Month: June 2017

Utah Jazz seek shooter

Here’s the Deseret Morning News reporting on the Jazz, who continue to build upward as they try to make themselves a serious contender.

The Utah Jazz aren’t dominating the NBA social media buzz a la the New York Knicks, but they are hard at work trying to improve their team as tonight’s draft approaches.

Their target: shooting.

The Jazz remain “very active” in trying to trade for or move up to draft a shooter who can make an immediate impact on the roster, sources told the Deseret News.

Utah has two late first-round picks — its own selection, No. 24, and the Warriors’ slot, No. 30 — and the Jazz are trying to parlay those choices into the best available shooter in the 12-17 range, sources said. To do that in this loaded draft, Utah would likely need to sweeten the pot with another asset or two.

Anthony Randolph re-signs in Spain

Here’s Eurocupbasketball.com reporting the latest on former NBA power forward Anthony Randolph, who continues to play pro bball in Spain:

Anthony Randolph re-signs in Spain

Real Madrid reached a new agreement with forward Anthony Randolph to keep working together next season, the club announced Thursday. Randolph (2.11 meters, 27 years old) averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 34 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season, helping Madrid reach the Final Four. He also lifted the Spanish Copa del Rey trophy with Madrid last season, his first with his current team. Randolph was named to the 2015-16 All-EuroLeague Second Team after posting 14.5 points and 6 rebounds over 23 games for Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar that season, helping it reach the Final Four.

NBA Rumor: Spurs may trade LaMarcus Aldridge

Will the Spurs trade LaMarcus Aldridge? He’s their second best player after Kawhi Leonard, but makes a lot of money and is on the wrong side of 30. Here’s the San Antonio Express News with the report:

NBA Rumor: Spurs may trade LaMarcus Aldridge

Multiple league sources have informed the Express-News the Spurs are exploring the trade market, hoping to find a deal to unload Aldridge, who will turn 32 next month.

“They feel it’s time to move on,” a source told the Express-News.

Considered the best free agent signing of 2015, Aldridge signed a four-year, $84 million deal with the Spurs. He’s scheduled to make roughly $21 million next season.

Wizards land Tim Frazier in trade

Here’s CSN MidAtlantic reporting on the Wizards, who yesterday traded for additional backcourt depth in the form of guard Tim Frazier:

The type of move I’ve talked about the Wizards making in the offseason — and having to do so out of necessity — came to fruition less than 24 hours before the NBA Draft when they traded their 52nd pick and sent their $2.3 million trade exception to the New Orleans Pelicans for Tim Frazier.

Frazier, a 6-1 backup point guard who bounced around the NBA intially after he went undrafted in 2014, has solidified himself as a rotation player. He averaged 7.1 points and 5.2 assists in 65 games last season. He also proved to be a more than competent backup for Jrue Holiday when he was out for personal reasons…

He’s proven and they needed that type of point guard immediately. Trey Burke wasn’t the answer as he couldn’t run the offense, that’s not a problem for Frazier. Brandon Jennings played with better pace but had a tendency to be erratic and was a turnstile on defense. His contract also is salary-cap friendly for a team that doesn’t have the room.

Pelicans trade Tim Frazier to Wizards

Pelicans trade Tim Frazier to Wizards

The New Orleans Pelicans have announced that the team has acquired the 52nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft from the Washington Wizards in exchange for point guard Tim Frazier.

Frazier, 6-1, 170, was originally signed by New Orleans on March 16, 2016. In 81 career games with the Pelicans, Frazier averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 24.6 minutes per contest. Undrafted out of Penn State in 2014, Frazier has appeared in 127 career regular season games with Philadelphia, Portland and New Orleans, holding averages of 6.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.

New Orleans now has the 40th and 52nd overall picks in tomorrow night’s NBA Draft.

Nick Young enters NBA free agency

Nick Young enters NBA free agency

Lakers forward/guard Nick Young has elected not to exercise his option to extend his contract for the 2017-18 season, it was announced today. Young, therefore, has become an unrestricted free agent.

Acquired as a free agent in 2013, Young appeared in 220 career games (71 starts) for the Lakers, averaging 13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 24.5 minutes.

NBA trade: Hawks send Dwight Howard to Hornets

Hawks trade Dwight Howard to Hornets

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has acquired center Dwight Howard and the 31st overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee and the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

“We are excited to add a player of Dwight’s stature to our roster,” said Cho. “He has been a very talented player, an elite rebounder and rim protector as well as a physical presence since the moment he entered the league. Howard’s best seasons came alongside Coach Steve Clifford and we believe their familiarity will make an immediate impact for the Hornets this upcoming season.”

“I’m excited about working with Dwight again,” added Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford. “He brings a defensive mindset, shot blocking ability and a level of physicality that will be a huge asset for us. We look forward to him continuing his career here in Charlotte.”

Howard, the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 17.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 954 games played. In his 13 seasons, Howard has earned three NBA Defensive Player of the Year selections, eight All-Star appearances, eight appearances on All-NBA rosters (including five First Team All-NBA selections) and five selections to NBA All-Defensive teams.

