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The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have waived forward-centre Dwayne Jones. Jones was acquired with guard Leandro Barbosa on July 14 from the Phoenix Suns.
For his career, Jones averages 1.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 7.8 minute per game.
The Raptors roster now stands at 15.
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The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired forward Julian Wright from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for guard Marco Belinelli.
Wright, 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, was the 13th overall selection by the Hornets in the 2007 NBA Draft. He has played in 179 career games, making 34 starts. He scored a career-high 20 points on March 7 in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds as part of his first career double-double (11 points) March 27, 2007 at New York.
“This move should help balance the roster and alleviate some of the redundancy we have with our guards,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Julian is another young athletic player that will add depth at the small forward position.”
Wright appeared in a career-best 68 games with 14 starts last season, shooting .500 (116-232) from the field. He started 14 of 16 games in March 2009, averaging 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 23.6 minutes. He owns career averages of 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 12.7 minutes. He has seen action in 15 postseason games with New Orleans.
An early entry draft candidate after two seasons at the University of Kansas, Wright was a collegiate standout leading the Jayhawks to the conference championship in the 2006 and 2007 campaigns. He was an All-Big 12 First Team choice as a sophomore averaging 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman enroute to a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection.
Wright won the prestigious Mr. Basketball of Illinois award as a high school senior in 2005. He is part of an impressive list of 15 players since 1981 that have captured the honour and played in the NBA, highlighted by Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics).
Belinelli was acquired from Golden State on July 30, 2009 for forward Devean George and cash considerations. He averaged 7.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 66 games in his lone season with the Raptors.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) will make basketball history when the league holds its first-ever regular season games in Europe, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today. The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will square off for back-to-back games at The O2 arena in London, England, on March 4 and 5 as part of NBA Games – London 2011.
“The staging of our first regular-season games in Europe is a milestone for the NBA and the ongoing development of basketball in the region,” said Stern. “By bringing these two young and exciting teams to London, we are fulfilling our commitment to schedule a regular-season game in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics — a natural progression given the overwhelming response to the many friendlies we have played to sold-out crowds over the years.”
The Atlantic Division rivals will battle it out at a crucial time, as the NBA season heads toward the playoffs. This game will be the Toronto Raptors’ first visit to the United Kingdom, while the New Jersey Nets are already well-known in London after a 2008 visit to the city to play the Miami Heat as part of NBA Europe Live.
The Nets roster currently features NBA All-Star Devin Harris; No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft Derrick Favors; and center Brook Lopez, who earned a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2009. The team recently came under the ownership of Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov and has since named Avery Johnson – the 2005-06 NBA Coach of the Year and an NBA champion as a player with the San Antonio Spurs – as its new head coach.The Raptors expect to feature a roster with a distinctive global flair, including four European players: Italian native Andrea Bargnani – the first-ever European No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, in 2006 – and fellow countryman Marco Belinelli; guard Jose Calderon of Spain; and Linas Kleiza of Lithuania. Head Coach Jay Triano – who became the first NBA coach born and trained in Canada when he served as an assistant coach for the Raptors during the 2002-03 season – will lead Toronto.
This announcement follows the success of four sold-out NBA Europe Live games in London from 2007 through 2010, with this year’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves selling out in record time. The NBA’s increasing presence in the UK has helped basketball participation double over the past four years with the sport reaching new levels of popularity.
The NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage regular-season games outside of North America when the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz opened the 1990-91 season with two games in Tokyo as part of the NBA Japan Games. The NBA has staged a total of 13 regular-season games in Japan and Mexico since 1990.
The NBA has a 20-year tradition of bringing NBA teams to Europe. The New York Knicks join the Lakers and Timberwolves for games in Barcelona, London, Milan, and Paris in October 2010 as part of NBA Europe Live. Following NBA Games – London 2011, 24 NBA teams will have played 56 games in 18 cities in Europe since 1988.
Following NBA Europe Live 2010, The O2 – which was developed and is operated by AEG – will have hosted eight NBA teams since 2007 as part of the tour: the Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2007); Miami Heat vs. New Jersey Nets (2008); Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz (2009); and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Oct. 2010).
