NBA News Blog – Page 867 – NBA Blog

Clippers keep Maalik Wayns for rest of season

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed guard Maalik Wayns for the remainder of the season.

Wayns has appeared in three games for the Clippers averaging 3.7 points, 2.3 assists and 9.3 minutes per game.

Wayns, who was the 23rd D-League to NBA “Call-Up” of the 2012-13 season, averaged 12.4 points and 3.0 assists in nine games (three starts) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League this season.

The 6’2” undrafted Villanova product started the season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and appeared in 21 games for the Sixers. In those 21 games (one start), he averaged 2.7 points and 1.0 assist in 7.8 minutes of play.

Former Bulls center Tom Boerwinkle dies at 67

Former Chicago Bulls 7-foot center Tom Boerwinkle, known for his crisp passes, determined rebounding and ability to facilitate the offense, has died at the age of 67.

Boerwinkle was the first-round pick of the Bulls (4th overall) out of the University of Tennessee in 1968. He played his entire NBA career for the Bulls, averaging 7.2 points, 9 rebounds and 3.2 assists from 1968-78 while setting hard picks to create scoring opportunities for the likes of Chet Walker, Bob Love, Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier.

The University of Tennessee announced that Boerwinkle passed away following a lengthy illness.

“Tom was a once-in-a-lifetime guy,” former Tennessee teammate Bill Justus said in a statement released by the university. “When you meet a guy like him and have him as a teammate, he becomes a brother to you, and there’s no replacing someone like that.

— Reported by Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune

Utah Jazz sign Jerel McNeal to 10-day contract

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed guard Jerel McNeal of the NBA Development League’s Bakersfield Jam to a 10-day contract, the NBA’s 30th overall D-League Call-Up of the 2012-13 season and 26th different player called up. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A 25-year-old two-time NBA D-League All-Star selection, McNeal (6-3, 200, Marquette) has averaged 18.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 44 games (36 starts) in 2012-13 for the Jam, who acquired him in a trade with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers prior to the season. McNeal also tallied 13 points and seven assists for the Prospects team during the 2013 D-League All-Star Game on February 14 as part of NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. In addition, McNeal was a D-League All-Star selection in 2011 while a member of the Vipers.

Undrafted in 2009, this will mark McNeal’s second career NBA regular-season stint, having previously spent 10 days with the New Orleans Hornets from March 9-19, 2011, although he did not appear in a game. McNeal attended 2012 training camp with the Toronto Raptors but was waived prior to the 2012-13 season, and has also participated in NBA training camps with the Los Angeles Clippers (2009) and Houston Rockets (2010). He has also played with Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium (2009-10) and Sutor Montegranaro of the Italian League (2011-12), in addition to D-League seasons with Rio Grande Valley (2010-11) and Bakersfield (2012-13).

The Chicago native played four seasons at Marquette University (2005-09), averaging 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists during his tenure. McNeal finished his four-year career as Marquette’s all-time leader in scoring (1,985), steals (287) and games played (130). In his senior season (2008-09), McNeal was named an Associated Press Second Team All-American, First Team All-Big East, USBWA Distract 5 Player of the Year and Marquette University’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.03 steals.

McNeal becomes the 10th D-League Call-Up in Jazz history, joining Rusty LaRue (2000-01), Mikki Moore (2003-04), Louis Amundson (2006-07), Sundiata Gaines (2009-10), Othyus Jeffers (2009-10), Marcus Cousin (2010-11), Kyle Weaver (2010-11), Blake Ahearn (2011-12) and Travis Leslie (2012-13).

McNeal, whose first name is pronounced Jah-rell, will wear uniform #23 for the Jazz.

Metta World Peace out at least six weeks after knee injury

The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting to make the playoffs in the West, but their chances just took a hit.

Lakers forward Metta World Peace, who injured his left knee in Monday night’s game against the Warriors in Oakland, will have surgery tomorrow for a torn lateral meniscus.

The surgery will be performed by team doctors Steve Lombardo and Dan Kharrazi of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group in Los Angeles.

World Peace, who has averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.70 steals in 70 games (64 starts) this season, is expected to be out a minimum of six weeks.

Even if the Lakers do make the playoffs, they’ll be a lower seed and will face a very tough first-round opponent, which is now an even harder task without the services of World Peace.

Sacramento council approves deal to build new NBA arena

With the clock clicking down, the Sacramento City Council took its last shot at keeping the NBA Kings in California’s capital by approving a public-private deal Tuesday to build a new 18,500-seat arena and retail center downtown.

Approval of the arena was the last step in what has been a full court press by Mayor Kevin Johnson to keep the city’s only major league sports team from bolting to Seattle, where a new ownership group and arena deal awaits. He now must convince NBA owners to block the Maloof family from initiating the move, a deal made public in January.

