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).

D-League officially renamed to G League

Beginning today the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the NBA’s minor league, will officially become the NBA G League.

Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will feature 26 teams, an expansion of four teams since last season, 22 of which are owned and operated by NBA franchises.

For the first time this coming fall, NBA teams can sign up to two “two-way” players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow “two-way” players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

The NBA G League has more than tripled in size since it debuted with eight teams during the 2001-02 season. Last season, nearly 1.5 million fans attended games, marking the eighth straight year the league has surpassed 1 million fans.

For the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will unveil new on-court uniforms and collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) on programs to enhance player sports performance and recovery. Gatorade will begin to incubate its latest product and equipment innovations into NBA G League locker rooms, and teams will have the opportunity to collaborate with Gatorade to help players maximize their athletic potential and on-court performance.

“This is a pivotal moment for the NBA G League,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. “The league is experiencing unprecedented success both on and off the court, and our partnership with Gatorade is helping to drive momentum and create exciting opportunities for innovation, sports performance and player development.”

Forty-four percent of players on 2016-17 end-of-season NBA rosters had NBA G League experience, while 65 percent of players selected in NBA Draft 2016 spent time in the NBA G League last season, including more than half of the first-round picks.