NBA News Blog – Page 980 – NBA Blog

Washington Wizards work out Martell Webster

The Washington Wizards aren’t desperately in need of making any roster additions, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t searching through the remaining free agent pool to find a possible fit – financially and personnel-wise – with the team.

Free agent small forward Martell Webster worked out for the Wizards at Verizon Center this week, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. The former No. 6 pick of the NBA draft in 2005, Webster has averaged 8.4 points and shot 37.4 percent from beyond three-point range throughout his career in Portland and Minnesota.

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)

D-League Texas Legends name Eduardo Najera head coach

The Texas Legends have named Eduardo Najera the first Mexican-born head coach under the NBA umbrella, pending NBA approval. Najera becomes the third head coach in Legends history, following former NBA Coach of the Year Del Harris, and basketball Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.

Subject to NBA approval, Najera will also be a minority owner of the Legends, as well as hold a front office position with the Mavericks. Najera’s NBA career began with the Mavericks in 2000, after he became the first Mexican-born player to be drafted in NBA history.

“I have the utmost respect for Eddie,” commented Legends Owner Donnie Nelson. “The work ethic he exhibited as a player, and his knowledge of the NBA game will serve him well in his role as Head Coach of the Legends. Whether coaching a rookie, or an NBA veteran, Coach Najera will have valuable insight for all of our players. I am equally excited to begin working with Eddie in a front office capacity with the Mavericks as he learns the management side of the game. I am proud to be able to call Eddie an ownership partner with the Legends.”

Najera announced his retirement from the NBA as a player in the same press conference. Of Najera’s 12 seasons in the NBA, five were in a Mavericks uniform — 2000-04; 2009-10 — and he still regards Plano as his primary residence. In his first four seasons, the power forward averaged 17.4 minutes, helping Dallas reach its first postseason since 1990 in his rookie season.

“This is a dream come true,” commented Najera. “I have long wondered what would be in store for me when I hung up the basketball playing shoes, and this is the perfect opportunity for my post-playing career. The chance to develop as a coach, while also assisting Mark (Cuban) and Donnie with the Mavs, is an ideal situation. I am thankful to have individuals such as Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, and Del Harris by my side as individuals to lean on for advice.”

Del Harris was the Legends head coach for the 2011-12 season, which saw the Legends have a team record two players called up to the NBA (Sean Williams and Dan Gadzuric). Harris will return to his front office role as General Manager. Najera represents another branch of Harris’ coaching tree. Harris has coached more than 60 people who have become NBA or collegiate coaches, and 11 of Harris’ assistants have gone on to NBA head coaching positions.

“I look forward to assisting Eddie in any way possible as General Manager,” said Harris. “I am proud to say that one of my former players is taking over the coaching reigns, and look forward to watching Eddie’s development as a coach.”

Najera’s addition as a minority owner brings the Legends ownership group to four individuals, including Chinese-born Sonny Xiao, the first Chinese-born owner under the NBA umbrella (joining original owners Nelson and Evan Wyly).

Mavs guard Rodrigue Beaubois taking boxing classes

“Roddy B’s been working out actually. He’s been in the gym; I saw him just the other day. He’s taking boxing classes,” [Mark] Cuban said during his 70-minute appearance Tuesday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Ben & Skin Show.” “I told Roddy and the folks around him, I said he’s got to learn to throw a punch and take a punch. So he’s been taking some boxing classes, he’s been working out, he’s bigger, he’s stronger. He’s going to have a chance to compete, just like everybody.”

This is a seriously heavy season approaching for the 24-year-old Beaubois. It his fourth season and the last on his contract. His eye-popping, “Free Roddy B” rookie season is all but forgotten. With a totally remade Mavs team that includes proven youth at both guard positions in Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo, Beaubois must prove he has finally put his foot injury from the summer of 2010 in the rear-view mirror and that he is ready to take charge of his career.

— Reported by Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas

Chris Paul out 8 weeks after thumb surgery

The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that All-Star point guard Chris Paul underwent successful surgery this morning to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. The injury occurred last month during Team USA training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Shin, a hand specialist at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

Paul is expected to be sidelined for approximately eight weeks, at which time he is projected to resume all basketball activities including full contact.

Paul went on to help lead Team USA to winning the Gold Medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He started all eight games in the Olympics, averaging 8.3 points, 5.1 assists, an Olympic tournament-high 2.5 steals and 25.8 minutes per game.

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Mark Cuban was upset with Jason Kidd

Cuban said Tuesday he thought Kidd was returning to the Mavericks before the veteran point guard surprisingly changed his mind and agreed to sign with the Knicks.

