chris andersen – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Cavs trade Chris Andersen to Hornets, who immediately waive him

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has acquired center Chris Andersen and cash considerations from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a protected second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The second-round pick is top-55 protected. In a subsequent move, the Hornets have waived Andersen and the Charlotte roster stands at 14 players.

Andersen, who is in his 15th season in the NBA, appeared in 12 games for the Cavaliers before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right knee to repair a torn ACL. The 6-10 California native holds career averages of 5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game in 695 NBA contests.

Cavaliers sign Chris Andersen

The Birdman has flown to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers have signed center Chris Andersen, the team announced today.

Andersen (6-10, 245) split time between Memphis and Miami last season, appearing in 27 games (15 starts) with averages of 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Over his 14-year NBA career, he holds averages of 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.8 minutes over 683 games (45 starts) with Denver, New Orleans, Miami and Memphis. Andersen has a career field goal percentage of .533, having hit at least .500 from the field in each of the last eight seasons.

A native of Long Beach, Calif., Andersen won an NBA Championship with Miami in 2013 and set an NBA playoff record by shooting .807 (46-57) from the field over 20 games during the Heat’s title run (minimum 20 FGA). Overall, he has appeared in 73 career postseason games (two starts), averaging 5.3 points on .631 shooting from the field, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17.1 minutes.

Andersen will wear jersey number 00 for the Cavaliers.

Loyalty helped Chris Andersen stay with Heat

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Heat. Note that while loyalty probably was a factor, we have to assume that nice money was a factor. Anyway, here’s the Sun Sentinel:

Chris Andersen discusses why he stuck with Heat

Just as LeBron James cited going home as a reason for his free-agency return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Andersen said Saturday among the reasons he re-signed with the Miami Heat was because South Florida felt like home.

“It was definitely the loyalty from the fans and from the team,” said the Texas native who signed a two-year, $10.3 million contract with the Heat last month. “That had a big part of it. And it’s matter of me ending my career in a place that I’d be happy at and am familiar with.”

Andersen’s popularity was evident during his Saturday promotional appearance at the grand opening of the new Dick’s Sporting Goods location in Coral Springs, as he was mobbed by fans during an afternoon autograph session, with fans, including a few Birdman lookalikes, arriving before daybreak. The store’s supply of bracelets needed for his autograph was exhausted well before his arrival.