Inside Hoops – Page 713 – NBA Blog

New Sacramento Kings arena costs rise

The Kings will soon have a new home in Sacramento to call their own. Here’s the Sacramento Bee with the latest:

Barely a month before opening, the Sacramento Kings continue to pour money into their new downtown arena, bringing the latest estimate of Golden 1 Center’s construction costs to $556.6 million.

The estimate has risen by $21.7 million in just a month, according to a construction consultant’s report submitted to Sacramento city officials late last week. The $556.6 million price represents a more than $79 million increase since the Kings broke ground in October 2014 on what was envisioned as a $477 million project. When the arena was first proposed to city officials, in 2013, Kings officials said it would cost $447 million –bringing the total increase in price to around $109 million.

Dwyane Wade`s cousin shot in Chicago

The violence in Chicago is out of control. Or rather, continues to be out of control — because this isn’t new. But once again, a relative of Dwyane Wade is a victim. Here’s CSN Chicago reporting:

On Thursday, Dwyane Wade appeared on an ESPN special for The Undefeated to talk about gun violence. The next day, Wade’s cousin was shot and killed in Chicago.

Nykea Aldridge was pushing a baby stroller in the Chicago neighborhood of Parkway Gardens when she was shot and killed. Aldridge was 32 and a mother of four.

Police said she was not the intended target and one person was taken into custody as a result of the incident.

A lot of people say all the right things about violent crime, but clear, direct, honest solutions on how to reduce it aren’t quite so common. Just our opinion.

Jazz waive Kendall Marshall

That was quick. The Jazz have waived guard Kendall Marshall, whose rights were acquired by trade from Philadelphia on Friday.

Marshall (6-4, 200, North Carolina) is a four-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 160 career games (57 starts) over four seasons with Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Sixers trade Kendall Marshall to Jazz for Tibor Pleiss

The 76ers have acquired center Tibor Pleiss (“TEE-bore Plice”), two 2017 second-round draft picks and cash considerations from the Jazz in exchange for Kendall Marshall.

The Sixers will receive the most and least favorable of the four 2017 second-round picks currently held by Utah (their own, in addition to those of Detroit, Golden State and New York).

Pleiss (7’3″, 256lbs) was originally selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and acquired by the Jazz as part of a three-team trade in February, 2015. He has appeared in 12 career games with Utah, averaging two points and one rebound in seven minutes per game.

Marshall (6-4, 200, North Carolina) is a four-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 160 career games (57 starts) over four seasons with Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Video: Drake hits shot from halfcourt

It’s the offseason and you want basketball stuff to look at, so here’s a video clip of Drake lying down at halfcourt tossing in a shot:

Of course, we have no idea how many times Drake tried that shot before it actually went in. Still, nicely done.

Heat may keep Josh McRoberts

Here’s the Miami Herald blog with a Heat update. Seems Josh McRoberts, who in 42 games last season averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per outing, will remain in Miami:

Though he was mentioned in trade rumors previously, the Heat has indicated to Josh McRoberts’ camp that he’s in the team’s plans for this season, his agent said, adding Miami called to go over his offseason training and make sure everyone is on the same page.

McRoberts will make $5.8 million this season and has a $6 million player option for 2017-18.

But the Heat will need to dump someone with a guaranteed deal if it wants to keep point guard Briante Weber. Free agent pickups this summer cannot be dealt until Dec. 15.

Lakers re-sign Tarik Black

The Lakers have re-signed center Tarik Black, the team announced today.

New addition Timofey Mozgov will likely start at center for the Lakers. Black will be a reserve.

“Tarik is a player whose strengths are well-suited for the style of play we envision for our team going forward,” said General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “He plays the game with a mix of athleticism, energy, and physicality that make him a valuable frontcourt contributor in today’s NBA.”

In two seasons with the Lakers, Black has averaged 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 16.9 per game while shooting 57.5% from the field over 77 games (27 starts). Awarded to the Lakers on a waiver claim on December 28, 2014, he also appeared in 25 games (12 starts) for the Houston Rockets to begin the 2014-15 season before being waived.

