Charles Jenkins signs in Italy

Here’s Eurocupbasketball.com reporting on a name NBA fans will recognize:

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan bolstered its backcourt by signing shooting guard Charles Jenkins on Wednesday. Jenkins (1.91 meters, 26 years old) spent the past two seasons with Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, and helped the club reach Euroleague Top 16 and win the domestic triple crown – Serbian League, Serbian Radivoj Korac Cup and Adriatic League last season with a key role coming off the bench. He also led Zvezda to the Eurocup semifinals in the 2013-14 season. He averaged 6.6 points, 1.3 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 24 Euroleague games last season.

One way NBA playoff seeding may change

NBA playoff seedings might change. Maybe. Here’s a possibility.

Here’s the Dallas Morning News blog reporting on a possible change to NBA playoff seedings. Many suggestions have been made as to improve the postseason seeding system. The current setup works fine. The playoffs are awesome. But there are definitely some possible tweaks that make sense, and what’s mentioned below is one of them.

A subtle, but significant, change to the NBA playoff seedings is being considered by the league’s competition committee.

It could have a positive impact on the Dallas Mavericks and everybody else in the ultra-tough Southwest Division.

League officials are considering seeding teams one-through-eight in each conference for the playoffs without regard for division winners being placed no lower than fourth, sources said.

While this would devalue winning a division, it could make a difference for teams in the Southwest Division. All five teams made the playoffs in the Southwest last season.

Pelicans president says ticket sales are rising

There’s good news in New Orleans. Anthony Davis recently agreed to a massive contract extension. The team has potential. And fans are on board with it all. Here’s the New Orleans Times Picayune reporting:

Last season the New Orleans Pelicans ranked 24th in the NBA in attendance, which included 24 sellouts announced by the franchise.

Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha said during Tuesday night’s conference call with season-ticket holders that they are on track to do much better next season.

”We’re very pleased and happy to say that we’re now in the top three in the NBA in new tickets sales for the season, Lauscha said. ”We’ve had the highest renewal rate in the history of the franchise, well over 90 percent.”

Lauscha also said they have 55-percent increase for deposits on group tickets than they had at the same time last year.

P.J. Hairston cited for driving violations

Here’s the Charlotte Obsever reporting now on an incident back in June:

P.J. Hairston cited for driving with revoked license

For a third consecutive summer, Hornets guard P.J. Hairston is facing legal trouble.

Hairston was cited around noon on June 18 for driving with a revoked license, speeding, driving left of center and driving on expired tags.

According to the citation, Hairston’s 2015 black Cadillac Escalade was traveling at 51 mph in a 35 mph zone on Toddville Road heading toward Freedom Drive. The tags were expired and his vehicle went more than half its width over the double yellow line for 25-30 yards, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer N.S. Bush in his report.

Report: Clippers trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to reverse decision to sign with Mavs

For now, we will assume DeAndre Jordan will still sign with the Mavericks

Here’s ESPN.com reporting something pretty surprising. Let’s see if this thing actually materializes:

Report: Clippers trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to reverse decision to sign with Mavs

The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to persuade DeAndre Jordan to reconsider his decision to sign with the Mavericks after Jordan verbally committed to join Dallas last week, according to league sources.

Free agents are traditionally considered off-limits once they strike a verbal agreement with a team during the NBA’s annual moratorium period. Sources, though, said Clippers president Doc Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer have scheduled a meeting Wednesday in Houston to make one last face-to-face pitch to Jordan in an attempt to persuade him to walk away from the four-year, $80-plus million max deal he committed to with the Mavericks and instead stay with L.A.

Warriors: Kevon Looney signs rookie contract

warriors rookie kevon looney signs contract

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Kevon Looney (keh-VON LOO-nee) to a contract, the team announced today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract, assuming they want to enter the league right away. Therefore, this was a standard signing, and was expected.

Looney, 19, was selected 30th overall by the Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He tallied averages of 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds (second in the Pac-12), 1.4 assists and 1.28 steals in 30.9 minutes over 36 games as a freshman at UCLA during the 2014-15 campaign, earning Second Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team accolades. Looney (6’9”, 220) led all freshmen in the nation with 15 double-doubles, setting career-highs with 27 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Stanford on Jan. 8 en route to Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Looney is scheduled to make his professional debut with the Golden State Warriors Summer League squad in Las Vegas on Friday, July 10 in an NBA Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors, who will tip-off their 10th summer at the annual event in Las Vegas, will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, July 12 (5:30 p.m.) and the Sacramento Kings on Monday, July 13 (3:30 p.m.) before playing at least two more games in the Summer League Tournament.

