February 2013 – Page 10 – NBA Blog

Catching up with Andrei Kirilenko

Caught up with Andrei Kirilenko at this morning’s shootaround in Oklahoma City on a couple notable topics:

The trade deadline passed and Kirilenko is still here – as it everybody else – but that doesn’t mean he’ll be here next season. He has an out-option is his contract this summer and said this morning that he’s keeping all his options open.

He has retired from the Russian national team so he can spend more times in the summer with his family.

As for his future with the Wolves…

That two-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Wolves last summer has a player’s option next season.

Of course, that would mean walking away from $10 million guaranteed in a summer when the NBA is heading into Year 3 of a tightening luxury-tax situation, but…

“I’m going to wait until the offseason, right now there’s no point to make any decision,” he said. “Wait until summer, analyze the season, and see what you want to do next.”

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Blog)

Metta World Peace clears up police-related conflict

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace put on his Cookie Monster pajamas and came to the rescue of his nephew and brother who had been detained by police outside his condo complex earlier this week, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Unknown to World Peace, three men working for his Artest Media Group were shooting a scene about life on the streets and were staging a shootout with fake guns when the police showed up.

“I’m in my underwear, and my son says, ‘Hey Dad, there’s police at the door,'” World Peace told the Times on Wednesday. “So I jump out. I’m nervous. I see these police with rifles and scopes. I’m like, ‘What happened?’ I don’t know what’s going on at this point. ‘What happened, what happened?’ And then the police was like, ‘The building is being taken over by guys downstairs.'”

World Peace’s nephew and younger brother Isaiah had already tried to straighten out the situation but weren’t carrying identification, so they were detained by police. The men asked officers to verify their story with World Peace.

— Reported by ESPN Los Angeles

Charlie Villanueva will pick up $8.5-million player option

Charlie Villanueva laughed when asked about his future with the Detroit Pistons.

Specifically, he was asked if he was going to pick up the final season of the five-year, $35-million deal he signed in the summer of 2009.

He has the option of declining the $8.5-million player option by June 30 and becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Villanueva, 28, said there’s no decision.

“It’s obvious what I’m going to do,” Villanueva told the Free Press before the Pistons topped the Bobcats on Tuesday night. “Would you let that money go?”

— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Former NBA player Robert Swift is now squatting in his foreclosed home

Former Seattle Sonic Robert Swift made a reported $20 million during his NBA career, but things haven’t gone as well for the first-round draft pick in recent years.

Swift lost his home to foreclosure, but apparently refuses to leave.

“And it seems like a very sad story and I definitely feel for him,” said the new owner, who wanted to hide her identity.

She thought she knew what she was getting when she bought the foreclosed home in January.

Cans of beer dot the grass outside the home. A bullet hole pierced the garage window at some point.

“Cars that don’t look like they’ve moved in a long time,” she noted.

Water festers in buckets outside of what was once a million dollar home in a wealthy Eastside suburb.

— Reported by Jon Humbert of KOMO News

Spurs beat Clippers 116-90 for 5th straight win

Tony Parker scored 31 points and the San Antonio Spurs led all the way in beating the Los Angeles Clippers 116-90 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory and first over the Clippers this season.

The Spurs improved to an NBA-best 22-10 on the road, where they’ve also won five in a row.

Parker had seven assists and no turnovers in 28 minutes and Danny Green added 15 points. The West-leading Spurs tied their season-best with 59-percent shooting, hit eight 3-pointers and made 22 of 28 free throws. They had lost both previous meetings with the Clippers in November.

Matt Barnes scored 18 points, Blake Griffin had 17 points and Jamal Crawford 15 points as the Clippers’ four-game winning streak ended in their first game after the All-Star break. Chris Paul, MVP in Houston last weekend with 20 points and 15 assists, was held to four points on 1-of-6 shooting and three assists.

The Clippers have lost their first game coming out of the break in nine of the last 10 years, including five in a row. They came in trailing the Spurs by 4 1/2 games for the best record in the NBA, but they never got a run going and their defense didn’t do much. The biggest excitement during the game was generated by a fan who made a half-court shot during a timeout to win a new car.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Heat hold Bulls to 67 points, get 9th straight win

LeBron James scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 86-67 Thursday for their season-high ninth straight win.