The 24-year-old Black averaged 9.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 60.5% shooting after being reinserted into the starting lineup at center in 2014-15, and finished his rookie season ranked second amongst all first year players in offensive rebounds per game and third in total rebounds per game. On April 12, 2015, he grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds, becoming the first Lakers rookie since Leroy Ellis in 1963 to record that many rebounds in a game.

Lakers sign rookie Brandon Ingram

The Lakers have finally signed rookie forward Brandon Ingram.

The team is hoping for big things from Ingram, who appears to have as much talent and upside as any rookie in his class.

How quickly he’ll be able to mature both physically and as a player to become effective will be worth watching, on a national level, not just in Los Angeles.

Drafted with the second overall selection of the 2016 NBA Draft in June, Ingram averaged 12.2 points (second on the team), 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists over his five games (all starts) at the 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Following his Summer League play, Ingram was selected by USA Basketball to participate as a member of the 2016 USA Men’s Select Team.

According to the Orange County Register, “Ingram remained unsigned while the Lakers tried to maximize flexibility in free agency to sign players. His rookie contract is expected to be worth about $23.8 million over four seasons, with Ingram set to make about $5.3 million this season.”

The 18-year-old was the consensus ACC Freshman of the year in his lone collegiate season at Duke, while also earning a consensus Second Team All-ACC selection. He finished the season ranked sixth in the ACC in scoring (17.3), seventh in three-point percentage (.410) and minutes played (34.6), ninth in three-pointers made per game (2.2), 10th in blocks (1.4), and 13th in rebounds (6.8).

The Kinston, NC native was Duke’s leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 23.0 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the three games, scoring at least 20 points in each contest and playing in 119 of a possible 120 minutes of action.

The 6’9’’ Ingram was a member of USA Basketball’s 2015 United States Junior National Select Team and was a Parade All-American as a senior at Kinston High School. He won four straight 2A state championships, becoming one of two players in history to win four consecutive North Carolina State Championships, and was MVP of the state championship game as a senior.

Festus Ezeli undergoes knee injection

The Trail Blazers announced today that center Festus Ezeli had his left knee injected with a bone marrow aspirate concentrate and Orthovisc today in Chicago.

The injection, performed by Dr. Brian Cole, is intended to alleviate pain and improve function.

Ezeli will be sidelined for six weeks.

The Blazers’ big man rotation mostly consists of role players. Ezeli, who comes to the Blazers after three seasons on the Warriors, has a chance to do big things and rise above the rest, if he’s up for it. He averaged 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game last season for Golden State, but that was in just 16.7 minutes per outing, which is very solid.

D-League news: Long Island Nets hire Ryan Gomes and Pat Rafferty

The Long Island Nets, the Brooklyn Nets’ D-League affiliate, have hired Ryan Gomes and Pat Rafferty as assistant coaches on the staff of head coach Ronald Nored.

Gomes enters his first year on the sidelines after finishing up an eight-year NBA career. Originally selected with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Gomes appeared in 482 games with Boston, Minnesota, L.A. Clippers and Oklahoma City, registering career averages of 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. The Waterbury, Conn., native also had brief stints with clubs in Spain and Germany and was most recently with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League for the second half of the 2015-16 season. Along with helping lead the D-Fenders to the D-League Finals, Gomes was named the 2015-16 NBA Development League Impact Player of the Year and received 2015-16 All-NBA D-League Third Team honors. The former Providence College standout was a two-time All-Big East First Team selection and garnered consensus First Team All-American honors in 2004.

Rafferty joins the Long Island Nets after spending the past three seasons as head coach at Central Wyoming College. Prior to his stint with the Rustlers, he served as the director of basketball operations for UT Arlington (2012-13) and was the head coach at Grayson College for nine seasons (2003-12). At Grayson, Rafferty guided the Vikings to the NJCAA Region V Tournament six times. In addition to junior college coaching stints at Midland and Casper colleges, Rafferty has previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville and as both an assistant coach and head coach at Northern Arizona University. He also spent two seasons as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves.