NBA News Blog – Page 1244 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves trade Bojan Bogdanovic to Nets

The New Jersey Nets have acquired the draft rights to the 31st overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Bojan Bogdanovic, from the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for the Nets’ 2013 second round pick and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Minnesota acquired the pick in a previous transaction with the Miami Heat.

Bogdanovic, 6’8″/216, averaged 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals during the 2010-11 season with Cibona VIP in the Adriatic League. He shot .452 (146-323) from the field and .745 (117-157) from the line.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I hear Bogdanovic has a legit chance to someday help a team’s bench. Whichever team finally decides to stop trading him, that is.

Timberwolves trade Nikola Mirotic to Bulls

The Chicago Bulls acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves the 23rd pick (Nikola Mirotic, Montenegro) of the 2011 NBA Draft. In exchange, the Bulls conveyed the 28th pick (Norris Cole, Cleveland State) and 43rd pick (Malcolm Lee, UCLA) of the Draft, as well as cash. Minnesota had acquired the 23rd pick from the Houston Rockets in an earlier Draft-related trade.

Nikola Mirotic (KNEE-coh-lah ME-row-titch), a 6-10, 220-pound forward, spent the 2010-11 season with Real Madrid’s senior team. The 20-year old native of Podgorica, Montenegro appeared in 27 contests, and averaged 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 0.60 spg in 16.1 mpg, and he shot .415 from behind the arc. An early-entry candidate for the 2011 NBA Draft, Mirotec played for Joker School Podgorica Academy in his native Montenegro from 2004-06, before he joined Real Madrid’s junior squad in 2006. Most recently, he was the recipient of the 2010-11 Euroleague Rising Star award for the best player under 23 years of age.

Cole, a 6-2, 170-pound guard, completed his collegiate career as the school leader in games played (140), consecutive starts (105), minutes played (4,114), and third in Cleveland State history in points scored (1,978). This past season, he was named Horizon League Player of the Year, as well as Defensive Player of the Year, when he posted averages of 21.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.3 apg and 2.20 spg. In four years with the Vikings, he played in 140 games and posted 14.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.50 spg and 29.4 mpg.

Lee, 6-5, 200 pounds, was an early-entry candidate for the 2011 NBA Draft. As a junior, he earned First Team All-Pac 10 and Pac-10 All-Defensive Team honors. On the season, he averaged 13.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.0 apg and 33.1 mpg in 33 games. He appeared in 94 games during his three-year career with the Bruins, and averaged 9.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg and 26.7 mpg.

Timberwolves trade Norris Cole to Heat for Bojan Bogdanovic

The Miami Heat announced today they have acquired the draft rights to guard Norris Cole (28th overall) from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic (31st overall) and a future second-round draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Cole, a 6’2”, 170-pound guard, played all four seasons at Cleveland State University appearing in 140 games (106 starts) and averaged 14.1 points, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.48 steals and 29.4 minutes while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from three-point range and 82.6 percent from the foul line. He finished his collegiate career as Cleveland State’s all-time leader in games played, consecutive games played (140), consecutive starts (105) and minutes played (4,114). He finished second on the school’s all-time list in wins (90) and free throw percentage, third in points (1,978), free throws made (485), field goal attempts (1,555) and tied for third in assists (455), fourth in free throw attempts (587) and field goals made (677), fifth in three-point field goal attempts (433), sixth in steals (207) and ninth in three-point field goals made (139).

Cole was named as the 2011 Horizon League Player of the Year and the 2011 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the only player in league history to capture both honors during the same season. He set single-season school records during his senior season in points (780), minutes (1,285), field goal attempts (572), free throws made (227) and free throws attempted (266). Additionally, the five-time Horizon League Player of the Week last season posted just the second 40-20 game in Division I over the last 15 years, scoring 41 points while grabbing 20 rebounds vs. Youngstown State on February 12, 2011.

