Category: General NBA insight

Photo taken today by InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner of an NYC basketball court, in a nice park setting. Just a nice, simple picture. Enjoy:

Team president David Kahn said Friday he plans to be aggressive this summer in trades and free agency to supplement a promising young core with veterans, and he made it clear that only Rubio and Love are untouchable as he tries to bring an end to a seven-year postseason hiatus.

”They’re cornerstones of what we’re doing here, and my fervent hope is that each of them retires here,” Kahn said of Rubio and Love. ”But after those two, and not that anybody else needs to be on watch, and there are a lot of other players on the team that all of us, coaches, management, front office, everybody likes. We just have to be very aggressive this year to make this team all that it can be and satisfy ourselves that we’ve done everything possible to do that.”

That Kahn did not include center Nikola Pekovic or No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams in that group of untouchables speaks to his openness to consider all options. Pekovic had a breakout season, averaging 13.9 points and 7.3 rebounds to emerge as one of the top offensive centers in the league. Williams showed some promise as a scorer, but wore down as the season dragged on and both players are on the books for an affordable $9.6 million combined next season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Antawn Jamison likely played his final home game for Cleveland. The 35-year-old will be a free agent this summer and said it’s improbable he’ll sign with the Cavs.

”I definitely have a great feeling this is probably my last home game and tomorrow will be my last game as a Cav,” said Jamison, acquired in a 2010 deadline trade to help the Cavs win a title. ”I wish the rest of these guys great luck. I definitely think this organization is going in the right direction as far as getting some great talent and slowly but surely putting a championship caliber team together.

”With this coaching staff, some good prospects in this draft, Cleveland can get back to what it once used to be.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

J.J. Redick had six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points as the Orlando Magic held off Charlotte 102-95 on Wednesday night, the Bobcats’ 22nd consecutive loss.

Ryan Anderson added 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who snapped a three-game losing streak and secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference but lost forward Glen Davis to a sprained right ankle. He is the latest injury to strike the Magic’s roster and drain an already shallow pool of Orlando big men following Dwight Howard’s season-ending back surgery.

D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats with 23 points, while Gerald Henderson had 17 and Derrick Brown 16.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Another starter for the Golden State Warriors is heading to the operating table.

The team said David Lee will have surgery Thursday to repair a torn abdominal muscle. The procedure will be performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Lee’s recovery time to resume basketball activities will be determined following surgery.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled guard/forward Christian Eyenga from the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 15 along with Ramon Sessions in exchange for Luke Walton and Jason Kapono, Eyenga has yet to play for the Lakers this season. In six regular season games with the D-Fenders, Eyenga averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks and 33.0 minutes, before helping the D-Fenders reach the D-League finals, where they currently hold a 1-0 lead over the Austin Toros.

The 30 th overall pick by Cleveland in the 2009 NBA Draft, Eyenga played in six games for the Cavaliers this season averaging 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. Eyenga also played in 12 games for the Canton Charge this season, where he averaged 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.2 minutes.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have signed Derrick Byars from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League for the remainder of the 2011-12 season.

A 6-7, 220-pound guard/forward, Byars appeared in 25 games (22 starts) for the Jam this season, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.00 steals in 32.2 minutes. He helped lead Bakersfield to the D-League playoffs where he appeared in four games, averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.50 steals in 31.0 minutes

Byars, a 2009 D-League All-Star, has played in 104 D-League games, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.00 steals in 35.3 minutes.

This season, Byars appeared in two preseason contests with the Miami Heat averaging 7.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 9.0 minutes. Byars has also participated in NBA training camps with the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers. He has also played professionally in Greece, France and Germany.

Byars split his collegiate career between the University of Virginia (2002-04) and Vanderbilt University (2005-07). As a senior he was named SEC Player of the Year after averaging 17.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34 games for the Commodores.

A photo by InsideHoops.com outside Madison Square Garden today before a Clippers at Knicks game.

Photo by InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner of the final Nets pregame in the state of New Jersey.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward D.J. Kennedy from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League for the remainder of the 2011-12 season, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. The signing of Kennedy marks the 58th “Call-Up” from the D-League of the 2011-12 season. He will wear no. 12.

In 44 regular season games (all starts) with the BayHawks, Kennedy averaged 15.7 points on .447 shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 37.4 minutes per game. He shot .378 (51-135) from three-point range and .816 from the free throw line (168-206). The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder also played in all three of Erie’s postseason games, averaging 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 42.0 minutes per game.

The 22-year-old played all four seasons at St. John’s, topping the 1,000-point plateau and posting averages of 11.7 points on .436 shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.4 minutes in 129 career games (125 starts).