Latest NBA News from August 7, 2013: Jennings explains why he took bad shots in Milwaukee, Knicks closing in on Beno Udrih

David Lee doesn’t think the Warriors are in the top three in talent yet in the West. He also thinks the Brooklyn Nets are the best team in the league on paper, from Marc Berman of New York Post: “We’ve put ourselves in a great spot, we made improvements,’’ Lee said. “We’re still not in the top-three most-talented rosters in the West. But if we can keep the same attitude and approach, I think we have a chance to be as good as anyone in the West when it’s all said and done.’’… “You never know what may happen in the future,’’ Lee said. “I love New York. That’s why I choose to come back for the camps.’… As for the New York basketball teams, “On paper, you got to think the Nets’ roster is probably name-wise better than anyone in the league right now,’’ Lee said. “If they can stay healthy, they have a chance to be pretty good – as do the Knicks.’’

Speaking of the Knicks and Nets, here is a schedule on when the two teams meet in the upcoming season, from Berman: “The first chance to gauge whether the Nets have surpassed the Knicks comes Dec. 5, when the area rivals take the floor in Brooklyn in their season’s first meeting… The NBA schedule was released last night and the Knicks open their season against the Bucks at the Garden Oct. 30. They play the following night in Chicago. In correcting a mistake from last season’s first year in Brooklyn, the Knicks and Nets will face each other twice in April, when the Atlantic Division title could be decided. The Nets face the Knicks at the Garden April 2 and the two teams meet again in Brooklyn April 15 in the second-to-last game of the regular season. The teams also play on Martin Luther King Day, a 2:30 p.m. matinee at the Garden.”

Mo Williams has agreed to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “Free-agent guard Mo Williams has reached agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-year, $5.6 million contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The second year of the contract is at Williams’ option. Williams, 30, averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 assists in 46 games for the Utah Jazz last season.”

DeJuan Blair has officially signed on with the Dallas Mavericks, from Brett Pollakoff of ProBasketballTalk: “DeJuan Blair finished his fourth season with the Spurs as a restricted free agent, but after falling out of the rotation in San Antonio and with the Spurs not looking to match any offers he may have received, Blair might has well have been unrestricted this summer. The offers weren’t exactly pouring in, despite Blair’s respectable level of offensive production. He did eventually find a home though, signing with the Mavericks on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum salary of $884,293 on Wednesday. Blair will have his opportunities to show what he can do in Dallas in order to try to earn himself a longer-term deal for next season and beyond. He’s proven to be a good rebounder but has historically been a liability on the defensive end, and playing the power forward or even the center position as part of a smaller lineup, that’s not something most teams can afford to deal with for more than a few minutes at a time.”

Larry Sanders and the Milwaukee Bucks are in advanced stages of working out a contract extension, from Marc Stein of ESPN: “The Milwaukee Bucks are in advanced discussions on a contract extension with forward Larry Sanders, according to sources close to the process. Oct. 31 is the deadline for extensions for members of Sanders’ 2010 draft class, but sources told ESPN.com this week that negotiations on a new deal for one of Milwaukee’s new cornerstones have already reached the final stages. In the wake of the recent departures of guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, Sanders has emerged as Milwaukee’s most recognizable player. He was a recent invitee to USA Basketball’s minicamp in Las Vegas for the game’s top 25-and-under players, only to be derailed halfway through by an ankle sprain. Although contract figures were not immediately known, sources say Sanders is expected to receive an extension with an annual salary in excess of $10 million. He averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in just 27.3 minutes per game last season.”

Bucks general manager denied the notion that the team is looking to tank for next season, from Charles F. Gardner of Journal Sentinel: “Some people use these words like ‘tanking,’ so to speak,” Hammond said at a news conference to introduce Knight and small forward Khris Middleton, also acquired in the trade. “We’re by no means in that mode whatsoever. “We’re trying to remain competitive. I think we can be a competitive team. But also we really want to start focusing on the youth of this team and start talking about things like a championship-caliber team. Can they develop into a core like that? I think they can. “We’re going to have to have the right kind of people, people that say I want to be a part of that and I’m going to work hard to become that.”

Derrick Favors said both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap reached out to say that the Utah Jazz belong to him now, from Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld: “As Favors tells the story, both outgoing Jazz starters Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap called him when they reached free agent deals to leave the team to tell him that the Jazz was his team now, and that in their eyes he was ready to take the mantle of franchise player.
When Favors talks of his new situation he beams, talking about the what-ifs of the new season and how much he is prepared both physically and mentally for the challenge of leading a young Jazz team.

Favors talks enthusiastically about his front court mate Enes Kanter and how prepared he is for the new challenge of starting alongside Favors in Utah. Favors also beams about his new point guard in rookie Trey Burke, gushing about how many pick-and-roll plays he expects to see next season. The Jazz look to be one of the more promising young teams in the NBA with a solid core of seasoned young guys that have been biting at the bit to get their chance to shine.”

The Knicks are signing free agent guard Beno Udrih, from Marc Berman of New York Post: “The Knicks have emerged as the favorite to sign 31-year-old Slovenian point guard Beno Udrih to a $1.27 million minimum contract, according to two sources. An announcement could come as soon as Thursday. The Knicks will consider it a great value signing since Udrih made $7 million last season, leaving the Knicks long shots to land him. But the market apparently dried up for the left-handed veteran who has played on four teams, including Orlando and Milwaukee last season when he combined for 66 games. The Knicks are looking for a third point guard to complement Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Being from Europe is another plus for Udrih, as Italy’s Andrea Bargnani is known to prefer hanging out with Europeans or foreign players. Udrih averaged 8.2 points with 4.6 assists last season. He has also played with San Antonio and Sacramento, mostly as a backup. In 628 games, he has made 243 starts.”

Shabazz Muhammad has been sent home from the NBA rookie program for breaking the rules, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today: “Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Shabazz Muhammad was sent home from the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program for violating a rule and bringing a female guest into his hotel room Tuesday evening, a person familiar with situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the situation. “We have been made aware of the circumstances surrounding Shabazz Muhammad’s dismissal from the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program in New Jersey,” Timberwolves President Flip Saunders said in a statement. “The team fully supports the NBA’s rules and policies in all matters pertaining to this situation and we will abide by the league’s action.” Muhammad, who also will be fined, was here for the four-day program which helps rookies transition into the league through a series of seminars, instructions and guest speakers.”