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Lakers Sign Vander Blue

August 4th, 2017 at 2:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 4: The Lakers have officially signed Blue, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 29: The Lakers have reached an agreement with combo guard Vander Blue on a partially guaranteed contract, sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The guarantee is $50K, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.

Blue, 25, played eight games for Los Angeles’ summer-league team in Las Vegas and made a strong impression, averaging 15.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 3.0 APG in 27.4 MPG. The 6’4” Blue also made half of his field-goal attempts.

Blue did not play in the NBA the past two seasons but lit up the G League last season, earning MVP honors. He played 47 games for the Lakers’ affiliate, the D-Fenders, and averaged 24.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.6 SPG in 34.8 MPG.

Blue, a Marquette product, has a limited NBA resume. He appeared in three games with the Celtics during the 2013/14 season and two games with the Lakers the following season. Mainly a shooting guard, Blue joins a backcourt that includes rookies Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Ennis and free agent signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

While not all the contract details have been revealed, it’s safe to assume there are no guarantees beyond this season. The Lakers want to have as much salary-cap space as possible next summer in order to make runs at top free agents.

Spurs Re-Sign Patty Mills To Four-Year Deal

August 4th, 2017 at 10:12am CST by Austin Kent

AUGUST 4: More than a month after agreeing to terms with Mills, the Spurs have made his new deal official, announcing the signing in a press release.

JUNE 30: The Spurs and point guard Patty Mills have come to terms on a four-year, $50MM deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

With the status of Tony Parker in flux following his postseason-ending injury earlier this year, Mills could play a vital role in the future of the Spurs organization, if not as a starter than at least as a key reserve.

In 80 games for the Spurs last year, the backup guard averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Those numbers could easily increase if the veteran plays more than the 21.9 minutes per game he saw in 2016/17.

Last month we wrote that Parker has eyed a possible return date next January, but even if that holds true, Mills will have an opportunity to start for the first half of the 2017/18.

That said, with players like George Hill and Kyle Lowry on the market, Gregg Popovich and company could look to bring another starter on board, bumping Mills back to his reserve role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jason Maxiell Retires As Piston

August 4th, 2017 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA big man Jason Maxiell has signed a contract with the Pistons in order to officially retire as a member of the organization, the club announced today in a press release. The 10-year NBA veteran spent eight of those seasons in Detroit.

“The best years of my professional career were spent in Detroit and it’s important to me to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Maxiell said in a statement. “This is a special franchise with great tradition and history. I want to thank all the fans who supported me during my eight seasons representing Detroit.”

Maxiell, the Pistons’ first-round pick in 2005, came off the bench for his first several years with the team, though he was the team’s starting power forward by the end of his time in Detroit. His best season came in 2007/08, when he appeared in all 82 games for Detroit, averaging 7.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG, with a .538 FG%.

In 618 career regular season games for the Pistons, Magic, and Hornets, Maxiell posted averages of 5.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Maxiell hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, having spent the last two seasons playing for teams in China and Turkey.

“Jason and his representatives reached out to us regarding his desire to sign one last contract with the team in order to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said in a statement of his own. “Jason made an impact on and off the court with the organization, spending eight seasons in Detroit, many with deep playoff runs. We’re pleased that Jason has chosen to remain connected to our organization and wish him well in the future.”

Kevin Seraphin To Play For Barcelona

August 4th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran big man Kevin Seraphin will head back overseas to continue his basketball career, having reached an agreement on a two-year deal with Barcelona, according to an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Seraphin cleared waivers and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week after being cut by the Pacers.

Seraphin, 27, averaged 4.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 49 games in Indiana last season, playing a part-time role in his first and only season with the team. Prior to his lone season with the Pacers, Seraphin spent one year with the Knicks and five with the Wizards.

A native of France, Seraphin started his professional career overseas, playing for Cholet Basket from 2007 to 2010 before he was selected in the first round of the 2010 draft. The 6’9″ forward/center also has a little experience playing in Spain — he signed with Baskonia in 2011 during the NBA lockout, but returned to the Wizards when the lockout ended.

Word of Barcelona’s interest in Seraphin surfaced last month as his NBA salary guarantee deadline approached, so his decision to sign with the team doesn’t come as a major surprise.

Jamil Wilson Signs Two-Way Deal With Clippers

August 3rd, 2017 at 9:22pm CST by marksuleymanov

AUGUST 3: The Clippers have officially signed Wilson to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 15: After a strong showing in the Summer League with the Clippers, Jamil Wilson will opt-out of his EuroLeague deal with Brose Baskets Bamberg to sign a two-way deal with the Clippers, per European basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter).

Wilson, 26, had agreed to join the Baskets earlier this month after spending time with Fiat Torino of Italy-Serie A and in Puerto Rico with Cangrejeros De Sauntruce. However, his play in Vegas this summer may lead to a more substantial opportunity than in years’ past.

