NBA News Blog – Page 892 – NBA Blog

Grant Hill set to make regular-season debut for Clippers

Grant Hill is set to make his regular-season debut for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The seven-time All-Star is expected to play limited minutes on Saturday against the Orlando Magic, his former team. Hill has missed 36 games with a bone bruise in his right knee. He hasn’t played since Oct. 13 when he had eight points and three rebounds in an exhibition game against Miami in Shanghai.

He’s been practicing for a week and coach Vinny Del Negro said Hill hasn’t had any setbacks.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Timberwolves guard Malcolm Lee needs two surgeries, out for season

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that guard Malcolm Lee will undergo two surgeries next week. On Monday, January 14, Lee will undergo a right knee cartilage repair. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Jonathan Glashow at Midtown Surgical Center in New York. On Wednesday, January 16, Lee will undergo surgery on his right hip. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Lee is expected to miss the remainder of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Lee, 6-5, played in 19 games for the Wolves this season, averaging 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.1 minutes per game. The Wolves originally acquired Lee from the Chicago Bulls on June 23, 2011.

Bucks assign Doron Lamb to D-League

The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned rookie guard Doron Lamb to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana) of the NBA Development League (D-League), General Manager John Hammond announced today. Lamb will report to Fort Wayne on Sunday and practice with the Mad Ants in preparation for their road trip to Los Angeles (Jan. 16) and Bakersfield (Jan. 18). Fort Wayne is coached by Duane Ticknor and is also the D-League affiliate of Detroit, Indiana and Charlotte.

Drafted by the Bucks with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft, Lamb has appeared in 23 contests for Milwaukee this season and has averaged 3.4 points in 12.2 minutes per game. He has tallied a career-high eight points in four different games, most recently against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 19.

In two seasons at Kentucky, Lamb, 21, finished his career with 1,018 points while helping the Wildcats to a National Championship in 2012. Averaging 13.1 points per game, Lamb also hit 47.5 percent of his shots from behind the arc to become the top three-point shooter in Kentucky school history.

Lakers forward Jordan Hill out for season with hip injury

Lakers forward Jordan Hill was examined by team doctor Steve Lombardo and hip specialist Dr. Jason Snibbe, and underwent an arthrogram test today on his injured left hip.

Results of the test showed he has loose fragments in addition to a possible labral tear. Hill has been advised that surgery will be needed to repair the injury, and he will be out for the remainder of the season.

Hill is expected to get a second opinion before he schedules surgery.

Celtics give Fab Melo another trip to the D-League

The Boston Celtics today re-assigned rookie center Fab Melo to the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 102nd of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the third for Melo this year. He is one of a record 49 NBA players who’ve been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Melo (7-0, 215, Syracuse) returns to the Red Claws where he previously appeared in 12 games, averaging 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game. He was originally selected in the first round (22nd overall) by Boston in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Melo is expected to join the Red Claws today and be available tonight when the team visits the Springfield Armor.

Thunder recall Jeremy Lamb from D-League yet again

The Oklahoma City Thunder has recalled guard Jeremy Lamb from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Including his 33-point (11-of-19 FGs) performance yesterday afternoon against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Lamb has appeared in 11 games (all starts) with the 66ers this season and recorded averages of 21.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 36.0 minutes.

Lamb is expected to join the Thunder in Los Angeles today prior to this evening’s contest against the Lakers.

Eric Maynor has no interest in D-League assignment

Since falling out of the rotation and becoming a seldom-used third stringer, Eric Maynor has logged just 20 minutes in the past 10 games.

He now enters Friday’s road game against the rival yet reeling Los Angeles Lakers at a crossroad.

Maynor has appeared in only five of the past 10 contests, and the majority of those sparse minutes have come in mop-up duty.

But rather than agreeing to a D-League assignment simply for playing purposes as he continues to regain his rhythm from last year’s devastating knee injury that cost him the final 57 games and the entire playoffs, Maynor said he prefers to remain on the Thunder roster.

“No,” Maynor said emphatically, repeating it two additional times, when asked if he had any desire for a D-League assignment to the Tulsa 66ers. “I get good court work in every day so I’m going to be straight whenever the opportunity comes back around.”

— Reported by Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman

Legal case involving Chris Andersen not yet resolved

The legal case involving former Nuggets center Chris Andersen has yet to be resolved, a Douglas County Sheriff’s sergeant said, but Andersen’s attorney went public Thursday, reiterating a claim made last May that his client was duped and then extorted by a woman claiming to be of legal age. The Douglas County investigation involves possible Internet crimes involving a minor.

“What I’d like to communicate is, this had nothing to do with children,” attorney Mark Bryant told The Denver Post on Thursday. “This had to do with an individual who represented herself as legal age and then some, and by the way, is and was at legal age.”

Andersen, meanwhile, has been working out in Denver and in College Station, Texas, as he tries to make a comeback to the NBA. Bryant confirmed that Andersen, 34, could sign a contract with the defending league champion Miami Heat. Andersen worked out Tuesday for Heat president Pat Riley, The Miami Herald reported.

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman and Carlos Illescas of the Denver Post

Grizzlies re-assign Tony Wroten to D-League yet again

The Memphis Grizzlies re-assigned Tony Wroten to the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. This marks the third D-League assignment this season for the rookie guard.

Wroten (6-6, 208) holds D-League averages of 13.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists on .411 shooting in 24.5 minutes in eight games (two starts) over two assignments with the Bighorns. The 19-year-old posted 14.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on .545 shooting in 29.5 minutes in two games (both starts) for Reno during his second assignment from Dec. 26-31.

The Seattle native will be with the Bighorns for their next game tonight at Idaho.

Drafted by Memphis in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Washington, Wroten has totaled two points, two rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes in six games during his rookie season.

After sweeping its three-game road trip against Phoenix, Sacramento and Golden State, Memphis returns home to host the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow at 7 p.m. at FedExForum.

Are Knicks interested in Kenyon Martin?

Woodson denied that the Knicks are pursing free agent forward Kenyon Martin, saying “that’s new news to me. That’s (media) speculation.”

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Knicks are considering signing Martin to a 10-day contract. In order to add Martin, the Knicks would have to release a player because their roster is already at the maximum of 15.

The possibility of signing Martin is not that far-fetched considering he was teammates with Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Marcus Camby in Denver and enjoyed his greatest success playing alongside Jason Kidd with the Nets.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News