NBA Teams – Page 756 – NBA Blog

Nuggets sign Sean Kilpatrick to second 10-day contract

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.

Kilpatrick, 6-4, 210, initially signed with the Nuggets on January 12 and has averaged 2.3 ppg in four games with Denver.

He appeared in 22 games (21 starts) for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League this season, averaging 27.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.14 steals in 38.5 minutes per game. He was the seventh GATORADE Call-Up of the season.

Cavs fire David Blatt; Tyronn Lue takes over as head coach

Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today that David Blatt has been released from his duties as head coach. Associate Head Coach Tyronn Lue has been named Head Coach. The current Cavaliers assistant coaches and staff remain under contract and will continue working with the team.

“On behalf of the organization, I would like to thank David Blatt for his efforts and commitment to this franchise,” said Griffin. “He spent the last year and a half battling intense scrutiny, working to mold a very willful group and we all recognize that is not at all an easy task.”

“But with that said, when you have the clarity of purpose that our ownership has instilled in this entire organization, decisions often make themselves. Every decision made is an answer to the following question: does it put us in the best position to deliver Championships to Northeast, Ohio.”

“So, today, we are elevating Tyronn Lue, from his role as Associate Head Coach to Head Coach. I am more than confident that he will have the pulse of our team and the buy-in required to enhance the habits and culture that will foster the kind of identity and results we must have.”

Blatt was named the 19th head coach in Cavaliers history on June 20, 2014. During his one and half seasons as head coach, Blatt compiled a regular season record of 83-40 and a 14-6 mark in last year’s playoffs.

“Over the course of my business career I have learned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do,” said Dan Gilbert, Majority Owner of the Cavaliers. “Our ownership group supports David Griffin’s decision. We would like to thank David Blatt for his work over these past two seasons where the Cavaliers transformed into a playoff team after a rebuilding phase. We believe Tyronn Lue is the right coach at the right time to put us in the best position to take the last but most challenging step to complete our mission to deliver Cleveland an NBA Championship.”

Lue is in his second season with the Cavs after being hired as the associate head coach in June 2014. He was previously an assistant coach on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Los Angeles Clippers, who captured the Pacific Division title with a 57-25 record in 2013-14. Prior to the Clippers, Lue spent four seasons as a member of Rivers’ Boston Celtics staff, the last two as an assistant coach. He began his time in Boston as the Director of Basketball Development in 2009-10.

Originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 23rd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Lue played 11 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 554 career games with the Lakers, Washington, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas and Milwaukee. The former University of Nebraska star won NBA Championships in 2000 and 2001 with the Lakers.

Clippers trade Josh Smith to Rockets

The L.A. Clippers announced today the team has acquired the draft rights to Maarty Leunen from the Houston Rockets in exchange for forward Josh Smith, the draft rights to Sergei Lishouck and cash considerations.

Leunen, 30, was a stand-out at the University of Oregon and the 54th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by Houston. Leunen currently plays for Scandone Avellino of the Italian Serie A.

The Clippers signed Smith on July 16, 2015 as a free agent and the 11-year NBA veteran appeared in 32 games (1 start) for Los Angeles this season, averaging 5.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 14.3 minutes per game.

Originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Smith has appeared in 868 career regular season games with Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and the Clippers and owns career averages of 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 blocks in 32.9 minutes.

The rights to Lishouck, 32, were acquired by the Clippers on Jan. 7, 2015 from the Philadelphia 76ers. Originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 49th overall selection of the 2004 NBA Draft, Lishouck currently plays for UCAM Murcia in Spain.

Bucks coach Kidd to return next week

Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd is expected to resume his normal head coaching duties next week when the team returns from its current four-game road trip. Beginning with the Jan. 26 game vs. Orlando, Kidd will be back on the sideline, while his recovery and travel will continue to be monitored by his medical team. Kidd underwent right hip surgery on Dec. 21st and has missed the last 15 games while rehabilitating following surgery.

“I feel great after surgery and am looking forward to getting back on the sidelines full-time next week,” Kidd said. “I received a good report from my doctor last week in New York and I am ahead of schedule on my recovery. Provided everything continues to go well this week, I plan on being back to my normal duties on Monday.

“Joe (Prunty) and the rest of the coaching staff along with the players have done a very good job in my absence and I’m grateful for all of their efforts. We’re all looking forward to continued improvement during the second half of our season.”

The Bucks are currently 19-25 and 8-7 in the 15 games Kidd has missed following hip surgery. Milwaukee has two games remaining on its current road trip (Friday at Houston and Saturday at New Orleans), before returning home to host Orlando on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Coach Kidd will be available to the media following Monday’s practice at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin Training Center.

