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Sixers trade for Ish Smith, waive Tony Wroten

Sixers trade for Ish Smith, and waive Tony Wroten

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has acquired point guard Ish Smith from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for two second-round picks.

In a related move, the Sixers waived guard Tony Wroten.

We at InsideHoops.com think this move is good for Smith. After a very good November, he’s been benched in December. In Philly, he has a clear shot at a bigger role.

Smith, a five-year veteran, has appeared in 27 games this season and is averaging nine points, six assists and under two turnovers in 23 minutes per game. He is fifth in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.42-to-1), sixth in assists per 48 minutes (12.0) and ranks among the top 20 in assists per game. He is currently the only player in the NBA this season who has at least 150 assists while committing 45 or fewer turnovers.

Smith appeared in 25 games (starting 14) for the Sixers during the 2014-15 season, where he averaged 12 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes per game.

Markieff Morris receives two-game suspension

The Phoenix Suns have suspended forward Markieff Morris for two games for conduct detrimental to the team. Morris will serve the suspension in the Suns’ next two games, Dec. 26 vs. Philadelphia and Dec. 28 vs. Cleveland.

According to the Arizona Republic, here’s what happened:

“In one of their more advantageous scenarios of the season, the Suns posted another dreadful loss with play so frightful and no signs of stopping. The bow on Wednesday night’s stocking of coal came when Markieff Morris added to a season of distraction by harkening back memories of Robert Horry’s towel toss at Danny Ainge by tossing a towel toward coach Jeff Hornacek in Wednesday’s fourth quarter.

The Suns lost 104-96 at Talking Stick Resort Arena to a Denver team playing a night after losing at home to the last-place Los Angeles Lakers and was missing five players (two starters) with no backup point guard available.”

NBA Eastern conference doing well this season

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on the NBA Eastern conference, which so far this season has collectively been around as good as the West:

For so many years, analysts and fans used to refer to the collection of teams in the East as the Leastern Conference or the Other Conference because the West was so dominant. Yes, the West still has the two best teams in the league with the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, and San Antonio Spurs.

But this season has shown there is more of a balance of talent throughout the NBA. Entering Wednesday, 10 teams in the Eastern Conference possessed a winning record, double the five it had last season on Dec. 23. The East also had a winning record – 85-84 – against teams from the West through Wednesday’s games.

The Indiana Pacers are one of the many reasons the East has regained its footing. A resurgence from Paul George and a remodeled offense from coach Frank Vogel has pushed the Pacers from out of the playoffs to one of the conference’s better teams. Yet the Pacers understand their place in the standings can change quickly if they have a losing streak or win three consecutive games, as they did last week.

Video: Spike Lee directs anti-gun violence PSA with Melo, Steph, CP3, J.Noah

On Christmas Day, new Spike Lee-directed video PSAs featuring Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers) and survivors of gun violence will debut on ABC and ESPN’s NBA game coverage.

Lee joins Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the NBA to launch “End Gun Violence.”

Here is the video:

Wizards sign Jarell Eddie, waive Ryan Hollins

The Washington Wizards announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Jarell Eddie and waived center Ryan Hollins.

Eddie (6-7, 220) went undrafted in 2014 out of Virginia Tech. The former Hokie has spent the last two seasons with the Austin Spurs of the D-League. He has appeared in 11 games (nine starts) with Austin this season, averaging 14.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting .530 from the field and .525 from three-point range in 29 minutes per game. Eddie spent the 2015-16 preseason with the Golden State Warriors, where he appeared in two contests, and played in six games with the Wizards during the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Hollins, who was signed as a free agent on November 30, appeared in five games for the Wizards and averaged 1.6 points in 10 minutes per game.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle sounds off

Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting on Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, who was pretty annoyed tonight:

Coach Rick Carlisle hasn’t been able to figure out a solution to the Dallas Mavericks’ maddening inconsistency, so he resorted to making a rather drastic threat.

Carlisle vowed to get rid of players if the Mavs continue to have frequent lapses of energy and effort.

