Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 69 – NBA Blog

Matt Barnes not celebrating the Clippers

Matt Barnes said the Clippers should be feeling some positive vibes after adding Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler and re-signing DeAndre Jordan this month, but thinks they may have gone overboard in showing that enthusiasm.

“They definitely have a much improved team here and are looking to make a push towards the playoffs,” Barnes said Thursday after the Clippers beat the Lakers in a pair of preseason games on Monday and Wednesday. “They have a lot of reason to be excited, but all the celebration after dunks and all that kind of stuff, I mean, I just kind of think it looks amazing and it makes ‘SportsCenter,’ but I mean, let’s just play basketball.”

Count Barnes as one person not exactly thrilled by the “Lob City” Clippers.

“They act like they won the dunk contest after every dunk,” Barnes said. “So, as players, people aren’t going to tolerate that.”

— Via Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Clippers sign forward Reggie Evans

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent forward Reggie Evans. According to the Los Angeles Times, the deal is a one-year contract worth about $1.3 million.

The 31-year old averaged a career-high 11.5 rebounds per game last season for the Toronto Raptors in 35 appearances while making 22 starts. Evans averaged 26.6 minutes and 4.4 points per game for the Raptors, while missing significant time due to a fractured right foot suffered on Nov. 26, 2010.

The 6-foot-8 Evans comes to the Clippers having appeared in 572 career games, averaging 4.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 19.5 minutes. A nine-year NBA veteran, Evans ranked among the NBA’s top 10 players in rebounds per 48 minutes for six straight seasons from 2003-09.

Not drafted after a stellar two-year collegiate career at the University of Iowa in which he scored 1,054 points and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 Big Ten Tournament, Evans signed as a free agent with Seattle in 2002. The Pensacola, Fla. native has also played for Denver, Philadelphia and Toronto in his NBA career and appeared in 27 playoff games.

The Clippers roster currently stands at 13.

Trail Blazers agree to sign forward Craig Smith

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to terms with forward Craig Smith. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post contract details here tonight.

Smith, 28, has averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in five seasons with Minnesota and the L.A. Clippers.

“Craig is a guy who will bring us some interior scoring and toughness around the hole,” said Trail Blazers Acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. “He is a player who is hungry to experience the playoffs and we hope that Craig can help us get back to the postseason again this year.”

A Los Angeles native, Smith (6-7, 265) spent the past two seasons with the Clippers, posting averages of 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 2010-11.

Originally selected by Minnesota with the 36th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of Boston College, Smith was a member of the 2006-07 NBA All-Rookie Second Team along with fellow Trail Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge.

Lakers hire Clay Moser as scout

Los Angeles D-Fenders Associate Head Coach Clay Moser has been hired by the Los Angeles Lakers to serve as an Advance Scout on Head Coach Mike Brown’s staff, it was announced today.

“We are extremely happy for Clay to receive such a tremendous opportunity with the Lakers,” D-Fenders Head Coach Eric Musselman said. “Clay is a great basketball mind and I am confident he will serve the Lakers well.”

Moser brings more than a decade of NBA and NBA Development League experience with him to the Lakers, most recently from the D-Fenders where he helped coach the team to a 7-3 start. Formerly serving on USA Basketball’s board of directors, Moser has also spent extensive time evaluating NBA-caliber talent as an advance scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Orlando Magic (2007-08), Sacramento Kings (2006-07) and Golden State Warriors (2002-03). His other NBA experience includes time as Vice President of Business Development for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005-06), as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs 2005 Summer League Team and as a business consultant for the NBA (2005).

In 2010-11, Moser assisted on Musselman’s staff as Associate Head Coach with the Reno Bighorns, helping lead the team to a Western Conference best 34-16 record. Prior to his time with the Bighorns, Moser was tabbed by the Houston Rockets to be Head Coach of their D-League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, going 21-29 with the Vipers during the 2008-09 campaign. In addition to his Reno and Rio Grande Valley D-League experience, Moser has also worked for CBA teams that later would join the D-League; serving as an assistant coach, vice president and general manager with the Sioux Falls Skyforce (1989-94) and as CEO and general manager of the Idaho Stampede (1997-2001).

