Brooklyn Nets Blog – Page 103 – NBA Blog

Nets sign Sundiata Gaines to 10-day contract

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Sundiata Gaines to a 10-day contract, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.

The 24-year old from University of Georgia has appeared in six games with Toronto and eight games with Minnesota this season. In his 14 appearances, Gaines averaged 4.0 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.2 assists in 11.0 minutes per contest.

In 46 career NBA games, including 32 appearances with Utah in 2009-10, Gaines has averaged 3.5 points and 1.2 assists in 8.1 minutes while shooting .432 (60-139) from the field.

Deron Williams reacts to leaving Jazz

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports:

“Everything happens for a reason. You take everything in stride,” Williams told Craig Bolerjack [FSN]. “But I had a great five-and-a-half years here in Utah. The fans have always been great to me. They’ve been the best. They’ve been so supportive through everything, and I’m going to miss them. I’m definitely going to miss them, miss the organization. We had a great organization, great times and great wins.”

Williams admitted it was very hard walking onto the bus and telling his teammates goodbye Wednesday morning as they left for shootaround without him.

“It’s tough, man. I’ve got great teammates, great coaches. I wanted to just say goodbye to them. It’s the last time I’m going to play with a lot of them,” Williams said. “I’ve had a lot of great years with those guys in the locker room. I’ve been here with C.J. (Miles) since I came and Paul (Millsap) for the last five years. Those guys I’m going to miss. Ronnie Price. We had a great group of guys in the locker room.”

Nets trade Troy Murphy to Warriors for Brandan Wright, Dan Gadzuric

The New Jersey Nets have acquired forward Brandan Wright and center Dan Gadzuric from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for forward Troy Murphy and the Nets’ second round draft pick in 2012, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are very pleased to add Dan and Brandan to our roster,” said King. “Dan is an NBA veteran who will add depth to our frontcourt rotation, while Brandan is a young player who we feel has significant room to grow and develop in our system.”

Wright, 6’10”, 220, was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft. He was then traded to Golden State for Jason Richardson and the draft rights to Jermareo Davidson. The fourth-year forward from North Carolina holds career averages of 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per contest. Wright missed the entire 2009-10 season after having left shoulder surgery, an injury that he suffered in training camp. In 21 games, one start, with the Warriors this season, he averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes while shooting .603 (38-63) from the field.

Gadzuric, 6’11”, 245, was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks (34th overall) in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft. Currently in his ninth NBA season, the Den Haag, Netherlands native holds career averages of 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 14.9 minutes. In 511 career games, including 159 starts, he is shooting .502 (1,032-2,057) from the field and .501 (362-722) from the line. In 12 career postseason games, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting .633 (19-30) from the field in 8.4 minutes. This season, Gadzuric has played in 28 games, four starts, and averaged 2.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.6 minutes while shooting .420 (37-88) from the field.

Murphy, acquired by New Jersey on August 11, 2010 from Indiana, has played in 18 games for the Nets this season, averaging 3.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game. The 6’11” forward has played in 639 NBA games with Golden State, Indiana and New Jersey, with career averages of 11.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

La La Vazquez, wife of Carmelo Anthony, gets VH1 reality show

Apr. 25, 2010 - Salt Lake City, UTAH, USA - epa02131979 Denver Nugget's Carmelo Anthony drives to the basket during a game against the Utah Jazz in the first half of their Western Conference first round playoff game at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, 25 April 2010.

VH1 has teamed up with actress and television personality La La Vazquez for the new series “La La’s Full Court Life” (working title). Slated for premiere in August, 2011, the 10 episode, 30 minute docu-series, which began filming in January, will continue where the wedding special, “La La’s Full Court Wedding” left off as La La and her husband, NBA Forward Carmelo Anthony, prepare for a sudden move to New York City, where he will play for the New York Knicks.

The wedding may be over but the fun is just beginning for La La. With the sudden news that her husband is being traded to the New York Knicks, La La will deal with new adventures in matrimony and parenthood as she prepares to move back home to New York City. Along the way, viewers will also see La La juggle her busy acting and television hosting career and seek advice from some of her famous friends, including 50 Cent, Kelly Rowland, Trina and Serena Williams to name a few.

