Spurs sign Marcus Williams

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Marcus Williams. Per team policy terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Williams was an All-League First Team Selection this season with the Austin Toros, the Spurs affiliate in the NBA Development League. In 45 games with the Toros, Williams averaged 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He was named the D-League Performer of the Week for the week of 3/30 after averaging a triple-double with 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 11.5 assists in three games.

Williams, who is in his second year, appeared in 11 NBA games last season (10 with the L.A. Clippers and one with San Antonio) where he averaged 0.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 3.3 minutes. He also spent 36 games with the Toros where he averaged 19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Williams was drafted by San Antonio with the 33rd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

The 22-year-old Williams was an early entry candidate for the 2007 NBA Draft. He played two years at the University of Arizona, earning First Team All-Pac-10 honors after averaging 16.6 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore.

At the same time, the Spurs announced that they have waived guard/forward Malik Hairston.

Spurs officially ink Gooden

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they signed forward/center Drew Gooden for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Gooden, 6-10, 250 pounds, was waived by the Sacramento Kings on March 1 after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade on Feb. 18. This season he has appeared in 32 games, averaging 13.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes while shooting .460 (166-361) from the field and .869 (86-99) from the foul line. Gooden has posted 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 22 games, including seven contests with 20 or more. In 31 games with Bulls, he averaged 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.6 minutes, and in his only game with the Kings he posted 12 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Originally selected out of the University of Kansas with the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Gooden has played for five NBA teams (Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland, Chicago and Sacramento). For his career he has appeared in 491 games, averaging 12.1 points (.470 FG%, .730 FT%), 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 28.5 minutes. Gooden enjoyed his best season in 2004-05 with the Cavaliers when he averaged a career-high 14.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.8 minutes while appearing in all 82 games.

Gooden, 27, has made three trips to NBA playoffs, including the 2007 NBA Finals where the Spurs defeated the Cavaliers. In 40 career playoff games, he has averaged 10.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.

Gooden enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Kansas. In three seasons with the Jayhawks he averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.10 blocks and 1.10 steals in 98 games becoming just the second player in school history (Danny Manning) to record at least 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals. As a junior, Gooden helped lead Jayhawks to the 2002 NCAA Final Four. Along the way he was named First Team All-America in 2002 by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Basketball News. He also was named the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year and a 2002 Wooden Award First-Team All-American.

Lee, Parker earn Player of the Week honors

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2009 - The New York Knicks' David Lee and the San
Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker today were named the Eastern and Western
Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Feb. 1.

Lee helped the Knicks to a 3-0 week with wins over Houston, Atlanta
and Indiana. The fourth-year forward averaged 19.0 points on .535 shooting
to go along with 15.3 rebounds. He recorded point-rebound double-doubles
in all three contests and ranks second in the league with 35 double-doubles
on the season (Dwight Howard). On Jan. 31 at Indiana, Lee had 23 points
and led the Knicks with 17 rebounds in New York's 122-113 win over the
Pacers.

During a 3-0 week for the Spurs, Parker averaged 25.0 points and
6.0 assists in 36.0 minutes. Parker has scored in double figures 32 times
this season and has led San Antonio in scoring 16 times and in assists 27
times; he ranks 11th in the NBA in assists with 6.5 apg. On Jan. 29, Parker
scored 26 points and added five assists and two steals in the Spurs'
114-104 victory at Phoenix.

Spurs ink Croshere to 10-day deal

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed free-agent forward Austin Croshere to a 10-day contract.

The 6-10, 235-pound Croshere joins the Spurs after being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on 1/6. Now in his 12th NBA season, he has also played for the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. Croshere was originally drafted 12th overall by Indiana in the 1997 NBA Draft.

This season Croshere appeared in 11 games with the Bucks and averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.0 minutes per game. Over his career he has averaged 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 656 games. Croshere has also appeared in 68 playoff games where he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.

The former Providence Friar enjoyed his finest NBA season in 1999-00, averaging 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 81 regular-season games, while helping the Pacers win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. Croshere ranks among the Top-10 all-time in Pacers franchise history in games (540), 3-pointers made (376) and attempted (1,095). He is also one of just six players (Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Vern Fleming and Jeff Foster) to play for the team for at least nine seasons.

Oberto out with atrial fibrillation

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Fabricio Oberto will miss the team's first two games of the 2008-09 season due to atrial fibrillation.

On Tuesday at practice Oberto alerted the Spurs training staff that he felt fluttering in his heart. After being seen by the team's medical staff he had an EKG which confirmed he was experiencing atrial fibrillation. Last night he underwent a cardioversion which restored his heart to its normal rhythm.

Over the next five days Oberto will receive daily EKG exams to confirm that his heart maintains its normal rhythm. Barring any unforeseen complications, he is expected to be available for the Spurs-Mavericks game on 11/4.

Spurs pick up option on Mahinmi

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have exercised the third-year team option on center Ian Mahinmi’s rookie scale contract. Mahinmi is now signed through the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very excited about Ian Mahinmi’s development,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “We’ve literally seen him grow up in front of our eyes, since he joined us he’s grown more than an inch and gained over 30 pounds. He is a talented young man who has continued to work hard and improve as a basketball player. Being named to the D-League First Team last season – in his first year in the States – is an indication of what a bright future he has.”

Mahinmi, who turns 22 on November 5, is entering his second season with the Spurs. He split the 2007-08 campaign between San Antonio and the Austin Toros, the NBA Development League team owned and operated by the Spurs. Mahinmi started the season in San Antonio, appearing in six games with the Spurs, averaging 3.5 points in 3.8 minutes, before being assigned to the Toros on 11/21.

Mahinmi was named to the 2008 All-NBA Development League First Team. In 46 games with the Toros, he averaged 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.70 blocks in 29.6 minutes while shooting .615 (276-449) from the field and .766 (219-286) from the line. Mahinmi ranked 19^th in the D-League in scoring, second in field goal percentage, eighth in rebounding and ninth in blocks. For the season Mahinmi posted 16 double-doubles. He scored in double figures 38 times, with 20-or-more 17 times and 30-plus four times. Mahinmi scored a season-high-tying 32 points (11-15 FG, 10-16 FT) and grabbed a season-best 17 rebounds vs. Utah on 12/21.

In four games in the 2008 D-League Playoffs, Mahinmi averaged 18.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.50 blocks in 38.3 minutes. In three games in the D-League Finals, he averaged 16.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.67 blocks as Idaho won the series 2-1. Mahinmi had 21 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists in 46 minutes in the Toros 108-101 Game 3 loss at Idaho on 4/25.

Mahinmi was selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft with the 28^th overall pick. He was signed by the Spurs on 8/23/07 after spending the previous four seasons in the French A League.

Spurs waive Hairston

The San Antonio Spurs have waived guard/forward Malik Hairston.

Hairston averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in six preseason games for San Antonio.

Bulls cut Ruffin; Spurs axe three

The Chicago Bulls waived forward Roger Powell and forward/center Michael Ruffin.

Powell (6-6, 225) appeared in four preseason games with the Bulls and averaged 2.8 ppg and 0.8 rpg in 4.5 mpg.

Ruffin (6-8, 248) missed seven preseason games due to a left ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs waived guard/forward Devin Green, guard Salim Stoudamire and center Darryl Watkins.

Green appeared in four games during the preseason, averaging 7.0 points, 2.8 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.25 steals in 21.8 minutes per game.

Stoudamire played in two preseason games, averaging 5.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 19.0 minutes of action.

Green saw action in five preseason games, averaging 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.0 minutes of action.

Roster moves galore

Lots of roster moves today...

The Spurs waived forward Charles Gaines, who averaged 3.3 points in four preseason games for San Antonio.

The Bulls waived forward Elton Brown and guard Darius Washington. Brown (6-9, 250) appeared in two preseason games and averaged 2.5 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 8.0 mpg.

Washington (6-2, 195) saw action in two preseason games and averaged 8.0 ppg in 13.0 mpg.

The Bucks requested waivers on guards Ron Howard and Kevin Kruger.

In three preseason games, Howard, 25, posted averages of 2.0 points and 1.0 assist per game.

Kruger, 25, played in two games and averaged 4.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.0 rebound per game.

The Mavericks requested waivers on forward Charles Rhodes.

Rhodes (6-8, 245) was signed by the Mavericks as a rookie free agent after
he went undrafted out of Mississippi State in the 2008 NBA Draft. He saw
action in 5 preseason games and averaged 1.0 point and 2.4 rebounds in 6.0
minutes per game.

The Sixers waived Antywane Robinson. He appeared in three preseason games, playing a total of 15 minutes.

Robinson (6-8, 220) played all four seasons at Temple University, earning Atlantic-10 All-Conference Second Team honors his senior season. In 116 career games played for the Owls, he had 85 steals to 54 turnovers. He has yet to appear in a regular season game since going undrafted in 2006, but played preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2007. After being waived by the Hawks, Robinson joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League before playing overseas for Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez of the French League.