NBA News Blog – Page 896 – NBA Blog

Carmelo Anthony suspended one game for confrontation with Kevin Garnett

New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony has been suspended for one game without pay for confronting Boston’s Kevin Garnett in the arena tunnel, near the players’ locker rooms, and in the parking garage following the Celtics at Knicks game on January 7, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

“There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game,” Jackson said. “Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday’s game and therefore a suspension was warranted.”

Anthony will serve his suspension on January 10 when the Knicks play the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Kevin Love injury update: Out 8-10 weeks

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that after an examination by Dr. Andy Weiland, a hand specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, forward Kevin Love will require surgery to repair the third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand. He injured his hand during the third quarter of the Jan. 3 game at Denver.

Details of the surgery expected to be announced tomorrow. Love is expected to be sidelined for 8-10 weeks.

For the season, Love has played in 18 games and leads the Wolves in scoring (18.3 ppg), rebounds (14.0 rpg) and double-doubles (14).

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Miami Heat sign forward Jarvis Varnado to 10-day contract

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed forward Jarvis Varnado to a 10-day contract.

Varnado, who was signed by Boston this season on December 14, appeared in five games with the Celtics totaling six points, three rebounds, one assist and a steal in 18 minutes of action while shooting 2-of-4 from the field before being waived on January 6. He previously played in eight games (all starts) earlier this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League and averaged 14.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.38 blocks and 30.4 minutes while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.

Varnado was originally a second-round draft choice (41st overall) by the Heat in the 2010 NBA Draft after concluding his collegiate career at Mississippi State as the NCAA’s all-time leader in blocks (564). He was signed earlier this season by Miami on September 7 and waived on October 26 after appearing in two games (one start) on the Heat’s 2012 Summer League team tallying four points, seven rebounds, one steal and a block in 30:07 minutes of action.

The Heat’s roster now stands at 14.

Trail Blazers recall Nolan Smith and Will Barton from D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers have recalled guards Nolan Smith and Will Barton from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

Portland assigned Smith and Barton to the Stampede on Sunday, Jan. 6. The guards played in both of Idaho’s games at the 2013 NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nev., on Monday, Jan. 7 and Tuesday, Jan. 8.

Smith posted averages of 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.00 steal and 38.0 minutes per game. Smith led Idaho with a game-high 28 points on Jan. 7 against Texas.

Barton averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 33.5 minutes per contest. The first-year guard out of Memphis tied for the team lead in rebounds (8) and assists (6) vs. Texas on Jan. 7.

Both players will be in Portland for today’s practice and are available for tomorrow’s game vs. Miami.

Maloofs close to selling the Sacramento Kings to group in Seattle

Years after losing the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, Seattle may be getting an NBA team back.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports via Twitter, “the Maloofs are finalizing an agreement to sell the Sacramento Kings to the Hansen-Ballmer led Seattle group, sources tell Yahoo! Sports. The deal will sell the Kings for approximately $500 million, with the Seattle group seeking relocation to Key Arena for the 2013-’14 season. The Seattle group’s plans, with support of the NBA, is to play two seasons in Key Arena before moving into a new Seattle arena, sources say. The Maloofs are expected to keep an extremely small percentage of team, but will have no real input or say in franchise, sources say.”

More coming shortly.

Cavs center Anderson Varejao will miss 6-8 weeks

Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao was injured during the Cavaliers game against the Toronto Raptors on December 18th at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Diagnosis was a right knee contusion, specifically to the vastus medialis which connects to the medial (inner) border of the patella.

As Varejao’s treatment and recovery process continued, an MRI revealed the contused area included a small longitudinal split in the vastus medialis. Despite continued, gradual recovery of the contusion, symptoms also continued in the specific area of the split. Another MRI revealed an increase in the split and symptoms persisted. Dynamic ultrasound imaging also revealed tissue from underneath the split was herniating and pinching with knee flexion.

A second opinion was recently obtained with Dr. J. Richard Steadman of The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, which confirmed Cavaliers Head Team Physician Dr. Richard Parker of the Cleveland Clinic’s recommendation for surgical intervention. Varejao will undergo surgery this Thursday (January 10th) at the Cleveland Clinic and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

Utah Jazz recall Kevin Murphy from D-League

Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey announced today that the team has recalled rookie Kevin Murphy from the Reno Bighorns, Utah’s NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate. Murphy is expected to be in uniform when the Jazz visits the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow, January 9, at 5 p.m. MT.

In 14 games (12 starts) with the Bighorns, Murphy averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 28.6 minutes. He began his assignment with Reno on November 26.

Selected by the Jazz in the second round (47th overall selection) of the 2012 NBA Draft, the 6-6, 185-pound Murphy played four seasons at Tennessee Tech, where he averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Murphy averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior and finished his career as the Golden Eagles’ second all-time leading scorer (2,019 points).

Murphy became the sixth player in Jazz history to be assigned to the D-League, and the first since current Jazz teammate Jeremy Evans was in March 2011.

76ers sign guard Maalik Wayns to 10-day contract

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have brought back free agent guard Maalik Wayns and signed him to a 10-day contract.

Wayns (6-1, 195) was not selected in the 2012 NBA Draft following his junior season with Villanova. He originally signed as a free agent with the Sixers on July 31 and was waived on January 6.

In 20 games for the Sixers this season, Wayns is averaging 2.5 points and 1.0 assists in 7.8 minutes per game.

Timberwolves sign forward Lazar Hayward to 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward Lazar Hayward to a 10-day contract. Hayward was previously signed by the Wolves on Dec. 31, 2012 and waived on Jan. 6, 2013. The 6-6 forward appeared in two games for Minnesota and totaled 2 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound in 12 minutes.

Hayward, drafted by the Washington Wizards in the first round (30th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, was originally acquired by Minnesota in a draft night trade on June 24, 2010. In 2010-11, he appeared in 42 games as a rookie with the Wolves and finished with averages of 3.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 10.9 mpg. The 6-6 forward was traded to Oklahoma City on Dec. 13, 2011 for two future second-round draft picks. After spending one season with the Thunder, Hayward was traded to Houston on Oct. 27, 2012 and was released by the Rockets prior to the start of the 2012-13 NBA season. Hayward has appeared in 69 NBA regular-season games with Minnesota (2010-11) and Oklahoma City (2011-12), posting averages of 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.

Hayward played collegiately at Marquette University where he started 118 of 138 games, and averaged 13.5 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arc. The second all-time leading scorer in Marquette history with 1,859 career points, Hayward played in a school-record 138 games and earned Second Team All-Big East and Honorable Mention AP All-American honors as a senior.

Melo says situation with Kevin Garnett has been handled

Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday he lost his cool after Kevin Garnett said things to him that he feels shouldn’t be said to ”another man.”

Anthony said he sought out Garnett after the Knicks’ loss to Boston on Monday night so they could discuss it. He would not elaborate on what was said.

Anthony went toward the Celtics’ locker room and waited for Garnett outside the team bus. He said they have spoken and sorted out the matter.

”There’s certain things that you just don’t say to men, another man,” Anthony said. ”I felt like we crossed a line, but like I said, we both had an understanding right now, we handled it the way we handled it. Nobody needs to know what was said behind closed doors, so that situation was handled.”

The All-Star forwards exchanged words during the game and Anthony clearly was affected. He shot 6 of 26, seeming at times in the second half to be most concerned with pushing and shoving Garnett, and acknowledged Tuesday that he ”allowed some negativity to come into my circle.”

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press