Since then, the mayor, himself a former NBA All-Star, has scrambled to assemble a group to buy the team, convince Commissioner David Stern to consider a counter offer, and get approval for the financial deal that would build a $448 million arena on the site of a shopping mall – a development many say will revitalize a problem area in its bustling city core.

Next week, Johnson will present the arena plan and purchase offer to an NBA committee. The following week, the NBA Board of Governors will vote on whether the team can be sold, and whether it will stay or move.

— Reported by the Associated Press

There were no surprises at the City Council meetings that ended a few hours. Council members voted 7-2 to approve a term sheet detailing the public’s contribution to the proposed $448 million downtown sports and entertainment complex, with Kevin McCarty and Darrell Fong – both of whom expressed concern about the city’s risk and the lack of time to more closely vet the agreement – voting against the agreement.

Tuesday’s vote was the latest development in Mayor Kevin Johnson’s campaign to keep the Kings in Sacramento. The Maloofs already sold their majority interest in the team to the Seattle-based group headed by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, but the league’s other owners (as stated in the NBA by-laws) have to approve all sales and relocations. Within the past several weeks, Johnson, attempting to come up with a counter bid, has put together a potential Kings ownership group that includes billionaire Ron Burkle, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, Golden State Warriors minority owner Vivek Ranadive and Steve Jacobs, founder of San Diego-based-Qualcomm.

— Reported by the Sacramento Bee

Kevin Garnett expected to miss at least a week with injury

Boston’s Kevin Garnett is expected to miss at least a week with inflammation in his left ankle as the Celtics practice patience with their 36-year-old star.

Coach Doc Rivers, preparing his team for a playoff run, said on Monday he doesn’t think Garnett will be out for the long term.

‘‘I don’t know what long term is,’’ Rivers said before practice. ‘‘If you mean that he’s not going to play this year, no, I don’t worry about that. But can he miss four or five games? Yeah, that’s possible.’’

Garnett sat out Saturday night’s 110-106 loss at Memphis and will miss Tuesday night’s home game against the New York Knicks, Rivers said. The Celtics’ busy stretch continues Wednesday night at Cleveland, Friday night at home against the Atlanta Hawks, Sunday night at New York and Monday at Minnesota.

— Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

Magic guard Arron Afflalo injures hamstring

Orlando Magic officials wanted to use the final weeks of the regular season to accelerate the development of youngsters such as Maurice Harkless, Tobias Harris and DeQuan Jones.

But this isn’t how the team wanted it to happen.

Arron Afflalo, the team’s starting shooting guard and its leading scorer, will miss the final 12 games of the season after he strained his right hamstring during Friday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although team officials wouldn’t specify how severe the strain is, they said Afflalo’s injury will be treated with rest and physical therapy.

“He’s a leader out there on the floor,” Harkless said. “He brings a lot of energy, a lot of intensity. But we’ve played without him before. We’ve just got to do it again and stick together. We’re all we got.”

Afflalo’s absence will force the team’s least experienced players into more prominent roles, most notably Harkless.

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel

Former Knicks star Ray Williams dead at age 58

Ray Williams, a former Knicks captain who 30 years ago teamed with Michael Ray Richardson to form one of the NBA’s most flamboyant backcourts, died today at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Williams, 58, had been suffering from colon cancer.

A guard with a chiseled physique, Williams was drafted 10th overall by the Knicks in 1977. He came to New York during the bridge years, after the glory championship days of Willis Reed and Bill Bradley, and before Patrick Ewing arrived to lift the franchise.

In the meantime, Williams and Richardson brought sizzle to Madison Garden. Richardson was the taller, wiry slashing player. Williams was built more like a fullback, with well-defined thighs and arms. He entered the league not long before Magic Johnson, and he was of that mold, blurring the lines between positions. He was 6-foot-3 and moved smoothly between the responsibilities of point guard, scoring guard and small even small forward.

— Reported by Craig Wolff of the Newark Star-Ledger

Celtics sign Shavlik Randolph to longer contract

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed forward Shavlik Randolph to a multi-year contract.

According to WEEI, “As they did with Chinese Basketball Association imports Terrence Williams and D.J. White before him, the Celtics signed Shavlik Randolph for the remainder of the season. The deal includes an option for next season.”

Randolph, a 6’10” forward, has appeared in three games for the Celtics this season averaging 3.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game. He posted highs of six points, eight rebounds and two steals against Charlotte on March 16.

Rockets rookie Royce White leaves D-League team

The brief NBA Development League career of Rockets rookie Royce White could be over. Whether a career in the NBA can be salvaged remains unclear after the latest stunning turn in his tumultuous season.

White announced via Twitter that he was leaving the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to be in Houston for the remainder of the season at the advice of the team physician. He did not offer any explanation, but later said he was returning to Houston, not the Rockets.

Rockets management was not a part of the decision, according to a person with knowledge of their thinking on the issue.

Rockets officials would not comment. Even less clear is whether the agreement that White considered necessary to report to the D-League in February will protect him should the Rockets wish to suspend him again.

— Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Blog)