NBA Teams – Page 1336 – NBA Blog

Hawks listening to trade offers for Josh Smith

The Atlanta Hawks are entertaining trade offers around the league for forward Josh Smith, but have yet to decide whether they will deal the ninth-year forward, according to league sources.

The Hawks met with Smith’s representatives this week, at which point the team indicated it was not willing to give Smith a max contract after this season, according to a source.

Smith, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution late last month that he believes he’s a max player, which would mean he’d be in line for a five-year deal worth around $94 million from Atlanta.

But the Hawks, which expect to be major players next summer in free agency or through trades, do not want to tie up that kind of money going forward.

Smith, according to a source, is prepared to move on.

— Reported by David Aldridge of NBA.com/TNT

Nets, Bobcats discuss a Kris Humphries, Ben Gordon trade

The Nets and Bobcats have had discussions about a trade that would send Charlotte’s Ben Gordon to Brooklyn for Kris Humphries, according to league sources.

The talks are ongoing, but sources said no trade is imminent.

A Gordon-for-Humphries trade works financially as both players make $12 million a year.

The Nets’ interest in Gordon stems from their need for better ways to space the floor. Ranked 21st in the league in 3-point shooting, Brooklyn regularly has seen opponents clog the lane.

— Reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine

Miami Heat sign Chris Andersen for remainder of season

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed forward/center Chris Andersen for the remainder of the season.

Andersen, who was originally signed to a 10-day contract by the Heat on January 20 and then re-signed to a second 10-day contract on January 30, has appeared in six games with Miami this season averaging 3.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 10.8 minutes.

Andersen, a 10-year NBA veteran, appeared in 32 games (one start) with Denver last season and averaged 5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.44 blocks and 15.2 minutes while shooting 54.6 percent from the field.

Sixers guard Jason Richardson needs knee surgery, out for season

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson will undergo surgery on his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2012-13 season.

The Sixers are currently scheduling a date and time for surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Jonathan Glashow of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Richardson started 33 games for the Sixers this season, averaging 10.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.21 steals in 28.4 minutes per game. He recorded 40 steals with just 26 turnovers and would rank third in the NBA in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.54) if he qualified. Richardson missed the past eight games with left knee synovitis.

At 21-27, the Sixers are in 9th place in the Eastern conference. A rough season only gets rougher with this latest injury news.

The team is still waiting for new center Andrew Bynum to be healthy enough to play.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, ““I have a hole the size of a quarter in my cartilage,” Richardson said. “They told me that there is the possibility that if I don’t do something about it eventually it will be bone on bone. I have a life after basketball and I have kids. So I’m going to take care of it.” Richardson said he plans to have the surgery done next week in New York by Dr. Jonathan Glashow. Glashow was one of the examining physicians. Richardson is making $5.8 million this season and is schedule to make $6.2 million next season, the last year on his contract. Richardson has said that he wants to play beyond his current contract.”

Timberwolves sign Mickael Gelabale and center Chris Johnson for rest of season

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward Mickael Gelabale and center Chris Johnson for the remainder of the 2012-13 NBA season. The Timberwolves also announced the team has waived forward/center Lou Amundson.

Gelabale, 6-7, has played in 10 games for the Wolves this season, registering averages of 6.5 points, on .543 shooting, and 3.0 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per contest. Gelabale, 29, was signed to a second 10-day contract on January 29 after originally joining the Wolves on a 10-day contract on January 19 after splitting his time playing in Croatia and Spain earlier this season. In 119 career games with Minnesota and Seattle, Gelabale owns averages of 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest.

Johnson, 6-11, has appeared in six games for the Wolves this season, averaging 9.3 points, on .733 (22-for-30) shooting, and 4.0 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game. Johnson, 27, was signed to a second 10-day contract on January 29 after originally joining the Wolves on a 10-day contract on January 19 from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Developmental League. Johnson was a free agent invitee at the Wolves training camp this past fall before being waived on Oct. 27, 2012. In 47 career NBA games, Johnson has averaged 3.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game with Minnesota, New Orleans, Portland and Boston.

Amundson, who the Wolves originally signed as a free agent on September 25, saw action in 20 games this season, totaling averages of 1.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. Amundson has put up career averages of 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 308 NBA games with Minnesota, Indiana, Golden State, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Utah.

With today’s transactions the Wolves roster stands at 15 players.

Kenneth Faried shoots 9-of-10, Nuggets beat Bulls 128-96

Kenneth Faried didn’t wait for the All-Star dunk contest to put on a big show.

