NBA News Blog – Page 1147 – NBA Blog

Utah Jazz will sign Josh Howard

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has agreed in principle to a deal with free-agent forward/guard Josh Howard, pending the outcome of a successful physical. It is a one-year deal.

A 2007 All-Star, Howard holds career averages of 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 453 games (381 starts) over eight professional seasons in Dallas and Washington, including career highs of 19.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the 2007-08 season. Howard initially joined the Wizards via trade from Dallas on February 13, 2010, and appeared in four games (three starts) for Washington in 2009-10. In his first three contests as a Wizard, he averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before a knee injury on February 22, 2010 vs. Chicago caused him to miss the final 28 games of the season. In 2010-11, he appeared in 18 games (10 starts) for Washington, averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Howard was originally acquired by the Mavericks in the first round (29th pick) of the 2003 Draft, and later appeared in 62 career playoff games (57 starts) for Dallas, with averages of 15.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in postseason play. Howard averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in 23 playoff games (all starts) for the Mavericks during their run to the 2006 NBA Finals. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2004. Howard was teammates with current Jazz guard Devin Harris in Dallas from 2004-08.

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Howard played four seasons at Wake Forest. As a senior, he was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press and was a unanimous selection as Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks. Howard was also the top vote-getter for the ACC All-Defensive Team as a senior.

New Jersey Nets sign forward Shawne Williams

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent forward Shawne Williams, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. The contract is for two years and $6.1 million, reported the New York Post.

“Shawne is a versatile player who will add a needed dimension to our frontcourt,” said King. “He can play inside as well as shoot the three, and is a welcome addition to our roster.”

Williams, a 6-9 forward, comes to the Nets following a one-year stint with the New York Knicks where he played in 64 games and posted career-best averages of 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game, while shooting .401 from three point range. The University of Memphis product was chosen by Indiana in the first round (17th overall) in the 2006 NBA Draft.

Williams played two seasons in Indiana before being traded to Dallas prior to the 2008-09 season.

In January of 2010, Williams was acquired by New Jersey in a multi-player trade with Dallas, although he did not appear in any games with the Nets. Over his four-year NBA career, Williams holds career averages of 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds over 190 games. He appeared in four postseason games with New York last season, averaging 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting .429 from three point range.

Memphis Grizzlies waive center Mikki Moore

The Memphis Grizzlies waived center Mikki Moore, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Moore (6-11, 225) holds career averages of 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 557 games (181 starts) over a 12-year NBA career (1998-2010) with the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

The 36-year-old University of Nebraska product was originally signed by Memphis on Dec. 10, 2011.

Denver Nuggets sign forward Michael Ruffin

The Denver Nuggets have signed NBA veteran forward Michael Ruffin, bringing their training-camp roster to 16.

Ruffin, 6-8, 248, has averaged 1.7 points and 3.9 rebounds with six teams in nine NBA seasons. He most recently played for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2008-09 season.

Ruffin, a graduate of Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo., spent part of last season coaching the Colorado Kings of the American Basketball Association before playing for Obradoiro CAB in Spain.

Kings still hoping for new Sacramento arena

Sacramento Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are growing increasingly optimistic that the city will approve an acceptable financing plan for a new arena by the March 1 deadline to keep the franchise from relocating.

Gavin Maloof said Thursday that the team is pleased with the progress of the city’s latest arena project and is “encouraged that something can be done” in time. Joe Maloof said the brothers are “optimistic guys” and would love for the franchise to remain in Sacramento.

— Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press

Trail Blazers sign guard Jamal Crawford

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to terms with guard Jamal Crawford. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details shortly.

Crawford, 31, holds career averages of 15.4 points (41.0% FG, 35.0% 3-PT, 84.6% FT), 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 11 seasons with Chicago, New York, Golden State and Atlanta.

“We’ve thought highly of Jamal for a long time and think he’s a great fit for our team,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “He brings a scorer’s touch and veteran leadership that will help us immediately.”

Winner of the 2009-10 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award with Atlanta, Crawford (6-5, 200) played the last two seasons for the Hawks and placed second in the NBA in bench scoring (14.2 ppg) last season. With 1,307 career 3-pointers, Crawford ranks 13th among active NBA players and his 33 career four-point plays is an NBA record.

He has scored 50-plus points three times, including a career-high 52 on Jan. 26, 2007, with New York.

A Seattle native who played collegiately at the University of Michigan, Crawford was the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.

Trail Blazers waive retiring guard Brandon Roy via amnesty clause

The Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on guard Brandon Roy and designated him as the team’s amnesty player, the team announced today.

