Inside Hoops – Page 886 – NBA Blog

Yes, Wesley Matthews is still signing with Mavs

Here’s the Oregonian reporting that Wesley Matthews is still leaving the Trail Blazers to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, whether DeAndre Jordan joins the Mavs or decides to cancel his reported agreement and returns to the Clippers:

Wesley Matthews says he will sign with the Dallas Mavericks regardless if center DeAndre Jordan changes his mind and returns to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources close to the player told The Oregonian/Oregonlive.

Matthews, who last week gave a verbal agreement to Dallas to sign a four-year deal worth around $13 million the first year, is expected to sign and be introduced to the Dallas media on Thursday, the first day the NBA moratorium ends.

Hawks, Justin Holiday agree to deal

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting that the Hawks are adding to their backcourt depth:

The Hawks reached a contract agreement with Justin Holiday Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation. The deal is for two years fully guaranteed.

The addition will give the Hawks needed depth at the wing following the loss of DeMarre Carroll to free agency last week.

Holiday, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound shooting guard/small forward, played last season for the Warriors. In 59 games, he averaged 4.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.1 minutes. He also appeared in nine games for the 76ers in the 2012-13 season. Holiday has appeared in 68 career NBA games, including four starts, and averaged 4.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and .9 assists in 11.8 minutes.

Charles Jenkins signs in Italy

Here’s Eurocupbasketball.com reporting on a name NBA fans will recognize:

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan bolstered its backcourt by signing shooting guard Charles Jenkins on Wednesday. Jenkins (1.91 meters, 26 years old) spent the past two seasons with Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, and helped the club reach Euroleague Top 16 and win the domestic triple crown – Serbian League, Serbian Radivoj Korac Cup and Adriatic League last season with a key role coming off the bench. He also led Zvezda to the Eurocup semifinals in the 2013-14 season. He averaged 6.6 points, 1.3 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 24 Euroleague games last season.

One way NBA playoff seeding may change

NBA playoff seedings might change. Maybe. Here’s a possibility.

Here’s the Dallas Morning News blog reporting on a possible change to NBA playoff seedings. Many suggestions have been made as to improve the postseason seeding system. The current setup works fine. The playoffs are awesome. But there are definitely some possible tweaks that make sense, and what’s mentioned below is one of them.

A subtle, but significant, change to the NBA playoff seedings is being considered by the league’s competition committee.

It could have a positive impact on the Dallas Mavericks and everybody else in the ultra-tough Southwest Division.

League officials are considering seeding teams one-through-eight in each conference for the playoffs without regard for division winners being placed no lower than fourth, sources said.

While this would devalue winning a division, it could make a difference for teams in the Southwest Division. All five teams made the playoffs in the Southwest last season.

Pelicans president says ticket sales are rising

There’s good news in New Orleans. Anthony Davis recently agreed to a massive contract extension. The team has potential. And fans are on board with it all. Here’s the New Orleans Times Picayune reporting:

Last season the New Orleans Pelicans ranked 24th in the NBA in attendance, which included 24 sellouts announced by the franchise.

Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha said during Tuesday night’s conference call with season-ticket holders that they are on track to do much better next season.

”We’re very pleased and happy to say that we’re now in the top three in the NBA in new tickets sales for the season, Lauscha said. ”We’ve had the highest renewal rate in the history of the franchise, well over 90 percent.”

Lauscha also said they have 55-percent increase for deposits on group tickets than they had at the same time last year.

P.J. Hairston cited for driving violations

Here’s the Charlotte Obsever reporting now on an incident back in June:

P.J. Hairston cited for driving with revoked license

For a third consecutive summer, Hornets guard P.J. Hairston is facing legal trouble.

Hairston was cited around noon on June 18 for driving with a revoked license, speeding, driving left of center and driving on expired tags.

According to the citation, Hairston’s 2015 black Cadillac Escalade was traveling at 51 mph in a 35 mph zone on Toddville Road heading toward Freedom Drive. The tags were expired and his vehicle went more than half its width over the double yellow line for 25-30 yards, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer N.S. Bush in his report.

Report: Clippers trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to reverse decision to sign with Mavs

For now, we will assume DeAndre Jordan will still sign with the Mavericks

Here’s ESPN.com reporting something pretty surprising. Let’s see if this thing actually materializes:

Report: Clippers trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to reverse decision to sign with Mavs

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to persuade DeAndre Jordan to reconsider his decision to sign with the Mavericks after Jordan verbally committed to join Dallas last week, according to league sources.

Free agents are traditionally considered off-limits once they strike a verbal agreement with a team during the NBA’s annual moratorium period. Sources, though, said Clippers president Doc Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer have scheduled a meeting Wednesday in Houston to make one last face-to-face pitch to Jordan in an attempt to persuade him to walk away from the four-year, $80-plus million max deal he committed to with the Mavericks and instead stay with L.A.

Warriors: Kevon Looney signs rookie contract

warriors rookie kevon looney signs contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Kevon Looney (keh-VON LOO-nee) to a contract, the team announced today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they want to enter the league right away. Therefore, this was a standard signing, and was expected.

Looney, 19, was selected 30th overall by the Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He tallied averages of 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds (second in the Pac-12), 1.4 assists and 1.28 steals in 30.9 minutes over 36 games as a freshman at UCLA during the 2014-15 campaign, earning Second Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team accolades. Looney (6’9”, 220) led all freshmen in the nation with 15 double-doubles, setting career-highs with 27 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Stanford on Jan. 8 en route to Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Looney is scheduled to make his professional debut with the Golden State Warriors Summer League squad in Las Vegas on Friday, July 10 in an NBA Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors, who will tip-off their 10th summer at the annual event in Las Vegas, will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, July 12 (5:30 p.m.) and the Sacramento Kings on Monday, July 13 (3:30 p.m.) before playing at least two more games in the Summer League Tournament.

Jazz sign rookie Trey Lyles

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed 2015 first-round draft pick forward Trey Lyles (12th overall).

Players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract if they want to come to the league right away. So, this signing is standard — though, it came later than expected.

Lyles spent one season at the University of Kentucky. As a freshman, the 19-year-old forward was named to the 2015 All-SEC Freshman Team and helped lead the Wildcats to a 2015 NCAA Final Four appearance.

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, the 6-10, 241-pound Lyles averaged 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 36 contests during his sole season at Kentucky. As a high school senior, Lyles was named 2014 Indiana Mr. Basketball and the 2014 Gatorade Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In addition, he participated in the 2014 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. Lyles has also played internationally for both Canada and the United States.

Lyles will wear jersey No. 41 for the Jazz.

Mark Cuban fined for free agency comments

Look. Maverick owner Mark Cuban gets fined by the NBA for saying what they feel is the wrong thing sometimes. It happens. Here is ESPN.com reporting:

The NBA has fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $25,000 for publicly confirming the team’s upcoming free-agent deals with DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, league spokesman Tim Frank said Tuesday, confirming an ESPN.com report.

Mark Cuban addressed the Mavericks’ agreements with DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews during interviews last week. Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
Sources said the Mavericks were informed of the fine Tuesday.

Teams and players are allowed to strike verbal agreements on new contracts during the league’s annual moratorium period in early July while the league’s salary cap and luxury tax figures are being calculated for the coming season, but team officials are not allowed to openly discuss those deals.