In the Clippers’ first four Summer League games, Wilson averaged 13.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG while shooting an outstanding 81% (22-for-27) from the floor.

Going undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, Wilson has had several tours of duty in the Summer League and the now NBA G League with the Wizards and Mavericks.

Clippers Sign Willie Reed

August 3rd, 2017 at 7:58pm CST by Luke Adams

August 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

July 18: The Clippers have reached an agreement with free agent center Willie Reed, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN. According to Haynes, Reed will sign a one-year, $1.5MM contract, which suggests it’s a minimum salary deal.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

Reed, 27, enjoyed a modest breakout season for the Heat in 2016/17, averaging 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 71 games for the club. The Missouri native played just 14.5 minutes per contest, but made his limited playing time count, chipping in 0.7 BPG and a .568 FG% as well. Miami’s defensive efficiency numbers were also a few points better with Reed on the court.

It has been an active offseason so far for the Clippers, who lost Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford, and other veterans, but added Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari, Milos Teodosic, Sam Dekker, and Montrezl Harrell. That list of incoming names didn’t include a true center, so the Clippers had remained on the lookout for a backup for DeAndre Jordan, and did well to land Reed, one of the more notable centers left on the market.

The Clippers have a small portion of their mid-level exception left, but as our minimum salary breakdown shows, a player with Reed’s experience is eligible for a minimum of $1,577,230, so the club shouldn’t need to dip into its MLE to sign the big man.

Reed previously drew some interest from the Hawks, Heat, Sixers, Pacers, and Rockets, according to various reports. Haynes adds that the Warriors also had interest in Reed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mavericks Sign Brandon Ashley

August 3rd, 2017 at 6:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks have signed Brandon Ashley, according to a team press release. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ashley, who played for both of Dallas’ Summer League teams this offseason, spent the 2015 preseason with the Mavericks before being waived. He then joined the team’s G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, for the 2015/16 campaign and earned a G-League All-Star appearance.

The power forward was not selected in the 2015 draft after playing three seasons at the University of Arizona. During his collegiate career, he helped the Wildcats reach the elite eight on two occasions.

Pelicans Sign Ian Clark

August 3rd, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

August 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

August 1: The Pelicans have agreed to a one-year, $1.6MM with free agent guard Ian Clark, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. Clark’s deal is the standard minimum pact for a player with four years of experience.

Clark, 26, has been a key piece of the Warriors’ reserve unit the past two seasons, including the team’s championship-winning 2016/17 campaign. The Pelicans feel Clark’s postseason experience and ability to mesh well with most of the roster makes him an ideal fit, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.

In 77 games off the bench last season, Clark averaged 6.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.6 APG in 14.8 minutes. The former undrafted guard’s strong suit has been his outside shooting; after shooting almost 36% from beyond the arc in 2015/16, the Belmont University product shot a career-best 37% from three last season.

The Warriors essentially replaced one sharpshooter with another as the team signed Nick Young earlier this offseason. With the Pelicans, Clark figures to see significant playing time for a team that is already excited for 2017/18 with the addition of Rajon Rondo, re-signing of Jrue Holiday, and a full season of DeMarcus Cousins looming.

Clark will likely fight for playing time alongside Jordan Crawford and E’Twaun Moore as wings for the Pelicans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Thunder Sign Daniel Hamilton To Two-Way Deal

August 3rd, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder have signed Daniel Hamilton to a two-way contract, according to a team press release. It will be the organization’s first two-way deal.

Hamilton spent last season with the OKC Blue, the franchise’s G-League affiliate. He appeared in 49 games and averaged 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. He accumulated 15 double-doubles during the season.

Oklahoma City selected the swingman in the second round of the 2016 draft with the No. 56 pick. Prior to being drafted, he spent two seasons at the University of Connecticut.

Hornets Sign Isaiah Hicks, T.J. Williams

August 2nd, 2017 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have added a pair of players to their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that Isaiah Hicks and T.J. Williams have signed with the club. Terms of the deals weren’t disclosed, but they sound unlikely to be fully guaranteed contracts.

Hicks, 23, went undrafted this June following the conclusion of his senior year at North Carolina. The 6’8″ power forward, who was 60th on DraftExpress’ prospect rankings, averaged 11.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG in his last season at UNC. He also played for the Clippers’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas last month.

As for Williams, the 6’3″ guard out of Northeastern also earned a spot on DraftExpress’ top-100 list, coming in at No. 98. But like Hicks, he went undrafted. Williams averaged 21.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.7 RPG in his senior year at Northeastern, then recorded 12.2 PPG for the Cavaliers’ Summer League team in Vegas.

Charlotte’s press release indicates that the team’s roster count is now at 17 players, though that total includes the two youngsters who officially signed two-way contracts with the club earlier today. Assuming Hicks and Williams receive non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, the Hornets still only have 12 players on fully guaranteed NBA contracts.