The Denver Nuggets’ second-year star celebrated his invitation to the league’s annual slam dunk contest with a series of rim-rattling, crowd-pleasing jams that set the tone for the Nuggets’ eighth straight win, a 128-96 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Faried finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in 26 minutes as the Nuggets won for the 15th time in 18 games since Jan. 1, playing from the opening tip with an intensity that seemed to take the Bulls by surprise.

He had 17 points and eight boards on the break and was on the bench by the fourth quarter along with the rest of Denver’s starters as they relished what had become a laugher.

Wilson Chandler added a season-high 24 points, sinking all five of his 3-pointers, as the Nuggets made quick work of a stingy Bulls team that came in yielding just 91 points a game but watched Denver pour in 100 by the time the third quarter was over…

JaVale McGee put on his own slam-and-jam show, adding 10 points for the Nuggets, who haven’t lost since Jan. 18 and led this one by as many as 35 points…

Carlos Boozer led Chicago’s starters with 18 points. The Bulls again were without starting guards Derrick Rose (left knee) and Kirk Hinrich (right elbow). Center Joakim Noah (right foot) returned to the lineup, but was held to just one bucket and five rebounds. Reserve Daequan Cook led the Bulls with 19 points…

Lawson finished with 16 points and 12 assists and the Nuggets were an astonishing plus-40 when he was on the court.

— Reported by Arnie Melendrez Stapleton of the Associated Press

Celtics beat Lakers 116-95 for 6th straight win

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and led a third-quarter surge as the Boston Celtics routed the Los Angeles Lakers 116-95 on Thursday night, improving to 6-0 since losing point guard Rajon Rondo for the season with a torn knee ligament.

The Lakers had cut a 58-44 halftime deficit to 72-61 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Then the Celtics went on a 23-8 run and led 95-69 going into the fourth. Pierce started the surge with a three-point play and ended it with a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, giving him 12 points in the period.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 to lead the Lakers, who suffered their worst loss of the season despite the return of Dwight Howard after he missed three games with a sore right shoulder.

The win was Boston’s biggest of the season.

The Lakers had won six of their previous seven games, including all three without Howard, and had moved three games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West…

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and became the 16th player in NBA history to score 25,000 when he hit an 11-foot turnaround jumper that gave him six for the game and put the Celtics ahead 39-29 with 8:08 left in the half. Jeff Green had 19 points and Jason Terry added 15.

— Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

Pau Gasol inured, out at least 6-8 weeks

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Pau Gasol, who injured his right foot in Tuesday’s game against the Nets in Brooklyn, returned to Los Angeles from Boston this morning where he was examined by foot specialist Dr. Kenneth Jung.

Jung’s diagnosis confirmed that Gasol has a tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot. Gasol is expected to be out a minimum of 6-8 weeks.

Kevin Love hopes to return in mid or late March for Timberwolves

He still hopes to return in mid to late March. But he’s not going to rush himself. Love was asked, again, if he came back too soon from his broken hand the first time. And while he said no, he at least suggested that maybe the breaks didn’t heal properly the first time. “Because, at the time I broke it, I was 10 weeks out (from the initial fractures),” Love said. “So I gave it enough time to heal. … But now that it’s fixed it feels great, and I can continue to progress.”

Love said the season has been frustrating, given his high expectations coming off the Olympics and the team’s high hopes entering the season. When asked what there was left in the season to salvage, here’s what he said: “I think coach (Rick Adelman) mentioned it today,” he said. “That we can’t look at making the playoffs right now. We can just look at our next game and our next practice and what we can do to get better every single day. Even though myself, and Chase (Budinger) and Brandon (Roy) and (Andrei Kirilenko) are out right now, we can still look at getting back on the court and getting better.”

— Reported by Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Blog)

Pacers home game attendance is terrible

The slogan goes, “In 49 states, it’s just basketball. But this is Indiana.” That must be a reference to the Indiana Hoosiers rather than the Pacers, who continue to be among the NBA bottom feeders in attendance. They are currently 26th in the NBA, averaging 14,592 fans in a building that seats 18,165.

The Pacers have had just four sellouts this season; opening night, both Miami games and against Chicago earlier this week.

While they have increased attendance by 1,320 fans a game from last season, that’s still not enough.

“It’s very disappointing,” Pacers guard and Indianapolis-native George Hill said. “The fans show up when we play the marquee teams, but they show up wearing the marquee team’s clothes. We feed off them. As much as we can get people there, the better off we’re going to be.”

— Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star