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Hornets trade Jarrett Jack to Warriors, Sixers get Dorell Wright in 3-team deal

Hornets trade Jarrett Jack to Warriors in 3-team deal

The Golden State Warriors have acquired veteran guard Jarrett Jack from the New Orleans Hornets as part of a three-team trade, it was announced this evening. As part of the deal, the Warriors send forward Dorell Wright to the Philadelphia 76ers, who also receive center Darryl Watkins from New Orleans, while the Hornets receive the draft rights to forward Edin Bavcic from Philadelphia.

Jack, 28, is coming off his best NBA season, one in which he appeared in 45 games (39 starts) for New Orleans and averaged career-highs of 15.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 34.0 minutes per game. A team captain for the Hornets, Jack shot 45.6% from the field, 34.8% from three-point range and a career-high 87.2% from the free throw line, which ranked 11th in the NBA. The 6’3” guard scored 20-or-more points on 11 occasions, dished out eight-or-more assists 16 times and would have ranked 13th in the NBA in assists per game had he appeared in enough games to qualify. Additionally, he posted five point/assist double-doubles on the season, including a triple-double against the Warriors on March 21, recording 17 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and 11 assists (with zero turnovers).

A seven-year NBA veteran, Jack owns career averages of 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 532 career regular-season games combined with Portland, Indiana, Toronto and New Orleans. He appeared in 79-or-more games in each of his first six NBA seasons (including every game from 2007-08 to 2010-11) prior to missing 21 games this past season. A native of Fort Washington, Maryland, he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft after playing three seasons at Georgia Tech.

“We’re extremely pleased to acquire a player the quality of Jarrett Jack to help supplement our backcourt,” said Warriors’ General Manager Bob Myers. “One of our goals this off-season was to improve our depth at various positions and we think we accomplished that task with this trade. Jarrett recently completed his most productive season in the NBA and, in addition to providing us with additional veteran leadership, his ability to run an offense, score and a variety of other things will be a tremendous asset. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Dorell Wright for his contributions to our team the last two years. He was a compete professional both on and off the floor and someone that I have a great deal of admiration for as a player and person.”

“We’re very happy to get a player like Dorell Wright,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. “We think his outside shooting and all-around game will be a great addition to our team and we look forward to having him in Philadelphia.”

Wright was originally the 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by Miami out of South Kent Prep in Connecticut. In eight seasons, the 26-year-old has appeared in 354 games with 199 starts and is averaging 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.2 minutes per game while shooting 43.8% from the floor, 36.5% from 3-point range and 80.1% from the line.

After playing his first six seasons with Miami, and winning a championship with the HEAT in 2006, Wright signed as a free agent with Golden State on July 12, 2010. Over the past two seasons, he started 143 of a possible 148 games for the Warriors, averaging 13.8 points.

Wright’s best season came with Golden State in 2010-11. He started all 82 games, averaging career-highs of 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.51 steals. Wright led the NBA with 194 3-pointers made that season and ranked tied for 21st with 105 3FGM in 2011-12.

Watkins was not selected in the 2007 NBA Draft following his senior year at Syracuse but played nine games for Sacramento early into the 2007-08 season before being waived. He signed with the Hornets back in April and appeared in five games, averaging 4.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.0% from the floor. Watkins had 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in the final game of the season at Houston on April 26.

A native of New Jersey, Watkins attended Paterson Catholic. In between his stints with the Kings in 2007-08 and Hornets this past season, Watkins competed in summer leagues, training camps and preseason games for numerous teams, including the L.A. Clippers, San Antonio, Houston, Cleveland, Dallas, Indiana and New Orleans. Watkins has also spent time in the D-League and has played internationally in China, Lebanon and most recently, Greece.

Bavcic, originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, played for Vanoli-Braga Cremona and Bennet Cantu of the Italy’s top division (Serie A) last season, as well as for KAO Dramas in Greece where he averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 55.2% from the field in 18 games. The 6’11’’ forward/center played for Philadelphia in three consecutive Summer Leagues from 2006-08. Bavcic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was named Greek A1 League All-Bosmans Team in 2011 and won both the Slovenian Cup and the Slovenian Super Cup in 2010.

Rockets trade Kyle Lowry to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for forward Gary Forbes and a protected future first-round draft choice.

The 26-year-old Lowry averaged career bests of 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals during the 2011-12 season. He also contributed team highs of 6.6 assists and 32.1 minutes in 47 games (38 starts). As a starter, he upped his averages to 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 35.5 minutes.

