Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will be sidelined indefinitely with sore knees, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho.

“Unfortunately, Brandon Roy’s condition has not significantly improved and we’ve decided to hold him out indefinitely,” said Cho. “In the short term, we’re going to proceed with an extended period of rest. Beyond that, we’re looking at all available treatment options to help better determine a course of action.”

Roy, 26, has missed nine games this season (three games from Nov. 16-20 and the last six games beginning on Dec. 17) with a sore left knee.

A three-time NBA All-Star and 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year, Roy has led the team in scoring in each of the last three seasons. He holds career averages of 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.08 steals in 297 career games (295 starts).

In 23 games (all starts) this season, Roy has averaged 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.13 steals in 35.3 minutes per game. He scored 20 points or more in nine contests and led the team in scoring eight times.

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Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has assigned center Cole Aldrich to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League for the second time this season.

In his first assignment with the 66ers, Aldrich saw action in five games (all starts) averaging 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.

Aldrich has appeared in seven games for Oklahoma City this season averaging 1.0 point and 1.9 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per contest.

He’ll be in uniform tonight when the 66ers take on the Toros at the Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Cole is tall.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports:

The Celtics lost a basketball game last night, and if that’s all they lost in the long run, they will be ecstatic.

The 104-92 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons was very much a secondary concern to the health of Kevin Garnett, who left the game in the first quarter with a lower right leg injury.

X-rays taken at the Palace revealed no fracture, but an MRI and other tests will be coming when the Celts return to home.

Garnett looked as if he suffered the injury as he planted to go up for a dunk with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The occurrence was reminiscent of the injury he suffered in February 2009 that essentially ended that season for the forward.

“I know it’s a muscle, not a knee, which is good,” coach Doc Rivers said.

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is scheduled to return to the team Thursday after spending time grieving his sister Michelle’s death.

Michelle passed away last week due to a pre-existing medical condition, and Anthony left the Nuggets immediately to be with his family in Baltimore.

Anthony said he appreciates the outpouring of love and support from his Denver family during this time. He is looking forward to returning to the team and working with his teammates.

Earl Boykins of the Milwaukee Bucks has been suspended one game without pay for making intentional contact with a game official, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 5.3 seconds remaining in the 3rd period of the Bucks’ 95-80 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Monday, Dec. 27.

Boykins will serve his suspension tonight when the Bucks face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago.

Golden State Warriors guard Jeremy Lin was assigned to the Reno Bighorns, the Warriors’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.  The assignment marks the 23rd time in the 2010-11 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate, and it is the first assignment for Lin, a rookie out of Harvard.

Lin (6-3, 200) has appeared in 17 games this season for Golden State, averaging 1.9 points in 8.5 minutes. In the 2010 NBA Summer League, Lin averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in five games with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Warriors signed Lin as an undrafted free agent in July. In four years at Harvard, Lin averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He became the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals, and was one of 11 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award as a senior.

Lin joins the Bighorns for Reno’s game tonight versus the Tulsa 66ers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward Alonzo Gee to a contract, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.  Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Gee, 23, has played with the San Antonio Spurs (five games) and Washington Wizards (11 games) this season, averaging 2.1 points on .433 shooting and 1.6 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game in a total of 16 games (five starts). He will wear No. 33 for the Cavs.

The 6-foot-6, 219-pound guard/forward was named the 2010 D-League Rookie of the Year and to the NBA D-League Second Team after averaging 21.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 38.2 minutes while shooting .509 (269-528) from the field and .393 (24-61) from three-point range during the 2009-10 regular season with the Austin Toros. The former University of Alabama star was called up to the Washington Wizards on consecutive 10-day contracts on March 7 and March 18, 2010 and appeared in 11 games (two starts), averaging 7.4 points on .475 shooting, including .778 from three-point range, and 3.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned forward Devin Ebanks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Ebanks, who was selected by the Lakers with the 43rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has appeared in 12 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.4 minutes.

The 6’9” rookie will be available to play for the Jam tomorrow night in their game vs. the New Mexico Thunderbirds.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned forward Samardo Samuels to the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Samuels has played in four games for the Cavaliers this season and has averages of 3.3 points on .571 shooting and 1.0 rebound in 4.5 minutes per game.

The 6-foot-9 rookie from Louisville will be available to play for the BayHawks in their game versus the Dakota Wizards tonight at 7 p.m. at the Tullio Arena in Erie. The BayHawks are the D-League affiliate of the Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.

Shaquille O’Neal of the Boston Celtics has been fined $35,000 for public comments about the officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred following the Celtics’ 86-78 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

More details shortly.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived forward Jawad Williams, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Williams averaged 4.0 points on.325 shooting and 1.8 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game in 26 games (one start) this season. In three seasons (all with the Cavaliers), he had career averages of 3.8 points on .369 shooting and 1.5 rebounds in 90 games (seven starts).

“We would like to wish Jawad and his family the best in the future and thank him for his contributions, not only on the court but in the community,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant.

The Cavaliers roster now stands at 14.

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The Atlanta Hawks today assigned rookie guard/forward Pape Sy (POP SEE) to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund.

Sy was the Hawks’ second round pick (53rd overall selection) in the 2010 NBA Draft. He missed the first 18 games of the season due to a low back injury, and has been on the inactive list in the remainder of the games this year. Sy appeared in two games for Atlanta’s summer league squad in Las Vegas, averaging 4.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg and 1.0 apg.

He signed with the Hawks on September 15, 2010.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks have risen to 18th in what the coaching staff views as the most important defensive stat — points per 100 possessions. (The Knicks were 28th during their 3-8 start). The Knicks are second in the NBA in blocked shots, with Stoudemire setting a ton of toughness.

“We’re playing better team defense, we’re playing better help defense,” said Felton. “Amare getting six blocks [on Christmas] was big, just helping weak side and cleaning up. It makes me and Toney [Douglas’] job much easier pressuring the ball because we know we have guys who are going to clean things up when we make mistakes.”

The Knicks have the makings of a competent defensive club. Felton, Douglas and Turiaf breathe and sleep defense. Wilson Chandler is an active defender. Rookie Landry Fields rarely makes a mistake. Danilo Gallinari, despite some inconsistent offensive nights, has been tenacious on the other end, among the league leaders in charges drawn.

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have re-signed forward Ronald Dupree. Per team policy, financial details were  not disclosed.

Dupree, 6-foot-7, 210 pounds participated in Toronto’s 2010 training camp before he was released October 19. He appeared in five preseason games, totaling 20 points and eight rebounds in 55 minutes.

Dupree was also a member of the Raptors’ entry in the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League. In five outings, Dupree averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds helping the club to a 5-0 mark. He had a team-high 24 points and added eight rebounds in a victory over New Orleans.

Dupree has played in 154 NBA games with Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Seattle, averaging 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds. He has also seen action in the NBDL with Huntsville, Tulsa and Utah. He has averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 boards in 122 D-League outings.

Toronto’s roster now stands at 15.

The Charlotte Bobcats today named Ralph Lewis, Charles Oakley and Stephen Silas as assistant coaches on the staff of Interim Head Coach Paul Silas.

“It was important to me to quickly put together a staff that I feel comfortable with and one that mirrors my coaching philosophy and can immediately make an impact on this team in a positive way,” said Silas. “Ralph Lewis brings experience as both a player and a coach, and Stephen has been part of my staffs on a few of my NBA stints.  I’ve always admired Charles Oakley and I feel his overall experience as a competitor and his mental toughness will only enhance our preparations.”

Lewis played professionally for 10 years, including three seasons in the NBA with the Pistons and Hornets.  He served as assistant coach of the Huntsville Flight during the inaugural season of the NBA Development League in 2001-02 before becoming head coach from 2002-05.  During his three seasons as head coach, the Flight compiled a 73-71 record and made consecutive playoff appearances in 2003-04 and 2004-05.  Lewis went on to serve as an assistant coach for the SuperSonics/Thunder from 2005-09.  In addition to his playing and coaching experience, Lewis has worked as an executive in the human resources and healthcare fields.

A 19-year NBA veteran, Oakley comes to the bench as an assistant coach for the first time.  During his NBA career, he averaged 9.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in 1,282 games played for Chicago, New York, Toronto, Washington and Houston.  In addition to being selected for the 1994 Eastern Conference All-Star Team, his playing honors include being named to the All-Rookie First Team in 1985-86, All-Defensive First Team in 1993-94 and All-Defensive Second Team in 1997-98.  Oakley, who led the league in rebounds in both 1986-87 and 1987-88, currently ranks 20th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list (12,205), while also ranking ninth all-time in offensive rebounds (3,924) and 13th in defensive rebounds (8,281).  In addition, his 1,282 games played is the 14th-best total in NBA history.