The newly-acquired Hornets center will enter 2017-18 ranked fourth in NBA history in field goal percentage shooting 58.5% from the field, 22nd in total rebounds with 12,089 and 20th in blocks with 1,916 for his career. In each of his 13 seasons, Howard has averaged a double-double in points and rebounds, becoming only the sixth player in NBA history to do so in his first 13 seasons, along with Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and Bill Russell.

Among current active players, Howard ranks first in total rebounds (12,089), offensive rebounds (3,392) and blocked shots (1,916), eighth in free throws made (4,671) and 15th in total points scored (16,652).

Including a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals with Orlando, Howard has appeared in 95 postseason games in his career holding averages of 18.4 points (on 58.6% field goal shooting), 13.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

“It is extremely important for our organization that we maintain our flexibility and this trade helps us achieve that critical goal,” said Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “We appreciate the contributions that Dwight made on the court and in the greater Atlanta community this past season.”

In his 10th season in the NBA, Belinelli averaged 10.5 points on .429 shooting from the field while hitting .360 from three-point range and .893 from the free throw line, the ninth-best percentage in the league this season. He also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.0 minutes per game in 74 games played this season. His 10.5 point per game average marked the fifth time in his career that he topped double figures in scoring average.

The 6-foot-5 Italian shooting guard has career averages of 9.6 points on .425 shooting, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 644 games (216 starts). He has shot .377 from three-point range over that period. In 2014, he contributed to the San Antonio Spurs winning the NBA Championship, becoming the first Italian player to achieve that feat. He has also spent time with Golden State, Toronto, New Orleans, Chicago and Sacramento.

Plumlee, 28, has played in 273 games (133 starts) in his five-year career with Indiana, Phoenix, Milwaukee and Charlotte and posted averages of 5.1 points on .530 shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. He appeared in 45 contests during the 2016-17 season, playing 32 games with the Bucks before joining the Hornets via trade and appearing in 13 games with Charlotte.

Frank Ntilikina arrives in USA for draft

Here’s the NY Post reporting on an intriguing international prospect who is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft, which takes place Thursday night:

French point guard Frank Ntilikina, after arriving at Liberty International Airport in Newark on Tuesday for Thursday’s NBA draft, denied a report his preference is to be drafted by the Mavericks over the Knicks.

Ntilikina, 18, reiterated the Knicks are a strong option for him because he fits well into triangle principles. The Mavericks have hired his Strasbourg coach, Vince Collett, for Dallas’ summer-league team. If the Knicks pass on Ntilikina at No. 8, the Mavericks, whose owner, Mark Cuban, flew to Venice recently to meet Ntilikina, are expected to nab him at No. 9.

“I have no preference like that,’’ Ntilikina told The Post. “All I need is to be in a really good project for me. I know it will all then depend on me. The NBA draft is just a step to the real goal — to make a big career in the NBA. I just want to be in a good project and atmosphere.’’

Clippers hire Jerry West

Clippers hire Jerry West

The L.A. Clippers yesterday (Monday, June 19) announced the hiring of Jerry West, who will serve as a consultant for the team. West brings many accolades to the Clippers, including being named a two-time NBA Executive of the Year (1995, 2004), and is an eight-time NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2015, 2017).

“For them to want me to come here and maybe think I can help, I am really flattered,” West said. “I am sold on the ownership here. I think they want to establish their own identity in this town, and that is what to me is most important. Establish their own identity and ability to win at the very highest level.”

“When I took the job as president of this organization, one of the things I said we’re going to do is be world class in everything,” President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “Our organization has to be world class. We want our team to be the best in service as well. Today is a great step for us.”

“This just another great example of the commitment that Steve Ballmer has allowed the organization, Doc Rivers and me to add someone like Jerry West,” Clippers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said. “What Jerry has done is unmatched in NBA history, and he will bring great value. It is just another example of Steve’s investment in our entire infrastructure.”

West, 79, is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a 14-time NBA All-Star and a Gold Medal Olympian. He is one of three players in NBA history to play at least 14 seasons in the league and be selected as a member of the All-Star team every year. Additionally, he ranks 24th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (25,192 points) and guided the Lakers to nine trips to the NBA Finals and one NBA Championship (1972) as a player. Overall, he averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds during his 14-year NBA career.

Following his playing career, West spent a successful three-year period as the head coach of the Lakers (1976-79, .589 winning percentage) and a brief three-year tenure as a consultant (1979-82, two NBA titles) with the team before transitioning full-time into the front office, where he spent a total of 18 years with the Lakers as General Manager/Executive VP of Basketball Operations. During his tenure at the helm of Basketball Operations in Los Angeles, the Lakers captured four NBA Championships (1985, 1987, 1988, 2000) and appeared in the playoffs in 17 of 18 seasons. West then transitioned to Memphis from 2002-2007, when he led the Grizzlies, who had previously never made the playoffs, to three consecutive post-season appearances (2004, 2005, 2006) as the team’s President of Basketball Operations. Most recently, West served as an Executive Board member for the Golden State Warriors, where he assisted the team’s ownership group and represented the organization in a wide variety of team-related functions in his role with the club. During his time with the Warriors, West saw the team win two NBA Championships (2015, 2017) and three Western Conference Championships (2015, 2016, 2017).