Cavaliers exercise J.J. Hickson option

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the third-year contract option on forward J.J. Hickson, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Hickson’s extension keeps him under contract with the Cavaliers through the 2010-11 season.  In 62 games played as a rookie during the 2008-09 season, he averaged 4.0 points on .515 shooting and 2.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game. In six games (one start) during the 2009 preseason, Hickson posted averages of 9.8 points on .522 shooting and 3.5 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game.

“J.J. is a young, talented player who continues to work hard and still has a great deal of upside,” Ferry said. “We are excited to keep him in our program and help him fulfill his potential.”

The 6-foot-9 forward was selected with the 19th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by Cleveland. The 21-year old played one season at North Carolina State, earning ACC All-Freshmen Team honors after averaging 14.8 points on a conference-best .591 shooting and 8.5 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game in 31 games.

Hornets exercise Julian Wright option

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have picked up the option for the 2010-11 season for forward Julian Wright.

Wright (6-8, 225) is in his third season with the Hornets after being drafted in the first round (13th overall pick) of the 2007 NBA Draft. The University of Kansas product averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.3 minutes last season in 58 games (19 starts). Wright started all seven preseason games this season and averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.9 minutes.

Nicolas Batum to have right shoulder surgery

Nicolas Batum to have right shoulder surgery

Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum will undergo surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

The surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Friday in Los Angeles at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. A timeline for Batum’s return will be determined following surgery.

As a rookie last season, Batum appeared in 79 games (76 starts), averaging 5.4 points (44.6% FT), 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 18.4 minutes.

Batum ranked eighth in 3-point shooting (36.9%) and 10th in blocked shots (0.51) among rookie leaders a season ago. He scored in double figures on 13 occasions.

A leader on the French National Team that finished fifth in the 2009 European Championships, Batum ranked second on the team with 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds to go with 1.8 assists, 1.00 block and 28.6 minutes in nine games.

Bulls name captains

How important are a team’s captains? In most cases the title doesn’t mean much. Players who haev leadership qualities tend to rise up and motivate others whether they’re a captain or not.

Bulls.com reports:

Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Lindsey Hunter have been named team captions for the 2009-10 season. The players voted over the weekend and an announcement was made on Monday.

Of the three, Deng is the only projected starter. He was also a captain last season. Hinrich, however, has been elected captain in six of his seven NBA seasons.

In his 17th season as a pro, not much is expected of Hunter from a statistical standpoint, but his contributions to the team are significant, serving as a mentor for Derrick Rose and the team’s other young players.

Star point guard Derrick Rose wasn’t named a captain. He isn’t very vocal so that’s not too surprising. I bet next year he becomes one, though.

Bulls exercise options on Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah

Bulls exercise options on Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah

The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has picked up the options for the 2010-11 season for guard Derrick Rose and forward/center Joakim Noah. By exercising the respective player options, both players will be under contract with the Bulls for the 2010-11 season.

Rose, appeared in 81 games (80 starts) last year en route to being selected the 2008-09 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year.  On the season, he averaged 16.8 ppg, a team-high 6.3 apg and 3.9 rpg in 37.0 mpg. The Chicago native shot .475 from the field and .788 from the free throw line.  He finished the 2008-09 campaign in the top three in several categories all-time among Bulls rookies, including total points (third with 1,361), scoring average (third) and assists (third with 512).  Rose was the first selection in NBA Draft 2008.

In two seasons with Chicago, Noah (6-11, 232) has appeared in 154 games (86 starts) and averaged 6.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.2 apg and 1.13 bpg in 22.5 mpg; he has shot .520 from the field and .684 from the line.  The Bulls selected Noah in the first round (ninth overall) in NBA Draft 2007.

Have Bulls opinions? Share them on the InsideHoops Chicago Bulls forum.

Ray Allen says he is in best shape of career

Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald reports:

When Ray Allen said he entered training camp in the best shape of his career, it was an attention-grabber.

After all, it’s tough to improve your condition when you have 4.5 percent body fat.

“I’m never out of shape, so I don’t really have to get back in shape,” Allen said. “But even getting quicker ahead of the game so when I came in here it was like I could just start getting stronger now and just focus on the small little things I needed to do to get back into basketball shape.”

Allen credits a more intensive running schedule this offseason for his improved conditioning. The difference between this summer and his first two with the Celtics [team stats] is that his ankles finally are healthy.

Lots of NBA players tend to declare things like this quite often, and whether it turns out to be true or not usually remains to be seen. But as is the case with all older players, Allen has to pace himself so that he’s healthy enough to stay atop his game for the entire post-season.

Kings exercise options on Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Donte Greene

The Sacramento Kings today exercised the fourth-year option on center Spencer Hawes and third–year options on forwards Jason Thompson and Donté Greene, it was announced by Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Hawes, currently in his third NBA season, was selected by Sacramento in the first round (10th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft as an undergraduate out of Washington. He has averaged 8.2 points (.464 FGs, .324 3FGs, .660 FTs), 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.90 blocks per game in 148 games over his first two seasons.

