NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hornets rookie Anthony Davis has been scratched for a sixth straight game against Utah, which has ruled out Mo Williams for a third consecutive game on Wednesday night.
Nov 282012
Nov 242012
Update: Williams (foot) will sit out Saturday’s game against the Kings, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Nov 012012
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz made three key acquisitions this past offseason, trading for Mo Williams and Marvin Williams and signing free agent Randy Foye.
Jul 062012
The Los Angeles Clippers are making moves, but apparently they won’t be bringing back shooting guard Nick Young, as he will reportedly sign a one-year deal with Philadelphia. I did wonder if the Clippers were going to get the whole band back together or if they were going to let more than one guard go. Mo Williams is obviously gone, but there was potential for a logjam at shooting guard when you factor in the re-signing of Chauncey Billups and the possibility of bringing back Randy Foye. You have to wonder why the Clippers went with Crawford over Young.
Jul 052012
Young players in high school and college are often told by their coaches that players are made in the offseason.
Translation: he work you put in in the offseason will determine how well you perform and the playing time you get when the season comes back around. This adage is also true for NBA teams.
There are four parts that make up an NBA season, culminating with the NBA title in June. The NBA season is now in part one—the offseason, or more widely known as “Free Agent Frenzy.”
The middle two parts are the preseason and the regular season. Players are officially able to sign new contracts beginning July 11 but, until that date, a lot of proposed trades and offer sheets are negotiated.
For the second straight summer, the Los Angeles Clippers have made good moves to keep themselves in the thick of the playoff race.
Last summer, the Clippers captured headlines by trading for All-Star point guard Chris Paul, resigning DeAndre Jordan to a multi-year deal and claiming 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups off waivers.
This summer’s acquisitions don’t grab the headlines like the previous summer, but they are just as important.
Although Odom is coming off of his worst season as a pro, he seems ready to return to the form that garnered him the sixth man award while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers—where he was a part of the Lakers most recent trips to the finals where they were successful in two out of three appearances. Odom was an integral part of those championships.
Odom was originally drafted by the Clippers in 1999 and played four seasons until heading to South Beach and signing a new deal with the Miami Heat. He returns a different player and different person—in both cases much more mature.
The Clippers also resigned Chauncey Billups for a one-year contract. Billups only played 20 games last season before a season-ending Achilles injury. The Clippers missed Billups’ late-game maturity and big shot prowess during the playoffs.
Without Billups, the younger players were forced into pressure situations. It can be said that those lessons learned in his absence can be the building blocks for future success.
In addition to signing Billups, the Clippers signed free agent sharp-shooter Jamal Crawford. Crawford is known for his ability to put up a lot of points in short bursts. He is a traditional shooting guard.
He lead the league in free-throw percentage last season and has unlimited range on his jump shot. The loss of combo guard Mo Williams via the trade for Odom—and with Randy Foye and Nick Young exploring the market as unrestricted free agents—signing Crawford was essential.
The most important transaction didn’t involve a free agent signing or trade, but an extension. Blake Griffin has agreed to sign a 5-year extension worth close to $98 million.
It is imperative that teams keep their superstars to remain relevant each year. Chris Paul will be a free agent next offseason. It will be just as important, if not more, to sign Paul to a multi-year deal and keep their superstar tandem together.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Jul 052012
According to ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst, free agent Ray Allen will be visiting with officials from the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat to listen to offers during the next two days.
Allen has a heavy list of suitors including the Clips, the Heat and the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as a return to the Boston Celtics.
With the C’s electing to start Avery Bradley, Allen has already experienced a diminished role with the team.
Add in the report that Mavs sixth man Jason Terry has reached a verbal agreement to sign with the Celtics, and Allen could be on his way out of Beantown soon.
If he decides to sign elsewhere, Miami and Los Angeles have to be the two most tantalizing prospects for the 36-year-old guard.
Taking his talents to South Beach would give Allen the opportunity to win now and win often, but a logjam at guard and forward could have him reconsidering.
He certainly would not start in front of Dwyane Wade, and with Shane Battier and Mike Miller, Allen’s role on the team would be uncertain at best.
