and left with a trainer. Medlen tore his right ulnar collateral

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have made another move in hopes of finding a reliable backup to point guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors acquired Steve Blake from the Los Angeles Lakers for reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks on Wednesday night, adding a veteran ball-handler to their beleaguered bench. Word of the deal started to spread just before the Warriors played in Sacramento and the Lakers hosted Houston, with the three players involved saying goodbye to teammates and coaches in the locker room. Both teams confirmed the trade before halftime of their games. "We think this just bolsters the bench and gives us some more options, some more weapons and a player when you give him the ball you know you can trust him," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said during intermission in Sacramento. "We just think it was a chance to improve our roster and that was our justification." The trade gives Golden State a savvy veteran off the bench without sacrificing any of its core players or moving into the leagues luxury tax. The Warriors used a $4 million trade exception they got in the deal with Denver that landed free agent Andre Iguodala last summer. The team is about $400,000 under the luxury tax, Myers said. The Warriors were hoping Blake would be uniform when they host Houston on Thursday night in Oakland. Blake, who is making $4 million in the final year of his contract, averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 assists while starting all 27 games he played for the injury-depleted Lakers this season. The Warriors are counting on the 33-year-old veteran to improve a bench that has been searching for a solid ball-handler since Jarrett Jack left for Cleveland in free agency last summer. The Warriors acquired Jordan Crawford and Brooks from Boston in a three-team trade on Jan. 15. Golden State sent struggling backup Toney Douglas to Miami in that deal. Crawford has been, at times, a prolific scorer but is still learning how to be a better distributor and playmaker on a Warriors team that has plenty of shooters. He entered Wednesday averaging 6.3 points and 2.2 assists in his first 13 games with the Warriors after starting for the Celtics while Rajon Rondo was injured. "We like our core, and I think our core likes each other. I think its a core that can win," Myers said. "And our bench, for whatever reason, struggled early on. Anything we could do to fortify it, we tried to do without removing what we consider our core." The Lakers received some salary cap relief and a pair of young and unproven players in the deal. Brooks appeared in just seven games with the Warriors and never caught on in Mark Jacksons rotation. Bazemore, best known for his animated cheering on Golden States bench, also struggled in limited action the past two seasons. Both had split time with the teams NBA Development League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, but should get more of an opportunity with the rebuilding Lakers. 49ers Jerseys China Cheap . Johns IceCaps erased an early two-goal deficit to come from behind and defeat the host Portland Pirates 5-4 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. San Francisco 49ers Jerseys China . So they rushed to re-sign the first baseman who general manager Ben Cherington described Friday as "a unique player." The World Series champions finalized a $32 million, two-year agreement Thursday with the slugging former catcher who turned into a surprisingly good defender. http://www.cheap49ersjerseysauthentic.com/ .C. -- The Steve Smith era in Carolina is over. Wholesale San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. Cheap 49ers Jerseys Authentic .C. -- Kevin Harvick won his first career pole at Darlington Raceway on Friday as he looks to chase his first Southern 500. KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Braves pitcher Kris Medlen has injured a ligament in his right elbow for the second time in less than four years, and Atlanta says it is too early to determine the extent of the damage. Medlen had an MRI on Monday that revealed the injury, according to general manager Frank Wren. Wren said Tuesday the 28-year-old right-hander and the team will seek a second medical opinion. "I talked to him and he seems like hes in good spirits," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. Medlen felt the injury on Sunday while pitching against the New York Mets. He grabbed the elbow with two outs in the fourth inning and left with a trainer. Medlen tore his right ulnar collateral ligament while pitching against the Mets on Aug. 4, 2010, and was operated on by Dr. James Andrews that Aug. 18. Medlen didnt pitch for the Braves again until Sept. 25 the following year. He is expected to meet with Andrews this week. Brandon Beachyy, another right-hander in Atlantas projected starting rotation, left a game Monday because of tightness around his pitching elbow.dddddddddddd Beachy has been limited to a total of 18 starts over the past two seasons. Left-hander Mike Minor, who underwent urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, is struggling with shoulder soreness. He hopes to pitch within the next week but could open the season on the disabled list. Atlanta could start the season without the trio, and Wren described the latest events as "worrisome." Julio Tehran hasnt allowed a run all spring training after pitching four shutout innings against Philadelphia on Tuesday and is likely to be joined in the starting rotation by Alex Wood, who pitches Wednesday against Washington in a split-squad game. Rookie David Hale was impressive during a call-up to the Braves last September, but he has struggled a bit this spring training. 18:35ET 11-03-14 ' ' '