James also had seven assists in another big performance after ending his franchise-record seven-game streak of scoring at least 30 the previous night in Atlanta.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points, and the Heat took control in the first half, sending the Bulls to their fifth loss in seven games on a night when the Derrick Rose recovery story took another twist.

After saying last week that he wouldn’t rush back from his knee injury to play this season if he wasn’t ready, Chicago’s sidelined superstar had to go into damage control mode after his older brother Reggie blasted the organization in an ESPNChicago.com article for not making a move before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Things didn’t get much better for the Bulls once the game started.

Nate Robinson scored 14 points, Carlos Boozer had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Joakim Noah added 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, but he also committed four of the Bulls’ season-high 27 turnovers.

Chicago was particularly bad in the first half, coughing it up 17 times as the Heat built a 45-35 lead, and the Bulls came up short after winning at Miami last month. This time, the Heat took control in the second quarter, scoring 13 straight points during a 4 1/2-minute stretch to turn a two-point deficit into an 11-point advantage even though James was on the bench for much of the run.

— Reported by Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press

Mavs trade Dahntay Jones to Hawks for Anthony Morrow

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired guard Anthony Morrow from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Dahntay Jones.

Morrow (6-5, 210) was originally signed by the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted in the 2008 NBA Draft. He averaged double figures in each of his first four seasons in the league and holds career averages of 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 26.2 minutes in 280 career games (120 starts) with Golden State, New Jersey and Atlanta.

The Charlotte, N.C., native is career .450 shooter from the field, holds a .425 career average from behind-the-arc and has shot .895 from the free throw line. Morrow scored a career-high 42 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 3, 2012.

Morrow played collegiately at Georgia Tech where he established a school record by shooting .867 from the free throw line for his career while also finishing third in all-time three-point field goals (258).

Morrow will wear number 23 for the Mavericks.

Jones was acquired by the Mavericks, along with Darren Collison, from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ian Mahinmi on July 12, 2012. He saw action in 50 games (15 starts) and averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 12.7 minutes per game.

Magic trade J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, Ish Smith to Bucks for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb

The Orlando Magic have acquired forward Tobias Harris, guard Doron Lamb and guard Beno Udrih from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard J.J. Redick, forward-center Gustavo Ayón and guard Ish Smith, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

In addition, the Magic acquired forward Hakim Warrick and cash considerations from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for forward Josh McRoberts. The Magic intend to waive Warrick.

“Tobias (Harris) and Doron (Lamb) are two young players who complement our current roster and have tremendous potential to grow with us,” Hennigan said. “Tobias is a versatile forward that can play both forward positions, while Doron is a combo guard who helps fortify our backcourt with his shooting and ball-handling ability. Beno (Udrih) is a proven point guard who adds veteran leadership and experience to our team.”

“J.J. (Redick) was a great contributor to the Orlando Magic during his time with our organization, both on the court and in the community. We wish him, Gustavo (Ayón), Ish (Smith) and Josh (McRoberts) the best of luck in the future.”

Harris (6’8”, 226, 7/15/92) has played in 28 games this season with Milwaukee (14 starts), averaging 4.9 ppg. and 2.0 rpg. in 11.6 minpg. He has scored in double figures six times this season, including a season-high 18 points on Nov. 2 @ Boston.

Originally selected in the first round (19th overall) by Charlotte in the 2011 NBA Draft, Harris has appeared in 70 career NBA regular season games (23 starts), all with Milwaukee, averaging 4.9 ppg. and 2.3 rpg. in 11.5 minpg. Before turning pro, he played 34 games (33 starts) during his only season at the University of Tennessee (2010-11), averaging 15.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 29.2 minpg. Harris was named Second Team All-SEC and to the All-SEC Freshman Team.

Lamb (6’4”, 210, 11/6/91) has played in 23 games this season with Milwaukee, averaging 3.4 ppg. in 12.2 minpg. He has also appeared in six games (one start) with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, averaging 10.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 2.5 apg. in 25.5 minpg.

Originally selected in the second round (42nd overall) by Milwaukee in the 2012 NBA Draft, Lamb played 78 career games (49 starts) in two seasons at the University of Kentucky (2010-12), averaging 13.1 ppg., 2.3 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 29.8 minpg., while shooting .475 (144-303) from three-point range. He was named Second Team All-SEC in 2011-12 and helped the Wildcats capture the 2012 NCAA National Championship.

