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The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived center Jerome Jordan, who was originally signed by the team on Oct. 11.
Jordan, 7-0, 253, appeared in 44 games for the Brooklyn Nets during the 2014-15 season, averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per game.
New Orleans’ roster now stands at 19.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed guard Nate Robinson.
Robinson, 5-9, 180, appeared in 42 games last season for Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers, posting averages of 5.7 points, 2.3 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. Selected 21st overall out of the University of Washington by Phoenix in the 2005 NBA Draft, Robinson has appeared in 616 career regular season games (106 starts) with New York, Boston, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Chicago, Denver and the LA Clippers, while holding averages of 11.1 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 22.5 minutes per game.
Robinson has appeared in 32 career playoff games, averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 assists and 1.4 rebounds.
The only three-time slam dunk champion in NBA history, Robinson will wear #2 for the Pelicans.
New Orleans’ roster stands at 20.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived center Mirza Begić. Originally signed by the team on October 14, Begić did not appear in a preseason game for New Orleans.
Begić, 7-1, 265, most recently played for Laboral Kutxa Baskonia of the Spanish ACB League. Undrafted in 2007, Begić has played professionally since 2003 in Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania, Greece and Spain. A native of Yugoslavia, Begić is a two-time Slovenian League All-Star (2007, 2009), a Lithuanian League All-Star (2010), and led the Euroleague in blocked shots in 2011 with 2.3 blocks per game.
New Orleans’ roster now stands at 19.
Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced today that the team has signed free agent guard/forward Damien Wilkins.
A nine-year NBA veteran, the University of Georgia product has played in 563 games (149 starts) for the SuperSonics/Thunder, Timberwolves, Hawks, Pistons and 76ers, owning career averages of 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. For his career, Wilkins has shot .427 from the field (1331-3118) and .783 from the free throw line (708-904). Wilkins went undrafted in the 2004 Draft following two seasons at Georgia (2002-04), after transferring from North Carolina State (1999-01).
The Orlando native joins the Hornets most recently from Indios de Mayaguez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional League in Puerto Rico where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. Wilkins also spent part of the 2014-15 season with the NBA D-League’s Iowa Energy, logging a league-high 1,891 minutes, averaging 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 37.8 minutes per game, earning 2015 NBA D-League All-Star and 2015 All-NBA D-League Third Team honors.
In addition, the 6-6 Wilkins competed at the 2015 Pan American games in Toronto for the United States representative squad, averaging 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25.2 minutes per game, garnering a bronze medal for the USA National Team.
Wilkins is the nephew of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and the son of Gerald Wilkins, who enjoyed a 14-year NBA career with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies and Magic. Damien Wilkins will wear number 21 as a member of the Hornets.
Here’s TMZ Sports with the latest on former NBA star Lamar Odom, who is fighting for his life in a hospital right now, and is reportedly in very bad condition:
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Lamar Odom has not gotten any better, and sources familiar with his treatment say even if he survives he has virtually no chance of ever leading a normal life.
Our sources say doctors continue to put Lamar’s chances of survival at 50/50. We’re told he showed “absolutely no improvement” Thursday from the condition he was in when he was admitted to the hospital Tuesday. As one person put it, “He’s in dire straits.”
Here’s the Miami Herald reporting on the Heat, whose starting lineup finally got a chance to actually play basketball together. A very helpful thing in the chemistry-development department.
This is what you would term a tease. It lasted just three minutes and 22 seconds, in the opening quarter of an open scrimmage with a running clock, a scrimmage significant mostly for the cause — breast cancer research and awareness. But this small slice of time, resulting in just four points, still represented the most promising stretch of the Heat’s preseason thus far.
That’s because it was the first time Miami’s projected starters were on the floor together in a competitive setting — Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Goran Dragic and now, center Hassan Whiteside, who, after rehabbing a calf injury for roughly three weeks, had been cleared after completing the morning practice.
This is the group Pat Riley envisioned since February, when he acquired Dragic, only to see Bosh’s season officially end that same day. Then, after a harrowing summer, in which Miami sweated Bosh’s recovery, Deng’s opt-in decision and Dragic and Wade’s contract negotiations, Whiteside’s injury delayed the process again.
Now Whiteside is back.
The Heat can finally move forward.
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The Golden State Warriors have waived guard Juwan Staten, the team announced yesterday. The Warriors’ training camp roster currently stands at 17 players.
Staten made his preseason debut in tonight’s win over Houston, tallying two points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 10 minutes. He originally signed with the Warriors on September 25.
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Former Lakers player Tracy Murray has been hired by the team as a shooting coach, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
In his position, Murray will work with head coach Byron Scott and his staff, focusing on improving the players shooting form and technique.
“I’ve known Tracy a long time, and he was one of the purest shooters I’ve ever seen,” said Scott. “I think he’ll be a benefit to our players, especially our young guys, and I look forward to working with him as a member of our staff.”
Most recently, the Los Angeles native spent eight seasons as a radio color analyst for the UCLA Bruins men’s and women’s basketball teams. During this time, Murray also spent three seasons (2007-09) as a player mentor and assistant coach for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Developmental League and one season (2011) as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.
Originally selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft, Murray played for six teams (Portland, Houston, Toronto, Washington, Denver and Los Angeles) over his 12-year NBA career posting averages of 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 659 games. In 1995, Murray earned an NBA championship as a member of the Houston Rockets and on February 10, 1998 he recorded a career- high 50 points while playing for the Washington Wizards. Following the NBA, Murray played overseas with stints in Greece (Panathinaikos, 2004-05 and P.A.O.K., 2005-06) and France (Elan Chalon, 2006-07).
An alumnus of UCLA, Murray played for the Bruins from 1989-92 and was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference First Team during his sophomore and junior seasons. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 98 career games and finished his career ranked fifth on UCLA’s All-Time Scoring list (1792).
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The New Orleans Pelicans announced yesterday that forward Luke Babbitt suffered a left hamstring strain during Monday’s preseason game in Chicago. A timetable for Babbitt’s return will be determined at a later date.
Babbitt, 6-9, 225, appeared in 63 games (19 starts) for New Orleans during the 2014-15 season, averaging 4.1 points, while shooting .513 from three-point range, and 1.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per contest. Babbitt originally signed with the Pelicans as an unrestricted free agent on February 4, 2014, and re-signed with the club on July 20, 2015. In 90 career games with the Pelicans, Babbitt has averaged 4.7 points while shooting .452 from three-point range, and 2.2 rebounds.
Originally drafted by Minnesota with the 16th overall selection in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Nevada, Babbitt has played in 216 career NBA games with Portland and New Orleans, holding averages of 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds.
Babbitt has appeared in three games this preseason, averaging 10.0 points while shooting .400 from three-point range, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
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Brooklyn Nets forward/center Willie Reed has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, an MRI confirmed today. The injury occurred during the first half of last night’s preseason game versus the Boston Celtics. Reed will undergo surgery on Friday, October 16 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. A timetable for his return will be established following the procedure.
Reed, who signed with Brooklyn as a free agent on July 9, 2015, was making his preseason debut when the injury occurred.