Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Greg Oden confident he will return to NBA

greg oden

Asked if he was playing at all, Oden said, “I’m just getting my knee ready so when things do happen I’ll be ready to play next year.

“I’m still in the rehab process, but I’m it taking slow. I could possibly be playing at this point, but I’ve done that before and I got injured before, so I’d rather take everything I am doing slow. Right now I’m just doing strength stuff with my knees.”

He said he was confident he would return to the NBA.

“I like how my knee is going, the way it’s going,” he said. “I still like the time I’m taking, just to make sure nothing happens. You can’t predict the future. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m happy.”

— Reported by Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Grizzlies, Raptors discussing a Rudy Gay trade

rudy gay

The final hurdle for the salary dump of Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors hinges on finding a third team to absorb the expiring contract of Raptors guard Jose Calderon, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Grizzlies have inquired with multiple teams over the past several days, searching for a willing partner to facilitate a three-team deal, sources said.

Despite organizational proclamations to the contrary, new Memphis ownership and management is determined to unload Gay and the $37 million owed him as soon as possible, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Calderon has a $10.5 million expiring contract.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Billy Hunter fires family members from NBA players union

Executive director Billy Hunter has fired his daughter and daughter-in-law from the NBA players’ association, less than two weeks after a review criticized his hiring practices.

In a letter to the union’s special committee of players, dated Jan. 23, Hunter informed them that Robyn Hunter was to be let go as of Jan. 25. Megan Inaba will stay on through the All-Star break to help coordinate activities in Houston before leaving her job on Feb. 17.

Hunter also states in the letter, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, that the NBPA will no longer work with Prim Capital, the banking firm that employs Hunter’s son, Todd.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Timberwolves sign Mickael Gelabale to second 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward Mickael Gelabale to a second 10-day contract. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out for a minimum of two weeks due to injury.

The 6-7 forward has appeared in five games for the Wolves, averaging 7.8 points, on .556 (15-for-27) shooting, and 3.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.

Gelabale, 29, spent two seasons (2006-07, 2007-08) in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics, and averaged 4.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 15.6 minutes per game in 109 contests. Gelabale was drafted in the second round (48th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft by Seattle.

Gelabale began this season playing in Croatia for Cedevita Zagreb in the EuroLeague and Adriatic League. In 10 EuroLeague games, Gelabale averaged 12.8 points on 60.5 percent shooting, including 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. Gelabale signed with Valencia BC in Spain in December and played in five games in the EuroCup and Spanish League, averaging 10.8 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor. Gelabale has also spent time playing professionally in France, Belgium and Russia.

Gelabale played for the French National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, averaging 7.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in six contests, all starts.

Timberwolves sign Chris Johnson to second 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed center Chris Johnson to a second 10-day contract. Johnson was originally signed to a 10-day contract on Jan. 19.

Johnson has appeared in five games for the Wolves, averaging 9.2 points, on .720 (18-for-25) shooting, and 3.8 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game.

Johnson playing in 14 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA D-League this season where he was averaging 10.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 25.6 minutes in 14 games.

Johnson, 27, was a free agent invitee at the Wolves training camp this past fall. He appeared in three preseason games for Minnesota, and averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per game. Johnson was waived on Oct. 27, 2012.

The 6-11 center has played parts of two NBA seasons with Boston, Portland and New Orleans. He started the 2011-12 season with Portland, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 20 contests. Johnson finished the 2011-12 season in New Orleans where he averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in seven contests. In 41 career games, he holds averages of 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds.

Johnson averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during the 2010-11 season for the Dakota Wizards and was named the 2011 NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year. Spent his collegiate years at Louisiana State University and went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Rick Adelman back to coaching Timberwolves after 3 weeks away

Rick Adelman

Rick Adelman is back on the court and coaching basketball after three weeks away to help his wife through a health scare.

His Minnesota Timberwolves lost nine of 11 games without him to fall behind in the powerful Western Conference playoff race.

Adelman helped restore hope in this downtrodden franchise when he came aboard before last season. So the Timberwolves have missed him. In some ways, though, Adelman may need the Wolves as much as they need him.

Adelman ran practice Monday and said he planned to coach against the Clippers on Wednesday night if all is satisfactory with Mary Kay Adelman, who is being treated for an undisclosed condition. Adelman said he delayed his return until he felt it would be for good. He said his wife is improving and he hopes the worst is over.

”It’s hard,” Adelman said, referring to his absence. ”I’ve never done this. It’s never happened. But there’s some things that are more important than basketball or anything else. I think the team understands that. Hopefully things will settle down here now.”

— Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press

Rockets recall Donatas Motiejunas from D-League again

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has recalled forward/center Donatas Motiejunas from Houston’s single-affiliation NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley.

Motiejunas (7-0, 222, Lithuania), who was re-assigned to the Vipers on Jan. 22, has averaged 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in seven starts with Rio Grande Valley this season. With the Rockets, Motiejunas is currently averaging 1.6 points and 0.3 boards in 14 games.

Phoenix Suns recall Diante Garrett from D-League

The Phoenix Suns have recalled guard Diante Garrett from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, the club announced today.

Originally assigned on Jan. 10, the 6-4, 175-pound guard averaged 15.1 points, 7.4 assists and 1.7 steals while appearing in seven games for the Jam (five starts).  During his seven-game assignment, the Jam compiled a 6-1 (.857) record, including a season-best six-game win streak.

Garrett shot 46.1 percent from the field (49-of-93), including a 62.5-percent clip from three-point range (10-of-16).  Both a scorer and a distributor, Garrett reached double figures in scoring in six of seven games, including four games of 15 or more points and one 20-point effort; he dished six or more assists in six of seven games, including two double-digit assist efforts.

Tornike Shengelia named D-League Performer of Week

Tornike Shengelia, playing for the Springfield Armor on assignment from the Brooklyn Nets, was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Jan. 21-27. 

A 6-8, 207-pound forward from the Republic of Georgia, Shengelia played in two of the Armor’s four games last week, helping the team to a 2-2 record.  He began his assignment, the second of his career, by tying an Armor franchise record with 39 points on 17-of-21 shooting to go with a game-high 18 rebounds and six assists in a 123-115 home win of the Maine Red Claws.  He finished the week with a 24-point, 13-rebound performance in a 111-100 victory over the visiting Santa Cruz Warriors.

For the week, Shengelia averaged 31.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 41.0 minutes.  He shot 76 percent from the floor (25-of-33) while going 4-of-7 (57 percent) from behind the three-point line.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Rick Jackson, Bakersfield’s Damion James, Canton’s Kevin Jones, Erie’s D.J. Kennedy, Fort Wayne’s Luke Harangody, Idaho’s Coby Karl, Iowa’s Paul Harris, Los Angeles’ Elijah Millsap, Maine’s DaJuan Summers, Reno’s Walker Russell, Jr., Rio Grande Valley’s Terrel Harris, Santa Cruz’s Stefhon Hannah, Sioux Falls’ Donald Sloan, Texas’ Sean Singletary and Tulsa’s Jeremy Lamb, on assignment from the Oklahoma City Thunder.