Brooklyn Nets sign Jerry Stackhouse

Brooklyn Nets sign Jerry Stackhouse

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent guard/forward Jerry Stackhouse, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Stackhouse appeared in 30 games with Atlanta in 2011-12.  The 17-year NBA veteran averaged 3.6 points in 9.1 minutes per game while shooting .370 (37-100) from the field.  He did not appear in any of Atlanta’s six playoff games.

Selected third overall by Philadelphia in 1995, the North Carolina product was a First Team All Rookie section with the 76ers during the 1995-96 campaign.  He was traded to Detroit after two-plus seasons in Philadelphia and spent the next four-plus seasons with the Pistons where he made two All Star teams (2000, 2001).

In 80 games during the 2000-01 campaign, Stackhouse had his best year as a pro, ranking second in the NBA in points per game at 29.8, while averaging 3.9 rebounds, a career-best 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 40.2 minutes per contest.

In September of 2002, he was traded to Washington where he spent two seasons appearing in a combined 96 games.  In June of 2004, he was sent to Dallas where he stayed for five seasons until 2009.  The last three seasons, Stackhouse has spent one season respectively with Milwaukee, Miami and Atlanta.  Over 17 NBA seasons and 933 games, he holds career averages of 17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31.8 minutes.

Knicks sign forward Chris Copeland

New York Knicks Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations and General Manager Glen Grunwald announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Chris Copeland to a contract. It’s probably a non-guaranteed deal that does not mean he’s sure to make the regular season roster.

Copeland, 6-8, 224 pounds, has played the past five seasons in Belgium, Germany and Spain and appeared in 19 games for Fort Wayne of the NBA D-League in 2006-07. The Orange, NJ native played four years at the University of Colorado and averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 30 games during his senior season in 2005-06. He is currently representing the Knicks entry at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Landry Fields will likely start for Raptors

Landry Fields will likely start for Raptors

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said new acquisition Landry Fields probably will start and will be a key piece, even if he had to overpay. Fields received a 3-year, $19 million package the Knicks declined to match. Colangelo acknowledged the offer sheet also was designed to break up the Knicks’ sign-and-trade proposal to Phoenix for Steve Nash. Neither team got Nash, who landed with the Lakers.

“We value Landry in a way we thought it was reflected in the offer,’’ Colangelo said at the Las Vegas summer league. “We think he’ll make a solid contribution. His defensive mentality, his athleticism, he’s got a high basketball IQ. All those things add up to something of value to us.

“Obviously in free agency you tend to pay a little more and restricted free agency a little more than that. Regardless, we needed a player who’s going to make valuable contributions.’’

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Raptors trade James Johnson to Kings

Raptors trade James Johnson to Kings

The Sacramento Kings today acquired James Johnson from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a second round pick in 2014, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

“We’re excited to add a talent like James to our young nucleus of players,” said Petrie. “He’s an outstanding defender with athleticism who can play at both positions up front while providing some versatility offensively and adding a dimension to what we can do on the floor.”

Johnson, a 6-9, 245-pound forward, is entering his fourth NBA season. He averaged career-highs of 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 25.2 minutes per game in 62 contests with the Raptors last season. In his 40 starts during the 2011-12 campaign, Johnson increased his statistical production to 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 26.9 minutes per game. He has recorded career averages of 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 24.0 minutes per game in 165 outings, of which he started 76.

Johnson was selected in the first round (16th overall) by Chicago in the 2009 NBA Draft. He was traded to Toronto on February 22, 2011. He enjoyed a two-year career at Wake Forest, averaging 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 61 contests. He entered the draft after his sophomore season.

Nets sign forward Mirza Teletovic

The Brooklyn Nets have signed free agent forward Mirza Teletovic, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

Teletovic (6-9, 242), spent the 2011-12 season with Caja Laboral Vitoria of the Spanish ACB League.  In 34 games, he averaged 16.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 31.1 minutes.  Teletovic shot .463 from the field, .360 from behind the arc and .684 from the line.  In 10 Eurocup games with Caja Laboral Vitoria, he averaged 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 34.4 minutes while shooting .434 from the field including .431 from three-point range and .700 from the line.