“Brandon’s announcement that he is leaving the game ultimately shifted our decision to amnesty,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “We’re given the immediate option to obtain additional salary cap flexibility as we will no longer be in the Luxury Tax – something that is critical to improving our team and helping us recover from the loss of a player of Brandon’s caliber.”

Roy, 27, played five NBA seasons for the Trail Blazers, cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever suit up in Portland with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.03 steals and 35.6 minutes in 321 career games (295 starts).

“When faced with this decision, it made the most sense for us to amnesty his contract,” said Trail Blazers President Larry Miller. “We have a solid core group of players that we want to continue to build around. We owe it to our fans to put the best possible product on the court and this puts us in a better position to do that sooner rather than later. We once again want to thank Brandon for his many contributions as a Trail Blazer and wish him the best in his life after basketball.”

Roy led the Trail Blazers in scoring in three consecutive seasons from 2007-10. He became the first Trail Blazer since 1991-92 to rank among the NBA’s top 10 scorers when his 22.6 points per game ranked 10th in the league in 2008-09.

In just five seasons with the Trail Blazers, Roy ranks 15th on the team’s all-time scoring list with 6,107 career points. On Jan. 10, 2010, Roy became the third-fastest Trail Blazer to record 5,000 career points (247 games). He also ranks 12th among Portland’s all-time leaders in career assists (1,494) and 10th in 3-point field goals (322).

In 15 career playoff appearances (seven starts), Roy averaged 16.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.6 minutes. In his first career postseason, he averaged 26.7 points in six games in 2009. His 42 points in Game 2 vs. Houston were the most by a player in his first or second career playoff game in NBA history.

A three-time NBA All-Star (2008-10), Roy earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 2008-09, becoming the first Trail Blazer to garner All-NBA honors since Clyde Drexler did so in 1991-92. He was a five-time winner of the Western Conference’s Player of the Week award, joining Drexler as the only players in franchise history to win the award five times.

Acquired by Portland in a draft-day trade with Minnesota, Roy was the sixth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of Washington.

Charlotte Bobcats sign guard Reggie Williams

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed guard Reggie Williams. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details here later today.

The 6-6 Williams signed with the Warriors in March 2010 and spent the remainder of the 2009-10 season and all of 2010-11 with the team. In 104 total games, he has career averages of 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while shooting .477 from the field (408-855) and .405 from beyond the three-point line (135-333). In 80 games played last season, he averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, and ranked ninth in the NBA with a three-point field goal percentage of .423 (102-241).

Williams will have surgery in the coming days to repair a tear of the lateral meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to be sidelined for approximately 6-8 weeks.

Williams, who led all NCAA Division I players in scoring in both his junior and senior years at Virginia Military Institute, was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft and spent the 2008-09 season playing in France before joining the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League for the 2009-10 season. A 2010 D-League All-Star, he was leading the league in scoring at 26.4 points per game and was named Player of the Month in February before being called up to the Warriors.

Orlando Magic re-sign forward Earl Clark

The Orlando Magic have re-signed free agent forward Earl Clark, President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed. We’ll post details later today.

Clark (6’10”, 225, 1/17/88) played in 42 games last season with both Phoenix and Orlando, averaging 3.9 ppg. and 2.4 rpg. in 11.0 minpg. He was acquired by the Magic on December 18, 2010 from Phoenix, along with Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu, in a six-player trade. With Orlando, Clark appeared in 33 games, averaging 4.1 ppg. and 2.5 rpg. in 11.9 minpg. He scored in double figures five times (four times with Orlando), including a career-high-tying 14 points in a career-best 26 minutes on Feb. 11 vs. New Orleans.

“Earl (Clark) is a young, athletic forward who brings a lot of energy when he comes into the game, especially at the defensive end of the floor,” said Smith. “We are glad to have him back as a member of the Magic.”

Originally selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft by Phoenix, Clark has appeared in 93 career regular season games with Phoenix and Orlando, averaging 3.3 ppg. and 1.8 rpg. in 9.1 minpg. He also has played in four playoff contests, averaging 1.5 ppg. and 1.5 rpg. in 4.8 minpg.

Golden State Warriors sign Dominic McGuire

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Dominic McGuire, the team announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

McGuire, 26, played with the Charlotte Bobcats last season, appearing in 52 games (eight starts) and averaging 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per contest. In eight starting assignments, the 6’9” forward averaged 3.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.13 blocks in 26.4 minutes.

Originally selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round (#47) of the 2007 NBA Draft out of Fresno State, McGuire owns career averages of 2.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 15.2 minutes in 252 regular-season games over four seasons with the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Bobcats. The San Diego, CA, native makes his return to the Bay Area, where he spent two seasons (2003-05) at the University of California, Berkley.