NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
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The Atlanta Hawks requested waivers on guard/forward John Salmons yesterday (7/10/14), it was announced by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.
Salmons was acquired, along with a 2015 second round draft pick, from Toronto on June 30 in exchange for Lou Williams and the draft rights to Lucas Nogueira.
LeBron James’ latest decision is in: He’s returning to Cleveland.
Ending a saga that had the NBA virtually at a standstill while he made up his mind, James told Sports Illustrated for a story published Friday that he’s decided to go home. His decision reverses the move he made when he left the Cavaliers for Miami four years ago, and a twist that would have seemed unfathomable after the venomous fallout when he joined the Heat.
“When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission,” James said in the SI first-person story. “I was seeking championships, and we won two. But Miami already knew that feeling. Our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time. My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.”
He added, “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”
— Associated Press
Here’s the New York Post with an update of a mascot, of sorts:
The BrooklyKnight has been booted out of its own borough.
After two ill-fated years as the mascot of the Brooklyn Nets, the team has decided to part ways with the unpopular character.
“We put a lot of energy and thought into the BrooklyKnight, but we’ve decided to go in a different direction,” said Barry Baum, Executive Vice President of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center.
The Nets have no plans to have a new mascot in the near future.
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The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed their 2014 first round draft picks, guard Marcus Smart and guard/forward James Young.
Players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they wish to come to the league right away. Therefore, these signings are standard, and not a surprise.
Smart, a 6’4” guard, was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He was a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, and was also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team, USBWA All-District VI and NABC All-District 8 teams. Smart finished his two-year OSU career with 189 steals, the second-most in school history, and averaged 2.94 steals per game in his career, a school record. During his sophomore season at Oklahoma State he led the Cowboys with 18.0 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game. His 2.9 steals per game ranked third in the nation. Smart garnered All-America honors from the Associated Press (Honorable Mention) and NABC (Third Team).
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Young, a 6’6” guard/forward, was selected with the 17th pick in the first round. Young was part of the Kentucky squad that finished runner-up for the 2014 NCAA National Championship. In the national championship game he posted a team-high 20 points and a game-high seven rebounds against Connecticut. He was selected to the All-Final Four Tournament Team and All-SEC Second Team. He was the second highest scorer on Kentucky this past season with 14.3 points and finished 10th in the SEC in three-point shooting connecting on 34.9 percent of his attempts. Young was also named to the All-SEC Freshman team and led the Wildcats with 82 three-pointers which was the seventh most in a single season in Kentucky history and second all-time for a freshman. Young increased his three-point accuracy during the NCAA tournament when he connected on 42.6 percent of his attempts and also shot 85.0 percent from the free throw line.
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The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent guard/forward Thabo Sefolosha, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry. According to multiple reports, it is a three-year deal for a total of $12 million.
“Thabo is an unselfish, competitive and playoff-tested player, and does many things well on both sides of the ball,” Ferry said. “He also fills a need, giving us more size and depth at the wing position. He’s been a part of winning programs and will fit our culture well.”
Sefolosha, 30, played and started in 61 games last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes (.415 FG%, .768 FT%). In his eight-year career, Sefolosha has appeared in 551 games with the Thunder and Bulls (407 starting assignments) and has averaged 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 23.4 minutes (.442 FG%, .348 3FG%, .746 FT%). He was selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team in 2009-10.
He has also played in 78 playoff games, starting 67, averaging 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.9 minutes.
Sefolosha was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 13th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, and was traded to Chicago in exchange for the draft right to Rodney Carney, a second-round pick and cash considerations. He spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Bulls before going to the Thunder on February 19, 2009 in exchange for a first-round pick.
The native of Vevey, Switzerland has also played for Tege Riviera Basket (Switzerland), Elan Chalon (France) and Angelico Biella (Italy). He also played briefly for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey in 2011.
Here’s the New York Post with a Thursday evening update on Knicks free agent Carmelo Anthony:
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Knicks president Phil Jackson spoke with bravado in saying he expects a positive outcome will be reached with Carmelo Anthony, though he still has not heard officially from the superstar free agent.
Jackson said he expected an answer Thursday — but also expected one the previous two days and didn’t get a commitment. Jackson added he also has been in conversations with free-agent power forward Pau Gasol, selling him on New York.