Jacque Vaughn wants Magic coaching job

According to multiple reports, Indiana assistant Brian Shaw and Golden State aide Michael Malone have been crossed off the list of candidates for the coaching job in Orlando.

That leaves the 37-year-old Vaughn, three seasons retired from backing up Tony Parker, as one of the leading applicants to fill Stan Van Gundy’s old chair with the Magic.

Others remaining in the hunt include Utah assistant Jeff Hornacek, Chicago assistant Lindsay Hunter and Philadelphia aide Michael Curry, a former head coach in Detroit.

For players, summer league often represents a chance to showcase new skills or audition for a roster spot. For Vaughn, this week has become an opportunity to try on the head coach’s shoes — in this case, casual white sneakers — and see if he likes them.

So far, they fit.

“It’s fun,” Vaughn said. “It’s good fun to get a group together in a short time and get them to play together. That’s the test and the joy of it.”

— Reported by the San Antonio Express-News

Blake Griffin update: knee surgery today

Blake Griffin update: knee surgery today

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair the medial meniscus tear of his left knee which he suffered during Team USA’s practice in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 11th. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Griffin experienced discomfort following Wednesday’s practice in Las Vegas. He underwent a magnetic resonance imaging examination on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles which revealed the injury. MRI data was then analyzed by Clippers’ Team Physician, Dr. Steven Shimoyama, and Dr. ElAttrache.

Sixers waive center Darryl Watkins

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have waived center Darryl Watkins.  He was acquired by the Sixers in a three-team trade last Wednesday.

The Sixers obtained Watkins from New Orleans and forward Dorell Wright from Golden State while sending the rights to Edin Bavcic to the Hornets, who also traded Jarrett Jack to the Warriors.

In 14 career games across two seasons with Sacramento and New Orleans, Watkins has averaged 2.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game.

Timberwolves sign Nicolas Batum to offer sheet

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed restricted free-agent forward Nicolas Batum to an offer sheet. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Portland Trail Blazers will have three days to match Minnesota’s offer. The deadline for Portland to match the offer sheet is Wednesday, July 18 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Reports have said the deal could be worth around $46 million over four years, but that is not confirmed.

Batum, a 6-8 forward from France, was originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Portland acquired his rights in a draft-night trade in exchange for the draft rights to Darrell Arthur and Joey Dorsey. In his four seasons with the Blazers, Batum has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 255 games (202 starts). He averaged a career-high 13.9 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2011-12, while also establishing career bests with 90 steals and 60 blocked shots. The 23-year-old has career shooting averages of 46.0 percent from the field, 37.2 percent from three-point range and 83.6 percent from the free throw line. Batum scored a career-high 33 points on Feb. 4 vs. Denver, and set a Portland single-game record with nine three-pointers. He also tallied 33 points on Feb. 14 vs. Washington. Batum played professionally in France for four years before coming to the NBA.

Phoenix Suns land Luis Scola via amnesty wire auction

What was expected became official Sunday, when it was announced the Phoenix Suns had won the amnesty wire auction for Scola’s services.

Scola, 32, won’t become a free agent. The Spurs, like all other teams whose payroll exceeds the salary cap, never had a shot to even offer him a contract.

(And before Spurs fans get any more ideas, Phoenix is now prohibited from trading Scola until July 1 of next year).

None of this is surprising to those of us who were paying attention. Under the NBA’s amnesty rules, only teams under the salary cap were allowed to bid on Scola during the waiver process.

The only way for him to become a true free agent would be for every team permitted to bid on Scola to shockingly decline to do so.

— Reported by Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News Blog
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/07/15/no-surprise-spurs-dont-get-shot-at-scola-now-a-sun/