Grizzlies sign Ryan Hollins to 10-day contract

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that the team has signed center Ryan Hollins to a 10-day contract.

Hollins (7-0, 240) enters his third stint with the Grizzlies this season. After joining Memphis for training camp, he was re-signed on Dec. 29 and made four regular season appearances before he was waived on Jan. 7. The 31-year-old also played five games, making three starts, for the Washington Wizards earlier this season.

The 10-year NBA veteran has averaged 3.7 points on 58.1 percent shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 490 career games (67 starts) with the Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. The Pasadena, Calif. native was selected by Charlotte in the second round (50th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft following his senior season at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Emmanuel Mudiay more aggressive lately

The Denver Nuggets (16-26) are getting 10.7 points (just 31.6% FG), 3.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game from athletic rookie guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay has a different look about him of late, a more confident, aggressive turn in his play that has shown up in each of his last two games.

“I feel good,” Mudiay said. “I think I’m getting myself, getting my groove back. I’m just going to keep working on my game and keep my confidence going.”

The dunks are part of it. He dunked on Miami’s Hassan Whiteside last Friday, which was three games ago. He had two-hand monster dunk late in the Indiana two days later at a point when the Nuggets needed the points.

If it seems like he’s attacking the rim more lately it’s only because he is. Eight of his 10 shots against the Pacers were at the rim. He was 4-of-8 in those attempts. Six of his 14 shots in the Nuggets’ last game, against Oklahoma City, were at the rim. He made four of the six, including a breakaway dunk.

Bucks coach Jason Kidd should return soon

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on the Milwaukee Bucks (19-25, winners of 6 of their last 10 games), who should get their head coach back soon:

Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd is returning to the bench to resume his coaching duties next week, league sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Kidd, who underwent hip surgery shortly before Christmas, plans to return next week — ahead of schedule — as the Bucks return from a four-game road trip that still has stops Friday and Saturday in Houston and New Orleans.

Eric Gordon suffers finger injury, out 4-6 weeks

A very tough season for the New Orleans Pelicans just got tougher. At 14-27 through Tuesday’s games, they have the sixth worst record in the league. And now starting shooting guard Eric Gordon (14.9 ppg on 41% shooting) will miss serious time.

The team announced today that guard Eric Gordon underwent successful surgery this morning to repair his fractured right ring finger. Gordon sustained the injury during the third quarter of last night’s 114-99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. His expected timetable to return is 4-6 weeks.

Gordon, 6-4, 215, has appeared in 41 games this season for New Orleans, averaging 14.9 points, 2.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.4 minutes per contest.

Pregame Cameron Payne, Russell Westbrook dance routine: Swagdaddies

Look, people. Pregame NBA dance routines from players are important. They set the tone. Bad dance routine? Expect a loss. That’s just the way it is.

OK, maybe not quite. Perhaps we’re just being silly. Still, pregame dance routines are fun, so we support them and any coverage they receive.

Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Cameron Payne says there’s a simple name for it.

“Swagdaddies,” he says.

Hyphen?

“No hyphen. One word. Swagdaddies.” With an emphasis on swag.

Payne has used that word to describe other things, like a ridiculous Euro step, but in this case is talking about his now moderately infamous pregame dance routine — if you want to call it that — with Russell Westbrook. It goes like this: Actually, it doesn’t go like anything. You’ve just sort of got to see it. And then watch the next game’s routine, because no two are the same.

“Every game is something new,” Westbrook said.

Nuggets front office staff get contract extensions

The Denver Nuggets have signed General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, Assistant General Manager Arturas Karnisovas and their staff to multi-year contract extensions, President and Governor Josh Kroenke announced today.

“Over the past few years Tim, Arturas, and the rest of our front office staff have worked tirelessly in reshaping our roster and our entire organizational vision for the future,” said Kroenke. “Whether through the draft, trades, or free agency, we have an excellent mix of players and are extremely well positioned moving forward.”

Connelly took over as General Manager and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2013 after spending the previous three seasons with New Orleans serving as their Assistant General Manager. Prior to his time in New Orleans, Connelly spent 10 years with the Washington Wizards organization where he rose to director of player personnel.

Karnisovas came to Denver after spending five years with the Houston Rockets organization, where he most recently was the Director of Scouting. He spent four years with the NBA league office prior to that.

“We’re excited and honored by this opportunity to continue what we have started here in Denver,” stated Connelly. “We have a locker room full of dedicated players and staff, led by head coach Michael Malone, who look forward to winning in this great city for years to come. As a staff we would like to thank Josh and the entire Kroenke family for their continued support; we are unbelievably fortunate to work for such committed ownership.