Pacers, Nuggets to play preseason game in Taipei (Taiwan)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced it will play its first-ever game in Taipei when the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers tip off at the Taipei Arena on October 8, 2009. The announcement took place today in Taipei with NBA Greater China CEO Tim Chen, Mayor of Taipei Hau Lung-bin, Minister of the Sports Affairs Council Tai Hsia Ling, and President of Chinese Taipei Basketball Association Wang Ren-Da. Taipei will become the seventh Asian city to host an NBA game, following Beijing, Guangzhou, Macao, Shanghai, Tokyo and Yokohama.

More info on the NBA game in Taipei.

Timberwolves keeping Al Jefferson

The Boston Globe (Marc Spears) reports via blog: An NBA source said today that Minnesota forward-center Al Jefferson is not being traded to the Suns with the sixth overall pick for Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire. An NBA executive told The Globe on Wednesday that the teams discussed the trade. But another source acknowledged the discussion, but also said the Suns were quickly turned down.

Timberwolves part ways with Kevin McHale

Minnesota Timberwolves part ways with Kevin McHale

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the organization is parting ways with long-time basketball executive/head coach Kevin McHale. The NBA Hall of Famer spent 16 seasons with the Timberwolves organization in several different capacities, including VP of Basketball Operations and head coach.

“I would like to thank Kevin McHale for his many years of service to the Timberwolves organization,” said Wolves owner Glen Taylor. “When we hired David Kahn as our President of Basketball Operations, I gave him my full support to make an evaluation and decision regarding our coaching situation. I know that David made a careful analysis and this decision was made with the best interests of the Minnesota Timberwolves in mind. I will be forever grateful for the work Kevin did in returning to his home state and assembling a team that made eight straight playoff appearances. Kevin brought an enormous amount of basketball talent and passion to our organization and I wish him nothing but the best.”

“I have the deepest respect for Kevin McHale and his many accomplishments as a player, basketball executive and basketball coach — especially those that have occurred in the State of Minnesota,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn. “Under Kevin’s leadership, the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals once and were a perennial playoff team for a number of years.

“I did not know Kevin McHale until I took this job and can tell you that he is an even better person than most understand. He is warm, bright, upbeat and relentlessly optimistic. He cares about making players the best they can be. Because of those qualities, I thought long and hard with him about whether we could create an environment where he and the team could succeed next season with him as head coach.

“We will have a team in transition for the next few years as we build through the draft, trades and free agency. Because of the changes that have already occurred and are likely forthcoming, I believed it would have been difficult for everybody involved to put Kevin in this position.

“I hope people will join me in recognizing the many successes Kevin had in building the Timberwolves.”

McHale began with the Wolves in 1993 after a storied career with the Boston Celtics, where he averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds over his 13-year career. McHale helped lead the Celtics to NBA titles in 1980, 1984 and 1986. With the Wolves, McHale moved from special assistant in 1993-94 to assistant general manager in 1994-95 to VP of Basketball Operations in 1995-96. This past season, McHale relinquished this role to take over the head coaching duties on Dec. 8, 2008. During McHale’s 14 seasons as VP of Basketball Operations/head coach the Wolves compiled a 527-526 record, made eight straight playoff appearances and played in the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Reggie Evans brings toughness to Raptors

Reggie Evans brings toughness to Raptors

The Toronto Star (Doug Smith) reports: “The only way you’re going to succeed in this game is certain people have to bring certain things to the table,” Reggie Evans said yesterday after taking his physical at the Air Canada Centre, the final step to completing the deal for Jason Kapono. “Like Chris Bosh: We look to him to get buckets, rebounds, that’s what he (does). Everybody has their different roles on a team, mine are to rebound and play some of the tougher guys at my position. “I have fun doing that, I don’t mind doing that, I love doing that. It’s a perfect fit … it’s going to be fun.” And pity the lazy Raptor who takes things lightly. “If I feel like something ain’t right, I’m not going to look at a coach and (say), `Coach, can you tell him?'” Evans said during a brief session with the media. “I’ll voice it myself.

Kevin Love writes that Kevin McHale is out as Timberwolves coach

According to Kevin Love via his Twitter account, Kevin McHale will not be back as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

UPDATE: He’s officially gone from the team. Read: Timberwolves part ways with Kevin McHale.

“Today is a sad day…Kevin McHale will NOT be back as head coach next season,” said Minnesota’s power forward publically via the internet.

The young Wolves are rebuilding and feature prized young forward/center Al Jefferson and Love, who improved nicely during his rookie season.

The rest of the roster may or may not be around long-term. Randy Foye showed legit skills in 2008-09 and despite subpar shooting he had a nice season. Mike Miller was disappointing. Ryan Gomes and Craig Smith are solid. But there’s lots of building to be done.

Raptors extend qualifying offer to Carlos Delfino

Raptors extend qualifying offer to Carlos Delfino

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent guard-forward Carlos Delfino. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favour of the NBA team for which the player last played.

Delfino played last season in Russia with BC Khimky Moscow in the Russia-A Superleague. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 23.2 minutes in 26 games. He had a season-high 25 points against Krasnoyarsk. He also appeared in 10 Eurocup outings, averaging 13.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 minutes. He scored in double figures in eight games with a high of 19 points against Benetton.

The Raptors acquired Delfino from the Detroit Pistons on June 15, 2007 in exchange for a second-round pick in 2009 and 2010. He appeared in all 82 games in his lone season with the Raptors (2007-08), averaging 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. He set career highs in points (738), rebounds (359), three-point field goals made (40) and attempted (123), free throws made (116) and attempted (156) and minutes (1928). He paced the reserves in scoring a team-best 31 times and scored in double figures a career-high 32 times, with five games of 20 or more points.

A first-round pick by Detroit (25th overall) in 2003, Delfino has averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 282 regular season NBA games. He also played four seasons in Italy, two with Reggio Calabria (2000-02) and two with Skipper Bologna (2002-04). He has won an Olympic gold medal (2004) and a bronze medal (2008) as a member of the Argentina National Team.

2009 early entry list is official

Fifty-five players who had declared as early entry candidates for the 2009 NBA Draft have withdrawn. There are 39 collegiate and 10 international prospects that remain early entry candidates.

The 2009 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 25 at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Here is the offiical 2009 NBA Draft early entry underclassmen list, including those who stayed in as well as those who withdrew.

76ers guard Royal Ivey declines player option

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that Royal Ivey has declined the player option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Ivey (6-4, 215) signed as a free agent with Philadelphia on July 28, 2008.  He appeared in 71 games off the bench for the Sixers last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.  For the season, Ivey had 36 steals to just 23 turnovers, posting the sixth-highest steal-to-turnover ratio (1.57) of any player in the league.

Bill Laimbeer quits Detroit Shock; Rick Mahorn named head coach

Tom Wilson, President and CEO of the Detroit Shock and Palace Sports and Entertainment, announced today that Bill Laimbeer has resigned from his duties as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock. In a related move, Wilson announced that effective immediately, Rick Mahorn has been promoted to head coach and Cheryl Reeve has been promoted to assistant coach/general manager.

“It’s disappointing that Bill has decided to step down as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock,” said Wilson. “But at the same time, Bill led the Shock to three WNBA Championships and a league-record 27 postseason victories during his seven-year tenure. We thank him for his guidance and dedication to the franchise and our organization.”

Laimbeer’s three WNBA titles (2003, 2006, 2008) are one shy of the WNBA record held by Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor, who guided the Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles in league history (1997-2000).

In his first full season as head coach, Laimbeer orchestrated a historic worst-to-first turnaround, for which he was named 2003 WNBA Coach of the Year. The Shock, 9-23 a year earlier, won a league-best 25 games and the 16-game turnaround was the largest in WNBA history.

In addition to three WNBA titles during his tenure, the Shock won four Eastern Conference Championships (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008), amassed a regular-season record of 137-92 (.598) in 229 WNBA games and won a WNBA record 10 WNBA Finals games. Laimbeer’s six consecutive playoff appearances rank second all-time in WNBA history and his 137 victories rank fifth in league history.

As a general manager, Laimbeer is credited with the drafting of 2003 WNBA Rookie of the Year Cheryl Ford, acquiring 2003 WNBA Finals MVP Ruth Riley in the 2003 WNBA dispersal draft and the acquisitions of 2008 WNBA Finals MVP Katie Smith and 2007 Sixth Woman of the Year Plenette Pierson.

Hedo Turkoglu plans to opt out of Magic contract

The Orlando Sentinel (Brian Schmitz) reports: The agent for Hedo Turkoglu told the Sentinel on Monday that the Orlando Magic small forward will opt out of his contract and become a free agent in two weeks. “It would make sense for him to opt out,” Lon Babby, Turkoglu’s agent said by phone. “I can’t imagine a scenario in which he would not.” The Magic, fresh off an appearance in the NBA Finals, will be challenged to keep their core group together with Turkoglu and center Marcin Gortat testing the free-agent waters. The Magic already have tied up Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson to large, long-term deals… Turkoglu is scheduled to make $7.3 million next season in the final year of a six-year, $36 million deal.