Inside Hoops – Page 2105 – NBA Blog

Heat sign Shavlik Randolph

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent forward Shavlik Randolph. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Randolph, a 6’10”, 230-pound forward, has appeared in 94 career NBA games (seven starts) averaging 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 8.1 minutes while shooting 44.5 percent from the field. He has appeared in five games this season with both Miami and Portland totaling six points, eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 29 minutes of action.

The Duke University alum was previously signed by the Heat as a free agent on September 28, 2009 and after appearing in two games, was later waived on December 14, 2009. He was then signed by Portland on December 30, 2009, appearing in three games for the Trail Blazers and was waived on January 6, 2010. Portland then signed Randolph to a 10-day contract on January 8.

Randolph will wear number 42.

Kobe Bryant contract details

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:

More details emerged about Kobe Bryant’s contract extension that he signed Friday. The guard’s three-year deal is worth $83.546 million, just below the league maximum of about $90 million, according to several NBA team officials who were not authorized to speak publicly.

His three-year deal averages out to $27.85 million per season.

Bryant, who earns $23 million this season and $24.8 million next season, will get $25.244 million for the 2011-12 season, $27.849 million 2012-13 and $30.453 million in the 2013-14 season when he turns 35.

Bryant, 31, has a no-trade clause in the contract, but he doesn’t have an opt-out clause as he had in his last contract.

However, if Bryant does accept a trade, his contract has a trade kicker that could be worth as much as 15% of the remaining years left on the contract.

Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels out of Celtics rotation

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports:

Doc Rivers said Nate Robinson, who will return to New York tonight for the first time since being traded by the Knicks, and Marquis Daniels, are out of the playing rotation. Neither played Sunday against Cleveland.

Robinson has shot fewer than 39 percent as a Celtic and hasn’t scored in double figures since March 12. The club expected scoring punch off the bench and solid point guard play but Robinson has been tentative offensively. Rivers said he was upset that Robinson attempted a 3-point shot with 19.9 seconds left in the first quarter Friday against Houston with 19 seconds remaining on the shot clock.

Daniels has struggled since returning to the lineup in February after recovering from a torn left thumb ligament. He was signed to spell Rajon Rondo and provide solid defense, but he has gradually lost Rivers’s confidence. He averaged 9.4 points in nine games after returning from injury, but has averaged 3.7 in 18 games since.

Duke beats Butler 61-59 to win 2010 NCAA championship

Behind 19 points from Kyle Singler, 15 from Jon Scheyer and a huge inside presence from Brian Zoubek, the Duke Blue Devils beat the Butler Bulldogs 61-59 to win the 2010 NCAA basketball championship.

Along with his 19, Singler had nine rebounds and three blocks. And with his 15, Scheyer had six rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Also for Duke, Nolan Smith had 13 points and four assists, though he shot just 5-of-15. Playing much of the game in foul trouble, big Zoubek contributed eight points and 11 rebounds.

Butler struggled from the field, hitting just 20-of-58 shots (34.5%). Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack each scored just 12 points. And both struggled, with Hayward shooting 2-of-11, Mack 5-of-14. Hayward did grab eight rebounds and had three steals. But more offense was needed.

Barely anyone on Butler stepped up offensively. Matt Howard scored 11. And Avery Jukes came off the bench for a nice boost of 10.

Butler finished with zero blocks.

The game almost ended with an incredible half-court buzzer-beater from Butler, but the shot, which almost banked in, failed to result in a miracle victory.

The AP reports:

Butler (33-5) shaved a five-point deficit to one and had a chance to win it, when its best player, Hayward, took the ball at the top of the key, spun and worked his way to the baseline, but was forced to put up an off-balance fadeaway from 15 feet.

He missed, Zoubek got the rebound and made the first of two free throws. He missed the second one intentionally, and Duke’s title wasn’t secure until Hayward’s desperation heave from halfcourt went off glass, hit the rim and bounded out.

Basketball fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Andrew Bogut has right hand surgery

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that center Andrew Bogut (7-0, 260) had successful surgery this afternoon on his right hand to repair damage incurred on his fall in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game against Phoenix. The surgery was performed at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin by Dr. Michael Gordon and Dr. Curt Crimmins.

Bogut is expected to need up to six weeks to fully recover from surgery before he can fully engage in rehab.

