NBA News Blog – Page 1006 – NBA Blog

Pacers will trade Darren Collison to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks continued their recovery from disappointment in the Deron Williams sweepstakes, reaching terms on a trade with the Indiana Pacers to acquire point guard Darren Collison.

The Mavericks agreed to acquire Collison and swingman Dahntay Jones in a sign-and-trade deal that will send free-agent center Ian Mahinmi to the Pacers to serve as a backup for Roy Hibbert.

Jones’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the trade Thursday. Both teams declined comment.

Collison is the second significant addition made Wednesday by the Mavericks, who also signed center Chris Kaman. Collison and Kaman will be playing on expiring contracts next season.

Collison has one year left on his contract at $2.3 million. ESPN.com reported earlier Wednesday the Mavs and Kaman agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $8 million.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Bucks re-sign forward Ersan Ilyasova

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed free-agent forward Ersan Ilyasova (6-10, 235) to a multi-year contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. We’ll post contract details here later today.

Ilyasova, 25, appeared in 60 games (41 starts) for the Bucks last season and averaged career-highs in points (13.0 ppg), rebounds (8.8 rpg; 18th in the NBA), assists (1.2 apg), field goal percentage (.492; 26th in the NBA), and three-point percentage (.455; 2nd in the NBA). He became the first player to average 12+ points and 8+ rebounds in fewer than 28 minutes per game since Arvydas Sabonis in 1995-96. Ilyasova erupted for 29 points and a career-best 25 rebounds in a 92-85 win at New Jersey (Feb. 19), becoming the third player in Bucks franchise history (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Swen Nater) to record a 25/25 game. His 13 offensive rebounds in the game were the most by a Bucks player in over 25 years and just two shy of Nater’s franchise record. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Mar. 5-11) after averaging 25.0 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 63.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the arc during a 3-1 week.

A four-year NBA veteran, Ilyasova has appeared in 267 games (120 starts) over his NBA career while averaging 9.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He was drafted by Milwaukee with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft and played his first season with Tulsa in the NBA Development League. Following the 2006-07 campaign with the Bucks, he played two seasons with Regal FC Barcelona of the Spanish League.

After two seasons overseas, Ilyasova returned to the Bucks for the 2009-10 campaign. He averaged a then-career-high 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in helping Milwaukee to the playoffs where he posted 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the seven-game series with Atlanta.

Born in Eskisehir, Turkey, Ilyasova began playing professional basketball at the age of 15. He has represented Turkey in national team competition including the 2010 FIBA World Championships hosted in his home country.

Sixers waive Elton Brand via amnesty clause

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have waived forward Elton Brand and have designated him as the team’s amnesty player.

“On behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers, I want to thank Elton for his contributions to our organization and city,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. “Decisions of this nature are never easy, particularly when it involves a player of Elton’s talent and character. He worked tirelessly for the overall good of the team every time he put on a Sixers uniform and we wish him nothing but the best.”

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Amnesty allows the Sixers to remove the final year of Brand’s contract – worth almost $18.2 million – from their salary cap. Teams below the salary cap ($58 million) are permitted to bid for Brand’s services. That team will pay Brand a determined amount and the Sixers will pay the remainder of the contract. The Sixers signed Brand to a five-year, $79 million deal on July 9, 2008. In four seasons with the team, Brand appeared in 246 games with 221 starts, averaging 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.33 block s and 1.01 steals in 31.5 minutes per game.”

Brand (6-9, 254) was signed as a free agent by the Sixers on July 9, 2008. In four seasons with the team, he appeared in 246 games with 221 starts, averaging 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.33 blocks and 1.01 steals in 31.5 minutes per game while shooting 49.0% from the floor and 74.4% from the line.

Blake Griffin hurts left knee at Team USA practice

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin hurt his left knee in a Team USA scrimmage Wednesday and is returning to Los Angeles to be examined by team doctors, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Griffin twisted the knee in a scrimmage, a source said. The severity of the injury is unclear. He’s expected to have an MRI, possibly as soon as Thursday.

Griffin injured the same knee in Game 5 of the Clippers’ first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Timberwolves waive Darko Milicic via amnesty clause

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived center Darko Milicic, designating him as the team’s amnesty player. The one-time amnesty provision allows a team to waive a player and not have his salary count against the salary cap or luxury tax.

Milicic spent parts of three seasons as Minnesota’s starting center, averaging 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 122 games, 110 starts with the Wolves. The Wolves originally acquired the 7-0 center from the New York Knicks on Feb. 17, 2012.

Spurs re-sign Boris Diaw

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they re-signed forward Boris Diaw. Per club policy details of the contract were not released.

“Boris was a key addition to our team late last season and we are happy to have him back,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “The depth of his game and his basketball IQ make him a special player.”

