NBA News Blog – Page 1020 – NBA Blog

Bobcats extend qualifying offers to D.J. Augustin and Derrick Brown

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has extended qualifying offers to guard D.J. Augustin and forward Derrick Brown, making them restricted free agents. The qualifying offers allow the Bobcats to match any offer they receive from another team.

Augustin was initially selected by the Bobcats with the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He averaged 11.1 points and a career-high 6.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per game during the 2011-12 season. In his four NBA seasons, Augustin has played in 282 games, averaging 10.9 points and 4.4 assists in 26.8 minutes, and is the Bobcats career leader in free-throw percentage (.876).

Brown was selected by the Bobcats with the 40th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged career bests of 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 22.2 minutes in 65 games played last season. In 171 games over three NBA seasons with the Bobcats and Knicks, he has career averages of 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.9 minutes played.

Timberwolves want to trade for Pau Gasol

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying hard to land Spanish forward Pau Gasol.

If they have to part with the highest draft choice in franchise history after just one season, the Wolves appear ready to do it.

That much became clear leading up to the NBA draft on Thursday, when Minnesota offered Derrick Williams in hopes of landing the second pick from the Charlotte Bobcats to help get Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

The people requested anonymity because the talks were meant to remain private. The deal never came together before the draft, and the Bobcats stayed at No. 2 and took Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Timberwolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Gasol in hopes of putting the four-time NBA All-Star with fellow Spaniard Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love on a revamped roster aimed at returning the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Grizzlies extend qualifying offers to Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur

The Memphis Grizzlies extended qualifying offers to restricted free agent forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur, Grizzlies General Manger and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Speights (6-10, 255) set career highs in scoring (8.8 points), rebounding (6.2) and minutes (22.4) in 60 games (54 starts) last season after being acquired by Memphis from the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 4, 2012 in a three-team trade that also included the New Orleans Hornets. The 24-year-old averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.3 minutes during the Grizzlies’ seven-game first-round series with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

The St. Petersburg, Fla. native holds NBA career averages of 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.4 minutes in 265 games (58 starts) over four seasons with the Grizzlies and 76ers. Philadelphia selected Speights with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.

Arthur (6-9, 235) posted career bests in scoring (9.1 points), blocks (0.79), field goal percentage (.497), free throw percentage (.813) and minutes (20.1) in 80 games (nine starts) during the 2010-11 season before a torn right Achilles sustained on Dec. 18, 2011 caused the 24-year-old to miss the entire 2011-12 season.

The Dallas native owns NBA career averages of 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.8 minutes in 188 games (74 starts) with the Grizzlies. After leading the Kansas Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA National Championship, Arthur was selected by New Orleans with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and traded to Memphis on draft night.

Extending a qualifying offer prior to the June 30 deadline gives Memphis the ability to match any offer sheet a player signs with another team during the offseason.

Pistons land Andre Drummond in NBA Draft

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the club has selected Andre Drummond with the with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft held on Thursday, June 28. The club also selected Khris Middleton with the 39th pick and Kim English with the 44th pick in the second round.

“We are pleased to draft Andre Drummond with the number nine pick,” said Joe Dumars, Pistons President of Basketball Operations. “He’s a player with good size and physical tools and we look forward to seeing him grow within our organization. We’re real pleased to add Khris Middleton and Kim English in the second round. They’re two young players that will give us quality depth at the wing positions.”

Drummond, a 6-11, 279-pound center from the University of Connecticut, averaged 10.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 2.7 blocks as a freshman for the Huskies. In 34 games, he shot a team-high 53.8% from the field and ranked third in blocks (2.7) in the Big East Conference. Drummond recorded a season-high 24 points (11-12 FG), eight rebounds and five blocks vs. Holy Cross (12/18). Drummond also earned two Big East Big East Rookie of the Week honors last season by scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds vs. West Virginia (1/9) and 18 points (9-12 FG) with seven rebounds at Georgetown (2/1). A native of Mount Vernon, N.Y., he was rated the No.1 high school prospect by Scout.com, No.2 in the ESPNU Top-100 and led St. Thomas More (Conn.) to the 2011 Prep National Championship.

Middleton, a 6-7 junior from Texas A&M, averaged 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season. In 87 career games, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 rebounds as a collegian. Middleton averaged 14.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a sophomore and earned Second Team All-Big 12 and All-Districts selections.

English played four seasons at Missouri and averaged 14.1 points (.521 FG), 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a senior. He scored in double figures in 26-of-35 games last season including seven games with 20-plus points. English shot 39.4% from beyond the arc last season and shot better than 36.0% from three-point range in each of his four years. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors as a senior and was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Big 12 Tournament.

