NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
Cavs blog – Cleveland Cavaliers blog, blogging Cavs news, rumors and more
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
 |
Two days after Zydrunas Ilgauskas took out an ad in The Plain Dealer to thank the fans of Cleveland for their support, LeBron James placed a similar ad in the Beacon-Journal in Akron.
The ad, which runs on the back of the paper’s front section, also features photos of James from Akron events…
While James praised his hometown of Akron, he made no mention of Cleveland, where he played at Quicken Loans Arena for seven years as a member of the Cavs.
 |
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward Joey Graham to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.
Graham, 28, played in 63 games (18 starts) during the 2009-10 season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 4.2 points on a career-high .520 shooting and 2.0 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. In his 18 starts, he averaged 7.4 points on .473 shooting and 3.3 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game.
“We’re excited to add Joey to our roster. He adds a tough, veteran presence on the perimeter that will complement the pieces we have in place,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. “With his strong work ethic and discipline, we feel he is a great match with the culture we have built and continue to build.”
Prior to joining the Nuggets, the 6-foot-7 guard/forward played four seasons with the Toronto Raptors. In the 2008-09 season, Graham posted career highs of 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes over 78 games (10 starts). In the 10 starts, he averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 28.3 minutes.
“Joining Cleveland marks an exciting, brand new start for me,” said Graham. “This is a great opportunity and I’m excited to come in and help the team as much as possible.”
In his career, the five-year veteran has played in 338 games, including 76 starts, and averaged 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. He has shot .815 from the free-throw line and .485 from the field.
 |
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has traded guard Ramon Sessions, center Ryan Hollins and a future second-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the player contracts of guards Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair.
“I want to thank Ramon and Ryan for their time with us last season,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “With the arrivals of Luke Ridnour, Michael Beasley, Nikola Pekovic and the signing of Darko Milicic, it was clear that Ramon and Ryan would have lesser roles this season if they were to remain. This move provides them a better opportunity in Cleveland and adds to our flexibility both this season and beyond in relation to the salary cap.”
West, the 24th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, has played six seasons in the league with Boston, Seattle and Cleveland. He owns career averages of 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Telfair, the 13th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by Portland, also has six years of experience in the NBA. He owns career averages of 7.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in stints with Portland, Boston, Minnesota, the L.A. Clippers and Cleveland. In his two previous seasons with the Wolves, Telfair posted career highs in scoring (9.8 ppg in 2008-09) and assists (5.9 apg in 2007-08).
“In Ramon, we’re excited to add a young, multi-dimensional guard, and with Ryan, we’re adding a young, athletic center. We think both Ramon and Ryan are really good fits for this team. We’re also happy to add another asset for the future with the additional draft pick,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. “At the same time, we’d like to thank Sebastian and Delonte and wish them well in the future.”
Sessions, 24, played in all 82 games (one start) during the 2009-10 season, averaging 8.2 points on a career-high .456 shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. His 3.1 assists per game ranked 8th among all reserves last season. Prior to signing with the Timberwolves before the 2009-10 season, the 6-foot-3 guard played his first two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He posted career highs in scoring, assists and steals during the 2008-09 season, averaging 12.4 points on .445 shooting, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.5 minutes per game in 79 games (39 starts). In the 39 starts, he upped his averages to 15.1 points on .444 shooting, 4.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. Sessions finished the 2008-09 season ranked among the league leaders in assists-to-turnovers ratio (8th at 2.97) and assists per game (18th at 5.7).
The South Carolina native set the Bucks franchise record in assists with 24 while scoring 20 points against Chicago on April 14, 2008, also becoming the first player in Milwaukee franchise history to have at least 20 points and 20 assists in a game in the process. Sessions scored a career-high 44 points on Feb. 7, 2009 versus Detroit and on 17 occasions in his career has recorded double figures in assists. In his three-year career, Ramon, pronounced “ra-MAHN”, has averages of 10.0 points on .449 shooting, 3.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 24.4 minutes in 178 games (47 starts).
Hollins, 25, set career bests in nearly every statistical category during the 2009-10 season. The 7-foot center averaged 6.1 points on .558 shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 16.8 minutes per game in 73 games (27 starts). The 7-foot center scored a career-best 19 points on two occasions during the season (Nov. 25, 2009 vs. Denver and Jan. 29, 2010 vs. the Los Angeles Clippers) and averaged 9.2 points on .610 shooting and 3.7 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game in his 27 starts. Over his four-year career, he has averages of 3.9 points on .541 shooting, 2.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 11.6 minutes in 205 games (31 starts).
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
George Brown of WREG News channel 3 in Memphis reports:
Lorenzen Wright, a former Memphis Tiger and Memphis Grizzlies player, is missing.
The family of Wright says he’s been missing since Sunday.
Wright’s sister, Savia Archie, says her family is very concerned.
