September 2013 – Page 5 – NBA Blog

Vowing maturity, Jazz center Enes Kanter steps into spotlight

A wispy dark beard aside, not much appeared to have changed about Enes Kanter six months since he last appeared in a game for the Utah Jazz. Surrounded by children, Kanter fit right in, bouncing enthusiastically, smiling as he played shooting games and behaving like the big, fun-loving kid Jazz fans have come to know him as in the two years since the franchise made him the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

But Kanter, who turned 21 in the offseason, said a summer of rehabbing from shoulder surgery and an anticipated spike in on-floor responsibility matured him — even though he said the beard won’t make it to Jazz training camp, which starts with Monday’s media day.

No more, he vowed, will the player who once emerged from the Jazz locker room wearing a SpongeBob SquarePants T-shirt use his popular Twitter feed to conduct a casting call for the women of Salt Lake City to join him at the Cheesecake Factory, or to disseminate photos showing off his physique. Like it or not, the Jazz’s most entertaining player seems to be growing up.

“When I was in my first two years,” Kanter said, “I was thinking I’m not going to get old, I’m just going to be like this my whole life. I was wrong. You grow up. And the stuff I put out there, rookie mistakes.”

Reported by Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune

Stephen Curry Leaves Nike for Under Armour

Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry has decided to leave Nike and sign a new deal with the up-and-coming brand Under Armour, according to multiple sources.

Curry will debut is new allegiance at the Warriors’ media day on Friday.

His contract with Nike expires at the end of September. His rising stardom, coming off the Warriors’ playoff run, prompted Under Armour to go hard after Curry. After months of negotiations with both companies, Curry made the surprising move to leave the shoe giant, who he signed with as a rookie, to become the face of the new kid on the block.

Reported by Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times (Blog)

Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger suffers knee injury

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that forward Chase Budinger sustained a cartilage injury to his left knee.

Budinger will visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama early next week. An update to Budinger’s status will be provided after that examination.

The Timberwolves finished last season with a 31-51 record, and did not qualify for the playoffs. They suffered some major injuries, including one to Budinger, who played just 23 games in 2012-13.

Kings, DeMarcus Cousins agree to contract extension

The Kings have reached an agreement on a contract extension with center DeMarcus Cousins for four years worth approximately $62 million, league sources confirmed Thursday night.

The most Cousins was eligible for under the collective bargaining agreement was five years and $80 million. The contract takes effect for the 2014-15 season.

The deadline for first-round draft picks from 2010 to agree to contract extensions is Oct. 31. If the Kings had not reached an agreement, they could not have signed Cousins until after this season.

Reported by Jason Jones and Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee

Patrick Christopher, Mike James, Dahntay Jones, Kalin Lucas, Dexter Pittman and D.J. White in Bulls training camp

The Chicago Bulls announced today the signing of free agents Patrick Christopher, Mike James, Dahntay Jones, Kalin Lucas, Dexter Pittman and D.J. White to round out their 2013-14 training camp roster.

Christopher (6-5, 220) spent last season with Besiktas of the Turkish Basketball League. In 26 games, he averaged 11.0 ppg and 2.8 rpg. During the 2011-12 season, he posted 12.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 26 games with Cholet Basket of the French Basketball League.

James (6-2, 188), an 11-year NBA veteran, appeared in 45 games (23 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2012-13 season. With the Mavericks, he posted averages of 6.1 ppg, 3.1 apg and 1.6 rpg in 19.2 mpg. In 584 career games, he has averaged 10.0 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.3 rpg, 0.80 spg and 24.5 mpg.

Jones (6-6, 225), a 10-year veteran of the NBA, has previously played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. In 589 career games, he has averaged 5.6 ppg and 1.8 rpg in 16.3 mpg. Jones split last year with Dallas and Atlanta. In 78 games, he recorded 3.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 13.0 mpg.

Lucas (6-1, 195) spent last season with Banvit of the Turkish Basketball League. In 39 games, he averaged 9.0 ppg, 2.5 apg and 1.5 spg. During the 2011-12 campaign, he appeared in 11 games with Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League and averaged 8.0 ppg and 2.5 apg.

Pittman (6-11, 285) split last year with the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies. In four games with the Heat last season, he averaged 1.5 ppg and 1.8 rpg in 3.0 mpg. While with the Grizzlies, he averaged 0.7 rpg and 2.9 mpg in seven games.

White (6-9, 250) split the 2012-13 season with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and the Boston Celtics. He appeared in 29 games for the Sharks and averaged 21.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg and 1.30 bpg in 33.0 mpg. While with the Celtics, he averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.1 rpg in 7.2 mpg in 12 games.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 18.

