Los Angeles Clippers Blog – Page 86 – NBA Blog

Clippers trade Quentin Richardson to Timberwolves for Sebastian Telfair, Mark Madsen, Craig Smith

Quentin Richardson is being traded all around the league this off-season.

The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired guard Sebastian Telfair, forward Craig Smith and forward Mark Madsen from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for forward Quentin Richardson.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Madsen and Smith have expiring contracts, as does Richardson, and Telfair has two years left, at $2.5 million and $2.7 million.

Richardson, who was re-acquired by the Clippers in a trade with Memphis on July 17, joins his fifth NBA team in the Timberwolves.

“We are really excited to add these three players to our team,” Clippers General Manager and Head Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “This move really gives some much needed depth.”

Telfair, 23, averaged a career-high 9.8 points, 4.6 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 27.9 minutes in 75 games last year for the Timberwolves. A five-year NBA veteran who was drafted by Portland with the 13th overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft, Telfair joins his fourth NBA team. A 6-foot point guard, Telfair brings career averages of 8.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 349 total NBA games to Los Angeles.

A former New York City high school legend before being drafted by the Trail Blazers, Telfair led Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School to three PSAL titles and one state championship en route to becoming New York’s all-time leading prep scorer, surpassing Kenny Anderson.

Inglewood native and former Fairfax High School star Smith returns to Los Angeles after averaging a career-high 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 19.7 minutes in 74 games last season for Minnesota. A career 55 percent shooter from the field, Smith shot 56.3 percent in 2008-09. Smith has appeared in 233 career NBA games since his rookie year of 2006-07, when he played in all 82 contests for the Timberwolves.

Smith was drafted by Minnesota with the 36th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft after a standout career at Boston College that saw him average 18.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 130 games from 2002-2006. Smith finished his Eagles career as the school’s all-time leading rebounder (1,114) and second in points (2,349) and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first Team in 2005-06.

A nine-year NBA veteran, the 33-year old Madsen is back in the city where he started his NBA career from 2000-2003 as the 29th overall pick out of Stanford University in the 2000 draft by the Lakers. The 6-foot-9, 255 pound Madsen has played in 453 career NBA games and averaged 2.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists in 11.8 minutes. Madsen joined the Timberwolves in 2003 and played in 19 contests, starting one and average 0.3 points and 0.9 rebounds last season.

InsideHoops.com editor says: At this rate, Quentin Richardson will have been traded to all 30 NBA teams before the season even starts. In fact, there’s breaking news now that Quentin Richardson has been traded to InsideHoops.com for 27 GMail accounts, some gum, and the rights to Manute Bol. The NBA should establish a new league rule stating that all trades must involve Q-Rich in some way.

Read basketball fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Blake Griffin rocks first summer league game

The AP reports: Blake Griffin scored seven points in the opening 75 seconds of the Clippers’ first NBA Summer League game and finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 93-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Right now, just like everyone else, I’m trying to show my coaches and teammates what I can do,” Griffin said. “It was just another game. I was relaxed. I hadn’t played a game in months, so it was nice to get back out there.” … With NBA commissioner David Stern sitting courtside at the Thomas & Mack Center, the 6-foot-10 Griffin went 6 of 6 from the field in the first half and didn’t miss a shot until the third quarter. He finished 11 of 15 from the field and played 29 minutes.

Clippers hire Tony Brown as assistant coach

The Los Angeles Clippers today added coaching veteran Tony Brown as an Assistant Coach to Head Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy’s staff.

Brown joins the Clippers after last serving as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2007-08 campaign. This will mark Brown’s third stint under Dunleavy, serving as an assistant coach on Dunleavy’s staff in Portland (1997-2001) and as an advance scout in Milwaukee from 1994-97. This also is a return to the Clippers for Brown, who averaged 4.7 points in 22 games played for Los Angeles during the 1991-92 season.

Overall, Brown has spent 11 seasons as an NBA assistant coach, serving a three-year stint with the Boston Celtics (2004-07), before joining the Bucks in 2007. Prior to his three-years in Boston, Brown served as the lead assistant to Kevin O’Neill in Toronto (2003-04). He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons from 2001-03. During his time with the Pistons, the club registered back-to-back 50-win seasons, captured two Central Division titles, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003. Brown’s time in Portland saw the Trailblazers make four straight post-season appearances as well as two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances (1999 and 2000).

In seven seasons as an NBA player, Brown split his time with nine teams, finishing with career averages of 6.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 359 games. His best statistical season came in 1986-87 with New Jersey when he averaged 11.3 points in 30.4 minutes per game. The University of Arkansas product was a fourth-round draft choice of New Jersey in the 1982 NBA Draft.

Brown also played in the Continental Basketball Association (Lancaster Lightning, Ohio Mixers, Kansas City Sizzlers and Albany Patroons) and overseas with Reggio Emilia in the Italian League (1992-94).