Udrih (6’3”, 203, 7/5/82) has played in 39 games this season with Milwaukee, averaging 6.7 ppg., 3.5 apg. and 2.0 rpg. in 18.4 minpg. He has scored in double figures 11 times this season, including a season-high 18 points on Nov. 28 vs. New York. Udrih has also dished out 10+ assists twice, including a season-high 11 assists on Jan. 29 @ Detroit. He has led (or tied) the Bucks in scoring twice and in assists seven times.

Originally selected in the first round (28th overall) by San Antonio in the 2004 NBA Draft, Udrih has appeared in 601 career NBA regular season games (234 starts) with San Antonio, Sacramento and Milwaukee, averaging 9.1 ppg., 3.5 apg. and 2.2 rpg. in 23.4 minpg. He has also played in 36 career playoff outings, averaging 2.9 ppg. in 8.6 minpg. Udrih was a part of two NBA Championship teams with San Antonio in 2005 and 2007.

Redick has played in 50 games this season with Orlando (11 starts), averaging 15.1 ppg., 4.4 apg. and 2.4 rpg. in 31.5 minpg. Originally selected in the first round (11th overall) by Orlando in the 2006 NBA Draft, he has appeared in 396 career NBA regular season games, all with Orlando, averaging 9.2 ppg., 1.9 apg. and 1.8 rpg. in 21.9 minpg., while shooting .398 (549-1,381) from three-point range and .878 (723-823) from the free throw line.

Ayón has played in 43 games this season with Orlando (three starts), averaging 3.6 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 13.3 minpg. McRoberts has played in 41 games this season with the Magic (three starts), averaging 3.9 ppg., 3.3 rpg. and 1.7 apg. in 16.7 minpg. Smith has appeared in 36 games this season with Orlando (three starts), averaging 2.4 ppg., 1.6 apg. and 1.3 rpg. in 10.5 minpg.

Suns trade Sebastian Telfair to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have acquired veteran point guard Sebastian Telfair from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for centee Hamed Haddadi and a protected second-round draft pick in 2014.

“Acquiring Sebastian Telfair, who has played and started a fair number of NBA games during his career, addresses our depth issue at the point guard position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.

Telfair, 6-foot, 170 pounds, is in his ninth NBA season and owns career averages of 7.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 21.7 minutes in 535 games (192 starts). He has totaled career highs of 30 points (at Miami, Feb. 18, 2009), 13 assists (at Denver, April 9, 2005) and 48 minutes (vs. Indiana, Dec. 21, 2007).

Telfair, 27, has played for Portland, Boston, Minnesota, Los Angeles (Clippers), Cleveland and Phoenix. He posted career-high averages in points (9.8), assists (5.9) and minutes (32.2) with Minnesota. He appeared in 106 games with Phoenix the past two seasons, averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 assists and 15.9 minutes. He shot .349 (76-218) from three-point range with the Suns.

Telfair was one of the most celebrated high school players in New York City history, leading Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School to three New York PSAL titles and one state championship. He was selected out of high school by the Blazers (first round, 13th overall) in 2004.

A 7-2, 265-pound center, Haddadi became the first Iranian-born player in NBA history when he made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008-09. Haddadi, who played his first four-plus seasons with the Grizzlies (2008-13), was part of the Jan. 30 trade between Memphis and Toronto that sent Rudy Gay to the Raptors.

Haddadi owns career averages of 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 134 career contests, and this season appeared in 13 games for Memphis before the trade. He has not played a game as a member of the Raptors.

Warriors trade Jeremy Tyler to Hawks

The Golden State Warriors have traded forward/center Jeremy Tyler and cash considerations to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for future draft considerations, it was announced today.

Tyler, 21, appeared in 20 games with the Warriors this season, averaging 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 3.2 minutes (25 DNP-CDs, nine games on the inactive list). The 6’11” forward/center also spent various stints this season with the Warriors’ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, where he averaged 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 30.0 minutes in five outings.

Originally acquired by the Warriors on June 23, 2011, in a draft-night trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, Tyler appeared in 42 games (23 starts) during his rookie campaign last season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. Tyler was selected by the Bobcats in the second round (39th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft and boasts career averages of 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 62 games with Golden State.