Archie said, Wright was last seen on sunday when he was expected to fly out of Memphis, but no one has heard from him since.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward Christian Eyenga to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.
 |
Eyenga, 21, was the Cavaliers’ first round selection (30th overall) in the 2009 NBA Draft. He averaged 3.9 points on .561 shooting and 2.0 rebounds in 12.0 minutes in 29 regular season games during the 2009-10 season with DKV Joventut Badalona of the Spanish League. The Spanish League is widely regarded as the second-best domestic league in the world behind the NBA. In 11 EuroCup games, the 6-foot-5 guard/forward posted averages of 3.4 points on .444 shooting and 1.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game.
“We’re looking forward to having Christian continue his development on the court here with Coach Scott and our team,” said Cavs General Manager Chris Grant. “He has worked hard and we were very encouraged by his recent performance in summer league.”
A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eyenga most recently played in all five games of the 2010 NBA Summer League with the Cavaliers, reaching double figures in each of the games. In five games (all starts), he averaged 11.4 points on .435 shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block in 29.2 minutes per game.
“I am happy to be here in Cleveland and excited to play with the Cavaliers this season,” Eyenga said. “This is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to playing for Coach Scott and learning from him, our coaches and my teammates.”
InsideHoops.com editor says: Statistically, Eyenga has not done much yet, both overseas and in recent summer play. But he’s only 21 and presumably still improving.
WENN.COM reports:
Executives behind basketball ace-turned-reality TV star Shaquille O’Neal’s hit show SHAQ VS. have reached a settlement with a disgruntled author who alleged they stole his concept for the programme.
Writer Todd Gallagher filed suit against O’Neal’s talent representatives at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in October (09), claiming they had agreed to turn his book, Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan, into a TV series in 2008…
The court case has now been dismissed after the two parties reached a deal. The details of the settlement have not been released to the press but is said to be in the six-figures, according to TMZ.com.
 |
The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“As we continue to shape our roster, we have filled a key position with the addition of Zydrunas,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “He is a two-time All-Star, a proven rebounder, and a great shot blocker. His place in NBA history is already clear, and we are pleased to be able to add a seasoned veteran of his caliber to our roster.”
Ilgauskas has appeared in 771 career games (673 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers over 12 seasons. During his career, all with Cleveland, he has averaged 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.65 blocks, 1.2 assists and 28.3 minutes, while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 78.0 percent from the foul line. Ilgauskas is a two-time NBA All-Star (2003 & 2005), and ranked first in Cavaliers history in both offensive rebounds (2,336) and blocks (1,269). His career totals in those same categories rank tied for 42nd place and 44th place in NBA history, respectively.
During the 2009-10 season, Ilgauskas averaged 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 20.9 minutes, while shooting 44.3 percent from the field in 64 games (six starts). He recorded double-figure points on 19 occassions and four double-digit rebound games.
Ilgauskas, who will wear #11 for the Heat, was originally selected with the 20th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Draft.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Big Z barely looked like he could walk by the end of last season, so I’m not sure how much this signing matters. Of course, even when Ilgauskas was younger and still very good, he tended to move as if his legs and feet were made out of cement. But still, I’m thinking he will provide good minutes off the bench for maybe 7-12 minutes per game.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports:
“I hit up LeBron [on Tuesday] night and I told him I’m looking at ESPN and I see his name scroll on the bottom and it says ‘Miami Heat forward LeBron James.’
“I just said, ‘Man, it’s crazy.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I just saw the same thing.’ ”
Behind his cool countenance, Wade feels every bit as exhilarated as the most fanatical of Heat fans. And he’s intoxicated by the possibilities of what this threesome can achieve.
“It’s beyond exciting,” he said. “I don’t think we even really know how excited we’re going to be.”
The AP reports:
 |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West pleaded guilty Thursday to weapons charges and received a home detention sentence that includes flexibility to travel to NBA games if the league allows it.
In Prince George’s County Circuit Court, Judge Graydon S. McKee III sentenced West to eight months of home detention with electronic monitoring, two years of unsupervised probation, 40 hours of community service and psychological counseling.
Prosecutors said that the sentence would allow West to attend practices and travel to NBA games as his team’s schedule requires, but NBA officials would not say whether any he’ll face any additional discipline that could keep him off the court…
Authorities said the basketball player was carrying two loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun and an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife while speeding on a three-wheel motorcycle on the Capital Beltway last September. Police said West, who owns two homes in Prince George’s County, Md., was pulled over after cutting off an officer. Video released by the prosecution after the hearing showed West stepping off the motorcycle with his hands in the air, and then standing on the side of the highway with his arms still raised.
 |
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Houston Rockets restricted free agent point guard Kyle Lowry to a contract offer sheet, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today. Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.
Lowry played in 68 games this past season for the Houston Rockets. He averaged 9.1 points on .397 shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. The 6-0 guard was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. In four seasons in the NBA, Lowry has career averages of 8.7 points on .421 shooting, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steal in 23.6 minutes per game.
The Rockets will now have seven days to match the Cavaliers offer and retain Lowry’s services. If not, Lowry will become a member of the Cavaliers.