Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 108 – NBA Blog

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

Lakers sign forward Josh McRoberts

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent forward Josh McRoberts, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

McRoberts, a four-year NBA veteran, averaged career-highs in points (7.4), rebounds (5.3) and assists (2.1) while appearing in 72 games (51 starts) with the Indiana Pacers last season. In 155 career NBA games (54 starts), McRoberts is averaging 5.2 points on .525 shooting from the field, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.7 minutes.

An early entry candidate for the 2007 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at Duke, McRoberts was originally selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the seventh pick in the second round (37th overall) before being traded to the Pacers following his rookie year.

Recruited to Duke by Hall-of-Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, McRoberts, the 2005 Morgan Wooten Award winner as McDonald’s High School All-American Player of the Year, was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2006, the All-ACC Second Team in 2007 and became just the second Blue Devil in school history to be named team captain as a sophomore.

Lakers forward Derrick Caracter out at least 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Lakers forward Derrick Caracter underwent successful surgery today to remove part of a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, it was announced by the team.

The surgery, which took approximately 30 minutes, was performed by Lakers team physicians Dr. Steve Lombardo and Dr. Daniel Kharazzi at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Caracter is expected to be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks.

Caracter suffered the injury during practice on Monday.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (58th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Caracter appeared in 41 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.2 minutes.

Lakers sign former dunk champ Gerald Green

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Gerald Green, it was announced today. InsideHoops.com has not confirmed this but it is likely just a training camp signing and Green will have to prove himself to the Lakers in order to earn an actual regular season contract.

Green, a four-year NBA veteran originally selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (18th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, has appeared in 181 NBA games (41 starts) for the Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, posting career averages of 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 16.0 minutes.

The 2007 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Champion and former McDonald’s High School All-American out of Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, TX, started the 2011-12 season in China where he was averaging 26.5 points on .545 shooting from the field through four games.

Lakers trade Lamar Odom to Mavericks

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired the Dallas Mavericks’ first round selection in the 2012 NBA Draft in exchange for Lamar Odom and the Lakers 2012 second round draft pick, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. In addition, the Lakers will receive a trade exception.

The trade exception is worth $8.9 million, reported the Orange County Register.

Odom (6-10, 230) is a two-time NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year. The 12-year veteran holds career averages of 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 829 career games (678 starts) with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Lakers.

Originally the fourth overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, Odom spent his first four seasons with the Clippers and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2000. He was traded to Miami in 2003 before being a part of the deal that shipped him, Caron Butler and Brian Grant to the Lakers in exchange for Shaquille O’Neal.

Once with the Lakers, Odom proved to be a dependable and durable asset playing in 455 of the possible 492 games over six seasons in L.A., including all 82 contests in 2009-10 and 2010-11. His ability to play any position on the floor proved to be valuable as Odom and Lakers won back-to-back World Championships in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, Odom was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year by defeating Maverick Jason Terry for the honor.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Odom played one year of collegiate basketball at the University of Rhode Island where he led the Rams to the 1999 Atlantic 10 Championship. Odom declared himself eligible for the 1999 NBA Draft after his freshman season at Rhode Island.

Suns sign guard Shannon Brown

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Shannon Brown to a one-year deal, the team has announced.

In Brown, the Suns add an athletic 26-year-old guard, who is a two-time NBA Champion (2009, 2010) and both a dynamic finisher in the open floor and a respected three-point shooter.

The 6-4, 210-pound Brown is a five-year veteran who has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-07), Chicago Bulls (2007-08), Charlotte Bobcats (2008-09) and Los Angeles Lakers (2009-11). Originally selected by the Cavaliers with the 25th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Brown was chosen by a Cleveland front office that featured current Suns General Manager Lance Blanks. Brown signed a free agent deal with the Bobcats before the start of the 2008-09 season and was briefly a teammate of current Suns forward Jared Dudley before Dudley was acquired by the Suns. Ultimately, Brown was acquired by the Lakers (along with Adam Morrison in exchange for Vladimir Radmanovic) from the Bobcats before the 2009 trade deadline, and became a valuable part of the Lakers’ bench as the club won back-to-back league titles.