Bogut, 25, has appeared in 69 games for the Bucks this season and averaged career-highs in points (15.9) and blocks (2.5) while also recording 10.2 rebounds and shooting 52.0 percent from the field. He is second in the league in blocks, 10th in rebounding, 17th in field goal percentage and his 37 double-doubles rank eighth in the NBA and are one shy of his career-best set in 2007-08. Bogut’s 175 blocks on the season are the sixth-most single season total in franchise history and the most since Alton Lister had 177 in 1982-83.

Heat sign Kenny Hasbrouck for rest of season

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed guard Kenny Hasbrouck for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hasbrouck, a 6’3”, 195-pound guard, was previously signed by the Heat to a 10-day contract on March 16 and then was signed to a second 10-day contract on March 26. He has not appeared in a game for the team this season. Before signing with Miami, he appeared in 10 games (nine starts) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League averaging 16.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.60 steals in 32.3 minutes of action, leading the team to a 7-3 record, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent from the free throw line.

The Miami Heat is proud to welcome Assist Card as the Presenting Sponsor for the 2009-10 Heat season.

NBA fines Phil Jackson

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Jackson was fined for comments made after the Lakers’ 100-81 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, April 4, at STAPLES Center.

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Jackson was displeased with the manner in which calls went against Ron Artest, who was locked in a physical battle with Manu Ginobili.

“They wouldn’t let Ron play the way he played prior to (a second-quarter technical foul),” Jackson said Sunday. “(Ginobili) could hook Ron (who) didn’t get what was going on and ended up getting too many fouls on him.

“The way we ended up the half, I think turned the referees against us and when you do that, that’s an unfortunate thing. Ron didn’t back off and didn’t read that official well enough to know (when) to back off. … Ginobili forced the issue and got the calls.”

The NBA playoffs are approaching fast.

Knicks finally waive Cuttino Mobley

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Cuttino Mobley has been waived.

(Yes, this really did just happen today — on April 5, 2010.)

Mobley, 6-4, 215-pounds, was acquired from the L.A. Clippers in a four-player trade on Nov. 21, 2008. On Dec. 11, 2008, he announced his retirement.

ESPN reports:

Sources told ESPN.com that the Knicks were notified last week that their request for Mobley’s $9.5 million salary to be erased from their 2009-10 tax bill has been approved… Once Mobley clears waivers later this week, New York will see its luxury-tax bill for July drop from nearly $15 million to $5.1 million. That will also reduce the rebate that teams get for staying underneath the league’s $69.9 million luxury-tax threshhold from just over $4 million to $3.7 million.

The Knicks roster stands at 14 players.

Suns sign Dwayne Jones

The Phoenix Suns today announced that the club has signed forward/center Dwayne Jones, who was most recently a member of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. Jones becomes the league’s 34th Call-Up this season and is playoff-eligible for Phoenix.

The 2009-10 D-League rebounding leader joins the Suns after spending this season in Austin where he averaged 17.6 points (18th) and a league-best 16.0 rebounds in 40.0 minutes in 48 games (48 starts). The 6-11, 250-pound Jones averaged four rebounds more than any other D-Leaguer and led the league with 43 double-doubles, 15 more than the nearest player. His 59.8-percent field goal percentage ranked third-best.

A D-League standout, the St. Joseph’s (PA) product also has NBA experience after spending parts of each of the last four seasons with Charlotte Bobcats (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-07, 2007-08) and Boston Celtics (2005-06). His longest NBA stint came in 2007-08 with the Cavs where he saw action in 56 regular season games, averaging 1.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.4 minutes. Jones also earned postseason experience after seeing action in five games with Cleveland in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Jones owns career D-League averages of 14.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 35.4 minutes in 110 games (106 starts) with the Florida Flame (2005-06), Albuquerque Thunderbirds (2006-07), Iowa Energy (2008-09), Idaho Stampede (2008-09) and Austin Toros (2008-09, 2009-10).

Playoff-bound for the 29th time in the club’s 42-year history, the fifth-seeded Suns are one of four Western Conference teams with a 50-27 record and own the same mark as the second-place Dallas Mavericks. The Suns return to action Wed., April 7, hosting the San Antonio Spurs (47-29) at 7 p.m. at US Airways Center. The game can be seen on both ESPN and FOX Sports Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Coach K would pass on Nets job offer

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told ESPN.com Monday morning that “I wouldn’t have any interest in the job,” even if incoming New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov offers to make him the highest-paid coach in the NBA.

The Bergen (N.J.) Record reported Monday that Prokhorov, despite Krzyzewski’s earlier public expressions of disinterest, has continued to target Coach K as his No. 1 choice to coach the Nets once the NBA’s Board of Governors approves his purchase of the majority ownership of the franchise from Bruce Ratner.