General NBA insight – Page 47 – NBA Blog

Raymond Felton exercises player option, will remain with Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that guard Raymond Felton has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season.

Felton (6-1, 205) played in 29 games (three starts) with the Mavericks last season and averaged 3.7 points and 1.4 assists in 9.7 minutes.

Drafted by Charlotte in the first round (fifth overall pick) of the 2005 NBA Draft, Felton holds career averages of 12.7 points, 6.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 33.3 minutes in 696 career games (615 starts) with Charlotte, New York, Denver, Portland and Dallas.

Nike and NBA announce 8-year partnership

Nike and NBA announce 8-year partnership

It’s official, the NBA and Nike will begin what will hopefully be a beautiful relationship starting in the 2017-18 season. The league currently has a deal with adidas — and that’s been wonderful as well. But change happens.

One of the biggest aspects of this agreement in our view is that the Nike logo will appear right on NBA uniforms, in clear view of the entire world. This wasn’t the case with adidas.

Here’s complete official info, from the NBA and Nike:

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and NIKE, Inc. (NIKE) announced today an eight-year global merchandising and marketing partnership that will make NIKE the official oncourt apparel provider beginning with the 2017-18 NBA season.

“This partnership with NIKE represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “As our exclusive oncourt apparel provider, NIKE will be instrumental in our collective efforts to grow the game globally while applying the latest in technology to the design of our uniforms and oncourt products.”

NIKE has a rich history of innovating and leading from the front, and has supported some of the greatest former and current NBA and WNBA players. The company has been a global marketing partner of the NBA since 1992 and expands its rights over eight years under the new agreement, where NIKE will become the first NBA apparel partner to have its logo appear on NBA uniforms. NIKE will also have the global rights to design and manufacture authentic and Swingman jerseys as well as oncourt warm-ups and shooting shirts.

“We’re excited to bring the full power of our global reach, innovation and creativity to partner with the NBA and grow the game in a way only NIKE can,” said NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker. “In NIKE, Jordan and Converse we have three of the most connected brands in the world, and look forward to making the global growth of the game a successful strategy for both the NBA and NIKE.”

A marketing partner of the WNBA since its inception in 1997, NIKE will now have an expanded presence at WNBA All-Star and other events throughout the season. Also, for the first time, NIKE will become a marketing partner of the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), engaging in seasonlong marketing activities with a major presence during the NBA D-League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire and the NBA D-League Showcase presented by Samsung.

In addition, the partnership will activate around several NBA events such as NBA All-Star, NBA Global Games, NBA Draft presented by State Farm, Samsung NBA Summer League and NBA 3X. NIKE will remain the official partner and apparel provider of Basketball without Borders.

NIKE has served as the footwear and exclusive apparel provider of USA Basketball since 2006.

Glancing at the near-future of the West

Glancing at the near-future of the West

Here’s the Dallas Morninig News with an early overall glance at the Western Conference for next season:

While the East remains the domain of whatever team James plays for in any given season, the West is as wide open as ever because of the wealth of strong teams. Next season, it wouldn’t take a lot for any of them to be where Golden State is now.

The Warriors have a great nucleus and a bright future, not to mention being favorites to win the finals in the here and now. But they are not head-and-shoulders better than a lot of their competition.

The Los Angeles Clippers lurk as contenders, as do Houston, Oklahoma City and Memphis. New Orleans is on the verge of becoming a major force, thanks to Anthony Davis. San Antonio isn’t going to shrivel up and die. Portland is tough. And we haven’t even mentioned the possibility of George Karl turning Sacramento into something big.

Which brings us to the Mavericks, who at this point aren’t far removed from any conversations about the Western Conference that include the Lakers and Utah.

Losing in the first round, which the Mavericks have done three times since winning the title, is not something they take a lot of pride in. The only thing it’s better than is not making the playoffs at all, which happened in 2013.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson expects to play in Game 1

As expected, Klay Thompson should be ready for NBA Finals

Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting good news on the Warriors front:

Warriors guard Thompson expects to play in Game 1

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson returned to practice Monday and expects to complete the NBA’s concussion protocol in the next couple of days, which would make him eligible to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

“I knew it wouldn’t take me more than a few days to get back to normal,” said Thompson, who said a concussion he had as a freshman in high school was much worse than the one he endured last week. “To me, I think this one was mild, not really severe. It was perfect, because I got a week off to get fully healthy.”

