Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Lakers waive two players

The Los Angeles Lakers have requested waivers on guard Joe Crawford and forward CJ Giles, it was announced today.

Selected by the Lakers with the 58th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Crawford, a 22 year-old native of Detroit, Michigan, played four seasons at the University of Kentucky, averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 127 games (76 starts). In six preseason games with the Lakers, Crawford averaged 2.8 points in 7.3 minutes.

Giles, a 6-11 forward who finished his collegiate career at Oregon State after playing two seasons at Kansas, averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in ten games last season for the Beavers. Giles played in four preseason games with the Lakers where he averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.2 minutes.

The Lakers preseason roster now stands at 15.

Mavs waive three players

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have requested waivers on Cheyne Gadson, JaJuan Smith and Reyshawn Terry.

Gadson (6-3, 190) signed as a free agent after spending last season in the D-League. He went undrafted out of Oklahoma State in the 2003 NBA Draft. Gadson saw action in 5 preseason games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.4 assists in 7.4 minutes per game.

Smith (6-2, 195) was signed by the Mavericks as a rookie free agent after he went undrafted out of Tennessee in the 2008 NBA Draft. Smith played in all 7 preseason games, averaging 4.7 points and 0.9 steals in 9.6 minutes per game.

Terry (6-8, 232), the 44th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, was acquired by Dallas from Orlando on draft night (6/28/07). The Mavericks received the draft rights to Terry in exchange for the draft rights to forward Milovan Rakovic. He spent last season as a member of Aris TT Bank (Greek A1 League) and averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19 Euroleague games. Terry saw the floor in 5 preseason games and averaged 4.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game.

The Mavericks roster now stands at 15 players.

Raptors waive Jamal Sampson

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have waived forward-centre Jamal Sampson. The roster currently stands at 13.

The Raptors signed Sampson as a free agent September 29. He appeared in one game in the preseason where he had two points and three rebounds.

The Raptors open the regular season Wednesday, October 29 in Philadelphia. They return to Toronto for the home opener Friday, October 31 versus Golden State.

Clippers exercise option on Al Thornton

The Los Angeles Clippers today exercised the club’s third year contract option on forward Al Thornton.

Thornton, who was selected by the Clippers as the 14th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, begins his second NBA season and is now signed through the 2009-10 campaign. Under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Clippers had the right to exercise this contract option.  Thornton will now become a restricted free agent following the 2009-10 season, with the Clippers holding the right of first refusal.

In his first season with the Clippers, Thornton was named to the T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie First Team, after averaging 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 27.3 minutes in 79 games played.  He finished the year ranked second among all rookies in scoring, fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.429), eighth in rebounding and fifth in minutes per game.  Thornton turned in his most impressive performance of the season when he tied a Clipper rookie record for points in a game, pouring in 39 points on 3/29/08 vs. Memphis.  The 39 points were also the most points scored in a game by any NBA rookie last season.

Thunder waive two players

Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has waived center Chris Alexander and guard Derrick Byars.

Alexander averaged 1.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.0 minutes in four preseason games while Byars averaged 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 14.8 minutes in four preseason contests.

The Thunder roster now stands at 15.

Former Celtics owner dies

The AP reports: Harry Mangurian Jr., a former owner of the Boston Celtics and renowned horse breeder, has died of leukemia. He was 82… Mangurian owned the Celtics from 1979-83, a tenure that included a championship in 1981 and the signings of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the original “Big Three” of team lore.

Wizards waive DerMarr Johnson and Linton Johnson

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived forwards DerMarr Johnson and Linton Johnson. DerMarr Johnson appeared in five preseason games for Washington and averaged 8.8 points in 19.6 minutes per game. Linton Johnson appeared in four preseason games as a Wizard and averaged 1.3 points in 12.8 minutes per game. Both players originally signed with Washington on September 22, 2008.

The Wizards roster now stands at 15.

Washington will be without star point guard Gilbert Arenas for a few months and role-playing center Brendan Haywood for most of the season. But fortunately, star forward Antawn Jamison should be healthy soon and OK for the start of the regular season.

Lakers waive Brandon Heath

The Los Angeles Lakers have requested waivers on guard Brandon Heath, it was announced today.

Heath, a 6-3 guard out of San Diego State spent last season playing in France for Entente Orleans 45 where he averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25 games. In five preseason games with the Lakers, Heath averaged 1.4 points in 8.6 minutes.

The Lakers preseason roster now stands at 17.

Baron Davis back in 1 week

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis underwent an examination today by Dr. Roy Meals, a hand specialist with the UCLA Medical Group.  The examination revealed that Davis had sustained a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left ring finger.  The injury does not require surgery and is expected to heal on its own.  Davis will wear a splint and is expected to resume all basketball activities in one week.

Davis was originally diagnosed with a sprained left ring finger after falling on his hand during practice at the Los Angeles Clippers Training Center on Friday, October 17th.  X-rays taken after the injury occurred were negative and a subsequent MRI revealed results that were inconclusive, leading to today’s follow up examination.