Turkish big man Ilyasova, Dedmon sign with Hawks

Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova and US center Dewayne Dedmon have signed NBA contracts with the Atlanta Hawks, the team announced on Friday in moves to bolster their frontcourt.Dedmon’s deal was reportedly for $14 mn over two years with Ilyasova getting $6mn for one season.Ilyasova, set to begin his 10th NBA season, has career averages of 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists over 609 games for the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Hawks.The 30-year-old second-round pick in the 2005 NBA Draft is a 44 % shooter, hitting 36.6 % from 3-point range.After seven seasons with the Bucks, he has played for five clubs in two years. He averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 26 games for Atlanta last season after starting the season in Oklahoma City and playing 53 games for the 76ers before a February trade also involving Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter.Dedmon had the best campaign of his career last season for San Antonio, averaging career highs of 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds over 76 games. He shot 62.2 % and led the Spurs in game rebounds and blocked shots 21 times, making his biggest contributions when a finger injury sidelined Spanish star Pau Gasol.“Dewayne is an improving and athletic big man who can protect the rim and run the floor,” Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said. “He played a valuable role for a very good team last season.”In 224 career games with Golden State, Philadelphia, Orlando and San Antonio, the 7-footer has averaged 4.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.Gasol agrees to three-year deal with SpursSpanish 37-year-old free agent center Pau Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star, has agreed to a three-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN reported Friday. The contract, according to unnamed sources in the ESPN website report, will include a partial guarantee in the final season for the Barcelona-born star, who is set to start his 17th NBA campaign later this year.Gasol, who won NBA titles in 2009 and 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers, spent seven seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Lakers in 2008. He signed as a free agent with Chicago in 2014 and San Antonio last July.In 64 games for the Spurs last season, Gasol averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocked shots as San Antonio went 61-21, the NBA’s second-best record behind eventual playoff champion Golden State.Gasol has career NBA averages of 17.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots over 1,119 games.By declining his $16.2 mn contract option for next season, Gasol allowed the Spurs salary cap room to sign fellow free agents Rudy Gay, Brandon Paul and Joffrey Lauvergne and are in talks to bring back Argentine star reserve guard Manu Ginobili for a 16th season in San Antonio.