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Wednesday, October 21

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Adrian Wojnarowski: LaMarcus Aldridge has agreed to a five year extension worth approximately $70 million with Portland, a league source tells Y! Sports. Twitter.com

Jason Quick was on Wheels at Work on 95.5 The Game Wednesday afternoon to break the news of the Blazers' final roster spot going to injured rookie point guard Patty Mills. The Blazers will waive Ime Udoka and Jarron Collins Thursday. Oregonian

Jarron Collins, reported Quick, is headed to the Phoenix Suns. BlazersEdge.com

With 10 days to go before the deadline, Rondo’s agent said he is not in discussions with the C’s. Perhaps they will reconnect and work out a contract extension before Oct. 31; maybe they will not, and Rondo will become a restricted free agent next summer. Boston Herald

“I have no idea whether we’ll get something done [by the deadline],” Rondo said from the visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden. “It’s not something I’m worried about. It’s just not a big deal right now. Of course, I’d like to get it done, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.’’ ESPN.com

“My agent’s got a certain number in mind and if they don’t reach that, we’ll just wait,’’ he said. “I feel like if we win another title, obviously that helps my chances [of getting more money].’’ ESPN.com

Rondo said Tuesday that he never confronted the Celtics on the trade talk and added that his relationship with Rivers is fine. “If you ask Doc, I don’t think he had a problem with me,’’ Rondo said. “With him being a former point guard and me being a point guard, of course, we’re not going to see eye to eye all the time. But I think people blew that situation up. It’s just like at [the University of ] Kentucky, when people said I had a problem with [coach] Tubby Smith -- but I never did.’’ ESPN.com

As it relates to the here and now and the season ahead, Rivers is unconcerned. “I don’t care about that,” the coach said. “I really don’t. That’ll be something that’ll be handled. I’m not concerned about it. I’ve talked very little to him about it. We’ve discussed it a little, but you can tell in his play that he’s fine. . . . It’d be better for all of us to get a new 10-year deal, but, having said that, I don’t think it’ll affect his play. I thought last year that may have been more of an issue. I think this year we’re good.” ESPN.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: Doc Rivers sounds determined to keep Mike Sweetney. Celts plan had been to help him lose more weight and hope he could contribute by midyear. Twitter.com

Rush, who came to camp as a free agent, said before the exhibition against Tel Aviv that Dunleavy told him he would be sticking around. The Clippers, who were deciding whether to carry 14 or 15 players, could have waited until Thursday morning to make a decision but wanted to let Rush know the news earlier so he wouldn't find himself pressing against Maccabi. Los Angeles Times

Adelman said he would meet with general manager Daryl Morey on Tuesday to begin considering roster decisions. Not including Brent Barry, who will be dealt or released, the Rockets must trim three players from the roster. “He's done what we hoped he will do,” Adelman said of Mensah-Bonsu. “He's strong around the basket. He's been aggressive. He's got to be consistent in the way he plays. His strengths are around the basket, so in our stuff, he has to roll hard, he has to establish himself inside, he has to use his quickness and his athleticism to get shots. “And he's got to run the floor. That's one thing he can do, run the floor and get easy opportunities on the run.” Houston Chronicle

Sekou Smith: Mario West and Courtney Sims are gone. Cut this morning. Othello Hunter and Garrett Siler are the only two free agents left in Hawks camp. Twitter.com

This morning, the 76ers waived shooting guard Dionte Christmas and forward Brandon Bowman. Philadelphia Inquirer

The Lakers trimmed their roster by one today by letting go of Thomas Kelati, a former Washington State guard. Kelati played last season in Spain and also played two seasons in Poland. Los Angeles Times

The Sacramento Kings have have requested waivers for center-forward Melvin Ely and guard Lanny Smith, the team said Wednesday. KCRA.com

The Detroit Pistons have waived reserve forward Maceo Baston, a move that was expected to happen at some point before the start of the regular season next week. Pistons president Joe Dumars announced the decision in a press release Wednesday afternoon. Booth Newspapers

In the event James "Flight'' White gets cut by Denver, he's not planning on any flights back to the D-League. "I would probably go overseas,'' said White, a forward who averaged 25.9 points last season for the Anaheim Arsenal. "I'm not going back to the D-League. It's more financially. It's a not a good thing (financially). If I haven't proven myself from the D-League and (an NBA) team doesn't like me from being in the D-League last year, I don't think I can improve my status from the D-League. I played great last year in the D-League, and did all I can do. My best bet is to go overseas.'' FanHouse

Hughes said he hoped to play more this preseason. Team sources wonder if Hughes' game fits D'Antoni's free-wheeling style. Hughes seems to play better in a more structured offense. "Coming over in the middle of the season, going through training camp and going through a preseason, this was the time I wanted to get a better grasp of the system and style," Hughes told The Post. "That's what I was focused on. It hasn't worked out that way. I'm still new to the system, still trying to figure out the ins and outs. I'm still kind of behind from how I normally know things as far as play calls." New York Post

“We just looked like we hadn’t seen each other today,” Brandon Roy said. “It’s almost like a quarterback playing with a receiver he’s never played with before. But we just have to keep working and hope guys get healthy because we have one more game before the real test.” Salt Lake Tribune

More Roy: “Our defense was just terrible today. There’s no excuse on how we played defense. Offensively, we struggled but on the defensive end they were just getting easy baskets. Deron Williams was getting in the paint. I guess we have to watch the film to see why he was there all night. It seemed like a new team versus a team that had played together for years.” Salt Lake Tribune

Bulls guard Derrick Rose began doing cutting drills on Wednesday and said he expects to play in the regular-season opener on Oct. 29. "I'll be playing, no doubt in my mind, I want to play," Rose said Wednesday when asked if he'll face the San Antonio Spurs. "The trainers have been saying I'm looking good, running better every day. "It's a little sore, but I'll be fine." ESPN.com

Patrick Ewing stands a better chance of suiting up for the Knicks next week in Miami than Eddy Curry. Curry, the team's out-of-shape center who was banished from practicing with his teammates two weeks ago, must meet a certain weight before he will be allowed to rejoin the Knicks. According to a source close to the team, Garden Chairman James Dolan was involved in the decision to keep Curry away from the Knicks until he improved his conditioning. New York Daily News

The Knicks could conceivably pick a fight with the Players Association to void the last year of Curry's contract. However, it is doubtful that the Knicks would explore that option for several reasons. For one, Walsh believes Curry can salvage his career. Plus, the Knicks probably don't want to pick a fight with Curry's agent, Leon Rose, who also happens to represent LeBron James. New York Daily News

Minnesota star center Al Jefferson missed Tuesday night's 129-100 preseason loss to Denver at the Pepsi Center. But Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis said the primary reason was Jefferson being under the weather rather than the sore left Achilles that kept him out of practice Monday. "Yes, he would of if this was an important game,'' Rambis said when asked if Jefferson would have been able to play Tuesday had he not taken ill and been left at the team hotel in Denver. FanHouse

Rambis said there's a good chance Jefferson, whose health is being watched carefully after he was lost for the season last February due to a torn right ACL, will be play again in the preseason. The Timberwolves close with games Thursday at Detroit and Friday against Toronto in Sioux Falls, S.D. "I anticipate yes, but I don't know how sick he is or how sick he will become,'' said Rambis, whose Timberwolves got 23 points Tuesday from guard Corey Brewer while forward Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 24. FanHouse

Raptors forward Antoine Wright is a malingerer and he will tell you as much. The fifth-year veteran swingman intends to parlay his tender knee into the excuse that will keep him from participating in the interminable exercise known as the NBA pre-season. “I am going to milk this injury until the first game,” a smiling Wright joked after practice Wednesday. “I don’t plan on playing in the pre-season at all.” National Post

