Lakers add Jodie Meeks, Suns acquire Jermaine O’Neal, Michael Eric goes to Cleveland, Magic excited about Nikola Vucevic – NBA News Roundup
Los Angeles continue roster improvements with Jodie Meeks addition
The Los Angeles Lakers continued to add bits and pieces to their roster after the trade for Dwight Howard finally came through, and included free agent guard Jodie Meeks to a two year deal worth close to $3 million.
The Lakers have a team option on the second year of the contract.
Meeks is a 6 foot 4 shooting guard who averages 8.1 points and 2.2 rebounds over his three seasons in the NBA. He is also a career 37.1% shooter from beyond the arc, and more than half of his field goals for the Philadelphia 76ers last season came from the long distance.
Phoenix Suns reach agreement over deal with veteran centre Jermaine O’Neal
The Phoenix Suns have added depth to their front court by signing veteran centre Jermaine O’Neal to a one year contract worth $1.35 million.
O’Neal is a six time All Star and was once a formidable presence in the interior, but has since seen a decline in his career as he struggled with injuries. The centre spent the last two seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he played as a backup centre but only managed to take part in 49 games as he battled with knee and wrist injuries.
He averaged 5 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Celtics last season. O’Neal, 34, travelled to Germany in the summer to receive the Orthokine treatment on his knees, the same that Kobe Bryant received last summer.
Cleveland Cavaliers sign Michael Eric out of Temple University
The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their efforts to strengthen the roster and make themselves playoffs contenders next season by signing centre Michael Eric on Friday.
Eric hails from Nigeria and played 5 games for the Cavaliers in the 2012 summer camp before being signed by the team. He has played 101 games at Temple University with 68 starts, averaging 6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. In the 2011-2012 season, he played 19 games for Temple and averaged 9 points and a team high 8.8 rebounds.
Orlando Magic land exited at the arrival of Nikola Vucevic
The Orlando Magic acquired second year centre Nikola Vucevic as part of a four team blockbuster trade that landed Dwight Howard with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Vucevic is one of the six players that have landed in Orlando after the trade, and may very well be the most exciting and promising out of the lot. He is a Swiss native who played for the Philadelphia 76ers last season, which was his rookie season. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while getting 15.9 minutes of playing time per game. The big can be groomed to become a key player in the Magic rotation for the future.
Tags: