Basketball News

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan guard Takuya Kawamura has joined the Phoenix Suns for the pre-season summer league in a bid to become the second man from his country to play in the NBA.

DALLAS - The way Jerry Stackhouse's contract was structured, the Dallas Mavericks knew they could parlay him into a key player for next season. As it turned out, a lot of teams benefited.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Blake Griffin, the top overall pick in the 2009 National Basketball Association entry draft.

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors have signed forward DeMar DeRozan, the No. 9 pick in the draft.

PORTLAND, Ore. - After losing out on Hedo Turkoglu, the Portland Trail Blazers are considering Paul Millsap.

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors got their top offseason target — thanks to some help from Chris Bosh — finalizing the acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu on Thursday.

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Versatile free agent forward Anderson Varejao of Brazil has agreed to a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team said on Thursday.

DALLAS (Reuters) - The Dallas Mavericks acquired four-time All-Star forward Shawn Marion from the Toronto Raptors in a multi-player, four-team trade, they said Thursday.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Detroit Pistons have picked Cavaliers assistant John Kuester (QUEUE'-ster) as their new head coach.

DETROIT (Reuters) - The Detroit Pistons have appointed Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester as their new head coach, the NBA team announced on Thursday.

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Cavaliers and Anderson Varejao reportedly have agreed on a six-year contract that could be worth as much as $50 million.

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors new core is taking shape. The Raptors re-signed former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani to a five-year, $50 million contract extension Wednesday, as they also closed in on a deal with free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu.

NEW YORK - The NBA players' association is upset with the league over a warning it sent teams projecting a significant decrease in the 2010-11 salary cap.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Pacers have signed Tyler Hansbrough, the former North Carolina star who was the team's top pick in the NBA draft.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - These aren't the same, old Detroit Pistons. Twentysomethings Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva joined the Pistons on Wednesday, signaling the start of a new era for a new-look franchise.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Ron Artest signed Wednesday with the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, the team he wanted to join for years.

HOUSTON - Trevor Ariza liked what he saw in Houston enough to leave the Los Angeles Lakers.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks are making moves to keep together a roster that has made two straight playoff appearances.