OKC Thunder Blog – Page 77 – NBA Blog

Nate Robinson out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nate Robinson underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee the team announced today.

The 5-9 guard first experienced discomfort in the knee following the team’s practice on Monday. After deliberation, Robinson and the team made the decision to proactively address the situation.

“After consulting with our medical team, we have decided this is the best course of action to resolve the issue with certainty, and have Nate back on the court as we enter into the final stages of the season,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Robinson is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

The University of Washington product has appeared in one game form the Thunder, since being acquired on February 24th, scoring six points in eight minutes of action.

Thunder sign Kendrick Perkins to a contract extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed center Kendrick Perkins to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, the terms of the agreement were not disclosed. We will post contract details this afternoon.

“We had a unique opportunity to enter into discussions with Kendrick to solidify his future with our organization,” said Presti. “We are pleased to know that he will be a part of our core group now and in the future. Kendrick’s blue-collar, team-first approach aligns with the vision we hold for building a sustainable team in the Oklahoma City community.

Perkins (6-10, 280) owns career averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 assist and 22.3 minutes in 454 NBA games. He has appeared in 12 games (7 starts) this season with the Celtics before being traded to the Thunder on February 24th, averaging 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 26.1 minutes. The center has appeared in 68 career postseason games, averaging 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 25.7 minutes.

Perkins, originally selected in the 2003 NBA draft (27th overall) by the Memphis Grizzlies and then traded to Boston on draft night, was a Parade and McDonald’s All-America at Ozen High School in Beaumont, TX. He helped lead Ozen to a 96-3 record during his final three seasons, averaging 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 7.8 blocks as a senior.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy reacts to Celtics trading Kendrick Perkins

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was surprised — and he said so.

“That was interesting,” Van Gundy said after the Magic completed their shootaround to prepare to play the Thunder tonight.

“I have always said to you guys that nothing really shocks me in this league. I don’t know if it shocked me, but Perkins being traded surprised me. I was taken aback by that a little bit because I know how much they liked him in Boston. I know for a fact that their coaches liked him and thought he was a big part of it. He was a big, big part of their whole identity and the way they played. He was a big part of their toughness. He gave ’em a physical presence. He was a defensive-first guy. He didn’t need the ball on a team of stars.

“I think they decided they’ve still got Shaq, so they’ve got size, and that they’re good enough defensively with the other people that their defense wouldn’t be compromised too much. And then I think they thought they could make some offensive improvements — my guess is to try to get more space on the floor for [Rajon] Rondo and for [Paul] Pierce. Jeff Green is a guy who can give ’em depth at the three but he can play the four and spread out the floor. If you go back to their championship year, they went small a lot.”

Thunder recall Byron Mullens from D-League

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has recalled center Byron Mullens from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

During his two assignments this season with Tulsa, Mullens has appeared in six games (six starts) and averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots in 31.7 minutes per game.

Mullens will join the Thunder for tonight’s 7:00 PM contest against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.

Bobcats trade Nazr Mohammed to Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired center Nazr Mohammed from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for forward D.J. White and guard Morris Peterson it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

“We would like to thank both D.J. and Morris for their many contributions here in Oklahoma City on and off the court,” said Presti. “For the past three seasons, D.J. has been the ultimate teammate and one of our hardest workers. Morris has been a consummate professional and I wish them both success. Nazr will bring veteran leadership and playoff experience to our roster and we are excited for him to join our team in Oklahoma City.”

A member of the 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs NBA championship team, Mohammed has made six trips to the postseason since being drafted out of the University of Kentucky in 1998. In 44 playoff games, Mohammed has posted averages of 6.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 17.6 minutes.

In 747 career regular season games the 6’10’’, 250-pound center owns career averages of 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. This season he is averaging, 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game.

Celtics and Thunder trade Kendrick Perkins, Jeff Green, more

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson from the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and the Los Angeles Clippers 2012 first round pick it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

“It is never easy to make decisions such as these and I thank Jeff and Nenad for their contributions to the Thunder organization and to this community. They define professionalism and I wish them the very best in the future,” Presti said. “We had a unique opportunity to add a proven presence in our front court in acquiring Kendrick. He will help anchor our defense while Nate will add depth and athleticism to our backcourt. We are excited to welcome them both to the Thunder organization.”

Perkins (6-10, 280), an NBA champion currently in his 8th NBA season, owns career averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 assist and 22.3 minutes in 454 NBA games. He has appeared in 12 games (7 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 26.1 minutes. The center has appeared in 68 postseason games, averaging 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 25.7 minutes.

Robinson (5-9, 180), the only three-time Slam Dunk winner in NBA history currently in his 6th NBA season, owns career averages of 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 393 games. He has seen action in 55 games (11 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. The guard has played in 17 postseason contests, averaging 4.2 points, 1.1 assists and 7.5 minutes.

If Kevin Durant is hosting any All-Star parties, someone forgot to tell Kevin Durant

I am in Los Angeles for 2011 NBA All-Star weekend, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday.

Wednesday night in a hotel near Staples Center I ran into Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant and several of his friends.

Of the bazillion invites I have received to various All-Star festivities, at least two of them mention that Durant will be one of the celebrity hosts.

I told this to Durant, and responded by telling me that he hasn’t agreed to host anything.

Parties can still be great even when the celeb hosts don’t show up, but remember, sometimes the celeb wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.

–Jeff

James Harden replaces Tyreke Evans in Rookie Challenge game

Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden will replace injured Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans (plantar fasciitis, left foot) on the Sophomore Team in the 2011 NBA Rookie Challenge game, which pits the league’s best rookies against the best second-year players.

The NBA Rookie Challenge game will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET.

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins will miss Sunday game vs Suns

Sacramento Kings rookie forward/center DeMarcus Cousins will not play in tonight’s game at Phoenix while the organization reviews the situation that occurred in the locker room following last night’s game versus Oklahoma City.

According to multiple reports, Cousins got into a heated exchange with teammate Donte Green and had to be restrained.

Thunder help Durant, Ibaka prepare for All-Star events

John Rohde of The Oklahoman reports:

Thunder players stayed on the court an extra 30 minutes after Wednesday’s practice and set up a trial run for Kevin Durant, who will compete in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend.

Durant had 16 points in his first go-round after a slow start. Daequan Cook, the league’s 2009 3-point contest winner, was off the mark and got booed by teammates. All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, who went 4 for 4 on 3-pointers at Utah last Saturday night, had 23 points before running out of time with two balls still left in the final rack and received a standing ovation. Westbrook is an All-Star reserve and potentially could participate in the Skills Challenge.

Teammates then helped forward Serge Ibaka prepare for the dunk contest, the details of which Thunder players have asked to remain privileged.

“Thunder U is in full force today,” Brooks said, shaking his head as dozen players continued with their post-practice recess.