Orlando Magic center Adonal Foyle underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning on his sore right knee. Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Foyle had the operation and said it's unlikely that the team will sign another player to take Foyle's spot on the roster. Foyle hasn't played in any of the Magic's six preseason games because of the knee soreness and had participated in only a handful of practices. Orlando Sentinel

The Orlando Magic are taking advantage of a new NBA rule allowing companies to purchase space on the jerseys players wear in practice. The Magic announced Wednesday that they have partnered with Amway. The Michigan-based direct selling company will have its logo on the upper-right side of the team's practice jerseys. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. AP

NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo has joined with Taco Bell and the NBA to help raise awareness and funds for the World Hunger Relief Movement. During his time in the NBA, Mutombo was known as a defensive beast, but worldwide he is known not for his basketball prowess, but for his charitable efforts. Mutombo has won countless awards for his humanitarian efforts and with his addition to the World Hunger Relief Movement, the effort to raise awareness and money is sure to be successful. JockLife

Over the weekend, there was an item in the New York Post suggesting the Cavs may have some interest in free-agent point guard Jamaal Tinsley. It was plausible, Tinsley is one of the most talented players without a job and had a good relationship with Brown when both were members of the Indiana Pacers. Plus the Cavs have a roster spot for another guard. However, according to two sources, the team has not been in contact with Tinsley as of this week. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brown said the Cavs intend to keep 15 players, which means five players are fighting for two spots. Final cuts must be done by Thursday. The signs point to Jawad Williams winning a roster spot for a second consecutive season. It appears the tough call will come down to guards Coby Karl and Andre Barrett with Russell Robinson as a decided long-shot. Barring injury, Brown said forward Darryl Watkins would have a hard time making the roster. Cleveland Plain Dealer

The preseason schedule ends Wednesday night and Marcus Landry knows the clock is ticking. The final rosters are due Monday and the Knicks have three players vying for two spots. And two of those three players, Joe Crawford and Chris Hunter, have partially guaranteed deals. Landry, an undrafted rookie, had to pay his own way to New York in September just to get into the scrimmages at the MSG Training Center. It earned him an invite to camp and the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday, decided to keep him around after the post-camp cuts. "If there's a spot open," Landry said, "it's a spot I'm going to get." Newsday

Until Tuesday, the Heat did not have a single player definitively under contract for 2010-11. Now there are two. Working in advance of the league's Oct. 31 deadline for such moves, the Heat on Tuesday picked up the 2010-11 rookie-scale options on the contracts of 2008 first-round pick Michael Beasley and 2007 first-round pick Daequan Cook. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Heat reduced its roster to 16, one above the regular-season maximum, by waiving forward Anthony Tolliver. Rosters must be trimmed to 15 by 6 p.m. Monday. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Timberwolves attempted to solve some depth issues with their front line Tuesday by acquiring 6-foot-10 forward Nathan Jawai in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. Jawai, a native of Sydney, Australia, comes to the Wolves after forward Kevin Love was lost for six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. Love underwent surgery Tuesday in New York. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Basketball Australia chief executive Larry Sengstock says Jawai was unhappy with the opportunities available to him at the Mavericks. "They had players in his position already in front of him so that makes it difficult for him to break in," he said. "Going to Minnesota gives him a real opportunity to get some game time and really develop his game further and develop his wares." ABC

Following the Suns preseason win over the Kings they announced that they had released guard Dan Dickau and forward Carlos Powell. Both players had played in five preseason games with the Suns. Powell got the starting nod in one of the games. Sports 620 KTAR

Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks had some interesting things to say about Celtics captain Paul Pierce Tuesday in a radio interview on Atlanta’s 790 The Zone. Recalling the teams’ intense, seven-game, first-round playoff series in 2008, Horford said Pierce was so confident that, during some trash-talking on the court, Pierce bet Horford $10,000 that the Celtics would sweep. “I haven’t talked to him [since the series], but I know he owes me money,” Horford said. “Marvin [Williams] was a witness. We were at the free throw line and he was telling me that they were going to sweep us and all this and, you know, we bet and I never got anything.” WEEI

