Basketball Blog

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed their 2007 second round draft pick Marcus Williams.  Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Williams, the 33rd overall pick, played for the Spurs summer league teams in both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.  He averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes in five games in the Vegas Summer League and 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.8 minutes in five games at the Rocky Mountain Revue.

Williams spent two seasons at the University of Arizona before declaring for the NBA Draft.  Last season he earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore.  The 6-7 forward ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in scoring (16.6 ppg) and eighth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), while registering four double-doubles in 30 games.  Williams scored in double figures 20 times and had a career-high 34 points – along with 12 rebounds – vs. Oregon on Jan. 14, 2007. As a freshman, he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team, averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds.  During his two years with the Wildcats, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting .475 (355-748) from the field.  Williams participated in the 2005 Global Games as a member of Team USA, averaging 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in six games.

The Spurs roster now stands at 15.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed 2007 second-round draft pick Chris Richard. Richard, a 6-9 forward from Florida, was the 41st overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Chris is another talented young player that we’re pleased to have on our roster,” said Timberwolves Vice President of Basketball of Operations Kevin McHale. “He brings size and toughness to our post positions and has a great winning background.”

Richard left the University of Florida as the winningest player in school history with 112 wins, three SEC Tournament titles, an SEC East title and a SEC regular season title in addition to the back-to-back national champions the past two seasons. As a senior in 2006-07, Richard averaged 6.2 ppg and 3.7 rpg on his way to being named the 2007 SEC Sixth Man of the Year. During last seasons run to the championship, the Lakeland, Florida, native averaged 9.0 ppg on 84.6% shooting from the floor.

Through four seasons with the Gators, Richard appeared in 141 games and averaged 4.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg. His scoring and rebounding averages increased in each of his seasons in college and he appeared in 15 NCAA tournament games with Florida.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Cedric Simmons from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for guard David Wesley, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Simmons, 21, was selected in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Hornets. In 43 games (four starts) during the 2006-07 season, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game.

“Cedric is a young, talented player,” said Ferry. “We look forward to participating in his continued development here in Cleveland.”

Simmons tied career highs in both points (10) and rebounds (9) versus Denver on Dec. 29, 2006. Wesley, who signed with the Cavs as a free agent on September 5, 2006, played in 35 games (five starts) for the Cavs, posting averages of 2.1 points and 1.1 assists in 10.1 minutes per game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Devin Brown to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Devin is a versatile basketball player,” said Ferry. “His toughness and ability to play multiple positions on both ends of the court will complement our group well.”

Brown, 28, played in 58 games (49 starts) for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets last season and averaged career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (4.3), assists (2.6) and minutes per game (28.7). The 6-foot-5, 220 pound guard has played in 274 career games (65 starts) with averages of 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Brown won an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and has played in 21 careeer playoff games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired guard Greg Buckner from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for forward Trenton Hassell.

Buckner is an eight-year NBA veteran with career averages of 5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.3 apg in 476 games including two stints with Dallas along with stops in Philadelphia and Denver. He was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft out of Clemson. He posted a career-best 6.7 ppg in 73 appearances with Denver in the 2005-06 season. The Hopkinsville, Kentucky, native has also appeared in 38 playoff games, posting 4.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg. Last season Buckner tallied 4.0 ppg while grabbing 2.1 rpg.

Hassell has spent the last four seasons in Minnesota after opening his career with two years in Chicago. He has averaged 6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.1 apg in 476 contests. In 2006-07 the Austin Peay alum played in 76 games and averaged 6.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.7 apg.

The Timberwolves open their 2007-08 training camp Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Timberwolves practice facility.

The Dallas Mavericks hired Mario Elie as an assistant coach, the team announced today. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Elie joins the Mavericks after most recently serving as an assistant coach in Golden State for two seasons (2004-05 and 2005-06). He also spent the 2003-04 season as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs.

Last season, Elie worked for FOX Sports Net as the host of the Houston Rockets’ pre- and post-game shows.

“I am very excited to come to this great organization,” Elie said. “I look forward to working with Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson, who’s one of the best coaches in the NBA.”

An 11-year NBA veteran, Elie averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 732 regular season games with Golden State, Philadelphia, Portland, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix. He played in 116 playoff games and won three NBA Championships with Houston (1994, 1995) and San Antonio (1999).

Elie’s best individual season came in 1996-97, when he averaged 11.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 78 games for the Rockets.  In 1998, he was named to the Rockets 30-Year Team as one of the top 10 players in club history.

After going undrafted (1985) out of American International College – a Division II school in Springfield, Mass. – Elie played in Portugal, Argentina, Ireland, the USBL, the WBL and the CBA before making his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers in Dec., 1990.

