NBA News Blog – Page 536 – NBA Blog

Blazers trade Tim Quarterman to Rockets

The Portland Trail Blazers have traded guard Tim Quarterman to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

“We thank Tim for his contributions to the team and wish him all the best for the future,” said Olshey.

Quarterman, 22, appeared in 16 games for the Trail Blazers during his rookie 2016-17 season with the team, posting averages of 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 5.0 minutes.

Portland originally signed Quarterman as an undrafted free agent out of LSU on July 25, 2016.

Rockets will reportedly trade for Chris Paul

The Clippers are about to take a big step downward, while the Rockets are on the rise. Here’s ESPN.com on the news:

The Houston Rockets have reached an agreement on a trade for LA Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Paul, sources told ESPN.

The Rockets will send Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams and a top-three protected 2018 first-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Paul…

The Clippers were determined get something for Paul rather than lose him for nothing, sources told ESPN, so Paul instead agreed to opt in for the final year of his contract (worth $24.2 million) to facilitate the trade.

The Rockets, needing to make another move to make the financials work before they can officially acquire Paul, are telling teams that they’ve assembled the needed pieces and the trade is headed to the league office for approval, sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Hawks trade Ryan Kelly to Rockets

The Atlanta Hawks have traded forward Ryan Kelly to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, it was announced today by General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk.

Kelly appeared in 16 games for the Hawks last season. He was originally signed on September 20, 2016 and waived on October 19, 2016. He re-signed on October 31, 2016 and was waived on January 6, 2017. He signed again with the Hawks on February 24, 2017 to a multi-year contract.

Mavericks trade DeAndre Liggins to Rockets

The Dallas Mavericks have traded guard DeAndre Liggins to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations.

Liggins most recently spent the majority of 2016-17 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In Cleveland, he saw action in 61 games (19 starts) and averaged 2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest. The Cavaliers requested waivers on Liggins on April 9, 2017 and was awarded to the Mavericks in time to play the final game of the season. In that game, he registered 8 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes to help the Mavericks defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.

Liggins (6-6, 209) was originally drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 53rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 9.9 minutes in 119 career games (20 starts) with Orlando, Oklahoma City, Miami, Cleveland and Dallas.

The Chicago native played three seasons at the University of Kentucky. As a junior, Liggins averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.6 minutes as a starter while helping lead the Wildcats to the NCCA Final Four in Houston.

Russell Westbrook wins 2016-17 NBA MVP award

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2016-17 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, it was announced this evening during the first-ever NBA Awards Show.

Westbrook earned MVP honors after joining Oscar Roberson as the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double. Westbrook registered a league-best 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds (10th in the NBA), 10.4 assists (third in the NBA) and 1.63 steals in 34.6 minutes per game.

During the 2016-17 season, Westbrook established a new NBA record with 42 triple-doubles (Oklahoma City went 33-9 in those games) as he helped lead the Thunder to a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The six-time All-Star and two-time All-Star game MVP recorded triple-doubles in seven consecutive games on two separate occasions this past season (11/25-12/9 and 3/22-4/4), to become the first player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for November and February and earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors four times.

In winning his second scoring title in three seasons, Westbrook paced the NBA in games with at least 20 points (72), 30 points (44), 40 points (18) and 50 points (four).

Last month Westbrook was named to the All-NBA First Team for a second consecutive season after receiving 99 First Team votes (498 total points).

The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.

Draymond Green wins 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been named the 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced yesterday at the inaugural NBA Awards in New York. Green, who finished as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons, is the first player in Warriors history to earn the award.

Green was named to the All-NBA Third Team this season after averaging 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.38 blocks in 32.5 minutes over 76 games, while leading the league with a career-high 2.03 steals. The 6’7” forward became the first player to tally averages of at least 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block over the course of a season since blocks and steals were first recorded in 1973-74, while becoming the first player in Warriors history to total at least 150 steals and 100 blocks in a single campaign. Earlier today, Green was named to the All-Defensive First Team for a third consecutive season, becoming the first player in Warriors history to earn First Team honors three times.

Throughout the 2016-17 campaign, Green made several key defensive stops in the final moments of close games, including steals on the last possession of two-point wins on Nov. 19 at Milwaukee (8.5 seconds remaining) and Dec. 13 at New Orleans (2.3 seconds). Green ranked second in the league in deflections per game (3.9) and fifth in contested shots per game (13.7), helping the Warriors rank second in the league in defensive rating (101.1). On Feb. 10 at Memphis, Green swiped a franchise-record 10 steals and recorded the first triple-double in NBA history without scoring in double figures, adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go with his 10 steals.

Golden State went an NBA-best 67-15 (.817) in 2016-17, becoming the first team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in three-straight seasons (67, 73, 67), and set an NBA postseason record for best single-season playoff winning percentage with a 16-1 mark (.941) en route to the team’s second NBA title in three seasons.

Utah’s Rudy Gobert and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard were also named as finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The NBA Awards are chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wins 2016-17 NBA Most Improved Player award

Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, the league announced tonight at the inaugural NBA Awards show. Antetokounmpo is the first player in Bucks history to be named Most Improved Player.

“I’m honored and humbled to be named the NBA’s Most Improved Player and grateful to so many people for helping me reach this point in my young career,” said Antetokounmpo. “Thank you to my family whose love and support means the world to me. Thank you to my teammates, coaches and staff with the Bucks who push me to succeed every day. Thank you to our fans who never stop cheering for us. Thank you.”

