NBA News Blog – Page 868 – NBA Blog

Bobcats center Brendan Haywood injures foot, done for season

The Charlotte Bobcats announced today that center Brendan Haywood will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Haywood missed three of the team’s last four games due to left ankle soreness. He had an MRI yesterday, and a CT scan ordered by foot specialist Dr. Bob Anderson confirmed the stress reaction.

Haywood, who will be in a walking boot for the next four weeks, has appeared in 61 games for the Bobcats this season, with averages of 3.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 19.0 minutes.

Per the Charlotte Observer, “Haywood came to the Bobcats in July, after the Dallas Mavericks waived him under the amnesty clause. He is under contract to the Bobcats the next two seasons.”

Kiki VanDeWeghe to become NBA VP of Basketball Operations

E.M. ‘Kiki’ VanDeWeghe III, an All-American basketball player at UCLA, first-round draft pick, former two-time NBA All-Star, and successful NBA general manager and coach, will join the NBA as Vice President, Basketball Operations effective April 1, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced today.

In his new role, VanDeWeghe will be involved in a broad range of basketball matters, including the development of playing rules and interpretations; game analytics; disciplinary matters; and policies and procedures relating to the operation of NBA games. He will also serve as a key interface between the league and the teams, drawing upon his years of experience as a general manager and coach. VanDeWeghe will report to Jackson.

“Kiki has a lifetime of basketball experience, including an NBA career spanning more than three decades as a player, coach, and general manager, which provides him with a tremendous amount of insight into our game,” Jackson said. “We’re looking forward to drawing upon his expertise on a wide range of matters involving our game.”

For the past two years, VanDeWeghe has been a contributor to FOX Sports West as a writer and analyst covering the Los Angeles Clippers. Previously, he was the general manager, and for one season the interim head coach, of the New Jersey Nets from 2007 to 2010. Before joining the Nets, he was a broadcast analyst for two years with ESPN. Prior to his time with ESPN, VanDeWeghe was the general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2001 to 2006.

VanDeWeghe’s NBA playing career spanned 13 years, with the Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, and Clippers, during which he averaged 19.7 points with a 52.5% field goal average, 87.2% free throw average, made two All-Star appearances, and helped his teams to the postseason 12 times.

Celtics sign D.J. White to multi-year contract

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed forward D.J. White to a multi-year contract. More details later today.

White, a 6’9” forward, has appeared in four games for the Celtics since he was signed to his original 10-day contract on February 28. In those four games, White has averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per game. He recorded a high of six points against Charlotte on March 16 and recorded four rebounds also against Charlotte on March 12.

Jazz decide not to keep Travis Leslie

Travis Leslie emerged from the locker room before practice in sweats. He walked over to the few players and coaches already on the court. He shook hands and disappeared back into the locker room and back to the D-League.

Ten days after it began for Leslie, his stint as a member of the Utah Jazz was over.

The Jazz opted not to sign Leslie to a second 10-day contract after the athletic D-League All-Star Game MVP, who before his call-up played for the Santa Cruz Warriors, did not appear in a game in a brief stint with the team.

“He did nothing wrong,” coach Tyrone Corbin said.

— Reported by Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune

Tony Parker participates in practice for Spurs

All-Star point guard Tony Parker participated in his first full practice since suffering a Grade 2 left ankle sprain almost three weeks ago, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday.

Popovich ruled Parker out for Wednesday’s home game against Golden State, but said again that the Frenchman will likely beat the initial one-month timeline given after his injury against Sacramento on March 1. The Spurs follow the Warriors with Utah at home on Friday, Houston on the road on Sunday and Denver at home next Wednesday.

“I think it will be sooner than four weeks, but it won’t be tomorrow,” Popovich said. “He did everything today. It’s very encouraging.”

The Spurs are 5-2 without Parker, a likely MVP candidate in the midst of arguably his best season.

— Reported by Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News (Blog)

Cavs guard Dion Waiters out at least one week

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters left last night’s game vs. the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena during the first half with left knee soreness and did not return to play. Waiters was examined at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health today by Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker.

The exam, including an MRI, revealed a small, loose cartilage fragment in his left knee.

Waiters will be OUT for approximately one week while he undergoes a period of rest, treatment and additional observation and examination.

Following this period, and based on the continued evaluation of his knee, next steps regarding his treatment and recovery will be established, including the potential for an arthroscopic procedure.

Clippers sign Maalik Wayns to second 10-day contract

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed guard Maalik Wayns to a second 10-day contract.

Wayns appeared in one game for the Clippers, scoring two points and dishing out five assists in a 129-97 win over the Detroit Pistons on March 10.

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.

Chicago Bulls sign forward Malcolm Thomas to 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls today signed Los Angeles D-Fenders forward Malcolm Thomas to a 10-day contract.

Thomas is one of 122 players on NBA rosters with NBA D-League experience.

Thomas (6-9, 225, San Diego State) returns to the NBA following a 10-day stint with the Golden State Warriors. During that earlier Call-Up, he played in five games for Golden State, scoring three points in 21 minutes and was assigned to the team’s NBA D-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, for one game when he scored eight points in 39 minutes. Prior to earning the call from the Warriors, Thomas played in one game for the D-Fenders, a 99-86 victory over the Texas Legends on March 6, when he scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in 41 minutes.

A veteran of 19 regular season games last season with the D-Fenders, Thomas averaged 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 32.3 minutes during that stretch. In seven postseason games for the team during the 2011-12 season, he averaged 17.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 34.6 minutes, as the D-Fenders advanced to the 2012 NBA D-League Finals. He also saw NBA D-League action with the Austin Toros and Rio Grande Valley Vipers on assignment last season.

Today’s “Call-Up” to Chicago marks the fourth of Thomas’ career, including earning the call from Golden State earlier this year and signing with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets from the D-Fenders last season. He has scored four NBA career points in 36 minutes over eight games.

Thomas is expected to join the Bulls today and be available when the team hosts the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, March 21.

Unclear when Rip Hamilton will return for Bulls

After tiptoeing around the question last week, coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday didn’t rule out that Richard Hamilton could be sidelined for the remainder of the season with his back injury.

“There’s an unknown,” Thibodeau said. “It’s a back, so those things are tricky. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Hamilton missed his ninth straight game. The veteran guard was a surprise late scratch before the Feb. 28 home game against the 76ers after scoring six points in 18 minutes on Feb. 26 against the Cavaliers.

Hamilton has missed 59 of 132 games since signing his two-year, $10 million deal, which carries a $1 million buyout for next season’s team option.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Dwight Howard leaves business manager after 9 years

Dwight Howard is growing all on his own, single-mindedly focused on who he wants to be, and he has taken another major step forward in his career by leaving the business manager who has been Howard’s primary advisor his entire career, Kevin Samples.

“We had nine great years together,” Howard told me late Monday night. “Just time to go separate ways.”

For all the intangible growth Howard has discovered recently, breaking away from Samples is a concrete gesture that the past is the past – and Howard is confident in calling his own shots in the future.

“I know what I want to accomplish,” Howard said. “I’ve always written down my goals and everything I want, and I want to make sure I get ’em. Everything I’ve lost, everything that’s gone away, I’m going to get it back.”

Samples came to Los Angeles with Howard after the trade to the Lakers, and it was hard to envision him not being around considering they’re actually first cousins – and Howard’s parents dispatched Samples to live with Howard in Orlando right after the 2004 NBA draft as a big brother/guidance counselor/business manager.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register