Heat not ready to write off Mario Chalmers

Here’s the Miami Herald discussing the recent news that the Heat decided to re-sign guard Mario Chalmers:

Heat not ready to write off Mario Chalmers

LeBron James barked at Mario Chalmers for four years. Then, in the end, Chalmers was sent to the bench with James’ blessing.

In other words, you can count one guy, at least, who has already gotten over the news of James’ move back to Cleveland.

Chalmers is probably the only one, of course.

Heat president Pat Riley said all along that Chalmers would be back for next season, but there was a strong assumption that if James returned to the Heat, then Chalmers would be searching for another team. With James now long gone, the Heat announced officially on Monday that it had re-signed Chalmers. Reports put the deal at two years.

“It’s great to have Mario back,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “We’re happy that he wants to continue his career in Miami, he’s one of our core players, and I believe he will have a great season.”

Phil Jackson says Andrea Bargnani can step up for Knicks

Here’s the New York Daily News reporting some optimistic thinking from Phil Jackson:

Phil Jackson says Andrea Bargnani can step up for Knicks

Unable to move the expiring contract of Andrea Bargnani so far this summer, Phil Jackson instead attempted to talk up the No. 1 overall pick from 2006 during a televised interview on Monday.

“He’s overlooked. We think he’s going to really do well in the system we have,” Jackson said of Bargnani on MSG Network during the second quarter of the Knicks’ 95-72 Summer League victory over Charlotte. “We have a couple of guards he likes to play with, Jose (Calderon) and Pablo (Prigioni), and I think he’s going to be a surprise and a pleasant one for our fans.”

Bargnani, obtained from Toronto last summer, averaged 13.3 points over 42 games with the Knicks last season before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in January. The seven-foot Italian is owed $12 million in the final year of his contract.

Yes, new Knicks coach Derek Fisher thinks team can make playoffs

Yes, any coach of an NBA team pretty much has to say that his team is a playoff squad. Still, it’s fun to see the exact response to such a question. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

derek fisher

With Carmelo Anthony officially on board, Knicks rookie coach Derek Fisher guaranteed the Knicks will be a playoff team this season, and will eventually compete for a championship with Anthony as the “anchor.’’

The Knicks missed the playoffs during a miserable 37-45 campaign last season that nearly led Anthony out the door. Anthony had told confidants he didn’t want to ever experience a season like that again.

“My opinion is, based on our roster and who we’re going to become, we can compete for playing in the playoffs and playing for a championship in the Eastern Conference,’’ Fisher said Monday after the Knicks’ summer-league victory over Charlotte, in his first remarks since Anthony’s signing became official. “When that happens, putting dates on it, that’s not my job.’’

Paul George working on post-up moves

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on Paul George:

Paul George working on post-up moves

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George says he plans on adding a more physical dimension to his play next season.

“I plan on being a lot more physical this year,” George said, according to the Indianapolis Star. “I really plan [on] taking contact and wanting to get contact and finishing through contact. That’s the next step for me.”

The All-Star forward averaged a career-high 21.7 points per game last season but he posted up just 5 percent of the time, ranked 74th out of 74 NBA forwards with at least 50 plays, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

George told the Star that he has worked a lot on his post-up game this offseason.

Magic excited to add Channing Frye

Here’s the Associated Press reporting on the Orlando Magic, who recently added tall shooter Channing Frye to their very young mix:

Magic excited to add Channing Frye

In the 6-foot-11 Frye, that direction instantly gains an eight-year veteran and a proven long-distance shooter with the ability to spread out defenses — a coveted commodity in the NBA.

He sat out the 2012-13 season after being diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and went through an intense eight-month stretch that included him wearing a heart monitor and having closely monitored activity in which he was able to do only minimal exercise.

But he eventually worked his way back to the court and played all 82 games for the first time in his career last season.

“When something’s taken away from you, you just take step back, and you really appreciate it,” Frye said. “It’s not so much a job. This is a blessing and opportunity. Win or lose, I’m always going to have a smile on my face, because any moment this can be taken away.”

