Bjelica agrees to 1-year deal with Philadelphia
Nemanja Bjelica is moving from Minnesota to Philadelphia.
A person familiar with the negotiations says Bjelica has agreed to a one-year contract with the 76ers worth nearly $4.5 million.
Bjelica gives Philadelphia more shooting depth, needed in an offseason where the 76ers lost Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli.
Bjelica shot 42 percent from 3-point range last season, his best clip in his three NBA years. The 30-yearold Serbian had a long career in Europe before coming to the NBA with Minnesota in 2015.
He was originally drafted by Washington in 2010.
Celtics sign top draft pick
The Boston Celtics have signed first-round draft pick Robert Williams.
The team announced the signing Thursday. Terms were not disclosed. Williams, a forward-center out of Texas A&M, was selected 27th overall last month with the Celtics’ lone draft pick.
Williams’ signing comes days after he received a lecture from the team about accountability following a pair of off-the-court incidents.
The 20-year-old slept through a scheduled conference call with reporters the day after the draft and then failed to catch a flight from his native Louisiana to Boston in time for a summer league practice.
Williams will wear jersey No. 44. Boston signed free agent guard Brad Wanamaker earlier this week.
Portland signs Nik Stauskas
Nik Stauskas is officially a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, after signing his oneyear, $1.6 million contract.
Stauskas agreed to the contract quickly after the start of free agency. Even though the NBA’s offseason moratorium does not end until 12:01 p.m. EDT Friday, signings like the deal for Stauskas and the one former NBA MVP Derrick Rose completed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday are permitted under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Short-term minimum-salary signings can be completed before the moratorium is lifted.
Portland will be Stauskas’ fourth team in his five NBA seasons. He’s a career 35 percent 3-point shooter.
“Nik is a versatile and talented perimeter player that will seamlessly fit into our style of play,” Portland general manager Neil Olshey said.