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Knicks finally waive Cuttino Mobley

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Cuttino Mobley has been waived.

(Yes, this really did just happen today — on April 5, 2010.)

Mobley, 6-4, 215-pounds, was acquired from the L.A. Clippers in a four-player trade on Nov. 21, 2008. On Dec. 11, 2008, he announced his retirement.

ESPN reports:

Sources told ESPN.com that the Knicks were notified last week that their request for Mobley’s $9.5 million salary to be erased from their 2009-10 tax bill has been approved… Once Mobley clears waivers later this week, New York will see its luxury-tax bill for July drop from nearly $15 million to $5.1 million. That will also reduce the rebate that teams get for staying underneath the league’s $69.9 million luxury-tax threshhold from just over $4 million to $3.7 million.

The Knicks roster stands at 14 players.

Suns sign Dwayne Jones

The Phoenix Suns today announced that the club has signed forward/center Dwayne Jones, who was most recently a member of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. Jones becomes the league’s 34th Call-Up this season and is playoff-eligible for Phoenix.

The 2009-10 D-League rebounding leader joins the Suns after spending this season in Austin where he averaged 17.6 points (18th) and a league-best 16.0 rebounds in 40.0 minutes in 48 games (48 starts). The 6-11, 250-pound Jones averaged four rebounds more than any other D-Leaguer and led the league with 43 double-doubles, 15 more than the nearest player. His 59.8-percent field goal percentage ranked third-best.

A D-League standout, the St. Joseph’s (PA) product also has NBA experience after spending parts of each of the last four seasons with Charlotte Bobcats (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-07, 2007-08) and Boston Celtics (2005-06). His longest NBA stint came in 2007-08 with the Cavs where he saw action in 56 regular season games, averaging 1.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.4 minutes. Jones also earned postseason experience after seeing action in five games with Cleveland in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Jones owns career D-League averages of 14.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 35.4 minutes in 110 games (106 starts) with the Florida Flame (2005-06), Albuquerque Thunderbirds (2006-07), Iowa Energy (2008-09), Idaho Stampede (2008-09) and Austin Toros (2008-09, 2009-10).

Playoff-bound for the 29th time in the club’s 42-year history, the fifth-seeded Suns are one of four Western Conference teams with a 50-27 record and own the same mark as the second-place Dallas Mavericks. The Suns return to action Wed., April 7, hosting the San Antonio Spurs (47-29) at 7 p.m. at US Airways Center. The game can be seen on both ESPN and FOX Sports Arizona and heard on Sports 620 KTAR.

Coach K would pass on Nets job offer

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told ESPN.com Monday morning that “I wouldn’t have any interest in the job,” even if incoming New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov offers to make him the highest-paid coach in the NBA.

The Bergen (N.J.) Record reported Monday that Prokhorov, despite Krzyzewski’s earlier public expressions of disinterest, has continued to target Coach K as his No. 1 choice to coach the Nets once the NBA’s Board of Governors approves his purchase of the majority ownership of the franchise from Bruce Ratner.

Bosh scores 42 but Warriors edge Raptors

The AP reports:

Don Nelson might not be much of a dancer, but he’s one heck of a coach.

Nelson tied Lenny Wilkens for the most wins by an NBA coach when the Golden State Warriors held off the Toronto Raptors 113-112 on Sunday night…

Golden State’s players danced in a circle around Nelson after the wild finish, which saw Chris Bosh steal the inbounds pass only to have his game-winning layup attempt roll off the rim as time expired…

Stephen Curry had 29 points and 12 assists, and Corey Maggette scored 31 points for the Warriors…

Bosh had 42 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost for the first time in four games. Jarrett Jack scored 19 points and Andrea Bargnani had 18 points and nine rebounds.

Rumors Talk: Banged-up Bogut

It’s obviously terrible news that Andrew Bogut is injured. Without him, chances are the Milwaukee Bucks will be sent home in the first round of the playoffs. What a nasty injury that was. All the best for Andrew in his recovery.

Channing Frye is right to become a free agent. He’ll make more money after proving himself with the Suns this season. I’m not sure he’ll get the full mid-level exception — if the economy, both in and out of the NBA was better then maybe he would — but he’ll probably get something close.

I’d have loved to see video of Kenyon Martin going nuts after being pranked.

The monster game that David Lee put up was great, but it was also against the Warriors, who I believe are playing 70-or-so-year-old coach Don Nelson at center. And their current backup center is a random hot dog sales guy. So, Lee wasn’t really up against pro-level competition. Still, a terrific game for him.

