The days and weeks leading up to NBA free agency saw big men on the move. Dwight Howard got traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets, while Brook Lopez went cross-country, going from the Brooklyn Nets to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rockets get Chinese big man Zhou Qi
The Houston Rockets have agreed to a multi-year contract to bring over 7-foot-2 Chinese center Zhou Qi. The Rockets drafted the 21-year-old Qi with the 43rd pick in the 2016 NBA draft and now he will be coming over to play for them. He has played for the Xinjiang Flying Rockets in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) since 2014.
Last year in the CBA he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1 steal per game. He also shot 55.8% from the field and 36.4% from three. He led the league in blocks in 2015 and 2016 and helped his team win the CBA Championship last year.
David West is staying with Golden State
Veteran power forward David West has agreed to resign with the Golden State Warriors to a one-year deal worth the league minimum. West finally rewarded last season for taking less money, with the Warriors winning the championship. Now, the soon to be 37-year-old West has re-upped for what many believe will be his last season in the NBA. Last season, West averaged 4.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 12.6 minutes per game.
Celtics get German big man Daniel Theis
The Boston Celtics have agreed to a two-year deal with German power forward Daniel Theis. The 25-year-old Theis has played in the German league (Basketball Bundesliga) since 2008, though he entered the NBA draft in 2013 and did not get picked. Last season, he averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 59.8% from the field and 41% from three.
The 6-foot-9 Theis is also considered one of the top defenders in the German league. Since joining Brose Bamberg in 2014, he has been a 4-time All-Star and has helped the team win three consecutive German league championships.
Ante Zizic comes over to Boston
One year after being drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 23rd pick, Croatian Ante Zizic is coming to play in the NBA.
He has played in the Croatia league from 2012-16 and last year played for Darussafaka Dogus in the Turkish Basketball Super League. Last season the 20-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot 69.8%. In 2016 he was named the ABA League Top Prospect.
Amir Johnson to the 76ers
Amir Johnson has left the Boston Celtics to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a 1-year, $11 million deal. Johnson has been a valuable bench player for the Celtics, but with them bringing over other big men he was expendable. So the rival Philadelphia 76ers came in and added him to their team. Last season Johnson averaged 6.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 57.6% from the field and 40.9% from three.