Lowry scored 20-plus points 11 times last season, including two 30-point outings. He had 10 or more assists five times, with at least eight assists in 18 contests. Lowry led the Rockets in assists 33 times and paced the club in scoring on 12 occasions. He had a season-best 32 points versus Utah on February 19, a career high-tying 18 assists versus Atlanta on December 31 and a career high-tying 11 rebounds January 10 at Charlotte. He recorded his second career triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists at Minnesota on January 23.

Lowry, 6-foot, 205 pounds, was a first-round draft choice (24th overall) by Memphis in 2006. He was dealt by the Grizzlies to the Rockets on February 19, 2009. A native of Philadelphia, Lowry played two collegiate seasons at Philadelphia’s Villanova University before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The six-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.14 steals and 26.9 minutes in 359 games. He has appeared in 13 postseason contests, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 19.5 minutes.

Forbes (6-7, 220, Massachusetts) has averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 111 career NBA games (13 starts) with Denver and Toronto. In 2011-12 with the Raptors, Forbes averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 14.9 minutes in 48 games. He made two starts with Toronto, posting his first career double-double with 12 points (6-16 FG) and a career-high 13 rebounds at Chicago (3/24/12). The native of Colon, Panama, then started a second consecutive game and poured in 21 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3FG) vs. Orlando (3/26/12). Forbes appeared in 63 outings (11 starts) as a rookie with the Nuggets in 2010-11, averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. Prior to the NBA, Forbes saw action in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Venezuela-LPB, Italy-SerieA and the Israel Premier League. He was also the fourth overall pick by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft. Forbes averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 52 total games (33 starts) with the Skyforce (22 games) and Tulsa 66ers (30 games) in 2008-09.

Warriors will trade Dorell Wright to 76ers

Dorell Wright is getting another chance to start over and leaving behind another team that has more salary cap space in his absence.

The Golden State Warriors agreed Tuesday to trade Wright to the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to a player currently in Europe, a person familiar with the decision said.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because teams can’t announce any trades until the free agency moratorium ends Wednesday, said Golden State would receive Edin Bavcic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in return. The 76ers acquired Bavcic’s rights in a trade with Toronto in 2006.

The move frees up about $4 million in salary cap space for Golden State, which drafted small forwards Harrison Barnes of North Carolina seventh overall and Draymond Green of Michigan State at No. 35 two weeks ago to take Wright’s place. The Warriors now have about $8 million to spend before going into the luxury tax.

— Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press

Warriors sign rookie Harrison Barnes

The Golden State Warriors have signed Harrison Barnes, whom the club selected with the seventh overall selection in last week’s NBA Draft, to a contract, the team announced today.

All players selected in the first round are guaranteed to be signed by the team that drafted them. So, this is standard and expected.

Barnes, 20, was an early entry candidate for the 2012 NBA Draft after playing two seasons at the University of North Carolina. A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Barnes appeared in 71 games during his collegiate career, averaging 16.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 31.0 minutes per contest, while shooting 43.1% from the field, 73.4% from the line and 34.9% from three-point range.

Last season, the 6’8’’ forward averaged a team-leading 17.1 points per game (ranked third in the ACC) en route to being named First-Team All-ACC. During his freshman season (2010-11), Barnes earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and All-ACC Second-Team accolades after averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Mark Jackson was victim of an extortion scheme

STATEMENT FROM GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

In response to media inquiries, Golden State Warriors Head Coach Mark Jackson today confirmed that he and his family were the victims of an extortion scheme attempting to blackmail them in exchange for money. The suspects were arrested on June 25 by the FBI.

Jackson informed the Warriors of the extortion scheme in late April – three weeks after his first encounter with the extortionist – and solicited help from the organization. At that point, Jackson and the Warriors immediately contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Although not condoning his previous actions that led to the extortion attempt, the Warriors fully support Coach Jackson during this time and thank law enforcement authorities and the FBI for their prompt assistance in helping Coach Jackson and his family.

Due to the fact that this is an ongoing legal matter, the Warriors will have no further comment at this time.

Warriors extend qualifying offer to Brandon Rush

The Golden State Warriors have extended a qualifying offer to guard/forward Brandon Rush, making him a restricted free agent, the team announced today.

Rush, 26, appeared in 65 games last season (one start), averaging a career-high 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.4 minutes per contest. He ranked sixth in the NBA in three-point percentage by shooting a career-high .452 from behind the arc, while also posting career-highs in field goal percentage (.501) and free throw percentage (.793).

A four-year NBA veteran, Rush was acquired by Golden State from Indiana on December 19, 2011, in exchange for Lou Amundson. For his career, the Kansas City, MO, native owns averages of 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 289 regular-season games with the Pacers and Warriors.

