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Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins underwent a successful procedure to repair a ligament tear in his left wrist, the team announced today.
Perkins suffered the injury during the 2012 Western Conference Finals. Following a scheduled postseason evaluation, it was determined a procedure was necessary. The nine-year NBA veteran is expected to be ready for the 2012-13 season.
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The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Keith Bogans, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.
Bogans, (6-5, 215), appeared in five games, including one start, with the Nets in 2011-12. The nine-year NBA veteran suffered a season-ending ankle injury on February 8, 2012 vs. Detroit.
Prior to joining the Nets, the former Kentucky Wildcat started in all 82 games for the Chicago Bulls in 2010-11, averaging 4.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.8 minutes per game. Originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 43rd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Bogans began his career in Orlando, before moving on to Charlotte, Houston, Orlando again, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Chicago. In 591 career NBA games, he holds averages of 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Bogans has appeared in 34 career playoff games, with averages of 4.7 points and 2.0 rebounds. He started in all 16 postseason contests for Chicago in 2011 while leading the league in postseason three-point shooting, hitting on 42.4% of his shots from behind the arc.
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The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent guard O.J. Mayo.
Mayo (6-4, 210) was the first round draft pick (third overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mayo’s draft rights were later involved in a draft day trade that sent him, along with Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Brian Cardinal, Mike Miller, Jason Collins and the draft rights to Kevin Love.
The Huntington, W.Va., native has played in 301 career games (181 starts) with Memphis. He holds career averages of 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 32.8 minutes per game. Mayo has also proven to be durable playing in 301 of a possible 312 games throughout his four-year career.
Mayo was named NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2009 and runner-up to Derrick Rose for the 2008-09 NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 18.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 38.0 minutes in 82 games (82 starts).
“We are thrilled to make O.J. Mayo a part of the Mavericks family,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “O.J. is a young, dynamic player with tremendous upside. His ability to play both backcourt positions will give us depth and versatility. We are excited and welcome him to Dallas.”
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The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent forward Vladimir Radmanovic (for those of you who enjoy pronouncing names correctly, it’s pronounced VLAD-uh-meer Rahd-MAHN-uh-vitch).
Radmanovic (6-10, 235), an 11-year NBA veteran, most recently played with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2011-12 campaign. Last year, he appeared in 49 games and averaged 4.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.1 apg in 15.4 mpg and shot .376 from the field, .370 from downtown and .759 from the line.
The Belgrade, Serbia, native has enjoyed stints with the Hawks (2011-12), Golden State Warriors (2010-11, 2009-10), Charlotte Bobcats (2009-10, 2008-09), L.A. Lakers (2006-09), L.A. Clippers (2005-06) and Seattle SuperSonics (2001-06). In 712 career games (213 starts), Radmanovic has posted averages of 8.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.4 apg in 22.5 mpg. He owns career shooting averages of .416 field goal shooting, .380 three-point shooting and .759 free throw shooting.
Originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round (12th overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft, the 31-year old Radmanovic has been a member of four playoff teams. In 46 playoff games (25 starts), he has averaged 7.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 1.2 apg in 21.2 mpg.
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With O.J. Mayo off the board (he’ll sign with the Dallas Mavericks) and Courtney Lee looking more like he’ll be out of the Boston Celtics’ price range, the Celtics must start to dig a little bit deeper into the free-agent pool of wing players.
Among those still available?
Milwaukee Bucks swing man Carlos Delfino, a player the Celtics have expressed some interest in according to league sources.
Delfino doesn’t have the same kind of sizzle as a Mayo or Lee signing might have, but he would definitely fill a need.
— Reported by CSNNE.com
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Dwight Howard’s camp is leaking to the media that he’s now open to signing an extension with the Lakers, clearing a small hurdle on the path to a deal that always seemed to make the most sense.
Whether or not Howard will land in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant – thereby killing Brooklyn’s aspiration of acquiring the All-Star center by February’s trade deadline – is still up to Orlando, which is in no rush. Howard had previously stated he’d only sign an extension with the Nets.
