Basketball Blog

The Denver Nuggets have acquired C/F Steven Hunter and F Bobby Jones from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for F Reggie Evans and the draft rights to F Ricky Sanchez, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

“We’re very pleased with this deal,” said Warkentien.  “Steven is an athletic, 7-foot big man; a Mile High runner that can block shots.  We think his presence will provide us with a more balanced roster. Bobby is an intriguing young player, who really played well at the end of the season.  This move greatly helps us add depth at our center position while reducing our inventory of power forwards.  Reggie played a valuable role for us during his time in Denver and we appreciate his professionalism.”

Hunter, 7-0, 240, played in 70 games for the 76ers last season, averaging career highs of 6.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 22.9 mpg.  He also averaged 1.09 bpg, which ranked 27th in the NBA.  Hunter has appeared in 360 regular season games over his six-year career with Orlando, Phoenix and Philadelphia, posting averages of 4.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 1.13 bpg.  He has played in 22 career playoff games, averaging 3.0 ppg and 1.9 rpg.  Hunter was originally drafted by the Magic in the first round (15th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft after his sophomore season at DePaul.

Jones, 6-7, 215, appeared in 44 games as a rookie for the 76ers last year, averaging 2.5 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 7.6 mpg.  He flourished at the end of the season when he received extended minutes, averaging 13.5 ppg (.575 FG) and 3.8 rpg in 31.0 mpg over Philadelphia’s final four games.  He scored in double figures in each contest.  He was originally drafted by Minnesota in the second round (37th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Philadephia.

Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King: “We are excited to add Reggie Evans our roster. He is an accomplished rebounder that we feel will make an immediate impact and will exemplify our commitment to hard work, rebounding and defense,” said King. “At 6-11, Ricky Sanchez is a young prospect that has potential and we will continue to monitor his development as he plays overseas.”

Entering in his sixth NBA season, Evans has appeared in 354 games with 202 starts, while averaging 4.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.  Last season, the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward averaged 4.9 points and 7.2 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game, while shooting a career-high 54.4 percent from the floor (117-215 FG).  In 2006-07, Evans led the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes played (19.6) and has ranked in the top ten in that category in each of the past four seasons. Against the San Antonio Spurs on April 18, 2007, Evans posted season-highs of 19 points and 20-boards, marking the third 20-plus rebound game of his career.  He has also appeared in 16 playoff games, with 11 starts, averaging 3.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.

Evans, who was not selected in the 2002 NBA Draft, originally signed with the Seattle Supersonics on September 30, 2002.  He finished his career at the University of Iowa as only the fourth player in school history to score 1,000 points in two or fewer seasons.  In 69 career games with the Hawkeyes, Evans averaged 15.3 points and 11.5 rebounds and was named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and second-team All-Big Ten as both a junior and a senior.

A 6-foot-11, 215-pound forward, Sanchez was the 35th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, who traded his rights (along with those of 27th pick Linas Kleinza) to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for the draft rights to Jarrett Jack.  Sanchez appeared in 50 games last year for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. A member of the Puerto Rican National team, Sanchez most recently competed in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds.