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Pistons trade Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe to Nuggets

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has acquired a future second round draft choice from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Arron Afflalo, forward Walter Sharpe and cash considerations.  The move clears approximately $1.8 million in additional salary cap space for the Pistons.

Afflalo appeared in 74 games (eight starts) last season, averaging 4.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 16.7 minutes per game.  In eight starts he averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 33.1 minutes per game.  The former UCLA product scored 10-plus points 12 times and led the team in scoring once, recording a career-high 24 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6-6 FT) in 45 minutes at Houston (3/18).  He averaged 6.7 points in 13 games during the month of March, his best scoring month of the season, and won the Haier Shooting Stars competition at NBA All-Star 2009 while teaming with Bill Laimbeer and Katie Smith from the Detroit Shock.

Sharpe appeared in nine games a year ago, averaging 1.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 2.4 minutes per game.  He made one NBA Development League assignment with the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants from 1/2-1/7, averaging 10.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games.  The 6-foot-9 forward was on the inactive list 48 times during last season and did not player – coaches decision 23 times.

InsideHoops.com editor says: These are bench players who will probably receive extremely limited minutes on the Nuggets.

Four-team trade sends Shawn Marion to Mavericks, Hedo Turkoglu to Raptors

Four-team trade sends Shawn Marion to Mavericks, Hedo Turkoglu to Raptors

The Orlando Magic have acquired a trade exception and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors, and cash considerations from the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team trade, General Manager Otis Smith announced today.  As part of a sign-and-trade deal, forward Hedo Turkoglu was traded to Toronto.

“This move allows us some potential flexibility in the future,” said Smith. “Hedo was a big part of our success and did a lot for our organization during his five seasons here.  We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Also included as parts of the deal – Toronto sends Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash considerations to Dallas, while also sending a future second round draft pick to Memphis; Memphis sends Greg Buckner to Dallas; Dallas sends Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations to Memphis, while also sending Devean George and Antoine Wright to Toronto.

TRADE SUMMARY

Orlando Magic get: Trade exception and cash considerations from the Toronto Raptors, and cash considerations from the Dallas Mavericks

Toronto Raptors get: Hedo Turkoglu, Devean George and Antoine Wright

Dallas Mavericks get: Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash considerations, Greg Buckner (from Memphis)

Memphis Grizzlies get: Future second round draft pick from Dallas, Jerry Stackhouse and cash considerations (from Dallas)

InsideHoops.com gets: Love and admiration from all basketball fans.

MORE ON EACH PLAYER

Marion (6-7, 215) is a 10-year veteran that holds career averages 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds to go along with 2.0 assists, 1.83 steals, 1.31 blocks and 37.9 minutes in 745 games (730 starts). He has finished the season with a double-double average four times in his career with the most recent being in 2007-08 when he averaged 15.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 63 games.

Marion has been named All-NBA Third Team two times (2005, 2006) and was a four-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007). He has appeared in 65 postseason contests averaging 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.52 blocks and 1.49 steals in 40.6 minutes. Marion has advanced to the Western Conference Finals two times and, in his most recent trip, fell to the Mavericks in 2006 as a member of the Suns. He was also a member of the bronze-medal winning Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Humphries (6-9, 235) is a former University of Minnesota standout drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 14th overall pick in the 2004 Draft. He holds career averages of 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 288 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds last season before fracturing his right fibula on Jan. 18 vs. Phoenix. Prior to his injury, Humphries was coming off his best year as a pro in 2007-08 when he averaged career highs of 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in a career-high 70 games.

Jawai (6-10, 280) just completed his rookie season for the Raptors seeing action in six contests. The Australian center scored his first career field goal on Feb. 18 vs. Cleveland. Jawai, the 41st overall pick of the Indiana Pacers in 2008, spent most of last season with the Idaho Stamped of the NBA Development League where he averaged 11.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.0 minutes a game. No stranger to Texas, Jawai played one season of college basketball at Midland (Texas) College in 2006-07 where he averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes a game.

Buckner (6-4, 210), a 10-year veteran out of Clemson, will be returning to Dallas for a third time. Originally a second-round draft choice of the Mavericks in 1998, Buckner played in Dallas from 1999-2002 before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. The native of Hopkinsville, Ky., returned to the Mavericks in 2006 when he signed as a free agent before getting traded to Minnesota before the start of the 2007-08 campaign. The veteran guard holds career averages of 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 570 games.

Indiana Pacers to sign Dahntay Jones

The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports: The Indiana Pacers have landed their first free agent acquisition of the offseason. The Pacers agreed to a four-year, $11 million deal with Denver Nuggets free agent guard Dahntay Jones late Wednesday night. The fourth year is a player option. “(Pacers president) Larry Bird and (general manager) David Morway contacted me the first night of free agency and expressed a lot of interest in Dahntay,” Jones’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. “The Pacers are getting somebody that competes with an edge and is a lockdown defender. He’s going to bring a defensive mind-set to the team.”

InsideHoops.com editor says: Jones could do very well on the Pacers, especially as the starting lineup is thinned by Mike Dunleavy’s continued injury woes.

Denver Nuggets re-sign Chris Andersen

Chris Andersen to re-sign with Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed F/C Chris Andersen to a multi-year contract, Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. The Denver Post had reported the deal would possibly be for five years and up to $26 million.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring Chris back,” said Warkentien.  “He was a big part of our success last season and we believe he will be a big part of our future success as well. We love his energy and hustle and we know Nuggets fans echo that sentiment.”

Andersen, 31, has career averages of 5.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.59 bpg in 329 regular season games with the Nuggets (two stints) and New Orleans. He began his NBA career with the Nuggets in 2001 as the first-ever “call-up” from the NBA Development League.

This past season, Andersen helped the Nuggets advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 1984-85 season, posting 6.4 ppg and career high averages of 6.2 rpg and 2.46 bpg. His 2.46 bpg ranked second in the entire NBA, despite averaging just 20.6 minutes per contest off the bench. He also led the NBA with 5.76 blocks per 48 minutes.

Andersen was signed as a free agent last summer, returning to the Nuggets on July, 24, 2008.
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Allen Iverson likes Grizzlies

Allen Iverson likes Grizzlies

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Several NBA sources have confirmed to me that controversial and wildly popular guard Allen Iverson – through representatives – has made the Grizzlies aware that he would like to play in Memphis. The veteran, prolific scorer is a free agent for the first time in his professional career. While no deal is imminent and conversations have been only cursory, Griz brass are said to be internally weighing the pros and cons of possibly adding Iverson to the team’s youth movement. Iverson would certainly have to take a major pay cut from the $21 million he earned last season with Detroit. The Griz would only entertain Iverson with what they’d deem a reasonable price, and if the 34-year-old agreed to play off the bench.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Adding Iverson would spark some team interest, ticket sales and maybe a few wins for the Grizzlies, but not really accomplish much more than that. It would probably wouldn’t help the development of the young players Memphis is actually building around. Adding Iverson would be a small temporary boost.

JR Smith sentenced to 90 days in jail

The AP reports: A judge sentenced Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith to 90 days in jail Tuesday night for causing an auto accident that killed his friend, though Smith will likely end up serving only 30. Municipal Judge Debra J. Gelson suspended 60 days of the sentence providing Smith performs 500 hours of community service consisting of visiting sick children at hospitals.

InsideHoops.com adds: This incident took place in June of 2007 in New Jersey. Smith drove an SUV through a stop sign.

The following is a statement from Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien on  J.R. Smith.

“We are fully aware of the legal proceedings involving J.R. Smith today and the judges’ decision. J.R. Smith took responsibility for his role in this tragic accident that occurred in June 2007. The legal statutes mandate that J.R. serve time for driving recklessly and he is grateful that the statutory sentence was reduced from 90 days to 30.

We will continue to support J.R. during this difficult period and will have no further comment at this time.”

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.

Timberwolves trade Ty Lawson to Nuggets for future pick

The Denver Nuggets have acquired the draft rights to G Ty Lawson, the 18th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future protected first round draft pick of the Charlotte Bobcats, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

Lawson, 5-11, 195, averaged 13.1 ppg, 5.8 apg, 2.9 rpg and 1.8 spg in 105 career games in three seasons at the University of North Carolina. Lawson was named to the All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Tarheels to the 2009 NCAA Championship. An early entry candidate for the 2009 NBA Draft, Lawson was the winner of the 2009 Bob Cousy Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate point guard. He was also selected as the ACC Player of the Year after his junior season. He finished his college career ranked seventh in UNC history with 608 assists, while his 2.78 career assist-to-turnover ratio marks the second-best in ACC history.

The Nuggets acquired the future protected first-round pick of the Bobcats last summer on June 25, 2008 in exchange for the Nuggets’ 2008 first round draft pick.

Eddy Curry, J.R. Smith in car questioned by police while live on Internet webcam

At about 3:57 a.m. ET late Monday night (technically early Tuesday morning) I was online, had my twitter account (@InsideHoops) open, and saw New York Knicks center Eddy Curry, via his Twitter account, announce that he was broadcasting live on webcam.

So I clicked, reaching “The Eddy Curry Show” on UStream, expecting to see the usual from pro athletes online: mundane, politically correct greetings to fans and not much else.

Instead, Curry was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car, next to a driver and two other guys in the back seat, one of whom was Denver Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith (sitting behind the driver). They’re pulled over and being questioned by a police officer.

The cop then left their car area. I assume he went back to a police car, perhaps to call in looking for information about the driver, car, etc. For the next 10 or 12 minutes I sat watching in amusement as the four guys sat cracking jokes waiting for the police officer to return. It was like watching a sports celebrity episode of the TV show “Cops.”

The webcam, presumably a laptop, was on the dashboard, pointing at the faces of the four young guys.

I’m not positive but I believe the officer said something about a suspended licence. Then, I thought I heard them say that they got pulled over for speeding, though I’m not positive.

One of the men then joked that he’ll pay $1,000 to whomever gets out, runs over and touches the police car. Of course, no one did it.

And then, their webcam shut off.

Eddy Curry, J.R. Smith in car questioned by police while live on Internet webcam

A bit later, around 4:35 a.m. ET, after being away from my computer for about 15 minutes, I went back to their stream, and the webcam was back on, with the buddies driving along and the earlier police issue apparently resolved in some way. But now, Curry is drivin, with Smith in the front passenger seat.

I’m glad they kept the webcam going! It was amusing stuff.

At around 5:15 a.m. ET, Smith on Twitter said that they had come to New York for Father’s Day and meant to leave yesterday but didn’t end up leaving until midnight.

Earlier, he had typed that they were headed to Detroit.

And now, at 5:35 a.m. ET, I’m going to sleep.