Magic GM Rob Hennigan is hesitant about the Lakers’ main trade chip, Andrew Bynum, because of a history of injuries and, most importantly, his contract expires after next season. The Magic don’t want to deal Howard for a one-season Bynum rental, so other teams are reportedly being recruited into joining a potential three-team blockbuster.
— Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has finally met his estranged father after 42 years of separation, following an exhibition game in the Philippines.
Philander Rodman Jr., who has acknowledged fathering 29 children by 16 mothers, says he was happy and surprised that his son agreed to meet him late Wednesday. He tried to meet the basketball Hall of Famer during another game in Manila in 2006.
“It was great,” he said Thursday of the first time he held his son’s hands since they last met in December 1969.
“I’ve been trying to meet him for years. And then last night, boom, I met him. I was really, really happy and very surprised,” he told The Associated Press.
— Reported by Oliver Teves of the Associated Press
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The Los Angeles Clippers signed Grant Hill to a two-year contract Wednesday night to bolster their small forward spot, and the team also reached out to free-agent centers Darko Milicic and Ryan Hollins.
Hill agreed to join the team under the biannual exception, taking a two-year deal that starts at $1.9 million in the first year and has a raise of 4.5 percent in the second.
Hill, who will be 40 in October, is expected to back up Caron Butler at small forward.
The Clippers are expected to hold a news conference next week to formally announce the signing.
— Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times
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The Los Angeles Clippers today signed seven-time NBA All-Star forward Grant Hill. According to the Arizona Republic, it’s a two-year, $4 million deal.
An 18-year NBA veteran, Hill brings career averages of 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.4 minutes to Los Angeles. In addition, he has played in 997 games (972 starts) and connected on 48.4 percent of his field goals, 31.5 percent from behind the three-point line and 77 percent of his free throws over his career.
Hill spent the last five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, tallying 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 28.1 minutes in 49 games played during the 2011-12 campaign in which he also received five All-NBA Defensive Team votes and received multiple Defensive Player of the Year votes. In 2010-11, Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average 13 or more points at the age of 38 or older.
Prior to his time in Phoenix, Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic in which he was limited to just 200 games due to injuries to his left ankle.
The third overall selection in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Hill was named Co-Rookie of the Year (Jason Kidd – Dallas Mavericks) after posting averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 38.3 minutes in 70 games played during the 1994-95 season. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team that season and made history by becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in All-Star fan balloting, narrowly defeating Shaquille O’Neal. During his time with the Pistons, Hill averaged 20+ points, 6.6+ rebounds, 5.2+ assists and 1.2+ steals in five consecutive seasons.
Hill was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2005, 2008 and 2010.
A member of the 1996 United States Olympic Team, Hill helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal. He was also selected to the 2000 Olympic Team but did not play due to injury.
Hill entered the NBA after a prolific four-year collegiate career at Duke University (1991-1994), where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was named the nation’s top defensive player in 1993 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994.
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The Denver Nuggets have re-signed free agent center JaVale McGee to a multiyear contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today. According to multiple reports, the deal is for four years, $44 million.
McGee, 7-0, 252, averaged 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.16 blocked shots in 61 games (45 starts) with the Nuggets and Wizards in 2011-12. He was acquired from the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team trade on March 15.
“JaVale did a tremendous job for us after the trade,” Ujiri said. “He worked hard on the court and did everything our coaches asked of him. Plus, he’s only 24 years old. With our coaching staff, he’s only going to get better.”
Originally selected 18th overall by the Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft, McGee averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first three seasons. After becoming a full-time starter in 2010-11, he averaged career-highs in points (10.1) and rebounds (8.0) and led the NBA with 2.44 blocks per game.
Anchoring the middle for Washington, McGee was on pace to set new personal standards in 2011-12 before being traded to Denver. With the Nuggets, he became an important part of the team’s second unit and helped Denver secure the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.
McGee made his first career playoff appearance with the Nuggets, averaging 8.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.14 blocks in seven games off the bench.
McGee was particularly impressive in Games 3 and 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 3, he scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 99-84 victory at Pepsi Center. Four days later, he scored 21 points and added 14 rebounds to help Denver avoid elimination at Staples Center.
McGee also blocked at least three shots in four of seven postseason games.