July 2012 – Page 15 – NBA Blog

Blake Griffin update: knee surgery today

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair the medial meniscus tear of his left knee which he suffered during Team USA’s practice in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 11th. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Griffin experienced discomfort following Wednesday’s practice in Las Vegas. He underwent a magnetic resonance imaging examination on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles which revealed the injury. MRI data was then analyzed by Clippers’ Team Physician, Dr. Steven Shimoyama, and Dr. ElAttrache.

Sixers waive center Darryl Watkins

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have waived center Darryl Watkins. He was acquired by the Sixers in a three-team trade last Wednesday.

The Sixers obtained Watkins from New Orleans and forward Dorell Wright from Golden State while sending the rights to Edin Bavcic to the Hornets, who also traded Jarrett Jack to the Warriors.

In 14 career games across two seasons with Sacramento and New Orleans, Watkins has averaged 2.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game.

Timberwolves sign Nicolas Batum to offer sheet

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed restricted free-agent forward Nicolas Batum to an offer sheet. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Portland Trail Blazers will have three days to match Minnesota’s offer. The deadline for Portland to match the offer sheet is Wednesday, July 18 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Reports have said the deal could be worth around $46 million over four years, but that is not confirmed.

Batum, a 6-8 forward from France, was originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Portland acquired his rights in a draft-night trade in exchange for the draft rights to Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey. In his four seasons with the Blazers, Batum has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 255 games (202 starts). He averaged a career-high 13.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12, while also establishing career bests with 90 steals and 60 blocked shots. The 23-year-old has career shooting averages of 46.0 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from three-point range and 83.6 percent from the free throw line. Batum scored a career-high 33 points on Feb. 4 vs. Denver, and set a Portland single-game record with nine three-pointers. He also tallied 33 points on Feb. 14 vs. Washington. Batum played professionally in France for four years before coming to the NBA.

Phoenix Suns land Luis Scola via amnesty wire auction

What was expected became official Sunday, when it was announced the Phoenix Suns had won the amnesty wire auction for Scola’s services.

Scola, 32, won’t become a free agent. The Spurs, like all other teams whose payroll exceeds the salary cap, never had a shot to even offer him a contract.

(And before Spurs fans get any more ideas, Phoenix is now prohibited from trading Scola until July 1 of next year).

None of this is surprising to those of us who were paying attention. Under the NBA’s amnesty rules, only teams under the salary cap were allowed to bid on Scola during the waiver process.

The only way for him to become a true free agent would be for every team permitted to bid on Scola to shockingly decline to do so.

— Reported by Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News Blog
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/07/15/no-surprise-spurs-dont-get-shot-at-scola-now-a-sun/

Bulls have interest in O.J. Mayo

The new hot topic among Bulls fans is O.J. Mayo. The Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard is an unrestricted free agent and the Bulls have interest. The big question is what they have to offer.

The main competition appears to be Phoenix, which has about $8-9 million of salary cap room after New Orleans matched the Suns’ offer sheet to Eric Gordon.

Complete details of the Kirk Hinrich acquisition and Kyle Korver trade to Atlanta have yet to be revealed, but those transactions should help the Bulls in the Mayo chase.

If the Bulls get a second-round draft pick out of the Korver trade, they’ll have a traded-player exception worth $5 million. To use that on Mayo, they’d have to talk the Grizzlies into doing a sign-and-trade and send some sort of draft pick and/or cash in return.

— Reported by Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Jason Kidd arrested on drunken-driving charge

Newly signed New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd has been arrested on a drunken-driving charge after police said he crashed an SUV into a telephone pole in the Hamptons.

Southampton Town police say Kidd was released without bail after being arraigned Sunday on a misdemeanor driving-while-intoxicated charge. Police say Kidd was treated at Southampton Hospital for minor injuries after his arrest.

His agent hasn’t immediately answered phone or email messages.

