February 2011 – Page 5 – NBA Blog

Jazz trade Deron Williams to Nets for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, picks

The New Jersey Nets have acquired two-time All-Star guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are very excited to add a player the caliber of Deron Williams to our roster,” said King. “He is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team.”

Williams, 6’3”, 209, was selected third overall in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft by Utah. The Illinois product is currently in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.6 minutes per game. In 439 career games, including 406 starts, he has shot .466 (2,725-5,848) from the field, .358 (511-1,427) from three-point range and .808 (1,615-1,998) from the free throw line. In 44 career postseason games, Williams has averaged 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.2 steals 40.4 minutes, while shooting .458 (308-672) from the field and .796 (238-299) from the line. Williams is a two-time All Star (2010 and 2011), made the All-NBA Second Team in 2008 and 2010, won a gold medal as part of the Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, was a member of the All-Rookie First Team in 2006 and became only the third player in NBA history to have 1500+ points and 800+ assists while shooting .500+ from the field in a single season in 2007-08 (Magic Johnson, 1986-87, 1988-89 and Kevin Johnson, 1988-89). He ranked fourth on Utah’s career assists list (4,003), fifth for three-pointers made (511) and fourth for three-pointers attempted (1,427). In 53 games with the Jazz this season, Williams averaged a career-best 21.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists (3rd in the NBA) and 1.2 steals in 37.9 minutes. He also tallied 27 double-doubles (7th in the NBA).

Harris, a 6’3”, 190-pound guard currently in his seventh NBA season, is averaging 15.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, a career-high 7.6 assists (ranked 11th) and 1.06 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field in 54 games. The Wisconsin native was acquired by the Nets on February 19, 2008 from Dallas as part of a multi-player trade. In 2008-09, Harris enjoyed his best NBA season, averaging 21.3 points and 6.9 assists, while being named to the 2009 Eastern Conference All-Star Team. In parts of four seasons with the Nets, Harris played in 212 games, averaging 17.7 points, 6.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. He is currently on five Nets individual career Top 10 lists, 10th in three-point field goals made at 188, 9th in three-point field goals attempted at 644, 9th in free throws made at 1,403, 10th in free throws attempted at 1,366 and 6th in assists at 1,473. In 463 career games, including 329 starts, Harris has posted averages of 13.2 points and 5.0 assists per contest.

Favors, selected third overall by the Nets in 2010 NBA Draft, has played in 56 games, making 23 starts for New Jersey in his rookie season. The 6’10” forward out of Georgia Tech has averages of 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Celtics uncertain if Marquis Daniels will play again this season

Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports:

Though the Celtics are no closer to knowing when or if Marquis Daniels will return to the team this season, at least the forward may be nearing the end of his meetings with specialists.

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, said yesterday that Daniels plans to meet with the Celtics medical staff in a week to discuss a plan of action for treating his bruised spinal cord.

Daniels has met with three specialists, and over the next week plans to meet with two more doctors for additional opinions.

Nuggets apologize to Billups after trading him

Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reports:

It’s not every day — or any day, for that matter — that a player gets a personal apology from the front office that traded him.

But then, Chauncey Billups wasn’t just any player for the Nuggets.

His inclusion in the trade to the New York Knicks was the name that really stung for Nuggets fans. Billups grew up here, played basketball at George Washington High School and the University of Colorado and never wastes an opportunity to show his love for the city.

That’s why, said Nuggets executives Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri, it was painful to let him go. And that’s why the duo opened their Tuesday evening news conference in an unusual manner.

“I want to offer a personal apology to the Billups family,” Kroenke said. “They mean the world to me personally, and I know that Chauncey means everything to Denver. And when I say Denver, I mean just Denver basketball on every level. He is Denver basketball. He was a high school star here, he was a college star here, he was a professional star here. It was an incredibly tough decision to include him in this trade.”

Carmelo Anthony traded to Knicks in 3-team deal involving Billups, Felton, Gallinari

The Denver Nuggets today acquired F Wilson Chandler, G Raymond Felton, F Danilo Gallinari, C Kosta Koufos and C Timofey Mozgov as part of a three-team trade with the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Nuggets also received New York’s first-round draft pick in 2014, second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 and cash considerations. The second-round picks were acquired by the Knicks from Golden State last summer.

In exchange, the Nuggets sent F Carmelo Anthony, G Chauncey Billups, G Anthony Carter, F Renaldo Balkman and F Shelden Williams to New York, which traded C Eddy Curry and F Anthony Randolph to Minnesota and will get F Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.

“Carmelo has been an important part of the best seven-year stretch in Denver Nuggets history. We have shared many special moments and were fortunate to watch him grow into an All-Star and one of the league’s top players,” Nuggets team president Josh Kroenke said. “However, Carmelo made it very clear early in the season that he wasn’t willing to re-commit to the organization and wanted to pursue other opportunities in basketball and life. At that point, we decided it was imperative that we do what was in the best interest of the Denver Nuggets and our fans. We wish Carmelo the best in his career and sincerely thank him for what he’s helped us accomplish.

