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The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have waived guard Jerel McNeal and forward Chris Wright.
McNeal saw action in one preseason outing, while Wright was a DNP-CD for all six games.
The roster now stands at 16. The Raptors continue their preseason schedule Friday at Memphis (8 p.m. ET). Toronto opens the 2012-13 season at home Oct. 31 versus Indiana (7 p.m. ET).
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The last thing the Wizards want or need these days is another injury. That much is certain given that they’re already without John Wall (left knee), Nene (plantar fasciitis) and Kevin Seraphin (right calf).
So when highly touted rookie Bradley Beal fell Monday afternoon at Verizon Center, having twisted his left ankle during five-on-five drills and yelped out in pain, a hush fell over the practice.
After being tended to by Wizards head athletic trainer Eric Waters, Beal stood and tried to shake off the pain but was walking with a noticeable limp. He headed to the locker room under his own power as practice wrapped up.
— Reported by the Washington Post (Blog)
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Kobe Bryant has skipped the Los Angeles Lakers’ practice to rest his aching right foot.
The Lakers announced Monday that Bryant’s foot is sore and bruised.
Bryant was injured during the third quarter of the Lakers’ 99-92 preseason loss to Sacramento on Sunday night. He stayed in the game and scored 21 points.
Bryant has fought a handful of nagging injuries in training camp this month.
— Reported by the Associated Press
The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Chris Douglas-Roberts and Greg Somogyi, it was announced today.
Douglas-Roberts, a three-year NBA veteran out of the University of Memphis, was originally selected by the then-New Jersey Nets in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft. Douglas-Roberts has appeared in 155 NBA games (53 starts) for the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, recording career averages of 7.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20.6 minutes. The 6-7 forward spent the 2011-12 season playing for Virtus Bologna of the Italian League, where he averaged 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 27.0 minutes. Douglas-Roberts played in four preseason games for Los Angeles where he averaged 4.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in 8.3 minutes.
Somogyi, a 7-3 center out of UC Santa Barbara, played all four years for the Gauchos where he posted career averages of 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 12.2 minutes. In three preseason games with the Lakers, Somogyi averaged 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.7 minutes.
The Lakers training camp roster now stands at 16 players.
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Gilbert Arenas is nearing an agreement on a one-year contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source told Yahoo! Sports.
Arenas, 30, was a three-time All-Star who averaged 20.7 points over 11 seasons for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. He was suspended for most of the 2009–10 season after bringing guns to the Wizards’ locker room. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.1 assists while playing in 17 games for Memphis last season.
— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports
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The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have exercised the team option on forward/guard Paul George for the 2013-14 season. George will be entering his third season with the team.
It’s a no-brainer that the team would hang onto George. This was a completely expected move.
The Pacers also announced Monday that center Luke Nevill along with guards Sundiata Gaines and Blake Ahearn have been released, putting the Pacers’ roster at 15. Nevill saw limited game action in two games, scoring one basket. Gaines also played in two games, scoring four points, and Ahearn played in three games, scoring five points.
The Pacers close out the preseason this week with games at Cleveland Tuesday night and at South Bend, IN, Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. They will open the regular season Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Toronto, visit Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 2 and have the home opener in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Saturday, Nov. 3, against the Sacramento Kings.
The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guard Walker Russell, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.
Russell appeared in one preseason contest for the Thunder and recorded five points and one assist in six minutes of action.
Oklahoma City’s roster now stands at 18.
Tamika Catchings finally won her long-awaited WNBA championship.
She scored 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their first title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night.
Catchings, who was the MVP of the Finals, averaged 24.8 points in the series, which the Fever won 3-1 over the defending WNBA champions.
Erin Phillips added 18 points and eight rebounds while Shavonte Zellous and Briann January each had 15 points.
The Fever won even though No. 2 scorer Katie Douglas missed most of the series with a severely sprained left knee. Douglas checked in with 3.2 seconds left to a loud ovation…
Seimone Augustus, Minnesota’s leading scorer in the playoffs, was held to eight points on 3-for-21 shooting. Lindsay Whalen scored 22 points and Moore added 16 points for the Lynx, who were vying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002.
— Reported by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press
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The Timberwolves are hoping veteran guard Luke Ridnour, the team’s oldest player at 31, does not become the latest injury concern.
Ridnour said Sunday, Oct. 21, that he has a herniated disc in his lower back, an ailment that has sidelined him for three of the Wolves’ five exhibition games. Ridnour did not practice Sunday but said his back is “feeling much better” after getting a cortisone shot on Friday.
“By taking care of it now, I’ll be able to nip it in the bud and move forward from here and be pain free,” Ridnour said after practice. “I just want to make the necessary steps, so I can be ready for November. I’ll be ready to go.”
Ridnour is a vital player in the Wolves’ attempts to adjust without Kevin Love (broken hand) and Ricky Rubio (knee).
— Reported by Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press
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Carmelo Anthony said he had to prepare himself mentally for his return to the Carrier Dome, but it didn’t stop a flurry of emotions Sunday.
“A lot of memories come back into play,” he said. “Walking out the tunnel, walking into the arena, just being on the court, seeing all the banners and just seeing that orange and blue brings back a lot of memories.”
Melo-palooza began with Knicks practice at the dome Anthony called home and continued with a visit to Syracuse’s practice facility, which bears his name. Anthony, who led Syracuse to the 2003 national championship, donated $3 million to the university to help build the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.
On Monday night, the Knicks face Philadelphia in the Carrier Dome. It’s considered a home game for the 76ers, who started their basketball lives as the Syracuse Nationals, but Anthony will be feted like a conquering hero.
— Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday