Backs to the wall: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant shoots during practice in Miami on Wednesday. The Thunder trail the Heat 3-1 in the NBA Finals. Game 5 is set for Thursday. APLewis is entering the last season of a $118 million, six-year contract and could be a candidate for the NBA's amnesty clause, meaning he may not end up playing for the Hornets if New Orleans chooses to cut him loose in order to clear space under the salary cap."We are rebuilding our team and this is one step in our new direction," Hornets general manager Dell Demps said. "This trade will provide an opportunity for our young players to develop and create flexibility to add to our core group moving forward."Said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld: "Rashard unfortunately was injured while he was with us, and he didn't get an opportunity to show the kinds of things he was capable of doing. . . . He had a very hefty buyout in his contract, and we elected to add a couple of players to the roster by using his contract."Grunfeld said the Wizards would have had to pay a $13.7 million buyout.New Orleans also receives the 46th pick in this year's draft, which originally belonged to Dallas.The Hornets, who are expected to take Kentucky star Anthony Davis with the top overall draft pick and also have the 10th selection, did not have a second-round pick before the trade. Washington, meanwhile, has the third overall pick and still has the second pick of the second round.Grunfeld said the deal won't have any effect on the team's draft plans."We felt like we needed to add some veterans to the roster, and we were able to do that with this move. . . . We get players that are good solid players and fill two needs for us," he said. "Instead of going into free agency to try to fill our needs, we did it through a trade."Okafor has never lived up to being the second pick in the 2004 draft, but has averaged double figures in points (12.7) and rebounds (10.1) during his career. Last season, however, he averaged a career-low 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and missed time with a sore left knee.Ariza averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, but was deactivated for the last few weeks of the season while the Hornets, already well out of playoff contention, took a closer look at younger players on the roster.Several of those younger players, including second-year swingman Al-Farouq Aminu, showed signs of improvement as the Hornets won eight of their last 13 games.Grunfeld said Ariza and Wizards point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, played together in a pickup game in Los Angeles on Wednesday."We think we're a better team today than we were yesterday," Grunfeld said, "but we still have a lot of work ahead of us."NEW YORK — New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin retained agent Jim Tanner of the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly to represent him in basketball and marketing matters, two people familiar with the situation said.Roger Montgomery, Lin's current agent, will work with Tanner on the former Harvard University player's free agency, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the agreement isn't complete.Tanner's clients include San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns, whose president of basketball operations, Lon Babby, was a Williams & Connolly attorney and player agent before joining the team.The move comes at an important time for Lin, whose emergence this season could lead to increased endorsements. The 23-year-old, the first Chinese- or Taiwanese-American to play in the NBA, is a restricted free agent.
Showing posts with label Wizards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wizards. Show all posts
Friday, June 22, 2012
Wizards offload Lewis to Hornets for Okafor
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Hornets traded forward Trevor Ariza and center Emeka Okafor to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday for forward Rashard Lewis and a second-round draft pick.Backs to the wall: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant shoots during practice in Miami on Wednesday. The Thunder trail the Heat 3-1 in the NBA Finals. Game 5 is set for Thursday. APLewis is entering the last season of a $118 million, six-year contract and could be a candidate for the NBA's amnesty clause, meaning he may not end up playing for the Hornets if New Orleans chooses to cut him loose in order to clear space under the salary cap."We are rebuilding our team and this is one step in our new direction," Hornets general manager Dell Demps said. "This trade will provide an opportunity for our young players to develop and create flexibility to add to our core group moving forward."Said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld: "Rashard unfortunately was injured while he was with us, and he didn't get an opportunity to show the kinds of things he was capable of doing. . . . He had a very hefty buyout in his contract, and we elected to add a couple of players to the roster by using his contract."Grunfeld said the Wizards would have had to pay a $13.7 million buyout.New Orleans also receives the 46th pick in this year's draft, which originally belonged to Dallas.The Hornets, who are expected to take Kentucky star Anthony Davis with the top overall draft pick and also have the 10th selection, did not have a second-round pick before the trade. Washington, meanwhile, has the third overall pick and still has the second pick of the second round.Grunfeld said the deal won't have any effect on the team's draft plans."We felt like we needed to add some veterans to the roster, and we were able to do that with this move. . . . We get players that are good solid players and fill two needs for us," he said. "Instead of going into free agency to try to fill our needs, we did it through a trade."Okafor has never lived up to being the second pick in the 2004 draft, but has averaged double figures in points (12.7) and rebounds (10.1) during his career. Last season, however, he averaged a career-low 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and missed time with a sore left knee.Ariza averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, but was deactivated for the last few weeks of the season while the Hornets, already well out of playoff contention, took a closer look at younger players on the roster.Several of those younger players, including second-year swingman Al-Farouq Aminu, showed signs of improvement as the Hornets won eight of their last 13 games.Grunfeld said Ariza and Wizards point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, played together in a pickup game in Los Angeles on Wednesday."We think we're a better team today than we were yesterday," Grunfeld said, "but we still have a lot of work ahead of us."NEW YORK — New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin retained agent Jim Tanner of the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly to represent him in basketball and marketing matters, two people familiar with the situation said.Roger Montgomery, Lin's current agent, will work with Tanner on the former Harvard University player's free agency, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the agreement isn't complete.Tanner's clients include San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns, whose president of basketball operations, Lon Babby, was a Williams & Connolly attorney and player agent before joining the team.The move comes at an important time for Lin, whose emergence this season could lead to increased endorsements. The 23-year-old, the first Chinese- or Taiwanese-American to play in the NBA, is a restricted free agent.
Backs to the wall: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant shoots during practice in Miami on Wednesday. The Thunder trail the Heat 3-1 in the NBA Finals. Game 5 is set for Thursday. APLewis is entering the last season of a $118 million, six-year contract and could be a candidate for the NBA's amnesty clause, meaning he may not end up playing for the Hornets if New Orleans chooses to cut him loose in order to clear space under the salary cap."We are rebuilding our team and this is one step in our new direction," Hornets general manager Dell Demps said. "This trade will provide an opportunity for our young players to develop and create flexibility to add to our core group moving forward."Said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld: "Rashard unfortunately was injured while he was with us, and he didn't get an opportunity to show the kinds of things he was capable of doing. . . . He had a very hefty buyout in his contract, and we elected to add a couple of players to the roster by using his contract."Grunfeld said the Wizards would have had to pay a $13.7 million buyout.New Orleans also receives the 46th pick in this year's draft, which originally belonged to Dallas.The Hornets, who are expected to take Kentucky star Anthony Davis with the top overall draft pick and also have the 10th selection, did not have a second-round pick before the trade. Washington, meanwhile, has the third overall pick and still has the second pick of the second round.Grunfeld said the deal won't have any effect on the team's draft plans."We felt like we needed to add some veterans to the roster, and we were able to do that with this move. . . . We get players that are good solid players and fill two needs for us," he said. "Instead of going into free agency to try to fill our needs, we did it through a trade."Okafor has never lived up to being the second pick in the 2004 draft, but has averaged double figures in points (12.7) and rebounds (10.1) during his career. Last season, however, he averaged a career-low 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and missed time with a sore left knee.Ariza averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, but was deactivated for the last few weeks of the season while the Hornets, already well out of playoff contention, took a closer look at younger players on the roster.Several of those younger players, including second-year swingman Al-Farouq Aminu, showed signs of improvement as the Hornets won eight of their last 13 games.Grunfeld said Ariza and Wizards point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, played together in a pickup game in Los Angeles on Wednesday."We think we're a better team today than we were yesterday," Grunfeld said, "but we still have a lot of work ahead of us."NEW YORK — New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin retained agent Jim Tanner of the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly to represent him in basketball and marketing matters, two people familiar with the situation said.Roger Montgomery, Lin's current agent, will work with Tanner on the former Harvard University player's free agency, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the agreement isn't complete.Tanner's clients include San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Miami Heat forward Shane Battier and Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns, whose president of basketball operations, Lon Babby, was a Williams & Connolly attorney and player agent before joining the team.The move comes at an important time for Lin, whose emergence this season could lead to increased endorsements. The 23-year-old, the first Chinese- or Taiwanese-American to play in the NBA, is a restricted free agent.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Floundering Wizards fire coach Saunders, promote Wittman
WASHINGTON — Flip Saunders was fired Tuesday as coach of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards and replaced by assistant Randy Wittman, who has the job for the rest of the season.