InsideHoops.com editor says: This is good news when it comes to promoting the NBA globally. Though, I’m not sure why these two teams were selected. The Nets and Raptors both struggled last season, and while New Jersey should certainly improve this year, the Raptors will likely be worse after losing Chris Bosh. It isn’t the best matchup to showcase the greatness of the NBA. But hopefully the two teams play well and put on a good show.
The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired centre David Andersen and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a 2015 protected second-round pick obtained from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Hassan Adams trade January 7, 2009.
Andersen, a 6-foot-11 native of Carlton, Australia, appeared in 63 games last season for the Rockets, averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds during his rookie NBA campaign. He posted a career-high 19 points November 15, 2009 against the Los Angeles Lakers and reached double figures in scoring 12 times.
“David is a skilled big that gives us some insurance at the backup centre position,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “He will also bring a veteran presence and savvy to a relatively young team.”
Andersen was selected 37th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2002 NBA Draft. He remained overseas to claim three Euroleague titles with Virtus Bolonga (2001) and CSKA Moscow (2006 and 2008). During the 2004-05 season he was named first-team All-Euroleague after averaging 12.4 points and a career-best 7.0 rebounds playing for CSKA Moscow. In 2007-08 he averaged a career-best 12.8 points during CSKA’s Euroleague championship run. Anderson posted strong numbers again in 2008-09 with Regal FC Barcelona, averaging 11.1 points and shooting .554 from the field in 23 games. He helped FC Barcelona win the ACB Spanish National Championship and a berth in the Euroleague Final Four.
In nine seasons abroad Anderson won four Russian National Championships, two Italian League Championships and an ACB Spanish National title. He also competed twice in the Summer Olympics (2004 and 2008) for the Australian National Team. Andersen’s draft rights were traded to Houston on July 14, 2009.
InsideHoops.com editor says: Andersen is a good backup center.
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The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed forward Linas Kleiza (LYNN-as CLAY-za) to a multi-year contract as all required paperwork has now been officially filed with the League Office. Kleiza’s rights technically became property of the Raptors on July 17 when an offer sheet was not matched by the Denver Nuggets. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.
“We are very happy to add a tough-minded, hard-nosed forward who will certainly get a chance to contribute given the departure of Hedo Turkoglu,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Linas has that unique inside/outside game that makes him a tough cover at a couple of different positions.”
Kleiza played last season in Greece with Olympiakos after four seasons (2005-09) with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 31 regular season games with Olympiakos. He shot .596 from the field, .374 from three-point range and .800 from the foul line.
In 22 Euroleague outings, Kleiza contributed 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. In the regular season he finished second in the Euroleague in scoring at 19.7 points per contest. He led Olympiakos to the Euroleague Championship game in Paris.
Kleiza averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 301 career games with Denver. He saw action in 26 postseason games, where he averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.
Kleiza, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, was born in Lithuanian, attended high school in Maryland and played collegiately at the University of Missouri. He was selected 27th overall by Portland in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft.
The AP reports:
Free-agent forward Matt Barnes says he is headed for Toronto.
Barnes wrote on his Twitter page Monday that he has decided to play for the Raptors next season. He also thanked fans in Orlando, where he played last season.
Yahoo reports:
Even after Matt Barnes announced himself as a Toronto Raptor on his Twitter account, the sign-and-trade deal that would’ve sent him to the team with a two-year, $9 million contract has fallen apart, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
“The sign-and-trade is dead,” the source flatly said.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports:
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The Raptors gained a player and lost a coach as the Summer of Change continues.
On the day the Denver Nuggets didn’t match an offer sheet extended to restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza, assistant coach Marc Iavaroni is leaving Jay Triano’s staff to join new head coach Vinny Del Negro with the Los Angeles Clippers…
The news on Kleiza, who has a four-year, $18.8 million deal with the Raptors, is hardly surprising; the Nuggets were never expected to match the offer.
But the departure of Iavaroni, hired a year ago as ostensibly Toronto’s defensive guru, is mildly surprising.
