Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, who suffered a Grade 3 high ankle sprain, a torn deltoid ligament and a syndesmosis disruption of his left ankle last Thursday, underwent successful surgery today to repair the ligament and will be sidelined a minimum of three-plus months, it was announced today. Ellis informed the team that he suffered the injury while working out in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Angus McBryde of the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ellis, 22, is expected to have the ankle immobilized for approximately six (6) weeks and spend approximately the following six (6) weeks undergoing off-court rehabilitation. Based on his progress, the 6′3” guard will be cleared to begin on-court rehabilitation after the successful conclusion of the first two steps in the process. A potential return date (to play) cannot be estimated until the initial 12-week period is completed.
A three-year NBA veteran, Ellis averaged a career-high 20.2 points (25th in NBA) and shot .531 from the floor (14th in NBA) last season.

The Oklahoman (Mel Bracht) reports: Say you’re working late and can’t make it to the Ford Center to watch Oklahoma City’s new NBA team play its game that night. Instead, you log on to your computer and watch streaming video of the team’s game broadcast. Sound far-fetched? Not if the NBA has its way. The league is aggresively promoting three new Internet elements — video streaming in home markets, interactive TV and video-on-demand — for the upcoming season. Ed Desser, a media consultant for Oklahoma City’s team, said many details have yet to be worked out, and didn’t expect the team to offer the Internet elements anytime soon.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Euroleague Basketball have announced that three Euroleague teams will compete in five NBA preseason games from October 10-21, 2008. The five games, which are part of the Euroleague American Tour, will be played by 2008 Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow (Russia), FC Barcelona (Spain) and Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania). The teams may face up to five NBA opponents including the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors and possibly the Los Angeles Clippers.
“These games continue our collaboration with Euroleague Basketball, as we work together to grow the game of basketball on a global basis,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern.
The Euroleague American Tour continues a tradition of friendly competition between the NBA and Euroleague Basketball, dating back to 1978 when Maccabi Tel Aviv played the Washington Bullets in Tel Aviv, Israel. Following the 2008 preseason schedule, 33 games will have been played between the two leagues since Euroleague Basketball was created in 2000, including 13 games during NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™ in 2006 and 2007.
“We value the chance to partner with NBA teams in their own arenas,” Euroleague Basketball CEO Jordi Bertomeu said. “There are basketball fans of all types in North America whom we plan to entertain with our own distinct playing style. We are sure they will appreciate again that the international game has a lot to offer our sport.”
The Euroleague American Tour tips off on Oct. 10 in Orlando, Florida, when six-time Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow makes its North American debut against the Orlando Magic. CSKA’s second preseason game will take place in Toronto, Canada, when CSKA plays the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 14.
FC Barcelona play two games as part of the Preseason Shootout at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. The 2008 NBA Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers will be Barcelona’s first opponent on Oct. 18, followed by the either Los Angeles Clippers or Toronto Raptors on Oct. 19. For Barcelona, founded in 1926, the games in Los Angeles will be their first played in the United States.
ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif. will be the final site of the Euroleague’s American Tour when the Golden State Warriors hosts Lietuvos Rytas on Oct. 21. Rytas is the 2005 ULEB Cup champion and hold five Lithuanian League crowns.
For the third consecutive year, NBA teams will participate in preseason games abroad. The Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards will play four games in Barcelona, Berlin, London and Paris as part of NBA Europe Live 2008.

The Oklahoman (Mike Baldwin) reports on a team’s 82-game regular season schedule: “Four games against division opponents. Four games against six out-of-division conference opponents. Three games against the remaining four conference teams. Two games against teams in the opposing conference. A five-year rotation determines which out-of-division conference teams are played only three times.”

The Golden State Warriors have re-signed guard Monta Ellis to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Monta under contract for the next several years,” said Mullin. “He has been one of the top young players in the NBA for the last two years and enjoyed a tremendous season last year.  The growth that he has demonstrated at such a young age is incredible and we look forward to him playing a big part in our future success.”
Ellis, 22, averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.53 steals in 37.9 minutes in 81 games last season.   He ranked 14th in the NBA in field goal percentage (.531, 3rd among all guards), 15th in steals and 25th in scoring.  He became only the ninth guard in NBA history to shoot 60% from the floor for an entire month in February (.602).  The 6′3” Ellis scored a career-high 39 points on January 24 vs. New Jersey and scored 30-plus points on 12 occasions overall.
Originally selected (out of high school) in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by Golden State (#40 overall), Ellis was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player following the 2006-07 campaign, when his scoring average increased by nearly 10 points per game from the previous season (6.8 to 16.5).  The Jackson, Mississippi native has averaged 15.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists overall in 207 NBA games during his three-year career.  Additionally, his field goal percentage has increased by nearly 6% in each of his three campaigns (.415, .475, 531).

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Richard Hendrix, whom the club selected with the 49th overall selection in last month’s NBA Draft, to a contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Hendrix, 21, was an early entry candidate for the NBA Draft after playing three seasons at Alabama. As a junior, he earned First Team All-SEC honors after averaging 17.8 points (fifth in SEC), 10.1 rebounds (first in SEC) and 1.94 blocks (fifth in SEC) in 32 contests. He posted 32 career double-doubles and currently ranks 11th on Alabama’s all-time list for career rebounds (849) and 18th in career points (1,327).
The 6′9″ forward is currently playing for the Warriors’ summer league team at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, Utah.  In three summer league contests overall (Las Vegas and Salt Lake City), Hendrix has averaged 7.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in 20.6 minutes.  Additionally, he’s collected 10 or more rebounds in each of his appearances.

The Golden State Warriors have matched the contract offer submitted to restricted free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike by the Los Angeles Clippers, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin.  The Warriors had seven (7) days from receipt of the contract – Friday, July 18 - to match the offer from Los Angeles.  Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Various reports have said it’s likely a three-year deal for around $3 million per season, but that’s not official in any way.
“We are pleased to have Kelenna back in the fold,” said Mullin.  “He’s a young and talented player who has continued to improve during his two seasons with our team.  His versatility, athleticism and ability to shoot the 3-pointer certainly fit our style of play. Additionally, we think he will continue to improve and expand his game.”
Azubuike, 24, appeared in 81 games with Golden State last season, averaging career-high figures in scoring (8.1), rebounds (4.0) and minutes played (21.4).  The 6′5” guard scored a career-high 33 points on November 2 against the Clippers, one of 34 double figure scoring outings.  In 17 starting assignments, he averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds.
The Warriors originally signed Azubuike on January 2, 2007 from the NBA Development League’s Ft. Worth Flyers.  He appeared in 41 games during his rookie campaign, averaging 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds.  Overall, he has averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 122 career NBA games.  The London, England native was never drafted by an NBA team after attending the University of Kentucky for three years (2002-03 – 2004-05).

The New Jersey Nets have traded third-year guard Marcus Williams to the Golden State Warriors for future draft considerations, Nets President Rod Thorn announced Tuesday.
“Marcus is a good, young ballplayer with outstanding skills,” said Thorn.  “This transaction allows us to acquire another future asset, and we wish Marcus the best in his basketball future.”
Williams, 22, was a member of the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team with New Jersey following the 2006-07 campaign, when he averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 assists in 79 games (16.6 mpg).  He was selected to play with the rookie squad in the 2007 Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas and his season assist total (260) represented the third-most all-time for a Nets’ first-year player. His rookie season was highlighted by a career-high 27 point performance against the Suns in Phoenix (11/24/06).
“We are happy to add a player like Marcus to our roster,” said Mullin.  “We felt that we needed to acquire another point guard and a player who is capable of running our offense and expanding our depth. We feel that Marcus can contribute to our cause next season.”
Last season (2007-08), Williams averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 assists in 53 games with the Nets (16.1 mpg), highlighted by a season-high 25 point performance 2/20 vs. Chicago and career-best 13 assist outing 2/23 vs. Indiana.  Additionally, the 6′3” guard averaged 11.7 points and 4.6 assists in 17 outings last season when logging at least 20 minutes. He missed the first 23 games of the campaign due to a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
The first round selection the Nets obtained from Golden State will either be lottery protected 1-14 in 2011, lottery protected 1-11 in 2012 or lottery protected 1-10 in 2013. If the Nets do not use any of these picks, the Nets will receive Golden State’s second round picks in 2013 and 2015.

The Phoenix Suns have signed free-agent forward Matt Barnes to a one-year contract, the club announced yesterday.
“We’re excited to add a player of Matt’s caliber to our roster,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr.  “He has a chance to have a big impact on our team.  His athleticism and versatility at both ends of the court will be important for us along with his playoff experience.”
The 6-7, 226-pound forward joins the Suns after a two-season stint with the Golden State Warriors in which he averaged 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 149 games in 2006-07 and 2007-08.  Barnes enjoyed a career year with the Warriors in 2006-07, averaging a personal-best 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists during the regular season.  The 28-year-old Barnes played a key role in Golden State’s historic upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, tallying 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 11 games.
The UCLA product is a career 43.8-percent shooter from the field, including 32.4 percent from three-point range.  Barnes shot 33.8 percent from long range the last two seasons with the Warriors, where he made 159 of his 169 career three-pointers.
Barnes joins his sixth NBA team after spending time with the L.A. Clippers (2003-04), Sacramento Kings (2004-05), Philadelphia 76ers (2004-05, 2005-06), New York Knicks (2005-06) and Warriors.  He owns career averages of 6.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 286 NBA games.
Originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round (46th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft but traded that day to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Barnes is one of many NBA success stories that began their professional careers in the NBA Development League.  The five-year veteran spent the 2002-03 season with the Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League, where he averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 50 games.
The Santa Clara, California-native attended Del Campo High School in Sacramento.
The Suns’ roster currently stands at 11 players.

The Oakland Tribune (Carl Steward) reports: Maybe Baron Davis wasn’t as smart as so many of us thought. He threw away a great situation in a place where he was mostly revered and pampered for a little more money, only slightly more security and the foolish allure of playing in his hometown. That plan works if you’re going with the Lakers. But with the Clippers, particularly with Elton Brand and Corey Maggette now gone, B.D. probably just signed the death warrant on the rest of his career. He might as well be back in New Orleans. By next midseason, with the Clippers slogging through a 57-loss season, Davis will be miserable, bored, sullen out, of shape and probably injured.