NBA Teams – Page 898 – NBA Blog

Heat sign Henry Walker to 10-day contract

Miami Heat sign Henry Walker to 10-day contract

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed forward Henry Walker to a 10-day contract.

Walker has appeared in 17 games (eight starts) for the HEAT’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this season averaging 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.00 steals and 27.8 minutes while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from three-point range. He has recorded five 20-point games this season, including a 24-point, six-rebound, four-assist, three-steal game in a, 105-80, win against the Westchester Knicks on January 31.

Walker was originally drafted in the second round (47th overall) by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft. The four-year NBA veteran has appeared in 157 career NBA games (22 starts) and averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.2 minutes of action while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.

Walker will wear number 5.

Jazz look good in win over Blazers

Utah Jazz look good in win over Blazers

Here’s the Deseret News reporting on the Utah Jazz, who enjoyed a great win Friday over what appeared would be a superior opponent:

The Jazz got back to their post-All-Star week business Friday at EnergySolutions Arena, looking just short of invincible. They were missing a talented Turkish center that wished his way onto the Oklahoma City roster, and a long-range shooter who had just recently been enlisted.

That left the team a bit thinner in the ranks, but it handled the drama well, beating Portland 92-76.

Rudy Gobert was in the starting lineup, a spot he earned fair and square. Gordon Hayward continued trending upward and Derrick Favors was looking like “31 Flavors Favors,” offering a bit of everything. Meanwhile, Trey Burke was hot off the bench, contributing 19 points.

Is this a better Jazz team than the one that lost six of its last nine games before the break?

Sure seemed like it.

Celtics roster changes this season

Boston Celtics roster changes this season

The Boston Celtics have made a ton of roster changes this season as they rebuild for the future. Here’s ESPN Boston reporting:

In the days before the All-Star break, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked if his team’s recent success could be traced in part to roster continuity. Stevens chuckled at the suggestion, but later admitted that three weeks without a roster move might truly have represented a lengthy period of time for a team that’s seen its player swap uniforms more frequently than famed halftime act, Quick Change.

The Celtics have employed a staggering 38 players since the formal start of the 2014-15 season. You could fill three NBA teams (or maybe two NBA teams and a D-League squad) with players that have been on the roster.

Just look at the list of players that are gone but not forgotten (in alphabetical order): Joel Anthony, Chris Babb, Keith Bogans, Will Bynum, Andre Dawkins, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jarrell Eddie, Vitor Faverani, Tim Frazier, Kris Humphries, Chris Johnson, John Lucas III, Rodney McGruder, Erik Murphy, Jameer Nelson, Dwight Powell, Tayshaun Prince, Austin Rivers, Nate Robinson, Rajon Rondo, Malcolm Thomas, Christian Watford, and Brandan Wright.

Bradley Beal set to return for Wizards

Bradley Beal set to return for Wizards

The 33-22 Washington Wizards have won just 3 of their last 10 games, and on Friday got badly smacked down by the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there’s good news on the DC health front. Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting:

There was at least one positive development for the Washington Wizards on Friday: Doctors evaluated starting shooting guard Bradley Beal’s injured right fibula in the morning and have given him the green light to resume basketball activities Saturday.

“Things are progressing really good,” Coach Randy Wittman said. “They’re going to [ramp] him up more and more now so he can get out, shooting and running and stuff, and see how that reacts.”

Beal hasn’t practiced or played in a game since exiting the Wizards’ 94-87 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 5. He was originally sidelined with an inflamed right toe, but tests the following week revealed a mild stress reaction in his right fibula. It was Beal’s third injury to his right fibula in his three NBA seasons.

Suns sign Earl Barron to 10-day contract

Suns sign Earl Barron to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed center Earl Barron to a 10-day contract.

The 7-0 center has averaged a double-double in 27 games with the Bakersfield Jam this season, posting 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Suns’ NBA Development League affiliate. Barron played with the Suns during the 2014-15 preseason and averaged 3.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in six appearances, including a 10-point, 13-rebound performance in 24 minutes at Houston on Oct. 13.

Barron, who played with the Suns in 2010-11, is a seven-year NBA veteran from the University of Memphis who last saw regular season action with the New York Knicks during the 2012-13 season. In 124 career games with Miami, New York, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Portland, Golden State and Washington, Barron has averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds. Barron previously signed with the Suns on Nov. 16, 2010, and averaged 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12 games (six starts) with the club.

Stan Van Gundy expects long-term excellence from Reggie Jackson

Stan Van Gundy expects long-term excellence from Reggie Jackson

Here’s Pistons.com raving about how nice it is for Detroit to add Reggie Jackson. Which makes sense, because Jackson is a very good young player who appears to have big upside if handed control of a squad. But what happens when Brandon Jennings comes back next season? Well, let’s not worry about that right now.

What are the Pistons getting in Reggie Jackson?

A supremely confident, athletically gifted, competitively hypercharged point guard on the cusp of his prime years.

“Two things, more than anything, other than just his overall play,” Stan Van Gundy cited about what drew the Pistons to Jackson as a core piece to slot alongside Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and – if it works out for both sides in free agency – Greg Monroe. “No. 1 is how he’s played when he’s had the chance to be a starter. He’s been outstanding. And how he’s played in big games, particularly in playoff games. This is a guy who’s been very good. I don’t think there was much question around the league as to this guy’s ability.”

If there were any questions in the aftermath of Thursday’s deal that sent Kyle Singler and D.J. Augustin to Oklahoma City and also cost the Pistons second-round draft choices in 2017 and ’19 about the Pistons’ interest in Jackson beyond this season, Van Gundy buried them emphatically.

“We wouldn’t have made the move we did if we didn’t feel ready to make it a long-term commitment,” Van Gundy said Friday.

Lakers aware that the Kobe Bryant era is nearing its end

Here’s the Orange County Register reporting on a topic that will make us cry: That we don’t have a lot of time left to enjoy Kobe Bryant in the NBA. And the Lakers are very aware of this as they determine how to build their team for the future:

The days of the Lakers building a roster to satisfy the needs, and complement the style, of Kobe Bryant are gone.

Just three years removed from the blockbuster summer that brought Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to Los Angeles, one of the Lakers’ top basketball executives said circumstances have dictated that the organization change course.

“This team primarily has been Kobe’s team now for almost 18 or 20 years,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a wide-ranging interview with media, “and we’re much closer to the end of those 18, 20 years than we are to the middle or the beginning. So at some point we have to start a new run.”

And while that will presumably include a 37-year-old Bryant next season, the Lakers are not simply planning on reloading this summer to make one more playoff push for the future Hall of Famer’s swan song.

Pistons sign Quincy Miller to 10-day contract

Pistons sign Quincy Miller to 10-day contract

Detroit Pistons General Manager Jeff Bower announced today that the club has signed forward Quincy Miller to a 10-day contract.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward joins the Pistons after spending parts of the 2014-15 season with the Sacramento Kings and the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Developmental League. In six games with the Kings, he averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals in 10.2 minutes. He had his best game with Sacramento at Golden State (1/23), recording season-highs in points (13) and rebounds (6).

The North Chicago, IL native averaged 25.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 28.9 minutes in 15 games with the Reno Bighorns this season. Miller was named to the D-League All-Star Prospects team where he scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 24 minutes.

The three-year pro holds career averages of 4.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 13.5 minutes in 65 career games (16 starts) with Sacramento and Denver. He has also spent time with the Iowa Energy of the D-League.

Celtics happy to land Isaiah Thomas

Celtics happy to land Isaiah Thomas

The Boston Celtics, who thanks to a weak Eastern conference are still in a position to compete for a spot in the NBA playoffs, are happy to add talented guard Isiah Thomas to their mix. Here’s ESPN Boston reporting:

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge made Isaiah Thomas one of his primary targets at the start of free agency this past summer. Four months later, he finally got his man.

The Celtics obtained Thomas from the Phoenix Suns at Thursday’s trade deadline in exchange for Marcus Thornton and Cleveland’s 2016 first-round pick. Boston is hoping Thomas can inject the sort of offensive spark the team needs while building toward a brighter future.

The 26-year-old Thomas, who signed a modest four-year, $27 million contract in July, joins rookie Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley in a primary three-guard rotation. The Celtics hope Thomas’ ability to create scoring opportunities in the pick-and-roll — something they sorely lack at the guard position — will invigorate an offense that ranks 23rd in offensive rating this season.

The 5-foot-9 Thomas has potential to give Boston’s offense a big-time jolt. In his final season with Sacramento during the 2013-14 campaign, Thomas averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists over 34.7 minutes per game. Despite playing only 25.7 minutes per game this season in Phoenix’s overstocked backcourt, he still averaged 15.2 points on four fewer shots per game and his 3-point percentage climbed to a career-best 39.1 percent.

Lakers stand pat at NBA trade deadline

Lakers stand pat at NBA trade deadline

Here’s the Orange County Register reporting on the 13-40 Los Angeles Lakers, who are without Kobe Bryant and with a limited present are focused on the future:

As much of the NBA descended into chaos, the Lakers remained intact at the league’s annual trade deadline.

While confused team executives and media members alike were trying to sort out the flurry of blockbuster deals in the minutes before Thursday’s noon deadline, things were pretty much normal for the Lakers.

Jeremy Lin shot free throws in one corner, while Nick Young held court in another. Good news: He and the dolphin species made up last week in Hawaii, following a well-documented incident a year ago in Mexico.

As this unfolded, the Laker most likely to have been traded sheepishly peeked out from the door leading to the team’s weight room.

“I thought J-Hill was gone, too,” Young said, teasing, as Jordan Hill listened in. “Fortunately they didn’t break any of us up.”