NBA News Blog – Page 1019 – NBA Blog

Jordan Farmar exercises option, stays with Nets

Jordan Farmar has opted into the final year of his contract, guaranteeing he will earn $4.25 million this season and eating into a bit of Nets’ cap space this summer.

Farmar, 25, averaged 10.4 points and 3.3 assists in a little over 21 minutes per game in 39 games with the Nets last season, his second since signing with them as a free agent in 2010. Farmar spent much of last season dealing with nagging groin injuries that kept him out of the lineup for large stretches of the shortened season, including the final 16 games of the season.

— Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Blog)

Ronny Turiaf opts out of Heat contract

The Heat has retained one backup center and lost another. Ronny Turiaf on Saturday opted out of a contract that would have paid him the veteran’s minimum $1.2 million next season. But Miami guaranteed Dexter Pittman’s contract (worth $854,369) by Friday’s deadline.

Turiaf’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said his client always intended to test the market. “He’s worth more than the minimum,” Bartelstein said. “He had a significant hamstring injury” late in the season.

Bartelstein said the Heat has expressed interest in keeping Turiaf and he plans to speak with Heat president Pat Riley. But the Heat very likely would not offer him more than the minimum.

— Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

Pacers want to re-sign Roy Hibbert, George Hill

Indiana Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard kept the details vague but the team plans to be aggressive with free-agent center Roy Hibbert.

Come Sunday morning at 12:01 a.m., the start of the NBA free agency period, the Pacers will be on Hibbert’s doorstep making their pitch to re-sign the free agent center.

“We’ll absolutely be there,” Pritchard said.

The Pacers will also be meeting with free agent guard George Hill once he returns from vacation.

— Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star

Deron Williams and Jason Kidd might sign with same team

Deron Williams, the most coveted player in this summer’s free-agent class, will meet with representatives from the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks on Monday before deciding which team to sign with this July, according to a source privy to Williams’ plan.

Mavericks free-agent point guard Jason Kidd will also join whichever team Williams chooses, sources said.

Williams is spending the weekend playing golf with Kidd in New York’s Hamptons, sources say, yet one more indicator that the Nets have at least a fighting chance to keep Williams and add Kidd sometime after free agency begins Sunday.

— Reported by Ric Bucher of ESPN.com

Chris Bosh not playing for USA Basketball this summer

Olympic gold medalist Chris Bosh (Miami Heat) yesterday informed USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo and USA Basketball Men’s National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski that because of his strained abdominal muscle he will be unable to play for the USA Basketball National Team this summer.

“I am extremely disappointed to say that due to injury, I cannot represent my country in the 2012 Olympics in London. The abdominal injury that I suffered in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals is not fully healed. After the Finals, I met with my doctors to determine the best course of action, with the full intent to play in the Olympics. From those meetings, I was advised that rest and additional rehab of my abdominal injury will be necessary in order to avoid the development of a chronic injury,” said Bosh.

“Having enjoyed the honor of representing my country in the 2008 Olympics, when we won the gold medal, I wanted to be part of that experience again. However, I must follow my doctors’ advice and properly take care of this injury. My thoughts will be with our guys in London in August and I am confident that Coach K and the USA Basketball staff will bring home the gold again to the USA.”

“I got a call this morning from Chris who said the doctor recommended that he not go forward because they were concerned about him re-aggravating the abdominal strain and it could turn out be a chronic situation so he wouldn’t be able to play.” said Colangelo. “He’ll be missed, but we have to move on. We’ve taken four bullets with the injuries to Rose, (Dwight) Howard, (Dwyane) Wade and now (Chris) Bosh and it will now be a testimony to the infrastructure we put in with the national team roster. I feel very confident about our roster going forward.

“Adversity gives people opportunity, and guess what? It’s going to open up a couple of roster positions,” added Colangelo.

“We’re totally supportive of Chris and hope he recovers fully for his season next year. We’ll miss him; he was really a key player for us in winning the gold in 2008 and we thank him for his service to USA Basketball. I really loved coaching him,” said Krzyzewski.

“It is obvious why we have built a pool of players over the last seven years to take care of situations like these. This opens up opportunities for other players in the pool to show their talents.”

Bosh in the 2008 Olympics averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 77.4 percent from the field to help the USA finish 8-0 and win the gold medal. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, he recorded 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds as the American team finished 8-1 and in possession of the bronze medal.

Sixers rookie Moe Harkless got late start playing basketball

Harkless didn’t even start to play organized basketball until he was in high school, competing only at the junior-varsity level then. But the goal he had set in his head, even back then, was set. His path went in only one direction — straight to the best basketball league in the world.

That goal became a real possibility during his only season at St. John’s, where Harkless was named the Big East Rookie of the Year after posting averages of 15.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks. Much of the time the 6-9, 208-pounder was playing the power forward position, a spot the Sixers eventually see him growing into at the NBA level, once his body matures and he puts on weight and perhaps adds another inch or two.

“I see myself on the wing, but whatever it takes, or whatever coach [Doug] Collins asks me to do,” Harkless said. “I’m just excited to be here. In college I was just really focused on doing whatever the team needed me to do. I wasn’t complaining or anything, I was just doing what I had to do. I was playing against a lot of guys who were about 60 pounds heavier than me. But that was OK. Whatever they needed me to do.”

— Reported by Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News

Utah Jazz exercise Jamaal Tinsley option, extend qualifying offer to Jeremy Evans

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has exercised its option on guard Jamaal Tinsley for the 2012-13 season, and has tendered a qualifying offer to forward Jeremy Evans.

