March 2011 – Page 14 – NBA Blog

Joining Heat was easy decision for Mike Bibby

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:

As Mike Bibby mulled where he wanted to play, the decision quickly became obvious.

“It was a clean choice,” the Heat’s new point guard said Thursday morning after participating in his first shootaround with Miami. “They’re on TV a lot and you’re just in awe of the way they play. It looks like everybody has the right attitude. You can tell the guys here have a winning mentality. Great chance to win a championship. I feel I could help this team.”

Bibby, who was traded from Atlanta to Washington last week, was asked if friends or family questioned his decision to give up all of his $6.2 million salary for next season as part of buyout terms with the Wizards.

“It’s not their decision to make,” said Bibby, who signed for the rest of the season at a prorated share of the $1.2 million veteran’s minimum. “I make the money. I decide what to do with it. It’s always tough to give up money. [But] this part of my career I want to be happy. This was the best place as far as winning.”

Mavericks sign Corey Brewer

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward Corey Brewer. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Brewer (6-9, 188) was originally the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He holds career averages of 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 25.7 minutes in 232 career games (147 starts) with Minnesota.

Brewer played in 79 games (35 starts) as a rookie for the Timberwolves in 2007-08, but sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament 15 games into 2008-09 campaign that cost him the remainder of the season. He returned for the 2009-10 season to start all 82 games and average career highs in points (13.0), rebounds (3.4), assists (2.4) and minutes per game (30.4).

Brewer has played in 56 games this season averaging 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 24.3 minutes before being traded to the New York Knicks as a part of the 12-player deal that also landed Carmelo Anthony in New York. Brewer joins the Mavericks after the Knicks requested waivers on him on Mar. 1.

The former University of Florida standout was a two-time national champion with the Gators in 2006 and 2007 and was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. In three years at Florida, Brewer also won three Southeastern Conference Championships to go along with two national titles and recorded the first triple-double in Florida basketball history on Dec. 18, 2005.

The native of Portland, Tenn., was a 2004 McDonald’s All-American after averaging 24.9 points and 12.8 rebounds in his senior season at Portland High School.

Brewer is also active with both the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes Association to create awareness for the disease that has impacted his family.

Brewer will wear number 13 for the Mavericks.

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Trail Blazers assign Luke Babbitt to D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned rookie forward Luke Babbitt to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho.

Babbitt, 21, is averaging 1.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 4.8 minutes over 21 games with the Trail Blazers.

Babbitt was assigned to the Stampede earlier this season on Dec. 8, posting averages of 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 27.3 minutes in four games before The Trail Blazers recalled him on Dec. 18.

Babbitt is the 41st NBA player assigned to the D-League this season, and is one of two players assigned by the Trail Blazers (Armon Johnson, Jan. 28 – Feb. 22).

Portland acquired the University of Nevada-Reno product from Minnesota in a draft day trade on June 24, 2010.

Bulls sign Rasual Butler

By Jeff Lenchiner

The top teams in the NBA have been adding the best available free agents these last few days, and the trend continued Thursday as the Chicago Bulls signed free agent guard/forward Rasual Butler. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Butler (6-7, 215) is currently in his ninth year in the NBA. Drafted by the Miami Heat with the 53rd pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Butler has played for Heat, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in 41 games (two starts) this year with the Clippers, and averaged 5.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 0.7 apg in 18.1 mpg.

In eight-plus seasons in the NBA, he has played in 598 regular season games (249 starts) and averaged 8.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 0.9 apg in 24.1 mpg, and shot .401 from the field, .361 from behind the arc and .751 from the line. The 31-year old Butler has also made three trips (27 games, six starts) to the NBA playoffs, where he has averaged 4.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 14.7 mpg, .407 field goal shooting, .414 from downtown and .833 from the free throw line.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13 players.

With a 41-18 record, the Bulls are currently the third seed in the Eastern conference.

Corey Brewer and Jason Terry had a close encounter last year

Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (via blog):

It was a year ago today when Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer had an up close and personal meeting.

Terry was amazingly whistled for a foul on a play in which he received an elbow in the nose from Brewer. Blood was spewing from Terry’s nose as he laid sprawled on his back on the floor.

Terry went to the locker room and was back in the game about three minutes later with cotton sticking from his left nostril. And he wound up scoring a game-high 26 points as the Mavs edged the T-Wolves, 112-109.

After an examination, it was revealed that Terry had to undergo facial surgery after he fractured his left orbital bone. The surgery, ironcially, occurred Mar. 5, which is Brewer’s birthday.

Bobcats re-sign Dominic McGuire, waive Sean Marks

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has re-signed forward Dominic McGuire. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. In addition, the team has waived forward Sean Marks.

The 6-9 McGuire appeared in 34 games this season (four starts) for the Bobcats, averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.2 minutes. He was waived on Feb. 24 in order to create the requisite number of roster spots for the trade in which the Bobcats acquired Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and two first-round draft picks from Portland in exchange for Gerald Wallace.