In his 10th season as an assistant coach, Stephen Silas joins the Bobcats from the Golden State Warriors, where he has been as an assistant coach since 2006.  Prior to that, he was an assistant coach on his father’s staffs with the Hornets from 2000-03 and the Cavaliers from 2003-05.  Silas has also served as head coach for Summer League entries for the Hornets (2002), Cavaliers (2003) and Warriors (2010).  In addition to his coaching roles, Silas was an advance scout for the Hornets in 1999-2000 and the Wizards in 2005-06.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that forward Andray Blatche and center JaVale McGee have both been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

“After further investigation into an incident on Thursday night, we concluded that Andray and JaVale conducted themselves in an unprofessional manner,” said Grunfeld.  “As a result, both players will be suspended for tomorrow’s game at San Antonio.”

The AP reports:

The Washington Post said on its website that Blatche and McGee were involved in an altercation outside an area club early Friday. The newspaper reported that two league sources said the players cursed at each other and exchanged punches. The Post said another source said police were called to break up the fight.

The Charlotte Observer reports:

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is officially a Charlotte homeowner.

Jordan has purchased and combined the two top-floor penthouses at The Trust, a luxury uptown condominium building at 139 South Tryon St. He closed on the $3.15 million property Thursday, according to the McDevitt Agency, which brokered the deal.

His new, 7,000-square-foot residence is about two blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena, where the Bobcats play. The seven-floor Trust building also houses Chima Brazilian Steakhouse.

InsideHoops.com editor says: $3.15 million is pocket change. He probably paid it in $20 bills that he found in his jeans. I’m sure my readers can relate.

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports:

There’s no dancing around the Kings’ rough start this season.

They have the NBA’s worst record, 5-22. They’ve lost 21 of their last 23 games.

Each loss draws more scrutiny, but Kings ownership and management remain resolute in keeping with their plan to rebuild the team back to prominence.

Co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, basketball president Geoff Petrie and coach Paul Westphal are echoing the same message as the team takes two days off before returning to practice Sunday in preparation for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite the rough start, the ownership said it has no plans to make sweeping changes on the sideline or in the front office.

“Paul is going to be our coach through the end of the season, and Geoff will remain with us, no doubt about it,” Gavin Maloof said. “We’re going to stick together and know the future is bright. We have a lot of cap space, and we’re going to use it and know that brighter days are ahead.”

Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group reports:

Last year, forward Reggie Williams spent Christmas in his apartment in Sioux Falls, S.D.

In the morning, he walked through a foot of snow to buy groceries from a Wal-Mart across the street. He and roommate Leemire Goldwire, his teammate in the NBA Development League, cooked and ate Christmas dinner together. By that evening, they were glued to the couch waiting for the tipoff of the Denver-Portland game on ESPN, dreaming about the day they would get their shots in the NBA.

“It seems like just yesterday,” Williams, 24, said. “Now, I’m spending Christmas in California, in beautiful weather and about to play on national TV. My family can watch me play.”

Tonight Williams again will be waiting for the tipoff of a game involving Portland on ESPN (and CSNBA). But this time, he is playing in it. The Warriors host the Trail Blazers in the nightcap of the NBA’s five-game Christmas Day schedule.

This time last year, Williams was an overlooked star in the D-League, watching other D-Leaguers get called up to the big show ahead of him.

“My dream was to play in the NBA,” Williams said. “So for me to play on Christmas Day and on national TV, that’s a pretty big achievement.”

The Golden State Warriors have hired Lloyd Pierce as an assistant coach, the team announced today. Pierce joins the Warriors after spending the previous three seasons as the player development coordinator for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he worked closely with the team’s players on individual skill development.

A Bay Area native from San Jose, Pierce attended Santa Clara University from 1994-1998, where he was a four-year letterman and helped lead the Broncos to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.  Following his college career, Pierce played professionally in Mexico, Australia and Germany before returning to Santa Clara to join the team’s coaching staff under Dick Davey.

Pierce, 34, fills the vacancy on the Warriors coaching staff that was created when assistant coach Stephen Silas left the team to join his father Paul’s staff with the Charlotte Bobcats.  Paul Silas was named interim head coach of the Bobcats on Wednesday.