Lakers unhappy that Clippers got Chris Paul

The Lakers were hit with a two-by-four of bad news Wednesday, Chris Paul heading to the Clippers and Dwight Howard heading nowhere.

The Lakers were privately fuming Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of their front office, when Paul, the New Orleans point guard, ended up in Los Angeles six days after the NBA vetoed the Lakers’ trade for him.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak declined to comment through a spokesman but earlier this week said the NBA’s blockade was “completely unexpected.”

“We did the best we can to express our displeasure,” Kupchak said Monday.

— Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Hornets trade Chris Paul to Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and more

The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired four-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and the 2012 first round draft selection the Clippers acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2005. The Clippers will also receive two future second round draft picks to complete the trade.

The 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year brings career averages of 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals in 37.1 minutes over his six-year NBA career. A career 47.1 percent shooter from the field, Paul, 26, is also a 35.9 percent 3-point shooter and has made 85.3 percent of his free throws.

The North Carolina native appeared in 80 games for New Orleans during the 2010-11 season, averaging 15.9 points, 9.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and a league-high 2.4 steals per game. It was the fourth time in his NBA career that Paul has led the league in steals.

A member of the All-NBA Third Team in 2011, Paul was selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2009 and the First Team in 2008 and appeared in the NBA All-Star Game in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The 6-foot, 175 pound point guard enjoyed his best NBA season during the 2008-09 season when he averaged 22.8 points, 11.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals. Paul led the NBA in assists two times from 2007-09 and was selected as a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team in 2009 and All-Defensive Second Team in 2008 and 2011.

In his career, Paul has appeared in 23 total playoff games, averaging 21.9 points, 11.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in the post-season.

A stand-out at Wake Forest University that saw him earn NCAA First Team All-American honors as a sophomore, Paul was drafted by the Hornets with the fourth overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft.

“We wanted to make sure that we got the best possible deal for a player of Chris’ caliber, and we feel great about the outcome,” Hornets Chairman and Governor Jac Sperling said. “We feel our future looks very bright and we look forward to continue to create an organization that New Orleans will be proud of. We want to thank Chris Paul, an extraordinary person who contributed so greatly to our basketball team and our community. We wish him the best of luck.”

“With this trade, we now have three additional players who were among the top eight draft picks in their respective drafts as well as our own first round pick and Minnesota’s first round pick,” said Hornets General Manager Dell Demps. “Aminu is a young talent with a bright future, Gordon is a big time scorer and one of the best two guards in the league and Kaman is a proven center and former All-Star. Combined with our other players, we will field a competitive team and our future looks great.”

Gordon (6-3, 220), was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Clippers, averaged career-highs of 22.3 points, 4.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 56 games last season (all starts). He scored 30+ points eight times last season, put together a streak of 20 or more points in 12 consecutive games and had 36 20+ point games overall. The Indianapolis native holds career averages of 18.1 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game over 196 games (181 starts). Gordon was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2009 and was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in January of his rookie season. He went to Indiana University for one season before declaring for the draft, where he averaged 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32 games. Gordon played for Team USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey helping team to a perfect 9-0 record en route to winning the gold medal averaging 8.6 points.

Kaman (7-0, 265), who was the 6TH overall of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Clippers, averaged 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 32 games (15 starts) last season. He holds career averages of 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 493 games (425 starts). Since the 2003-04 season, Kaman is one of 31 players with 4,000+ rebounds and is just one of six players who grabbed all of those rebounds with just one team – joining Dwight Howard (Orlando), Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Udonis Haslem (Miami) and Josh Smith (Atlanta). Kaman had his best season of his NBA career en route to being named an NBA All-Star for first time during the 2009-10 season, averaging a team-high 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists in 34.3 minutes. The Central Michigan University product participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as a member of the German National Team due to his great- grandparents German heritage, averaging 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 19.8 minutes.

