Chicago Bulls sign Mike Dunleavy

Chicago Bulls sign Mike Dunleavy

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent guard/forward Mike Dunleavy.

“We are extremely excited to add Mike to our team,” said Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He was a priority for us from the second free agency began and we feel he will be a terrific fit for us, both on and off the floor.”

Dunleavy (6-9, 230), an 11-year NBA veteran, most recently played with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2012-13 season. Last year with the Bucks, he appeared in 75 games (three starts) and averaged 10.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.9 apg and 0.52 spg in 25.9 mpg. He also shot .442 from the field, .428 from downtown (eighth in the NBA) and .820 from the line.

In addition to playing the last two seasons in Milwaukee, the 32-year old Dunleavy has also played for the Indiana Pacers (2007-11) and the Golden State Warriors (2002-07). In 757 career games (429 starts), Dunleavy has posted averages of 11.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.4 apg and 0.78 spg in 28.2 mpg. He holds career shooting averages of .444 from the field, .372 from behind the arc and .799 from the line. For his career, he ranks 76th in NBA history with 982 three-point field goals made.

Originally selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round (third overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft, Dunleavy’s teams have advanced to the postseason two times. In nine playoff games, he has produced 8.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg and 0.67 spg in 18.1 mpg. He also owns postseason shooting averages of .480 from the field, .385 from downtown and .762 from the free throw line.

Dunleavy will wear No. 34 with the Bulls

Atlanta Hawks sign Paul Millsap

Atlanta Hawks sign Paul Millsap

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Paul Millsap, President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry announced today. We’ll add contract details to this page tonight.

Millsap, 28, averaged 14.6 points on .490 shooting, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.4 minutes per game in 78 games (all starts) last season with the Utah Jazz. He also averaged 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game, making him one of just five players in the NBA during the 2012-13 season (Kevin Durant, Marc Gasol, Al Horford and Josh Smith) to post averages of at least 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal. Since becoming a full-time starter in the 2010-11 season (starting 216 of 218 games), he has averages of 16.1 points on .507 shooting, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.

The 6-foot-8, 253-pound forward has career averages of 12.4 points on .516 shooting, 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 27.4 minutes per game in 540 games (265 starts) and has recorded 107 double-doubles. A native of Louisiana, Millsap played collegiately at Louisiana Tech where he became the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounding in three consecutive seasons.

“Paul was one of our top priorities entering the free agency process and we believe he is a great fit with the team and culture that we are trying to build,” Ferry said. “He is a high-character individual and his toughness, high basketball IQ, and selflessness will add to our locker room and give us versatility on the court.”

Knicks re-sign Pablo Prigioni

New York Knicks Executive Vice President and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has re-signed guard Pablo Prigioni to a contract.

Prigioni, 6-3, 185-pounds, was the first Argentine-born player in Knicks history and made his NBA debut at age 35 after signing as a free agent on Jul. 24, 2012. He averaged 3.5 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds over 16.2 minutes in 78 games (18 starts) this past season and was inserted into the Knicks starting lineup on Mar. 18 to help lead the team to the franchise’s third-longest winning streak of 13. In 11 postseason games (10 starts), Prigioni averaged 4.5 points, 3.2 assists and 1.27 steals over 20.9 minutes.

“We are very excited to have Pablo back in a Knicks uniform. He is one of our catalysts on both the offensive and defensive end,” Grunwald said. “His tenacity, leadership and experience played an integral role in our team’s success down the stretch, and into the postseason.”

Steve Nash expected Dwight Howard to leave Lakers

steve nash

Even going into their meeting with Dwight Howard to convince him to re-sign, Lakers point guard Steve Nash thought Howard re-signing was unlikely.

“Frankly, I thought before the meeting that we really didn’t have a chance,” said Nash on the “Mason & Ireland Show” on ESPN L.A. (710) on Tuesday. “I’d like to think that after the meeting, we had a chance, but ultimately, I think Dwight wasn’t comfortable here and didn’t want to be here.”

Nash was part of the Lakers’ contingent last week that tried to sway Howard to stay. Instead, the All-Star center chose to join the Houston Rockets as a free agent.

“If he doesn’t want to be here, there’s no point for anyone in him being here, so we wish him the best and move on,” Nash said. “I heard he said to the media that he ever quite felt embraced in L.A.  He never quite felt maybe supported, and that’s basically it.  In some ways you can read into that what you will.”

