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» Update: 09:59 PM ET |
 As Hoopsvibe.com reports, during the ESPN pregame show for the Mavericks’ matchup with the Houston Rockets last Wednesday, Johnson, now an analyst for ESPN, said Mavericks owner Cuban should swing a deal for the Lakers center this season, in order to get an edge on what’s likely to be a bidding war for him this summer. “If I’m Mark Cuban, I would say this, I would call Jim Buss and say look, ‘I’ve always wanted Dwight Howard. Can we make a deal before the trade deadline?’” Johnson said. “Because you know once the summer comes, Mark is going to go after him anyway. But if he gets him in a trade, he can pay him more money and maybe he’ll stay. Because Atlanta’s going to try and get Dwight Howard. I think New Jersey’s going to be in play and and try to get him so Mark Cuban, go after him! And give away everyone but Dirk. That’s what I would do.” Dallas Morning News The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard Jeremy Lamb and center Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Lamb has appeared in 16 games this season with the Thunder averaging 1.7 points in 4.0 minutes per game. NBA.com  The explanation was blunt and a tad crude, but when Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had to come down out of the Canadian Rockies last month to fire Avery Johnson, it was with a clear mandate. "We have a basket of talent," Prokhorov said just more than three weeks ago. "And they are capable of much more." Finding the root of the Nets' midseason turnaround is as uncomplicated as Prokhorov's assessment suggested. They are now 11-2 since Prokhorov dropped the ax and promoted P.J. Carlesimo after their solid 88-85 victory over the New York Knicks Monday at Madison Square Garden. Seven games back of the Knicks when they made the coaching change, the Nets are now a game back in the Atlantic Division and again have sights set on a top playoff seed as they reach midseason at 25-16. ESPN.com As one league scout said about the Nets: "They're not playing different, really, but they're playing harder." It also sure does help when more of the shots go in the basket, no matter who is drawing them up. "Whenever you have a guy that means that much to you, your franchise player, when Deron picked it up, we picked it up," Nets veteran Jerry Stackhouse said. "I don't think there's any coincidence. Yeah, the coaching change, you can spin that all you want to, but the guys on the court are the ones who really matter." ESPN.com Mike Trudell: Pau Gasol will come off the bench tonight to maximize his time at center, his best position, said Mike D’Antoni. Earl Clark will start. Twitter @LakersReporter Dave McMenamin: After his best game of the season, Pau is back to the bench. Clark starting. D'Antoni: "We gotta go small" Twitter @mcten Not that it matters much, but the NBA rescinded the second technical foul Dwight Howard picked up in the Lakers' 108-103 loss Sunday against Toronto. Howard was automatically ejected after that technical foul, which took place after Toronto forward Alan Anderson made contact with him as they ran down the court. The ejection took place with 1:18 left in the second quarter. Howard had picked up a technical foul earlier in the game for arguing a non-call. "It's too late now," Howard said Monday when informed of the NBA's decision. Los Angeles Times  Derrick Rose may be ready to take full contact in practice this week as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee. Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau admitted as much before Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "Very close," Thibodeau said, when asked if Rose would be cleared for full contact. "Very close. That will be the next step." ESPN.com Up to this point, Rose has been taking what Thibodeau called 'predictable contact' in controlled settings in practice. If he is cleared to take full contact, Rose would be even closer to a return to games, but Thibodeau cautioned that is still far away. "He has to go through that for an extended amount of time," Thibodeau said. "That's not going to be OK, one or two days of contact and he's going to be out there, that's not going to happen. Just be patient, everyone has to be patient. ESPN.com  “It’s going pretty good. I shot around at shootaround (Monday morning) with the guys so I’m getting a bit better on the court. If the treadmill would stop breaking down I would be able to do a little bit more, but I’m going well. It’s like every 3 days or so it needs service, so I don’t know. I’ve been involved a little bit in practice just shooting around with the guys and stuff like that. My knees feel good and I’m not feeling any pain so this is all good and I just want to keep it going.” The on-court work is still in the infancy stage, with some light jogging, some careful low-post moves and shooting from all over the court. The big steps are yet to come, and it shouldn’t be too long before Bynum enters that part of the rehab. Philadelphia Inquirer “I still haven’t done any lateral movement. That’s going to be my biggest test. Cutting is the last thing to do and I think building up to that is necessary. If the target is the All-Star break then (lateral movement) should come in the next couple of weeks. It’s going to be doing defensive slides, cutting, running full speed and stopping, backpedaling, jumping - just explosive stuff.” Philadelphia Inquirer Still hoping for a return at the All-Star break? “Yeah, that's my hope. Obviously, again, I still haven't done lateral movement. That'll be the biggest test. Cutting is the last thing to do, and I'm building up to that slowly but surely.” Have you done any starting or stopping? “Very minimal.” What's the shooting like? “Just like catch-and-shoot stuff.” Sixers Dish  Nearly five years after the Seattle SuperSonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder and the jewel of a city in the Northwest lost the NBA franchise that had been there since 1967, it appears the Sacramento Kings will be recycled there. Yet after a deal was finalized over the weekend between the Maloof family that owns the Kings and the Seattle group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the Nordstrom family, the next question is whether anything can stand in the way of the Sonics' return. USA Today Sports While Hansen deemed the deal "binding" in his statement on Monday, Stern has already made it clear to Sacramento mayor and former NBA point guard Kevin Johnson will have a chance to present a counter-offer to the Board of Governors, though the timing is not yet known. What's more, a person with knowledge of the Maloofs' situation told USA TODAY Sports that it remains possible – depending on how the NBA handles the process going forward – they could sell to a Sacramento-based group if a competitive offer materialized. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. USA Today Sports |
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» Update: 08:42 PM ET |
 Jared Zwerling: J.R. Smith on difference with Nets now than before: "I honestly just think the players want to play for P.J. more. They seem more enthused." Twitter @JaredZwerling Kevin Ding: Pau Gasol is out as Lakers' starter, Mike D'Antoni said. Permanently. Twitter @KevinDing D'Antoni already talked to Pau Gasol about the switch to the bench. About that, D'Antoni said: "That's ... life. He understands." D'Antoni also said: "It also puts Pau in his natural position. He's one of the best centers in the league." Gasol will get some post touches off the bench, and the Lakers hope Clark changes them with athleticism. D'Antoni said it gives them "a little more bounce to our step." Sulia Stephen Curry on winning season series vs #Clippers : “It means a lot. They’re a playoff team, they’re where we’re trying to get to, and obviously they had the streak this year winning 17 games in a row. They came in with four in a row tonight, so to play well like we have and only drop one in L.A., we’re happy about our team’s success.” Sulia Steve Aschburner: Thibodeau says Bulls G Derrick Rose could begin full-contact practice this week. Emphasized "could" twice. Twitter @AschNBA Jared Zwerling: J.R. Smith said he's been "having trouble with my Achilles all season." Something to watch. #Knicks Twitter @JaredZwerling Since the Sonics moved away nearly 5-years ago, KeyArena has played home to WNBA and college basketball game, but the NBA is a completely different animal. When the Kings become the Sonics, the calm neighborhood of Queen Anne will change. And that's just fine for the locals. "You can definitely tell the influx in the neighborhood. It's great," said Mary Rey of Queen Anne's Mecca Cafe. The Mecca Café is a block way from KeyArena, and Rey said employees are already thinking about the next NBA season. "I think the Sonics, especially with the anticipation, will be really big," Rey said. KOMO Surya Fernandez: Battier says his first karaoke song will be the Love Boat song to go with the event theme. This will not be good. Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA |
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» Update: 07:29 PM ET |
 Mike Monroe: Speculation bubbled today new Kings owners will go after R.C. Buford, but Spurs source says 'he's not going anywhere' Twitter @Monroe_SA And if there was any doubt they wanted to keep him, or any doubt he wanted to stay in Indiana, there would be ample discussion over whether they should trade him at the Feb. 21 deadline and try to get something in return before he flies the coop. There won’t be any of that discussion. None. “We want David West,” team President Donnie Walsh was saying the other day in a little anteroom at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (It used to be Walsh’s smoking room, but, to his great credit, he quit smoking.) “He’s a big part of what we’re doing here.” Indianapolis Star All things being equal, West wants to stay in Indiana. It has been the perfect locker-room fit for a grown-up man among younger souls. “Sure, I’d like to stay and continue to make this my home,” said West, who had a team-high 14 points and five blocked shots Monday in an 82-81 victory at Memphis. “I think this situation is best suited for what I can provide at this stage in my career. The biggest thing is to have a good, smart, high-character locker room. I think you’re rolling the dice when you’re looking at unfamiliar environments. This has been exactly what I needed and what I wanted. “I’ve never been motivated by those kinds of things (money). If the cards are right and I do what I’m supposed to do, it will work out for the best.” Indianapolis Star David 'Dubi' Pick: 13-yr veteran center John Thomas (@jgthomas) who played 125+ NBA games and hooped in nine different countries unlaced his kicks for good. Twitter @IAmDPick Jimmy Spencer: I asked Blake Griffin about the Warriors: “They’re a good team, they’re solid, but by no means are we scared or worried about them.” Twitter @JimmypSpencer Andrew Bynum updated his status Monday, before the Sixers hosted the San Antonio Spurs. The big man said he's feeling better, he's pain-free and he'd like to step up his rehab, but doesn't want to do anything stupid. Also he's still targeting the All-Star break for a return. Here's the whole interview: What's the latest? “It's going pretty good. I shot around at shootaround today with the guys, so getting to be better on the court. If the treadmill would stop breaking down, I might be able to do a little bit more. So I'm doing well.” Sixers Dish Still hoping for a return at the All-Star break? “Yeah, that's my hope. Obviously, again, I still haven't done lateral movement. That'll be the biggest test. Cutting is the last thing to do, and I'm building up to that slowly but surely.” Sixers Dish Roger Mason: Praying for @Anderson Varejao on a speedy recovery. Get healthy soon bro! #nbabrotherhood Twitter @MoneyMase After fearing he would miss the next seven days, Alexey Shved came out of Monday’s re-evaluation confident that he’ll return to the Minnesota Timberwolves sometime this week, agent Obrad Fimic told RealGM. Shved suffered a sprained left ankle last Thursday and didn’t make the trip to Atlanta on Monday when the Timberwolves lost to the Hawks. Nevertheless, Shved wants to come back at some point in the Timberwolves’ next three games this week – most likely Friday or Saturday. RealGM  Since Gibson has returned, his spot in coach Byron Scott’s rotation appears to have been filled by 6-7 waiver wire acquisition Shaun Livingston. That, coupled with an expiring contract, has led to speculation the Cavs could move Gibson to a more suitable situation for both parties come the Feb. 21 trading deadline. Gibson, 25, is averaging 7.2 points, but shooting just 37 percent -- the second-worst of his career. Last season, he missed 31 games and shot a career-low 35 percent. If the Cavs are unable to trade Gibson, sources have indicated they’re likely to let him walk via free agency this summer. FOXSports Ohio Sam Amico: Lakers are said to have a strong interest in Cavs' Daniel Gibson, a natural in D'Antoni's system, but have nothing to offer. Twitter Sam Amico: Cavs assign PF Kevin Jones to Canton Charge. They now have 2 roster spots open. Twitter @SamAmicoFSO  Joseph Goodman: C-Andersen is on a 10-day contract but if things go as planned he'll be w/ the team for the rest of the season. Spo talked long-term today. Twitter @MiamiHeraldHeat Former Knicks guard Chris Smith hopes to return to the team next year after undergoing knee surgery this season. “They told me to wait until summer league and then go from there,” Smith, the New Jersey native and former Louisville standout, told SNY.tv exclusively following practice Sunday. “I’m pretty confident that I’ll make the team next year.” ZagsBlog.com If the Blazers make the playoffs, they lose their 2013 first round draft pick to Charlotte as part of the Gerald Wallace trade. In fact, if the Blazers fall anywhere outside the top 12, their pick goes to the Bobcats. This is impedes the Blazers’ grand plan in two ways: 1. General manager Neil Olshey’s vision to retool the roster is based on acquiring young assets through the draft and making smart, sustainable moves in free agency. Losing a first round pick in 2013 - even with what many feel is a mediocre draft class - stunts that process. Oregonian 2. The potential of losing the 2013 first round pick to Charlotte this season also handcuffs Olshey in constructing a potential deal next month before the Feb. 21 trading deadline. He can’t entice a team with a 2014 first round pick because he has to be wary of The Stepien Rule, which prohibits teams from losing first round picks through trades in successive drafts. The restriction on including a 2014 first round pick in a trade is of the factors stacked up against Olshey improving the team’s bench for the season’s stretch run. “If that pick wasn’t encumbered, we would have far more flexibility in constructing a deal which would allow us to acquire a player that could contribute immediately,'' Olshey said. Oregonian Olshey said making the playoffs will also be a bargaining chip he can use when he hits the free agent market this summer. “It’s a completely different pitch going to recruit guys if you are a current playoff team that is only going to get better as opposed to, ‘Hey, if you come here, you can help us become a playoff team.’’’ “So to be honest,’’ Olshey said when weighing making the playoffs or finishing in the bottom 12, “there are clearly benefits to both.’’ Oregonian  There has been, a source said, selfish play lately when the Hawks faced adversity. They were resorting to bad habits of past seasons, when Atlanta relied to isolation plays for Joe Johnson. And, having lost eight of the last 10, the questions come up again about the efficacy of having so many free agents -- including Drew -- on the roster. NBA.com For the first two months, the Hawks did, notching wins over the Thunder, Pacers, Clippers, Nuggets, Grizzlies and Bulls. They held 11 of their first 13 opponents under 100 points. They've basically repeated the string of late, holding 10 of their last 11 opponents under 100. But the difference is that in that first streak, the Hawks scored an average of 93.9 points per game. In this recent stretch, Atlanta has scored just 87.8 per game. That included a franchise-record low 58 points against the Bulls last Monday, which served as the backdrop for Smith's suspension, which came after an incident in Tuesday's practice. "It was an isolated incident," Ferry said Sunday, "and it was addressed." NBA.com And the most talented of those free agents, Smith, has been the subject of trade rumors. Atlanta insists it won't move him and doesn't want the players -- like Lakers big man Pau Gasol -- who have been mentioned in those trade rumors. "This is the first time I've gone through this type of situation, with so many changes," Drew said recently, before the Smith suspension and Williams' injury. "From front office, to personnel, dealing with a lot of the situations with players, dealing with my situation. This is the first time I've experienced it, and I find it to be a challenge. I'm the type of person, I don't shy away from challenges. It falls where it falls." NBA.com  Jeff Zillgitt: NBA fines MIN G J.J. Barea $5,000 for his second flopping violation. Happened Jan. 14 vs. DAL. Third player to receive a flopping fine. Twitter @JeffZillgitt But instead of putting more pressure on him, Batum insists the deal liberated him. "That [contract] gave me more freedom," Batum said. "I mean, they pay me. They trust me. They show me they love me. So now I can go out there and play. Like I say, why should I get pressure? I play in the NBA. I'm not hurt right now. I've got a good contract and I can put my family in a good situation for the next 50 years. I play basketball. So why should I get pressure?" NBA.com Batum's goals for the season were to average 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. "I started low," he said. But he's come on stronger the last month. He had at least eight assists six times in an eight-game stretch around Christmas, and in January, he's already had six games of 21 or more points. "It's easier," he said. "Now, I have a free hand; I can do what I want to do. Terry is like, 'Hey, man, you can do so many things on the court. Don't just stand in the corner and shoot. You can create, you can score, you can pass, you can rebound. You can play defense.' That's what I try to do. I have freedom this year. I have a lot of fun. I've got it this year." NBA.com Me: What would you say you're better at now than you were last season? Jrue Holiday: I think getting into the paint, kind of penetrating the defense and finding my teammates. I think last year Andre did that a lot. Andre is obviously a facilitator; he sees the floor with that 360 view. I would say that's something I really learned from him. He always got into the paint. We're always like, all right, you're at that 2.9 in the middle of the key. Why don't you shoot it? Everybody has their eyes on him once he got into the paint, and that left everybody else open. I feel like that's a big thing. That's a very good way to get your teammates involved, to get them open shots, and penetrating to the basket. NBA.com Eric Patten: Asked if @Jamal Crawford is an All-Star, Del Negro said, "Yes. Just because of our record & what he's meant to our team." #JamalStar Twitter @EricPatten Kim English: I keep hearing college Bball analyst say College defense is tougher than NBA defense. I see your Aaron Craft, and I raise you a Tony Allen! Twitter @Englishscope24  Pau Gasol: All my support to @Anderson Varejao who is going to miss the reminder of the season. Get well soon! Twitter @paugasol After fearing he would miss the next seven days, Alexey Shved came out of Monday’s re-evaluation confident that he’ll return to the Minnesota Timberwolves sometime this week, agent Obrad Fimic told RealGM. Shved suffered a sprained left ankle