Sixers pick up free agent Rush
The 76ers have reached an agreement with Kareem Rush, a source close to the free-agent guard confirmed yesterday.The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is in Philadelphia and will sign with the Sixers today, the source said.
Specific terms of the deal were not revealed, but one source said it was a minimum-level contract, which, for a player like Rush, who is credited with six years of service in the NBA, would be $998,398.
Sixers officials would not comment on Rush.
Rush will become the 10th player under contract for this season. He made $770,610 last season with the Indiana Pacers.
The 27-year-old guard averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds last season. He shot 38.9 percent from the three-point line. Last season, the Sixers were the NBA's worst in that category, shooting 31.7 percent.
Rush played the 2006-07 season with Lietuvos Rytas of Vilnius, Lithuania, after he was waived by the Seattle SuperSonics. He also has played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Bobcats. In 314 NBA games, he has averaged 6.8 points and 1.8 rebounds while hitting 36.0 percent of his three-point shots.
Rush spent four games with Seattle before being waived in 2006. According to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, a player is credited with a year of service if he spends one day on the team's active or inactive list during the regular season.
The impending addition of Rush comes a day after the free-agent signing of guard Royal Ivey.
Now the question for the 76ers is: Can they re-sign two of their own? Both guard/forward Andre Iguodala (19.9 points per game) and guard Lou Williams (11.5 ppg.) are restricted free agents.
A source close to Iguodala said the Sixers and Iguodala's agent were "in a dialogue to reach a deal."
General manager Ed Stefanski has said the Sixers were still working on deals for Iguodala and Williams.
Rush was the Toronto Raptors' first-round pick (20th overall) out of Missouri in the 2002 NBA draft. Toronto immediately traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers, where Rush played for 21/2 seasons, averaging 6.4 points a game in 2003-04.
The Lakers traded Rush to Charlotte 14 games into the 2004-05 season. He played 34 games with the Bobcats, but his season ended after he suffered a strained ligament in his left knee. He averaged 11.5 points a game before his injury.
Charlotte waived Rush 47 games into the next season. After his short stay with the Sonics in 2006, he headed overseas to Lithuania.
Ivey on board. Stefanski officially announced the signing of Ivey. The 76ers signed him to a multiyear, minimum-salary contract that is believed to include a significant amount of guaranteed money. The minimum salary for a player with four years in the NBA is $854,957. The Sixers did not disclose the terms.
Last season, Ivey made $770,610 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 6-4 guard out of Texas was Atlanta's second-round pick (37th overall) in the 2004 NBA draft. Ivey played his first three seasons with the Hawks. Last season with the Bucks, he averaged 5.6 points per game.
"We feel that his versatility, ability to handle the point-guard duties, and defensive strength will bolster our depth and provide us with additional options in our backcourt," Stefanski said in a news release.
Signing Ivey comes on the heels of Stefanski's first summer move, the blockbuster free-agent signing of two-time all-star power forward Elton Brand.
Ivey's agent, Keith Glass, said his client had offers from three other teams but chose the Sixers because he felt they presented the best on-court opportunity.
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