Brown joins returning Clippers assistant coaches Kim Hughes and Fred Vinson.

Los Angeles Clippers sign first round draft pick Blake Griffin

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed rookie forward Blake Griffin, the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

This is a standard signing, as all first round draft picks are guaranteed an NBA contract should they decide to actually play in the NBA immediately.

A dominant power forward and a commanding physical presence, Griffin was the consensus National Player of the Year following a sophomore season where he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Sooners.

The 20-year old Oklahoma City native dominated college basketball last season, winning every major postseason player of the year award. Griffin led the nation in rebounding (504 rebounds) and double-doubles (30) and helped the Sooners advance to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-10, 251 pound Griffin was named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman in 2007-08, and continued to improve last season, finishing second in the nation in field goal percentage (.659) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). Griffin’s 504 rebounds last season was the highest season rebound total in college basketball since Larry Bird grabbed 505 boards in 1978-79.

Dallas Mavericks sign Quinton Ross

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed Quinton Ross. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ross (6-6, 193) joins the Mavericks after spending the 2008-09 season with Memphis. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 17.1 minutes in 68 games (seven starts) with the Grizzlies. The five-year NBA veteran, who began his career as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Clippers, owns career averages of 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 20.4 minutes in 370 games (158 starts).

“Quinton has been part of the Dallas basketball fabric for many years,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “He played his high school ball under Royce Johnson at Kimball before attending Southern Methodist University. We are happy and proud to bring him home. His athleticism, defensive versatility and experience will add depth to our backcourt.”

A native of Dallas, Ross averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 119 games at SMU. He finished his four-year career as the school’s fourth all-time scoring leader (1,763 points).

InsideHoops.com editor says: Perfectly good backup to play limited minutes off the bench as a 9th – 12th man.

Read basketball fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Clippers trade Zach Randolph for Quentin Richardson

The Los Angeles Times reports: Clearing the way for No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, the Clippers have agreed to trade power forward Zach Randolph to Memphis for former Clipper Quentin Richardson, The Times learned today. Because of salary-cap rules, the deal can’t be completed until next week… With Richardson under contract for only this season, the deal gets them out from under Randolph’s contract, which has two seasons, worth $33.3 million left on it.

JULY 17 UPDATE: TRADE IS OFFICIAL

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired power forward Zach Randolph from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard/forward Quentin Richardson, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

“We are pleased to acquire a player of Zach Randolph’s caliber,” Wallace said. “Zach is one of the best low-post scorers in the league and a force on the boards as well. He will also bring much-needed experience to the team.”

The 6-9, 260-pounder averaged 20.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and shot 47.5 percent from the field over 35.1 minutes in 50 games (45 starts) last season with the Knicks and Clippers. The 27-year-old was one of four players in 2008-09 to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds, joining Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Al Jefferson.

It marked the third 20-10 campaign in eight NBA seasons for Randolph, who has recorded 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in 388 games (368 starts) since becoming a full-time starter (2003-09). In the Grizzlies’ 14-year history, only Shareef Abdur-Rahim has posted a 20-10 season (20.3 points, 10.1 rebounds in 1999-00).

The winner of the NBA’s 2003-04 Most Improved Player Award has averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 30.0 minutes on 46.6 percent shooting in 506 games (379 starts) in eight NBA seasons with the Clippers, the New York Knicks and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Randolph, who was previously acquired along with Mardy Collins by the Clippers from the Knicks on Nov. 21, 2008 in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, is one of only five players to average at least 17 points and eight rebounds in each of the last six seasons (Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol). He’s averaged a double-double in each of the past three seasons, despite playing for three different teams, and has recorded 191 double-doubles since the 2003-04 season (eighth among NBA players during that span).

The Marion, Ind. native was originally selected with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Trail Blazers after his freshman season at Michigan State University. Randolph, nicknamed “Z-Bo,” scored a career-high 43 points on March 29, 2007 vs. Memphis as a member of the Trail Blazers.

Richardson was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Knicks on draft night (June 25, 2009) in exchange for center Darko Milicic. The 6-6, 235-pound swingman averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games (51 starts) last season, his fourth with the Knicks.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Richardson holds career averages of 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 601 games (390 starts) with the Knicks, the Phoenix Suns and the Clippers, who originally selected him with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.

Blake Griffin started baseball at age 3

The AP reports: Blake Griffin got an early start playing in front of big crowds., playing baseball as a three-year-old. “I was really nervous,” Griffin said. He was the batboy/little brother hanger-on for older brother Taylor’s T-ball team of six-year-olds when the coach said he could bat in a lopsided game. “That was the largest crowd I’d ever played in front of.” He doubled the first time up, tripled the second. “We knew he was special right then,” his father said.

