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Mavericks waive forward Sean Williams

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have requested waivers on forward Sean Williams.

Williams (6-10, 235) played eight games with the Mavericks after signing as a free agent on Dec. 21. In those appearances, he averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 8.1 minutes while shooting .750 (12-16 FGs) from the field and .833 (5-6 FTs) from the free throw line.

Williams also saw considerable time assigned to the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He played 24 games with 23 starts for Texas and averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.54 blocks and 1.0 assist in 28.5 minutes while shooting .496 (132-266 FGs) from the field and .766 (85-111 FTs) from the free throw line.

The Mavericks roster now stands at 14 players.

Warriors sign center Mickell Gladness to 10-day contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent center Mickell Gladness to a 10-day contract, the team announced today.

Gladness, 25, made his NBA debut this season as a member of the Miami Heat, appearing in eight games over two different stints with the club. The 6’11” center made the Heat’s opening night roster and appeared in three games before being waived on February 7. He subsequently signed the first of two 10-day contracts with the Heat on February 12 and signed the second 10-day contract on February 28.

Prior to joining the Heat for their 2011-12 training camp, Gladness appeared in four games for the Dakota Wizards, the Warriors’ NBA Development League team, averaging 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.75 blocks in 20.8 minutes per contest. Overall, he has appeared in 81 D-League games over three seasons, averaging 4.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.41 blocks combined with Dakota and Rio Grande Valley. A product of Alabama A&M, Gladness went undrafted in the 2008 NBA Draft and played one season professionally overseas before joining the D-League for the 2009-10 campaign.

Gladness, who will wear #32, is scheduled to be in uniform for the team’s game tonight at Houston.

Assist-happy Bucks have won 6 straight games

This is no passing fancy.

At least the Milwaukee Bucks seriously hope not.

They are sharing the ball at a breathtaking pace during their six-game winning streak, piling up assists and leaving opposing defenses dazed and confused.

Those 35 assists against Portland in a 29-point runaway on Tuesday night?

Just more of the same for a Bucks team with suddenly serious designs on an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Newcomer Monta Ellis led the way with nine assists and fueled a game-breaking run early in the third quarter to silence the Rose Garden crowd.

“He hasn’t surprised us,” said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. “He goes to the open man, and I think to his credit, he’s also trying to fit in.

“There are going to come moments when we’re going to need him to take the ball and go get baskets. He’s certainly capable of doing that.

“But he’s really making good reads. He’s hitting big guys diving to the goal. He’s hitting bigs on pick-and-pop. He’s spreading the ball around. He’s playing really well.”

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Chicago sportswriter Lacy J. Banks dies

Lacy J. Banks was an unconventional pioneer.

He was a trailblazer as the first African-American sportswriter for the Sun-Times, a job that led him to cover seven world championships involving Chicago teams.

He was a Baptist preacher for nearly 60 years, too, a side of himself he could uniquely intertwine into his career as a journalist.

And beginning in 2008 he became his own journalism subject, chronicling his health battles with prostate cancer, a brain tumor and heart disease in blogs he wrote for the Sun-Times.

He won his first two battles, but the last would conquer him. Banks, 68, died Wednesday.

Banks was the longest-serving sportswriter on the Sun-Times’ staff, joining the paper on Aug. 7,

1972, and remaining on staff until his death. For most of that time, he covered the Bulls and the NBA, ranking among the longest-tenured pro basketball writers in the country. His time on the beat spanned from the mid-1980s to last season, when he covered the Bulls into the NBA postseason.

— Reported by Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times

Trail Blazers claim J.J. Hickson off waivers, and waive Mehmet Okur

The Portland Trail Blazers have claimed forward J.J. Hickson off waivers, it was announced Wednesday.

“We like J.J.’s energy and physicality,” said Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “He’s a young, but experienced player who can help our frontline.”

The Sacramento Kings waived Hickson on March 19.

According to the Associated Press, “Golden State and Phoenix had also been reported to have interest in the 6-foot-9 Hickson, who had been bothered recently by back spasms and had played only six minutes in the past 10 games. Hickson was a first-round pick by Cleveland out of North Carolina State in 2008. For his career, he has averaged 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.”

In a separate move, the team has waived center Mehmet Okur, acquired in a March 15 trade with New Jersey.

Hickson, 23, averaged 4.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 18.4 minutes in 35 games (nine starts) for the Kings this season.

In four NBA seasons with Cleveland and Sacramento, Hickson (6-9, 242) holds averages of 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 20.5 minutes in 258 games (148 starts).

The Trail Blazers roster stands at 15 players.

Ben Gordon scores 45, but Pistons lose to Nuggets

JaVale McGee’s debut with the Denver Nuggets was punctuated by a smashing finish.