Thompson was selected by the Kings as a senior out of Rider (12th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft. He averaged 11.1 points (.497 FGs, .692 FTs), 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in 82 games in 2008-09, becoming just the second rookie in the Sacramento-era to play in all 82 contests.

Originally selected by Memphis in the first round (28th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft as an undergraduate out of Syracuse, Greene joined the Kings after being acquired in a trade with Houston last summer. He averaged 3.8 points (.326 FGs, .260 3FGs, .853 FTs) and 1.6 rebounds per game as a rookie in 2008-09.

Talk Kings basketball on the InsideHoops.com Sacramento Kings forum.

Utah Flash hire Mark Madsen as assistant coach

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports:

The Mad Dog is coming to Utah.

The really good news about Mark Madsen’s arrival in the Beehive State is that he’s coming to coach basketball, not to give dancing lessons.

Madsen, who became legendary for his funky championship-celebration gyrations after his Los Angeles Lakers won an NBA title earlier this decade, is joining the Utah Flash’s coaching staff this season.

The former NBA player, who most recently was with the Minnesota Timberwolves, announced on his personal Web site late Thursday night that he was invited to be an assistant on head coach Brad Jones’ staff this season. The Flash confirmed the hiring in a Friday morning press release.

“I am very excited about joining the Utah Flash organization,” Madsen said. “Not only for the opportunity to assist head coach Brad Jones and to learn the Utah Jazz system, but also to share my knowledge and experience with the players.”

The Flash are a cool D-League team. Their owner likes to make a bit of noise, in a good way. It’ll be fun to check on them once in a while just to see how Madsen adjusts and learns the new job.

Kings hire Bobby Jackson

Kings hire Bobby Jackson as 'Ambassador' and assistant

Former Sacramento Kings guard Bobby Jackson today announced his retirement from the NBA as a player to pursue a career with the Kings off the court. Jackson will serve as the first-ever Kings Ambassador, as well as assisting President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie in Sacramento’s scouting department.

“It’s a tough day for me because I’m retiring from professionally playing the game I love,” said Jackson. “But it’s also a happy day because I’m retiring on my own terms and I get to work in a city and for an organization and franchise that I’ve grown fond of. I’m eager to help get the community involved in supporting the Kings as well as assist the team in putting a good product on the court.”

As the team Ambassador, Jackson will represent the Kings throughout the Sacramento region, engaging with fans, promoting the team and making frequent appearances in the community to support the organization’s initiatives.

Jackson played six of his 12 NBA seasons with the Kings, averaging 10.6 points (44.0 FG%, 35.6 3pt%, 81.0 FT%), 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in 365 games with Sacramento. Drafted by the Seattle Sonics with the 23rd overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and then traded to Denver on the night of the Draft, Jackson played for six teams in his NBA career: Denver, (1997-98), Minnesota (1998-99 – 1999-00), Sacramento (2000-01 – 2004-05, 2008-09), Memphis (2005-06), New Orleans (2006-07 -2007-08), and Houston (2007-08). Jackson ranks fifth in three-pointers made (381) and sixth in attempted (1,070) in Kings franchise history. He also ranks 10th in steals (356) in the Sacramento era.

“Bobby has been one of our most beloved players with the Kings,” Petrie said. “And it’s very gratifying to see him retire as a King along with the fact that he’s going to go forward and join the organization is really exciting for all of us. I’m really looking forward to working with him in a different type of environment. I know he’ll bring the same attributes as he did on the court.”

Jackson averaged 9.7 points (41.7 FG%, 35.4 3pt%, 79.3 FT%), 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 755 career games. In eight of his 12 seasons, Jackson played in the NBA Playoffs and averaged 9.2 points (40.5 FG%, 27.0 3pt%, 80.7 FT%), 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 58 contests.

His best season came in 2002-03 when he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award after averaging a career-best 15.2 points (46.4 FG%, 37.9 3pt%, 84.6 FT%), 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 59 games. He became just the second point guard in league history to win the award, joining Orlando’s Darrell Armstrong (1999). Jackson tallied a career-best 31 points versus the Clippers on Nov. 29, 2002.

Jackson remains one of the most beloved players in Sacramento-era history for his efforts both on and off the court. He established the Bobby Jackson Foundation in February 2004, a community-based organization created in honor of his mother, Sarah, who passed away in January 2002 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Additionally, he serves as the local spokesman for the Sacramento affiliate Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in memory of his mother.

Talk Kings basketball on the InsideHoops.com Sacramento Kings forum.

NBA and National Basketball Referees Association enter new two-year agreement

The NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association announced today that they have entered into a new two-year labor agreement.  The agreement, which will cover the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, ends the lockout of referees that commenced on September 18.

“We are pleased to reach this agreement,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said.  “The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we’ll have the best referees in the world officiating our games.  We appreciate the job done by our replacement officials during the preseason.”

Per league policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed. InsideHoops.com will edit this page with more info over the weekend.

The NBA referees will begin a three-day training camp this weekend in order to prepare for the start of the regular season on Tuesday.