Diaw, signed last season by the Spurs on March 23, played in 20 games (seven starts) with the Silver and Black, averaging 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes while shooting .588 (40-68) from the field. In the postseason, Diaw started all 14 games for the Spurs and averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24.7 minutes.

The 6-8, 235-pound Diaw started the 2011-12 season with the Charlotte Bobcats before being placed on waivers on March 21. In 37 games with the Bobcats, Diaw averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.5 minutes.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Diaw was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the 21st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Phoenix Suns on Aug. 19, 2005. In his first season with the Suns, Diaw won the 2006 Most Improved Player Award, after averaging 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 35.5 minutes over 81 games.

For his career, Diaw has appeared in 680 NBA games, averaging 9.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 30.1 minutes while shooting .492 (2,685-5,457) from the field, .333 (301-904) from three-point territory and .708 (785-1,109) from the foul line. He has posted six triple-doubles during his career. Diaw has seen action in 53 playoff games, averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 32.2 minutes.

Hornets trade Jarrett Jack to Warriors, Sixers get Dorell Wright in 3-team deal

Hornets trade Jarrett Jack to Warriors in 3-team deal

The Golden State Warriors have acquired veteran guard Jarrett Jack from the New Orleans Hornets as part of a three-team trade, it was announced this evening. As part of the deal, the Warriors send forward Dorell Wright to the Philadelphia 76ers, who also receive center Darryl Watkins from New Orleans, while the Hornets receive the draft rights to forward Edin Bavcic from Philadelphia.

Jack, 28, is coming off his best NBA season, one in which he appeared in 45 games (39 starts) for New Orleans and averaged career-highs of 15.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 34.0 minutes per game. A team captain for the Hornets, Jack shot 45.6% from the field, 34.8% from three-point range and a career-high 87.2% from the free throw line, which ranked 11th in the NBA. The 6’3” guard scored 20-or-more points on 11 occasions, dished out eight-or-more assists 16 times and would have ranked 13th in the NBA in assists per game had he appeared in enough games to qualify. Additionally, he posted five point/assist double-doubles on the season, including a triple-double against the Warriors on March 21, recording 17 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and 11 assists (with zero turnovers).

A seven-year NBA veteran, Jack owns career averages of 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 532 career regular-season games combined with Portland, Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans. He appeared in 79-or-more games in each of his first six NBA seasons (including every game from 2007-08 to 2010-11) prior to missing 21 games this past season. A native of Fort Washington, Maryland, he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft after playing three seasons at Georgia Tech.

“We’re extremely pleased to acquire a player the quality of Jarrett Jack to help supplement our backcourt,” said Warriors’ General Manager Bob Myers. “One of our goals this off-season was to improve our depth at various positions and we think we accomplished that task with this trade. Jarrett recently completed his most productive season in the NBA and, in addition to providing us with additional veteran leadership, his ability to run an offense, score and a variety of other things will be a tremendous asset. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Dorell Wright for his contributions to our team the last two years. He was a compete professional both on and off the floor and someone that I have a great deal of admiration for as a player and person.”

“We’re very happy to get a player like Dorell Wright,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. “We think his outside shooting and all-around game will be a great addition to our team and we look forward to having him in Philadelphia.”

Wright was originally the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by Miami out of South Kent Prep in Connecticut. In eight seasons, the 26-year-old has appeared in 354 games with 199 starts and is averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.2 minutes per game while shooting 43.8% from the floor, 36.5% from 3-point range and 80.1% from the line.

After playing his first six seasons with Miami, and winning a championship with the HEAT in 2006, Wright signed as a free agent with Golden State on July 12, 2010. Over the past two seasons, he started 143 of a possible 148 games for the Warriors, averaging 13.8 points.

Wright’s best season came with Golden State in 2010-11. He started all 82 games, averaging career-highs of 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.51 steals. Wright led the NBA with 194 3-pointers made that season and ranked tied for 21st with 105 3FGM in 2011-12.

Watkins was not selected in the 2007 NBA Draft following his senior year at Syracuse but played nine games for Sacramento early into the 2007-08 season before being waived. He signed with the Hornets back in April and appeared in five games, averaging 4.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.0% from the floor. Watkins had 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in the final game of the season at Houston on April 26.

A native of New Jersey, Watkins attended Paterson Catholic. In between his stints with the Kings in 2007-08 and Hornets this past season, Watkins competed in summer leagues, training camps and preseason games for numerous teams, including the L.A. Clippers, San Antonio, Houston, Cleveland, Dallas, Indiana and New Orleans. Watkins has also spent time in the D-League and has played internationally in China, Lebanon and most recently, Greece.

