NBA Teams – Page 1227 – NBA Blog

Jerryd Bayless exercises option to stay with Memphis Grizzlies

Grizzlies guard Jerryd Bayless has exercised his player option and will return to Memphis for the 2013-14 season, the team announced today.

The scoring guard is able to provide explosiveness and points off the bench.

Bayless (6-3, 210) recorded 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists on .419 shooting in 22.1 minutes, playing in a career-high 80 contests (four starts) for Memphis last season. The 24-year-old averaged 9.3 points in 15 appearances during the 2013 NBA Playoffs, scoring a postseason career-high 19 points on April 20 at LA Clippers in Game 1 of the first round.

The five-year veteran owns career averages of 8.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists on .414 shooting in 19.2 minutes in 309 games (40 starts) with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. After his freshman season at the University of Arizona, the Phoenix native was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the first round (11th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft and traded to Portland on draft night. He signed with Memphis as a free agent on July 13, 2012.

Marreese Speights declines player option with Cavaliers

Marreese Speights has decided that diving into free agency is a better option for him than playing out his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speights today declined his player option on the final year of his contract with the Cavs, the team announced today. Speights had until June 29th to exercise the option. The five-year NBA veteran is now an unrestricted free agent.

Speights was acquired by the Cavaliers via trade with the Memphis Grizzlies on January 22nd, 2013. The 6-10, 255-pound forward/center appeared in 39 games (one start) for the Cavs where he averaged 10.2 points on .457 shooting, and 5.1 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. Speights has played in 344 games (61 starts) over his NBA career with averages of 7.8 points, on .472 shooting, and 4.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes.

Houston Rockets waive Aaron Brooks and Carlos Delfino

With NBA free agent negotiations starting tomorrow, the Houston Rockets are parting ways with a pair of players.

Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived guard Aaron Brooks and guard/forward Carlos Delfino.

Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) returned for his fifth season with the Rockets in 2012-13, averaging 1.4 points and 0.9 assists in seven games with Houston.

Delfino (6-6, 230, Argentina) averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.01 steals in 67 games (five starts) in his lone season with the Rockets.

Boston Celtics waive Terrence Williams

The Boston Celtics are rebuilding, and are saying goodbye to some older players with big contracts as well as some young guys that don’t cost very much but aren’t considered part of the future.

The team announced today that they have waived guard/forward Terrence Williams.

Williams, a 6’6” guard/forward, appeared in 24 games for the Celtics during the 2012-13 season and averaged 4.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in five games for the Celtics during the playoffs and averaged 1.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 9.6 minutes per game.

Udonis Haslem played through injury, needs surgery

Heat forward Udonis Haslem played through much of the second half of Miami’s season with a torn right meniscus, and told The Associated Press that surgery will be required to repair the previously undisclosed injury.

Haslem made the revelation Saturday after a promotional appearance where hundreds of Heat fans began lining up to see the Miami native five hours before he arrived. Surgery will occur soon, he said, and Haslem expects to be ready for training camp this fall.

”It forces me to be smart and take my time with recovery this summer,” said Haslem, who just completed his 10th NBA season, all with Miami. ”Obviously, I don’t heal like I used to so I’ve got to be a lot smarter and this forces me to be smart. My body’s a little weary right now, a lot more weary than it was after last year.”

Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Bulls cut ties with lead assistant coach Ron Adams

In a surprising move, the Bulls will not renew the contract of lead assistant coach Ron Adams.

Adams, in his second stint with the Bulls, came to Chicago following a successful run as Scott Brooks’ lead assistant in Oklahoma City. A longtime friend of Tom Thibodeau’s, Adams left the Thunder to be closer to his family, who remained in the Chicago area for school reasons following Adams’ first stint with the Bulls under Scott Skiles.

According to sources, general manager Gar Forman made the decision, not Thibodeau. Forman informed Adams on Friday.

Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Mavs get their man in Shane Larkin

To hear the Dallas Mavericks say it, Shane Larkin is real close to being the second coming of JJ Barea.

Following a whirlwind day Thursday during the NBA Draft, the Mavs pat themselves on the back after they wound up with Miami Hurricanes point guard Shane Larkin. The same Larkin whose father, Barry, is in the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame.

The same Larkin who averaged 14.5 points and 4.6 assists while collecting ACC Player of the Year honors this past season. Larkin also was the ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player and a second-team All-American while leading the Hurricanes to the NCAA Sweet 16 and staking his claim as being one of the country’s best point guards.

“One of the things that’s really unique about him is from an analytic standpoint he’s one of the best guys we’ve seen coming out of college shooting off the dribble,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “And he can also get to places and get other guys involved, so I just think he’s good and he’s going to get better.”

Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Blog)

Knicks hope to keep J.R. Smith

The Nets stole the headlines on Draft Night with their sexier moves that have them threatening to replace the Knicks as Atlantic Division favorites.

But the Knicks aren’t done yet, as July’s free agency will determine whether they have lost ground to the Nets. The Knicks, who may have a trade up their sleeves, too, have to restock their roster with role players either by re-signing their free agents — J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland, Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon Martin — or adding to the roster.

Their No. 1 priority is re-signing Smith, the Sixth Man Award winner, who reportedly will get interest from the under-the-cap Bucks. Milwaukee can top the Knicks’ max bid of $5.4 million per season.

To date, the Nets’ starting five of Brook Lopez, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams has topped the Knicks for star quality, but the Nets have an unproven head coach in Jason Kidd.

Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Bucks hope to re-sign Brandon Jennings

Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that re-signing point guard Brandon Jennings is a priority.

The team plans to aggressively try to retain the free agent point guard.

Free agency begins Monday and players can officially sign with teams starting July 10.

The Bucks made a $4.3 million qualifying offer and can match any offers teams make to Jennings, who is a restricted free agent.

“It’s our intention for Brandon Jennings to remain a Milwaukee Buck,” Hammond said. “We’re hoping to negotiate with him fairly through the July process.

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Kirilenko opts out of final year of Wolves deal

Andrei Kirilenko has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will become a free agent.

Kirilenko informed the Timberwolves of his decision on Saturday, the deadline that was written into the two-year deal he signed last summer. Kirilenko is declining the one year and $10 million left on his deal in an effort to get one last longer-term deal in his career.

Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game for the Wolves last year, his best season in the league since 2005-06.

Reported by Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press