National Basketball Association roundup
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[June 24, 2017]
June 23 (The Sports Xchange) - Power forward Blake Griffin opted out
of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and point
guard Chris Paul will do the same sometime next week, according to
multiple published reports.
The decisions would make both players unrestricted free agents on
July 1.
The departure of the two stars could possibly leave the Clippers in
a reorganization mode after the current group has been unable to
reach the Western Conference finals. Neither player is expected to
fully close the door on a possible return.
Speculation has Paul being a target of the San Antonio Spurs. The
nine-time All-Star averaged 18.1 points and 9.2 assists last season.
Griffin could be highly pursued by his hometown Oklahoma City
Thunder to give Russell Westbrook a high-impact running mate that
was missing last season after Kevin Durant's departure. The
five-time All-Star averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds last season
but has been plagued by injuries over the past three seasons.
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Finding an identity under coach Fred Hoiberg meant trading the face
of the franchise for the Chicago Bulls.
All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler was relocated to the Minnesota
Timberwolves after more than a year of simmering trade talks
involving Butler, who reunites with former coach Tom Thibodeau.
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"What we've done," Bulls vice president John Paxson said, "is set a
direction. We've decided to make the change and rebuild this roster.
We're going to do it with young players we believe can play a system
Fred is comfortable with."
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Last summer, the Bulls parted with Joakim Noah and traded former
point guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks. Another step away
from contention and into rebuilding mode was the best path, per
Paxson.
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Detroit Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been
suspended two games without pay after his recent guilty plea in a
drunk-driving incident, the NBA announced.
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Caldwell-Pope's suspension will take place for the first two games
in which he is physically able to play during the 2017-18 campaign.
Earlier this month, Caldwell-Pope received 12 months probation after
pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in
Auburn Hills, Mich.
Caldwell-Pope was arrested in March after being pulled over for
driving 45 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to police. After a field
sobriety test, he was arrested and a breathalyzer test displayed he
had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08. (Editing by Andrew Both) [© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
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