Aminu (6-9, 215), who was drafted 8th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2010 NBA Draft, averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game over 81 games (14 starts) last season for the Clippers. The 22-year old averaged 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.1 minutes over his 14 starts last season with the team. The former Wake Forest standout averaged 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and accumulated 44 blocks in 31 games while shooting 44.7 percent from the field during his sophomore season for the Demon Deacons before declaring early for the NBA Draft. Aminu descends from a line of Nigerian kings.

Read NBA fan reaction to the trade in this basketball forum topic.

Cleveland Cavaliers waive Baron Davis, via NBA amnesty clause

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Baron Davis and designated him as the team’s amnesty player, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We would like to thank Baron for his contributions to the team during his time in Cleveland,” said General Manager Chris Grant. “He has been an absolute professional since the day he joined the Cavs and we now wish him the best in the future.”

Davis, 32, was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 24th along with a first round pick in exchange for guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon.

Clippers match Warriors offer and re-sign DeAndre Jordan

The Los Angeles Clippers today re-signed restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers matched an offer sheet presented to Jordan by the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, Dec. 11. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. It had been reported to be a four-year deal worth $43 million.

Under current NBA rules, the Clippers had three days to match the Warriors’ offer sheet to the Texas native, or Jordan would have become a member of the Warriors.

Originally drafted by the Clippers with the 35th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Jordan, 23, is entering his third NBA season after enjoying a breakout 2010-11 with Los Angeles. The 6-foot-11 center appeared in a career-high 80 games last season, making 66 starts and averaging 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in 25.6 minutes.

Jordan finished third in the NBA with 158 dunks and shot a team-high 68.6 percent (234-of-341 FG) from the field, the highest field goal percentage of any player in the NBA with over 300 field goal attempts.

In his career, the Texas A&M product has appeared in 203 games and averaged 5.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Clippers claim Chauncey Billups off waivers

The Los Angeles Clippers today claimed five-time NBA All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups off of waivers. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. Billups, 35, was waived by the New York Knicks on Dec. 10.

Billups averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 32.1 minutes in 72 games with Denver and New York last season. Billups was traded to the Knicks on Feb. 22.

The 14-year veteran point guard was an NBA All-Star in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2005-06 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2006-07 and 2008-09. Billups helped lead the Detroit Pistons to the 2003-04 NBA Championship and was selected the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for his stellar play in the series.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft after a standout career at the University of Colorado, Billups has appeared in 982 career NBA games for Boston, Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, Detroit and the Knicks, averaging 15.5 points, 5.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-3, 210 pound Colorado native was also a member of the gold medal winning USA Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.

Raptors sign forward Rasual Butler

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have signed veteran free-agent forward Rasual Butler. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Butler is a veteran of nine NBA campaigns where he has averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 23.9 minutes in 604 regular season outings. He has shot at a .361 per cent clip from three-point range (758-2097). Butler has also made 30 appearances in the playoffs, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 13.4 minutes. He has connected on 25 of 59 three-pointers (.424) in postseason play.

Butler, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds split last season between the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. His best statistical season came in 2009-10 with the Clippers when he averaged career bests of 11.9 points and 33.0 minutes in 82 games (64 starts). He set a club record for made three-pointers in a season with 145. He tallied 20-plus points five times, including two games with 30 or more points. In 2008-09 with New Orleans, he averaged 11.2 points and 31.9 minutes in 82 games, with a career-best 74 starts. He also averaged a career playoff-best 10.6 points and 31.6 minutes in five postseason outings with the Hornets. In 2005, he helped Miami reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

A second-round selection by Miami (53rd overall) in the 2002 NBA Draft, Butler has seen action with the Heat, Hornets, Clippers and Bulls. He has scored a career-high 33 points on two occasions (last: vs. Cleveland, 1/16/10) and grabbed a personal-best 11 rebounds twice (last: vs. Orlando, 1/16/07).

Butler saw action in 110 games with LaSalle University, averaging 19.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in his four years with the Explorers. He was a two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection, as well as a two-time first-team All-Big Five choice.