The New York Post (Fred Kerber) reports: The Nets are nowhere near a finished product, but in one draft night containing a very significant trade, the Nets addressed most of their often-glaring needs. In short, they liked their draft. Team president Rod Thorn and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe drafted 7-foot center Brook Lopez for size and toughness, 6-10 forward Ryan Anderson for shooting and 6-6½ swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts for scoring and depth. That was after they landed 7-0 big upside project Yi Jianlian and 6-6 veteran Bobby Simmons from Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson. With the $22 million they will save, (Jefferson is due $42.4 over three years, Simmons gets $20.4 over two) the Nets can make a spirited run in 2010 at free agent LeBron James.
Category: NBA Teams
NBA teams blog
Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari to wear jersey no.8
The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports: In wearing jersey No. 8 for Armani Jeans Milan, Knicks rookie Danilo Gallinari had a legacy to fulfill. A former Italian League point guard star, Mike D’Antoni, also wore 8 for Milan. “Mike D’Antoni’s a legend in Milan,” the 6-foot-10 Italian Stallion said yesterday during a press briefing at the Knicks’ practice facility. “So playing in Milan with that number, there’s some pressure about that.” Gallinari can’t begin to know the pressure awaiting him now. The 19-year-old, 6-10 forward will wear No. 8 for the Knicks, not to honor his favorite player Kobe Bryant, but because his birthday is Aug. 8, 1988 (8/8/88).
Nets extend qualifying offer to Nenad Krstic
The New Jersey Nets have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Nenad Krstic, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. The qualifying offer allows the Nets to retain the right of first refusal in regards to Krstic. As a restricted free agent, Krstic is able to sign an offer sheet with any team, however the Nets will have the right to match the offer.
Krstic, a four-year NBA veteran from Serbia, was the Nets’ first round selection (24th overall) in the 2002 NBA Draft. Since joining the Nets in 2004, Krstic has played 226 games over four seasons with New Jersey, posting averages of 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. In 2007-08, Krstic appeared in 45 games, averaging 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Nuggets make qualifying offer to J.R. Smith
The Denver Nuggets have made a qualifying offer to restricted free agent J.R. Smith, Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the offer were not released.
In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its right of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent, the team must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal with the team for which the player last played.
Smith, 6-6, 220, has averaged 12.6 ppg while shooting .396 (306-772) from three-point range in his two seasons with the Nuggets since being acquired in a trade with Chicago on July 20, 2006. This past season, he averaged 12.3 ppg in 19.2 minutes in 74 regular season contests and 18.3 ppg in 27.0 minutes in four playoff games.
Sonics deny Clippers trade rumor
The Seattle Times reports: The Sonics steadfastly denied an earlier ESPN report that they would send their fourth pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 7 pick and a first-round pick in 2009. And now ESPN has backed off, saying the deal is off.
Nets trade Richard Jefferson to Bucks
The New Jersey Nets have acquired forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forward Richard Jefferson, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.
InsideHoops.com reaction: This is wild. The Nets clearly want to rebuild for the future, and they have parted ways with RJ’s contract. Is Vince Carter the next to go? Yi Jianlian hasn’t proven anything yet — of course, he’s just entering his second year, so that isn’t saying much. Bobby Simmons got a decent contract from the Bucks and then disappointed them. On paper, as of this minute, the Nets will miss the playoffs again next season. As for the Bucks, this is a good move for them. They have talent up front with Andrew Bogut. Charlie Villanueva is pretty good, though probably best as the main forward off the bench. Though, he’s good enough to start in some situations. The Bucks backcourt of Mo Williams and Michael Redd was disappointing last year, but the additional of RJ will make them better. On paper, Milwaukee now has a pretty decent 1-3, and center. If they can solidify that power forward spot they could make a bit of noise. And by that I mean be a lower playoff seed in the East. Which isn’t that special. But it’s a step in the right direction.
“We feel that Yi can be a very special player,” said Thorn. “He is a 20-year old seven footer who shoots the ball extremely well, and he is an excellent addition to our frontcourt. Bobby Simmons is a veteran NBA player who has averaged 10 points for his career, and should be a rotation player for us.”
Grant Hill exercises player option
The Phoenix Suns today announced that forward Grant Hill has exercised his player option for the 2008-09 season.
Originally signed by the Suns as a free agent on July 11, 2007, the 14-year NBA veteran proved remarkably durable in his first season in Phoenix. Hill appeared in 70 games for the Suns, his most in a single season since 1999-00, including starts in 34 consecutive contests to open the season.
The 6-8 forward averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 2007-08 while shooting at least 50 percent from the field (.503) for the third time in the last four seasons and establishing a career-high in free-throw efficiency (.867). Both his rebound and assist averages were his highest in five seasons. Hill tallied four double-doubles last season, including the first back-to-back double-doubles of his career since 2002 on Feb. 20-22.
Last season, the Duke product became the first player in league history to win the NBA Sportsmanship Award in multiple seasons (2004-05) and the first Sun to garner the honor. Hill also won the 2007-08 Dan Majerle Hustle Award.
Hill owns career averages of 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 14 seasons with Detroit (1994-2000), Orlando (2000-07) and Phoenix (2007-08).
The Phoenix Suns own the 15th and 48th overall selections in the 2008 NBA Draft, which begins tonight at 4:30 p.m. Phoenix time on ESPN.
Shaq rap costs him another police badge
Shaquille O’Neal’s freestyle rap in NYC the other day which mocked Kobe Bryant and included various profanities, resulted in one police badge being taken away the other day, and now it’s happened again.
The AP reports: Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said Wednesday that he has asked the Phoenix Suns center to return a badge he was given for his work with the southwest Virginia county’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force… The decision comes one day after a sheriff in Arizona asked O’Neal to return a special deputy’s badge because of language he used in the rap.
New Rockets radio play-by-play guy
The Houston Rockets announced today the naming of Craig Ackerman as the new radio play-by-play announcer for the team. Ackerman takes the reigns from legendary play-by-play man Gene Peterson, who was the “Voice of the Rockets” for 33 seasons, after the long-time duo of Peterson and Jim Foley stepped aside from the microphones at the end of the 2007-08 season following an amazing 21 years together on the Rockets Radio Network.
“Craig has been a key member of the Rockets organization for the past 14 years,” said Rockets CEO Tad Brown. “He has some big shoes to fill, but his energetic style and passion for the Rockets will carry on the great radio tradition that Gene and Jim established over their tremendous careers.”
A 14-year member of the Rockets organization, Ackerman moves into his new role after serving five seasons as the studio host and substitute play-by-play announcer for Rockets radio broadcasts. Ackerman also filled in as radio analyst for games during both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Pistons have made good late first round picks
The Detroit News (Chris McCosky) reports: Here’s the thing about the Pistons and late first-round picks — they don’t generally throw them away. In the past few years they have plucked Arron Afflalo (27th), Jason Maxiell (26th), Carlos Delfino (25th) and Tayshaun Prince (23rd) out of the back end of the draft. So with the 29th pick tonight in the NBA draft, the Pistons are expecting to get another useful player. “No question, the goal is to get value, get the best player regardless of where you pick them,” Scott Perry, Pistons vice president of basketball, said. “That’s the rewarding part of the evaluation and scouting process. To be able to find a player in the later stages who can become an integral part of your rotation, that’s really the exciting part.”