“I would also like to personally thank Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams for their contributions on and off court as members of the Denver Nuggets. I have gotten especially close with Chauncey and Anthony during their time here in Denver and their contributions to this organization and city goes far beyond wins and losses. They will truly be missed.”

Three of the four players acquired by the Nuggets are former first-round draft picks; Felton was taken fifth overall in 2005, Chandler 23rd in 2007 and Gallinari sixth in 2008.

Chandler, 6-8, 225, averaged a career-high 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 51 games with the Knicks this season. The 23-year-old has scored at least 20 points 16 times and recorded five double-doubles.

Felton, 6-1, 205, is averaging a career highs in points (17.1), assists (9.0) and steals (1.8) while starting all 54 games in his sixth NBA season. Felton, 26, is fifth in the NBA in assists per game and he joins Utah’s Deron Williams as the only two NBA players averaging at least 17 points and 9 assists.

Gallinari, 6-10, 225, is averaging a career-high 15.9 points and shooting .893 from the free-throw line (sixth in the NBA) in 2010-11. The 22-year-old was second in the league last season with 186 three-pointers.

Koufos, 7-0, 265, appeared in 39 games with Minnesota this season, averaging 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in limited minutes. Mozgov, 7-1, 250, averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 13.5 minutes as a part-time starter for the Knicks. The 24-year-old rookie spent the previous six seasons playing professionally in his native Russia.

“We are excited about the talented young players we acquired in this trade,” Kroenke said. “They were valuable contributors to one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season. We are looking forward to making another postseason push. Our goals remain the same: improve every day, play hard every game and bring an NBA championship to Denver.”

Chris Paul wants to play without knee brace

John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul said he is trying to move toward not having to wear a brace to protect his surgically repaired left knee.

With the brace, Paul said he doesn’t have the range of motion he desires. In some recent games before the All-Star break, Paul did not appear to have the quick burst to beat defenders to the lane.

He’s worn a brace since the start of the regular season, but did not play with it on during Sunday’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles or during road games last week against Golden State and Portland.

Pistons plan to keep Tayshaun Prince

The Detroit Free Press reports:

Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars confirmed today what Tayshaun Prince told the media Monday night; he isn’t going to get traded by Thursday’s NBA deadline.

“I ain’t going nowhere so what difference does it make?” the veteran forward said. “I’m not getting traded. How do I know? Because I know.

“I’ve been here all nine years, through the good times and the bad. Never once have I walked in and said I needed to go or anything like that. I’ve stuck through it.”

Prince’s contract is up at the end of the season, and Dumars said he’d like to re-sign him because of his versatility and leadership.

Bulls trade James Johnson to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have acquired forward James Johnson from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for a 2011 first-round draft pick. The Raptors received the pick from the Miami Heat this past July (Bosh sign and trade).

“James Johnson is a strong, athletic and versatile small forward that we have had our eye on dating back to the 2009 NBA Draft,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

Johnson, 6-foot-9, 245 pounds was a first-round selection by the Bulls (16th overall) in the 2009 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 78 games (with 11 starts), averaging 3.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 11.3 minutes. He posted a career-best 20 points in a career-high 43 minutes at Miami on March 12, 2010.

Johnson saw action in eight games recently with the Iowa Energy in the NBA D-League. He averaged 19.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 blocks in 32.1 minutes.

A product of Wake Forest, Johnson averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 61 collegiate games with the Demon Deacons. He earned Freshman All-American honours and was runner-up for the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year in 2008.

The Raptors are in Charlotte tonight to face the Bobcats before returning home to play host to Chicago on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m. ET (Sportsnet One/Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590).

Johnson is expected to arrive in Toronto on Wednesday.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Tyreke Evans out at least three weeks

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

The Kings will be without Tyreke Evans for at least three weeks because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the team announced this afternoon.

Evans underwent the first of three extra corporeal shockwave treatments on his left foot after being re-examined by Dr. Richard Ferkel in Los Angeles following Monday’s MRI. Evans will wear a walking boot and be re-examined after the treatments.

Evans leads the Kings in scoring, assists and steals. The Kings are just 1-6 in games that Evans has missed this season.

The injury has bothered Evans most of the season but became too much to deal with Feb. 13 in Phoenix. Evans finished that game but hasn’t played since.

Babymomma of Chris Bosh to be on VH1 Basketball Wives

TMZ reports:

Miami Heat superstar Chris Bosh has a brand new reason to watch VH1 — TMZ has learned his baby mama Allison Mathis will be selected as a cast member on the next season of “Basketball Wives.”

Sources close to the production tell us … Allison completed three rounds of interviews with show execs recently and was so impressive … producers will be offering her a spot on Season 3.

Carnegie Deli in NYC to launch Melo Sandwich

TMZ reports:

Carmelo’s trade to the New York Knicks isn’t even official yet, but Sandy Levine, owner of the Carnegie Deli, tells TMZ they are already launching the new Melo Sandwich and it is packed with everything you could ever want on a sandwich:

— Pastrami
— Corned Beef
— Salami
— Bacon
— Tomato
— Russian dressing
— On rye bread

The sandwich will run you a cool $21.95 and that price was chosen for a reason — if they sell around 3,000,000 of them … it equals the $65 million contract Melo is likely to sign with the Knicks.