Author: Inside Hoops

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Mike Scott faces up to 25 years on drug charges

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting the latest on a Hawks forward i. A very scary and serious situation:

Mike Scott faces up to 25 years in prison on two felony drug charges stemming from his arrest last month.

An initial court date in the case could take several months to be placed on the calendar as the drugs have been sent to an independent lab for processing, according to the Banks County assistant district attorney. That would mean an initial court appearance would come during the upcoming NBA season.

Scott was arrested, along with his younger brother, on July 30 after a traffic stop along Interstate 85 in Homer. In the vehicle, police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of Schedule I drug MDMA, known as Molly. The charge on the MDMA carries a sentence of up to 15 years. The charge on the marijuana carries a sentence of up to 10 years, according to Georgia statutes.

Kevin Durant being careful in return

Here’s ESPN.com with an update on an NBA superstar who you haven’t thought about much lately. But he’ll be back. Just you wait.

Four months after his latest foot surgery, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant says that he “can go 100 percent” but hasn’t played in any 5-on-5 games yet as he takes a measured approach to this latest comeback.

“I’ve got to play against the guys to really see, but I feel like I’m back to myself,” Durant said after the first day of training at this USA Basketball minicamp.

Asked if he could play in a game if needed, Durant laughed and said, “I haven’t played since February, so of course, I’m human, I’d go through some rust. But I think after two trips down I’d be all right.”

No Knicks on 2015 Christmas day

Here’s the New York Post with a Knicks update. No surprise that the league isn’t showcasing the team on Christmas day, as the Post reports:

The Knicks will find out what they’re missing right away when they stage their season opener Oct. 28 in Milwaukee against new Bucks center Greg Monroe, according to an NBA source.

The Knicks’ home opener will be Oct. 29 against the Hawks, welcoming back former first-round pick Tim Hardaway Jr. after his Draft Night trade for the rights to rookie point guard Jerian Grant.

The Knicks were considered the front-runners for Monroe during free agency, but he chose the Bucks max deal because he deemed Jason Kidd’s club more playoff-ready. The Knicks settled for Robin Lopez.

It won’t be a Merry Knicksmas for Phil Jackson either. For the first time since 2008, the Knicks won’t be playing on Christmas, zapped from the annual nationally televised, five-game festival, according to a source.

Pacers sign Toney Douglas

Pacers sign Toney Douglas

The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday they have signed free agent Toney Douglas to a contract.

“We look forward to having him in camp,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He’s a veteran player who’s a good pro and he can play two positions. He’s the type of player we’re looking for with our new style of play. We look forward to working with him and having him in camp.”

Douglas, a 6-2, 190-pound guard, is entering his seventh season in the NBA. After attending Florida State University, he was drafted by the L.A. Lakers as the 29th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In his career, he has played for New York, Houston, Miami, Golden State, Sacramento and New Orleans. He has career averages of 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Patty Mills added to Australia roster for Oceania Championship

Patty Mills added to Australia roster for Oceania Championship

Basketball Australia is excited to announce that NBA Championship-winner Patrick Mills has been added to the Australian Boomers’ team to take on New Zealand in the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championships.

Mills comes into the line-up following a left ACL tear to Dante Exum in last Wednesday’s game against Slovenia, reducing the Boomers to 11 players.

Talking from the United States, Mills said that he was excited by the opportunity to play for automatic qualification for Rio 2016.

“I’m looking forward to joining my Boomers teammates for this very important qualification series against New Zealand,” he said.

— Basketball.net.au

Celtics waive Zoran Dragic

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived guard/forward Zoran Dragic.

Dragic, a 6’5” guard/forward, was originally acquired by the Celtics along with a future second round pick and cash considerations from the Miami Heat on July 27, 2015. He appeared in 16 games split between the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat during the 2014-15 season and averaged 1.8 points in 4.7 minutes per game over that span. He posted a season-high 22 points on 9-17 (.529) shooting from the field, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 41 minutes of action against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 15, 2015.

Nets waive Earl Clark

Nets waive Earl Clark

The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers on forward Earl Clark, General Manager Billy King announced today.

Clark (6’10”, 234) was signed to a 10-day contract by the Nets on March 27, 2015 and he inked a multi-year contract on April 6. In 10 games with Brooklyn, Clark averaged 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in two playoff games, registering averages of 3.0 points and 1.0 rebound in 6.5 minutes per game.

Originally selected with the 14th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Clark has appeared in 261 games in six seasons with Phoenix, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland, New York and Brooklyn, posting career averages of 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.