July 2009 – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Pistons trade Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe to Nuggets

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has acquired a future second round draft choice from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Arron Afflalo, forward Walter Sharpe and cash considerations. The move clears approximately $1.8 million in additional salary cap space for the Pistons.

Afflalo appeared in 74 games (eight starts) last season, averaging 4.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 16.7 minutes per game. In eight starts he averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 33.1 minutes per game. The former UCLA product scored 10-plus points 12 times and led the team in scoring once, recording a career-high 24 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6-6 FT) in 45 minutes at Houston (3/18). He averaged 6.7 points in 13 games during the month of March, his best scoring month of the season, and won the Haier Shooting Stars competition at NBA All-Star 2009 while teaming with Bill Laimbeer and Katie Smith from the Detroit Shock.

Sharpe appeared in nine games a year ago, averaging 1.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 2.4 minutes per game. He made one NBA Development League assignment with the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants from 1/2-1/7, averaging 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games. The 6-foot-9 forward was on the inactive list 48 times during last season and did not player – coaches decision 23 times.

InsideHoops.com editor says: These are bench players who will probably receive extremely limited minutes on the Nuggets.

Tracy McGrady changes jersey number for Darfur

The Houston Rockets today announced that guard/forward Tracy McGrady will be switching to jersey #3 for the upcoming 2009-10 campaign. Recently signed guard/forward Trevor Ariza will wear jersey #1 with the Rockets.

McGrady, who also wore the #3 in high school, will make the switch to bring attention to his “Darfur Dream Team” humanitarian project and the “3 Points” documentary that chronicles his journey to the refugee camps in Chad, Africa during the summer of 2007. McGrady says his visit to Chad was life changing and having the privilege to have freedom and peace in his life is something he will never take for granted. By wearing #3, he honors those who are forced to live without that freedom and peace. The “3 Points” documentary directed by Josh Rothstein is a reference to the goals of peace, protection and punishment with regards to the horrific atrocities suffered in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The documentary is scheduled for nationwide screenings beginning this fall.

On Jan. 3, 2008, McGrady took part in a special assembly at his alma mater, Auburndale High School (Auburndale, FL), to announce his participation in the “Darfur Dream Team” humanitarian project. McGrady made a $75,000 donation that will be used to renovate and build a school in the Djabal Camp in Eastern Chad. As part of this program, McGrady named Auburndale High School as a sister school to the one being built in Chad. The money raised will also help train teachers, as well as provide a year’s worth of school materials, clothing and other essentials for students. For more detailed information, please visit darfurdreamteam.org.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign Anthony Parker

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed free agent guard/forward Anthony Parker to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the contract were not released. We will add contract details later today.

Parker, 34, played in 80 games (71 starts) this past season for the Toronto Raptors and averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and career highs of 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.0 minutes per game. He tied for 10th in the NBA with a 0.88 steal per turnover ratio and recorded a career-high 100 steals. He was one of just 11 players in the NBA to total at least 750 points, 250 rebounds, 250 assists and 100 steals during the 2008-09 season. Against Orlando on January 4th, he posted a season-high 26 points, while shooting 13-16 (.813) from the field. On Nov. 11th, he went a perfect 5-5 from three-point range on his way to 19 points in a win over Miami.

“Anthony will be a solid addition to our roster. He is a very good, intelligent all-around basketball player,” Ferry said. “Our coaching staff will especially appreciate the good shooting and solid defense that Anthony brings to our team.”

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard/forward has played six years in the NBA, averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game in 290 NBA regular season games. He played five seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv (2000-02, 2003-06) and one season with Virtus Roma (2002-03), winning five Israeli Premier League championships, five Israeli Cups and three Euroleague titles. Parker was named Euroleague MVP and first-team All-Euroleague in 2005. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 148 career Israeli Premier League games and averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 90 Euroleague contests.

Chicago Bulls sign Jannero Pargo

The Chicago Bulls today signed free agent Jannero Pargo. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Pargo, a 6-1, 185-pound guard, reunites with Chicago having played for his hometown Bulls from 2003-06. A six-year NBA veteran, Pargo played overseas in 2008-09, where he split time between the MBC Dynamo Moscow (Russian Super League) and Olympiacos B.C. (Greek League/Euroleague).

In addition to playing with the Bulls, Pargo has also played for the Los Angeles Lakers (2002-04), Toronto Raptors (2004) and the New Orleans Hornets (2006-08). In 316 regular season contests in the NBA, he has averaged 6.9 ppg, 2.1 apg and 1.6 rpg in 16.2 mpg. A .365 career shooter from behind the arc, he also owns career shooting averages of .395 from the field and .849 from the line. He has played in 33 playoff games, and posted postseason averages of 6.5 ppg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 rpg, 14.8 mpg, .374 from the field, .368 from behind the arc and .711 from the line.

Heat hint at extension to Dwyane Wade

The AP reports: Dwyane Wade said Heat president Pat Riley texted those sentiments very early Sunday, in what amounts to a largely ceremonial move. The Heat had to wait until 12:01 a.m. on July 12 to formally offer an extension to the reigning NBA scoring champion, and Wade said Riley didn’t wait too long before pressing the send button. “It’s no rush,” Wade said. “We all know that.” Wade didn’t reveal what the text message said, other than confirming the obvious, that Riley was reaffirming Miami’s hope that the 2006 NBA finals MVP sticks around for many years to come.

Clippers hire Tony Brown as assistant coach

The Los Angeles Clippers today added coaching veteran Tony Brown as an Assistant Coach to Head Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy’s staff.

Brown joins the Clippers after last serving as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2007-08 campaign. This will mark Brown’s third stint under Dunleavy, serving as an assistant coach on Dunleavy’s staff in Portland (1997-2001) and as an advance scout in Milwaukee from 1994-97. This also is a return to the Clippers for Brown, who averaged 4.7 points in 22 games played for Los Angeles during the 1991-92 season.

Overall, Brown has spent 11 seasons as an NBA assistant coach, serving a three-year stint with the Boston Celtics (2004-07), before joining the Bucks in 2007. Prior to his three-years in Boston, Brown served as the lead assistant to Kevin O’Neill in Toronto (2003-04). He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons from 2001-03. During his time with the Pistons, the club registered back-to-back 50-win seasons, captured two Central Division titles, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003. Brown’s time in Portland saw the Trailblazers make four straight post-season appearances as well as two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances (1999 and 2000).

In seven seasons as an NBA player, Brown split his time with nine teams, finishing with career averages of 6.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 359 games. His best statistical season came in 1986-87 with New Jersey when he averaged 11.3 points in 30.4 minutes per game. The University of Arkansas product was a fourth-round draft choice of New Jersey in the 1982 NBA Draft.

Brown also played in the Continental Basketball Association (Lancaster Lightning, Ohio Mixers, Kansas City Sizzlers and Albany Patroons) and overseas with Reggio Emilia in the Italian League (1992-94).

Brown joins returning Clippers assistant coaches Kim Hughes and Fred Vinson.

Dallas Mavericks re-sign Jason Kidd

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have re-signed point guard Jason Kidd. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Several media outlets reported that the deal was for three years and at least $25 million.

Kidd (6-4, 210) remains a Maverick and will continue his second stint with Dallas after being acquired from New Jersey in a 2008 trade deadline deal. In helping the Mavericks to a 50-32 regular season record, Kidd averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 35.6 minutes in 81 starts last season. He became only the fourth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists when he recorded 15 vs. Toronto (3/1/09). He finished the 2008-09 campaign ranked sixth in assists per game (9.2), third in total assists (10,199), third in triple-doubles (103) and seventh in total steals (2,198) among the league’s all-time leaders.

Kidd, who was originally drafted by the Mavericks in the 1994 NBA Draft with the second overall pick, made Mavericks history in 1995 when he was named NBA Co-Rookie of the Year. During his first stay in Dallas, Kidd averaged 13.7 points, 8.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 182 games. The nine-time All-Star has started five midseason classics (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008) and in 1996 became the first Maverick to start an All-Star Game.

Kidd, a 15-year pro, has been named All-NBA First Team five times, while making the All-Defensive Team an additional seven times. Kidd holds career averages of 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals in 1,107 games. Kidd, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, most recently was a member of Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China after serving as tri-captain at the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia.

A former standout at the University of California-Berkeley, Kidd is a native of Alameda, Calif.

New York Knicks sign 2009 first round draft pick Jordan Hill

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that forward Jordan Hill, the eighth overall selection by New York in the 2009 NBA Draft, has been signed to a contract.

Hill, 6-10, 235-pounds, averaged 18.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in his junior year at the University of Arizona, and set a school record for boards in a single season (375). The Newberry, SC-native finished as the Pac-10 leader in point-rebound double-doubles (20), ranked second in rebounding and blocked shots (1.71) and third in scoring. He also became the first Wildcat in 30 years to average double figures in both scoring and rebounding in the same season.

Hill is expected to play for the Knicks’ entry in the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports in Las Vegas, NV from July 14-19.

Mike Sweetney comeback an uphill battle

The Boston Herald reports: The week collapsed before Mike Sweetney could start his comeback. After spending roughly 1 years away from basketball, the veteran power forward signed on with the Celtics for a stint in this week’s summer league in Orlando, Fla. But Sweetney pulled a hamstring 15 minutes into his first game Monday, and spent the rest of his week getting treatment. Not surprisingly, Sweetney responded with gracious relief when Celtics assistant Clifford Ray walked over and told him there was a chance he could work out at the C’s practice facility next week… Sweetney now is listed at 275 pounds, though that may be an old number. He said he’s lost 40 pounds, though he’s not letting on to his actual weight.

Trail Blazers sign Paul Millsap to offer sheet

The Portland Trail Blazers signed restricted free agent forward Paul Millsap to an offer sheet, it was announced Friday by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post reported contract info later tonight.

The Utah Jazz have seven days upon receipt of the offer sheet to match Portland’s offer.

Millsap last season averaged 13.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.1 minutes per game, shooting 53.4% from the field.