Police say Kidd was alone in the Cadillac Escalade when it hit a pole and veered into the woods around 2 a.m. Sunday in the hamlet of Water Mill.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Knicks decline to match offer; Raptors sign Landry Fields

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed guard-forward Landry Fields after the New York Knicks chose to not match Toronto’s offer sheet for the restricted free agent.

The Raptors signed Fields to an offer sheet Wednesday. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Thursday the Knicks had three days to match the Raptors’ offer.

According to multiple reports, the deal is for three years, $19 million.

Fields, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, has averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 30 minutes in 148 games. He has appeared in every contest the past two seasons, making 143 starts.

Fields was a 2010-11 T-Mobile All-Rookie First Team selection and twice named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month (November and December 2010). He paced the Knicks in rebounding 22 times, and set a franchise rookie-record making 86 three-pointers. He had two 20-plus scoring games and 11 double-doubles. He scored a career-high 25 points versus Philadelphia on February 6, 2011 and recorded a career-best 17 rebounds on November 16, 2010 at Denver.

Fields scored in double figures in 25 outings last season, with a high of 21 at Sacramento on December 31. He posted double-digit scoring efforts in nine of 10 games from January 18 – February 3, averaging 13.6 points. He also contributed seven games with at least three steals,

A native of Southern California, Fields was an All-Pac-10 First Team selection as a senior at Stanford in 2009-10, with averages of 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 36.3 minutes in 32 games (all starts).

Kyrie Irving suffers right hand fracture

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving experienced a right hand fracture during today’s morning practice after slapping the padding on the wall at the practice site. X-rays taken in Las Vegas at Spring Valley Hospital confirmed the fracture. He will return to Cleveland and be evaluated Sunday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker and Dr. Thomas Graham.

His preliminary projection is to be ready for the start of training camp in late September, but his official status and timeline for return to play will be updated following his exam in Cleveland.

Ainge says Celtics did want Ray Allen back

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Saturday that he wasn’t surprised by Ray Allen’s decision to sign with the rival Miami Heat, but stressed that Boston wanted the veteran sharpshooter back and that it was ultimately Allen’s decision to depart.

“I don’t feel like we lost Ray; I feel like Ray left us to go to Miami,” said Ainge. “We appreciate all that Ray’s done, and all that him and (Allen’s wife) Shannon have done in our community. We tried to get Ray back; he chose to go to Miami.”

Speaking publicly on Allen for the first time since the soon-to-be 37-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Heat on Wednesday — accepting half the yearly salary that Boston was offering in the process — Ainge expressed gratitude for Allen’s contributions to the Celtics the last five years, but seemed slightly stung by Allen’s decision to jump ship amid Boston’s efforts to put back all the major pieces from last season.

— Reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston

C.J. Watson to sign with Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have made an agreement in principle on a contract with guard C.J. Watson, Nets General Manager Billy King announced tonight.

“We are very pleased to add a veteran with the savvy and experience of C.J. Watson to our roster,” said King. “C.J. has the ability to be productive in a variety of roles, and he will add quality and versatility to our backcourt rotation.”

Watson played in 49 games for Chicago in 2011-12, making 25 starts. The 6-2 guard averaged 9.7 points and a career-high 4.1 assists in 23.7 minutes per game for the Bulls. As a starter, Watson posted averages of 11.3 points and 4.6 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. In the 2012 postseason, Watson started five of the Bulls’ six playoff games and averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 assists in 27.3 minutes per game.

After going undrafted out of the University of Tennessee in 2006, Watson was signed by the Golden State Warriors as a free agent call-up from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League in January of 2008. After two and a half seasons with the Warriors, Watson was traded to Chicago prior to the 2010-11 season. Over five NBA seasons, Watson holds career averages of 7.8 points and 2.6 assists in 305 games. Watson has made postseason appearances in each of his two seasons with the Bulls. In 22 career playoff games, he has averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 assists in 13.6 minutes per game.