Utah Jazz struggle badly when Derrick Favors is out

Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune highlighting the importance of Derrick Favors to the Utah Jazz this season:

Utah Jazz struggle badly when Derrick Favors is out

Derrick Favors’ injury has changed a few times over the season. It’s been a hip sprain, a sore hip, an inflamed hip and, most recently, a sprained hip.

But one thing has remained constant: the Jazz are winless when he doesn’t play. With Favors missing his seventh game in the Jazz’s last 13 on Saturday, Utah fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves and dropped to 0-9 on the year in games without Favors.

“I think everyone is confident in each other’s abilities but what Derrick brings to the table, this team really misses when he’s not here,” said forward Marvin Williams. “He’s an anchor. He’s a great rebounder. He’s a great one-on-one defender. He’s also a great help-side defender. Derrick has always been there to save the day. But, obviously, when he’s not back there, it’s been difficult.”

Knicks may say goodbye to Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih

Here’s ESPN New York reporting on the Knicks, who may part ways with some players that aren’t essential pieces of their rotation. (Then again, a few players actually in the rotation are also not essential pieces of the rotation, but that’s another story.)

Knicks may say goodbye to Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih

The New York Knicks are in discussions to cut ties with forward Metta World Peace.

World Peace wrote on Twitter that his agent and the Knicks are working on a buyout.

League sources confirmed to ESPN New York that the team is in discussions with World Peace’s representatives to work on a buyout or outright release.

The Knicks, league sources said, are also in talks with Beno Udrih’s representatives to work on a release or buyout for the veteran point guard.

World Peace, a Queens native, signed with the Knicks over the summer. He inked a two-year deal worth approximately $1.6 million per season with a player option in the second year.

Hawks sign Dexter Pittman to 10-day contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed center Dexter Pittman to a 10-day contract, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

Most recently, Pittman spent time this season with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, playing in 17 contests (nine starts), and averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 17.5 minutes (.538 FG%, .717 FT%).

Over three NBA seasons, Pittman has appeared in 48 regular season games (six starts) with Miami and Memphis, averaging 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.2 minutes (.454 FG%). He has seen action in three career postseason contests.

He will wear uniform no. 45, and will be available for tonight’s game vs. New York.

Houston Rocket sign Troy Daniels

The Houston Rockets today signed Troy Daniels from the NBA Development League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The signing is the 19th GATORADE Call-Up this season.

In a related move, the Rockets assigned Daniels to the Vipers, the team’s NBA D-League affiliate.

The assignment is the 133rd of the 2013-14 campaign and Daniels is the 49th NBA player to be assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Jason Terry out for rest of season for left knee rehab

Jason Terry out for rest of season for left knee rehab

The Sacramento Kings today announced that newly-acquired guard Jason Terry will spend the remainder of this season rehabilitating his left knee, according to Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

“Our focus remains on reinventing this franchise and building a foundation for future success,” said D’Alessandro. “Affording Jason time to rehab during the balance of this season allows him to return at full strength next year while giving our younger players the minutes and experience needed to help us improve as a team going forward.”

“I want to thank the Kings for their understanding during this process,” said Terry. “Through my interactions with the front office and medical staff, it’s clear that the organization cares about its players and has their best interest at heart. I’m confident that rehab presents the best opportunity to be ready for next season.”

Terry, a 15-year NBA veteran, has accrued career averages of 15.4 points (.446 FG%, .379 3pt%, .846 FT%), 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.31 steals and 32.5 minutes per game in 1136 contests with the Atlanta Hawks (1999-2004), Dallas Mavericks (2004-2012), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Brooklyn Nets (2013-14).

Cavaliers sign Arinze Onuaku to 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward/center Arinze Onuaku from the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, to a 10-day contract, Cavaliers Acting General Manager David Griffin announced today. The signing of Onuaku marks the 20th Call-Up of the NBA’s 2013-14 season.

Onuaku has appeared in 26 games (eight starts) for the Charge this season, averaging 14.4 points on .622 shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in 24.2 minutes per game. He currently ranks second in the D-League in field goal percentage and fifth in rebounds and was selected as a 2014 D-League All-Star. The 6-9, 275-pound forward/center has 11 double-doubles on the NBADL season. He appeared in three games for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, averaging 1.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 8.3 minutes per game.

Warriors sign Hilton Armstrong to 10-day contract

Warriors sign Hilton Armstrong to 10-day contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent center Hilton Armstrong to a 10-day contract as a Call-Up from the Warriors’ NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced today.

Armstrong, 29, has appeared in 23 games (all starts) with the Santa Cruz Warriors this season, averaging 12.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.83 blocks (seventh-best in the D-League) in 28.6 minutes while hitting 55.6 percent from the field (ninth). Earlier this season, the 6-11 center received a Call-Up to the Warriors and appeared in seven games between December 11 – December 29, averaging 0.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 4.0 minutes per contest.

Originally selected by the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets with the 12th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft, Armstrong has played in six NBA seasons with the Hornets (2006-09), Sacramento Kings (2010), Houston Rockets (2010), Washington Wizards (2010-11), Atlanta Hawks (2011) and Warriors, owning career averages of 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.7 minutes over 284 games (39 starts). He has also played professionally with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in France, Panathinaikos in Greece and Changsha Bank Guangdong in China.

A product of the University of Connecticut, Armstrong helped the Huskies win the NCAA Championship as a sophomore in 2004.

He will wear uniform #57.

Melo scores 44 but Magic beat Knicks in 2OT

Arron Afflalo had 32 points, rookie Victor Oladipo added 30 points and a career-high 14 assists, and the Orlando Magic rallied to beat the New York Knicks 129-121 in double overtime on Friday night.

The Magic trailed by as many as 14 points, but got 25 points and 10 assists from Oladipo after halftime to stave off the Knicks. Tobias Harris added 22 points.

Orlando snapped a three-game losing streak in its first game following the departure of Glen Davis, who had the remainder of his contract bought out earlier in the day.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 44 points, but only 14 came after the third quarter.

— Associated Press

Rajon Rondo is used to being mentioned in trade rumors

Here’s the Boston Globe blog reporting on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who gets mentioned in trade rumors around pretty much every trade deadline for years now:

Rondo has said before that he’s intrigued by the free agency process, but he has also said that he doesn’t like change and could see himself staying in Boston for the rest of his career.

As for being mentioned in rumors, Rondo said, “It gets annoying at times. It’s been like that the last eight years, though. It’s what I do for a living. It’s not who I am. I play basketball for a living, for the time being.

“I’ll be 28 (Saturday). I have a long life to live. I have a lot of things going on outside of basketball for me right now and it’s part of what happens when you’re an NBA player. “

In a rebuilding season, Rondo wasn’t the only Celtic who might have been traded, but Rondo said he didn’t notice concern among his teammates.