on Thursday and didn’t make the trip to Atlanta on Monday when the Timberwolves lost to the Hawks. Nevertheless, Shved wants to come back at some point in the Timberwolves’ next three games this week – most likely Friday or Saturday. RealGM Jim Eichenhofer: Anthony Davis on ankle: "It's good. I came down on a ref's foot and rolled it." Davis said he's "pretty sure" he'll play Wednesday at Spurs Twitter @Jim_Eichenhofer But Ferry didn't think the Hawks as previously constituted could get out of the East, and he was right. He said he didn't want to make a decision about Drew's future before working with him. But that hasn't stopped speculation around the league that Ferry's just waiting for the season to end before bringing in Mike Brown, whom Ferry hired when he was Cleveland's GM to coach the LeBron James-led Cavs in 2005. "I've enjoyed working with Larry, first of all," Ferry said. "We talked at the beginning of the year. Let's dig into this season, get to know each other, work together. We can sit and talk after the season as it relates to where we're headed as a team. I've really enjoyed working with him. He does his preparation. He works really hard at what he does. When we've played well we've really been well-prepared as a basketball team." NBA.com Matt Steinmetz: I'm told Maloofs shopped deal to Larry Ellison (of course they did) but Ellison said no to the $525 figure. Twitter @MSteinmetzCSN Jerry Zgoda: Wolves are wearing special edition shoes for today's MLK Day game: kind of camouflagey with neon orange laces and accents Twitter @JerryZgoda Shumpert talked about his high-top with Nate Taylor of The New York Times, sharing not only the genesis of the style ("When I was growing up, all my cousins had high-top fades. I thought it would be cool to see how long I could grow a high-top") but also a pretty weird yet somehow perfect piece of Shump-related trivia: Shumpert said he planned to keep his high-top fade. When Shumpert’s mixtape album, Th3 #Post90s, was released in December, his high-top fade was the focal point of the album cover. He loves the haircut so much he has a tattoo on his left forearm of Johnny Bravo, a cartoon character with pompadour-style hair. Yahoo! Sports It's time for one of this decade's brightest lights to take on that leadership role. You can't tell me things wouldn't be different at the bargaining table and among the rank and file if LeBron James or Kevin Durant aspired to the presidency. There continues to be a lot of support for Clippers guard Chris Paul, who is already on the Executive Committee, to succeed Fisher. "Roger is the most responsive and responsible, but Chris has the most sway," one observer said last week. NBA.com  KTIV has a correction to make on a drug arrest story posted Sunday 1/20/13 at 8:33 am. We stated that a suspected drug dealer was arrested late Saturday night in Larchwood, Iowa. The suspect was arrested on drug charges, but was not a suspected drug dealer. The Lyon County Sheriff's Department says 26-year-old Sean Williams of Houston, Texas, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both charges are misdemeanors. The Lyon County Sheriff's Department says it assisted an Iowa DCI agent in executing a search warrant at the Grand Falls Casino around 10:45 p.m. KTIV News 4 Sioux City |
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» Update: 02:54 PM ET |
 Free agent guard Jannero Pargo is signing a 10-day contract with Atlanta, agent Mark Bartelstein told HoopsHype. Pargo, who was a member of the Hawks during the 2011-12 season, averaged 3.0 ppg and 2.0 apg in a brief stint with the Washington Wizards this year. "He's excited to be back with the Hawks after spending time with them last season," Bartelstein said. "He's looking forward to this new opportunity." HoopsHype The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran guard Jannero Pargo to a 10-day contract, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. NBA.com  Once again on Monday, Peter Vecsey engaged with NetsDaily fans and others on Brooklyn's pursuit of Rudy Gay. Vecsey in response to a fan's question tweeted the Nets interest in pursuing Gay as "High but not to the point of going overboard. Commitment to Gay's contract is overboard enough." Gay is owed, with a player option in 2014-2015, $54 million over the next three years. Asked if a straight two-way deal would satisfy the Grizzlies, Vecsey replied that any deal would have to be broader than that. "No, need to use another team to get Grizzlies a player they want." NetsDaily The Golden State Warriors have recalled forward/center Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today. Tyler was assigned to Golden State’s D-League affiliate yesterday (January 20) and participated in the team’s 96-95 victory over the Erie BayHawks last night in Santa Cruz. NBA.com Bucks PR: #Bucks have recalled G Doron Lamb from @TheMadAnts. Lamb averaged 7.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.0 apg in 2 D-League games. Twitter  First, Tom Thibodeau reiterated Monday what he said after Saturday's overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, calling his benching of Joakim Noah "just a coach's decision." Then, for the first time, Thibodeau elaborated on his decision to sit Noah for the final 22 minutes, 53 seconds. "We were struggling. We were behind," Thibodeau said. "The group that got in there got us back in the game. It was more the way that unit was rolling. I just felt we were so flat that that group was either going to win the game or lose the game for us. They were the ones that overcame a big deficit. That’s usually the case. "In the first half, I always go back with the starters. In the second half, if we’re struggling it’s going to be the group that is going well. That’s the way it is." Chicago Tribune Anderson estimated his basketball conditioning level at about "75 percent" on Monday. Andersen joked that he kept his body weight down by eating his mother-in-law's fried rice. In all seriousness, he avoided carbohydrates in foods like pizza and pasta. But there is no conditioning substitute for playing NBA games. In that regard, Andersen is still out of shape. Over the next week he plans to put himself through twice-a-day workouts to speed up the process. "It’s a different game once you get out here and get five-on-five,” Andersen said. “That’s a whole different world of conditioning.” Miami Herald Chicago Bulls' Carlos Boozer and Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 20. Boozer led the Bulls to a 3-1 week, which included wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. He averaged 23.0 points (fourth in the conference) and a league-leading 14.8 rebounds. Boozer recorded a point-rebound double-double in all four contests, including a 19-point, 20-rebound game on Jan. 18 during a 100-99 win over the Boston Celtics. USA Today Sports After sitting, working and rehabbing for nearly nine months, Iman Shumpert finally got back on the court for the Knicks in London, starting and playing nearly 15 minutes against the Pistons. Game 2 for the Knicks’ shooting guard comes today against the Nets at the Garden, and the minutes question will be evaluated before the game’s 3:30 start, according to coach Mike Woodson. To Shumpert, minutes are no issue. “I’ll play 48 minutes if Woody tells me to go out and play 48 minutes,” Shumpert said. “It’s whatever the coaching staff and the doctors and our training staff want me to do.” New York Post Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao recently developed a blood clot (small right lower lung pulmonary embolism) and was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic last Thursday (January 17th). He is being treated with blood thinners (anticoagulants) and is expected to stay at the Clinic for several days, while undergoing treatment and observation. He will need to remain on blood thinning medication for approximately three months. While Varejao is expected to fully recover, he will miss the remainder of the current Cavaliers season. NBA.com Quote from Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant: "Clearly our players' health is our top concern and we are disappointed for Anderson, and his family. We know what a competitor he is and how much he wants to be on the court helping his teammates. In the meantime, he has our full support and we look forward to welcoming him back as he recovers." NBA.com The Maloof family announced today that an executed purchase and sale agreement has been reached to sell the family's interest in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Sacramento Kings to a group led by investor Chris Hansen. The transaction requires approval by the NBA's Board of Governors and therefore no comments or details regarding the agreement will be released. NBA.com Chris Hansen: While we are not at liberty to discuss the terms of the transaction or our plans for the franchise given the confidential nature of the agreement and NBA regulations regarding public comments during a pending transaction, we would just like to extend our sincerest compliments and gratitude toward the Maloof family. Our negotiations with the family were handled with the utmost honor and professionalism and we hope to continue their legacy and be great stewards of this NBA franchise in the coming years and decades. SonicsArena.com It was super cool to see Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell in attendance in Washington, D.C., on Monday morning at the inauguration of President Barack Obama for his second term in the Oval Office. It's not necessarily surprising — after all, the 78-year-old Russell was not only an exemplary athlete and champion, but also a proud, tireless advocate for civil and human rights who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Obama has previously recognized Russell's contributions to both sport and society by honoring him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. But still: Pretty cool. A bit less cool: Russell's identification by ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos, one of the hosts of the network's coverage of the inauguration festivities, as captured by closed captioning and Deadspin's Timothy Burke: Yahoo! Sports |
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» Update: 10:54 AM ET |
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While Sacramento will get a final shot to convince NBA owners that this is not something they want to approve, sources have told ProBasketballTalk that Seattle’s Chris Hansen is ready to announce a tentative agreement to purchase the Sacramento Kings in the coming days. Following this come reports other teams have been notified of a sale, something PBT can confirm. The sale price is $525 million of which the new owners will get 65 percent. NBCSports.com The Maloof family that owns the Sacramento Kings has reached an agreement to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the franchise to a Seattle group led by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, according to league sources. ESPN.com On Monday morning, following reports that the Kings sale was finalized over the weekend, the NBA released the following statement about the deal: “The NBA received an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement for the transfer of a controlling interest in the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family to an investor group led by Christopher Hansen. The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board’s committee process for review.” SI.com Tom Ziller: Gavin Maloof releases a statement on the sale. The word "Sacramento" is mentioned zero times. #FTM Twitter @teamziller Sources told ESPN.com that NBA teams were formally notified Sunday night that the Kings have been valued at $525 million and that the parties have executed a purchase agreement, which still requires league approval. ESPN.com The agreement to transfer the 65 percent majority stake in the Kings to the Seattle group represents the 53 percent owned by the Maloofs and an additional 12 percent from minority owner Bob Hernreich. Sources said that there has not yet been an agreement submitted on the remaining 35 percent of the franchise, which is held by minority shareholders, not the Maloofs. ESPN.com One source close to the process told ESPN.com's J.A. Adande that the Maloof family, as it was hoping, will retain a "small piece" of minority interest in the franchise after its expected relocation to Seattle and renaming as the SuperSonics for next season. It's believed, though, that the Maloofs will hold no decision-making power once control of the franchise is transferred. ESPN.com According to our sources, any deal sending the Kings to Seattle would not be a done deal because any deal would be subject to an approval by the NBA’s Board of Governors. In addition, sources tell PBT that Sacramento has been approached by at least three groups of “heavy hitters.” Sacramento could be getting close to announcing a group that meets NBA criteria that has the “vision to transform one of the NBA’s most proven markets into a top NBA franchise.” This, they believe, will help win the NBA’s support for keeping the Kings in Sacramento. NBCSports.com The deal, according to sources familiar with the specifics, calls for the Maloofs to receive a non-refundable $30 million deposit from the Seattle group by Feb. 1. The NBA, furthermore, is fully expecting Hansen to apply for relocation to Seattle for the 2013-14 season by the league's March 1 deadline, enabling the league's board of governors to vote on the application at their annual April meeting. ESPN.com The biggest point in Sacramento’s favor according to sources is the “model offer” of public funds itself, an offer that was in excess of $200 million in a California climate that normally doesn’t support public funds for sports facilities. Sources close to the situation tell PBT that this, along with the league’s fear of another Sonicsgate, will be the deciding factors should Sacramento be able to provide an actionable offer that is competitive with Seattle. NBCSports.com With the finalization of the Sacramento Kings' sale to a Seattle-based ownership group, the NBA's relocation committee will overwhelmingly ratify the franchise's move to Seattle for the 2013- 14 season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports The Seattle group's plan is to play the next two seasons in KeyArena before moving into a new $500 million arena in downtown Seattle in 2015, sources said. Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski: Deal was struck in principle over weekend of Jan. 5-6, sources told Y! By then, Sacramento mayoral bid to find local group was too late. Twitter @WojYahooNBA  Could the NBA block a move? That's what Kevin Johnson is hoping. The Sacramento mayor (and former Phoenix Suns point guard) has said that commissioner David Stern will allow him to present his case to the Board of Governors -- comprised of one representative from each team -- when they vote on the sale, and potentially a move to Seattle, at their next meeting in April. The sale and move require majority approval. ESPN.com A source close to the relocation efforts indicated that at least one owner was willing to vote against the Sonics' move to Oklahoma City if there was a viable plan to keep the team in Seattle, which fell through when the state legislature was unwilling to provide necessary funding. But in the Kings' case, Stein reports that Board of Governors approval is "widely considered to be a formality." In general, owners are considered unwilling to block any move because of the possibility that they might need approval from the Board of Governors for their own move. Also, preventing a franchise from moving opens up the possibility of an antitrust suit against the league. ESPN.com Sacramento officials, however, vowed to press on with their plan to assemble a counteroffer that would keep the Kings from leaving. Johnson plans to bring a rival investor group to the board of governors' meeting in New York in April and make the case for keeping the team in Sacramento. The board would then presumably vote on which city would get the Kings – Seattle or Sacramento. "When it comes to keeping the team in our community, Sacramento is playing to win," the mayor said Sunday night in a prepared statement. Sacramento Bee Don't take Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson too literally when he says he wants to make the Kings "the NBA equivalent of what the Green Bay Packers have been in the NFL." At this point, he is in full scramble mode to line up a conventional ownership plan in hopes of a last-minute reprieve from the Board of Governors. There is no way to organize any Packer-like plan to have fans take ownership. Sulia  LeBron James: So the Kings getting sold for 525M!! And the owners ain't making no money huh? What the hell we have a lookout for. Get the hell out of here Twitter @KingJames LeBron James: I do know Mayor Johnson and the city/fans of Sacramento will do whatever it takes to keep the team put. We'll see what happens #NBAFiles Twitter @KingJames  Peter Vecsey: Source says almost living lock Phil Jackson will become front office face of Seattle-bound Kings' franchise. Won't coach. Will mentor choice. Twitter @PeterVecsey1 The new Seattle NBA ownership group has begun discussing possible candidates to run its franchise and has deliberated whether to target San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and former Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports The Seattle group believes it will need to completely rebuild the franchise, and that means hiring an executive with a strong history of drafting, player evaluation and organization building. Kings GM Geoff Petrie, who is in the final year of his contract, will not be retained, sources said. Petrie is expected to retire at season's end, league sources said. Yahoo! Sports If the new Seattle group ultimately searches for lower-profile candidates with strong player personnel backgrounds, Boston assistant GM Ryan McDonough, who had a significant hand in the drafting of Rajon Rondo and Al Jefferson, and Oklahoma City's Troy Weaver, whose draft résumé includes Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, could surface as candidates. Yahoo! Sports  Chris Vernon: Grizzlies source on ZBo to Houston trade rumor: "Hilarious. For who, James Harden?" Twitter @ChrisVernonShow Grizzlies sources deny any discussions with Houston regarding Randolph, however more than a few Houston sources peg Randolph as the only Grizzlies’ player they’d have interest in when asked about their reported interest in Gay. HoopsWorld More than a few league sources peg Randolph as the easier chip to move. Randolph is owed $16.5 million this season and has two more seasons worth $34.3 million left on his deal. Zach is more effective than Gay and actually clocks in cheaper. The problem is Memphis really does not want to move Randolph and denies having any level of discussions regarding him. HoopsWorld Sam Amico: Source says given recent developments, Kings unlikely to be much of player at trade deadline. Summer, however, should bring major changes. Twitter @SamAmicoFSO Do you feel that your dream to come back to the NBA will come true soon? Bobby Brown: “Yes, my dream is to come back, to be at home, next to my family. Ι’ll do my best”. EuroHoops.net Rivers' post-game comments left an unmistakable impression that he has had all he's going to take from this Celtics team that continues to play erratic, inconsistent and underachieving basketball. "I gotta either find the right combination or the right guys, or we're going to get some guys out of here," said a visibly upset Rivers after the Celtics lost their third straight game. "That's the bottom line. This group right now, they're not playing right. It's in them to play right. But right now they haven't been either because I'm not getting to them, or they're not getting to each other." CSNNE.com Nuggets coach George Karl, who had Andersen in Denver from 2008-12, said he spoke to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra about Andersen's character. Karl said Nuggets assistant John Welch, who is close to Spoelstra, also talked to the Miami coach about the high-flying player known as Birdman. "I was very happy about that,'' Karl said before Sunday night's game at the Pepsi Center against Oklahoma City about Andersen signing with the Heat 12 days after he worked out for the team. "I think Bird knows that we've given him pretty good endorsements to Miami people. What he's going through and what happened (with his legal situation), I think will go by the wayside." FOXSports Florida After the game, a frustrated Marion said: "It's hard to beat anybody when you're playing five on eight." Of the fine on Marion, Cuban said: "I thought that was ridiculous by the NBA to fine him like that and I let them know. You hear guys making comments like that ever so often, and I don't recall they're always fining for that type of statement. "And Shawn's not somebody who gets fined all the time. He usually lets me do it for him, so I was really surprised." Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dirk Nowitzki knows he’s getting old. Sometimes, he gets reminded in unusual ways. A reporter from the Orlando area came up to him after the Mavericks’ win over the Magic and told him that promising Magic center Nikola Vucevic grew up idolizing Nowitzki. “I guess I’m old is what that means,” Nowitzki said. “That means I’ve been around a long time. But he’s a fun young player. I’m happy for him and if he keeps working, he’s going to be a great player in this game.” Dallas Morning News  To watch the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday was to see familiar sights: untouched opposing cutters, contested Kobe Bryant jumpers, frustrated faces and an unfavorable final score. It happened to be against the Toronto Raptors this time. "It doesn't have anything to do with the other teams," Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni said. He said it after his team lost 108-103 at the Air Canada Centre. It was the Lakers' eighth loss in 10 games, dropping their record to 17-23. As exactly no one predicted to start the season, Los Angeles is 11th in the West and three games out of the playoffs. "It's got to do a lot with us," a dispirited D'Antoni said. ESPN.com "We should have come out fired up to combat that and fight through it, and tonight we kind of gave into that a little bit and weren't quite in the building right away," said Nash. "It's frustrating because we know what's at stake for this team." ESPN.com Rajon Rondo has had his share of incidents for what essentially amounts to losing his cool. But as we have seen thus far, being cool and calm hasn't necessarily allowed the Celtics to collect many victories. "For me, it's too laxed; our locker room is too laxed," Rondo said. "Even though a lot of guy's personalities are laid back. But we all got to this level by competing. And right now, the talent we have, the record is embarrassing. Until guys get sick and fed with it, I don't know if things are going to change. We still have to go out there and play the game." CSNNE.com Vincent Goodwill: Drummond on the hack-a-dre: "Jason Terry walked up to me and said, 'I'm about to foul you'. I'm like 'No you're not' but he grabbed me." Twitter @vgoodwill  See, SuperMascot Rocky shoots backwards halfcourt shots during a fourth-quarter timeout of every game. If he makes one, fans get free Qdoba queso. It’s perhaps the most-popular during- timeout thing they do at Nugget games. Well, Rocky’s final attempt appeared to be going in, but the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, walking onto the court, jumped up and blocked/goaltended the shot. The arena erupted in boos and fans continued to boo so every time Westbrook touched the basketball. So that was bad enough, right? Rocky returned to midcourt again during the next timeout. And Westbrook, again, caught the shot, this time throwing the ball into the stands (as seen in the video below). The boos became deafening. Denver Post Denver's Ty Lawson said Russell Westbrook now Pepsi Center "villain'' for knocking down 2 mascot Rocky halfct shots “I’ve never seen anybody do that before,’’ Lawson said of a player impeding the attempts by Rocky, which earn fans free queso from a local restaurant if one goes in. “It was kind of funny. We got a villain now. Every come he comes here, we’re going to definitely try to boo him… The fans now have a villain when Russell comes to the Pepsi Center.’’ Sulia “Russell made a lot of friends here,” Nuggets coach George Karl said sarcastically, following Denver’s 121-118 win. “He’s a feisty guy who likes to create intensity. I like intensity. I’m sure the next time we’ll have some locker room talk. “I saw him block the shot and then he threw the ball into the crowd. I know in the rule book it says you’re not allowed to throw the ball into the crowd.” Denver Post  But the Thunder ran out of miracles in overtime despite Kevin Durant (37) and Westbrook (36) having finished with a combined 73 points. Their six-game winning streak came to an end and they fell back into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for having the NBA’s best record at 32-9. “I’m good,’’ Brooks said after the game about how he was doing emotionally. “I’m good. I’m thankful. I’m good.’’ FOXSports Florida Brooks did not want to talk much about the death of the mother who raised him and six other children in Lathrop, Calif., after their father, who is now deceased, had abandoned the family when Brooks was 2. He explained his decision for coaching Sunday in a statement released before the game by the Thunder. “I appreciate the thoughts and prayers that are with my family," Brooks said. "I know my mom would want me to coach tonight's game and I do so to honor her memory and all that she meant to me as a mother and as an invaluable role model." FOXSports Florida Carlesimo knows that the only way he can whack the name Sprewell from the first sentence of his biography is to do something that overshadows it. And what could be bigger than somehow holding on to this job and being the first coach to bring a professional title to Brooklyn since Walter Alston's Dodgers beat the Yankees in 1955? "It really comes down to results. People's perceptions are still colored to a lot of degree by your success," Carlesimo said. "Bill Parcells was demanding but he got results, so he's a great communicator." Newsday This is not something that Carlesimo would ever do. Because if there is one thing that he learned from those 15 seconds on Dec. 1, 1997 -- when Sprewell, then his star player with