“I felt really good about my conversation with Carmelo,’’ Jackson said during the Knicks summer league practice. “We really struck a chord the two of us and feel overly passionately about what we’re trying to get accomplished. It’s his ability to stay, be patient, lead and watch us develop a winner. There’s no instantaneous winner that we think is going to happen to the Knicks right now, but we’re going to be a lot better.’’
Here’s the Dallas Morning News with a report on the Chandler Parsons situation:
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The Dallas Mavericks have not yet submitted their signed offer sheet to the Houston Rockets as both teams have been talking about the possibility of a sign-and-trade that would land Chandler Parsons in Dallas.
The Mavericks have until midnight to submit the deal to the Rockets, who then would have 72 hours to decide whether to match the three-year, $46-million offer for the restricted free agent.
It makes sense for the Mavericks to see if a sign-and-trade that might be equitable for both sides and eliminate the possibility of Houston matching the deal for Parsons. Once an offer sheet is submitted, sign and trades are not allowed.
“There’s communication because there’s sign-and-trade possibilities,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Thursday morning.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Steve Blake, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. Reports say the contract is for two years and between $4 and $4.2 million total.
Blake, 34, has averaged 6.9 points (40.3% FG, 38.8% 3-PT, 78.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers and Golden State.
“Steve is the consummate gamer,” said Olshey. “His natural leadership skills, ability to run a team and offensive skill set are a natural fit for our roster composition and style of play.”
Blake returns to the Trail Blazers for a third time during his NBA career after playing in Portland during the 2005-06 season and again from 2007-10. He signed with Portland as a free agent on each occasion, and was last traded from Portland on Feb. 16, 2010, in a deal that also sent Travis Outlaw to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Camby.
In 269 games (232 starts) over four seasons with the Trail Blazers, Blake holds averages of 8.9 points (42.0% FG, 40.8% 3-PT, 79.4% FT), 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He notched career highs of 11.0 points per game and a 42.7 percent mark from 3-point range in 2008-09, his last full season with Portland.
“Steve is the perfect fit for our team,” said Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts. “He brings experience, toughness, leadership, shooting and consistent defense. Steve will be a complement to our backcourt and provide mentorship for our young players.”
Blake (6-3, 172) played four years at the University of Maryland and was selected by the Wizards with the ninth pick in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers announced today that the team and Kyrie Irving have agreed upon and signed a contract extension. Per multiple reports, the deal is a maximum-level extension for five years and approximately $90 million.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Kyrie firmly at the core of our Cavaliers team and family for years to come,” said Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin. “He’s already proven he’s among the best in the NBA and we’re excited to watch his continued growth and success. To know that he is all in and shares our high expectations and championship goals is something we’re extremely proud of. It is a clear reflection of how we all view our future together, with Kyrie fully vested in this franchise and the city of Cleveland.”
Irving was the first overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Cavaliers and has career averages of 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.7 minutes through 181 games with the team. An NBA All-Star in each of the past two seasons, Irving was MVP of the 2014 All-Star Game where he became the second-youngest player to win the award. Since Irving, the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year, entered the league, he has the third highest scoring average among all NBA point guards. In 2013-14, he led all Eastern Conference point guards with 20.8 points, while also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.2 minutes per game. He was one of only six players in the NBA with averages of at least 20 points and six assists per game last season.
“We are excited that Kyrie has officially committed to be here long-term with the Cleveland Cavaliers,” said Cavs Majority Owner Dan Gilbert. “The future has never been brighter as we are building the team and franchise for sustainable success. Kyrie is obviously a very big piece of our plan.”
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The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent center Chris Kaman, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. According to the Oregonian newspaper, the deal is for $9.5 million over two years. Other reports had the deal at $9.8 million.
Kaman, 32, holds career averages of 11.7 points (48.7% FG, 74.5% FT), 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.
“We targeted Chris early in the process believing his offensive versatility and defensive presence would make for a quality addition to our front court,” said Olshey. “His skill set complements our returning roster players and we expect him to have an immediate impact.”
An NBA All-Star in 2010, Kaman averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 blocks for the Lakers last season.
“I am extremely pleased to add Chris to our roster,” said Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts. “He is a proven NBA talent and will both bolster and complement our front court at both ends of the floor.”
Kaman (7-0, 265) played collegiately at Central Michigan University and was selected by the Clippers with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft.
He will wear No. 35 for the Trail Blazers.