Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 91 – NBA Blog

Lakers add Chris Douglas-Roberts to training camp roster

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Chris Douglas-Roberts, it was announced today. We assume this is just a training camp signing.

Douglas-Roberts, a three-year NBA veteran out of the University of Memphis, was originally selected by the then-New Jersey Nets in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft. Douglas-Roberts has appeared in 155 NBA games (53 starts) for the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, recording career averages of 7.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20.6 minutes.

Most recently, the 6-7 forward spent the 2011-12 season playing for Virtus Bologna of the Italian League. In 34 games, Douglas-Roberts averaged 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 27.0 minutes.

76ers will keep Andrew Bynum out three weeks

Center Andrew Bynum had a full share of injury issues during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Will the trend continue now that he’s on the Philadelphia 76ers?

The 76ers announced today that the team will take precautionary measures with Bynum and will withhold him from basketball activities for the next three weeks in order to maximize the therapeutic effects of the Orthokine therapy he received earlier this month.

Bynum was examined by Dr. Jack McPhilemy of Main Line Health and was diagnosed with a bone bruise of the medial femoral chondyle of his right knee. During the aforementioned time frame, Bynum will continue participate in low impact conditioning drills.

The team will provide additional updates as they are available and appropriate.

Lakers sign center Ronnie Aguilar

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Ronnie Aguilar, it was announced today. We assume this is just a training camp signing.

Aguilar, a 7-1, 250 pound center, played two seasons at Colorado State University before transferring to California State University, Dominguez Hills. Most recently, Aguilar played in six games for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League during the 2011-12 season, averaging 2.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes.

Jordan Hill avoids jail time for assault charge

Lakers backup power forward Jordan Hill avoided jail time and was sentenced to one year of probation Thursday after pleading no contest to assaulting his former girlfriend in February.

Hill, 25, agreed to pay a $500 fine, undergo domestic-violence counseling, make a $100 donation to the Harris County Violence Fund and avoid any contact with the alleged victim, Darlene Luna. The assault charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor before 339th District Criminal Judge Maria Jackson, according to a report by the Associated Press in Houston.

On Twitter on Thursday, Hill wrote: “Man I can’t wait for training camp to start…need to get dis show rolling boy!!!!”

Hill is charged with assaulting Luna on Feb. 29 at his apartment in Houston while the former first-round draft pick was playing for the Rockets.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

Matt Barnes pleads no contest, gets probation

Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of unlicensed driving and resisting arrest.

Barnes, who was not present in court, entered his plea Tuesday through his attorney.

Superior Court Judge Burt Pines sentenced him to two years of probation. The judge also ordered Barnes to complete 30 hours of community service and attend 13 counseling sessions with a private therapist.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Time Warner Cable spending big on Lakers

Although neither the company nor the Lakers would comment on the terms of their 20-year rights deal, industry insiders estimate the value at $3 billion. Time Warner Cable spent an additional $55 million for rights to the Galaxy soccer team for 10 years, and more than $30 million building a facility with three studios in El Segundo to house the networks.

Time Warner Cable has more on its shopping list and is eyeing the Dodgers, whose deal with Fox’s Prime Ticket expires next season.

But, to make the channels pay off, Time Warner Cable must get other distributors in the area to carry the networks as well. So far none is rushing to sign a contract.

Time Warner Cable is hoping its heavy investment in original programming beyond the games and forgoing infomercials — which fill most local sports channels when a game isn’t on and provide a steady stream of cash — will help sell the networks to other distributors.

— Reported by Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times

Steve Blake punctures foot in parking lot accident

Backup Lakers point guard Steve Blake suffered a puncture wound to his left foot stepping on a spike strip in a parking lot and is prohibited from any impact exercises for approximately three weeks.

Lakers training camp opens in eight days.

With Blake sidelined, Chris Duhon will get an added opportunity to impress his new coaching staff in pursuit of backup minutes behind Steve Nash.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

NBA West remains very strong

Another NBA season is upon us with a little more than a week left before teams gather for the start of training camp.

And once again, the Western Conference is where they will play hardball.

All one has to do is look at the biggest transaction from the offseason. It could be argued that the Western Conference teams came out on the better end of a four-team, 12-player trade that sent All-Star center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers, established forward Andre Iguodala to Denver, center Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia and emerging swingman Arron Afflalo to Orlando.

The deal serves as an indication that the West again holds the league’s overall balance of power with so many talent-rich teams. Not since the lockout-shortened 1998-1999 season has the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff teams had an overall better record than the eight from the West. In those fourteen years, a West squad has won 10 NBA Championships (five for the Lakers, four for San Antonio, one for Dallas) and there appear to be more Western Conference teams — among the legitimate title contenders — poised to unseat the defending champion Miami Heat this season.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

AEG, owner of Staples Center, for sale

Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of the Staples Center arena and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, and the top contender to build a stadium and bring the NFL back to Los Angeles, is up for sale, its parent company said Tuesday.

The Denver-based Anschutz Co. said in a statement that it is “commencing a process” to sell the subsidiary known as AEG and had hired Blackstone Advisory Partners as an adviser.

It wasn’t immediately clear how far along the company is in the sale process, or whether it has entertained any offers, but the price for AEG could be well into the billions.

The sale would mean a major ground shift in sports and entertainment in Los Angeles and around the world.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Lakers sign second-round pick Darius Johnson-Odom

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed rookie guard Darius Johnson-Odom, it was announced today.

Johnson-Odom, the 55th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Lakers from Dallas on draft night. The 6-2 guard out of Marquette averaged 15.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 105 career games. As a senior, the Raleigh, North Carolina native led his team in scoring (18.3ppg) and earned First Team All-Big East honors in addition to being named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.

Most recently, Johnson-Odom played on the Lakers 2012 Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.8 minutes.