Even after the addition of P.J. Carlesimo to Triano’s staff in May, there were no other staff changes planned until the 53-year-old former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies decided to leave for Los Angeles.
The Phoenix Suns today acquired forward Hedo Turkoglu (TURK-oh-lue) from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard Leandro Barbosa and forward/center Dwayne Jones, the club has announced. The trade is pending the completion of physicals.
“Hedo is a versatile player and somebody who we always thought would fit into our system,” said Suns Head Coach Alvin Gentry. “He is a good ball handler who can create plays for other people and who can play three different positions. He’ll fit well into what we’re trying to do here.”
In the 6-10, 220-pound Turkoglu, the Suns acquire a multi-dimensional player who is both a premier long-range shooter and a top passer at his position. Turkoglu owns career averages of 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28.2 minutes in 752 games (443 starts) with the Sacramento Kings (2000-03), San Antonio Spurs (2003-04), Orlando Magic (2004-09) and Toronto Raptors (2009-10).
In 10 career seasons, Turkoglu has made seven playoff appearances and has won a postseason series in all but one of those appearances, including a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals as a member of the Magic. The 31-year-old Turkoglu averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in helping to lead Orlando to the franchise’s second berth in the league’s championship series. Overall, Turkoglu’s teams are 9-7 (.563) in playoff series all-time.
The first Turkish-born player in NBA history, Turkoglu has averaged double-digit scoring in each of his last six seasons, including 15.8 points over his five-year tenure with the Magic. A willing and capable passer, Turkoglu is one of only three NBA forwards who have averaged at least four assists in each of the last three seasons, joining Miami’s LeBron James and Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala. Turkoglu has made 100 or more three-pointers in each of the last five seasons, averaged 126 threes in that span (631-of-1644, .384) and is a career 38.3-percent shooter from long range.
Turkoglu’s best career season came in 2007-08 when he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
One of the league’s top clutch shooters, Turkoglu has made six game-winning shots in the final seconds of a game since 2006-07 and game-clinching free throws on two other occasions in that span.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Turkoglu played four seasons for Efes Pilsen of the Turkish Professional League from 1996-2000 before being selected by Sacramento with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft. His NBA signing was a national sports event in his native Turkey that featured a nationally televised press conference.
Marc Stein of ESPN reports:
The Cleveland Cavaliers have no plans to push for an NBA probe into the circumstances that led to LeBron James joining Team USA colleagues Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, according to sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking.
NBA commissioner David Stern said Sunday that the league would investigate the Heat’s signings of James and Bosh for any illegal negotiating or planning before free agency officially started if the Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors make that request.
Reached Sunday by ESPN.com, Stern said: “Whenever a team lodges a tampering charge, it is investigated.”
The Cavaliers declined official comment Sunday, but one source briefed on Cleveland’s intentions told ESPN.com that — in the wake of owner Dan Gilbert’s vitriolic open letter to Cavs fans that slammed James for leaving his home-state team — the organization wants to try to keep the focus from here on its post-James future as much as possible.
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The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have acquired two first-round draft picks and a trade exception from the Miami Heat in exchange for forward Chris Bosh. The Raptors facilitated a sign-and-trade with Bosh.
InsideHoops.com will post details of Bosh’s contract this weekend.
“We all just witnessed an unprecedented moment in professional sports as these three young stars have joined forces in an attempt to completely transform this league. We are certainly sorry to see Chris leave, but we are planning to use these acquired assets to retool our roster and evolve as an organization,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo.
The Raptors reacquired their own 2011 first-round pick originally sent to the Heat on February 13, 2009 (trade of Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks) and Miami’s 2011 first-round draft choice (lottery protected).
Bosh was selected fourth overall by Toronto in the 2003 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 37.0 minutes in 509 games, including 497 starts. He is the all-time franchise leader in points (10,275), total rebounds (4,776), offensive rebounds (1,369), defensive rebounds (3,407), free throws made (2,997), blocks (600), minutes (19,813), games started (497) and double-doubles (239).