New Jersey Nets sign Stephen Graham

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent forward Stephen Graham, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

Graham, 6’6”/215, is a five-year NBA veteran with career averages of 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.9 minutes in 180 career games with Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Portland, Indiana and Charlotte.  He has shot .458 (297-648) from the field and .754 (126-167) from the line.  The Oklahoma State alum went undrafted in 2005 and made his NBA debut as a member of the Houston Rockets on December 11 at Portland.  The best season of his career came during the 2008-09 campaign with Indiana, when he appeared in 52 games, six starts, averaging a career-best 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in a career-high 13.2 minutes per contest.  Last season in Charlotte, Graham appeared in a career-high 70 games, eight starts, averaging 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.5 minutes.  Graham appeared in two playoff contests last season in Charlotte.

Phoenix Suns name John Treloar director of player personnel

The Phoenix Suns named 30-year basketball veteran John Treloar the club’s director of player personnel.

In his new role, Treloar will assist President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby and General Manager Lance Blanks in all personnel decisions and will lead the club’s draft scouting process.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for John and his knowledge of the game,” said Blanks.  “His longstanding track record of consistency and success are admirable.  He is a perfect fit for what we are trying to do.”

Treloar, 53, joins the Suns following the last two seasons as the head coach of the NBA Development League’s Erie BayHawks, an affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, where he was also responsible for all personnel decisions.  Treloar joined the expansion franchise in 2008, and both assembled the squad and led it to a playoff berth in club’s inaugural season.

“We are excited to add John Treloar to our basketball operations department,” said Babby.  “He brings a wealth of experience and will enhance our ability to evaluate players from all sources.”

A 30-year veteran of basketball as both a coach and general manager, Treloar enjoyed success as an assistant coach at Louisiana State University (2004-08) and Indiana University (1997-2004) under Bob Knight and Mike Davis, helping to guide the Hoosiers to six NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2002 Final Four.

At the professional level, Treloar’s head coaching experience was established over eight seasons in the CBA with the Wichita Falls Texans (1990-94), Chicago Rockers (1994-95) and Connecticut Pride (1996-97).  His teams made seven playoff appearances in eight seasons and in 1991 Treloar became just the second coach in league history to win a championship in his first season on the bench. Prior to becoming a coach, Treloar served as general manager for both the Mississippi Jets (1987-88) and Texans (1988-89).

A native of Clinton, Miss., Treloar and wife, Debra, have two children, Taylor and Trey.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bellhaven College and a master’s degree in behavioral studies from the University of Alabama.

Atlanta Hawks sign Pape Sy

Atlanta Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund has announced this afternoon that the team has signed guard/forward Pape Sy to a contract.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Sy (pronounced SEE), the Hawks’ second round pick from France in the 2010 NBA Draft, was selected 53rd overall after spending time with team STB Le Havre of the French Pro A League.  He appeared in 38 games over three seasons, with the majority of those contests coming a year ago, as he averaged 5.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists (.505 FG%, .414 3FG% and .710 FT%).  Sy tallied a season-high 17 against Poitiers this past February.

“Our European scout (Loize Milosavljevic) did a great job in recommending Pape to us and once he participated in our pre-draft workouts, our scouts and coaches were very impressed with his abilities,” said Sund.  “Although he was hampered by an Achillies injury during summer league workouts, we were encouraged with his ability, athleticism and competitiveness.”

Sy, who is listed at 6-7 and is from Loudeac, France, will be on the floor with the rest of his new teammates when they opening training camp September 28 on the practice court at Philips Arena.

“He is a talented 6-7 backcourt player who can play multiple positions,” said Assistant General Manager Dave Pendergraft, who worked throughout the process to get Sy here in time for training camp.  “Sy’s an interesting prospect who is determined to play in the NBA.”

Examining Bulls forward Taj Gibson

Nick Friedell of ESPN reports:

Examining Bulls forward Taj Gibson

Taj Gibson will be a jack of all trades for Tom Thibodeau this season. After starting most of last year under Vinny Del Negro, Gibson continued to show improvement as the year progressed, averaging nine points and almost eight rebounds a game while playing in all 82 regular-season contests. He proved to be one of the biggest steals of the draft at No. 26, earning an invitation to play in the Rookie/Sophomore Game during All Star Weekend. Unlike most rookies, the USC alum embraced the concept of defense, and he became a Del Negro favorite because of his team-first attitude. At 25, he is more mature than most young players who come into the league.

With the addition of Carlos Boozer, Gibson will come off the bench this season, but he still is expected to get plenty of minutes as one of the better sixth men in the league. He can play both forward positions and will most likely be used as a defensive presence late in games. After struggling to find his offense in the beginning of last year, Gibson has spent a lot of time in the gym working on his jumper, and he should be able to expand his range.


Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson handles the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison defends during the first quarter of game 3 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the United Center in Chicago on April 22, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

Tim Thomas will not return to Mavericks

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports (via blog):

Tim Thomas will not return to Mavericks

Tim Thomas has decided not to return to the Mavericks because of the situation with his ailing wife.

Her condition, which Thomas and his family prefers to keep private, forced the 6-10 forward to stay with her much of last season.

He played with the Mavericks for the first half of the season, averaging 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 18 games. But he left the team in January – with the Mavericks’ blessing – to care for his wife.

Charlotte Bobcats waive Erick Dampier

Charlotte Bobcats waive Erick Dampier

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has waived center Erick Dampier.

“We explored several trade possibilities involving Erick, but ultimately we have been unable to find a viable option that we felt made our team better,” Higgins said.  “Out of respect to Erick, we have decided to release him at this time so he may pursue opportunities with other teams prior to training camp.”