Boston Celtics PG situation: Until Rajon Rondo returns, Avery Bradley is the man

Until Rajon Rondo returns, Avery Bradley the PG for Celtics

In the wake of Danny Ainge’s comments that Rajon Rondo may not be back until December, new Celtics coach Brad Stevens thinks he has an in-house candidate to fill the star point guard’s shoes.

Stevens said Avery Bradley may indeed see the bulk of the point guard duties until Rondo finds his way back from offseason knee surgery.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that Avery has elite ability in a lot of ways as a point guard,” Stevens said at TD Garden yesterday morning, where he was a guest at the breakfast to promote November’s Coaches vs. Cancer college basketball tripleheader. “He’s an elite defender at the position. He’s an elite athlete at the point guard position. I think he’s a guy that’s gotten better. I think he’s a guy with more confidence, and I think he’s excited about the challenge if Rajon is out.”

Reported by Tom Layman of the Boston Herald

Boston Celtics find new radio station home

The Boston Celtics and CBS RADIO Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub today announced a multi-year partnership in which the Boston Celtics games will be broadcast on the market’s leading sports station. Beginning this season, 98.5 The Sports Hub will feature select pre-season games, and all regular and post-season matchups, as well as produce extended pre and postgame shows focused entirely on the Celtics.

“We are excited to launch a new era of Celtics basketball with CBS RADIO Boston, extending our audience reach with Celtics fans throughout New England and providing an enhanced promotional platform for the Celtics, our team sponsors, and advertisers,” Celtics Team President Rich Gotham said. “In addition to enjoying the NBA’s best play by play with Grande and Max, Celtics fans will also have the opportunity to hear directly from Celtics executives, players, and coaches through interviews and features throughout the season.”

“98.5 The Sports Hub is thrilled to add Boston Celtics radio broadcasts to our line-up,” said Mark Hannon, Senior Vice President & Market Manager for CBS RADIO Boston. “The Celtics are a winning, world class organization and the perfect fit for 98.5 The Sports Hub. I look forward to growing the success of both organizations through this partnership.”

The Boston Celtics begin their new season on the road at Toronto on October 30. The Celtics will play their home opener on November 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 2013 Champion Miami Heat visit the TD Garden just once this season on March 19 and the Celtics will host Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and the Brooklyn Nets on January 26 and March 7. Other highlights of the season include Doc Rivers’ return to Boston with the Los Angeles Clippers on December 11 and the Los Angeles Lakers’ arrival at the TD Garden on January 17.

Sixers forward Arnett Moultrie out for months after ankle surgery

Philadelphia 76ers forward Arnett Moultrie suffered an injury to the medial malleolus of his left ankle last week and underwent surgery on Thursday, September 26. Moultrie is not expected to return until some time in the new year.

The Sixers are rebuilding, and while their rotation for upcoming new season wasn’t quite clear yet, it was expected that Moultrie was going to play a solid role.

Sixers center Kwame Brown suffered a right hamstring strain during off-season workouts and will receive a second opinion.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings agree to contract extension

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings agrees to contract extension

The Kings have reached an agreement on a contract extension with center DeMarcus Cousins for four years worth approximately $62 million.

The most Cousins was eligible for under the collective bargaining agreement was five years and $80 million.

The contract takes effect for the 2014-15 season.

The deadline for first-round draft picks from 2010 to agree to contract extensions is Oct. 31. If the Kings had not reached an agreement, they could not sign Cousins until an agreement until after this season.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Cousins deal will include no early termination option, which could’ve been possible after the third year of the deal, a source said.

After resisting the idea of giving Cousins a max deal without conditions in the contract, the Kings finally relented and gave the talented, but tempermental young center the offer he and his agent, Dan Fegan, had sought in negotiations.

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Steve Mills returns, Grunwald out as Knicks GM

Steve Mills is returning to the New York Knicks as president and general manager, replacing Glen Grunwald in a front-office shake-up just days before the start of training camp.

Mills spent a decade as an executive at Madison Square Garden and before that worked at the NBA for 16 years. He left MSG in 2009 after the arrival of Donnie Walsh as Knicks president.

Grunwald took over when Walsh left in 2011 and constructed much of the roster that helped the Knicks win a playoff series last season for the first time since 2000. He will remain with the organization as an adviser, the Knicks said in a release Thursday.

Madison Square Garden Chairman James Dolan called Mills ”a well-respected sports executive with a strong background in basketball, as well as a familiarity with NBA operations and our company.”

”We look forward to his leadership and believe he is the right person to help us reach our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship,” Dolan said.

Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press