A full thank you video from Antetokounmpo can be found here: http://on.nba.com/2rVfVTb

In his fourth season, Antetokounmpo set career highs in scoring (22.9 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg), assists (5.4 apg), blocks (1.9 bpg) and steals (1.6 spg), as well as field goal percentage (.521). He became just the fifth player in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks for a season, and was the first player in NBA history to rank in the top-20 for total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Despite playing nearly the same number of minutes per game in 2016-17 (35.6) as he did in 2015-16 (35.3), Antetokounmpo increased his scoring average from 16.9 points per game, to 22.9 points per game this season.

Antetokounmpo earned his first All-Star appearance when he was selected as a starter for the Eastern Conference in the 66th NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans in February. He was the Bucks’ first All-Star since Michael Redd in 2004 and the first All-Star starter since Sidney Moncrief in 1986. Antetokounmpo scored an Eastern Conference-high 30 points on 14-for-17 shooting.

“Giannis wants to be the best and this is a terrific achievement for him and for our organization,” said Bucks head coach Jason Kidd. “No one puts in more work than Giannis and we’re thrilled for him to receive this honor.”

During the 2016-17 season, Antetokounmpo recorded three triple-doubles to give him eight for his career, which tied him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in team history. He was also one of just five players in the NBA this season to average over 20 points per game while shooting 50 percent or better. In May, Antetokounmpo was named Second Team All-NBA, the highest All-NBA Team selection for the Bucks since Moncrief in 1986.

Mike D`Antoni wins 2016-17 NBA Coach of the Year award

During yesterday’s inaugural NBA Awards Show, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 2016-17 season as selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He is the third coach in franchise history to win the award, joining Tom Nissalke (1976-77) and Don Chaney (1990-91).

This marks D’Antoni’s second Coach of the Year award, having won in 2004-05 after leading Phoenix to a franchise-high tying 62 wins. He is the eighth coach in NBA history with multiple Coach of the Year honors and joins Gregg Popovich as the only ones who are active.

In his first season as head coach of the Rockets, D’Antoni guided the team to a 55-27 mark after Houston went 41-41 in 2015-16. The 55 wins tied for the fourth-most in franchise history. The Rockets clinched a playoff spot on March 14, 2017 after not securing one until the regular season finale in 2015-16. D’Antoni was named Western Conference Coach of the Month in December after Houston went 15-2, tying for the most wins in a single month in franchise history.

D’Antoni engineered an offense which set the NBA record for the most 3-pointers made in a single season with 1,181. Houston finished second in the league in scoring with 115.3 points per game, tying for the second-highest scoring average in franchise history. The Rockets scored at least 130 points 12 times in 2016-17, marking the highest single season total by any team dating back to 1992-93.

During his time in Phoenix, the Suns posted the NBA’s three-highest single season totals for 3-pointers made from 2004-05 through 2006-07. Prior to 2004-05, only three teams had more than 700 3FGM in a single season. Since D’Antoni’s final season with Phoenix in 2007-08, 73 teams have hit at least 700 3-pointers in a single season, including 25 of the 30 teams in 2016-17.

Jared Dudley out 3-4 months after surgery

Phoenix Suns forward Jared Dudley underwent a left toe ligament and bone procedure last Friday. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Porter at Methodist Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. Dudley is expected to return to full basketball activity in approximately 3-4 months.

Dudley averaged 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 64 appearances in 2016-17, his 10th NBA season, sixth with the Suns and first in his second tenure with the team. Dudley ranks third in franchise history by shooting 41.2 percent from three-point range and seventh with 514 three-point makes.

Bob Myers wins 2016-17 NBA Executive of the Year award

Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers has been named the 2016-17 NBA Executive of the Year, earning his second such honor in three seasons, the league announced yesterday at the inaugural NBA Awards in New York.

Myers, who previously won the award in 2014-15, is the first Warriors executive to earn the honor on multiple occasions, marking the third such honor in Warriors history (Dick Vertlieb, 1974-75). Myers is the 11th executive in NBA history to earn the honor multiple times and joins R.C. Buford (2013-14 & 2015-16), Bryan Colangelo (2004-05 & 2006-07), Geoff Petrie (1998-99 & 2000-01) and Stan Kasten (1985-86 & 1986-87) as the only executives to win the award twice in a span of three seasons.

Myers assembled a roster that won an NBA-best 67 games (67-15, .817) in 2016-17 and set an NBA single-season playoff record for win percentage with a 16-1 mark (.941) en route to the Warriors’ second title in three seasons. Golden State became the first team in NBA history to win at least 67 games in three-straight seasons (67, 73, 67), making its third-straight appearance in the NBA Finals.

Throughout Myers’ tenure, the Warriors have retained many of their top talents, signing starters Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to contract extensions. Following the 2015-16 season, Myers bolstered Golden State’s roster through free agency by signing two members of the Warriors’ 2016-17 starting lineup in Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia, as well as key reserves JaVale McGee and David West. Durant, the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player, went on to earn 2017 NBA Finals MVP honors in Golden State’s 4-1 series win over Cleveland.

Myers, who originally joined the Warriors on April 14, 2011, as assistant general manager/vice president of basketball operations and was named general manager on April 24, 2012, also acquired 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala in a three-team trade in 2013 and signed key contributors Shaun Livingston (2014) and Ian Clark (2015) to free agent contracts in recent years.

The Warriors have qualified for the postseason in each of Myers’ five full seasons at the helm, making five consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since qualifying for the postseason in each of the first six years of the league’s existence (1947-52). Golden State has compiled a regular-season record of 305-105 (.744) during Myers’ five-year tenure.