Disappearing act: Washington coach Flip Saunders was fired Tuesday, a day after the Wizards fell to 2-15 this season with a 20-point loss to the Sixers. APThe Wizards fell to 2-15 this season, including 0-7 on the road, with a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Washington's next game is at home Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats."We felt the team had become unresponsive, and we will look to Randy to provide a different voice and a change in philosophy moving forward," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement released by the team. "We have been transparent in how we would evaluate our team this season and we were disappointed in the lack of development of our players at this point in our rebuilding plan."Saunders was in his third season with the Wizards, going 51-130. When he was hired, the roster featured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but the franchise is now rebuilding around point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft.But there is not a lot of help for Wall, and the Wizards have been prone to inconsistent play, often failing to even be competitive this season. On Monday, they walked down the court for offensive possessions, never hustled after loose balls and couldn't convert the easiest of buckets, missing eight of nine shots in the paint in the first quarter.After one string of sloppy plays, Saunders took a knee in front of the scorer's table, bowed his head and rubbed his temples.After the game, Wall said: "Whoever got the ball just took a shot. Guys are holding their heads down, and we're not fighting or competing."Back in December, before the lockout-shortened season began, Saunders tried to look on the bright side, saying he could envision how the young Wizards could improve on their 23-59 record from 2010-11."I want to compete for the playoffs," the coach said then.But Washington got off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start — half of the losses were by at least 18 points — before beating the Toronto Raptors. Curiously, the Wizards' only other victory came against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.MIAMI — Chris Bosh scored 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, LeBron James added 18 and the Miami Heat survived another shaky offensive night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85 on Tuesday night.Bosh made 10 of 16 shots and reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season for Miami, which improved to 4-1 against Cleveland since James joined the Heat. The 35 points matched Bosh's high since joining Miami.Magic 102, Pacers 83In Indianapolis, Ryan Anderson had 24 points and eight rebounds to help Orlando cruise past Indiana.Knicks 111, Bobcats 78In Charlotte, Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 17 rebounds as New York snapped a six-game losing streak and handed the Bobcats their fifth straight defeat.Raptors 99, Suns 96In Phoenix, Andrea Bargnani returned after missing six games with a left calf strain to score 27 of his 36 points in the second half, and the Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak.Trail Blazers 97, Grizzlies 84In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and Marcus Camby grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds as the Trail Blazers beat Memphis, snapping the Grizzlies' seven-game winning streak.
Disappearing act: Washington coach Flip Saunders was fired Tuesday, a day after the Wizards fell to 2-15 this season with a 20-point loss to the Sixers. APThe Wizards fell to 2-15 this season, including 0-7 on the road, with a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Washington's next game is at home Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats."We felt the team had become unresponsive, and we will look to Randy to provide a different voice and a change in philosophy moving forward," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement released by the team. "We have been transparent in how we would evaluate our team this season and we were disappointed in the lack of development of our players at this point in our rebuilding plan."Saunders was in his third season with the Wizards, going 51-130. When he was hired, the roster featured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but the franchise is now rebuilding around point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft.But there is not a lot of help for Wall, and the Wizards have been prone to inconsistent play, often failing to even be competitive this season. On Monday, they walked down the court for offensive possessions, never hustled after loose balls and couldn't convert the easiest of buckets, missing eight of nine shots in the paint in the first quarter.After one string of sloppy plays, Saunders took a knee in front of the scorer's table, bowed his head and rubbed his temples.After the game, Wall said: "Whoever got the ball just took a shot. Guys are holding their heads down, and we're not fighting or competing."Back in December, before the lockout-shortened season began, Saunders tried to look on the bright side, saying he could envision how the young Wizards could improve on their 23-59 record from 2010-11."I want to compete for the playoffs," the coach said then.But Washington got off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start — half of the losses were by at least 18 points — before beating the Toronto Raptors. Curiously, the Wizards' only other victory came against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.MIAMI — Chris Bosh scored 17 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, LeBron James added 18 and the Miami Heat survived another shaky offensive night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-85 on Tuesday night.Bosh made 10 of 16 shots and reached the 30-point mark for the fourth time this season for Miami, which improved to 4-1 against Cleveland since James joined the Heat. The 35 points matched Bosh's high since joining Miami.Magic 102, Pacers 83In Indianapolis, Ryan Anderson had 24 points and eight rebounds to help Orlando cruise past Indiana.Knicks 111, Bobcats 78In Charlotte, Tyson Chandler had 20 points and 17 rebounds as New York snapped a six-game losing streak and handed the Bobcats their fifth straight defeat.Raptors 99, Suns 96In Phoenix, Andrea Bargnani returned after missing six games with a left calf strain to score 27 of his 36 points in the second half, and the Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak.Trail Blazers 97, Grizzlies 84In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and Marcus Camby grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds as the Trail Blazers beat Memphis, snapping the Grizzlies' seven-game winning streak.Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Nets beat bickering Wizards
WASHINGTON — Maybe Washington Wizards fans were keeping up with the Kardashians.
At arm's length: San Antonio's Manu Ginobili (left) holds off Memphis' Sam Young during the Spurs' 95-82 win on Monday. APAt least that might explain why they relentlessly booed Kris Humphries, the New Jersey Nets forward famous for his much-hyped — and short-lived — marriage to Kim Kardashian.Jeered during pregame introductions and harangued every time he touched the ball Monday night, Humphries ignored all the attention and finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds, helping New Jersey erase a 21-point deficit and come all the way back to beat Washington 90-84 in the season opener for both teams."To me, it's motivation. People are yelling at you — you've got to perform, you've got to play hard. They might want to have a reason to say something. You want to try and give them that reason," Humphries said. "For me, it just makes it a little hostile environment — and it's kind of fun to play in that environment."Nets coach Avery Johnson, for one, was at a loss to explain all the hostility Humphries heard."I'm trying to figure out: What did he do? I'm serious. It may be because I don't follow reality TV — I don't know all the ins and outs of it. It's pretty hilarious to me," Johnson said. "I don't even know if THEY know why they're booing."Humphries even deflected a too-late pass by John Wall, a turnover that thwarted Washington's last good chance, trailing by only three points in the final minute.Afterward, there was a bit of drama in the Wizards' locker room, where power forward Andray Blatche — who opened a pregame speech to the home crowd by saying, "This is your captain, Andray Blatche" — voiced displeasure with the play-calling and said he should get the ball down low more than out on the wings. He then repeated that complaint on Twitter.All it took was one regular-season game for the in-fighting to start in Washington."Is it trust? Or is it, 'I think that I can make a play to get us going again,' and you try to do it individually? In our league, you can't do it, unless you're one of the elite players," Washington coach Flip Saunders said. "We don't have anyone that's at that elite status right now."When a reporter relayed the gist of what Saunders said, Blatche responded: "He probably was talking about me, because for the simple fact that I said that I need the ball in the paint to be effective."Kings 100, Lakers 91In Sacramento, Marcus Thornton scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Kings opened the season in grand fashion, beating Los Angeles at home for the first time in more than three years.Warriors 99, Bulls 91In Oakland, Stephen Curry had 21 points and 10 assists, Monta Ellis scored 26 points and Golden State beat Chicago, giving rookie coach Mark Jackson his first victory at any level.Bobcats 96, Bucks 95In Charlotte, D.J. Augustin scored 19 points, rookie Kemba Walker added 13, including two free throws with 9.9 seconds remaining, and the Bobcats erased a 14-point deficit.Magic 104, Rockets 95In Orlando, Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points to lead five Magic players in double figures as the hosts earned their first win of the season.Pacers 91, Pistons 79In Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 14 rebounds to help the Pacers defeat Detroit.Raptors 104, Cavaliers 96In Cleveland, rookie Kyrie Irving scored six points and hardly played like the No. 1 overall pick as Toronto spoiled the Cleveland guard's NBA debut with a season-opening win over the Cavaliers.Thunder 104, T-Wolves 100In Minneapolis, Kevin Durant scored 33 points to lead Oklahoma City to a victory over the Timberwolves.Nuggets 115, Mavericks 93In Dallas, Ty Lawson scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half and the Nuggets faced little resistance.Hornets 85, Suns 84In Phoenix, Eric Gordon made a long jumper from the top of the key with 4.2 seconds to play in his New Orleans debut.Spurs 95, Grizzlies 82In San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 24 points and the Spurs got some payback after their stunning playoff collapse last season.Trail Blazers 107, 76ers 103In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and seven rebounds and the Trail Blazers opened their season with a win.
At arm's length: San Antonio's Manu Ginobili (left) holds off Memphis' Sam Young during the Spurs' 95-82 win on Monday. APAt least that might explain why they relentlessly booed Kris Humphries, the New Jersey Nets forward famous for his much-hyped — and short-lived — marriage to Kim Kardashian.Jeered during pregame introductions and harangued every time he touched the ball Monday night, Humphries ignored all the attention and finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds, helping New Jersey erase a 21-point deficit and come all the way back to beat Washington 90-84 in the season opener for both teams."To me, it's motivation. People are yelling at you — you've got to perform, you've got to play hard. They might want to have a reason to say something. You want to try and give them that reason," Humphries said. "For me, it just makes it a little hostile environment — and it's kind of fun to play in that environment."Nets coach Avery Johnson, for one, was at a loss to explain all the hostility Humphries heard."I'm trying to figure out: What did he do? I'm serious. It may be because I don't follow reality TV — I don't know all the ins and outs of it. It's pretty hilarious to me," Johnson said. "I don't even know if THEY know why they're booing."Humphries even deflected a too-late pass by John Wall, a turnover that thwarted Washington's last good chance, trailing by only three points in the final minute.Afterward, there was a bit of drama in the Wizards' locker room, where power forward Andray Blatche — who opened a pregame speech to the home crowd by saying, "This is your captain, Andray Blatche" — voiced displeasure with the play-calling and said he should get the ball down low more than out on the wings. He then repeated that complaint on Twitter.All it took was one regular-season game for the in-fighting to start in Washington."Is it trust? Or is it, 'I think that I can make a play to get us going again,' and you try to do it individually? In our league, you can't do it, unless you're one of the elite players," Washington coach Flip Saunders said. "We don't have anyone that's at that elite status right now."When a reporter relayed the gist of what Saunders said, Blatche responded: "He probably was talking about me, because for the simple fact that I said that I need the ball in the paint to be effective."Kings 100, Lakers 91In Sacramento, Marcus Thornton scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Kings opened the season in grand fashion, beating Los Angeles at home for the first time in more than three years.Warriors 99, Bulls 91In Oakland, Stephen Curry had 21 points and 10 assists, Monta Ellis scored 26 points and Golden State beat Chicago, giving rookie coach Mark Jackson his first victory at any level.Bobcats 96, Bucks 95In Charlotte, D.J. Augustin scored 19 points, rookie Kemba Walker added 13, including two free throws with 9.9 seconds remaining, and the Bobcats erased a 14-point deficit.Magic 104, Rockets 95In Orlando, Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points to lead five Magic players in double figures as the hosts earned their first win of the season.Pacers 91, Pistons 79In Indianapolis, Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 14 rebounds to help the Pacers defeat Detroit.Raptors 104, Cavaliers 96In Cleveland, rookie Kyrie Irving scored six points and hardly played like the No. 1 overall pick as Toronto spoiled the Cleveland guard's NBA debut with a season-opening win over the Cavaliers.Thunder 104, T-Wolves 100In Minneapolis, Kevin Durant scored 33 points to lead Oklahoma City to a victory over the Timberwolves.Nuggets 115, Mavericks 93In Dallas, Ty Lawson scored 20 of his 27 points in the first half and the Nuggets faced little resistance.Hornets 85, Suns 84In Phoenix, Eric Gordon made a long jumper from the top of the key with 4.2 seconds to play in his New Orleans debut.Spurs 95, Grizzlies 82In San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 24 points and the Spurs got some payback after their stunning playoff collapse last season.Trail Blazers 107, 76ers 103In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and seven rebounds and the Trail Blazers opened their season with a win.
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