June 2014 – Page 3 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Sixers acquire draft rights to Pierre Jackson from Pelicans

The Philadelphia 76ers announced that they have acquired the rights to Pierre Jackson from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the 47th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Jackson was originally drafted 42nd overall in 2013 and was part of the trade between Philadelphia and New Orleans that netted the Sixers Nerlens Noel and the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Jackson averaged 30 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds and 1 block in 31 games for the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede in 2013-14. He scored a D-League single game record 58 points on February 4, 2014 and was named to the D-League’s Futures All-Star Roster in 2014. During his senior year at Baylor University, he was named First Team All-Big 12 and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2013 NIT.

Raptors extend qualifying offers to Greivis Vasquez, Nando De Colo, Patrick Patterson

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have extended qualifying offers to restricted free agent guards Greivis Vasquez and Nando De Colo and forward Patrick Patterson. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favour of the team that extended the qualifying offer.

Vasquez and Patterson came to the Raptors on December 9, 2013 in a seven-player deal with Sacramento. De Colo joined the Raptors in a February 20 trade with San Antonio.

In 61 appearances with Toronto, Vasquez averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 assists and 21.5 minutes. He paced the Raptors in bench points in 25 contests. He added averages of 10.1 points and a team-best 5.1 assists in the club’s playoff series against Brooklyn.

A first-round pick by Memphis in 2010, Vasquez has averaged 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 24.0 minutes in 293 regular season games with Memphis, New Orleans, Sacramento and Toronto.

De Colo played in 21 outings with Toronto where he contributed 3.1 points, 1.6 assists and 9.2 minutes. A second-round pick by the Spurs in 2009, he has averaged 3.8 points, 1.7 assists and 11.9 minutes in 119 career games in his two NBA seasons with San Antonio and Toronto.

Patterson averaged 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 23.3 minutes in 48 outings with the Raptors. In Toronto’s playoff series versus Brooklyn he upped his averages to 10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds (second on the team) and 28.5 minutes. He was a perfect five-for-five from the floor and six-for-six from the free throw line en route to 16 points in Game Seven.

Patterson was selected in the first round by Houston in the 2010 NBA Draft. In 252 career games with Houston, Sacramento and Toronto he has averaged 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 22.5 minutes.

Martell Webster out 3-5 months after back surgery

The Washington Wizards announced today that forward Martell Webster had successful microdisectomy surgery yesterday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. He will begin the rehab process immediately and is expected to miss approximately three to five months before resuming basketball activity.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Watkins Jr. in Los Angeles following consultation with team doctors earlier in the week. Webster sustained the injury during a routine workout at the Wizards’ practice facility last week.

Webster averaged 9.7 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting .392 from three-point range in 78 games (13 starts) for the Wizards last season.

Suns extend qualifying offers to Eric Bledsoe and P.J. Tucker

The Phoenix Suns announced today that the team has extended qualifying offers to guard Eric Bledsoe and forward P.J. Tucker.

Bledsoe appeared in 43 games for the Suns in 2013-14, averaging career-highs of 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 32.9 minutes while also shooting a career-best 47.7 percent from the field. In his first season with the Suns, and fourth in the NBA after being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers last July, Bledsoe became just the sixth player in Suns history to average at least 17.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals, and the first since Charles Barkley in his NBA MVP season of 1992-93.

Tucker started 81 games in his second season with the Suns of 2013-14, posting career-highs of 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.7 minutes. Tied for the Suns’ team-lead with a career-best 11 double-doubles, Tucker also had career-highs with 38 games of double-digit scoring and 15 games of double-digit rebounds. Recognized for his intensity and versatility on the defensive end, Tucker won the Dan Majerle Hustle Award for the second consecutive season in 2013-14.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

Brooklyn Nets trade for draft rights to Markel Brown, Xavier Thames, Cory Jefferson

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired the draft rights to guard Markel Brown (#44 pick) from the Minnesota Timberwolves, guard Xavier Thames (#59 pick) from the Toronto Raptors and forward Cory Jefferson (#60 pick) from the Philadelphia 76ers in separate draft night trades, each in exchange for cash considerations, General Manager Billy King announced.