Thunder select Perry Jones in 2012 Draft

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Perry Jones III with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft held this evening at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Jones III (6-11, 235 pounds), appeared in 63 games during his two season at Baylor University and registered averages of 13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. As a sophomore, Jones III earned AP All-American Honorable Mention honors before leading Baylor to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament.

This past season, Jones III recorded nine double-doubles and received Second-Team All-Big 12 honors by the media and Big 12 All-Tournament First Team honors. During the Big 12 tournament, Jones III averaged 22.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in three games.

As a freshman, Jones III was named a unanimous Big 12 All-Rookie selection as he became the first player in Baylor history to be named a USBWA Freshman All-American.

In high school, Jones III was named a Parade, McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American while playing at Duncanville High School in Texas.

Suns select Kendall Marshall in 2012 Draft

The Phoenix Suns tonight selected University of North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

“We are ecstatic, as happy as we were last year,” said Suns General Manager Lance Blanks. “Looking at our board and who was there at the 13th pick, that was the guy we were targeting all along. Kendall came here and had a wonderful visit. He came back, we got a second look at him, and quite frankly, Kendall represents where we are as an organization. Don’t read too far into this as far as free agency—he represents everything we want to be about, as a player and as a person. He’s a winner.”

Marshall, a 6-4, 195-pound pure point guard, was a two-year performer at North Carolina where this season he earned the 2012 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard after serving as the floor general for the nation’s second-highest scoring offense (82.0; Iona, 83.3). An unselfish and accurate passer, Marshall averaged an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) single-season record 9.8 assists, second-most in the nation, and the eighth-highest average in NCAA history overall. In doing so, he established an NCAA record for the highest assist average by a sophomore in history and a single-season ACC record for total assists (311).

An Associated Press Third-Team All-American and CBS Sports.com First Team All-America selection, Marshall earned Second-Team All-ACC honors in 2011-12 and was named Third-Team All-ACC as a freshman. The 20-year-old Marshall finished his collegiate career as the all-time assist average leader (7.96) at North Carolina’s decorated program, and as the owner of the best assist-to-turnover ratio in conference history (3.01). He led the conference in assists in both of his collegiate seasons, and became just the second Tar Heel ever to do so as a freshman.

A capable all-around player, Marshall established career averages of 7.2 points, 8.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 73 career games. He is a career 44.5 percent shooter overall, including 36.4 percent from three-point range. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.1 points, 9.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals while making 46.7 percent of his shots overall.

Magic select Andrew Nicholson in 2012 Draft

The Orlando Magic selected forward Andrew Nicholson in the first round (19th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

Nicholson (6’9”, 250, 12/8/89) appeared in 123 career games at St. Bonaventure University, averaging 17.1 ppg., 7.2 rpg. and 1.98 blkpg. in 29.9 minpg. and shot .575 (809-1,407) from the field during his collegiate career. He earned All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors all four seasons and was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as a senior in 2011-12. Nicholson also earned All-American honors by The Associated Press in 2011-12. Nicholson led the Bonnies in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots for three straight seasons (2009-12).

“We are excited to have Andrew (Nicholson) join our Orlando Magic family,” said General Manager Rob Hennigan. “We feel he embodies the types of values that will put him in a position to achieve success here. He’s a humble, high character player, who’s committed to working hard and playing within a team concept. We are intrigued by his cerebral, instinctual approach to the game.”

Nicholson ranks second all-time in school history in scoring (2,103 points), second in blocked shots (244), second in field goal percentage and fourth in rebounds (887).

As a senior (2011-12), Nicholson played in 32 games, averaging 18.5 ppg., 8.4 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 2.0 blkpg. in 30.1 minpg. He scored in double figures 29 times. Nicholson grabbed a career-best 23 rebounds (along with 21 points) against Duquesne, and led the Bonnies to the NCAA Tournament.

During his junior year (2010-11), Nicholson appeared in 31 games, averaging 20.8 ppg., 7.3 rpg. and 1.5 blkpg. in 33.8 minpg. He scored in double figures 30 times, including a career-high 44 points against Ohio University.

As a sophomore (2009-10), Nicholson appeared in 30 games, averaging 16.4 ppg., 7.1 rpg. and 1.8 blkpg. in 30.2 minpg. During his freshman season (2008-09), he averaged 12.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg. and a team-high 2.7 blkpg. in 25.1 minpg.

Nicholson, son of Fabian and Colmaleen, graduated with a degree in physics from St. Bonaventure.

