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Kent Bazemore

Western Notes: Clippers, Bazemore, Jackson

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Cray Allred

Kent Bazemore is hoping he becomes more known for his play than for his sideline celebrations as a new member of the Lakers. While many fans are excited for “Bazemoring” to combine with Lakers center Robert Sacre‘s antics on the bench, coach Mike D’Antoni tells Bill Oram of The Orange County Register he wants to see what Bazemore can add on the floor. “I’ll ask him if he wants to play,” D’Antoni joked, “or sit on the bench and be that guy. We’ll ask him. See what his response will be.” Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details how the Clippers spent money to save money in the deadline deals in which they sent Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens to the Hawks and Sixers, respectively. These kind of maneuvers are often a sign of a team eyeing the bottom line, but the Clippers are also shaving salary in preparation for adding more talent through the buyout market.
  • A GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he understands Pierre Jackson‘s decision to play overseas, but thinks Jackson is close to making it in the NBA and wishes the rookie would have stayed in the D-League. The same GM says that his team would have given Jackson a shot, but that their hands were tied (Twitter links). Jackson opted to sign in Turkey after he and the Pelicans couldn’t reach a deal this late into the season.
  • The Rockets‘ newly acquired Jordan Hamilton tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that he’s excited to join Houston and try for a championship. “I’ve been watching the Rockets a lot this year,” Hamilton said after his first workout with his new team. “They’re a great team. Yes, we do have a chance to go far in the playoffs and possibly get a championship so I’m just happy to be a part of it.” The 23-year-old small forward came to the Rockets from the Nuggets in exchange for point guard Aaron Brooks in a trade earlier this week.
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Lakers Notes: Young, Bryant, Brooks, Bazemore

February 22nd, 2014 at 8:45am CST by Cray Allred

In their first game with the Lakers, new trade acquisitions MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore both played a season high in minutes, helping lead Los Angeles to a win over the Celtics. It will be interesting to watch whether the young, athletic guards continue to make the most of the opportunities coach Mike D’Antoni gives them. D’Antoni has built a reputation of giving players a chance to shine, even if they haven’t lived up to previous expectations as in the case with Brooks. Here’s some more from L.A.:

  • The main reason Brooks and Bazemore will have opportunity in L.A. is that the Lakers roster has been in shambles all year. Kobe Bryant will miss at least another three weeks, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. He will be re-evaluated again at the three-week mark, so there’s a strong likelihood he misses more time than that. Even a return this year isn’t a given for the 18-year veteran, and the plummeting Lakers don’t have any competitive reasons to rush him back now that they are all but eliminated from the playoff hunt.
  • Both Bazemore and Brooks say that playing on Kobe’s team is one of the more exciting aspects of the trade, reports Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. “That’s a dream come true, growing up idolizing Kobe Bryant,” Bazemore said. Brooks offered, “I grew up a Lakers fan, a big Kobe Bryant fan, so I’m just excited to get to work.”
  • Nick Young wouldn’t comment on his player option for next year, which Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak believes the small forward will decline, per Mark Medina of Inside the Lakers (Twitter link). Young’s option is worth approximately $1.2MM, but there is mutual interest for a longer stay in Los Angeles, which will have plenty of cap space to work with should he opt out for a new deal.
  • In his “GM for a Day” series, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider [subscription only] focuses on the Lakers.  Doolittle explores upcoming Lakers decisions, including whether to agree to buyouts with veterans they were unable to move or try and squeeze value out of their Bird Rights this summer. He also touches on whether they will waive the beleaguered Steve Nash at season’s end with the stretch provision and whether they’ll re-sign Pau Gasol this summer.
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Pacific Notes: Warriors, Bledsoe, Nash

February 12th, 2014 at 5:51pm CST by Cray Allred

Matt Steinmetz of Bleacher Report covers some of the growing concerns around Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala. The team currently sits in the sixth seed for the playoffs, and is on track to finish with about the same number of wins as last year despite inking the former All-Star to a four-year, $48MM contract this offseason. Steinmetz points out that his contract left Golden State no room for the team to retain key rotation players Jarrett Jack or Carl Landry, so the transition wasn’t simple roster addition. Still, Iguodala’s performance has dipped on his new team, with a near-career low in shot attempts a sign of his lack of presence on the offensive end. Here’s more from around the division:

  • Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby echoed earlier remarks from owner Robert Sarver, telling the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the team intends to match any offer for Eric Bledsoe this summer in restricted free agency. Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com has the transcription.
  • Steve Nash left last night’s game early with nerve issues in his back and hamstrings, but his appearance nonetheless means the Lakers are ineligible to wipe his contract off their books for next season if he retires for medical reasons. Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times has the details on what would have been a long shot, anyway.
  • The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks, and Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, per the team’s site. This comes a day after the team sent the three-man group to Santa Cruz for a one-game stint.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Western Notes: Ellington, Ellis, Warriors

February 12th, 2014 at 12:03am CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are some miscellaneous tidbits to share out of the Western Conference tonight:

  • It doesn’t seem likely that the Mavericks would part with any of their rotation players in a deal right now, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. One player who does appear to be available is Wayne Ellington, who hasn’t been able to find significant playing time and is owed $2.5MM next season.
  • Sefko also doesn’t believe there’s any chance that Dallas would consider trading Monta Ellis, adding that the team thinks Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki will make a good recruiting tandem this summer for prospective free agents.
  • Earlier today, the Warriors announced that they assigned Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks, and Ognjen Kuzmic to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
  • The out-of-town owners of the property needed for the new Kings arena are seeking a change of venue in the city’s eminent domain lawsuit, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. City officials recognize that the Kings need swift access to the property and will fight the attempt to move the suit. Kasler adds that the new arena is expected to be completed in 2016; if the building doesn’t open by 2017, the NBA has the right to buy the team and move them out of Sacramento.
  • Spurs guard Tony Parker told French website BMFT that he’d like to continue playing in the NBA for another six or seven years (hat tip to Michael Rehome of Project Spurs).
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Pacific Notes: Williams, Warriors, Brooks

February 2nd, 2014 at 6:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Sasha Vujacic has been on the Clippers’ radar for quite some time now and it looks like they’re finally on the verge of signing him.  The veteran guard has already undergone a physical and he is expected to be in a Clippers jersey tomorrow night when Blake Griffin & Co. take on the Nuggets.  The move will give L.A. some extra reinforcements as Chris Paul is sidelined with a separated shoulder.  More out of the Pacific..

  • With Manny Harris‘ second 10-day deal set to lapse and Pau Gasol still on the mend, don’t be surprised to see the Lakers give Shawne Williams another look, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  Williams is right around the corner from the Lakers after recently hooking on with the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
  • The Warriors are putting their plans for a gorgeous new stadium in San Francisco on hold by about a year (and possibly longer), write Philip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Recently, Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob acknowledged that it would be tough for the club to get to their new home by the original target of 2017.
  • Speaking of the Warriors, they announced that they have recalled Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League.  Both players were assigned to Santa Cruz on Saturday and participated in the team’s 110-105 victory over the Bakersfield Jam at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz. Bazemore registered a game-high 25 points, along with three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block in 33 minutes, while Brooks added six points, two assists, one rebound and a steal in 22 minutes.  To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
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Odds & Ends: Bynum, Silver, Boozer, Carmelo

February 1st, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Charlie Adams

News broke this morning that the Pacers officially signed Andrew Bynum to contract that covers the remainder of the season. The former All-Star didn’t find a fit in Cleveland, and a tweet from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reveals that part of Bynum’s frustration with the Cavs was aimed at Kyrie Irving. A source tells Amico that Bynum didn’t believe the team “knew how to win.” Here are a few tidbits from Saturday afternoon around the NBA:

  • The Bleacher Report interviewed some notable NBA figures to get a bunch of interesting ideas they’d like to see new commissioner Adam Silver tackle, including raising the NBA draft age limit, getting a team in Seattle, and changing salary structures.
  • Mike McGraw of The Daily Herald believes the Bulls will use the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, but suggests that more of a shakeup will be needed to sign Carmelo Anthony. McGraw thinks the Bulls need to move Taj Gibson in order to create room for Anthony.
  • Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post thinks Nate Robinson‘s season-ending ACL tear will have two definitive effects: the Nuggets will require a guard in return for Andre Miller (on the trading block), and Robinson will likely pick up his $2.1MM player option for next season rather than testing free agency before proving he’s back on the other side of surgery and rehab.
  • Jodie Meeks tells Mark Medina of L.A. Daily News that he hopes he can stay with Lakers after this season: “I love it here and hope I can stay a long time.” He’s on the last year of a two-year, $3.05MM contract and is one of many Lakers that come off the books for next season.
  • The Warriors announced in a press release that they’ve officially assigned MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore to the Santa Cruz Warriors. This confirms a report we passed along earlier this afternoon that said the duo would be heading to the D-League.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

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Players Whose Contracts Will Be Guaranteed

January 7th, 2014 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined earlier today, players on non-guaranteed contracts who aren’t released by 4:00pm central time will have their full 2013/14 salaries guaranteed. We’ll be keeping tabs in this post on players who have been informed they’ll remain on their respective teams’ rosters, with new updates added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon:

  • Barring an unexpected development, the Pacers will guarantee Rasual Butler‘s contract today, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

Earlier updates:

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Western Notes: Warriors, Bryant, Jazz

November 13th, 2013 at 10:25pm CST by Charlie Adams

The West has been the stronger of the two conferences so far in the early going of the 2013/14 NBA season. There are nine teams above the .500 mark in the West compared to only three squads with winning records in the East. A conference chock full of winning teams is a recipe for intense and entertaining competition. Here are some notes regarding the West:

  • Despite the injury to point guard Toney Douglas, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group hears from team sources that the Warriors are not expected to make a move to bolster their backcourt. Thompson reports that Kent Bazemore and Nemanja Nedovic will be given a chance to come off the bench and run the team’s offense in Douglas’ absence.
  • There’s still no timetable for Kobe Bryant‘s return, tweets Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The Lakers are paying Bryant over $30MM this season, a total almost $8MM greater than the next highest player on the list.
  • The Knicks‘ decision to let Jeremy Lin walk away from the team after the 2011/12 season was a surprise to many, including Rockets GM Daryl Morey: “We didn’t really understand it, and we thought for sure that Lin was going to stay. I thought if any team knew what it had, it was going to be New York.” Harvey Araton of the New York Times breaks down New York’s choice not to match the Rockets’ offer sheet.
  • Kenneth Faried declined to comment on the rumors implicating him as a possible early season trade candidate: “No comment on all of that. I just play basketball and do my job, and that’s it.” Faried had been linked to a potential trade with the Knicks‘ Iman Shumpert, but the Nuggets wanted more in return than New York had to offer. Read Christopher Dempsey’s full article about Faried at the Denver Post.
  • Earlier tonight, Utah Jazz beat writer Jody Genessy revealed (via Twitter) that Diante Garrett was shopping at WalMart when he received the call offering him a spot on the Jazz. Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune provides further insight on Utah’s acquisition of the young guard and what it means for the team.
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Warriors Favoring Dedmon?

October 24th, 2013 at 9:22pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said that it was safe to say that center DeWayne Dedmon is the favorite to land Golden State’s final roster spot, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The undrafted center out of USC is currently on a partially guaranteed contract, and has been in the mix with Seth Curry and Joe Alexander to earn a spot on the team.

Golden State currently has 13 guaranteed contracts and a total of 17 on their training camp roster. Three of the remaining players are on partially guaranteed deals (Kent Bazemore, Dedmon, Curry), while Alexander had been playing on a non-guaranteed contract. I think it’s reasonable to assume that Bazemore – who had an impressive summer league run for the team this year – takes up the penultimate roster spot, so it appears that Curry and Alexander may be the odd men out.

Through four pre-season contests, Dedmon is averaging 4.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 10.8 MPG.

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Ognjen Kuzmic Close To Joining Warriors

September 25th, 2013 at 6:52pm CST by Alex Lee

According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, 2012 second round pick Ognjen Kuzmic is closing in on a buyout with Unicaja Malaga, his team in Spain, that will allow him to sign a guaranteed deal with Golden State for the upcoming 2013/14 season, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Myers said Kuzmic, who is in town rehabbing an ankle sprain, is expected to be in camp, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).

There were reports a month ago that the Bosnian big man might be headed west for the NBA this season, but this is the first we're hearing of it from the Warriors' brass.  Thompson also adds, via Twitter, that Myers indicated Kuzmic would be guaranteed a roster spot should the buyout go through.  Kuzmic would make 13 rostered players on guaranteed contracts in Golden State, leaving only two spots for Kent Bazemore, DeWayne Dedmon and Seth Curry, all of whom are believed to have partial guarantees on their deals.

Kuzmic, 23, averaged 6.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 27 Spanish League contests for FIATC Joventut Badalona in 2012/13.

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