Tinsley (6-3, 190, Iowa State) is a nine-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 473 career games (367 starts) with Indiana, Memphis and Utah, and holds career averages of 9.3 points, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 27.7 minutes. The former first-round pick (27th overall by the Vancouver in 2001) appeared in 37 games (one start) for the Jazz during the 2011-12 season, his first in Utah, and averaged 3.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 13.7 minutes.

The 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Evans (6-9, 194, Western Kentucky) has appeared in 78 games (three starts) over his first two NBA seasons, averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting .656 from the field. Originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (55th overall selection) of the 2010 NBA Draft, the Crossett, Ark., native was the first Jazz draft selection ever from Western Kentucky and is also the only player in franchise history to win the slam dunk contest.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.

Orlando Magic hire Scott Perry, Matt Lloyd as assistant general managers

The Orlando Magic have named Scott Perry vice president/assistant general manager and Matt Lloyd assistant general manager, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

Perry has served as vice president of basketball operations of the Detroit Pistons for the last four years. Lloyd spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, the last five as the team’s director of college scouting.

“We are ecstatic to add Scott (Perry) and Matt (Lloyd) to our Orlando Magic family,” Hennigan said. “Scott and Matt bring multi-dimensional skillsets to our front office, and they both will have tremendous input in how we shape this organization going forward.”

With Detroit, Perry was responsible for directing day-to-day operations of the basketball operations department, handling player personnel issues and assisting in roster development.

Perry’s professional career began during the summer of 2000, joining the Pistons as a college scout. He was then promoted to director of player personnel in June of 2002, a position he held for five years. Detroit captured the NBA World Championship in 2004. In 2007-08, Perry served as assistant general manager for the Seattle Supersonics.

Prior to joining the Pistons, Perry spent three seasons as head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1997-2000. He also spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Michigan, University of California and Detroit Mercy.

Perry graduated from Wayne State in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He was a captain and all-conference basketball player his senior year. Recruited to play at the University of Oregon by former NBA coach Jim O’Brien and NBA executive Stu Jackson, Perry spent his freshman year with the Ducks prior to transferring.

Perry’s father, Lowell, was the first black assistant coach in the NFL, hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957.

As director of college scouting for Chicago, Lloyd oversaw the scouting and information compilation of prospects for the NBA Draft, along with statistical analysis of pro and amateur players. He implemented and maintained a database which organized scouting information.

Lloyd began with the Bulls in 1994 as a game-day and special projects employee in the video room. He joined the team full-time in 1999 and was the team’s media services coordinator for four seasons. Lloyd then joined the basketball operations department in 2003, and served as senior manager of basketball operations/scout for four seasons.

In addition, Lloyd also worked as a game-day employee with the Chicago White Sox in their video department for five years.

Prior to joining the Bulls full-time, Lloyd spent one year (1998-99) as the assistant director of information services for Conference USA, and a year-and-a-half (1997-98) as director of media services for the Arena Football League. He also completed an internship at ESPN during his senior year of college.

Lloyd graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1996, where he worked for three years in the athletic department.

Raptors extend qualifying offers to Jerryd Bayless and Sonny Weems

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents guard Jerryd Bayless and guard-forward Sonny Weems.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favour of the NBA team for which the player last played.

Bayless averaged career highs of 11.4 points, 3.8 assists and 22.7 minutes in 31 games last season. In 11 starts, he upped his averages to 17.8 points, 5.3 assists and 34.5 minutes. He contributed 21.8 points, 7.6 assists and 37.6 minutes in a stretch of five consecutive starts from March 11-17, shooting .543 (38-70) from the field.

Bayless was acquired from New Orleans on November 20, 2010. In 91 appearances with Toronto, he has averaged 10.4 points, 3.9 assists and 22.6 minutes.

Weems spent the 2011-12 season with Zalgiris in the Lithuanian league. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16 VTB League outings and 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in five Euroleague contests.

Weems averaged career highs in points (9.2) and minutes (23.9) in 59 games with the Raptors in 2010-11. In a career-best 28 starts, he posted averages of 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 29.8 minutes. He scored in double figures 27 times.

Weems has appeared in 140 games with Denver and Toronto in his three NBA campaigns, averaging 7.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 20.3 minutes. He joined the Raptors in a trade from Milwaukee on August 18, 2009.

The team also announced it will not tender a qualifying offer to centre Solomon Alabi.

Lakers extend qualifying offers to Devin Ebanks and Darius Morris

The Los Angeles Lakers have extended qualifying offers to forward Devin Ebanks and guard Darius Morris, making them both restricted free agents, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

A second year player out of West Virginia, Ebanks was selected by the Lakers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. The 6-9 forward appeared in 24 games (12 starts) with the Lakers last season, averaging 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 16.5 minutes. Ebanks also appeared in three games for the D-Fenders, averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 32.0 minutes.

Ebanks has career averages of 3.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.30 assists in 44 games.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (41st overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Morris appeared in 19 regular season games for the Lakers last season, averaging 2.4 points and 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes. In addition to his role with the Lakers, Morris played in one game with the D-Fenders, where he recorded 21 points, one rebound and four assists in 28 minutes of play.

The 6-4 guard out of the University of Michigan, played two seasons for the Wolverines where he averaged 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. An All-Big Ten Third Team selection during his sophomore year, Morris also set a Michigan record for assists in a single season (235).