Mike Miller undergoes surgery on left thumb

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Miami Heat forward Mike Miller is recovering from surgery for a ruptured tendon in his left thumb.

Miller was injured during the latter stages of the regular season, finishing the postseason in protective bracing on his non-shooting hand.

Miller sustained a similar injury to his right thumb during the preseason.

Pistons interview Patrick Ewing for head coaching job

David Aldridge of NBA.com reports:

The Detroit Pistons have expanded their head coaching search by interviewing Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing, according to league sources.

Ewing, 49, has long desired to be a head coach, and has decried what he viewed as pigeonholing him as a “big man” assistant, a role he has undertaken while an assistant coach in Houston with Yao Ming and in Orlando with Dwight Howard. Ewing has said that he does a lot more than just work with bigs and is ready to run a team. He badly wanted to get a shot with the Knicks, the team for whom he became a superstar after being taken first overall in the 1985 Draft.

Hornets forward David West still undecided about his opt-out decision

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports:

With less than one week remaining before a deadline to decide whether to opt out of the final year of his contract, New Orleans Hornets forward David West said Friday he still hasn’t decided to stay or go.

West, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on March 24 and had reconstructive surgery on April 12, can walk away from $7.5 million next season and test the free-agent market. He must decide by June 30.

“I’m going to talk to (the Hornets) later in the day,” West, a two-time All-Star, said Friday morning. “I just want to make sure I make the clearest decision possible as to what the next step in my career will be. I’ll talk to them later, maybe throw some ideas around.

“I never really intended. . . . even before I got hurt, my whole intention was to wait and make sure the decision I made was a clear-headed one.”
West did not indicate which way he was leaning. Conventional thinking, following the injury, was that West would likely choose to remain with the Hornets and play next season – if there is one considering the impending labor unrest – because his value on the open market would have been diminished by the injury.

Mitch Kupchak says recent Lakers rumors were agent-driven

Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times reports:

In a rare show of exasperation after a week of seeing his players’ names in headlines, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak zinged an unnamed agent, whose identity was obvious.

“A lot of the stuff you read the last three or four days was agent-driven,” said Kupchak.

“A lot of times agents these days think the way to consummate a trade is to suggest publicly ideas that they come up with and I think that’s part of the problem, as well.”

Kupchak also noted that a “prominent media member” started this, saying they should “blow up” the team.

That was none other than … Magic Johnson, former Lakers icon and part-owner.

Dallas Mavericks championship parade cost Mark Cuban $341,000

The AP reports:

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has received a bill for the cost of a parade honoring the NBA champions, which he has pledged to pay out of his own pocket.

City officials determined the cost of the June 16 downtown celebration came to $340,947. City spokesman Frank Librio said Thursday the bill was sent straight to Cuban, who has agreed to pay promptly.

According to the city’s summary sheet, the largest expense, at $270,715, was for the 540-strong police presence.

Bobcats do not see Bismack Biyombo buyout as a problem

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports:

Biyombo worked out for the Bobcats just Wednesday in the final audition before the draft. The knock on Biyombo was his offensive limitations, but coach Paul Silas said Wednesday he didn’t think that was as bad as advertised. The Bobcats expect to play Biyombo as both a power forward and a center.

There was some uncertainty Thursday night as to whether Biyombo would have to be bought out from his contract with a Spanish pro team.

“He got into a dispute with his Spanish team. It’s something we’ll address,” Bobcats general manager Rich Cho said of Biyombo’s buyout. “I think he will be here” next season.

Lakers trade Chukwudiebere Maduabum (yes, really) to Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers have sent the draft rights to second round selection (56th overall) Chukwudiebere Maduabum to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a future second round draft pick, it was announced today.

Maduabum, a 6’9” forward from Nigeria, appeared in three games last season with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.

Entering the 2011 NBA Draft, the Lakers held four picks in the second round, selecting Darius Morris (41st overall), Andrew Goudelock (46th overall), Maduabum (56th overall) and Ater Majok (58th overall).