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Rockets coach Kevin McHale will return to the team tonight, a person with knowledge of the decision said Saturday.
It was unclear whether McHale, who has been on a leave of absence since Nov. 10, whether McHale would entirely resume his coaching duties or would coach during the game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, but will likely meet with the team at its pregame walk through and could resume coaching as soon as tonight.
— Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Blog)
The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard Jeremy Lamb 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.
Lamb has appeared in eight games this season with Oklahoma City averaging 2.1 points in 4.3 minutes.
Orton has seen action in one game for the Thunder, scoring two points in two minutes versus Cleveland on Nov. 11th.
Both will be in uniform tonight when the Tulsa 66ers take on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers at the SpiritBank Event Center.
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Hornets coach Monty Williams announced before Friday night’s game against Memphis that he has made a change in his starting lineup.
Xavier Henry has been inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season, replacing Al-Farouq Aminu, who had started every game so far this season.
Aminu is coming off a 3 for 6 shooting night in which he scored six points during Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Henry came off the bench to contribute eight points on 2 of 5 shooting in season-high 19 minutes against the Lakers.
— Reported by Terrance Harris of the New Orleans Times-Picayune
In a possible blow to Virginia Beach’s efforts to lure the Sacramento Kings, the governor of Virginia doesn’t plan to include any subsidy for the team’s move in his proposed budget.
Virginia Beach officials were seeking $150 million in state funds to bring the Kings to their city, including a $70 million contribution toward a new arena and $80 million to assist the team’s relocation.
But Gov. Bob McDonnell won’t include any subsidy in his 2013 proposed budget. In a prepared statement, McDonnell’s spokesman, Tucker Martin, indicated the governor wasn’t convinced the proposed subsidy penciled out.
— Reported by Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee
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David Kahn made a special guest media appearance at shootaround this morning to shoot down Thursday’s ESPN.com — the latest in a series of semi-regular such rumors — that the Lakers are refusing Wolves’ overtures for Pau Gasol.
Kahn said he hasn’t talked to the Lakers since last June. He didn’t say this, but that was when he was talking with the Lakers about a bigger deal that would have brought Gasol here and sent away Derrick Williams, probably to a third team.
The latest ESPN.com said the Lakers had turned down a Wolves deal built around Williams and Nikola Pekovic.
— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
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When Richard Hamilton tore the plantar fascia in his left foot last weekend, there was a lot of one- to two-weeks thrown out there as the recovery time.
That still might be the case for the Bulls shooting guard, but Hamilton admitted on Friday that a month on the shelf might be more realistic.
“[The doctors] said four weeks, but they said I could probably come back before that,’’ Hamilton said. “Every one’s body is different, so it’s just one of those things where you want to try and get better every day.
“We’re working really hard on it, trying to get flexibility, trying to get the swelling down, get all the blood that’s in there down. Every day it gets better. The good thing about it is there hasn’t been a setback or anything like that.’’
— Reported by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times
The Portland Trail Blazers have assigned guard Will Barton and forward Victor Claver to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey.
Barton and Claver, both rookies, will join the Stampede tomorrow, Dec. 7 in advance of the team’s contests against the Austin Toros tomorrow night and on Saturday, Dec. 8, in Boise.
Barton, the 40th overall pick out of Memphis in the 2012 NBA Draft, has played in 16 games this season for the Trail Blazers, and has averages of 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 8.8 minutes per game.
Claver has appeared in four games with Portland this season, and averages 0.3 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 5.8 minutes per contest. Claver was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and signed with Portland on July 11, 2012.
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Ten weeks after the Wizards announced that John Wall would miss “approximately” eight weeks because of a stress injury in his left patella, the injured point guard is still unable to practice, scrimmage or even elevate to shoot.
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld and Wall both referred to the injury as a “bump in the road” that wouldn’t keep him down for long, but the team now has no timetable for his return. His extended absence has raised concerns, but Coach Randy Wittman acknowledged Thursday that the original estimate was actually eight-to-12 weeks. Wittman began to panic when a reporter asked if Wall would return this season.
“I hope so. What the heck is that? You’re scaring me,” Wittman said before cursing a few times. “I just talked to my mother again today. I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not looking at it like that”
He added, “We’re not hiding anything here.”
— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned forward Jon Leuer to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.
Leuer has played in five games this season for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.
He will be available for the Charge’s next game, Saturday, December 8th at Springfield against the Armor.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been found in contempt of court and ordered to pay $500,000 in back child support to his ex-wife, her attorney said Thursday.
The flamboyant basketball player known for his off-court antics was sentenced to informal probation, his ex-wife’s attorney, Mary Ann Noiroux, told City News Service. Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barry Michaelson warned Rodman could face jail time if he doesn’t pay the child support, she said.
Rodman’s attorney, Linnea Willis, didn’t return an email from The Associated Press and a phone number did not take messages.
Another attorney for Rodman’s ex-wife argued in court that Rodman owed his ex-wife, Michelle Rodman, about $850,000, but Linnea Willis, the former NBA standout’s attorney, challenged that figure, Noiroux said.
— Reported by the Associated Press