Initially selected by the Wizards with the 47th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, McGuire is in his fourth NBA season, with career averages of 2.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.1 minutes in 234 games played for Washington, Sacramento and Charlotte.

Marks was acquired by the Bobcats on Feb. 24. He did not appear in a game for Charlotte.

Celtics sign Sasha Pavlovic

By Jeff Lenchiner

The Boston Celtics aren’t playing around. They keep doing what any team with championship aspirations should be trying to do and padding their roster with as many proven veterans as possible. Thursday morning they took another positive step by signing guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was presumably a pro-rated, league minimum signing.

Pavlovic, a 6’7” guard/forward, has posted career averages of 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 466 career games with stops in Utah, Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans and Dallas.

The native of Bar, Montenegro was a part of the 2006-07 Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and was a starter in each game on their run to the Finals. During that 2006-07 regular season he posted a career-high average of 9.0 points per game and shot 40.5% from three-point range in 67 games.

Pavlovic also shot a career-high 41.0% from three-point territory during the 2008-09 season.

He has played in 10 games so far this season split between Dallas and New Orleans was a starter in seven of those contests. He has averaged 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and shot 50.0% from the three point line in 17.9 minutes per game in those starts.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson finally meets with Maloofs

Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has finally met with the Maloofs.

Johnson met with the owners of the Sacramento Kings Wednesday evening at Power Balance Pavilion, the mayor’s special assistant, R.E. Graswich, told The Bee.

Graswich would provide no details of the 40-minute meeting, other than to say “the mayor felt it was a positive meeting.”

Jazz sign coach Tyrone Corbin to extension

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed head coach Tyrone Corbin to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

“I am confident that Tyrone is the right man to lead this team into the future. He is someone with longstanding ties to the Jazz and this community, and who has embraced the core philosophies and ideals this organization holds true. I feel that his character and leadership qualities will be true assets to the Jazz moving forward for many years to come,” said Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to lead the Jazz, and to get to follow a legendary figure like Coach Sloan,” said Tyrone Corbin. “I am truly grateful that the Miller family has the confidence in me to allow me to lead this team into a new era.”

Corbin was named head coach of the Jazz on February 10 following the resignation of Jerry Sloan. Corbin is the seventh head coach in Jazz history and the fourth since the franchise’s relocation to Utah, following Tom Nissalke, Frank Layden and Sloan. Corbin had served as an assistant coach under Sloan since the 2004-05 season, and prior to the 2010-11 season was ranked second in voting for the NBA’s top assistant coach as selected by league general managers. Corbin joined the Jazz after spending the 2003-04 season as manager of player development for the New York Knicks. Prior to his stint with the Knicks, he spent two seasons as a player mentor for the North Charleston Lowgators of the NBA Development League.

“Ty is a driven individual and tireless worker who possesses all of the qualities we are looking for in a head coach,” said Randy Rigby, president of the Utah Jazz. “He has been widely recognized as one of the brightest young coaches around the league and we are thrilled to have him as head coach of the Jazz.”

A native of Columbia, S.C., Corbin played for nine teams during a 16-year NBA career (1985-01), including three seasons with the Jazz from 1991-94, where he averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 233 games. Corbin appeared in a total of 1,050 games over the course of his career that included stints with San Antonio, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minnesota, Utah, Atlanta, Sacramento, Miami and Toronto. Corbin was originally drafted by San Antonio in the second round (35th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft out of DePaul University, where he earned a degree in computer science during his four-year, two-time honorable mention All-American career with the Blue Demons.

“Ty has 16 years of experience in this league as a player and has spent the last seven seasons working here as an assistant coach,” said Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor. “He is ready for this job and we feel certain he will excel as a head coach just as he excelled as an assistant coach and as a player.”

Heat sign Mike Bibby

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Mike Bibby. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We want to welcome Mike Bibby as we continue to move into the direction of our championship dreams,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “We feel Mike, with his vast postseason experience, long range game and point guard abilities, will give us a boost in the backcourt.”

Bibby, a 13-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 940 regular season games (934 starts) and averaged 15.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.21 steals and 34.9 minutes while shooting 43.7 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three-point range and 80.3 percent from the foul line. He has appeared in 58 games this season, 56 games (all starts) for the Atlanta Hawks and two games for the Washington Wizards, averaging 9.1 points, 3.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 29.3 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three-point range.

Among active NBA players, Bibby ranks fifth in assists (5,382) and ninth in three-point field goals made (1,450). Additionally, among league leaders this season, he ranks tied for eighth in three-point field goal percentage, eighth in three-point field goals made (113), 11th in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.04) and tied for 37th in assists per game.

He has appeared in 80 postseason games (all starts) and averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.23 steals and 36.9 minutes while shooting 42.0 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line.

Bibby will wear number 0.

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