Timberwolves Acquire Greg Buckner In Trade With Dallas

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired guard Greg Buckner from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for forward Trenton Hassell.

Buckner is an eight-year NBA veteran with career averages of 5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.3 apg in 476 games including two stints with Dallas along with stops in Philadelphia and Denver. He was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft out of Clemson. He posted a career-best 6.7 ppg in 73 appearances with Denver in the 2005-06 season. The Hopkinsville, Kentucky, native has also appeared in 38 playoff games, posting 4.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg. Last season Buckner tallied 4.0 ppg while grabbing 2.1 rpg.

Hassell has spent the last four seasons in Minnesota after opening his career with two years in Chicago. He has averaged 6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.1 apg in 476 contests. In 2006-07 the Austin Peay alum played in 76 games and averaged 6.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.7 apg.

The Timberwolves open their 2007-08 training camp Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Timberwolves practice facility. Media availability is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.

source : NBA.com

Spurs Sign Marcus Williams

SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed their 2007 second round draft pick Marcus Williams. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Williams, the 33rd overall pick, played for the Spurs summer league teams in both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes in five games in the Vegas Summer League and 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.8 minutes in five games at the Rocky Mountain Revue.

Williams spent two seasons at the University of Arizona before declaring for the NBA Draft. Last season he earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore. The 6-7 forward ranked fourth in the Pac-10 in scoring (16.6 ppg) and eighth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), while registering four double-doubles in 30 games. Williams scored in double figures 20 times and had a career-high 34 points – along with 12 rebounds – vs. Oregon on Jan. 14, 2007. As a freshman, he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team, averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. During his two years with the Wildcats, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting .475 (355-748) from the field. Williams participated in the 2005 Global Games as a member of Team USA, averaging 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in six games.


source : NBA.com

Williams To Miss Time With Foot Injury

The Nets lost their backup point guard yesterday for the duration of training camp, but they inched closer to adding a pretty good backup shooting guard.

Marcus Williams, the talented second-year point who had a rocky rookie season, fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot yesterday and will miss six weeks, team president Rod Thorn announced.

And though it may not exactly help them relieve Jason Kidd's workload, the Nets became one of the two finalists for the services of Allan Houston, who will choose between the Nets and Knicks early next week, judging by some strong implications from his agent.

Williams, who will undergo surgery Monday morning, is a remarkably quick healer, but the Nets are ruling him out for all of training camp.

"It'll be right around six weeks," Thorn said. "He has no idea how it happened -- his foot just got sore. So Timmy (Walsh, the trainer) had an MRI done, and we found out he's got a crack."
The loss of the UConn product is a significant setback from this perspective: The Nets had hoped he would have a strong camp and become a reliable leader of the second unit, so that they could trim back minutes for the 34-year-old Kidd.

"No doubt," Thorn agreed. "And Marcus was having a terrific summer. He was ready to go. So it's a setback. But it's better to happen now."

There are two other point guards in camp -- Eddie Gill and Mateen Cleaves -- but both are long shots to make the team.

"There's not much to do until we find out what's available, but we'll take a close look at those two other guys," Thorn said. "It's not like they're totally raw. We've received a lot of calls from agents today, but we don't have anything imminent. Right now there's no one else we're particularly interested in."

Since Williams will be unable to start the regular season, the Nets probably will have to go with Vince Carter as Kidd's primary backup. That potential shift could actually make the 36-year-old Houston a valuable commodity, as he could be slotted in as the designated shooter in a Carter-led offense.

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source : nj.com

Cavaliers Acquire Cedric Simmons

CLEVELAND, OHIO, September 29, 2007 - The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Cedric Simmons from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for guard David Wesley, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Simmons, 21, was selected in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Hornets. In 43 games (four starts) during the 2006-07 season, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game.

“Cedric is a young, talented player,” said Ferry. “We look forward to participating in his continued development here in Cleveland.”

Simmons registered career highs in both points (10) and rebounds (9) versus Denver on Dec. 29, 2006. Wesley, who signed with the Cavs as a free agent on September 5, 2006, played in 35 games (five starts) for the Cavs, posting averages of 2.1 points and 1.1 assists in 10.1 minutes per game.

source : NBA.com

Confidence Spurs Magic

ORLANDO - In case there was any confusion, the Orlando Magic's goal for the coming season is on the entrance to the team's headquarters, taped to the gymnasium door and at the point where the players enter the locker room.

It is a nearly actual-sized picture of the Larry O'Brien trophy, the bounty given each June to the NBA champions.

Realistic or not, that is the prize the Magic are eyeing as they open training camp today.
The coaching staff is totally revamped with Stan Van Gundy replacing Brian Hill and promising to breathe some life into the offense.

And the dynamics of the roster have been altered with the $118.5-million signing of forward Rashard Lewis. And with Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and a host of candidates at shooting guard, the Magic feel they have the pieces necessary to make this a special season. Maybe, Howard said, championship special.

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source : floridatoday.com

Pistons Expecting To Contend Again

AUBURN HILLS -- Despite having a bevy of just-out-of-school youngsters on the roster, the Detroit Pistons enter training camp next week with an all too familiar mindset.

"Winning a championship, that's always the goal," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "But there's always a process to doing that."

That process begins Monday when players return for physicals, with the first full practice to follow Tuesday.

In addition to the physicals, Saunders said he also will talk with players about both team and individual goals for this season. As for whether that will include talk of an NBA title, Saunders knows he doesn't have to say much.

"Players here understand," Saunders said. "The last couple of years, we've had good seasons. But we didn't have great seasons. Only one team has a great season, and that's the one that wins it all."

Detroit's chances of winning another NBA title rest heavily on the play of veterans such as Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace. But the development of younger players such as Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson also is important.

Finding an ideal balance between the two will be among the tasks Saunders will have to tackle.

"We kept this roster together because we think it's a team capable of competing and winning a championship," said John Hammond, Detroit's vice president for basketball operations. "Yet we know we have to instill some youth into the group. We don't want to wake up one day and say, 'because of age, we're not as competitive.'

"We're not looking at the young guys as guys who can come in and replace our starters right this minute, but we do want them to be able to go into games and keep things afloat when they spell our veterans."

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source : mlive.com

Cavaliers Sign Devin Brown

CLEVELAND, OHIO, September 29, 2007 -The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Devin Brown to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Devin is a versatile basketball player,” said Ferry. “His toughness and ability to play multiple positions on both ends of the court will complement our group well.”

Brown, 28, played in 58 games (49 starts) for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets last season and averaged career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (4.3), assists (2.6) and minutes per game (28.7). The 6-foot-5, 220 pound guard has played in 274 career games (65 starts) with averages of 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Brown won an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and has played in 21 careeer playoff games.

source : NBA.com