Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Cavaliers sign Joe Smith

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed free agent forward/center Joe Smith to a contract, Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per league rules, terms of the contract were not released.

Smith, 33, played in 36 games (three starts) this season for the Oklahoma City Thunder and averaged 6.6 points on .454 shooting and 4.5 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game before being waived on March 1. He is eligible to be on the Cavaliers’ postseason roster.

The 6-foot-10, 225-pounder has played 13 years in the NBA, including spending part of last season with Cleveland after being acquired on Feb. 21, 2008 in a three-team trade in which the Cavs also acquired Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace and Delonte West. In 27 regular season games (one start) with Cleveland, Smith averaged 8.1 points on .512 shooting and 5.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. He also played in all 13 postseason games during the 2008 Playoffs and averaged 6.6 points on .486 shooting and 4.6 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game.

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Miami Heat sign Luther Head

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Luther Head. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to announce that we have signed Luther Head,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “Luther will bring us a prototype combo guard that can both handle the ball and shoot with tremendous proficiency. This is a positive step for the Miami Heat.”

Head, a 6’3”, 185-pound guard, has appeared in 22 games (four starts) this season for the Houston Rockets and averaged 4.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes of action while shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. In his four starts this season, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.25 steals and 25.8 minutes.

Playing in his fourth NBA season, the former first round draft pick (24th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft has appeared in 255 career games (58 starts) and averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.80 steals in 24.4 minutes while shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and 76.6 percent from the line. He finished his Houston career among the best Rockets shooters in franchise history as he placed fourth in career three-point field goal percentage and eight in all-time three-point field goals made (383).

Head will wear number 13.

The Heat roster now currently stands at 15.

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Spurs release Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have released forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu from his 10-day contract.

Mensah-Bonsu appeared in 3 games for the Spurs where he averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes.  He also spent time with the Austin Toros, the Spurs affiliate in the NBA Development League.  In eight games with the Toros, Mensah-Bonsu averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.50 blocks in 39.8 minutes.

The Spurs roster stands at 14.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion here.

Allen Iverson out two more weeks with sore back

The Detroit Pistons announced today that guard Allen Iverson will miss the next two weeks due to a sore back at the request of doctors at Georgetown University.   Iverson’s condition was evaluated at Georgetown today and it was recommended that he suspend basketball related activities for two weeks.  He will not travel with the team to prevent stress on his back and will be re-evaluated again by the doctors at Georgetown following the conclusion of the two-week period.

The doctors at Georgetown University have been in contact with the Pistons’ medical staff and Iverson will begin treatment for his sore back upon his return to Detroit on Thursday.

Read NBA fan reaction to this news and post your own comments in this forum topic.

Suns sign Stromile Swift

The Phoenix Suns today signed free-agent forward Stromile Swift for the remainder of the season, the club announced.  Swift became available after being waived on March 1 by the New Jersey Nets and as a result is eligible for postseason play.

“We are very pleased to be able to add a player of Stromile’s caliber at this late date,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “We believe that his athleticism, length and experience will be valuable to us as we head down the stretch run.”

The 6-10, 225-pound Swift was originally the second overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies and has spent his nine-year career split between Vancouver/Memphis, Houston and New Jersey.  Swift owns career averages of 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes in 534 games.

The Louisiana State product is an athletic and versatile forward who enjoyed his best professional campaigns in his first stint with the Grizzlies (2000-05), including four-straight seasons of at least 9.4 points and 45 percent shooting from the field beginning with his sophomore season in 2001-02.

Swift, 29, has made two career playoff trips, both with Memphis (2004, 2005), including the Grizzlies’ 2005 first-round series against the Suns, in which he averaged a career playoff-high 9.3 points in 16.0 minutes in three appearances.

A 2001 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk competitor as a rookie, Swift averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 10.7 minutes in six games with the Nets this season.

