Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Raymond Felton out 4-6 weeks with fractured pinkie

Raymond Felton

Will the Knicks ever get healthy and whole?

Raymond Felton, the team’s starting point guard, said last night he has a fracture in his right pinkie, discovered following an X-ray. He added he will likely need surgery and be out four to six weeks.

Bah, humbug. Carmelo Anthony also missed last night’s 99-97 victor y over the Suns with a hyperextended knee suffered during Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers, but his injury doesn’t appear serious.

The timing of Felton’s latest injury is tough considering Amar’e Stoudemire is expected back on Jan. 1 and Iman Shumpert is gearing up to return later in the month. Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni will now be the point guards.

Felton took the X-ray of his shooting hand at halftime after sitting out last night. He injured the pinkie fighting for a loose ball with the Lakers’ Steve Nash. Felton will fly to New York tomorrow and see a hand specialist to confirm the next course of action, a Knicks official said.

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Thunder re-assign Perry Jones, DeAndre Liggins, Daniel Orton to D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Perry Jones, guard DeAndre Liggins and center Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Jones has appeared in 10 games this season with the Thunder while recording averages of 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.

In seven games with the Thunder, Liggins is averaging 0.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 3.0 minutes per game.

Orton has seen action in one game for the Thunder, scoring two points in two minutes versus Cleveland on Nov. 11th.

All three players will travel with the 66ers to Canton for this weekend’s matchups with the Charge on Fri. Dec 28 and Sat. Dec 29.

Grizzlies re-assign Tony Wroten to D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies re-assigned guard Tony Wroten to the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Wroten (6-6, 208) averaged 13.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists on .370 shooting (.438 three-point shooting) in 22.8 minutes in six games for Reno during his first assignment from Nov. 27-Dec. 17.  The 19-year-old scored a D-League season-high 21 points in his Bighorns debut on Dec. 2 at Santa Cruz and matched that total in his next game on Dec. 7 vs. Bakersfield.

The Seattle native will be Bighorns for their next game on Friday, Dec. 28 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 eight minutes in three appearances for the Grizzlies during his rookie season.

Memphis will seek its fourth consecutive home victory tonight when the Grizzlies host the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. tonight at FedExForum.

Heat assign center Dexter Pittman to D-League

The Miami Heat today assigned third-year center Dexter Pittman to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s NBA Development League affiliate.  The assignment is the record 72nd of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the first for Pittman this year. He becomes the 43rd NBA player to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Pittman (6-11, 285, Texas) has appeared in four games for Miami this season, averaging 1.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 minutes.  He returns to the Skyforce having played in 22 games on assignment as a rookie in 2010-11, when he averaged 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 27.8 minutes.   In 41 career games for the Heat, Pittman has averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 7.9 minutes.

Originally selected by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Pittman averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 134 career NCAA games.

Pittman is expected to join the Skyforce today and be available on Friday, Dec. 28, when the team hosts the Maine Red Claws in Sioux Falls at 8 p.m. ET.

Knicks guard Raymond Felton sprains finger

Knicks guard Raymond Felton sprains finger

Because of his toughness, guard Raymond Felton can’t be counted out for Wednesday night’s game against the Suns in Phoenix. But even he admitted after spraining his right pinkie on his shooting hand that if he plays he is likely to be limited by the injury.

“I ain’t the same with it,” he said of the injury. “We’ll see what happens.”

With a little less than nine minutes to go in the third quarter of Tuesday’s 100-94 loss to the Lakers, Felton and L.A.’s Steve Nash both dove for a loose ball. Felton said Nash tried to tap it away while he tried to corral it and the ball bent the finger outward.

He came out of the game and returned with it bandaged. He finished with 10 points on 5-for-19 shooting and six assists. He was 1-for-10 shooting after the injury. He left with a splint on the finger.

— Reported by Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News

Stoudemire calls January 1 return a possibility

amare stoudemire

Injured forward Amar’e Stoudemire could be back on the court for the New York Knicks on New Year’s Day.

There are indications from Stoudemire that he could see his first action on Jan. 1 against Portland in Madison Square Garden. He called that date “a possibility” when asked when he would make his season debut, according to Newsday.

The veteran forward is working his way back from a knee injury.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Cavaliers waive Donald Sloan, claim Shaun Livingston off waivers

shaun livingston

The Cleveland Cavaliers have claimed guard Shaun Livingston off waivers from the Washington Wizards and waived guard Donald Sloan, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The Wizards waived Livingston Sunday night, December 23rd, giving the Cavaliers until today at 5 p.m. to claim Livingston and create the roster space for him.

The Cavaliers rosters now stands at 15.

Livingston, 27, has appeared in 17 games (four starts) for the Wizards, averaging 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. The 6-foot-7, 175-pound guard out of Peoria Central (IL) High School is in his eighth NBA season and has career averages of 6.6 points on .457 shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 22.4 minutes over 341 games (110 starts).

Donald Sloan has played in 20 games this season for the Cavs, averaging 4.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 12.9 minutes per game. Sloan was signed by the Cavs from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League on March 16, 2012 and has appeared in 53 games (11 starts) during his two-year NBA career, averaging 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.

Wizards sign Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple

The Washington Wizards are desperate for whatever help they can get.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guards Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple.

Mack (6-3, 207) was originally selected by Washington with the 34th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.  In 11 games this season with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League, he has averaged 19.7 points (ranked sixth) and a D-League best 7.5 assists in 40.7 minutes per contest.  He was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week on December 10.  In 64 games during his rookie campaign with the Wizards, Mack averaged 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per game.  The former Butler Bulldog averaged 4.1 points in eight games during the 2012 preseason with Washington before being waived on October 28, 2012.

Temple (6-6, 195) was undrafted out of LSU in 2009.  In nine games this season with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League, he has averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 36 minutes per contest.  Temple has appeared in 51 career NBA games with the Rockets, Kings, Spurs, Bucks and Bobcats while averaging 3.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.  In 63 career D-League games, he holds averages of 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists with Rio Grande, Erie and Reno.  The former Tiger spent the 2012-13 preseason with Miami, appearing in six games and tallying 4.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.