Bobcats re-sign Dominic McGuire, waive Sean Marks

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has re-signed forward Dominic McGuire.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.  In addition, the team has waived forward Sean Marks.

The 6-9 McGuire appeared in 34 games this season (four starts) for the Bobcats, averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.2 minutes.  He was waived on Feb. 24 in order to create the requisite number of roster spots for the trade in which the Bobcats acquired Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham, Sean Marks and two first-round draft picks from Portland in exchange for Gerald Wallace.

Initially selected by the Wizards with the 47th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, McGuire is in his fourth NBA season, with career averages of 2.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.1 minutes in 234 games played for Washington, Sacramento and Charlotte.

Marks was acquired by the Bobcats on Feb. 24.  He did not appear in a game for Charlotte.

Celtics sign Sasha Pavlovic

By Jeff Lenchiner

The Boston Celtics aren’t playing around. They keep doing what any team with championship aspirations should be trying to do and padding their roster with as many proven veterans as possible. Thursday morning they took another positive step by signing guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was presumably a pro-rated, league minimum signing.

Pavlovic, a 6’7” guard/forward, has posted career averages of 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 466 career games with stops in Utah, Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans and Dallas.

The native of Bar, Montenegro was a part of the 2006-07 Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and was a starter in each game on their run to the Finals.  During that 2006-07 regular season he posted a career-high average of 9.0 points per game and shot 40.5% from three-point range in 67 games.

Pavlovic also shot a career-high 41.0% from three-point territory during the 2008-09 season.

He has played in 10 games so far this season split between Dallas and New Orleans was a starter in seven of those contests. He has averaged 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and shot 50.0% from the three point line in 17.9 minutes per game in those starts.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson finally meets with Maloofs

Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has finally met with the Maloofs.

Johnson met with the owners of the Sacramento Kings Wednesday evening at Power Balance Pavilion, the mayor’s special assistant, R.E. Graswich, told The Bee.

Graswich would provide no details of the 40-minute meeting, other than to say “the mayor felt it was a positive meeting.”

Jazz sign coach Tyrone Corbin to extension

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed head coach Tyrone Corbin to a multi-year contract.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

“I am confident that Tyrone is the right man to lead this team into the future.  He is someone with longstanding ties to the Jazz and this community, and who has embraced the core philosophies and ideals this organization holds true.  I feel that his character and leadership qualities will be true assets to the Jazz moving forward for many years to come,” said Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to lead the Jazz, and to get to follow a legendary figure like Coach Sloan,” said Tyrone Corbin.  “I am truly grateful that the Miller family has the confidence in me to allow me to lead this team into a new era.”

Corbin was named head coach of the Jazz on February 10 following the resignation of Jerry Sloan.  Corbin is the seventh head coach in Jazz history and the fourth since the franchise’s relocation to Utah, following Tom Nissalke, Frank Layden and Sloan.  Corbin had served as an assistant coach under Sloan since the 2004-05 season, and prior to the 2010-11 season was ranked second in voting for the NBA’s top assistant coach as selected by league general managers.  Corbin joined the Jazz after spending the 2003-04 season as manager of player development for the New York Knicks.  Prior to his stint with the Knicks, he spent two seasons as a player mentor for the North Charleston Lowgators of the NBA Development League.

“Ty is a driven individual and tireless worker who possesses all of the qualities we are looking for in a head coach,” said Randy Rigby, president of the Utah Jazz.  “He has been widely recognized as one of the brightest young coaches around the league and we are thrilled to have him as head coach of the Jazz.”

A native of Columbia, S.C., Corbin played for nine teams during a 16-year NBA career (1985-01), including three seasons with the Jazz from 1991-94, where he averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 233 games.  Corbin appeared in a total of 1,050 games over the course of his career that included stints with San Antonio, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minnesota, Utah, Atlanta, Sacramento, Miami and Toronto.  Corbin was originally drafted by San Antonio in the second round (35th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft out of DePaul University, where he earned a degree in computer science during his four-year, two-time honorable mention All-American career with the Blue Demons.

“Ty has 16 years of experience in this league as a player and has spent the last seven seasons working here as an assistant coach,” said Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor.  “He is ready for this job and we feel certain he will excel as a head coach just as he excelled as an assistant coach and as a player.”

Heat sign Mike Bibby

Heat sign Mike Bibby

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Mike Bibby. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We want to welcome Mike Bibby as we continue to move into the direction of our championship dreams,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “We feel Mike, with his vast postseason experience, long range game and point guard abilities, will give us a boost in the backcourt.”

Bibby, a 13-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 940 regular season games (934 starts) and averaged 15.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.21 steals and 34.9 minutes while shooting 43.7 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three-point range and 80.3 percent from the foul line. He has appeared in 58 games this season, 56 games (all starts) for the Atlanta Hawks and two games for the Washington Wizards, averaging 9.1 points, 3.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 29.3 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three-point range.

Among active NBA players, Bibby ranks fifth in assists (5,382) and ninth in three-point field goals made (1,450). Additionally, among league leaders this season, he ranks tied for eighth in three-point field goal percentage, eighth in three-point field goals made (113), 11th in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.04) and tied for 37th in assists per game.

He has appeared in 80 postseason games (all starts) and averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.23 steals and 36.9 minutes while shooting 42.0 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line.

Bibby will wear number 0.

Have a reaction? Discuss it with other NBA fans in this forum topic.

Derrick Rose reveals off-season pitch to LeBron

Every team in the league wanted to sign LeBron James this past summer. Chicago Bulls start Derrick Rose, being sane, wanted King James to join his squad and reportedly reached out to make his feelings known.

ESPNChicago reports:

Derrick Rose reveals off-season pitch to LeBron

Amid all the hoopla surrounding teams’ recruiting pitches to the most heralded free agent class in NBA history this summer, the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose took a low-key approach in his wooing of LeBron James.

Rose sent James a text, the contents of which to this point were unknown. In a Sports Illustrated article out this week, Rose remembers the message reading: “I’m just hitting you up to kill all the rumors that I don’t want to play with you. I’d like to play with you. I just want to win.”

LeBron, of course, wound up joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. And I highly doubt that D-Rose ever thought to himself that having LeBron on the Bulls would in any way wind up being a bad thing.

Celtics sign Troy Murphy

By Jeff Lenchiner

Celtics sign Troy Murphy

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed forward Troy Murphy. The deal is for the pro-rated value of the veteran’s minimum.

It’s a great move for the Celtics, who are already a championship contender but just added the best player in the league who was available to be signed.

Murphy can shoot and rebound. He stretches the floor and adds yet another offensive weapon to a very diverse squad.

A 6’11” forward, Murphy has posted career averages of 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and has shot 39.1% from three-point range in his 10 NBA seasons.  Murphy has posted five seasons during which he averaged a double-double (points-rebounds). Murphy recorded one of the best seasons of his career during 2008-09 when he averaged 14.3 points and a career-high 11.8 rebounds to go along with a 45.0% shooting percentage from the three-point line.

Editorial: Losing teams sent to represent NBA in London

By InsideHoops.com

On Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will play a pair of games in the O2 arena in London, England. It is the first time that regular season NBA games are being played overseas.

It is an unusual matchup to send overseas to represent the league to tens of thousands of sports enthusiasts, many of whom may not be full NBA fans just yet.

Many months ago, as the schedule was being set, it was clear that both squads were going to face difficult 2010-11 seasons. The Nets had just come off one of the worst years in the history of basketball and failed to land top stars in free agency. And the Raptors, already a lottery team, had just lost their best player, Chris Bosh, to the Miami heat in free agency.

While both the Nets and Raptors are perfectly fun to watch, it’s a shame London has to see a matchup of teams whose combined record this season is 34 wins and 87 losses.

One positive is the recent trade New Jersey made bringing Deron Williams onto their squad. He alone is often worth the price of admission.

Also, the teams match up nicely. The games should be competitive, which is always good.

Here’s hoping fans in London get the thrills they deserve.

Dwight Howard says Magic can definitely win a championship

The goal of just about every player in the NBA is to win a championship. Dwight Howard has flirted with achieving that goal, but his Orlando Magic aren’t quite as potent as they once were. Still, the team is good, and winning a title is a tough yet still realistic goal.

Dwight Howard, writing on his own website, says:

Dwight Howard says Magic can definitely win a championship

I´ve said it a hundred times and I´ll keep saying it – we have what it takes to win a championship on this Magic team. I know a lot of teams out there have made trades, especially the Knicks getting ‘Melo, but I like our team just the way that it is. We have all the pieces needed to win a championship this year and I feel like we´re just now hitting our peak at the right time. Maybe we´ll be like the Packers and get hot at the right time and roll through the playoffs the way that they did.

We just have to bring this same kind of focus and intensity every game. New York tried to get all physical with us, but we didn´t back down an inch and I really liked that about us. When we play tough and physical like that and keep our heads in the game, we´re a really tough team to beat.

It was cool hearing the crowd chant M-V-P! for me last night during the game. It´s come and gone a few times during the year, but it was really strong last night. Feeling that love from the crowd is special to me and it never gets old. Although my teammates mess with me and say that I miss my free throws every time the crowd does the M-V-P chants.

Right now, the Celtics and Heat are the favorites to come out of the East, followed by the Bulls and Magic.

Dwight Howard says Magic can definitely win a championship

Obviously every player’s goal is to win a championship, and in the case of the Orlando Magic, it’s a very tough yet certainly realistic goal.

Dwight Howard, writing on his own website, says:

I´ve said it a hundred times and I´ll keep saying it – we have what it takes to win a championship on this Magic team. I know a lot of teams out there have made trades, especially the Knicks getting ‘Melo, but I like our team just the way that it is. We have all the pieces needed to win a championship this year and I feel like we´re just now hitting our peak at the right time. Maybe we´ll be like the Packers and get hot at the right time and roll through the playoffs the way that they did.

We just have to bring this same kind of focus and intensity every game. New York tried to get all physical with us, but we didn´t back down an inch and I really liked that about us. When we play tough and physical like that and keep our heads in the game, we´re a really tough team to beat.

It was cool hearing the crowd chant M-V-P! for me last night during the game. It´s come and gone a few times during the year, but it was really strong last night. Feeling that love from the crowd is special to me and it never gets old. Although my teammates mess with me and say that I miss my free throws every time the crowd does the M-V-P chants.

Currently, the Celtics and Heat appear to be the best squads in the East, followed by the Bulls and then Magic.