Bavcic, originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, played for Vanoli-Braga Cremona and Bennet Cantu of the Italy’s top division (Serie A) last season, as well as for KAO Dramas in Greece where he averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 55.2% from the field in 18 games. The 6’11’’ forward/center played for Philadelphia in three consecutive Summer Leagues from 2006-08. Bavcic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was named Greek A1 League All-Bosmans Team in 2011 and won both the Slovenian Cup and the Slovenian Super Cup in 2010.

Brooklyn Nets re-sign Brook Lopez

The Brooklyn Nets have re-signed center Brook Lopez, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. According to multiple reports, the deal is a four-year, $60 million max contract.

“Brook Lopez is one of the top young centers in the NBA,” said King. “We have witnessed his growth as a player over the past four years, and are very pleased that he will remain in a Nets uniform as we begin our new era in Brooklyn.”

Lopez, selected 10th overall by the Nets in the 2008 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per games. Over his four NBA seasons, the seven-footer is shooting .504 from the field and .796 from the free throw line in 251 games. Lopez played in all 82 games in each of his first three seasons in the NBA, averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game in 2010-11. In 2011-12, Lopez was limited to five games of action due to a broken right foot. He posted averages of 19.2 points per game, including a 38- point performance at Dallas on February 28. Over the past three seasons, Lopez ranks 2nd among NBA centers in scoring, averaging 19.6 points per game.

Clippers trade Reggie Evans to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Reggie Evans from the Los Angeles Clippers, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. In exchange for Evans, Los Angeles will have the right to swap second round draft picks with Brooklyn in 2016.

“Reggie Evans is one of the most tenacious rebounders in the league,” said King. “He is a proven NBA veteran and will be an important addition to our front court rotation.”

Evans played in 56 games for the L.A. Clippers in 2011-12, averaging 1.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. He appeared in all 11 of Los Angeles’ 2012 playoff games where he averaged 3.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per contest. Evan ranked 6th in the NBA last season in rebounds per minute, averaging one rebound every 2.8 minutes.

The 6-8 forward out of Iowa began his career in Seattle after going unselected in the 2002 NBA Draft. A 10-year NBA veteran, Evans holds career averages of 4.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game. In 628 career games, including 289 starts, with Seattle, Denver, Philadelphia, Toronto and the Clippers, he has shot .466 (853-1,831) from the field and .522 (829-1,587) from the line. In 38 career postseason games, Evans has averaged 3.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting .436 (41-94) from the field. Evans averaged a career-best 11.5 rebounds per game in 2010-11, while playing in 30 games with the Raptors.

Hawks trade Marvin Williams to Jazz for Devin Harris

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has acquired forward Marvin Williams from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Devin Harris, pending the outcome of physicals.

Williams (6-9, 245, North Carolina) is entering his eighth NBA season and has played in 487 career games (379 starts), all with Atlanta, owning career averages of 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30.4 minutes. He helped the Hawks advance to the playoffs for the last five seasons, appearing in 42 playoff games (27 starts), after the franchise had failed to make the postseason the previous eight years. Williams saw action in 57 games (37 starts) for the Hawks in 2011-12, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.3 minutes while shooting a career-high .389 (58-149) from three-point range. He averaged double-figure scoring for the sixth straight season, posting 32 games with 10-plus points including 20-plus twice, and registered two double-doubles.

Originally selected by the Hawks in the first-round (second overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, Williams was selected to the NBA’s 2006 All-Rookie Second Team. He was also a two-time recipient (2008, 2011) of the Hawks’ Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his work as a community ambassador.

Prior to the NBA, the 26-year-old Bremerton, Wash., native played one season at the University of North Carolina (2004-05), where he was a member of the Tar Heels’ 2005 NCAA Championship team. Williams’ tip-in with 1:26 remaining in the 2005 NCAA title game vs. Illinois broke a 70-70 tie, propelling UNC to a 75-70 victory. He earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team in his lone college season.

An eight-year veteran, Harris’ tenure in Utah consisted of 80 games after he was traded by the Nets (along with Derrick Favors and other considerations) on February 23, 2011. He helped lead the Jazz to the first round of the playoffs before they were eliminated in four games by Dallas. In 63 games this year, Harris tallied 11.3 points and 5.0 assists, and made 44.5% of his FG attempts while shooting 75 percent from the free throw line.

Selected as a reserve on the Eastern Conference’s All-Star team in 2009, Atlanta will be Harris’ fourth team since coming into the NBA in 2004. Picked fifth overall by Washington, he was traded to Dallas on draft night and played three and a half seasons for the Mavericks before he was traded to New Jersey on February 19, 2008.

In three-plus seasons with the Nets, Harris’ career numbers continued to improve, topped by a personal-best 21.3 ppg average in 2008-09. It was the fifth straight season in which his scoring totals increased, to go along with career highs in rebounds (3.3 rpg) and steals (1.6 spg). Harris brings career averages of 13.1 points, 5.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals to Atlanta, and he has connected on .441 FG%, .315 3FG% and 80.1 percent of his FTs.