Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

James Harden agrees to 5-year, $78.6 million extension with Rockets

James Harden Rockets extension

AS EXPECTED, JAMES HARDEN IS GETTIN’ PAID, SON

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed newly acquired guard James Harden to a multi-year contract extension. According to the Houston Chronicle, deal is for five years, $78.6 million.

“James Harden is the foundational-type player we have been looking to add,” said Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander. “He is a tremendous, young player with the ability and skill set to be an All-Star. He is ready to make the next move up to join the elite players in the NBA. As I said when we traded for James, he along with the mix of young players we already have in place, such as Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Omer Asik, gives us a solid group of young, talented players who will help get us back to a championship level.”

Harden (6-5, 225, Arizona State) has averaged 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.06 steals in 220 regular season games (seven starts) with Oklahoma City. Additionally, he has averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 43 career playoff games. An Olympic gold medalist and the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Harden enjoyed a breakout season in 2011-12 by establishing career-high averages in points (16.8), rebounds (4.1), assists (3.7), shooting percentage (.491), 3-point field goal percentage (.390) and free throw percentage (.846), as well as playing in a career-most 31.4 minutes per game. After leading all NBA reserves in scoring average last season, Harden became the youngest recipient of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. Selected by the Thunder with the third overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, Harden also earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2009-10.

Sale of Memphis Grizzlies officially completed

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that the sale of the team to a group led by Robert J. Pera has been formally completed.  Pera, founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Networks, a publicly-traded next-generation communications technology company, has officially assumed control of the Grizzlies and leads a group of well-respected investors.

“The Grizzlies are here to stay in Memphis,” new Memphis Grizzlies Chairman Robert Pera said. “We are thrilled to assume ownership of the Grizzlies. We see enormous potential and understand the role the Grizzlies play in bringing Memphians together.  We are committed to building a winning team with a best-in-class organizational culture, finding new and creative ways to engage with our fans, and making a positive and meaningful difference in the community.”

“Owning the Memphis Grizzlies has been one of the most rewarding business endeavors of my career,” Michael Heisley said. “I am confident that the franchise will continue its development toward being a perennial championship contender and an important member of the Memphis community.  I am particularly gratified that we have put together a team which is poised to continue its improvement.  In Robert, we have a new owner who has expressed a total commitment to build on our success in Memphis. Although my time as owner has come to a close, I will remain a part of Grizz Nation and will continue to support this franchise that will always hold a special place in my heart.”

November 1 Knicks at Nets basketball game in Brooklyn postponed

The National Basketball Association game scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 1 between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center has been postponed due to the conditions in the New York area caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“Mayor Bloomberg informed us this afternoon that after further analysis of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy that he felt it was in the best interests of the city of New York, the teams and our fans that we postpone the Knicks-Nets game scheduled for Thursday night,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating storm.”

The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.

This means that the first NBA regular season game to ever take place in the new Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center will be Saturday night, November 3, against the Toronto Raptors. Unless that event gets postponed as well, which InsideHoops.com speculates is quite possible.

Hornets guard Eric Gordon out indefinitely with recurring knee problems

Hornets guard Eric Gordon out indefinitely with recurring knee problems

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon will be out indefinitely, Coach Monty Williams said Wednesday morning, though neither Williams nor Gordon could shed any light on the severity of the right knee problem that kept the team’s max money player sidelined through the entirety of training camp.

Gordon was instructed by a member of the Hornets’ media relations staff not to speak with reporters and was escorted to the locker room after shootaround by the team’s security chief.

“He’s going to be out,” Williams said. “The way I understand it, he’s going to be out indefinitely until we get some more clarity on what’s going on so I don’t have to answer these questions every day and give you guys the update. We’ll just go from there.”

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

OKC Thunder sign center Daniel Orton

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed center Daniel Orton, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Orton (6-10, 255), who signed with the Thunder D-League affiliate Tulsa 66ers earlier today, is the first Thunder NBA D-League GATORADE call-up of the 2012-13 NBA season.

The center saw action in one preseason contest for the Thunder and tallied 13 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes. Last season, Orton appeared in 16 games (two starts) as a member of the Orlando Magic where he recorded averages of 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per contest.

