Jazz Expected To Re-Sign Blake Ahearn
The Jazz are expected to re-sign Blake Ahearn for the remainder of the season, tweets Jerry T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. Ahearn's 10-day deal with Utah expired last night.
In his first NBA action since the 2008/09 season, Ahearn has played just over 15 minutes in three games for the Jazz. While he hasn't seen the court much for Utah, the 27-year-old showed off his scoring prowess for the Reno Bighorns this season, leading the D-League in scoring with 23.8 PPG.
Utah GM Kevin O'Connor said yesterday he wasn't sure whether or not Ahearn would be re-signed. With Earl Watson recovering from right knee surgery, the Jazz need a third point guard, but wanted to keep their options open for the final roster spot in case another player suffered an injury.
Odds & Ends: George, Chandler, Pistons
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link).
- Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season.
- Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.
- Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.
Northwest Notes: Beasley, Blazers, Felton, Ahearn
The Timberwolves are one of only two NBA teams not in action tonight, but the Northwest's other four squads will play. Of particular interest is the game in Portland, where the Jazz need to beat the Blazers to remain in the playoff hunt. As we await tonight's slate of games, let's round up some Northwest Division updates:
- Less than a week after declaring that he wants to return to the Timberwolves next season, Michael Beasley backtracked a little in comments to Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Beasley referred to his future as "blurry," expressed some frustration about not receiving a contract extension, and said he didn't want to get too comfortable in a reserve role.
- Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge passes along some comments made by acting Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan on the impending managerial changes coming in Portland. Buchanan figures the new general manager will need at least a month or so to prepare for the draft and free agency, meaning the Blazers should have a permanent GM in place by June 1st.
- Raymond Felton talked to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian about his future and his season as a Trail Blazer.
- Blake Ahearn is on the last day of his 10-day contract, and the Jazz are undecided about whether they'll re-sign him, writes Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. GM Kevin O'Connor says the team will explore all its options before making the decision.
Odds & Ends: Calderon, Kanter, Blazers
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday night:
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun examines the future of Jose Calderon with the Raptors. He says the Spanish guard has played well enough to deserve a long-term commitment from the Raptors, but that trading him might also make financial sense for a rebuilding Toronto team.
- The Salt Lake Tribune's Brian T. Smith looks at the development of rookie center Enes Kanter, the Jazz' third overall pick in the 2011 draft.
- The Oregonian's John Canzano wants to see a larger commitment to the future of the Trail Blazers from owner Paul Allen. Canzano also suggests that this could be an opportune time for Allen to sell the team.
- Philly.com's Bob Cooney has quotes from Sixers CEO Adam Aron, who stresses the organization's commitment to putting a winning product on the floor going forward.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, Brown, Draft
It's an eventful night in the NBA with 11 games, many of which have playoff implications. There's been plenty of draft news as well, as teams look past the playoffs, and one item concerning the distant future, with the NBA announcing the Hornets will host the 2014 All-Star Game, just six years after hosting the 2008 event. The new ownership of Tom Benson had plenty to do with that, though he's already come up short in his quest to get the Jazz nickname back from Utah, as Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes. If Benson ditches the Hornets name, it'll be a while before Charlotte could use it again, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. While nicknames won't be moving for a while, there's plenty of movement on other fronts, and here's the latest:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com doesn't think free agents Roy Hibbert and Eric Gordon will switch teams this summer, but says the Celtics have interest in both (Twitter link).
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun breaks down the Raptors' roster and predicts who'll be there next season and who won't.
- Longtime coach Larry Brown is pursuing the Blazers GM job even as he zeroes in on the SMU coaching gig, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford discusses the possibility that Kentucky senior Darius Miller, currently projected as a second-rounder, could climb up the draft board and make it six first-round picks for the Wildcats (Insider only).
- Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday rounds up Carmelo Anthony's comments on multiple radio shows today about the way new Knicks coach Mike Woodson has held him accountable (Sulia links).
- Mavs cast-off Lamar Odom leads Sam Smith's list of the biggest disappointments this year on NBA.com
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida shares the results of an informal survey of 11 former MVPs, who give a slight edge to Kevin Durant over LeBron James in this year's race. The former players won't have official votes for the award; instead, writers and broadcasters will make the selection.
- Roland Beech of 82games.com crunches the numbers and determines Gilbert Arenas, taken in the second round by the Warriors in 2001, was the shrewdest draft choice in recent years (hat tip to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld).
Odds & Ends: Magic, Randolph, Kings, Irving
Earlier this evening, an ESPN report (via the Associated Press) indicated that Stan Van Gundy is prepared to handle the rest of the season and playoffs without Dwight Howard. To make matter worse, forward Glen Davis hyper-extended his right knee today during the first quarter against the Cavaliers and did not return for the rest of the game. Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted that Davis is unsure about when he'll be able to play again this year, which currently leaves Daniel Orton as the only true big man on the Magic roster. It should be noted that if the Magic decide to find replacements for their big man rotation through free agency, the only playoff-eligible players at this point are those who have not already played in an NBA game this year. You can find tonight's other significant stories here:
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the determining factor in Anthony Randolph's future with the Timberwolves will significantly hinge on his ability to remain consistent as the team finishes out the year. Randolph is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and even with his brilliant performance over the last three games, coach Rick Adelman feels that the jury is still out on whether he can be counted on for a full season.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that a Sacramento group including mayor Kevin Johnson is hinting at proposing new ownership for the Kings. The Maloof brothers had recently pulled out of a deal to finance a new arena with the city, much to the chagrin of the city members who are working hard to keep the team in Sacramento.
- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott will proceed with caution with regards to the health of Kyrie Irving, says Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Irving is recovering from a sprained right shoulder, and Scott would rather have him focused on being ready for off-season workouts than returning for the team's final weeks.
- Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated examines the role of Chris Bosh as the key to Miami's playoff success.
- Raymond Felton has likely seen his last minutes of the season with the Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Interim GM Chad Buchanan said that he and Felton agreed that this would be an opportune time to properly evaluate their other young guards, namely Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Haynes also wrote another article in which he asked Kings GM Geoff Petrie about being linked to the Blazers vacant GM position, to which Petrie replied: “That's something I can't really comment on. I have a job.”
- Ten things you need to know about Derrick Favors, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post spoke with coach George Karl to reflect on how he has handled coaching while prioritizing his life during this season.
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.
Minor Moves: Selby, Jazz, Ahearn, Randolph
In a team statement, the Nets announced they have signed guard Armon Johnson to a 10-day contract (Twitter link). The move was likely made to help replace Jordan Farmar, who will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. The 6’3″ Johnson has played just five minutes this season with the Trail Blazers.
- The Grizzlies recalled Josh Selby from the D-League, according to J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today (via Twitter). If that sentence looks familiar, that’s because Memphis has sent the guard to Reno and recalled him three times this season. That’s the maximum number of times that a player can be demoted in a year, so Selby won’t be sent down again.
- The Jazz are expected to sign Blake Ahearn to a ten-day contract, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Ahearn is the D-League’s all-time leading scorer and led the league in scoring this season 23.8 PPG while shooting over 40% from three-point range.
- Former NBA player Shavlik Randolph has officially signed with Puerto Rico’s Piratas de Quebradillas, according to Sportando. He spent the first part of this season in China.
Odds & Ends: Calipari, Bucks, McGee, Stern
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Michael Hunt writes that with the cap room they were afforded after they traded Andrew Bogut, the Bucks will make a strong push to re-sign free agent Ersan Ilyasova this offseason. But that they can't afford to pay him $10MM a year. If another team, like New Jersey, makes a run, Milwaukee would be wise to spend their money on a cheaper big man option.
- HoopsWorld.com's Alex Kennedy writes about how shocked former Wizard JaVale McGee was when he found out he was traded to Denver.
- Lakers center Andrew Bynum has been in the news for some unwise decision making lately. So much so that the team decided to fine him an undisclosed sum of money following last week's game against Golden State. Despite the immediate controversy, L.A.'s general manager Mitch Kupchak came out today and said Bynum was still a major part of the team's future plans, and that they still intend to exercise his $16.1MM team option next season, according to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan.
- In his weekly mailbag, The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko talked about how the Mavericks' might approach the future, specifically their involvement in the draft and how they'll deal with some of their young players.
- Today, SI.com's Sam Amick wrote a piece about how despite Minnesota's recent demise due to multiple injuries, the team still has a bright future. Financially they have flexibility by way of the amnesty provision, and Darko Milicic could be a prime candidate.
- Sean Deveney of Sporting News says that recent call ups from the D-League could have a major influence in this year's playoffs.
- In an Associated Press report, Commissioner David Stern said he'd "love to add a year" in relation to the league's age limit. Right now, all American players must be 19-years-old and one year removed from high school.
- Since joining the Grizzlies, Gilbert Arenas has shown he can play the role of mature veteran, writes NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. One interesting note from the story is Arenas saying New Jersey "kept calling" him. Most likely with hopes to lure Dwight Howard.
- Utah head coach Tyrone Corbin says he likes the mismatches his team can create playing Paul Millsap at small forward, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Steve Luhm.
- Chicago general manager Gar Forman said that talks to extend head coach Tom Thibodeau were initiated before this season started, and that they'll resume once it's over, according to ESPNChicago.com.
Odds & Ends: Terry, Nene, Wizards, Cavs, Jazz
Tonight's NBA schedule features six games, with Clippers/Mavericks and Grizzlies/Thunder matchups topping the bill. But most basketball fans will be watching Kansas and Kentucky battle for the NCAA National Championship in New Orleans. With three likely top-five draft picks in Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson, the game should provide a good preview of next year's rookie class, in addition to being entertaining in its own right.
As we gear up for the title game, here are a few links from around the NBA:
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks Jason Terry should stop talking about his impending free agency, for Terry's own sake as much as the Mavericks'.
- In the aftermath of the trade deadline, the Wizards didn't receive rave reviews for their acquisition of Nene, but there's a definitively a more positive vibe around the club lately, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
- The Cavaliers are making excellent use of the NBA's D-League, writes Bob Finnan of the News-Herald, noting that six current Cavs have played in the D-League.
- ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) looks ahead to this summer's free agent class, trying to predict which players could end up being undervalued like Brandan Wright was this year.
- The Jazz could be sending or receiving draft picks depending on how the standings end up. Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune outlines the potential playoff and draft scenarios for Utah.