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The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived forward Kevin Jones and guard Chris Quinn, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Jones played in 32 games this past season for the Cavs, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.
Quinn played in seven games for the Cavs, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per game.
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Brooklyn Nets GM Billy King welcomes critics who question whether Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are done being elite players at the ages of 37 and 35, respectively.
King believes Garnett and Pierce will prove those critics wrong.
When asked how much he still has left in the tank, Garnett responded, “Next question.”
Both Garnett and Pierce were less than pleased when reporters asked them about their age at Thursday’s news conference. “I’m 35. There are 50-year-olds and 60-year-olds in the house,” Pierce said.
Don’t look for KG to look to take over as the main leader on the team. Granted, that might change.
Garnett said this is Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson’s team.
Reported by Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York
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What started off as a casual phone call between good friends has quickly morphed into one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the decade.
Paul Pierce admitted it was he who first reached out to Kevin Garnett about coming to Brooklyn.
Pierce called Garnett in mid-June amidst rumors of a Boston rebuild — around the same time Garnett was denied a chance to play for the L.A. Clippers after David Stern nixed a deal that would’ve sent the 15-time All-Star and Doc Rivers to the Clippers.
“The deal didn’t go through, the Celtics were trading me, Doc was leaving, and so what was left for Kevin?” Pierce told reporters at Barclays Center. “It was one long phone call — probably like two hours.”
“Once Jason Kidd called me, I knew something was happening. Then my agent called me, asking me about Brooklyn and what I think. Once the Nets figured out they wanted to bring both of us in, that’s when I made the call (to Kevin).”
Reported by Chris Dell of the New York Daily News
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Garnett admitted that he thought deeply about retiring this offseason, and needed an hour-long conversation with Pierce before waiving a no-trade clause. Garnett’s first choice was to follow Doc Rivers to the Clippers, but a trade was blocked by the NBA because coaches can’t be included in player swaps.
“I don’t like change much. Once I commit to something, I like to go full throttle,” Garnett said. “It’s unfortunate. But when I saw the Doc Rivers situation, I kind of knew the writing was on the wall. I have my connections there. It was tough leaving (Rajon) Rondo and other things. But like I said, it’s a new chapter, new things to embrace. That’s what I’m doing.”
To leave Boston, it took a contender — and both future Hall of Famers were bullish about Brooklyn’s potential. The mentality, as they both illustrated, is title or bust in season No. 1.
“We’re not talking about Eastern Conference Finals, we’re not talking about best record,” Pierce said. “We’re talking about championship here, and that’s what the expectation is when you put together a unit like this.”
Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News
Earlier this summer, Patrick Ewing Jr. took to Twitter to express frustration that his Hall of Fame father was still an assistant coach after 10 seasons. It all happened when Jason Kidd became the Brooklyn Nets’ head coach with no prior NBA coaching experience.
Well, Ewing Jr. isn’t the only one who’s confused about Patrick Ewing’s situation. On Thursday, former Knicks coach and ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy went on a serious monologue on ESPN New York 98.7 FM radio, saying, “I just don’t understand the reluctance by some general managers to view him as a viable candidate.”
“I’d like for someone to take my word for it. Ewing would be an outstanding head coach, but no one has bitten yet,” he said.
Asked what is the inside word that works against Ewing, he firmly said, “I don’t know.”
Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York
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Ever since his early childhood, Wesley Johnson became one of those many basketball players aspiring to become a Laker.
The first source of influence traced to his mother, who grew up cheering Magic Johnson. Many other reasons followed suit. Johnson marveled at Kobe Bryant’s game both from afar. Johnson then worked out privately with Bryant after joining the same agent in Rob Pelinka and becoming the fourth pick of the 2010 NBA Draft.
Even though he said he had offers from a lot of different teams,” Johnson considered it a “no brainer” to sign with the Lakers to a one-year deal worth a little under $1 million. He also hardly second guessed and joining a team that’s recently removed from its storied championship history. When it came to Johnson unveiling his No. 11 Lakers jersey, his life suddenly came full circle.
“This is a dream come true,” Johnson said.
Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)
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Although they emerged champions, the Miami Heat looked vulnerable at times throughout their playoff run, and the Brooklyn Nets wasted little time in building a team that they feel can contend with, and possible dethrone King James and co.
The moves made in Brooklyn this summer have been nothing short of bold. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov has spared no expenses in the process of building the Nets back into a contender this offseason.
Prokhorov has repeatedly demonstrated that money is not an issue. The Nets will owe around $85 million in taxes after adding Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Andrei Kirilenko to an already impressive, albeit expensive, lineup which also includes Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez.
The result of all this off-season spending is a deep and talented roster that looks, at least on paper, like a serious contender to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Reported by Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com
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The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed free-agent center Ronny Turiaf. According to the Associated Press, it is a two-year deal with $3.2 million.
“We’re excited to welcome Ronny to our team,” said Flip Saunders, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “Ronny is a physical, aggessive defender and a good passer. He’s a solid pro who will help us with his experience and veteran leadership.”
In 2012-13, Turiaf, a 6-10 center, averaged 1.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.5 minutes in 65 games for the Los Angeles Clippers. He appeared in five playoffs contests, averaging 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Turiaf, 30, is a native of France and played collegiately at Gonzaga. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round (37th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft. Turiaf played three seasons with the Lakers, posting his best numbers in the 2007-08 campaign with a career–high 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He signed as a free agent with Golden State prior to the 2008-09 season and averaged 5.9 points, and career-highs of 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game that year. After two years with the Warriors, Turiaf was traded to New York where he played one season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. He was traded to Washington prior to the 2011-12 season and dealt to Denver on March 15, 2012. The Nuggets waived Turiaf and he signed with Miami on March 21, 2012. Turiaf appeared in 12 games during the Heat’s run to the championship in 2012, posting averages of 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.
It looks like it will be another year before Brazilian playmaker Raul Neto is officially a Utah Jazz point guard.
Neto, who began training with his national team Thursday, said he anticipates returning to his Spanish team, Lagun Aro GBC, for another year instead of beginning his NBA career in Utah this fall.
“Go to the NBA is a dream I want to accomplish. I think we took the first step, but it is something that cannot be in a hurry,” Neto said, according to a Portuguese-to-English Google translation from a Basketeria.com.br report. “I have to wait for the right moment.”
The Jazz acquired the 21-year-old Neto on a draft-night trade with Atlanta after the Hawks selected him 47th overall. The 6-foot-2 point guard had an impressive debut with Utah at the summer league even after not being able to practice with his new team for almost a week because of a delay in receiving his clearance from basketball’s international governing body.
Reported by Jody Genessy of the Deseret News
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The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard Toney Douglas to a contract, the team announced today.
Douglas, 27, split last season between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings, appearing in 71 games and posting averages of 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.00 steals in 18.1 minutes per contest. The 6’2” guard scored in double-figures 26 times, including a season-high 22-point effort in 28 minutes off the bench for Houston versus the Los Angeles Lakers on December 4, 2012. Additionally, Douglas averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.41 steals in the 29 games in which he logged 20-or-more minutes.
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 29th pick 2009 NBA Draft, Douglas owns career averages of 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 20.3 minutes in 246 career regular-season games with the New York Knicks (2009-12), Houston Rockets (2012-13) and Sacramento Kings (2012-13). The Florida State product had his finest NBA season in 2010-11 with the Knicks, appearing in a career-high 81 games and posting career-best averages of 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 24.3 minutes per contest. That season Douglas led the Knicks in three-pointers made (143), including a franchise-record-tying nine three-pointers (in 12 attempts) against Memphis on March 17, 2011.
Douglas will wear uniform #0.