Swift will be in uniform tonight when the Suns return to action against the Miami Heat at 5:30 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena. The game can be seen locally on MY45 and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Chris Mihm has right ankle surgery

Memphis Grizzlies center Chris Mihm underwent successful right ankle surgery, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. There is no timetable for his return.

Mihm, a 7-0, 265-pound center, was acquired on Feb. 18 by the Grizzlies along with cash considerations from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a 2013 protected second round draft pick.  The former University of Texas standout did not make an appearance with the Grizzlies after the trade.

The seventh overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, Mihm averaged 2.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.8 minutes in 18 games with Los Angeles this season.  The eight-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.02 blocks in 20.1 minutes in 436 career games (236 starts) with the Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Eventually, Mihm and the very concept of surgery will unite, becoming one entity. In the future, “I had Mihm” and “I had surgery” will mean the same thing. Mihm will become a magical being whose very touch, in the form of a handshake, will result in the other person having instant surgery. And with that, I need to go for a walk.

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Nuggets sign Jason Hart

The Denver Nuggets have signed G Jason Hart for the remainder of the season, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Hart, 6-3, 180, averaged 2.3 ppg and 1.5 apg in 28 games with the Los Angeles Clippers this season before being waived on Feb. 27.

In eight NBA seasons, Hart has compiled career averages of 4.9 ppg and 2.3 apg in 16.1 mpg in 325 games with Milwaukee, San Antonio, Charlotte, Sacramento, L.A. Clippers (two stints) and Utah.

Share your Nuggets opinions every day on the Denver Nuggets message board.

Michael Redd has left knee surgery

Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd had successful surgery this morning to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The surgical procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Cole, M.D., in Oak Park, IL.

Redd will begin rehabilitation immediately for a period of approximately six months.  He is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the open of training camp for the 2009-10 season.

Redd injured his knee in the Bucks 106-104 win at Sacramento on January 24.  In 33 games this season, Redd averaged a team-high 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.06 steals in 36.5 minutes.  Milwaukee’s record was 17-16 in his 33 games, including 17-15 in the games he started.

Rockets sign James White to 10-day contract

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard/forward James White of the NBA D-League’s Anaheim Arsenal to a 10-day contract. White becomes the 12th Call-Up of the season.

White (6-7, 200, Cincinnati) was averaging 25.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.18 steals in 34 games (33 starts) for the Arsenal this season. At the time of his Call-Up, White was tied for first in the D-League in points per game and was ranked tied for 12th in the league in field goal percentage. White posted 30 or more points in 12 contests with the Arsenal this season, including a season-high 47-point performance against Houston’s D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1/20/09).

Originally selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, White had his draft rights sent to Indiana. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in eight preseason games with the Pacers before being released prior to the regular season. White signed with the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 3, 2006, and was assigned to the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League on Dec. 15. In 15 games (11 starts) with the Toros, White averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists. White was recalled twice by the Spurs and averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in six career games (two starts) with San Antonio. His experience also includes a stint with Turkish champions Fenerbahçe, where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

At the University of Cincinnati, White earned Honorable Mention All-Big East honors as a senior. He finished his collegiate career ranked 44th on Cincinnati’s all-time scoring list with 1,088 points. White played his final three seasons at Cincinnati after spending his freshman year at Florida, sitting out the 2002-03 campaign at Cincinnati under NCAA transfer rules.

Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Greg Oden injuries continue

The Oregonian (Joe Freeman) reports (via blog): The news just keeps getting worse for Trail Blazers rookie Greg Oden and his mysterious ailing left knee. The Blazers, after evaluating their starting center earlier in the day, announced Monday evening that Oden will miss another seven to 10 days because of his lingering left knee issues. Oden, who chipped his knee cap when he banged knees with Golden State’s Corey Maggette Feb. 12 in Oakland, has missed the Blazers’ last seven games. According to the Blazers’ latest timeline, Oden will miss between four and six more games, which includes pivotal matchups against playoff contenders Denver, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. If he sits out the maximum 10 days, Oden will return just before the team’s five-game East Coast trip later this month.