Thompson went down in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ Western Conference finals-clinching victory over Houston on Wednesday, when a leaping Trevor Ariza hit him with a knee to the side of the head in Game 5.

For now, Kevin Love expects to be with Cavs next season

For now, Kevin Love expects to be with Cavs next season

Love can opt out of the one year remaining on his contract by June 30 and either negotiate for a new deal with the Cavs or test the market as an unrestricted free agent. And has been the case all season, the three-time All-Star, whose future has been the subject of speculation almost since the day he was traded to the Cavaliers, indicated he has no plans to leave.

“I expect to be suiting up by Game 1 of next year,” he said.

For the Cavs?

“Yes, sir,” he said.

Noticeably thinner after losing 15 pounds during his recovery, Love said not being on the floor with his teammates has been emotionally difficult. After six seasons in Minnesota, he was finally in the playoffs and appearing to hit his stride after a season in which his role transformed, when Olynyk’s aggressive play ended Love’s season in Game 4.

— Associated Press

Chris Gatling arrested, suspected of running credit card scam

Chris Gatling arrested, suspected of running credit card scam

Here’s the Los Angeles Times reporting on some suspected shady activity:

Former NBA player Chris Gatling was arrested in Arizona on Thursday on suspicion of running a nationwide online scam.

Scottsdale, Ariz., police confirmed the arrest to the Associated Press and said Gatling was released a short time after he was booked. Gatling, who last played in the NBA in 2002, faces charges of fraud, aggravated identity theft and forgery.

Police allege Gatling was operating a scheme that involved multiple online businesses being used to gather credit card numbers. Gatling then allegedly ran the numbers through other businesses for services never authorized by the cardholders. Police claim the operation was being run out of a Scottsdale call center, and it included stolen credit card numbers from people across the U.S.

Jrue Holiday surgery removes screw from leg

Jrue Holiday surgery removes screw from leg

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday underwent successful surgery to remove a screw from a previously placed rod in his lower right leg, the team announced today. A timetable for his return to basketball activities will be determined at a later date.

Holiday, 6-4, 205, appeared in 40 games for New Orleans this season, averaging 14.8 points, 6.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Holiday appeared in three of New Orleans’ four playoff games, averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.0 rebounds.

Kevin Love out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery

Kevin Love injury leaves Cavs with frontcourt hole

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love underwent successful surgery this afternoon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City to repair his dislocated left shoulder. The surgery was performed by Dr. David W. Altchek.

Continuing treatment and rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic Courts and Cleveland Clinic Sports Health will be conducted by the Cavaliers’ medical staff and Head Team Physician Dr. Richard D. Parker.

Love’s projected recovery time is four to six months.

Jimmy Butler wants to step up his defense against Bucks

Jimmy Butler admitted after the Chicago Bulls’ 94-88 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Monday night that he believes he has been focused too much on offense and not enough on defense.

The Bulls still lead the series 3-2, but after dropping two straight games, the group’s confidence has taken a hit. Butler acknowledged that as a leader of this team, he has tried to speak to teammates in order to get the group back on the same page.

“I have,” Butler said. “I’ll stay on us about it. I’m supposed to be the prime-time defensive guy, and I haven’t been guarding a soul. I’ve been worried about offense too much, and I need to change that quickly or it’s going to be my fault.”

— ESPN Chicago

Carmelo Anthony wants Baltimore riots to stop

Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony is technically a New York native, but he spent much of his childhood in Baltimore.

He’s watched the city fall apart in recent days with riots and looting, so he decided to speak out in an Instagram message to Baltimore that’s been liked over 57,000 times and has 1,500 comments as of Tuesday morning.

“We need to protect our city, not destroy it,” he wrote in the message below. “What happens when we get the answers that we want, and the media attention is not there anymore? We go back to being the same ol Baltimore City again.”

— NJ Advance Media