The Michigan State product joins the Suns after his two best seasons as a professional. Brown played a full 82 games in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, averaging a then-career high 8.1 points in 2009-10 before besting that number with an 8.7-point clip a season ago. Over the last two seasons, Brown averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.9 minutes, despite seeing limited action behind Laker guard Kobe Bryant. Brown owns career NBA averages of 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 256 games (16 starts).

Estimated to have a 44.5-inch vertical leap, one of the highest in the league, Brown is known for his high-flying, highlight-reel dunks. A mainstay on Youtube, Brown participated in the 2010 Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend in Dallas. In addition, Brown has added increased long-range accuracy to his repertoire, setting career highs in three-pointers made in each of the last three seasons (74 in 2010-11). Brown is a career 33.7-percent three-point shooter who made 34.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2010-11.

Brown was a three-year performer at Michigan State (2003-06), who averaged 17.2 points as a junior before being named All-Big Ten Second Team and to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team. A graduate of Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill., Brown was a First Team Parade All-American, McDonald’s All-American, Illinois Mr. Basketball and co-MVP of the Jordan Capital Classic (with LeBron James) as a senior in 2003.

Ron Artest arrives at Lakers training camp out of shape

Without prompting, he admitted he entered the first day of training camp on Friday out of shape. He revealed he had an Achille’s tendon injury during last season’s playoffs and couldn’t fully heal it during the offseason because the lockout prevented visits to trainer Gary Vitti. And World Peace acknowledged taking a full two months off this summer, when he played very little basketball.

“When David Stern says there’s going to be a nuclear winter, I’m thinking the season isn’t starting anytime soon,” said World Peace, who will wear the No. 15 jersey number this season. “So a little more martinis in November and then, boom, David Stern says no nuclear winter and we have a season.”

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times (Blog)

Hawks sign forward Vladimir Radmanovic

The Atlanta Hawks today signed forward Vladimir Radmanovic, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

Radmanovic spent last season with the Golden State Warriors, averaging 5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.1 apg in 15.8 mpg (.431 FG%, .405 3FG%, .882 FT%), appearing in 74 games (six starts), and ranking 23rd in the league in three-point percentage.

The 10-year veteran brings career numbers of 8.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 1.4 apg in 23.0 mpg to Atlanta (.417 FG%, .381 3FG%, .759 FT%). He’s also seen action in 44 playoff games (25 starts), posting 7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.2 apg in 21.9 mpg (.440 FG%, .392 3FG%, .735 FT%). Selected by Seattle 12th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, Radmanovic has also played for the LA Clippers, LA Lakers and Charlotte.

Lakers sign Jason Kapono

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard/forward Jason Kapono, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Kapono, an eight-year NBA veteran, comes to the Lakers with the sixth highest career three-point field goal percentage (.437) in NBA history. A two-time winner of the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout during All-Star Weekend in 2007 and 2008, Kapono was also a member of the NBA Champion Miami Heat in 2006-07, leading the NBA with a .514 three-point field goal percentage that currently ranks as the sixth-highest single season total in NBA history.

Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft after concluding his four-year college career at UCLA ranked third on the Bruins’ all-time scoring list, Kapono has played in 482 career NBA games with Cleveland, Charlotte, Miami, Toronto and Philadelphia, averaging 6.9 points (.443 FG%, .437 3FG%), 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 18.3 minutes.

Odom late for first day of Lakers training camp

Pau Gasol reported for the first day of training camp but fellow Lakers forward Lamar Odom did not, according to a team official Friday.

Odom hinted he would not appear at camp in an interview Thursday with The Times, saying, “Maybe I’ll see you there, but I doubt it. You don’t want to go to no place you’re not wanted.”

Odom and Gasol were involved in a trade Thursday for New Orleans guard Chris Paul that was blocked by the NBA. It is unknown how long Odom will be away from the team.

— Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times Blog

UPDATE: Reports say Odom did wind up going to camp, about 1.5 hours late, and only stayed around 15 minutes.