Trans. Dec 14 3:53 ET (Dec 14 3:53 ET ) MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Shawne Williams, a first-round NBA draft pick in 2006, was arrested on drug charges late Thursday after an officer patrolling a parking lot at a suburban Memphis mall smelled marijuana coming from a car, authorities said.
The New Jersey Nets acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trail Blazers for two injured players and a protected first-round draft pick. The Nets sent center Mehmet Okur and forward Shawne Williams to Portland along with their own 2012 draft pick, which is protected if it is in the top three. "You never want to trade a pick, but you look at the pick and the potential and what you may get...
When the Portland Trail Blazers decide to rebuild, they don't shy away from gutting the roster and starting fresh. That desire to start anew is what compelled their decisions to deal Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace in two separate deals Thursday, and it's likely that more are on the way.
[ Related: Y! Sports sources: Blazers fire Nate McMillan as coach ]
However, in order to raze the present to build for the future, the Blazers had to take on four players (specifically: Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet) for the two that left. With 17 players on the roster, they must now cut two to get down to the league maximum of 15. And while it typically wouldn't be notable for a team to cut an injured big man set to become a free agent in a few months, most players weren't picked ahead of Kevin Durant in the draft or were once discussed as the best center prospect of a generation. Yet, as first reported by Joe Freeman (no relation) of the The Oregonian on Twitter (via Blazersedge.com ), the Trail Blazers have decided to waive Oden and fellow center Chris Johnson.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations says the New Jersey Nets have acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trail Blazers for two injured players and a protected first-round draft pick. The Nets sent center Mehmet Okur and forward Shawne Williams to Portland along with their own 2012 draft pick.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations says the New Jersey Nets have acquired Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trail Blazers for two injured players and a protected first-round draft pick. The Nets sent center Mehmet Okur and forward Shawne Williams to Portland along with their own 2012 draft pick.
The New Jersey Nets are nervous. Not only did they learn early Thursday morning that Dwight Howard would remain with the Orlando Magic for the rest of this season and for at least the first part of the 2012-13 campaign, but the team's attention now had to focus on retaining All-Star guard Deron Williams when he opts out of his contract this summer. Without Howard coming on board (in the summer of 2012 at least) there is little incentive for Williams to work his prime years with the Nets on a team that is on pace to win 28 games in what would be a typical 82-game NBA season.
With Williams likely looking elsewhere, to the Dallas Mavericks perhaps, the Nets are getting desperate. "Armed" with GM Billy King at the helm, they've made a bad panic trade to send Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a barely protected 2012 pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gerald Wallace. According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, who first broke news of the deal , if the pick falls outside of the top three in the draft (technically a likely situation, considering New Jersey is slated to have the best statistical shot at the fifth pick in the draft), the pick is all Portland's. Panic moves don't come much more panicky, friends, and we'd like to welcome the Billy King we knew from back in Philadelphia back to the NBA scene.
Think about what this represents. The Nets willingly went into a rebuilding year this season to clear cap space to sign Dwight Howard, losing games while happily taking in a lottery pick in a loaded NBA draft along the way. And with a few hours to go before Thursday's trade deadline, they've given up on their two best non-D-Will'd assets (that pick, and Okur's massive expiring contract) for the rights to Gerald Wallace. NBA players don't come more admirable than Wallace, who gives his all and has the basketball battle scars to show for it, but he also turns 30 in July and is running with a 15.5 Player Efficiency Rating (average) in Portland this year. Oh, Billy.
New Jersey Nets forward Shawne Williams had surgery to repair an old fracture and remove two small bone fragments in his left foot Wednesday. He will miss the rest of the season. At the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Dr. Martin O'Malley, a foot specialist, and Nets orthopedist Dr. Riley Williams III, inserted three small screws to repair the fracture.
Nets forward Shawne Williams will undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove a bone fragment from his left foot. The surgery will be performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan by foot specialist Dr. Martin O'Malley and Nets team orthopedist Dr. Riley Williams III. A timetable for his return will be determined following surgery.
The Scoop: None.
Feb 21 2:13 ET
News (various sources)
Men report attack after snapping photo of Lillard (The Associated Press) (1 Day Ago | courtesy: The Associated Press) SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Two brothers allege that people standing near Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard assaulted them after one of the victims took a photo of the NBA Rookie of the Year. More...
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY SIM
MADNESS!
