Did Russian spies help push Rod Thorn out?

Julian Garcia of the New York Daily News reports:

Rod Thorn’s decision to retire as president of the Nets was likely hastened by the presence of what he perceived to be Russian spies inside the team’s offices, sources say.

According to sources close to the team, Thorn had quickly grown tired of having to answer to associates of new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who took control of the Nets in early May. After months of dealing with Prokhorov’s underlings looking over his shoulder, Thorn decided to walk away.

He will step down on July 15, one week after the free agent signing period begins.

Before news of his impending retirement broke Friday night, Thorn told the Daily News that he had no issues with either Prokhorov or his field generals.

Greg Monroe: Post player with passing skills

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports:

Greg Monroe: Post player with passing skills

What has John Kuester — and the rest of the Pistons’ front office — guardedly optimistic is that Greg Monroe isn’t your typical big guy.

Everyone likes the guys who attack every rebound and score in the post. By averaging 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at Georgetown, Monroe has shown he can do that.

But Kuester, who uses his big men to make decisions on the offensive end, is already thinking of expanding his system to accommodate the talents of Monroe, a multi-skilled big guy who averaged 3.8 assists per game last season.

“When you can throw the ball in the post to a guy that’s a prolific passer, that gives your team a completely different look,” Dumars said. “When you can throw the ball down on the post and then have people start moving, it gives the defense a completely different look, and that’s why post players that can pass are so effective.

“You can run your offense through a guy like that a lot of times. Guys that have been great passers like that have been guys that have helped their teams tremendously.”

Marcus Thornton wants to win starting spot

John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports:

Marcus Thornton wants to win starting spot

When the New Orleans Hornets traded veteran Morris Peterson to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, along with the draft rights to Kansas center Cole Aldrich for the draft rights to forwards Craig Brackins and Quicy Pondexter, it virtually cleared the way for second-year shooting guard Marcus Thornton to enter next season as the starter.

But Thornton said Friday that his approach won’t change from last season, when he came off the bench. He plans to stay driven and anticipates battling to win the job in training camp.

“Until I find out that I’m starting, I’m going to push like I’m still second string,’’ Thornton said Friday. ”I’m going to work and do what I’ve been doing.’’

With a need to clear salary-cap space, the Hornets dealt Peterson, eliminating the $6.6 million salary they would had been required to pay him this season in the final year of his four-year contract.

Andray Blatche out 3 months

Andray Blatche out 3 months

Wizards forward Andray Blatche underwent successful surgery this evening to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.  The procedure was performed by Dr. Ed Magur at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Blatche is expected to take approximately three months to return to basketball-related activities.

In the 2009-10 NBA season, Blatche for the Wizards averaged 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Celtics draft pick Avery Bradley out 6-8 weeks

The AP reports:

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge says top draft pick Avery Bradley will have a “scope” on his left ankle and be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks.

Bradley was selected in the first round, 19th overall, in the NBA draft on Thursday night and was introduced by the Celtics on Friday, along with second-round pick Luke Harangody.

InsideHoops.com quick-take:

Well, at least it’s happening now, and not later on when it would cause Bradley to miss actual NBA games.

Bobcats make qualifying offer to Tyrus Thomas

Bobcats make qualifying offer to Tyrus Thomas

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has made a qualifying offer to forward Tyrus Thomas, making him a restricted free agent. The qualifying offer allows the Bobcats to match any offer he receives from another team.

The Bobcats acquired Thomas from Chicago on February 18, 2010, in exchange for Acie Law, Ronald “Flip” Murray and a future first-round draft pick.  In 25 games with the Bobcats, Thomas averaged 10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while scoring in double figures 14 times.  The fourth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Thomas has appeared in 279 career NBA games with averages of 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Thomas on Monday received the Jefferson Award as the Outstanding Athlete as a Newcomer in Service and Philanthropy for the work of his non-profit organization, Tyrus Thomas Inc., which focuses on youth outreach, community development and organizational support in cities including his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Charlotte Bobcats, who became the NBA’s 30th team when they joined the league in 2004-05, finished the 2009-10 season with a franchise-best 44-38 overall record (31-10 at home) and first-ever playoff appearance.

Nets trade Chris Douglas-Roberts to Bucks

Nets trade Chris Douglas-Roberts to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (6-7, 210) from the New Jersey Nets for a future second round draft pick, General Manager John Hammond announced today. The Nets receive the 2012 second round draft pick that the Bucks acquired from Chicago in the John Salmons trade on February 18, 2010.

After two years in the NBA, Douglas-Roberts has career averages of 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field. During the 2009-10 season, Douglas-Roberts played 67 games, starting 38, with averages of 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. He shot 44.5 percent from the field and 84.7 percent from the free throw line last season. His 84.7 percent mark from the free throw line ranked 21st in the league last year.

Douglas-Roberts finished his second season in the league with the fourth highest scoring increase amongst sophomore players. He averaged 4.9 points per game as a rookie and improved to 9.8 points in his second season. Only George Hill (+6.7 points per game increase), Brook Lopez (+5.8) and Robin Lopez (+5.3) had higher scoring increases among second year players.

A native of Detroit, MI, Douglas-Roberts, 23, was drafted by the Nets in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft. He played three seasons at the University of Memphis where he was a consensus First Team All-American and helped lead the Tigers to the national championship game his junior year.

InsideHoops.com quick-take: News of this upcoming trade leaked days ago, so it’s not a surprise. I wonder how CDR feels being given away for a mere future second rounder. He’s probably going to take it personally. He does that, sometimes.

Davidson expects Pistons to be sold before season

Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press reports:

Karen Davidson expects the Pistons to be sold by the start of the season.

Davidson made the announcement tonight while Joe Dumars, the Pistons president of basketball operations, was discussing the team’s new draft pick, Greg Monroe.

“You’re going to have a new owner pretty soon,” Davidson said. “Definitely. I’m absolutely encouraged by the interest. This is a major franchise.”

Davidson said the new owners would be in place by next season.

“Yes,” she said. “When’s the first game, late October, right? I would expect so (to be sold by then). It depends how many lawyers get in on it, you know?”

Kentucky is first to have five players chosen in first round of NBA draft

Jerry Tipton of McClatchy Newspapers reports:

Kentucky made NBA Draft history Thursday night when the Orlando Magic picked Daniel Orton with the 29th selection of the first round. That enabled UK to become the first college team to boast five first-round picks in an NBA Draft.

But long before Orton got selected with the next-to-last pick of the first round, another agonizing wait had unfolded.

After John Wall made individual history by becoming the first UK player chosen with an NBA Draft’s first overall pick, and after DeMarcus Cousins went to Sacramento with the fifth pick, Patrick Patterson learned what Tom Petty meant when the rocker sang about the waiting being the hardest part…

No college ever did as well as UK did in this NBA Draft. With Eric Bledsoe going to Oklahoma City with the 18th pick (his rights were reportedly traded to the Los Angeles Clippers), the Cats eclipsed the previous record of four first-rounders shared by North Carolina in 2005, Duke in 1999 and Connecticut in 2006.