Mehmet Okur will soon be on the open market as he was released Wednesday by the Portland Trail Blazers, who signed J.J. Hickson. Okur was acquired last week in the deal that sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets. He never took the court for Portland. Okur can be claimed on waivers, but the claiming team must honor his contract. If he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent. A 7-footer with 3-point range who can rebound a little, Okur would be
A year ago, J.J. Hickson was in the running for the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Now he’s not even an NBA player. Hickson, 23, was waived Monday by the Sacramento Kings, the team announced. Yahoo! Sports reported that Hickson received a buyout. The 6-9 Hickson was a 2008 first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers and was primarily a starter in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. He was one of the few bright spots in Cleveland’s dismal campaign a year ago, averaging career