Jazz Sign Blake Ahearn To 10-Day Contract
The Jazz have officially signed Blake Ahearn to a 10-day contract. The team announced yesterday that Ahearn was expected to sign a 10-day deal, and the Jazz confirmed via their Twitter account that Ahearn practiced with the team today.
Ahearn, 27, was the D-League's leading scorer this season, averaging 23.8 PPG and 5.1 APG while shooting .469/.409/.962 in 37 games for the Reno Bighorns. The 6'3" guard appeared in 15 career NBA games for the Heat and Spurs, though his most recent NBA action came in November 2008. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, it was a pair of 10-day deals with Miami in 2008 that earned Ahearn his first NBA playing time.
The Jazz had an open roster spot, so they didn't need to make a corresponding move to clear room for Ahearn.
Latest On Lamar Odom
After Lamar Odom and the Mavericks mutually agreed to part ways, we heard a number of reactions from around the league, including Metta World Peace's tongue-in-cheek career advice for Odom. Reactions and new details continue to come in, so let's catch up on the latest:
- Odom's habitual tardiness was a factor in the team's decision to part ways with him, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
- Odom and team owner Mark Cuban had an "angry exchange" at halftime of Saturday's game, Odom's last as a Mav, according to an ESPNDallas.com report. Cuban reportedly asked the veteran forward if he was "in or out," resulting in heated words between the two. One source that talked to ESPN.com's MacMahon and Marc Stein said he was surprised Odom even came out for the second half.
- Jason Kidd discussed Odom's departure with reporters today, including MacMahon. Kidd was mostly noncomittal on the decision, saying that "you've got to ask Lamar" what happened. Asked if it was a relief to part ways with Odom, Kidd replied: "It happens and we have to move on. Relief? We still got nine games to play to get into the playoffs. That’s the way we got to look at it."
Hornets Sign Jerome Dyson To 10-Day Contract
The Hornets have officially signed Jerome Dyson to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. Dyson broke the news himself yesterday, tweeting, "Got that call I've been waiting for headed back to the NO get to sign the contract in the morning."
Dyson, 24, has yet to appear in a regular season NBA game, though he played for the Hornets in the preseason. The 6'3" guard was waived on December 24th, and has spent the season playing for the D-League's Tulsa 66ers. In 44 games, he averaged 17.8 points in 34 minutes per contest.
As our 10-day tracker shows, Dyson is the fifth player to sign a 10-day contract with the Hornets this season.
Draft Decisions: Tuesday
Today marks the NCAA's deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from consideration for this year's NBA draft. As we previously outlined, today isn't necessary a hard deadline, but plenty of prospects will be announcing their decisions today, if they haven't already. We'll track those decisions here, with the latest up top:
- B.J. Young, who previously entered the draft, has withdrawn his name from consideration, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). The Arkansas freshman was able to back out because he hadn't hired an agent.
- Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut will enter the draft, according to UConn's assistant director of athletic communications Phil Chardis (via Twitter). The sophomore guard is ranked as the 12th-best prospect by both DraftExpress and ESPN.com.
- Junior forward Mason Plumlee has decided to return to Duke for his senior season, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
- Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham will forgo his senior year and enter the draft, according to Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal. The junior figures to be a second-round pick at best, ranking 66th on DraftExpress' top 100 prospects list and 96th on Chad Ford's ESPN.com list, but he must have liked what he heard when he tested the draft waters.
- Vanderbilt's John Jenkins announced Monday that he will enter the draft, according to The Tennessean. The junior guard ranks 36th on DraftExpress and 40th on ESPN.com.
- Junior forward Christian Watford will return to Indiana for his senior year, reports Jeff Rabjohns of Peegs.com (via Twitter). Watford's teammate, freshman Cody Zeller, will also return to school, the team announced today (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports via Twitter). The freshman was projected to be a potential lottery pick.
Deron Williams Met With Nets’ Owner
Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov is making a rare appearance in America this week, visiting the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York today. Speaking to reporters, Prokhorov was asked about the number one topic on the minds of Nets fans these days: Deron Williams. After initially declining comment, Prokhorov said that he met with the star point guard yesterday and that he thinks he and Williams are "on the same page" (via Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record).
"[Deron] wants to win," Prokhorov said, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter). "And I want to win maybe even more."
Williams, who holds a player option for next season, has indicated multiple times that he intends to explore free agency this summer. While the Nets could offer him the most money, there are a few other teams that could make a play for Williams, including his hometown Mavericks. Prokhorov acknowledged that he will likely be competing with Mark Cuban and the Mavs in the offseason.
"Let the best man win," Prokhorov said, joking: "If he wins, I will crush him in kickboxing throwdown" (Twitter link).
When we asked Sunday night where Williams would end up next season, about 53% of nearly 1000 Hoops Rumors readers predicted the point guard would be a Dallas Maverick.
Minor Moves: Chris Wright, Jerome Jordan
We'll track today's notable international and D-League-related transactions right here:
- Chris Wright has been assigned by the Warriors to the D-League's Dakota Wizards, according to a team press release. Golden State recalled Wright for a second time last Wednesday, but he'll head back to Dakota to join the team for its playoff series against the Bakersfield Jam.
- The Knicks have reassigned Jerome Jordan to the Erie BayHawks, their D-League affiliate, according to the team's official Twitter account. New York has previously assigned Jordan to Erie in January and March, so this is the last time this season he can be sent down this year. The BayHawks' season could be nearing its end anyway — they'll face the Austin Toros in the playoffs starting this weekend.
Southwest Notes: Odom, Mavs, Dyson, Dragic
Lamar Odom parting ways with the Mavericks may be the biggest recent story out of the Southwest Division, and Odom's former teammate Metta World Peace took the opportunity to weigh in on his friend's next career move. As Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes, World Peace's suggestions for Odom ranged from becoming a ballboy to hiking "the biggest mountain in the world." Here's the latest on Odom and the rest of the Southwest:
- Odom's departure could open the door for other Mavericks, such as Yi Jianlian and Brian Cardinal, to receive more playing time, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Hornets are expected to announce the signing of Jerome Dyson today, tweets Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Dyson himself tweeted yesterday that he was heading to New Orleans to sign with the team. I'd expect the deal to be a 10-day contract.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle examines the likelihood of Goran Dragic returning to Houston next season. Dragic seems open to returning to the Rockets but would also like to be a starter.
Maloofs Want To Renegotiate Kings Arena Deal
The Sacramento arena deal will be a major subject of discussion at this week's NBA Board of Governors meetings. The Kings' owners, the Maloof brothers, intend to ask their fellow owners for support in forcing the city of Sacramento to negotiate a better arena deal, according to a Sacramento Bee report.
The Maloofs, the city of Sacramento, and the NBA worked out a tentative deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento long-term, but the team's owners have denied agreeing to certain aspects of the deal. While not all of the team's concerns have been made public, one point of contention is the $3.26MM the Kings are required to pay in pre-development fees. The Maloofs deny agreeing to that cost, and so far commissioner David Stern and the NBA have contributed the team's portion.
It's unclear whether or not Stern will be willing to reopen negotiations, though one former NBA executive believes the commissioner is more likely to side with the city. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and city officials won't attend the Board of Governors meetings in New York, since they don't feel further negotiation is required.
"We've done everything we were asked to by the NBA," said Assistant City Manager John Dangberg. "We are hopeful the NBA and the team can … bring back a solution."
Besides the pre-development costs, some other sticking points for the team, according to the Bee, are concerns about parking issues, a lack of decision-making authority, and issues with the proposed lease terms and revenue streams.
Felton Would “Love” To Re-Sign With Blazers
After struggling for most of his first season with the Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton has raised his game lately, averaging 13.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, and 5.7 RPG on .478/.478/.833 shooting in six April contests. While his recent performance is a step up over what he's done the rest of the year, it likely won't be enough to warrant a return to Portland for the point guard. Still, as he's said before, Felton told Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune that he'd love to re-sign with the Blazers:
"I have loved every experience I’ve had through my time in the league," Felton said. "I have never (been a player in) one city I didn’t like, but I love it here in Portland. It rains a lot, I will say that. But other than that, I love it here. I love playing in the Rose Garden. (Garden denizens) are some of the best fans in the NBA, if not the best. It’s been great."
Felton conceded that he didn't arrive at camp in the best shape, in part due to the lockout. He also cited learning a new system in a new organization as part of the reason for his early-season struggles, but said he didn't want to make excuses for his poor play. Over the course of the season, Felton has worked his way into better condition, and the veteran also credited new coach Kaleb Canales for his improved performance:
"Coach Kaleb tells me to go out and just play," Felton said. "And he wants to play fast-paced all the time. He said, 'This is your team; run it. You all call the plays.' I don’t have to look to the bench to call plays. He wants to play up-tempo, and that’s the strength of my game."
As Eggers writes, Felton's recent surge is probably a case of too little, too late for the 27-year-old. The Blazers will have a huge chunk of cap space to work with this summer and will likely be targeting top point guards like Steve Nash and Deron Williams before turning to the second- or third-tier free agents like Felton. Even then, there are a number of options available that would be more popular with the team's fanbase.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Magic, Odom, Celtics
Its been a rocky few weeks in Orlando, but you wouldn’t know it by the result of tonight’s contest against the Pistons. The Magic blew out Detroit, 119-89, without the services of Dwight Howard. Here’s more on the Central Florida soap opera and other items from around the Association..
- Magic senior vice president Pat Williams, who helped found the franchise in 1989, says that he believes that coach Stan Van Gundy and Howard can co-exist in Orlando, according to the Associated Press.
- Adding Lamar Odom would make the Knicks instant title contenders in 2013, but there are a number of hurdles the club will have to clear in order to make that happen, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- In less than a month, the Celtics have gone from rebuilding mode to title contention, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- Thomas Robinson would be a tremendous fit for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Texas A&M junior Khris Middleton announced that he will enter the draft, according to the AP. The small forward started 72 games in three seasons with the Aggies.