Month: December 2014

Rockets will sign Josh Smith

Houston Rockets will sign Josh Smith

Rockets will sign Josh Smith

Forward Josh Smith, recently waived by the badly-struggling Detroit Pistons, is going to clear waivers and reportedly sign a contract with the Houston Rockets.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, “Josh Smith has committed to signing with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. He clears waivers at 5 PM today.”

The Rockets, with a 20-7 record through Tuesday’s games, are having an excellent season, and are much-improved on the defensive end this season. They’ve kept winning even while center Dwight Howard was out.

Several reports say Smith will start for the Rockets. While that may be the case, considering the Rockets already have nice chemistry, we think Smith is best used in limited fashion, at least initially, so the team can see exactly how he fits in. Giving him a huge role right away seems questionable. But still, if managed properly, this is a good move for both Smith and Houston.

Suns trade Anthony Tolliver to Pistons for Tony Mitchell

tony mitchell

The Phoenix Suns have traded forward Anthony Tolliver to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Tony Mitchell.

Mitchell, who was drafted 37th overall by the Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of North Texas, has averaged 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in six games with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Development League this season. The 6-9, 235-pound forward appeared in 21 games with Detroit last season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.2 rebounds.

anthony tolliver

Tolliver, 29, has played in 24 games for the Suns this season averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 38.7% from three-point range. The six-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 331 games (53 starts) with San Antonio (2008-09), Portland (2009), Golden State (2010), Minnesota (2010-12), Atlanta (2012-13), Charlotte (2013-14) and Phoenix (2014). The Springfield, MO product has scored in double-figures 79 times during his career, including 10 games with 20-plus points and two games with 30-plus points. He’s also recorded 20 career games with double-digit rebounds and tallied 16 career double-doubles. A former All-Missouri Valley Conference first team member from Creighton, where he played collegiately, Tolliver has accumulated 10 games of NBA playoff experience with Atlanta (six games in 2012-13) and Charlotte (four games in 2013-14) where he averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He’s recorded NBA career highs of 34 points (4/7/10 at Minnesota), 21 rebounds (3/27/10 vs. Dallas) and four blocks (3/27/11 vs. Boston).

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15 players

Sixers sign Malcolm Thomas, waive Ronny Turiaf

Sixers sign Malcolm Thomas, waive Ronny Turiaf

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed free agent power forward Malcolm Thomas. And in a related move, the team waived forward Ronny Turiaf, who is injured and expected to miss the rest of the season.

Thomas was originally signed by the Sixers on October 27, 2014. He appeared in five regular season games and averaged four points and five rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

Last season, Thomas averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 12 combined games for Los Angeles and Austin and was named an NBA Development League All-Star. In 2011-12, Thomas earned All-NBA D-League First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors.

Nets, Kings trade talks cool down

Here’s ESPN.com reporting an update on trade talks between the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings, which focused on Deron Williams but also talented athletic young big-man Mason Plumlee:

Nets, Kings trade talks for D-Will cool down

Talks between the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets about a trade involving Nets star Deron Williams have cooled, according to league sources.

Sacramento had recently initiated talks with the Nets, proposing a deal for Williams and second-year forward Mason Plumlee, who was actually the Kings’ main target, sources said.

With Plumlee struggling and clashing a bit with new Nets coach Lionel Hollins over the first month of the season, the Kings were hoping he might be available. To compel the Nets into moving Plumlee, they considered taking on Williams, whose contract and history of injuries has scared off many clubs.

Josh McRoberts out for season after knee surgery

Josh McRoberts out for season after knee surgery

Josh McRoberts out for season after knee surgery

The Miami HEAT announced today that forward Josh McRoberts underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The 45-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Harlan Selesnick at Doctors Hospital in Miami on Monday. He will miss the remainder of the season.

McRoberts appeared in 17 games (four starts) this season for the HEAT and averaged 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 17.4 minutes while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range.

Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge named NBA Players of Week through Dec. 21

al horford

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford and Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 21.

Horford led the Hawks to a 3-0 record, which included a home win over the Chicago Bulls and road wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets. He led the Hawks in scoring at 18.3 ppg and stuffed the stat sheet with 6.7 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.67 bpg and 1.0 spg. Horford’s .605 field goal percentage ranked eighth in the conference. On Dec. 15, he posted 21 points on 10-of-19 shooting, and added 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals as the Hawks topped the Bulls 93-86. Winners of 9-of-10 and with a 19-7 (.731) overall mark, the Hawks are tied for the Eastern Conference’s second best record.

lamarcus aldridge

Aldridge helped the Trail Blazers to a 4-0 mark on the week, which included two wins over the San Antonio Spurs and wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans. Aldridge, who posted point-rebound double-doubles in all four games, ranked sixth in the West in scoring (26.3 ppg), second in rebounding (14.3 rpg), and eighth in steals (2.25 spg). On Dec. 19, Aldridge collected 32 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and two blocks during a 129-119 triple-overtime win over the Spurs in San Antonio. At 22-6 (.786), Portland owns the second best record in the West.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Kelly Olynyk, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Dallas’ Monta Ellis, Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Portland’s Damian Lillard, and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.

Samuel Dalembert fined by NBA for elbowing Jonas Valanciunas

Samuel Dalembert fined by NBA for elbowing Jonas Valanciunas

New York Knicks center Samuel Dalembert has been fined $15,000 for elbowing Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors in the face during the Raptors’ 118-108 victory over the Knicks on Sunday, Dec. 21, at Air Canada Centre, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Dalembert’s actions, which resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 and his subsequent ejection, occurred with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter of the game.

Dalembert this season is averaging just 3.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game for New York, who have the second worst winning percentage in the NBA through Sunday’s games.

Hawks recall Adreian Payne from D-League again

The Atlanta Hawks have recalled forward/center Adreian Payne from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Payne has appeared in 11 D-League games this season (six with Fort Wayne and five with Austin), averaging 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.1 minutes. In last night’s win over Rio Grande Valley, he totaled 18 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes (7-12 FGs).

Pistons waive Josh Smith

In a shocker, Detroit Pistons waive Josh Smith

Pistons waive Josh Smith

The Detroit Pistons announced today the club has requested waivers on forward Josh Smith.

According to ESPN.com, Smith “still had two years and $26 million remaining on his contract after this season.” And according to Yahoo Sports, “the Pistons will use the stretch provision on the remaining $26 million, league sources told Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. The provision allows the Pistons to stretch the money owed to Smith over a longer period of time for salary cap relief.”

The 5-23 Pistons are having a miserable season, and while Smith is a flawed player, he is still considered to have value in the right situation. This was an unexpected move for Detroit to make, but it is understandable that they would want to part ways, especially taking Smith’s contract into account.

Smith this season is averaging 13.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.7 bpg, shooting 39% FG, 24% just threes, and a very bad 47% from the free throw line.

“Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction,” said Stan Van Gundy, Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. “We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future. As we expand certain roles, others will be reduced. In fairness to Josh, being a highly versatile 10-year veteran in this league, we feel it’s best to give him his freedom to move forward. We have full respect for Josh as a player and a person.”

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward has averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 39.1% from the field, 24.3% from three point range and 46.8% from the free throw line. In 105 games with the Pistons, the Georgia native averaged 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Smith was acquired by the Pistons as a free agent on July 10, 2013. Drafted with the 17th overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, the former Oak Hill Academy product has averaged 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 34.2 minutes in 781 career games (758 starts).