NBA team, D-League team affiliations announced

The National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA, today announced the affiliation system for the 2009-10 season, including the announcement of a direct single-affiliation partnership between the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers. For the fifth consecutive year, each NBA team has one NBA D-League affiliate to which it may assign players in their first or second NBA season.

The Rockets became the first NBA team to enter into a direct single-affiliation partnership with an NBA D-League team, granting the Rockets full control over the basketball operations of the Vipers. With the move, the Rockets will be the only parent-club of the team.

In a structure similar to other minor leagues, this new partnership model, previously referred to as the “hybrid affiliation,” allows for NBA teams to secure control over and cover the expenses related to the basketball operations of an NBA D-League team, while partnering with existing local ownership, who maintain responsibility for the off-the-court business operations of the team.

The list of affiliations is on our NBA D-League page.

2011 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, a city with a reputation for producing highly successful sequels, and STAPLES Center, considered one of the world’s best arenas for sports and entertainment, have been selected to host NBA All-Star 2011, marking the fifth time The City of Angels and the second time STAPLES Center will be the site of the annual celebration, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced at a press conference today in Los Angeles. AEG President and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined Stern at the announcement.

The 60th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 20 at STAPLES Center which will also host the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam and NBA All-Star Saturday Night. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Additionally, the NBA has the ability to activate the great hospitality and event spaces across the street from STAPLES Center within L.A. LIVE including the new Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. Los Angeles becomes the first city to host five NBA All-Star Games.

“Its state-of-the-art facilities, passionate fans, and first-class hospitality and entertainment options make Los Angeles an ideal host for NBA All-Star,” said Commissioner Stern. “We thank the city and STAPLES Center for welcoming us once again.”

The 2010-11 season will mark the 27th year that Turner Sports will provide NBA All-Star coverage, and the ninth consecutive year the All-Star Game will be televised in primetime on TNT. The All-Star Game will be seen by a worldwide television audience in more than 200 countries and will be broadcast in more than 40 languages.

“L.A. LIVE was truly designed to be a home for great events like the NBA All-Star game,” said Leiweke, President & CEO AEG, owners of STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE. “We are fortunate that this will be the second All-Star weekend STAPLES Center will host in the last ten years and our ability to incorporate one of the best weekends in all of sports into our 100-acre campus is exactly what L.A. LIVE was created for. We are privileged to be partners with the NBA and welcome them back to Los Angeles and L.A. LIVE.”

“There is no better place to host the action and drama of the NBA All-Star Game than the stage of so many award winning performances,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, we look forward to welcoming NBA fans and players from across the country and around the globe to the entertainment capital of the world.”

STAPLES Center last played host to NBA All-Star in 2004, when the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 44 points as the West edged the East 136-132. O’Neal earned MVP honors with 24 points and 11 rebounds. L.A. also hosted the All-Star Game in 1963, 1972 and 1983. The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena hosted All-Star in 1963, while the Forum hosted the other ’72 and ’83 games. The 1972 classic saw the Lakers’ Jerry West thrill the hometown fans with a last-second jumper that gave the West a 112-110 victory and netted him MVP honors.

NBA All-Star competitions will get underway on Friday, Feb. 18, as the league’s top rookies and second-year players square off in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The following day’s festivities will feature an

all-inclusive skills showcase known as NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which is comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players and NBA Legends; PlayStation® Skills Challenge, a contest of

top guards working against the clock to complete a series of passes, free throws, lay-ups and agility drills; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a long-standing staple of the evening; and the ever-entertaining Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.

During NBA All-Star 2011, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a schedule of NBA Cares events. NBA Cares will partner with schools, government, and local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and surrounding areas to highlight the league’s grassroots and community initiatives that reach millions of young people and their parents while providing critical resources to community-based programs.

One of the event’s most popular attractions is NBA All-Star Jam Session, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At Jam Session, fans can have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement, with the chance to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends. Jam Session is nonstop basketball action, as fans can shoot, slam, dribble, and drive all day; compete against their friends in skills challenges; or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone – with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kids’ slam dunks, three-pointers, and jump shots. For fans who want NBA entertainment, Jam Session features the NBA’s favorite players, celebrities, mascots, and dance teams as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA All-Star Practice.

NBA luxury tax to continue

The Deseret News (Tim Buckley) reports: If the Jazz choose to wade into NBA luxury-tax territory — something they’ve said they’re willing to do if need be next season — they won’t be getting a bailout. League Commissioner David Stern told reporters covering the NBA Finals in Los Angeles this week that there are no plans to temporarily shelve the tax, even in light of the country’s current economic plight. “No,” Stern said when asked at his annual Finals news conference, “there’s no contemplation of eliminating or reducing luxury tax.” The tax — part of the current collective-bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players union — is levied upon teams that exceed the league’s maximum team-payroll threshold, which has not yet been determined for next season. It amounts to a fine of $1 for every dollar over the threshold, plus a ban from sharing with under-the-threshold teams in distribution of the taxes that are collected.