“I was more than upset,” Cuban told the Ben and Skin show on 103.3 [KESN-FM]. “I thought he was coming (back). I was pissed.”

That answer came after Cuban was asked if Kidd would have his jersey in the rafters one day at AAC. Cuban said there was “no chance” of that happening after the way things ended.

“J-Kidd’s a big boy, he can do whatever he wants,” Cuban said. “But you don’t change your mind like that. I’m sure I’ll get over it at some point, but as of right now, I wouldn’t put J-Kidd’s number in the rafters.”

— Reported by Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News

Nets owner takes jab at Knicks owner

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov referred to his new cross-town counterpart James Dolan of the Knicks as “that little man” in New York Magazine.

In the article describing the Nets marketing plan and approach to their brand accompanying a move from New Jersey to Brooklyn for the 2012 season, the focus is on whether the Nets can consistently fill the Barclays Center and establish Brooklyn as a glimmering borough of basketball hope.

The article reads: “Prokhorov told me back in December that he plans on attending a quarter of the regular-season games and ‘all the playoff ones.’ He also made sure that I heard him call Dolan ‘that little man.'”

— Reported by The Sports Xchange

Jason Terry hopes his Dallas Mavericks jersey will be retired

Jason Terry hopes his Mavs jersey will be retired

For Jason Terry, winning an NBA title was the ultimate as far as personal team achievements are concerned. But what could happen next would be sheer euphoria.

“The bow was winning the championship, but the icing on the cake will be putting that jersey up in the rafters,’’ Terry told the Star-Telegram on Monday. “If it happens, I’ll be grateful.’’

Terry was referring to the possibility of having his Dallas Maverick No. 31 jersey retired in the American Airlines Center rafters.

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Blog)

Houston Rockets sign Carlos Delfino

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Carlos Delfino. The unrestricted free agent recently competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, averaging 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists with Argentina.

Delfino (6-6, 230, Argentina) has played in seven NBA seasons, averaging 7.7 points (.362, 520-1435 3FG), 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 440 career games (165 starts) with Detroit, Toronto and Milwaukee. His most productive years have come the past three seasons with the Bucks, where he has averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 boards, 2.5 assists and 1.32 steals in 30.4 minutes per outing over 178 games (159 starts). Delfino also connected on a career-best 134 3-pointers in 2009-10 and averaged 2.1 3-point field goals per game in 2010-11, which ranked fifth in the league.

Drafted by the Pistons with the 25th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Delfino spent three seasons with Detroit before joining the Raptors in a trade. He was acquired by Milwaukee along with Roko Ukic from Toronto in exchange for Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems on Aug. 18, 2009. In addition to the NBA, Delfino has played a key role on Argentina’s gold-medal-winning teams at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and at the 2011 FIBA Americas Tournament. Delfino began his career internationally with Reggio Calabria (2000-02) and Skipper Bologna (2002-04). He also averaged 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 10 games with Khimki Moscow in the Russian Superleague in 2008-09.

Andrew Bogut expects to be ready for Warriors opener

Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut fully expects to be in the lineup for the season opener Oct. 31 at Phoenix after undergoing surgery this spring on his troublesome ankle.

How much he plays during the exhibition schedule, he’s still not sure. Bogut believes he will be nearly full strength by the start of training camp Oct. 3, but might still be limited during the preseason as a precaution.

“I definitely want to be ready for training camp. I think it will be close,” Bogut said Sunday before heading to a Monday morning workout in Australia.

“The immediate goal with all of this is to make sure I’m ready for the first game. Whether that means playing only half the preseason games, it’s just about being smart with my ankle. There’s no point in trying to get ready for Oct. 1 when an extra week could significantly help. It’s just a matter of monitoring it very smartly and not doing anything stupid.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Sixers have plenty of expiring contracts over next two years

There will be a grand total of nine Sixers whose contracts will expire within the next two years.

Five of those contracts — Bynum, Jrue Holiday, Nick Young, Dorell Wright and Royal Ivey — are up at the end of next season. Four more — Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Kwame Brown and Lavoy Allen — expire at the end of the 2013-14 season. For reference, Brown’s is technically for one season with a player option for a second, though his agent has called it a two-year deal.

Starting with the five due to end next summer, the Sixers could very well walk into free agency with roughly $30 million off their books. Of course, should they re-sign Bynum, his max-deal will take up about two-thirds of that space. Then there’s Holiday, to whom the team can extend a qualifying offer for one more year, but Holiday is reportedly seeking a max-contract instead. Go figure.

— Reported by Nick Menta of CSN Philly