the Golden State Warriors, responded to criticism of his passing skills ("Put a little mustard on those passes!'') by dragging Carlesimo to the practice floor and wrapping his hands around his neck -- it is this: "There are things in life you have no control over," Carlesimo said. "The way it evolved, the way it spun so big and so out of control, you just had to ride it out. It is what it is." Newsday "He's definitely not a mellow guy, but the stuff he says in practice, a lot of it is pretty funny," shooting guard Joe Johnson said. "The thing with P.J. is as long as we play hard on defense, he gives us a lot of freedom on offense." Newsday Richard Hamilton: Congrats to my main man Linsey Hunter on getting intern job for the Suns. Holdat. Twitter @ripcityhamilton Euroleague Basketball and the NBA will enhance their ongoing collaboration by developing several marketing and promotional activities in Europe to increase the awareness of basketball. This was one of the main conclusions reached in a meeting on Wednesday in London between executives of both leagues, headed by NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, the designated successor to current NBA commissioner David Stern, and Jordi Bertomeu, the president and CEO of Euroleague basketball. Euroleague.net Dwyane Wade has debuted a limitless amount of Li-Ning Way of Wade colorways this season, including a recently-worn “Caution” pair. One that we haven’t spotted him in yet is this “Oreo” version of the Way of Wade. This particular pair features a primarily white-colored base with the black/white, Oreo-like, speckled midsole. To coincide with the latter section, the entire midfoot, tongue, and inner lining are also detailed with the Oreo attribute. This pair is similar to the Black/White Way of Wade that “Flash” wore in late November. Stay tuned to our Kicks On Court column to see if Wade rocks the “Oreo” Li-Ning Way of Wade soon. NiceKicks.com Palace Sports & Entertainment put the eight days between Pistons home games to good use. The corporation dedicated the Matt Dobek Press Room before Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics to honor the late Pistons vice president of public relations. More than 10 members of Dobek's family were on hand to watch the ceremony featuring comments from Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, Palace president Dennis Mannion and longtime NBA public relations executive Brian McIntyre. Pistons play-by-play announcer George Blaha presided. Detroit Free Press Shumpert eventually landed on the high-top fade. From the moment he was carried off the court with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus during the first round of the playoffs last April to his season debut Thursday in London, Shumpert has grown the hair on the top of his head but has kept the hair on the sides and lower back of his head trimmed. “At first, it was just to see how long I could grow my hair before I came back,” said Shumpert, who shares the look with Miami’s Norris Cole, perhaps the only current N.B.A. players wearing the high-top fade. Shumpert, who was born in 1990, added: “When I was growing up, all my cousins had high-top fades. I thought it would be cool to see how long I could grow a high-top. “Everyone in London loved it. For the most part, people like it. My mom said the ladies like it.” New York Times “It’s awful,” J. R. Smith said. “It was cool for a while, but he’s taking it too far now. He got to cut it.” New York Times  Former NBA star Allen Iverson finally struck a deal in his bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife and all it took was a cool $3 MILLION to bury the hatchet, TMZ has learned. We're told Iverson and Tawanna -- who married way back in 2001 -- informed a judge last week they had reached a financial settlement outside of court in their ongoing divorce case ... just days before the two were set to go to trial. Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... as part of the deal, the NBA legend agreed to pay Tawanna $3 million, paid out as a large lump sum. We're told Iverson also agreed to fork over various assets and a percentage of his future Reebok endorsement deal checks. He'll pay up child support payments for the duo's five kids. TMZ.com Andersen's lawyer, Colin Bresee, said last year the family of a young woman from California who had said she was of legal age tried to extort Andersen for money after he spurned her advances following a visit to Colorado. Bresee had said Andersen had received letters and photos showing the young woman "scantily clad." "There has been an investigation and I have cooperated fully with the authorities in Denver," Andersen, who had remained unsigned through the season as a free agent, told reporters Sunday in Miami. "I am not the target of the investigation and no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed against me. I'm grateful for this opportunity that the Miami Heat has given me." FOXSports Florida A suspected drug dealer was arrested late Saturday night in Larchwood, Iowa. According to county officials, deputies from the Lyon County Sheriff's Department assisted an Iowa DCI agent in executing a search warrant at the Grand Falls Casino around 10:45 p.m. 26-year-old Sean Williams of Houston, Texas, was arrested as a result of the search. Williams was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a serious misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor. KTIV News 4 Sioux City That casino and hotel is where teams often stay when they come to play the Sioux Falls Skyforce (while across state lines the hotel is just miles outside Sioux Falls). The Texans had lost to Sioux Falls on Saturday. NBCSports.com Agent Bernie Lee has released the following statement to refute a report by KTIV 4 News on his client Sean Williams, currently playing in the D-League for the Texas Legends: "An NBC Media Entity in Iowa (KTIV) has created a story that describes Sean Williams as a suspected drug dealer and wildly miscategorized an incident involving Sean over the weekend in Sioux Falls, Iowa. For the record, it needs to be stated at no time was Sean believed to be a drug dealer, etcetera, and this entire ordeal has been completely blown out of proportion. Sean's lawyers are currently handling the matter and expect Sean's name to be cleared fully, at which time we will thankfully pursue action against this media entity. For the record, Sean played in the game Saturday night in Sioux Falls, which ended at 11 pm, and traveled with the team the next morning at 7 am from Sioux Falls to McAllen, Texas where is is availible to play tonight." HoopsHype |
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