Williams also took part in Tuesday’s interview and backed up his teammate’s accusation. “He bet ten thousand we wouldn’t win a game,” Williams stated. Later in the interview, Horford and Williams claimed that they were not holding a grudge. “I’m not mad at him at all,” Horford said. “You know, I mean, he’s a competitor like you said and, you know, he wants to win. He’s a good player, so, I mean, it’s fine for him to talk. He’s a vet.” WEEI

Stephen Jackson sat out the final 10:32 after he strained his right hamstring, but that didn't diminish the show he and Kobe Bryant put on for the first three quarters. "That's fun. He's one of the best, if not the best player in the league, and to compete with him is something I look forward to," Jackson said. "I'm a competitor, and who better to compete against than Kobe?" Bryant had 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Jackson countered with 15 points and 10 assists. They played physically, but there was no carry-over from Jackson's comments last week, when he said he's "not a fan of Kobe" and that he's "as good as him." "I let my play do the talking," Bryant said. San Francisco Chronicle

Bryant scored with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, glaring directly at Jackson after one bucket and shaking his head at him as he back pedaled down court after another. "He always finds a reason," Artest said "'You looked at me the wrong way. Alright I'm giving you 40. You don't want to say my last name. Alright I'm giving you 40.' He's unbelievable.'" Riverside Press-Enterprise

Not even the Lakers are immune to Southland traffic. They arrived only 39 minutes before tipoff in Tuesday's exhibition because of a traffic snarl caused mainly by a brush fire near the Pomona Freeway. It didn't leave much time to get ready, though it didn't really matter on this night. The Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors for a third time in exhibition play, 113-107, at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. It took the Lakers 2 1/2 hours to travel 60 miles on a charter bus, their journey from the 105 to the 605 to the 60 freeways not exactly going as planned. "I think we'll take a helicopter next time," Coach Phil Jackson said. Los Angeles Times

Jonathan Abrams: No Larry Hughes in first half for Knicks. He's vowed to stay quiet about pt. But this could turn into a Stephon-like situation. Twitter.com

Perhaps the most impressive moment in his night didn't involve a rainbow three or a drive that drew a foul. It came when he was being guarded by Paul Pierce, master elbow-room maker, and Gallo dug his elbow into Pierce's chest to clear some space. As Gallinari rose up for his shot, Pierce patted Gallinari's chest in response to the 'bow. It was like Boba Fett nodding to a fellow bounty hunter. "He likes the physical game, I like the physical game," Gallinari said after his 18 point performance, by far the best he's looked all preseason. "I think that's what Boston basketball is all about. I like that." Newsday

At the heart of the Blazers' struggles is on-court chemistry -- there is none. The molding of new talent (namely free-agent pickups Andre Miller and Juwan Howard and the return of Martell Webster) with last season's key players has not gone smoothly. Oregonian

Chemistry? Brandon Roy likened the team's cohesion to a quarterback playing with a new receiver for the first time. "We just look like we've never seen each other today," Roy said. "Guys were making turnovers and looking at each other like, 'Why weren't you there?' I don't know." Why have the Blazers' chemistry taking so long to develop? "It's a good question," Joel Przybilla said. Oregonian

It would have been a great opportunity for the Wizards to capitalize and close out with a last-second shot -- but McGee didn't stop dribbling. He sprinted the length of the court, neglecting the guards on the floor and deciding that the time was ripe for a game-capping highlight dunk. McGee took off, some 10, 12 feet from the basket and whiffed badly at the layup. He cried for a foul afterward, grabbing his arm to explain what happened to a referee. McGee said he learned a lesson from the experience. "I was thinking about dunking, but when I was going up, he smacked my arm like five times. I said okay, 'Foul.' They didn't call it. I was like, 'Man.' I definitely felt I should've held on to it. but I got to halfcourt and I waited and it opened up. I just kept going. "We was supposed to run a play," Young explained, as McGee listened in the background. "It was like he had the devil and an angel on his shoulders. He tried to stop, but the devil told him, 'Keep going.' That's what happened." Washington Post

"Playing with Shaq is a completely different thing," says Parker. "I think Shaq is the most dominant player to ever play the game. The referees always talk about how hard it is to officiate him, and how it's different from any other player. Chris Bosh is definitely up and coming; he's still young. He's one of the top players in the league and I'll be excited to see where his career goes from here, even though I won't be his teammate any more." HoopsWorld

Boris Diaw is WAY off, both in conditioning and timing. He had two assists and five turnovers Tuesday. That will change. You want Diaw on this team, particularly with how poorly they move the ball in his absence. Charlotte Observer

If Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Raja Bell has wrist surgery -- a strong possibility -- his season is all but over. Bell has a torn ligament in his left wrist, and is seeking a second opinion from a Chicago hand specialist. Bell's choices are to have surgery -- a choice that could cost him the next four months -- or to attempt recovery through rest and non-surgical treatment. Charlotte Observer

In addition to improving to 4-3 in the preseason, the Wizards had to be encouraged with the progress of Antawn Jamison, who started lifting weights for the first time before the game. Jamison suffered a shoulder subluxation last Wednesday in Cleveland and said he is slowly recovering the range of motion in his shoulder. "Yeah, I've got my range of motion and can lift and things of that nature. Basketball-wise, the [medical and training staff] won't let me do any of that. But strength is up, and they're impressed as far as how fast I've been able to heal and how strong the shoulder is. Right now, it's me being patient as far as going along with the plan." I asked if he's been able to shoot and Jamsion said, "They wont let me shoot at all. You know I want to. They said wait." Washington Post

Al Jefferson isn’t at Pepsi Center for tonight’s game against the Nuggets, but Kurt Rambis said his absence is because Jefferson isn’t feeling well — cold/flu-like symptoms — rather than that Achilles tendon issue. With Kevin Love recovering in New York City from today’s successful hand surgery and Jefferson at the team’s hotel, Rambis started Oleksiy Pecherov at the “center” position with Ryan Gomes and Damien Wilkins in the frontcourt, Flynn and Brewer in the backcourt. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez is expected to sit out the remainder of the preseason, according to coach Nate McMillan. The second-year guard, who is dealing with back spasms, has only played in three of the Blazers' six preseason games. He is averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 13.3 minutes per contest. "Rudy, I would say, is out for the remainder of preseason," McMillan said before the start of Tuesday's game against the Utah Jazz at the Rose Garden. Columbian

Eddy Curry, who hasn't practiced with the team since he injured his calf on the first day of training camp, is not expected to play Wednesday night, which means he will have missed the entire preseason. The absence is not because of the injury but a team-ordered exile with trainers until he is in physical condition to handle full-court basketball. Newsday

The Jazz still have received no indication whatsoever that veteran forward Matt Harpring plans to play again. Harpring, due to make $6.5 million this season, remains at home in Atlanta with chronic knee and ankle injuries that likely have prematurely ended his NBA career. "Status quo," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said Tuesday. "Again, my assumption is just wait and see where he's at — and there comes a point in time when, probably, physically he will have to make a decision." Deseret News

Brian Scalabrine sprained his right ankle in the last minute of tonight’s 108-103 preseason loss to the Knicks and will head back to Boston while the Celtics move on to Columbus. Scalabrine stepped on a cameraman after going for a rebound. He was upset, believing he was beyond the established line for camera positions. Boston Herald

Defending champion Spain is planning to have its best players for next year's World Championships in Turkey. The nation's top point guard is recommending that the Americans do the same. "I think they've got to do that,'' Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors told FanHouse. "You cannot just play for the Olympics. I think that, if you want to be on the team, you've got to be in all the good tournaments, and that is a good tournament.'' FanHouse

Calderon has yet to talk to Bosh, his Raptors teammate, about the Worlds. But Bosh agrees with Calderon that the Americans likely have to send a top team to win. "We have to,'' Bosh said. "You have to send your best players.'' FanHouse

"It's important (for Team USA to have its best players), but they've got to take care of what they've got to take care of,'' Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, who already has committed to the Worlds, said about James, Wade and Bosh. "You don't really know what's going to happen with their free agency, and you've got to take care of your own first.'' FanHouse

While certain newcomers like rookie Jonas Jerebko have caught his eye, he has been doubly impressed with the passion new coach John Kuester has brought to training camp. "I love his enthusiasm for the job," Dumars said Tuesday. "I think every player would tell you that's kind of defining who he is as a coach right now. "His enjoyment of being the head coach is really refreshing to see. Someone embracing being the head coach the way he is ... it's been refreshing to see him walk out here and watch him work every day." Detroit Free Press

An agreement in principle was reached in New York on Tuesday between the league and its veteran referees on a new two-year contract that will end the lockout of the NBA's 57 regular officials and get them on the court in time for next week's regular season opener, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. NBA.com

The agreement came after the referee's union indicated to the league that if it would accept the officials' latest proposal, the union's five-member executive board would recommend to the rank and file to ratify the deal, and that the union could assure broad support among the membership, the source said. The NBA agreed. The executive board will recommend passage of the new contract on Friday in a meeting of the officials in New Jersey, with the expectation of approval that would lead to all referees reporting to a brief camp on Saturday before the start of games a week from today. "I think it's great," players' association director Billy Hunter said. "We'd welcome them back." NBA.com

The two sides had already agreed to freeze officials' salaries for the 2009-10 season at their current levels, with a small increase for the 2010-11 season, along with cuts in the referees' per diem payments and travel budget. The union asked for a two-year deal instead of the usual five-year deal so that it might be able to get back some of its givebacks quicker if the economy brightens in the next 48 months. NBA.com

News Tuesday that negotiators for the NBA and its referees union have reached agreement on parameters for a new contract was met with relative indifference by Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "We can't worry about that," Sloan said before the Jazz's exhibition game at Portland on Tuesday night. "We have to worry about getting ourselves ready to start the season." Deseret News

Sloan has had little negative to say about the NBA's replacement referees, who have worked while the regular refs have been locked out by the league as part of a labor dispute. "It's like having rookies — what do you expect them to do? Not make any mistakes?" he said Tuesday. "I mean, our guys make a lot of mistakes — and the officials make some once in a while." Deseret News

“If the officials have reached an agreement, good for them,” Spurs captain Tim Duncan said. “I'll be very happy to have them back, and I mean that from my heart.” While Spurs players have lauded the effort of the replacement referees, they made it clear they will be happy to have the regular refs, even some with which they have had problems, back on the court. “You don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone,” said forward Antonio McDyess, one of three Spurs who began the 1995-96 regular season with replacement referees during the last lockout. “I remember playing those games in 1995. We couldn't wait for the regular refs to get back.” San Antonio Express-News

Former Celtic Kevin McHale has found new employment, joining Ernie Johnson and Chris Webber on NBA TV's Fan Night on Tuesday, replacing former Celtic Gary Payton. McHale was removed as coach/GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. NBA TV spends the entire evening reviewing highlights and giving analysis of Tuesday's games. Boston Globe

At a University of Pittsburgh forum yesterday, the Pittsburgh native responded to a question about the 10-game suspension of Orlando's Rashard Lewis during last season's NBA playoffs. "I'll get killed for saying this," Cuban replied, "but I'm not so against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision and there is no long-term damage." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cuban said he hoped his comments would initiate a conversation on a topic that is considered radioactive. If the proper medical criteria are met, he added, "why wouldn't we" use them for medical reasons. "If somebody thinks it's controversial, fine. To me, it's just common sense," he said. "I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids.' " Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Howard Beck: Worst sight of the night: SA blogger brings cookies to Ginobili in Spurs locker room. Yes, really. Twitter.com

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