Elie and his wife, Gina, are the parents of triplets, Gaston, Glenn and Lauren. Gina is a television personality who has most recently worked as a national correspondent for MSNBC and as a nightly news anchor for KTRK-TV in Houston. Elie, who earned a degree in human relations from American International, speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French.

The Memphis Grizzlies today finalized their 2007 Training Camp roster by signing rookie free agents guard Dontell Jefferson and forward Kasib Powell.

Jefferson, a 6-4, 195-pound guard played his first professional season with the NBA Development League champion Dakota Wizards, where he averaged 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists and 1.37 steals per game in 49 contests. He was coached by David Joerger, now a Grizzlies assistant.

The 23-year-old spent his first two collegiate seasons at Atlanta Metropolitan College before transferring to Arkansas, where he averaged 3.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in 62 contests from 2004-06.

Powell, a 6-7, 215-pound forward has played professionally in the United States, Serbia, Greece, Bosnia and most recently in Russia. In 2006-07, Powell averaged 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 15 games for Spartak (St. Petersburg, Russia) in the Russian Superleague.

A veteran of three NBA training camps with the Orlando Magic (2006), Chicago Bulls (2005) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2004), the 26-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists in 67 games with Texas Tech from 2001-03.  Powell averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in seven preseason games with the Magic last year.

The Memphis Grizzlies today added four-time NBA All-Star and 12-year NBA veteran Mark Price as a shooting coach.

Price was widely regarded as one of the league’s most consistent shooters after playing 12 NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic from 1986-98.

“We’re eager to connect Mark Price’s storied NBA experience and shooting instruction with our basketball team,” said Grizzlies Head Coach Marc Iavaroni.  “Adding value to our players’ field goal and free throw percentages will greatly enhance our fan appeal and scoring arsenal this coming season.”

After retiring in 1998, Price still holds the NBA career record for highest free-throw percentage (.904, minimum 1,200 made) in the regular season and the postseason (.944, minimum 100 made). The Cavaliers’ all-time leader in assists (4,206) was also the NBA’s Long Distance Shootout winner in 1993 an 1994 and ranks 19th all-time with a .402 three-point field goal percentage in the regular season.

“I’m very excited to be working for the Grizzlies,” said Price. “They have a whole new staff from the general manager to coaching staff. There’s a lot of talent to work with and I’m excited to be a part of that. I think my experience playing at a high level will give me a chance to help a lot of our young players, particularly players like Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry. Hopefully, I can in part on some of knowledge on how to run a team like I did as a player.”

Most recently, the former Georgia Tech point guard served as the inaugural head coach of the South Dragons in Austrailia’s National Basketball League in 2006.

New Jersey Nets guard Marcus Williams has suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal of the right foot, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. Williams, a second-year pro from the University of Connecticut, will undergo surgery on Monday, October 1. The Nets will release further details upon completion of the surgery.

As a rookie in 2006-07, Williams played in 79 games for the Nets, averaging 6.8 ppg and 3.3 apg. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and participated in the T-Mobile Rookie Sophomore Challenge at All Star Weekend.

The Memphis Grizzlies today named Kenny Williamson assistant general manager.

Williamson brings 30 years of basketball experience to the Grizzlies, having spent the last three seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats leading the club’s scouting of college and high school prospects while assisting with the team’s international scouting efforts.

“Kenny simply knows more people in the game of basketball than anyone I have ever met,” said Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace. “His contacts are worldwide in scope.  His resume is varied and extremely impressive.  Kenny has coached on the AAU and high major college levels under the likes of the late Jim Valvano, Lou Carnesecca and Denny Crum.  He coached collegiately in the ACC and the Big East.

“In the NBA he worked for the Knicks under one of the most successful GMs in the business in Ernie Grunfeld and helped launch the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.  He is a tremendous evaluator of talent and a great communicator who will heavily be involved in all phases of the Grizzlies’ basketball operations. We are fortunate to have him join our organization.”

Known affectionately in basketball circles as “Eggman,” Williamson worked six seasons (1997-2003) as a scout for the New York Knicks before joining the Bobcats as director of scouting, where he aided the team’s preparations for the 2004 expansion draft and NBA Draft. Prior to the Knicks, he spent 21 years as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks at St. John’s, Seton Hall, Columbia and Louisville and was associate head coach at Iona and Florida State.

A native New Yorker, he is a well-known fixture at historic Rucker Park in Harlem and was featured in the television basketball documentary “Hallowed Ground,” as well as an NBA-produced film on the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park.

The graduate of City College of New York is the father of five.