The Indepedent Florida Alligator (Mike DiFerdinando) reports: Taurean Green doesn’t speak much Spanish, and that may be a problem. The former UF point guard confirmed Wednesday that he has agreed to play for the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza. Green is in the process of negotiating what is believed to be a one-year deal with the team. He would not confirm the specifics of the contract.

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.

As expected, the Nuggets have kept their super-athletic, three-point shooting restricted free agent who teams around the league seem to have not even bothered trying to sign because Denver was going to match any sane offer.  Here’s the news release:
The Denver Nuggets have re-signed G J.R. Smith to a multi-year contract, Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. We’ll post the reported salary later tonight.
“We’re extremely delighted to have J.R. back,” said Warkentien.  “His blend of off-the-charts-athleticism and long-range shooting ability is rare, especially for someone his age.   We believe his best basketball is still to come.”
Smith, 22, has averaged 12.6 ppg in 137 regular season games for the Nuggets over the past two seasons – primarily as a reserve (just 24 starts).  He has shot .396 (306-772) from three-point range as a Nugget, which ranks as the best percentage in team history (minimum 100 made treys).
This past season, Smith averaged 12.3 ppg in 19.2 minutes per game, while notching career-bests for field goal percentage (.461) and three-point percentage (.403).  He led the NBA in three-point field goals made per 48 minutes (5.3) and twice tied the team record for three-pointers made in a quarter with seven.  He scored a career-high 43 points off the bench in 33 minutes at Chicago on 2/22, setting a team record for points in a non-starting role.  Smith continued his strong play in the postseason, averaging 18.3 ppg in 27.0 minutes in four games against the Lakers.
The 6-6, 220, swingman was acquired from Chicago on July 20, 2006, in exchange for Howard Eisley and two second-round draft picks.  He was originally selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round (18th overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft.

Carmelo Anthony finally had some comments on the Nuggets trading Marcus Camby, the team’s center and key rebounder, shot-blocker and defender, away to the Clippers for nothing more than salary cap flexibility. He isn’t too pleased.
The Rocky Mountain News (Chris Tomasson) reports: “Yeah, it was really disappointing,” Carmelo Anthony said at the Olympics in Beijing. “But I don’t really have no comment on the Nuggets right now. I’m here in Beijing.” … “I don’t know what they’re going to do,” Anthony said of the Nuggets having left him in the dark.

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed free agent guard/forward Yakhouba Diawara. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Diawara spent the previous two seasons playing for the Denver Nuggets. During the 2007-08 season, he played in 54 games (14 starts), averaging 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game, while shooting 41.0 percent from the field. In his first season in the NBA, he played in 64 games (19 starts) and averaged 4.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game.
During the 2005-06 season, Diawara played in 20 games for JDA Dijon Bourgogne of the French League where he averaged 16.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He also played 25 games for Climamio Bologna of the Italian League, where he averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 rebounds.
He was a member of the HEAT’s 2005 Summer League squad, playing in two games and averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the field.
He played for two seasons at Pepperdine (2003-05), averaging 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds over his two years. He was also named First Team All-West Coast Conference as a junior. He spent his first two collegiate seasons at Southern Idaho Junior College.

Sonny Weems, a second-round draft pick whose rights were acquired by the Denver Nuggets on draft night, underwent successful surgery to repair a sports hernia today.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert MacDonald of Rose Medical Center.
Weems is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp, which begins on September 30th.
Weems was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (39th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft before being traded to Denver for a 2009 second-round draft pick.
In five games for the Nuggets entry in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this summer, Weems averaged 9.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 22.2 mpg.

The Denver Nuggets have signed G/F Dahntay Jones, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Jones, 6-6, 210, averaged a team-leading 18.4 ppg to go along with 2.4 rpg and 1.0 apg in five games for the Nuggets entry in the 2008 NBA Summer League that finished with a 4-1 record in Las Vegas this summer.
Jones spent time with both the Sacramento Kings and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League during the 2007-08 campaign.
The five-year NBA veteran has posted career averages of 4.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg and in 246 games with Memphis and Sacramento.
Jones was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft. His draft rights were traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he spent four seasons from 2003-07.

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Taurean Green and guard/forward Bobby Jones have been waived. Both had been acquired on Monday from Denver, along with a 2010 second-round draft choice, for forward Renaldo Balkman and cash considerations.
I think Green will very likely get picked up by another team in the near future. Jones also belongs in the league, but isn’t a lock to return right away. Both can help a team’s deep bench.

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 Denver Nuggets have acquired F Renaldo Balkman and cash considerations from the New York Knicks in exchange for G Taurean Green, F Bobby Jones and a 2010 second round draft pick, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.
Balkman, 6-8, 208-pounds, averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 65 games for New York last season. Originally drafted by the Knicks after his junior season at the University of South Carolina in the first round (20th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, the Staten Island-native finishes his career in blue and orange having played in 133 career games, averaging 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.2 minutes over two seasons.
Green, 6-0, 177-pounds, averaged 1.6 points and 4.4 minutes in 17 games last season for both Portland and Denver. Originally drafted by the Trail Blazers after his junior season at the University of Florida in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Green was acquired by the Nuggets on Feb. 21 in exchange for guard Von Wafer. In addition the Fort Lauderdale, FL-native appeared in eight total games in the NBA Development League with the Idaho Stampede and Colorado 14ers.
Jones, 6-7, 215-pounds, averaged 3.8 points and 11.3 minutes in 47 games last season for San Antonio, Miami, Houston, Memphis and Denver. In addition, the Compton, CA-native appeared in fives games in the NBA Development League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Originally drafted by Minnesota out of the University of Washington in the second round (37th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, Jones was traded to Philadelphia and appeared in 44 games for the 76ers last season.
InsideHoops.com says: The Knicks just needed to clear some roster space and they apparently don’t feel that Balkman is going to really help a rotation on a winning team. The guys they’re trading for will wind up being cut. But both Green and Jones are good enough to play in the league, so if they do get released someone should sign them. Green is considered more valuable than Jones.