Playing alongside the Big Three of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh is scintillating, but Allen should still be seeking a prominent role next season.
At this point in his career, Allen’s game is similar to that of Battier and Miller. Sure he would be an instant upgrade over either, but would coach Erik Spoelstra find a way to maximize the veteran’s game?
The Clippers, on the other hand, give Allen the best opportunity to be a heavy contributor on a contender.
They can offer the UConn product the full mid-level exception at about $5 million per year, a couple million more than Miami can offer with their mini mid-level exception.
Lob City’s biggest hole is at shooting guard, and Allen could easily slide into the Clippers’ starting five.
For all of last season, the Clippers experimented with different starting guards to play alongside Chris Paul.
Chauncey Billups started the season playing out of position at SG, while coach Vinny Del Negro also tried out Mo Williams, Eric Bledsoe, Randy Foye and Nick Young.
Starting Allen would have an immediate impact on the game for the Clippers.
He is a pure shooter that would consistently find open shots with defenses hounding Paul and Blake Griffin. Allen is also a solid individual and team defender and gives the Clippers some much needed height at the two spot.
With a lineup of Paul, Allen, Caron Butler, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, LA would sport one of the premiere starting fives in the NBA.
Like most free agents, Allen should have money and team role on his mind in deciding where to play next season.
Heading to Hollywood gives him the best combination of both. The Clippers are looking to solidify a championship-contending roster, and signing Allen could be the final piece to the puzzle.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Jul 032012
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mo Williams isn’t the 20-year-old rookie that he was when he first arrived in Salt Lake City in 2003.
Jun 302012
NBA.com reports that the four-team trade that will send Lamar Odom to the Clippers and Mo Williams to the Jazz is complete now that Williams has exercised his player option.
With that, the first veteran trade of the post-NBA draft off-season is completed, and Odom goes back to where he became a two-time NBA champion, but this time he’ll be wearing Clipper’s red and blue instead of Lakers yellow.
Mo Williams’ first team was the Utah Jazz, and with his contract expiring after next season and turning 30 in December, it could be his last opportunity to be a starting point guard.
Dallas, meanwhile, made a big move toward having the space to acquire Deron Williams by getting rid of the contract. The Houston Rockets sent cash considerations to the Dallas Mavericks and received the Clippers’ second-round pick in forward Furkan Aldemir.
Here are the grades for each team involved in the trade.
Jun 292012
Well, looks like Lamar Odom is headed back to Los Angeles.
As a Clipper, that is.
The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Odom from the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in a four-team trade that included the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz, according to NBA.com. In exchange for Odom, the Clippers sent guard Mo Williams to the Jazz and the draft rights to second-round draft pick Furkan Aldemir to the Rockets.
The Mavericks received the draft rights to second-round pick Tadija Dragicevic from Utah, as well as cash considerations from the Rockets, while sending second-round pick Shan Foster to the Jazz.
The trade signaled the end of Odom’s stint with the Mavericks, which lasted a grand total of 50 games. The 2010-2011 Sixth Man of the Year never meshed with the Mavericks’ organization after the Los Angeles Lakers traded him, averaging 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game last season.
Obviously, the Clippers are hoping a return to Los Angeles will reignite Odom, who averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Lakers two seasons ago while shooting 53 percent from the floor and 38 percent from beyond the arc. Odom could either be used in a sixth-man role in L.A. or potentially start at small forward.
From the Mavericks’ point of view, this is largely a salary dump. According to Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com, they get rid of Odom’s $8.2 million contract and also avoid his $2.4 million cap-space hit. In addition, they pick up an inexpensive rookie in Dragicevic, as well as cash considerations from Houston.
Given they have reportedly been going after unrestricted free agent Deron Williams, this trade may end up being rather beneficial for the Mavericks, per NBA Insider Ken Berger of CBS Sports. Even if they don’t land Williams, they receive something for Odom, who clearly wasn’t happy in Dallas.
Mo Williams will give Utah some depth in the backcourt and another veteran.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
Jun 292012
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The agent for Mo Williams confirmed Friday that his client will be reunited with the Utah Jazz as part of a deal that will send Lamar Odom back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers.