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Nets trade Mason Plumlee to Trail Blazers

Nets trade Mason Plumlee to Trail Blazers for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Steve Blake

The Brooklyn Nets acquired the draft rights to forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and guard Steve Blake from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for center Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to guard/forward Pat Connaughton, Nets GM Billy King announced Thursday.

“We are very excited to add Rondae to our roster,” said King. “He is the type of athletic wing we were looking for, and we felt he was the best defensive player in the draft.”

“I also wanted to thank Mason for his time with the Nets and wish him the best with his new team. Mason worked extremely hard from the first time he stepped on the court in training camp last year, and I am sure he will have a long and successful career.”

Hollis-Jefferson (6’8”, 220) was selected with the 23rd pick in tonight’s draft by the Trail Blazers before being dealt to the Nets. He played two seasons at Arizona and helped lead the Wildcats to two Elite Eight appearances and a 66-9 regular season record. As a freshman, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game in 38 games (six starts) en route to Pac 12 All-Freshman Team honors. In his second and final season at Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson posted averages of 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game in 38 games (25 starts). He was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and garnered Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.

Blake (6’3”, 172) is a 12-year veteran who has appeared in 812 career games (345 starts) with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State. He holds career averages of 6.7 points and 4.0 assists. Last season in Portland, Blake recorded averages of 4.3 points and 3.6 assists in 18.9 minutes per game in 81 games off the Trail Blazers’ bench.

Plumlee was originally drafted by the Nets with the 22nd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. In 152 games (67 starts), he posted averages of 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game. Plumlee earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2014.

Blazers trade Nicolas Batum to Hornets

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired forward Noah Vonleh and guard Gerald Henderson from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Nicolas Batum, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

Vonleh (6-10, 240) enters his second NBA season in 2015-16 after Charlotte selected the Indiana standout with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. In 25 career games with the Hornets, Vonleh, 19, is averaging 3.3 points (39.5% FG, 38.5% 3-PT, 69.2% FT), 3.4 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 10.4 minutes.

In his lone season at Indiana, Vonleh averaged 11.3 points and led the Big 10 in rebounding (9.0 rpg) on his way to Big 10 Freshman of the Year and All-Big 10 Third Team honors.

An NBA veteran, Henderson (6-5, 215) holds career averages of 12.0 points (44.3% FG, 30.9% 3-PT, 79.4% FT), 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 27.5 minutes in six seasons with Charlotte. Selected with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft out of Duke, Henderson, 27, ranked 26th in the NBA in free throw percentage last season (84.8%), while leading the Hornets in scoring 17 times.

“Nic Batum was a key contributor to all of our recent success,” said Olshey. “He will truly be missed as a person and a player. We wish Nic all the best for the future.”

In 481 career games (428 starts) with the Trail Blazers, Batum posted averages of 11.2 points (44.6% FG, 36.3% 3-PT, 83.4% FT), 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 30.8 minutes. Acquired in a 2008 draft day trade with Houston, Batum’s 751 career 3-pointers are the third-most in franchise history.

Arron Afflalo becomes free agent

Here’s the Oregonian with a Portland Trail Blazers update:

Arron Afflalo is officially a free agent.

The Trail Blazers’ shooting guard had until the end of the day Monday to exercise a $7.75 million player option for the 2015-16 season and remain in Portland one more year. But he did not opt in and is now an unrestricted free agent.

The move, which was expected, leaves the Blazers with two shooting guards on their roster — CJ McCollum and Allen Crabbe — who have started a combined 12 regular season games in their careers.

In addition to Afflalo, starting shooting guard Wesley Matthews is also an unrestricted free agent.

Steve Blake exercises Blazers contract option

Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey.

Blake (6-3, 172) appeared in 81 games for the Trail Blazers last season. In 350 games (232 starts) over five seasons with Portland, Blake holds averages of 7.8 points (41.4% FG, 39.8% 3-PT, 78.2% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

For his career, Blake has averages of 6.7 points (40.1% FG, 38.5% 3-PT, 77.8% FT), 2.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists over 12 seasons with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers and Golden State.

Blake, 34, played four years at the University of Maryland, where he won an NCAA Championship in 2002, and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the ninth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

LaMarcus Aldridge had thumb surgery today

LaMarcus Aldridge had thumb surgery today

Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge underwent successful surgery today to repair the injured radial collateral ligament of his left thumb. Dr. Thomas J. Graham performed the procedure at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Aldridge is expected to be able to return basketball activity in approximately eight weeks.

The Blazers finished the regular season with a 51-31 record. They lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs, in five games.

In the regular season, Aldridge averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. His season almost ended early due to his thumb injury, but he played through it.

Nic Batum knows he had a bad season

And Nic Batum aims to do something about it

Nicolas Batum knows he had a lousy season for the Portland Trail Blazers, who on Wednesday were eliminated in the first round of the 2015 NBA playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies. Here’s the Oregonian reporting:

Nic Batum is aware that he had a disappointing season

“All I know is everybody has one bad year,” Batum said. “You have to learn from it. Why? And how can I get better?”

Batum said the first change will be how he manages his time in the offseason. He said his late decision to join the French National team last summer ended up over-extending him.

“Last year, I didn’t manage my offseason well,” Batum said. “I didn’t plan to go with the national team last summer, and when I did, I had already made plans to make appearances and camps. I didn’t rest.”

This summer, he said he will play for the French National Team, but he will rest before he reports in August.

Tim Frazier wins 2014-15 D-League MVP and Rookie of Year awards

Tim Frazier wins 2014-15 D-League MVP and Rookie of Year awards

Maine Red Claws guard Tim Frazier, currently a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, has been selected as both the 2014-2015 NBA Development League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 18 head coaches.

Frazier (6-1, 170, Penn State) played in 41 games for the Red Claws, 40 as a starter, averaging 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 9.5 assists, good for second-best in the NBA D-League. Frazier led the NBA D-League with four triple-doubles while also recording 14 double-doubles for Maine. He scored a career-high 34 against the Delaware 87ers on Jan. 3, and led the team in scoring nine times and assists 37 times.

“There’s no question about it, Tim had an MVP-caliber season in Maine this year,” said Malcolm Turner, NBA D-League President. “It takes a special young man to be as consistently dominant as he was this season, and to do it as a rookie is even more impressive. It’s fitting that our coaches recognized his hard work and his talent by selecting him as both the MVP and the Rookie of the Year. We look forward to watching his game continue to mature as his NBA career unfolds.”

During his rookie campaign in Maine, Frazier was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week three times and was selected as a 2015 NBA D-League All-Star. He earned three GATORADE Call-Ups during the season, two to the Philadelphia 76ers and most recently to the Trail Blazers on March 30. In his first-ever NBA game on Feb. 9, Frazier dished out 11 assists in 35 minutes at Boston for Philadelphia. He recorded his first NBA double-double on April 15 when he recorded 13 points and 10 assists for Portland at Dallas. Frazier owns NBA career averages of 5.2 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 11 games with the Sixers and Blazers.

“This season, Tim quickly established himself as one of the league’s elite guards with NBA potential,” said Red Claws Head Coach Scott Morrison. “It was an honor and a privilege to take the court with Tim this season and I hope to be watching his progression in the NBA for years to come.”

Frazier becomes the second player to earn MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining Devin Brown who achieved the feat in 2003.

Damian Lillard struggles in Blazers Game 1 loss

Damian Lillard struggles in Blazers Game 1 loss to Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 Sunday to take a 1-0 series lead. Blazers guard Damian Lillard struggled badly, shooting 5-of-21 for 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Here’s the Oregonian reporting:

Damian Lillard was locked in at long last. This was the stingy and smothering laser-like All-Star effort we’d been promised all week by the guard. It was the defensive performance of a lifetime.

Here was Lillard late Sunday night, long after the Blazers Game 1 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, shutting down the scrutiny, one dress sock at a time. He’d already toweled off like a retiree watching a sunset. Now, the Blazers All-Star guard sat on a folding chair, back to the room, checking text messages.

It was so crowded with media in Lillard’s corner of the locker room that when guard Steve Blake emerged from the showers he had to dispatch a locker room attendant through the mob of cameras to retrieve his clothes. Also, during the Lillard filibuster a reporter from TNT asked Chris Kaman if he wouldn’t mind giving the network a quote, as Lillard was about to bleed their deadline out.

Kaman obliged and left. Blake eventually dressed, conducted an interview and left the room. So did the rest of the Blazers teammates. One by one, from Robin Lopez to Nic Batum to Wesley Matthews and back, the Blazers absorbed the disappointment and disappeared out the locker room doors.

Trail Blazers clinch spot in 2015 NBA Playoffs

Trail Blazers clinch spot in 2015 NBA Playoffs

The 48-25 Portland Trail Blazers have officially clinched a spot in the 2015 NBA playoffs, joining the Warriors, Grizzlies, Rockets and Clippers in the West so far, leaving three West spots still up for grabs. Here’s the Oregonian reporting:

The Blazers dominated the the Suns after halftime and emphatically punched their postseason ticket with a 109-86 win in front of a sellout crowd of 19,441 Monday night at the Moda Center.

“It wasn’t like it was earth shattering,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said, downplaying the the playoff berth. “Honestly, our goal was beyond just to make the playoffs.”

Portland led by six at the half before putting the game away to open the third quarter. The Blazers hit 12 of their first 15 shots, including 4 of 5 three-pointers, en route to scoring 35 points in the first 9:05 of third quarter.

When the buzzer sounded at the end of the third, the Blazers had the game in hand with a 92-65 lead and the starters got to watch the final twelve minutes from the end of the bench.

Blazers sign Tim Frazier for remainder of season

Blazers sign Tim Frazier for remainder of season

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Tim Frazier for the remainder of the season, President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Frazier, 24, signed two 10-day contracts with the Philadelphia 76ers last month, averaging 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.00 steal in six games (three starts).

Frazier (6-1, 170) joins the Trail Blazers from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League, where he posted averages of 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.66 steals in 41 games (40 starts) this season.

The D-League leader with four triple-doubles, Frazier is a three-time D-League Performer of the Week. Frazier played for Penn State from 2009-14, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors his junior year.

He will wear No. 10 for the Trail Blazers.