Brown (6’3”, 184) played in 134 games in four years at Oklahoma State, averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.00 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. Brown averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35.3 minutes per game during his senior season, earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second consecutive season. During his junior season, Brown averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.1 minutes per game. He was named Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2010 after a standout career at Peabody Magnet High School in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Thames (6’3”, 187) was named the Mountain West Player of the Year, All-Mountain West First Team and Mountain West All-Defensive Team after averaging 17.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.60 steals in 31.3 minutes per game during his senior season at San Diego State. Thames also earned Mountain West All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2012 during his sophomore season. He played his freshman season at Washington State before transferring to San Diego State for his final three seasons of eligibility.

Jefferson (6’9”, 218) played in 130 games in four years at Baylor, averaging 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.30 blocks in 19.9 minutes per game. Jefferson garnered All-Big 12 Third Team honors after averaging 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.30 steals and 1.30 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game during his senior season. During his junior season, Jefferson was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.90 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game.

Mavericks happy to have Tyson Chandler back

Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting on the Dallas Mavericks:

Chandler was the emotional leader and one of the guiding forces when the Mavs won their only NBA title three years ago. The 7-foot-1 center provided the defensive presence and rim protection the Mavs used to vault past the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Following that championship season, however, Chandler left the Mavs via free agency and signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the New York Knicks.

But the Mavs and Chandler are back together again after they acquired the 13-year veteran and point guard Raymond Felton from the Knicks on Wednesday for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and the 34th and 51st picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Coach Rick Carlisle is more than elated to have Chandler back in his role as his team’s defensive vacuum cleaner.

Kings land sharpshooter Nik Stauskas

Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting on the Kings and the 2014 NBA Draft, which took place last night:

After all the speculation the Kings would trade their pick, Sacramento kept it and selected Michigan guard Nik Stauskas at No. 8 in the 2014 NBA draft.

The front office believes the Canadian-born shooter will help fill multiple holes, but most importantly he can shoot from deep.

The Kings made improving their outside shooting a priority, and Stauskas was one of the best available.

When asked if he was the best shooter in the draft, Stauskas said: “Definitely. Without a doubt.”

Stauskas doesn’t want to be known simply as a shooter, but he realizes why the Kings coveted him.

Warriors still have Kevin Love in mind

Here’s the San Jose Mercury News on the Warriors and their continued interest in Timberwolves star Kevin Love:

His name was never uttered officially and certainly not by the Warriors on this night.

That would be tampering! Kevin who?

Yet … the shadow of Kevin Love hovered over all Warriors thinking and analysis during the NBA draft on Thursday.

And maybe the Warriors crept a little closer to Love by staying patient, sticking to their plotted course and waiting another day …

All this on a night when the Warriors had no draft picks and made no trades but stayed in the thick of the NBA chatter.

They didn’t trade for Love on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean they won’t at some point.

Isaiah Austin drafted by NBA in ceremonial gesture

Here is a wire report via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting on a very nice thing the NBA did last night at the 2014 Draft:

Between the 15th and 16th picks in Thursday night’s draft came a very special selection by the NBA.

Commissioner Adam Silver announced at that point that the NBA would let Isaiah Austin fulfill the dream of every young player, making him a ceremonial pick.

Just over a week ago, the sophomore center from Baylor who grew up in Mansfield and graduated from Arlington Grace Prep was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the heart. It ended his playing career.

The illness was discovered during a physical for the draft.

“For Commissioner Silver to even invite me here was a tremendous blessing and it just shows how much class that man has,” Austin said. “It’s really been a tough week for me, and it’s been really rough. I’ve just had a tremendous amount of support from everybody around the world, telling me they’re praying for me and everything. I can’t thank everybody enough.”

ISAIAH AUSTIN NBA DRAFT VIDEO

Rockets feel Clint Capela has huge upside

Here’s the Houston Chronicle Blog reporting on the Rockets and the 2014 NBA Draft, which took place last night:

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey raved about his picks and joked that every general manager does. He said his second round acquisitions, Nick Johnson and Alessandro Gentile, could quickly compete for places in the rotation. He said his first-rounder, Clint Capela, has more upside than any but the top players drafted.

When he was asked about Capela’s determination to make the jump to the NBA next season, rather than to remain in France, Morey said little.

He did not rule it out, but he did not go into the factors to be considered, including whether he would need to keep Capela overseas to save as much cap room as possible.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Gentile’s or Capela’s agents so it would be unfair for me to talk about that right now,” Morey said.