NBA Teams – Page 1079 – NBA Blog

Dwight Howard in LA to play the Lakers tonight

The Los Angeles Lakers are having a rough season, with a limited roster as well as nonstop injuries, but that won’t stop Laker fans from voicing their opinions in L.A. tonight as the team hosts Dwight Howard and the visiting Houston Rockets. If you enjoy hearing boos, watch this game. Here’s the Los Angeles Times with more:

Dwight Howard knows what’s coming. Ear plugs would be a good start.

His dress rehearsal didn’t go well a few months ago at Staples Center when he was booed incessantly and his team lost badly to the Clippers. Now he faces his past in his first road game against the Lakers since spurning them last July for a four-year, $88-million deal with the Houston Rockets.

It’s easy to predict the most popular three-letter word Wednesday at Staples Center: b-o-o.

“I’m going to get a lot of boos,” Howard said Tuesday after the Rockets practiced at UCLA. “I know I’m going to hear it the whole game — ‘Coward,’ whatever.

“Thank God, this year I’ve been through it a lot in every city. There’s Lakers fans everywhere. So I think I’m a little bit prepared for it.”

Tim Duncan has no retirement plans yet

Here’s the San Antonio Express-News reporting on veteran Spurs star Tim Duncan, who still has no set plans as to when he will end his legendary NBA career and retire:

The rumor propagated by former Nuggets coach George Karl that Tim Duncan has made up his mind to retire at season’s end was shot down by the Spurs captain after he helped the Spurs score a 113-103 win over the Clippers at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

Citing “whispers” and phone calls, including from San Antonio, about Duncan’s plans, Karl told ESPN on Tuesday he had heard of Duncan’s plan to exercise his player option to walk away from the final season of his three-year deal with the Spurs and retire after this season.

“I’d like to know who he talked to,” Duncan said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do so I don’t know how he knows what I’m going to do.”

Cavs reportedly shopping Luol Deng

Here’s ESPN.com reporting that the Cleveland Cavaliers are more than happy to trade Luol Deng if the right deal rolls around:

As they evaluate their team and try to make a deal to help them get into the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers are making recently acquired Luol Deng available ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, multiple league sources told ESPN.com.

The Cavs traded three future draft picks and Andrew Bynum to the Chicago Bulls to acquire Deng on Jan. 7. But the deal hasn’t yet worked out how either side hoped.

Cleveland isn’t determined to trade Deng, but with his impending free agency a concern, new general manager David Griffin is testing the market to see what the veteran forward might bring.

Getting value for Deng may be a challenge because his contract expires in June. He cannot be packaged with another Cavs player in a deal due to trade rules, though trades can be structured in a way to get around this issue if the sides are motivated enough.

LaMarcus Aldridge gets health examination

Here’s the Oregonian reporting on Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge, who needed a health check:

There was a notable absence at the Trail Blazers’ practice facility on Tuesday: LaMarcus Aldridge.

The All-Star power forward skipped the team’s first post All-Star-break practice for a visit with the doctor and an evaluation of his tender groin. It’s unclear what type of medical testing Aldridge was undergoing and what his availability will be moving forward.

Coach Terry Stotts refused to label his status for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, saying the team would “find out” after his visit with doctors.

Tony Parker will miss some time to regain full health

As is the case for several of the league’s top teams, the San Antonio Spurs care about the regular season, but of greater important is overall health for the full 2013-14 stretch, including the playoffs. Here’s ESPN.com with an update on Tony Parker:

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker will be out “for the foreseeable future” with “a variety of maladies,” coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday.

Parker had been sidelined with stiffness in his lower back but played in Sunday’s All-Star Game, finishing with four points, two rebounds and one assist.

“He doesn’t have a pulled hamstring or anything, but he’s got a lot of little things,” Popovich said.

The Spurs have been mainstays in the playoffs throughout Parker’s career, and he has also played with the French national team in the offseason. Popovich is concerned about the cumulative effect it’s had on Parker.

Wizards may pass on trade deadline moves

Here’s the Washington Post blog with an update on the Wizards, who like all 30 NBA teams face a rapidly-approaching deadline to make trades:

The Washington Wizards have been mentioned in several trade rumors leading up to Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline for deals, but there have been few hints to suggest that any moves will actually get made.