And the Nuggets needed it to overcome Ben Gordon’s record-tying night from 3-point range.

McGee soared into the lane to rebound a teammate’s missed free throw and dunk with 5 seconds remaining, and the Nuggets withstood Gordon’s season-high 45 points for a 116-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

McGee’s rebound and slam followed a missed foul shot by Arron Afflalo, who was fouled while making a driving layup with 5.6 seconds left. That basket pulled the Nuggets within 115-114 after they had blown a 25-point lead…

Gordon, who tied the NBA record by going 9 for 9 behind the arc, said the loss was especially tough to take after coming all the way back.

“We had our shots, we just had two bad possessions at the end,” Gordon said. “Obviously the Afflalo drive; we fouled him while he was driving to the basket while we were up three. Should have just let him get the two. And the tip dunk by McGee. It came off the rim so fast and he got up there.”

Ty Lawson led the Nuggets with 25 points and Afflalo had 23. McGee finished with 15.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Miami Heat sign center Ronny Turiaf

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed free agent center Ronny Turiaf. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very happy to be able to add an experienced veteran center at this stage of the season,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “Ronny’s energy will be a great addition and bolster our front line.”

Turiaf, a seven-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 362 career games (90 starts) and averaged 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.36 blocks and 17.9 minutes while shooting 52.9 percent from the field. He appeared in four games with Washington this season totaling six points, 12 rebounds, six steals, five assists and three blocks in 58 minutes of action while shooting a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. He has appeared in 30 postseason career games (four starts) and averaged 3.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 11.2 minutes while shooting 44.8 percent from the field.

The February 2010 NBA Cares Community Award winner finished among league leaders in blocks in three straight seasons, tied for 28th (1.08) in 2006-07, tied for 22nd (1.38) in 2007-08 and tied for third (2.13) in 2008-09, while setting a career-high in blocked shots with six on December 17, 2008 at Indiana and then matching his career-high in blocks with six last season on January, 2 2011 vs. Indiana. He has averaged at least one block per game in five of his seven NBA seasons and has shot at least 50 percent from the field in six of those seven seasons.

Turiaf was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round (37th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Rockets re-assign Greg Smith to D-League

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has re-assigned center/forward Greg Smith back to Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. This marks the second assignment of Smith’s career.

Smith (6-10, 250, Fresno State) has averaged 0.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.71 blocks in seven games with the Rockets this season. Signed from Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 8, Smith was originally assigned to the Vipers on Feb. 9. He was recalled by Houston from Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 19. Selected as a 2012 NBA D-League All-Star, Smith has averaged 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.33 blocks in 21 games (17 starts) with the Vipers in 2011-12. At the time of his last recall, Smith was the D-League leader in field goal percentage (.664, 150-226 FG), was tied for sixth in the league in double-doubles (eight), 10th in rebounding average (7.9), 13th in scoring (16.7) and 14th in blocks per game (1.33).

In his first stint with the Rockets, Smith averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in two preseason games with Houston before being waived on Dec. 22, 2011. In college, Smith averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore last season at Fresno State. He was also the 2009-10 WAC Freshman of the Year, which was voted on by the WAC head coaches.

Jeff Foster retires from the NBA

After 13 seasons in the NBA, all with the Indiana Pacers, forward/center Jeff Foster announced his retirement Wednesday due to chronic back problems.

“It’s with deep regret that I have to conclude my basketball career,” said Foster. “I’ve given my all to the Pacers and the community the last 13 years. I had hoped to be able to finish the season, but unfortunately my back problems prevented that from occurring. I want to thank the Simon family and the Pacers’ organization for 13 memorable years.”

Foster played in just 11 games this season, averaging 2.3 points per game. One of the more popular players in team history for his on-court hustle, he retires in the Pacers’ top 10 career list in 11 different categories in the team’s NBA history, eight different categories in franchise history.

The 35-year-old Foster had career averages of 4.9 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game.

“Jeff has meant a lot to the team and the community for 13 seasons,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He played hard every night, he always gave his all. He is a great role model for our younger players and we can’t thank him enough for his contributions on and off the court.”

Kings sign Terrence Williams to 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent guard/forward Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract, President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today.

Williams averaged 4.5 ppg (.351 FG%, .421 3PT%, .500 FT%), 2.3 rpg, 0.8 apg and 15.1 mpg in 12 contests for the Houston Rockets this season before being waived on March 16th.

The 11th overall pick out of Louisville in the 2009 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Williams has posted career averages of 7.4 ppg (.394 FG%, .319 3PT%, .695 FT%), 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg and 20.1 mpg through three seasons with the Nets and Rockets.

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