The Bobcats acquired Dampier, along with guard Matt Carroll and forward Eduardo Najera, on July 13, 2010, in exchange for centers Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca.

In 14 NBA seasons, Dampier has played in 921 games for Indiana, Golden State and Dallas, with career averages of 7.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.  In 55 games with Dallas last season, Dampier averaged 6.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

The Charlotte Bobcats, who became the NBA’s 30th team when they joined the league in 2004-05, finished the 2009-10 season with a franchise-best 44-38 overall record (31-10 at home) and first-ever playoff appearance.

Manager confirms Allen Iverson is considering a deal to play in China

The AP reports:

Manager confirms Allen Iverson may play in China

Gary Moore, Allen Iverson’s personal manager, said Iverson has not been contacted by any NBA team with training camps set to open in less than two weeks. Moore said there is “legitimate interest” between Iverson and a team in China to work out a deal. Moore did not know the team’s name and was vague on details.

“We’re very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest,” Moore said. “I just don’t understand it.”

Iverson played three games for Memphis last season before he returned for a second stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 13.9 points for the Sixers before he took a leave of absence in March because of family issues.


January 27, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center.. Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson makes a fast break for the hoop..Milwaukee Bucks won over the Philadelphia 76ers 91-88. Mike McGinnis/CSM.

Golden State Warriors sign Louis Amundson

Golden State Warriors sign Louis Amundson

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Louis Amundson to a contract, the team announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Amundson, 27, appeared in 79 regular-season games last season for the Phoenix Suns, averaging 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per contest – all of which were career bests.  A key member of the Suns rotation who came off the bench in all 79 games, Amundson played 20-or-more minutes in 14 regular-season games last year, averaging 9.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.14 blocks and 22.1 minutes in those contests.   The 6’9’’ forward also appeared in all 16 of Phoenix’s postseason games, averaging 2.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game as the Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

“We feel very fortunate to add a player like Lou to our roster as we approach the beginning of training camp,” said General Manager Larry Riley.  “We’ve had our eyes on him for several weeks now and are confident that his presence will add depth to our front line.  Lou is a player who will provide us with many of the intangibles that help teams win basketball games.  He’s a high-energy guy who can rebound, run the floor, defend and get to the all-important loose balls.  He played a big role for the Suns last season in their run to the Western Conference Finals and that success can only benefit him and his new teammates as we move forward.”

Overall, Amundson has appeared in 182 regular-season games over four seasons with Philadelphia, Utah and Phoenix, posting career averages of 4.0 points, 3.6 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest.  After going undrafted in the 2006 NBA Draft out of UNLV, Amundson began his professional career with the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League, where he was named D-League Rookie of the Year despite being called up to the NBA in February and splitting the remainder of the 2006-07 season between the Utah Jazz (one game) and Philadelphia 76ers (10 games).  After spending the 2007-08 season with the 76ers, the Ventura, CA, native played for the Warriors entry in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and has played the last two NBA seasons with the Suns.


Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is blocked by Phoenix Suns center Louis Amundson (R) in the first half during Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals in Phoenix, Arizona May 29, 2010. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Chicago Bulls hire Ed Pinckney as assistant coach

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Ed Pinckney has been hired as an assistant coach on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff.  In accordance with club policy, terms of the contracts were not announced.

Pinckney, 47, spent last season as the television analyst for the Philadelphia 76ers.  Prior to that, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2007-2009) and four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Villanova University (2003-2007).  He also served as a member of the Miami Heat radio and television broadcasting team after his retirement in 1997.

A first-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in 1985, Pinckney spent 12 seasons in the NBA as a player with Phoenix, Sacramento, Boston, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philadelphia and Miami.  As a collegian, he was one of the finest players in Villanova history.  He helped lead the Wildcats to the 1985 NCAA National Championship over Georgetown and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Pinckney will join Ron Adams, Andy Greer, Adrian Griffin and Rick Brunson on Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff.

Chicago Bulls name Michael Reinsdorf President and COO

The Chicago Bulls today named Michael Reinsdorf President and Chief Operating Officer.  In the newly created position, Michael will oversee all business operations for the team and report to Jerry Reinsdorf, who will remain in his position as Chairman of the Board.  General Manager Gar Forman and all of Basketball Operations will continue to report to Jerry Reinsdorf.

“Naming Michael President and COO reflects a natural progression of his growing role in the Bulls business organization, and publicly recognizes his contributions to the team,” said Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.  “I am proud of his accomplishments with the team, and in his own sports ventures, and believe his knowledge and experience will only strengthen what is an already solid management team.”

Michael has been involved in NBA league matters on behalf of the Bulls since 2001 and has served as an NBA Alternate Governor for the last three years.  He is a founding partner for the International Facilities Group, a consulting company specializing in the development of sports and entertainment facilities across the country.  He also serves as Chairman of the Harrisburg Senators (AA, Washington Nationals), where he oversaw $40 million in ballpark renovations and watched the team break several single-day and season-long attendance records in 2010.

Michael is a former owner of the Stockton Thunder, one of the premier franchises in the ECHL professional hockey league.  During his five years of ownership, he saw the Thunder lead the league in attendance four of the last five seasons, while the Thunder made four straight appearances in the Kelly Cup championships.

“The Bulls winning tradition on and off the court is a part of my DNA,” Michael Reinsdorf said.  “I know how much the team means to Chicago, to the NBA, and to fans all over the world.  I am looking forward to being a more active, daily participant.”

A graduate of the University of Arizona, Michael lives in Glencoe with his wife and three children, and is a member of the Children’s Memorial Foundation Board of Directors.