NBA Teams – Page 1199 – NBA Blog

Magic Johnson uncertain if Lakers will make playoffs next season

For a brief moment, Magic Johnson didn’t appear in the mood to laugh or smile. That’s because the famed Laker couldn’t help but acknowledge the unsettling reality surrounding the purple and gold, including their championship aspirations and the rehab surrounding Kobe Bryant’s torn left Achilles tendon.

“It’s going to be a tough season especially with Kobe being out,” Johnson said in an interview with this newspaper before a recent brunch at the Skirball Cultural Center for his self-named foundation. “Kobe has to get back healthy. That’s the key. If Kobe is back healthy, are they a legitimate championship team? I don’t think so. Are they a playoff team? I think they can be a playoff team if he’s back healthy. It’s all up to Kobe and his health status.”

Bryant hasn’t experienced any setbacks with his injury, even traveling to Italy in recent weeks while fitting in his rehab work. But contrary to the recent optimism expressed from Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, Bryant isn’t expected to return during training camp. When Bryant suffered the injury April 12 against Golden State, the Lakers estimated he’d stay out at least for six to nine months. That timetable hasn’t changed. Bryant also has publicly circled November or December as his return, keeping the possibility he could play by or near the season opener.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Original Knick Ossie Schectman dead at 94

Original Knick Benjamin “Ossie” Schectman, the man credited with scoring the first basket in NBA history died Tuesday, the team announced. Schectman was 94.

Born in Queens May 30, 1919, Schectman played at Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn and was an All-American at Long Island University, where he helped the Blackbirds win the NIT championship in 1939 and 1941. He was a first-team All-American in 1941.

Schectman, a 6-foot guard played in the American Basketball League with the Philadelphia Sphas – whose nickname came from the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association – before the Knicks signed him in 1946 to play in the new Basketball Association of America, which later became the NBA.

Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday

Dallas Mavericks expected to add DeJuan Blair

The Mavericks envision DeJuan Blair as a better-fitting version of Elton Brand.

Like Brand last season, the Mavs will count on the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Blair to provide a healthy dose of toughness as a vertically-challenged, wide-bodied banger who will play the vast majority of his minutes at center. They believe Blair, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game during his four seasons in San Antonio, addresses a glaring need for some nastiness on the roster.

They also think the 24-year-old Blair, who is on the verge of signing with Dallas, fits better with the Mavs’ personnel on the offensive end than the 34-year-old Brand did. The reasoning: Blair is a roller; Brand is a popper.

Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Milwaukee Bucks sign guard Gary Neal

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent Gary Neal (6-4, 210), General Manager John Hammond announced today. According to USA Today, it is a two-year deal worth nearly $3 million per season.

The 28-year-old guard has played three seasons in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs (2010-13), where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.4 minutes per game over his career. His .865 free throw percentage (64-74) during 2012-13 was a career and team high. In the 2013 NBA Playoffs, Neal and Danny Green became the first two teammates to make at least six 3-pointers in the same Finals game. That 6-for-10 effort from behind the arc on June 11 vs. Miami was a career postseason high for him.

Neal played overseas in Italy, Spain and Turkey for three seasons prior to joining the NBA. Undrafted, he was a member of the Spurs 2010 Summer League team before earning a permanent spot on San Antonio’s roster. The Towson University product made an immediate impact during his first year, becoming just the second undrafted rookie in NBA history to earn All-Rookie First Team honors. He was also selected to play on the Rookie team in the 2011 Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend, becoming just the sixth undrafted rookie in NBA history to participate in that event. Additionally, Neal broke San Antonio’s rookie record for 3-point field goal percentage (.419) and 3-point field goals made (129).

Milwaukee Bucks sign first round draft pick Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed first round draft pick guard/forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAHN-iss ahn-teh-toe-KUHN-poe), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing is standard and was expected.

The 15th overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Antetokounmpo (6-9, 210), joins the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with Filathlitikos (Greece) where he averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26 games. He posted a season-high 23 points vs. Irakleuo Crete and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds vs. GS Laviro.

Most recently, Antetokounmpo represented Greece in the Sportland U20 European Championships, averaging 8.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. Helping Greece to an 8-2 record and fifth place overall finish, he finished the tournament ranked second in defensive rebounds (7.0) and seventh in blocked shots (1.4).

Charlotte Bobcats re-sign Gerald Henderson

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has re-signed guard Gerald Henderson. According to the Charlotte Observer, Henderson agreed to a three-year contract with a total value of $18 million and has the option to terminate that contract after the 2014-15 season.

“We are incredibly pleased that Gerald will remain a part of our team,” Higgins said. “He is a player that we consider an important piece of our core. He has shown significant improvement over the past two seasons and we are confident that he will continue to play a key role for our team.”

Initially selected by the Bobcats with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Henderson played in 68 games last season and averaged career highs of 15.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal, along with 3.7 rebounds, in 31.4 minutes per game. He posted single-season career bests in scoring (1,055), rebounds (250), assists (177), steals (68), blocks (34), field goals (382), three-point field goals (33), three-point percentage (.330), free throws (258), free-throw percentage (.824) and minutes played (2,133).

