Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Raptors sign Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have signed centre Pops Mensah-Bonsu to a contract for the remainder of the season. He is the 13th Call-Up of the 2008-09 NBA Development League season and the 131th overall since the league began play in 2001.

Mensah-Bonsu, 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in eight games with the D-League’s Austin Toros this season. He recorded six double-doubles, with a high of 39 points at Colorado and three games of 18 rebounds (at Anaheim, Colorado and Rio Grande Valley).

Mensah-Bonsu, 25, was released Wednesday from his 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He saw action in three contests with the Spurs, averaging 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes. He appeared in 12 games with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006-07 season where he totaled 29 points and 22 rebounds in 72 minutes. He also spent part of that season in the D-League with Fort Worth, averaging 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 30.7 minutes in 26 games. He earned 2007 D-League All-Star Game MVP honours with 30 points and seven rebounds.

The native of London, England spent two seasons overseas, playing with Benetton Treviso in 2007-08 and DKV Joventut in 2008-09. He averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 31 regular season games with Benetton. He saw action in just two games with Jovenut before returning to North America to play in the D-League.

A four-year athlete at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Mensah-Bonsu averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in his senior season leading the Colonials to a 26-1 regular season mark and a Top 10 ranking.

Mensah-Bonsu will be available to the team tonight when the Raptors play host to the Miami Heat at Air Canada Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (TSN/FAN 590)

Amare Stoudemire out until next season

The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: The out-for-the-season diagnosis for forward Amaré Stoudemire initially left a sliver of hope that the Suns star could return for the playoffs should they qualify. Out means out. And “season” means, “See you next season.” “Not this season, not at all,” said Dr. Pravin Dugel, the Valley eye surgeon who operated on Stoudemire’s detached retina two weeks ago. “The Suns have the same goal – to make sure he can resume his career.

Rockets freeze ticket prices

The Houston Chronicle reports: Rockets season-ticket prices will be frozen or reduced for 98 percent of tickets for the 2009-10 season, CEO Tad Brown said on Thursday, a day before renewal forms will be mailed to current season-ticket holders. Citing the impact of the recession, Brown said that prices for more than 20 percent of tickets currently selling for between $22 and $200, with most in the $40 to $200 range, will be reduced, with some prices cut by roughly 20 percent.

Stats LLC is buying PA SportsTicker

STATS LLC, a global sports information provider, announced today the acquisition of PA SportsTicker from UK-based PA Sport. Terms were undisclosed. The transaction also sees PA Sport becoming the exclusive distributor of STATS’ content into the UK and signals a mutual desire to work together on varying projects around the globe.

PA SportsTicker has a rich heritage in real-time sports news and information, covering all major sports for the US and Canadian sports fan. The company is a natural successor to Western Union’s original Baseball Ticker, established in 1909. PA SportsTicker’s sports news is honored in a permanent exhibit at Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

STATS CEO Gary Walrath commented: “We’re eager to deliver to our new clients the best blend of content and services available from SportsTicker and STATS. We also recognize PA Sport’s world-class capabilities, and anticipate the creation of many new and compelling products for our clients and league partnerships, globally, as a result of our collaboration.”

PA Sport Managing Director Ian Campbell added: “This agreement is great news for both STATS and PA Sport. It allows each business to play to its considerable strengths and paves the way for a formidable partnership that will be capable of providing world-class sports information to customers around the world.”

Spurs sign Drew Gooden

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed forward/center Drew Gooden for the remainder of the season.  Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Gooden, 6-10, 250 pounds, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on March 1 after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade on Feb. 18.  This season he has appeared in 32 games, averaging 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes while shooting .460 (166-361) from the field and .869 (86-99) from the foul line.  Gooden has posted 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 22 games, including seven contests with 20 or more.  In 31 games with Bulls, he averaged 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes, and in his only game with the Kings he posted 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Originally selected out of the University of Kansas with the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Gooden has played for five NBA teams (Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago and Sacramento).  For his career he has appeared in 491 games, averaging 12.1 points (.470 FG%, .730 FT%), 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.5 minutes. Gooden enjoyed his best season in 2004-05 with the Cavaliers when he averaged a career-high 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.8 minutes while appearing in all 82 games.

Gooden, 27, has made three trips to NBA playoffs, including the 2007 NBA Finals where the Spurs defeated the Cavaliers.  In 40 career playoff games, he has averaged 10.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.

Gooden enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Kansas.  In three seasons with the Jayhawks he averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.10 blocks and 1.10 steals in 98 games becoming just the second player in school history (Danny Manning) to record at least 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals.  As a junior, Gooden helped lead Jayhawks to the 2002 NCAA Final Four.  Along the way he was named First Team All-America in 2002 by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Basketball News.  He also was named the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year and a 2002 Wooden Award First-Team All-American.

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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.

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

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.