Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Rockets sign Alexander Johnson, waive Hilton Armstrong

Rockets sign Alexander Johnson, waive Hilton Armstrong

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Alexander Johnson for the remainder of the season and waived forward Hilton Armstrong. Johnson, who joins the Rockets from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League, marks his first Call-Up to the NBA this season.

Johnson (6-9, 240, Florida State) averaged 23.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.32 blocks in 22 games (10 starts) with Sioux Falls during the 2009-10 D-League regular season. The former Florida State standout finished the season ranked 12th in the D-League in scoring average and was tied for seventh in the league in rebounds per game. Johnson also played in five games (four starts) with the D-League’s Arkansas RimRockers in 2006-07.

Originally selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, Johnson has averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 102 NBA games (25 starts) with the Memphis Grizzlies (2006-07) and Miami Heat (2007-08).

Armstrong (6-11, 235, Connecticut), who was acquired by Houston from Sacramento in a three-team trade on Feb. 18, averaged 1.1 points and 0.7 rebounds in nine games with the Rockets.

Johnson will wear jersey #30 with the Rockets.

Butler coach Brad Stevens signs new 12-year contract

David Woods of the Indianapolis Star reports:

Stevens, 33, who took Butler on a surprising run to the NCAA championship game, was awarded a new 12-year contract by the university Thursday.

Terms of the contract, which extends through the 2021-22 seasons, were not divulged.

It is widely speculated that Stevens’ total package is at least $1 million annually. The Board of Trustees was discussing that amount, perhaps even before Butler reached the Final Four. Stevens’ base salary two years ago was $395,000, and the total package has been estimated at $750,000.

By comparison, Purdue coach Matt Painter recently agreed to a contract worth $1.3 million a year and incentives that could add another $1 million a year. Indiana coach Tom Crean, the state’s highest-paid employee, makes $2.3 million annually.

InsideHoops.com Joke: Stevens will be 24 years old when the new 12-year deal ends in 2022.

Spurs sign Manu Ginobili to contract extension

Spurs sign Manu Ginobili to contract extension

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that guard Manu Ginobili has signed a multi-year contract extension. Per club policy terms of the contract were not announced.

According to CBS Sports, “Ginobili, 32, will make $11.8 million in 2010-11, $12.9 million in ’11-12 and $14.1 million in the final year of the deal, bringing the total to more than $38,8 million, sources said.”

The 6-6 Ginobili was selected by San Antonio with the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In his eight seasons, Ginobili has helped navigate the Spurs to three NBA Championships. He and Bill Bradley are the only two players to win a NBA Championship, an Olympic gold medal and a Euroleague Championship.

“It is quite obvious how important Manu has been to our program,” said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.  “It is a great feeling to know that one of the best players in the world will continue to be a Spur.”

The 32-year-old Ginobili was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2008.  That season he was also selected to the All-NBA Third Team, becoming the first South American – and first sixth man – to earn All-NBA honors.  Among active NBA players in playoff action Ginobili ranks eighth in three-pointers made (170), fifth in steals (148) and is tied for ninth in free throws made (478). An All-Star in 2005, he has also been named the NBA’s Player of the Week three times.

In 550 regular season games Ginobili has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.51 steals in 27.8 minutes. He is the Spurs franchise leader in three-pointers made (801) and attempted (2,125) and is seventh all-time in points (8,232), eighth in assists (2,058) and fifth in steals (834). Ginobili has appeared in 107 playoff games and averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.38 steals in 32.9 minutes. On San Antonio’s all-time playoff leaders, he ranks first in three-pointers made (170) and attempted (447) and is fourth in points (1,710), third in rebounds (510), fourth in assists (378) and second in steals (148).

A member of the Argentinean National Team since 1998, Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics after averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.38 steals in 29.9 minutes in eight games.  During the 2000-01 season he was named the MVP of both the Italian League and the Euroleague Finals as Virtus Bologna captured the title in both the Italian and Euroleague Championships.

Spurs, Ginobili set to announce extension

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

Spurs, Ginobili set to announce extension

The deal that will keep guard Manu Ginobili with the Spurs for three more seasons has been completed, and the team plans to announce the contract extension on Friday.

Negotiations on final details were hammered out late Thursday afternoon and Ginobili was expected to sign the new contract, the details of which were approved by the NBA office on Thursday.

The extension will pay Ginobili $38.9 million through the 2012-13 season.

George Shinn negotiating to sell Hornets

The AP reports:

New Orleans Hornets majority owner George Shinn is negotiating to sell his stake in the NBA club to south Louisiana businessman Gary Chouest, who has owned 25 percent of the team since 2007, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person familiar with both men’s plans and the anticipated sale, told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because an agreement has not been signed.

Shinn, a 68-year-old businessman who made his fortune developing a chain of business schools in his native North Carolina, has been either the sole or majority owner of the Hornets since the club’s inception in Charlotte in 1988. The club moved to New Orleans in 2002 and three years ago Chouest paid about $62 million for his share of the team.

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoffs

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports (via blog):

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoff opener

Andrew Bynum said Thursday he is leaning toward sitting out until the Lakers open the playoffs rather than risk a setback in his strained left Achilles’ tendon.

Bynum referred to coming back for the last two games of the regular season “possible,” but he later noted: “It’s like, what’s the point? Another possibility to go back a couple steps.”

Bynum was firm in his declaration that he would play in the playoff opener, likely to be April 18. If Bynum doesn’t play until then, he will have missed a month since being hurt March 19.

“I’m going to play in the first game of the playoffs,” he said.

Thunder assign Kyle Weaver to D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned guard Kyle Weaver to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

This will mark Weaver’s third assignment to the 66ers this season. In his two prior stints with Tulsa, Weaver appeared in five games (all starts) averaging 12.4 points, 7.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.40 steals, 1.40 blocks and 42.6 minutes per contest.

The second-year guard has made five appearances for the Thunder this season and recorded averages of 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game.

Weaver is expected to be in uniform today when the Tulsa 66ers take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce at 12:30 PM in Tulsa for the first round of the NBA D-League Playoffs.

Hedo Turkoglu day-to-day after nasal injury

Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu left Wednesday’s game versus Boston at Air Canada Centre at the 1:15 mark of the first quarter after being struck in the nose. A CT scan performed at Mt. Sinai Hospital revealed a small new non-displaced fracture on an old nasal fracture. The scan also showed no significant displacement, and no skull or midface injuries.

Turkoglu’s status is listed as day-to-day.

The Raptors travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Friday at Philips Arena (7:30 p.m., TSN/FAN 590).

Bobcats make playoffs for first time

The AP reports:

D.J. Augustin’s clutch shooting, so familiar to basketball fans in his hometown of New Orleans, sent the Charlotte Bobcats into uncharted territory: the NBA playoffs.

Shortly after congratulating the current Louisiana state champions from his old high school, Augustin hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including one with 16 seconds left to give Charlotte the lead for good in a dramatic 104-103 victory over the Hornets on Wednesday night.

That secured the first playoff berth for the Bobcats, in their sixth year since joining the NBA and first with Michael Jordan as their majority owner.