Sacramento Kings’ forward Jason Thompson will miss up to two weeks of action with two non-displaced transverse processes fractures in his lower back, which were confirmed by X-Rays taken today.

Thompson, currently in his second NBA season, is averaging 12.7 points (.458 FGs, .717 FTs), 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.05 blocks per game through 55 outings of which he has started in 50.

The Memphis Grizzlies assigned center Hasheem Thabeet to the Dakota Wizards, Memphis’ NBA D-League affiliate, it was announced today.

The assignment is the 23rd time an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Thabeet, the second overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, becomes the highest-drafted NBA player to join an NBA D-League roster.  In 50 games for Memphis this season, he averaged 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 10.3 minutes.

A 7-3 native of Tanzania, Thabeet played three seasons at the University of Connecticut, averaging 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 100 career NCAA games.  Named the Big East Co-Player of the Year and the Big East Defensive Player of the year in 2009, Thabeet was also a two-time NABC National Defensive Player of the Year.  During his final campaign at UConn, Thabeet averaged 13.6 points, 20.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks (second in the nation).

The Tulsa 66ers announced today the re-acquisition of forward Chris Richard.

The 6-9 forward was called-up on a 10-day contract to the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 6, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in five games.

The two-time national champion from the University of Florida started nine games earlier this season with the 66ers, averaging 10.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. The former number one selection for the 66ers in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft played 20 games during the 2008-09 season, averaging 12.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for Tulsa.

In order to make room on the roster for Richard, the 66ers released forward Rodney Webb. Richard will wear number 32 and is expected to be in uniform tonight at home against the Springfield Armor at 7 p.m.

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via blog):

Jerry Stackhouse hardly played last season with Dallas due to injuries, and he hadn’t played at all this season until the Bucks signed him in mid-January.

But the 35-year-old forward has discovered a key role as part of a productive Bucks bench. On Wednesday he played 25 minutes and contributed 13 points, four assists and four rebounds in the Bucks’ 115-95 victory over New Orleans.

Coach Scott Skiles likes to go to Stackhouse in the second quarter, and the veteran has justified his coach’s faith more often than not.

“I kind of know where to pick my spots,” Stackhouse said. “Even though you’ve been around for 15 years, it’s not that all these guys know your game.

ESPN reports:

One of the first things many people noticed about Caron Butler after his arrival to the Dallas Mavericks is that the guard likes to chew straws during games.

The NBA obviously took notice as well.

NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson phoned Butler on Tuesday and told him to leave his straws at home. Butler did not play against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a reaction to medication, so he was unavailable for comment.

But the Mavs confirmed that the league is serious about outlawing straw chewing.

“It’s against the rules,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.

A HALF-SERIOUS, HALF-KIDDING RESPONSE FROM INSIDEHOOPS.COM

It certainly makes sense for the NBA to not want players on a basketball court at games to have any sort of objects with them, aside from protective items worn for health reasons.

As for chewing straws while on the bench, well, let’s face it, the act of taking a piece of plastic and sticking it in your mouth to chew on is a bit silly-looking. And it’s not the most fun thing to look at. Perhaps the NBA wants to prevent its star employees from looking extra silly while doing their very public jobs.

Also, let’s say a fan throws beer at Ron Artest. If he has a little plastic straw with him, it becomes a deadly weapon!

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived center Zydrunas Ilgauskas after coming to a mutual agreement on a contract buyout.

According to the Washington Post, “according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, the 7-foot-3 agreed to surrender $1.5 million in a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards. The two sides agreed on the terms late Wednesday night, the paperwork was finalized this morning and now Ilguaskas is free to go where he pleases. Ilgauskas was acquired from Cleveland as part of a three-team trade that sent Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers. The Wizards owed Ilgauskas nearly $3.5 million on the remainder of his $11.5 million contract and Ilgauskas also received a $600,000 trade kicker as part of the deal. But Ilgauskas spent more than one-third of that money in order to play for the team of his choice.”

“We agreed to terms with Zydrunas on a contract buyout, giving us further financial flexibility and allowing our young big men to continue to develop over the remainder of the season,” said Grunfeld.

It is widely expected that Ilgauskas may wind up re-signing with his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the coming weeks.

Ilgauskas was originally acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers along with a 2010 first round pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic as part of a three-team deal in which they also acquired Al Thornton from the Los Angeles Clippers while sending Antawn Jamison to Cleveland and Drew Gooden to Los Angeles (the Clippers sent Sebastian Telfair to Cleveland to complete the trade).