If Stephen Jackson really does have about 28 different injuries, he should consider just sitting out. But the problem is, the Charlotte Bobcats are currently the no.7 seed in the East and could very easily fall out of the playoffs. They’re just ahead of the Raptors and no.9 seed Bulls. What to do? If S-Jax is totally banged up, he won’t be as effective as a healthy backup and might as well not be there. Keep an eye on that.

I was a big Dennis Johnson fan (rest in peace, DJ), but I understand the Hall of Fame not putting him in right away. Good news that he’s going to make it this time around. But he was sort of a borderline guy to make it and definitely benefitted from a star-studded set of teammates. Anyway, I’m glad he’ll be in there.

Talk to you Monday.

This feature is an editorialized take on the day’s hot NBA rumors stories.

Raptors sign Joey Dorsey

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed free agent forward-centre Joey Dorsey for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Dorsey, 26, was selected 33rd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2008 NBA Draft. Following the Draft, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to the 25th pick, Nicolas Batum. In 18 career games with Houston and Sacramento, the Baltimore native averaged 1.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.3 minutes. As a member of the Kings, he grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds February 5 at Memphis.

Dorsey has spent parts of two seasons with the Houston Rockets’ NBA D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 14.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 31.6 minutes in 16 games (all starts) this season. During the 2008-09 campaign, Dorsey appeared in seven games, starting five, and averaged 9.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes.

A two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons, Dorsey averaged 6.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 21.7 minutes in 149 career games at the University of Memphis. He finished his collegiate career as the school’s second all-time rebounder (1,209) and all-time leader in C-USA history.

The Raptors face the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Air Canada Centre. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. (TSN/FAN 590).g

Celtics recall Marcus Landry from D-League

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Marcus Landry has been recalled from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. Landry appeared in 13 games for the Red Claws and posted averages of 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.9 minutes per game.

The 47-28 Celtics are currently 4th in the Eastern conference, behind the no.3 Atlanta Hawks and ahead of the no.5 Miami Heat.

Jrue Holiday a bright spot for Sixers

Tom Moore of the Burlington County Times reports:

Jrue Holiday is the best – only? – good thing to come out of the Sixers’ disappointing 2009-10 season.

Despite being the youngest player in the league, Holiday is showing he can defend, run the offense and even score in this league. The more he plays, the better he gets.

Holiday had a season-high 25 points Saturday on 10-for-12 shooting, hitting a 3-pointer with 58.9 seconds left in regulation and another with 3:44 to go in overtime, in a 128-123 home loss to the Raptors.

While Holiday looks like a core player for years to come, the Sixers should still take Kentucky point guard John Wall if they’re fortunate enough to land the No. 1 overall pick in the May 18 draft lottery.

Heat plane diverted to Chicago

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

The Miami Heat’s three-game road trip added one more city to the itinerary early Sunday morning, when the team plane was diverted to Chicago after a member of the flight crew became ill.

Team trainers tended crew member who lapsed into what appeared to be a diabetic coma. He then was transported to a hospital there before the flight from Saturday night’s 97-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves resumed.

The team charter plane eventually landed in Miami at 5:04 a.m., roughly an hour behind schedule.

Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports:

Heat guard Dwyane Wade sent out a message through his Twitter account at 1:27 a.m., asking for his followers to pray for the mechanic.

“Hey everyone pray for our pilot,” Wade wrote on Twitter. “We just had a emergency landing in Chicago. He went into a coma. God bless this man and his family.”

A Heat spokesman confirmed that the team’s plane landed about 1:30 a.m., about 90 minutes after its 11 p.m. scheduled departure from Minnesota. The team was waiting at the O’Hare airport as the mechanic was taken to a hospital. The team resumed its flight to Miami at 2:27 am.

Nets win 4th time in 6 games, beat Hornets

The AP reports:

Rookie Terrence Williams is finally figuring out how to play in the NBA, and so are the New Jersey Nets to be honest.

Williams had 14 points and a career-high 14 assists and the Nets posted their biggest win of the season with a 115-87 decision over the slumping New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night.

“Terrence was terrific,” Nets interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said.

Unstoppable might have been a better word because the Hornets had no answer for Williams, who was 7 of 13 from the field and was the undeniable catalyst as the Nets (11-65) won for the fourth time in six games…

David West, who had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead New Orleans, noticed Williams in the game in which the Hornets allowed 40 fast-break points.

InsideHoops.com Notes:

Obviously it’s a bit late in the season for the Nets to come somewhat alive, but better late than never.

Williams has had a slightly better season than some may realize, only shooting 39.5% from the field for 7.9 points and a well-balanced 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 21.6 minutes per game.

In his last five games, Williams has averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists.

The Nets yesterday beat a Hornets team that looked to have very little interest in competing, but still, T-Will’s improved play as of late is a rare New Jersey bright spot.