Mavs and Rockets want Mike Miller

Here’s ESPN Dallas reporting on old veteran sharpshooter Mike Miller:

Mavs and Rockets want Mike Miller

Sources have told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the Mavs and Rockets have barged into the Mike Miller sweepstakes. The attempt is to acquire a perimeter oriented small forward and to keep LeBron James’ sharpshooting teammate from Miami away from Cleveland.

Last season, the Rockets preferred to keep Parsons on the floor as much as possible, playing him 37.6 minutes per game. That ranked as the seventh-most in the league and 1.1 minute per game shy of league-leader Carmelo Anthony.

Mavs guard Monta Ellis ranked eighth at 36.9 minutes per game.

“He’s the old Nellie (Don Nelson) point-forward, personified,” Cuban said regarding Parsons. “It gets us younger. The good news about all of the experience we had, it really allowed us to modify and give the Spurs a run for their money last year. The bad news is that we had to restrict minutes. Restricting minutes was the big challenge.

“He’s a guy that we can keep out there a lot longer. With Vince (Carter), ‘Trix (Shawn Marion) and Dirk (Nowitzki), we really had to balance minutes.”

David Lee recovering from surgery

Here’s the Bay Area News Group reporting on the Warriors and David Lee:

David Lee

Golden State Warriors forward David Lee withdrew from the USA national team training camp roster that was announced Monday while recovering from “very minor” surgery a few weeks ago to address a core muscle injury, according to the Warriors.

The Warriors expect Lee to be fully recovered in early August, but according to the team, he does not want to a rush his return to the floor.

“He’s fine,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday, adding Lee had been working out.

Miami Heat officially sign Danny Granger

Miami Heat officially sign Danny Granger

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed forward Danny Granger.

According to multiple reports, the deal is for two years, $4.2 million.

“One of our main priorities this offseason was obtaining a proven veteran like Danny with All-Star experience,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “We expect him to be a multi-position player and have a very successful season in our system.”

Granger, a nine-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 556 career NBA regular season games (425 starts) and averaged 17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 32.1 minutes while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point range and 84.9 percent from the foul line. Among Indiana’s all-time franchise leaders, he ranks second in three-point field goals made, fourth in points, steals and free throws made, sixth in blocks, seventh in games played, minutes played and field goals made and 10th in defensive rebounds.

He split the 2013-14 season between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in 41 total games (two starts) and averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 20.7 minutes while shooting 37.8 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from three-point range and a career-high 94 percent from the foul line. He appeared in all 13 postseason games with the Clippers, including a 15-point outing in a Game Two win against Golden State on April 21 as they advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals after defeating the Warriors, 4-3, in the First Round.

Granger, a 2009 NBA All-Star and the NBA’s 2009 Most Improved Player, has appeared in 35 career postseason games (19 starts) and averaged 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 25.7 minutes while shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from the three-point range and 84.2 percent from the foul line.

He was originally drafted in the first round (17th overall) by Indiana in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Bulls trade Greg Smith to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired forward Greg Smith from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the rights to Tadija Dragicevic.

Smith (6-10, 250) is a three-year veteran and holds averages of 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 14.4 minutes in 89 career games (10 starts) with Houston. He spent three years with the Rockets before being released on April 10, 2014. He was then signed by the Chicago Bulls on April 14, but never played for the Bulls.

In 2012-13, Smith saw action in 70 games (10 starts) for Houston and averaged 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting .620 from the field.

The Vallejo, Calif., native was undrafted out Fresno State after declaring himself an early entry candidate for the 2011 NBA Draft. In his sophomore season with the Bulldogs, he was named to the 2011 All-WAC second team. In 31 games, he averaged 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.

Dragicevic (6-9, 222) was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 53rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The Mavericks acquired the native Serbian from Utah and cash considerations from the Houston Rockets in a four-team trade and sent forward Lamar Odom to the Los Angeles Clippers and the draft rights to Shan Foster to the Utah Jazz. In exchange, Los Angeles sent guard Mo Williams to Utah and the draft rights to forward Furkan Aldemir to Houston.