NBA News Blog – Page 900 – NBA Blog

Kevin Love re-fractures right hand

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) taken this afternoon at TRIA Orthopadedic Center revealed that forward Kevin Love suffered a re-fracture of his third metacarpal in his right hand. The injury occurred during the third quarter of Thursday’s game at Denver.

Love will be examined by Dr. Andy Weiland, a hand specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, later this week. An update to Love’s status will be provided after that examination.

Love initially suffered a fracture of his third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand on Oct. 17. 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).

Miami Heat waive guard Terrel Harris

The Miami Heat announced today that they have waived guard Terrel Harris.

Harris appeared in seven games with the Heat this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.1 minutes per game. Last season, he appeared in 22 games (one start) and averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

He originally signed with Miami as a free agent on December 10, 2011 and was re-signed by the Heat on September 10, 2012.

The Heat’s roster now stands at 14.

The team is rebounding very badly this season. It’s possible they look to add a power forward or center to come off the bench and help hit the boards.

Lakers re-assign Robert Sacre to D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have re-assigned center Robert Sacre to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today.

Sacre has played in 13 games with the Lakers this season, averaging 0.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in 4.2 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (60th overall pick) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Sacre finished his collegiate career at Gonzaga ranked second all-time in school history in career blocks (186), while averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 135 games.

Starting at center for the D-Fenders’ first three games of the season, Sacre averaged 7.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 27.0 minutes. Sacre, on his third assignment with the D-Fenders this season, will join the team for tonight’s game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce (NBA Affiliates: Miami, Minnesota, Orlando, Philadelphia) at 6:30 pm in El Segundo.

Pau Gasol not seeking trade from Lakers

After he endured his fourth benching in the fourth quarter since Mike D’Antoni was hired as coach, there is no denying Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol is having a hard time fitting in with the team he once helped win two championships.

The Lakers ultimately could decide they just can’t make it work with the former four-time All-Star; however, it won’t be Gasol pushing his way out of town.

“No, oh, that’s radical,” Gasol said when asked whether he would request a trade following the Lakers’ 107-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. “I still believe. I still have faith in what we have. I still have faith that I can be a big part in helping this team succeed. Right now, I’m not being able to do that very often.”

Gasol finished with just two points on 1-for-6 shooting along with four rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes against the Clippers. He sat the entire fourth quarter until Dwight Howard fouled out with 1:07 remaining and Gasol finished off the game in his stead.

— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Spurs recall Nando De Colo from D-League again

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have recalled guard Nando De Colo from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Assigned on Friday, De Colo finished with 15 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals in 34 minutes against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

In two games with the Toros this season, he is averaging 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.00 steals in 36.5 minutes.

De Colo has appeared in 30 games this season for the Spurs, averaging 3.9 points, 1.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 11.9 minutes.

Ekpe Udoh replaces Marquis Daniels in Bucks starting five

Bucks coach Scott Skiles said Ekpe Udoh will return to the starting lineup Friday night against the Houston Rockets.

Udoh will replace Marquis Daniels, who has started 16 games at small forward.

The Bucks will start Udoh, Larry Sanders and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute on the front line with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings in the backcourt.

“It allows me to get Luc on (James) Harden,” Skiles said in his pre-game remarks. “And also with Beno coming back and maybe not being 100%, we may need Marquis a little more in the backcourt.”

Backup point guard Beno Udrih will be available after being held out of Wednesday’s game with a sprained right ankle.

— Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Daequan Cook to sign with Bulls

Free-agent shooting specialist Daequan Cook will sign with the Chicago Bulls after clearing waivers Friday, according to his agent.

Agent Mike Conley Sr. of BDA Sports told ESPN.com that Cook has agreed to join the Bulls after going unclaimed through the NBA’s waiver process this week.

Despite a number of teams out there that could use an extra shooter — such as Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers, just to name two — Cook went unclaimed after being waived by Houston because any interested team would have had to have sufficient salary-cap space or a big enough cap exception to absorb Cook’s $3.1 million salary.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Very possible Royce White never plays in NBA

Houston Rockets first-round pick Royce White would like to play for the team, but until Houston and the league come up with a protocol for treating mental health, White said his chances of never playing in the NBA are “very high.”

By the same token, White does not blame the Rockets for the mental health care impasse that has kept him from playing.

“The reality is that it is not Houston’s fault,” White said on SiriusXM’s “Off the Dribble” show. “As much as we always want to try and blame one side or the other … they’ve been thrown into a position now where they’re forced to make things up as they go because a protocol has not been put in place for mental health up until this point.”

White, the 16th overall pick in the June draft who played well in Summer League but has yet to play in a regular-season NBA game, has a well-known fear of flying, part of a larger anxiety disorder. He and the team have been working with experts to devise an appropriate treatment plan, likely to include some travel by bus or car instead of on the team plane. Repeatedly White has resisted the team’s directives to spend time with the Rockets’ D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

— Reported by Henry Abbott of ESPN.com

LeBron misses practice due to bruised knee

LeBron James sat out of Thursday’s practice to receive extensive treatment for his bruised right knee but hopes to play in Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

It wasn’t initially clear whether James aggravated the slight knee injury during the Heat’s 119-109 overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. But James has dealt with soreness in both knees for much of the season.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t reveal James’ latest injury during his session with reporters immediately after Thursday’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. But during the final stages of practice that were open to the media, James was seen riding a stationary bike.

— Reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN.com

Cavs assign forward Jon Leuer to D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers toady re-assigned second-year forward Jon Leuer to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 90th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons and the second for Leuer, who is one of a record 46 NBA players to be assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Leuer (6-10, 228, Wisconsin) returns to the Charge following a six-game assignment earlier in the season, when he averaged 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 35.8 minutes. He has appeared in five games for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 14.4 minutes. Originally selected in the second round (40th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Leuer played in 46 games for Milwaukee last season. In 51 career NBA games, Leuer has averaged 4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 12.3 minutes.

A four-year contributor for the Badgers, Leuer averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 123 career NCAA games (68 starts). As a senior, Leuer led Wisconsin with 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches.

Leuer is expected to join the Charge today and be available tonight when they face the Springfield Armor in Massachusetts.