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The Atlanta Hawks today assigned forward Othello Hunter to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League, according to Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.
A rookie from Ohio State, Hunter has averaged 0.6 ppg and 0.7 rpg (.429 FG%) in 10 games with the Hawks.
The Arsenal is the D-League affiliate of the Hawks, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Oklahoman (Darnell Mayberry) reports (via blog): The Thunder has acquired center Tyson Chandler from New Orleans in exchange for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith, according to a league source with knowledge of the negotiations. The Thunder will also include the draft rights to Devon Hardin, the 50th overall pick in the 2008 draft.
UPDATE: The trade has officially happened. More info here.
The New York Daily News (Julian Garcia) reports: Sean Williams, the Nets’ top draft pick in 2007, was arrested Sunday at Boston College for violating terms of a restraining order against him. Williams, who played at BC, was taken into custody prior to BC’s game against Duke and charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor. An arraignment is scheduled for later this month. Williams was at practice at the Toyota Center here last night but said “no comment” several times as he tied his sneakers and headed to the court.
The New York Post (Fred Kerber) reports: Sean Williams was arrested Sunday for violating terms of a restraining order that banned him from the Boston College campus. Williams, who declined comment, nodded his head affirmatively when asked if he had been invited to the B.C.-Duke game. So he went but violated the restraining order. Williams, you’ll recall, was bounced from the B.C. team in ’07 for repeated team violations (read: marijuana). So by showing up he was guilty of trespassing, a misdemeanor. He faces a court hearing later this month.
The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has traded guard Sam Cassell and cash considerations to the Sacramento Kings for a future conditional second round draft pick.
“Sam was an important piece of our championship team last season. His profound knowledge of the game and his infectious personality will be missed from our locker room. We wish Sam the best of luck.” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations.
Cassell, a 6’3”, 193lb guard, is in his 16th NBA season. The former Florida State Seminole had yet to appear in a game for the Celtics this season. He averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 assists in 12.6 minutes per game during the 2008 NBA playoffs in which the Celtics won their NBA-record 17th title.
For the second time this season, the Memphis Grizzlies have assigned center Hamed Haddadi to the NBA Development League’s Dakota Wizards, the club’s D-League affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
Haddadi will return to Dakota after posting 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.55 blocks in 17.7 minutes in 11 games (seven starts) after being assigned to the Wizards on Nov. 24. Memphis recalled the 7-2, 280-pound center on Dec. 24.
The Ahvaz, Iran native recorded two points and one rebound in four minutes in his NBA debut on Dec. 30 vs. Phoenix, becoming the first Iranian-born player to appear in an NBA game. Haddadi has averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 3.5 minutes through four games in his rookie season.
The AP reports: Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson was arrested in Scottsdale after police said he was driving 55 mph above the limit with his unrestrained 3-year-old son in the car. A Scottsdale police officer first saw Richardson driving 67 mph in a 40 mph zone Sunday night and followed him, police said Monday. That’s when the officer clocked him at 90 mph in a 35 mph zone and pulled him over… The officer saw Richardson’s son in the back seat of the car and that he was not in a child seat.
The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Alex Acker and the Detroit Pistons’ second round selection in the 2011 NBA Draft from the Pistons in exchange for a conditional second round selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. In a related move, the Clippers also waived center Cheikh Samb.
A Compton native, Acker has appeared in seven games this season for the Pistons, averaging 1.3 points and 0.1 assists in 2.9 minutes per game. A former star at Pepperdine University, Acker was originally drafted by the Pistons in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft (60th overall) and played in five games and averaged 1.8 points during his rookie season.
Acker, 26, moved to Europe in 2006-07 and averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Greek team Olympiacos in Euroleague play. Acker appeared in 30 games with Spain’s FC Barcelona in 2007-08, averaging 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
A former standout at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Acker finished his collegiate career at Pepperdine as the 20th all-time leading scorer in school history and was named to the 2004-05 All-West Coast Conference team as a junior and named the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2002-03.
In a related move, the Clippers waived center Cheikh Samb. Samb was acquired by the Clippers on Jan. 5 in a trade with Denver and proceeded to play in 10 games with Los Angeles, averaging 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.
The Phoenix Suns today announced that the team has relieved Terry Porter of his head coaching duties. Alvin Gentry, a Suns assistant coach since 2004, will assume the role of interim head coach.
“I hired Terry because I believed he would be able to provide the balance our team needed in order to perform at a very high level. Unfortunately the transition from last season to this one proved to be very difficult, and we have not played to our potential. It’s imperative that we move forward and do what’s best for our team. Alvin has been an integral part of our successes the previous four years and knows our talent as well as anyone,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.
A 29-year coaching veteran, Gentry originally joined the Suns staff as an assistant on June 1, 2004, and has served in that position the last four-plus seasons as Phoenix posted the winningest four-year stretch in franchise history. Gentry takes the reins as head coach of his fourth NBA team after stints with the Los Angeles Clippers (2000-03), Detroit Pistons (1997-2000) and Miami Heat (1995) in which he compiled a 177-226 (.439) career record. Gentry’s 1998-99 Pistons earned a playoff berth. In 2001-02, his second season with the Clippers, he guided Los Angeles to an improbable 39-43 (.476) record, the team’s highest win total in nearly 10 seasons, a season after leading the club to a 16-win improvement in 2000-01, his rookie campaign with the club.
In 20 seasons in the NBA, Gentry has worked alongside or under some of the game’s most respected coaches, including Larry Brown, Kevin Loughery and Doug Collins. The 53-year-old Gentry received his first assistant coaching job in the NBA under Brown with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89 after serving under Brown with the 1988 NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team.
Porter was named the 13th head coach in Suns franchise history on June 9, 2008. In 51 games this season, Phoenix compiled a 28-23 (.549) record and currently sits in ninth place in the Western Conference.
The Charlotte Observer (Rick Bonnell) reports: A part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats has been convicted of felony fraud in South Florida and sentenced to nine years in prison. Brothers Jorge and Carlos de Cespedes were given the maximum sentence, after an investigation of their pharmaceuticals company bilking Kendall Regional Medical Center. According to the Miami Herald, the hospital lost $5 million over 14 years because of this scheme… A source with knowledge of the Bobcats’ structure said the de Cespedes brothers originally paid $10 million to $12 million to purchase roughly 3 percent of the team. That percentage likely dissipated over time unless they participated in cash calls to cover revenue deficits.
The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports (via blog): We were all reminded Saturday night of Gerald Green’s lasting legacy (so far). His cupcake blowout in the dunk contest two years ago was destined to be replayed on an annual basis whenever the dunk show is on display. Green has said he hopes to re-appear in the contest next year when it’s in Dallas. It remains to be seen if he gets an invite or not, but if he’s with the Mavericks, you can bet he’ll get strong consideration. Unfortunately for Green, that remains his claim to fame. Actually, one of his two claims to fame. Nothing he’s done on the court has gotten him as much claim as his dunk and the fact that he was part of the trade that brought Boston Kevin Garnett and laid the foundation for the Celtics’ championship last season.