Carlisle first made the comments in the Dallas locker room after the team’s 103-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, a game that was only close because the Mavs’ reserves made a late run. Carlisle repeated the threat for public consumption during his postgame news conference after calling Dallas’ performance in the first half “embarrassing.”

“Look, if it’s going to be like that, these guys aren’t going to be Mavericks very long,” Carlisle said after his team fell to fifth place in the Western Conference with a 15-13 record. “I can promise you that.”

Mikhail Prokhorov now owns 100 percent of Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center

Per the following press release, Mikhail Prokhorov’s company now owns 100 percent of the Brooklyn Nets team and the Barclays Center arena. According to CNBC, the deal values the team at $875 million and the arena at $825 million.

Onexim Sports and Entertainment Holding USA, Inc. today has signed an agreement with Nets Sports and Entertainment, LLC, an entity controlled by Forest City Enterprises, to consolidate a 100 percent equity interest in Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. The transaction was approved unanimously by the NBA’s Board of Governors earlier this month.

In 2010, Onexim acquired 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena. Since the arena opened in 2012, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment has managed the team and the arena and will continue to do so under the new structure.

Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of Onexim, said, “Today’s deal brings the ownership structure of the Brooklyn Nets and their state-of-the-art home in line with NBA guidelines and comes at an opportune time for all involved. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Forest City and Bruce Ratner and worked together to open one of the most successful arenas in the country and to bring professional sports back to Brooklyn. We will continue to support arena management to provide a high level of service to our fans and the best sports and entertainment experience in the world. We also remain fully committed to community programs that were created as part of the arena. We believe a successful arena must be a destination, but also be part of the communities that surround it and more broadly the collection of neighborhoods that represent Brooklyn.”

Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City’s New York subsidiary, Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), added, “The development of Barclays Center enabled the return of major league professional sports and world-class entertainment to Brooklyn, and in just over three years of operation, it has become one of the top-grossing arenas in the country. As an anchor for the continued development of Pacific Park Brooklyn, Barclays Center stands as an iconic landmark for the borough.”

“It’s a seamless transition due to the incredible partnership between Onexim and Forest City over the years,” said Brett Yormark, Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “Exciting times are ahead for our fans, partners, and employees as we continue to improve and grow all of our businesses.”

The parties expect to complete the transaction either late this year or early in 2016.

Report: Jarell Eddie to Wizards

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting that the Wizards are about to make a minor roster move:

In urgent need of perimeter players, the Washington Wizards will sign forward Jarell Eddie out of the NBA D-League to a nonguaranteed contract and waive center Ryan Hollins on Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

A sharpshooter, the 6-foot-7 Eddie went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2014, when he played on the Wizards’ summer league team in Las Vegas. He then played the Austin Spurs last season, averaging 12.9 points and converting 45.2 percent of his threes in 44 games. He also won the league’s three-point contest at all-star weekend.

Goran Dragic tech and ejection rescinded

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Heat point guard Goran Dragic, who is averaging a modest 11.3 points and 5.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per game this season:

The NBA confirmed Tuesday to the Sun Sentinel that the second of the two technical fouls called on Miami Heat Goran Dragic during Sunday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers has been rescinded.

Because of that decision, the league also confirmed that Dragic’s first career NBA ejection also has been rescinded, with that ejection the result of being called for two technical fouls in the same game.

Dragic was called for the first of his two Sunday technical fouls with 4:48 to play in the third quarter of the 116-109 victory over the Trail Blazers. He acknowledged that he used harsh language while disputing the officiating during that sequence. He then was called for his second technical foul with 1:37 to play in that quarter, which he contended was for asking referee James Williams, “What?”

Bucks coach Jason Kidd out after hip surgery

Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd underwent a successful right hip arthroplasty today. The procedure was performed by Dr. Edwin Su and Dr. Riley J. Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Kidd is expected to make a full recovery and will resume his coaching duties when physically able, though there is currently no timetable for his return to the bench. Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty will assume the head coaching duties in Kidd’s absence.