“Viewers connect with La La because despite the fairy tale wedding and NBA star husband, she is a real, down to Earth, hardworking woman who stays true to herself,” said Jeff Olde, EVP, Original Programming and Production, VH1. “The best thing about the new series is that while pursuing and realizing her dreams, La La gets to take us back to her home in New York, where her story began.”

VH1’s “La La’s Full Court Life” is executive produced by Cris Abrego for 51 Minds Entertainment, La La Vazquez and Carmelo Anthony for Krossover Entertainment, and Steven Grossman on behalf of The Collective. The series was created by Cris Abrego, La La Vazquez, and Steven Grossman. 51 Minds is an LLC Endemol Company, who also produced the record-breaking series “Rock of Love,” “Flavor of Love,” “Charm School,” and “I Love New York.” The production teams’ programming launched VH1 into their highest ratings ever. Ben Samek and Rabih Gholam are also executive producers for the series and the company. For VH1, the series is executive produced by Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly and Jeff Olde.

Jazz thought Deron Williams might eventually leave

Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated reports:

The Jazz realized their relationship with Williams was headed toward the same cliff as LeBron, Bosh and Carmelo, and so they decided to make the best of a hopeless future. Will they next seek to move other expensive commitments to Al Jefferson (owed $29 million over the next two years), Paul Millsap ($16.7 million over the next two years) and/or Mehmet Okur ($10.9 million next year) in order to pare down the payroll and ready themselves to exploit the next collective bargaining agreement? Do they try to trade Andrei Kirilenko’s expiring $17.8 million for long-term prospects, or do they allow his contract to expire this summer for payroll relief?

First, Jerry Sloan leaves, now Williams is sent away. For two decades we knew who the Utah Jazz were and what they stood for as a franchise. Now we, and they, have no idea. They can pursue the same objectives as always, but with no certainty of replicating the discipline and excellence that defined them for so long.

All we know for sure are these two things: 1) the Jazz, who were No. 8 in the West before the Williams trade, will undoubtedly fall out of the playoffs without their leading playmaker and scorer; and 2) the owners of the mid- and small-market teams like Utah will be more galvanized than ever to create a system that can enable them to retain their best players.

Jazz trade Deron Williams to Nets for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, picks

The New Jersey Nets have acquired two-time All-Star guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are very excited to add a player the caliber of Deron Williams to our roster,” said King. “He is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team.”

Williams, 6’3”, 209, was selected third overall in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft by Utah. The Illinois product is currently in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.6 minutes per game. In 439 career games, including 406 starts, he has shot .466 (2,725-5,848) from the field, .358 (511-1,427) from three-point range and .808 (1,615-1,998) from the free throw line. In 44 career postseason games, Williams has averaged 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.2 steals 40.4 minutes, while shooting .458 (308-672) from the field and .796 (238-299) from the line. Williams is a two-time All Star (2010 and 2011), made the All-NBA Second Team in 2008 and 2010, won a gold medal as part of the Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, was a member of the All-Rookie First Team in 2006 and became only the third player in NBA history to have 1500+ points and 800+ assists while shooting .500+ from the field in a single season in 2007-08 (Magic Johnson, 1986-87, 1988-89 and Kevin Johnson, 1988-89). He ranked fourth on Utah’s career assists list (4,003), fifth for three-pointers made (511) and fourth for three-pointers attempted (1,427). In 53 games with the Jazz this season, Williams averaged a career-best 21.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists (3rd in the NBA) and 1.2 steals in 37.9 minutes. He also tallied 27 double-doubles (7th in the NBA).

Harris, a 6’3”, 190-pound guard currently in his seventh NBA season, is averaging 15.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, a career-high 7.6 assists (ranked 11th) and 1.06 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field in 54 games. The Wisconsin native was acquired by the Nets on February 19, 2008 from Dallas as part of a multi-player trade. In 2008-09, Harris enjoyed his best NBA season, averaging 21.3 points and 6.9 assists, while being named to the 2009 Eastern Conference All-Star Team. In parts of four seasons with the Nets, Harris played in 212 games, averaging 17.7 points, 6.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. He is currently on five Nets individual career Top 10 lists, 10th in three-point field goals made at 188, 9th in three-point field goals attempted at 644, 9th in free throws made at 1,403, 10th in free throws attempted at 1,366 and 6th in assists at 1,473. In 463 career games, including 329 starts, Harris has posted averages of 13.2 points and 5.0 assists per contest.