Henderson concluded the 2012-13 campaign with 24 straight double-figure scoring games, recording the longest streak of his career and the longest by a Bobcats player since the 2010-11 season. Over the final 21 games of the season, he averaged 23.9 points on .475 shooting and .855 free-throw shooting, to go with 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He scored 20 points or more in 10 of the last 21 games, with three games of 30 points or more, including a career-high 35 points on two occasions.

In four seasons with the Bobcats, Henderson has played in 234 career games with averages of 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.6 minutes, while shooting .448 from the field and .792 from the free-throw line.

Brooklyn Nets officially add Alan Anderson

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard/forward Alan Anderson, General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are pleased to add Alan to our roster,” said King. “He is a versatile player who will add flexibility to our rotation.”

Anderson, a four-year NBA veteran, averaged career-highs in points (10.7 per game), rebounds (2.3) and assists (1.6) in 65 games (two starts) last season for the Toronto Raptors. Undrafted out of Michigan State, Anderson began his career playing the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, appearing in 53 games (seven starts). The Minneapolis native spent the next four seasons pursuing a successful career abroad with teams in Italy, Russia, Israel, Croatia, China and Spain, highlighted by being named the Croatian Cup MVP in 2009 and the MVP of the Spanish Cup in 2011. The 30-year-old holds career NBA averages of 8.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 135 NBA contests (21 starts).

Dallas Mavericks sign first round draft pick Shane Larkin

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed 18th overall pick Shane Larkin, who is currently injured.

All players drafted in the first round are guaranteed to receive a contract. This signing was expected and is standard.

The Mavericks acquired the draft rights to Larkin from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jared Cunningham, the draft rights to 44th overall pick Mike Muscala and the draft rights to 16th overall pick Lucas Nogueira, which were acquired along with two 2014 second round picks from Boston in exchange for the draft rights to the 13th overall pick Kelly Olynyk.

Larkin (5-11, 176) led the Miami Hurricanes to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and postseason championships last season en route to being named the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, Lute Olsen National Player of the Year and Second Team All-American by Associated Press.

The sophomore point guard averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 36 games. He led his team in points, assists and steals while placing in the ACC’s Top 10 in assists, steals, minutes and three-point field goals.

Larkin did not participate with the Mavericks at the Las Vegas Summer League after sustaining an injury to his right ankle in practice. Larkin underwent ankle surgery on July 16. The recovery time is approximately three months.

Atlanta Hawks sign Gustavo Ayon off waivers

The Atlanta Hawks have been awarded forward/center Gustavo Ayon on a waiver claim, President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry announced today.

Ayon, 28, spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic during the 2012-13 season and averaged 3.7 points on .551 shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.4 minutes in 55 games (three starts). The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder started the season with the Orlando Magic, posting averages of 3.6 points on .536 shooting and 3.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game (43 games, three starts) before being traded on Feb. 21st to Milwaukee as part of a six-player trade. He increased his averages to 4.3 points on .595 shooting and 4.9 rebounds in 13.6 minutes in 12 games with the Bucks.

“Gustavo has a high basketball IQ and is a hard-nosed player,” Ferry said. “He gives us quality depth at the power forward and center positions.”

As a rookie in 2011-12, Gustavo Ayon (goo-STAH-voh eye-OWN) played in 54 games (24 starts) with the New Orleans Hornets and averaged 5.9 points on .536 shooting, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.0 steal in 20.1 minutes per game. He ranked in the top 10 among all NBA rookies in field goal percentage (second), rebounding (fifth), blocked shots (fifth) and steals (seventh).

“I am very excited to join the Atlanta Hawks,” Ayon said. “I had a great conversation with Coach Budenholzer and can’t wait to get to the city, meet my teammates and get to work. Vamos Hawks!”

Ayon is just the third Mexican-born player in NBA history, following Horacio Llamas and Eduardo Najera. Prior to playing in the NBA, he played professionally overseas in Mexico, Venezuela and Spain.

Houston Rockets officially add Marcus Camby

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has re-signed unrestricted free agent center Marcus Camby.

With center Dwight Howard now in a Rockets uniform, Camby will likely be called upon to play very limited backup minutes off the bench, as a rebounder and defender.

Camby (6-11, 240, Massachusetts), who was previously acquired by Houston from the Portland Trail Blazers on Mar. 15, 2012, averaged 7.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.53 blocks in 19 games (13 starts) with the Rockets in 2011-12. He was sent by Houston to the New York Knicks in a sign-and-trade on July 11, 2012. Camby, who appeared in 24 outings and three playoff games with the Knicks in 2012-13, was traded to the Toronto Raptors on July 10, 2013, and subsequently waived on July 17.

Overall, Camby owns career averages of 9.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.40 blocks and 0.99 steals in 973 games (786 starts) with Toronto (1996-98), New York (1998-2002, 2012-13), the Denver Nuggets (2002-08), the L.A. Clippers (2008-10), Portland (2010-12) and Houston (2011-12). Heading into his 18th NBA campaign, Camby returns to the Rockets ranked 12th all-time on the NBA’s career list for blocked shots (2,331) and 13th all-time in blocks per game (2.40). He was voted the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and is a four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, earning First-Team accolades twice (2006-07 and 2007-08) and Second-Team two times (2004-05 and 2005-06). Camby also stands as the NBA’s seventh-active leading rebounder (9.8). He was originally selected by the Raptors with the second overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, going on to earn First-Team NBA All-Rookie honors in 1996-97.