“I think there’s a lot less chatter than ever before, so I’m not anticipating anything,” Coach Randy Wittman said after Monday’s late-night practice. “But obviously you gotta look, if there’s something there that makes you a better team down the stretch you got to look to do it.”

Wittman has stuck with an eight- or nine-man playing rotation for much of the season, and Al Harrington is expected to return in the next few weeks to possibly provide more front-court depth. The Wizards have an obvious need for help at backup point guard with Garrett Temple playing a larger-than-expected role because of the failings of last summer’s free agent pickup, Eric Maynor.

Some Orlando Magic trade considerations

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel blog reporting on the Magic, who with a 16-38 record are not in a position to be particularly competitive as the season continues:

The trade deadline, which arrives Thursday at 3 p.m., is the more pressing issue for the Magic, not that players can do anything about the approaching deadline, anyway.

Power forward Glen Davis and point guard Jameer Nelson continue to be mentioned most in trade rumors.

Davis would provide a contending team with an additional low-post presence on defense, while Nelson would give contending teams insurance at point guard. Davis and Nelson have extensive playoff experience.

Nelson wants to remain with the Magic for the long-term. He has said repeatedly that he and his family are happy in Central Florida, and he has not asked team officials for a trade.

Nelson arguably is the Magic’s most popular player, but the Magic traded J.J. Redick last season at the deadline, and at the time, Redick was perhaps the team’s most popular player.

LeBron James think NBA All-Star break should be longer

New NBA commissioner Adam Silver and LeBron James recently spoke and one thing LeBron wants is what lots of players seem to want: More time off either before or after NBA All-Star weekend. It’s a legitimate concern for players actually involved in the big weekend who basically aren’t getting any real time off. Also, personally, I’d be cool if the weekend was extended, simply because it all goes by very quickly. But as for communication between LeBron and Silver, here’s ESPN.com reporting:

“LeBron and I have had a relationship for a long time,” Silver said. “We’re so far in season [that] the relationship has mainly been one of texting and emailing. I spoke to him for a little bit [Sunday], and he had a few things to say in the locker room when I was in talking to the players.

“One of the issues LeBron raised is a break during All-Star [Weekend]. A guy like LeBron, All-Star Weekend is not a break for him in any way. He’s going around the clock with a combination of things the league is asking him to do, personal commitments, and I think it makes sense if we can work in the schedule a few days so the All-Stars can get a break as well.”

Silver added that a schedule change of that magnitude would have to be negotiated with the players’ association but said he expects the issue to be among the prime topics discussed once the union selects its full-time replacement for ousted executive director Billy Hunter.

Bulls sign Jarvis Varnado to 10-day contract

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has signed free agent forward Jarvis Varnado (Vur-NAR-doe) to a 10-day contract.

Varnado (6-9, 230) is currently in his second year in the NBA. After being drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round (41st pick) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Varnado played overseas for two seasons. During the 2012-13 season, Varnado played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League. This season, Varnado has appeared in 22 games (all starts) with the Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League, and has averaged 14.1 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 4.68 bpg and 0.8 apg in 31.1 mpg.

In one season in the NBA, Varnado played in 13 regular season games and averaged 0.6 ppg and 0.7 rpg in 4.5 mpg, and shot .429 from the field and .500 from the free-throw line. In two seasons in the NBA D-League, Varnado has appeared in 45 regular season games (44 starts) and averaged 14.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.00 bpg, and 0.9 apg in 31.1 mpg, and shot .539 from the floor and .622 from the charity stripe.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13 players.

Lamar Odom signs overseas, in Spain

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom has agreed a two-month deal with Spain’s Laboral Kutxa with an option to extend the contract to the end of the season in June, the Basque club said on Tuesday.

Odom, 34, won two NBA championships with the Lakers and also played for Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat. He represented the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the 2010 world championships in Istanbul.

— Reuters

Laboral Kutxa Vitoria reached an agreement with versatile forward Lamar Odom, who signed a two-month deal with an option to extend it for the remainder of the season, the club announced Tuesday. Odom (2.08 meters, 34 years old) had a long, successful NBA career and is set to make his Turkish Airlines Euroleague debut.

— Euroleague.net