By extending a qualifying offer to Rush prior to the June 30 deadline, the Warriors retain the ability to match any offer sheet that he signs with another team this offseason.

If Brandon Roy makes NBA comeback, Warriors have interest

Warriors general manager Bob Myers said on Friday morning that the team has interest in former Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy, who has made it clear that he will try to play in 2012-13.

On Dec. 15, 2011, the Blazers announced that they had used the amnesty clause to waive Roy, and shortly after that Roy announced that his professional basketball career was over.

But Roy, 27, has been training over the past several months with the goal of joining an NBA roster for the start of the season.

There’s a connection between Myers and Roy; Myers used to be Roy’s agent.

— Reported by Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area

Golden State Warriors name Chip Bowers new Chief Marketing Officer

The Golden State Warriors have named Chip Bowers as the team’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), it was announced today. Bowers, who will begin his new duties in mid-July, will oversee all marketing and corporate partnership sales & services efforts for the organization, while reporting to President & Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. Additionally, his responsibilities will include management of the team’s game operations and various digital media projects.

“I am extremely honored to be joining the Warriors organization,” said Bowers. “Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have a vision for the Warriors organization that is very compelling and have demonstrated their commitment to building a first-class executive team. The organization is well-positioned to do great things and I am humbled to now be part of what is sure to be an exciting period in team history.”

Bowers joins the Warriors from the Orlando Magic, where he worked the last four years and served this past season as the team’s senior vice president of corporate partnerships & marketing. With the Magic, Bowers oversaw the marketing, corporate partnerships sales and client services process for the organization, while orchestrating the sale of naming rights and all founding partnerships associated with the Amway Center – the Magic’s new arena that was named 2012 Facility of the Year by the Sports Business Journal. Under his direction, the Magic’s corporate partnership team also won the inaugural Sponsorship Activation Award at the NBA Sponsorship Meetings in 2012. He originally joined the Magic in June of 2008 as vice president of corporate partnerships.

“We’re ecstatic that Chip is joining our executive staff as we move into this next phase of Warriors basketball,” said Welts. “Chip has established himself as an outstanding, creative and respected NBA executive who has achieved success in each role he has served with various teams, including the Orlando Magic, where he provided the franchise with leadership and vision as they made the recent transition into a new state-of-the-art arena. We will benefit from that experience as we move forward. He’s a terrific addition to our management team as we continue our quest to build a World Class organization for both now and the future.”

Prior to joining the Magic, Bowers spent eight seasons in various roles within the business development department for the Seattle SuperSonics organization. In May of 2007, Bowers was promoted to vice president of business development, where he oversaw the corporate partnership development, revenue generation and client services for both the Sonics and Seattle Storm of the WNBA.

A graduate of Appalachian State University, Bowers began his career in professional sports with the San Diego Padres, where, as a senior sales executive, he assisted in fiscally rejuvenating previously unused revenue streams by selling newly developed stadium signage, website advertising and multi-dimensional marketing programs.

Settlement reached in suit against Warriors, Monta Ellis

A former Golden State Warriors employee has reached a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the team and former Warriors guard Monta Ellis that alleged Ellis sent her unwanted texts that included a photo of his genitals.

Erika Smith, a former community relations director for the Warriors, and the team settled out of court last month, her lawyer said Friday.

Attorney Burt Boltuch said he is not allowed to discuss specifics of the settlement. Boltuch said discussions with the Warriors’ attorneys began shortly after Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in March.

“All I can say is that the matter is dismissed,” Boltuch said Friday. “Ms. Smith is looking to move on with her career.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Warriors will explore trading lottery pick

The Warriors will also explore using the No. 7 pick to get a veteran. The Warriors’ starting lineup — which is already set at four positions with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, David Lee and Andrew Bogut — is in desperate need of athleticism and experience. So Golden State may not want to give such a prime position to a rookie.

Golden State has long since had interest in Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, who is exactly the playmaking athlete the Warriors need at small forward. Other small forwards high on their list, according to league sources, are Portland’s Nick Batum, Indiana’s Danny Granger and Memphis’ Rudy Gay. And don’t be surprised if the Warriors make a play for Atlanta forward Josh Smith.

Trading the No. 7 pick for a veteran wouldn’t rule out the Warriors’ filling a need with a rookie from this year’s draft. The Warriors could potentially move up using their other three picks and have a shot at Illinois center Meyers Leonard, St. Bonaventure power forward Andrew Nicholson or maybe even Kentucky’s Jones (who some mocks have falling out of the lottery).

— Reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group