After attending Bishop McGuiness High School in Oklahoma City, Orton spent one year at the University of Kentucky where he averaged 3.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.40 blocks during his freshman season.

Denver Nuggets sign Ty Lawson to contract extension

Ty Lawson

The Denver Nuggets have signed point guard Ty Lawson to a multiyear contract extension, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. According to the Denver Post, it is a four-year extension worth $48 million.

“We felt Ty was ready to take on a lot of responsibility last season and he proved he could handle it,” Ujiri said. “He is maturing as a leader on the court and in the locker room, so it was an easy decision for us to sign him to an extension.”

Lawson, 24, excelled in his first full season as a starter in 2011-12, averaging career-highs in nearly every statistical category, including points (16.4), assists (6.6), rebounds (3.7) and steals (1.34).

He shot .488 from the field, recorded nine double-doubles and led Denver in scoring a team-best 19 times.

Lawson, 5-11, 195, also performed well in the playoffs, averaging 19 points and six assists during the Nuggets’ seven-game series against the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Nuggets facing elimination in Game 6, he scored a playoff career-high 32 points on 13-of-18 shooting to help the Nuggets extend the series.

“We are thrilled to have reached an agreement on a contractual extension with Ty,” Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said. “This new contract is a reflection of his hard work and dedication throughout the past three seasons with our organization. Ty is a dynamic player, a wonderful person, and someone we expect to lead us into the future.”

Lawson, the 18th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, has steadily improved in each of his three seasons since being acquired by the Nuggets in a draft-night trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 25, 2009.

He averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 assists as a rookie in 2009-10 and 11.7 points and 4.6 assists in 2010-11.

Given more responsibility last season, Lawson emerged as a reliable floor leader and scorer. During a three-game stretch immediately after the All-Star break, he averaged 20.7 points, 11.7 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.33 steals and was named Western Conference Player of the Week.

He became the first Nuggets player to average at least 20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds over three games since Fat Lever in April 1989.

Lawson continued to produce as the Nuggets battled for a playoff spot late in the season. He scored 22 points and added a career-high 15 assists on March 2 at Houston and struck for 29 points and 10 assists in a playoff-clinching victory at Phoenix on April 21.

A year earlier, Lawson became the first NBA player to make his first 10 three-point attempts when he caught fire against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 9, 2011, at Pepsi Center. He finished 10-of-11 from long range en route to a career-high 37 points.

Sixers center Andrew Bynum still out recovering

As previously announced, new Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum has a bone bruise of the right knee.

While Andrew and the 76ers are both eager for him to resume game play as soon as possible, given the long regular season and playoffs, the team intends to act with caution as to the date of his return. Andrew has already commenced low impact conditioning, and will be re-evaluated by medical personnel on a continuous basis.

Tony DiLeo, the 76ers General Manager said, “With the team’s intriguing play in the pre-season leading to a 6-1 pre-season record, we are confident that the 76ers will be an exciting, talented and highly competitive team from day one. When Andrew Bynum rejoins for game play, that will take an already strong team to an even higher level.”

Timberwolves exercise third-year options on Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams

Ricky Rubio

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has picked up the third-year options on guard Ricky Rubio and forward Derrick Williams.

Rubio, a second-year guard from Spain, finished as runner-up in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting last season. He appeared in 41 games, averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Rubio finished sixth in the NBA, and first among rookies, in assists last year. He finished with 12 point/assist double-doubles.

Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Arizona, appeared in all 66 games for the Wolves as a rookie, averaging 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He finished fifth among rookies in rebounding and seventh in scoring. In 15 starts, Williams averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game.

Chicago Bulls exercise third-year option on Jimmy Butler

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has exercised its third-year option for the 2013-14 season for guard/forward Jimmy Butler.  By exercising Butler’s option, he will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2013-14 season.

Butler (6-7, 220), appeared in 42 games during his rookie campaign and posted averages of 2.6 ppg and 1.3 rpg in 8.5 mpg.  He also shot .405 from the floor and .768 from the line.  Butler was selected by the Bulls in the first round (30th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft.