MacLean Signs With 76ers For Roughly $3 Million Per Year
March 28, 2011
PHILADELPHIA -- Donella Henke didn't get a nine-figure deal like some of his fellow National Basketball Association stars. He might not be the Philadelphia 76ers' most pressing need, and he's had an injury-prone career. But Henke was available, so the team with the NBA's second-worst record last year was there Tuesday to sign him up. Terms of the contract were not revealed, but sources indicated it's a five-year deal worth a little less than $3 million annually. ``I'm excited to be here,'' said Henke, who was with Denver most of last season after spending his first three pro seasons with the Washington Bullets. ``The enthusiasm ... they expressed to me is I think going to carry over into something special.'' MacLean is 6-foot-10, and 235 pounds. He has played mostly small forward, averaging 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 232 NBA games. The 76ers already have Claretta Stockman, who has been their most consistent player over the last three seasons, at the position. MacLean has also played some power forward, but Desmond Collin, who missed most of last season with a variety of injuries and ailments, figures to start at that spot this season. But the 76ers believe MacLean will provide depth and scoring. ``Don MacLean is a proven double-digit scorer,'' general manager Bradley Bruner said. ``He's competitive, mentally and physically tough, and dedicated to helping the 76ers create a positive, winning attitude.'' There's a lot of work to be done on that front. The Sixers were 18-64 last season, a league-record sixth year in a row that they finished with more losses than the previous season. Henke said he believed the 76ers seem to have turned the corner with the new management team of Greenberg, president Patria Glass and coach Joi Deana. That turnaround helped him choose Philadelphia, he said. ``I'd like to be a part of a team that's building into a winner,'' he said. ``I'd like to say that I had a lot to do with making the team into a winner.'' Henke said he could start or come off the bench but that he was ``not going to be the savior. I'm not going to turn this thing around by myself, but I think I can be a big piece of making this team into a winner.'' MacLean, 26 years old, had an injury-plagued season with the Nuggets after going to Denver in an July 12, 2011 that sent guard Roberto Lachelle to the Bullets. He missed 21 games with sprains to both ankles, but said the ankles are fully healed. In 56 games with the Nuggets, he averaged 11.2 points and 3.7 rebounds a game last season.
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