NBA News Blog – Page 1614 – NBA Blog

Pistons sign Jason Maxiell to contract extension

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club signed forward Jason Maxiell to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Last season, Maxiell averaged career-highs in points (7.9), rebounds (5.3), assists (0.6), blocks (1.2) and minutes played (21.5) in a career-high 82 games. In seven games as a starter, he averaged 11.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 30.4 minutes per game. Maxiell led the Pistons bench players in scoring and ranked 30th in the NBA in blocks (1.2 bpg) in 2007-08. He finished ninth in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting and ranked third among NBA non-starters in rebounding (5.3 rpg) behind New York’s David Lee (8.9 rpg) and Utah’s Paul Millsap (5.6 rpg).

Maxiell was drafted 26th overall by the Pistons in the 2005 NBA Draft from the University of Cincinnati. In 175 career NBA games coming into this season, he held averages of 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.9 blocks.

Grizzlies exercise 4 player options

The Memphis Grizzlies today exercised the fourth-year team options on forward Rudy Gay and guard Kyle Lowry and picked up the third-year team options on guards Mike Conley and Javaris Crittenton. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. All four players are now signed through the 2009-10 season.

Gay, the eighth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, led all NBA sophomores in scoring last season (team-high 20.1 points per game) and finished runner-up to Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. The 6-8, 230-pound forward holds career averages of 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.96 blocks in 32.1 minutes in 160 career games (125 starts).

Lowry, the 24th overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, ranked third among all second-year players in assists last season (3.6), trailing only Portland’s Brandon Roy and Boston’s Rajon Rondo while leading the club in free throw attempts (243). The 6-0, 205-pound guard holds career averages of 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.15 steals in 24.5 minutes in 93 career games (nine starts).

Conley, the fourth overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, led all NBA rookies in assists last season (team-high 4.2) and posted the highest-assist average for any rookie since the 2005-06 season. The 6-1, 185-pound guard, who participated in the 2008 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge as part of All-Star Weekend, owns career averages of 9.4 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 26.2 minutes in 54 games (47 starts) with the Grizzlies.

Crittenton, the 19th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, was acquired by Memphis along with the draft rights to Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Aaron McKie, first round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 and cash considerations in exchange for Pau Gasol and a 2010 second round pick on Feb. 1, 2008. The 6-5, 200-pound guard averaged 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.6 minutes in 50 games (zero starts) in his first professional season.

Jazz decline Morris Almond option

The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports: Shooting guard Morris Almond said this morning that the Jazz will not pick up the contract option on him next season. The Jazz had until today to decide whether or not to exercise their third-year, 2009-10 season option on Almond’s rookie contract, which would have paid him $1.16 million.

Celtics exercise Rondo option

The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has exercised the fourth year option on guard Rajon Rondo. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The third-year product out of Kentucky averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.68 steals last season. Rondo also averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.73 steals during the Celtics run to their 17th NBA Championship last spring. During the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, Rondo started for the Sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge scoring six points and had six assists in 18 minutes. The former Wildcat was originally acquired in a draft night trade from the Phoenix Suns along with Brian Grant and cash considerations in exchange for a future first round pick on June 28, 2006.

Lakers sign Andrew Bynum to extension

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed fourth-year center Andrew Bynum to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Appearing in 35 games last season, Bynum averaged 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks before suffering a season-ending knee injury during the Lakers 100-99 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on January 13th.

“We’re extremely happy to have signed Andrew to this extension, which will secure his immediate future with the franchise,” said Kupchak. “Andrew has shown a vast array of skills for a player his size and if he continues to stay dedicated and work hard to improve, he has an excellent chance to develop into one of the top players in the NBA.”

“This has been a fantastic week for me so far: turning 21, winning our first two games of the season, and now getting this new contract signed,” said Bynum. “This gives me and my family financial security, and more importantly, cements my future with the Lakers, which in my opinion is the best organization in all of professional sports. I couldn’t be happier.”

Bynum, an early entry candidate for the 2005 NBA Draft, became the youngest player in NBA history to be selected when the Lakers used their first round pick (10th overall) to acquire the 7’0” center. A McDonald’s High School All-American, Bynum averaged 22.0 points, 16.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks his senior season at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey.

For his career, Bynum is averaging 7.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 19.3 minutes.

Rockets exercise Aaron Brooks option

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced tonight that the team has picked up the option on the contract of guard Aaron Brooks.

Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) led the Rockets this preseason in scoring average (14.4) and assists per game (4.1). He was the only Houston player to post two 20-point games this preseason, as well as topping the Rockets in assists a team-best four games. Brooks also registered a game-high 23 points (7-16 FG, 4-8 3FG, 5-6 FT) vs. Sacramento (10/17/08). He holds a regular season career high of 22 points vs. New York (1/5/08), which includes a career-best four 3-pointers made.

Selected by Houston in the first round (26th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Brooks averaged 5.2 points and 1.7 assists in 51 games of his rookie season with the Rockets. He was also one of the top-10 young NBA players named to a USA Basketball Men’s Select Team that was chosen to help prepare the 2007 USA Senior National Team for its gold-medal run at the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. In addition, Brooks earned T-Mobile Rookie of the Month honors for 2007 NBA Summer League.

2010 All-Star weekend in new Dallas Cowboys stadium

Dallas has been selected as the site of NBA All-Star 2010, Commissioner David Stern, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones jointly announced today during a press conference outside the American Airlines Center.

Following the mantra that “everything is bigger in Texas,” the 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010, at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, which will have a seating capacity in excess of 80,000. This collaboration between the NBA, and the ownership groups of the Mavericks and Cowboys, will afford all Mavericks season ticket holders a chance to partake in the pageantry of the NBA All-Star Game.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and NBA All-Star Saturday Night festivities will take place at American Airlines Center, home of the Mavericks. 2010 will mark the first time the All-Star competitions are split between two venues since Houston in 1989 when The Summit hosted All-Star Saturday Night and the Astrodome hosted Sunday’s All-Star Game.

“Dallas is a vibrant city with a passionate sports fan base that will embrace the NBA All-Star experience,” said Stern. “We appreciate the collaborative efforts of Mark Cuban and Jerry Jones on what will surely be one of the most memorable basketball events of all time.”

Nets exercise 3 player options but decline Mo Ager option

The New Jersey Nets have exercised a fourth year contract option on Josh Boone and third year contract options on Sean Williams and Yi Jianlian while declining to pick up the fourth year contract option on Maurice Ager, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. Boone, Williams and Yi are now signed through the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not released.

Boone was selected by New Jersey with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft. The third year center has appeared in 131 games in his first two seasons with the Nets, averaging 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting .557 (337-of-605) from the field in 18.6 minutes.

Sean Williams, drafted 17th overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by New Jersey, appeared in 73 games as a rookie. He tallied 5.6 points on .538 (164-305) shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17.5 minutes. His 106 blocks on the season marked the second highest block total for a Nets rookie in team history, trailing only Kenyon Martin’s 113 blocks during the 2000-01 season. Williams was selected to the 2008 Rookie All-Star team and recorded eight points and 10 rebounds in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

Yi was selected with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by Milwaukee. He was traded to New Jersey, along with Bobby Simmons, for Richard Jefferson on June 26, 2008. In 66 games with Milwaukee, Yi averaged of 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25 minutes. Yi is a member of the Chinese National Team which competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2004 games in Athens.

Ager was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2006 NBA Draft. He was acquired by the Nets along with Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, DeSagana Diop and Keith Van Horn, along with Dallas’ first round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 and cash considerations from the Mavericks in exchange for Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright and Malik Allen on February 19, 2008. In his first two NBA season, Ager played in 58 games with Dallas and New Jersey, averaging 2.1 points and 0.6 rebounds in 6.5 minutes.

Greg Oden out 2-4 weeks

The Oregonian (Joe Freeman) reports: A debut of despair was supplanted by an evening of relief for the Trail Blazers and rookie center Greg Oden on Wednesday. A magnetic resonance imaging performed on the 7-foot player revealed some relatively good news: Oden has a mid-lateral right foot sprain and only will miss two to four weeks. Oden, who suffered the injury Tuesday night during the Blazers’ season-opening loss at the Los Angeles Lakers, is expected to miss between six and 14 games.

Jason Caffey legal woes continue

A judge has dismissed former NBA player Jason Caffey’s bankruptcy case, clearing the way for several women to sue him for thousands of dollars in child support. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Margaret A. Mahoney dismissed the bankruptcy case Tuesday — which means the mothers of his children can sue for child-support payments. Caffey has 10 children with eight women… Caffey of Mobile, who played for the University of Alabama and won two NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s, filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2007. He listed $1.9 million in debts against about $1.15 million in assets.