Favors, selected third overall by the Nets in 2010 NBA Draft, has played in 56 games, making 23 starts for New Jersey in his rookie season. The 6’10” forward out of Georgia Tech has averages of 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Carnegie Deli in NYC to launch Melo Sandwich

TMZ reports:

Carmelo’s trade to the New York Knicks isn’t even official yet, but Sandy Levine, owner of the Carnegie Deli, tells TMZ they are already launching the new Melo Sandwich and it is packed with everything you could ever want on a sandwich:

— Pastrami
— Corned Beef
— Salami
— Bacon
— Tomato
— Russian dressing
— On rye bread

The sandwich will run you a cool $21.95 and that price was chosen for a reason — if they sell around 3,000,000 of them … it equals the $65 million contract Melo is likely to sign with the Knicks.

Troy Jackson died: Troy Escalade Jackson dies

Troy “Escalade” Jackson, the brother of former NBA point guard Mark Jackson and a beloved member of the streetball and general basketball community, died this weekend.

Mere days earlier here in Los Angeles myself and many others were happy to catch up with Escalade at parties during NBA All-Star weekend. With close friend and fellow streetballer “The Professor” by his side, Escalade, given that nickname due to his large size, seemed his usual happy self. I only hung out with him briefly as we caught up with each other after not being face-to-face for many months. It’s shocking to be with someone one night and have them be gone the next.

Escalade dying is beyond sad. I can honestly say that everyone in basketball who knew him, loved him. In a sport and world filled with huge egos, Escalade was genuinely nice, and impossible to dislike. He’ll truly be missed.

More on Troy “Escalade” Jackson’s death:

“Our hearts are heavy today and we are deeply saddened by the passing of a teammate, friend, and inspiration. Today, the world of streetball lost its ambassador, and the world of basketball lost a great entertainer. Escalade led both his life and our team with a joy that can never be replaced. Our deepest condolences go out to his family. We ask his fans around the world to keep all those dear to him in their prayers,” said Demetrius Spencer, CEO and Commissioner of Ball Up.

Troy “Escalade” Jackson has been a big brother and member of the Murray family since we were kids. He was always the most positive, giving, and caring person you could be around. He never forgot a face. And, anyone who met him never forgot him. His mother was his biggest fan and support system, and his brother Mark was the most supportive big brother, always proud to tell everyone about his little BIG brother!!! If you did not get the opportunity to meet Troy “Escalade” Jackson, you truly missed out on meeting one of the GREATEST “Wonders” of the World!!! Troy, you have left us sad and full of hurt. But HEAVEN already has won with the arrival of such a BEAUTIFUL person, with a HEART and SOUL that will live with me and others around the world!! You changed my life ONCE, and you just changed my life AGAIN!!! I LOVE YOU BIG BRO!!! Cameron Murray Partner of BallUp and Friend

Brother to NBA Veteran Mark Jackson, Troy “Escalade” Jackson, named one of the 50 greatest playground legends by Slam Magazine, stood at an impressive largeness in person of 6’10” tall, and weighed just under 400 pounds, was just as big in personality and heart. Troy Jackson was born in Queens NY and attended University of Louisville on a basketball scholarship. In addition to playing in 3 NCAA tournaments, among Es’s accomplishments are being recognized as one of the 20 most popular athletes in Louisville history. Troy was a former Harlem Globe Trotter, Current Ball Up Player and Ambassador to the world of Streeball.

Nets coach Avery Johnson fined

New Jersey Nets head coach Avery Johnson has been fined $25,000 for improper conduct towards a game official surrounding his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter of the Nets’ 106-92 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on February 2.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I think it’s fine for head coaches to occasional get a bit too fired up. Part of the job of a coach is to motivate his players, and in this case the Nets have shown some nice energy over the last couple of weeks. Of course, ideally Johnson’s energy should not be focused at referees (especially in “improper fashion”), but the point is, he’s doing a perfectly decent job lately at keeping his players focused.

Nets coach Avery Johnson ejected vs Sixers

The AP reports:

New Jersey coach Avery Johnson has been ejected from the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Johnson was tossed with 7:47 left in the third quarter after being hit with two technical fouls for arguing the lack of a call after Nets guard Devin Harris was stripped by Elton Brand.

Replays showed that Brand’s hand never touched the ball and seemed to paw at Harris’ chest.