The New York Knicks announced Thursday that big man Jeremy Tyler underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Tyler is expected to miss eight-to-10 weeks with the injury, so he won't be available for preseason and will likely miss the start of the regular season.
NBA news roundup: Jeremy Tyler has foot surgery, Caron Butler to play ‘a lot of minutes’
Tyler’s roster spot with the Knicks may be in jeopardy after surgery, while Butler is expected to be the starting small forward in Milwaukee.
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The Knicks signed Tyler to a two-year deal after he performed well in Las Vegas Summer League. The 6’10 big man averaged a team-high 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in Vegas. His contract is only partially guaranteed for this upcoming season.
Because Tyler’s deal is partially guaranteed, Seth Rosenthal at SB Nation’s Knicks blog Posting and Toasting says the Knicks could choose to release the youngster and look to sign another big man. It would be preferable to have a player available for training camp and preseason, but there aren’t many more attractive options out there.
Butler to get big minutes for Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks officially introduced Caron Butler on Thursday, and general manager John Hammond expects Butler to have a major role on the team. Not only will the 33-year-old swingman act as a mentor to the plethora of youngsters on the Bucks, but he will also play big minutes:
“But, make no mistake, he’s here for a lot more than just that. We need him on the floor. We project him to be our starting small forward, project him to play a lot of minutes for our team, project him to help us win games.”
The Bucks recently acquired Butler in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. Butler had already been dealt once earlier in the offseason, going from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Suns in a three-way trade that included Milwaukee.
Butler averaged 10.4 points for the Clippers last season and brings some solid three-point shooting to the Bucks’ roster. However, Steve von Horn at SB Nation’s Bucks blog Brew Hoop wonders if trading for Butler really makes sense in terms of a long-term plan. Butler may make the team marginally better, but it’s likely not enough to truly matter in an improved Eastern Conference.
Hall of Fame presenters announced
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductions are this weekend, and the Hall of Fame presenters have been announced. Here are a few of the notable names (NBA.com has the full list):
Roger Brown: Reggie Miller and Mel Daniels
Richie Guerin: Bob Cousy and John Havlicek
Bernard King: Dominique Wilkins
Guy V. Lewis: Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler
Gary Payton: John Stockton and George Gervin
Rick Pitino: Dick Vitale and Hubie Brown
Oscar Schmidt: Larry Bird
Jerry Tarkanian: Bill Walton and Pete Carril
Lakers sign Henry
The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they signed former lottery pick Xavier Henry. The exact terms of his contract have not been announced, but Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times expects the deal to be only partially guaranteed.
The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Henry with the 12th pick in the 2010 draft, but he has never been able to carve out a consistent role in the NBA. The 6'6 guard was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2012, where he averaged 3.9 points in 50 games.
The addition of Henry gives the Lakers 14 players under contract.
Telfair, Ebanks with multiple suitors
There are still a few somewhat notable names on the free-agent market, with former first-round pick Sebastian Telfair being one of those names. Telfair, the 13th pick in the 2004 draft, has received interest from the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs among other teams, according to Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD.
Kennedy also reports that former Laker Devin Ebanks has received interest from the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks. The Hawks and Ebanks have been in contact for much of the offseason, while the Magic hoped to acquire Ebanks in the Dwight Howard trade in 2012.
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