Jazz sign rookie Trey Lyles

trey lyles

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed 2015 first-round draft pick forward Trey Lyles (12th overall).

Players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract if they want to come to the league right away. So, this signing is standard — though, it came later than expected. 

Lyles spent one season at the University of Kentucky. As a freshman, the 19-year-old forward was named to the 2015 All-SEC Freshman Team and helped lead the Wildcats to a 2015 NCAA Final Four appearance.

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, the 6-10, 241-pound Lyles averaged 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 36 contests during his sole season at Kentucky. As a high school senior, Lyles was named 2014 Indiana Mr. Basketball and the 2014 Gatorade Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In addition, he participated in the 2014 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. Lyles has also played internationally for both Canada and the United States.

Lyles will wear jersey No. 41 for the Jazz.

Mark Cuban fined for free agency comments

Look. Maverick owner Mark Cuban gets fined by the NBA for saying what they feel is the wrong thing sometimes. It happens. Here is ESPN.com reporting:

The NBA has fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $25,000 for publicly confirming the team’s upcoming free-agent deals with DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, league spokesman Tim Frank said Tuesday, confirming an ESPN.com report.

Mark Cuban addressed the Mavericks’ agreements with DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews during interviews last week. Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
Sources said the Mavericks were informed of the fine Tuesday.

Teams and players are allowed to strike verbal agreements on new contracts during the league’s annual moratorium period in early July while the league’s salary cap and luxury tax figures are being calculated for the coming season, but team officials are not allowed to openly discuss those deals.

Bulls hire Randy Brown and Charlie Henry as assistant coaches

bulls

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Randy Brown and Charlie Henry have been hired as assistant coaches, while Mike Wilhelm will be retained as an assistant coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

Brown, 47, has spent the last six seasons with the Bulls as assistant general manager (2013-15), special assistant to the general manager (2010-13) and director of player development (2009-10). Prior to his return to Chicago, Brown spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. Originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (31st overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft, Brown played 12 seasons and was a member of three NBA Championship teams with the Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), including the 1996 team that won an NBA-record 72 games during the regular season.

Henry, 29, spent the last three seasons at Iowa State University as an assistant coach (2014-15), director of player development (2013-14) and graduate assistant (2012-13). A native of Canton, Mich., he spent the 2011-12 campaign with the Indiana Pacers as a video intern and the 2010-11 season as a graduate manager at the University of Utah. Henry graduated from Madonna University in Livonia, Mich., where he was a four-year member of the basketball team.

Wilhelm, 49, returns for his 14th season with the Bulls as an assistant coach. Prior to joining the Bulls, Wilhelm spent the 2001-02 season as a regional advance scout for the Denver Nuggets. He entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1993-94 season as the team’s video coordinator, and in 1999 he became the team’s advance scout.

Brown, Henry and Wilhelm join associate head coach Jim Boylen and assistant coach Pete Myers to round out Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

Warriors arena project update

Warriors arena project update

The Golden State Warriors have named Stephen Collins Chief Operating Officer of GSW Arena LLC. Collins will oversee all operations as it relates to the Warriors state-of-the-art sports and entertainment center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood set to open in 2018, reporting to Warriors President & Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts.

“Steve brings over 20 years of experience in operations and event management with the top venues in the industry, having served most recently in a similar position with Madison Square Garden in New York,” said Welts. “The addition of Steve to our project team in such a key role is another demonstration of our commitment to build and operate a world-class sports and entertainment arena in San Francisco.”

Collins joins the Warriors most recently from Madison Square Garden, where he was Executive Vice President of Facilities, overseeing operations for all MSG properties including Madison Square Garden Arena, Radio City Music Hall, the Los Angeles Forum, the Beacon Theater and the Chicago Theater. Collins managed the $1 billion renovation of Madison Square Garden arena, as well as the $120 million renovation of the LA Forum. In addition, he was responsible for all facility operations including food and beverage, event production and operations, merchandising, guest services, security, finance, legal, human resources and construction.

“I am honored to be joining not only a NBA Championship Team, but also an all-around first class organization,” said Collins. “The opportunity to manage the Warriors’ new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment center in San Francisco is an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to bringing the vision Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have for this remarkable project to reality.”

Prior to Madison Square Garden, Collins led operations for Giants Stadium and Meadowlands Arena for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. During his role with Giants Stadium, Collins was responsible for overseeing event management, physical plant, capital projects, and the practice facility. While with Meadowlands Arena, Collins ran event management and operations for nearly a decade.

Collins graduated from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with a degree in Business.