The Orlando Magic selected forward-center Kyle O’Quinn in the second round (49th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

O’Quinn (6’10”, 240, 3/26/90) appeared in 129 career games at Norfolk State University, averaging 12.5 ppg., 8.5 rpg. and 2.2 blkpg. in 27.3 minpg. and shot .553 (610-1,104) from the field during his collegiate career. He was the 2012 Lou Henson recipient as the nation’s top mid-major player. O’Quinn was the 2011-12 MEAC Player of the Year and a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year (2010-11, 2011-12). He was also named MVP of the 2012 Portsmouth Invitational, averaging 11.7 ppg., 11.7 rpg. and 3.7 blkpg. in three games.

As a senior (2011-12), O’Quinn played in 36 games, averaging 15.9 ppg., 10.3 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 2.7 blkpg. in 31.3 minpg. He helped the #15-seed Spartans to a historic upset of #2-seed Missouri in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament with 26 points and 14 rebounds. O’Quinn, an All-MEAC First Team selection and MVP of the 2012 MEAC Tournament, led the conference and tied for fifth in the nation with 20 double-doubles. He also ranked 14th in the country in field goal percentage (.573, 205-358), 15th in blocked shots and 16th in rebounding.

Hawks add John Jenkins and Mike Scott in 2012 Draft

On Thursday night, the Atlanta Hawks selected Vanderbilt sharpshooter John Jenkins in the first round (23rd overall) and Virginia’s Mike Scott in the second round (43rd selection) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

“John can really shoot, plays hard and is a competitive kid,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry. “Having a guy out there who can space the floor for our core group will make everything function better when he’s on the court. Mike Scott’s experience, and his ability to score and rebound was a good value where we were picking.”

“We’re very happy John was available at number 23, and we were able to get him,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He can really come off screens, and needs just a little bit of daylight to get his shot off. He has terrific range, and when you play against guys like that who can shoot the ball, it just gives you another weapon.”

An early-entry candidate, Jenkins led the Southeastern Conference in scoring the last two years, and was named a two-time First Team All-SEC performer. Last season, he averaged 19.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.2 apg (.474 FG%, .439 3FG%, .837 FT%), appearing in 35 games, leading the nation in three-pointers per game (3.83) and earning Third Team AP All-America honors.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jenkins, who is second on Vanderbilt’s career-list in three-pointers made (306) and third-best in percentage (.438), averaged 19.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.2 apg as a sophomore in 2010-11, finishing second in the SEC in free throw percentage (.894). He put up 20.8 ppg in conference contests. Jenkins started seven of 31 games in his freshman year (2009-10), hitting 11.0 ppg.

Jenkins attended Station Camp High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where he averaged the second-most points (42.3) in Tennessee high school history. John Logan Jenkins III was born March 6, 1991 in Nashville, Tennessee. He will wear uniform number 12.

Scott earned First Team All-ACC honors as a senior at Virginia, averaging 18.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.2 apg (.563 FG%, .808 FT%). He ranks third in school history in rebounds (944) and double-doubles (34), finishing 16th in points scored (1,538).

James Michael Scott was born July 16, 1988 in Chesapeake, Virginia, and attended Deep Creek High School. He will wear number 32.

Knicks draft Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece

The Knicks looked to the future Thursday on draft night, selecting Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece with the 48th overall pick. It was a decision that disappointed many fans because Papanikolaou, a 6-foot-8 forward, will probably play overseas for at least two years.

Last season, Papanikolaou played for Olympiacos. He helped the team beat C.S.K.A. Moscow, 62-61, in the Turkish Euroleague championship game.

Papanikolaou averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season. He is also a member of Greece’s Olympic national team.

“He plays hard and he’s highly skilled,” General Manager Glen Grunwald said. “He needs to improve his shooting, but we watched him improve over the course of this year.”

Papanikolaou will not join the team during its summer league games next month in Las Vegas because he still has one year left on his contract.

— Reported by Nate Taylor and Howard Beck of the New York Times

Wolves draft Robbie Hummel in 2nd round

The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight selected Robbie Hummel in the second round (58th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. Hummel, a 6-8 forward from Purdue, averaged 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 127 games over his four-year career for the Boilermakers. This past year as a senior, Hummel averaged 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.

The Valparaiso, Indiana, native earned Honorable Mention All-American honors from The Associated Press as a junior and senior, and was named First Team All-Big Ten as a freshman, junior and senior. Hummel ranks ninth all time in Purdue history in scoring (1,772 points), fourth in rebounds (862) and games started (120), and seventh in blocks (112).