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Rodney Hood should return Friday for Jazz

Rodney Hood should return Friday for Jazz

Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune with good news on the Jazz health front:

It’s been more than a month since Rodney Hood has played a game of a basketball, but the Jazz rookie is optimistic that streak is about to end.

“Yeah. I expect to play,” the 6-foot-8 swingman told reporters Wednesday, when asked about his availability for Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. “I’ll be on restricted minutes. We’ll see how practice goes tomorrow … and go from there.”

Hood was only a partial participant in Utah’s first practice back from the all-star break. Joe Ingles, who has missed three straight games with back spasms, was a full participant Wednesday.

Carmelo Anthony to undergo season-ending knee surgery

Carmelo Anthony to undergo season-ending knee surgery

To no one’s surprise, the New York Knicks announced Wednesday that Carmelo Anthony will have season-ending left knee surgery.

The procedure, which will be performed by Team Orthopedist Dr. Answorth Allen, includes a left knee patella tendon debridement and repair.

At 10-43, the Knicks have the worst record in the league. Melo played in 40 of those 53 games, averaging 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field.

The team is focused on summer free agency and the draft, and the future, not present. So there was no need for Anthony to continue playing hurt, even if he was able to do so.

Jerome Kersey dies at age 52

Former Trail Blazer Jerome Kersey dies at age 52

A beloved figure and one of the most prolific Portland Trail Blazers, Jerome Kersey, has passed away at age 52. Cause of death has not been confirmed. A long-time resident of Portland after his 17-year NBA career, Kersey was employed by the Trail Blazers as Director of Alumni Relations as part of the team’s Social Responsibility Department.

“Today we lost an incredible person and one of the most beloved players to ever wear a Trail Blazers uniform,” said Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen. “My thoughts and condolences are with the Kersey family. He will be missed by all of us. It’s a terrible loss.”

“We’re shocked to lose such a great member of our Trail Blazers family,” said Trail Blazers President and CEO Chris McGowan. “The news is so sudden, and we’re sure more details will be forthcoming. But it is indeed a sad day for our organization, the city of Portland and the NBA. Jerome will be remembered not only for his incredible contributions on the court, but his tremendous impact in our community.”

“Jerome was an incredible influence on our players as a model for life after basketball,” said Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. “He set the bar extremely high with his long-lasting influence in this community.”

Kersey was part of the great early 90s Portland nucleus that led the Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He ranks fifth on the team’s all-time scoring list (10,067) and third in rebounds (5,078) after an 11-year tenure in Portland from 1984-95. He continued his career with Golden State, L.A. Lakers, Seattle, San Antonio and Milwaukee, and he won an NBA Championship with the Spurs in 1999.

Jrue Holiday out at least three more weeks with leg injury

Jrue Holiday out at least three more weeks with leg injury

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that guard Jrue Holiday re-aggravated the stress reaction in his lower right leg on Monday. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks by the team’s medical staff. A timetable for his return will be announced at a later date as more information is available.

Holiday has missed the previous 16 games with the injury. In 37 games this season, Holiday averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 33.7 minutes per game. The 6-4 guard holds career averages of 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 369 contests.

Pelicans sign Toney Douglas to second 10-day contract

Pelicans sign Toney Douglas to second 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed guard Toney Douglas to a second 10-day contract.

Douglas, 6-2, 185, has appeared in three games for New Orleans, averaging 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 22.0 minutes per game. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Douglas played for the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association, appearing in 35 games while averaging 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals. Drafted 29th overall out of Florida State in 2009 by the Los Angeles Lakers, Douglas had appeared in 297 career NBA games with New York, Houston, Sacramento, Golden State and Miami, averaging 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Report: Goran Dragic seeks trade from Suns

Report: Goran Dragic seeks trade from Suns

Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting on the Suns and guard Goran Dragic, who may be going their separate ways in the next day or two, or this summer:

The Dragon’s fire has turned toward the Suns organization.

Goran Dragic, the closest thing to a face of the franchise for the Suns, wants to be traded by Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline, according to multiple league sources after the parties met Tuesday.

Dragic has lost trust in the Suns organization because they have brought in two other point guards, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, and reduced his playmaking role since he returned to Phoenix during free agency in 2012 to be Steve Nash’s heir apparent.

The Suns, who traded Dragic in 2011, traded for Bledsoe in 2013 when he was one of the most-sought trade commodities and created a dual-playmaker backcourt. Dragic thrived when Bledsoe missed half of the season and they ultimately found chemistry for a 48-win season.

Celtics may want guard Isaiah Thomas

Celtics may want guard Isaiah Thomas

As Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline approaches, here’s CSNNE reporting on the Celtics and Suns:

When the Boston Celtics pulled off a pair of blockbuster deals to land Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007, both were available for reasons that the Celtics had no control over but were in position to take advantage of.

A similar situation might be brewing with the Phoenix Suns, who are likely to unload one of two point guards — Goran Dragic or Isaiah Thomas — by Thursday’s trade deadline.

If Suns management decides to unload Thomas, the Celtics will be among the teams to look closely at swinging a deal for the 5-foot-9 guard, a league source told CSNNE.com on Tuesday.

Deron Williams struggling for Nets

Deron Williams struggling for Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are 21-31 this season and getting 12.9 points (38.4% FG) and 6.1 assists in 30.7 minutes per game from point guard Deron Williams, though the veteran’s contributions have been less than that lately. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

Though fans have been down on Williams for a long time, he was playing well early in the season, and the team was performing significantly better with him on the court than off it.

But after coming back from fractured rib cartilage that kept him out for virtually all of January, Williams has been a shell of himself, averaging 7.3 points in 28 minutes per game in the final six games before the break. He was shooting 15-for-51 (29.4 percent) and 4-for-17 (23.4 percent) from 3-point range in that span, and ducked out of the locker room in Memphis without speaking to reporters in the final game before the break.

If the Nets are going to make a run at a playoff spot, they absolutely have to get Williams going again. He’s easily the best 3-point shooter on a team without many options from deep, and gives the Nets another creator and scorer on the perimeter. But when he’s playing as he is now, he doesn’t give them much of anything.

Rondo says he and Stoudemire have wanted to play together for years

Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting on Mavs point guard Rajon Rondo and his probable soon-to-be teammate Amar’e Stouemire, who was waived by the Knicks. Once Stoudemire clears waivers he will reportedly sign with Dallas:

Point guard Rajon Rondo did say he and Stoudemire have a close connection which will finally be realized whenever Stoudemire puts his signature on the Mavs’ contract.

“Stoudemire and I have always talked throughout the years of playing against each other,’’ Rondo said. “We wanted to become teammates, and hopefully it will come true soon.

“But him as a player, I think he’s still a dominant big in our game. He’s very powerful, he can finish at the rim.’’

Rondo also thinks Stoudemire will be extremely motivated after he left a New York Knick team that’s the worst in the NBA at 10-43, to join a Mavs team that’s 36-19 and seeded fifth in the Western Conference.

Playoffs remain possible for Celtics

Here’s the Boston Herald reporting on the Celtics, who certainly weren’t expected to compete for a playoff spot, but they play in the Eastern conference:

The Celtics begin the stretch run with a game in Sacramento on Friday, and despite a 20-31 record, talk of the playoffs persists.

They are one loss out of both the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference. The weakened state of the East considered, the Celtics have a very good chance of remaining within reach of the postseason. The most telling sign of improved play is their 7-5 record over the last five games.

The trade deadline arrives on Thursday, and with it, more stability for coach Brad Stevens. He started the season with a plan based on the talents of Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, and once those two players were traded, had to reconfigure his entire strategy.

It’s difficult for a young coach to work on the fly like this, but to Stevens’ credit, his players continue to buy into the plan.