greek League Best Five Team (2012, 2013), and two-time Greek League Best Young Player (2009, 2012).

Kostas Papanikolaou has played with two current Rockets in his time overseas. He shared the floor with Joey Dorsey during the 2013-14 campaign on FC Barcelona and played alongside Patrick Beverley in 2012-13 with the Olympiacos.