NBA News Wire
NBA roundup: Nets’ Williams sidelined indefinitely
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams is out indefinitely after an MRI on Thursday revealed a fracture to cartilage in his ribs.
The team termed it a “fracture of the cartilage portion of the left 12th rib.”
Williams is averaging 13.9 points, 6.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 32 games this season.
—The Atlanta Hawks will be put up for sale after the franchise’s owners announced Thursday that they unanimously approved a plan to sell all shares in the team.
The sale will include the operating rights to the team’s arena, Philips Arena, and the franchise is expected to stay in Atlanta.
Co-owners Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz own 50.1 percent of the team, and it was reported last week that the full ownership group was ready to join them in the sale.
—Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors closed the gap on All-Star Game leading vote-getter LeBron James to only 13,285 votes.
James has 971,299 votes compared with 958,014 for Curry, who trailed by 20,324 votes following the second returns issued last week. The New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis sits in third place overall with 922,381. Balloting ends Monday, Jan. 19.
James, the Chicago Bulls’ Pau Gasol (527,582) and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (456,186) pace the Eastern Conference’s frontcourt players. The Washington Wizards’ John Wall (564,977) is the East’s leading vote-getter in the backcourt, followed by the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (507,326).
Curry is joined in the Western Conference backcourt by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (862,568). The West frontcourt is led, in order, by Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (490,786) and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol (476,660).
The 64th NBA All-Star Game is Feb. 15, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
—Forward Kenyon Martin signed a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Martin last played in the NBA in 2013 with the New York Knicks and was a teammate of Bucks head coach Jason Kidd in New Jersey. Martin was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 draft has played for 14 seasons, averaging 12.5 points and 6.9 rebounds.
The Bucks waived point guard Nate Wolters to create a roster spot.
—The Portland Trail Blazers gave general manager Neil Olshey a multiyear contract extension on Thursday and added president of basketball operations to his title.
Olshey became Portland’s general manager before the 2012-13 season and is credited for draft picks and player acquisitions that resulted in the Trail Blazers reaching the playoffs last season for the first time in three years and reaching the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2000.
The Trail Blazers have a 27-8 record this season, which is second best in the Western Conference and tied with the Atlanta Hawks for second best in the NBA.
—The Minnesota Timberwolves signed center Miroslav Raduljica to a 10-day contract on Thursday.
The 7-foot Raduljica spent the 2013-14 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 48 games. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 26 and waived three days later. In September, the 27-year-old signed with Shandong of the Chinese Basketball Association and was averaging 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds in 14 games.