Reported by Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times

Tyler Hansbrough to join Toronto Raptors

Tyler Hansbrough to join Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors will sign unrestricted free-agent center Tyler Hansbrough to a two-year contract, the Toronto Star reported Tuesday.

The Indiana Pacers had extended a $4,135,391 qualifying offer to Hansbrough in June but rescinded it last week.

The 27-year-old Hansbrough averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 81 regular-season games for the Pacers last season.

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Dad wants Metta World Peace to finish career with Knicks

Ron Artest

Ron Artest Sr. is hoping if his son, Metta World Peace, is waived today via the amnesty rule, he will attempt to finish his career with the Knicks.

Nevertheless, Artest Sr. said as of last night, World Peace is seriously considering retiring instead of finishing his NBA career in the Big Apple.

Artest Sr. told The Post his son’s strong preference is to remain with the Lakers and he may decide to end his career instead of signing with the Knicks, because he does not want to uproot his kids in Los Angeles.

According to an Orange County Register report, the Lakers intended to waive World Peace. Subsequent reports stated no decision had been made. Kobe Bryant took to twitter Monday night, stating the club should keep World Peace and try to win a title with what they have.

Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Wayne Ellington will sign with Dallas Mavericks

Wayne Ellington will sign with Dallas Mavericks

Wayne Ellington has become the third guard to join the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.

Ellington tweeted late Tuesday night that he had agreed to a contract with Dallas. The deal is reportedly for two years and $5 million.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard split last season between Memphis and Cleveland. He was traded to the Grizzlies last summer and went to the Cavaliers midseason in a four-player deal.

Reported by the Associated Press

Bucks are trading Luc Mbah a Moute to Kings

The Sacramento Kings found some much-needed depth at small forward by giving the Milwaukee Bucks some draft compensation and salary cap relief.

The Bucks traded forward Luc Mbah a Moute to the Kings in exchange for a 2016 second-round draft pick, a person familiar with the deal said Tuesday.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because teams can’t confirm moves until the new league year begins Wednesday, also said Milwaukee has the right to swap 2018 second-round picks.

”Just landed in Cameroon and got told I’ve been traded to Sacramento!!” Mbah a Moute wrote on his Twitter page.

Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press

Toronto Raptors add Nick Nurse to coaching staff

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have added Nick Nurse to Dwane Casey’s coaching staff. Nurse joins the Raptors from the NBA D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Nurse, 45, coached the Valley Vipers to a 59-41 mark the past two seasons and the 2012-13 NBA D-League championship. Prior to taking the reins in Rio Grande, Nurse coached the Iowa Energy to an overall regular season mark of 124-76 (.620) and the 2010-11 NBA Development League championship. For his accomplishments, Nurse was named the 2010-11 recipient of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award.

A three-time NBA Development League All-Star head coach, Nurse led the Energy to back-to-back 37-13 finishes in 2009-10 and 2010-11, setting and then tying the league record for wins in a single season. Nurse led the Energy to two Eastern Conference championships and one Central Division championship.

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nurse began his coaching career at the age of 23 when he became the head coach of Grand View College, making him the youngest college basketball coach in the United States. He moved on to an assistant coach position at the University of South Dakota where his teams recorded a 46-14 mark.

Nurse coached in Europe for 11 years starting in 1996, winning nine championships and two Coach of the Year awards while earning six All-Star head coach selections in the British Basketball League. During that time, he also gained coaching experience in Italy, Belgium and the USBL. Additionally, Nurse served as an assistant coach in the 2012 Olympics for the host British National Team.

Nurse holds a career professional coaching record of 459-220 (.676) during the regular season and 76-54 (.585) in the postseason.

Pistons sign Italian League shooter Luigi Datome

The newest member of the Detroit Pistons made the announcement on Facebook.

Italian small forward Luigi Datome wrote: “I made my decision to be a player of the Detroit Pistons. I think that Detroit is the right place to make another step in my career and to realize a dream. I am very excited to play with the Pistons.”

A person familiar with the situation confirmed the signing and told the Free Press the deal is expected to be two years. The source requested anonymity because the deal isn’t final until Wednesday, when the league’s annual free agency moratorium ends. Yahoo! Sports is reporting the agreement is worth $3.75 million.

With the agreement, the Pistons addressed one of their biggest needs — outside shooting.

Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Datome, 25, averaged 16.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for Virtus Roma last season, shooting 47 percent from the field (41 percent on 3-point attempts) and 92 percent from the free throw line.

The Pistons can’t announce contract agreements with free agents until Wednesday, when the league moritorium on signings is lifted.

Reported by the Associated Press